Cathy and Sam loved Colorado. They’d been vacationing here for years to escape the sticky Houston summers. So when they retired a few years ago, and with their son married and living in England, they turned to each other and said, “Now we can live where we want to live.”
Thinking they’d buy a condo in the Denver area for summer living, they scoured the city with a Realtor® for days—but found nothing they liked. Discouraged, on the last day of their trip they took off on their own, wandered into Highlands Ranch and somehow “stumbled across BackCountry, a Shea Homes® Community,” says Sam. “Two hours later, we’d written a check.” Suddenly, that summer condo turned into a year-round dream home.
What happened? A couple of things. “The model homes were beautiful,” says Cathy. “We fell in love with the home and the lot. Our home has incredible vistas of the whole Front Range and the downtown skyline. It just felt like home.”
They chose the Autumn Haven plan from the Shadow Walk Collection which fits their empty nester lifestyle quite well. Cathy says, “Almost the entire downstairs is totally open—the kitchen, the living room, the dining room—which makes it so homey and comfortable for when you have guests. And you can see that gorgeous view when you walk in.” Sam agrees. “Everyone who has come to visit us, the first thing they say is, ‘Wow, look at that view.’” And even though they’ve only lived in BackCountry since November, they’ve happily hosted several visitors from Houston, as well as their son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter twice.
This is the 13th home they have owned during their 41 years of marriage, so they knew what to look for. “The decision was easy,” says Sam. “We could see the quality and craftsmanship of the home. I went through the structure with the building superintendent and I liked the way the home was laid out and engineered.
Cathy also has high praise for the purchasing process. “I can’t say enough about the Shea sales team and the construction supervisor. Even though we were out of town, they always kept us updated. Choosing finishes went really well too. Since we were out of state we did it in a very short time. But the Shea Design Studio was incredible and walked us through it all.”
Texas may be legendary for its friendliness, but BackCountry seems to be keeping up. Despite moving in during winter, they have met their neighbors—the first, when he kindly cleared their driveway during the first snowstorm (welcome to Colorado!).
The Sundial House has also provided an easy way to meet people. “We’ve gone up there for comedy nights and on Fridays for a glass of wine and to eat, so we’ve met people that way,” says Cathy. “BackCountry is a very friendly place.”
Summer can’t come soon enough, though. Sam is looking forward to biking on BackCountry’s many trails, and both he and Cathy are eager to use the pool. After all, summer is the reason they moved here. But as it turns out, there were plenty of other excellent reasons too.
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*Shea Homes reserves the rights to make changes to price, floor plans, elevations, and specifications without notice. Pricing does not include options, elevation, or lot premiums. All square footages shown herein are approximate. Home pictured may not be actual home for sale or actual model home, but rather a representation of a similar model or elevation design. Artist rendering subject to change. Photos depict optional items and other upgrades that may be available from Seller at an additional cost. Furniture and other designer features are not included or available for purchase (even upon the payment of an additional charge). Models are not an indication of racial preference. © 2016 Shea Homes
