Realtors choose Tuscany master plan

Jeff and Lee Ann Mix wanted a bigger home for themselves and their three sons: Zachary, 18, Kemper, 9, and Levi, 8. As real estate professionals, they said they were also looking for a home that would not only be a good deal, but a good investment. "We found the perfect home in the La Luna I neighborhood at Rhodes Homes' Tuscany Residential Village," Jeff Mix said.

"Tuscany's amenities are phenomenal," Lee Ann Mix said. "Most master-planned communities have expensive homeowners association fees and Tuscany's is very affordable, especially for what you receive in return."

At Tuscany, HOA fees include a 24-hour guarded gate, the 35,000-square-foot recreation center and cable.

"We wanted the security of a gated community for our kids, along with a protected investment," Jeff Mix said. "We like the fact that Tuscany has no special or limited improvement district fees, called S.I.D.s or L.I.D.s, which can cost homeowners thousands per year."

The Mixes, both Realtors with ReMax Associates and owners of the Web site VegasHomesandCondos.net, recommend the Rhodes-built development to many of their clients. "We see a lot of houses," Jeff Mix said, "but nothing is better than this for us."

"It has an absolutely perfect floor plan," Lee Ann Mix added.

The Mix family's new two-story La Luna I Residence 3431 includes five bedrooms and an attached casita.

The family room offers a great-room layout with separate dining room. The home has four baths, a powder room and three-car tandem garage.

The second floor offers a deck area at the end of the hallway, a vestibule at the head of the stairs that opens into a loft, a brief hall in front of the master bedroom and a master sitting area. The master bedroom includes a room-sized walk-in closet adjacent to the master bath. The third bedroom also includes a walk-in-closet.

"The entire area is being redeveloped, with businesses, like a new Target store, being built in Henderson. We're also really close to Lake Las Vegas," Jeff Mix said. "We gave a lot of thought to where we wanted to live and this is the best place for us. We're also aware that Rhodes Homes has a great reputation."

Brian Braboy, sales agent at La Luna I, said that when real estate professionals choose their own homes, it says a lot about the product. "They're wearing both hats -- homeowner and investor. They know the product is good and the area is appreciating at a fantastic rate."

Seven model home communities, comprising 22 models and over 33 floor plans, ranging from 1,724 to 4,392 square feet, are now open in Tuscany. Floor plans include three-story townhomes, single-story, two-story and three-story homes with lofts, and great rooms with island kitchens.

Prices begin in the high $200,000s.

When Tuscany Residential Village is complete, a road that loops through the 18 distinct neighborhoods in the 18-hole, Ted Robinson Jr.-designed golf course community will bring together an estimated 6,000 residents living in nearly 2,000 homes.

The 35,000-square-foot recreation center, La Vita Tuscana, is under construction and will be open to homeowners of the community. The facility will include a basketball court, two racquetball/handball courts, fitness room, meeting rooms, card room, billiards, tennis courts, lap pool, lagoon pool, children's play area and picnic area.

To visit the models, take Lake Mead Drive past Boulder Highway to Mohawk Drive and turn left. The office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

For more information, call 873-7287 or visit RhodesHomes.com.