Every new-construction buyer I walk through a model does the same arithmetic in their head. Base price, minus the incentive, plus a couple of upgrades. It feels like a number you can plan around.
Then the backyard is dirt, the kitchen has no refrigerator, and there is a line on the tax bill nobody mentioned.
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The Sage at Solstice at Sunstone started at $762,950 for roughly 3,280 square feet, four to five bedrooms and a two-car garage. The base price excludes backyard landscaping, most appliances, and window coverings — commonly $35,000 to $70,000 together — and the community carries both an HOA and a SID assessment on the tax bill. Budget the full number before you sit down at the sales office, not after.
- Sage base was $762,950 for about 3,280 square feet — roughly $233 per foot.
- Backyards are delivered as dirt; a finished yard here runs $25,000 to $55,000.
- Richmond American typically includes the kitchen appliances but not the refrigerator, washer or dryer.
- Northwest Las Vegas carries SID assessments on top of HOA — check the balance before you write an offer.
- 92 homes are listed above $700,000 in the northwest right now, so resale is a real alternative.
What Is the Sage at Solstice at Sunstone?
Solstice is a Richmond American neighborhood inside Sunstone, a master plan in the far northwest of the Las Vegas valley. The Sage is one of its larger two-storey plans: approximately 3,280 square feet, four to five bedrooms, three and a half to four baths, and a two-car garage.
The layout's most useful feature is downstairs. A flexible room near the entry works as a study or converts to a fifth bedroom with a full bath beside it — which is the difference between a house that can host an aging parent and one that cannot. Upstairs carries the primary suite, secondary bedrooms with a Jack-and-Jill bath, a loft and the laundry.
According to Richmond American Homes, the builder operates multiple Las Vegas-area communities with plans that repeat across them, so a Sage in one neighborhood is not automatically priced like a Sage in another. Confirm the community, not just the plan.
What Does the Sage Actually Cost in 2026?
At the time of our walkthrough the Sage at Solstice started at $762,950. On roughly 3,280 square feet that is about $233 per square foot, which is competitive for a home of this size in the northwest.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $762,950 |
| Approximate square footage | 3,280 |
| Base price per square foot | About $233 |
| Bedrooms | 4 to 5 |
| Bathrooms | 3.5 to 4 |
| Garage | 2 spaces |
| Stories | 2 |
Builder pricing, incentives, lot premiums and included features change constantly — that figure was accurate when we filmed and should be treated as a starting point for your own conversation, not a quote.
Which Costs Does the Base Price Not Include?
This is the heart of it. A base price buys a finished house on a finished lot. It does not buy a finished property.
| Item | Usually included | Typical additional cost |
|---|---|---|
| Front-yard landscaping | Yes, builder-installed | — |
| Backyard landscaping | No — delivered as dirt | $25,000 to $55,000 |
| Kitchen appliances | Range, dishwasher, microwave typical | — |
| Refrigerator | Usually not | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Washer and dryer | Usually not | $1,600 to $3,500 |
| Window coverings | Almost never | $4,000 to $12,000 |
| Lot premium | No — priced separately | $10,000 to $90,000 |
Add the middle column honestly and a $762,950 base becomes a $800,000 to $835,000 project before a single design-studio upgrade. That is not a criticism of the builder — it is how production building works valley-wide — but it is the number people should be planning against.
Why Is Backyard Landscaping the Biggest Surprise?
Because it is the largest single line and the easiest to postpone into a problem.
A Las Vegas backyard on a lot this size is not a weekend of gravel. Desert landscaping done properly means grading, irrigation, hardscape, plant material, lighting and often a block wall extension — and in this climate an unshaded yard is unusable from June to September without some kind of cover. Across the NREG closings we've represented in new construction, finished backyards on comparable lots have run $25,000 to $55,000, with pools pushing well past that.
The trap is financing. Landscaping is not part of the mortgage, so it comes out of cash after you have already spent your reserves on the down payment and closing costs. Buyers routinely close in spring, look at the dirt in July, and wait a year — which is a year of a house you cannot fully use.
Our lot premium negotiation guide covers the related question of what you are actually paying for on the lot itself, which is worth reading before you pick one.
Are Appliances Included in a Richmond American Home?
Partly, and the gap is specific.
Kitchen appliances — range, dishwasher, microwave — are typically part of the package. The refrigerator, washer and dryer usually are not. That is standard across most production builders in the valley, not unique to this one, but it surprises buyers every single time because a model home is fully staged.
Practically that is $3,000 to $7,500 on the day you move in, for three things you cannot live without. Ask the sales office to write down exactly which appliances convey, and check whether an incentive can be applied toward them — sometimes it can.
What Are SID and LID Fees in Northwest Las Vegas?
This is the one that catches people after closing, because it does not appear in the sales office at all — it appears on the tax bill.
According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, special assessments are levied separately from ad valorem property tax. Special Improvement Districts fund the infrastructure that made the community possible: roads, sewer, utilities, flood control. The cost is assessed against the parcels that benefit, and it is paid down over years alongside property taxes. According to the Clark County Treasurer, special assessment balances are looked up by parcel, which means you can check the exact remaining balance on a specific homesite before you commit to it.
