Question 1

Can I convert an older Fort Collins rental to more bedrooms now that the occupancy cap is gone?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as the binding constraint, but it is not unlimited. Colorado's HB24-1007 (CRS 29-20-111), effective July 1, 2024, bars any local occupancy limit based on familial relationship, and Fort Collins City Council repealed its own U+2 rule on second reading July 2, 2024 (Ordinance No. 081, 2024 and Ordinance No. 082, 2024). Nothing replaced the cap on unrelated adults, but the state statute expressly preserves health and safety limits, so bedroom egress, minimum room area and septic or wastewater capacity still set the ceiling on how many legal bedrooms a given house can carry. Underwrite the rehab to code, not to a headcount.

Question 2

Is Fort Collins a market where a flip profits from appreciation?

Accepted Answer

Not right now, so budget the spread at purchase. Fort Collins city values were $569,102 as of June 2026, down 1.0% year over year, and the whole MSA was down 1.2%. Every one of the metro's eight cities in this set was flat to down over the same period. That is a stabilising picture, not a distressed one, but it means the profit on a Fort Collins flip has to come from what you paid and what you spent, not from the market moving under you during a 6-month hold.

Question 3

How is a vacant Fort Collins lot taxed while I'm building or holding it?

Accepted Answer

At the commercial rate, not the residential one, and it is a real carry line. The Larimer County Treasurer assesses residential property with improvements at 7.05% against school mills and 6.25% against all other local mills, but commercial property and unimproved residential lots are assessed at 27%. A teardown or a lot you are holding between demo and permit sits in that 27% bracket until it is improved, which is roughly four times the residential rate on the same value.

Question 4

If I flip a property that already has a short-term rental license, does the license transfer to my buyer?

Accepted Answer

No, and this is worth confirming before you underwrite an STR exit. Fort Collins' own operating guide states plainly that an STR license does not convey with the property on sale; the new owner has 30 days from closing to apply for a license in their own name. If your buyer, or you as the flip's eventual owner, is counting on stepping into an existing license, plan for the reapplication instead of assuming continuity.

Question 5

I'm eyeing a flip in Old Town North with a short-term rental exit in mind. Does that still work?

Accepted Answer

Check the zoning before you underwrite it. Fort Collins removed non-primary short-term rentals from the Community Commercial - North College zone, which covers Old Town North, effective July 11, 2025 (Ordinance No. 106, 2025 and Ordinance No. 107, 2025). The neighborhood had held 3 primary and 73 non-primary licenses, about a quarter of its dwellings, before the change. Existing license holders may keep renewing, but a license still does not transfer on sale, so a flip buyer in that zone cannot count on stepping into someone else's grandfathered STR license. Confirm the parcel's zone against the city's short-term rental zoning map before you pencil an STR exit anywhere in Fort Collins.

Question 6

Does the same property tax math apply if I flip in Windsor or Timnath instead of Fort Collins proper?

Accepted Answer

No, and the county line matters more than the city line here. Fort Collins, Loveland, Timnath, Wellington and most of Berthoud sit in Larimer County; Windsor straddles the Larimer-Weld line, and Greeley, Evans, Severance and most of Windsor's growth sit in Weld County with a different assessor and different certified levies. On top of that, many Fort Collins-area subdivisions and most of the newer growth in Timnath and Windsor sit inside metro districts, special taxing entities that layer their own mill levy on top of the county, city and school stack. Pull the specific parcel's tax area from the county assessor before you size carrying costs; do not assume the Fort Collins city rate applies outside the city limits.

Question 7

How much cash do I need to bring to a Fort Collins flip?

Accepted Answer

About 10% of the purchase, plus closing costs. We fund up to 90% of the purchase price and up to 100% of the rehab budget, capped to ARV. On a $450,000 Fort Collins purchase that is up to $405,000 from us and $45,000 from you (450,000 x 90% = 405,000), with the rehab drawn against the schedule instead of paid up front. Fort Collins values were flat to slightly down over the past year, so the spread has to come from what you paid and what you spent. Carry a real contingency on top of your down payment. Subject to underwriting.

Question 8

My credit took a hit. Can I still get a fix and flip loan in Fort Collins?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes. We run credit, but on an asset-based loan like this one it carries far less weight than at a bank, and there is no minimum score on our fix and flip program. Weaker credit is normally handled with lower leverage rather than a decline, so you bring a bit more to the table instead of hearing no. There is no hard credit pull to start the conversation. Subject to underwriting.

Question 9

What size fix and flip loans do you write in Fort Collins?

Accepted Answer

From $100,000 up to $5 million. That covers most of what trades here, from an older house near Colorado State that needs bedrooms brought up to code, to a larger project out in the ring towns. The term is 6 months, interest-only, which is a real constraint worth planning around: the rehab, the listing and the closing all have to fit inside it. Line up your contractor before you close, not after. Subject to underwriting.

Question 10

This is my first flip. Is that a problem in Fort Collins?

Accepted Answer

No. First-time flippers are welcome on this program. We qualify the deal off the property and the equity, not W-2s or pay stubs, so a thin flipping resume is not by itself a decline. Experience does show up in how we look at the budget and the schedule, and a first-timer here should be conservative on both, since a Fort Collins flip has to earn its spread at purchase rather than from the market moving during a 6-month hold. Subject to underwriting.

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