Las Vegas Real Estate Blog

Andy Rooney

2011-11-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

TV legend Andy Rooney has passed away. Best known for his role on 60 minutes as a commentator, Andy won four emmys, one of them for a piece he did about Mrs. Smith's pies. The best thing about him was you never knew what he was going to say.

Today, we lost one of the true originals. RIP, Andy.

Earthquake in Nevada

2011-10-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

An earthquake here in Nevada is something you don't hear about everyday. However, we did have one in Western Nevada near Reno. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 4.6 quake struck earlier today. It was centered about 6 miles southeast of the sleepy little town of Schurz (population around 700) and had a depth of 10 kilometers.

No injuries or damage has been reported as of yet. I'm sure the local news will be reporting throughout the day. The quake was far enough away that homes in Las Vegas didn't feel anything.

Check out our other blog for news about Las Vegas real estate or to search Las Vegas homes for sale. Thanks for stopping by my Las Vegas real estate blog.

Allure closing out units

2011-09-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Allure Las Vegas is closing out its remaining condos for sale. Originally slated as a two tower project, completed tower one still has brand new condos available for sale. Located just footsteps off of the strip on Sahara, Allure's tower is 41 stories offering views of the world famous Las Vegas strip and the city. Residents are within walking distance of the strip and everything it has to offer.

Allure is one of just a handful of Las Vegas high rise condos in the strip area. Currently Sky Las Vegas and CityCenter are the only properties located on the actual strip. Allure is as close as you can get without having to pay strip prices.

Remaining new units are expected to be sold by the end of summer. If you looking for a brand new high rise condo with strip views, Allure should be at the top of your list. Call 702-493-8033 for more information. Thanks for visiting our Las Vegas real estate blog.

Las Vegas Real Estate Market

2011-06-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

According to the latest report from RealtyTrac, 53% of all the homes sold in Nevada are in some stage of foreclosure. So what does that mean for the market aside from that it is a great time to be a home buyer?

One of the pillars for the national economy is real estate. For Nevada, it does effect the state economy but for the Las Vegas area, tourism also has a huge impact. Over the last six months, more and more people are coming back to Las Vegas for vacations. Don't believe it? Try renting a car on the weekend from any national chain. You may not get one if you don't reserve it ahead of time. Prices for luxury homes in Las Vegas have fallen drastically like most of the rest of the market.

These bank owned properties are frequently referred to as REOs still make up the bulk of the listings in Las Vegas and other areas of the country. Because of this Las Vegas new home builders are slowing down production but that isn't the case in some areas of the country. New home builders in Columbus Georgia are still building homes and production is speeding up. That isn't the norm in markets with high foreclosure rates like Nevada, Arizona and California.

RealtyTrac estimates that there is a three year supply of foreclosures in the Las Vegas real estate market. As to the impact REOs have on pricing, according to RealtyTrac you can expect a 35% price difference. This may have been the case initially, but with so many foreclosures in the valley you'll see the same pricing across the board.

Thank you for visiting my Las Vegas real estate blog. Check out our other news site for Las Vegas real estate news and other tidbits.

Summerlin Real Estate Update

2011-05-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

As you may (or may not) have heard, Engle Homes went belly up some time ago. They left several communities around the Las Vegas valley partially finished. While it was certainly bad news for original home buyers then, it was good news for others. Harmony Homes stepped in and bought some of their partially finished communities and are in the process of completing these communities.

New Summerlin Homes

New home buyers now have some choices. New Summerlin homes were becoming scarce over the last year due to the real estate crash. Home builders either went bankrupt or they stopped construction. Recently that has changed as Harmony Homes is offering new homes in Ladera Terrace, located in the Mesa village of Summerlin. Prices start in the mid 200's and are Energy Star certified. Also in the Mesa Pulte Homes and Richmond American are collaborating on another new neighborhood, Amado. New Amado homes are available in four different collections with prices starting the low 200's. Both communities offer their own resident only amenities as well.

Summerlin Luxury Homes

With prices finally stabilizing, it is not only investors that are looking for a bargain. The luxury real estate market has been hard hit, with prices dropping to levels not seen in the valley since the 90's. Luxury Summerlin real estate is available for a fraction of its original price. Summerlin has several luxury neighorhoods to choose from. For golf afficiandos, Tournament Hills homes are right on the TPC Summerlin golf course. There is also a similar community of homes, Eagle Hills. Eagle Hills real estate is also comprised of custom built homes in the Hills South village. The Ridges village offers nothing but luxury homes and one community of luxury townhomes by Toll Brothers. Fairway Hills townhomes are the only luxury town home community in Summerlin currently.

Prices are starting to creep back up slowly in the nicer areas of the valley. Thanks for stopping our Las Vegas real estate blog.

Bin Laden Dead

2011-05-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

Today justice was done. President Obama held to a campaign promise and US forces killed Osama Bin Laden. Granted this is not a political blog, nor one that advocates violence....but I have to say WELL DONE.

Bally's Fire

2011-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Guests of Bally's hotel and casino were asked to evacuate due to a small room fire yesterday afternoon. Local firefighters were rendered optional thanks to the building's sprinkler system. According to officials, the fire started in a mattress (another reason to not get a smoking room).

The fire started on the 25th floor of the hotel and only one person was injured. The gentleman was treated for smoke inhalation and the official cause of the fire is still under investigation.

An estimate of the damage has not been released yet.

Thanks for reading our Las Vegas Real Estate Blog.

Location: 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Is the News Wrong?

2010-10-01T14:43:00.001-07:00

The one constant about the news, both local and national. Nothing gives a reporter a larger gleam in their eye then reporting bad news. Throw in a celebrity and its going to be a great news cycle. A perfect example would be the recent news coverage of Paris Hilton. She was caught with drugs (allegedly) and thrown in jail. It was on the news constantly over the last week.

Another small blurb about the Las Vegas real estate market was thrown in. Las Vegas home sales are down compared to last year and new home sales are hitting rock bottom. But is it really bad news for everyone? Not if you are a home buyer of course. People are still moving to the Las Vegas valley and there are people looking for investment or vacation property too. Just because someone said it on television does not make it so. It is all about perspective.

If you are thinking about moving to the Las Vegas valley and have questions, feel free to drop me a line. Thanks for reading our Las Vegas real estate blog.

Mortgage Fraud on the Rise

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal stated that despite the new regulations, mortgage fraud is on the rise. The article sited findings by CoreLogic, a mortgage value tracking company. The company uses proprietary computer software that detects discrepancies in loan documents and predicts the likelihood of fraud.

Scammers are now getting more sophisticated and are recruiting employees of mortgage companies to help them. As a result, identify theft is also rising. You can read the rest of the article here.

High Definition Video Home Tours

2010-03-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Remember the days of waiting several minutes for a jerky virtual tour to load? You'll see them every now and then online. The stitched together jpeg files that let you see a room by changing the direction by clockwise or counterclockwise. Those days are already over, the future now belongs to high definition video home tours.

Why settle watching some outdated low resolution tour when there are plenty of professional grade high definition video tours out there. As a home owner, why would you list your home with someone that is using old technology to market your home?

If you are looking for high definition alternative, I recommend High Five Productions for all of your Las Vegas Video services.

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension Ending

2010-03-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit extension is coming to an end next month for most people. The extension gives certain Federal employees and military personnel additional time to take advantage of it. For the rest of us, to qualify you must be in escrow on a property (and meet the other requirements of course) before May 1st.

There has been a lot of debate over whether the tax credit has helped sales. I think you'll find a lot of support among those buyers that have been able to take advantage of the credit and have actually received their refund. Feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment.

If you would like listings of Las Vegas homes for sale, call 702-493-8033.

The State of Nevada Real Estate

2010-01-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

The state of the Las Vegas real estate market has been great if you thinking of buying a home and living in that home for several years. Foreclosures over the last 2 years had pushed prices down to levels not seen here since the mid 1990's. Despite government intervention, foreclosures are still happening, mostly due to job loss. While unemployment is still high, the unemployment rate has stopped going up both here in Nevada and nationally.

The extension of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has also impacted the market in a positive way. Home buyers now have the opportunity to take advantage of the credit for another three months. So it begs the question, will 2010 be the year of recovery for the Las Vegas real estate market?

Please feel free to comment and leave your thoughts.

LVRE Blog Comment Policy

2009-09-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, a lot more comments are being posted on this blog. Did I say comments? I meant pathetically disguised spam. I would love to hear your comments and have you contribute to the conversation here.

I do not wish to hear about your latest products, services nor have spammy links posted in the comments. Trying to post for links here does no good, I moderate all comments on all of my blogs and simply delete the spam.

If you are going to comment, please use your name or if you wish to remain anonymous, that's okay to. Please refrain from using vulgar language and from attacking others. This is an open forum, but adult behavior is expected. Other than that, thanks for stopping by.

Check out my post on the 2009 First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit.

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A Year Later

2009-07-06T14:58:00.001-07:00

Just over a year ago, I experienced a life altering event. One morning I woke with a slight tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers and what felt like a pulled muscle in the back of both of my legs. Thinking that I must have slept wrong, I went about my business that day and didn't think too much about it. The next morning when I woke up I was much worse and by that evening had trouble walking. I went to the ER at UMC and was admitted. I ended up staying 10 days in the hospital for Guilliam Barre syndrome. I am happy to say that I have no long term effects from being temporarily paralyzed, other than I've managed to keep off some of the weight I lost.

During my time in the hospital I found out just how lucky I was. My good friend, Matt Pellerin, a Paradise Valley Realtor along with my friend Max Chirkov, set up a fund raiser to help pay my bills while I recovered. Specifically I'd like to thank my friends Jeff Manson in Hawaii, Ken Smith in Arlington Heights, Glenn Ginsburg in Naples and Toby Barnett in Marysville for their generousity, support and continued encouragement. So many people offered help is so many ways, it was truly humbling. My good friend and neighbor Vera Mischke and her family probably mobilized half of Omaha to pray for my recovery. I am truly lucky to have such a neighbor and good friend. And a special thank to you Anna Bourland and Kristina Davis at Advanced Access.

Some people also started their own fund raising efforts, like Gary at US Real Directory and others like my friends Larry Hotz in Denver, Mack Perry in Atlanta, Cal Carter in Gulf Shores, Wayne Long in Columbus, Eric Blackwell, Greg Swan in Phoenix and Eric Bramlett in Austin helped out in other ways.

