Bob Von Eschen, Jodi Strong, Scott Von Eschen and Tim Shea. Not pictured: Stan Meade On Site Sales. (Photo: Timothy Seibert).
Von’s Colorado Concepts is a family-owned home builder run by Bob Von Eschen and his brother, Scott Von Eschen. Bob and Scott’s father started building homes in Boulder County in the late 70s. Von’s is a local, boutique-sized builder, with a focus on developing smaller neighborhoods of 20 to 40 homes. No massive, cookie-cutter communities here. “There’s a little more control over the process and the quality of craftsmanship is notably higher than you get with a big mass-produced builder,” says Tim Shea with The Pedal Group at Compass Colorado. The Pedal Group is the sales and marketing partner for Von’s most recent development: Avalon Meadows in Lafayette.
“The location of this property is beautiful,” says Tim. “Avalon Meadows is adjacent to a pretty notable trail system called the Coal Creek Trail, which starts in east Boulder and runs through Louisville, Lafayette and out to Erie.” The Coal Creek Trail runs along about one half of the entire Avalon Meadows property, with access points built in throughout. The location also lends itself to some pretty amazing views. “Some of the lots back to the southeast and open space, while most will maintain a view of open space or the flatirons,” says Tim.
Furthermore, the Lafayette property has easy access to Boulder and Denver, and a short, half-mile bike ride takes residents to the LaMont Does Pool and Great Outdoor Waterpark. “Lafayette is a wonderful little town with a lot of character and diversity,” says Stan Meade, Tim’s partner in marketing for the community. “And the location of Avalon Meadows is spectacular.”
The Pedal Group and Von’s Colorado Concepts: A Thriving Partnership
Tim started working with Von’s Colorado Concepts in early 2015, when they partnered to market Shadow Grass Park in Longmont, another boutique development by Von’s. Shortly after taking the role, Tim hired Stan as an on-site salesperson. Together, Tim and Stan offer a well-oiled machine for marketing and selling building projects like Von’s. As you might imagine, the houses in Shadow Grass Park sold quickly, and Von’s didn’t hesitate to bring on Tim and Stan to market for Avalon Meadows.
In 2019, Tim took his business a step further by merging his Boulder real estate company with Compass Colorado. This merger gave his agents at The Pedal Group access to more robust marketing tools and significant support. “As a business owner, I never would have been able to provide the support that Compass has provided us,” says Tim. “With the marketing support available through Compass, we’re able to push all the marketing buttons for Von’s: all the social media channels, print news, digital marketing outlets, an amazing website and more.”
Bob Von Eschen and his brother, Scott Von Eschen. (Photo: Timothy Seibert).
Now, Tim and Stan’s team is backed by substantial resources, and their synergy has never been better. “We both have complementary skills,” says Tim. Stan’s 25 years of experience are unique in the real estate world: rather than reselling homes, which most real estate agents do, Stan has specific experience selling newly constructed homes – like those at Avalon Meadows. “With new construction, you get a buyer and there is a complex process– you have to help pick out finishes, position the garage, choose paint colors,” says Tim. “That’s where Stan’s experience is the best in Boulder County.” This, combined with Tim’s access to the Compass portfolio of marketing tools and his expertise in real estate marketing, make them an unbeatable team. “Stan and Tim are doing a great job for Von’s,” says Bob. “We have a long relationship, and there’s an obvious reason for that.”
It goes both ways– the Von brothers appreciate what The Pedal Group brings to the table, and Stan and Tim also have great admiration for the values and practices at Von’s Colorado Concepts, which is likely why the partnership works so well. “The two brothers are very hands-on and they truly care about their clients,” says Stan. “Scott Von Eschen is on-site five days a week making sure the home is built to their standards. It’s not often you see a builder take that hands-on approach.”
Semi-custom homes meet your needs at Avalon Meadows
Von’s Colorado Concepts focuses on providing “semi-custom homes” for its clients. “Von’s goal is to make the home fit the buyers’ needs and wants,” says Stan. “If they want to move foundation walls or windows, whatever we need to do to make it their home, we’re happy to do that. Most builders won’t even let you move an electrical box, but we’ll do whatever it takes to suit the buyers.”
Bob Von Eschen says these semi-custom offerings from Von’s Colorado Concepts are a matter of ego. “What we’re doing is going to be here for a long time,” he says. “If we think we are smart enough to know exactly what we should put in, then we have an ego.” Instead, Von’s acknowledges that some customizations are very easy and they are happy to do them for customers. This includes changing windows on the house into sliding glass doors, or adding pergolas and modifying bathrooms for accessibility.
Accessibility is an important theme at Avalon Meadows. “With all the houses we’re doing right now, our intent is to make them all zero entry, meaning no stairs, even in the garage,” says Bob. “We do that even on a two-story house. Anybody coming to your house can get into your house, even those in a wheelchair or walker.” All homes at Avalon Meadows will also be highly energy-efficient with open floor plans.
One example of Von’s commitment to the small, communal nature of their developments can be seen at Avalon Meadows’ “internal pocket park.” Rather than developing every square inch of land, the builders decided to donate a lot to the neighborhood to be used as a park. “The small lots can feel compact, so this allows a little relaxation around it,” says Bob.
While the lots at Avalon Meadows are small, they offer a substantial back yard, and their size contributes to livability. “If you live on a large lot, you’re consuming time and resources to take care of it, and people might want to put that money elsewhere,” says Bob. “Also, with a smaller neighborhood, the sense of community and the potential of knowing each other is increased.”
Semi-custom homes in this perfectly-located, boutique neighborhood will sell out fast. “We’ve barely excavated the first property and we’ll have three properties under contract very soon,” says Tim. Houses at Avalon Meadows start in the $700s.
For more information, visit avalon-meadows.com.
By Emma Castleberry, At Home Colorado.
