Las Vegas

Top Five Las Vegas Golf Course communities

crichey — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:28:27 +0000

With tourism increasing every year, Las Vegas has become a mecca for golfers. Las Vegas boasts some of the most gorgeous and rewarding courses in the world, designed by some of the top legends of the game. Las Vegas saw a boom in golf course communities, starting off with the Las Vegas country club. Here are my choices for the best country club communities in Las Vegas:

Spanish Trail - an older community in Las Vegas, Spanish Trail set the standard for country club living in Las Vegas. The community is guard gated with a gorgeous golf course, clubhouse and other amenities. There are several neighborhoods of custom and semi-custom homes along with four neighborhoods of townhomes.
Southern Highlands - this new community revolves around the award-winning, members-only golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The community has all of the amenities you would expect and housing choices include custom and semi-custom homes from 2,100 to more than 3,300 square feet.
Queensridge - this European styled community is home to the Badland golf course designed by 1973 U.S. Open Champion Johnny Miller. The community is unique because it offers luxury homes, luxury condos in the Village and high rise condos at One Queensridge Place.
Los Prados - another older community with a unique twist. Approximately half of the neighborhoods in Los Prados are age restricted. Those neighborhoods also have their own amenities like an adult only swimming pool. The community is located just 12 miles from the center strip and is guard gated.
Rhodes Ranch - This is probably the most family oriented country club community in the valley. The community boasts a huge water park for residents plus a 35,000 square foot recreation center, tennis courts, basketball courts and a championship links-style golf course.

There are several more gorgeous golf course communities in Las Vegas to choose from. If you are thinking about moving to a country club community in the Las Vegas, there are several communities to choose from all over the valley. Feel free to contact me with your thoughts of what a top community entails and I'll send you listings of the current homes for sale that match your criteria.

Las Vegas is a recognized brand

crichey — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:46:04 +0000

It's no wonder that Las Vegas is such a recognized "brand." Tourism to the Las Vegas strip and other parts of the valley has steadily risen the last decade, no small part due to savvy marketing by the city's leaders. Whether its on the small screen or large one, Las Vegas is everywhere. Check out the latest Entertainment Weekly. You'll see ads for Vegas shows, paid for by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority.

The increasing popularity of Las Vegas nationally has helped draw in more than tourists' dollars. Filming of the movie '21' that is opening today was mostly done at the brand new Planet Hollywood resort and casino that opened last year. The list of movies that have been filmed in the Las Vegas area is larger than you think. Casino, America's Sweetheart (filmed at Lake Las Vegas) and of course the Ocean's series were all filmed in Vegas, plus dozens of others, all helping to reinforce the Las Vegas brand. It's this kind of constant media attention has kept Las Vegas a top vacation destination, keeping unemployment low and the construction industry booming. If you are thinking about moving to Las Vegas, I can help you find the perfect home for you. Feel free to navigate around the site, there is information on every major community (and dozens of small ones) along with detailed descriptions, photos and floor plans when available. If you have any questions, or want to get started on your home search right away, you can reach me at 702-493-8033.

Utility rates going up

crichey — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:34:06 +0000

Las Vegas, like many parts of the country (I'm sure) has seen a rise in the basic rates from the major utilities. Not surprising, considering what has happened in the last several years. The good thing is that the vast majority of homebuilders in the valley are building Energy Star only homes, that use a fraction of the resources that a household would have used.

However there are quite a lot of older neighborhoods, built before the program was even created. What can you do to cut your bills? Quite a few little things will help actually. I've recently put up to articles, one about cutting your power bill and the other about conserving water.

Speaking of power, one of the selling points of Boulder City homes is the city run power company. Boulder City residents were grandfathered in when the dam was built. They receive their power from Hoover Dam (through LA power) and pay a fraction of the cost compared to Las Vegas and Henderson residents.

I set up a poll. Do you think that energy efficiency will be a large factor in the home buying decision in the next two years?

Las Vegas water fight

crichey — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:59:16 +0000

CNN had an article about the plan by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to pump water some 200 miles from rural Nevada into the Las Vegas area. Unsurprisingly, the plan met some opposition from the residents of those very areas. After all, what is in it for them, besides losing their water?

