Future Boulder Real Estate Project From Habitat For Humanity
Habitat For Humanity Builds In Boulder And Beyond
Newlands Neighborhood Profile In Boulder Colorado
The Newlands neighborhood is one of the most highly sought-after areas by home buyers in Boulder these days. It’s been a mecca for remodeling and rebuilding as property values soared in the 1990′s.
Values continue to remain strong in Boulder overall, and Newlands is one of a few choice neighborhoods that has continued to hold on to values extremely well. Supply and demand in action again, no doubt.
With easy access to downtown, Vics, Marie’s, and all the other great amenities of central Boulder, including the North Boulder Recreation Center, Community Gardens, the new Casey Middle School, Pearl Street, and of course, all the trails and open space to the west, the Newlands neighborhood is definitely one of the great Boulder neighborhoods worth exploring!
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Boulder Real Estate For Sale In Newlands
I remember looking at homes in the Newlands Neighborhood back in about 1981 as I contemplated buying a new home in Boulder. This was way back even when guys like John McElveen were fairly new on the Boulder Real Estate scene, and I had barely started thinking about a career in Real Estate.
Now, at that time, a typical Newlands neighborhood home could be had for $75,000 to $100,000 without too much trouble. I looked at a home within a block of North Boulder Park that was listed for $82,000. At the time, that seemed like a fair chunk of change for a house. In fact, one of the most expensive homes for sale in the system was a classic ‘mansion’ up on Mapleton Hill for about $500,000.
Are you thinking about buying or selling Boulder real estate soon? Call or email me today for straight answers, and expert guidance for your needs in the Boulder real estate market.
Well, things have changed and not only have prices gone up, but the things that people demand in a home in Boulder are very different.
This home at 2930 6th Street has so much of what buyers are looking for these days. And if you think this home might meet your needs, you’ll have to pony up a little bit more than the $82,000 I was contemplating on that Newlands Neighborhood purchase back in 1981.
Here’s a laundry list of some of the great features supplied to me straight from the builder of this home on 6th. And keep in mind, it’s just a couple of blocks from North Boulder Park, and steps away from the foothills trails, Mt Sanitas, and Ideal Market:
- triple wide lot
- 90,000 BTU 90% furnace (basement)
- 70,000 BTU 90% furnace (upstairs)
- 3.5 ton and 3.0 ton 13 seer a/c units
- Insulation: R-23 exterior walls, R-38 ceilings, R-13 basement, R-19 garage walls & ceiling
- Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors
- Thermador, Zephr, and Kitchenaid appliances
- Oversized 2 card garage: rough-in gas for future heater, upper deck with gas hook-up for grill, speakers for sound system and CAT/5
- steam shower in master bath
- Master Suite deck with Mt. Sanitas views
If all this sounds interesting and inviting to you, you’ll also want to know that it’s about 5000 finished square feet, but you will need to see how well this floorplan works to truly appreciate it.
Call or email me today so we can get you inside this great home, and other Newlands neighborhood homes when you’re ready to explore Boulder real estate for sale.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® at RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
Old North Boulder Neighborhood Profile
The area between Broadway, Folsom, Iris, and Edgewood/Balsam streets is now commonly called the Old North Boulder neighborhood.
Prior to the time that land was developed beyond Norwood, this area was North Boulder. Now with development stretching to the far reaches of the Dakota Ridge neighborhood, the Old North Boulder neighborhood is really a very central residential opportunity.
I’ve spent many days exploring on foot, the roads and paths around central Boulder, and if you do the same you’ll come to realize just how close everything is in this part of town. It’s only a few blocks between local landmarks such as Vics and Ideal Market, over to Pearl Street, or up to Salberg Park.
The two sister shopping centers, Ideal Marketplace and Community Plaza are home to many local favorites. Ideal Market has a long history that spans well beyond the age of the current shopping center, and it became an anchor for the other shops back in 1958. The Community Plaza shops on the south side of Alpine were built just two years later in 1960.
Other businesses such as Alpine Barbers, Radda Restaurant, Breadworks, Marie’s Restaurant, The Boulder Wine Merchant, and the Pekoe Sip House give residents of the Old North Boulder neighborhood a plethora of opportunity for meeting most shopping needs without much travel. What a great concept in the days of higher gas prices and strong desires to conserve natural resources.
