Las Vegas homes blog

Vegas weather

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:53:07 GMT

If you were lucky enough to be visiting Las Vegas earlier this week, you got to experience a very rare thing. Temperatures in the 80s and 90s in the middle of July! For some unknown reason, some of our television weather people actually had the gall to complain about rain which lowered our summer temperatures down from the normal 115.

I don't get it. Granted you live in the desert so expect the heat. The rain also cleaned all of the dust and left over pollen out of the air. The air was so clear outside you could see for miles. Having a home in Las Vegas, you get used to the slight haze during certain times of the year. So any respite is a welcome change as far as I'm concerned.

Real Estate spamming

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:20:56 GMT

Why do spammers think that these kinds of comments have a prayer of being published?

John Camway has left a new comment on your post "Top Five Real Estate Industry Blogs":

The Las Vegas area is experiencing what could be called a gold rush lately. With so many foreclosed homes on the market, prices have plummeted. Great news if you are a home buyer for sure, especially if you've never owned a home before. The low prices combined with the first time home buyer tax credit makes it a powerful draw, especially for retirees.

[url=http://www .lasvegasrelocation.com]Lasvegasrelocation - Las Vegas Realtors, Las Vegas Real Estate, Las Vegas Foreclosures[/url]

Probably the owner of this site hired some "seo firm" (and I use the term loosely) to "get them to the top of google." Here's a hint, try building a better website first. There is no reason why anyone would simply link to this site, unless they were getting a link back.

Generally I don't get to agitated by spammers, but this one is even using a forum spamming comment in their script. The links wouldn't have worked anyway and they would be no follow to boot. But on general principle I don't even want a no followed link out to a site like this, because its only a matter of time before google considers it a bad neighborhood.

72 Year Old Lady Tazered

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:19:37 GMT

It has been a very weird news day. I was watching CNN and they had a story about a 72 year old grandma that was tasered by a traffic cop. Most of the people that called in supported the police officer and I have to say after watching the police tape of the whole episode, I don't think I could have been as polite as the officer. The old lady was a total jerk, rude and kept baiting the officer and refusing to follow his orders. She was pulled over for speeding and apparently felt that because she was old, she didn't have to obey traffic laws like the rest of us.

He warned 9 times to comply or he would have to tase her. After warning number nine, she got zapped. Why do some people feel they are above the law? If that lady would have been pulled over here in Las Vegas, I think she would have been lucky to have been warned twice.

Ryland communities in Las Vegas

Tue, 05 May 2009 05:28:29 GMT

Ryland homes is a relatively new builder to the Las Vegas valley. Price wise they are situated in the middle spectrum, targeting middle class first time buyers and offering a decent product for the money. Currently most of their new homes are located in Mountain's Edge, a large master planned community located in the Blue Diamond area of Las Vegas. Right now they have four neighborhoods of new homes for sale in Mountain's Edge, Ellingwood, Augusta, Cameron and Crestone. The neighborhoods offer some similar amenities (most are gated) and are on pool size lots. Ryland homes is also one of the few home builders to offer rooftop decks on some of their homes.

Right now their homes are priced in low 200's.

Luxury living at Lake Las Vegas

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:19:49 GMT

When it comes to Luxury Henderson real estate you probably haven't heard much on the news. Frankly, most of the information coming out of Vegas valley real estate market is about foreclosures and how low prices have sunk. Granted, if you are buying a home, that's great news. After all, a dollar saved is a dollar earned. The luxury market isn't immune. Prices at the top of the spectrum have dropped as well. But not everyone wants to buy a bank owned property.

There are still some new homes for sale and builders are very motivated to sell them to you. Competing against the foreclosure market has forced builders to lower prices and offer free upgrades and other things to entice you to buy. The amount of new homes hitting the market has steadily declined as well, with some builders simply opting to wait out the market. Lake Las Vegas a large master planned community in Henderson, has just a few neighborhoods of new homes left. Tremezzo homes by Pardee is a good example of what is currently available. Now priced in the 800's, these homes would have been priced in the millions a year and a half ago.

