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The future is closer than we think

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 18:30:14 GMT

May Burritos & Pizza Forever Rain(or reign)

I saw this article on a weekly blog from BYTE magazine that I thought I would share. Some of the new technology is amazing for sure and the thought of a drone delivering the pizza (or burrito) seems like a great idea. Would they deliver to Horsetooth reservoir and drop it in a boat? Why not!!

In Alphabet Inc.’s, Google’s parent company, latest move they partnered with Chipotle and Virginia Tech to deliver burritos around campus via drones. The companies have permission from the FAA and the project will be closely monitored to ensure nothing goes wrong and to collect data on how drone deliveries should be regulated in the future. If this all goes well we could be one step closer to our favorite foods literally falling from the sky.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado New Homes

Greeley, Fort Collins make WalletHub’s “Best Real Estate Market” report

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:29:08 GMT

Colorado cities’ residential real estate showed up strong on a new report that looks at the nation’s best housing markets.

Seven cities were in the top 25 nationally, with Thornton ranking No. 8, according to WalletHub’s “Best Real Estate Market” report released last Tuesday.

To compile the report, the Washington, D.C.-based financial analyst site looked at 16 metrics across three categories in 300 U.S. cities.

Once again, Greeley is one of the leaders in the country rated as the #4 market in Colorado and 13th nationally. Greeley continues to be a strong performer on almost any national indicator that measures the strength of the local housing markets. Fort Collins also fared well on another Northern Colorado market as it was placed as 5th in the state and #21 nationally.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

More great news for the Colorado job market

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 18:28:03 GMT

Colorado continues to be in the spotlight nationally for a strong economy. Is it any wonder that so many people want to come and join us in this great state!

Colorado employers added a net 5,000 non-farm payroll jobs to the state’s economy in June – more than 16 times the 300 added in May, and on par with the average over the past 12 months.

But the unemployment rate still increased to 3.7 percent because of the combined increase in labor force and decrease in number of people reporting themselves as employed.

“The increase in unemployment rate can actually be seen as a good sign because the pool of available workers has grown,” labor department economist Ryan Gedney said. “Employers are having a difficult time filling job openings. They have a ton of openings, but can’t find anyone to fill them.”

“It’s the strongest, most consistent growth we’ve seen since the mid-’90s,” he said.

Colorado’s unemployment rate of 3.7 percent remained the seventh-lowest in the country, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That’s down from 3.9 percent this time last year. The national unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in June, down from 5.3 percent a year ago.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Greeley sees significant median price increase in 2016

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 18:26:33 GMT

The Greeley-Evans area saw median single-family home prices hit a 2016 high of $248,250 in April, a 12.6 percent increase over the same month a year earlier.

Of the five largest cities in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado regions, only Boulder and Longmont saw larger year-over-year price growth for single-family homes, though Fort Collins wasn’t far behind.

The figures come from the latest report released by the IRES multiple listing service.

Greeley’s median price came on 192 listings sold. It was an increase versus the median price in April last year of $220,500, and was also up $8,250 from March of this year.

This report was from an article in Biz West and it shows the significant gains in Greeley as it continues to gain national attention as one of the best places to live.

We at Journey Homes are pleased to have built over 1500 homes in Greeley in the last 15 years and are proud to have our “world headquarters” right here in Greeley.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Ft Collins housing one of the top “stable markets”

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 18:25:00 GMT

Boulder has topped finance site SmartAsset’s annual listof the housing markets with the most stable growth, but this time Fort Collins and Denver joined it in the top 10.

SmartAsset defines “stable growth” as markets with both solid upward home-price growth and a low probability that homes would have declined in value by at least 5 percent within a decade after the home was purchased.

Fort Collins rose to sixth on the list this year. According to 2014 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, about 311,435 people live in the Fort Collins metropolitan statistical area — which encompasses Larimer County. SmartAsset’s report noted that “employees there work in several different industries, including manufacturing, and its tech industry seems to be growing thanks in part to opportunities provided by Colorado State University.” SmartAsset said the Fort Collins area has seen 246 percent home-price growth since 1991 and has only a 5 percent chance of seeing a decline in home prices.

