For those of you that read my blogs, I put up a post about remodeling woes a few days ago. Last year a friend of mine was down on his luck and was looking for work.  We were thinking about having the guest bathroom re-done and he offered to do it. He said he had worked as a plummer and could fix the plumbing issues as well as replace the aging tub with a new one. I figured it was a win-win as he needed the work and we needed the job done. I paid him the going rate and he fixed it all. Well......that wasn't quite true. He did replace the tub, fixtures and replaced the pipes in the walls.....with pvc. Apparently, that is a huge no-no and now I know why.  That piping isn't made for constant heavy pressure. When the licensed plumber pulled out the old shower from the master bath, he found a... 10/15/2006

This mixed use project was originally announced in early 2005 during a high point in the Las Vegas market. At that time, even the name urban village was a buzz word for a trendy place to live. In 2006, the project was considering closing down due to rising costs and other economic factors. The project received new life when Centex stepped in and bought it. Urban Village is now being developed by Centex Destination Properties, the second home and resort community development arm of Texas based home builder Centex.  The residential portion of Urban Village, called the Brownstones, will offer condos and lofts for sale. The project will have the usual faire for an upscale address including pet stations on the grounds. Included in the project is onsite retail and dining.  The project is bein... 10/15/2006

This weekend is the annual Las Vegas Renaissance fair at Sunset Park. The Age of Chivalry fair started this Friday and ends Sunday. Tickets are $10 per day for adults and $5 for seniors and children. If you have never been to one, they are a lot of fun. Its probably your only chance to see real craftsmen at work. Quite a few different vendors often make their wares during the festival, so you can see how its done. Every year here in Las Vegas they have different live performers as well of celtic music.  There are tons of things for kids and grownups, like the tournament of Chapions (jousting), duels, dancing, singing and the ceremonies. Unfortunately this year the weather decided to be uncooperative, but quite a few people still went. Today is the last day and I highly recommend it. For... 10/15/2006

Las Vegas Real Estate News New Video Reports on the Las Vegas real estate Market!Hello to everyone out there in cyber land.I just put up videos on the Las Vegas real estate market report and statistics for the first half of 2006. You will find these reports here by clicking on this link Las Vegas Real Estate News . These reports cover many aspects of the market including New home sales, Resale home market, Apartments converted to condos market and the Las Vegas high-rise condominiums.In these reports I discuss all types of sales statistics and analyze what has happened in the Las Vegas market in each market segment.I have also produced an insider information report that you can subscribe too and receive via email that tells you what the experts predict for this market and includes my ow... 10/15/2006

Can the building of a bridge change your market?  If you live in Arizona near the Nevada border, the answer is yes it can.Shortly after the plan to build a 2,000 foot bridge to allow traffic to bypass Hoover Dam builders started buying up property on the Arizona side.  The bridge is a result of tightening security around the dam.  Each day hundreds of trucks cross the dam delivering goods to Nevada and Arizona. Real estate agents are already incorporating the bypass in their marketing.  Several new communities are planned, promoting making the commute from Arizona to Las Vegas to work. The bypass is scheduled to be completed by 2008, although two of the construction cranes were knocked down by high winds last month, so the project is running behind.  It will be interesting to see if the... 10/12/2006

Competition among mortgage lenders is just as fierce as it is among realtors.  As a consumer, you are constantly bombarded with advertisements on television, radio and print. A home purchase for most consumers, will be the most important and biggest purchase in their life. That's why its so important that you have a lender you can trust, one that comes recommended. Its why so many realtors recommend and use the same lender.A good analogy would be going to see a doctor. He or she gives you their expert medical opinion, the one you went there to get and then ignoring their advice. Not listening to your realtor is the exact same thing when it comes to obtaining financing. Still you may be thinking, what's the worse that could happen? The simple answer is not getting the house you want. Cas... 10/11/2006

