Las Vegas Real Estate Blog

The Lakes community is located just east of Summerlin between Sahara and Desert Inn straddling Fort Apache. A large man-made lake is surrounded by lush green parks and private homes. Fabulous homes are available as lake front property. Though custom homes are built in the area, many of the homes are sold at prices comparable with other areas of town. Real estate in the area holds a great value.

Residents enjoy volleyball, tennis, and other recreational activities. The lake is available to fish and boat. Gorgeous ponds and falls lining much of the waterfront provide habitat for water foul and other water life. The community is truly a unique setting. Many walk and jog the parks and cycle nearby pathways. Mature landscaping and trees give the area a fresh retreat from the standard city living...learn more about The Lakes community in Las Vegas...

On the South end of Las Vegas, East of the I-15 is the community of Anthem. It was originally developed by the Del Webb Corporation. It consists of more than 4,750 acres at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range in Henderson. It is a quiet community with great views of Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains.

Good health is the foundation of a great lifestyle. The various Anthem developments have communities designed for opportunities for residents to enjoy optimum living. Well designed neighborhoods and homes built by quality home builders promote comfort and accessibility.

Anthem invites residents with its breath-taking landscape and waterfalls...learn more about Anthem real estate...

Home owners generally are shifting their preferences in housing styles according to a local news blog. The size of a home by squarefootage is at a peak and will likely decrease in the future. People want larger master bedrooms and less living room. Personally, I don't agree with that reason but the idea may grow on me. I see the master bedroom as a place for bedroom activities and a living room for company and other non-bedroom activities. I don't understand the mixing of the two living spaces. Anyway, personal preference...

The blog post claimed, "Although the size of the average home has been on the rise, to 2,495 last year from 1,500 square feet in 1973, consumers are beginning to choosse higher quality living spaces over additional square footage, according to Ahluwalia, who spoke at the recent International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla."

I can see where home affordability is strained by increasing fuel costs. Residents, whether owners or renters, feel those burdens and if trends remain on pace I can see the trend to downsize.

An aging population will also tend to downsize. They like less stairs and need fewer rooms usually.

The whole idea provokes thought for those of us who want a large house. Will it be as sellable in five years or a decade as it is today? Many people on the five year plan may factor that into the decision as they look to buy this up and coming house. The best appreciation of the future will be for houses where demand will remain consistent or increase. Personally, I am on the five year plan and will be looking for a house that will build value as much as possible.

In response to a post I wrote earlier today about local power cost woes I tried to get a little creative and briefly explored the possibilities of using some other power source than our standard community power company. The Nellis Air Force Base announced it would be building a huge solar facility on its grounds and would produce 30% of the needed power with those panels. So, what does it take to power a home with solar panels? I turned to the clever How Stuff Works for the answer: http://home.howstuffworks.com/question418.htm

Currently, a resident would have to remain in a home for quite some time to recouperate the costs. I imagine that in some future the costs will decrease and power companies will be paying us for pushing power back into their grid. I look forward to that day.

Nevada Power has announced an increase in power costs on account of new power plants designed to make generating power more efficient. These facilities are said to be more efficient than others in the region and provide substantial benefits to customers.

News 3 reports:

"Is another increase in your power rates on the horizon? A two percent increase is already on the boards for June, but on Monday Nevada Power was before the Public Utilities Commission asking for another 7.4 percent.

"These power plants are highly efficient...In other words, they burn fuel more efficiently than existing power plants either in our system or in the region..."

Sierra Pacific resources claims benefits come from more efficient plants. I am curious as to why more efficient plants cause benefits including raised rates. More efficient would suggest lower costs to create the power leading to lower rates to consumers. It seems the benefits may be in the fact we have cutting edge power generation technology and that will cause lower rate hikes in the future as inflation naturally drives up prices. For now, southern Nevada home owners be prepared for a potential increase.

ABC 13 suggested a few tips:

• Make sure your thermostat is level and set between 78 and 80 degrees.  It will save you as much as 10% on your bill.
• Cover windows and keep drapes closed during the day.
• Use fans with the air conditioner to help circulate the cool air.
• Get all of your chores done during cooler times of the day.

