Cardel Homes Update

Solterra continues to be the southwest neighborhood of choice for folks attracted to trails, our foothills location, and the natural as well as architectural beauty that make this community a home run.

If a new home in Solterra is on your radar—and you want the creativity and control of getting involved from the ground up—listen up. The availability of dirt starts from Cardel is coming to a close:

• Verona Series — 13 lots available
• Florentine Series — 10 lots available
• Renaissance Series — 24 lots available

I picked up Cardel’s site map this week. Check out the dirt-start locations.  

The good news? Solterra’s appeal remains high. The other news? The opportunity to build a Cardel home from the ground up is dwindling. Now’s the time to make your move.

Give me a call (303-898-4572) or shoot me an email. Let’s talk.

Infinity’s New Construction Coming to a Close

The end is in sight for new construction from Infinity, one of Solterra’s premier semi-custom homebuilders. The Infinity Collection—a  major player in shaping the unique architectural appeal of the community—has been attracting buyers to Solterra since the first years of development.

Three Infinity spec homes currently under construction are scheduled for completion in the next 2-4 months. Construction just started on a fourth:

15358 W. Evans Ave.

• Avanti Plan 2A with walk-out basement
•  4 beds / 4 baths
• 4,951 sq ft
• Ready March 2016
• $852,479

15343 W. Evans Dr.

• Avanti Plan 3A
• 4 beds / 5 baths
• 5,317 sq ft
• Ready May 2016
• $813,333

15353 W. Evans Dr.

• Avanti Plan 2B
• 4 beds / 4 baths
• 4,951 sq ft
• Ready May 2016
• Pricing not yet available

15338 W. Evans Ave.

• Avanti Plan 1 with walk-out basement
• 4 beds / 5 baths
• 5,470 sq ft
• Pricing and completion date not yet available

Infinity has three remaining opportunities for buyers to get involved from the ground up — what’s known in the industry as a dirt-start:

• Two lots in cul-de-sac locations on West Ashbury
• One lot on So. Nile St.

Infinity will also be selling their model at 2123 S. Juniper. Contact me by phone (303-898-4572) or email for pricing and timing.

Outlook for 2016

I’m pleased to report that Solterra continues to be an active and exciting real estate market. Crystal ball aside, this is how I see things shaping up for 2016:

We can expect another interest rate increase on top of the .25 percent bump we saw in December. Historically speaking, money is still cheap. Adding another quarter-percent won’t slow buyer demand.

The big appreciation increases we’ve seen in Solterra aren’t sustainable long-term, and will begin to level off. I believe the 7.8 percent appreciation we experienced in 2015 will drop into the more realistic 3-5 percent range in 2016.

Expect a jump in re-sale activity — a trend typical of new neighborhoods that experience high appreciation rates early-on. A percentage of 80228 homeowners will decide to “cash out” on their investment in 2016.

Ready to sell? First quarter 2015 saw some of the highest activity in the neighborhood for all of last year. Case in point: 15164 W. Washburn sold in two weeks last January.

Expect an equally active first quarter in 2016. For-sale inventory is low, and what’s currently on the market is stale. New inventory will go quickly—provided the home is in good condition and priced right. Heads up: the model at 2123 So. Juniper will be listing soon.

Questions? Call me at (303) 898-4572 or send an email. I'd be happy to discuss your situation. May health, happiness and prosperity be yours in the New Year.

Pricing your Solterra home

Pricing is one of the hardest, most difficult tasks for realtors. Price too high and you may get showings but no offers. Set the price too low, the home sells quickly, and the buyer is left asking, "could I have gotten more"?

Does your list price make sense?

Realtors look to the selling price of other homes in the neighborhood when pricing a home. Do comparable sales in the area support your price? Comparing a ranch-style house to a two-story isn't practical — they're usually two different buyers.

Comparing homes with interim locations (houses look into your backyard) and less privacy aren't a fair comparison to homes with unobstructed views or homes that back to green belts or open space.

Watch for future blogs about the complex issue of pricing.

Why my family moved from central Denver to Lakewood

I want to share why my family moved from central Denver to Lakewood 13 years ago.

1. The very first reason was because of family - my wife's family has lived in the area for a long time, and being close to family was very important to us.
2. Jefferson County Schools - after our son was born we realized we wanted him to have a great education. My wife went to Jeffco schools and wanted to continue with the school district.
3. Close to the major mountain highway corridors -  I-70 and 285 are just a few minutes away and easy access to the mountains. I am an avid fly fisher and skier/snowboarder, so being close to the mountains was and still is, important.
4. These are just a couple of reasons - more to come.