🏡 Moving to Windsor, Colorado: What to Expect and How to Get Prepared
Water Valley Neighborhood
If you’re considering a move to Windsor, Colorado, welcome! You’re about to discover one of Northern Colorado’s most charming and fast-growing communities — a place that blends small-town warmth with modern amenities, stunning mountain views, and an unbeatable quality of life.
As a local Realtor who lives and works right here in Windsor, I’ve helped many families make the transition smoothly. Here’s what you can expect — and how to prepare for your move.
🌤️ What Makes Windsor So Special
Windsor sits perfectly between Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley, giving you easy access to major employers, shopping, and entertainment while still maintaining that friendly, community-oriented feel.
You’ll find beautiful neighborhoods like Water Valley, Raindance, and Bison Ridge — many featuring golf courses, lakes, and walking trails. Families love the top-rated schools, the recreation center, and year-round community events like Windsor Harvest Festival, Summer Concerts at Boardwalk Park, and 4th of July fireworks over the lake.
For outdoor lovers, there’s no shortage of options — Windsor Lake, Poudre River Trail, and nearby golf courses make staying active easy.
🏠 The Housing Market
The Windsor real estate market offers something for everyone — from cozy condos and newer townhomes to luxury golf-course properties and custom ranches.
As of late 2025, Windsor homes have a median list price around $700K, with new construction and resale options throughout the area. Whether you’re buying or selling, it’s important to have a Realtor who understands Windsor’s micro-markets — prices can vary dramatically between neighborhoods and even between sides of the same street depending on amenities, lot size, and school district.
🧳 How to Prepare for Your Move
1️⃣ Get Pre-Approved Early If you’re buying, meet with a trusted lender before your home search. Windsor homes can move quickly, especially those near golf courses or lakes. Having your pre-approval letter in hand gives you a strong advantage.
2️⃣ Research Neighborhoods Each area in Windsor has its own personality —
Water Valley offers resort-style living with private lakes and golf.
Raindance blends farm-to-table charm with fun amenities like a lazy river and orchards.
Bison Ridge and Highpointe Estates offer larger lots and mountain views.
I always recommend exploring in person if you can — grab a coffee at Coffee House 29, take a walk around Boardwalk Park, and get a feel for the community.
3️⃣ Budget for Metro Districts and HOAs Many newer Windsor communities are part of Metro Districts, which means you’ll pay an additional property tax in exchange for neighborhood amenities and infrastructure. Make sure you understand those costs before you buy.
4️⃣ Prepare for All Four Seasons Windsor gets sunshine almost year-round but also experiences classic Colorado weather — warm summers, crisp falls, snow in the winter, and plenty of spring wind! Have snow gear handy and keep your patio furniture anchored.
5️⃣ Line Up Local Resources Before moving, schedule your utilities, trash, and internet. Local favorites include Poudre Valley REA, Xcel Energy, and TDS Fiber. You’ll also want to connect with local service providers — painters, landscapers, or cleaners. (I’m happy to share my trusted vendor list!)
💡 Insider Tips from a Local
Plan for growth. Windsor is expanding rapidly, which means new schools, parks, and shopping centers are on the way — great for long-term value.
Explore beyond Main Street. Don’t miss the breweries, family-run restaurants, and farm markets that make Windsor feel special.
Get involved! Join a local fitness class, volunteer at a school, or attend Friday Night Concerts at the lake — it’s the best way to meet your new neighbors.
❤️ Final Thoughts
Moving to Windsor is more than a relocation — it’s an upgrade in lifestyle. You’ll find friendly neighbors, scenic beauty, and a strong sense of community that’s hard to beat.
If you’re thinking about making Windsor your new home, I’d love to be your local resource. From exploring neighborhoods to helping you settle in, I’ll guide you every step of the way.
You’ve done your research, mapped out your route, and found the listings worth touring. Now it’s time to make the most of your visit. Whenever you attend an open house, put yourself in the seller’s shoes; you’re letting a bunch of strangers walk through your home while you’re not there. While every seller wants their open house to net a buyer, they also want to keep their home safe and their furnishings free of damage.
Ask the right questions
An open house is your best chance to get details you won’t find in the listing. Don’t hesitate to ask the hosting agent about:
Whether the seller has filed a property tax appeal
Any recent renovations or repairs
If you’re not already working with a buyer’s agent and decide the house isn’t a fit, this is also a chance to see if the hosting agent could be a good partner for your home search as many agents represent both buyers and sellers.
