House Tour

This is a two-story, four-bedroom single-family residence with three bathrooms and 2,213 sq. ft. of living space, plus 2,733 sq. ft. of yard and a two-car garage. It is located in the Belle Crest subdivision of Shadow Hills, at the northwest edge of Las Vegas. At an elevation of 2,782 feet there is a view of the city to the east and nearby mountains to the west.

Importantly, this house has been meticulously maintained, and everything works perfectly. Several tasteful upgrades have been made with an eye toward the day it goes to a new owner. Please click on any image for a larger view, and click on bold text for a link to that topic.

Recently I converted the front yard from a water-guzzling grass lawn to a water-friendly desert landscape (xeriscape). Water consumption plummeted, and the installation of desert plants and decorative gravel have created a vastly more appealing look. The plants and trees thrive with minimal maintenance.



The Belle Crest neighborhood is a friendly one where people look out for one another, and where homeowners make a real effort to keep their homes and yards attractive. This makes for a better quality of life and helps maintain higher property values in any market. Also, in 2013 the city resurfaced our streets, which greatly enhanced the look of the whole area.

First Floor

At ground level is the living room, dining area, kitchen, TV den, the "Roadrunner Suite" guest bedroom and bath, hallway closet, and utility room. In areas where carpet and linoleum were installed they were replaced with tasteful tile.

Living Room


Living Room & Dining Area


Dining Area & Kitchen


Originally, the kitchen had plain white tile, so this was replaced with a special-order Macadamia Nut color tile and a new sink was added.



The den is just off the kitchen and slightly recessed. There's a cozy gas fireplace in the far corner.


"Roadrunner Suite" Guest Bedroom

Second Floor

The stairs to the second floor have been upgraded with Tuscan tile. At this level is the master bedroom and bath, a loft which can be used as an extra sleeping area, TV room, or library, computer nook with built-in desk, two smaller bedrooms for kids or offices, bath with tub and shower, and a hallway closet. Again, wherever there was linoleum it was replaced with Italian tile.



Master Bedroom



Master Bath



Loft/TV Den/Library



Hallway Nook/Computer Work Station


Bedroom/Office


Upstairs Bath

Garage

The garage holds two cars and has a workbench, plus sturdy wooden shelves for storage. The floor has been coated with a durable stain-resistant epoxy for a cleaner look.

Backyard

The back patio is of stamped concrete stained in natural earth tones. A major upgrade was made with the addition of an easy-maintenance closed patio cover across the entire width of the patio. Antique lighting fixtures with variable control make for a nice setting during evening meals outside.





The original drab cinder block walls were refinished by hand with a "Mission" adobe plaster, then sealed and painted. The grass lawn was replaced by a desert landscape with water-thrifty plants and trees, complete with accent lights for night viewing. One corner features a tropical thatched palapa on a raised pad; the other has a functioning waterfall of natural stone that is home to two decoy Mallards.





A Chilean mesquite tree dominates the center, with a California pepper tree off to one side. Other plants include dwarf oleander, red yucca, pink autumn sage, red and orange Bird of Paradise, asparagus ferns, creeping rosemary, Cape Honeysuckle, and Texas cloud sage.

As an extra bonus, the yard has turned into an oasis for a variety of birds who come daily to splash in the bird bath and gobble seeds. My resident Northern Mockingbird sings his heart out, and hummingbirds swarm the flowers.

Orange Bird of Paradise


Pink Bougainvillea


Red Bottle Brush

Shadow Hills Clubhouse

The Shadow Hills development consists of 911 homes in five subdivisions. Every homeowner pays a monthly Homeowner Association dues which covers common expenses for landscaping and a beautiful clubhouse for all to enjoy. The clubhouse features a central lobby and social room, a kid's pool and a lap pool, a clean, modern gym with high-quality equipment, music, and TVs, and an outdoor BBQ and party area. The facilities may be rented for special events.

Surrounding Community

Within a very short distance are good schools, police and fire stations, and brand-new Majestic Park with ball fields and beautifully landscaped grounds.




Only a few blocks away is the 215 Beltway which skirts the city with direct access to nearby shopping and McCarran International Airport less than a half-hour drive.

Adjacent to Shadow Hills is the developed-from-scratch community of Summerlin, which is recognized as one of America's best-designed communities. Summerlin is host to many new facilities, a state-of-the-art library, fun restaurants, and stores like Best Buy, Borders, and Costco, all tastefully landscaped.

Just five minutes away is the new Red Rock Casino & Spa Resort for great gaming, shows, movie theaters, and a variety of clubs and bars without having to venture into the crowded Strip for a fun evening.

And for the outdoor-minded Red Rock Canyon offers spectacular hiking trails mere minutes from Belle Crest.

Climate & Mother Nature

Las Vegas has some of the best yearly weather conditions in the nation. Similar to other desert towns, Las Vegas has what is called “dry heat”. As you’d expect, temperatures do creep into the 100s during the summer months. However, the low humidity makes the temperatures more bearable. During the winter temperatures range between 50-60F, but on the coldest days temperatures can dip down towards freezing.

Snow is rare, and since Las Vegas is located in the desert precipitation amounts are low.

Mother Nature is kind to Las Vegas, as there are no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no earthquakes, no tsunamis, and at my altitude, no floods.

For further info or questions contact Walt Clayton at waltclayton3@yahoo.com.