Local chooses The Villages at Southern Highlands

As a 20-year resident of Las Vegas, Christy McGirl is well-connected. Last year, she decided the time was right to purchase a home. Among her many friends are several realty agents, all of whom encouraged her to visit The Villages at Southern Highlands in the southwestern valley.

"We took a drive out to Southern Highlands and I got the plans for the subdivision. The more I talked about it, the more people I knew were actually buying out here, and now I have about ten friends that live out here," she said.

McGirl moved into her new home two months ago in The Heathers, a gated neighborhood by Kimball Hill Homes that is priced from the $150,000s. One of the things that attracted her to the community was its location.

"It's so close to everything because the freeway's right here," she said. "I liked the convenience ... to the Strip ... and the airport..."

An executive for Kimball Hill Homes, Lee Venable, said the community's location also influenced his company's decision to build two neighborhoods there. The Capparola neighborhood is set to open in the next few months with prices starting from the $150,000s.

"We've always been very careful about choosing our locations, and that's why we moved to Southern Highlands. Let's face it, in real estate it is all about location, location, location," Venable said.

Fifteen different builders are constructing homes in the community. Prices range from the $130,000s to the $400,000s.

Residents will have access to several parks, the first of which, The Goett Family Park, is under construction and scheduled to open at the end of March. The 5-acre park will contain a playground, basketball and sand volleyball courts, soccer field, shaded picnic area, barbecue area, and benches.

Also under construction is The Linear Park Paseo, a 9-acre park that will connect to a planned trail system which will link the neighborhoods with other amenities.

Plans also call for more than 50 acres of parks, miles of trails, private and public schools, fiberoptic communications, a marketplace, retail, dining and medical facilities.

To visit, take Interstate 15 to the Lake Mead Drive exit, head west and follow the signs.

The models are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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