ERIE VILLAGE EXPERIENCES UNPRECEDENTED SALES SUCCESS THANKS TO ITS ACTIVE, LOW-MAINTENANCE LIFESTYLE
Boulder Creek Community Combines Green Building Techniques with Quality Design

(Boulder, CO) – Despite a near stagnant real estate market for most front range builders, green home builder Boulder Creek Life & Home www.livebouldercreek.com continues to beat the odds, growing its business last year by adding two new communities, several new employees and making strong sales within their current inventory. Erie Village specifically, one of their five communities, has experienced unprecedented success recently with a strong second half of 2009 and blazing start to 2010. Boulder Creek started in June ’09 with seven inventory homes and by end of year they had only one remaining, which has since been sold. Erie Village has continued to be successful in 2010, selling another eight homes since the start of the year for a total of 43 homes sold within the community.

“Erie Village has remained viable in the current economy because we appeal strongly to the baby boomer market and the discerning buyer who recognizes quality design,” said David Sinkey, Director of Sales and Marketing. “We offer a carefree, low maintenance lifestyle, perfect of the intrepid traveler or on-the-go grandparent looking for a lock-and-leave lifestyle.”

The Cottages at Erie Village are colorful, low-maintenance patio homes, perfect for those interested in the convenient yet active lifestyle found in Colorado. Located in Erie, Colorado, Erie Village is a unique community that emphasizes green building techniques and a strong lifestyle offering. Hiking and bike trails abound. Local shops and quaint restaurants are a mere one mile south. The Erie Community Center offers water sports, fitness classes, a climbing wall, park concerts and special events. Plus, the community is just an hour from fresh powder at Winter Park Ski Resort. Homeowners at Erie Village don’t have to rake leaves, clean the gutters, shovel snow or worry about seasonal maintenance – ever. Owners can take a trip for the weekend or for several weeks and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with low maintenance living.

“You can just close the door and leave,” says one resident, who says she was attracted to Erie Village for its low traffic, location and housing options. “You don’t just see a bunch of beige houses. And we can hear coyotes from our porch at night; it’s so quiet.”

Homeowners at Erie Village report that the sustainable construction of their new homes was important to them in choosing their new neighborhood. “There’s a real broad selection of Built Green enhancements and finishes to choose from nowadays,” says one resident. “This is an efficient house, easy to heat and cool.”

“Our final offering includes four homesites available that offer impeccable views and unmatched lifestyle,” said Paul Gortzig. “We anticipate selling out by May of this year due to the high demand and unmatched quality and price of this offering.”

About Boulder Creek Life & Home

Boulder Creek Life & Home www.livebouldercreek.com is an award winning, Boulder-based homebuilder, that creates innovative communities across the Front Range of Colorado that embrace green building practices, energy efficiency and a true sense of place. The company’s mission is to build homes that are more than just bricks and mortar, but are actually modeled around how people aspire to live, thus appealing to the active lifestyle. Each of Boulder Creek’s six current communities Calmante in Superior, Heritage at Vista Ridge and Erie Village in Erie and Kingsbridge , Shadow Grass Park and Blue Vista in Longmont, vary in size, price and concept, but have one common thread: they embrace quality craftsmanship and green building techniques and provide an unmatched lifestyle.

Time is ticking on the New Homeowner Tax Credit, and we’re coming across many myths and misconceptions as we speak to people eager to get into their first, green, wallet-friendly home and take advantage of this great opportunity.  Here are a few of the top myths:

Myth 1:  It’s a Deduction or a Loan.
Myth Busted:  It’s a Credit! New homebuyers do not have to pay back the tax credit…it will be added to their refund!  That’s like $8,000 in your pocket.

Myth 2:  Only people who have never owned a home apply.
Myth Busted:  Not necessarily. In fact, if you and your spouse have not owned or not lived in a home that you own for the last three years, you can take advantage of the credit.

Myth 3:  It doesn’t apply to new construction or anything but a free-standing house.
Myth Busted:  New homes and condos and townhomes count! In fact, the credit applies to detached homes as well as townhouses, condominiums, mobile homes, and even houseboats.

Don’t fall for the many myths that are out there on the tax credit…pursue your dream of homeownership before time runs out on April 30!  Click here for more information on our new-buyer-friendly Kingsbridge Townhomes, where Boulder County lifestyle meets green low-maintenance starting at just $198k.

