Most new-construction tours show you the upgraded model and quote you the base price. Those are two different houses, and the gap between them is where buyers get hurt. The Tiki at Esplanade at Red Rock is the entry plan into Taylor Morrison's resort-style villa community in Summerlin — roughly $699,000 base for a single-story home with two bedrooms, two and a half baths, a two-car garage, and about 1,500 square feet. It is a genuinely good plan at a genuinely notable price for this address. It is also a home where the model you walk through contains at least six things your base contract does not, and the honest version of this walkthrough is the one that names them before you sit down with a sales counselor.
Nevada Real Estate Group has closed more than 9,600 transactions across the state and 789 homes in 2025 alone, and a meaningful share of those were new builds where the final number landed well above the sticker on the sign. That is the lens this guide is written through.
The Tiki is the entry floor plan at Esplanade at Red Rock in Summerlin: single-story, two bedrooms, two and a half baths, roughly 1,500 square feet, around $699,000 base. Standard finishes are strong — quartz counters, GE stainless appliances, ten to twelve foot ceilings. But lighting, refrigerator, washer and dryer, and backyard landscaping are not included, so budget above base before you write.
- Tiki base is approximately $699,000 for about 1,500 square feet — roughly $466 per square foot.
- Standard includes quartz counters, GE stainless, soft-close cabinets, 10–12 foot ceilings, 8-foot doors.
- Not included: upgraded lighting, refrigerator, washer/dryer, pot filler, custom tile, two-tone paint, rear landscaping.
- Backyard landscaping alone commonly runs $15,000–$40,000 on a Summerlin villa lot.
- Ask for the options list and the HOA budget in writing before you sign anything.
What Exactly Is the Tiki Model at Esplanade at Red Rock?
The Tiki is a single-story villa: two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a two-car garage, and approximately 1,500 square feet of living space. In a community built around a resort amenity core, it is the plan that exists to get you through the gate at the lowest entry number.
That framing matters more than the square footage. Esplanade at Red Rock is a lifestyle-branded community — the value proposition is the clubhouse, the pool, the programming, and the address, and every plan inside it shares those equally. A Tiki owner and an owner of the flagship Sinatra plan walk into the same amenity center on the same terms. What differs is the house.
At roughly $699,000 for about 1,500 square feet, the Tiki prices near $466 per square foot. That is a real number for Summerlin and it is not cheap in absolute terms — but per square foot inside a guard-gated, amenity-heavy villa community with Red Rock at the doorstep, it is the accessible end of the range rather than the expensive one.
What Do You Actually Get in the Base Price?
This is the part most tours skip, so here it is plainly. The Tiki's standard specification is genuinely strong for the price band, and it is worth being specific because "included" is a word builders use loosely.
Standard finishes include quartz countertops, GE stainless steel appliances, and soft-close kitchen cabinetry. The architectural specification is where this plan earns its keep: ceilings run ten to twelve feet, door frames are eight feet, and baseboards are five and a half inches. Those three numbers together are what make a 1,500 square foot home feel considerably larger than its footprint, and they are expensive to add later — which is exactly why it matters that they are standard rather than optional.
That is a better base spec than a lot of homes at this price in the valley. Eight-foot doors and twelve-foot ceilings in an entry plan is a deliberate choice by the builder, and it is the single strongest argument for the Tiki as a value.
What Is Not Included, and Why Does It Matter So Much?
Here is the list the model home does not advertise. Items shown in the Tiki model that may not be included in your base contract: upgraded lighting, the refrigerator, the washer and dryer, the pot filler, custom tile, two-tone paint, and backyard landscaping.
