If you’re interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, how about starting by reducing your environmental footprint at home? While the majority of new construction communities are built with energy efficiency and the latest technology to support green living – including our new houses in Elizabeth, Colorado – there are still many ways to improve your carbon footprint and support our planet without leaving home. In addition to buying within a conservation community, here are a few steps to get you started (and remember, every little bit helps!):
Use Homemade Cleaning Products
When you’re on the search for ways to reduce your plastic usage, skip conventional cleaning products and opt for DIY versions. Many cleaning solutions are incredibly simple to make and require only a few key ingredients, such as white vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils.
Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water
Unless you’re facing stubborn stains, washing your clothes in cold water is perfectly effective at getting your clothes fresh and clean. By using cold water instead of hot, you’ll significantly reduce energy usage. As an added bonus, cold water is easier on your clothes and will prevent wear and tear. In addition to washing on cold whenever possible, aim to avoid washing after every wear to cut energy and water usage even more drastically.
Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
To reduce your impact on the planet, decreasing your home’s energy consumption whenever possible is a great start. A programmable thermostat will help you to almost effortlessly optimize your energy usage, while ensuring that your home stays comfortable. It’s also beneficial for the lifespan of your HVAC system and may even provide savings on your energy bills. One of the many perks of buying a new home is that they’re often equipped with a programmable thermostat and other energy-efficient features.
Unplug Electronics When Not in Use
Leaving electronics plugged in when not in use is an energy drain that’s easily preventable. Whenever your appliances or electronics aren’t being used, switch them off and unplug them. Making this simple change a habit really adds up and will contribute to your home’s energy efficiency. This practice can also increase the life of your electronics, because the more items you have plugged in around the house, the more susceptible your devices are to damage from an unexpected power surge.
Only Use the Heater When Necessary
Although spring is quickly approaching, the mornings and evenings are still crisp. While you may be tempted to turn on the heater to warm up, try to save this for truly cold weather. Layering up or enjoying a hot beverage are often as effective as the heater at keeping you warm, and this choice is better for the environment. If you struggle with feeling cold, consider setting up draft excluders to trap warm air inside.
Living an eco-friendlier life often requires just a few simple changes. If you’d like to reduce your energy usage, consider purchasing one of our beautiful new houses in Elizabeth, Colorado. Each brand-new home in the Independence Neighborhood is designed with energy efficient features to be gentler on the environment, while providing all the luxuries of modern living. To learn more about availability and the sustainable infrastructure of our conservation community, please contact our team.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels
Colorado is home to 58 mountains over 14,000 feet (known locally as “fourteeners”), beautiful national parks, and no shortage of vibrant communities and cities across the state, leaving plenty of fun for both the outdoor enthusiast and the urban explorer. With most adventures within a day’s drive away, Colorado offers the ideal outdoor adventure paradise for the weekend road warrior. Here are four of our favorite weekend road trips within a few hours of the Independence Neighborhood, our conservation-oriented community that offers beautiful new homes in Elizabeth, Colorado.
Garden of the Gods
Located about an hour south of Elizabeth in the shadow of Pikes Peak mountain, Garden of the Gods is one of our state’s most popular hiking destinations – and for good reason! With its unique rock formations and over 15 miles of hiking trails, Garden of the Gods has some of the most breathtaking scenery the state has to offer. It’s free to visit, and trails are easily accessible year-round. The Ridge Trail and the Siamese Twins Trail are among a few favorites.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Located roughly 3.5 hours south of Elizabeth, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is home to our country’s tallest sand mountains that stretch for 30 square miles. While it attracts plenty of campers, hikers, and stargazers, many also visit this bucket-list-worthy destination to sand sled and snowboard down the dunes. If you don’t have your own sled or board, there are plenty of rental stores in the area. Not to worry, if camping is not your thing, consider staying in nearby Alamosa to make the most out of your weekend adventure at this beautiful park and preserve.