As with most of the country, the Las Vegas housing market has slowed down a bit. Not truly a bad thing--if you are a home buyer.  Home sellers on the other hand may not like it.  Despite the slowdown, the average price of a single family home went up from $324,252 in 2005 (year end) to $375,992 this year as of the end of August.  Condominium prices went up as well, although not as much.  At the end of 2005 the average condo price was $208,905, compared to 2006 at the end of August - $225,769.  Closings for both types of properties are down from last year, although I think that's a reflection of the national trend more than a characteristic of the Las Vegas real estate market.Is anyone else seeing similar statistics? -Charles 10/09/2006

I could'nt believe my ears....I was in a state of shock! Are Las Vegas homebuilders getting desperate?anyways, go and say hello to Kat at Maravilla at mountain's edge; she will not only help you make your YEARLY FINANCIAL GOALS, she is really nice and helpful...best regards, Steve Harless 10/08/2006

We might be full of hot air sometimes but who ever said Realtors don't know how to have a good time? Steve Shluker just joined our team and he owns and pilots his own hot air balloon! This morning at 6:30 AM we met him and he took us for our first ride, it was GREAT! Not only was it just a huge rush but it was also a great way to see all of the new home construction that is happening in the Southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley. Floating at just a few hundred feet we had a great view of the Strip, Red Rock, Rhodes Ranch and the new beltway. If you are interested to know more about Ballooning I'm sure Steve would be happy to share all of his knowledge with you as he's been flying for more than 20 years. 10/08/2006

Gena Riede put up a post about the hottest markets, hurting markets yesterday. Las Vegas came in at #2, right behind Cape Coral Florida. Frankly, I can't believe we didn't come in first!  The different factors used to determine the best and worse markets, are jobs, employment trends and growth rate, over both a one year period and a five year period. With such a large tourist trade, you would think that most of the jobs in Las Vegas are gaming related. And you would be wrong. The Las Vegas area has attracted some of the largest companies in the world, like Citibank, Household, GE, etc. They employ thousands of people, but the biggest job market is in construction. Currently there are over 30 construction cranes on the strip alone. The local union got so big they had to create a second o... 10/06/2006

Construction is underway on one of the downtown loft projects. The Juhl loft project will be located in downtown Las Vegas in the "art" district. The building foundation is in the process of completion. Construction crews have begun a series of concrete pours and the entire project is projected to be completed by spring of 2008. The Juhl is unique in that a consumer has a choice of roughly 100 floor plan variations to choose from.   Other loft projects under construction include the Newport Lofts and Soho lofts which are near completion. The first loft project to be completed was the Metropolis, located just off of the Las Vegas strip. There are several other loft projects in the process of being developed as well. For the latest information about Las Vegas lofts, visit our Las Vegas re... 10/05/2006

You read it right! I'm giving away a nights stay on the Las Vegas Strip in the Signature at the MGM Grand. What's the catch you ask? There is none! Here is the link to all of the details on what you need to do to win! If you are not familiar with the Signature at MGM this link will give you some of the details. The photo to the right was taken in mid September from the 5th floor of building #1 looking at building #2. If you look close you can see the crane was just removed as there are still three spots on the building that were not complete, the crane in the background is working on building #3. Please visit the link and enter the drawing! Good Luck to all! 10/04/2006

October 21st is the second international real estate expo here in Las Vegas.  This year its being held at the MGM Grand. The expo will have over 400 exhibitors, ranging from builders/developers to interior designers and related products and services. The expo is open to the public and touts it will be the place where buyers and sellers meet.  Admission is very reasonable, only $20 at the door or $10 if you register online. Because I'm constantly adding new community information to Jacqui's website, we both are going to attend. Has anyone attended one of these expos?  Hopefully it won't turn out like the home shows at Cashman field! -Charles 10/04/2006