The internet is probably the greatest commerce vehicle ever invented, but it also has allowed me to make friends all over the country as you can see. So many people helped I couldn't possibly mention them all. Friends of my brother and sister also sent their support, which speaks very highly of my siblings and their friends. I would also like to thank the following people for their generousity and prayers for my recovery:

Jonathan Yudin
Grant Freer
Deborah McCreath-Akbar
Joseph Ferrara
Jay Thompson
Wasabi Design, Inc.
Jason Farris
Dan Connolly
Kristi Berg
Sherry Baker
MediaQuake, LLC
James Duncan
Mike Farmer
Erich Caparas
Margaret Woda
Melissa Caulk
Kevin Kling PA
Larry Jensen
Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions LLC
Caleb Mardini
Susan Withington
Laurinda Frederick
Lisa Martin
Anna Hackman
Drew Hartanov
Dena Davis
Lynda Eisenmann
Paul Davis
Courtney Miller
Eileen Pettengill
Erin Cristall
Kellee Davis
Steve St John
Taeyoung Lee
Tenchi Hamaki
John Palmer
Art Derailed
Vlad Zablotskyy
Glenn Timme
Martin Barringer
Ray Lancon
Lesley Reppeteaux
Maureen Francis
Stephen Toms
Martin Barringer
Kristal Kraft
Elton Blair
Steven Haffner-Stearns
Karen Hurst

This is of course, an imcomplete list. There are many, many more people that made a difference. Thank you all.

Top Five Real Estate Industry Blogs

2009-06-11T16:18:00.001-07:00

I had wanted to include a poll for everyone to cast their own vote, but I couldn't find one that I liked that worked with blogger. So instead I thought I'd list my own top five real estate industry blogs (one that I read). There are a LOT of real estate blogs out there to choose from. Some are super niche concentrated, others offer a wider view of the real estate market in general.

So here is my picks for the top five real estate industry blogs:

Bloodhound Blog - Owned and operated by Greg Swann, it started off with humble beginnings and has evolved into one of the most influential industry blogs out there. Greg has championed several causes on his blog and has thousands of fans across the US. If you haven't stopped by there yet, what are you waiting for?
Real Estate Industry Watch - A relatively new blog, REIW looks at issues not only affecting the market in the US, but all over the world. A great section is the "Franchise Watch" which lists what the big real estate franchises are up to.
Rain City Guide - Based in Seattle, RCG covers a wide range of industry topics. RCG set the standard for collaboration blogs in the industry.
Sellsius - Joe had a RV tour across the US that hit 24 cities in 2007. Very original and generated a lot of buzz and a loyal following.
Matrix - Jonathan Miller's blog focuses on the more economic issues of real estate, current trends, analysis and trends. A must read.

There are of course several more great blogs that I didn't list (after all I did say the top five). Thanks for stopping by.

Pets of Foreclosures

2009-06-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

With so much attention given to people losing their homes, often the animals they leave behind are overlooked. Today my wife and I drove over to the West side of Vegas to pickup a dog that had been left behind. His owners lost their home to foreclosure and weren't able to take the dog with them. Unlike most people, the owner did show back up and help us get him into our van.

The dog whose name is Oso (Bear in Spanish) is now resting comfortably at the the Green Valley vet's office until tomorrow when he will be neutered. After that he'll go to German Shepard rescue in Pahrump for some training and socialization. Then he'll go up for adoption. So if you are looking to help a dog that has had a hard luck story, visit http://germanshepherdrescuelasvegas.com/.

Chester the Molester Gets LIFE

2009-05-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Chester Stiles whom I've dubbed Chester the Molester, was convicted earlier this year on several counts of child molestation. In a rare instance of true justice, Chester was sentenced to 21 LIFE sentences. That's right, he is NEVER going to harm another child again.

Mr. Stiles appeared before the court and gave a statement, whining that the tape wasn't properly inspected or some such garbage and that he was being treated unfairly because of the media attention. Perhaps he has a point. Perhaps no one gives a **** because he was without a doubt guilty as charged and had gotten away with it for years. I know he handed a life sentence to his victims. I'm sure parents here in the Las Vegas valley will rest a little easier knowing that a child predator is behind bars permanently.

Also a tip of the hat for a job well done to the city of Henderson police department for nabbing Stiles originally.

I'm sure Mr. Stiles will appeal and appeal. But in the mean time, his victims and their families can rest easy knowing justice was served.

Related:

Chester the Molester Goes on Trial

Out of Town Visitors

2009-05-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Today the city held a "tourism" rally to promote (and reaffirm) our tourist trade. Tourism has been down the last year and has hurt the local economy, but if you're a visitor it has worked out well for you (room prices are unbelievably cheap at the moment). A friend of mine was in town for a few days checking out the real estate market here after visiting some relatives in nearby St. George.

Larry is a Denver Realtor so naturally we ended up talking about the First Time Home Buyer tax credit and how it would effect the market once it expired. He was of the opinion that the market would suffer once its was no longer available. His daughter Liz Hotz has had only first time buyers as clients this year (and has closed more deals than Dad as a result) and most of them were motivated by the credit to buy a home now.

With the economy the way it is, steady home sales and a reduction in foreclosures is a necessity to getting things back on track. The April foreclosure numbers were released today and sadly, once again Nevada is leading the nation.

So my question to everyone out there is this: Do you think home sales will decline significantly once the First Time Home Buyer tax credit expires?

Protesters at Sunset Park

2009-04-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about this country is freedom of assembly...even the freedom to make an idiot out of yourself in public. But please leave your kids at home. As I was driving home from Green Valley I made the mistake of driving down Eastern past Sunset Park.

There is a small group of people protesting a bill, Senator Reid and President Obama. As I was stopped, waiting for them to get out of the street and let traffic move, I asked an older lady exactly what she was protesting. She really couldn't give me a straight answer strangely enough. She felt President Obama with the help of Senator Reid was leading us into socialism. The banks should all fail. So I asked her why wasn't she protesting when President Bush gave out the tarp funds without any oversight or restrictions. She didn't have a reply to that and walked off in a huff.

Another thing too and this one lends to credibility. If you're going to protest, at least have the intelligence to make sure your the statements on your signs are spelled correctly. Have some verifiable facts to back up your statements. Don't try to cloak hate mongering in legitimate protesting either.

Stewart Getting a Lock on the Financial Mess

2009-03-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is a clip from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is talking to Jim Cramer of Mad Money. Definitely worth watching as Jon pulls up examples of Jim Cramer giving advice on how to pull what he calls "shenanigans" that AIG, Bear-Stearns and others basically used to make money and get us into this financial mess.

Chester the Molester Goes on Trial

2009-02-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

Chester Stiles is in court today, facing the charges of child molestation leveled against him in late 2007. Stiles who I dubbed Chester the Molester is facing 22 counts of sexual assault of a minor and lewdness with a minor. Stiles videotaped himself having sex with a 2 year old girl that testified today. The courage this young girl has is amazing.

Thankfully, it looks like Chester will be spending more time in prison. Deptuy District Attorney Mary Kay Holthus produced letters from Stiles stating he is a pedophile. The letters were written to his ex-girlfriends and son.

During opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Mary Kay Holthus quoted extensively from letters Stiles had written to his son and ex-girlfriends where he freely admitted that he’s a pedophile. Those letters plus the video tape should guarantee that this predator is locked up.

Stiles was caught in a routine traffic stop in Henderson. Way to go HPD!

Redneck Romance on Craigslist

2009-01-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine posted about a twit about this post on Craigslist. I'm sure the post won't be up for too long, but you just have to read it. It was titled: "To the woman who crapped her pants in my car". I wonder if she was the one on Flava of Love....

Here is an excerpt:

At some point in life, everyone has gambled on a fart and lost. It just happened to be on a first date in the passenger seat of my car

Double click the link to read it (link opens up a screenshot I took).

image link

Other related posts:Redneck Spaceship House

Foreign Investment in Las Vegas

2009-01-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

It seems that America is a giant yard sale for foreign investment. The flood started with our good neighbors to the north, buying up vacation and second homes in depressed markets like Scottsdale and Las Vegas. European also jumped on the bandwagon with similar purchases. Dubai had already started years ago, purchasing an interest in the massive MGM CityCenter project (which recently scaled back of its condos in the Harmon building) and the list continues. Of course, these investors are bringing some much needed capital to our economy so we shouldn't be too upset, should we?

I think we should be a little wary. After all, there is no such thing as a free ride. Then again, America businesses track record of late leaves a lot to be desired.

Another group of casinos may be bought up by overseas investors. This time its the Cannery Casino Resorts. The Cannery has two locations, a brand new casino resort on Boulder Highway on the site of the former Nevada Palace and another on Craig Road. Last week the state Gaming Control Board okayed the $1.8 billion acquisition of Cannery Casino Resorts by Crown Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia. Of course, the deal still has to be approved by the state Gaming Commission but usually its just a formality.

Consumer Electronics Show

2009-01-07T19:36:00.001-08:00

It's early January and that means that the giant Consumer Electronics Shows is back in town. Years ago I used to faithfully attend CES and the now defunct COMDEX. CES usually brings over 100,000 visitors to the Las Vegas valley. CES runs from Thurday through the weekend and will showcase the latest electronic gadgets and doodads.

Thankfully a massive influx of visitors is a welcome jolt to the local economy, especially the strip section. Tourism is down again last year and unemployment is at a historic high. On the plus side however, Encore opened and provided several thousand jobs, according to the latest study, the Las Vegas homes market is as much as 14% undervalued and interest rates have never been lower in recent history. Financial guru are advocating investing in real estate again, especially in our market. As the housing market recovers, we'll see improvement in other areas as well.

OJ Sentencing

2008-12-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today, OJ Simpson was back in court, this time for his sentencing hearing. OJ was convicted of several felony courts earlier this year. Judge Jackie Glass sentenced Mr. Simpson to 15 years in prison, with the possibility of parole in nine years. That means OJ will be in jail until he is at least 70 years old before he could even have the possibility of being released on parole.

Has Justice finally been served?

Mos Def in Trouble

2008-11-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Why is it when celebrities come to Las Vegas, they inevitably end up in trouble with Metro? The big news of course has been the conviction of O J Simpson by a Nevada jury on 12 felony counts.

