Party of Six: the Cebreros Family and On2 Homes

By Farima Ferguson, with additional reporting by Caroline McKenzie. Photographs by Aaron Ingram. Opening Doors magazine, Summer 2024.

The Cebreros family thought a spacious home and a limited budget were mutually exclusive. Then Clayton’s On2 Homes proved them wrong.

When Kayla and Juan Cebreros relocated their family from California to Colorado in 2018 , they were happy to trade the West Coast for scenic mountains. But not everything about their new hometown of Denver was picture-perfect. At the time, it had one of the worst housing shortages in the nation. Finding an affordable home for their family—Kayla and Juan are parents to Erick, Athena, Nathan and Avyanna, plus their two cats, Fur and Keemo—seemed nearly impossible. When the Cebreros family first moved to Denver, they rented an apartment, but Kayla’s mother encouraged them to do otherwise. “My mom’s big thing was, when you pay rent your money doesn’t go anywhere,” Kayla says. “They can keep increasing your rent. In a house, your payment stays the same, and you’re putting money somewhere where you will eventually get something out of it.”

Switching from renters to homeowners would be easier said than done. The limited inventory and ever-increasing home prices made saving for a down payment feel like an unsurmountable task. “When we first thought about buying a home, we knew we’d need to save,” Kayla says. “But realistically, houses are so expensive here, so we didn’t know how long it would take us.”

Enter Oakwood Homes®, which is part of Clayton Properties Group® and builds homes in Colorado, Arizona and Utah. In 2022, in response to the housing crisis in Denver, Oakwood Homes launched a new brand called On2 Homes. What helps make the homes more affordable is the combination of modern manufactured homes and traditional on-site construction, which means a shorter time to build the home, with less waste and more efficient use of materials. The homes’ innovative design and installation process is also energy-efficient, helping reduce utility costs to benefit the homeowner as well as the environment. Plus, the neighborhood’s unique landscaping style requires minimal maintenance and helps reduce water use and costs. Known as xeriscaping, it eliminates the need for irrigation by using plants whose natural requirements are appropriate to the local climate, and the overall design avoids losing water to evaporation and runoff.

Because the homes are a combination of old-school craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, buyers get big savings. “Our houses start in the low $300,000s—nearly half of the median sale price for a single-family home in Denver, which is currently more than $630,000,” explains Kristen Nelson, president of On2 Homes. Not only does the sales price include the cost of the lot, but the homes are also delivered more quickly and more responsibly than traditional building. “Off-site construction allows us to build homes faster within an indoor environment that is supported by advanced technology and automation,” says Colt Davis, the chief operating officer of Clayton Home Building Group. “In addition to time and cost savings, we are also able to build a more energy-efficient home with less waste. Right now, a typical site-built home generates more than 4 tons of waste, and we are working to eliminate that waste through the production of off-site homes.”

All On2 homes are crafted inside a homebuilding facility and then transported to a homesite via flatbed carriers. Upon arrival, a crane places the first floor on a poured foundation before setting the second floor. Stairs and siding are installed on-site, as is the completion of drywall, painting and other finish work.

Kayla’s stepdad, Mike, stumbled across On2 Homes online and immediately sent the information to Kayla and Juan. Thrilled to learn about a home option within their immediate budget, they connected with Stephanie Thornber, an On2 home consultant.

“For us, we didn’t think buying a home would happen, but Stephanie supported us through the home process,” Kayla said. “A week after showing us the house, we were under contract. The whole process of buying the home was really quick. It wasn’t what we expected.”

The Cebreros family opted for the 1,167-square-foot Torus floor plan, a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home that’s one of 96 single-family homes in Green Valley Ranch, a fast-growing community in metro Denver. (The On2 community offers four different 2- and 3-bedroom floor plans with list prices starting in the $300,000s.) The two-story home gives the family space to spread out but also provides two roomy living areas when they want to gather for quality time.

“As a parent, you only want the best for your kids,” Kayla says. “When you have a place to call your own, it’s a pretty cool feeling. We can paint the kids’ rooms, decorate for the holidays and provide our kids a neighborhood where they can safely play. It’s the perfect house for us."

HOME SWEET HOME Kayla Cebreros shares her homeowner highlights.

Top Feature We love the home’s layout. My favorite thing to do as a family is watch movies. Some of us can do that while my youngest is down for a nap. The floor plan makes it the perfect home for a family of six.

Favorite Memory Decorating for our first Christmas here. We had so much space here to decorate and really make the holiday feel like our own.

Best Asset I love this neighborhood and this community, just for the simple fact that it’s very peaceful. The open floor plan is paired with clean-lined trim and ample natural light for an airy, contemporary feel. The sleek but inviting style is continued through to the backyard patio.