Testimonials

"First," he says, "it was location, location, location. Then, the casita allows us to have a rec room for the kids so, when I need to use the house fo my home-based business, they still have a place to play and, to work, I don't have to be ejected from my own house.

"Then, I love the 18,000-foot lot. That's a real rarity here in Las Vegas. It's beautiful and, finally, this is an excellent time to buy a house."

Eiferman also notes that the amenities that come with the home are very attractive. He specifically cited "the phenomenal storage. There's a space under the stairwell - we call it the 'Harry Potter room' - where I have 30 guitar cases. The floor plan is also phenomenal. It allows us to have a fully equipped home theater.

"I had put a down payment on a one-story home because I thought I'd prefer that. But, when I saw this I was sold. It has a million dollar postcard view of the strip. I could charge admission to our parties."

A believer in the Green lifestyle, Eiferman says he's looking forward to his first energy bill. He uses solar power for the pool and the Jacuzzi® he's installed. To achieve the energy savings, Distinctive Homes employs a variety of products. One of these is Cocoon® thermal insulation, designed to embrace the home in, literally, a "cocoon" of safety - it's Class 1 fire rated because it increases a wall's fire resistance up to 55 percent - and comfort. It blocks both air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources, as it is made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper. The home also features large Low-E vinyl windows.

All of the appliances are Energy Star® products, as the company has been an Energy Star builder since the inception of that program 16 years ago.

"Our Jenn-Air; kitchen design," Eiferman reports, "especially the openness of it and the appliances were the reason my friend Jeff Pappas, the consultant for the soon to open Good Vibrations, Beach Boys-themed restaurant up on the Strip, brought the executive chef and the executive team. They used it as a test kitchen for all menu items and then, because of the openness and the great light, used it as a photo studio. All the photos of the food that will be used on the menu were shot there."

Asked how it was to work with the Distinctive Homes team before he moved in, Eiferman is effusive in his praise.

"Shasta, the salesperson, quickly became part relative you love when they come to visit, part cartoon character because she doesn't mess around. She was so much fun to deal with, but there was never an 'i' undotted or a 't' uncrossed.

"They don't mess around. They get it done and they're great to work with."

Now settled in, the family is enjoying their new home. Eiferman adds, "In addition to the great location, it's a great neighborhood. There's a good bunch of kids here, so my children are happy.

"It was a good decision to move here."

The Heralds spent a great deal of time over the past several months looking for a home here and, they say, when they saw Canyons Estates Plan 3240, a four-bedroom ranch with a casita, their decision to buy was instantaneous.

He says, “I’ve been in construction all my life and I’ve built houses. This is a well-built excellent product.”

Nancy adds, “We’d been looking for an open floor plan. When we walked in and saw this we just said, ‘Yes! This is it!’

“We’ll be having a lot of family to visit but, aside from that, it will just be us living here. The wide-open plan allows us to talk to each other, to see what the other person is doing, and be involved with each other even when we’re in different places. It is ideal.”

The Heralds have already begun to decide on uses for each room. “The front bedroom,” Nancy says, “will be an office. The back bedroom facing the back yard will be a craft room for me where I can sew and do my genealogy research. The casita will be for family and guests. If necessary, a family member could live there”

They also liked the lot size. He points out, “We wanted a big lot. This was the really the only place of all we looked at that had everything we were looking for. We love to spend time outside by the pool we put in. The outdoors is important to us.”

Among the amenities that appealed to the Heralds are the energy saving features that are standard in all Distinctive Homes.

“The insulation, for example, is more than they are required to build in,” Bob observes. “I have these same Low E windows in my home now that they have here. When we first went to see the home in December, it was 34 degrees outside. The heat in the house was not on and it was a nice 71º in there.”

Distinctive Homes employs a variety of other energy-saving products. One of these is Cocoon® thermal insulation, designed to embrace the home in, literally, a “cocoon” of safety — it’s Class 1 fire rated because it increases a wall’s fire resistance up to 55 percent — and comfort. It blocks both air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources, as it is made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper.

