Category Archive : Economy

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to historical data supplied by Las Vegas Realtors, the median price of a single-family home in Las Vegas has jumped a whopping 50 percent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In December 2019, the median price of a home in Southern Nevada was $312,990; at the time, the average national home sale price was $384,600.  

But fast-forward to October 2024, and the median price in Southern Nevada has now swelled to $475,531, an increase of $162,541 over pre-pandemic levels, and just shy of the region’s all-time record high of $482,000, originally set in May 2022; it also represents a 5.9 percent jump year-over-year from October 2023.

Meanwhile, the national median is now $501,100, an increase of approximately $116,500 from price levels at the start of the pandemic.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the rate of a 30-year fixed-rate home mortgage is currently at 6.7 percent; the last time this level was achieved prior to the pandemic was just before the mid-2000’s recession, when that number hit 6.6 percent.

Home sales in Southern Nevada were noticeably slower in 2024, but nonetheless showed a significant improvement over 2023, which saw the lowest number of sales in its real estate industry since 2008, when the Great Recession began.

Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House has the real estate community split down the middle in terms of whether if it will help or hurt the industry; the President-elect has promised to oversee an increase in home-building across the nation to address the ongoing housing crisis, in addition to loosening regulations in order to clear out red tape. However, some are worried that his vow to impose expensive tariffs upon imports could result in a spike of home construction prices.

Nonetheless, experts currently feel Las Vegas is in the process of becoming a balanced market between buyers and sellers; time will tell if this condition is sustained, or if the scales tip one way or the other.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – After lowering from the all-time high that was originally achieved in 2022, home prices in Las Vegas have been slowly but surely creeping back up to that lofty level, with November 2024’s numbers coming the closest yet to that record amount.

In November, the median price for a single-family home sold in Southern Nevada via Las Vegas Realtors’ Multiple Listings Service was $480,000, which represents a 6.7 percent jump over November 2023’s $450,000 median price; it is also now just $2,000 shy of May 2022’s all-time record high amount of $482,000.

Meanwhile, November’s median price for condominiums and townhomes was $301,250, a decrease from October’s all-time record high of $315,000, but still a 9.5 percent increase year-over-year.

Currently, Southern Nevada is in the grips of a housing crisis driven by a number of issues, such as high mortgage and interest rates, a dwindling amount of land that can be developed, and affluent buyers from neighboring states such as California whose big bank accounts are squeezing out locals when it comes to homebuying competition.

There is now an approximate three-and-a-half months’ supply of homes on the market in Las Vegas, which experienced its worst year for sales in 2023 since 2008; however, Las Vegas Realtors President Merri Perry said in a statement that the local real estate market in 2024 has improved and that she is hopeful that 2025 will bring much-needed stability to the region.

Increases in the number of homes available for sale and in the number of properties being sold this year are good signs for our housing market heading into 2025,” she said.

At the end of November, there were 5,570 single family homes listed on the Las Vegas market without any offers, which represents an increase of 28 percent year-over-year. In addition, there were 1,856 condos and townhomes listed without offers in November, a whopping 47.2 percent jump from the same period of time one year prior.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Members of Generation Z – which are comprised of individuals under the age of 25, or anyone born after 1997 – are the youngest segment of the nation’s homebuying community, and this demographic makes up the smallest percentage of those purchasing houses in Las Vegas, a new report says.

According to a new study from Construction Coverage, only 3.3 percent of all home mortgage loans were taken out in Las Vegas by members of Generation Z in 2023, the least of any age group in Southern Nevada; this goes below the national average for this specific demographic, which is 5 percent.

In contrast, Construction Coverage spokesperson Mike LaFirenza noted that the average age of homebuyers in the country has reached its highest level in years, signifying that younger generations are encountering difficulty in affording housing amid high prices and home loan interest rates.

Las Vegas’ high demand from older buyers creates stiff competition with the percentage of homebuyers aged 55 and older ranking third among large metros at 27.6 percent.” LaFirenza said. “This competition is particularly tough on younger homebuyers, who often lack pre-existing equity for their down payments, making their offers less competitive.”

