STRAW BALE HOME For Sale Colorado Rocky Mountains
STRAW BALE HOME - WESTCLIFFE,CO
FULL PROPERTY DICLOSURE
STRAW BALE HOME For Sale
Colorado Rocky Mountains
5.28 Forested Acres - $275,000 Now!
By Owner/Builder
(After Water Well Upgrade - $300,000)
The Hard Work is Done!
While The Home is Livable,
It Needs Finish-Work.
$25K Sweat Equity Earns $55K Home Equity
Cash Buyer, 7.5% discount (not the usual 5%)
Owner Financing: $175K Down @ 2%, 30 years -$400 a month. Saving you $60K @6.5%), ($200K down after upgrade at $300K*
136 Grouse Cir. Westcliffe CO 81252
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZGsSutdPrKuJ1FrX8
719-820-0878 (pm) Jerry
You can own this Straw Bale Home, valued at $355,000/Finished, for $275K!
Appointment Required
This is not a Straw Bale Home, not a conventional home. Interested home buyers must request and read the full description before making an appointment. Contact me (via email is best) to obtain the detailed Straw Bale House Description (or if you have any questions), and I will send you the document. This will help you determine whether this home is for you. This is a summary of that document. Priority will be given to buyers with a letter of Pre-Approval Financing, Pre-qualification, and Cash Buyers who have read this Full Description of the house. I presently live in the home and require a few days or more notice to show the house.
Upon request, I will arrange an open house for the curious and SB builders. Please understand that I do not have time to show the house to every curious party, but feel drive by to look at it or to request the full description.
Introduction
The house is fully functional and livable. I am the builder & owner of this straw bale home and own this house outright. I have no mortgage; therefore, the property is not financially distressed or in foreclosure. I have built three straw bale houses in this area. This house was built as my home; this means I put in extra quality work and features. The heavy construction is about 80% complete, thus 20% finish/detail work remains. Since this house is fully functional and completely livable, as is, you can move in immediately and live in it as you finish it. Nothing immediate is required, other than to move in, so you can complete the projects when convenient. It would take a full-time person one to two months to complete the house. Equity-wise, you could hire out the work and still come out ahead with the proposed equity. While crime and rent prices escalate, buying a home in Custer County makes safe sense. Home prices in the country are lower, and our county jail recently closed due to too little crime.
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Sweat Equity: House Completion Cost is Estimated at $25K.
$25,000 in sweat equity investment gets you $55,000 in home equity. As an incentive for the $25,000 sweat equity, I subtracted $55,000 (not $25,000) from the ‘finished’ home price of $355,000 (detailed later*). This lowered the house's cost to $300,000. In effect, your $25,000 sweat-equity investment will not only earn back your initial $25,000 but it will also instantly add $55,000 to the home’s value, totaling $355,000.
Some electrical, plumbing, and light construction remain to be completed, but does not require immediate attention. The home is set up with all the expected amenities making it livable as it is. The completion work can be performed at your convenience. The house document details the work to be completed.
Essential plumbing and electrical wiring, have been installed and are operational. This includes kitchen/bath sinks, shower, and a new, large-capacity, Biolet composting toile, which is the top of the line. Most of the electrical and PEC plumbing materials required to finish the house have been purchased and are included with the house. Upon completing this work on the house, and adding your own esthetic touch, you'll have increased your home's value to $355,000+. The final expenses and earned equity would depend on your choices of added esthetics.
Price
*Note: Home Price Reduction to $275 Prior to Upgrade.
