2017 SPRING PARADE OF HOMES
Feature Story
PEOPLE ATTENDING THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO ’ S SPRING PARADE OF HOMES on April 2830 and May 5-7 will have a serious obligation facing them. Industry judges will be deciding awards in categories such as best kitchen, best bathroom, best interior decorating, best outdoor living space and best innovative new product.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
All will be hotly contested as an award adds prestige to the builders, said Lana McClure, association vice president. Attendees on the first weekend will be voting on their favorite designs in those categories, and those hold an even greater value, she said. “The builders really appreciate and want to earn an award from the people because those are the ones who are buying the homes,” McClure added. So expect the 28 builders who have entered nearly 40 houses in the parade to be strutting out their best stuff. Of particular interest is the category for new products and innovations, she said, because everybody likes new ideas and technology.
“We see a lot of builders going out there and applying products in a new way, displaying cutting edge technology or using new products from different vendors,” she said. A final area of official panel judging will be the green award for homes that are certified green. This award is targeted to the builders who have been “thinking green “from the ground up in their plans and foundations. “They have to show they are more efficient and are getting green rebates.” For instance, the parade featured builder, Flow Homes NM, who has a 3,426 square feet with green home that sold for $489,000 and has four full bedrooms with three full bathrooms.
FOUNDATION IS KEY
It starts with the foundation, where radon-testing equipment is built in, saving and addressing safety issues up front, said Flow Homes co-owner Jesse Deubel. The company is also competing for the outdoor living space with a fully coordinated backyard that includes a massive fireplace, water spa and native plants. “Having this opportunity, as a featured builder, was something to be savored for the fledglingcompany,“said Deubel, who is partnered with Bill Alcorn. “It’s a real privilege, that’s for sure,”
he added.“I’ve been building homes for years, but Flow Homes is a new concept that I’m so proud of.“
This spring parade marks the one-year anniversary of the first home we started. To be in our infancy as far as the company is concerned and to be selected as the feature builder is quite the honor.”It becomes more so when there are other talented builders in the area, he said.“It’s pretty special, especially because I know so many other builders in this town,” Deubel said.“I’ve been in this business a long time and I feel like in Central New Mexico, we’ve got an incredible pool of talent when it comes to home builders. So being among such a terrific group and being selected as the feature builder is pretty special.” The company is based on a book by Gunter Pauli called Blue Economy, Deubel explained. “Part of the book talks about the seven actual flows that exist in and around every building. The flow is the center on the movement of people, matter, water, air, light, sound and energy,“he said.
importance of location
When it comes to homes, nothing beats location, location, location and the signature community of Estates at Santa Monica, which was developed by Titan Development. Stillbrooke Homes and Abrazo Homes are quickly filling the 84 lots in the Northeast Heights community. “It’s a great location,” said Kurt Browning, Titan chief development officer. “For the people who want to be in the Northeast Heights, this is one of the last pieces of undeveloped land. We’re strategically located near Paseo del Norte and Wyoming.”
The gated community, which is slotted on terraced lots, has views east toward the Sandias and west across the Middle Rio Grande Valley, said Abrazo’s Brian McCarthy.“The other day, from the backyard of our model home, I was able to see Mount Taylor,”he said. “That’s the great thing about it is you have the amazing views and the big blue skies.”What’s more, McCarthy said, is perfectly centered in the Northeast Heights.“It’s right in the heart of everything,”he said.“It’s less than two miles to the Albuquerque Journal Center, which is one of the biggest employment bases. It is also near Albuquerque Academy, Whole Foods, lots of shopping, doctors offices and plenty of restaurants. It’s really tough to beat the location,”added McCarthy.
Homes in the Parade range from a $250,000 young family home in Los Lunas to a $2.2 million version by Picasso Builders in North Albuquerque Acres. The houses are spread across the metro area, including Rio Rancho, Placitas, the East Mountains and Los Lunas.