Great news that Ft Collins and the surrounding area are proving out to be one of the safest real estate investments you can make.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Greeley named Colorado’s most affordable city

Sun, 07 Feb 2016 19:23:43 GMT

Greeley, Colorado, has received a lot of positive press lately. And the most recent good news comes from a study by livability.com that named Greeley not just the most affordable city in the Centennial State, but the seventh most affordable in the country.

In livability.com’s Best Affordable Places to Live 2016 rankings, Greeley was praised for its “hip restaurants and cool music venues.” And the city’s affordability only makes it a more attractive place to call home: Researchers were pleased to find that Greeley offers a budget-friendly alternative to more expensive locales in Colorado and beyond.

“Residents in Greeley pay less than many of their counterparts in Colorado and other western states for just about everything, and they spend just over 27 percent of their annual incomes on housing,” the authors note.

This is just the latest in a string of good publicity for Greeley. In December 2015, the Milken Institute ranked Greeley among the top performing cities in the United States, the only Colorado city to break the top ten. And back in June, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Weld County, of which Greeley is the county seat, had thehighest percentage job growth in the country for the second year in a row. Preliminary data for 2015 suggest that it will perform admirably once again.

Greeley is rapidly becoming a hub for culture and entertainment in Northern Colorado. In fact, we reported in September that Greeley’s breweries took home two medals in last year’s Great American Beer Festival, and that growing craft beer scene wasn’t lost on the authors of the study, who noted that “Five breweries in Greeley, including the popular Weldwerks Brewing Co., produce highly sought-after craft beers that have helped the city become a destination spot.”

The researchers at livability.com make it clear that their rankings focus on cities that aren’t just affordable, but livable. “These are not the least expensive places to live in America,” they freely admit. “Instead, this is a list of affordable cities you’d actually want to live in.”

Journey Homes is proud to play a role in Greeley’s continued growth and success. Our Boomerang Ranch andHomestead Heights communities, both located in Greeley, might just be the perfect place for you and your family to call home. To learn more about our beautiful, affordable communities, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Colorado cities among the nation’s top performers

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 19:22:12 GMT

In the Milken Institute’s annual ranking of the top-performing cities in the United States, Colorado shines once again, with four of our cities counting themselves among the top 25 large metro areas nationwide. Only California, with six top-25 spots, has more cities in this upper echelon of highly ranked urban areas.

Colorado’s top performers this year include

Greeley, ranked 9th
Fort Collins, ranked 14th
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, ranked 16th
Boulder, ranked 22nd

Greeley, which jumped five spots from last year’s rankings, was praised for its job growth, with study authors noting that “Oil extraction from the nearby Niobrara shale has created significant new employment in the five years ending in 2014, attracting investment to the region.” Among the individual categories used to compare cities, Greeley placed first in the nation for

Job growth from 2009 to 2014
Job growth from 2013 to 2014
Wage growth from 2012 to 2013

Fort Collins, which gained three spots from the 2014 survey, was ranked the 14th-best-performing city in the country. According to the study, “Colorado State University helps develop an educated workforce,” emphasizing that forty percent of Fort Collins residents over the age of 25 hold at least a bachelor’s degree. The report singled out Fort Collins’s high-tech sector, which it described as “large and diverse.”

The Milken study also pointed to growth in the Fort Collins housing market, observing that construction employment increased by 10 percent in 2014 and is expected to return to 2008 levels in 2016.

Denver and Boulder received accolades for hosting a well-educated population that complements knowledge-based industries requiring a highly skilled workforce. Boulder was named a “lower-cost alternative for Silicon Valley companies looking to expand or relocate,” while the Denver metro area was praised for having gained more than 1,500 jobs in the air transportation sector. Denver is now home to the country’s third-largest market for this sector.

Colorado is a great place to do business and a great place to call home. Our Journey Homes communities offer high quality homes at prices you can afford. If you’re ready to learn why so many Front Range residents choose us, please contact Journey Homes at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado or 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

What to do with all those leaves

Wed, 11 Nov 2015 19:20:25 GMT

There may still be nearly two months left in autumn, astronomically speaking, but meteorologically, winter is all but here. And as fall begins to wind down, most of us have more than a few leaves lying in the yard. But before you instinctively reach for the rake and a handful of trash bags, consider these enlightened alternatives to raking and bagging.

