las vegas: Agents - Beware of GEEKS Bearing Gifts! - 12/31/12 02:25 AM
We are all familiar with the story of the Trojan Horse. After 10 years of failed attempts to breach the walls of Troy , the wily Greeks came up with a plan to build a gigantic wooden horse and present it as a gift to the Trojans while they ostensibly left the field of battle to head home. The Trojans happily wheeled the horse into their impenetrable fortress city, and later that night, while the Trojans were celebrating their "triumph," the Greeks emerged from the belly of the horse and slew them all. Later Virgil immortalized the words "Beware of Greeks … (6 comments)

las vegas: Free Mobile App for Las Vegas and Henderson HomeBuyers! - 11/23/12 01:18 PM
Tired of riding around for hours in the car, looking at neighborhoods and calling on homes to see how much they are asking only to find that the home is already under contract?
Then check out our new mobile website at http://m.greatlasvegashomes.com  on your smart phone. Just enter the web address in your browser and click on “Properties Near Me.”  Your phone will ask you if it’s okay to disclose your location. Click on “yes” and you will immediately see ALL the active listings for sale in the area closest to you, including foreclosures and short sales, on a map. … (1 comments)

las vegas: Gourmet Food a Major Perk of Living in Las Vegas - 11/10/12 12:35 PM
Back in the day, the all-you-can-eat buffet for $2.99 is what everyone talked about when they came to visit Las Vegas. After a night of carousing on Fremont Street, we would pile into the Golden Nugget for the late night steak and lobster special for only $5.99 or the 50 cent shrimp cocktail. But our tastes and expectations have changed a bit.
It all started back in 1992 when Wolfgang Puck opened Spago at Caesars Palace. Now he has seven restaurants in Vegas, including one at McCarren Airport.
Eight years later in 2000, there were still only two more … (0 comments)

las vegas: Just Another Real Estate Scam - 10/22/12 08:29 AM
As Realtors, we have all been subjected to numerous attacks by scam artists, from the Nigerian schemes to those actually placing an offer and opening escrow with bogus funds and then canceling immediately before the check has time to bounce, hoping that the title company will be dumb enough to release funds.
Here is the latest from a "Terry Mcdonald"  that I received today as a web site registration.
So my question to you other agents is: do I respond and see where it goes??? I am always curious as to how they think they will profit from these schemes.  :)
… (5 comments)

las vegas: When Old Becomes New - 09/23/12 03:17 PM
Whether it’s old houses being renovated or old movies being restored, Las Vegas residents are certainly attracted to both. Over the last ten years I’ve seen dozens of Home Depots and Lowes stores open up all over the Las Vegas valley which includes Henderson and North Las Vegas. All very convenient locations for the everyday handy man and/or woman that recently bought a fixer upper house with the desire of turning it into a home…….a classic home to enjoy living in.
A similar scenario has recently been occurring regarding old classic movies. Digitally restored movies such as “Casa Blanca” and Alfred … (1 comments)

las vegas: Moving to Las Vegas - 09/23/12 03:14 PM
When we first considered moving to Las Vegas, we realized we knew nothing about the neighborhoods because we had only been to the hotels on The Strip. We moved here from out of state so we really didn’t have any experience with the family life the Las Vegas area has to offer. Our first trip with our realtor opened up an entire valley filled with wonderful neighborhoods and things to do! With school-aged children at home, our top priority was to find a neighborhood school that would be a good fit for our children. We found out how to research the … (4 comments)

las vegas: Las Vegas Cracks Down on Street Vendors - 08/27/12 12:38 PM
by Glen Tonnesen
 
I have a cousin who moved to Las Vegas about 10 years ago, but finally left for good as of a week ago.  Let's call him Daryl, because that is his name. 
 
During his time here, Daryl was in and out of trouble with both his family and the law.  He is a 52 year old man with a good heart, but at his age does not have all the potential and opportunities piled up like he once had.  Most of the time he made poor decisions and went down the wrong road, leaving a … (6 comments)

las vegas: Get Outside In Vegas - 08/07/12 03:01 PM
Been sitting inside all summer afraid of the heat?  Well suck it up and get out side because you're missing out on what the Las Vegas Valley has to offer in the way of outdoor activities. 
 
There is a plethora of fun and adventure to be had in the wilderness of Southern Nevada.  You can go fishing, hiking and camping.  There are many iconic parks and outdoor areas to explore in the Southern Nevada wilderness.  Among these places are Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon and, last but not least ,the biggest of them all, … (0 comments)

las vegas: The Most Popular Neighborhoods in Las Vegas - 06/15/12 01:24 PM
One of the most frequently asked questions we get as agents is what are the best neighborhoods to live in Las Vegas. "Best" is a relative term depending on each individual's taste, but below is a list of the 5 most frequently requested zip codes in Las Vegas and Henderson (in no particular order) based on actual client inquiries received within the past year, along with a brief description of the master planned neighborhoods and suburbs within those zip codes.
89134
The 89138 zip code is located on the western side of Las Vegas. This area includes part of theSummerlin master … (2 comments)

las vegas: Las Vegas Shadow Inventory - Fact or Fiction?? - 04/10/12 01:20 PM
"Where have all the homes gone?!" In the Las Vegas real estate market it's like the clock has suddenly been turned back to the year 2004. Within hours there are multiple offers on everything listed under $250k, often sight unseen, and most accepted contracts are going above list price. New home builders are warning real estate agents about imminent price increases.
At the beginning of November there were approximately 11,500 single family homes actively on the market that were not yet under contract. Today, less than 6 months later, there are only 5,074 active single family listings in the Las Vegas … (2 comments)

