The Colorado Springs HBA Parade of Homes is one of my absolute favorite local annual events!!! Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like hot weather, and this tradition marks the beginning of school and a general cooling trend as we head into fall. Not only that, but I LOVE seeing new design trends… building styles, colors, features, locations, furniture, etc. And who doesn’t love the occasional privilege of going into multi-million dollar homes?!
Normally I’m not impressed with the “normal models”… those homes which will be models even days, weeks, months after the Parade. I try to keep to viewing the higher priced homes. But this year, even a couple of the smaller ones impressed me, and encouraged me to show my buyers in some areas. The building industry is booming, not only residential, but also commercial. I feel like there is a new neighborhood popping up east of Powers every week!
One of my favorite “smaller” homes was Oakwood’s new cluster community in Banning Lewis Ranch called Carriage House. And while we’re on BLR, I’m so impressed how this neighborhood is “growing up”!… adding to their charter school campus will be a high school, adding to their neighborhood parks is a new splash park. And the neighborhood is just really coming into its own. The yards are a bit smaller and most filings still only allow split-rail fence, but their big push is small yards with trails leading to parks & the Ranch House for family and neighborhood use! However, this Oakwood community allows for privacy fences. And the homes are just adorable yet modern. Here is a shot of the models: (P.S. Gimme a call if you want to see in person, I’d love to take a buyer over there!)
In homes of all price ranges I loved seeing a mixed use of mediums both in and outdoors. Check out the exterior of Picasso Homes’ Le Reve – siding, stone, stucco, steel and wood, WOW! (trust me the interior was just as impressive!!) and Saddletree’s fireplace (rustic corrugated metal, wood, stone & steel beams!) in their Buena Vista II…
Probably the most impressive landscaping credit goes to Silver Summit GC’s Summit View Ranch. With over $100,000 in stone, ponds, fish, rivers, walk-ways & bridges, waterfalls, stained concrete patio, built-in fireplace/bar… it all masks highway noise from I-25 and is so convenient to everything in town!
Most of my friends told me that the Galiant Homes’ “La Visiere” in Flying Horse stole the show. I’m torn, because personally I loved the Alliance Builders’ “Beaumont” most for floor plan, entertaining and family friendliness. However, as a family I think my husband, boys & I would choose the Murphy’s Custom Home “Shadow Mountain Luxe” not only because it is a great house!!! but also comes on 35 acres… plenty of space for riding our dirtbikes/ATVs!
I never take enough pictures… I don’t even feel like these are adequate to show what a great Parade of Homes it was this year!! Here are a couple extras… open glass instead of railing at the Brookstone Homes’ “Belmont” in The Farm and just a cool bed! The Farm is also quite impressive with it’s creative combination of rustic “farm style” and modern design. And it’s all so close to everything in town, but tucked in a little valley with trails, parks, and ponds.
Flying Horse in general never ceases to impress us! Year after year I love Saddletree’s models (since about 2003) and Hi Point in Gold Hill Mesa for the past 3-4 years! I was struck by the number of homes with a main level master and just one bedroom up. I guess that’s a play + guest design with kids in basement bedrooms. One of the prettiest with that lay-out was Vanguard’s “Ramsgate”… One of the most extravagant Kirella Homes’ “Villa di Torre”. And of course All About Home Design’s “The Cottage at Millhaven” in Cathedral Pines was a stunner!! The design may say cottage, but the size didn’t! 😉
As always, I enjoyed seeing the trends and designs… and my husband loves (insert sarcasm) when I come home with all the new ideas for our home. But seriously, what a great thing our HBA does! Here are a couple goofy pics of me out at the Parade home in Woodland Park… moose statue and Pike’s Peak view from the “City Above the Clouds”! This is my “this is the view from the BOTTOM of the driveway?!” face… that Picasso was a beauty for sure!
If I neglected to give any home or builder credit I truly apologize. It was a great Parade of Homes. It was a new schedule this year… Wednesday-Sunday for 3 weeks. With my sister’s wedding week in the middle it’s highly likely I forgot everything before that!
Please always let me know if I can help you take a look at a home, neighborhood, builder, etc… I so love what I do and the Parade is a fun way to check out so many local homes/builders in a short time!