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Everything You Need to Know About Emerald Estates

Emerald Estates is a luxury custom homesite community in Windsor, Colorado, located within RainDance and along RainDance National Resort & Golf. The community offers golf course homesites, walkout lot opportunities, custom builder flexibility, access to RainDance lifestyle amenities, and a limited collection of homesites for buyers seeking a golf course custom home in Northern Colorado.

If you can’t find an answer you’re looking for, contact Marissa Donahoo, the Emerald Estates Broker.

General

Emerald Estates is an exclusive custom homesite community perched on the longest golf course in North America — RainDance National Resort & Golf in Windsor, Colorado. It offers a rare opportunity to build your dream home in a setting where elegance and exclusivity meet in perfect harmony.

Emerald Estates is located in Windsor, Colorado — ideally positioned between Loveland, Fort Collins, and Greeley with quick and easy access to I-25. It’s a superior place to live with the beauty of Colorado’s Front Range at your doorstep.

Emerald Estates is brought to you by The Water Valley Company, a trusted name in Colorado community development. They are committed to creating thoughtfully designed communities that offer lasting value and an extraordinary quality of life.

Yes. Emerald Estates is a luxury custom homesite neighborhood within the larger RainDance community in Windsor, Colorado. Located along RainDance National Resort & Golf, Emerald Estates offers the privacy, flexibility and exclusivity of a custom home community while placing homeowners within the broader RainDance lifestyle, including golf, recreation, dining, trails, parks and other community amenities.

Emerald Estates combines several features that are difficult to find together in Northern Colorado: custom homesites directly along RainDance National Resort & Golf, the freedom to select your own custom builder, homesites designed for walkout basements and design flexibility, and access to the established lifestyle and amenities of RainDance. Its Windsor location also provides convenient access to Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley and I-25. Emerald Estates offers the opportunity to create a truly custom home within one of Northern Colorado’s most distinctive golf course settings.

Emerald Estates is designed for buyers who value customization, space, golf course living and the Northern Colorado lifestyle. That includes luxury and move-up buyers, golf enthusiasts, empty nesters, relocating buyers and families. It is especially well suited for buyers who want the freedom of a custom home combined with the amenities and sense of place of an established master-planned community.

Emerald Estates is located in Windsor, Colorado, in the heart of Northern Colorado and between 12 to 18 miles from the hearts of Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley. Its location near Crossroads Boulevard provides convenient access to I-25 for travel throughout the Front Range, including the Denver metro area and Denver International Airport. Plus, Emerald Estates is only 6 miles from the Northern Colorado Regional Airport.

Emerald Estates is a luxury custom homesite neighborhood within the larger RainDance community in Windsor, Colorado, with every homesite backing to RainDance National Resort & Golf. RainDance and RainDance National are part of the broader portfolio of communities, recreation, golf and hospitality experiences created by The Water Valley Company, the Northern Colorado developer behind Emerald Estates.

This relationship gives Emerald Estates homeowners something uncommon for a small custom-home neighborhood: the intimacy and individuality of a limited custom homesite community combined with access to the larger RainDance lifestyle. That includes RainDance National Resort & Golf and nearby recreation, dining, trails, parks and community amenities throughout RainDance and the surrounding Water Valley area.

Homesites

Emerald Estates offers a selection of custom homesites overlooking the meticulously manicured greens and fairways of RainDance National Resort & Golf. Each homesite is unique, offering different views, orientations, and lot sizes. Contact Marissa Donahoo for a full list of currently available homesites.

Yes — you are welcome to bring your own builder to Emerald Estates. This is one of the community’s most valued features. Rather than being locked into a specific builder, you have the freedom to select a custom home builder who truly understands your vision and can bring it to life exactly as you imagine. All construction is subject to community design guidelines to ensure the neighborhood maintains its elevated aesthetic and quality standards. Marissa Donahoo can walk you through those guidelines and answer any questions about the process.

Yes — all homesites at Emerald Estates are walkout lots. This is a significant advantage that adds both livable square footage and exceptional outdoor connection to your finished home. A walkout basement means the lower level opens directly to grade — typically to a patio or yard — allowing natural light to pour in and giving you seamless access to the outdoors. Given the community’s position along the golf course, many walkouts offer stunning views right from the lower level.

Homes at Emerald Estates are required to be a minimum of 2,000 square feet of finished living space. This requirement helps ensure that every home built in the community reflects the quality and character befitting a luxury golf course setting. Most buyers find this to be a comfortable baseline — many homes in the community far exceed this minimum. If you have questions about what’s possible on a specific lot, Marissa Donahoo is happy to discuss your options.

