More real estate

I have been slacking lately on adding the newest projects---but I have a good excuse, I bought a new car. Well, not a new - new car, but new to me at least. So I buckled down and added page about V, a development at Lake Las Vegas, Parkline Lofts and some general information pages as well. The Las Vegas market is still speeding up, with several new communities announced in some of the existing masterplanned communites, like Southern Highlands and The Lakes.

This week I placed two of my fosters that I have had for months. Strangely enough, both are named Duchess. One is a Doberman Pinscher and the other is a miniature pinscher. The similarities continue---both have had their tails docked and have floppy ears! Speaking of animals, one of my wife's partners while showing property stumbled on to two cats abandoned at a property. A note left by the owner stated she couldn't bear to take them to the shelter. Leaving them instead in a vacant condo to starve because the listing agent can't be bothered to feed them.... We are trying to find a place for them, so if anyone out there is willing to foster/adopt two beautiful adult cats please contact me.

Property Taxes

Looks like our property taxes may finally be going up. The legislature has been discussing it for the last few sessions. Most areas of Clark county haven't seen an increase in over a decade at least. The current idea is a modest 3% with a permanent cap placed after you hit the top end (or at least until they decide they need more property tax money). Compared to other areas of the country, our property taxes are very minimal. My current residence is $1,200 a year. There is a place in Texas that in a certain school district the property taxes are $700 per month! How people can afford that is beyond me. Even with the amount of new schools being constructed, property taxes haven't gone up.

Gas prices have went down a little. The least expensive place I've seen so far is Costco with a price of $2.69 a gallon. You can get the latest prices at Vegasgasprices.com. According to the Washington post, the drop in gas prices may be short lived. Even though most of the refineries hit by Katrina are back on line, the pipeline carrying gas back east are not. Prices for crude oil are creeping back up, just in time for Christmas. But I've been staying at home anyway. I put up a page about the new Lake Las Vegas development, Prima. Its being developed by Amland homes with the usual amenities. Hotel giant Starwood has announced a new resort, named "W". Definitely not my choice for an impressive name for a property---but then again I'm sure that will change. The "W" will also have condo-hotel units for sale. Details are forthcoming. Construction is nearing completion on the Metropolis, located on Desert Inn and the strip. The Metropolis was the first loft project in Las Vegas. Should be interesting to see what resale activity is once its been completed.

Vegas gas prices

Well, its a official, the price for regular unleaded gas has gone over $3.00 per gallon. What a rip. Its a good thing Iraq is able to sell all that oil... Of course, Katrina is being blamed. But I think its nothing but another excuse to gouge the consumer. Of course, we aren't paying a lot compared to Europe. A friend of mine has inlaws from Germany, apparently they are paying an equivalent in US dollars of six bucks a gallon! So I guess I shouldn't complain to much. I just started to promote this site. As an experiment, I started listing it with blog directories like this really nice one:

Its probably the cleanest (links wise) directory I've seen, very little questionable sites in it. Great place to start if you are looking up blog topics.

Las Ramblas

It was bound to happen sooner or later. A Hollywood star getting involved in the casino business. Actor George Clooney is part of the group developing the new high rise project Las Ramblas. Clooney has pledged 25% of the profits to go the Make Poverty History campaign, which urges world leaders to end poverty. Las Ramblas is going aim very, very high in terms of elegance, even for Las Vegas standards. The scuttlebutt is that they are thinking of a dress code of jackets and ties for the property. Aside from the usual luxury amenities found in most high rises, the property will be a mixed use, residential condos and condo hotel units. Prices are starting in the mid $600,000s. Las Ramblas will be west of the Hard Rock on Harmon.

Construction on the Lied animal shelter is still nowhere near completion. Animals are still being housed in tents on the property. Thankfully the weather is cooling off.

I've been burning the midnight oil on the site, adding a page for Ontario, Toronto, Europe Real Estate and another sitemap 3 page per the google suggestions. I think I'm going to set up a few more so I won't have to rearrange tons of stuff again!