TOWNHOMES IN PARADE
Feature Story
PULTE OFFERS UNIQUE DEVELOPMENTS IN EMERGING COMMUNITY
Folks checking out the first weekend of the Parade of Homes, sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico, saw something a little bit different this time around.
And for those visiting homes during the Parade’s second weekend, take a gander on the Westside, where Pulte Homes has a series of townhomes that are making a bit of buzz this year.
“We haven’t had any townhomes in a little while,” said Lana McClure, HBA vice president of operations. “It’s something that’s a little bit unusual.”
Pulte was successful with a townhome project several years ago at Mesa del Sol, located on the south end of Albuquerque, and decided to revive the same plans on the Westside, said Jolene Montoya, Pulte spokeswoman.
“It’s the same concept,” she said. “We wanted to branch out and diversify. Even though Albuquerque doesn’t have a huge townhome presence, we felt like there was a need and a want. We found this location and thought it was a great opportunity to see how it worked and see how the community responded.”
The La Orilla development, which had its grand opening in September, features three basic designs among the 44 townhomes, she said.
“It’s what we call rear-loaded,” Montoya said. “The garages are in the alleys behind the houses. Everything else is street facing. The concept is to create a quaint but modern community that feels friendly.”
With sidewalks lining the streets and front porches, “it is walking-friendly and family-friendly.”
Additionally, many of the two-story floor plans have balconies to enhance the familial feeling.
The community is off of Coors NW and is near the new development, surrounding the Flix Brewhouse movie theater and craft brew pub.
This luxury townhome community offers the best of both worlds, with walking distance to social amenities, great eateries and entertainment, while also enabling an outdoor lifestyle near the Rio Grande River and Bosque Preserve -- with miles of biking and walking trails -- Montoya said.
Each pair of homes shares a common wall, she said, which is double loaded with insulation and an intervening firewall, so there is no chance of noise spillover.
Plans start at $289,990 for the 1,884 square foot Senita, with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths.
It offers functional living spaces ideal for families. The first floor offers a spacious gathering room, café and kitchen. A covered patio enhances the ability to easily flow from inside to outside at the kitchen. The second floor features two bedrooms and the owner’s suite with a private bathroom. Additional space can be added with a upstairs master’s retreat and balcony, Montoya said.
“The concept of the floor plans is to have livability but low maintenance,” Montoya said.
Additionally, with smaller, xeriscaped yards, there is virtually no exterior maintenance, providing owners with extreme flexibility.
A further bonus is that all of the homes are upgraded with Pulte’s smart home package.
“That includes house connectivity to a phone app,” Montoya said. “It has a Nest thermostat, wireless access points throughout the house so you get wireless wherever you are. There are USB outlets built in throughout the house. There’s a smart switch that you can control with an Alexa app so you can turn your lights on and off via voice control. The whole house is connected. You can control the temperature with an app and the garage doors are the same way.”
With the versatility the townhomes offer, they are targeted at a fairly interesting mix of buyers, Montoya said.
“We’re really targeting empty nesters with the low-maintenance yards and a lock-and-leave concept,” she said.
But the homes may also appeal to a younger set of buyers, as well.
“We’re also looking at millennials: young couples who don’t have kids or sometimes two different couples. They want the urban lifestyle and can’t afford to go downtown or to Nob Hill.”
Although La Orilla has not been on the market very long, “we’ve been rather successful in last month,” Montoya said.