But he isn't the only celebrity (well, former in his case) that was wanted by Metro. Apparently rapper/actor Dante Smith aka "Mos Def" has an arrest warrant issued for malicious destruction of property and felony robbery. It all started in earlier this year in August, he threw a man's camera on the ground and then took it. Allegedly Mos Def mistook the camera's owner as a paparazzi. It turned ouf that the owner of the camera, Volker Corell, was a staff photographer for the Men's Apparel and Garment Industy Convention that was in town during that time.

If you wondering why its taken several months for charges to appear for such a serious issue, that's where it gets a little lame. According to Cornell, he cites an injury to his hand and private property...okay. Some how I thihk they will some kind of "settlement" coming around for the replacement of the camera.

Coincidentally, Mos Def has a new movie called Cadillac Records where he plays Chuck Berry on December 5th. There is no such thing as bad publicity...

Canadians buying in Las Vegas

2008-10-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

For the last several months, more and more Canadians are buying up Las Vegas property. With housing prices dropping to new lows and the strong Canadian dollar, it makes perfect sense. While this is good news for agents in Las Vegas, its bad news for Canadian agents. I was reading a post about real estate in Parry Sound, Ontario Canada that states the Canadian resort property market is slowing down and part of the reason is property sales in US. You can read the post here.

The big question is whether the recent financial meltdown and subsequent bailout will continue to draw in foreign investors or will it scare them off. Several overseas property markets are feeling similar pinches as are their major banking institutions. At the beginning of the year, CTV was talking about the US recession (what recession?!) and whether it would affect the Canadian housing market. They theorized that a slowdown here could actually boost the Canadian housing market. Apparently they were right and wrong.

Canadians are still coming to buy Las Vegas vacation homes and condos. With the fed lowering interest rates again, I don't think they'll stop buying any time soon.

OJ Trial: Verdict GUILTY

2008-10-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

OJ's luck has finally run out. Yesterday the jury came back with a verdict of guilty on 12 felony counts. OJ is in custody awaiting sentencing on December 5th of this year. Simpson is facing life in prison for kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges stemming from the incident at Palace Station back in September of 2007.

The Las Vegas trial was televised but lacked the media circus of the Nicole Simpson murder trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in Los Angeles. I'm sure we can expect an appeal.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27010657/

Related:

OJ on Trial
OJ Pleads Not Guilty
About to be squeezed
OJ Update
OJ Claims he was getting back stolen goods
Juice is loose in Vegas

Renters protect yourselves

2008-10-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

There was a time not that long ago, if you were a renter the biggest worry you had aside from paying your rent on time was to make sure you also had renter's insurance. Sadly, those times are over. Now you have to worry about if the place you have rented actually is for rent and not some kind of rental scam. Not to mention given the current state of the Las Vegas housing market, the home you are renting might be going into foreclosure.

However, there is something you can do about that. The Clark County Assessor's office has public records accessible online. You can look up your current address to see if it is in foreclosure here. Copy the parcel number and then go to the recorder's page do an advanced search. Enter the parcel number and click detail data. You are looking for a BREACH or NOTICE OF DEFAULT in the document type field. If the property is going into foreclosure, it will usually be within 120 days of the date posted. If it lists Notice of Sale or Notice of Trustee Sale, than foreclosure is imminent, usually within the next 30 to 60 days. If the property has already been foreclosed on, there will be a TRUSTEE DEED recorded, which means the bank has taken ownership of the property.

If you have determined that the property you are paying rent on is in foreclosure, I would recommend consulting an attorney before doing anything else. Don't confront your landlord without seeking legal advice and verifying the status of the property.

Las Vegas real estate market in the news

2008-09-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

The media has actually been reporting some good news about the real estate market, at least in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas real estate market has been quietly making a comeback over the last six months. Even though homes are still sliding into foreclosure, home sales are up and gainning ground. Here is a short video report by Jane Wells on the Las Vegas homes market.

OJ on trial

2008-09-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

If you have been watching TV at all, odds are you have probably watched at least a small portion of the new OJ trial. Like all sequels, it is showing elements of the first show. Thankfully this trial hasn't turned into a huge circus like the first one. However, like the first trial, the defendant's attorney is focusing on some of the police's comments. Will this influence the jury as it did in the first trial? Maybe.

I wonder if we'll see the same reactions in Las Vegas as they had in California. Of course, this being Las Vegas, there is betting going on about the outcome of the trial. Anyone know the odds on a conviction?

Barack Obama is coming to Las Vegas

2008-09-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

This Wednesday Barack Obama will be appearing at Cashmanfield. It will be a town hall type meeting, where voters can discuss issues with the Democratic nominee for president. Admission is free to the public, but campaign organizers recommend that you rsvp here.

Here are the details:

Baseball Stadium at Cashman Center
850 Las Vegas Blvd North
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Doors Open: 2:30 p.m.
Program begins: 5 p.m.

For security reasons, bags, signs and banners are not permitted. Please limit your personal items.

To say this coming election is probably the most exciting one in recent history is an understatement. Cashman field seats about 9,000 people so you might want to come early.

Related:
Obama Town Meeting

Rental scam on Craig's List

2008-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

These types of scams are hardly new. Scammers will 'rent' vacant homes to unsuspecting victims. Earlier this year, an alert was sent out to local Realtors to beware of rental scams.

Metro has arrested two individuals who allegedly rented a vacant home to an unsuspecting woman. One of the scammers claimed to be a real estate broker. The scam came to light when an absentee owner from California found his Las Vegas home occupied by a woman and her two kids. The woman had answered an ad placed on Craig's list several months ago. She met a woman named Melinda Hertz, signed a rental contract and paid the rent in cash.

The police set up a sting operation to catch the criminals. On Monday, the woman arranged to meet at a restaurant to pay rent. Afterwards, police investigators swooped in and arrested 26 year old Melissa Cowan and Emilio Gonzales, 53. Both individuals are facing criminal charges of conspiracy, burglary and obtaining money under false pretenses.

Wine Tasting to benefit Opportunity Village

2008-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Attention oenophiles, there is a wine tasting event to benefit Opportunity Village, this Saturday, August 23 at the World Market center. The event starts at 3 pm and runs until 7 pm at World View on floor 16. Tickets are $50 in advance or $75 at the door.

There will be hundreds of wines to sample, great food, entertainment and a silent auction. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Opportunity Village at 6300 W. Oakey Blvd and at all Lee’s Discount Liquor locations.

Where I've been - paralyzed

2008-07-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last month I came down with a nasty head cold that had been going around the valley. After about a week, I started feeling a lot better and thought I was over it. I woke up one morning feeling like a slept wrong or pinched a nerve in my back. My legs felt like I had worked out too hard and my finger tips were a little numb---like pins and needles. By the next day it got progressively worse. I had trouble walking, standing for any length of time and my dexterity in my hands decreased. My wife called her doctor for an appointment the next day. By the evening we decided that I needed to go to the hospital. I went to UMC and by midnight couldn't stand or move my legs more than a few inches.

My symptoms matched some very unpleasant and fatal diseases and for the first 2 days my diagnosis wasn't set in stone. After a spinal tap, two MRIs, two cat scans and several x-rays, they were able to rule out a lesion, tumor, ALS (known as Lou Gehrig's disease) or MS. I had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, something I had never heard of until I had it. Initially the doctors told me I would probably be hospitalized for at least two weeks and would need several months to recover. The treatment is a five day course of medicine given through an IV. The paralysis finally stopped when it reached my left lung (thankfully I didn't need to be put on a ventilator) on day 4. I was finally able to stand again four days after that and was released on day 10. Currently I'm in out patient rehab for the next several weeks.

To make matters worse, like most Americans I don't have health insurance. My good friends in Arizona set up a fund to help pay my medical bills. (You can get the widget there as well)

Donate to the Charles Richey Fund

Friend, husband and fellow real estate blogger was unexpectedly hospitalized read more

Gary Schmitz of the US real estate directory fame has generously donated all proceeds of his new start up directory Affordable real estate solution for new signups for the month of July. There are so many people to thank that I will be revisiting this topic over the next several months. Thank you all for your support.

Yet another real estate lawsuit

2008-06-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

It seems that there are at least one group of professionals profiting from the real estate slump-----lawyers. The developers of Sullivan Square, a large green high rise project are suing their equity partner, Harcourt Nevada.

Now there is a suit pending against D. R. Horton filed by real estate developer and two other home builders. The suit is alleging breach of contract for failing meet funding obligations for the Park Highlands community in North Las Vegas. The agreement that they are claiming DRHI violated stated that they were to fund 20% of the backbone infrastructure costs via regular monthly payments. The plaintiffs are claiming DRHI is more than $4 million in arears.

Construction of Park Highlands commenced in January of 2007 and despite the lawsuit, the plaintiffs state that the project is going forward.

World Series of Poker 2008

2008-05-30T17:14:00.001-07:00

Today marked the start of the 2008 World Series of Poker. The first event was held today at the Rio Hotel and Casino. The series started at noon with a $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em. Last year's champion, 39 year old Jerry Yang is expected to return to defend his title.

The "Main Event" is July 3 through the 14th, with the final WSOP final table on November 9. The event is free for spectators and it's expected that over 100,000 people will end up watching the event.

Entry fees for the tourney range from $1,000 up to $50,000. WSOP expected over 30,000 players. For complete tournament details and scheduled events, visit worldseriesofpoker.com.

If you are coming into town for tourney and are looking for the best deals, check out Savelv.com. Randi has put together a great list of things to do and where the best deals are in town.

Tragedy at Excalibur

2008-05-13T17:02:00.001-07:00

One of the most horrific things possible has happened at the Excalibur (3850 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109). A new born infant was found dead in a restroom trash can by a hotel employee Sunday night. That's right, on Mother's Day. The umbilical cord was still attached and the body was in a pillow case wrapped up in one of the hotel's gift bags, tossed away like so much trash. What the hell is wrong with people?! There are places in Las Vegas where mothers can drop off their babies, no questions asked. Three were within just a few miles of the Excalibur. They would have found a loving home for the child at no cost to the mother.

Metro is investigating and I'm sure the local news will have more information later today. If you have any information regarding the identity of the parties involved, call crime stoppers at 385-5555. Metro is waiting for an autopsy to see whether the baby boy was alive before being placed in the trash.

If you are pregnant and need help with your child, call the National Baby Help line at 888-510-baby or visit saveabandonedbabies.org.

