Category Archive : Economy

LAS VEGAS, NV – The market for high-rise condominiums in Las Vegas has finally begun to slow after enjoying a period of red-hot activity, reflecting the rest of the cooling real estate scene in Southern Nevada due to rampant national inflation and rising mortgage rates.

While many are anticipating some degree of improvement with the announcement earlier this week that mortgage interest rates have dropped below 5 percent for the first time in months, experts note that the scorching hot Vegas summer is also playing a factor in lower high-rise sales, with fewer people willing to brave the heat at the moment to house-hunt.

According to the Las Vegas Realtors’ Association Multiple Listing Service, 644 high-rise condominiums of five stories and above were closed on through the first six months of 2022, which represents a 2.5 percent increase over the 628 closings in the same period of time in 2021. However, the 87 closings that were recorded in June fall short of the closings achieved year-over-year, with 129 closings taking place in June of 2021.

Since the high-rise condominium sales initially slowed due to the onset of COVID-19 – which can be attributed to buyers wanting more space for the sake of health – the market in Las Vegas became extremely popular as the pandemic began to wane and restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus were dropped.

According to experts who examined 21 high-rises – most located along the famed Las Vegas Strip – there were 618 closings between January and June 2022, which represented a 14.2 percent jump over the same period of time in 2021, when there were 541 closings. This contrasts with the mere 225 closed upon in the first half of 2020, and the 204 in the first half of 2019.

The average sale price of high-rises sold in Vegas in 2022 was $595,508, with a square-foot price of $486.

While the market for high-rise condominiums is indeed showing some degree of cooling with the economic uncertainty in the country, experts are nonetheless predicting the market will remain to perform well, and with the possibility that mortgage rates may be sliding downward slightly, may begin to pick up once again in the very near future.

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 ongoing inflation crisis in the United States, coupled with rapidly-rising interest rates on mortgages, have resulted in the once white-hot housing market significantly cooling in recent months, a ray of sunshine has poked through the clouds as home loan interest rates dropped below 5 percent for the first time in months, providing hope that the market may rebound some for sellers in the near future.

For the past year, home prices and demand in Southern Nevada have surged, breaking records on a monthly basis; however, as inflation has gradually increased along with mortgage rates, the market in Las Vegas has shown some distinct signs of slowing down. But according to this week’s announcement by mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped to 4.99 percent, a noticeable reduction from last week’s 5.3 percent.

Interest rates on mortgages have not fallen below 5 percent since April, but while this week’s number is just barely below that level, it has given experts hope that the marketplace is beginning to stabilize to a degree where both buyers and sellers can each find their respective advantages.

Nonetheless, even with this week’s drop, interest rates on mortgages are still much higher than last year’s historically low numbers, and it’s certainly not a sign that cheap money will be on the table once again for those looking to buy a home. But amid slowing sales in Vegas – and growing inventory as a result – continued drops in interest for home loans could once again drive sales, experts say.

However, for the time being, Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater noted that sellers shouldn’t get their hopes up too much, as loan rates will most likely “remain variable” due to the nature of the nation’s current economic turmoil.

Currently, 2,670 single-family homes were sold in Las Vegas in June, representing an 8 percent drop from the month before and a 25 percent drop year-over-year. The June median sales price was $480,000, a decrease of 0.4 percent from May, and the first time home prices in Southern Nevada have decreased – as opposed to increased – in over two years.

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 national housing market has showed distinct signs of slowing down after mid-pandemic buying frenzies fueled by low mortgage rates dominated the industry, the high sales rate of new luxury homes in Las Vegas appears to remain red-hot in 2022, with the market already showing a distinct increase when compared to the same period of time in 2021.

Reports show that 235 homes costing $1 million or more have closed during the first six months of 2022 in Las Vegas so far, which represents a 16 jump over the number of luxury homes closed on during first six months of 2021.

These numbers show a dramatic jump in sales of new luxury homes in Vegas when compared to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in the first six months of 2017, 52 luxury homes were sold in the region, 87 in 2018, and 123 in 2019; sales only dipped slightly to 115 in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Some of those record-breaking figures for 2022 can be attributed to the rising cost of construction supplies brought about by COVID-19-related supply chain issues, which in-turn contributes to the rising costs of home-building overall.

