Young couple buy Lennar home

Tracy Wurm and Abraham Shebah said Diamond Creek at Mountain's Edge, a new master-planned community in the southwestern valley, is a perfect match for their busy lifestyle.

Shebah is a recent University of Southern California graduate and is interviewing for positions. Wurm just graduated from UNLV and begins medical school at Touro University in Henderson next month.

The young couple said they decided to buy a home instead of renting.

"It just didn't make sense to spend $1,200 or $1,500 a month to rent an apartment," Wurm said. "So, we started looking in the Mountain's Edge area because we both have family nearby."

The couple chose the two-story, 1,872-square-foot Marquis floor plan with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a two-car garage. They selected a C elevation with stone exterior trim and a lot located on a corner at the end of a cul-de-sac. The home has a walled backyard with a covered patio off the family room.

"When you are starting out, and looking ahead to the costs of four years of medical school, then internship and residency, let's just say that we are watching our money very carefully," Shebah said. "Lennar includes all of the appliances, the refrigerator, the window coverings. When you are buying your first home, that adds up to make a really big difference for us."

The Lennar home includes ceramic-tile floors in the entry, 3-5/6-inch baseboards, 9-foot vaulted ceilings, granite kitchen countertops, a food- preparation island, stainless steel sink, pewter lighting fixture, raised-panel oak cabinetry with crown molding and a built-in desk. These features are included in the price of the home.

"The differences between our home and others that we looked at were just so dramatic," Shebah said. "Our master bathroom has a separate shower, a full tub and dual sinks. That makes a big difference. Those are important features that affect how you live everyday. We are so happy here."

The couple said Mountain's Edge is the perfect setting for their active lifestyle.

"Maverick (their 5-month-old Siberian husky) loves it here," Shebah said. "We think Exploration Park is the greatest. The developers thought of everything. They even feature permanent doggy water bowls that fill from fountains so there is always plenty of water for our dog."

The neighborhood offers four two-story, single-family homes ranging from 1,384 to 1,872 square feet with pricing from the $300,000s. The gated community also features a resident's park with gazebo, children's playground, benches, walking path and picnic tables.

In addition to Exploration Park, which is already open, the master plan will ultimately offer replicas of a Western town, a Native American village and an archeological dig site. There will also be an outdoor amphitheater. The community encompasses 500 acres devoted to open space, parks and trail systems. Parks will also feature a baseball field, basketball court, tennis courts and greenbelt areas.

To visit, take Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, to Blue Diamond Road, turn west to Buffalo Drive, south on Buffalo to Richmar Avenue, then west on Richmar to the community.

The sales office is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Mondays when they close at 3 p.m. For more information, call 260-0804 or visit lennar.com.