As a side note, fuel prices seem to rise all around us. Gasoline prices have shot up nationally. Las Vegas gasoline is currently at around $2.83 per gallon.

Las Vegas real estate has seen a huge increase in appreciation in recent years. New home values and resale home values alike have gained tremendously. Land prices have increased a great deal as well. So, many ask, "what is Las Vegas like as a community?" Many imagine The Strip as the way of the city. Many picture glitz, glamour, gaming, and excitement 24x7, 365 days a year. For some, that is true. The Las Vegas community provides residents with whatever they look for. If a resident wants constant excitement there is plenty of it. On the other hand, if one wants a strong job market they will find it. If they want a quiet neighborhood to live in there are many. Schools, shopping centers, business centers, motor speed ways, desert mountains, social clubs, churches (some reports have suggested there are more churches per capita in Las Vegas than any other city), martial arts centers, etc. In Las Vegas, if you want something, you can find it...more on the Las Vegas community...

Two nationwide reports were recently released with very interesting information. One said that new home sales were off for the second month in a row while the other claimed that resale home sales were up in February.

According to MSNBC, resale homes "rose in February by the largest amount in nearly three years."

"The National Association of Realtors reported Friday that sales of existing homes rose by 3.9 percent last month, pushed higher by a sharp increase in sales activity in the Northeast. It was the biggest increase since a similar increase in March 2004.

The increase pushed sales up to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.69 million units, still 3.6 percent lower than a year ago. Sales fell by 8.5 percent for all of last year as housing hit a sharp slowdown after setting sales records for five straight years."

In many areas, including Las Vegas, resale inventories have continued to rise to record numbers. An increase in resale activity is welcome after months of slowdown.

On the other hand, new home sales are reported to be down for a second month. MSNBC writes, "Sales of new homes fell sharply for a second consecutive month in February...

"The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of new single-family homes fell by 3.9 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 848,000, the slowest sales pace in nearly seven years. All regions of the country except the West experienced weakness last month.

The February decline followed an even larger 15.8 percent drop in sales in January, which had been the largest one-month plunge in 13 years. The back-to-back declines provided evidence that the housing market is continuing to struggle with lagging demand and a glut of unsold homes."

New homes sales are off which is what we have been told by several previous reports. Builders expect a flat year for 2007. That should signal to buyers and investors to keep their eyes out for great deals. It's often a good idea to buy when everyone else is selling.

It seems every few years a debate arises about the McCarran airport flight patterns. Recently that debate was sparked once again when the flight patterns were altered to pass over many communities across the valley. News channels covered the story posing the question as to whether or not the changes in the patterns affected real estate in Las Vegas. Several home owners and real estate agents were interviewed. Some claimed there would be a direct impact on home values while other suggested that there would be little if any impact.

Mayor Goodman among others oppose the change in flight patterns considerably. Some have created web sites to combat the changes.

Time will tell if any real affects will occur due to the changes. If history is any indicator changes are likely to occur in the future.

Boulder City real estate offers amazing access to stunning features of Southern Nevada. It is a quiet community tucked just over the mountains southeast of Las Vegas. It is a short drive from Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam to the east and from the Las Vegas Strip to the northwest.

Several mountain ranges (McCullough Range, Black Hills, River Mountains, Eldorado Mountains) surround the communities couched at the northern tip of the Eldorado Valley. Great views and outdoor activities are a short drive away.

Boulder City homes may be difficult to purchase. The city has imposed narrow growth regulations. Its residents enjoy strong housing values and controlled building...more on Boulder City...

Mountains Edge is located in the preserved desert landscape of southwest Las Vegas. The nearly 3000 acre development has been built to retain the natural atmosphere early settlers may have encountered when entering the valley. Some 12,000 homes are to be built through 2010 giving residence to over 30,000 people.

Many builders are involved in the master planned community. Over 500 acres have been dedicated to parks, trails, and open space. The "signature feature" of Mountains Edge is Exploration Peak, which is located at the community's entrance and Exploration Park located at the mountain's base. The lush desert landscaping provides a stong visual impact as it conserves the desert's most important resource: water...read more about Mountain's Edge and other communities...