Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/66705
When remodeling his new Vegas home (seen here from the backyard), Roger Thornton had curved windows added on top, replacing three small windows. Haute Property neWs, sTaRs, and TRends in Real esTaTe not your standard fixer-uppers THE POST-RECESSION REAL ESTATE BUBBLE BURST HAS CREATED A BOOMING INDUSTRY OF HIGH-END RENOVATIONS. by buck wargo W hen Roger Thornton moved to Las Vegas from Northern California in 2009, his search for the perfect luxury home had only just begun. A chief technology officer at a software company, Thornton thought it would be easy to find a high-end home through the foreclosure market that was starting to creep up on Las Vegas. It wasn't: Competition was fierce, and Thornton was selective. He eventually found a 3,600-square- foot, three-bedroom, 4.5-bath home with a casita facing the ninth fairway in Red Rock Country Club. It was here that he wanted to call home—after he put on his own touch. Thornton is one of the many savvy buyers scooping up foreclosures across town and Rear master bedroom before the renovations, with stucco walls. Finished, above extensively renovating them. Many of his neighbors are longtime home- owners who are remodeling their homes instead of moving. All of this has created a booming luxury renovation industry that is taking off in this unique post-recession real estate environment. According to the BuildFax Remodeling Index, remodeling was already up 14.6 percent in the first two months of 2012 compared to 2011. "Vegas built some gorgeous homes during the boom time, but they were building them so fast that they didn't have the greatest layout," Thornton says. "And they didn't upgrade their interiors very well." Thornton opened up the first floor of his home by removing walls and columns and continued on page 136 vegasmagazine.com 135 photography by bryan hainer (backyard); courtesy of christopher homes renovations (pre-renovation)