Construction costs always seem to be going up regardless of the economic times. Putting together a construction budget is more important now than ever. The following information can help you decide where to cut costs or where you can splurge, depending on your needs & budget.

Confused about where to begin, what to do & how to get there?
We can work with you in collaboration at every step of the way!

Wherever you are in your development process, Comet Studios can help you create the best possible solutions. Our insight and experience will help you to achieve your goals and a return on your investment by simplifying complex planning issues.

Regardless of project size, we can offer flexible, cost effective and efficient support, custom tailored to each individual project’s requirements. Comet Studios offers economical, efficient and personalized attention to all phases of site planning, architectural design, construction documentation & renewable energy solutions.

GENERAL COSTS

Taos Ski Valley tends to run higher, regardless of home type, due to location, elevation & weather conditions.

• Economy home: $100-$150 p.s.f.
• Low-end custom home: $150-$175 p.s.f.
• Mid-range custom home: $175-$225 p.s.f.
• High-end custom home: $225 p.s.f. and up
• 2×6 garage, insulated, slab, stucco, sheetrock: $85-$120 p.s.f.
• Typical portal w. slab floor: $85-$100 p.s.f.
• Typical carport w. slab floor: $85-$100 p.s.f.
• Typical kitchen: $300-$350 p.s.f.
• Typical bath: $250-$300 p.s.f.
• Typical LR or BR: $150-$1750 p.s.f.
• Permits per $1,000: $2.50-$4.75
• Workers Comp insurance: 15-20% of payroll
• Contractor profit & overhead: typically 15% , can be 10% on 10%
• Gross Receipts tax: town 8.1875% county 7.125%
• Annual price increases: historically 5-7%, recently lower

2012-2013 Estimated Construction Cost Guidelines

Architecture & engineering services, renewable energy solutions, landscaping, permits & other fees are additional as needed.

Utility Package (builder’s cost): $20,000
2,000 s.f. Home @ $175/sf (builder’s cost): $350,000
300 s.f. attached Portals @ $115/sf (builder’s cost): $34,500
500 s.f. Garage @ $100/sf (builder’s cost): $50,000
Subtotal: $454,000
15% Profit & Overhead: $68,175
8% Gross receipts tax: $54,540
Estimated total: $576,715

Read the complete Comet Studios_Construction_Costs_2012-2013 »

Comet Studios offers full comprehensive planning, design & real estate development services for residential & commercial clients. Our projects vary from:

• Single Family Homes
• Cabins & Log Homes
• Custom Estates
• Condominiums & Live / Work Lofts
• New Urbanism Planning
• Land Analysis & Acquisition
• Real Estate Planning & Development
• Environmentally Conscious Renewable Energy Solutions

John Halley is founder and president of Comet Studios, a firm that has specialized in energy efficient passive and active solar home design for over 35 years. Comet Studios offers full comprehensive planning, design & real estate development services for residential & commercial clients. Comet Studios is also the exclusive Moreno Valley area dealer for Solar Logic computer equipped hydronic heating controllers and SolarLogic’s related standardized hydronic heating system design.

Serving Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Santa Fe, Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico and beyond!

A more reliable cost-saving heating solution for Moreno Valley homeowners and their builders

By John Edmund Halley

Many homes in the Moreno Valley area are heated with propane-fired hydronic heating systems that are complex, non-standardized and very expensive to operate. As volatile propane fuel prices continue to steadily rise, homeowners in the Moreno Valley area can substantially reduce and stabilize their home heating and domestic hot water costs by installing a computer-equipped hydronic heating system controller, active solar thermal collectors, passive solar features and building envelope performance improvements such as installing more insulation, weather stripping, caulk-sealing air gaps, etc.

Historically, integrated hydronic heating systems (systems that provide both heating and domestic hot water with one or more backup heat sources) have required custom solutions that lacked necessary heating system standardization, resulting in high costs for system design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance.

Now, an efficient standardized heating system design run by an intelligent computer-equipped hardware/software controller can provide a solar hydronic heating system that is much easier and cheaper to install, operate and maintain. The “intelligent” controller offers a host of internet-delivered system efficiency benefits such as remote commissioning, monitoring, system diagnostics, data logging and remote system operation. Pre-programmed for each job, the controller can run the heating system as soon as it is plugged in, with a solution that homeowners can easily program, monitor and control for maximum comfort and efficiency. System access over the internet offers a new advantage especially for non-fulltime resident homeowners.