Spammed by a former apprentice

2008-05-09T11:12:00.001-07:00

Every year there seems to be at least one former apprentice of the "Don's" that just won't fade back into obscurity. Probably the most famously ridiculous one was Amarosa who just couldn't accept that she was not the greatest thing since sliced bread. For a while she had a website up where you could 'talk' to her for $6.95 a minute. Now there is another former apprentice trying to cash in on their brief brush with fame. Jennifer Wallen has some kind of deal cooking. Jennifer, here's a hint. If you want to appear more legitimate, don't use the same tactics as Nigerians do to collect money. I've been spammed by at least a dozen different email addresses with this message:

Hi! I'm Jennifer Wallen, a local real estate broker and former contestant on Donald Trump's hit television show, "The Apprentice"-- season 4. I have discovered an incredible money-making opportunity so powerful, that it has enabled myself and my husband to retire from our real estate careers! If you're like me, the downturn in the real estate market has affected you financially and you are probably looking for something else to supplement or even replace your income. This life-changing opportunity will do just that.

For more information, call the toll-free number below. We are holding local meetings weekly to explain all of the details. Just leave your contact information and I, or one of my partners, will call you back with the time and location of our next meeting. Don't delay as seating is by reservation only and it tends to fill up quickly... you won't be sorry!
Insane Income Please Call 1 - 888-99B-RICH

That's right, since tune in on weekly meetings and your income worries are over! I've always found that the real money is in holding making money seminars. There is an unsubscribe button included in the email from Insane Income LLC, which I have already used a week ago. What really steams me is that you shouldn't have to go through this crap when your email address has been harvested from your site. If there is anyone out there that has signed up, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about it. Their marketing has put a bad taste in my mouth.

Win a REW website with IDX

2008-05-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World contest has come to a close. Team Eric came out on top, beating some very tough competitors. As promised, the contest prize was donated to the Eco Preservation Society of Costa Rica to help raise money and awareness of the plight of the eco system in that area.

The website with core IDX and free lifetime hosting is being raffled off. You can get the full scoop here: http://www.ericonsearch.com/real-estate-webmasters-website-raffle-by-team-eric/

Construction worker found dead at CityCenter

2008-04-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday a construction worker was found dead at the CityCenter project. The man was identified as Mark Wescoat, an electrician from New Jersey working for Fisk Electric. He reported in for work at 6 am and about a half hour later he had fallen to his death from the 27th floor down to the 25th. This is the fifth construction death at CityCenter (last year there were four fatalities). OSHA has been called in to investigate and there has been no comment from MGM Mirage. In the prior cases, OSHA found numerous safety violations. The project has work crews there working around the clock to meet their November 2009 opening date.

Perhaps its time for CityCenter to put the safety of its workers ahead of its time table. Unfortunately, its not uncommon for their to be a death at a large construction site. However, to give you some perspective, only one worker died working on the Eiffel Tower in the late 1800's but 114 workers died during construction of Hoover Dam.

More updates and additions

2008-04-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Trying to keep up several sites at once gets old---fast. If you are a regular subscriber to several blogs, you've noticed blog burnout on at least one of them at some time or another. A friend of mine lives in Spanish Trail (not Spanish Trails) and were talking about foreclosures. Even in his neighborhood he is seeing a few, plus there are quite a few Spanish Trail townhomes up for sale as well, although I didn't notice if there were any short sales mentioned. Not surprising really, since there are quite a few townhomes available for sale right now. Beacon Hill in Mountain's Edge is a perfect example. Normally most large master planned communities include a few townhomes in the mix.

Home sales are slowly creeping back up again. I think some of that has to do with some of the unheard of deals being offered. For example, Flagstone Manor by Pulte has half acre lots and had the price dropped by 100k in some cases. Other developers are taking it even farther. Manhattan West is offering a couple of very interesting programs. If you are already a home owner and are worried about selling your home in order to buy a condo, the community Guaranteed Sale program guarantees to buy your qualifying existing home if it doesn’t sell within 180 days (of course there are qualifications). Another interesting program is the Downside Price Protection™, which lets you lock in today’s prices and interest rates while reducing the risk that your condo will drop in price. With Downside Price Protection, if the market is lower two years from when you buy your Manhattan West residence, you get a cash refund of the percentage the market is down, up to 10%. There is also a program for investors to cover the mortgage difference if the rent doesn't. In all, there are a total of six programs. I have to admit, it's pretty slick.

Top Five Condo Communities in Las Vegas

2008-03-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

More than 5,000 people a month move to the Las Vegas valley and they all ask some of the same questions. Where are the best schools? Best communities? Condos close to the strip? Homes near UNLV, etc. So I thought I would give my opinion on some of those questions, by putting together this list of what I think are the top five condominium communities in Las Vegas and the reasons why.

Manhattan West - I gave this community top billing because of their innovative floor plan packages (no one else offers anything like them) and great community amenities. Manhattan West also offers unparalleled buyer protection programs. It's a truly unique community, a rarity in Las Vegas.
Sedona Las Vegas - This is a condo conversion, located on Las Vegas Boulevard, just down the street from Mandalay Bay. The community has several pools, spas, racquetball court, tennis court and other resort style amenities.
Sullivan Square - This is a completely green condominium community. It has its own unique architectural style, offering a variety of loft and condominium residences.
Sky Las Vegas - This is the only residential high rise on the Las Vegas strip (at the moment). Sky Las Vegas offers all of the high end amenities you would expect in a luxury condo community.
Desert Shores Villas - This one makes the list on location alone. Another condominium conversion, the condos themselves are the average fare. However, residents go enjoy all of the Desert Shores community amenities. The lakes attract all kinds of wildlife including migrant ducks and swans.

Health crisis in Las Vegas

2008-03-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, several clinics owned by Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada were shut down due to a hepatitis outbreak at their Shadow Lane location. Now it’s come to light that the clinic’s majority owner, Dr Depak Desai has political ties to Nevada governor Jim Gibbons. Dr. Desai served on the governor’s health care transition team before he officially took office in January of last year, which may explain the governor's defense of the clinics early on. Gibbons expressed his concern that Nevadans wouldn’t seek medical help over the media’s “buffoonery.” On the other hand, he asked that three members of the state board of medical examiners to step down that have ties to the hepatitis scare at Clark county endoscopy clinics. One of the three is also the Chief of the Bureau of Licensing and Certification. Gibbons also stated, ”more inspections by more state staffers may not have stopped clinic practices that led to a recent hepatitis outbreak in Las Vegas” last week, despite having fought for a plan for more medical surveyors in 2007. However, he had also stated about their actions "that does constitute a criminal act" and those responsible "must be held accountable." A flip flop of his other statements....

Another Hepatitis case confirmed

The latest case brings the total to 7 confirmed cases of the disease and the first death. James Cromwell passed away due to liver disease secondary to hepatitis C. His wife, Janice has filed a wrongful death suit against Endoscopy Center. As with the other cases, the victim’s blood work never showed hepatitis C before he visited the clinic. Mr. Cromwell had passed away in May of 2006. Mrs. Cromwell also intends to file a police report, hoping murder charges will be brought against the doctor involved.

More cases

Robert Cox may be the next person added to the list of victims. He underwent two procedures at the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center on Burnham Avenue several years ago. Prior to those procedures, he had never tested positive for hepatitis. Mr. Cox was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2005 and sought additional testing after receiving a letter from his medical provider urging him to do so. Mr. Cox’s test came back positive for hepatitis B as well. The results have been forwarded to the health department for investigation. Mr. Cox said the doctor who performed the procedures was Dr. Vishvinder Sharma, who recently resigned from the State Medical Board on March 7 and was a partner of Dr. Depak Desai.

Nevada clinics not the first

This type of outbreak is nothing new. Back in October of 2002, the New York Times ran a piece about 10 cancer patients that may have contracted Hepatitis C from a Nebraska clinic. The clinic was reusing hypodermic needles. The clinic owner, Dr. Javed fled to Pakistan and was not heard from again. The next month, a survey by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) in Illinois found that 1 in 100 healthcare providers were using the same needle on multiple patients. "There is no excuse for ever reusing a needle or syringe on different patients," said Rodney Lester, CRNA, PhD, president of the 30,000-member AANA. "It is most disturbing that even 1 percent of the healthcare providers surveyed do this, potentially exposing millions of patients each year to needles and/or syringes contaminated with Hepatitis, HIV, or other life-threatening infectious diseases."

So this has been a known issue, well documented and the consquences known. I have a feeling that if other states start inspecting clinics they might find the same practices.

Sources: lasvegasnow.com, msnbc.msn.com, aana.com & New York Times

Metreon Vertical Construction Party

2008-03-17T14:03:00.001-07:00

Amidst all of the recent cancellation of loft and condo projects, several of the projects going forward tend to get overlooked. The Metreon Las Vegas, a mixed use project on the west side is celebrating the vertical construction of the project on March 27th. Sales for the community have already commenced.

The community will offer live/work residential lofts in twin five story towers and class A office space. Commercial tenants include Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza, Fedex Kinko's and Einstein's bagels. Call 702-493-8033 for more information.

Out of this world home up for sale

2008-03-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

ET's retirement home?

This "spaceship" house went up for auction in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

You would think that it would be a one of kind. Thanks to the popularity of Star Trek, Star Wars and other science fiction over the years, that isn't the only spaceship house out there.

Greetings Earthlings from Pensacola, Florida

Don't have enough cash to buy your own spaceship house? This one is available for rent in Pensacola Florida.

Certainly not in the same league as the Tennessee house, but if you have to live in a spaceship, at least you can start out with something small and work your way up. The top structure is actually a Futuro, set on top of a normal house. The Futuro was designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen back in the late 60's and represents the Utopian design of the era. There are still a few of them around the world (although this is first one that has been added to another structure that I've seen). There was even a film made about them in 1998, titled "Futuro - A New Stance for Tomorrow". For more pictures of Futuros around the country, visit futuro-house.net.

The Spaceship Housing Development

The city of El Paso almost had an entire housing development of spaceship homes. There was going to be a giant lake created behind the homes, but that never happened and the project folded.

Influence of Space Age Architecture

The influence of architects like Matt Suuronen can be see across the US in the most unlikely places. This former restaurant The Gobbler located in Madison,Wisconsin has a distinctly space age design. Sadly, the unique building design was not enough to keep the restaurant open.

The new University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona also has a distinctive "spaceship" look.

