TPC home has contemporary design

Owner spent $800,000 on remodeling project

The modern contemporary design of Dr. Lionel Handler’s home set in Tournament Hills’ predominantly Tuscan neighborhood gives it an edge in the ever-changing real estate market.

“What makes this home unique in an Old World community like Tournament Hills is the contemporary design,” said Robert Bero, owner of Chateau Development. “It reflects the direction the market is going, and it’s really out front. That makes it special.”

Located at 1408 Iron Hills Lane, Handler has lived in this prestigious Summerlin neighborhood for just more than a year, a neighborhood frequented by former presidents and Hall of Fame Sports stars.

“Tournament Hills is one of the most impressive neighborhoods to live in,” Handler said. “You don’t feel like you’re in Las Vegas. Of all the neighborhoods I’ve lived in, I’d say Tournament Hills is by far my favorite.”

Handler recently put his completely renovated six-bedroom, six-bath 6,143-square-foot home up for sale at $2.6 million. The property is listed through Ivan Sher, broker and partner of Shapiro & Sher Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Nevada Properties.

“This is what’s happening in these types of communities,” Sher said. “They are coming in and either refurbishing the home or completely taking it down to the studs and creating a whole different look.”

Handler is the third owner of the property. According to public records, Michael Mall and Margaret Ortiz were the previous owners.

“Tournament Hills is a strong name,” Sher said. “Some of the wealthiest people in the country live here. It’s got a great reputation.”

A full-time dermatologist, Handler’s passion for real estate led him to build and sell four custom homes and renovate six others in high-profile neighborhoods such as Red Rock, Canyon Fairways, Eagle Hills and The Ridges.

“I just love it,” Handler said about real estate. He likes to renovate or build a home every few years.

“In another life I would be in real estate. Even as a kid growing up in Manhattan, my parents used to walk around Park Avenue and look at buildings. I was obsessed with real estate even as a kid.”

For his latest project, Handler targeted the Tournament Hills neighborhood in 2012. Here he discovered a home that had been neglected and was on the verge of foreclosure.

“It was a total mess,” Handler said. “The previous owner hadn’t done anything to it in years.”

Seeing the potential, Handler purchased the home and hired Bero as his general contractor to oversee the approximately $800,000 renovation.

“He was one of the original builders who did several homes in Tournament Hills,” Handler said. “He knew the neighborhood well.”

During this approximately eightmonth remodel project, Handler chose to gut the home’s interior, removing all the flooring down to the concrete foundation. Bero was instrumental in most of the interior floor plan and redesigns.

“The floor plan now is completely open,” Bero said about the home that originally had a series of what he referred to as honeycomb walls. “We made the decision to start knocking down non-bearing walls and see where it led us. Each wall would come down, you’d say, ‘I can breathe.’ A lot of the decisions are made for you because it becomes so obvious.”

A 10-foot pivot door with 24-foot ceilings creates a grand entrance into the home. The staircase, originally located in the entryway, was moved so the view to the backyard wasn’t obstructed.

The small kitchen was enlarged and designed with the chef in mind. It features state-of-the-art appliances, a custom-designed island and a separate breakfast bar.

“The original kitchen was very tiny,” Bero said. “It wasn’t functional at all.”

Alder wood cabinets stained dark mahogany set against white quartz counters with waterfall edges provide a modern appeal via the stark contrast.

The great room.