William Lyon bridges two countries

According to Canadian Serge Bellio, it was his golfing friend that prompted him and his wife, Lori, to visit the Mountain Falls master-planned community in Pahrump.

"We didn't even know that Pahrump or Mountain Falls existed until a friend told us about it," Serge Bellio said. "My friend used to go on golf junkets and would come to the Mountain Falls golf course and he told us about the community.

Its amenities, location and home designs led to the Canadian couple's purchase of a second home with their son, Reino Bellio, who lives in San Francisco.

"Although I golf and I liked the course, that is not the reason why we decided to buy a home here. We decided to buy a home because of the total package of Mountain Falls. We were impressed by the good home prices and investment potential, the amenities and the location. We decided to take advantage of the opportunity with our son, Reino, and purchased a home together."

A single-story home by William Lyon Homes met their needs of a secondary residence with two bedrooms, den and two baths. The backyard features a covered patio with grill and views of nearby mountains.

"I love our house. William Lyon Homes and our sales agent, Debbie Davis, have been wonderful and treated us very well," Serge Bellio said. Several of their friends have bought homes at Mountain Falls, according to Serge Bellio.

Mountain Falls' location 45 miles west of Las Vegas influenced their decision. Their new home now serves as both a vacation residence and a convenient meet-up location for the elder Bellios and Reino Bellio.

"I have always enjoyed visiting Las Vegas and so have my parents," Reino Bellio said. "I used to fly to Canada to see my parents, but now we just all fly to Las Vegas and meet here at Mountain Falls. It is a very convenient place for us to meet in a vacation-like atmosphere because it's less than a two-hour flight for me from San Francisco and an over a two-hour flight for my parents.

"For us, we view Mountain Falls as a vacation destination and it's basically a place where we can all come and relax. There's a pool, a great golf course, restaurant and residents' clubhouse all within the community. And Las Vegas is just over 40 miles away," he said. "Buying the home together at Mountain Falls just made sense financially because it provided a lower cost for each of us."

The Bellios golf at the 18-hole, par-72 public Mountain Falls Golf Club, where daily greens fees as well as annual, six-month, three-month and monthly golf passes are available to residents and nonresidents and include cart use.

They have dined at the nearby Mountain Falls Grill Room, which is open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Like other residents, they have access to the Mountain Falls residents' facility that features a fitness center with club-quality exercise equipment and classes; an outdoor aquatic center with a family-style pool, interactive splash pad, a 25-yard lap pool and spa; a multipurpose room; and a residents' lounge for social gatherings with card tables, pool tables and a big-screen television.

William Lyon Homes, the community's master developer, offers the Bella Sera, Cascata Ancora and Tramonto neighborhoods, where single-story homes range from 1,157 to 2,897 square feet and are priced from $99,000. The sales offices are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Monday, when models open at noon.

Classic Homes' Paradiso neighborhood offers five single- and two-story floor plans with up to 4,300 square feet. Office hours at Paradiso vary.

To visit from Las Vegas, travel about 45 miles west on Highway 160 (Blue Diamond Road) past Interstate 15. Before reaching Pahrump, turn left on Manse Road. Proceed to Hafen Ranch Road, turn right and follow the signs.

For information, visit mountainfalls.com.