ABOUT LOVELAND

'The Sweetheart City' shines on Valentines Day when over 160,000 letters and cards pass through Loveland's Valentine Re-mailing program, but the town of 76,000 really stands out in its dedication to art, with the Benson Sculpture Garden, three foundries, and 475 pieces of public art.

Mariano Medina built the first settlement in the area,Fort Namaqua, in 1858.It was atrading postandstage station, and the site is now Namaqua Park.Prior to that time it was a hub for French fur trappers dating back to the late 1700s.

The City of Loveland was founded in 1877 along the newly-constructed line of theColorado Central Railroad, near its crossing of theBig Thompson River. It was named in honor of William A.H. Loveland, the president of the Colorado Central Railroad. The City was founded one mile (1.6 km) upstream from the existing small settlement ofSt. Louis, the buildings of which weremoved to the site of Loveland.

For the first half of the 20th Century the town was dependent on agriculture, and the primary crops in the area were sugar beets and sour cherries. In 1901, theGreat Western Sugar Companybuilt a factory in Loveland, which remained as a source of employment until its closure in 1985. During the late 1920's theSpring Glade Orchardwas the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi River. A series of droughts, attacks of blight and finally a killer freeze destroyed the industry. By 1960 cherries were no longer farmed in the area.

In the late 20th Century, the economy diversified with the arrival of manufacturing facilities byHewlett-Packard,Teledyne, andHach, a water quality analysis equipment manufacturer. TheMedical Center of the Rockieshas added a substantial amount of employment in that sector as well.

Lovelandis south of Fort Collins, its larger neighbor and the county seat. The two cities have been steadily growing towards each other over the last several decades and are considered to be a single metropolitan area by the U.S. government. The establishment of county-owned open space between the two communities in the 1990's was intended to createa permanent buffer to contiguous growth.

AMENITIES OF THE
LOVELAND COMMUNITY

Loveland's population is now at 78,000, and has aggressively expanded its incorporated limits eastward to embrace the interchanges at Interstate 25 (I-25). The I-25 & Crossroads Boulevard intersection and the I-25 & U.S. Highway 34 intersection are both being developed with retail and commercial properties filling in nicely. In the last decade, the I-25 & Hwy. 34 intersection has become a primary commercial hub of northern Colorado, with the construction of shopping centers such as the Promenade Shops at Centerra and the Outlets at Loveland, and the addition of the Budweiser Events Center. The Medical Center of the Rockies has also been built near the Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34 interchange. This area is known as Centerra (see more info below). The interchange is shared with its smaller neighbor Johnstown, of Weld County.

WHY BUYING LOVELAND REAL ESTATE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Dakota Glen, Mariana Butte, Lakes at Centerra, Loch Lon, Eagle Brook Meadows, Kendall Brook, Woodmere, Hunters Run, Glade West, Millennium, Alford Lake, Kinston at Centerra, Namaqua Hills, and Orchard Park are just a few of the communities in Loveland, with Namaqua Hills and Mariana Butte being two of my favorites.

With a varied economy including veterinary pharmaceuticals, aerospace, ag products, IT software, publishing and web media, and manufacturing, Loveland is positioned to continue growing in real estate value appreciation. Lake Loveland, Carter Lake, Pineridge Lake, and the Seven Lakes area including Boyd Lake offer some of the best water recreation and lakefront properties on the Front Range. Centerra and the eastern side of the city create easy access to I-25 and to Denver, while the western side of town is less than an hour away from Rocky Mountain National Park and the town of Estes Park. Average home values have increased 115 % in the last ten years.

James has a proven track record in Loveland’s real estate market. If you’re looking to buy or sell a property in Loveland, look no further and contact James today.