Be honest and transparent
If another agent (not the listing agent) is hosting, they’re likely hoping to connect with new clients. If you’re already working with an agent, or just browsing without serious intent, let them know upfront. It avoids confusion and keeps things professional.
Look beyond the staging
Homes often look flawless in online photos, so use your time in person to look deeper. Keep an eye out for:
Window issues: Flaking paint, condensation, or misaligned frames
Water damage: Warped baseboards, ceiling stains, or musty odors
Foundation concerns: Cracks in drywall or ceilings
Functionality: Open cabinets, doors, and drawers, and run faucets to check water pressure
Renovation needs: Floors, fixtures, or repainting projects that could add to your overall investment
Walking through with a critical eye will help you determine if the home is worth a second showing or a place on your short list.
The Windsor Halloween Carnival is back for the 7th year in a row, and we are making it our spookiest celebration yet! Come enjoy all your favorite Halloween activities like trick-or-treating, fun inflatables, yummy food trucks and more. Trick-or-treating will begin at noon with dozens of candy stops around the Windsor History Museum. This event is held in collaboration with the Downtown Trick-or-Treat hosted by the Windsor Downtown Alliance. From 1 to 4 p.m., families can double their candy opportunities by stopping at local businesses all along Main St.
Any change in mortgage rates could be muted in the near term
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the bond market has already priced in more rate cuts, suggesting further mortgage rate declines may be limited. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In his first public remarks since last week’s interest rate cut, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the bond market has probably priced in future rate moves, suggesting that homebuyers may have already seen the immediate effect on mortgage rates.
"You’ll see, you’ll begin to see, or you’re already seeing, changes in rates. Long before we make a decision, it can often already be priced in,” Powell said in an appearance in Providence, Rhode Island.
Powell explained that mortgage rates, which are closely tied to the bond market, don’t respond to the Fed’s current interest level but rather to where investors expect monetary policy to be headed. That often means rates start moving months before any Fed decision is made.
His remarks signal that further mortgage rate declines may be limited. “These days the market is pricing in the next six months what's going to happen to rates,” Powell said.
Carl Gomez, senior economist at Homes.com, echoed that belief. "Recent bond yields movements suggest future rate cuts may not be that deep," Gomez said. "That would imply that mortgage rates may not revisit the lows seen during the last decade. ... That means a potential resurgence of housing market activity may not follow as the Fed cuts rates during this cycle."
This dynamic played out last year when the Fed cut the federal funds rate by 100 basis points. Instead of mortgage rates falling, homebuyers saw a 100-basis-point rise due to higher inflation, reinforcing the influence of broader economic factors.
Powell made his remarks a week after the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, its first reduction since December 2024. Policymakers have also penciled in two more quarter-percentage-rate cuts before the year's end, following months of intense pressure from the White House to lower borrowing costs.
Last week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 6.26% on the heels of the Fed’s rate cut, marking the lowest average since Oct. 3, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Separate data tracking daily mortgage rate movements shows them unchanged. Powell’s comments, however, did offer some support to the underlying bond market.
According to Matthew Graham of Mortgage News Daily, mortgage rates are reacting to recent market moves, resulting in a modest uptick, though overall rates have held steady since Thursday.
Rent growth slows
Inflation accelerated last month, hitting consumers' wallets as price increases picked up for goods and housing.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, retreating to the highest level since the start of the year. Shelter alone was the largest factor in the overall monthly CPI increase. Shelter costs rose 3.6% over the last year, underscoring how housing affordability continues to affect both renters and homeowners.
For years, economists have long expected a slowdown in rent increases, a trend that has been reflected in other private data. Since the BLS collects this data twice a year, that's created a lag in the index.
However, there’s an expectation that rental inflation will significantly decline. For the first time since President Donald Trump appointed him to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Stephen Miran spoke publicly on Monday at the Economic Club of New York.
In his comments, he called for lower interest rates, advocating for a federal funds rate in the mid-2% range, nearly 2 percentage points lower than the current levels. He believes that the currentpolicy is “very restrictive.”
“Housing affordability is highly influential for Americans' perception of, and experience of, the economy,” Miran said.