The first step is, of course, collection. Good, old-fashioned rakes are great for small lots, but if you have a lot of ground to cover, there are some convenient options that don’t involve so much manual labor.

Grab a leaf blower. These work especially well if your yard is large. Rather than rake all of your leaves by hand, use the forced-air power of a leaf blower to push them into tidy piles.
Use a lawnmower. If your lawnmower features a bag for collecting grass clippings, you’re in business. Simply run the lawnmower over fallen leaves and let it chop them into bite-sized pieces that flow right into the collection bag.
Suck it up. Dedicated leaf vacuums are readily available for rental from home improvement stores, but many leaf blowers can work in reverse. Just attach a collection bag to the outlet, and let the motor do all of the work. Some models actually mulch leaves as you go, compacting them into more manageable volumes.

Once you’ve successfully herded your fallen leaves, it’s time to get rid of them. Sending them off to the landfill used to be standard practice, but more environmentally friendly options are available.

Curbside yard waste pickup. This couldn’t be simpler. For a small monthly fee, many waste management companies will provide a special bin into which you can load leaves, twigs, pine cones, branches, and other lawn detritus. Just put it out along with your weekly trash and recycling, and let the pros carry it away.
Mulching centers. If door service isn’t an option, some municipalities offer free community mulching centers. Drop off your leaves in the autumn, and come back for low- or no-cost bags of mulch in the spring. Private companies offer similar services, usually for a reasonable fee.
Home composting. Provided you blend them with sufficient amounts of green matter, fallen leaves can make valuable contributions to your compost bin. High-nitrogen, high-calcium varieties like ash, elm, linden, cherry, poplar, and maple can be mixed right in with your other compost. It’s best to shred them first, though, to speed up what could otherwise be a long process.

Whatever you do with your leaves, remember to clean them out of your gutters before the snow begins falling. Once the mercury regularly dips below freezing, once-benign leafy gutters can transform into unwieldy masses of frustration.

Journey Homes is a proud member of the Colorado community, and we’d love to show you around the area. To arrange a tour of one of our affordable homes, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Colorado well-prepared for a high-tech economy

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:17:29 GMT

The U.S. economy is increasingly built around so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industries. And according to a just-released survey from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Colorado ranks fifth in the nation in overall economic performance and fourth when it comes to high-tech innovation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that promotes American free enterprise and conducts research on business-related issues. Its Enterprising States and Cities project is just one of several initiatives the Foundation conducts as part of its mission.

The study cited Colorado’s Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program, which helps companies in high-tech fields obtain startup capital and grant funds. The study’s authors say that the seven industries served by the program account for nearly 30 percent of Colorado’s wage earnings and 35 percent of total exports:

Advanced manufacturing
Aerospace
Bioscience
Electronics
Energy and natural resources
Infrastructure engineering
Information and technology

“Colorado has attained top-tier status for its support of innovation, entrepreneurship, talent pipeline, and overall economic activity,” the study’s authors note. “Colorado has many programs to foster innovation and encourage startups, and promotes this growth through solid lending practices and the wide availability of broadband internet.”

The top ten states for high-tech performance are, according to the Enterprising States and Cities study,

Washington
Utah
Massachusetts
Colorado
Maryland
California
Virginia
Texas
Oregon
North Carolina

Colorado also ranked fourth in innovation and entrepreneurship and eighth in terms of talent pipeline.

Journey Homes is proud to play its role in Colorado’s thriving economy. We build quality, affordable homes in beautiful communities all along Colorado’s Front Range. To schedule a tour of one of our Colorado homes, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Fort Collins students build a home for a local family

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 18:15:31 GMT

One of the many things that makes Colorado such a special place to call home is the way we look out for each other. After the historic floods of 2013, Coloradans pulled together to help their neighbors, and two years later, our sense of community is as strong as ever.

A project in Fort Collins exemplifies that generous spirit: Students at Poudre High School (PHS) recently raised the first wall of their second Habitat for Humanity home, which they are building for a Fort Collins mother and daughter. But this isn’t just any Habitat project. It’s a cutting-edge program that combines education with a good cause.