Since the Energy Star® program was launched 16 years ago, Distinctive Homes has been on board, providing compliant appliances that both protect the environment and save the homeowner money because they are so efficient to run.

As they bought a house that is still being built, the Heralds believe, “The people here at Distinctive Homes — Shasta, our salesperson, and everyone else — has been outstanding. They keep us posted and current on what’s going on and they’ve all bent over backwards to help with anything we might want.”

Even though they’re about to retire, the Heralds say they didn’t consider a retirement community. Nancy Herald says, “We never considered living only with people over 55. We’re going to miss our old neighborhood. It’s very tight-knit, even though the majority of people are in their 30s, we all socialized, had barbeques together. We’ve already met a neighbor in Canyons Estates who is so friendly. We’re looking to create a similar atmosphere when we move to Las Vegas.

“We think, with this house, we’ve found everything we’re looking for. We’re looking forward to moving into our wonderful new home in October. We cannot wait.”

“I saw it and liked it immediately. It appealed to me because, being single, I liked the open floor plan. I don’t need a formal living room and a dining room. It’s easy to adopt the use of space to my needs.”

In addition, Ifland notes, “I liked the architectural styling. It so much nicer than some of the plain boxes I saw with other builders. And the paver stone outside is a very nice touch.”

Also appealing to Ifland are the energy-saving features in his home. “That’s important to me. In summer, I must admit, I like to keep my house super-cool and I want to keep the energy bills as low as possible.

“The winter energy bills were great,” he added, “especially compared to where I was living in the Midwest.”

To help him and other homeowners in their communities keep their energy bills as low as possible, every Distinctive Home boasts appliances that are all Energy Star® certified. In fact, Distinctive Homes has been an Energy Star builder since the program began 16 years ago. The air conditioning systems in their homes is rated 15 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). This is above the current Energy Star standard of 13 SEER and serves to maximize efficiency and keep costs down. The homes also feature Low E vinyl windows.

In addition, the homes feature Cocoon® thermal insulation, designed to embrace the home in, literally, a “cocoon” of safety — it’s Class 1 fire rated because it increases a wall’s fire resistance up to 55 percent — and comfort. It blocks both air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources, as it is made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper.

Of course, when someone chooses to buy a home in a particular community, they also opt for a particular part of the city. And Jim Ifland is very pleased with his choice.

He says, “Location was one of the things for which I chose the home. Things are being built here so it’s always changing and, being by the 215, I can get to the airport in 15 minutes. My office on the Strip is an easy commute.

“I live on a cul-de-sac and it’s quiet with people of all ages.”

Finally, he says, working with the Distinctive Homes team was a very positive experience. “Renee, the salesperson, was great. She always checked that things were going well and dealing with her was easy. This was a good choice for me.”

“I looked for almost two months and one day my realtor said, ‘I want to show you something. It’s not Summerlin but it’s a new development that’s really nice. I came to Springs Ranch, went into their model 1835 and I just fell in love.”

The client services manager, who is single, adds, “I really liked the openness downstairs. And I fell in love with the kitchen. I didn’t cook at lot before, but I love to cook now.

She moved into her house in September and says, “Another thing that drew me to the house — and that I appreciate more the longer I live here — is the way the light comes in. The house is bright and, because of that, it feels like there’s a lot of life in it.”

The openness, the light and the kitchen are just a few of the features that sold her.

“The way the house is laid out is very appealing. The floor plan for the first floor is wonderful and,” she says, “I like how the house looks in the front. There’s real character there. It’s more than just a garage with some windows on the second floor. You get a sense of the real design; that someone took some trouble to make it look good.”

Iglesias was also drawn to the many energy-saving features offered by Distinctive Homes in their communities.

“Aside from all the other features I liked, the energy saving features are really what sold me. The way our planet is these days it was an important thing to me. Other places I looked at may have had these, but I didn’t notice it. Here, the builder is so proud of what they offer that they make sure everyone who looks is aware of these things,” she believes.