For system installers, a standardized system equipped with the pre-programmed controller is easier and cheaper to install, commission, troubleshoot and maintain. For locations like Moreno Valley where access is sometimes difficult in winter, many heating system issues that presently require expensive service calls can now be diagnosed and resolved by accessing the heating system over the internet.

Since solar thermal heat collectors convert sunlight to useful energy about 4 times more efficiently than solar electric technologies, adding a solar heating system with a computer controller can cost effectively reduce home owner heating bills by up to 75% in the Moreno Valley area. When homeowners take advantage of federal and state solar system rebates that presently pay up to 40% of the solar system cost (30% federal and 10% state), solar systems can often provide an immediate positive return on investment with a system that pays for itself in about 5 to 7 years.

Evolving out of more than 35 years of solar hydronic heating system experience, the best standardized solar hydronic heating system designs and related computer equipped controllers provide time-tested reliable solutions installed by certified installers, providing the homeowner with many years of reliable cost saving service.

John Halley is founder and president of Comet Studios, a firm that has specialized in  energy efficient passive and active solar home design for over 35 years. Comet Studios is also the exclusive Moreno Valley area dealer for Solar Logic computer equipped hydronic heating controllers and SolarLogic’s related standardized hydronic heating system design. For more information about passive and active solar heating solutions, visit Comet Studios website at www.cometstudios.com or contact them directly at comet@cometstudios.com or at 505.231.1454.

Live/work properties can be a great investment for small business owners or people who need extra space for hobbies, fitness equipment and/or entertainment areas. Purchasing a live/work unit has many advantages:

1. Separate Home & Business without the commute!
Live/work units allow you to keep your business and personal living spaces separate. Customers or clients enter into the work space and are separated from the living space by a door or stairway.

Live/Work Unit 17 has 3 levels & 4 entrances. Living level is on the 3rd floor (a world away & above the business levels) with 360 degree views, while the business levels are located on the plaza & alley levels.

2. Space for Employees
Live/work units often contain space and amenities for employees, something most home based offices do not offer. Even if clients never visit your office, a live/work property can provide a professional place for your employees to work, while at the same time keeping your living space private. Live/Work Unit 17 also has the ability of adding a separate living/guest/employee rental.

3. Communication with other Professionals
Live/work properties are usually located in a community consisting of other professionals. Live/work spaces make it convenient to network with other business owners and professionals. Aldea is a mixed use community of residential & commercial neighborhoods with very successful businesses already located around the plaza & in the community.

4. Live/Work Units are Cost Effective
Office space is often more expensive to rent, especially if one considers the cost of home rent or mortgage. A live/work property offers two spaces for the overhead of one. You can save on tax write-offs, utility costs, gasoline and commute time! Live/Work Unit 17 is priced below replacement cost making the savings even greater!

5. Extra Income
Live/work properties are great investments. The separate exits and entrances make it possible to sublet the work spaces, the living space or all together. Live/Work Unit 17 has the ability to rent out the 3 separate levels & multiple floor plan configurations for various tenant uses.

6. Ground Floor Opportunity
Aldea’s unique commercial Plaza is located on the prestigious northwest side of Santa Fe, with a business center surrounded by a built-in clientele of upscale demographic neighborhoods that are currently without goods & services. LiveWork Units 17 & 19 have the capabilities of providing a quality restaurant &/or grocery market, the most desired businesses requested by Aldea residents & surrounding communities.

Call for more information: 505.603.9300

Priced below replacement cost and get the land for free! $515,000. MLS #201200388

Visit the web site for more information: www.AldeaLofts.com

New Urbanism guides development at all scale, from the building to the region. It includes infill projects in existing urban areas, redeveloped neighborhoods including public housing developments, and regional guidelines for development.

New Urbanists have been taking part in urban redevelopment and are part of the movement to make cities, towns and villages livable. Projects include neighborhood plans, loft redevelopment, transit villages, and a revival of aging main streets. Real estate investors are turning from developing urban sprawl, as they realize that there is a tremendous market demand for real neighborhoods, for lively cities, and for regions of protected open space.

New Urbanist neighborhoods are walkable, and contain a diverse range of housing and jobs. New Urbanists support regional planning for open space, appropriate architecture and planning, and the balanced development of jobs and housing. They believe these strategies are the best way to reduce how long people spend in traffic, to increase the supply of affordable housing, and to rein in urban sprawl. Many other issues, such as historic restoration, safe streets, and green building are also concerns for New Urbanists.

New Urbanists believe in the environmental benefits of channeling growth and development into close-knit cities and towns where people can use transit, bike or walk to reach destinations. Green building advocates believe in the value of buildings that conserve resources. Combining the issues of New Urbanism and environmentally conscious planning and design will enhance the sustainability of livable communities. The New Green Urbanism is a integral part of the Comet Studios design philosophy for all our projects.

