Summerlin is hotspot for age-qualified communities

Q: I am looking to buy a home in Las Vegas. Everything I read says Summerlin is one of the best communities. I’m looking for a retirement home. Are there any age-qualified communities in that area? I’m not so much into golfing, but I do like to hike a lot.

A: You’re in luck. As someone who lives and works in Summerlin and has sold many homes there over the years, I can tell you it’s home to some of the most popular age-qualified communities in Southern Nevada.

Examples include the well-established Siena and Sun City Summerlin communities. Construction is also scheduled to start this year on Regency at Summerlin, a new age-qualified community being built by Toll Brothers in the southernmost part of Summerlin. It will be the first age-qualified, single-family neighborhood built in Summerlin in more than 15 years.

I know you said you’re not much of a golfer, but Sun City Summerlin and Siena offer golf course living. And both of them are close to the scenic Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which offers some of the best hiking and climbing in the region.

Beyond Summerlin, other local age-qualified communities that offer similar amenities, sometimes with lower home prices, include Sun City Aliante in North Las Vegas and Sun City Anthem in Henderson.

Sun City Summerlin is probably one of the best-known age-restricted communities in Nevada. Developed by Del Webb Corp. starting in 1990, it now has 7,779 homes in a variety of styles and more than 12,500 residents. It offers three golf courses and four social and recreation facilities for its residents, among many other amenities.

Siena offers more than 2,000 homes for active adults older than 55. According to its website, Siena is a private, “gate access-controlled community” surrounding a public 18-hole championship golf course. Residents enjoy a wide array of amenities, including a health and fitness center, community center, salon, spa, pools, bocce courts, horseshoe pits, pickleball and tennis courts.

Home prices in these communities have generally been more stable than the overall local real estate market though demand sometimes exceeds supply — especially when the most recent statistics from the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors show less than a four-month supply of homes available for sale throughout Southern Nevada. A six-month supply is considered ideal.

Heidi Kasama, branch manager, Summerlin office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Nevada Properties.