Both millennials and baby boomers are interested in the low-maintenance lifestyle that comes with living in a smaller space. Such condos offer lock-and-leave capabilities, making it easier for homeowners to leave their homes for days or weeks at a time. Some of these homes are micro-condos, smaller spaces that give up breadth for amenities. While luxury townhomes and condos as a whole have helped the Las Vegas housing market grow and attract out-of-state buyers, Summerlin is becoming an enclave for just these types of condos and townhomes.

Toll Brothers recently rolled out Mira Villa, a resort-style community featuring 103 mid-rise luxury condos surrounded by Angel Park and TPC Las Vegas golf courses. The resort-style amenities are the highlight in this gated community, where condos include access to a pool, clubhouse, spa areas, an outdoor fireplace and barbecue area, and access to Summerlin’s trail system. The condos themselves, priced from the high $500s, range from 2,052 to 3,724 square feet and include single-level living, direct elevator access, gourmet kitchens, private garages, elegant master suites, and spacious verandas. Mira Villa is also near Tivoli Village and Boca Park.

Las Vegas Golf Course / Shutterstock

Meanwhile, Fairway Hills in The Ridges is the only condominium development in the neighborhood that offers similar luxury condos ranging from 2,105 to 3,274 square feet and priced in the high $600s. 

Another community now selling is west of the 215 freeway; Coronado by Edward Homes is priced in the low $300s and offers two- and three-bedroom condos ranging from 1,300 to 1,800 square feet. The gated community offers a fitness center, resort-style swimming pool, and private balconies and patios, along with a range of conveniences and luxury features like Carrara marble countertops.

Santa Rosa by CalAtlantic Homes also offers townhomes ranging from 1,488 to 1,845 square feet and priced in the low $300s. Also a gated neighborhood, Santa Rosa includes a community pool and rooftop decks.

Affinity by William Lyon Homes is an attached home community that combines a village lifestyle with an urban twist. The attached homes are priced from the mid $200s to high $400s, and floorplans start at 874 square feet. 

While all of these communities are in somewhat different price ranges, they all have reduced square footage, major amenities, and private decks overlooking the same area of town. This is no accident: Summerlin noticed the national trend and acted on it with home builders who planned to develop smaller homes that don’t sacrifice the luxury that Nevada buyers in master-planned communities have become accustomed to.

Aerial view of Summerlin

“This trend is evident both locally and nationally, and homebuilders in Summerlin are responding with a growing number of condominiums and townhomes in a variety of sizes, styles, and price points, but all with an emphasis on a more carefree lifestyle,” Danielle Bisterfeldt, vice president of marketing for Summerlin, told the Review Journal.” Options in Summerlin range from super luxurious to more affordable.”

The question remains whether this trend will trickle into other price points in different areas of town. It’s possible: CalAtlantic is actively selling Aragon in Southwest. Like Santa Rosa, Aragon has options for smaller square footage: one model is only 1,704 square feet with three bedrooms spread out over two stories. Aragon may be a community of single-family homes, but the smaller floorplans make it possible for homeowners to downsize their living space while retaining luxurious features and amenities. In Aragon, homebuyers can expect prices in the $300s.

Vu by Christopher Homes in MacDonald Highlands in Henderson is another example of the luxury townhome lifestyle that includes views of The Strip. These homes range from the high $800s to over $1 million. Unlike other homes in this price range, Vu envisions what is possible with more economical use of space combined with luxurious amenities like waterfall-edge islands.

While Summerlin will continue to be a community that encompasses most price ranges, builders are noticing the larger trend that upwardly-mobile millennials and empty-nesters crave. Luxury condos and townhomes may not be a widespread trend, at least for now, but it’s likely we’ll be seeing a lot more condos that include more amenities and less square footage for buyers who desire the lock-and-leave lifestyle in any price range. They may not be tiny homes, but smaller spaces on a large scale are here to stay.