[MediocreButArrogant]

FWIW, if you buy a retirement home now while you're in your 30s, you may find your lifestyle/health/interests change quite a bit between now and when you retire, making the home you buy today unsuitable as a retirement home.

For instance, you may find that a two-story home is just not an option 20 years from now.

Our vacation home here has a pool and stays covered most of the year, and is only used from mid-August to early October. It's taken years, but I think I've just about perfected the method of keeping it covered so it doesn't require any maintenance 10 months out of the year.

I've also got the name of a good home watch guy if you need it. He comes by as often as needed and picks up mail, flyers left in the door, lets me know about any non-junk mail received, flushes all the toilets, makes sure there are no leaks, tells me about any landscape issues so I can inform the landscape service, etc.

[ddrhazy]

A condo would be a better idea as there is less hassle. If you are still set on buying a house; lower your budget to 400-475k. Plenty of nice properties in that range.

[Jukesgrrl]

Originally Posted by ddrhazy

A condo would be a better idea as there is less hassle. If you are still set on buying a house; lower your budget to 400-475k. Plenty of nice properties in that range.

Oh, yes. I'd love to have a condo next door to him when he's bringing guests with small children from California every other weekend. Or all of his relatives hanging out with him for Thanksgiving weekend. He said he wants a house and he needs a house ... with his own pool.

[foundapeanut]

BTW my neighbor told me Spanish Trails sold their golf course?

Good Lord - hope they aren't looking at the situation others are.

OP - go in with your eyes wide open. I don't know where you are from. But when we first moved here we found ourselves saying 'we ain't in KS anymore.'

Seven Hills is great! Sterling Ridges is excellent!

[Coco6163]

Originally Posted by foundapeanut

BTW my neighbor told me Spanish Trails sold their golf course?

The golf course is owned by the Country Club. The Club was sold in 2015. This was a very positive development for both the Club (of which I am a member) and the community (where I live). Here is the story that appeared in the RJ.

[JonathanLB]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

Comeon - You and I both know you do not buy big houses for rentals. They are disasters. Half the cap of 1000SF condos and if you want to speculate on the appreciation you go with small sfrs.

They are establishing a home away from home...not an investment portfolio. And I bet it will end up used a lot more than 5 days a month.

My mother had a little place in Montauk NY. Worth about 700,000. The family maintains it now that she is gone and it is in mostly continuous use. She actually lived there her last ten years renting out all the three apartments in her Bronx triplex. And when it gets sold the house will likely be torn down and replaced with a 1.5 million Mcmansion. It is not on the beach but a block away up hill with a commanding view of the sound.

So let people invest in more than money...

Exactly.

At one point I had planned on buying a vacation condo in Vegas for similar purposes, to use about once a month or even once every 6-8 weeks for maybe 4-5 days. I wouldn't care if it's not a "good investment." Some people need to get out of their own head a bit, consider not only does everyone have different goals, everyone has different investments. I literally have at least 10 different investments, some of which are very large, so I really don't care about another investment at this point. I care about enjoying life. Staying at hotels in Vegas is fun, yeah, but having a place to call your own when you get there has its own benefits. Especially a private pool.

It's the same thing if in the future I travel frequently to Los Angeles for work, I'm going to pick up a small condo in Burbank. I don't care about the investment, what I care about is that it's almost impossible to sleep in hotels because of their shoddy construction quality, constant noise, lack of proper temperature controls, sometimes not even proper blackout drapes. You can't beat having a place with your own stuff and that's actually yours.

Plus, if you plan to retire to your Vegas home one day, it's a good investment frankly.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by terroirnosaurus

To be honest, ddrhazy kind of scared me off!

Just kidding -- I think we are dead set on getting a property in LV. It's probably not the best use of money, but really to make a second home and to be closer to family we have out there. It is a bit concerning that it may be difficult to sell in the event we need to at that price range, but we never expect to make money from real estate. We're not in a huge rush, but we are planning to do a scouting trip in the summer and meet a realtor and see a few potential properties.

We're also considering new construction, but are dreading the micromanaging that may have to go on when we get the pool put in and we aren't on-site. We're looking at the remaining William Lyon Sterling Ridge Homes @ The Ridges currently.

I still really do like the concept of Lake Las Vegas, but will have to see it in person.

The maintenance aspect of a second home and the various HOAs also do concern me a bit, as I'm not sure I have a good grasp of exactly what the HOA will take care generally in the various communities vs. what I'll need to take care of.

I'm wondering if we should start off with a nice condo first with lower maintenance and see if a home is really meant for us. I really like Queensridge, but the HOA is 2K, and it seems like I won't take advantage of the amenities given I won't be there all the time.

Will keep you all updated! Thanks for all the ideas.

If you can buy a property with a pool already installed, do that rather than have one installed if possible. Installing my pool was the worst.

I like Desert Shores as was recommended upthread. I dig the lakes, and it's so close to so much good food. Spanish Trail in Spring Valley is close to everything. Southern Highlands has great views. Best of luck!

[palepeople]

Lake Las Vegas was hit hard in the Real Estate Market crash, but is rebounding - it is the most resort-like, but also the most far from your connections. Also, I hear from friends, that Southern Highlands has a lot of vacant homes - nice for getting a good deal, but worrisome for leaving the property unattended.

[bayview6]

Buy in a small gated community like Maderia Canyon or Anthem.