Southern Highlands · Downsizing
Downsizing in Southern Highlands
One level, less to take care of, and a neighborhood that fits the next chapter. Single-story and 55-plus, without the luxury pitch.
Downsizing in Southern Highlands: what the south end offers
Downsizing in Southern Highlands is a search for a downsizer who wants to stay at the south end of the valley, near the airport and the 15, in a newer master-planned community, and who is not looking for an age-restricted neighborhood. Southern Highlands is not built around the 55-plus model the way Anthem is, so the single-story homes here are mixed into regular neighborhoods, fewer in number than Anthem's, and they carry the premium single-story homes carry everywhere in the valley because more people want them than there are houses.
The list downsizers bring me is the same here as anywhere: one level or close to it, less yard, a payment and an HOA that do not need thinking about, doctors within a reasonable drive, and a decision you only make once. Southern Highlands answers the airport and the newer-home parts of that well. For choice in single-story inventory and the 55-plus communities, Anthem is a few minutes east along the 215, and the honest comparison between the two is worth making before you decide.
Tell me what the next house has to do
Why Southern Highlands downsizers work with me
I am John Arendt, a Realtor with Compass Realty & Management, and I have sold homes across the Las Vegas valley for 20 years, Southern Highlands among them. Because I also work Anthem, Henderson and Boulder City, the three places downsizers most often compare against staying on the south end, I can tell you plainly whether Southern Highlands is the right answer for your list or whether the single-story choice in Anthem is worth the few extra minutes east.
Most downsizers I work with are also sellers of a house they have owned a long time, so this is a sell-and-buy and the same person runs both ends: the real number on the family house, The Week One Launch to sell it, the search for the next one, and every date on both calendars watched by me. You will not get pressure, a timeline promise or a luxury pitch. If the right answer is to wait for the right single-story or to look at Anthem instead, I will say so.
How downsizing in Southern Highlands goes, step by step
The first conversation is about the list: one level, how much yard, whether an age-restricted community appeals to you at all, and what you use most in a week. If it does appeal to you, Southern Highlands is not the answer and Anthem is where we start. If it does not, and staying near the south end matters, we look at the single-story plans here and I tell you how often they come up, so the wait is a known quantity.
Then the house itself, where I check what one level on paper does not always deliver: a sunken living room or a step down to the garage, doorway and hall widths, a walk-in shower versus a tub, the lot against how much yard you actually want, and the age of the air conditioner and roof, which in a newer Southern Highlands home is usually the good news. The full single-story checklist is here.
On the selling side, the family house gets the real number and the marketing starts day one. Then the sequencing, which with the equity most long-time owners have is often easier than for a move-up family, and which I lay out with your numbers. The Boulder City versus Henderson comparison names the list every downsizer is really working from, and it applies here too.
Southern Highlands against the other places downsizers look
Against Anthem: fewer single-story homes here and no 55-plus communities, in exchange for staying closer to the 15 and the airport in a community that is not built around retirement. Against Henderson more broadly: less range in home age and the older single-levels of Green Valley are not here. Against Boulder City: choice, newer homes and the airport ten minutes away, in exchange for the small town. Downsizing in Henderson and downsizing in Boulder City cover the other sides of those decisions.
If you are weighing them, drive Southern Highlands and Anthem on the same weekday, then call or text 702-881-6562, tell me what you are selling and what you want the next house to do, and I will tell you which I would choose and how I would time the move so you only make it once. More about Southern Highlands and downsizing across the valley are here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there 55-plus communities in Southern Highlands?
Southern Highlands is not built around the age-restricted model. If a 55-plus community appeals to you, Anthem, a few minutes east along the 215, has Sun City Anthem and Solera, and I will tell you when that is the better answer.
Can I find a single-story home in Southern Highlands?
Some plans are single-story, mixed into regular neighborhoods, fewer than in Anthem and carrying the usual single-story premium. I will tell you how often they come up so the wait is a known quantity.
Do I need to sell my family house before buying the smaller one?
Not always. Many downsizers have enough equity that selling first with a rent-back or buying first with a short bridge are both possible. It still needs a plan, and I lay out the options with your numbers.
Southern Highlands
What downsizing looks like in Southern Highlands
Southern Highlands sits south of the Strip and often gives you more house for the money than a comparable Summerlin address.
Southern Highlands is a master-planned community south of the Strip off the 15 that often gets a buyer more house for the money than a comparable Summerlin address, with the airport closer.
- The homes
- A master-planned community south of the Strip that often gets you more house for the money than a comparable Summerlin address.
- Why people choose it
- Move-up families comparing it against Summerlin on price, and buyers who work south or near the airport.
- Getting around
- South end of the valley off the 15, with the airport closer than it is from Summerlin.
- The trade-off
- Against Summerlin: you trade Red Rock proximity and Downtown Summerlin for more square footage at the same price.
The method
How I do it in Southern Highlands
Downsizing: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with John Arendt, Realtor?