"A friend of mine bought a house here and was happy," she said. "The sales people were courteous and helpful, and the homes were beautiful, so I decided this was the place for me as well."

Johansen said she and "her significant other," Justin Rivera, who is a Realtor, love the mountain views Tuscany provides and the fact that the community is a short driving distance from the heart of Las Vegas. She said they also liked the development's "sense of community."

"When I first came to check out Tuscany as a place to live, I was working as a sales rep for another builder," she said. "The company I worked for was a huge company and they didn't have the sense of personal focus on customers that Rhodes Homes has. I was impressed with the level of service I received. In fact, the sales rep who sold me my home is now my partner at Zanetti because I decided I would rather work in a friendly environment where the customers come first. Luckily, they had an opening."

Zanetti features five layouts of single-story homes, starting at $249,325.

"Rhodes Homes is different from other builders because they know what people want, and that's what they build," Johansen said. "And right now, people want single-story homes, and they want amenities that are close by," she said.

"Tuscany has everything so it's low-maintenance for the homeowner. The rec center has several large pools and a fitness center, so people don't have to worry about pool upkeep or traveling to work out. The golf course meanders through the community, and even if you're not a golfer, it's nice to live in such a beautifully landscaped area."

Tuscany Residential Village will have 18 neighborhoods at build-out. A loop road winds through the neighborhoods in the 18-hole, Ted Robinson Jr.-designed golf course community, linking about 6,000 residents living in nearly 2,000 homes.

The recreation center, La Vita Tuscana, includes a basketball court, two racquetball/handball courts, fitness room, meeting rooms, card room, billiards, tennis courts, lap pool, lagoon pool, children's playground and picnic area.

To visit the models, take Lake Mead Drive past Boulder Highway to Mohawk Drive and turn left. Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, call 873-7287 or visiting rhodeshomes.com.