If you are thinking of buying a luxury home in the Vegas valley but only want a brand new home, feel free to contact us at 702-493-8033 for a listings of new luxury homes for sale.

Inexpensive alternative to living on the strip

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:59:21 GMT

With things being the way they are, everyone is looking to save money. So you want to live in the middle of the action like a rock star but don't have the budget? Prices in Las Vegas have fallen over the last 9 months and there are plenty of places up for sale. However, if you are looking for something on Las Vegas Boulevard, be prepared to spend. But if you are willing to be a little farther away, there are some great alternatives.

A great example is the Meridian condos. Its a condo conversion community, located on East Flamingo Road about a block and a half from the Las Vegas strip. The community has great amenities, is a short drive from the airport and there are units for sale at drastically reduced prices from a year ago. They would make a great corporate retreat or vacation home.

Las Vegas home to a Spa Manufacturer?!

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:04:00 GMT

You wouldn't think that hot tubs would be that popular in Las Vegas. But you would be wrong. Granted, you can't use them for about six months out of the year because its just to hot outside. But that hasn't stopped people from buying them up like crazy here.

There is even a luxury spa manufacturer in town, Artesian Spas. They are located on the north end of town just off of Craig. Even once in a while they auction off their unsold spas. They don't sell them locally as a rule, most of them are shipped out of state. If you've always wanted one, you can check out their auction.

A friend of mine works at the company and I was amazed at the amount of spas they ship out in a day. Apparently they are also very popular overseas as well. Who knew?

Las Vegas Redevelopment Deals

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:45:55 GMT

The Las Vegas Supreme Court will decide next month whether city voters will get to vote on a pair of petition issues that would kill the city’s redevelopment plan. The local Cullinary Union 226 submitted the petitions, filed a lawsuit in the Nevada Supreme Court mid-month seeking an emergency order to compel the city to let voters decide. The hubbub is about the city's strategy for spending money and revitalizing downtown Las Vegas. The initiative would require voter approval before any money changed hands under both existing and future lease-purchase agreements worth more than $2 million. Of course the City Council is opposing this because it would create more transparency in our local government and make it harder to get anything done.

The city has a history of using lease-purchase agreements to finance iedevelopment efforts. The deal with with Forest City Development includes a new $267-million City Hall, a new $1.2-billion casino in the city’s Union Park redevelopment area and the potential for redevelopment of the current City Hall site adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience (only the potential for redevelopment, so nothing may be done and the old site could just sit there for years), plus an additional $1 billion of redevelopment on four blocks south of the proposed new City Hall site.

Not surprisingly the issue ended up before the state courts, since the City Council pushed through the deal before opting out of having a vote on it. I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear of it.

Viruses on the Web

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:42:57 GMT

Another doomsday virus is running amok on the web. The Conficker virus is set to "receive further instructions" tomorrow. 60 minutes ran a piece on it, unfortunately they opted to talk to Symantec (sorry NOT A FAN) about the virus. They have a large world at war type map "showing" the infected computers. Supposedly you can tell if your PC is infected by trying to visit symantec's, microsoft or other security software provider websites. If you can't connect to them, then you're supposedly infected with the virus. So start checking your pc now. Oh yeah, one other thing. They did figure out that Conficker is waiting for instructions to be delivered tomorrow...

Real Estate Marketing

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:51:38 GMT

Ever since the internet came into being, the debate about "internet leads" has raged on. Some agents love them, others hate them and some just don't know what the fuss is about. I was reading a great post about how to analyze lead data at a new real estate marketing blog. Lou does a great job of breaking down what really needs to be done, how to do it and how to evaluate each lead for quality.

If you are a new agent or even a veteran who does not do any internet marketing, the post is still worth reading.