And despite record-breaking sales of luxury homes in the Southern Nevada region continuing unabated so far this year, developers report they are seeing some high-priced buyers being a tad more cautious about how exactly they spend their hard-earned dollars in the face of the 40-year high inflation that is bombarding the country.

However, even the recently-rising interest rates on home mortgages that have slowed the real estate industry as a whole have not significantly impacted the Vegas luxury marketplace, according to Blue Heron CEO and founder Tyler Jones, a developer of high-end homes in the region.

“These are people that aren’t as affected by interest rate changes,” Jones said. “If you’re going to buy a multimillion-dollar home, and interest rates go up a point, that’s not going to stop you from buying the home.”

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 housing market in Las Vegas, after spending a considerable amount of time on fire, is now not only showing initial signs of cooling, but doing so at a rate that appears to be faster than some other major metropolitan marketplaces in the United States.

Reports indicate that the number of homes in the Southern Nevada region that are being sold are decreasing, and despite the fact that sellers are cutting prices of their homes for sale in an attempt to entice more buyers, the amount of available inventory is starting to increase steadily.

In this, Las Vegas is not alone; after the national real estate market skyrocketed during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – with home prices soaring amid fierce competition between buyers, who would regularly drive up prices further by consistently outbidding each other – the country has finally appeared to have reached its breaking point.

High prices, low inventory, and climbing interest rates on home mortgages have finally put many off of searching for a home, with buyers now appearing to be taking a “wait and see” approach as far as what the marketplace’s future holds.

However, Las Vegas seems to be feeling this phenomenon more acutely than many other metro areas in the nation in several key ways; while the overall market in Vegas nonetheless remains competitive, the cracks are showing. For example, in June over 27 percent of pending home sales in Las Vegas failed to go through; while the market is experiencing similar issues from coast-to-coast, the Vegas numbers represent the highest home sale cancellation rate in the country currently.

In addition, 20.3 percent of the homes on sale in Vegas in June had experienced a discount – the fourth-highest number in the country – and inventory increased 22.2 percent month-over-month, the highest increase in the U.S.

This follows one of the hottest stretches of real estate activity in Las Vegas perhaps ever, with home prices and sales consistently breaking records month-after-month, due in-part to record-low interest rates on home loans that allowed buyers to get the most for their money.

But this drop-off in sales in Las Vegas hardly is a death knell; in fact, the overall market in Southern Nevada still remains quite healthy, and mortgage rates – while higher than they were just last year – have dropped off slightly as of late, which could serve to spark a home sales frenzy once again, experts say.

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 – Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Las Vegas residents saw their rents increase by what some would consider to be unsustainable degrees; the subsequent increase in gas prices and inflation – which, as of June, hit a whopping 9.1 percent – have only served to put additional financial stress upon not only Southern Nevada residents, but people nationwide.

Currently, the local average Vegas rent is $1,480 a month, which is still $140 cheaper national average of $1,620; nonetheless, it still represents a steep increase over previous years, when the average rent jumped 23 percent year-over-year from 2019 to 2020, and then an additional 11 percent in 2021.

However, experts are predicting that as 2022 continues, rents should finally start to stabilize as local Vegas residents’ leases come up for renewal, offering them a slight respite from the economic onslaught so many Americans are dealing with on a daily basis.

According to Nevada State Apartment Association (NVSAA) Executive Director Susy Vasquez, the skyrocketing rents that have plagued so many Vegas inhabitants should start to calm down as the year progresses, with an additional increase of only approximately 5.5 percent expected by the close of 2022.

“Currently, the apartment market appears to be normalizing and stabilizing,” she said. “We are not going to be experiencing that year-over-year rent growth that we have been seeing in the double digits. We’re going to be experiencing more single-digit rent growth moving forward.”

While the economic chaos and uncertainty seen during the pandemic may be waning, Vasquez says new headwinds in the economy could impact the rental market. That includes inflation’s impact on driving up mortgage rates, and consequently, slowing home sales.

While rising home mortgage rates and house prices are driving up demand for rental units from those who are currently priced out of homeownership, local and state lawmakers are working with developers to fast-track construction on new housing; this goes hand-in-hand with the 7,440 units currently under construction in Clark County, which is expected to reduce the demand for rentals and drive lease prices down.