las vegas: Judicial Foreclosures Come to Las Vegas - Homeowners Beware! - 03/29/12 03:16 PM
Nevada has always been a non-judicial foreclosure state. If a borrower was past due, all the mortgage holder had to do was produce copies of the appropriate documents and file foreclosure notices, and within approximately 5 months the foreclosure sale took place at the county steps. There was no right of redemption for the borrower, and the new purchaser took possession immediately.But in the wake of the robo signing scandals, the Nevada legislature passed a new amendment, AB 284, which included the requirement that an authorized representative of the current lien holder had to complete and sign an affidavit indicating they … (3 comments)

las vegas: New Las Vegas Luxury Condos Taking Reservations! - 01/14/12 05:59 PM
If you have been looking for a taste of luxury, hurry down to view the new models at The Modern, which should be completed by the end of January! The Las Vegas real estate market is coming to life again with The Modern, the first new Las Vegas luxury condo project to open during the past few years, was developed as a totally unique luxury loft lifestyle focusing on the essentials of what optimized living should be.The remarkable luxury loft homes of The Modern combine a respect for the light, the color palate, and the natural environment with state-of-the-art technology and … (3 comments)

las vegas: Great Pricing on Guard Gated Golf Communities! - 12/13/11 03:12 PM
The pricing on Las Vegas new homes has been drastically reduced over the past few years (along with the rest of the inventory in the Las Vegas real estate market), and it is amazing how affordable some of the luxury new home developments have become. Dunhill Homes has two gorgeous neighborhoods in lush guard gated golf course communities, Tuscany Village and Rhodes Ranch, which are offering some surprising values.
Rhodes Ranch is located in the popular southwest area of Las Vegas near Summerlin. One and two story floor plans in this community range from 1532 sf to over 3600 sf, and … (0 comments)

las vegas: Toll Brothers Giving Away Up to $14,200 in Incentives! - 09/28/11 08:15 PM
Through October 9th Toll Brothers is giving away up to $14,200 in incentives to buyers that purchase new homes in Las Vegas during their national sales event. Toll Brothers is one of America’s highest quality home builders, with outstanding upgrades included as standard options. Buy a new home from Toll Brothers during their national sales event (sign a contract through October 9th) and receive your choice of $4700 worth of options from their sales brochure, PLUS a $3,000 carpet allowance AND another $6,500 that can be used for more design center upgrades or closing costs. This is more than double their … (1 comments)

las vegas: Celebrity Lawsuit Over Las Vegas Real Estate - 09/24/11 01:23 PM
Las Vegas is in the news again, but this time the scoop involves a celebrity lawsuit over real estate in Las Vegas. It seems Baywatch star Pamela Anderson is suing developer Laurence Hallier for $1M, and Hallier is counter suing Anderson for $22M for loss of sales in the Panorama Towers high rise project.
Panorama was originally slated to be a four building high rise development directly behind the MGM City Center project. Hallier completed two of the buildings, and in April of 2006 Pamela Anderson hosted the ground breaking for the third tower, previously known as Panorama North. But a … (3 comments)

las vegas: Do You Preview Homes Before You Take out a Buyer? - 12/27/09 11:52 AM
Is previewing homes for clients a dying art? I have noticed over the past five years (at least locally) that fewer and fewer agents are actually previewing homes before they take buyers out to look at them. As an agent for more than 25 years, this is incomprehensible to me. Yes, we have more resources online with photos and virtual tours, but in my opinion these should be used to narrow down what you want to preview for the client, rather than to define what you are showing them. We are supposed to be the professionals, and there is no way to tell … (0 comments)

las vegas: Las Vegas Real Estate - Financing for Canadian Investors - 11/08/08 11:55 AM
We have discovered a great lender for Canadians wanting to buy Las Vegas homes or condos, either as a second home or as an investment! This lender charges no loan discount points or origination fees, and the rates are the same as what a US citizen can obtain.Lately all our blog posts have been about finding Las Vegas mortgages for our clients. With the high rate of national foreclosures, many traditional venues and programs have been discontinued, leaving buyers, even those with substantial down payments, in limbo. It has truly been a challenge for us to find mortgage lenders with reasonable … (0 comments)

las vegas: Financing for Foreign Nationals Discontinued - 10/24/08 02:22 AM
Once again the mortgage lending guidelines have changed with the wind. For a brief period there was a window for foreign nationals to obtain mortgage financing on investment and second homes in the United States with down payments as low as 25%, but now that window has been slammed shut along with a host of other "make sense" loan programs. (Don't even get me started on condo hotels that can't be financed by anyone with even 50% down!)Many of the foreign nationals who contacted us in recent weeks were willing to put down as much as 30% to 40% or even … (0 comments)

las vegas: Financing Foreign Investors for Purchase of Las Vegas Homes - 10/03/08 07:23 AM
With the dollar expected to rise against foreign currencies later this year (that trend has already started), foreign investors are hurrying to purchase real estate in the US while their dollar goes further. Most of these investors are targeting the Las Vegas real estate market in particular, where the sharp decline in prices (due to the high amount of Las Vegas foreclosures) and the world class amenities have made it an attractive get-away destination. In particular, Canadian buyers are looking to Las Vegas homes as a vacation retreat from their harsh winter climate.Most banks will not loan on real estate outside … (0 comments)

las vegas: Good News for Cosmopolitan Contract Owners! - 09/07/08 06:40 PM

To the right, the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Condos and theBellagio Hotel and Casino, to the left the MGM CityCenter project.Phot0 taken September 5th, 2008.Many proposed high rise condo projects around the country have had the plug pulled in the past two years due to cost overruns and tightening credit. Since Deutsche Bank announced they were beginning foreclosure proceedings on the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan condo hotel project at the beginning of 2008 on their $760 million dollar loan, over 1800 contract owners have been holding their breath, wondering if the development would be completed. Or if they would get their money … (0 comments)