An existing 2600 gal. water cistern system is in place and operational to supply water for this home. It is presently filled to the brim. A $15K water well is tentatively scheduled to be drilled up to 150 ft., at which point the price of the house will increase to $300,000. Wells in the area average 150 ft. at $15K. Here in the ‘Wet Mountains’ after a heavy rain, an artesian well tries to surface in road front of my house. However, I have discounted the price $25K from the $300K, should the new owner prefer to drill a deeper well than 150 feet. You will have to pay for the well at a time that is best for you; a well is not essential at this time. I will guarantee the cash buyer (at the listed price) will hit water within 200 feet or I will cover half the original $15K quote, $7500 cash or $5000 cash if financed when initiated within one year of the sale. When added to the $25K well allowance it totals 27,500 to $32,500 for a drill deeper well! (The possible need for a deeper well is explained in the next paragraph.) Well Financing: Government water well financing is available up to $15K at 1 % interest for 20 years, with no down payment, no qualifying, and no collateral (although, that amount may increase due to the national drought). Once I start drilling the well, this offer will be withdrawn.
(Note: The cistern has a year’s supply of water for one person, 9 months for 2, (thanks to the composting toilet). A cistern is a vital safe-guard/back-up in times of drought. While the U.S. has been in a mega-drought, the worst one in 1200 years, for Colorado it has only been 132 years – still, it should not be taken lightly. One out of 30 shallow wells in arid areas (including Custer County) can temporarily go dry during a drought. Even so, Colorado is the best state to live in, as it is the major water source for several Southwestern States. The14,000’ Rockies 5 miles across the valley from this home will unlikely to go dry. It took two days of hauling water from the foothills of the Rocky Mountain streams to fill my water system, for free. And bulk water can be purchased from the town of Westcliffe/Water Dept’s deep well (for 6 cents a gallon, the last time I checked). So, this well proposal is a practical if not ideal approach for the home buyer.
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How did I arrive at the $355,000 value for the house upon its completion? I took into consideration the regional Straw Bale Homes sold and presently on the market, which are commonly between $360K and $460K (and higher).
I averaged four commercial estimates for my home: Chase's $381K ($480K High Range), FSBO's $342K ($420 High), and Rocket Homes' $346K – for finished ‘conventional’ homes. Most important was the recent selling price of a Customed Straw Bale House I had built for someone locally. It was listed at $375,000 and recently sold for $355,000. However, while his property has outbuildings and 11 acres, 5 acres more than my property, his house is 1100 sq. ft., one bedroom, and mine is 1600 sq. ft. with 2 bedrooms and it is in a greener, wetter area. Plus, my home has a few amenities his does not, like an interior adobe, heat retention wall, custom earth floors, radiant floor heating, etc. So, I adjusted his selling price to $300,000, and then I averaged all four estimates at $355,000. You can do a google search for his listed home: 533 Aspen Trail Rd, Westcliffe, CO 81252
Based on the averages, when my house is completed, the value of my home will be $355,000. Then I subtracted $55,000 (instead of $25K) from $355K for the work that remains to be done, and arrived at $300,000. Then I subtracted another $25,000 for your well allowance, arriving at the current listed price of $275,000. This is what it would cost today to build this home to its current level of completion. Keep in mind, building materials and real estate, in general, continue to increase in price – and this home will continue to increase in value as well.
The Straw Bale Home industry states that building costs for SB homes are 15% above those of conventional houses. This strawbale home would have an added value of $51,000 over a conventional home. This could increase the completed home value to $396,000. However, since this is new to me and I have not yet verified the 15% increase in costs, I decided not to consider this increased value of the Straw Bale Home at this time. While it is more likely to be true than not, this would apply more to a completed house. I intend to pass on the 15% value to the buyer.
Cash buyers at the listed price will receive a 7.5% discount, about $20,650 off the listed price, which is $7,000 more than the standard 5%. The added 5% discount, approximately $13,750, would require expedited closing and include taking possession of everything in the house and on the property, including power tools, left-over building materials, general tools, stereo and entertainment systems, and furniture. While you may end up discarding some things, you’ll save me a lot of time and work. For your effort, you'll also come out ahead financially and materially. I know it sounds a bit crazy to pay you to take everything, but the sooner we can close on the property, the happier I’ll be. However, you’ll have the option to forfeit the additional 5%, and I'll clear out everything.