For more information

http://www.cometstudios.com/resources/new_urbanism.html

Visit the New Urbanist Community in Aldea, Santa Fe New Mexico

www.LiveWork7478.com

Aldea is a New Urbanist Village, with a central civic plaza surrounded by traditional neighborhoods of townhouses, patio homes, & single-family homes. Our community’s vibrant mixed-use Commercial Village Center of commercial properties and live/work lofts surrounded by walkable neighborhoods distinguishes our unique New Urbanist community from most neighborhood development styles that are limited to residential use only. At build out, Aldea de Santa Fe will include 476 dwellings units, up to 185,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, and additional institutional uses on the 2 tracts located at our Avenida Aldea entrance.

Planned by internationally acclaimed New Urbanist Architect Andres Duany (DPZ.com), Aldea de Santa Fe has been intentionally created to recapture the vibrancy and urbanist traditions of old Santa Fe. Drawing on the rich architectural heritage of Old Santa Fe, Aldea Plaza’s timeless architectural theme and Community Center building were creatively composed by New Urbanist Architect, Stefanos Polyzoides. Based on these themes, Comet Studios provided designs for the remaining buildings around the Aldea Plaza (www.AldeaPlaza.com) and Lorn Tryk Architects designed the DreamCatcher Lofts building.

Our unique community is graced by, regional pueblo & territorial style architecture, pedestrian friendly streets and expansive public open spaces. When fully developed, the Commercial Village Center will greatly increase the vitality of our community. Aldea Plaza will then likely become a popular west side destination of unique specialty shops, inviting cafes, intimate galleries, small businesses and conveniences enhanced by local home based businesses.

What Exists Today

Our plaza is already on its way to becoming a vibrant commercial village center. Three buildings are already built and occupied with only a few opportunities remaining for additional business tenant occupancy in existing spaces:

• The Community Center, owned and occupied by our Home Owners Association offers frequent events for homeowners and space for event rental.
• The DreamCatcher Live/Work Loft building, located just off the northeast corner of the plaza is fully occupied with businesses and residents.
• The Live/Work 7478 Lofts building frames the west side of our plaza. Live/Work Lofts 21,19, & 17 on Plaza Nueva were designed specifically for use as the main Aldea restaurant with additional space available for a small convenience market. Space is currently available for tenants interested in either of these businesses. Visit www.LiveWork7478.com for sale or lease or properties.

Most of the built commercial space is fully occupied with the following  businesses:

• Café Aldea
• Comet Studios Environmentally Conscious Planning, Design & Development
• Comet Studios Web Design & Development
• Daystar of Aldea
• Life Vessel Santa Fe
• Santa Fe Realty Partners’
• Shoemaker Law Firm
• David Robin Photography
• Wild Sage Vacation Rentals

In an effort to promote the build out of Aldea’s remaining undeveloped commercial properties, the original developer (Aldea LLC) sold most of the remaining undeveloped commercial property in 2008 to 2 buyers who demonstrated their strong interest to develop and build out the rest of Aldea’s commercial core. A Swedish investor bought the hotel site & remaining Live/Works on the east & south side of the plaza. A developer from San Jose bought the arroyo spa/conference/fractional site behind the Community center. Their plans and schedule for development are not yet known.

Business Opportunities Immediately Available

Commercial space is immediately available for our community’s most requested businesses, a grocery market and a full dining restaurant. These wonderful opportunities are immediately available for a tenant who would like to create an upscale restaurant-café and/or market that also offers related catering & retail with expansion possibilities. This is a unique prospect for the right tenant who is looking for a stable long-term business opportunity at Aldea Plaza. One live/work loft is also available for sale for this purpose. (www.LiveWork7478.com)

LiveWork Loft #17 is offered for sale. Priced below replacement cost and get the land for free! $515,000. MLS #201200388

Development Opportunities

Other development opportunities are available within our Commercial Center for anyone requiring space not yet built. The long-term success of our community’s Commercial Center will depend greatly on our community’s involvement.  If you or anyone you know has ideas or interest in our community’s Commercial Village Center, please contact Comet Studios at 505.231.1454. Visit the web site to learn about other development opportunities: www.LiveWork7478.com

Resources:

www.AldeaPlaza.com

www.CometStudios.com

www.LiveWork7478.com

www.AldeaLofts.com

www.DPZ.com

“Suburban Nation”, written by Duany and Plater-Zyberk with Jeff Speck