Details

This year’s parade homes will highlight the latest in construction technology, sustainable living, and interior design.   Main sites will be located at Gold Hill Mesa, Cordera and Flying Horse.  In addition to the main sites, many of this year’s homes are scattered throughout Colorado Springs showcasing some of the finest neighborhoods in El Paso County.

The 33 beautiful new homes and neighborhoods in the Parade of Homes will be open every day starting August 5 and runs through August 21, the hours this year are from 10:00 am. to 6:00 pm. Tickets will be on sale at all local Safeway Stores beginning July 18, 2011.  Admission is $10.00 for adults 18 to 64 and $5.00 for 65 and over, ticket includes a navigational map.  One ticket will allow visitors to tour the Parade of Homes at their leisure during these 17 days. When you visit only 24 of the Parade Homes you will be eligible to enter to win a $2500 Shopping Spree at La Z Boy Fine Furniture.  You may also enter online at cshba.com.

The Parade of Homes offers variety in price and location. The homes are scattered across a broad spectrum of prices.  11 homes are priced below $300,000 while two are priced more than $1,000,000. There are 22 communities within the tour.

Highlights of the Parade include:

• G.J. Gardner Northgate features a LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) home – a first for the Colorado Springs Parade of Homes!  Located in the west side’s Gold Hill Mesa, this energy efficient custom home will showcase a geothermal sourced heating and cooling system along with roof mounted solar panels.  
• This year’s Parade will also feature Ron Covington Homes in the new Broadmoor View at Spring Creek community.  The community features brownstone style townhomes; alley loaded ranch homes and two story traditional neighborhood homes with covered balconies and walk-out style homes with unobstructed views of the Front Range.  
• Copperleaf Homes’ custom home in University Park features 2 master suites on one level answering the need for multiple master suites for today’s multi-generational families.  
• CreekStone Homes’ has the ability to offer the FEEL of a custom home without the COST of a custom home! Refreshing interior finishes and a main level master bedroom make this a must see.
• Masterbilt Homes’ is scenically located in The Preserve at Greenland.   At an elevation of 7,352 feet, Parade visitors will feel like they live in the mountains with abundant wildlife and miles of open space and trails nestled in the trees and rolling hills of Northern El Paso County.  With an average home site size of nearly 1 acre, The Preserve at Greenland is conveniently located just 30 minutes between Colorado Springs and Denver.
• Comito Building and Design is showcasing two homes in this year’s Parade of Homes, one in Cedar Heights with 2,600 total square feet of outdoor living space with both fire and water features and stunning 360 degree views of Pikes Peak and downtown city lights and the other in Star Ranch where custom features include all lighting, multimedia, music, security, etc. is controlled via an i-phone or i-pad and a resident bear and two cubs!   
• Classic Homes located in Flying Horse steps out of the box in this year’s Parade of homes with the first and only Pottery Barn home.  All furniture, art, drapery and accessories are Pottery Barn exclusives.
• Alliance Builders has a favorite spot for lounging in front of a fire, or soaking in the warmth of the sun in the “garden room” located near the kitchen and covered deck. The garage boasts room for four cars, PLUS an attached motor home garage with space for a 40’ RV, “big boy toys”, or a custom workshop.  
• Keller Homes is showcasing two homes this year; Haven at Cumbre Vista where you can enjoy indoor, outdoor living in a chic, low maintenance community.   And, the Jackson at Cordera, a fresh look at contemporary, easy living.

The Parade of Homes will also display two homes for low-income families, one with Habitat for Humanity and another with Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust.  The Habitat of Humanity home includes solar electric and hot water.

As always, the Parade of Homes is easy to navigate with the comprehensive Guidebook and web site. Free Guidebooks are available at any Parade Home. The Guidebook includes a list homes by builder and or location. The website will have the Map and Guidebook as well as a list of the Parade Builders with their contact information.

The Parade of Homes is partnering up with Champion of Colorado Springs and Care and Share in support of their Campaign “Close the Window on Hunger”.  Each summer, as the need increases and food and financial donations decrease, Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado is forced to reduce food drive allocations to partner organizations by 36% - or 20,000 pounds of food - each month. To alleviate the need for this reduction, Care and Share requires an additional 270,000 pounds of food. In order to operate the summer feeding programs at their current capacity, they must also raise an additional $250,000. From June 1 – August 21, 2011, they are embarking on the campaign to “Close the Window on Hunger”. During this campaign, community partners and the public will be invited to participate in a number of community programs and events to help them meet their goal.

The Colorado Springs Housing & Building Association would like to thank our major supporters of the Parade of Homes.  The Gazette, Champion Windows of Colorado Springs, Mike Shaw Buick Pontiac, La – Z – Boy Fine Furniture and Wells Fargo.  And, a special thanks to our newest supporters, Hanson HotSpring Spas, Comcast and Peak Satellite & Technologies.  Our media partners K-Lite 103.9 and KkTV – 11.

About HBA Cares  
HBA Cares is the charitable foundation established by the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs (HBA) that connects community needs to the resources of the housing and building industry.  Their primary mission is to support nonprofit organizations and programs that provide housing and living assistance to individuals and families in need in the Pikes Peak Region.  They also offer support for the charitable activities of HBA members and their employees by partnering with them on projects they're committed to.  Through the help of HBA members and the community, they make financial contributions, organize volunteer help and in-kind donations, and help raise awareness of non-profit organizations.

About Care and Share:
Care and Share Food Bank is the largest non-profit hunger relief agency in southern Colorado. As a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food banks, Care and Share works with a network of more than 400 non-profit partners across 31 counties and 52,000 square miles to distribute 18.4 million pounds of food in southern Colorado.