Couple Finds Affordable, Surprising, Built-In Equity!
After looking at resale homes in the Denver area, Carrie Konczal and her husband Brenden decided they were NOT going to settle for less than what they wanted in their first home. Anyone who’s been house-hunting in the last year knows what a trying, tiring, thankless search it can be in the resale market with the average home price reaching $600,000 in 2021.
“Obviously prices are very expensive and that’s why we were initially drawn to Castle Rock – you can get lots of the bigger, nicer homes for probably half the price of the average home in Denver,” Carrie remembers.
It didn’t hurt that they love the quirky ambiance of downtown Castle Rock, with the added attraction of everything growing and developing with every imaginable convenience close by. “We were driving around looking at new developments and just happened to stumble into the Richmond American office after looking at several other different places and different neighborhoods, and everything lined up,” says Carrie. “Our timing aligned with what we were looking to spend and we just fell in love with the community.”
Built-In Equity…Wait, What?!
Not only did the price make sense at the time they signed their purchase contract and received their loan commitment, when the appraiser came through their new house to seal the deal the house was worth more than they paid. Before they even closed! “The ink’s not even dry and we’ve already gained $15,000 in equity,” Carrie exclaims. “I’m like, okay, that’s amazing!”
Going on their second month in the community, Carrie, Brenden and their fur-babies Oakley a miniature Australian shepherd and Roxy, an agreeable, short-hair rescue are settling into their home, the Foster model, in one of the newer areas of Crystal Valley.
The Perfect Floor Plan
“For our family, which is just my husband and I, the main floor study was definitely important for Brenden to work from home,” Carrie says. Not only does Brenden work from home, but he is finishing his additional certificates at DU after completing his Master’s program at Korbel. He spends a TON of time at his work space, she says and Carrie wanted nothing more than to give him his own office – after moving from a 752 sq. ft. one bedroom, one bath apartment. “
It’s a split floor plan with the master on one side with the other side housing the guest bedrooms, guest bathroom and the laundry room, with a loft in between.
“It’s so nice to have a loft for additional living space — it has a completely different, laidback feel as opposed to the more modern look that we went with downstairs. It really does feel like we have our own wing of the house.”
One other features of the house that was especially attractive to the Konczals was their lot. “We got really lucky that we are on the last lot in the area, so we have a greenbelt behind us and next to us,” Carrie says. “I feel kind of bad bragging about it – knowing that’s not something everybody has — but we do love it!”
One thing Carrie’s husband REALLY wanted was access to the outside from the basement. “Brenden was pretty adamant about the walkout basement, and we happened to find a house with the exact right elevation and everything we wanted. We will eventually finish the basement for even more living space, but for now it works for us!” Carrie says.
They put a little extra from their house budget into gourmet kitchen upgrades like an oven/microwave combo nestled into the cabinets. “I’m excited to have more counter space and storage to keep things clean and uncluttered,” Carrie adds. “There’s actually a spacious pantry, too, which I’ve never had in my life!”
Features and Friendliness Matter
Brenden’s main preference for the floor plan was the open layout so the dining room, living room and kitchen were without walls and flowed from one space to the next. And then there’s the master or primary bedroom and bathroom with its oversized shower with built-in bench and lots of gorgeous tile and appointments, which they both welcomed.
Carrie became an early member the Crystal Valley residents Facebook group and says the neighbors are all welcoming and share lots of valuable information and resources – responding when people need recommendations for tradespeople, places to eat and things to do.“It’s really cool to see how neighborly people are,” Carrie says. “One woman needed help shoveling her driveway a few months ago – she was nine months pregnant and her husband was out of town – and there were so many people that responded – ‘what’s the address?’ and ‘we’ll be there in 10 minutes!’”
The Konczal family’s first home — nestled in nature and surrounded by friendly neighbors — is everything they imagined it would be – and they’re looking forward to summer events at the Pinnacle, block parties, and long-lasting friendships.
Living the Dream in Crystal Valley
The master-planned community of Crystal Valley is the perfect place to get away from it all – but stay close to everything essential. Come and explore the new homes surrounded by nature and only minutes from the town of Castle Rock. With a variety of beautiful models from Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities and D.R. Horton to choose from, these ranch or two-story models – are priced from the high $300s.
