ABRAZO HOMES
Event features more than 30 homes
While Abrazo Homes has had a steady and significant rise on the list of local builders, the game plan always has been to buy lots in already-developed neighborhoods and concentrate on the home building.
Now, for the first time, Abrazo is stepping into a new role by developing its own community from the ground up. And that makes its role as Signature Builder for the upcoming Parade of Homes by the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico so important.
“This was our first project that we’ve developed internally from a land development perspective,” said Brian McCarthy, one of Abrazo’s owners. “Historically for us, we have purchased lots and homesites from other, third party developers. We purchased from some of the best and coolest developers in Albuquerque, so we haven’t had a chance to have our design input into a community.”
That all changed when they saw the eight-acre site that is adjacent to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta park.
“When we walked the site for the first time, we realized it was such a remarkable site,” McCarthy said. “The northeast boundary is the Balloon Fiesta park. So, you have the Fiesta itself, plus the mountains to the east and Cochiti Mesa and everything to the north. You can see the Jemez. You can see the volcanoes to the west.”
The site is perched above the north diversion channel, overlooking the picturesque North Valley.
“It’s convenient and scenic,” McCarthy said. It’s an incredibly special site. We wanted to really dress it up and pay homage to the site and the development and make it something special.”
The site has been transformed into a 34-lot community that will showcase Abrazo’s new line of designs, he said.
“It’s more modern and edgy for 2021,” McCarthy said, and that significant planning went into creating that new look.“The marketing team, myself and (co-owner) Mackenzie (Bishop), CK Scott and the land development manager, all talked about who is the buyer we can envision living here and how do we think they would live here. What would they like and how do we make it feel special and make it create a sense of arrival to really highlight all the nuances of the neighborhood itself.”
Abrazo borrowed heavily on the Fiesta theme, giving the streets names like Dawn Patrol and Balloon Glow Lane and Gondola Way.
“At the front gate, we did some awesome steel cutouts of hot air balloons and took a double burner and retro fitted it to be entry light for the gate,” McCarthy said. “We did a lot of things like that to carry that theme.”
The backyards, instead of being walled off with solid block, instead we used view fencing “so people could really catch the views of the sunsets and the Jemez,” he said. Five different floor plans will be available in the community, with structural options of adding things like another bedroom or casita.
“Those structural options add another level of flexibility,” McCarthy said.
Prices start in the $500,000 range and go above $600,000 depending upon the options, choices and customizations.
Abrazo started as a dream between McCarthy and Bishop in 2010 and now it has 38 full-time employees.
“The growth has been exciting and its fun,” McCarthy said. “We don’t want to grow just for the sake of growing. The goal is to be the best builder and not the biggest builder. If we do everything right each step of the way, the growth will come organically. It’s a nice validation that we continue to grow and that the market is paying attention.”
With the success of this first foray into land development, Abrazo will do more of it, McCarthy said. More out of necessity that any other reason.
“We’ll definitely do more of it,” he said. Right now, we’re turning dirt and developing subdivisions as we speak. Current market conditions indicate a huge shortage of lot supply in Albuquerque. What we call third-party developers are no longer doing this so if we want to have lots, we had to start developing our own.”
It all points to a rosy future for Abrazo.
“I’d say we’re ahead of plans,” McCarthy said. “We’ve grown by leaps and bounds. We had 149 new contracts in 2020 and in light of the pandemic, from our perspective, we’re very proud of it. We have our own development company now, and we continue to grow and do so thoughtfully that allow us to continue to deliver high quality homes to our clients.”