FAQ

Prices for lots are located on the lot layout page of our web site. Please call or e-mail to request additional information about a few of our re-sale lots available in Phase I or the most recently offered lots available in Phase II, which we are calling Hawk's Landing at Birds of a Feather Community. All of the lots in our community range in size from 1/4 to 3+ acres and are pine-forested. Many of our lots have magnificent views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains or lovely meadows with native grasses and wildflowers!

Currently, there are four types of homes for you to choose from... Casitas, EcoNests, Los Nidos and custom designed single-family homes. Contemporary versions of some of these styles are also allowed.  We recently began offering a "Little House" floor plan of approximately 990 sq. ft. for designated lots in Phase I & II. Call or write for details about any of our housing options.

EcoNests are simple, elegant, and healthful handcrafted dwellings that welcome owner participation in their construction. The EcoNest utilizes natural building techniques including: timber framing, straw/clay walls, earth plastering, and natural non-toxic finishes throughout. These homes are healthy, energy efficient and built to last. Stock floor plans are available or you may custom design your own EcoNest by working with architect and baubiologist, Paula Baker-Laporte.

Single family homes may be custom designed or you may choose from one of our preferred builders' floor plans. We highly recommend that homes be designed for simplicity of form and construction and therefore, be very energy efficient. Some alternative building materials to consider are E-Crete, Faswall or Insulated Concrete Form (ICFs) because of the enormous energy savings available and the resistance to fire for up to three hours. Homes using these materials are also extremely sound proof. Of course, you may choose traditional building methods, if you prefer.

Casitas are pre-designed floor plans of 1620 sq. ft. Casitas are grouped by twos and are mirror images of each other, but there are no common walls. There are double car garages in the center with a walkway between them. Each 2 bedroom/2 bath casita is located on an individual lot with its own driveway.

Los Nidos or "the nests" are our 1275 and 1425 sq. ft. architect designed floor plans. You may "feather your nest" with many energy efficient and eco-friendly materials, as well as choosing your interior finishes. You may get your home LEED certified by US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, if you are interested. This just insures that your home will be built to the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. The homes will be situated on magnificent pine-forested sites ranging in size from one-half to one acre. Lot pricing also includes all underground utilities and a state-of-the-art advanced nitrate waste-water treatment system. High speed wireless internet service is currently available. DSL coming soon! Buy one of these lots and take up to five years to begin construction of your home!

Our covenants currently state that all homes must be a minimum of 1200 sq. ft. and a maximum of 3000 sq. ft. in size, with the exception of the lots designated for our Little House floor plan of 990 sq. ft. Free standing studios, offices or guest houses of up to 600 sq. ft. are also allowed on individual single-family lots.

Our covenants also require that homes be conceived and constructed in the Santa Fe spirit using traditional "Southwestern" architecture or contemporary versions thereof.

Currently, there are four types of homes for you to choose from... Casitas, EcoNests, Los Nidos and custom designed single-family homes.  We recently began offering a "Little House" floor plan of approximately 990 sq. ft. for designated lots in Phase I & II. Call or write for details about any of our housing options.

EcoNests are simple, elegant, and healthful handcrafted dwellings that welcome owner participation in their construction. The EcoNest utilizes natural building techniques including: timber framing, straw/clay walls, earth plastering, and natural non-toxic finishes throughout. These homes are healthy, energy efficient and built to last. Stock floor plans are available or you may custom design your own EcoNest by working with architect and baubiologist, Paula Baker-Laporte.

Single family homes may be custom designed or you may choose from one of our preferred builders' floor plans. We highly recommend that homes be designed for simplicity of form and construction and therefore, be very energy efficient. Some alternative building materials to consider are E-Crete, Faswall or Insulated Concrete Form (ICFs) because of the enormous energy savings available and the resistance to fire for up to three hours. Homes using these materials are also extremely sound proof. Of course, you may choose traditional building methods, if you prefer.

Casitas are pre-designed floor plans of 1620 sq. ft. Casitas are grouped by twos and are mirror images of each other, but there are no common walls. There are double car garages in the center with a walkway between them. Each 2 bedroom/2 bath casita is located on an individual lot with its own driveway.

Los Nidos or "the nests" are our 1275 and 1425 sq. ft. architect designed floor plans. You may "feather your nest" with many energy efficient and Eco-friendly materials, as well as choosing your interior finishes. You may get your home LEED certified by US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, if you are interested. This just insures that your home will be built to the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. The homes will be situated on magnificent pine-forested sites ranging in size from one-half to one acre. Lot pricing also includes all underground utilities and a state-of-the-art advanced nitrate waste-water treatment system (Hawk's Landing Lots 1- 4, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21 & 22) are responsible for their own advanced nitrate septic systems. High speed wireless and satellite internet service is currently available. DSL became available in January, 2021. Buy one of these lots and take up to five years to begin construction of your home!