Read that list again with a calculator. Those are not trim details — they are a functioning kitchen, a functioning laundry room, and a usable backyard. A buyer who signs at base and budgets nothing else moves into a house with no fridge, no washer, no dryer, and dirt out back.
| Item | In base? | Typical add cost |
|---|---|---|
| Quartz countertops | Yes | — |
| GE stainless appliances (less fridge) | Yes | — |
| 10–12 ft ceilings, 8 ft doors | Yes | — |
| Refrigerator | No | $1,500–$4,500 |
| Washer and dryer | No | $1,600–$3,500 |
| Upgraded lighting package | No | $3,000–$12,000 |
| Custom tile / two-tone paint | No | $4,000–$18,000 |
| Backyard landscaping | No | $15,000–$40,000 |
Those ranges are planning figures for budgeting, not quotes. Get a written number from the design studio and a separate bid from an outside landscaper before you rely on any of them.
How Much Does the Tiki Really Cost Once You Are Living in It?
Run the arithmetic honestly. Base at $699,000, plus a modest lighting allowance at $5,000, appliances at $5,000, and a restrained backyard at $22,000, and you are at roughly $731,000 before a single structural option. Choose a more finished version — custom tile, two-tone paint, a fuller landscape design — and $750,000 to $765,000 is an ordinary landing spot.
That is not a criticism of Taylor Morrison. Nearly every production builder prices this way, and the base number is what makes the community accessible in the first place. It is a criticism of buying on the sign price.
| Line | Lean | Middle | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base price | $699,000 | $699,000 | $699,000 |
| Appliances | $3,500 | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Lighting | $3,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| Tile / paint | $0 | $6,000 | $18,000 |
| Backyard | $15,000 | $25,000 | $40,000 |
| Approximate all-in | $720,500 | $741,000 | $777,000 |
The spread between the lean and finished columns is about $56,500 — roughly 8% of the purchase price, on a house where the floor plan never changed. That is the real decision in front of a Tiki buyer, and it is a decision about money, not about layout.
Why Should You Budget for Lighting Before Anything Else?
Of every excluded item, lighting is the one buyers most consistently underestimate, and the walkthrough spends time on it for good reason.
Builder-standard lighting in a production home is typically a minimal allowance: a few surface fixtures and the code-required minimum of recessed cans. The model you tour has been lit by a designer, with layered recessed placement, feature pendants, and often under-cabinet work. That difference is not cosmetic in a home with twelve-foot ceilings — tall volume with thin lighting reads as cavernous rather than grand, and it undoes the exact architectural advantage you paid for.
Lighting is also among the most disruptive things to add after closing, because it means opening finished ceilings. This is the category where paying at the design studio is most often the right call rather than the expensive one. In our experience across new construction purchases in the valley, lighting is the option buyers most often skip at signing and most often regret within the first year.
Who Is the Tiki Floor Plan Actually Right For?
Two bedrooms and 1,500 square feet on a single level is a specific product for a specific buyer, and being honest about that is more useful than pretending it suits everyone.
It fits downsizers extremely well. A couple leaving a four-bedroom two-story in Henderson or the southwest, wanting no stairs, a lock-and-leave footprint, and an amenity center instead of a yard to maintain, is precisely the buyer this plan was drawn for. The single-story layout matters more than the square footage for that group.
It fits second-home and seasonal buyers for the same reason — low maintenance, secure, and the community carries the lifestyle. We've represented enough of both groups in guard-gated communities to say that the lock-and-leave argument is usually the one that closes the decision, not the price.
It does not fit a family needing three or more bedrooms, and it does not fit anyone who wants a large private yard. The villa format trades private outdoor space for shared amenity, deliberately. If a big backyard is the point, this is the wrong community regardless of plan.
How Does the Tiki Compare to the Sinatra and the Rest of the Community?
The Sinatra is the flagship at Esplanade at Red Rock; the Tiki is the entry. Both are single-story, both share the amenities, and both carry the same address and the same HOA.
The practical difference is space and the price of space. If your requirement is a third bedroom, a larger great room, or a more substantial primary suite, the Tiki will not stretch to meet you and you should be looking up the range rather than optioning the Tiki toward it. Buyers frequently spend $60,000 in options trying to make an entry plan feel like the plan above it — which is usually the more expensive path to a less satisfying result.
