By Mark Samuelson

Five new, luxury townhomes opening on a site overlooking Sloans Lake will have super-low energy bills and a LEED Gold Standard certification…along with something that’s equally difficult to find in Denver’s popular Highlands area: a very low cost-per-square-foot.

RE/MAX Professionals agent Ben Melton shows off LEED certified townhomes near Sloan’s Lake, each with photovoltaic panels. Each has a cost-per-foot slightly above $200.

According to RE/MAX Professionals broker Ben Melton, exclusive agent for the project, 3-bedroom, 3-bath townhomes at 1544 Zenobia in Denver are priced from $350,000 to $375,000…costs per square foot that are just beyond $200. “They’ll be one of the best values in the entire Highlands area, not counting their energy performance and cutting edge solar electric systems,” Melton said. more »

By Mark Samuelson

Can you build a house even greener than ‘net-zero energy?’ President Obama’s pick to serve as ambassador to Finland has done just that; and you can tour it Sunday in Boulder’s Mapleton Hill neighborhood, 1-4 p.m., just north of Pearl on Fifth.

Bruce Oreck, appointed ambassador to Finland, created the ‘Next West House’ in Boulder, on view Sunday, Aug. 9, 429 Spruce Street, 1-4 p.m.

Boulder developer and environmentalist Bruce Oreck created his ‘Next West House’ to be ‘net-zero carbon’—so efficient that it not only makes more energy than it uses, but recovers enough to compensate for what was used to build the house and its materials. Oreck calls it “the greenest home in North America”…and received a Platinum LEED certification for it—highest possible rating. more »

By Mark Samuelson

Half of the work of creating a sustainable lifestyle is in picking a location that doesn’t require lots of gas guzzling…and internationally acclaimed architect Curt Fentress has done just that with his Watermark Luxury Residences…three minutes from downtown’s sports and entertainment attractions…walking distance from a lot of new clubs and dining spots along ‘SoBo’…South Broadway.

Watermark’s sales team members Marina Gorbounov and Ryan Belinak show off Daimler-Benz’ SmartCar…being offered free with the next seven Watermark purchases.

If you’re one of the next seven buyers at Watermark, you can double your mileage zipping around downtown in a SmartCar…free with each purchase. Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) brought them to the U.S. only last year; but they’ve been in Europe ten years now…fuel efficient, and so compact that Italian drivers park them in their car-jammed streets front-end first. At Watermark today you can get a close look at a Smart ‘Passion’ convertible; then venture up to the 7th floor ‘Sky Garden’ with $2 million double-edged infinity pool, and a view over historic Baker neighborhood to the mountains. more »