One of those local businesses that’s been thriving in the area, The Pekoe Sip House, has a decade long history in the area. It was originally founded as the Tea Train in Longmont. After many accolades, and eventually being voted as having the Best Tea, and being the Best Tea House in the Denver Metro area in 2000, Tea Train evolved into Pekoe Sip House and moved to Boulder under the new name in 2003.
Schools that service the area include Casey Middle school, Columbine Elementary and Centennial Middle school to the north. The former Washington Elementary school which is north of Cedar Ave, and just south of the Red Arrow Condos is now part of a redevelopment plan that’s been fairly controversial.
For those not wanting to drive, and seeking public transportation, RTD offers the Skip bus line which runs up and down Broadway. If biking is your thing, don’t risk your life jousting with cars on Broadway, try 13th street; it features its own bike lane straight into the heart of downtown.
If you’re considering a move, and want to explore more of what the Old North Boulder neighborhood has for you, call or email me today to get started!
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® at RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
Boulder Custom Builder Bob Hughes “Nails It” For Architect Jim Logan
Boulder custom home builder Bob Hughes is at it again. Hughes construction is finishing up an incredible green-focused remodel on the personal residence of well-know local Boulder architect Jim Logan.
From the engineered lumber used for much of the framing, to 100 plus year old bricks (which are very green due to the very low ‘embodied energy’ which includes simply the transportation from Denver), Hughes has shown once again that he and his crew understand the wide variety of ways to implement green building techniques in a straight-forward and cost effective approach. This Boulder green builder has the experience and dedication to bring you honest and effective solutions to your home building or renovating project.
One thing that I love about this profile is that you get to see the home before much of the green built techniques and products are covered up. We went into the Logan residence just after insulation, doors and windows were in, to give you a rare peek at the guts of a project like this.
There’s a very important reason to be here, reporting on the project at this phase. Hughes makes it a policy to do a blower door test on all his construction projects at two points in the schedule. The first, and most important test is done before sheetrock and other finishing systems are in place. This way, the Hughes Construction crew can find any small leaks and REPAIR them before moving forward. Many other lesser builders only do the blower door test at the end, which really doesn’t provide any opportunity for improvement of the home. After all, what good is a report that you can do little about?!
Starting from the outside, we can see the exterior is enveloped in closed-cell Styrofoam insulation. This provides two benefits; first, there’s an expected insulation advantage due to the typical addition of about an R5 per inch value in the Styrofoam itself, but I think even more important is the thermal break you get from this sheathing. Remember, those wall studs are thermal transmitters, and this thermal break of insulation interrupts that unwanted heat transfer.
Inside, you’ll see in the video how Icynene spray foam insulation was used in the walls and ceilings. This open-cell expanding foam gives excellent insulation value, and also does a tremendous job of sealing potential heat and air leaks. There are two key reasons why you see smooth walls but bumpy ceilings. Both are explained in the video, and directly relate to how Hughes works hard to find balance in the way he approaches green building success.
Hughes says one of his primary goals is to build sustainable homes from a number of different viewpoints. Today, that means having a keen understanding of everything from reuse of products (think the 100 year old bricks, LSL studs and joists), to renewable energy solutions (the Logan home utilizes a geothermal energy system for home heating and cooling), and of course efficiency measures (insulation and good home sealing).
In my view, Bob Hughes nails it, not only for Jim Logan, but all of his clients when it comes to highly effective custom green building for Boulder and beyond.
Call or email me today to learn more about green building, and to get a personal introduction to one of Boulder’s leading experts on green building and custom home building.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® at RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
Boulder Builder Profile: Hughes Construction
Bob Hughes has been in the custom home construction business building Boulder Real Estate for almost a quarter century. Hughes has been building green homes for many years, and his work on so many green building projects, including Bruce Oreck’s Next West House in Boulder, has provided a very high level of inspiration for him.
The culmination of Hughes’ work on built-green custom homes over the years has been realized in the most recent project, Boulder’s Next West House. Bob had a fortuitous meeting with Bruce Oreck and Boulder Architect, Jim Logan and it turned out that it was a great match.
I’ve given you two different examples of custom green building. In this profile of Hughes Construction, you get a look at Bob and Jan Hughes’ personal residence, and also the Next West house.
Some of what inspires Bob Hughes to keep his level of work at such a high quality is the ongoing enthusiastic support. All of his business comes from referrals from past client and top notch architects. Another indicator of Hughes’ professionalism and dedication to the green building community is his membership in the Boulder Green Building Guild (BGBG).