If your requirement is the address, the single level, and the lifestyle, the Tiki delivers all three at the lowest number in the community, and the money you do not spend reaching upward is money you keep.
What Should You Know About the HOA and Ongoing Costs?
At Esplanade at Red Rock the HOA is not an afterthought — it is what pays for the clubhouse, the pool, the programming, and the maintained common areas that constitute the entire value proposition.
Ask for the current HOA budget and the reserve study in writing, and ask specifically what the dues cover for a villa: front landscape maintenance, exterior items, and which amenities carry additional fees. In a lifestyle community the dues are typically meaningfully higher than a standard Summerlin subdivision, and they should be, because they are buying more.
Also confirm whether the community sits inside a Summerlin SID or LID assessment. Those are separate from HOA dues, they attach to the parcel, and they are a real line in your monthly obligation that no one volunteers unless asked.
How Do Property Taxes Work on a New Build in Nevada?
Nevada's property tax structure is favourable, and new construction has a wrinkle worth understanding before you close.
According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, Nevada levies no state personal income tax, which is a large part of why buyers relocate here. On property tax, NRS 361.4723 provides a partial abatement capping the annual increase on an owner-occupied primary residence at 3%.
The wrinkle: that cap resets on a change of ownership, and the primary-residence claim is not automatic. According to Clark County, the abatement follows a filed claim — closing does not set it for you. Check your parcel after recording and file if it has not been applied, or you can sit at the higher cap for a fiscal year for no reason other than paperwork. Our guide to the Nevada property tax cap walks through the 3% versus 8% distinction in detail.
Also note that a new build's first tax bill is often based on land only, and it will rise once the improvement is assessed. Budget for the assessed figure, not the first statement.
What Should You Negotiate With a Production Builder?
Builders rarely discount base price, because a recorded lower price affects the comps for every remaining home in the community. What they will do is move on incentives, and that is where your leverage sits.
Ask about closing cost credits, rate buydowns through the builder's affiliated lender, and design studio allowances. A $15,000 design credit and a base price reduction of $15,000 are worth similar money to you and very different money to the builder — so ask for the one they can actually give.
Standing inventory and quick-move-in homes carry the most flexibility, particularly near a quarter end. A home already framed represents capital the builder wants to recover. We've negotiated more value out of a standing home in the last week of a quarter than out of a to-be-built home in any week of one, and the difference is not close.
If you want to see what is actually standing right now rather than what a sales office is promoting, start with our Las Vegas new-home search and our buyer resources before you walk into a design studio.
And bring your own representation to the first visit. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, buyers benefit from independent representation in any transaction, and in new construction the sales counselor works for the builder — a fact that is neither hidden nor sinister, but is frequently forgotten.
What Should You Ask Before You Sign at Esplanade at Red Rock?
Six questions, in writing, before signature.
What exactly is included at base — request the full standard features list, not the brochure. What is the total of the options I have selected, itemized. What is the current HOA due, what does it cover, and what is in the reserve study. Is there a SID or LID on this parcel. What incentives apply if I use the affiliated lender and title, and what is the rate and cost comparison against an outside lender. And what is the realistic completion window, with the contract language on delay.
That last one matters more in a rising-cost environment. Confirm what happens to your rate lock and your price if completion slips a quarter.
Is Buying New Construction in Summerlin a Good Move in 2026?
For the right buyer, yes — with the caveats above priced in rather than discovered later.
Summerlin's fundamentals are unusually durable. According to the Howard Hughes Corporation, the master plan has been developed over decades with a finite land supply, and that scarcity is structural rather than cyclical. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Las Vegas metro has continued to add households, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the region's employment base has broadened well beyond gaming.