Crisis in Las Vegas: Doom and Gloom in Sin City

2008-03-05T14:56:00.001-08:00

Deadly poison found in Las Vegas

It has been an "interesting" week here (think the chinese proverb) in Las Vegas to say the least. A highly toxic poison Ricin was found here in the valley. Metro and the FBI are investigating and stated that currently they are treating it as a public safety issue. The poison was discovered in Roger Von Bergendorff's hotel room along with some firearms and an anarchist textbook. Von Bergendorff is still in the hospital, although the cause of his illness hasn't been determined. The FBI have also searched storage units and a relative's house in connection with the investigation. Authorities have confirmed the man was a loner.

Sources: Associated Press, Salt Lake Tribune

Possible Hepatitis Outbreak

If that wasn't bad enough, a series of local clinics were shut down due to a hepatitis outbreak. Talk about feeding the candidates with an example of why health care should be provided by the government. Clinic operators decided to SAVE MONEY by REUSING syringes, single drug doses, etc. People that used the clinic are now being tested for Hepatitis B, C and HIV, because they wanted to save a few bucks.

My neighbor actually went to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada (located at 700 Shadow Lane) on the orders of his doctor for some tests the day before the outbreak occurred. The total number of clinics shut down is now up to six. Its estimated that as many as 40,000 people could be affected from just the one clinic. The clinic operates under the umbrella of the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada, which has several other clinics (some that have been shut down) across the valley. If you have used their services, its imperative that you get yourself tested. So far, six cases of Hepatitis C have been linked to the Shadow Lane clinic. But my neighbor has been told that they will need to be tested every six months for the rest of their lives.

Five certified registered nurse anesthetists who worked at the Shadow Lane location were asked to voluntary surrender their licenses. All five complied. Local police and county prosecutors have opened a preliminary criminal investigation this past Monday. Even with all these risks being front and center in the news during a recent inspection by the Nevada Health Division found unsafe practices at other clinics around the valley.

Local attorneys have started advertising for clients, you can hear the class action train coming.

The Southern Nevada Health District has set up a hotline. The number is (702)759-4636 (INFO) Call to schedule testing or if you have health questions. This past January the clinic was told to stop reusing syringes when administering drugs.

Sources: Las Vegas Review Journal, KLAS Channel 8

Historical Inter-racial hotel may get a facelift

In other more positive news, the Las Vegas Planning Commission voted to allow the Moulin Rouge restoration go forward, approving the various permits, variances, etc that are needed. Final approval for their application will need to be granted by the city council and that may happen in early April. I seriously doubt that the project will not get it. Its one of the few historic landmarks left, although only the facade and sign survived the arson in 2003. But considering the commitment of the city and Mayor Goodman about the continued revitalization of downtown Las Vegas, its a safe bet that the Moulin Rouge project will be approved. According to the developers, if the project is approved they plan on breaking ground next year and have phase one completed by the end of 2010.

source: city of Las Vegas

Real estate posts and comments

2008-03-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, I've been receiving a lot of comments on my post about the Greatest real estate agent in the world contest. So where are they you ask? Well, let's just that ads for other real estate sites won't be displayed, unless I add them in my blogroll.

The competition is heating up. I just found another post about the real estate contest here. He has an interesting view on the contest, real estate blogging and ethics.

Candlelight vigil anniversary

2008-02-20T17:04:00.000-08:00

This Friday, February 22nd, there will be a candlelight vigil to remember the thousands of animals that lost their lives at the Lied shelter last year. Please feel free to come down to the shelter and meet the different rescue groups or take a tour of the shelter. Adoptions will be ongoing, so if you are looking for a pet, the shelter is giving tours and adoption counselors will be on hand. The shelter and rescue groups are also looking for volunteer foster homes as well.

The event will be from 6pm to 9pm at 655 N Mojave Road.

Who is the greatest real estate agent in the world?

2008-02-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Some people put their heads together over at Real Estate Webmasters (REW) and came up with a fun contest: to determine (via google results) who is the Greatest real estate agent in the world. A friend of mine is helping out a friend of his, so I thought I'd help out as well. Please feel free to visit his site and leave a comment, lending him your support. The contest ends on May 1st so I'm sure you'll see some "buzz" on it over the next couple of weeks. The top prize is a nice website from REW, including hosting and idx for life. Not to shabby, and the "price" is completely transferrable. Good luck Eric!

Canine rescue coalition

2008-02-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

A quick kudo to Jocelyn Arter for putting together a rescue group coalition in Las Vegas. With the new management at Lied, there has been a fundamental change in the attitude towards rescue groups in Las Vegas. Before patronizing a pet store and helping to perpetuate puppy mills, check out this huge list of Las Vegas dog rescue groups that Jocelyn has put together. The site is brand new and being updated all of the time, so be sure to check back often.

Gas bills gone wild

2008-02-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas valley residents got a nasty shock last month, in the form of their gas bill. Southwest Gas has been replacing gas meters all over the valley. Ours was replaced on New Year's Eve....just in time for our gas bill to DOUBLE the following month. According to SWG, our usage was the highest ever for the last 2 months. Granted it was an actual winter this year, but we hadn't had the gas fireplace on nor was the heater on the spa used either.

You're not alone

Talking to my neighbors I got the same thing. Their gas bills were twice what they usually were. My wife's nail lady said her bill doubled, and they are gone during the day with the thermostat set in the 60's. She said her bill was still over $300. Has anyone else seen their bills shoot through the roof?

Graft in sin city

2008-01-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

In the local news, this was a brief blip on the radar screen. A "real estate consultant" (aka fixer), Donald Davidson, received a two year sentence in federal prison for attempted bribery.

In addition, Davidson, received a fine of $50,000 and will serve three years after prison on supervised release. His sentence was lighter than the recommendation, in part due to his age (72) and letters seeking leniency from Shelley Berkley (Rep. D) and Federal Public Defender Franny Forsman, who wrote in as a "private citizen". Both pointed out his charitable work, family ties and age....which equals up to what exactly? So why he should get off lightly because he is old? Seems to me that he has probably been doing this for a while. A senior citizen doesn't just get up one day and decide he is going to try to bribe a city councilman that day.

Ulitmately Davidson was convicted in July of 2007 on one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five charges of wire fraud for attempted bribery of Michael McDonald in 2002. Mr. McDonald was a Las Vegas city councilman at that time.

According to McDonald, he refused Davidson's money. Mr. McDonald was never charged in the case. However, another former county official did testify against him. Erin Kenny, caught in the G-sting scandal, testified that Davidson paid her three grand a month and she voted in favor of a neighborhood casino, plus additional monies after she pushed through a zoning change allowing a pharmacy to be built. Davidson's jury deadlocked on 18 charges relating to charges of bribery of former County Commissioner Kenny. It begs the question as to who else may have been approached by Davidson in the past.

The Wire

Prosecutors had a wiretap recording of Davidson alluding to bribing others for a zoning change. Yet, he received a two year sentence. Of course, if he would have been working in the white house he probably would have just received a pardon.. I guess on this one, Nevadans are going to have to accept whatever justice we can get. Davidson will be turned over to federal authorities by March 28.

Monte Carlo Fire

2008-01-26T13:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had put up a post about the fire on the strip. At the time, details were a bit sketchy, but at around 11 am, a fire broke out on the roof of the Monte Carlo casino (3770 Las Vegas Blvd. S). The fire spread from the roof to a couple of floors down. The hotel was evacuated and guests are being given alternate accommodations at other MGM properties. Guests not situated or had reservations at the Monte Carlo are urged to call 888-395-0776.

According to the firefighters on the scene, it was a three alarm blaze that was extinguished around 12:15 or so. 120 firefighters from Henderson, Las Vegas and Clark County responded to the exterior fire. No one was seriously injured.

Kudos to MGM for announcing that that all Monte Carlo employees will be paid, plus receive health, welfare benefits and tip replacement. Employees can call 702-693-7005 for more information. There is no official word yet on the cause of the fire.

The strip and and surrounding streets have been re-opened as well. Construction continues on neighboring CityCenter.

Compared to past fires on the strip, the property damage was minor. Still, the Monte Carlo is looking at millions in lost revenue, repairs and wage compensation. I doubt the blaze will make anyone cancel their trip to Las Vegas, but it certainly doesn't help your property to be all over the news because of a fire, especially when its a high rise. I'll post more information as it becomes available.

Accident at CityCenter

2008-01-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday four construction workers were injured when a steel rebar wall fell over. The accident occured around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon (1-11). The 25 foot tall, 150 foot wall was located in the main hotel tower. All four workers were taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

CityCenter employes roughly 5,000 workers and construction is still underway. Its due to open late next year.

Obama Town Meeting

2008-01-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

The RJ has an article in today's paper stating that Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with the culinary union and there will be a town hall meeting at Del Sol high school. I received a call from Obama campaign staff and received some clarification. According to his staff, the meeting is open to the public, no tickets are required.

The town hall meeting starts at 5 pm at Del Sol high school, located at 3100 E Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89120 (between Pecos and Eastern). Map

For more information, call 253-2008.

2007 most popular posts

2008-01-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

This is up a little late, but you know how things go at the end of the year. Several of the blogs I read have put up year in review type posts, or a list of the most popular posts according to their readers for the prior year, so I thought it was a good idea and I would do the same. So here is top 10 list of the most popular posts for 2007.

1. Las Vegas to get a FTZ This post pulled the most traffic for last year and quite a few citations. The Union Park development is going full speed ahead.

2. Las Vegas Foreclosures This was post was a no-brainer to make the list, given the state of market across the country. Investors and bargain hunters have been coming out of the wood work hunting for deals.

3. O J Simpson Surprisingly this post didn't make it to number one, but then again there was a ton of media competition. O J will be going back to court this April.

4. Verge Lofts This is the latest entry into the green condo/loft market. Located in downtown Las Vegas, the project broke ground last month and Verge is reporting about 70% or so of the units have been sold.

5. Chester the Molester The predator was brought to the attention of Nye county authorities due to a video tape, showing him molesting a child. A police officer in Henderson making a routine traffic stop caught Styles. He also was listed on America's Most Wanted.

6. Commercial Real Estate in Lake Las Vegas With nothing but the gleeful reporting on local media about the doom and gloom of the real estate market, it was easy to see why this post drew so much attention. Commercial real estate has been going strong in Lake Las Vegas with some properties selling for over listing price.

