By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Thousands of people have moved to Las Vegas to find the dream home in the perfect neighborhood. Yet economic times have been tough, stalling home construction projects and leaving many homeowners marooned.
Inspirada is behind in loan payments and is now in default. Solista Park seems like an abandoned theme park. It's a bit of perfection hiding some serious problems.
It is supposed to be the perfect afternoon for Abby, Larissa and dads Donnie and David.
“We're waiting for the wives, so we thought we'd bring our kids out here and play in the park,” said Donnie Crouch. He recently bought a house in Inspirada.
“The community as a whole is what really drew me here,” he said.
Now family friend David Hewe is moving from San Jose and he wants one too.
“Really good development all the way around,” he said.
Houses are going up and Inpirada is taking shape. Yet, like so many things in Las Vegas, you peel away the layers of perfection and you see something else entirely.
The company behind Inspirada is now $760 million behind in payments. The project is in default. It hasn't shut down yet, but the two dads could be marooned in the Las Vegas version of a desert island.
“In the end, you keep plugging away and get it all worked out in the end,” said Hewe.
Only 200 homes have been sold and completion has been pushed back by 10 years. Until then, the perfect park may stay empty and the pool will be quiet as a tomb. Two dads and two daughters may have just a few neighbors, even if hope springs eternal.
“Do your part. keep buying homes, keep living life like you normally would and that'll help everybody get out,” said Crouch.
No one from Inspirada would comment. If the project continues to go under, homeowners are confident they will keep their homes. There just won't be much else out there.
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