[MadManofBethesda]

Flew into Vegas today and spent the afternoon looking at properties in Spanish Trail (SFH & TH). What an absolutely gorgeous area! From within the development one would never suspect that they were in the middle of a desert. Winding waterways populated by ducks and Canadian geese and well-maintained lush landscaping everywhere. And of course, where there is landscaping, there are landscapers. And they were everywhere! We drove up to one house and there were five - count 'em, five - people cutting the relatively small lawn in front.

We stopped by the country club and walked through the clubhouse as well. Two very nice restaurants and an elegant bar offer a variety of venues and dining options with great views of the golf course with the strip in the distance.

Ah, but there is a price for all of this. The HOA fee ranges from $400-$500 a month, plus there is an additional fee of roughly $300/month for a social membership for the country club.

As noted, the area is very nice. But is it worth an extra $700 - $800/month? That is a question to be answered in the coming days. We have until next Tuesday to make a decision on this trip. If we don't find a house, then I may delay my Feb 3rd retirement and schedule another trip for next month. We've already sold our house in Bethesda and are living temporarily in a condo in D.C. I don't want to go from one temporary residence to another

Tomorrow morning, we're off to see a few properties in Canyon Gate and a couple in Summerlin.

[BobKovacs]

Well, if you can afford a house in Spanish Trail, I'd think $800/month for HOA fees and a country club membership is peanuts. That said, Canyon Gate and any other guard-gated country club community will have similar fees (plus or minus), so if that's the lifestyle you're looking for, I don't see how you're going to get away from paying for it.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Does Spanish Trails still have a rat problem? IIRC some homeowner imported an exotic tree and ended up unknowingly importing some exotic rats with it.

[jjameson922]

Spanish Trails is personally one of my favorite areas. The downside for me is the surrounding area is not considered one of the best zipcodes and has a high incidence of crime and also because the homes are older, they do not, in most cases, have the big open floor plans with a great room I prefer. I don't know what age you are but you did mention retiring and I'm wondering if you have ever looked at the 55+ community of Sun City Summerlin? It is not as lush and elegant as Spanish Trails but it has so much to offer and is very nice with some homes going over 1 mill. Plus, it's in a much desired zipcode and HOA dues run only about $90 a month for everything that is offered; clubhouses, community pools, tennis courts, beautiful well kept grounds, 2 golf coarses, 2 small restaurants and roving security. If you are coming in from Maryland and the DC area, you will feel like a kid in a candy shop with what you can buy here for the money.

[healthpub]

Originally Posted by jjameson922

Spanish Trails is personally one of my favorite areas. The downside for me is the surrounding area is not considered one of the best zipcodes and has a high incidence of crime.

Spanish Trails is quite beautiful.
However, as JJameson mentioned, its eastern border (Tropicana/Rainbow intersection) gets interesting once you get into the late PM and early AM hours.

My first year here, I rented an apt on S. Rainbow Blvd in the SW part of town (89139).
I work at UNLV and am on campus sometimes till 10-11PM.

My first month, I wanted to get a good feel for the streets at different times of the day, so I avoided the highway as much as I could.
To travel from work back to my apt I would use Tropicana (westbound) to get to Rainbow, then Rainbow (southbound) to my apt.
So I was in that area quite a bit in the 11PMish hour for a good month ... Nothing violent or dangerous, just questionable characters hanging out, especially at the Smiths (a grocery store) parking lot on that Tropicana/Rainbow intersection.

With all that said, I don't believe any of that POTENTIAL riff-raff spills into Spanish Trails.
I recommend driving around that area for 7-10 minutes between 9-11PM a couple evenings, if you have the time. Again, nothing horrific, but worth knowing.

[Willy702]

Spanish Trails isn't a great value relative to other high-end areas because of the timing of its construction. Owners in there had equity before the housing bubble began so not as many foreclosures there as you see in some newer areas of Summerlin and Anthem, among others. I mean it is nice behind that gate, but some of the prices just strike me as way too high when considering what's available elsewhere.

[skisickie]

Listen to the sun city hint
closer to my favorite TBones steak house and no border issues
good luck

[SoHoVe]

If you are looking for an upscale older established area Spanish Trail is VERY nice. The surrounding area isn't really anything to worry about. I LOVE that neighborhood, its one of my favorites.

[PinkString]

Spanish Trail is very nice, but older area surrounds it. Canyon Gate is also very nice, and the surrounding area is still pretty good.
Why not check out Club Aliante right across from Sun City Aliante here in upper North Las Vegas. Guard gated and very nice homes. Right across from the golf course as well.

[MadManofBethesda]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, everyone. We've been really busy the last three days looking at houses from morning to night. We've now narrowed our choices down to six properties: 2 in Spanish Trail, 2 in Desert Shores, and 2 in Summerlin. We're going to spend today going back and looking at those 6 in more detail and then hopefully deciding to select one and write up an offer tomorrow.

As for the suggestions for the 55+ communities, we're actually just a little too young for there. On our last trip out here in September we toured Sun City Summerlin and Siena, figuring that if we liked it we could buy a property and then just rent it out for a year or so until we were eligible to move in. However, the activities there seemed to be more geared to the 60-70 year old (and older) crowd, and we didn't think it would be right for us at this time (maybe in 10-15 years).

Thanks again for your comments/suggestions.