Some experts say that Vegas’ overall lack of generational wealth, combined with many local occupations being in the service industry – which is not known for paying high wages at early, entry-level positions, with high-earners only achieving that status after achieving seniority – could be playing into the barriers that Gen Z is encountering.

Competition from affluent transplants from California are also figuring into the situation, as is the remote nature of portions of Nevada’s professional workforce, which do no necessitate the purchase of homes. And the median sale price for a single-family home threatening to set a new all-time record isn’t helping younger buyers, either, LaFirenza said.

Home prices have skyrocketed in the area, with the median sale price now over 50 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels,” he said. “Even with a relatively lower cost of living, the financial hurdles for younger buyers are substantial. With cost-of-living-adjusted incomes ranked 37th out of 53 large metros, Las Vegas’ affordability gap keeps ownership just out of reach for many in their early twenties.”

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – While the prices of houses in the U.S. continue on their upward trajectory – steadfastly fueling concerns regarding affordability for many – the new Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index (graph) released by S&P CoreLogic on November 26 indicates that the degree of home price growth is finally slowing down after a significant streak of month-to-month increases.

The Case-Shiller Index shows that in September 2024, annual home-price growth increased 3.9 percent; this represents a decrease in growth from August 2024 – when that amount was 4.2 percent – as well as the first time in ages when growth numbers actually decreased instead of continuing upward.

Home values in September continued to climb, but also showed some degree of slowdown; Case-Shiller’s 10-city index climbed 5.2 percent – representing a decrease from August’s 6 percent – and the 20-city index was up 4.6 percent, down from 5.2 percent.

The Case-Shiller Index also showed the top five cities in terms of price growth in September, with New York City taking the top spot, and Las Vegas coming in fourth. The top five, and their respective increases, are as follows:

• New York City, New York (7.5 percent)
• Cleveland, Ohio (7.1 percent)
• Chicago, Illinois (6.9 percent)
• Las Vegas, Nevada (6.7 percent)Detroit, Michigan (5.3 percent)
• Washington, D.C. (5.3 percent)

In contrast, the metropolitan area that showed the slowest rate of growth in September was Denver, Colorado, with just 0.2 percent.

Corporate economist for Navy Federal Credit Union, Robert Frick, said that the growth drops in this month’s Case-Shiller Index may represent some good news for the housing market, particularly when it comes to buyers.

Sales prices of existing homes falling is a bit of good news for buyers, and while 2024 will go down as one of the worst years for sales, maybe we’re finally seeing a sustained deceleration in price increases,” he said. “With mortgage rates up recently, the price drop will be lost in overall housing affordability. But together with lower mortgage rates next year, as many are forecasting, a slowdown in price increases could mean markedly improving conditions for buyers in 2025.”

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The prices of residential apartment units in Las Vegas high-rise buildings have continued to rise considerably despite the market currently experiencing its lowest number of sales since the advent of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a new report released by Applied Analysis, there were 499 high-rise unit sales in the third-quarter of 2024, with only 149 of those sales taking place during the normally-busy period of time between July and September.

Those numbers represent the slowest third quarter for high-rise units in Las Vegas since 2020, when only 125 were sold in the midst of the pandemic. In contrast to 2024, the third quarter of 2023 saw an impressive 567 units change hands.

But despite the decreasing number of sales, prices of high-rise units in Sin City continue to rise. In the third quarter, the average price of a unit was $633,619, which represents a 5.7 percent jump year-over-year, with the average in the third quarter of 2023 being $579,147. In addition, the overall average price per square foot between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024 rose from $484 to $531, an increase of 8 percent.

Instead, as opposed to residential-only units, Las Vegas in the third quarter saw comparatively stronger sales in the condo-hotel market, with MGM seeing the most at 29 sales with an average price of $402,309, followed by a second-place tie between Trump Las Vegas and Palms Place, each of which saw 15 sales, with price averages of $349,200 and $365,859, respectively.