About 80 students at PHS are enrolled in Poudre Builds, a unique class that teaches geometry through construction. The students, led by three teachers, take part in one of only six programs nationwide that use the Geometry in Construction model to build a Habitat for Humanity home for a local family. The program uses construction to illustrate the relevance of math to everyday life. Students enroll in back-to-back classes, the first of which teaches geometric fundamentals, and the second of which applies those principles to a real-world construction project.

This is the second home that Poudre High School geometry students have built in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Last year’s home was moved from the construction site at Poudre High School to its permanent lot in July. It is currently undergoing final detailing before the family takes up residence.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity selection process, future homeowners commit to working for at least 500 hours alongside the students to build their new home. In return, the qualifying individuals receive a no-interest mortgage that does not exceed 30 percent of the family’s gross income. This not only helps the family connect with their new home as it is built, it also provides a vital link between the school system and the community.

Journey Homes is pleased to call Colorado home, and we’re proud of the volunteer spirit that ties Colorado’s residents together. To learn more about us, and to schedule a tour of one of our beautiful communities, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Colorado’s top 3 drives for leaf peeping

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 18:13:47 GMT

With Labor Day firmly behind us, the annual Colorado gold rush won’t be far off. New England may be home to the most famous fall foliage in the United States, but Colorado’s high country puts on a golden display so vibrant that the uninitiated sometimes insist the photos have been edited. Here are our top three picks (in no particular order) for viewing the aspen trees this autumn.

West Elk Loop. You’ll need some time to get to and complete this 200+ mile lollipop-shaped route, so plan to take a couple of days and overnight along the way. The West Elk Loop includes everything from deep canyons to some of the state’s most striking alpine scenery. Starting in Carbondale (ten miles south of Glenwood Springs on Highway 82), drive on Highway 133 south to McClure Pass, and then on to the farming communities of Paonia and Hotchkiss. In Hotchkiss, follow Highway 92 west to Delta, than turn south on Highway 50 and drive to Montrose. From there, Highway 50 continues along the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and then onto Gunnison itself. Finally, Highway 135 carries you north to Crested Butte and, weather permitting, Gunnison County Road 12 will take you back to Highway 133 south of McClure Pass (Kebler Pass is closed in winter, so check conditions before you set out).
Peak-to-Peak Highway. This more than 50-mile drive parallels the Continental Divide from Black Hawk to Estes Park and passes so close to Longs Peak (the northernmost fourteener in the Rocky Mountains) that you’ll swear you could touch it. Even better? It’s an easy day trip from just about anywhere along the I-25 corridor. From Black Hawk, take Highway 119 north to Nederland, then follow Highway 72 north to its junction with Highway 7, and finally drive along Highway 7 to Estes Park. Return the way you came or head down Highway 34 or 36 to get back to the Front Range.
San Juan Skyway. The San Juan Skyway is not for the faint of heart, but those who brave its winding curves, dramatic drop offs, and guardrail-free shoulders will never forget its beauty. Start in Durango, and simply follow Highway 550 north to Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway. Take your time, and be sure to stop off at Molas Pass for 360-degree views. Then stop at Red Mountain Pass to pause and catch your breath before dropping down into Ouray. Twelve miles west of Ridgway on Highway 62, the autumn views of Mt. Sneffels from the Dallas Divide are some of the most iconic in the state. If you have time, continue on Highway 62 to Placerville and then travel east on Highway 145 to Telluride, where you can enjoy the view from the free gondola that carries passengers more than 1,500 vertical feet to the top of the box canyon.

These are but the very best fall foliage drives the Centennial State has to offer. Buffalo Pass near Steamboat Springs, Guanella Pass near Georgetown, and the views from Summit County’s Dillon Reservoir are all equally worth your attention. Just remember that in Colorado, elevation makes a difference: Areas above 7,500 feet may peak in late September, while forests closer to Denver could display fall colors almost until Thanksgiving.

Journey Homes builds quality, affordable homes up and down the Front Range of Colorado, and we encourage you to drive safely and enjoy the view. To learn more about us and our many beautiful communities, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-330-5480 in Northern Colorado or 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

Changing seasons in Northern Colorado

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:11:56 GMT

There’s a palpable sense that summer is drawing to a close. Students in the Poudre, Thompson, and Weld County District 6 (Greeley-Evans) school districts all return to school within the next week, and classes at Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado begin August 24. And up at the highest elevations of Larimer County, in the Rawah Wilderness, a handful of aspen trees are already beginning to change colors.