As the days grow longer and warmer, most homeowners are bracing themselves for yet another round of spring cleaning.

But not the residents at The Heritage at Vista Ridge, who enjoy year-round, low-maintenance living in a welcoming community with ample amenities.

“We sold our mower and leaf blower,” says Tom Kummer, who has lived at The Heritage with his wife Mary since last fall. “It’s been great having someone else do the snow shoveling this winter.” Kummer, whose previous two-story home had large decks and flowerbeds, is glad that all that maintenance is in the past.

The Kummers say that The Heritage’s lock-and-leave lifestyle, location and floorplan choices were among the top reasons they chose their new home at Vista Ridge.

“We are both high school teachers,” Tom says, “but one of us teaches in Boulder and the other in Thornton. This is a perfect location for us.”

“We have kids in Denver,” Mary says, “and it’s very easy to get on I-25 to go visit.”

The Kummers chose the Somerset floorplan for its open layout, with the master suite, kitchen, great room, home office and laundry room all well located on the main level.  “The kitchen is roomy and open,” Mary says. “It has a nice, angled counter with a lot of space. We had about a dozen people in there once when we were hosting a party.”  Tom appreciates having easy access to a home office on the main floor, he says. A family room, home theater and two guest bedrooms are located in the spacious lower level.  “It’s great having all new construction, too,” Mary says.

New construction was also high on the list for Rich and Becca Walk, who moved into their new Cedaredge home at the end of last summer. “We wanted an all-new home,” Becca says, “and we were looking for an open-concept living space, with all the main features on the main floor. The lower level has tall ceilings, huge walk-in closets, and an additional bathroom. You don’t feel like you’re in a basement, at all.”

All homes at The Heritage at Vista Ridge are constructed to “Built Green” standards and qualify as Energy Star homes. Low-E glazed windows and blown-in loose-fill insulation make your home easy to heat and a breeze to cool. Two-by-six framing is standard instead of the two-by-fours you’ll find elsewhere, creating sturdier, deeper walls that hold more insulation and are more soundproof.

The Walks, who moved from New England, got their first look at The Heritage at Vista Ridge online. “We started talking about moving back to Colorado about a year-and-a-half ago. I found The Heritage Web site, and I thought that’s exactly what we’re looking for. It’s a great location. I travel 50 percent of the time, and it’s easy to get to DIA. We have family in Cheyenne, and that’s an easy trip, too.  “We’ve done the yardwork thing,” Becca says. “We didn’t want any more yardwork!”

The Walks appreciate the many bike paths and community center with its large pool. Rich is also an avid golfer and expects to be enjoying some spring golf soon at the adjoining Colorado National Golf Club.  “We looked at several areas,” Becca says. “But we knew, this was the one.”

You’ve heard what the homeowners say. Now experience The Heritage for yourself.

Just a few select homes and sites remain for those who are looking for a unique combination of lifestyle, amenities and location.

For more information and directions to The Heritage at Vista Ridge, call Karen Sanders or Bill Besher at 303.926.1615. Model home hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Monday noon to 5 p.m.  The Heritage at Vista Ridge is being developed by Boulder Creek Life and Home. To see other innovative communities by Boulder Creek Life and Home, visit www.LiveBoulderCreek.com.

Article via Daily Camera At Home

One of the best part of building homes that build community is taking part in our community at large.  EFAA (Emergency Family Assistance Association) is a non-profit that shares our vision.  Since 1918, EFAA has acted as a community safety net to families who have nowhere else to turn when they can’t meet their basic needs.  EFAA provides basic needs, shelter, and support to families and elderly and disabled Boulder and Broomfield County residents and relies on local and individual donations rather than federal or state funds.

That’s where Boulder Creek comes in.  We tied attendance at our successful My First Home Expo to donations to EFAA along with our local sponsors Advantage Bank, County Line Lumber and Taylor Movers…and thanks to their support and the support of our attendees, our Kingsbridge Sales Associate, Brent Patterson, was able to present checks totaling $2,040 to EFAA’s Development Director, Karla Rikansrud, in the EFAA Food Bank.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us donate to this worthy local cause!  To learn more about EFAA, visit efaa.org.

