MASTERBILT HOMES: Building to suit your needs

   The joke - or insult - about new homes in the Pikes Peak region is that they're cookie-cutter houses in neutral colors, crammed into too little space, with one lonely sapling in the front yard.
   New homes don't have to be like that. MasterBilt Homes is a throwback to the way houses used to be built and the way people used to do business.
   "It's easy to be cookie-cutter, because it saves money," said Jim Stiltner, MasterBilt co-owner. "But in all actuality, if you've got an architect on staff, it doesn't have to be an expensive process."
   Stiltner joined MasterBilt as sales and marketing director in 1993, one year after the company was founded. He and Clark Sundahl bought the company about three years ago; Stiltner handles sales and Sundahl oversees construction.
   "We only build about 15 homes a year," Stiltner said. "My partner is so picky, it's amazing. But if you walk through our houses, you'll see the attention to detail is unbelievable."
   They have four projects in various stages: Greenland Preserve, The Village at Monument, Black Forest Reserve and Willow Creek. "With MasterBilt, in all of our four projects, if you're building with us, you can stop and say, ‘You know what, I love this house, but can you move the dining room to the back of the house, move the kitchen forward, change the master bedroom?'" he said. "We are happy to make modifications to the home to fit everybody's needs, not our needs."
   Greenland Preserve is a 56-acre parcel off County Line Road east of Monument. Its 56 homesites are nestled in a forest south of the Greenland Open Space. It's an easy commute to Colorado Springs or Denver, and Monument's amenities are three miles away.
   And yet, the neighborhood has the feel of wilderness, easily visible through the homes' energy-efficient windows.
   "This area, sitting in the trees, you've got deer and other animals running through the neighborhood, so you want as many windows as you can get," Stiltner said.
   All homes are Craftsman style, with low-pitched roofs and wide eaves, and seem to spring from the Earth. Exterior colors, like those inside, are warm and distinctive. Landscaping can be in place before homeowners move in or they can complete it as they want.
   Even the style names conjure up a peaceful getaway: the model home is the Sanctuary style, 4,514-square-foot, three-story homes. Others are the Harbor, 4,065-square-foot, two-story homes; the Haven, 4,403-square-foot, three-story homes; the Refuge, 4,457-square-foot, three-story homes; and the Retreat, 4,757-square-foot, three-story homes.
   All have partially finished basements and sit on curving streets that follow the hillside's contours.
   MasterBilt's owners are determined that front porches, not garages, will be the focal point of the homes' facades, making them more people-friendly.
   A few highlights: a covered front porch, an entry with hardwood flooring a and cathedral ceiling, and a large kitchen with a cooktop island so the host or hostess can converse with guests in the family room or sunroom.
   "This is THE most important spot in the house," Stiltner said.
   Ceilings are 9 feet throughout the main level, which also has a formal dining room, a bedroom that can be used as a den, a full bath and a laundry room/mudroom.
   Upstairs, three bedrooms and one bath share space with the master suite. The basement includes a huge recreation room, two bedrooms, a full bath and an unfinished storage room.
   The model, which was in the 2007 Parade of Homes, includes upgrades such as the fireplace dividing the family room and sunroom, and stainless-steel double sinks in the kitchen.
   Prices start at $500,000, and 40 home sites had sold by early April.
   The Village at Monument is about one mile southwest of Monument, off Beacon Lite Road/Old Denver Highway. It's near the Santa Fe Regional Trail, and all homes will have views of Mount Herman. Many are grouped in cul-de-sacs.
   Styles include three-level homes and ranchers, and all are Craftsman style. They range from the 2,270-square-foot Broadmoor, which starts at $309,000, to the 3,019-square-foot Winter Park, which starts at $326,000.
   A typical Broadmoor-style home has 9-foot ceilings throughout the main level, a master suite, a roomy kitchen, a spacious dining room and a half-bath. The partially finished basement has two bedrooms, a recreation room, one bath and a storage room.
   All styles have oversized two-car garages, landscaped and fenced yards, and gas fireplaces. They are maintenance-free.
   The community will be pedestrian-friendly, with open space and parks, and neighbor-friendly, with covered front porches just right for conversation.
   Although all ages are welcome, it is especially suited for retirees. Business has been brisk; by early April, 34 sites out of 44 had sold.
   Black Forest Reserve is a gated community southwest of Hodgen and Meridian roads. MasterBilt is one of 13 builders working in the 500-acre-plus parcel. Residents will have access to trails and ponds, and children can attend schools in Academy District 20 or Lewis-Palmer District 38.
   "It's a unique development, with 2.5-acre lots, lots of trees with open space out there, so if somebody wants privacy, it's a fabulous place to be," Stiltner said.
   MasterBilt's next project is Willow Creek, near Woodmen Road and Union Boulevard. Residents will have spectacular views of the Front Range.
   "When we build over there, it's going to be Craftsman style: stucco, with rock. We're going to a smaller home, with features and character to it, but we're not going to build the same house after house after house. That's the national guys, let them do it," he said.
   For Stiltner, and everyone at MasterBilt, it's not about quick profits.
   "I've just been really lucky. I get to meet all these new people and I'm fortunate enough to make a decent living off of the houses that I sell to them."
   Being a small company means they can build relationships with buyers.
   "The customers feel the same way we do," Stiltner said. "We're just honored to be part of the family."