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COPYRIGHT 2007 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Byline: Tony Illia
Jul. 29--An hour commute was once considered outrageous here. Today, it seems normal.
Many locals already spend that much time on the Las Vegas Beltway every day. Home builders are now betting big that residents will add to their drive time for a larger home and better lifestyle. Outlying rural towns, as a result, are rapidly becoming bedroom communities to the Las Vegas Valley.
A rural commute offers certain advantages. Home buyers, for instance, can get a larger residence with a bigger yard. Many newer Las Vegas homes are three-level, detached structures on tiny lots. The building footprint often leaves no space for a front or backyard. But rural communities like Pahrump, Mesquite and Coyote Springs offer single-story homes on up to quarter-acre lots.
Clark County is caught in a severe drought. Lake Mead, the valley's primary water source, has dropped 95 feet during the last seven years. The county, in response, has banned new golf course construction. Golf course homes consequently sell for a premium.
Rural communities, by contrast, don't face similar water-related dilemmas. Mesquite, for example, draws water from the Virgin River as opposed to the Colorado River like Las Vegas. Pahrump is in Nye County and Coyote Springs is largely located in Lincoln County. Unlike Clark...
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