[rightonbro]

I just moved out of the Villas at Huntington about two weeks ago. I rented a house there for 6 months. It was a nice place (this house was upgraded some, with slate countertops and floors, and the landlord had good appliances and kept the place in good shape) and I didn't have any real issues with living there. Lots of families (except me) and it was pretty quiet overall.

Can't speak to the homeownership part of it, but here are some notes on living there:

1. Turning left out of Huntingdon onto Fort Apache north can be a pain sometimes, but not a big deal overall. Also turning left on Warm Springs onto Fort Apache south can get pretty backed up during rush hour. Again not a big deal but kind of a pain sometimes.

2. If you buy a house on Magrath Street that faces Fort Apache (which if you are buying new, I believe those are the only lots that KB has left), be advised that the open plot of land between Fort Apache and Magrath is zoned for commercial development. Which means that you have a nice view of an open lot and the valley beyond right now, but 2 years from now you might be looking at the back of a shopping center.

3. Also be advised that many of the remaining new house plots on Magrath put the master bedroom facing east - which means you are going to wake up to a blast of sunshine, and the master bedroom is going to be somewhat hotter in the summer during the daytime (not a big deal).

4. Lots of good cheap food close by, especially in the Vons shopping center at Durango/Warm Springs (Amigos Tacos - yum!). Also lots of sushi places close by (double yum!).

5. A lot of the houses in the Villas have 1 car garages and they are tiny - I could barely fit my Prius in it and I couldn't imagine parking an SUV in one. So that means you will have a lot of people parking their cars in the driveways and on the street, more than "normal" - which may be a concern for you if you think that is unsightly.

I did tour the model homes. They were pretty nice. They "started" at 170k if I remember correctly but I didn't ask about making a deal. 6-8 month lead time. This was about 2 months ago.

Like Olecapt said, it's ground zero for foreclosures there.

Actually, the landlord of the place I moved out of is looking for a good tenant if you're interested in renting there, and/or someone to short sale to. If you're interested, DM me and I'll give you his details.

[deefromlv]

We looked at alot of new homes as well as foreclosures and did look at KB. We went so far as to get an options price list for a home in Inspirada. Just my opinion, but it felt like every KB home we saw looked very pretty, but felt kinda cheap. For example I went out on the second floor balconey of one and thought for sure I'd drop right through if I took a wrong step.

As for the foreclosures, there were so many issues with them. Alot were trashed and we just don't have the money for major renovations. Plus we are doing a VA loan and they are super picky. We ended up buying new to get exactly what we want. We are also planning on staying here for at least 10years, if not permanently. We love LV! My advice, do what makes you happy if you intend on staying a few years. If you plan on moving in a couple of years, even say five, consider a foreclosure or renting. Good luck to you!

Dee

[gregoo]

Originally Posted by deefromlv

We looked at alot of new homes as well as foreclosures and did look at KB. We went so far as to get an options price list for a home in Inspirada. Just my opinion, but it felt like every KB home we saw looked very pretty, but felt kinda cheap. For example I went out on the second floor balconey of one and thought for sure I'd drop right through if I took a wrong step.

As for the foreclosures, there were so many issues with them. Alot were trashed and we just don't have the money for major renovations. Plus we are doing a VA loan and they are super picky. We ended up buying new to get exactly what we want. We are also planning on staying here for at least 10years, if not permanently. We love LV! My advice, do what makes you happy if you intend on staying a few years. If you plan on moving in a couple of years, even say five, consider a foreclosure or renting. Good luck to you!

Dee

We feel the same way as you.We are hoping to stay in Vegas. It will be our last home. So did you buy a home yet?

[deefromlv]

Originally Posted by gregoo

We feel the same way as you.We are hoping to stay in Vegas. It will be our last home. So did you buy a home yet?

Yep. It should be finished mid January. It is in the location we want, builder we want, 5000+ lot size, single story, 3 car garage, paver drive, etc etc etc. Paying mid 200s. Couldn't be happier with it. We visit it every weekend. We're sooooo excited! Never thought we'd be able to afford a condo here let alone a sfr back when we moved here several years ago. We are in Henderson. Where are you looking?

Dee

[kimba01]

Mid 200s in Henderson for new? Is that unusually good or the going rate?

Most homes in the subs by me are upwards of $300s.

[deefromlv]

Originally Posted by kimba01

Mid 200s in Henderson for new? Is that unusually good or the going rate?

Most homes in the subs by me are upwards of $300s.

That was our focus area when we were searching and found several builders offering low - mid 200s. Kimball and KB for example. Inspirada has a few builders offering 200s. Kimball has two developments and there are a couple others whose names escape me. These aren't palaces. Just nice entry level single family homes. I'm sure the ones by you are larger or have other extras that make them more expensive.

