Duo: Durango Ranch perfect

Sara Even and Marcus Ross, sound engineers for major Las Vegas production shows, say they “really lucked out” when they found the perfect home for entertaining at Pardee Homes’ Durango Ranch in southwest Las Vegas, which is close to the Strip and the airport.

Ross, sound supervisor for the Blue Man Group, and Even, audio engineer for Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson One,” describe themselves as “huge entertaining people” who sometimes end up with 40 guests for dinner and lots of out-of-town visitors.

“You work hard and play hard, especially in the entertainment industry,” said Ross, who is purchasing his third Pardee home. “We really lucked out. We have an oversized yard that is big enough for an organic garden, a dog run for our two boxers, an outdoor kitchen, a boccie ball court , a swimming pool and a fire pit.”

“At first we thought it was too big,” Even said. “But the kitchen made it for me. With two islands and lots of counter space, no other place we looked at could compare in size and floor plans. And Pardee has the best standard features. Some houses we saw might eventually get to the Pardee starting point only after paying several thousands of dollars extra for upgrades.”

Ross, who has gone through the home building experience with Pardee before , said that is another reason they looked for Pardee’s red banners during their home search. “I know the Pardee experience is really great.”

Durango Ranch is part of the builder’s LivingSmart program that includes standard and optional features that boost energy efficiency, save water, improve indoor air quality and encourage material conservation and the use of recycled or sustainable resources .

The homes feature as many as five bedrooms, optional detached casitas, three-bay garages, Nevada rooms (optional enclosed rooms in lieu of a covered patio), great rooms and optional RV parking pads. Prices start at $425,990.

To reach Durango Ranch from Interstate 15, take Blue Diamond Road/State Route 160 west to Durango Drive. Turn right on Durango and turn right at Pebble Road. The model homes and sales office are on the right.

Sales office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday. For more information, visit www.pardeehomes.com or contact a new-home specialist at 702-604-3332.

Pardee has built homes for more than 40,000 families in Southern Nevada .