Third place was Turnberry Place with 13 sales with an average price of $929,611, followed by Turnberry Tower with 12 sales and a $528,541 average, Sky Las Vegas with 11 sales and a $630,073 average, and finally Veer Tower with 10 sales and an average price of $705,900.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – While Las Vegas’ real estate scene showed a dip in activity leading up to the recent election due to the uncertainty surrounding its outcome, a new report indicates that local Realtors are “cautiously optimistic” when it comes to the potential impact that the upcoming Trump presidency could have upon the Southern Nevada marketplace.

When speaking to local media, many Vegas Realtors said that the real estate market experienced several months of slowdown while buyers set aside purchase plans until after the election, with the uncertainty regarding its outcome creating a sense of anxiety when it came to decision making for many. However, now that the election is over, there is a greater sense of clarity for many, and reportedly buyers and sellers in Vegas are once again ramping up their activity.

Following the region’s worst year for sales since 2008, Las Vegas has bounced back, with new listings pouring into the market and prices continuously rising to what may soon be a new all-time record high point. This is being fueled in-part by the end of the election – both the stock and cryptocurrency markets have responded positively to Trump’s return, reports say – in addition to a recent second rate cut by the Federal Reserve – 25 basis points – that is hoped will have an impact on home mortgage interest rates.

Many Realtors are saying that a Trump presidency could have a positive effect on Las Vegas’s current housing crisis, citing his previous-revealed plans to both deregulate the housing industry and to open up additional federal land for home development, which – if those factors do come to pass – could lead to an explosion of new building activity in Southern Nevada and a plethora of new options for those looking to buy a residence.

However, some critics of Trump point out that his plan to impose expensive tariffs on imports could have a negative impact upon the housing market, as it could make housing construction more costly overall. In addition, his plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants could also have a similar negative effect, as many currently work in construction trades.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to a new report by a local industry group, the prices of homes in Southern Nevada continued to drop in October for the second month in a row, while condominiums and townhomes – prices of which already hit an all-time high last month – continued to set records.

As per Las Vegas Realtors (LVR), the median price of a pre-existing, single-family home in Las Vegas in October 2024 was $475,531; this represents a $4,369 decrease from September 2024, when that amount was $479,900, itself a $100 drop from August. However, October’s house price numbers represent a 5.9 percent increase year-over-year from October 2023, when the price of a home was $449,000.

Currently, the region’s all-time record for single-family homes is $482,000, originally set in May 2022.

In contrast, October’s median price for condos and townhomes set an all-time record for the second month in a row, hitting $315,000 after reaching their highest level in history at $299,500 in September, with that number, in turn, surging a whopping $7,500 over August’s $292,000. October’s condo and townhome numbers represent a 14.3 percent year-over-year increase from October 2023’s price of $275,500.

LVR President Merri Perry Noted in a news release that many buyers had put their purchasing plans on the back burner while awaiting the outcome of the 2024 presidential election; now that that contest has been decided, she said she anticipates it to have a very distinct impact on the real estate scene, both in Las Vegas and nationwide.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the housing market now that the election is ending, since many national reports have suggested that uncertainty surrounding the election has made many would-be buyers pause their plans,” Perry said. “As this month’s report shows, recent trends are showing steady increases in inventory and sales surpassing last year’s levels.”

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – One of the major hot-button topics that may affect the outcome of the 2024 presidential election on Tuesday is said to be the housing crisis currently plaguing the Las Vegas Valley – and the affordability concerns that are driving it – due to a growing lack of land available for new development, experts say.

According to John Tuman, Executive Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Political Science at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Latinos, who make up a rapidly-growing demographic in Nevada – 30 percent of residents currently identify as such, with the group estimated to contribute 20 percent of the state’s total votes in the upcoming election – have expressed concern inflation, rent, and housing affordability, with those factors said to be influencing their voting.

Normally, Latinos tend overall to vote Democrat, but recent polls indicate that former President Donald Trump has been making progress with this demographic while campaigning this year as opposed to his opponent, current Vice-President Kamala Harris, Tuman said.