All of the appliances are Energy Star® certified and, in fact, Distinctive Homes has been an Energy Star builder since the program began 16 years ago. The air conditioning system in all Distinctive Homes communities is rated 15 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). This is above the current Energy Star standard of 13 SEER and serves to maximize efficiency and keep costs down. The homes also feature Low E vinyl windows.

In addition, the homes feature Cocoon® thermal insulation, designed to embrace the home in, literally, a “cocoon” of safety — it’s Class 1 fire rated because it increases a wall’s fire resistance up to 55 percent — and comfort. It blocks both air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources, as it is made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper.

Iglesias also likes the flexibility in the three-bedroom house that also has a loft. “The loft will be a lounge area with a pool table and flat screen TV. I have room for a guest room and an office.

“When I was going to purchase,” she recalls, “I looked ahead to the time when I settle down and have a family. This house will accommodate that. For now, though, while I really enjoy being with my family and friends, my house is a place to retreat.”

Finally, Kenia Iglesias says, “Everyone I worked with at Distinctive Homes has been wonderful. They made the whole process of buying the house and moving in a complete pleasure.”

They chose Plan 1559, a two-story, three-bedroom, 2.5 bath home that also has a tech loft, a convenient upstairs laundry room and a large pantry.

Asked to list the things they like best in the house, they say, “We like the style, the design and the location in southwest Las Vegas. It’s close to everything.”

Rosario Abelito adds, “I like this house because, to me, it’s comfortable and cozy. I can’t imagine anything better.”

Vincente Abelito listed more practical reasons: “I like the style and the floor plan. And I like the energy savings.”

The latter feature — the energy savings — is the one area of a Distinctive Homes community in which builder Anthony J. Musso takes special pride. “Energy costs are an important consideration that anyone buying a home should take in to account,” he says. “We use every product we can to save our buyers money in that area.”

That is why all of the appliances in the home are Energy Star® certified and, in fact, Distinctive Homes has been an Energy Star builder since the program began 15 years ago. The air conditioning system in all Distinctive Homes communities is rated 15 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). This is above the current Energy Star standard of 13 SEER. The homes also feature Low E vinyl windows.

In addition, the homes feature Cocoon® thermal insulation, designed to embrace the home in, literally, a “cocoon” of safety — it’s Class 1 fire rated because it increases a wall’s fire resistance up to 55 percent — and comfort. It blocks both air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources, as it is made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper.

Do all these features save energy and money? The Abelitos are quick to answer in the affirmative. “We set the air conditioning at 75 degrees in August, when it was very hot here,” Vincente Abelito says. “Our electric bill was only $80. That’s amazing. We’re saving a lot of money compared to what we paid in New Jersey.”

Though they’ve only been here a short while, the Abelitos and their 12 year-old daughter are enjoying Las Vegas. “This house is the number one thing that made us decide to come here,” Mr. Abelito adds. “In New Jersey were renting a house and it would have cost a half-million dollars for a 50 year-old house in decent condition. Here you can get a custom home for $300,000. We love it.

“We will be here for a long, long time,” his wife notes. “This will be our last residence before we retire to Philippines. And, maybe, when we do, we’ll give the house to our kids.”

I went back to France because I had one month left on my contract.  We faxed back and forth to Distinctive Homes.  We then came back and worked in Jubilee right away.  We moved into our new home March 1st.

They knew I had to work via email and fax and Distinctive Homes was very cooperative with us to finalize our new home purchase.

I love the bricks and the paver stone driveway; the guest room has a walk-in closet; this is important; there’s enough storage area to include pantry and clothes.  Big laundry room; included landscaping with the home; all we had to do was call the landscaper; they will add our patio with the paver stones in the back.

We could have a family here; when we looked we planned for the future; the home came with everything.  We didn’t have time to go shopping; Smaller community, which I like.  It’s going to feel like a smaller community; We love that there are no street lamps but, instead, the lights on the houses are the source of light on the houses. Close and easy for us to get to work; Made loft with TV room; "