Getting Hitched in Las Vegas

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:39:43 GMT

Las Vegas is known for many things, exciting nightlife, world class dining, entertainment, gaming and…weddings. According to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau, an average of 100,000 people is married in Clark County every year. One of reasons is that Nevada doesn’t require a blood test and a marriage license is only $55.

Las Vegas is known for several famous weddings, dating back to Elvis Presley and Priscilla (at the original Aladdin Hotel). Several other entertainers and athletes have joined the list, including Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra. Even Britney Spears got married once in Las Vegas. Getting married in Las Vegas has become a popular business over the years and true to the spirit of the city, if you don’t want a plain ordinary wedding, there are several theme wedding chapels and ceremonies available, from pirate ships to Elvis performing the ceremony, you can find it in Las Vegas. If you are looking for a more picturesque affair, there are Eiffel Tower ceremonies, gondola rides (at the Venetian or Lake Las Vegas) and helicopter rides to Death Valley, guaranteed to make a memorable one of kind event. That’s the great thing about Las Vegas, you can have any kind of wedding you want, even a drive through window service ceremony!

Finding a wedding chapel is simple, there are dozens of them around town and several located right on the Las Vegas strip and inside several of the resorts. The Clark County Marriage License Bureau (702-455-4415) is located in downtown Las Vegas at 201 Clark Ave and is open from 8 am to midnight so getting a license is pretty easy to do. However, on certain holidays (like Valentine’s Day) expect to wait in line.

Ah, but what about planning? Nearly all of the wedding chapels will take care of everything for you, from rings to flowers to video taping the event. Some will even provide a limo to take you to the license bureau as well taking you back to your hotel if you aren’t a local.

The other big attraction is cost. Getting hitched in Las Vegas can be done on the cheap. A license is only $55 and a basic service will run you about another $130. If you want to have the whole affair with photos, flowers, video and a cake, you can find places that will do it for around $500 or so, but it won’t include any tips for personnel (don’t forget to tip your minister).

If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas to specifically get married, it will pay off to shop around. Some hotels with chapels in them may give you a better package rate for everything than by doing things piecemeal. Certain holidays like New Year’s and Valentine’s Day are super busy for wedding chapels, so you might want to get your licensing and planning done ahead of time so you can enjoy the event without being rushed.

You can also download a license application from the Clark County website at http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/clerk/Pages/marriage_license_applications_online.aspx

Facebook Mini Games

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:37:08 GMT

One of the evils of Facebook has to be the mini games. I've been sucked into Knighthood, trying to build my kingdom. Its a lot of fun and more than a little addictive.

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:17:33 GMT

I received an email alert about a contest being held by care2.com. They are giving away 25,000 to the top 29 shelters across the US and Canada with the most votes. So I'm asking for your support for my favorite rescue, Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary. Here is a short list why they deserve to win:

NO KILL
All breed rescue
Free mobile spay/neuter clinic targeting impoverished areas that can't afford vet care
Free pit bull spay/neuter clinic
Feral cat clinic - trapping and spay/neuter of the feral cat population
Pups on Parole program in both women's prisons in Southern Nevada. Inmates learn valuable skills while training foster dogs in basic obedience and house training, so they are more adoptable.
Many, many more community programs

You can cast your vote here: http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/74514/?refer=7302.12.1231525455.

Please pass this along to your friends and family and ask them to vote as well.

Luxury rentals

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:01:37 GMT

When you think of Las Vegas, you think of two things, sunshine and gaming. While that is why most people come to town, there are other things to do. I was surfing vacation rentals and ran across a Georgia site called Premier Cabin Rentals. The area looks gorgeous and reminded me of Lake Tahoe in Northern Nevada. If you want to experience the great outdoors in complete comfort, these Blue Ridge cabins are just what you are looking for. What surprised me was the cost. A night's stay starts at only $125 for a two bedroom cabin with two baths. Granted you can stay in larger more expensive cabins, but it is still a steal.

