Invalesco Developer Dive | Ascent Builders - Jason Brown

Invalesco Developer Dive 

Ascent Builders | Jason Brown Owner & HBA President

What inspired you to become a developer/builder? Take us through your journey.

After a successful career in telecom IT for 18 years, I wanted a change, and the entrepreneur in me was ready to do something on my own. Growing up on a farm and having various construction jobs during college, I always had an interest in building things. So, I chose to take my experience as a seasoned project manager and budget manager to an industry that lacked those skills. We started small, as a remodeling contractor, but quickly grew to also focus on new construction and ultimately full scale developments as well.

What sets your projects apart?

We try to focus on building a value-based product that is energy efficient (better than meeting minimal building codes) that incorporates smart home features that buyers are looking for today.

What are the biggest risks/challenges facing developers in our market right now?

Our biggest challenge today is affordability. This is an epidemic level issue we are facing nationwide, but is even more acute in the Denver area market. We are now the most expensive market that isn't on a coast and we are underbuilt by about 50,000 housing units. There are numerous factors driving this, but the largest one is simple supply and demand. The regulatory environment for getting projects entitled and approved is broken across most municipalities across the front range and the fees associated with building new homes continue to increase.

What areas of town do you like to build in? What do you look for?

We focus on the entire Denver Metro area, with a preference of the more suburban areas vs. Central Denver infill. We look for sites where we can build between 25-100 units, ideally sites that are candidates for attached single family housing.

Project Highlight?

We are super excited to be partnering with Invalesco on our Pinecrest Ridge development in Evergreen. This is a 52-unit site in an area that desperately needs some new product that can serve a number of different demographics in a community that is in the mountains, but close enough to central Denver for those that need to work in the city.

What emerging trends do you see and how are you incorporating them into your projects?

There are a number of trends emerging in home design and we try to take these into consideration when designing new products. These are just a few. Accommodations for multi-generational living in a single home, designing homes for work at home individuals, designing homes to accommodate aging in place, making homes smarter and future proofing them for technologies that may not yet be developed, making homes solar ready and incorporating EV charging are just a few.

What are some key considerations you keep in mind when selecting partners or collaborators for your development ventures?

We are a very loyal company, and as a result, we have a number of trade partners that have been with us for a number of years. We treat our subcontractors and suppliers as partners and don't only look for the low cost provider, but focus on partners that can bring a total package of quality, service, and price. This has served us well over the years as we have created loyalty with our partners that we can lean on when problems arise.

AscentBuilders.net

JasonBrown@ascentbuilders.net