Our My First Home Expo at the Kingsbridge townhome community in South Longmont was a wonderful weekend of informative workshops and realtor events…including some fabulous prizes.

Congratulations to Carol Schack with Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors and Ed, our lucky iPod Nano winners!

Our My First Home Expo at the Kingsbridge community of townhomes in South Longmont has been a huge success!  In fact, we were able to donate over $2000 to EFAA (Emergency Family Assistance Association) with the help of our sponsors Advantage Bank, County Line Lumber and Taylor Movers.

Thanks to our sponsors and to our presenters:

• National Association of Professional Organizers / Liz Canavan – Alchemy of Order
• Connor Morganti – JoMo Financial
• Tristan Samuels – Wealth Strategies Group
• Brandon Dwight - Boulder Cycle Sport
• Home Performance Solutions
• Lonny Jenkins - Cherry Creek Mortgage

…and all who attended!

Want to find out more about a community perfect for first-time buyers?  Kingsbridge Townhomes are built with efficient green building techniques, are close to recreation and shopping, and start at just $205k!  Drop in or visit us online at http://livekingsbridge.com.

This week has been rife with news on green building techniques finally, finally! hitting the mainstream.  The New York Times reports that several significant commercial real estate investors have decided to “green” their portfolios, green building expos are on the rise, and some of the country’s largest builders are finally jumping on the green bandwagon.  Of course this news makes us smile…because at Boulder Creek Life and Home, green building practices have been a part of our business as long as we’ve been in business.

So what does green building mean here at Boulder Creek?  Are we bowing to popular trends when we tell our homebuyers about our energy-efficient techniques and Earth-friendly building materials and construction practices?  No way.  Here’s a quick rundown on our green commitment…one that, like our commitment to building quality homes that combine the best in life and home, has never wavered.

• Green building techniques save money:  There’s a common misconception that a green home is an expensive one.  But we find that using green building practices and installing eco-friendly components actually saves money, increasing a building’s longevity and efficiency without a backbreaking up-front cost.  And once a homebuyer moves into their new green home, the costs of living are significantly smaller than the costs associated with inefficient, poorly insulated and energy-wasting structures of a similar size.
• Green building techniques create homes for the long haul:  Not many people realize that many of the very techniques that make a home eco-friendly also increase its durability and “shelf life.”  Properly sealed homes resist degradation from air and water; tough, energy-efficient exteriors require less maintenance and last longer; quality roofing and outdoor components will endure for decades.  This long-haul approach means that your Boulder Creek home is a good investment…not a cheaply-built liability.
• Green building techniques add life to home:  When a home is efficiently lit, properly heated and cooled, well-sealed and decorated with safe, eco-friendly materials, it just feels better.  So you can focus on the things that count.

Learn more about Boulder Creek Life and Home’s commitment to green building techniques (and learn more about the eco-friendly features of our unique communities) by clicking this link.

Boulder Creek Life and Home – More Than a Generation of Green Building in Boulder County

Homebuilder announces My First Home Expo, Saturday, Feb. 27

With roots that go back more than 30 years in Boulder County, Boulder Creek Life and Home was building homes before “green” practices were widely considered in the housing industry.

“A long time ago, we made a commitment to build all of our homes to Built Green standards,” recalls company principal David Gregg, who guides the architecture, project development and community planning. “As we analyzed the requirements, we discovered that in many instances, we were already building to those standards. We tweaked some of our construction specifications, and created some new efficiencies in our methods. Overall, going green was a pretty easy transition for us.”

To understand the full impact of Boulder Creek Life and Home’s commitment to green building, consider this: every home it builds meets or exceeds Built Green standards. And the builder is doing this in six different Front Range communities, every day, across every price point.

“What we do is utilize proven and practical green building techniques and materials, bringing them into the mainstream to create homes that deliver high value and lower energy costs,” explains David Sinkey, vice president and co-owner. “This allows us to do more with each home, and to do more of them.”

Gregg says it all comes down to the details. “The insulation we use, the type of windows, the framing techniques and the way we seal the homes to prevent air leakage, it all requires strong field coordination and the willingness to follow through, to make sure that all the steps are done right.”

Low-E glazed windows and blown-in cellulose insulation make your home easy to heat and a breeze to cool, lowering your annual cost for heating and cooling your home year in and year out. Two-by-six framing is standard instead of the two-by-fours you’ll find elsewhere, creating sturdier, deeper walls that hold more insulation and are more soundproof.

