Tuscan Cliffs springs toward summer

Tuscan Cliffs, a semi-custom community in Southern Highlands, offers options for indoor-outdoor living.

"Tuscan Cliffs is the perfect place to enjoy springtime weather in Las Vegas," sales agent Rob Evon said. "Our commitment to indoor/outdoor living makes outdoor spaces useable all year long, but they are especially pleasant during the spring and summer months."

Each of the four model homes at Tuscan Cliffs is offered with a covered patio and room for a pool and spa as well as a gazebo with some home sites. Each home is also built with an outdoor kitchen that includes a grill, refrigerator, cabinets and granite countertops.

"Our residents love to entertain," Evon said. "When coupled with our gourmet kitchens, the courtyards and patios at Tuscan Cliffs are a fantastic place to spend time with family and friends. The kitchens are large enough to cook for a crowd and have great views to the front, interior and rear courtyards, depending on the plan."

Courtyards are designed to create outdoor rooms that are easily accessed from the home. Many are geared to create a natural flow between interior rooms and outdoor courtyards through disappearing glass doors. These doors, when closed, appear as walls with large glass windows. When opened, they 'disappear' into openings in the walls.

"The outdoor spaces become a more cohesive part of the home, like another living room but with a better view," Evon said.

Fire and water are important elements in indoor/outdoor living. Tuscan Cliffs' model homes all show fire features in their interior courtyards, backyards, cabanas and patios. Used in fireplaces and fire pits, this natural element brings a visually interesting and useful facet to every one of the homes, he said.

Water features shown in the model homes include a pool and spa with a rain shower in the Villa de Franchesca.

This home's pool and spa can be viewed from both the covered patio and a cabana. The spa includes a stepped waterfall as well as stone steps leading directly into the main pool.

In the Villa de Gabriella model, natural stone is used to surround the pool and spa and faux stone boulders complete the look.

"This is one of our most popular water features," Evon said. "There is a wading pool at one end, a lagoon near the middle and a beautiful backdrop for the spa at the far end."

Ranging from 4,328 to 6,001 square feet, Tuscan Cliffs' semi-custom homes provide the ability to design a custom home without the traditional inconveniences and time delays associated with custom home building.

More than 50 configurations are available among the four base models. Each offers a master suite with a separate retreat, an extensive rear patio, central courtyard and common areas designed for families who like to entertain, inside or out.

All of Tuscan Cliffs' home sites measure at least one-quarter acre. Premium lots, including some with views of the valley and others that are oversized, are available.

In addition, each residence qualifies as an Energy Star home, saving owners on their heating and cooling expenses while providing quieter, more environmentally friendly homes.

Base prices start at just over $1 million.

Residents will receive a one-year social membership to the Southern Highlands Golf Club, upon application approval. The club includes a social calendar, spa, resort-style swimming pool and other facilities.

To visit, take Interstate 15 to the St. Rose Parkway exit and go west. Drive north on Southern Highlands Parkway and proceed to Stonewater Lane, then turn left and follow the signs. Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Monday when it opens at 1 p.m. The sales office phone number is 228-8559.