Searching for homes in Colorado Springs can be a bit overwhelming. We’re a growing city with so many options. Handcrafted Home Mortgage is here to make it easier! We’ll be giving you “Neighborhood Spotlights”, where we go in and get a feel for each neighborhood and report back to YOU.

It’s been a minute, but we are back at it! Next up in our Spotlight series is…Gold Hill Mesa! Located in the zip code of 80905 near Bear Creek Nature Center, Gold Hill Mesa is a colorful gem on top of a hill. As you drive up 21st street, climbing that steep hill right before Gold Camp Road and Bear Creek Dog park, over to your left you will see what looks like perfect little boxes of blues and yellows and reds. That is Gold Hill Mesa, my friends. It is truly idyllic.

Quick Snapshot:
Home Price Range: $300k-$600k’s
HOA: Yes
Average Commute: around 22 minutes

Gold Hill Mesa has a unique and worthy vision for its community. It’s called a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND). This is how their website describes it:

“The ultimate objective of a TND is to enhance a community’s vitality, distinctiveness, and value through creating a variety of housing types, functional land uses, and amenities.”

You’re probably wondering what that means and what that might look like in action. If you live in Gold Hill Mesa, you can expect to enjoy a walkable, grid-system neighborhood that caters to pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles. The streets are narrower, with an abundance of crosswalks and lovely street-scaping. The architecture of the homes and surrounding buildings aims to be molded to suit local and historic context. All of the homes here have front porches and alley-facing garages, so the actual house is the focus, not the garage door. It creates a unique charm and traditional atmosphere all in one. 

There are several home builders in the community- Vanguard, Adamo, David Weekley , JM Weston and Hi-Point Home Builders. Each builder has homes with a mix of architectural styles, floor plans and price points to give residents an array of options and home sizes. Home prices range from $300k-$600k’s.

The community center, called “The Exchange”, is the perfect place for residents to come together and, well, have community. There’s a fitness center with classes, a small library with a fireplace and a mailroom with bulletin boards to share information with each other. 

The neighborhood is managed by one master HOA for all residents, and then separate HOA’s for each different type of housing, like townhomes, condominiums and single-family homes. The combination of the HOAs covers maintenance of common areas and parks, a fitness center, a community room, a mailroom, management and insurance. HOAs can be a love-hate relationship for many people, but Gold Hill Mesa has got it all covered.

Gold Hill Mesa is zoned for School District 11, the largest school district in the city with many school options, and borders School District 12, too. 

Last, a brief history lesson because the heritage of this area is so interesting- and important! Development for this area began in 1998, and the first construction started in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a beautiful little community just perfect on the southwest side of town. This spot has a rich history, beginning in the early 1900s. In 1905, the Golden Cycle Mill was established on this very hill and processed the gold from Cripple Creek. By the mid-1900s it had processed more gold than any other mill worldwide! It was an iconic symbol of entrepreneurship and played a huge role in the shaping of Colorado Springs’ community. The mill shut its doors in 1948 after World War ll and remained vacant- until Gold Hill mesa came into being. What a wonderful way to restore meaning and value to this spot which was once so important to our community- by building a community of beautiful homes atop it. The remaining Smokestack of the mill still stands in the center.

If you have any questions about finding a home in Gold Hill Mesa, feel free to reach out- we are happy to help! Or stop by one of the three model homes located in the community. Gold Hill Mesa’s website even has a self-guided tour for you to explore if you like. Visit  https://www.goldhillmesa.com/self-guided-tour/ to check it out!