Charity run leads to Aliante home purchase

An early morning run for charity led Lisa and Jim Merrell to Aliante, a master-planned community in North Las Vegas.

"Finding Aliante was a very interesting experience for us," Lisa Merrell said. "Every year we run the (Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) Race for the Cure, and last May we dedicated our run to Jim's parents, who both died from cancer. I told Jim, `If you are going to get me up at 5:30 in the morning, I'm going to have to have pancakes.' So, he took me for breakfast and while we were reading the paper, we noticed that Aliante was having its grand opening that day. I have a degree in community studies and I love visiting master-planned communities. So I suggested, that after the race, we drive out there."

The couple had no intention of buying a home that day, until they visited Pardee Homes' Seasons neighborhood.

"When we entered the Plan 1-A, it felt as though I had walked into my fantasy dream home," Merrell said. "It looked exactly like my vision of the perfect home. The irony was that we had no plans to buy at all. But we decided to put our name on the waiting list anyway."

The Merrells eventually decided to sell their condominium in the northwestern valley.

"But first, we looked at homes all over the valley, just to be sure we were making the right decision," Merrell said. "Finding Aliante and Seasons was truly a dream come true. We love this community; it is so well designed and offers so much for residents of all ages."

Aliante comprises 1,905 acres and features a main village and an age-qualified village. In addition to Pardee, builders in the main village are D.R. Horton, KB Home and Pulte Homes. Del Webb is developing the age-qualified Sun City Aliante.

Homes are priced from the $150,000s to the low $400,000s.

Nearly 430 acres are designated for recreational and public purposes including the Aliante Golf Club, a public facility; and the 20-acre Nature Discovery Park. Two additional city parks and trails will be developed. Two elementary schools and a middle school are also planned.

Roughly 100 acres have been set aside for commercial development offering shopping, dining and professional services, as well as a 40-acre resort hotel with gaming.

Aliante is a development of North Valley Enterprises, an affiliate of American Nevada Co. and Del Webb Corp.

To visit, take U.S. Highway 95 to the Interstate 215 east exit. Proceed to the Aliante Parkway exit then go south. The information center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Real Estate home