“They really are looking to minimize the amount of time that it takes to get those shovels into the ground, not only with affordable housing, but any housing development,” Vasquez said. “I think they’re looking more at land areas that they have, and looking to see what they can put on that land in a quick amount of time in order to relieve the pressure of supply.”

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 months and months of an infamously tight inventory driving up prices in the ultra-competitive Las Vegas residential real estate marketplace, that slim inventory is finally showing some signs of growing due to a number of contributing factors, including rising interest rates on home mortgages cooling the market somewhat for the time being.

Previously, Las Vegas has been inundated with constant bidding wars between homebuyers, with some even being willing to purchase a property sight unseen in order to get an edge; low inventory, combined with historically-low interest rates on home loans, were seen as the main driving factors of the home buying frenzy.

However – due to rate increases on the part of the Federal Reserve to combat skyrocketing national inflation – the interest rate on a standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is currently hovering near the 6 percent mark; this is a big increase compared to the same point in time one year prior, when rates averaged just 2.93 percent.

According to Jennifer Graff, founder of New Home Experts Las Vegas with Coldwell Banker, now that money is growing more expensive to borrow, it’s little surprise that the demand for housing is starting to show signs of dropping, leading to increases in overall home inventory in Vegas.

“About $480,000 right now is essentially the median home price for here in Las Vegas,” Graff said. “So when you take into account, when we talked back in January, to when we’re speaking today…that payment for your average conventional loan is up almost $1,000 for that $480,000 home.”

Experts say that at the tail end of 2021, a monthly mortgage payment of $2,500 could get you a home worth $517,000; however, with interest rates currently being what they are, that same monthly payment could only get you a home valued at $400,000.

However, Graff noted that Las Vegas will always remain a hot real estate market, and she expects that the current economic woes facing the nation will do little more in Southern Nevada than stabilize the market.

“We have about 5,600 homes on the market right now,” she said. “That is almost double from last year.”

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 a long period of time that saw Las Vegas home prices continuously increase and break records month-after-month, the inevitable has finally taken place: according to a report released Wednesday by Las Vegas Realtors (LVR), local home prices dropped for the first time in over two years, an occurrence that experts say is proof that the market in Southern Nevada is finally beginning to stabilize.

The median price of existing single-family homes sold in Las Vegas in June dropped to $480,000, down from the all-time record-setting amount of $482,000 that was set in May; this represents the first time prices of homes in the region lowered from one month to the next – as opposed to increasing – since April 2020.

Despite this news, the June median home price is still a whopping 21.5 percent higher than it was in June 2021, when that amount was $395,000.

The median price of condominiums and townhouses has also experienced a slight dip in price in June, lowering 1.8 percent from May’s all-time high of $285,000 to $280,000. However, that new median price is still 29.6 percent higher than what condos and townhouses were fetching in June 2021, when they were going for $216,000.

LVR President Brandon Roberts noted that real estate prices in Vegas have bounced back a great deal since hitting their record low in January 2012, when the recession drove down the median home value to a rock-bottom $118,000.

However, Roberts noted that the end of the streak of price increases – at least for now – indicates that the high-competitive Southern Nevada housing market is finally showing signs of stabilizing and becoming more buyer-friendly.

“Rising mortgage interest rates sparked a slowdown that was bound to happen at some point,” he said. “Local home prices can’t keep going up at the rate they have been the past few years. More stable prices, along with the increasing number of homes on the market and decreasing number of homes being sold, are providing some relief for potential buyers.”

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 – Experts are reporting this week that mortgage rates – which have been skyrocketing since the new year after hitting historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic – have unexpectedly dropped, giving beleaguered prospective homebuyers a modicum of leverage but also signaling potential bad news for state of the U.S. economy.

The average rate of a 30-year fixed mortgage, which was 5.81 percent one week ago, dropped this week to 5.70 percent. While that decrease will give some homebuyers some breathing room in terms of interest on a home loan, it also signals just how much rates have climbed, since at the same point in time one year ago, that rate was a mere 2.98 percent.

