Location, Location, Location is a well known rule in real estate. In some areas the prime locations migrate over time. Following the latest and best development. A good part of town is blighted 25 years later or the opposite, a blighted area of town gets revitalized. In Boulder Colorado where our development and growth are limited and enhanced by the natural beauty it has been more of a constant. This is even more true since Boulder is surrounded by nearly 100,000 acres of public open space. Backing to open space is a great location and many buyers are willing to pay premium prices for proximity to public open space. In Boulder this is not just limited to one section of town.
There is open space literally on every side of Boulder. Below I have taken a portion of the Boulder County comprehensive open space map (impressive!) showing just that portion around the City of Boulder. Every colored section is public land of some sort and everything colored green on the map is open space. This means that there are many homes backing to open space in and around Boulder Colorado. This provides a unique marketing opportunity and a lasting value for the buyer of such properties. Open space is not limited to homes backing to the mountains but includes homes backing to farmland, native prairie and riparian areas.
As you look around at property listings you will see the subtle distinction of “open space” vs. “open land”. Same thing, right? Wrong! The great selling feature about open space is that a commitment has been made for the preservation of the land in its current state. Unless something dramatically changes in our government, what you see is what you get. Open land on the other hand can be a little more tricky. What looks good now can change. “Open land” is privately owned land and it’s use is subject to change. These changes usually take place slowly but what you see now is not necessarily what you will see in the future. Do your research with the city or county in which the parcel sits and check the zoning and master plan. Many times the open land cannot be changed under current use and in Boulder County it is notoriously difficult to change land use.
I did a quick search of listings in the City of Boulder with the keywords “open space”. My search came up with 99 current listings. After sorting through the listings it turned out that there are just 27 listings that I considered adjacent to open space. The others were, “near open space”, “a short walk to open space”, etc. Follow this link to see all of the listings on open space in Boulder. Incidentally, when I performed the search for all of Boulder County 364 homes matched the “open space” criteria.
I am the co-listor of, what I think to be one of the premier properties in the Boulder area if you are looking for a feeling of seclusion, quiet and a great view. The property is located at 1397 S. Cherryvale Rd and is listed for $2,800,000. It has 4.5 acres and is located in a small neighborhood of similar homes which is surrounded by a mix of public open space, private open space (owned collectively by the neighborhood) and farmland. Here is a photo from the backyard. To learn more about this property visit its website at www.WildflowerEstate.net
View from 1397 S. Cherryvale Rd.
