Cupid fires arrows at homeowners in Antelope

Debi Miller purchased a home at Antelope by Lennar. The Jersey City, N.J. native spent time in Las Vegas visiting her ailing mother and her father who had lived in the valley for many years.

"After my mother passed away, I returned to New Jersey, but something was drawing me back to Las Vegas. I couldn't get it out of my mind," she said. So, much to the amazement of her New Jersey friends and family, Miller decided to sell her home and move to Nevada.

"Something was pulling me here. I can't explain it. I didn't even have a job. I just moved," she said.

Miller moved into the Eland model, a 1,540-square-foot split-level design with exterior stairs leading to the home's mid-level covered entry. An interior foyer serves as a prelude to the home's upper floor, which includes the great room living areas, kitchen, dining, master suite and powder room. The home's lower floor features two additional bedrooms, a full bath and two-car garage.

"I loved the floor plan. The downstairs bedrooms make a perfect, private space for visiting family and friends," she said. "I really live on the upper floor. It's a lot like having a single-level home in that respect."

Turns out she got more than just a home.

Meanwhile, Mark Caudillo, who had just accepted a position at the Nevada Test Site, purchased a home in the same neighborhood. He selected the Roan floor plan that measures 1,302 square feet and includes two bedrooms, loft, 21/2 baths and a one-car garage.

Every day Miller, who had just started working for the Hebrew Academy, would take her dog Snickers for an exercise run around the neighborhood and through the community park. She began running into Caudillo and before long they were talking casually over the phone.

"I just didn't think I was really interested in dating or going out," she said. "I was kind of enjoying my quiet life. I kept declining his offers of dinner, a movie, but one day he called and invited me to a ball game and something made me say, 'yes.' I'm so glad I did."

Caudillo agreed.

"We became friends. Then our relationship deepened. We seemed to fit right in. It was always easy to talk and relate. We went through that transition from being on your best behavior to being yourself. We were at ease with one another from the very beginning."

"But, now we're really in a pickle," Miller said. "We are one couple with two houses."

Antelope is a gated community featuring a pool, spa and resident's clubhouse.

Home prices start in the $200,000s with four home designs, all of which are Energy Star-certified. The two-story floor plans range from 1,302 to 1,775 square feet.

Standard upgraded amenities include granite kitchen countertops, raised-panel oak cabinetry and a stainless-steel appliance package that comes with a range, dishwasher, microwave and refrigerator.

To visit, take U.S. Highway 95 to Durango Drive, turn west to Frontage Road (Oso Blanca), then north to Severance Lane. Go west and make a right on Grand Canyon Drive. The community is at the corner of Grand Canyon and Gilcrease.

Model homes and sales office are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Monday when they close at 3 p.m. For more information, call 395-9161 or visit lennar.com.