What new construction gives you that resale does not: a warranty, current building code, and no deferred maintenance. What it costs you: the options gap this article is about, and a longer timeline.
If you want to see the Tiki in person or compare it against what resale offers at the same number, our team at (702) 637-1759 can walk both with you — and you can browse current Summerlin homes for sale to see what $700,000 buys on the resale side today.
What Does $700,000 Buy in Summerlin Resale Instead?
Anyone considering the Tiki should price the alternative honestly, because $700,000 is a real budget in Summerlin and new construction is not the only way to spend it.
At roughly the same all-in number, the Summerlin resale market generally offers more square footage — often meaningfully more. A buyer at $700,000 to $740,000 can typically find an established three or four bedroom home in a mature village, frequently with a finished backyard, mature landscaping, window coverings, and appliances already in place. Those are precisely the line items the Tiki buyer is writing separate cheques for, and on a resale they are usually already paid for by the previous owner.
What the resale does not give you is the rest of the package. It will be older, it will carry deferred maintenance somewhere, it will be built to an earlier code, and it will not come with a builder warranty. It also, critically, will not come with the Esplanade amenity core unless you buy inside a comparable lifestyle community — and at $700,000 the options for that in Summerlin are limited, which is the entire argument for the Tiki.
| Factor | Tiki (new) | Summerlin resale |
|---|---|---|
| Square footage | About 1,500 | Often 1,800–2,400 |
| Bedrooms | 2 | Commonly 3–4 |
| Single story | Yes, by design | Available but competitive |
| Backyard | Dirt — budget $15,000–$40,000 | Usually finished |
| Appliances / window coverings | Budget $5,000–$12,000 | Typically included |
| Warranty | Builder warranty | None — as-is |
| Deferred maintenance | None | Roof, HVAC, water heater by age |
| Resort amenity core | Included | Rare at this price |
| Move-in timeline | Build cycle | 30–45 days |
Read that table as a trade rather than a scoreboard. The resale buyer gets more house and a faster move; the Tiki buyer gets a newer, lower-maintenance, single-level home and an amenity lifestyle that is genuinely hard to replicate at this number. Neither is the right answer in the abstract — they are right for different people, and the mistake is choosing without pricing both.
One thing worth weighing carefully: the deferred-maintenance line is not a footnote. A twenty-year-old Summerlin home at $700,000 may need a roof, an HVAC system, or a water heater inside your first few years of ownership. Roof replacement in the valley commonly runs $12,000 to $30,000 depending on material and pitch; a full HVAC changeout on a home this size is frequently $9,000 to $18,000. If both land in the same decade, the "cheaper" resale has quietly closed most of the gap on the Tiki's options list — with the difference that you chose the Tiki's upgrades and merely inherited the resale's repairs.
How Long Does a New Build Take, and What Happens While You Wait?
Timeline is the other cost that does not appear on the price sheet.
A to-be-built home on a released homesite is typically a multi-month process from contract to keys, and the exact window depends on where the community is in its build-out and how many homes are in front of yours. A quick-move-in or standing-inventory home compresses that dramatically, which is one reason those carry more incentive flexibility — the builder is carrying the cost until you close.
During the wait, three things matter. Your rate lock is the first: understand exactly how long it holds and what happens if completion slips past it, because that is the most expensive way for a delay to hurt you. Second is your options deadline — design studio selections lock at a defined point, and changes after that are either impossible or expensive. Third is your walkthrough rights: know when your pre-drywall walk happens, and take it, because that is your only chance to see what is behind the walls you will live with.
If you are selling an existing home to buy, the timeline question becomes the whole transaction. Coordinating a resale sale against a build completion is genuinely harder than a standard move, and it is worth mapping before you sign rather than discovering the gap later. Our sellers page covers the preparation sequence on that side.
Which Homesite Should You Choose in a Villa Community?
In a villa community the lot matters more than buyers expect, because the lots are smaller and the differences between them are proportionally larger.