Boulder
Located about an hour and a half north of Elizabeth, Boulder is a great place to escape for the weekend for several reasons. For one, Boulder is a lively community with a vibrant culture that lacks the fast pace city-feel of nearby Denver. Food lovers will definitely appreciate the town’s diverse scene of local restaurants and bars, with Frasca Food and Wine, Blackbelly, and Black Cat topping the list of favorites. Meanwhile, the Pearl Street Mall offers plenty of opportunities for retail therapy with its countless unique stores and locally owned shops. Additionally, Boulder is conveniently located near the Flatirons – a beautifully unconventional rock formation affording some of the most surreal hiking opportunities in Colorado.
Glenwood Springs
Located about 3.5 hours west of Elizabeth, the appropriately named Glenwood Springs is an eclectic town famous for its huge geothermally heated hot springs. Whether you are sore from a long day on the mountain or simply in need of a little self-care, Glenwood Springs is the perfect place for the ultimate relaxation-weekend. While you are there, be sure to check out the rides and explore the caves at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park!
If exciting weekend road trips and adventure are on your docket for 2021 and you’re living in one of Independence Neighborhood’s brand-new homes in Elizabeth Colorado, you won’t have to travel very far. Conveniently located within a short drive of countless must-see weekend road trip destinations, Independence also offers views for miles while planning your next trip – right outside your front door! Interested in learning more about our brand-new family oriented community? Please contact our team to learn more.
On the search for beautiful new homes in Elizabeth, Colorado? Choosing a home in an area that’s USDA-approved comes with a host of benefits. If you’re ready to buy and love the idea of living in an area with small-town charm, like the Independence Neighborhood, a USDA loan may be the perfect option to consider. Here, we share more about the benefits of purchasing a USDA-approved house.
100% Financing
If you’ve been dreaming of becoming a homeowner but the thought of saving for a significant down payment is daunting, you’re not alone. USDA loans, VA loans, and loans for military families through Navy Federal Credit Union are the only options out there that offer 100% financing for borrowers. This means that when your credit is in good shape and you meet the income requirements, no down payment is necessary to secure your loan.
Competitive Interest Rates
Since USDA loans are government-backed, this means that USDA lenders are often able to provide competitive interest rates. However, keep in mind that the rate you qualify for largely depends upon your credit profile and current market conditions.
Flexible Credit Requirements
If you’re interested in buying a home but your credit isn’t stellar, USDA offers flexible options. There’s no minimum credit score required to qualify for this type of loan, but you’ll need a minimum score of 640 to use the automated underwriting system. If your score is lower than this, no problem—you’ll just need to opt for manual underwriting.
Eligible Areas
If you’re ready to achieve your goal of becoming a homeowner without having to come up with a hefty down payment, pursuing a USDA-eligible home is an excellent option. Independence offers stunning brand-new homes in Elizabeth, Colorado, and the peaceful setting of open acreage only a 30-minute drive from Denver. Interested in learning more about Independence Neighborhood’s conservation community? Please contact our team to learn more and sign up for email updates to stay up to date on the latest developments.
With interest rates at historic lows, it may be a great time to purchase a new home in Elizabeth Colorado. If you’re thinking about buying in Colorado, there are several steps you should take to ensure that your new home is protected from the elements during the winter months. Your home is likely one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, so you’ll want to go over your maintenance to-do list before each season arrives. Here, we share winter preparation tips so you’re ready to take excellent care of your beautiful new home in Elizabeth, Colorado.
Prepare for a Freeze
Although your brand-new home has been crafted with care, it’s still wise to invest a little time in prep work before a deep freeze. Since your new home is incredibly energy efficient, you won’t need to worry about wrapping the pipes, but draining the irrigation lines is a smart move. To err on the side of caution, you may also choose to wrap the backflow preventer and let water drip from the sinks when you know a hard freeze is coming.
Protect the Entryway
Regardless of the type of flooring in your home, repeatedly tracking in snow and ice can lead to wear and tear. To protect the entryway flooring (and prevent falls), be sure to place a mat both outside and inside the door. Have boot trays stored in the entryway so it’s convenient to remove your shoes right away.
Stock Up on Salt and Sand
Tired of slipping on snow and ice? Stock up on salt and sand to store in the garage so you’re prepared for inclement weather. Sand is ideal for placing on the walkways before the first snowfall, while salt or ice melt is great to have on hand for adding traction once the snow or ice has already fallen.