Given the amount of water they need for the valley, the SNWA has received quite a bit of criticism about their lack of conservation efforts. For the most part the criticism is warranted to a small degree. The water authority does roll out a water saving program in the summer, specifically when and how much you can water your yard. They will also pay you $2 per square foot of grass that is replaced with a xeriscape yard. To be eligible, you do have to jump through quite a few hoops and the program isn't publicized that much.

With the amount of money at stake, residents in rural Nevada will be fighting up an uphill battle. SNWA is also looking at desalination plants as well. The impact this has on the real estate market isn't clear. Most developers have been putting in desert landscaping for many years already and the number of green projects has been steady. A survey of any of the new developments under construction will show a cognizant effort for water conservation. I don't think the impending water shortage will affect much, except perhaps golf course construction. Golf courses use a lot more water than a housing tract or set of office buildings in the same area. If the water crunch continues, a home with a lake view or view of the fairway may appreciate a lot faster. One thing is for certain, with over 40 million visitors a year, the water will be coming from someplace.

Why going Green makes dollars and sense

crichey — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:00:10 +0000

Over the last two years, southern Nevada has seen a huge increase in the amount of "green" building in both the commercial and residential sectors. Many would attribute the growing green trend with rising fuel costs and a growing awareness by the consumer of global warming. While that is a reasonable assumption, its only part of the reason why builders are going green.

As usual, its about the money and I'm not talking about the dollars that consumers will save in utility bills. Back in 2005, the Nevada Legislature debated and unanimously approved a measure to cut property taxes up to 50% for 10 years for energy-efficient construction. The measure also lowered sales taxes for building supplies to 2% as well. For an enormous project like CityCenter, the resulting savings in taxes are huge. Other residential Las Vegas high rise condos have followed suit, seeking the LEED certification. The latest one is the Verge, located downtown.

In this slow market, these huge tax breaks could be critical in the success of a project. Both CityCenter and Verge have done very well in sales, despite the huge inventory of high rise and lofts in the Vegas valley.

However, its not just residential projects that are cashing in on the green. The Molasky commercial center (pictured above) was the first commercial green office building in Las Vegas. The new construction at the Lied animal shelter is another green project. The new kennels use the latest green technology and are powered by solar panels mounted between the kennels. The odds are we'll be seeing a lot more of these projects in the future.

Realtors descend on Las Vegas

crichey — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:22:40 +0000

When it comes to conventions, Las Vegas is near the top of the list. Ask anyone that lives someplace else, given a choice, where would you like to go for a convention.....VEGAS BABY! This year, the National Association of REALTORS(R) convention and expo is in town. Last year, it was held in New Orleans, giving the local economy a nice shot in the arm. Conventioneers were treated to a truly Las Vegas event, the demolition of the Frontier Hotel and Casino. The property was located center strip, near the Fashion show mall and Trump Tower.

The convention has brought thousands of Realtors(R) from all over the world to exchange ideas, discuss marketing strategies and of course, view the latest and greatest wares being marketed to the real estate industry. Given the amount of bloggers that are attending, I doubt what happens in Vegas will stay in Vegas this year!

Aviation Nation this weekend

crichey — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:30:17 +0000

This weekend at Nellis AFB Aviation Nation returns this Saturday and Sunday to celebrate 60 years of aviation history. Its one of the largest aviation events in North America. "We expect anywhere from 100 to 200,000 people." said Staff Sgt. Randy Redman. Last year's show brought an estimated 150,000 fans.

The event is scheduled as an all day event. Food, drinks and of course, souvenirs will be avialable for sale. The event is sponsored by Las Vegas Events and parking will be available at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Commercial busses will provide all day shuttles to and from the event. One time fares are $3 for riders 10 years and up and a $1 for children 9 nine and under (infants are free).

The show is free, family friendly and offers an all day fun experience. Attendees will be able to view military aircraft up close and the show will feature jets, bi-planes and helicopters. The event starts at 8 am brings visitors from all over the country to Las Vegas.