Creative Owner Financing: With $175K down ($200K down after the upgrade price of $300K), I will lock in the fixed interest rate of 2% for up to 30 years with fair credit and a mortgage payment of about $400 a month. This is far more economical than paying 6.5% saving you about $60,000 in interest over the life of the loan. Home insurance, of about $1K a year, will be required with financing along with annual book-keeping fees. The 2% financed sale will require expedited closing, and may include the following stipulation: The buyer will take possession of all remaining items in the house and on the property to do with as they wish. Items include power tools, appliances, stereo, entertainment system, and furniture, etc. The trade-off: Other items may include leftover building materials, pallets, or items that can be discarded. This saves me from having to sell or give away these items. Consider this as part of the sweat equity offer. Otherwise, we can increase the price of the house or the interest rate, and I’ll clear everything out.
Summary:
While the property is not in destress or in foreclosure, I am motivated to sell, and the following discounts and incentives demonstrate my intent to make it as affordable and attainable for the buyer while establishing the lowest practical price. However, if you prefer a different approach to this purchase, we can forego some or all discounts/incentives package in consideration of your alternate proposal.
At the listed price, the following discounts and incentives will be provided:
- $55,000 discount incentive, twice the value of for estimated $25K of sweat equity/investment.
- $25,000 discount/allowance for you to drill a deeper well vs the $15K I planned.
- Cash buyer receives a $7,500 cash guarantee of hitting water within 200 feet, $5000 if financed
- I used the lower commercial estimated home values to assess the value of this home at $275,000.
- I am passing on to the buyer the industry standard of 15% for Straw Bale Home Value over conventional homes.
- Rural Water Well Financing can be arranged and available for up to $15,000, with 1% interest rate and a 20-year term, requiring no credit check and no collateral.
- Cash Buyer receives a 7.5% discount instead of the customary 5%.
- Owner financing at 2%, w/$200K down, @/$400 mo. (4.5% below the national rate) saving $60,000 over the life of the loan at 6.5%.
The above Face Value of the Sweat Equity (w/o discounts/incentives) would total -$25K @ 6.5% bank financing (based on $100K for reference), or a discounted home price of $335,000 plus $94K in interest totaling $419,000.
The Proposed Discounts and Incentives listed above add up to -$122,500K @ 2% interest (including savings $60K in interest), or a home price $272,500 plus $33K interest, totaling $305,000.
Should it become a seller’s market, I’ll dispense with the discounts, incentives, and 2 % interest, and I will sell the home for $335,000 or more @ 6.5+%. Buy it while it’s the market is in your favor.
Location and Area:
The home is in Custer County, in the South-Central Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It is on 5.28 acres of hills, within a grove of 400+ pine trees. It is on a cul-de-sac road with minimal to no traffic. There are two other homes on this road; one home is used as an occasional weekend retreat. You'll have most of the area to yourself. While the Home Owners Association no longer meets or enforces covenants, it is not entirely dissolved, and basic covenants are still applicable. Custer County's population is 4,700, and it is not a major tourism center, so living here is quiet and easy. Westcliffe is the nearest town, 18 miles north. Pueblo is 65 miles to the east. Colorado Springs is 75 miles north. Denver is 135 miles away. The 70-mile-long Sangre De Cristo Mountain range, with 14,000-foot peaks, is just across the valley. Hiking, backpacking, biking, etc.
Pine trees cover the area with occasional meadows and grassland valleys. Electric lines are underground. The homes in the area are on five-acre parcels with county-maintained roads (including winter snow removal). The value of the custom-built houses in the area ranges from $250K to $2M+. There are a few newer modular homes, but no mobile homes.