Two things matter. First, the balance is per parcel — two lots on the same street can carry different amounts. Second, it is often payable in full at any time, so you can either carry it or clear it, and that choice changes your monthly number materially.
We wrote about this in depth for the southeast valley in our SID and LID fees guide; the mechanics are the same in the northwest even though the communities differ.
How Much Is HOA at a Community Like Solstice?
Master-planned communities in the northwest typically carry a community association assessment, and neighborhoods inside them sometimes add a second sub-association fee. Ask for both figures in writing for your specific address — a quote that names only one is incomplete, and this is a routine source of budget surprises across the valley.
What the assessment buys varies enormously. Some communities fund trails, parks and events; others fund little more than street maintenance. Ask what the money does before you judge whether the number is high.
What Do Builder Incentives Actually Cover?
Incentives are real money, and they are rarely a discount on the base price.
The most common forms are closing-cost assistance and a rate buydown through the builder's affiliated lender. Both have genuine value — a buydown on a $760,000 loan can be worth far more over the first years than an equivalent price cut — but they usually require using that lender.
That is not automatically bad. It is worth pricing against an outside lender rather than accepting on faith. Get a written quote from each, compare the total cost over the years you actually expect to hold the home, and remember that according to Freddie Mac, the Primary Mortgage Market Survey publishes the average 30-year fixed rate weekly — that is the benchmark to measure any offer against, not a number in a brochure.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, buyers are entitled to shop for their own lender and title services, and comparing Loan Estimates side by side is the intended mechanism. Use it.
How Do Lot Premiums Work at a Community Like This?
The lot is priced separately from the house, and in the northwest the spread is wider than most buyers expect.
A standard interior homesite carries no premium. A corner, an oversized pad, a position backing open space rather than another home's block wall, or anything with a genuine mountain view is priced up — commonly $10,000 to $90,000 in valley communities at this price point. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Clark County remains one of the faster-growing large counties in the country, and sustained demand is exactly what keeps premium lots priced as scarce goods rather than as options.
The judgement call is whether the premium survives resale. In our experience the ones that hold value are the ones a future buyer can see from the back door: open space, a view, no neighbour's window looking in. The ones that fade are premiums for square footage on a pad you cannot use — an extra thousand feet of side yard reads as maintenance, not amenity.
Ask which specific homesites are available, what each premium is, and what the builder's own release schedule looks like. A premium lot in the current phase sometimes has an equivalent coming in the next one at a different number.
What Does the Total Monthly Actually Look Like?
Base price is a bad proxy for affordability here, because two of the costs sit outside the mortgage entirely.
| Line item | Monthly estimate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $4,000 to $4,400 | Rate-dependent — check the current PMMS |
| Property taxes | $440 to $560 | Abatement-capped after the first year |
| SID assessment | $60 to $200 | Parcel-specific; payable in full at any time |
| HOA (community plus sub-association) | $85 to $220 | Confirm BOTH tiers in writing |
| Insurance | $120 to $220 | Varies with coverage and carrier |
| Utilities, summer peak | $300 to $520 | Two-storey, west-facing glass runs higher |
According to the Clark County Assessor, Nevada's abatement caps the annual increase on an owner-occupied primary residence, which makes the tax line unusually predictable once you are past year one. The SID line is the one that varies most between two houses on the same street, and it is the one nobody quotes you.
How Does the Sage Compare to Northwest Las Vegas Resale?
Right now there are 113 active listings in 89143 and 318 in 89166, the two northwest ZIPs around the Sunstone area, with 92 homes listed above $700,000 across them. That is a real alternative pool, not a theoretical one.
| Consideration | Sage new build | Resale above $700K |
|---|---|---|
| Backyard | Dirt — $25K to $55K after close | Usually finished, often with a pool |
| Appliances | Refrigerator, washer, dryer excluded | Typically convey |
| Window coverings | Not included | Typically included |
| SID balance | Usually near full | Often partly paid down |
| Warranty | Full builder warranty | Expired or partial |
| Move-in | Build or standing inventory | 30 to 45 days |
Of the 789 homes we closed in 2025, the buyers who were happiest with new construction were the ones who priced the finished property — yard, blinds, appliances and all — before comparing it to a resale. The ones who compared base price to resale price were comparing two different things.
What Does the Flex Room Downstairs Actually Solve?
More than its square footage suggests.
A downstairs room with a full bath beside it is the single most requested feature among relocating buyers with aging parents, and it is the one most floor plans at this price handle badly. The Sage puts it near the entry rather than off the great room, which means a guest has a door to close and the household keeps its main living space.
If nobody is coming to stay, it is a study and a good one. If someone is, it is the reason to choose this plan over a comparable four-bedroom. Our buyer resources walk through how to weigh flexible space against pure square footage.
Who Is the Sage Actually Built For?
Three households, and it fits them differently.