The Hughes personal residence includes many influences of Bob’s work on client projects, and a rather practical approach to green building. The Next West project is an exercise in just how far you can go green, but with an extraordinary example of how to flow architecturally into the traditional style of an historic neighborhood.
One of the challenges Hughes Construction faced with the next west house was the City of Boulder. Apparently Boulder Landmarks Board, a part of the city’s planning department, hasn’t been too keen on green features. That is, they tend to not like seeing green features such as solar panels. Consequently, when Simple Solar installed the PhotoVoltaic system it was implemented in such a way that most of the panels are not clearly visible.
Hughes worked carefully with Logan and others to overcome many challenging obstacles to build America’s greenest home. It’s the first and only LEED certified platinum, net-zero home.
Some of the important ideas that came through when talking with Hughes about his business include his willingness to give lots of credit to his wife Jan, who basically handles all of the back-end management and organization of the business, Bob’s passion for the business, and his critical attention to both aesthetic and technical details.
Bob’s comments to me about green building were insightful. What I heard him say was that while green building has many meanings for us, depending on whom you ask; there are obvious points we can all take to heart such as sustainability, efficiency, and comfort.
I’d say we have to remember that it’s good for you on many levels. As a consumer and homeowner, green building can save you money, improve your personal comfort, and give you a clear sense of reducing your impact on the environment.
Bob’s comment on green building is that it’s really future thinking. But future thinking doesn’t have to mean Jetson-esque architecture. Future thinking really means ecology, economy, and location. That certainly proves true with Bob’s projects. In fact, Bob recently quit driving a huge truck around since he’s mostly carting nothing larger than sets of blueprints, and now he drives a Honda Fit.
If you think you might have a major remodeling idea, or are ready to talk to an outstanding custom builder that has more hands on experience than perhaps any other in the industry, call or email me now, so that I can put you in touch with Hughes today.
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-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker® RE/MAX Alliance Boulder
Simple Solar Perfect Choice For Boulder Custom Builder
This business profile of locally owned Simple Solar focuses on a custom home built by Bob Hughes. Bob’s business, Hughes Construction, is a company which has a history of giving local Boulderites green building solutions. As a result, Simple Solar is a natural fit for Hughes and his Boulder real estate project.
With local roots locally as a company founded right here in Boulder Colorado, and extensive history as the most experienced solar electric system provider, Hughes found the choice to be simple for his photovoltaic power solution.
On the three different days when we worked on the location work for this video profile for you, we were lucky enough to experience the typical weather changes often found in Boulder. Our first day on site we talked with the crew briefly to learn that the early stages of the project were focused on setting the stage for installing the panels. As it turns out, the crew is full of highly experienced professionals, and in this case all of those on the team are electricians.
After the first day Boulder got a bit of snow and winter weather, which isn’t too surprising for us here in February. It wasn’t a problem for the Simple Solar team since they have several projects under way during any given week. Attention was shifted towards adding resources to another project while we waited.
Fortunately for everyone, Boulder’s weather includes 300+ days of sunshine and the following day brought just that. As you can see in our video profile tour, warm sunshine prevailed and the crew was back on the job and finishing up the final steps to get the system finished and up and running.
One of the most important things I have learned about Simple Solar is that they are very strongly oriented on understanding their client’s goals. This shows up in the consultation part of the process as they help homeowners look carefully at how both Simple Solar and the homeowner can work together to maximize the effectiveness of their solar system, as well as the financial efficiencies of the project design.
When you talk to a consultant at Simple Solar, you’ll see that the objective is not to propose the largest possible system that might fit on your roof. Rather, Simple Solar consultants work closely with you as a homeowner to understand your needs.
I’ve seen some systems designed by Simple Solar which met the objective of creating a solution where the homeowner would continuously produce more electricity than they could use, and consequently the system always sells energy back to the grid.
Other systems have been designed to simply supplement the electricity needs for the homeowner. Whichever solution makes the most sense for you, it can be done, and it is possible to have a keen eye on the return on your investment (ROI) at the same time.
In the case of this particular installation, Bob Hughes designed this home very carefully so that it was exceptionally energy efficient, and it was also insulated and sealed very well. Knowing that a Photovoltaic solar system was part of the long range plan played a big part in how he designed and built this home. He even installed ‘tie-offs’ along the ridge line of his roof knowing that installation professionals from Simple Solar would have to contend with the very steep roof pitch on his home.