At two points during each home’s construction, an independent third-party construction observation company inspects each home to ensure it is being built to code and to Boulder Creek Life and Home standards, Gregg says. “They conduct a pre-drywall inspection, checking the ducts, caulking and sealing.”

This dedication to quality construction and design earned Boulder Creek Life and Home nationwide recognition in 2008 when the National Association of Home Builders recognized the Blue Vista community in Longmont with a Development of the Year Award for “excellence in green residential design and construction practices, and outstanding green advocacy efforts.”

Me? Buy a home? Don’t miss the My First Home Expo on Saturday, Feb. 27.

Are you considering your first home purchase? Boulder Creek Life and Home invites you to an exciting and informative event, designed to help you get the information you need to make an informed home buying decision. Attend free seminars on financial planning, lending practices, tax credits  and organizing your first home – each presented by professionals who are recognized experts in their field.

Enjoy a free barbecue lunch and refreshments, and watch the home energy efficiency demonstrations by Home Performance Solutions (complete with a blower door test and thermal imaging). Register to win one of several iPod Nanos. And you’ll be helping a good cause just by attending, since the event sponsors will donate $20 to the Emergency Family Assistance Association for every registered attendee.

Expo sponsors include Boulder Creek Life and Home, Taylor Moving Company, County Line Lumber Company and Advantage Bank.

My First Home Expo will be held at Kingsbridge Townhomes, 1656 Venice Lane, Longmont. For more information and directions, call 303.502.5338 or e-mail info@LiveKingsbridge.com.

MY FIRST HOME EXPO ON FEBRUARY 27th BRINGS TOGETHER INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF FIRST TIME HOME BUYING
Boulder Creek Life and Home to provide free expert advice on lending, tax incentive, greening a home, financial planning and more

Boulder Creek Life & Home www.livebouldercreek.com announced today that it will host the first ever My First Home Expo at their West Longmont townhome community of Kingsbridge on Saturday, February 27th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. This FREE event will bring together industry professionals from all walks of life to conduct short presentations and question and answer sessions about topics relevant to the first time buyer. Information will pertain to all aspects of home buying and ownership from financial planning to lending options to organizing and greening a home.

“It’s clearly a great time for the first time home buyer to get into the real estate game,” said David Sinkey, Principal of Boulder Creek Life & Home. “But many first time buyers have a ton of questions and concerns about the process and they don’t know where to go to get their questions answered. This expo is a one-stop shop to get all the information they need to move forward and take advantage of both the tax incentive and the buyer’s market.”

Kingsbridge Townhomes were selected for the expo because they are a short ten minute drive from Boulder and offer a price point starting at $200K, which is rarely seen in the area and appeals to first time home buyers eager to take advantage of the current tax incentive. Each of the sessions, all focused on different topics, will take place within one of the model homes on property.

For every registered attendee, a $20 donation will be made to Boulder’s Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) by Boulder Creek Builders and it’s sponsors Advantage Bank, County Line Lumber and Taylor Movers, and all attendees will have four chances to win an iPOD Nano during two separate drawings.

The expo will be made up of two different sessions taking place at 11:00 am and 1:00pm with speakers from the following areas:

* Financial Planning
* Home Performance Solutions – Home energy efficiency presentation
* Lending Practices
* New Homebuyer Tax Credit and Tax Breaks on Your First Home
* Organizing Your First Home
* iPod Nano Giveaway!

“We are excited to bring the My First Home Expo to Kingsbridge, our newest community in Longmont,” said Sinkey. “We hope this event will get us acquainted with the local community, raise money for a great charity and offer a valuable resource to first time home buyers.”

About Kingsbridge Townhomes

Each Kingsbridge home offers two to three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a private, attached two-car garage, wonderful storage space and a myriad of features that can be personalized, all starting at $200,000. There will be four different two story plans available, ranging in size from 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. There will be one plan that features a bedroom on the first floor. Kingsbridge currently has 22 homes built and occupied. Boulder Creek will build and sell a total of 109 homes in the Kingsbridge community with construction starting immediately and the first homes likely to be completed in Spring 2010. There are currently three model Homes onsite. Marketing efforts for the new community has begun and Kingsbridge has enjoyed wonderful early reviews with 5 homes under contract.