With the economy in recession, I do wonder how many of these family businesses will survive. Historically when the economy is bad, people tend to stay at home. Hopefully the new adminstration will be able to get everything back on track.

Living in Las Vegas

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 02:23:10 GMT

Probably one of the biggest advantages of living in Las Vegas (aside from the buffets, entertainment and everything always being open) is having your out of state friends and family visit...often. Inevitably, they always ask for recommendations for shows or restaurants on the strip. First let me state that I've lived in the Las Vegas valley since early 1980's and lots of things have changed. The problem is that when you live here, you try to avoid the Las Vegas strip at all costs!

Everyone always asks for recommendations of restaurants, shows, etc on the strip. When you live here, you tend to avoid the strip because of the huge crowds and traffic. Don't get me wrong. The strip is a very exciting and vibrant section of the city. While I was surfing the net I found a great site about Las Vegas entertainment and dining. What caught my attention was a review of Hugo's Cellar in the Four Queens. I haven't been there in years but it is a great restaurant, especially for a romantic dinner. So the next time you're in town and want to know where to go or what's a good show to see, now I'll be able to tell you!

Mad about Mapping

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:41:38 GMT

I was surfing the net about free sites for mapping mods, when I ran across a press release about a real estate site in Michigan. The release was touting the new mapping capabalities when searching for homes. Google maps mashups and MLS data are a no brainer really. Check out this excerpt:

Buyer's Broker of Northern Michigan, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of new interactive mapping capabilities when searching the Northern Michigan MLS for homes. Now you can do a map search for Petoskey, Michigan homes for sale, or show the location of homes meeting your desired search parameters on a map. I have had a number of clients ask for a mappable search feature on my MLS search page...

The release went on about the new features but you get the gist. I would be interested to see hard data on whether consumers are really demanding a map based search or if it is merely another tool to retain visitors. I had met some google engineers at Pubcon back in 2006 when some of the new mapping tools being released. They said that it would revolutionize the way the maps were used. They weren't wrong. New mapping tools are being developed by 3rd parties all the time. Time will tell whether its just smoke and mirrors or a powerful new way to attract and retain visitors.

Private Gated Communities

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:43:27 GMT

As crime increases nationwide more people look towards private gated communities as an answer. But its not just in Delaware that these communities are popular. They are located all over the United States.

The real question is how much protection does the gate (and wall) actually provide the residents of these communities? Without a guard, anyone with some patience can get past a gate in their car (or simply jump the fence). It would be interesting to see some crime statistics on this. Mostly I think the gate keeps out people who are just curious about the community, take a wrong turn and the lazy criminals.

These types of communities are selling a pre-packaged lifestyle, especially here in the Las Vegas housing market. Along with the extra security, there are usually other "standard" amenities that found within these places. A nice swimming pool, spa, fitness center and clubhouse are usually the norm. For those communities that are going the extra mile in amenities, 24 hour guard service on the gate and a roving security patrol is present. Without those two items, a gate gives a false sense of security. After all, the criminals already know where the nice neighborhoods are.

Prudential Marketshare

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:28:14 GMT

The below graph shows the market share for listing and selling ends combined as of the end of August, 2008. It is a good arguement why you should list your home with a Prudential Realtor in Las Vegas.

Seniors are cashing in on their homes

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:35:24 GMT

Quite a few seniors are feeling the pinch of higher gas prices. With so many living on a fixed income, they are cashing in on their homes by taking out a reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgages have become increasingly popular over the years. Instead of making a monthly payment, the homeowner receives a monthly check against the value of their home. Reverse mortgages are payable only when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the property, etc.

A reverse mortgage isn't for everybody. You may not have enough equity in your home to qualify for a reverse mortgage, plus there are other factors to consider. Talk to a qualified mortgage expert first before signing anything.

Senior VP of B of A on the housing market

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:18:32 GMT

Carter Murdoch, Senior Vice President of Bank of America gives his take on the housing market. Murdoch was a former real estate agent for over 20 years.

