Kris Templeton knew at an early age what he wanted to do. Growing up on the northwest side of the valley, he told his father he would one day build a home near Lone Mountain.
“It always was my dream,” said the vice president of Templeton Development Corp. “I grew up in a subdivision down the street, and it was where we hung out on the weekends. The area was rural, so we could literally ride our dirt bikes down the street and straight up to Lone Mountain. It’s a special place.”
A second-generation developer, Templeton’s dream came true in 2019 when he broke ground on a 60-acre custom home development. His unique niche — private gated properties — targets high-end buyers who want a private sanctuary with room to expand at a considerable value.
“We’re averaging $1.35 million per acre for a truly buildable 1-acre finished lot, which is half the cost of the other luxury communities,” Templeton said. “We also offer new custom contemporary designs with more land and little restrictions. It gives buyers more value for their money.”
Templeton took inspiration from historic luxury communities such as Section 10 and Rancho Circle to design traditional estate living for his development: The Estates at Lone Mountain.
“I call it the Beverly Hills of the northwest because the 1-acre estate lots are similar to what you see on the streets of Beverly Hills,” said Darin Marques, owner and founder of Virtue Real Estate Group. “In my opinion, the community redefines luxury living in the northwest and the Vegas high-end residential market.”
Templeton and his father, Ken Templeton, worked together on the development. The pair spent two years overseeing five separate transactions to acquire the land for the community. Recently, he sold 20 of the acres he purchased to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a planned second Las Vegas temple.
After successfully acquiring the land, Templeton divided the acreage into eight distinct sections, platting 1-acre, three-quarter and half-acre homesites. Buyers have three options to move into the northwest community, including purchasing an estate-style home on either a one or three-quarter-acre site, purchasing a larger lot and bringing a builder to build a custom compound or choosing a spec property within one of the gated sub-communities.
Initially, Templeton set the tone of the community by collaborating with well-known architects and developing distinct floor plans to construct spec homes on the 1-acre parcels. The contemporary custom designs showcase private gated entrances, oversized front and rear courtyards, free-standing casitas and attached recreational vehicle garages.
“We have several more in the works,” Templeton said. “I think we have some of the best indoor/outdoor living because we can spread our floor plans out and create livability other builders can’t.”
One spec home featured a design in collaboration with architect Richard Luke of Richard Luke Architects. The collaboration resulted in a sale that earned a northwest Las Vegas luxury market record of $625 per square foot. The modern-designed single-story estate home features a combined 11,142 square feet of covered indoor/outdoor living space. The 6,370-square-foot home includes five bedrooms, seven baths, a game room/bar, theater, walk-in wine cooler, a private primary suite with a resort-style bath with outdoor shower, a separate kids’ bedroom wing, a four-car garage and a detached RV garage.
“You don’t see this level of home or price point in the northwest,” Marques said. “Building this product brought a new type of buyer that may not have been interested in this area before.”
As an alternative to the estate-styled homesites, two intimate enclaves of nine half-acre properties within the community offer a traditional single-gated neighborhood lifestyle. The first nine-lot enclave, Area 5, is currently in development with four spec homes under construction, two lots sold and three more breaking ground before year-end. The half-acre homes showcase distinctive contemporary designs, high-end finishes, sustainable construction methods, energy efficiency and Control 4 Smart home technology with oversized front and rear courtyards. Each plan features several options including multi-gen suites and attached RV garages, an optional second story with fifth bedrooms, lofts and game rooms.
Within Area 5, 4378 Cameron Brook Court is nearing completion. At just under 5,000 square feet, the two-story, four-bedroom home features a refined modern industrial-style design, seamless indoor/outdoor living, an upper-level game room, a courtyard entry, a multi-gen suite and a dramatic elevation with a flat metal roof. The exclusive residence sits on a corner lot, boasting panoramic views from the upper level. The property is listed for $3,255,780 with Marques.
Another of Templeton’s designs, 4357 Cameron Brook, lists for $2,635 million. The 3,984-square-foot single-story modern minimalist design features an atrium in the primary suite with four oversized courtyards and a multi-gen suite with a private entrance.
Templeton plans to construct a new custom two-story design on a 1-acre estate-style lot off Jensen Street and begin construction on the three-quarter acre sites next week.
The homes in the development are completely turn-key spec homes using Templeton’s distinct designs with completed landscaping and exterior amenities. Each lot in The Estates is construction-ready with the required infrastructure, grading and all wet and dry utilities stubbed to each lot. Templeton did all the offsite work to eliminate the need for special improvement district or local improvement district fees for the owner. Though he does not want to impose restrictions on his buyers, there is a minimal homeowners association assessment of $180/month to maintain the landscaping and trail system surrounding the homes to provide protection for the homeowners’ value.
“I want the front streetscape to be cohesive to make this community stand out when you drive down the street,” Templeton said. “The front landscaping includes a trail system that takes you around the community and to the park. We planted a date palm on each lot for a lush, tree-lined street. It will be beautiful when the community is completely built out.”
The proximity to Lone Mountain and Lone Mountain Regional Park provides the community easy access to hiking and equestrian trails, pickleball, tennis courts, dog runs, shaded picnic areas and play equipment. Another highlight is the development’s location to all the area’s amenities, including Downtown Summerlin, Harry Reid International Airport and the Strip.
“Estates at Lone Mountain is quickly becoming one of the northwest’s sought-after luxury communities,” Marques said. “We are finding that once buyers visit the community, they realize how close the community is to all the major shopping areas in Summerlin. The community is located within 12 to 15 minutes from Downtown Summerlin, minutes to freeway access all while maintaining the privacy and space they seek.”
Templeton plans to expand his footprint in the northwest with another half-acre luxury development. Recently, he purchased 20 acres located between Fort Apache Road and Helena Avenue and hopes to break ground within the next 18 months.
Templeton’s multigeneration family-owned company has served the Las Vegas Valley for more than 35 years. Templeton learned the business from his father, who founded the Templeton Development Corp., a residential and commercial real estate development and investment company.
“I loved helping my father growing up,” Templeton said. “And I always knew I wanted to be in the business. I’m very passionate about it.”
