Making a purchase in MacDonald Highlands is a high end decision and the stakes are high. Buyers who rush the process or overlook aspects risk making costly mistakes.
If you want to make the smartest possible purchase in this exclusive neighborhood, here are the most common mistakes buyers make and how to avoid them:
1. Choosing A Lot Without Understanding View Corridors
A stunning home means nothing if the view is ruined. One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is selecting a lot not fully understanding:
Which direction the Strip sits
How elevation impacts the view
What future construction may block
How the ARC protects view lines
What sides of the lot have the strongest sightlines
Streets driven by views have a premium.
2. Ignoring Elevation Differences Between Streets
MacDonald Highlands has dramatic elevation changes. A home that looks high on a map could be significantly lower than others in reality.
Lower elevation often means:
Less dramatic views
More obstructions
Warmer temperature
Less privacy
Elevation affects everything from enjoyment to long term value. Overlooking ARC Restrictions Prior To Designing or Remodeling
The Architectural Review Committee exists for a reason—they are strict for a reason. The ARC’s purpose is to protect the look and feel of luxury in the community.
Buyers that don’t understand or appreciate that may run into:
Delays in approval
Changes that need to be made
Material restrictions
Extended build times
Higher cost
The rules of the ARC should color your expectations from the very beginning.
4. Not Accounting For True Expenses Involved in Building on a Hillside
Building on a slope can often be more expensive than building on flat land. Buyers often underestimate the cost of:
Grading
Retaining walls
Engineering
Drainage
Static support for the home
These are all things that should be anticipated and do not come as a surprise when the right builder is consulted, but these things need to be anticipated.
5. Assuming All Parts of a Community Are Equally Strong in Resale
Some streets appreciate at a much quicker rate than others. Buyers often incorrectly assume that a neighborhood admirably performs, but it takes the right combination of:
Exposure to sweeping vistas, dramatic views
Elevation
Prestige of the street
Size of lots on street
View, elevation, street, lot size, privacy, architectural features all contribute to the strength of resale. “The best of” all those qualities in a neighborhood will achieve outsized results for resale. “The best of” all those things on a block will do better, and 1-story vs. 3-story homes on lower elevation streets will vary greatly.
6. Not Taking Into Consideration Sun Exposure & Seasonal Light
Lighting is more important in modern homes than buyers frequently realize, but among the many things to consider:
Easterly views to capture twinkle of the Strip
Westerly exposure that culminates in severe heat on the back side in the summer months
Winter afternoon light for the backyard
Privacy and view to the southwest and the shade patterns on a patio or pool
Architecture needs to marry orientation and vice versa.
7. Only Looking At Home Interiors, Ignoring the Experience Outside the Home
Outdoor living is a huge part of the experience of MacDonald Highlands. Some buyers focus on just the interiors, overlook an opportunity to evaluate:
The location of the pool: exposure to neighbors at close distances
Privacy
When the outdoor living experience spaces in a home are deep and flat rather than wide and deep, they can often be affected by wind at altitude, and the furniture and entertainment experience may be a much harder design trick.
(Good) homes finish the indoor outdoor experience so well that there are no seams—they melt into each other.
8. Selecting a Builder Who Isn’t Experienced in Hillside Lots
Building requirements in MacDonald Highlands call for builders with experience. Your builder has to understand:
ARC requirements and maintaining & honoring them.
Grading and general requirements for the slope.
How to get the most view out of any given lot.
Where the drainage impediments are and how to plan around drainage challenges.
Future requirements to anticipate in terms of a homes long-term structural integrity and planning.
Make sure to go with a builder with proven experience in the community.
9. Over-Optimizing Price Instead of Choosing the Right Home
Luxury buyers are always looking for the “smoking deal” on price in its own right. In this market long-term value is usually dependent on the following factors, and they are worth noting:
Elevation
View
Architectural features
Lot Size
Privacy
Get the right asset instead of worrying about the discount above all.
10. Thoughts of an Insider
I’m John Gafford and I sell luxury Henderson homes for a living. I help buyers navigate these pitfalls all the time. MacDonald Highlands is a great community, but the best purchases are always made from standing on that elevation, understanding those views, understanding ARC, understanding long-term value over short term price.
It’s not about which is going to be the cheapest house out there, it’s about which is going to be the right house.
The Big Mistakes You Can Avoid in Your Search in MacDonald Highlands: Basically just rushed decisions, ignoring elevation, downplaying the importance of views etc., following up with an educated buyer and having a strategy always makes for a purchase that grows money in your pocket for many years to come. If you want help spotting those opportunities, just ask! -
Call John at 702 577 1143.
Take a look here: Browse https://luxuryhomesofhenderson.com/neighborhoods/macdonald-highlands