Our covenants currently state that all homes must be a minimum of 1200 sq. ft. and a maximum of 3000 sq. ft. in size, with the exception of the lots designated for our Little House floor plan of 990 sq. ft. Free standing studios, offices or guest houses of up to 600 sq. ft. are also allowed on individual single-family lots.

Our covenants also require that homes be conceived and constructed in the Santa Fe spirit using traditional "Southwestern" architecture or contemporary versions thereof.

Lot and home sales in Phase I began in May 2004. All eighteen lots in Phase I were sold-out by the fall of 2006. We began offering  the first lots in Phase II, called Hawk's Landing in 2012. As of February 2021, there is only one lot left of the twenty-two Phase II Hawk's Landing lots. I'm currently in the process of getting approval for the last four lots in the community. These lots will range in size from one acre to 1 1/2 acre and have the most spectacular views of all. They will also be very private and quiet.

The rough cutting and shaping of roads and the installation of drainage culverts were completed in September 2002. Underground utilities were installed in the summer/fall of 2004. Roads in the subdivision were completed in the fall of 2004. Home building began in December 2005 with Bonnie's EcoNest. As of February 2021, there are currently twelve occupied homes in our community with three more homes scheduled to begin construction in the spring. Lot purchasers have five years from the date of lot purchase to begin building their homes.  Our goal is to create a community where you would like to live, feel safe and develop connections with neighbors and friends... your chosen family!

Floor plans for casitas are available on our web site or in our online brochure. Two different size floor plans for Los Nidos and Little House floor plans are available on our website. Econest stock floor plans are available from Paula Baker-Laporte, the architect who designed and created Econests with her builder, husband, Robert Laporte. Single-family homes will be custom designed or you may choose from one of our preferred/approved builder's floor plans.

The design covenants and restrictions were originally filed with San Miguel County in January 2005. They were revised in July, 2019. Our disclosure statement is filed with San Miguel County.

Anyone owning a lot and the developer (as long as Bonnie owns lots) are members of the Homeowners Association. Each lot has voting rights (see covenants for details). Members of the Association elect a Board of Directors. There are currently five members as of February, 2021. The Association is responsible for protection of property owners' rights and maintenance of all common areas and roadways. (covenants list details). We also have a Architectural Control Committee and guidelines to assist you with planning and building your home.

Yes, the fee currently provides for all maintenance of common areas and roads. The Board Members of the Homeowner's Association determine the services covered and the annual fee. Currently, the annual fee is $550 and covers such things as maintenance/repair of our electronic gate, split-rail fencing, roads, street signs, landscape lighting, fire hydrants and weeding. We anticipate that this fee will be raised in the future as more residents move into our community and more maintenance of roads and common areas will be required. Our goal is to keep this fee as low as possible while still maintaining the beauty and upkeep of our community!

Yes, dogs, cats, birds and other typical household pets will be allowed. A limit to the number of each type of animal per household has been tentatively set as a "reasonable" number per lot as long as they are not offensive to neighbors.

Who will live in this LGBT community?

Birds of a Feather Community has been marketed primarily to gays and lesbians, but is open to anyone who is looking to purchase property for a second home or vacation home with eventual retirement in mind, or are currently retired or just looking for a community where they can live an active lifestyle and grow older with friends and neighbors. Several people not yet of retirement age are currently living in our community full-time while continuing to work at home based businesses or commuting to work. High speed internet is available through satellite and DSL is now available from our local telephone company at a very reasonable cost! Our community welcomes anyone wishing to live harmoniously in a non-traditional, lesbian & gay community. We will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, age or familial status.

Yes, you may leave your property to whomever you desire.

Plans for assisted-living housing will be seriously considered in later stages of the development. We are a multi-generational community with the age of people interested in our community being the mid-forties to mid-seventies. We have also had both younger and older people express an interest in our community. We feel that our residents will be well prepared to "age in place" because of the relationships developed in the community and the support and care residents will provide each other, as we grow older together.

Plans for a community center, assisted living and/or nursing home facilities will be determined by the needs of its residents as the community grows and develops. Other community amenities proposed include "pocket" parks and community gardens. Custom street signs, split-rail fencing and an electronic entrance gate for security have already been installed.