This property sits in the Wet Mountains at an elevation of 8950 feet above the high valley that runs the length of the snow-capped mountain range. The name Wet implies an abundance of shallow water (60 to 100 feet) as it rains here more than in other areas. The property has abundant wildlife. I continuously see deer, bobcats, lynx, coyotes, a few bears, foxes, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and a beautiful variety of birds – some have perched on my finger. Several deer trails crisscross the property and hang out in the shade. The animals are free to roam with few fences in the area. It is very quiet and peaceful here. I love the contrast of the winter while in a warm, impermeable straw bale home, yet the house is cool in the summer. It has been the ideal setting to concentrate on a book I've been writing. Once the home was fully functional and livable, my priorities shifted to the book.
The house sits on a slightly sloped northern side of a pine-forested hill above a meadow known as Antelope Valley, the name of the subdivision. The house's interior is 1400 sq. ft., and the exterior is 1600 sq. ft. (Keep in mind the straw bale walls are 20" deep including the stucco coat.) It has two bay-front type entrances. The two sections equal in size and shape, and are perpendicular to each other and sharing a common wall, the house's exterior dimensions are 30' x 25' and 30' x 21', plus an 8' x 8' rear entry mud room with a storage loft. See the floor plan in photos.
House Details
Hard Work's Done - Needs Finish Work
I will review the finer details with you and/or your contractor to outline the requirements for each project. I will provide recommendations and instructions on how to complete each task.
The Main or Master Bedroom: The main bedroom (or Great Room) is 28' x 22' @ 600 sq. ft., with plenty of windows for soft northern light exposure, a sliding glass door, and a 12-foot cathedral ceiling.
The great room/ bedroom can be subdivided to create an additional bedroom or office. There is also level ground to expand the house to the west (on the right as you look at the front) and east of the house.
(Note: The main bedroom floor needs to be finished with brick, 3" earth-fill (or whatever material you choose), over a base of 4 to 6 inches of earth-fill.
An open-spaced Loft/Bedroom is 20' x 12' @ 240 sq. ft. above the Kitchen and Bathroom and overlooks the living room, with a window view of several acres of forest. Behind the loft’s wall are household water tanks, 400 gallons.
The Kitchen space is - 9' x 12' @ 110 sq. ft. It has the rear entrance/exit to the house via an 8x8 Mud-room/Storage room with an added mini-loft for extra storage - 4x8. This mud room has a Dutch Door entrance.
The kitchen has a two-year-old Whirlpool refrigerator - 21 cubic ft. (Retail $1000). The kitchen is plumbed for propane, has all the essentials in place, and is fully functional. However, it has temporary furnishings. It needs a full cook stove, counters and cabinets, and sink replacement. Rather than installing these items (only to be torn out and replaced later), I choose to let the new owner select these furnishings to complement their esthetics.The bathroom sink and kitchen sink share a 5-gallon elect water heater for instant hot water.
A Radiant Floor Heating hose is installed in the earth floor in the kitchen in conjunction with the earth floor in the living room. A heat source, pump, and installation are required.
The kitchen opens to the Living Room area - 20' x 17' @ 340 sq. ft., with a 14' high cathedral ceiling, and is shared with the loft. The main entrance to the house is in the living room. The room has a bay window with two opening windows, and there is a second large opening window.
One bathroom - 9' x 12' @ 110 sq. ft.
A high-end multi-person Biolet Composting Toilet, $2100, is installed and requires no water - a savings of 20+ gallons per day. Should you prefer to install a conventional toilet, a flushing toilet drain is in place. An efficient manual flush urinal is installed. The shower/bathtub is provisionally served by a 7-gallon electric water heater for efficient showers. You may wish to install a larger water heater. The bathroom sink and kitchen sink share a 5-gallon electric water heater for instant hot water. A washing machine drain is installed in the bathroom for a stacked washer/dryer. (Presently, I only have a washing machine). The septic tank is in place and operational. House sewage (grey water) is plumbed, complete and operational.