Homesite pricing varies based on location, size, and views. Please contact Marissa Donahoo directly at (970) 217-1948 or fill out the contact form on our website to receive current pricing and availability details.

Yes. Every homesite at Emerald Estates backs to RainDance National Resort & Golf, giving each property a direct connection to the golf course setting. Combined with homesites designed to accommodate walkout basements, this creates opportunities for expansive golf course views, indoor-outdoor living and custom home designs that take full advantage of the surrounding landscape.

Yes. Builders interested in creating a custom spec home at Emerald Estates can contact Marissa Donahoo to explore available homesites, design requirements and opportunities within the community.

Community & Amenities

Residents enjoy access to an extraordinary range of amenities, including the RainDance National Resort & Golf course, the River Resort, Hoedown Hill, casual dining at the Grainhouse and Ted’s Sweetwater Grill, and fine dining nearby in downtown Windsor and Fort Collins.

RainDance National is a high plains links-style golf course designed by PGA Tour Champion Fred Funk. It is ranked among the top courses in the region and is the longest golf course in North America. Its natural beauty is enhanced with native arroyos and seasonally changing landscaping.

Absolutely. The RainDance community offers a full lifestyle experience including the River Resort, Hoedown Hill, pools, dining, and easy access to all that Northern Colorado has to offer — from outdoor recreation to cultural experiences in Fort Collins and beyond.

Yes. Emerald Estates residents have convenient access to a pickleball court located in the neighborhood park just west of Emerald Estates. The nearby court adds another recreational option within the community, alongside RainDance National Resort & Golf, trails, parks, pools and other RainDance amenities.

Orchard Hill Elementary School is located within the RainDance community. Orchard Hill Elementary is part of the Weld RE-4 School District and serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Yes. Golf carts are part of the lifestyle at Emerald Estates throughout RainDance. Residents can use golf carts to travel throughout much of the community and connect to many nearby destinations and sister neighborhoods, including areas within Water Valley.

That means a golf cart can be more than transportation to the first tee. Residents can use the community’s golf-cart-friendly connections to reach recreation, dining, neighborhood amenities and golf experiences throughout RainDance and portions of the surrounding Water Valley community. It is one of the vacation-style features of Emerald Estates.

HOA & Fees

The HOA fee at Emerald Estates is $500 per year — a very reasonable annual cost given the quality and setting of the community. The fee covers common area maintenance, ensuring that the shared spaces throughout the neighborhood remain beautifully landscaped and well-kept year-round. This helps protect property values and ensures the community always presents itself at the highest standard. If you have specific questions about what’s included or how the HOA is managed, Marissa Donahoo can provide further detail.

Permit and tap fees vary depending on your specific lot and the scope of your build, but buyers should generally budget approximately $70,000 combined for both on average. Tap fees cover your connection to municipal water and sewer systems, while permit fees are paid to the local municipality to authorize construction. These are standard costs associated with new home construction in Northern Colorado and are typically coordinated through your builder. Because the exact figures depend on a number of factors, Marissa Donahoo recommends discussing this with your builder early in the planning process so you can account for it in your total budget.

RainDance National offers a variety of membership options to suit different lifestyles and levels of play. Membership details — including pricing tiers, access levels, and amenity inclusions — are best reviewed directly with Marissa Donahoo, who can send you a full membership overview. Reach out to her at (970) 217-1948 or through the contact form and she’ll get that information to you right away.

Building Your Home

No — there is no required timeline to begin or complete construction after purchasing your homesite at Emerald Estates. You are free to take the time you need to plan your dream home, select your builder, finalize your design, and secure financing at your own pace. This flexibility is a meaningful benefit for buyers who want to be thoughtful and intentional about the building process rather than feeling rushed into decisions. When you’re ready to move forward, Marissa Donahoo is here to help guide you through the next steps.

Yes. Homes built at Emerald Estates are subject to community design guidelines intended to maintain a high level of architectural quality while still giving homeowners and their builders significant freedom to create a custom residence. Buyers may bring their own custom builder and design a home around their individual lifestyle, preferences and homesite, provided the plans meet applicable community requirements. Marissa Donahoo can provide the current design guidelines and help buyers, builders and architects understand the review process.

The Process

The first step is simply reaching out to Marissa Donahoo. You can call her at (970) 217-1948, fill out the contact form on our website, or download our brochure to explore available homesites. Marissa will guide you through every step of the process.

Yes. We have a dedicated broker program and welcome co-op opportunities. Visit our “For Brokers” page on the website or contact us directly to learn more about how we work with real estate professionals.

Yes — sign up for our newsletter through the contact form on our website to receive the latest news, homesite availability updates, and community announcements directly to your inbox.