7. Las Vegas is going Green The topic of going Green and green products is still red hot and with the continued rising prices of fossil fuels, saving energy and money will be a topic that is talked about for years to come.

8. Murano condo fire Murano was a condo community in Silverado Ranch. While under construction, a fire broke out threatening nearby businesses and destroying the community.

9. Another Las Vegas convention While I was at the convention center, I ran into David Caruso. He is starting his own internet media company.

10. Another Vegas Landmark Gone This was the first demolition of the year. The casualty this time was the Stardust. Sadly a piece of history destroyed (the Frontier needed to go). Members of the Rat pack, Elvis and others played there back in the day. Don Rickles closed down the main show room with its last performance.

What's been going on in Las Vegas

2007-12-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

It's hard this time of year with everything going on to keep up on all of my projects. Just to update you all on what has been happening here in Las Vegas, there is plenty of news. Back in October I reported the capture of Chester Styles. This scumbag was back in court today, rejecting a plea offering. I guess he's hoping to make the victim have to testify, along why he would when there is VIDEO of him molesting her is beyond me. May he ROT IN JAIL.

In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, some scumbag is going around local neighbors posing as an employee of the Community Outreach Ministries that operates a local thrift store (zip 89110), selling needed merchandise at prices everyone can afford. The ministry also accepts donated automobiles, and there is where our scumbag comes in. So far its estimated that he has scammed eight cars from caring, giving individuals in the valley. If you are approached by this individual, don't try to apprehend him, simply contact Metro. More importantly, if you have items you wish to donate please contact them directly.

Local residents of the Sundance Village Apartments were forced to evacuate when one of the buildings caught fire earlier this afternoon. The blaze broke out about 2 pm. Thankfully no one was killed and the six residents evacuated have been moved to other vacant apartments in the complex.

In other Las Vegas real estate news, another condo complex has been cancelled, but its not what you think. The full story about the condo cancellation can be found on my other blog.

Another Las Vegas convention

2007-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

This past meet I attended Pubcon again at the Las Vegas convention center. Sadly I felt that I learned a lot more last year and heard a lot of the same information. However, I did get to finally meet some people face to face. The person that I wanted to meet the most was Jim Boykin. I've been reading his blog for a while and wanted a chance to pick his brain. I attended a few sessions where he was a guest speaker and over the microphone he sounded exactly like William Peterson from CSI. After the sessions, I was able to talk to him privately and he was gracious enough to give me some pointers.

It was a mixed bag of attendees. I met several people from Europe as well as some people that I had met at last year's conference. I was chatting with my friend Larry Hotz, a Denver Realtor about the changes from last year. We had both switched our web hosting from a large template provider to a more customized solution this year with less than the results we were hoping for. So we were hoping to pick up some good tips at the conference.

One of the things living in Las Vegas, you never know who you'll run into. On the last "official" day of the conference, I ran into David Caruso. He is launching an internet media company and was meeting some people there. He was gracious enough to stop for photos with attendees and was just about the nicest person you could meet. All in all, it was a good convention and I'll probably attend again next year.

Pictures with Santa

2007-12-07T19:17:00.001-08:00

I'll be appearing again at PetSmart playing Santa. Last weekend I was at the PetSmart at Rainbow and US 95. This Sunday I'll be at the Silverado store from 11 am to 4 pm. The pictures are $9.95 or $8.95 if you have a PetSmart card and $5 of that goes to my favorite animal charity, Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary.

So bring the dog, the cat, bird, snake whatever in for a picture and get a great keepsake while helping out a deserving charity. See you there.

OJ Pleads Not Guilty

2007-11-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

OJ was back in court yesterday, along with 2 co-defendants. Simpson is facing 12 charges stemming from the alleged armed robbery and attempted kidnapping of a sport memorabilia dealer at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino earlier this year. The judge ruled that OJ did not have to stay in town until the trial.

OJ's co-defendants, Charles Ehrlich and Clarence Stewart, also entered not guilty pleas. The trial is set for April 7 for all three of the accused.

You have to love the holidays

2007-11-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

With Christmas literally right around the corner, you would hope that more people would embrace the spirit of the holidays, regardless of your personal beliefs. What has happened to goodwill toward your fellow man? Just a few minutes ago I looked out my window and saw the Metro canine unit parked in front of my neighbor's house.

Apparently, a man was hiding in her backyard from the police. He had been shooting earlier up the street and had fled from police. Thankfully, my elderly neighbor was not home at the time. Unfortunately for him, we have a top notch police force with a great canine unit. He was quickly found and apprehended. First thing tomorrow I'm taking some food down to the Harmon substation and some treats for the dogs. I am truly thankful for the men, women and canine officers serving to keep us safe.

Vegas is going Green

2007-11-19T20:13:00.000-08:00

In addition to this blog, I've started another real estate news blog as well. I've been reading Green Talk lately and it got me thinking about green projects here in Las Vegas. There have been a couple of high publicity green projects, like CityCenter and Verge, but when I did a little digging I found out some interesting things. The first post I did was titled: Why going Green makes dollars and sense and it delves into the benefits financially of going green in Nevada. The second was about Union Park getting into a LEED pilot program.

If you want to read about what you can do to be green in your everyday life, check out Anna's blog at Green Talk.

OJ to stand trial

2007-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

In a not so surprising move, this past Wednesday Las Vegas judge Joe Bonaventure ordered OJ Simpson and two co-defendants to stand trial for the alleged robbing of a sports memorabilia dealer at the Palace Station hotel and casino on September 13th. The trial is set for November 28th. Will it turn into another televised media circus? A distinct possibility. Usbet.com has already posted odds on OJ and his trial.

If convicted, its quite possible that Simpson, age 60, would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A new look

2007-11-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

I've been planning to move Jacqui's site away from our old provider and with the help of some friends, that move has finally been made. The site is now using a CMS system, has an integrated blog, some new pages like the Boulder City condos and Solera at Stallion Mountain pages, articles, local rescue groups and floor plans for several developments.

I sincerely hope that I don't have to move it again any time soon. I want to thank Max Chirkov for his invaluable assistance. So please take a look. The design was done in browns since we live in the desert. Most of the photos will open up into larger images by clicking on them (including the floor plans). Hope you like it.

Halloween party

2007-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last year my friend Sam graciously offered his house for our annual Halloween party. This year, it was back at my place (sorry Sam). That's one of the great things about living in Encore, I have nice neighbors and a big backyard. As usual, there was too much. Too much food (I'll be eating this stuff til Thanksgiving) and definitely too much booze (can there really be to much alcohol?). The party was on the small side for us and it went off without a hitch. No one fell in the pool and everyone pretty much had a good time. I think this picture though sums it up:

I hate when you get a leaky keg. It took several days to decorate as well as multiple trips to storage, but I think it came out great, especially the graveyard.

Thirsty??

Now, if I can just get some volunteers this weekend to pack it up and haul it back to storage....

Florida or bust

2007-10-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is moving to Florida at the end of the year. His company has made him an offer he can't refuse. They have two offices in Florida, one in Bonita Springs and the other in Punta Gorda. He'll be working at the Punta Gorda office and has decided to rent out his house here (just in case) and probably rent a house in Florida, at least for now. I starting surfing for Punta Gorda realtors that handle both rentals and sales and found this site: Melissa Wilson at Fisherman's Village Realty, LLC Punta Gorda, FL. She was exactly what he needs because she does both rentals and sales(most of the sites I found only handle sales), and given the current market, I'm recommending that my friend buy something instead of renting (my pay someone else's mortgage?). But if he buys something new he may need to rent for a bit anyway.

Thankfully he has a couple of months to get prepared and find a new place before he starts his new gig. That and saying good bye to the heat and hello to the humidity!

About to be squeezed

2007-10-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today two defendants in the OJ robbery case plead guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea arrangement. Charles Cashmore and Walter Alexander each pleaded guilty to single robbery charge. In exchange all other charges were dropped and they will testify against Simpson and other involved parties.

OJ Simpson is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing next month on November 8 for the robbery charges. Simpson had been charged with kidnapping with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, assault and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery and burglary, among other crimes. Should he be convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Is this Karma coming for payback? It's looking like the Brown and Goldman family may finally get justice after all.

Chester the molester

2007-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of national attention was given to this pervert. The case originated from a video tape made four years ago that was turned into Nye county police by Darrin Tuck. On September 28, a press conference by Nye county authorities identified Chester Stiles as the cheif suspect in the child molestation case. The child's mother claims she had no idea that the incident occurred.

It turns out that the babysitter's mother was dating Stiles, through which he found and gained accces to the victim. Stiles was constantly on the local and national news, including America's Most Wanted.

Strangely, it always seems that the little things trip up these criminals. Stiles was arrested in the city of Henderson following a routine traffic stop (just like Warren Jeffs). He is being held in protective custody, due to the nature of the crime and the national attention. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this predator in the next few days.

Real Estate Overseas

2007-10-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

I was checking out some foreign real estate sites to see what our friends across the "pond" are doing to attract their clients. We think that Europeans, etc are so different from us, but not really. We all speak the international language of business. Aside from a few vocabulary differences, we're all alike. For example, I searched for real estate in Paris and found a large condo site (called Flats in Europe). Pretty cool (for me), the site was in English, despite selling French property (I'm sure most Europeans are at least bi-lingual, with English as the 2nd language). They also have a french version as well, something you don't see to often here (certain areas should have a spanish version, some do but not a lot yet). Other than that, the site was exactly like the multitude of realtors sites found in the US. One thing I did like was the flash market map of Paris. It broke the city down 20 areas, each with information about the market there, property type, etc. Very well done and interesting. If you are thinking about buying a second home or vacation property in Paris, this site is definitely worth visiting.

Online identity

2007-10-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

With all of the choices to "claim your name online", I'm having a little bit of an identity crisis, not to mention finding my self short of free time. It all started when I joined claimid. Okay, so far so good. Then I received a Linkedin invitation from my friend Toby, in Washington. So of course I joined up there under Las Vegas. There I found a few of my friends I lost track of, so I added them plus some of my family had profiles too.

Then I found another site, namyz so I added my profile under Charles Richey. I ended up with most of the same people in my network that I had on my other sites. Recently I started branching out and meeting other people. Lastly, I joined Ziki. For some reason, it draws a lot of french speakers. So much in fact they changed the urls to reflect the native language of the listing (so much for the links I had going to the old url). Most of the visitors I get now to that profile are from France. At least it interesting.

