Wednesday, March 20, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
THERE aren't many homes in the $100,000 range that offer the security of a gated community and a recreation area to boot.
But Palm Gardens, Rhodes Homes' newest offering of single-story dwellings in southeast Las Vegas, delivers both amenities.
Located on Tropicana Avenue, one mile east of Boulder Highway, the neighborhood features 60-by-105-foot lots and a choice of four floor plans ranging from $99,950 to $120,950, from 1,323 to 2,012 square feet.
Plan numbers correspond to the square footage. Visitors stepping into Plan 1668 are greeted with warm spaciousness. The $110,950, three-bedroom, two-bath home has plenty of room in which to move.
A pleasant flame flickers inside the glass doors of an optional gas-log fireplace between the living and family rooms. Pot shelves extend to the far reaches of the vaulted ceiling.
Large windows add brightness to the atmosphere.
From the ceramic-tile entry, the view extends beyond the living and dining rooms directly into a family room.
To one side, a wide doorway opens into a spacious room that can be used for a den or bedroom.
But it's the family room and kitchen that sell it.
There, a vaulted ceiling and large windows again do their magic, creating a spacious, bright, warm room. It's easy to imagine the family plopping down at the end of the day, enjoying television together while raiding the refrigerator from the nearby kitchen.
The convenient kitchen features a pleasant windowed nook with room for a small table. The kitchen is efficiently designed for work, with counter space and appliances arranged in a step-saving rectangular pattern. A pantry makes food storage easy.
The divider between the kitchen and family room is actually a counter with the sink and dishwasher on the kitchen side. On the family room side, extra counter space with room for high stools makes a convenient spot for snacking or a quick lunch.
The master bedroom is a few steps away via a short hallway.
The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, which continues the overall theme of spaciousness. There's plenty of closet space -- one a wardrobe with sliding doors and another a large walk-in.
The master bath contains two sinks, an oval tub, separate glass shower stall and a water closet for the toilet. The bathroom also feels uncramped, with plenty of room in which two can maneuver.
An attractive, optional sliding glass door opening to a backyard patio adds to the room's brightness.
Out of the master bedroom, the hallway extends to the two-car oversize garage. Off the hallway is a second bathrooom with a tub-shower, sink and toilet. A linen closet is directly across the hall from the bathroom.
Two other bedrooms also are accessible from the hallway. Both bedrooms have roomy closets and large windows, but no vaulted ceilings.
Laundry space and a large closet are the last stop before the door into the oversize two-car garage.
Other aesthetic touches include raised-panel doors throughout the home and ceramic tile in the entries, kitchen and baths.
The exterior of the house contains the same features of all the homes in the development: stucco and a Spanish-tile roof.
All homes are also prewired for garage-door openers, landscaped front yards with automatic watering systems, enclosed 25-by-60-foot back yards, insulated, metal raised-panel doors in the entries and embossed-steel garage doors.
The homes all have three to four bedrooms, two and three baths and floor plans that create the feeling of spaciousness. The smallest model ($99,950) does not have vaulted ceilings. It also doesn't have a shower separate from the bathtub.
What distinguishes the community from others in its price range, however, is that it's gate-guarded around the clock.
The community also has a 2.5-acre recreation area that includes a sand volleyball court as well as two tennis courts, a basketball court, children's play area and a picnic area.
There is no pool or clubhouse.
Currently, homeowners pay a $37-a-month fee which covers the costs of maintaining the common area, the guard and the gate. Once the 600-home community is completed, residents will take over the homeowners association and decide what amenities they want.
Palm Gardens is about one-half mile from the nearest grocery stores on Moutain Vista Drive and Tropicana Avenue. Whitney Elementary School is one mile away. The other closest schools are Lyal Burkholder Middle School and Basic High School, both in Henderson. Zoning matters are still under consideration.
A Citizens Area Transit bus stops right outside Palm Canyon's main gate.
Access to the freeway system and McCarran International Airport is a straight shot west on Tropicana Avenue just west of Boulder Highway.
Depending on which type of 30-year mortgage that a buyer chooses, monthly payments can range from $701.41 to $887.79, including taxes and insurance.
The lowest $701.41 payment is with a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage, with 20 percent down. Those figures are calculated at 7 percent interest rates. Closing costs are $24,838.86.
Rhodes Homes also offers a preferred lender incentive program through Rhodes Realty Inc.
With it, the buyer pays a $1,000 earnest-money deposit that's refunded if the sale is canceled, receives a $1,300 upgraded sod or desert landscape package, pays no more than $300 in appraisal fees and won't be charged any miscellaneous or document preparation fees
Palm Gardens is nearly a year old and is planned in 10 phases scheduled to be completed before 1997.
Phase 4 has just been completed with 220 of the 600 homes built. The company is currently developing land and taking reservations for the next phase of homes to be completed in July or August.
archive