Dee

[desertsun41]

In my business I have worked directly with amost every builder for most of my life. I have known KB from way back when it was Kaufman and Broad. KB does offer a cheap home.They offer a lot of square footage for your money but the accessories are all of the lowest quality. By accessories I mean the lighting fixtures, appliances, cabinets, flooring and even the paint is watered down. I guess they figure if they add 2 gallons of water to the 20 gallons of paint it takes to paint the whole house they are saving maybe $20. Multiply that by thousands of homes.

By cheap I do not mean the home structure. There are minumim building codes that are followed by everyone. So whether you buy an expensive home from Christopher Homes (known as the best) or KB Homes (known as the worst) you are getting the identical structural products in your home. The framing, sheathing, cement products, drywall....it's all the same. The appliances, accessories, flooring and lighting products do not make for a bad house even if it is cheap. Every builder builds the home the same way with the same products. In cheaper homes like KB you will also find lower quality installs on products such as the cabinets, fitting of interior doors and all the molding throughout. That dont really make a home bad.

In my opinion, in the end, if you like the KB home then buy it but buy it stripped. Add your own upgrades on the flooring and lighting......things like that. Dont pay the builder for upgrades unless it is an upgrade that will cost you more later. An example of what is ok to pay the builder for now is the optional pre-plumb for a laundry sink, gas line for a future BBQ grill, pre-wire for entertainment center, upgrade the cabinet wood species, things like that are ok to pay for.

Go for it and good luck !!

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

In my business I have worked directly with amost every builder for most of my life. I have known KB from way back when it was Kaufman and Broad. KB does offer a cheap home.They offer a lot of square footage for your money but the accessories are all of the lowest quality. By accessories I mean the lighting fixtures, appliances, cabinets, flooring and even the paint is watered down. I guess they figure if they add 2 gallons of water to the 20 gallons of paint it takes to paint the whole house they are saving maybe $20. Multiply that by thousands of homes.

By cheap I do not mean the home structure. There are minumim building codes that are followed by everyone. So whether you buy an expensive home from Christopher Homes (known as the best) or KB Homes (known as the worst) you are getting the identical structural products in your home. The framing, sheathing, cement products, drywall....it's all the same. The appliances, accessories, flooring and lighting products do not make for a bad house even if it is cheap. Every builder builds the home the same way with the same products. In cheaper homes like KB you will also find lower quality installs on products such as the cabinets, fitting of interior doors and all the molding throughout. That dont really make a home bad.

In my opinion, in the end, if you like the KB home then buy it but buy it stripped. Add your own upgrades on the flooring and lighting......things like that. Dont pay the builder for upgrades unless it is an upgrade that will cost you more later. An example of what is ok to pay the builder for now is the optional pre-plumb for a laundry sink, gas line for a future BBQ grill, pre-wire for entertainment center, upgrade the cabinet wood species, things like that are ok to pay for.

Go for it and good luck !!

I disagree a little bit with DS. The upper end of log cabin was done reasonably well by KB. I tend to agree that fit/finish/appliances in their cheaper stuff is...well...cheap. Just like the other low end builders.

I agree that one almost never loses on buying stripped.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by olecapt

I agree that one almost never loses on buying stripped.

It is true but the bad part is if you buy a stripped house so you can later add all your own goodies then you have to lay out the money up front. If you let the builder do it all then you can just painlessly add it to the mortgage and it's done. You will over pay for the builder options/upgrades but you get the convenience of moving in with nothing to do.

[Dimm]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

In my business I have worked directly with amost every builder for most of my life. I have known KB from way back when it was Kaufman and Broad. KB does offer a cheap home.They offer a lot of square footage for your money but the accessories are all of the lowest quality. By accessories I mean the lighting fixtures, appliances, cabinets, flooring and even the paint is watered down. I guess they figure if they add 2 gallons of water to the 20 gallons of paint it takes to paint the whole house they are saving maybe $20. Multiply that by thousands of homes.

By cheap I do not mean the home structure. There are minumim building codes that are followed by everyone. So whether you buy an expensive home from Christopher Homes (known as the best) or KB Homes (known as the worst) you are getting the identical structural products in your home. The framing, sheathing, cement products, drywall....it's all the same. The appliances, accessories, flooring and lighting products do not make for a bad house even if it is cheap. Every builder builds the home the same way with the same products. In cheaper homes like KB you will also find lower quality installs on products such as the cabinets, fitting of interior doors and all the molding throughout. That dont really make a home bad.

In my opinion, in the end, if you like the KB home then buy it but buy it stripped. Add your own upgrades on the flooring and lighting......things like that. Dont pay the builder for upgrades unless it is an upgrade that will cost you more later. An example of what is ok to pay the builder for now is the optional pre-plumb for a laundry sink, gas line for a future BBQ grill, pre-wire for entertainment center, upgrade the cabinet wood species, things like that are ok to pay for.

Go for it and good luck !!

This is really helpful info..