He forecasts that rental inflation will fall below 1.5% by 2027, a significant drop from current levels. He explained that as leases are renewed at today’s lower market rates, broader rent inflation metrics will reflect this shift. At the same time, slowing immigration trends, in turn, will lead to reduced housing demand, easing pressure on rents.
‘It's just a cheap shot’
In recent months, the Fed has weathered political pressure and a membership shakeup. Trump has launched a push to overhaul the Board of Governors by appointing an administration official and seeking to oust a member over alleged mortgage fraud.
Powell was firm when he dismissed Trump's allegations that the Fed is somehow political when making key policy decisions. He didn’t mention Trump by name, but the president has accused the Fed and Powell of not moving quickly enough to cut rates.
“Mostly people who are calling us political, it’s just a cheap shot,” Powell said. “We don’t get into back-and-forth with external people. We just do our jobs.”
The Fed chair didn’t offer any clues into what the Fed might do next; however, he stressed that there remains a lot of economic uncertainty — reasons why the central bank is taking a “risk management approach.” He warned of both inflation risks and labor market weakness, noting that there is no obstacle-free path to policy at this moment. But he didn't rule out further cuts either.
Boulder officials will weigh whether they should allow residents to offer short-term rentals to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected when the Sundance Film Festival decamps for Colorado in 2027.
Julie Causa, Boulder communications manager, said the city council will vote on the Festival Lodging Rental Licensing Program at its Sept. 18 meeting. The 2025 festival, held in Park City, Utah, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, attracted 85,472 in-person attendees, according to the Sundance Institute, and 33% were from out of state. Actor Robert Redford founded the event, originally known as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival, in 1981 to “foster independence, risk-taking, and new voices in American film,” according to the event website.
Boulder officials say allowing short-term rentals would help the city accommodate the tens of thousands of attendees, but rentals would not be permitted during non-festival periods.
It is “a type of short-term rental license that the city has created to allow people to rent out their home for less than a month during a major festival,” Causa told Homes.com via email. “The ordinance is designed to support large, multi-day festivals and events that are anticipated to have a substantial lodging demand for attendees.”
The proposed ordinance, which the public can comment on during that Sept. 18 meeting, “is limited to when the city identifies a large event as a qualifying festival, to ensure that most housing in the community is for Boulder residents,” Causa said. “The license is limited to 29 consecutive days.”
There are several goals of this ordinance beyond accommodating guests, she said:
Ensuring that the primary use of most residential properties is for housing Boulder citizens
Reducing traffic and its impact on the environment
Housing visitors within the city means fewer miles traveled, Causa said.
If approved, the ordinance would go into effect on Oct. 18.“The City of Boulder and Visit Boulder have been working together to support a successful, long-term presence for the Sundance Film Festival,” Causa said. “We are still in the early stages of planning and preparation for the festival, and more specific details will be shared over the coming months as planning continues.
🏡 Northern Colorado Market Update | September 2025
The Northern Colorado real estate market continues to shift, creating both opportunities and challenges for buyers and sellers. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening across our key cities right now:
Fort Collins
Homes in Fort Collins are holding strong with steady list prices, but properties are sitting longer before selling. A high percentage of homes have been relisted, which shows sellers are adjusting their strategies to attract buyers. For buyers, this can mean more room to negotiate.
Windsor
Windsor continues to shine as a desirable area, with overall higher list prices but new listings entering the market at lower price points. Fewer homes are being relisted here compared to other cities, which suggests well-priced homes are moving more quickly.
Greeley
In Greeley, affordability remains a key draw. With prices lower than neighboring cities and days on market relatively balanced, buyers are seeing solid options. Sellers should keep in mind that competitive pricing is still the best strategy to get noticed.
Loveland
Loveland is experiencing longer market times and a higher percentage of relisted properties. This tells us that buyers have the advantage of choice here, and sellers need to be especially mindful about pricing and presentation to stand out.
Johnstown
Johnstown’s market sits somewhere in the middle—list prices are steady, and while some homes are being relisted, overall it’s performing more balanced than other areas. This is a spot where both buyers and sellers have opportunities if they approach the market strategically.
Key Takeaway
Across Northern Colorado, we’re seeing longer days on market and a notable number of relisted homes. For buyers, this means more negotiating power and options to explore. For sellers, the right pricing strategy and strong marketing are critical to attract today’s buyers.
If you’re considering making a move, let’s connect. I’d be happy to walk you through a tailored plan for your home, whether you’re buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on the market.
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