If you’re thinking about becoming a homeowner, following these tips for winterizing will help you keep your home in excellent shape for years to come. For those seeking quiet living in a small neighborhood, our conservation community may be the perfect fit. Each new home in Independence is nestled among 1,000 acres in Elizabeth, Colorado, which is less than an hour’s drive from Denver. When you’re ready to learn more about availability, we’re here to help. Please contact us today to start the process of finding your dream home.
If you’re ready to make one of the largest purchasing decisions and invest in a new home, have you considered a sustainably built, new home nestled among acres of open space with views for miles? Thoughtfully designed homes with easy access to green space are difficult to find. Our Independence conservation community offers the rare opportunity to enjoy modern living with a small-town feel in the Denver metropolitan area. Here, we share more about our new community in Elizabeth, CO, and discuss our commitment to green living and conservation and why it matters.
Accessibility to Nature
We believe that each of our residents deserve easy accessibility to nature’s beauty. On our 1,000+-acre community, we’ve allocated more than 400 acres for biking and walking paths, and neighborhood parks are within 1,000 feet of every home. Details like these allow our residents to immerse themselves in nature, right outside their front door.
Strategic Planning
Instead of disrupting the land to fit our plans, we work with the natural topography, so each home exists in harmony with nature. In addition to preserving beautiful green space, avoiding unnecessary alterations to the land saves money and allows buyers to get the best possible value.
For those seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of the big city, purchasing a home in a quiet conservation community may be a perfect fit. With an abundance of open space and new houses constructed with sustainability in mind, the Independence Neighborhood offers everything you need for the lifestyle of your dreams in a peaceful setting. As an extra perk, our Elizabeth, Colorado community is less than an hour drive from Denver so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Reduction of Water Usage
In our community, we demonstrate our commitment to conservation through more than just preservation of open space. In an effort to combat water wastage, we’ve implemented a state-of-the-art water conservation program that boasts the highest level of water recycling in our state. This water recycling program reduces water usage in each home by approximately 50%.
Protection of Wildlife
As a conservation community, we strive to protect wildlife and leave a minimal carbon footprint. That’s why we’ve preserved key wildlife corridors and vegetation to avoid disrupting the ecosystem. We’ve also restored existing wetland habitats within our community, so you can rest assured that local wildlife still has a safe place to live.
To learn more about availability, please contact our team to start the process of finding your dream home.
Now more than ever, we can all appreciate the importance of getting out of the house. A chance to move, to breathe, to explore, and connect with people outside our own home. How about those friendly neighbors living right down the street in our conservation community?
At Independence, we think the best way to make these new connections is right on your own front porch. Spending time here on a rocking chair or sitting on the front step allows passersby to walk up for a quick chat without coming inside your house. They’re also a great place to spend time with friends and neighbors while maintaining a safe distance with circulated air—perfect for having folks over for a drink or a casual, outdoors get together. And best of all, you don’t have to clean up the house afterwards.
Our Front Porch Philosophy
Because there’s no better, more comfortable and welcoming place to spend quality time, we’ve designed spacious areas to gather at the front of every Independence home to encourage neighborly interaction and add a gracious transition from outside to inside and shelter from inclement weather.
All front porches throughout the Independence Community are oversized to give you plenty of space to spread out and are designed to be visible from the street, so you can keep an eye on your kiddos playing in the yard and say hello to neighbors walking by. We’ve also built our streets with additional curves and narrower widths to slow cars down and to create a safer place for neighbors and kids to mingle outside their homes. Together, these considerations help create active, social front yard gathering places throughout the neighborhood so you can safely enjoy the community and fresh air beyond your four walls.
Ideas For Your Porch
To inspire you to embrace the front porch space you’ll find here at Independence, here are some suggestions for how to utilize this incredible amenity, right beyond your front door:
1. Start a small garden with fresh flowers, vegetables and herbs.
2. Watch a thunderstorm roll over the front range.
3. Enjoy a glass of homemade lemonade.
4. Read a nighttime story to the kids.
5. Host a book club gathering.
6. Set up a telescope and star gaze.
7. Build a wind chime to hang from the ceiling.
8. Enjoy a family meal outside.
9. Install a porch swing, of course!
10. Take a nap, maybe on that new porch swing.
11. Sit on the front step and connect with your neighbors!
To learn more about our brand-new conservation community, sign up for the latest email updates here.