Nonetheless, according to Freddie Mac’s chief economist Sam Khater, this is a sign that the housing market – long thought to be heading in an unsustainable direction – may finally be starting to stabilize in the face of an ongoing national surge in inflation, which is straining the finances of most buyers. However, Khater noted, it could also be a grim sign that the country may also be on the verge of a recession.

“The rapid rise in mortgage rates has finally paused, largely due to the countervailing forces of high inflation and the increasing possibility of an economic recession,” he said. “This pause in rate activity should help the housing market rebalance from the breakneck growth of a seller’s market to a more normal pace of home price appreciation.”

But in the meantime, the lowering rates – combined with a cooling market may give buyers the upper hand, at least in the short-term, according to real estate agent Lilly Rockwell.

“It’s fabulous. Finally. Tons of choices, very little competition,” she said. “It’s crazy how quickly the tables have turned!”

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 – In an effort to combat skyrocketing rents making it difficult for some residents to put a roof over their heads, a commissioner in Clark County is proposing that a mandatory “affordable housing” law be put into effect as it relates to every new apartment complex erected within the county’s limits.

Commissioner Michael Naft said that multiple constituents have reached out to him as of late, asking for help in addressing the county’s high rents which are making life unaffordable for many working-class families and individuals.

“I’ve got a binder on my desk of people who contact my office and say that their landlords raise their rent by $700, month over month,” he said. “It’s not sustainable for our community. I see this as a way to incent the developer to do the right thing.”

Similar rent control laws have been enacted throughout the country, particularly in regions where the average rent has effectively priced some families out of the market entirely. Nevada state law has allowed local municipalities to implement such laws since 1999, although to date none have chosen to do so; if passed, Clark County would be the first in the state to do it.

Naft’s proposed law, if it comes to fruition, would mandate that apartment complexes with 250 units or more would need to establish 10 percent of them as “affordable rentals” that are geared towards those making 80 percent or less of the region’s median income, which in Clark County would amount to $45,000 or less annually.

Currently, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Clark County is approximately $1,600 per month; over the course of the last two years, rents have jumped to a high degree, with wages reportedly not keeping pace with the cost-of-living increases.

Executive Director Susy Vasquez of the The Nevada State Apartment Association released the following statement, saying that her organization would be willing to support Naft’s proposed legislation.

“As presented, the Nevada State Apartment Association is currently neutral, leaning towards supporting the item,” she said. “We look forward to continuing conversations and ultimately providing a purpose driven solution which will bring added stability to our community.”

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 – During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic the housing market unexpectedly started to boom, propelled by record-low interest rates on home mortgages and buyers enticed by acquiring homes with cheap money. But as demand continued to increase, home prices began to swell, with buyers taking solace in the fact that interest rates nonetheless remained very affordable.

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as an attempt to lower out-of-control inflation and prevent a potential recession, the Federal Reserve has begun increasing their interest rates. This, sadly, has correspondingly caused a significant jump in the cost of home loans as well, and combined with record home prices – the median price of a single-family home in Vegas in May 2022 was $482,000 – has caused the market to slow as some buyers are now finding themselves priced out.

With demand decreasing due to financial concerns, sellers – who have been consistently raising their asking prices for months, breaking records each and every time – have finally begun showing signs of relenting, and as a result Vegas-area listings are now slowly starting to appear with newly-applied discounts.

Reports show that sellers of a southwest Las Vegas Valley home for sale recently shaved $25,000 off their asking price; last Thursday, a Henderson home saw a $31,000 decrease; and a northwest valley area home has had a total of $110,000 in price cuts since it was first listed.

In fact, in May 2022, 13.7 percent of active listings in Las Vegas had a price cut, as opposed to the 11.5 percent average across the United States, reports say; while listings overall continue to climb in price, May represented the third month in a row where active listings showed price cuts, with Zillow economist Nicole Bachaud saying that the overall marketplace may be showing distinct signs of much-needed stabilization.

“Sellers are finally being challenged to price their homes competitively, after a period in which buyers seemed willing to meet almost any asking price, and in many cases bid over list price to beat out other interested buyers,” she said. “It’s absolutely true that there is an affordability crisis in the housing market, but low mortgage rates had kept monthly payments in check even while prices rose at a record pace.”

