Big Sky Ranches offers plenty of space for casitas

With home sites measuring about one-third of an acre, Pardee Homes offers plenty of space at its Big Sky Ranches neighborhood for an optional detached office or guest house.

"Guest houses, often called casitas, are becoming more popular in custom homes of the southwestern U.S. and California," company executive Rob Tuvell said. "Because the Big Sky Ranches home sites have wide open spaces, there's enough room to build a 500-square-foot detached guest house. Las Vegas is a city whose residents get a lot of visitors, so many buyers prefer to use the casita for its traditional purpose. However, we are also finding that buyers want to use the space for a separate and roomy home office.

"Technology is allowing many more people to work out of their homes today. And even if they are not, they want a comfortable office separate from noises of residential living that still reflects the tastes in the rest of their home."

Special wiring options are available for a home office or home theater.

Four single- and two-story floor plans range from 2,624 to 3,686 square feet with as many as six bedrooms, four baths, and island kitchens.

Homes are priced from $250,950 to $271,450 with the casita options priced from $29,000 to $37,000.

All of the homes include energy-saving features that have earned them the Energy Star designation, allowing home buyers to save more than 30 percent on heating and cooling expenses over standard homes.

To visit, take Interstate 215 west to Rainbow Boulevard and head north one mile north to Patrick Lane, turn left and follow the signs. Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday, when it opens at 11 a.m.

Pardee Homes has built more than 25,000 homes in Southern Nevada over the past 50 years.

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