The Custom Entrance Doors, with an 18 R-value, have a unique design, 4 inches thick and 4 times more energy efficient than a conventual door. The living room and kitchen Earth Floor is made of 6 to 8 inches of earth clay and sand (adobe - See photos). The bathroom and bedroom have Pumice-Crete floors. The pumice floor has a neutral temperature to the touch with a 12+ R-value (well beyond concrete's cold to the touch R-3). The rest of the house has an earth-clay-sand adobe floor, six inches deep that is cool in the summer, and which acts as a thermal–mass that captures ambient heat during the day (from pellet stove/propane heater) and radiates it back into the house throughout the night (when the heaters are off).
Your feet will be warm in the winter and the entire house will be cool in the summer. In addition to the earth floor throughout the living area and the kitchen, radiant heat tubing is embedded in the floor. A pump and a heat source are needed to make this operational. This will add substantially to the heat radiation and distribution throughout the floor and house. Heating costs will be substantially reduced.
Although the living area and kitchen are carpeted, the 8 inch thick floors have multi-layer coats of earth-tinted (reddish brown) varnish finish, a nice semi-gloss, and looks very earthy (as seen in the pictures).
Heating: The energy heating efficiency of a strawbale design is not just an ecological concern. It is an economic concern when, in our later years of life, we'll need to have more control over the increasing cost of heating fuel.
In the main living area (including the living room, kitchen, loft, and bath), you have a highly efficient ecological 1500 sf. Ft. Englander Pellet Stove ($1600) as the primary heat source (90% smokeless, $500/year for pellets to operate).
Behind the stove is a traditional adobe wall made of earth adobe bricks for ideal heat retention and radiance. The wall is unconventional in that it is a completely interior wall, and it has a 2100 sp. ft. wood stove on the other side, in the main bedroom, adding to the house's heating efficiency and alternative heat in a power outage.
A high-end Rinnai Propane Heater heats the home in 30 minutes with a quick warm-up in the early winter mornings, 30,000 BTUs. That gives the propane enough time to heat up and take over for the rest of the day and night.
Radiant Floor Heating hoses are embedded in the earth-floor of the kitchen and living room. A heater and pump will be required to complete the system. This low-cost, ecological efficiency heating will keep you comfortably warm during the coldest days of winter. You're heating bill will be cheaper than any conventional home,
No AC is needed in the summer, as the strawbale insulation and earth floor construction (and all the pine trees) keep the house cool on the hottest days.
POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION gives this house a strong building frame, which carries the load of the roof and supports the overall structure. (This is not load-bearing strawbale construction.) Each 8" to 10" post throughout the house is bolted to an anchor made of angle iron (1/4" x 4" x 4" by 2 feet), which is embedded up to 4 feet of reinforced concrete.
STRAW BALE WALLS are an insulation infill between the frame's posts, providing an extremely well-insulated building. There is no other better-insulated house. The straw bale/wall, 20 inches thick, has a 56 R-value – which is 2 to 3 times the warmth of a conventional house. Conventional houses are rated as low as 19 R-value.
This house has the essential breathable lime plaster and stucco inside and out, which was traditionally applied by hand (which means it is securely bonded and creatively detailed). Windows: Double pane, insulated windows are installed throughout the home.
The Footer/Stem Wall, on which the bales sit, is 18" wide and made of a Portland cement pumice mix (no sand). This footer has created an unheard-of 20 R-value for a pumice-crete foundation. (Concrete/sand mix commonly used is R-3 and acts as a cold-conductor rather than an insulator.)
The Roof and Cathedral Ceiling are a gentle 12/3 pitch, which will help control the snow from sliding off the roof, adding to the roof's insulation, and it allows for capturing rainwater in an existing 1500-gallon concrete cistern (emergency-water supply/storage and fire protection).
The roof is made with wooden 18" TJIs Truss/Joists I-beams, which are more commonly used in much more expansive construction such as warehouses. (8" to 12" TJIs are used in home construction).
These I-beams provide for the heaviest snow load, allowing for 18 inches of roof insulation, up to 54 R-value. Packed straw in large bags was used for roof insulation. The snow on the roof does not melt quickly; this indicates the well-insulated roof is not losing heat. The accumulated snow on the roof also adds to the house's insulation.
