Opportunities floor plans present an open-concept, light-suffused living space. (Photo: Boulder Creek Neighborhoods).
To live in Colorado is to dwell with the constant visual reminder that, as with the towering slopes of the Rocky Mountains, life is both rugged and majestic. And this is the way of thinking that has shaped the focus of lifestyle builder Boulder Creek Neighborhoods and influenced each community they craft. Based in Louisville, Boulder Creek Neighborhoods builds homes that foster relationships, value efficiency and nurture the passions and dreams of their homeowners.
Moreover, it is this commitment to living authentically and joyfully that has supported Superior since December’s tragic Marshall Fire, and has inspired the Boulder Creek homeowners at Lanterns at Rock Creek in Superior to welcome others to the thriving community. While Boulder Creek Neighborhoods is grateful the Lanterns neighborhood was untouched by fire, the community has prioritized helping neighbors and inviting new families into their tree-lined, peaceful enclave. “Many (of the residents of Lanterns at Rock Creek) have banded together and offered meals, rooms, emotional support and whatever they could to help,” said Boulder Creek Community Manager Donna Lu Gamberg.
Limited inventory in Rock Creek haven
With about 20 homes remaining, including only four of the highly popular Opportunities Two series, Lanterns at Rock Creek is quickly nearing build-out, and sales are moving swiftly in today’s tight market.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer these houses in an in-demand market and neighborhood,” said BCN Director of Marketing Jessica Champlin. After all, landing a home in the Boulder County market is never easy, and Boulder County’s available home inventory is not projected to increase for months and perhaps not through the year. For a comparable price to an older, resale home in Boulder, a new, lower-maintenance Boulder Creek home is available with several advantages. “These homes are built with the latest in construction techniques and energy efficiency to benefit their owners for years to come,” Champlin said. She continued, “And, unlike a resale home, nothing compares to choosing your home site and finishes, moving into a brand new home and making it yours.”
Gamberg partners with buyers to calculate costs and ensures home buyers are educated and prepared throughout the entire building and buying process. “The market is not loosening, and interest rates are not going down,” she said. “The best time to buy is now.”
Champlin added, “Homeowners have seen their home price increase significantly over the past year, giving them more equity than they potentially realize. That provides a unique opportunity for those looking to downsize into main-floor, lower-maintenance living.”
A ‘right-sized’ opportunity
The Opportunities Two series at Rock Creek is Boulder Creek Neighborhoods’ direct response to feedback from homebuyers and the “craziness of the Boulder/Denver market,” Champlin said. The intuitive floor plan series preserves the lower-maintenance, main-floor living features homeowners love about the original Opportunities series, while slightly trimming the square footage for a home at a more attainable price point. “Our buyers are seeing the value in getting a beautiful Boulder Creek home for a smaller price and a little less square footage to clean,” Gamberg said. “These are ideal for empty nesters and also for singles and young families seeking an easy-to-care-for home.”
Like the original Opportunities’ floor plans, Opportunities Two plans present an open-concept, light-suffused living space. While Opportunities One homes span 1,800 to 2,000 square feet on the main floor and finish north of $900,000, the Opportunities Two floor plans offer between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet on the main floor and are finishing around $700,000. “These were designed to meet a need. They offer an additional option in the sought-after Rock Creek neighborhood for those buyers who have found themselves on the sidelines in Colorado’s rapidly increasing real estate market,” Champlin said.
Meeting needs and more specifically, meeting homeowners at the junction of what they require and what they desire in a home has been Boulder Creek’s focus from day one. Yet the lifestyle builder takes it a step further to create homes that promote flourishing – what Boulder Creek celebrates as “lifefullness®.” For Gamberg, “lifefullness” Boulder Creek-style is “doing what you love with a home that helps to make that achievable.” Thanks to the lower-maintenance lifestyle maintained by the Lanterns at Rock Creek lifestyle association, “lifefullness” might look like weekends skiing or hiking instead of tedious yard work or more time with a book or the kids instead of shoveling snow. Champlin said, “Our homes are designed to give you the life you always wanted.”
Along with lower-maintenance conveniences, Boulder Creek’s energy-efficient building practices keep maintenance and energy costs lower than most resale options. Tesla solar panels top each home, and a garage charging dock is optional. Homes also include advanced insulation packages and low-e windows with argon gas and foam seals. “It is as important to us to build durable, efficient homes as it is to build beautiful homes,” Gamberg said.
Lanterns at Rock Creek will count 62 homes at completion, and both Opportunities series feature ranch-style paired patio homes with two to four bedrooms and a main-floor laundry room. Homes include a two-car garage, a front raised pergola and a back patio with space for outdoor dining.
Inside, a generous kitchen leads to a cozy great room with tall ceilings and a large sliding glass door to the back patio – “the ultimate kitchen and living space for entertaining or relaxing,” Gamberg said. Home buyers are paired with a specialist from Saddleback Design in Denver to select finishes, and “as with many Boulder Creek homes, the personalization opportunities are nearly endless,” she said.
That acclaimed Boulder Creek personalization extends to the lower level. “The difference in sizes and options appeal to everyone,” Gamberg said. “Some folks will only want to have the main-floor space, which has everything you need for daily living. For grandparents, movie aficionados and those who love to host, the option to finish out the lower level is a dream come true.”
Boulder Creek Neighborhoods’ dedication to “lifefullness” is evident even in the accessibility of the floor plans. Lanterns’ homes are meticulously designed, down to the raised electrical outlets that reduce bending, and main-floor living empowers homeowners to live independently. Zero-step thresholds, 36-inch-wide doorways and spacious bathrooms are standard in these Boulder Creek homes.
Final opportunities selling now
One of a handful of lower-maintenance communities in northern Colorado, Lanterns at Rock is attracting buyers from throughout Colorado and beyond. Others from inside the wider Rock Creek community are relocating to Lanterns “as they seek to ‘right size’ in the subdivision they know and love,” Gamberg said.
Superior is looking towards a bright future, powered by neighborhoods and homeowners like those at Lanterns at Rock Creek – who embrace a joyful pursuit of one’s passions and a welcoming vibe. To take advantage of one of the remaining opportunities at Lanterns at Rock Creek, visit LiveLanterns.com or call Boulder Creek’s online concierge at 303.309.0088.
By Sarah Huber, At Home Colorado