This steep roof pitch actually works very well for the photovoltaic panels. The angle works to maximize the efficiency of the panels (they get some of the highest levels of sunlight at this angle), and it also helps to promote snow shedding so that the panels are once again exposed to sunlight as quickly as possible.
Hughes chose a somewhat smaller than average system of about 3.5 kilowatts. He didn’t want to completely offset his electric bill, but did want to find a compromise between aesthetics in building design and function along with eco conscious choices. The two dormer features add essential living space solutions for the home, but they interrupt the space that could have been otherwise used for solar panels on the south facing portion of the roof.
Under typical circumstances, this size of solar photovoltaic system might be able to supply about 50% of the electricity needs for a house like Bob’s. However, given the forethought Hughes had about his home, he’ll likely see a return from his solar system of somewhere around up to 70% of his actual electric energy needs. Nice work Bob!
Another key to this system is the use of the SunPower 225 panels. These are very sexy and stealthy all-black panels that produce a whopping 225 watts each. Simple Solar engineered this system to work with 16 panels which brings the total system potential up to about 3.6 kilowatts. In many areas, SunPower is only available through one dealer in a given market, and here locally Simple Solar is a premier SunPower dealer. What I love about the SunPower 225′s is their low-key, stealthy look. and even more important to many of you in our science and technology rich community; the SunPower panels are extremely efficient. You get a huge bang for your buck with these panels!
What also makes a solar photovoltaic system attractive is the attention given to details. Things such as solar panel placement, location of the conduit runs, ingress and egress points of the conduit and electric lines between the panels and the inverter, and also the location of the inverter itself. We want these things installed to the ancillary parts and pieces are as unobtrusive as possible. Simple Solar did a bang-up job for Hughes, as they have for many other clients during their decade + run of experience in the industry.
I still believe that the main focus of any home solution is to find a way to make the project fit in with your personal values and mission for your home. Simple solar is the kind of organization that embodies this kind of principle.
My goal is to bring you business profiles on people and businesses who definitely have a goal of their own to know their client’s needs, and to work closely to meet their personal goals. I hope that this profile gives you another reason to want to call or email me now, so that I can help you connect with one of the regions best solar electric providers.
-Zachary Epps, full-time RE/MAX professional, Realtor®, and EcoBroker®
FOLLOW THE LINKS I have for you on the right side of this page, all of my tours are categorized for you to help you find just what you are looking for! Business Profiles, Neighborhood Profiles, and Homes for Sale, or just browse the list from my Video Tour start page!
Best of all, you could call or email me now, so we can start talking about what’s important to you about the Boulder real estate market! I look forward to hearing from you.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
Boulder Real Estate For Sale Has It All!
This is a tour of a very beautiful home on one of the best lot locations in Spanish Hills. When you think of Boulder real estate, and conjure up an ideal notion of getting all four of the ‘biggies’ you’ll not be disappointed with this home. Views, Lot Size, superb construction and finish quality, and of course…home size.
Watch this tour, see for yourself, and email or call me, so we can get you inside for your private and personal tour of this absolutely wonderful home.
This home was originally built back in the 1970′s, had it top popped in 2001, and then was completely remodeled in 2008.
During this tour, I was absolutely impressed with all of the changes and wonderful choices these homeowners made. I hope you’ll agree.
Here’s a highlight of some of the features of this wonderful home.
- New White Birch Hardwood Floors
- New Carpet and Interior Paint
- New Interior Doors, Door Hardware and Light Fixtures
- New Trim and Finish Work, including Custom Alder Beam Wrap
- New Double Paned Exterior French Doors
- New Stairs and Stairwell Banister
- All of the bathrooms have been completely remodeled with new natural stone tile work of Travertine, Limestone, Granite and/or Slate and all have new fixtures.
- Luxury spa inspired master bathroom that includes a steam shower with two heads, rain shower head, and full body spray,… custom cabinets similar to what I’ve found in world-class health spas in Vail, France and other high-end resorts, also a chroma therapy soaking tub and radiant in-floor heating.
- Built in shelving and cabinets in Master bedroom
- Custom Hunter Douglass window coverings throughout
- Rennai tankless hot water system (high efficiency, energy saving and ecological conscious)
- Kitchen!! Viking range with griddle, Dacor double ovens, Dacor Microwave oven, Twin Bosch Dishwashers, Sub-Zero fridge and custom cherry cabinets… Whew! is that an amazing amount of name dropping high-end kithen appliance bit of business or what?!
