An excellent, succinct set of direction, Gardengal!

Thanks, Yard :-))

That is exactly what I needed, thank you! I went back & read what i wrote. When i said I was worried about the grass coming back i meant I DIDN'T want it to! LOL though i guess most want the opposite. But i know bermuda is notoriously hard to kill & frequently just goes dormant. I'm worried that if it is bermuda it will come back if i make the conditions at all better!

I have a pinterest collection of appropriate plants & trees for our area for future reference :) I've been thinking about this long before we decided to buy.

I will do as you suggest for steps 1, 2, 3. Thanks!

Being in Las Vegas, I'm sure its Bermuda being the only grass that will tolerate the heat and yes, it goes dormant in winter, and if no water, tends to look like how you described it - mostly dirt. yes it will come back with a few good monsoons or if you irrigate. Plant a Chilean Mesquite - fast growing shade tree, but make sure you deep water it with infrequent long duration to encourage deep root growth, otherwise will develop shallow roots and susceptible to toppling in wind storms. Cover the bermuda with a weed barrier fabric (not the cheap thin stuff from home depot) Get the thick black stuff that looks like felt - buy online commercial grade.

Then cover with decomposed gravel like 1/4"minus for a temporary surface covering. Go 2" in play areas, and 4 or more inches in the dog run. That is the cheapest way to have a useable backyard. Phase in more elements like shrubs and irrigation system as you can afford it.

I have a friend who lives in nearby Henderson, and after years of trying to maintain grass, finally decided to just 'let it go' and put some sort of gravel in the yard, accentuating areas with plantings with a larger stone. It looks better than the grass did! ;)

In areas like Palm Springs, Phoenix and Las Vegas, I think the only good looking grass is on the golf courses which of course is maintained by a full time crew. Uphill battle for most homeowners in zones 12, 13. Winter rye looks good, but then you have to scalp the bermuda and germinate the rye... all too much maintenance and water consumption.

@patty_cakes42 - We are actually in Henderson too, but no one has ever heard of that so I say Vegas LOL We're looking into the wood chips because I want to be able to easily remove whatever we put down (or have it decompose). Fighting the inner battle of free/cheap vs knowing (theoretically) the wood isn't diseased, etc.

Maybe this will alleviate your concerns :

"Concern: Mulches made from chipping diseased trees can infect healthy trees.

Evidence: Most studies indicate that diseased mulch cannot transmit pathogens to the roots of healthy trees. Under no circumstances should wood mulch be used as backfill. Not only is this a poor installation practice, but a potential mechanism for disease transfer as well. Fungal communities found in wood chip mulches are generally decomposers, not pathogens. Under healthy soil conditions, beneficial and harmless fungi can out-compete pathogens for space on plant roots. Furthermore, healthy plants are not susceptible to opportunistic pathogens such as Armillaria and Phytophthora, which are often ubiquitous but inactive in well-managed soils."

And if you want more data on the benefits of using wood chips, please read the full article here.