Highlands Ranch was once demeaned by early critics as a “sea of rooftops.” But it started earning kudos in later years, including a nice one in 2006 from the Los Angeles Times, as its 22,000 acres began sprouting parks and 70 miles of interconnected trails.

Now Highlands Ranch is an archetype move-up area, at a time when some dreams for those moves are being choked off by high prices and interest rates. But Re/Max agent Erica Chouinard has a custom home she’ll hold open Saturday that shows much of the community’s allure – and a price that was just cut by $100,000.

NHL Hall-of-Famer

No. 817 Fairchild Drive in Highwoods was built for NHL Hall-of-Famer Michel Goulet, with a career-363 goals, who iced his fame with the Quebec Nordiques just before they moved to Colorado as the Avs. He never skated here but stayed on as an executive when Colorado won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001.

Half a mile east lies Highlands Ranch’s original ranch mansion, now a wedding venue, from where in 1911 you could pick out downtown’s D&F Tower, 15 miles north – then the tallest building between California and the Mississippi River. This house has some of that view, along with one west to the mountains.

That’s from an iron-rail deck with a firepit and a spiral staircase that drops to a lushly landscaped backyard and a lighted sport court. Along with Highlands Ranch’s big rec centers, Highwoods has its own pool, pickleball court and a security gate, but residents get direct access onto Grand View Trail, including from a gate seven houses down from this one.

Backcountry Wilderness Area

Neighborhoods like Highwoods, off S. Broadway two miles south of C-470, are close to 8,200-acre Backcountry Wilderness Area, and prices nearby were climbing into the million-dollar range well before the big price runup during the global pandemic.

A 4-bedroom 5-bath home like this comes on the market at a time when long-time owners are ready to give up the bedrooms but are still hoping for prices they saw three years ago when rates were low. In the surrounding area, Chouinard says, the average time a home sits on the market before selling is 46 days – but is trending longer now.

This one arrived in March when, she says, things were still well in seller’s market territory. “Now the choice is wider; and the market tell us whether the price is correct.” The new price, for 5,791 finished square feet with a walkout basement and 3-car side-load garage, is $1.85 million.

As soon as it dropped last week the home immediately drew two showings.

“It’s a lifestyle decision,” Chouinard says. “If the only thing that motivated sellers was rates, we wouldn’t be selling any houses,” she adds, noting her team at Re/Max Professionals is posting sales up 25% year-over-year now.

“With more inventory, (buyers) are able to offset concerns by asking for concessions that you didn’t see offered through covid,” she says. That might include asking for help on the rate. “With rates now in the mid-6s, that could get you into the high fives.”

ABOUT THIS HOME:

WHERE: 817 Fairchild Drive, Highlands Ranch; from C-470 head south on S. Broadway 2.3 miles to a left at Fairchild Drive; call Erica Chouinard from the gate at 720-233-6481.

PRICE: $1.85 million         WHEN: Saturday, June 28, noon to 2 p.m.

PHOTO:  Erica Chouinard with Re/Max Professional’s DTC office, will hold this Highlands Ranch custom home open Saturday. It was built in 2000 and was recently updated with a newer kitchen, a 25-minute walk from Mountain Vista High School and Mountain Ridge Middle School. CREDIT: Re/Max Professionals