What makes Independence such a unique and desirable place to live is the lifestyle it offers each and every family who call it home. Each of the stunning single-family homes are built with 21st century innovations and small-town values, available in seven different floorplans in four varying styles, including Farmhouse Fresh, Prairie Pure, Mountain Modern and Classic Contemporary. Here, cutting-edge technology, progressive community amenities, and stunning construction (by the likes of Richmond American Homes and Lennar Home Builders) go hand in hand with wide-open vistas, room to roam, and preserved open space corridors stretching for miles in all directions.
It’s a community where kids have plenty of room to play until the dinner bell rings. Neighbors spend afternoons on their front porches and find value in gathering together as a community. Working from home is a breeze, thanks to community-wide high-speed WiFi. Each residence is built smart-home ready and has a pocket park within 1,000 feet. Smart streetlights and water conservation efforts create a more efficient, sustainable footprint to benefit everyone within the community.
As our progress continues to pick up, we’re excited to announce our first two homebuilders and that homes are NOW available for sale!
Richmond American Homes
Homes for sale now! Model home tours in August
EXPLORE HOMES
Lennar Home Builders
Model Home tours and homes for sale in October
EXPLORE HOMES
We invite you to sign up for our Independence Community updates via email and to contact us with any questions you may have about our brand new, one of a kind residential community!
During this difficult time, our hearts here at Independence Homes go out to our friends and neighbors as we all rally together to adjust to this new normal and get through it safely. Despite the setbacks we are all experiencing, at Independence we remain positive, making great progress as we bring this incredible new community to life and look ahead to the future. We are excited to share that we’ve finalized installation of our High-Speed WiFi and paved the roads throughout the community.
While we are optimistic about the future, we also view this temporary pause as an opportunity to reflect on the things we appreciate most—and sometimes take for granted. Gathering together with family around a delicious meal. Joining with neighbors in our backyards for an afternoon BBQ. Getting out to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine on a bike ride or hike with family by our side.
These are the important moments we’ve built the Independence Homes community around, and the ones that will make it thrive. Like our high-speed WiFi, designed to keep us connected even in times like these when we can’t be physically close to one another. Not to mention, entertained—super fast streaming of Disney+, anyone?
We share these updates with you, along with our excitement for the future of our thoughtfully planned community and all those who will call it home. Stay tuned for more news and updates from us and please, be well.
The 1,000+ acre swath of western prairie upon which Independence Homes sits is a truly unique property. Set high above rolling hills, the conservation community overlooks not only the Black Forest to the east but offers striking views to both Pikes and Longs Peaks and the entirety of the Front Range. The visibility stretches so far in all directions, you can actually see storms rolling in from as far north as Fort Collins.
Because so much of the appeal of living here is about embracing the spirit of the west, we felt it was critical to do everything we could to preserve as much of the property’s open space and overlooks as possible. As we began planning the layouts of each neighborhood, we took great care to not only maximize the inspiration found gazing outward from each home, but to preserve as much of the original topography as possible. It’s just another one of the ways we’re working to ensure that what drew us here in the first place remains for generations to come.
We started with the homesites themselves, clustering them to preserve more contiguous open space that will serve as an extension of each home’s backyard. This allows neighbors to feel connected to each other while still enjoying the 420 acres of prairie around them—plenty of room for miles of biking, jogging and hiking trails. Part of the plan mandates that no home will be built within a 200-foot perimeter of major roads or neighboring communities, creating large buffer areas and a considerable band of open space surrounding the entire development for maximum privacy, peace and quiet.
Lastly, we made the deliberate decision not to develop any homes in the low-lying areas of the property, and mapped out future neighborhoods atop rolling hills in order to preserve the greater viewing corridor, to the benefit of all who call Independence home.
The plan laid out through our home clustering doesn’t just benefit our future residents, though. Our larger conservation philosophy takes to heart the well-being and prosperity of the native species who already live here, too. This is why large sections of the property have been preserved for migration patterns and native herds to graze alongside the neighborhoods within the community, minimizing disruption to native grasslands and wildlife. Our strategic neighborhood layouts also help to reduce the community’s overall water consumption and leaves many natural areas, wetlands, wildlife corridors and animal bedding areas undisturbed. So we can all live harmoniously here with one another.
