The developers behind Provo-based FlexReady Homes hope to provide “A home you grow into, not out of” with single-family, affordable units.  On Tuesday, FlexReady Homes co-founder Curtis Magleby and freelance marketer Brent Bluth pitched the idea of a community of 33 detached, single-family dwellings to the Heber City Council.  The three-bedroom base unit is 1,200 square feet, available as a one- or two-story. But the property can expand if the owner wishes, with add-ons like garages, offices and affordable dwelling units prepared to slot right onto the property — no tearing down walls or pouring new foundations necessary. “We work with the homeowners for five years on their expansions. Most builders come in, they build and then they’re gone,” said Curt Magleby from FlexReady Homes. “We want to get them into the home at whatever level they can. If they want to build the whole home, great. If they can just build the base, great. And then we’ll work with them as they expand.” The concept has been in the works for two years. FlexReady Homes now has communities built or under construction in Ephraim, Grantsville, Santaquin, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Kuaui, Hawaii. Now, FlexReady Homes could come to Heber City. The homes would be built next to Heber Valley Assisted Living, nestled between Southfield Road and the Heber Valley Railroad.  FlexReady Homes plans to target families earning 80-120% AMI, which is between $109,120 and $136,400, for a family of four.  FlexReady Homes has promised pre-qualification and advance marketing to Heber City first responders, teachers and government employees. The developer noted that FlexReady Homes’ expansions allow owners to increase their home value. However, that means the homes cannot be deed-restricted. “The whole goal is to get them into the market so they can start building equity and not create a caste system. Deed restrictions, we’ve seen, really keep low-income in low-income because they can’t participate in that market growth,” Bluth said.  City Councilor Sid Ostergaard took issue with the fact that a FlexReady Home may no longer be “affordable” if it were expanded and resold. “I understand you’re giving something to (homeowners), and then they can grow their equity, but what it does is it takes that house out of the market for anybody else to do it,” he said. “It plays against us right now, and we need that pool of houses within that price range.”  Flex Ready Homes MapDownload City Councilor Yvonne Barney said she’d received emails from residents concerned that the development’s density — 9.7 units per acre — could impact their property values. However, Barney said she could stomach the density if a few units were set aside for families at or below 60% of the area median income, or $81,840 for a four-person household, according to the Mountainlands Community Housing Trust. City Councilor Scott Phillips disagreed. “This isn’t the product for 60% AMI. That’s apartment buildings,” he said. “Our problem in Heber is we have very well-paid people who can’t afford to live here.” Magleby and Bluth weren’t sure it would be possible to reserve any 60% AMI units. High development costs, particularly in Heber City, are the culprit. “I need to make the distinction between affordable housing and low-income housing. … (Between 30% and) 50% is classified as very low-income,” Bluth said. “I don’t know if we can hit 60% on this property. We will try to see if we can.”  Bluth cited an October Realtor.com study of market trends that listed Heber City as the fastest-growing market for luxury housing in the United States. “That drives the cost of real estate like nobody’s business. It comes down to a factor of economics,” he said. Bluth said FlexReady Homes is aiming for its base units to cost $450,000. In Ephraim, where land costs are cheaper, an identical unit costs $339,000. The median home price for a single-family residence in the Heber Valley is $1,332,500, according to the most recent information from the Park City Board of Realtors. “I’m amazed you’re talking about $450,000. It’s nigh-impossible to do,” said City Councilor Mike Johnston. “I don’t think this is unsightly or demeaning to property values in any way. And I would be fine if somebody built this next to my neighborhood.” Johnston continued, “We sit up here and complain constantly about how unaffordable things are, but we’re not willing to do anything about it. And people come and present what is common, which is townhomes. … But you seem to have really spent a lot of time and thought outside the box.” A key point of the presentation was that FlexReady Homes provides an alternative to higher-density townhomes, often over 10 units per acre, which have limited differentiation and focus on rentership over ownership.  The presentation was an initial pitch, so no voting took place. Further discussion on the matter will take place in a City Council work meeting sometime next month. The post Developers propose expandable, affordable homes in Heber City appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less