Tiare Flora is a realtor with Team North Star at the Wells Group of Durango. She has over 25 years of combined experience as a realtor, certified residential appraiser, and as a real estate investor and real estate developer as well. In a recent interview, Tiare explains the truly unique opportunity currently underway in Durango’s prized North Animas Valley called West Dalton Ranch, which is situated just six miles north of downtown Durango among the red cliffs at the base of the majestic San Juan Mountains.
Crafting Your Perfect Home: Inside Look at Building in West Dalton Ranch
As much of the Animas Valley has already been developed, West Dalton Ranch is one of the last places to build a custom home in the area, with access to a stunning array of amenities that the community and surrounding areas have to offer.
Once you have purchased a lot in the West Dalton Ranch community, and selected a builder (you can choose your own, or their team can offer you a carefully curated list of trusted and talented builders), the process can be simple. Work closely with your builder, deciding on the architecture, layout and design, fixtures and finishes, etc., then allow your builder to work their magic.
“You can pick your builder who may already have a great design that you love, pick your finishes, and then you can have the home you have always dreamed of. Rather than renovating a home that was someone else’s dream.”
One benefit of building here is that you can choose anyone you want to build your home. As with any other home-building process in the area, the buyer needs to submit the building plans for approval. But whether you have a builder in mind or not, Tiare and her team have a carefully curated list of builders and other professionals with whom they have worked directly, that make building your ideal home a snap.
Tiare says, “It can be a really great process, as opposed to opening up walls and figuring out that something has to change, or troubleshooting a renovation that could waste extra time and money.”
“This is a way for you to start and really plan the home that you have wanted, not that someone else wanted.”
Why Choose West Dalton Ranch?
The West Dalton Ranch Subdivision became a dream creative project when the Carter Family purchased a 20-acre site at auction from the U.S. Forest Service. Originally after the purchase, that acreage was slated for about 125 homes, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and even a bit of commercial property. But Tiare’s husband, Eric Flora, one of the developers of this project, managed to take it down to 51 single-family lots, allowing for smaller density than other nearby neighborhoods.
“Eric was smart about it. It’s going to blend in with the rest of the neighborhood,” she says. When prospecting this development, both Tiare and Eric recognized that there are not a lot of other places left to develop in the area, especially when considering the nearby amenities. This could be the last development in the Dalton Ranch area, so it is a rare opportunity to design something that is uniquely yours in this beautiful place.
“In terms of what’s available in the Animas Valley north of Durango, it’s slim pickins. I would venture to say that West Dalton Ranch is one of the last places that you’re going to be able to buy a single-family lot with all of the amenities,” she says. “This is it. It’s a great opportunity to live there.”
She continues, “One of the things that you get when you buy at West Dalton Ranch is, when the developers complete it in the summer of 2024, you will have a paved road, access to an Animas Water tap, Hermosa Sanitation sewer tap, high-speed internet, electricity, and natural gas to your lot line. So this is unique. It’s a great feature of living at West Dalton Ranch, purchasing a lot, and building your home.”
However, the onsite enhancements are not the only reason to consider a build in the West Dalton Ranch community. There are so many other reasons why living in this region is a privilege.
“One of the great things about West Dalton Ranch and living in the Animas Valley overall is that you have such great amenities,” she says. “There is a wonderful and family-friendly Purgatory Ski resort within about a twenty-minute drive. Also nearby is the newly renovated Durango Hot Springs, which is just about a minute’s drive away. Within a minute’s drive to the east is the Dalton Ranch Golf Course which has an excellent course, restaurants, pool, pickleball, and a gym.”
Yet another upcoming neighborhood perk– scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2024–is a pedestrian path that extends right out the front of the project on the southern side of the subdivision. Said path will extend to the Trimble Crossing Neighborhood which boasts a grocery store, liquor store, and a hardware store.
Anyone who has lived in Durango can tell you about the stunning beauty of the Animas River Valley. Tiare adoringly describes the summer scenery as “lush and gorgeous with these beautiful red cliffs.” To the north are the San Juan Mountains with Engineer Peak, where even in the middle of summer you can see snow-capped mountains. “You’re near the Animas River where the trees meet the desert, and you’re in this nice green spot. And it’s just beautiful,” she says.
While West Dalton Ranch is not directly affiliated with Dalton Ranch, it is situated just adjacent so they share many of the same neighborhood attributes.
Unlocking the Unique Opportunity of Living in West Dalton Ranch
Tiare describes the primary reason why anyone would love to live in this sought-after neighborhood because of the location. “The views are just outstanding,” she says. “And also the nearby lakes and river to paddle board and play, and being so close to town…What better place to live than in the upper Animas Valley.”
Tiare and her husband Eric, are partnering with the family who purchased the land and have helped to develop the area. She is especially excited to represent this truly unique opportunity to build on and live in this magnificent area.
She encourages buyers and new owners to wander their lot to get a feel for how their home and living space should be oriented. “How you site your house is really important. Walking on each home site offers a wonderful opportunity to walk the land and get a feel for the layout of the home on the land,” says Tiare. “It’s a wonderful opportunity and creative venture to select colors, tiles, and overall layout and design to create your dream home and property.”
As for other folks who are interested in building in the West Dalton Ranch neighborhood, Tiare receives inquiries from a variety of potential buyers including some existing Durangoans who are looking to relocate elsewhere in Durango, some who have moved away but seek to return, and yet others who are looking to build a second home or retire in the area.
“One of the reasons that I love living in Durango is for what it offers.” It has the desert, mountains, Mesa Verde, the narrow gauge railway, and Fort Lewis College. It is also the gateway to the exquisite Colorado Plateau. Durango also offers a great community of diverse individuals of people who work or have worked vigorously, on behalf of our community. Tiare also describes the wonderfully supported senior community, and fine schools to suit any age demographic. She considers it a true community, complete with an adventurous population, a Ski town feeling, and notes that even many of the young folks who leave can’t wait to return home.
“We are very lucky for what we are afforded here in Durango,” Tiare says.
“When you buy in West Dalton Ranch, you have an opportunity to build your brand new dream home that you’ve always wanted to build, as opposed to renovating and working with someone else’s dream.”
Craft Your Dream Home at West Dalton Ranch
Tiare and Team North Star at the Wells Group are passionate about sharing this opportunity with anyone interested in purchasing a lot to create their own custom home in this sought-after and truly majestic part of the Animas River Valley. Their dynamic team of Colorado-based realtors contributes to a group effort to help their clients successfully achieve their real estate goals.
Contact our Team today and start your exploration of the West Dalton Ranch neighborhood.
My wife and I are looking for a retirement location and just spent a week in Durango and fell in love with the area. Once you purchase a lot, how long do you have to build? I have 3 yrs until I retire and she retires next year so we have some time before we make it out west from the DC area.