Housing markets – especially in Las Vegas – can often turn on a dime, but the current developments may be indicating that sellers may not be able to overprice anymore, opening up the potential for renewed affordability; time will tell if this ends up being true or not.

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 – Following the Federal Reserve’s hike of 75 basis points to its key benchmark rate in an attempt to lower crippling inflation gripping the United States and head off a possible recession, interest rates for home mortgages have been steadily increasing after having hit record lows during the COVID-19 pandemic; that factor, combined with inflation and skyrocketing home prices, have caused a recent slowdown in home sales nationally.

The current interest rate on a standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit an average of 5.78 percent this week; this is up from 5.23 percent just last week, and a big increase compared to the same point in time one year prior, when rates averaged just 2.93 percent.

Currently, interest on home loans is at its highest point since 2008, causing Americans that are already hurting financially due to whopping retail, grocery, and gas prices to rethink the possibility of buying a home in the here and now, according to National Association of REALTORS Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting Nadia Evangelou.

“These rising mortgage rates hurt affordability and decrease the purchasing power of many buyers,” she said. “In addition to increasing the amount buyers will pay to borrow for their mortgage, higher interest rates lower their purchasing power since a larger portion of their monthly payment will be put toward interest.”

Due to the Fed’s decision to raise basis points by the highest amount in 28 years – in addition to several other hikes planned throughout the rest of the year – more buyers are adjusting their shopping budgets for homes, as rising interest rates lower their respective buying power. In January, the average buyer could have afforded a $360,000 home with a $1,400 monthly mortgage payment; now, with the most recent interest increase, that same $1,400 monthly payment would only procure a home worth $270,000.

With interest rates now at 5.78 percent and climbing, buyers’ money is not only worth less, but they will also be paying more over the course of the loan itself; at last week’s 5.23 percent interest rate, the monthly payment on a $300,000 loan – excluding taxes and insurance – would have been $1,653. However, with rates now being 5.78 percent, the monthly payment on the same loan would now be $1,756, which represents an additional $1,236 per year.

But all is not bleak- experts are saying that the high interest increases may simply be a case of over-correction on the part of lenders, and if the Fed’s basis point increase indeed proves to be successful in curbing inflation, mortgage rates could start to come down once again, especially amid a slowdown in demand for home loans, which have decreased 16 percent year-over-year.

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 – Despite yet another all-time record being set for home prices in Southern Nevada for the month of May – something that has consistently happened month-after-month for some time now – conditions show that sales overall are beginning to slow in Vegas, indicating that a gradual shift is occurring towards a more sustainable marketplace, experts say.

The median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada during May 2022 was a whopping $482,000, yet again an increase over the previous month’s record. The price represents a 25.2 percent increase over the same period of time one year ago, when the median home price was $385,000.

The median price of condominiums and townhouses in May also broke last month’s record price, with an increase to $285,000, which is a 39 percent jump from May 2021 when that price was just $205,000.

Prices of existing homes for sale in Las Vegas has more than quadrupled since the market has recovered from the mid-2000’s recession, when the median price of single-family homes reached a historic low of $118,000.

According to Las Vegas Realtors President Brandon Roberts, these factors have caused a slowdown in the number of homes being sold in Southern Nevada and a corresponding build-up of available inventory, which is starting to signify the beginning of equilibrium in the local market.

“The slowdown in sales and increase in our housing supply are signs that things may be starting to calm down a bit,” he said. “Even though prices are still going up, it’s welcome news for potential buyers to see more homes on the market. As we’ve been saying for months, the rate of appreciation we’ve seen over the past year or two seems unsustainable.”

At the end of this past May, there were 3,570 single-family homes listed for sale without any sort of offer, which represents a huge 75.8 percent increase from May 2021. There were also 797 condominiums and townhouses currently on the market without offers at the end of May, which is 50.7 percent higher than was the case in May 2021.

Sales of homes and condos/townhouses were down 8.8 percent and 6.6 percent in May, respectively, when compared to the same period of time one year prior.

Currently, there is over a one-month supply of homes on the Las Vegas market, but while this is higher than was previously available, it is nonetheless still considered a “tight” market and further progress will be needed for it to be considered “balanced.”

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.