Getting your player ready...
Even three years ago, when Colorado’s housing market was still in the tank, Meritage Homes’ super-energy-efficient homes were a HUGE hit at Leyden Rock, the master-planned community nestled against foothills in western Arvada. Now the market’s entirely transformed, but Meritage still has a few homes that can be ready soon in Leyden Rock, for home buyers who arrive to tour five alluring models after having had their bids trumped for older resale homes, that often would cost more money.
All of the things that excited people about Leyden Rock then are even more appealing now: the views of the Ralston Buttes you get from this neighborhood; the parks, pool and trails already in; the schools (West Woods Elementary, 10-for-10 stars at GreatSchools.org); and the commuter access, not just to downtown, but to Golden, Denver West and to U.S. 36. “Before, practically all the buyers here were people who had grown up in Arvada, knew the appeal, and wanted to stay here,” says Kevin Ladd, who will show you what’s available. “Now we’re getting lots of people from California and the Midwest who will be working not just downtown, but in Broomfield and Boulder.” “They’re often very frustrated from what they’ve been through in the resale market,” Ladd adds. “They really don’t want older homes in the first place, and in a part of town where people really want to be, they’re often looking at higher prices for those than they find here.” After you tour Meritage’s models – west of Indiana Street on W. 80th – Ladd will show you a Cascade ranch ready now, with 1,779 square feet and Meritage’s cutting edge energy package, at $464,490, no bids required. Ranches are now tremendously popular with buyers at Leyden Rock – couples downsizing from older Arvada houses, but also younger families making a move west from very urban Denver neighborhoods. Ladd can tell you about real couples that have made that exact move from Denver’s trendy but much older neighborhoods. “This has become a prestige place to be,” he says. “The value they’re getting here is underscored by how few new sites there really are on the west side of Denver, where the foothills are not only scenic, but a barrier to future building.” In addition to a few homes for quick move in, Ladd will show you prime sites in Leyden Rock where you could get the best of those views – such as one perched above a park site, looking south to the Table Mountains in Golden. You could put a sensational ‘Windom’ 2,336-square-foot ranch (tour the model today) on one, and have Meritage add more than 1,200 feet with additional, day-lit finished space on a walkout level overlooking the view, and still come in under $600,000. And you’ll see an Energy Learning Center that showcases the technology. To reach Meritage at Leyden Rock, take W. 64th west to Indiana, head north two miles to W. 80th (Leyden Road) and then west 1.5 mile to Leyden Rock Drive, then north a long block to W. 84th.