Getting your player ready...
Last Saturday, a sharp looking enclave of Tuscan-styled low maintenance homes opened its two elegant models on a cloistered site in Highlands Ranch that overlooks the cottonwood-line Highline Canal trail, McLellan Reservoir, and the foothills. By end of the weekend, Verona (it’s just north of the Lucent Boulevard exit from 470) had taken checks for over half of its 30 first-available homes, and crowds (800 people had gone through by mid-week) were still arriving to look.
“I started thinking this could go pretty quickly,” mused builder Greg Fulton of Verona Building Company, as another visitor walked into the model center, after having been sent by his wife to take a look.
“I always saw this as a homerun,” added veteran construction manager Miles Grant, who became involved in Verona in the planning stage in 2008 when it was bought from another developer. “You can’t find this kind of setting and features anywhere south of Anthem.”
Fulton says three factors are drawing those buyers, starting with a 55-and-older age restriction (this buyer really does want to be around people of their generation, who want to have clubs with their friends, he notes). Factor two is size – big enough for somebody to feel as if they’re getting new, exciting space, but without downsizing much. “We’ve been calling these move-down buyers, but these homes are very open and spacious and have lots of storage,” adds Wendy Knobloch, who’ll be on site with Craig Wells to show you around.
The final factor is a protected setting, arching into a bend of the heavily used bike trail and the canal. “It’s like we have our own moat,” notes Fulton, adding that 60% of the 45 acres is surrounded by Highline. Knobloch says that the proximity to Highlands Ranch and Littleton is also attracting numbers of buyers who have a little more confidence in the market, who have taken less of a hit in their own home values.
You’ll see an ‘Albero’ ranch…and an alluring ‘Barone’ 2,857-foot 2-story, both with finished walk-out levels facing the open space, included standard. The latter has a terrific kitchen with large butler’s pantry and morning nook set off by a 2-sided fireplace; and a master with retreat and fireplace. You’ll hear about the maintenance package, and the lock-n-leave features (among 16 buyers that signed on last week are ones planning to ‘snowbird’ in Phoenix and Hilton Head). Still to come – another 30 ‘Manor’ homes across the street; but if you want the view over the trail, you need to see these now. Take 470 to Lucent, then north a long block to County Line, and left a half mile.
If you go…
WHERE: Grand opening, Verona, 55-and-older luxury low-maintenance villas along the Highline Canal in Highlands Ranch; furnished models, two ranch plans, sizes to 2,850 sq. ft., finished walkouts standard. 2429 Primo Rd, Highlands Ranch; from I-25 take C-470 west 7.5 mi. to Lucent Blvd, turn right to County Line, then left, ½ mi.
PRICE: From $430s
WHEN: Today, Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
PHONE: 720-524-6674 WEB: liveVerona.com
Mark Samuelson is president of Samuelson & Associates, a homebuilding/real estate communications firm. You can e-mail him at mark@samuelsonassoc.com.
