RJrealestate.vegasReal EstateLAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL • SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017REAL ESTATE • 702-383-0299 Ga

COURTESY LUXURY ESTATES INTERNATIONALThe indoor sports court in this 17,000-square-foot home featured hardwood floors, surround sound speakers, glass wall protection for spectators and electronic hoops that adjust toany height.

When March Madness ends, collegebasketball fans will be left wantinguntil next season rolls around. Butfor an elite few, whose homes are

complete with a private indoor sports court,there never has to be an off-season.

“The indoor court has been the best,” saidConnie Tharaldson, who purchased a homewith an indoor court in 2007. “It has been usedcontinuously by our four children and all oftheir friends.”

Gary and Connie Tharaldson purchased ahome in the Summerlin area with a four-cargarage on one side and an eight-car garageon the other with the intention of building anindoor court.

The couple converted the eight-car garageinto a three-fourths regulation-size, indoorbasketball court with regulation-size hoopsthat can be adjusted to any height. Insteadof the traditional wood floor, they opted for amaintenance-free sport court.

“It’s one of the coolest basketball courts I’veseen,” said Kamran Zand, broker and founderof Luxury Estates International. “It’s theclosest I’ve seen to a full-sized court indoors.”

Besides using the courts for basketball, thecouple found it has numerous other uses. Heryoungest son has practiced shooting hockeypucks, rollerbladed and skateboarded on thecourt. Her husband, Gary, uses the gym for adaily walk. The couple has held club and schoolbasketball team practices, as well as numerousparties.

“Even end-of-the-year athletic awardbanquets for the children’s schools,” ConnieTharaldson said. “The children have spentcountless hours in there playing music,dancing and a variety of games, not justbasketball. We’ve used the gym in ways wenever thought of when we built it. It has beenthe most important amenity of our home.”

The Tharaldsons’ story is unique.Traditionally, indoor courts are designed intothe home prior to construction because of theamount of space required.

Currently, Zand is listing the Tharaldsons’15,816-square-foot home in the Queensridgedevelopment at 9511 Kings Gate Court for $8.9million.

Marc Lemoine, principal at Marc LemonineArchitecture LLC, has designed two LasVegas-area homes that feature indoor courts.One of the homes has an indoor collegiatehalf basketball court with 24-foot ceilingsand the other has a basketball play court with18-foot ceilings. Both were designed into thebasements of Summerlin area homes.

“Basketball courts, even half-courts, takea lot of space,” Lemoine said. “When you’rein a custom-home neighborhood, even in thelarger-lot custom homes, few of the lots are

actually large enough to dedicate that amountof space. That is why my clients chose to putthe basketball courts in the basement.”

The courts Lemoine designed are part of alarger basement complex that included otheramenities such as a home theater, exerciseroom and refreshment bar.

“One of them had a bowling alley in it withtwo lanes,” Lemoine said. “These are more

than just ball courts. When my client asks foran indoor court what they are trying to do iscreate an environment their kids and friendsare really going to enjoy. They’re basicallytrying to create a kid magnet so they knowwhere their kids are.”

As with the Tharaldsons, Lemoine’s clients

A SPORTS LOVER’S DREAMBy VALERIE PUTNAM

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS

Million-dollar homes with lavish basketball courts

REAL ESTATEMILLIONS

▶ See BASKETBALL, Page 4G

COURTESY OF LUXURY ESTATES INTERNATIONALOwners of the home at 9511 Kings Gate Court, Gary and Connie Tharaldson, and their children have hosted allsorts of school events at on their basketball court.

Page 4G • Sunday, March 19, 2017 a Las Vegas Review-Journal

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found other uses for the large space.One client’s 10-year-old son filledthe sports court with KNEX toys,building roller coasters and largetowers.

“He still had plenty of room forhitting a ball around or shootinghoops,” Lemonie said.

Lemoine’s two Summerlinprojects were costly and presentedchallenges digging a foundation forthe basement because of the terrain.

“In the Summerlin area, we hitrock right away,” Lemoine said.“The cost of cutting through therock and removing it is very high. Itcost over $200,000 on the collegiatecourse.”