- New Fireplaces that have exquisite stone surrounds on the main level and also in the master bedroom sitting area/retreat.
- Upgraded new attic insulation (R40+)
- Exterior walls: 2×6 construction with R19 insul value)
And here’s some of the Exterior Features:
- New Landscaping that features new stamped concrete patio and walkways, and an exterior waterfall
- New well with a new pump for landscaping (the interior water for domestic use is provided through the Boulder Water District)
- New asphalt driveway which extends from garage to street. (the previous drive wasn’t paved all the way to the street)
- Low Voltage exterior lighting with a premium timer system
- Complete exterior repaint in 2008
- professional landscaping including a sprinkler system and grass installation with a 30+ zone, with both standard and drip fulfillment
I really want you to know that this home embodies so many things that we are looking for now in a home in the Boulder area. Magnificent views are emphasized in almost every single room of the home. It’s the perfect orientation on the lot for the excellent views of the flatirons, sweeping view of the front range and even outstanding views of the Indian Peaks range all the way up to snow capped mountains of the continental divide. You can even get a direct and clear view of the flatirons from the laundry room!
Wouldn’t you like to see this in person? Call or email me today and I’ll set up a personal showing for you to get inside and experience this home for yourself. See what you think, call or email me now and let’s give you a chance to see one of the best values and best opportunities in Boulder real estate today.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
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Yeah, sure you could do that, but you can see all of my videos right here on my site. Just see my video tour section, to see tours of Boulder real estate for sale, business profiles, neighborhood profiles, and new development profiles. I want you to find exactly what you want, and get all the info you need. Call or email me now to get straight answers, and start the process of finding the perfect solution to your real estate needs.
-Zachary Epps, full-time professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
The Walnut Revisited
The Walnut Development in downtown Boulder continues to make progress, and the expectation is that the first units will be ready for occupancy in the next two to four weeks.
With almost half of the development already sold, it’s become some exciting times for Jon Brandon and all the folks at The Walnut.
In this tour, we have several things for you, all of which I think will give you a nice idea of how special this downtown Boulder property is when compared to other downtown developments.
There’s a nice look at the inside of one of the finished homes, which includes a look at the custom cabinetry, luxurious bathroom finish work, some amazing natural light solutions and views. The interior design is by award winning architect Mark Harbeck.
I take you back to the courtyard for a fresh look at the progress in there. The walkways are finished and all the snow melt systems are in place. Soon we’ll see another big transition as the plants go in. That will certainly have to wait a month or two as we get out of the colder months. Don’t forget that there’s going to be an Aspen grove among all the other luscious living things scheduled for this wonderful feature at The Walnut.
The orientation of the courtyard and the north building assures a unique aspect of the development. With the careful thought that went into this part of the architecture, you get a very meaningful use of the space both inside and out, which assures that homes in the north part of the development get great light penetration.
Another feature of The Walnut is the work done to provide isolation of each home. Whether it’s a Sky-Home, Penthouse or another variation on the great floor plans available, you get the benefit of acoustic engineers who have designed the entire development for maximum sound isolation and privacy.
I know that you likely are also wondering about the green building features. We know that the development is going to be LEED Platinum certified, and many of you have asked what kind of details bring that sort of designation.
One of the green building features is the use of a central boiler system. This is what the developer calls “Responsible Development”. Besides the economies of all that go into using a central boiler system, it also frees up the roof areas so that this part of the development can be reserved for solar photo voltaic systems. The Walnut has the capacity to hold up to 35Kw of photo voltaic for its residents.
The use of the ‘green roof’ is a green feature as well. By covering one of the roof areas with indigenous succulents, the net effect will be a reduction in the ‘urban heat island effect’.
We also get up onto the living roof on this tour. Or, more appropriately we get you up on what will soon be the living roof.
I still say though, that in order to appreciate everything The Walnut has to offer, you’d do well to get a private tour of the property. Call or email me if you’d like to set up a time to see how beautiful this new luxury development really is in person.
-Zachary Epps, full-time RE/MAX professional Realtor® and EcoBroker®
Business Profiles, Neighborhood Profiles, and Homes for Sale, or just browse the list from my Video Tour start page!
Call or email me now, so we can start talking about what’s important to you about the Boulder real estate market! I look forward to hearing from you.
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If you're thinking about buying or selling Boulder real estate or you just want more information, about relocating to the Boulder area call me today!
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