For more information on our conservation community, please reach out to us directly or explore our website to learn more about our unique residential and community amenities, innovative technology and water reclamation programs, and to see some of the stunning designs of our new homes.
With every step of planning the Independence Homes community, we’ve focused on preserving what came before, conserving valuable resources, and leaving a smaller footprint so that all our residents can enjoy more, while using less. We’re configuring new homes on acres of open space while maintaining and restoring as much of the original property as possible in order to create a true conservation community that honors the rich history of the land. While this is a challenging task, we continue to draw inspiration from what came before to guide our path forward.
Here’s what we know about the land’s past.
The 1,000 acres that now makes up our Independence Homes community first belonged to the Bentley family, originally from the Dakotas and long before they were divided into north and south states. Sometime around 1870, the family made the long journey to Colorado to homestead the land, thanks to the recent passing of the federal Homestead Act of 1862 which granted a portion of public land (usually 160 acres) to any US citizen willing to settle on and farm the land for at least five years. In a way, the Bentleys came in search of their own kind of independence—the freedom to start a new life for themselves here in Colorado. And to a large degree, this is what influenced the name we chose for this special new community.
How their legacy began.
It started with a simple two-room cabin the family built themselves, by hand, from timber salvaged from the property. Once complete, they settled into their new Western life ranching cattle and farming wheat. They also ran a metal shop on the property, as well as Elbert County’s first telegraph station. In the early 1900s, the family upgraded their accommodations, ordering a Queen Ann Victorian-style kit home from Radford and Harris Brothers made from locally sourced lumber The house was shipped in parts to the local train station in Elizabeth, which required the Bentleys to make the 16-mile round-trip nearly 100 times (yes, you read that right) with a team of horses, picking up all they could carry home and then returning for another haul.
With no power tools available back then, the kit home, just like the original cabin, was constructed by hand. The family lived in this same house from about 1908 until the early 1960s, making a living off of —and living in harmony with—the land they called home for over a century.
Our role in the Bentley’s story.
When Craft Companies acquired the property, both of the historic homes were still standing, however in dilapidated condition. We set out to restore both to as close to their original condition as possible. To do this, we’ve partnered with local Elbert County workers who are restoring it by hand, piece-by-piece, using hand spades to dig out the foundation and rebuild it one nail at a time. To ensure the integrity of the restoration, we’re using historical oils and other antiquated materials to repair both the interior and exterior, as opposed to modern day chippers, sprayers and the like.
To further ensure the authenticity of our preservation efforts, we’re going to great lengths to replicate the specific, original detailing of the original buildings. For example, we brought in a color consultant specializing in period home restoration to select appropriate paint colors for the restoration of both the cabin and the kit home. We’re adhering to the highest levels of craftsmanship as well, repurposing wood found on the property to replace missing pieces of siding or railing—rather than purchasing new, inauthentic materials.
In order to honor the history of the land with our new construction, we’re drawing inspiration from both the color palette and architectural style of the Bentley’s historic homes to create our updated, modern farmhouse style for the houses that will make up our Independence Homes community.
Another notable influence carried over from the past is the kit home’s oversized front porch, which influenced the design guidelines for expansive front porches on all new homes at Independence—far larger than porches a buyer might find anywhere else in Colorado. We believe that by incorporating these inviting, welcoming outdoor spaces for people to gather, residents will be drawn to the front of their homes—creating a more vibrant, energetic community where kids can play together in the yard and neighbors can have more interaction with one another. The large porches also help to activate the front elevations of each home, creating a dramatically different feeling in Independence Homes than you’ll find in other Colorado residential communities.
A symbol of the past, reimagined for the future.
In addition to restoring the original homestead outpost, we’re investing considerable efforts and resources to repurpose the other historic buildings on the property, including the old farmhouse, barn and silo, which will all become part of a new, central community space called Homestead Park. A tribute to the early Bentley ranch, the original buildings are being transformed into innovative and useful amenities that will bring neighbors and families together to play, relax and reconnect, creating a truly unified new community designed to thrive long into the future.
