Summerlin Homes and Real Estate

A short history of Summerlin

Summerlin's story starts with Howard Hughes. In 1952 he bought roughly 30,000 acres along the then-barren western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, reportedly for about $3 an acre, as a possible home for his California-based businesses. He ultimately chose not to relocate, and the land sat largely undeveloped for decades.

After Hughes died in 1976, his heirs formed Summa Corporation (now part of Howard Hughes Holdings), named in part for his paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin. In 1988 the company announced plans for a master-planned community and, before breaking ground, completed a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management in which it gave up 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land in return for 3,000 acres better suited to development. That exchange is a big reason Red Rock Canyon still sits at the community's edge.

Development began in 1990 with Summerlin Parkway, the park and first village, The Hills. The first family moved in during March 1991. The community's own history reports that Summerlin ranked first in new home sales among master-planned communities nationwide for seven consecutive years from 1997 to 2003, and it has returned to the national top ten several times since. Downtown Summerlin opened in 2014, the Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019, and new villages are still being built in the western part of the community today.

How Summerlin is organized: villages

Summerlin covers nearly 36 square miles, so it was planned as a collection of villages instead of one continuous subdivision. Each village has its own mix of homes, parks, schools, and shopping, and many have their own names for the neighborhoods inside them. When someone says they live in Summerlin, the village and the neighborhood matter more than the general name. Here are the ones buyers ask about most.

The Hills and Hills South

The Hills (about 394 acres) was Summerlin's first village, anchored by The Hills Park. Hills South (about 725 acres) was home to the community's first custom home neighborhoods, including Eagle Hills and Tournament Hills, as well as TPC Summerlin, the first golf course, which opened in 1991 and where, according to the community's history, Tiger Woods won his first PGA Tour event in 1996.

The Pueblo, The Trails, and The Crossing

The Pueblo (about 568 acres) is known for its Pueblo-style architecture. The Trails (about 573 acres) includes a community center, parks, and a neighborhood retail center. The Crossing (about 530 acres) is where Summerlin Hospital Medical Center is located, along with business and retail space.

The Canyons and The Arbors

The Canyons (about 754 acres) includes custom home communities, TPC Las Vegas, business parks, and the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The Arbors (about 1,206 acres) is one of the larger villages, with four major parks, a community center, and Palo Verde High School.

The Willows, The Gardens, and Summerlin Centre

The Willows (about 731 acres) includes Willow Creek, a guard-gated custom home community. The Gardens (about 410 acres) is arranged around The Gardens Park and includes the Element hotel. Summerlin Centre (about 1,004 acres) sits near Downtown Summerlin and mixes single- and multi-family neighborhoods with office and retail centers; some of its homes suit a lock-and-leave lifestyle.

Red Rock Country Club and The Ridges

Red Rock Country Club is a 738-acre guard-gated village with about 1,000 luxury homes, two championship golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer, a clubhouse, and a sports club. According to Summerlin's own history, it was developed by Sunrise Colony Company on land purchased from Howard Hughes and is not technically part of the Summerlin master plan, although it is commonly associated with the area. Read our Red Rock Country Club guide.

The Ridges, in southwest Summerlin close to Red Rock Canyon, is a guard-gated community of custom and semi-custom homes. Other guard-gated neighborhoods exist in Summerlin as well, so confirm the gate type (guard-gated or keypad-gated) for any address you are considering. Read our guide to The Ridges.

Newer villages in the west and south

Active building has moved toward the western edge, closer to the Spring Mountains. Villages currently marketed by the developer include Grand Park, Kestrel and Kestrel Commons, La Madre Peaks, Redpoint Square, Summerlin Centre, and The Peaks. Kestrel sits at more than 3,000 feet in elevation, which means sweeping views over the valley. Reverence, a 300-acre village built by a single builder, and the Redpoint and Stonebridge areas are also part of this newer growth. Because lots, builders, and floor plans change frequently, we check current availability with you rather than quoting a list that goes out of date.

Sun City Summerlin and Siena

Sun City Summerlin and Siena are age-qualified communities (generally 55 and older) with their own golf, clubhouses, and associations. The age requirement is part of the community's legal rules, so ask us to confirm the exact qualification, including what is required of every resident, before you make an offer. Read our guide to Sun City Summerlin.