The relocating family with a parent joining them. The downstairs bedroom-plus-bath is the whole reason to choose this plan, and it is worth more than the two hundred square feet it occupies. Across the 9,600+ transactions Nevada Real Estate Group has closed, multigenerational demand has been one of the most consistent drivers in the northwest specifically, because the price per foot still allows a spare suite that Summerlin at the same budget does not.
The family that needs bedrooms more than finish. Four to five bedrooms plus a loft at roughly $233 per foot is genuinely competitive. If your priority is doors rather than a design-studio kitchen, the base house does most of the work.
The buyer who wants a finished property on day one. This one should think hard. Between the backyard, blinds and appliances you are looking at a second project after closing, funded in cash, in a house you have already stretched for. A resale in the same band frequently arrives with all three handled — that is not an argument against building, but it is the honest comparison.
The plan fits poorly for someone who wants single-storey living. It is a two-storey with the primary up, and no amount of loft compensates if stairs are the constraint.
Where Is Solstice at Sunstone?
Sunstone sits in the far northwest of the valley, past the established parts of Centennial Hills and toward the edge of the developed area. That location is the whole trade.
You gain newer everything — schools, retail, road surface — plus mountain views and quieter streets. You spend more minutes reaching the Strip corridor, the airport and downtown. For a household working remotely or in the northwest, that is close to free. For someone commuting to the Strip daily, it is real.
According to the Clark County School District, attendance is assigned by address and boundaries shift as new phases open, so confirm the current assignment for your exact address rather than the community.
What Should You Ask Before You Sign?
Seven questions, in the order that protects your budget:
What is the total with lot premium and the options I actually want? Not base. The number on your contract.
What is the SID balance on this specific parcel, and can it be paid off? Public information, parcel-specific, and it changes your monthly.
Which appliances convey? Get it written down.
What does a finished backyard cost here? Ask the sales office for local landscaper referrals and get two quotes before you close, not after.
Both HOA figures? Community and sub-association, current amounts, plus any scheduled increase.
What is the incentive, and what does it require? Usually the affiliated lender. Price it against an outside quote.
What is the realistic delivery window? Ask what has actually closed in this neighborhood over the last two quarters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Sage at Solstice at Sunstone?
It started at $762,950 for approximately 3,280 square feet at the time of our walkthrough — about $233 per square foot. Builder pricing, incentives and lot premiums change frequently, so treat that as a starting point rather than a quote and confirm the current figure with the sales office.
Does the Sage come with a finished backyard?
No. Like nearly all Las Vegas production homes, the backyard is delivered as dirt. A properly finished desert yard on a lot this size generally runs $25,000 to $55,000 depending on hardscape, shade structure and plant material, and it is not financeable through the mortgage.
Are appliances included?
Kitchen appliances such as the range, dishwasher and microwave are typically included. The refrigerator, washer and dryer usually are not — plan on $3,000 to $7,500 for those three. Ask the sales office to confirm in writing exactly what conveys.
What is a SID and will I have one?
A Special Improvement District funds the infrastructure that made the community buildable, and the cost is assessed against benefiting parcels and paid alongside property taxes. They are common in newer northwest communities. The balance is public and parcel-specific through the Clark County Treasurer, and it is frequently payable in full at any time.
Should I use the builder's lender?
Often yes, because the incentive is usually tied to it and a rate buydown can be worth more than an equivalent price reduction. But price it against an outside lender first and compare Loan Estimates side by side — you are entitled to shop, and the comparison costs you nothing.
Is a new build or a resale better value in northwest Las Vegas?
There are 92 homes listed above $700,000 across 89143 and 89166, so resale is a genuine alternative. Resale usually arrives with the yard, blinds and appliances already handled and often a partly paid-down SID; the new build gives you a full warranty and your own choices. Compare the finished cost of each, not base price to list price.
How much should I budget beyond the base price?
For a home at this size and price, $35,000 to $70,000 covers backyard, window coverings and the missing appliances before any design-studio upgrades or lot premium. Buyers who plan for that number are the ones who enjoy the house in year one.
Which Sources Inform This Guide?
Model specifications and pricing reference our own walkthrough of the Sage at Solstice at Sunstone and published information from Richmond American Homes. Figures were accurate at the time of filming and change frequently.
Market context comes from active MLS inventory in ZIP codes 89143 and 89166 and from Las Vegas REALTORS, which publishes Southern Nevada median price, closed units and inventory monthly. Mortgage rate benchmarks reference the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey and the policy backdrop published by the Federal Reserve.
Special assessment balances and property-tax mechanics reference the Clark County Treasurer, the Clark County Assessor and the Nevada Department of Taxation. Lender-shopping rights reference the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, building permits and inspection the Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention, and school attendance the Clark County School District. Household and growth context references the U.S. Census Bureau.
Transaction observations come from Nevada Real Estate Group's own closings across Las Vegas new construction. Pricing, incentives, assessments and rates move continuously — verify any figure here against its source before acting on it, and call (702) 637-1759 if you want the full number run against a specific homesite.
Ready to price one properly before you walk into a sales office? Start with current listings, read our new construction guide, or contact us and we will pull the lot premiums, the SID balance and the real finished cost first.