Orientation drives comfort and cost in the Las Vegas valley. A west-facing rear yard takes the full afternoon sun in summer, which affects both how usable the outdoor space is and what the home costs to cool. North-facing rear exposure is generally the most comfortable here, and it commands a premium for exactly that reason.
Position within the community matters too. Perimeter lots may back to open space or to a road — one is a view, the other is noise, and the plat will tell you which. Proximity to the amenity center cuts both ways: convenient to walk to, less quiet on an event evening.
Ask what the premium is for each homesite in writing, and ask what is still unreleased. Builders release homesites in phases, and the one you want may be in a phase that has not priced yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Taylor Morrison Tiki model in Summerlin?
At the time of our walkthrough the Tiki carried a base price of approximately $699,000 for roughly 1,500 square feet at Esplanade at Red Rock. That works out to about $466 per square foot. Base pricing on production homes moves with release and incentive, so confirm the current number directly — and remember the base is not the move-in number once appliances, lighting and landscaping are added.
What is included in the Tiki base price?
Quartz countertops, GE stainless steel appliances, soft-close kitchen cabinetry, ten to twelve foot ceilings, eight-foot door frames, and five and a half inch baseboards. The architectural items are the strongest part of that list — tall ceilings and eight-foot doors are expensive to retrofit and make a 1,500 square foot home live considerably larger.
What is not included in the Tiki base price?
Items shown in the model that commonly are not included: upgraded lighting, the refrigerator, the washer and dryer, the pot filler, custom tile, two-tone paint, and backyard landscaping. That is a kitchen appliance, a laundry pair, and a usable yard — budget between $22,000 and $75,000 above base depending on how finished you want the house on move-in day.
Is the Tiki a good floor plan for downsizing?
It is one of the better ones in Summerlin for that purpose. Single-story, two bedrooms, two-car garage, no stairs, low-maintenance lot, and an amenity center that replaces the yard you are giving up. The trade is private outdoor space, which the villa format deliberately exchanges for shared amenity. If you want a large private backyard, this is the wrong community rather than the wrong plan.
How does the Tiki compare to the Sinatra model?
Both are single-story and both share the same community, address, and amenities. The Sinatra is the flagship with substantially more space; the Tiki is the entry. If you need a third bedroom or a larger primary suite, option money spent trying to stretch the Tiki upward is usually money badly spent — look at the larger plan instead.
Can you negotiate with Taylor Morrison on a new build?
Rarely on base price, because a recorded lower price resets comps for every remaining home. Frequently on incentives: closing cost credits, rate buydowns through the affiliated lender, and design studio allowances. Standing inventory and quick-move-in homes carry the most flexibility, especially near a quarter end.
What are the HOA dues at Esplanade at Red Rock?
Ask for the current figure and the reserve study in writing rather than relying on a quoted number, because dues change and a lifestyle community's dues carry real amenity cost. Expect them to be meaningfully higher than a standard Summerlin subdivision — that is what funds the clubhouse and programming. Also confirm whether a SID or LID assessment attaches to the parcel, since that is separate and is rarely volunteered.
Do I need my own agent to buy new construction?
You are not required to have one, but the sales counselor in the model home represents the builder — that is their job and it is not hidden. Independent representation costs you nothing on most builder transactions and gives you someone reading the options addendum and the delay language on your side of the table. Bring them to the first visit, because most builders require your agent to be registered on that initial visit for representation to apply.
Which Sources Inform This Taylor Morrison Tiki Guide?
- Nevada Department of Taxation
- Clark County
- Clark County Assessor
- Nevada Legislature — NRS 361
- Howard Hughes Corporation
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Nevada State Contractors Board
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey
- Las Vegas REALTORS
Pricing, included features, incentives and HOA figures change without notice and vary by release and homesite. Everything here reflects our walkthrough at the time of filming — verify current terms directly with the builder and read the options addendum before you sign.