Types of homes you will find

Summerlin has a wide range of housing, and the label "Summerlin" does not tell you which kind you are looking at. The main categories are:

• Production single-family homes make up much of the housing stock across nearly every village.
• Townhomes, condos, and attached homes are concentrated in places like Summerlin Centre, Redpoint Square, and Kestrel Commons, with attached options in several other villages.
• Custom and semi-custom homes are found in neighborhoods such as Eagle Hills, Tournament Hills, The Ridges, Willow Creek, and Red Rock Country Club.
• Gated neighborhoods, either keypad-gated or guard-gated, are common. Guard-gated neighborhoods have staffed entries and usually higher association fees.
• Age-qualified (55+) neighborhoods, including Sun City Summerlin and Siena.
• New construction, most active in the western and southern parts of the community.

Outdoor life: Red Rock Canyon, trails, parks, and golf

Summerlin's biggest lifestyle draw is how close it is to open desert. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area borders the community's western side and offers hiking, climbing, cycling, and camping. Farther to the northwest are the Spring Mountains and the Mount Charleston area, which are noticeably cooler than the valley floor in summer.

Inside the community, a trail system of more than 150 miles connects neighborhoods with parks, schools, and shopping. The community has received an American Trails developer award for its trail design. Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads. Village and neighborhood parks include sports fields, playgrounds, pools, and community centers. Access to the pools and to sports leagues and facility rentals generally requires a Summerlin identification card, which is issued to owners and tenants who live in an area governed by a Summerlin association.

Golf is a major amenity. Courses include TPC Summerlin, TPC Las Vegas, the Red Rock Country Club courses, and the Siena and Sun City courses. Several are private clubs with their own membership rules, so ask whether membership is optional or required for a given neighborhood.

Dining, shopping, entertainment, and culture

Downtown Summerlin is the community's commercial center. It is a 400-acre mixed-use district that opened in 2014 and includes a 106-acre open-air shopping center with more than 125 shops, restaurants, and bars, along with office and residential space. It hosts events through the year, including an annual art festival.

The area also has sports and entertainment venues:

• City National Arena, the practice facility for the Vegas Golden Knights, which also hosts public skating, lessons, and youth and adult hockey
• Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators, the Triple-A baseball team
• Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa (opened 2006), JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa (1999), and the Element hotel (2008)
• Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center (1993) and the Donald W. Reynolds Cultural Center, home to Nevada Ballet Theatre

Everyday life: schools, health care, and getting around

These are the practical details most relocating buyers ask about. They are general; the specifics depend on the exact address.

Schools

Public schools in Summerlin are part of the Clark County School District, which serves nearly all of Southern Nevada. School assignments are based on the exact address, and some Summerlin homes are zoned for schools located outside the community's boundaries. Always verify current zoning with the district for any address you are considering rather than relying on the neighborhood name. The community also has a number of private schools, including The Meadows School, Alexander Dawson School, Bishop Gorman High School, and Faith Lutheran schools, as well as charter options.

For higher education, Summerlin has satellite campuses of the College of Southern Nevada and Roseman University of Health Sciences. The main CSN campus is within about 10 miles and UNLV is within about 20 miles.

Health care

Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, operated by Valley Health System, is located on a 40-acre campus in The Crossing village and has served the community since 1996. Other hospitals and clinics are within a short drive in the surrounding west and northwest valley.

Getting around

Summerlin Parkway (SR 613), which opened in 1990, connects the community to US 95. The Las Vegas Beltway (CC 215) runs through and around the community and links it to the rest of the valley, and Charleston Boulevard leads toward Red Rock Canyon and downtown. RTC Transit runs buses through the valley. The Strip is to the east and Harry Reid International Airport is on the far side of the valley, so drive times vary a lot with the time of day. Test your own commute at the hours you will actually travel.

Climate and desert living

Summerlin has a hot desert climate. For the Las Vegas area, July is the hottest month with an average high of about 104.5 degrees, roughly 78 days a year reach 100 degrees, and the region receives about 310 sunny days and around 4.2 inches of rain a year. Winters are short and mild during the day with cool nights, and snow in the valley is rare, although the nearby mountains get it. Some areas of Summerlin sit at higher elevations than the valley floor.

That climate shapes what to check on any home: the age and condition of the air conditioning systems, roof and windows, pool equipment, irrigation, and any solar system (owned, financed, or leased). Shade, efficient cooling, and good window treatments are part of everyday desert living. Our article on home inspections covers desert-specific issues in more depth.