There’s been a lot of debate about whether or not Trump has made inroads with Latinos nationally,” he said. “I think there is evidence that he has, but it’s very sensitive to the states that you’re looking at. Latinos as a group are not monolithic and the demographic composition of different Latino population varies across different states. And so I always try to caution, not to generalize for example from what we’re seeing in Florida or even in South Texas to Nevada.”

However, affordability concerns when it comes to housing isn’t confined to Latinos, Tuman said; indeed, people from all walks of life are expressing the same fears, with the recent number of Californians fleeing the high taxes in their home state for the lower cost of living in Nevada subsequently eating up housing inventory and driving up prices as a result.

We’ve had an influx of people from California who took equity out of their homes and then have driven up new home prices and also existing home prices in different parts of the Las Vegas metropolitan area,” Tuman said.

In addition, research suggests that in as soon as eight years, the valley could exhaust its supply of land for development unless the Bureau of Land Management – a federal agency that controls much of the land in Nevada – speeds up the process of releasing more land for housing construction, a process that they have been heavily criticized for due to their lack of urgency in doing so thus far.

The stance of both candidates on this topic this Tuesday represents a yet another huge factor when it comes to influencing the votes of Southern Nevada residents, with both stating they are in favor of releasing more federal land in the state for housing development.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The real estate scene in Las Vegas always goes hot and heavy, but according to a new report, September 2024 was a standout month in terms of the sheer number of high dollar properties being listed for sale on the open market. Numerous luxury homes and condominiums were put up for grabs last month, ranging in price from $7.7 million all the way up to a whopping $15 million.

For the purposes of this article, we will be covering the top four most expensive listings in September, and what they offer for their respective price points.

The most expensive new listing was the aforementioned $15 million home located at 607 Alpine Summit Drive in The Peak at MacDonald Highlands, a guard-gated community in Henderson. Despite its hefty price tag, this custom, 8,200 square-foot custom Blue Heron home is still in the process of being built. It boasts six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths and a five-car garage, in addition to a sky deck, a 1,324 square-foot pool and views of the Las Vegas Strip.

Up next is a $14.5 million listing at 64 Promontory Ridge Drive within The Pointe at The Ridges in Summerlin, a guard-gated golf course luxury neighborhood. This 10,591-square-foot mansion features six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a four-car garage, a theater, lounge with a full bar, chef’s kitchen and prep kitchen, and a home automation system.

Coming in third on our list is a $13.28 million, three-story condo at 4525 Dean Martin Drive in Panorama Towers Las Vegas. The unit has 8,000 square feet of living space with two bedrooms and five bathrooms, and has many opulent amenities including a spiral crystal staircase and hammered copper sinks. Residents also have access to Panorama Towers’ many perks, such as a fitness center, yoga studio, pool, private cabanas, spa facilities, massage rooms, a business center, theater and racquetball court.

And finally, we have 591 Cityview Ridge, which comes in at $11,499,999. Located in MacDonald Highlands in Henderson, this newly-constructed estate comes with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and is sure to wow anyone with its home gym with a sauna as well as a full kitchen, 65-foot infinity pool, Jacuzzi, two firepits, built-in backyard patio heating and barbecue.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The cost of housing in the United States is a hot button topic leading up to the presidential election in November, and a new study shows that the residents in a growing number of states across the nation are becoming “cost burdened” by the percentage of their income that they have to devote to paying their monthly rent and utilities, with Nevada and Arizona leading the pack in terms of this demographic.

“Cost burdened” is a designation for individuals or families who are paying over 30 percent of their income on rent each month; in 2019, there were seven states where a majority of tenants were in this situation. However, fast-forward to 2023, and that number of states is now at a shocking 21, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with approximately 22 million renters nationwide now having to devote a substantial amount of their take-home pay to ballooning housing costs.

Having to allocate over 30 percent of their income to rent and utilities may leave tenants with difficulty in paying for other necessary goods and services, including medical care, transportation, clothing, and food, HUD says.

