By Mark Samuelson

Builder John Keith has a rare commodity: a series of family-sized luxury homes in Stapleton that, despite the economy, is selling pretty fast. Fast enough, that Keith is taking his award winning Architect Collection plans——each with 2.5 kW of solar on the roof——to a small number of sites where he can offer them in Lowry.

Solar builder John Keith at Lowry’s Wings Over The Rockies Museum.

During 2008, a year that was slim pickings for most builders, Keith’s Harvard Communities sold 25 homes in Stapleton. That was before President Obama came to Denver to sign the Stimulus Bill, giving an introduction during his speech to Boulder-based Namaste Solar, Harvard’s solar contractor. “For the rest of the week,” Keith said, “Namaste was one of the most Googled words on the planet.”

That led to more sales…and now, a decision to create Lowry’s first solar neighborhood at The Arbors in East Park, at prices from $589,000 (Keith already offers ranch homes there). Prices are around $70,000 less than he can build The Architect Collection in Stapleton. At Lowry, you can tour sites and a ranch model (east from Quebec on Lowry Blvd. a mile to Yosemite, then south), and tour actual Architect Collection models at Stapleton (east on MLK to Central Park and north).

How have Stapleton buyers reacted to solar? “They love it,” Keith told me over coffee in Lowry’s Town Center. “The Architect Collection is dramatic blend of styling, but with a very comprehensive energy package, plus solar; and the green features are becoming one of the more important reasons people buy from us.” That’s no small factor in a year like this, he adds, when competitors offer deep discounts on homes with nowhere near the energy features. His most recent move-in: a family coming from Nashville, giving up an environmental home there.

Harvard Communities’ Architect Collection models, coming to Lowry, all include a 2.5 kW solar electric system. Models are on view at Stapleton.

At Keith’s Stapleton models, buyers see a thorough package of energy/green features to back up the solar electric. As an option, Harvard can customize to “near-Zero” energy, using more solar.

…All for less money at Lowry, where you’ll get a slightly bigger yard, and the maintenance-free living that Harvard provides with its ranch plans. There are two more reasons to get involved now: Harvard can only do the homes on seven Lowry sites; and the solar system is discounted by a substantial rebate from Xcel…as well as a federal tax credit to the buyer for 30% of the system.
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