Distinctive Homes built for warmth

Las Vegas is located in the desert, with temperatures in the triple digits during the summer months. However, residents in Las Vegas also experience cold weather as well. In 2008, the Clark County School District had to close schools due to snow. Distinctive Homes' Canyon Estates offer homes built for all kinds of weather.

Bob and Nancy Herald researched a number of homes before they moved to Las Vegas from California. With construction experience, Bob Herald knew what he wanted and they chose Canyons Estates for many reasons, including the energy savings, according to Bob Herald.

"The insulation in the homes is more than they are required to build in," he said. "I have these same low-e windows in my home now that they have here. When we first went to see the home in December, it was 34 degrees outside. The heat in the house was not on and it was a nice 71 degrees in there."

"We are a local company. Las Vegas is our community and, from the beginning, we have built our homes with an awareness of the unique Las Vegas climate and weather," said Anthony J. Musso, president and founder of Distinctive Homes.

"Energy costs are an important consideration that anyone buying a home should take in to account," he said. "We use every product we can to save our buyers money in that area and to keep them comfortable in the desert heat."

Each Distinctive Home features Cocoon thermal insulation, which is Class-One, fire-rated because it increases a wall's fire resistance up to 55 percent as well as providing insulation. It blocks air infiltration and convection currents to increase energy efficiency and reduces nuisance noise while it preserves natural resources since it made from nearly 80 percent recycled paper, according to Musso.

Canyons Estates homes also features low-e, vinyl windows, sealed-tight duct work and programmable thermostats.

The exterior of every home is fully sheeted with oriented strand board sheeting. Made from the same material as plywood, OSB is resin-reinforced to provide additional sound reduction and thermal performance and to make the house structurally stronger.

Each Distinctive Home undergoes energy Inspection for Energy Efficient Construction by an independent third-party inspector. This ensures compliance with Energy Star construction standards and verification of installed materials. This is done during construction and at the house's completion.

All of the appliances are Energy Star-certified and Distinctive Homes has been an Energy Star builder since the program began 18 years ago.

"We understand that homebuyers want cost-efficient, energy-efficient homes," Musso said. "We also understand that they want all possible amenities to make living in a home fun and easy. Our dedication to the comfort of the homebuyer doesn't stop at construction and appliances.

"Our homes provide the most energy-efficient construction that results in the most cost efficiency," he said.

"But, along with that, our homes are gracious, spacious, adaptable to individual families' needs and fun to live in. All of these factors are important when choosing a home and all of them are taken into consideration when we design a home. But it all begins with the construction and, in construction, we are second to none."

Homes are priced from $400,000s.

To visit, take Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, south to Las Vegas Boulevard, turn west on Warm Springs Road to the corner of Valley View Boulevard and Warm Springs. The sales center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

For more information, visit dhlv.com or call 658-5050.