Trip to theater leads buyers to Siena Vista

Bob and Iris Bell, who moved to the United States from England in 1980, know the ins and outs of buying a new home. The Bells owned several homes in England before moving to Los Angeles and then on to Las Vegas, where they live at Pulte Homes' Siena Vista neighborhood.

The neighborhood is within Southern Highlands, a master-planned community in the southwestern valley. Plans for the Southern Highlands community include more than 40 acres of parks, more than 100 acres of open space, and a variety of trails. In addition there is a 220-acre private golf course.

Floor plans range from 1,418 to 2,665 square feet. Floor plans offer three or four bedrooms and two or three baths.

The Bells selected the 1,662-square-foot, single-story Villa Odorno model.

"We were on our way to see a movie one day and decided to take a look at homes in Southern Highlands," Bob Bell said. "We came across Siena Vista, and when I saw the single-story model, I said to my wife, `This house is exactly what we've been looking for.'

"After looking at the various models, we chose the Villa Odorno plan because the outside looks like a winery," he said.

The Bells added that they liked the great room and kitchen.

"We especially liked the layout of this house, and we opted to turn the third bedroom into a den," Bell said. "Overall, the home-buying process was very pleasant and smooth and the house was ready on time, right down to the day."

Homes at the neighborhood feature nine-foot ceilings, six-panel interior doors, ceramic-tile flooring at entry, solid-surface kitchen counter tops, structured wiring systems with central hubs, covered patios and soft-water loops.

Kitchens offer appliances including exterior-vented microwaves; built-in ovens and cook tops; and furniture-finish cabinets with concealed hinges, roll-out trays and adjustable shelves.

"Homes in Las Vegas are much more luxurious than homes in England," Bell said. "Some of the bedroom sizes of homes in England are as big as my walk-in closet."

Prices start from the $170,000s to the low $200,000s.

The sales office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Monday, when it opens at noon.

To visit, take Interstate 15 to Blue Diamond Road and go west. Follow the road to Decatur Boulevard, go south to Somerset Hills Avenue and turn left.

Each of the homes in the neighborhood features the builder's Environments for Living energy-efficient building technology.

In addition to being recognized as Energy Star homes by the Environmental Protection Agency, each offers a two-year heating and cooling guarantee.

Pulte Homes offers 12 active developments in Southern Nevada. The company has operations throughout the United States, and in Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico, where it is the fifth-largest builder.

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