I've come to the decision to pull back on adding anything more to these profiles, because of the time involved.

OJ Hearing date set

2007-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

More OJ news. Earlier today, a hearing has been scheduled next month to allow local prosecutors to present evidence against O. J. Simpson and his five co-defendants for the alleged armed robbery of a local sports memorabilia dealer at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino.

To say the trial will be interesting in an understatement.

Related posts:

OJ Update
OJ claims he was getting back stolen goods
Juice is loose in Las Vegas

Construction everywhere

2007-09-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

I had to drive out to Aliante over the weekend to pick up a dog. Someone had found a Collie running loose without any tags or a microchip. So we drove out to pick him up and took a wrong turn, ending up past Centennial Hills. I ended up driving by Echelon, Paxton Walk and Providence. Both communities have quite a bit of construction going. Providence has several neighborhoods with most of the framing done and several of the streets are complete with lighting and shrubbery.

With so many construction cranes on the strip area, you forget that other parts of town are having a lot of new construction as well. Its no wonder they had to create a second union for construction workers.

OJ Update

2007-09-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

The OJ sequel keeps coming up with new twists. OJ has been released from the Clark County Detention Center on Stewart Ave and is back in Florida ($125k bail). However, you have to love technology.

Apparently, there is a recording of the OJ encounter. Supposedly, you can hear OJ threaten the guy. So, how long will the juice be loose? Will the families finally get some karmic justice? Granted, armed robbery or conspiracy to commit armed robbery won't carry the kind of penalty that murder does.

If his mug shot is any indication, I'm sure OJ thinks he will simply walk away from this as well. Should it come down to a jury trial, I doubt he'll be smiling after.

Vegas gets a FTZ?

2007-09-20T11:16:00.001-07:00

The Las Vegas economy will be getting a shot in the arm from an unlikely source, a foreign trade zone. A foreign trade zone or FTZ status has been granted to the proposed world jewelry center in Union Park. As I understand it, basically it allows tenants to import raw goods duty free, cooperate with other tenants to add value to those materials by making something out of them, then either sell them in the US at a reduced commerce rate (great for locals and tourists) or export them back out without paying a duty. With this permission granted, its far more likely the tower will be built, since its appeal will now be very high.

This will also help Las Vegas past a turning point, making it a national player for big business. Nevada's favorable tax and labor laws have helped bring many large corporations here and with the addition of the World Jewerly Tower, another business sector will be represented.

Current plans for the building include 80 luxury residential condominiums at the top of the tower. The impact the tower will have on surrounding real estate value will certainly be favorable, not to mention the addition employment opportunities in mid to high level paying positions. Residents in near by lofts like Soho, Newport and Streamline Tower should also stand to gain as well by having a high profile neighbor.

Vegas strip still holds its own

2007-09-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" ad campaign was a success. Despite increased competition from Native American casinos and overseas, gaming revenue for July of 07 increased by 10.3% compared to July of 2006. Overall, there was a 4.6% increase fiscally from 2006, according to the figures released by the Nevada State Gaming Control Board.

As a result, Clark County had a 13% increase in revenue compared to last year. For residents and potential residents, that's great news. With tourism increasing every year, more and more resorts are being built to accommodate them. As a result, construction is still going strong on and around the strip, employing thousands of people, not to mention the jobs created after the projects are completed.

The revitalization of downtown Las Vegas is also showing the fruits of its labor. According to the Gaming Control board, July of 2007 showed the highest gaming revenues for downtown since 2004. Some of the downtown loft projects have been completed which should also help spur gaming and entertainment revenue as well. Newport lofts should have residents moving in shortly.

With the addition of the Echelon (located on the former Stardust site), I'm sure that there will be more significant increases in revenue. Not to mention the several other mega resorts under construction. It just goes to show you that even with increased competition all over the United States and overseas, nothing beats the Las Vegas experience.

OJ claims he was getting back stolen goods

2007-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Only OJ could come up with something so far fetched. I guess when you beat a double murder rap with a huge pile of evidence against you, it makes you a little cocky when it comes to law enforcement. Apparently, OJ spoke to detectives about the hotel incident last Thursday. He told police that he was simply retrieving merchandise stolen from his home (years ago). He said he brought some friends with him to help get his stuff back.

So in essence, he has admitted to conspiracy to commit robbery at this point. Metro hasn't made any further public comments on the case at this time.

Related:

Juice is loose in Las Vegas

The Juice is Loose in Vegas

2007-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Seems that OJ is back in the news for more than his murder book. This past Thursday, a local sports memorabilia dealer stated that he was robbed by OJ at gunpoint at the Palace Stations Hotel and Casino (I'm sure Station Casinos was just thrilled at the news).

Local Metro detectives are looking for at least two other people that were with Simpson during the confrontation in the hotel room. The items stolen were various sports related merchandise. There was video footage from casino surveillance cameras but according to police Captain James Dillon the detectives couldn't confirm that weapons were drawn from the tapes.

So this now begs the question. Will OJ FINALLY be going to jail? Perhaps the Brown and Goldman families will get justice by proxy. Needless to say, I'll be following this story and will put up follow up posts when more information becomes available.

Home Improvement & Backyard Living Expo

2007-09-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

This Friday is the annual Home Improvement and Backyard Living expo by Showbiz Productions. Its being held at the South Point Event Center, located in the South Point Resort at 9777 S Las Vegas Boulevard (major cross street is Silverado Ranch).

The show will feature the latest outdoor furnishings, doors, accessories, fixtures, appliances and more.

Tickets are $7 for adults and Friday only there is a 2 for 1 special. Shows hours are 1 pm to 9 pm Friday, 10 am to 7 pm Saturday and 10 am to 5 pm Sunday. Tickets are available on show days at the convention center.

Home owners looking for new home improvement ideas should definitely attend.

Remberance

2007-09-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today six years ago, a group of COWARDS took the lives of some of our fellow Americans. There probably isn't an adult on the planet who doesn't know who is responsible. I'm sure there are several shows talking about 9/11 today, remembering those that fell trying to save others.

As you go about living your life today, take a moment and think about all of those that have sacrificed for our country. And thank you, to all of the men and women in our armed forces that are putting their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe.

Accident at Palms Place

2007-08-17T19:04:00.001-07:00

There was yet another construction accident costing a man's life. This time it was at Palms Place. Apparently a construction worker fell down an open elevator shaft. He received massive head injuries and was rushed to UMC where he succumbed to his injuries. This is yet another accident in the last few weeks.

Statistically the amount of accidents is very small when you consider the vast amount of construction going on around the valley.

Another commercial development for Union Park

2007-08-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Developers are in negotiation with the city for the development of a huge jewelry commercial development including a 60 story high rise in Union Park. The development would include 800,000 square feet of commercial space. Part of the project would include three levels of public retail space.

It seems to me that this is a no brainer for the city council. They want to keep drawing high rollers to the downtown area and having several jewelry outlets and retail shops certainly can't hurt.

The proposed site is near W Charleston and Grand Central Parkway (near the world market and outlet mall). Seems that construction here in Las Vegas isn't going to be slowing down any time soon.

Another accident at Fontainebleau

2007-08-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Another accident hit the Fontainebleau this past Monday. A section of the multi-story parking structure that is being built collasped Monday.

Three levels of "slab" cement inside the steel superstructure of the parking garage collapsed, creating a domino effect shortly before 10:30 a.m. Monday. Construction has been halted pending an investigation. This is the second accident in less than a week after a worker died after falling off a 30 foot wall.

Fontainebleau Resorts is being developed by the Turnberry group of companies. Other Las Vegas Turnberry projects include Turnberry Place, Signature at MGM Grand and Town Square developments in Las Vegas, the Aventura Mall and Turnberry Towers.

The Sahara sold

2007-08-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas real estate is still selling. The Sahara hotel and casino has been sold. The deal has been brewing since March of this year. The new owners are SBE Entertainment Group LLC and Stockbridge Real Estate Fund.

As per the norm in Las Vegas, the new owners plan to renovate (gut and destroy) the grand old Sahara, destroying its great history. The building was featured in the original Ocean's Eleven film with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Its one of the last surviving casinos from that era.

No word whether the planned condo hotels will go forward. The Sahara property is 55 years old.

Microchip and toenail trimming event

2007-07-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, the Lied animal shelter is having a low cost microchip and toenail trimming event. I'm a strong believer in microchipping, because without them, I never would have gotten my Pekingese, Toy back in 2005. You can read the original post here. The people at Lied were aware of Toy's story and asked permission to use her as the spokesperson for the event. Naturally, she acquiesed and had a small list of demands (private trailer, constant supply of Chicken Jerky and Pig ears, the usual).

But seriously, if your cat or dog hasn't been chipped yet, go down to Lied this Saturday and get it done. Aside from vacinating, its the best thing you can do for the welfare of your pet. google map

Downtown Las Vegas

2007-07-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last month the city approved a huge new downtown project. Mayor Goodman has been a driving force behind the redevelopment of downtown Las Vegas so its no surprise that the project was given the green light. Downtown is being divided up into seven districts. Current projects like Juhl will allow people to live right in these new districts, giving them access to art, entertainment, great dining and shopping literally right outside their doorstep.

The new development green lighted by the city will include roughly five million sf of additional retail, commercial and gaming space, another 9,000 hotel and condo units and a 22,000 seat major sports arena and will be approximately 85 acres on the west side of Main. The arena idea has been around for years, but it looks like its finally going to become a reality.

Real Estate Interests Group was selected out of six applicants to develop the arena. Looks like Las Vegas is a step closer to getting a major sports franchise. Plus property owners in the vacinity are certainly going to benefit as well.

What's happening on the Strip

2007-07-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

In the tradition of Las Vegas architecture, anything over 15 years old is considered ancient. So its no surprise with the building of the New Echelon mega resort, other strip avenues are also spending big money to update their *ahem* aging properties. Harrahs, owner of Caesars Palace hotel and casino is expanding. Construction is due to be omplete in early 2009.

The centerpiece of the expansion is Octavius Tower, a new 23-story hotel building that will adjoin Augustus Tower (2005). The tower will house 665 new rooom lined with pool suites overlooking three new swimming pools. The new pools will abut an expanded outdoor whirlpool spa retreat, a garden wedding venue (it is Vegas, after all) and a poolside cafe for those who don't want the hassle of drying off to get a bite to eat. A new meeting/convention area will also be built. The existing Forum tower will also undergo rennovation.

