August Listing Spotlight
August brought another 17 homes to the market, but quite frankly, those numbers are a bit of a lie. 4 of those homes have already been on the market once before this year….and surprise, surprise, those 4 homes that have been on the market before are all still available (each for their own specific reasons). As for the rest of the homes, they are all going under contract quickly (every single one under 7 days, except for one home on Shields, a busy street). This is the first month that I’ve seen no condo/townhomes hit the market in Old Town, nor did we see any inventory above $1.0 million, so in my mind, this is a true test of the desirability of an old town home and how fast they will sell. Across the board, the market has seemed to soften in late summer as potential buyers travel and get kids back into school, but for Old Town, that softening doesn’t seem to have affected much in regards to demand. I’ll be curious to see how the September inventory plays out as very few homes will slip into next month as available. I’ve compiled my thoughts and stats on each of the listings below, and the listing agent for each property noted beneath each photo. All photos were taken directly from the MLS feed.
413 Hanna St, Fort Collins, 80521
Listed By Stephanie Kirkland, The Group Centerra
List Price: $325,000
Sold Price: Pending (4 Days to offer)
Difference: TBD
2 beds and 1 bath listed updated home listed at $325K? That is going to get some offers in this market regardless of where it is listed, so to be in Old Town that will definitely garnish some interest. I honestly think this could have been listed around $350K and still had plenty of interest, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sell above $350K….maybe closer to $375K.
406 Tedmon Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Kellie Milton, The Group Mulberry
List Price: $435,000
Sold Price: Pending (2 Days to offer)
Difference: TBD
Looks like a pretty standard mid-century ranch home with a living space as you walk through the front door, a galley kitchen that leads to a 1 car garage, and 3 bedrooms that share the common bathroom. The floors look to be in great condition, and it was under contract in just 2 days, so the pricing was spot on for this one. This is a great comparable sale to look at if you live in this neighborhood and want to keep track of your homes value.
1225 Columbine Ct, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Emily Heinz, Downtown Real Estate Partners
List Price: $430,000
Sold Price: $484,273
Difference: $54,273
Just about the most unique offer above list price, this type of price is usually reserved for new builds with awkward, non even numbers. I almost want this one to have a “and 46 cents” end to it, but I digress. This one obviously had multiple offers and was under contract quickly, with the winning offer being on that was non-financed that could close fast with no appraisal. This one had a nice, open layout, but could have also used a bit of updating, so I’m a bit surprised to see it go over 10% above the listed price.
227 N McKinley Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Ryan Jenkins, Greyrock Realty
List Price: $499,000
Sold Price: Pending (4 days to offer)
Difference: TBD
This one has all the characteristics of an ideal investor sale in Old Town; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and at a price that may suit its use as a rental in the future. However, those same features are also attractive to owner occupied buyers, so this one bridged the gap between 2 major players in the real estate market. The house looks like it has updates in the right areas…IE the kitchen and living space, with a bit of room to improve in the bedrooms. This particular location is probably not on the radar of many Old Town buyers, but certainly is becoming a more desirable each year as more properties get fixed up in that area.
215 N Whitcomb St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Emily Heinz, Downtown Real Estate Partners
List Price: $535,000
Sold Price: Pending (1 Day to Offer)
Difference: TBD
This property was under contract before ever being submitted to the market, although the fact that it has been staged and professionally photographed implies to me that it was intended to hit the market. At 3 beds and 2 baths on a huge lot (.21 acres) there are a lot of factors that would drive a sale like this, so one wonders if it took an offer a bit above list price to get this one to not go live on the market for all to see.
320 N Meldrum St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Laura Olive, Remax Alliance, FTC Downtown
List Price: $410,000
Sold Price: $565,000
Difference: $155,000!
Holy Smokes! That is quite the difference between the listed price and sold price on this property. This 100% feels like a sale that was driven by the unique zoning of this property in the downtown district which would allow the new owner a range of potential future use. I would be very surprised if this particular lot was NOT turned into something different in the near future.
337 N Shields St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Paul Hunter, Windermere Fort Collins
List Price: $565,000
Sold Price: Active (As of Sept. 7, 2021)
Difference: TBD
I’ve seen homes like this one come and go on the market before, and I think that the way this one is layed out makes it a bit of a tough sell. The actual finishes and condition looks really nice, but the layout seems to be a bit of a downer for some buyers as it has a full 1816 SQFT split evenly between 2 levels. What really kills these layouts in these homes, especially in Old Town, is the ceiling height in the basement, which is usually around 7’ tall and can feel confining. This one has basement ceilings of 7’2”, which for a 6’ tall person definitely feels a bit off. If you want to explore the entire 3d tour, you can access that here.
672 Hanna St., Fort Collins, CO 80521
Re-Listed by Adam Snow, The Real Estate Workshop LLC
List Price: $575,000
Sold Price: Active (As of Sept. 7, 2021)
Difference: TBD
Originally listed at $585,000, this home has made a few price adjustments to try to maintain freshness in the market. Now at 10 days on the market after a second go on the market, it seems likely that the pricing strategy didn’t quite work out in this instance, and a true price adjustment will likely be needed to catch the market again. While the home is remodeled and updated, it looks like the layout is a bit peculiar, and its location is not the type that really gets Old Town buyers truly excited unless the house knocks the socks off.