Despite recent cancellations of a few high profile high rise projects, most of them are moving right along. Turnberry Ltd recently announced that their newest project, Turnberry Towers, has reached the top of the East Tower. The 45 story tower should be fully completed by this coming spring.  Construction on the West tower is still underway and should be completed by spring of 2008. Current prices for the project range from $550,000 million  to more than $1.3 million. Turnberry Tower buyers will also receive a two year membership to the 80,000 square foot Stirling Club, located in Turnberry Ltd's first project, Turnberry Place.  The club features fine dining, fitness center, European spa and many other amenities. The picture I attached is from the middle of May, so you can see the const... 10/04/2006

The colossal planned community on the strip is going forward. Project City Center will reside on the former site of the Boardwalk casino on the Las Vegas strip. It will be located between the Monte Carlo and the Bellagio, connecting both properties.  The entire parcel is 66 acres, making it the largest project on the strip. The mixed use project will boast a 4,000 hotel room luxury hotel and casino,  2,800 condominiums for sale and 2 400 room boutique hotels. The entire project is expected to cost 7 billion dollars. It is expected to open in late 2009. For more information about CityCenter, feel free to contact me directly at 702-493-8033. -cr 09/30/2006

In a September 21 article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, housing analyst Ken Perlman, of Sullivan Group, discusses how builders are moving away from master-planned communities dominated by single-family homes to more condo, townhome, and "wrap" projects. A "wrap" consists of housing units built around an above-ground parking facility.According to Perlman, "developers still reap the benefits of higher density where land values are justified, yet they can build and sell these units at $250 a square foot instead of $350 a square foot." Higher density units are a builder response to rising construction costs and land costs.Despite a 37% decrease in new home sales, and record inventory levels in the resale market, Sullivan Group president Tim Sullivan is still bullish on Las Vegas, and thi... 09/22/2006

I was reading through the Nevada blog posts and came across one mentioning the cancellation of the Ivana project. Back in May of this year, Jacqui was interviewed by Jane Wells of CNBC (On the Money) about the Las Vegas high rise market. Strangely enough, the Ivana project was brought up. The land is actually up for sale for around 49 million (in case anyone is interested). Usually the reason given for a cancellation is the rising cost of construction. For those of you thinking about buying a condo in a high rise project in Las Vegas, its important that you have all of the latest facts. Here is a list of all canceled/suspended projects:Ivana, The Curve, Red Rock Residences, Icon, Aqua Blue, Krystal Sands, Hard Rock Condos, Vegas 888, Majestic, Liberty Tower and Las RamblasDespite the ab... 09/22/2006

Despite a cooling of the housing market in Las Vegas, the condo conversion rate is still going strong. At one time, the city council was actually considering a six month moratorium for any new condo conversions because of the lack of rental apartments.  Sales have started to decline, despite that many more projects are still being announced. Las Vegas condo communities are starting to raise the stakes by offering better amenities than their predecessors.  Residents that live in the Dolce condo community, have access to both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a state of the art fitness center and a sauna and steam facility.  Interiors feature stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, blinds and free premium cable television channels. I'm sure as the market changes free amenities... 09/21/2006

One of the homes in my area has had a Help U Sell sign in their yard for about 4 months. I noticed the other morning that the sign had changed to a full service brokerage. I hope the agent works hard promoting the property and gets it sold for the owner. You just can't beat a hard working agent that's willing to put in the work.   Brought  to you by Team  Maxwell 09/21/2006

(... in response to Blog Topic #6 ...)Hello Mr. Mardini,Thanks for your inquiry from my ActiveRain profile about the Las Vegas real estate market. Southern Nevada continues to attract new residents in record numbers. In fact, North Las Vegas is the 2nd fastest growing city in the nation. We offer a great mix of recreation, shopping and entertainment, no state income tax, and an average of 320 sunny days a year!There is a wide variety of homes available to you at $425,000, and just as many choices for financing. Nima, Scott, Brian or Josh can show you the options and help you pick a loan that's right for you.I've sent you a Las Vegas relocation DVD, along with a 'Buyer Questionnaire' to clarify your needs and help me quickly find the perfect home for you. In the meantime, here's an overv... 09/19/2006