With the addition of the Octavius Tower, Caesars will have over 4,000 rooms.

Not to be outdone, MGM Mirage Inc. announced a multi-year makeover for Luxor. The upgrades include a new nightclub, new restaurants and lounges and a new Cirque du Soleil production. Rennovations to the casino floor and hotel rooms will also be done.

Once again, real estate on the strip is proving to be some of the most valuable property in Nevada. This past May Elad Properties paid $34.8 million an acre for the aging Frontier property. Earlier this month FX Luxury Realty paid $36.7 million per acre for 17.7 acres fronting the east side of the Las Vegas strip south of Harmon. Its reported that a 38-acre site across Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is coming to market that may fetch a price as high as 1 billion dollars.

With the price of strip real estate continuing to climb, high rise owners on the strip can be sitting on a potential gold mine. Time will tell.

Fixing my pool

2007-07-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone that has owned a pool has had to call in someone to fix it. Its inevitable, just like death and taxes. My pool motor gave up the ghost a couple weeks ago. I had just had my pool plumbing repaired and a three valves replaced about six weeks prior, to the tune of about $600. Needless to say, I was thrilled that motor quit. So I emailed the same company that fixed the plumbing to come out and replace the motor. A few days went by and I never heard from them. So I called and found out a replacement motor would be about $270 and if I wanted them to put it in, another $200. From looking at other internet sites, that seemed a bit high so I shopped around.

I spoke to Mike at Budget Pools Service and Repair. I explained that I had already taken the motor off and just needed a new one put in. He gave me a quote of $370 and said he could have someone out in a couple days. Today, James from Budget showed up and put in the new motor. He also found out that I needed to have the breaker replaced for that line. The new motor is humming right along.

They also do monthly maintenance as well in the Henderson area and East side of Las Vegas. You can reach Mike at 702-361-SWIM (7946) or visit their shop at 2301 E Sunset Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

Mortgage Fraud Conference

2007-07-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Convention season is gearing up. Despite the heat, the convention areas are pretty busy most of the year. Quite a few smaller conventions are held during the summer and fall months at meeting rooms in some of the strip properties.

There is a new one that I'm thinking of attending about mortgage fraud. It will be on November 14th and 15th, featuring Rachel Dollar and other experts. The conference is being held at Circus Circus. According to the site, attendees will learn tips and tricks to help avoid and stamp out fraud in the mortgage and real estate industries as well as receiving a complimentary copy of Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud, co-authored by Rachel Dollar and Ralph Roberts.

Tickets are $895 before September 30th, then $995 there after. Call (800) 848-4904 for ticketing.

Taking a look at Long Beach

2007-07-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Every year at this time I start thinking of moving someplace cooler. So, I indulged my fantasy again and starting surfing real estate sites in California. My wife and I love the ocean and vacation as often as we can in Santa Cruz, Santa Monica and San Diego. So I started searching for California real estate near the ocean. I ended up on the Red Wagon team site, looking at information about Long Beach real estate. The prices weren't as high as I expected, rather comparable to certain areas here in Las Vegas.

The condo communities were very similar to the newer ones here as well. The same standard amenities you would expect. I ended up surfing the Long Beach mls from their site for about 20 minutes looking at condos near the beach.

Then I decided to start looking further north. I ended up looking at real estate in Snomish County, Washington. Everett WA real estate offers a lot of different housing opportunities as well. I would love to live near the ocean, especially during the summer months (who wouldn't?). I starting snooping around the site and looking at the surrounding areas. Washington is giving California a serious run for its money....

Construction on Pinnacle commencing

2007-07-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Construction on the Pinnacle high rise condos is scheduled to commence on July 11th. The project is located on W Tropicana Ave and Cameron on the former site of Falconi Honda. Originally, construction was due to start in October of 2006. The project went through a small design change, the addition of the sky bridges.

Pinnacle will feature high rise condos, penthouse and sky bridge units. Absentee owners will be able to rent out their units through an in-house rental program. Interstate Hotels & Resorts of Arlington, VA has been retained to manage the property. Some of the unique floor plans like the Pinnacle H plan, feature dual master bedrooms with views of the strip. Other plans like the D plan, are located on the west side of the buildings, giving residents a view of the surrounding mountain range. If you are thinking about buying a high rise in Las Vegas, close to the strip but not on it, you might want to give Pinnacle a look.

Commercial real estate development not slowing down

2007-07-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Commercial real estate in the city of Henderson just received a jolt. Phoenix-based Vested Housing and Principal Real Estate Investors have partnered to acquire a 16-acre site in Henderson. The acreage is approved for a 350-unit apartment community and was purchased for $10.5 million. Constructed is slated to start in early 2008.

The project will be called Henderson lofts and will include a pool, fitness center and clubhouse. Units will have 10' ceilings, tuck under garages and granite counter tops. The building site is located on Wigwam Parkway, east of Stephanie. Expect rents to be at a premium upon completion of construction.

Vote for Pups On Parole

2007-07-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email from my friend Harold, one of the founders of Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary where I do some volunteer and foster work. The National Geographic channel is having a poll on which Dog Whisperer episode is the best. The Pups on Parole is one that was selected.

Please go to the web site and vote for the Pups on Parole episode. Here is the link:

dog whisperer poll

Last time I looked they had a slim lead. I'd love to see their episode win and get shown again on National Geographic. It shows the hard work and dedication of the Las Vegas community and its volunteers.

Commercial Real Estate in Lake Las Vegas going strong

2007-07-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Despite sluggish sales in the residential market, the commercial real estate market in Lake Las Vegas is booming. Intrawest, who held several retail buildings in Monteloago Village, had put up 12 retail buildings for sale six weeks ago.

The properties received 20 offers, most of which were at or above the $23 million dollar asking price. According to Clark County records, the property was purchased for $23.5 million by Pacific Capital, a private investment group based in Roseville, CA. The purchase price comes out to just over $455 per sf.

The purchased buildings were built in 2003, have a total 51,500 sf and were approximately 93% leased at the time of sale. Some of the notable tenants include Starbucks, Como’s Steakhouse, Luna Rossa, Bistro Zinc, Sunset & Vines and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Montelago Village was designed to resemble an old-world Italian lakeside village with cobblestone streets, piazzas and open-air dining. Residential projects include several Lake front condos like Viera, Mantova, Luna di Lusso and Prima as well as luxury lake side homes and custom home sites. Residents and non-residents of Lake Las Vegas enjoy a variety of water sports on the 320 man made lake, golfing at three different courses and a variety of shopping and dining choices.

Ordering contacts online

2007-07-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

I'm a firm believer in buying things online. Usually I'll happily wait a few extra days for something that I could have bought locally. Generally you can get most things cheaper by doing so and very rarely have I ever had to send something back. My wife is down to her last box of contact lenses. She has been buying them from her eye doc for years and has been paying too much. I've been trying to get her to buy them elsewhere but out of loyalty she has stuck with him.

I was surfing around and found this site, contactsamerica.com. They carried her brand of Acuvue contacts, plus a bunch of other brand names for a lot less than she pays for them locally. They even have the color enhancers that will change your eye color (she doesn't need them, but they are pretty cool). I finally got her to agree to buy a box to give it a try. I think that businesses that don't change their way of doing business to incorporate the internet aren't going to be around long. The cost difference for her specific contacts is almost 2 to 1. You have to love the internet. For some things I still like to go to an actual store, but disposable items like contacts it seems that the internet is the way to go.

Plague of fires in the Las Vegas valley

2007-06-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week the Las Vegas valley was plagued by several fires. On Wednesday a storage area for tires used in the Las Vegas grand prix caught fire. Huge clouds of black, greasy smoke were visible all over Las Vegas. It was a three alarm blaze. Because of the nature of the fire, the EPA was called in to consult on clean up. Then Friday, a scrap yard in North Las Vegas near Nellis Air Force base went up in smoke. The blaze was a 2 alarm fire and three fire departments were called in to contain it.

Earlier the same day an arsonist is suspected for eight different fires that broke out in the city of Henderson, near Eastern and Serene. All of the fires started around the same time early Friday morning. Dumpsters, a vehicle and a home was set to blaze. Henderson fire fighters are interviewing persons of interest as well as pulling surveillance footage from nearby businesses.

Damages are estimated at $600,000 for the Henderson fires alone.

Ogog with blogs

2007-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

It seems that blogs are here to stay. Now it seems that EVERYONE has a blog. You turn on the television, watching a show. At the end, odds are you'll here: check out our BLOG at blah/blah.com/blogblah! So its not a surprise that there are also a lot of sites that have sprung up to list blogs, social network for bloggers, help bloggers make money, take the money of bloggers, etc.

I came across one that I hadn't heard of before, ogog.org. Its run by a non-profit organization, which in itself makes it unique. So, of course, I signed up! Check my OgOg profile. I'm still playing around with the site, but so far, I like what I see.

Another look at Lied

2007-06-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I received a call from Marie Montera, a reporter for Channel 3 news. They were doing a follow up story about the mass euthanasia at Lied this past February. The Humane Society released a 200 page report detailing the procedures at Lied and what was going on behind the scenes. Some of the details were pretty graphic, others were just plain lack of training.

They also interviewed my vet, Doctor David Henderson of the Sunrise Vet clinic. Doc Henderson has had past experience running a shelter and is a volunteer for Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, in addition to running his own practice (if you are looking for a vet, I HIGHLY recommend his office).

The interview aired at 5 pm today and will was replayed again at six o'clock. You'll see me as the "animal advocate". One of the best things to come about from this story is raising awareness of the problems local shelters face in Las Vegas. If you are wondering what you can do to help stop overcrowding at the shelter, make sure your pet is spayed or neutered and microchipped. In Clark County, your animal must be altered, unless its of breeding quality and you have the proper licensing.

Echelon condos update

2007-06-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've been visiting the various high rise and master planned community. Despite the market, new projects are moving forward and the doom and gloom predictions of many "experts" fell far short of reality. Echelon (not to be confused with the new property replacing the Stardust) was announced in 2005 and construction was quickly underway. When visiting the developer's website, there are plenty of construction photos....from last year. The last picture was dated September of 2006 with no further updates.

The project was supposed to be completed by summer of 2007. Hopefully they are too busy building to keep taking photos for their website.