The roof overhang, or the eaves, extends 42" further than the usual 24" and effectively gives added protection for the stucco and straw bale construction from the rain and snow.
The pitch of the roof is seen on the inside as a gentle cathedral ceiling, with large exposed center beams supporting the roof. The roof has mineral-surfaced roll roofing and is in good condition. No Leaks.
Upon building my house, I put off drilling a well to apply my funds toward the construction of the house and getting a roof over my head.
Water Supply: Groundwater is abundant in the Wet Mountains where the house is located. While a 150 ft water well is scheduled to be drilled at a cost of $15K, an operational cistern water system provides 2600 gallons of water – a year’s supply of water for one person. The water system is not just and added amenity, it is essential in a drought. Right now, a water system, like this one, can be more valuable that a well. Water continues to flow out of the Rockies - 15 minutes away. Interior water storage tanks and the underground cistern mean no freezing. Gravity-fed water remains available should the power or pumps go out. After the well is installed, this gradually filled system would still be a practical, if not, an essential reservoir.
To fill my water tanks, I’ll haul 275 gallons of household water with my half-ton truck in 3 hours, 9 times throughout the year as needed. This is how water will continue to be supplied to the home until a preferred deep well is installed. Four 275-gallon water-hauling/storage totes, tanks, are included. I may be willing to sell my1996 Ford F150, with under 100K miles, a reliable 4x4 work truck if needed. I use it for hauling water, pellets, firewood, snow removal, and as an emergency backup vehicle. Regardless, you will a 4-wheel drive in winter.
The 1500 gal. concrete cistern is buried to its top and covered straw bales insulating to keep it from freezing during the winter. The cistern is presently filled and rough-plumbed to the house. The cistern can also serve as an instant water source for a fire emergency. It will also lower homeowners' insurance.
What other work needs to be done to complete the house?
The projects that will complete the house are some electrical, some plumbing, contemporary kitchen cabinets, sink, and a stove, will be needed as they are not included. I didn't want to invest/install cabinets, counters, etc., only to have them removed for your preferred style. And the main bedroom floor needs completion.
Household water, sewage, plumbing, and electricity are functional and in use. Temporary in-wall plumbing is in place for the house water supply, but should be replaced. All plumbing is designed to go into an accessible interior wall (thus, no freezing) shared by the kitchen and bathroom. I have all the PEX plumbing materials. It can freeze without bursting. PEX is the best water supply pipe in household plumbing and is included with the home.
Most interior electrical wiring is installed under the floor to minimize electrical gauss in the home, but additional wiring/work is needed in the walls. Temporary lighting will need to be replaced with your choice of lighting. I have purchased most of the basic electric supplies/materials, which are included.
The floor in the main bedroom needs finishing. - e.g., brick, compact earth-fill, or whatever you wish. It has 4 inches of hardened earth fill as a base. The bathroom pumice floor could use a final coat of pigment/sealant.
Miscellaneous: Some minor trim and paneling needs to be installed. Two new, electric water heaters are installed, 7 gallons for an efficient shower and 5 gallons are shared by the kitchen and bathroom sinks for instant hot water. They can be upgraded to a larger capacity. An 11 ft. interior divider wall between the master bedroom and the living room needs to be installed/finished (like the loft wall in pictures). Presently, temporary straw bales were left in place (for the fun of it) and are used as a divider.
Electrical and plumbing supplies and materials are included in the price. Everything in the house, including the refrigerator, pellet stove, wood stove, furniture, and fixtures, are included. Building materials, lumber, and a storage camper are included on the property. Construction tools and the work truck are negotiable. A jack-of-all-trades kind of guy will be needed to get complete the home within a month or two, or you can hire it out hire it out, or a little of both. Alternatively, you can move in, enjoy the roof over your head, and complete the work whenever you want.
Thank you for visiting this site.
Jerry Gomez Owner/Builder
719-820-0878
jerryg.seven@gmail.com