Builder Creates Mini-Master Plan with Three-Story Homes

Las Vegas builder Astoria Homes takes detached housing up a level.

For Astoria Homes, the phrase "move-up" buyer has taken on a whole new meaning. As the largest locally owned homebuilder in Las Vegas, Astoria is currently gaining widespread recognition for being the first builder to allow new-home buyers to literally move up by introducing vertical detached homes to the valley.

Essentially, the idea was for the company to build on its message "More for Your Money" by creating three-story living - enabling Astoria to offer a buyer more living space without paying for a bigger lot in a city where land is being sold at a premium.

"This is truly an affordability solution," says Sia Howe, vice president of marketing for Astoria Homes. "High density and building upward is more cost effective than spreading out. And the response has been better than we expected - our three-story homes have proven to be the most popular."

The three-story homes can be found at Tapestry, the builder's new 106-acre residential community located in northwest Las Vegas near Centennial Hills Town Center. Construction began in August 2004.

Tapestry will be the result of an interweaving of three neighborhoods: The Avenues, with 551 homes; The Lanes, with 426 homes; and The Courts, with 254 homes. Together the three neighborhoods are designed to ensure a perfect fit for homebuyers at all price points, with 15 unique model home floor plans.

In addition to the three-story floor plans, new to the Las Vegas Valley, Tapestry residences also include kitchens with Whirlpool® appliances, Wilsonart® laminate countertops and Canac® oak cabinetry. All appliances are included as part of the builder's 100% Home package.

The Avenues
Five of the models are for The Avenues, the most affordable of the three communities, which offers two to three-bedroom homes that span up to 1,295 square feet. Priced from the low-$200,000s, the homes all feature one-car garages and either courtyards or decks.

The Lanes
The next step up in square footage is The Lanes, which offers six different models that range from 1,478 to 2,232 square feet and include three to four bedrooms. Two-car garages are standard, and courtyards and decks are accompanied by lofts, bonus rooms or home offices that provide more room for families to grow. These homes are priced from the mid-$200,000s to the low-$300,000s.

The Courts
The last four models are the largest, measuring from 1,987 to 2,479 square feet. Priced starting in the high-$200,000s, they also offer home offices and bonus rooms.

Diversifying the streetscape
All three of the neighborhoods are unified with the help of 18 color schemes created by Miriam Tate & Co. These color schemes, when paired with a variety of 51 elevations, combine to form a total of 918 different residential combinations, ensuring that Tapestry takes on a diverse neighborhood feel. "In addition, we have specially designed plans specific for our corner home sites to add even more diversity and interest," Howe says.

The configuration of the homes in each neighborhood also varies. While homes at The Avenues are front loaded, The Lanes is an eight-pack alley loaded product with paseos, and The Courts is a six-pack alley loaded with wider paseos.

One of Tapestry's three-story offerings, Residence 805 at The Lanes measures 2,232 square feet with three bedrooms, a home office, deck and bonus room.

More is better
Offering buyers more for their money, however, is not something that Astoria measures only in square feet. The features found within the community, and within the individual homes, also go a step beyond the norm.

For instance, Astoria Homes is proud of the fact that they build an Energy Star® certified product. At Tapestry, each of the homes is inspected to ensure it is worthy of the distinction, which to homeowners means a substantial decrease in energy bills. At least 30 percent more efficient than the Model Energy Code, these homes include features such as Milgard® vinyl windows with Low E4™ glass, Rheem® high-efficiency 40-gallon water heaters and Quickflash™ weatherproofing on exterior plumbing and HVAC penetrations.

Giving 100 percent
Astoria also offers what it calls the "100% Home" package. Homes with this package, including all the homes at Tapestry, feature extras such as window treatments, landscaping and appliances by Whirlpool® - including a washer/dryer, built-in microwave and refrigerator - already included in the home, eliminating the need for the costly purchases that must often be made before move-in.

A Triumph
On top of all of these extras, Tapestry goes one step farther with community amenities designed to create a true neighborhood feel. At Tapestry, this means three large parks with three pools and pool houses, as well as grassy covered picnic areas, play systems and basketball half-courts. "All of this creates an atmosphere for getting to know your neighbors and building a community," Howe says.