Toll offers glimmer of hope on US housing market

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:58:47 GMT

Toll Brothers, the largest US builder of luxury homes, reported preliminary third quarter sales on Wednesday that were stronger than expected and said fewer customers were cancelling orders for new homes. Not all home builders are reporting such good news. Beazer homes, reporting on losses for their latest quarter ($109.7 million) is also being investigated. Other builders have also posted losses for their last quarter as well.

So what is Toll Brothers' secret? According to them, they mainly builds homes when there are orders. Most home builders build at least 40 percent of their homes before having buyers, according to analyst for the AP. I would have to agree with that statement, there is evidence of it all over Las Vegas. Too many builders failed to properly market their properties and get them under contract before they were built. The sub prime market crash certainly didn't help matters. Some buyers simply couldn't get financing.

Toll Brothers has several projects under construction in Las Vegas. Fairway Hills Townhomes in the Summerlin village of the Ridges is a perfect example of their strategy at work. The community went on sale in 2007 are being built as they are sold. Toll Brothers has also scaled down the size of their communities. Vita Bella townhomes in Lake Las Vegas has only 79 properties for sale, small compared other neighborhoods at Lake Las Vegas. Sales are still down for Toll Brothers compared to prior years, but that's to be expected. Even luxury market buyers are looking for bargains. Unlike other builders, Toll Brothers hasn't lowered their prices,which is great news for consumers who have bought homes in their developments. Whether they will be able to continue to do remains to be seen.

Mountain retreats aren't what they used to be

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:38:08 GMT

Years ago when someone said they had a mountain retreat, you would visualize a small, cramped, rustic cabin. Usually they offered the bare essentials and not much else. That certainly isn't the case any more. I found a site that will actually ships Double ‘S’ Prefab Cedar Homes (although they are more mansion than cabin) anywhere in the US and even overseas. The company is located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and has been making these homes since the late 70's. They manufacture designs from a studio size up to a large, luxury retreat. Apparently the company will let you customize any of their designs to suit your needs. The homes are so popular the company actually charges a fee to send you a catalogue! There are probably a hundred photos on the site, showing their homes around the world. I would love to have one of these at Mount Charleston.

If you live in Japan or the UK, they have a local dealer in your area. Now if I could just get them to let me review one in person...

Testing BLOG IT

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:59:23 GMT

Doing another test of Blog It. Why did I have to have so many different passwords????

The IPhone Blows in Feature Comparison

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:55:07 GMT

Thinking about getting an IPhone? Think again. The folks over at Wirefly put together a great comparison of the Iphone, this time with other touchscreens including the HTC Touch, Samsung Glyde, & LG Vu. The results were surprising to say the least. Check out their side by side comparison here.

ePerks: A brand going down in flames

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:02:45 GMT

The ePerks saga is still ongoing. Benny pulled the trigger served blogger Vlad Zablotskky with papers. At this point, I'm curious as to what exactly ePerks is going to accomplish, aside from wasting more of their investor's money. Perhaps since it really isn't their money, they don't care. In all fairness, it's been personal ever since the bogus Yahoo posting went up. If anyone has incurred damages, it's Vlad. ePerks has had a history of falsely promoting its company through anonymous postings on forum and blogs (spamming). A quick google search will confirm that for even the most inept web searcher.

Minions

To make matters worse, Benny & Co decided to attack everyone supporting Vlad; his "minions" according to Benny. These same (minions) bloggers are just jumping on the bandwagon to gain notoriety in the blogosphere. Another well thought out arguement from ePerks....especially when you consider the obscure bloggers that first jumped on the bandwagon, like Andy Beard, Aaron Wall and Greg Swann. Really, who has heard of these guys before?

If they thought there were a lot of bloggers talking about it before, well they were mistaken. Check out this great parody Zablotskyy the Scrivener. The cat is definitely out of the bag and this story is going viral.

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