Water, landscaping, and utilities

Water is a defining part of life in Southern Nevada, and the rules affect how you maintain a yard. The Southern Nevada Water Authority and its member agencies, which include the Las Vegas Valley Water District, set mandatory seasonal watering schedules:

• November through February: one assigned watering day per week
• March and April: three assigned days per week
• May through August: any day except Sunday, and no sprinkler irrigation between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• September and October: three assigned days per week
• Sprinkler watering on Sundays is prohibited in every season

Turf rules and landscaping rebates

A 2021 Nevada law (Assembly Bill 356) prohibits using Colorado River water delivered by the water authority's member agencies to irrigate nonfunctional turf, beginning January 1, 2027, on properties that are not zoned exclusively for single-family residences. This includes certain HOA-managed landscape areas such as streetscape grass. The law does not apply to the grass in a single-family home's own front or back yard, and the water authority offers rebates through its Water Smart Landscapes program for homeowners who voluntarily replace grass with desert-friendly landscaping. Because HOAs may be replacing common-area turf, ask about upcoming landscape projects and any related assessments.

Typical utilities for a Summerlin home include electricity from NV Energy, natural gas from Southwest Gas, and water service, which in most of Summerlin comes from the Las Vegas Valley Water District (sewer and trash arrangements vary by address). Our Local Resources page lists utility companies, as well as lenders, escrow officers, and inspectors we recommend.

HOAs, assessments, and the cost of ownership

Summerlin has layered associations, and understanding them is one of the most useful things a buyer can do. In addition to the city or county, Summerlin is divided into community associations covering the north, south, west, and center. Sun City Summerlin, Siena, and Red Rock Country Club have separate associations. Homeowners pay monthly dues into these associations, and the four main community associations send representatives to the Summerlin Council, which owns and operates the community centers, parks, pools, and sports facilities. Individual villages and townhome communities may add their own HOAs on top of that.

Properties in Summerlin are also in a special improvement district, which pays for public infrastructure and is assessed annually as a bond payment. Ask for the amount and the remaining term of any special assessment before you buy.

Taxes and fees to know

Nevada does not levy a state personal income tax. The combined sales tax rate in Clark County is 8.375%. For owner-occupied single-family homes, Nevada's property tax abatement limits the yearly increase in a property's tax bill to 3% over the prior year's tax, although it limits the tax bill and does not freeze the assessed value. The Clark County Recorder collects a real property transfer tax of $2.55 per $500 of value when a deed is recorded; who pays it is part of the purchase agreement. These figures are set by statute and can change, so we confirm current numbers when you are ready to buy or sell. We are not tax advisors, so talk with a tax professional about your own situation.

Buying in Summerlin with The Perna Group

A good Summerlin search starts with a few decisions: how much association and assessment cost you are comfortable with, whether you want gated access, how much yard or view you need, how new the home should be, and how important a short drive to Downtown Summerlin, Red Rock, or the Beltway is. We use those decisions to narrow villages and then neighborhoods, so you only tour homes that fit.

• We review the HOA resale package with you, including dues, reserves, rules, pending assessments, and any restrictions on solar, rentals, parking, or exterior changes.
• We help you evaluate the home itself: roof, air conditioning, windows, pool equipment, solar contracts, and landscaping.
• We compare nearby sales so you know whether an asking price is supported by what similar homes in that village actually sold for.
• For new construction, we represent you from your first visit with the builder.
• If you are relocating, we can coordinate virtual tours and remote signing.

Selling your Summerlin home

Summerlin buyers compare homes village by village, so a Summerlin-wide average is not a useful price guide. We price from true comparable sales in your specific neighborhood, taking your lot, view, upgrades, condition, and association costs into account.

Nevada requires sellers of residential property to complete the Seller's Real Property Disclosure form describing known defects. It must be given to the buyer at least 10 days before close of escrow, and the seller, not the agent, completes it. HOA documents are also part of the process. We help you gather them early so your timeline is not slowed down at the last minute.

Then comes presentation: preparation, professional photography, and a marketing plan built around the buyer most likely to want your home. Our articles on photos, pricing, and renovating less go into more detail. Request a home value estimate and we will walk you through the numbers.

A moving checklist for Summerlin

Use this list as a starting point when you plan your move:

• Decide which type of home and which villages fit your needs, and set a total monthly budget that includes association dues and any special assessments.
• Get your financing preapproved with a local lender (see our Local Resources page).
• Verify school zoning for the exact address with the Clark County School District.
• Review the HOA resale package, community rules, and any planned landscaping or infrastructure projects.
• Schedule independent inspections, including a closer look at air conditioning, the roof, and any pool or solar equipment.
• Set up electricity, gas, water, trash, and internet service for your move-in date.
• Find your assigned watering days and, if applicable, your Summerlin identification card for pools and facilities.