'Net romance culminates at Pacific Trace

     It was a little more than a year ago when Corey Williams and Janet Bacon met in an Internet chat room. The happy couple recently bought their first home together at Pacific Trace by Pacific Homes and are engaged to be married Oct. 1.
      "We saw a brochure in our cable bill, and couldn't believe we could afford to live in Green Valley Ranch," Bacon said. "When we came for a visit, we immediately fell in love (with the community). Everything is so green, there are parks nearby and (the development) has its own pool. It feels like were on a permanent vacation."
      When the couple first chatted on the Internet, she lived in the Midwest and he was in Seattle. They arranged a meeting in Phoenix last April and instantly hit it off.
      They selected the Allegheny model, a 1,234-square-foot single-story home with three bedrooms and two baths.
      The Allegheny is sold out, but the development has two other floor plans, priced from $137,490.
      The two-story Cumberland has three bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths in 1,620 square feet.
      Another two-story home, the Blue Ridge, measures as large as 1,972 square feet with four bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.
      Interior features include plant shelves, a choice of cabinet finishes, and polished-brass lever door hardware.
      Exteriors feature two-car garages and front-yard landscaping with irrigation systems. The homeowners association handles the front-yard maintenance.
      "The way (Pacific Homes) uses the ceilings, it gives the illusion the home is much bigger than it actually is," Bacon said. "(The home) is very airy and open. The master bedroom is huge and there is a ton of cabinet space in the kitchen."
      The couple eventually wants children, but in the meantime they are using the extra bedrooms as an office and guest room.
      The two new homeowners have found other residents as well as employees at the development to be friendly.
      "Everyone we've met -- including the sales staff -- has been very courteous and kind," Bacon said. "It feels good to be here. We considered (buying this home) an investment."
      To visit, take Lake Mead Drive to Valle Verde Drive, head south to Paseo Verde Parkway and turn right. Proceed to Desert Shadow Trail, head right to Dakota Station Lane and turn right. The sales office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Monday, when it is open from noon to 6 p.m.
      Pacific Homes is also developing condominiums, apartments, townhomes and other single-family homes in Las Vegas.