As we celebrate the final days of summer and look forward to the coming autumn, here are three events, in three Northern Colorado cities, in three different months, to add to your calendar.

The Old Fashioned Corn Roast Festival: August 20-21 in Loveland

Loveland’s Corn Roast Festival includes a parade, a corn shucking competition, a corn eating contest, and a cornucopia of roasted and boiled corn. Guests of all ages can enjoy a variety of entertainment options, great vendors, and more. General attendance and all concerts are free and open to the public.

Visit the Loveland Chamber of Commerce for more information.

FORToberfest: September 18 and 19 in Fort Collins

The Fort Collins Downtown Business Association’s newest signature event is an Oktoberfest-themed street festival that celebrates sustainability, the local brewing industry, and a vibrant music scene—in other words, bikes, beers, and bands.

FORToberfest kicks off Friday, September 18 with a concert in Old Town Square, and the event expands to include the Linden and Walnut Streets on Saturday.

Visit Downtown Fort Collins for more information.

OktoBREWfest: October 2 and 3 in Greeley

Greeley’s 2015 OktoBREWfest starts Friday, October 2 at 5pm in Downtown Greeley’s Lincoln Park with a free concert, along with beer, bratwurst, and games. The festivities resume Saturday at 11 a.m. and feature a whole day of music, a wide selection of regular and specialty craft beers, food from more than a dozen vendors, and a crafts area. A dedicated children’s zone offers face painting, an obstacle course, a bubble tower, arcade games, and an inflatable slide. Volleyball, pie eating contests, and stein lifting contests, round out the day.

Visit Greeley Unexpected for more information.

Journey Homes is proud to call Colorado home, and we’d love to show you around the area. To arrange a tour of one of our affordable communities, please contact Journey Homes today at at 970-460-8002 in Northern Colorado, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes

A New Transportation Option for Northern Colorado and Beyond

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 18:06:38 GMT

Fort Collins is well known as a bike-friendly community, and the MAX line has made traveling between Old Town and Harmony Road more convenient than ever. But going beyond the city limits has up until recently meant getting in the car and driving on I-25 or Highway 287. But a new bus service offers Front Range residents the opportunity to leave the driving to someone else.

Colorado’s new Bustang bus service, which we originally reported on in February, recently became a reality, connecting Fort Collins and Loveland to downtown Denver.

Each motorcoach can carry 50 passengers and is equipped with restrooms, bike racks, wireless internet, and electrical outlets.

Buses depart the Harmony park-and-ride located just west of I-25 six times a day, stopping at the Loveland-Greeley park-and-ride at Centerra on the way to Denver’s Union Station and downtown bus transit center. Two of these daily trips originate at the Downtown Transit Center in Old Town Fort Collins, and six daily return trips carry commuters back from Denver.

A single ride to Denver costs $10 from Fort Collins or $9 from Loveland-Greeley, and discounted rates are available for seniors, children, and those with disabilities.

Purchasing multi-ride tickets can offer savings of up to 25 percent. The trip from Fort Collins to downtown Denver takes about 80 minutes.

Bustang is owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and operated by Ace Express Coaches, a Golden-based business that also operates shuttles to Colorado’s casinos, ski resorts, airports, and other destinations. In addition to the Fort Collins-Denver route, Bustang also offers Denver-Colorado Springs and Denver-Glenwood Springs.

CDOT’s new Bustang service comes at a time when commuters are increasingly seeking alternatives to driving. A coalition of local governments recently voted to divert all of its funding to improving I-25, but it is estimated that the necessary projects will require at least five years to complete.

Journey Homes builds quality, affordable up and down Colorado’s I-25 corridor.

To learn more about us and to schedule a tour of one of our Colorado homes, please contact Journey Homes today at 970-460-8002, or at 719-648-2914 in Colorado Springs.

Thank you for reading our Journey Homes Blog!

Written by: Bob Golba, Sales Manager

We are YOUR Colorado Home Builder – Serving Northern & Southern Colorado.

Northern Colorado New Homes – Colorado Springs New Homes