Large pieces of equipment calledearth saws were brought in to slicethrough the rocky soil. According toLemoine, a traditional basement is12 feet deep, but installing an indoorcourt requires digging deeper,ranging from 18 to 24 feet deep,depending on the size of court. Oncethe hole is done, large retainingwalls are poured to support thedepth.

Construction costs can mount updepending on the finishes the ownerchooses. For example, a traditionalwood floor costs more than a sportscourt. The high ceiling requiressound proofing material as well asprotected lighting. Then add in thebasic equipment costs, includingcustom pads on the walls, hoops,balls and other equipment.

“We’re generally talking hundredsof thousands of dollars to create anindoor court,” Lemoine said.

Architect Gordon Rogersdesigned an indoor basketballcourt into an addition of a homeat 3 Anthem Pointe Court, listedby Lee Medick of Luxury EstatesInternational for $9.5 million.According to Zand, the court wasfor the owner’s daughter.

The indoor sports court in this17,000-square-foot home featuredhardwood floors, surround-soundspeakers, glass wall protection forspectators and electronic hoops thatadjust to any height.

Indoor sports courts areconsidered a luxury amenity andare a rare commodity in the LasVegas market.

Luxury Realtor Ivan Sher with theShapiro and Sher team of BerkshireHathaway HomeServices NevadaProperties has sold a few propertieswith sports courts.

“There is probably about 15-20 homes in the valley that haveindoor basketball courts,” Shersaid. “Obviously that number issignificantly less than 1 percent ofthe homes in Las Vegas.”

Sher has listed a 10,000-square-foot home at 9 Echo Peak Lane inSummerlin with an indoor court for$30 million. The traditional half-court is in the basement and has awhite vinyl floor.

“If you want an indoor court,you’re going to have to spend anextra $5 million dollars,” Zand saidabout how he sees the added valuesports courts bring to a home.

“People who are buying thesehomes are ones with kids that love

the sport. They can use the court forother sports like volleyball.”

Tom Love, owner and brokerof the Love Group, recently solda 22,000-square-foot property at9501 Orient Express Court in theQueensridge for $6.2 million, thehighest price for a single-familyhome so far this year, according toMLS. The property has a half-courtbasketball and full-size regulationracquetball court in the basement.

“It’s a beautiful court,” Lovesaid. “The neatest things about it iswhere it’s positioned in the home. Ithas lots of natural light coming in,and the racquetball court butts rightup to it.

“We had a variety of peoplelooking at it,” Love said. “But atthe end of the day, the one thing incommon is they wanted a very largehome that was something specialand they didn’t want to go throughthe pain and time of starting fromthe ground up.”

According to Love, largeproperties with or without a sports

court are challenging to sell in theLas Vegas market.

“I think it’s a very smalldemographic that can afford to buya home in this price range,” Lovesaid. “Every extra amenity you have

is one more item that could catchsomeone’s eye.”

As Las Vegas becomes a sports-oriented area, Zand believes themarketability of these homes to bemore viable. Recently he partneredwith SportStar Relocation, apremier relocation company. Zandplans to market more propertiesto those in the sports industrythrough referrals garnered throughSportStar.

“At first it didn’t make sensepartnering with a company likethis because we didn’t have anyprofessional athletes or sportsteams here,” Zand said. “Now wehave an NHL team, possibly an NFLteam is coming, and I’m hearingrumors about an NBA team. Nowit’s starting to make sense.”

Zand, as well as Sher and Love,plan to market to the athleticcommunity and work to makethe transition for the athleticcommunity to the Las Vegas marketas easy as possible.

“When it comes down to it, theyexpect results and service,” Lovesaid. “Somebody to help them witheverything.”

▶ BASKETBALLContinued from Page 1G

COURTESY“It’s a beautiful court,” Realtor Tom Love said. “The neatest things about it is where it’s positioned in the home. It has lots of naturallight coming in and the racquetball court butts right up to it.

COURTESYOwner and broker of the Love Group, Tom Love, recently sold a 22,000-square-footproperty at 9501 Orient Express Court in the Queensridge for $6.2 million. The home hasa half-court basketball and full-size regulation racquetball court in the basement.