[winterfresh2008]

Hi All,

We have been renting here for an year and are planning to buy a home in next few months. Below are some of our priorities.

- price range - 300K to 400K
- spacious and contemporary house with pool
- not in a congested area
- good schools (my wife and I are in late 20s and plan to have kids in a couple of years)
- green sorroundings & trails (we don't like the typical desert look)
- spacious backyard
- detached casita is nice to have
- we are willing to commute around 30 miles a day (if needed) and both of us work around 215 and buffalo.

Could the experienced people here suggest a good area for us? We currently live around Henderson and like the area but the houses we saw in here kind of look old fashioned.

We liked a single story house (shortsale) at "FOOTHILLS AT SOUTHERN HIGHLAND" (89141) and were thinking to give an offer, but wanted to check with ppl here about that area. I checked the schools in greatschools.org and they are in the top 15 schools in clark county. This has a large detached casita too. $110/SF including casita. Could you please point out drawbacks (if any) in this area, before we make the biggest investment in our life?

What are the other nicer areas we could possibly be looking at?

Thanks in advance...

[airics]

if you buy a house for a 100k, there is a fair chance that it will still lose a bit of value in my opinion... if you buy a 300-400k house, there is ALOT to lose....

just saying...

[volfanga]

If you are buying it for long term planing for 10 years plus I would
not worry about it losing value buy it as a home not an investment.
If it goes up great if it los

[MadManofBethesda]

C'mon guys, let's not derail the OP's thread with a general discussion on whether it is prudent to buy LV RE (regardless of price point). For one thing, we already have a thread on that subject, and more importantly, the OP wasn't asking that question.

As for what the OP is interested in, with the caveat that I know nothing about the schools, I'd recommend looking in Peccole Ranch and the Lakes, in addition to Southern Highlands, although I don't recall seeing houses with casitas in those first two areas. Coincidentally, we almost made an offer on a house with a casita in Southern Highlands last year before deciding on Spanish Trail.

[olecapt]

Your requirements are likely met by one house in Las Vegas which you have already found and which has gone contingent...at contract for sale.

(Presuming I have the right house - 389,000)

The combination of contemporary (no more than 20 years old), single story, not congested and big back yard (quarter acre or more), good schools 3000+SF, and a pool for between 300K and 400K with a casita has no candidates on the west and south sides.

Without the casita there are only three or four. For a better selection you need to remove single story or the quarter acre or both. Basically lots of the nice places...seven hills for instance...are 8000sf lots. After the pool not a lot left over.

Note that you should not worry a whole lot about the school thing. There are very few places that will meet your spec and are not OK on the elementary and middle school level. You have at least twelve years before you need deal with the high school.

Another option is in the NW. That has some reasonable matches but at the cost of a significant commute.

You might simply get an agent to show you what is available. I would suspect you can see everything of interest in a day...two at most. Then you will have a better view of what you are dealing with.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by olecapt

For a better selection you need to remove single story or the quarter acre or both. Basically lots of the nice places...seven hills for instance...are 8000sf lots. After the pool not a lot left over.

Good info for the OP, Olecapt. However, I don't think single story is one of their requirements (at least it wasn't listed as one). I could be wrong, but I think that they were just noting that they had been considering placing an offer on a single story house in SH. I would assume that removal of that criterion would open up more possibilities for them. At least I hope it would.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Good info for the OP, Olecapt. However, I don't think single story is one of their requirements (at least it wasn't listed as one). I could be wrong, but I think that they were just noting that they had been considering placing an offer on a single story house in SH. I would assume that removal of that criterion would open up more possibilities for them. At least I hope it would.

Yeah - the rub is trying to read the spec off a single example. Two stories better than doubles the number available but it still won't get past a dozen homes in the South and West.

Here is a way of looking at it...

Total homes (SFR) for sale 13548

List Price between 300K and 400K. - 612

Of the 612 with pools - 219

Of the 612 greater than 3000SF - 302

Of the 612 lot greater than 10000SF - 272

Pool and 3000 and 10000 - 58

Of the 612 newer than 1990 - 502

Of the 612 newer than 2000 - 334

Of the 612 single story - 312

So without concern for schools or commutes it will end up at 50 or less...

And certain areas will not be there or almost not be there. No Summerlin, Green Valley Ranch or Seven Hills...and likely very few in Southern Highlands.

[Mlindie]

Boulder City has everything you are looking for. There are some more contemporary homes, but mostly traditional. Many homes have pools and most have oversize lots. The home values here have not been hit as bad as Las Vegas and Henderson, but prices have come down. There are some good deals right now. You will need a good Realtor that knows the BC area and will be really on top of the market as the good deals sell quickly.
The schools in BC are top schools in Clark County and all the kids attend the same elementary, middle school and high school. You don't have to worry about your kids being rezoned every other year.
Great REAL community, easy commute, great parks, lots of bike trails, safe to walk at night alone, lot's of open desert to explore.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Yeah - the rub is trying to read the spec off a single example. Two stories better than doubles the number available but it still won't get past a dozen homes in the South and West.

Here is a way of looking at it...

Total homes (SFR) for sale 13548

List Price between 300K and 400K. - 612

Of the 612 with pools - 219

Of the 612 greater than 3000SF - 302

Of the 612 lot greater than 10000SF - 272

Pool and 3000 and 10000 - 58

Of the 612 newer than 1990 - 502

Of the 612 newer than 2000 - 334

Of the 612 single story - 312

So without concern for schools or commutes it will end up at 50 or less...

And certain areas will not be there or almost not be there. No Summerlin, Green Valley Ranch or Seven Hills...and likely very few in Southern Highlands.

OP...if someone went through all this kind of research for me...I'd hire him as my RE agent! You just know he's got to be thorough.

[winterfresh2008]

Thank you all for the valuable responses!

We would extend our research to Peccole Ranch, the Lakes and Boulder City too.

Casita is not mandatory for us, but just nice to have.

olecapt, you are right. We don't need to worry much abt schools for another few years.

I am assuming that "FOOTHILLS AT SOUTHERN HIGHLAND" does not have any drawbacks, since nobody told anything bad about it. Is there by chance anybody here who knows more abt this community and could tell us the pros and cons of buying here?

Thanks again!