Family settles in Mountain Falls

Bobby Kinch and his 8-year-old daughter Amanda recently moved into a home in Mountain Falls, a William Lyon Homes' master-planned golf course community in Pahrump, about 45 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Kinch said he was on the hunt for a quiet community to avoid the traffic, sirens and busy streets he endured while living in the Las Vegas Valley.

"Amanda can play and ride her bike without me constantly worrying about cars zipping up and down the streets," said Kinch, who purchased a 2,495-square-foot home in the Bella Sera neighborhood. "We're surrounded by friendly neighborhoods filled with outgoing people who welcome newcomers and look out for each other."

Moving to Mountain Falls was an adjustment for Amanda, but Kinch said his daughter is making friends in the community. If she's not riding bikes with playmates, Amanda can be found at the pool, he said.

"She absolutely loves the pool. She's like a fish and never wants to get out of the water," he said. "For a change of pace, Amanda likes to run through the splash pad and enjoy the water games. Lots of neighborhood kids hang out at the pools, so it's a great place for her to make friends. You just can't beat the amenities and family activities."

Mountain Falls' aquatic center, which is part of the community resident facility, consists of a family pool area with a free-form pool and splash pad.

Eight interactive water stations feature sprinklers, bucket dumps, jelly jets and water rings. Adults can bask in a 25-yard lap pool and Jacuzzi reserved just for them.

Kinch said he's impressed with Mountain Falls' separate family and adult pools, located just steps from the workout center. The facility houses rows of treadmills, elliptical machines, Stairmasters, exercise bikes and weight-strength machines.

"Even though I keep a membership to a fitness club in Las Vegas, I use the fitness center at Mountain Falls. It's clean, accessible, never busy and perfect for the average family," he said.

Kinch said he enjoys living in a golf course community and may take up the game someday.

"With Mountain Falls Golf Club right here, learning is always an option," he said. "I can see the course out my windows."

Prices at Mountain Falls start in the upper $100,000s, and homeowner association fees are less than $45 a month.

"I purchased a lot more home out here than I could have in Las Vegas, plus we can see every star in the sky with no choppers or planes overhead," he said. "Life at Mountain Falls is great. It's like having a little bit of country with enough city to do things we want and need to do -- with the promise of more to come."

Mountain Falls offers six single-story neighborhoods, 11 floor plans in all. William Lyon Homes offers the Cascata Ancora, Tramonto and Bella Sera neighborhoods. Prices start from the upper $100,000s. Homes range from 1,429 to 2,897 square feet with up to five bedrooms and four baths.

Celebrate Homes' Villa Serena and Villagio communities are currently preselling. Six floor plans range from 1,609 to 2,513 square feet with as many as four bedrooms and three baths. Prices start in the low $200,000s.

Presales are also under way at Tivoli by Desert Wind Homes. Priced from the $200,000s, three floor plans offer 1,938 to 2,097 square feet with up to four bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths.

Another builder, Classic Homes, will debut new product choices soon.

In addition to the resident facility's aquatic and fitness areas, amenities include resident lounge with pool table and a multi-purpose room where fitness and recreational classes are offered for a nominal fee.

The Grill Room at Mountain Falls Golf Club is open to the public and serves breakfast and lunch daily. Dinner is served Thursday through Saturday. Sunday brunch is offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mountain Falls will include numerous mini parks and a 4-mile walking trail.

To visit, travel about 45 miles west on State Route 160 (Blue Diamond Road) from Interstate 15.

The town of Pahrump has become a boomtown in recent years, partly because it tends to be less expensive to buy a home in Nye County than in neighboring Clark County. Some Pahrump residents commute daily to jobs in the Las Vegas area.

Before reaching Pahrump on State Route 160, turn left on Manse Road. Proceed to Hafen Ranch and turn right, then left on Lakeview. The Mountain Falls information center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, call 866-468-3255 or visit mountainfalls.com.