About Boulder Creek Life & Home

Boulder Creek Life & Home www.livebouldercreek.com is an award winning, Boulder-based homebuilder that creates innovative communities across the Front Range of Colorado that embrace green building practices, energy efficiency and a true sense of place. The company’s mission is to build homes that are more than just bricks and mortar, but are actually modeled around how people aspire to live, thus appealing to the active lifestyle. Each of Boulder Creek’s six current communities Kingsbridge, Calmante, Heritage at Vista Ridge, Erie Village, Blue Vista and Shadow Grass Park, vary in size, price and concept, but have one common thread: they embrace quality craftsmanship and green building techniques and provide an unmatched lifestyle.

Realtors are reporting that new home sales are picking up across the Front Range as buyer confidence gradually returns to the marketplace. But these buyers, having witnessed the recent dramatic declines in real estate prices, have a keener eye than ever for value. They want quality-built, efficient homes with innovative design, in well-planned neighborhoods that will preserve the value of their investment.

For many new home buyers, The Cottages at Erie Village is exactly that kind of community. Residents enjoy a quiet neighborhood with open space in Boulder County that is just minutes from shopping, recreation and city amenities. Mature trees and picket fences line streets of colorful Victorian and Craftsman homes, each with a welcoming front porch, set-back garage and private patio space. Pedestrian trails wind through the neighborhood, which is punctuated by pocket parks that invite you to linger while visiting with neighbors.

“I like the rural feel at Erie Village,” says new home owner Jim Ely. “I retired recently, and was looking to upgrade from my condo to a home where I could do some entertaining. I chose the New Haven for its efficient, open floor plan. I liked the fact that I could pick my design in a nice, quiet neighborhood. And I like the low-maintenance living here.”
Ely says that he has been out of the home market for a while but had been looking, “on and off. I was very pleased with the assistance I received from everyone at Boulder Creek Life and Home (developers of Erie Village). I got the floor plan I wanted, at a price I liked. I guess you could say I got lucky.”

For some owners, it seems to be love at first sight. “We liked the layout of the Nantucket floor plan from the moment we walked in,” says Janis Tracy, who with her husband Jim is relocating back to Boulder County from Arizona. “We didn’t know about Erie Village, but we were driving down County Line Road and saw the ‘Patio Homes’ sign and decided to take a look. It only took us two days to make our decision.”

“We like the home styles and colors, and the small size of Erie Village. It’s also close to our family, very convenient,” Janis Tracy says.

Like each of the communities that Boulder Creek Life and Home develops, all homes in Erie Village are constructed to Built Green standards, with 2-by-6 exterior wall construction, Low-E Argon-filled windows, advanced insulation package with R-21 walls and R-38 ceilings, Energy Star appliances and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.

Sales at Erie Village are outpacing many communities, and with only seven remaining home sites, the opportunity to choose your new home here won’t last long. These sites, which feature popular western exposure and are adjacent to open space, are some of the most desirable in the community. And with 15 homes closing in the past seven months at Erie Village, availability is clearly limited.

“It has been exciting to see families like the Tracys and Jim Ely act on their desires to move and make something happen for themselves” says Bill Besher, community sales manager for Boulder Creek at Erie Village. “We have had a very busy fall and winter. Our sales activity has outpaced the market activity, and our available seven sites are some of the best sites to choose from. If you’re looking for low-maintenance living in a quiet neighborhood with open space, you will find Erie Village a pretty special place – don’t miss this opportunity!”

You Need to See This for Yourself

Find out for yourself why The Cottages at Erie Village community is such a special place. From Boulder: Arapahoe east to 287. Left (north) on 287 to Isabelle Road. Turn right (east) on Isabelle Road to County Line Road. Turn left (North) and drive through Erie to Bixler Boulevard. Turn left on Bixler and look for the flag pole. From Denver: I-25 to Exit 229, drive three miles west on Highway 7 to County Line Road, north through the Town of Erie to Bixler Boulevard, look for the flagpole on the left.

The sales office (303.772.3063), located at 1111 Village Circle, is open Monday noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information on other innovative communities by Boulder Creek Life and Home, visit www.LiveBoulderCreek.com.

At Home Article Provided by the Daily Camera