123 N Washington Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Emily Heinz, Downtown Real Estate Partners
List Price: $599,900
Sold Price: Pending (4 Days to Offer)
Difference: $TBD
I walk by this home nearly every day and think that this sale will be great value for the new buyers. When I saw this one pop up last year for $575K, I felt it was a bit high, so I was surprised to see it back on the market so soon after its last sale. The owners did some updating to the home (sewer line, concrete work, and some interior work) so for it to sell a year later for just about $25K more, it seems like pretty good value. This home is on a large lot, and it backs to a super quiet and peaceful bungalow court, which is a sweet little pocket neighborhood in the middle of Old Town.
616 N Taft Hill Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Jessica Gallegos, 8z Real Estate
List Price: $600,000
Sold Price: Pending (4 Days to Offer)
Difference: $TBD
This home nearly went under contract before being listed, but ultimately hit the market. They ended up with a few offers in the first couple of days. While this one is just about at the very end of where most would consider “old town”, the fact that it has acreage, the ability to have horses or space to garden, and the easy access to old town was a huge driving factor in it going under contract.
300 S. Whitcomb St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Alexi Rajala, Hazel Sky Homes
List Price: $625,000
Sold Price: Pending (5 Days to Offer)
Difference: $TBD
Lots of work has been done on this property, and when I toured it I loved the newly finished fir floors and tall ceilings. The garage is brand new, which is an added plus, and the home has been completely painted on the exterior as well. The interior layout is decent, especially in the amount of living space, but the location of the single bathroom off of the kitchen is unfortunate. Also, the lot is pretty small, so adding space to this home will be very tough to do down the line. I was actually a bit surprised to see it go under contract as quick as it did, as I think it is a bit high for the SQFT and bedroom count.
530 Cherry St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Richard Payne Jr., Fort Collins Real Estate, LLC
List Price: $699,900
Sold Price: Active (As of Sept. 7, 2021)
Difference: TBD
Back on the market again after an unsuccessful run on the market in March, this one looks to be slipping through the cracks again. The layout of the home seems to be a bit choppy as it used to be 2 units that were not recognized by the city as a legally conforming duplex. This one could provide some opportunity to a savvy buyer who has some extra funds and is willing to make the conversion or changes to allow for a rental, but isn’t a slam dunk for 80% of the market looking in Old Town right now.
1831 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Emily Heinz, Downtown Real Estate Partners
List Price: $750,000
Sold Price: Pending (6 Days to offer)
Difference: $TBD
Smart pricing on this property got it under contract quickly. Built in 2004, there is not too many issues that you would expect to come with this home, and it looks as though the builders took some care in adding some character details in the finishes of the home. The proximity of this home at the far end of Laporte before hitting the cemetery and Taft Hill makes it a bit of a neighborhood outlier (IE don’t have a great neighborhood feel), but there really has not been much inventory on the market in the $700’s this year, which certainly is a price-range attractive to many old town buyers looking for a bit more space.
1105 W. Mountain Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Brendan Mahoney, At Home Realty
List Price: $799,000
Sold Price: Pending (7 Days to Offer)
Difference: $TBD
Mountain Ave homes tend to fetch a premium price, so when I saw this one pop up at $799,000 I instantly sent it out to some of my clients looking in the area. The home does have a nice, historic feel, especially in the front living space and expansive front porch. The master bedroom could use an alteration to create a full-on master suite, which may cost a pretty penny to do, but there is tons of space to make alterations, both in price and lot size as this home sits on a 1/3 acre! The road noise from Shields may be a bit of a drawback, as there isn’t much to shelter this home from that noise, but smart moves on the sellers part to sell this one while shields was temporarily closed for repairs!
519 N Whitcomb St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Kristina Harding, Atlas Real Estate Group
List Price: $825,000
Sold Price: Pending (5 DTO)
Difference: $TBD
A really nice modern property within a generally historic region, this property has a lot going for it. Plenty of natural light and an open concept living space really make this a comfortable home, but its proximity to Lee Martinez park at the end of a rarely travelled cul-de-sac is super appealing as well. The outdoor space doesn’t disappoint either, and to be able to get into an almost new home in this area for under $1.0 million is a nice feature. There are a few modern homes like these in the area, and they tend to be good value for the neighborhood.
139 N Meldrum St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Bobby Kahn, Integrity Real Estate Group
List Price: $839,000
Sold Price: Active (As of Sept. 7, 2021)
Difference: TBD
This home is really struggling to sell at this point. It is on a large lot for the area, and the photos that are available (see above link) seem to show the home in good condition. The confusion of the best use, and smaller SQFT is what is holding this one back as it is unclear on whether this should be a commercial property, a rental property, or a single family residence.
116 N Grant Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Listed by Brady Walters, Remax Alliance FTC-Downtown
List Price: $950,000
Sold Price: Currently Available (As of Sept. 7, 2021)
Difference: TBD
This one has really struggled to get some momentum since it was originally listed in June of 2021. I do think that they are getting closer to where they need to be on price, but the main house still looks like it could use a bit of updating for where it is at on the price. I’d expect that this one will need another price adjustment to get it into the ballpark of where a potential buyer wants to be on it.
