The Perceived Value of a Conservation Community

Here in Louisiana, we use the word “Conservation” a LOT.  Conservation and preservation are just a way of life when you live in a city that resides close to or below sea levels.  In Louisiana, conservation is a necessity, and if steps are not taken to ensure the future of the land and wetlands surrounding the Greater New Orleans area, there will be dire consequences.  If you live in Louisiana for very long, you just accept this concept as a way of life.  In other parts of the country, though, this idea is not such a prominent topic in every day conversation.

Take Colorado, for example; in recent decades, there has been a surge in the development of Conversation Communities.  In 5 different counties, a study of 205 different conservation development subdivisions showed that home buyers in that area not only recognize and appreciate the need for conservation, they’re willing to pay a premium for it.  A study by Colorado State University showed that in these 205 different neighborhoods, buyers paid a 20% – 29% premium for their home simply because of the type of community in which it was built.

Taking a step back to review JUST what a Conservation Community is, here at Bedico Creek Preserve in St. Tammany Parish, it means that our subdivision is designed to work around its natural environment, not structure a residential community into an existing green-scape plan. Conservation Communities benefit the homeowner by clustering the developed part of the community together and leaving the pristine wilderness or greenspace untouched.

In Colorado, their Conservation Communities involved more greenspace or open space which could be used by the residents for whatever purpose they wished.  To really identify the value placed on a Conservation Community, CSU also compared home pricing for new homes sold on large lots – as big as 4.6-acre lots.  It seemed like the same concept – people paid more for more land, right?  The results told a different story.  While the cost per square foot of the actual home was marginally higher, they still not see the leap in price premium of the house and lot together.

Since Bedico Creek is the only community of its kind in St. Tammany Parish, we not only enjoy the luxury of being able to offer an extremely unique and versatile neighborhood, we also can assure our buyers and prospective buyers that when you invest in buying a new home at Bedico Creek, the value of your home is backed by proven scientific studies which show that the perceived value of conservation is certainly appreciated in the real estate market today.  To get a complete description of a Conservation Community, click here.  To Contact Bedico Creek, call 985-845-4200 or e-mail us at [email protected].  To find out more about land development, green building, and urban planning, you can buy Conservation Communities, by ULI (Urban Land Institute) fellow Edward T. McMahon.

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