The three states that have recorded the largest increases in the percentage of cost burdened renters are Arizona, which jumped from 46.5 percent to 54 percent; Nevada, from 51.1 percent to 57.4 percent; and Georgia, from 48.8 percent to 53.7 percent. Coincidentally, all three are presidential swing states, and both candidates – Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris – are sure to make addressing the affordable housing crisis a focus during their campaigning there.

According to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Las Vegas area itself had the largest number of cost burdened renters in the entire state at 58.3 percent, beating out New York City (52.6 percent) and San Francisco (48.9 percent).

Other states that saw large increases in their cost burdened populations include Florida (55.9 percent to 61.7 percent) and Maine (44 percent to 49.1 percent).

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – As per a newly-released report by a construction industry analytics firm, Millennials are slowly being priced out of the Las Vegas housing market, with the group being ranked as one of the lowest in terms of home buying not only in Southern Nevada, but nationwide as well.

Construction Coverage notes that out of the 55 largest metropolitan area they examined, Millennials – defined as the generation born between 1981 and 1996 – were responsible for buying just 48.4 percent of the single-family homes in Las Vegas in 2023. Tucson, Arizona was the only city ranking lower than Vegas in this regard at 45.2 percent, while San Jose, California was the city with the highest percentage of Millennials home-buyers at 73.2 percent.

According to the author of Construction Coverage’s report, Jonathan Jones – a senior researcher for the firm – Millennials residing in the Las Vegas Valley were taking out mortgages in 2023 with the highest loan-to-value ratios of any age group. In addition, given the fact that an individual’s average peak earning and home-buying years are their mid-30s – the current age of the average Millennial – they are not purchasing residences at nearly the same level when compared to other demographics.

Recently, the cost of homeownership has skyrocketed in large part due to an adverse combination of high interest rates and scarce inventory, leaving millennials with a daunting homeownership outlook,” Jones said.

The median loan amount for Millennials purchasing a home in the Las Vegas Valley in 2023 was $385,000; those loans had an 86.2 percent median loan-to-value ratio, which is higher than for younger demographics. When looking at the overall rankings state-by-state, Nevada had the fifth-lowest Millennial home buying rate at 48.1 percent – Delaware was the lowest at 40.6 percent – whereas Massachusetts had the most at 64.2 percent.

Despite this, and an overall decline in home buying across the country, millennials still accounted for the majority of the nation’s home purchase loans in 2023 (56.9 percent),” Jones said. “However, rates vary by location. Researchers ranked metros by the millennial share of conventional home purchase loans originated in 2023.”

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to new history data released by industry group Las Vegas Realtors (LVR) illustrating how inflation has made home ownership more costly in recent years, in 1997 the median price of an existing single-family home in Southern Nevada was $124,000, which would be the equivalent of $246,829 in today’s current market.

However, clearly showing how times have changed, the actual median price of a single-family home in Las Vegas as of July 2024 was, in reality, $480,000, which represents a 6.7 percent jump from July 2023, when that amount was $450,000.

July 2024’s median home price also shows that home values in the Las Vegas Valley are slowly but surely creeping back up to potentially meet – and perhaps even exceed – the all-time record of $482,000, which was originally set in May 2022.

Other tidbits from the data released by LVR provide additional insight into how home values have appreciated with greater and greater speed in Southern Nevada over the years- the median price in July 2000 was $140,000, but by April 2004, it had increased to $252,500.

And despite the Great Recession in the mid-2000s essentially knocking home prices in Vegas back to levels not seen since before 2001, LVR’s historical data indicates that, since 2000, home prices in the region overall have more than tripled.

One of the main factors contributing to the rapidly rising value of homes in Vegas is the fact that there is a limit currently to how much public land there is for developers to construct upon.

In fact, research firm Applied Analysis notes that in as soon as eight years, the valley could exhaust its supply unless the Bureau of Land Management – a federal agency that controls much of the land in Nevada – speeds up the process of releasing more land for housing development, a process that they have been heavily criticized for due to their lack of urgency in doing so thus far.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.