Category Archive : Investing

LAS VEGAS, NV – Amazon.com, the nation’s largest online retailer, is planning on opening a second North American headquarters to supplement its original home base in Seattle, Washington; among the locations being eyeballed by the company may be Las Vegas, Nevada, and the city, in turn, has expressed enthusiasm at the thought of Amazon setting up shop in their zip code, and to that end – is already actively courting the mega-corporation.

Amazon.com noted recently that is plans on sinking over $5 billion in the construction of its proposed second headquarters, a complex that will house of up 50,000 employees, and Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was quoted that this new location will not be playing second fiddle to their Seattle complex; indeed, Bezos noted that it will be in every respect a total and complete equal to the company’s current HQ.

“We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters,” Bezos said in an official statement. “Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We’re excited to find a second home.”

Amazon has released a laundry list of requirements for any city or municipality that may eventually find itself the home of its secondary headquarters, including being near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; being able to attract top technical talent; being within 45 minutes of an international airport; having direct access to mass transit; and the space to allow Amazon to potentially expand the complex to encompass as much as 8 million square feet in the next ten years.

Las Vegas officials, already riding high on a wave of a reinvigorated economy and real estate market after years of financial slump following the mid-2000’s housing bubble burst, are looking to continue their good fortune by attempting to lure Amazon to their doorstep. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance have officially announced that they will be working in consort to put together a proposal for Amazon to review and consider, knowing full well that such a coup could being untold millions into their city and help to generate thousands of jobs.

Steve Hill, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, noted that his agency has a very solid relationship with Amazon; in addition, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance CEO Jonas Peterson was quoted as saying that “Our goal is to compete for projects on all levels. We believe our community has a great product to offer headquarters-related projects.”

Amazon already calls Las Vegas home to one of its largest regional fulfillment center for the countless orders placed via their website on a daily basis; the center, one of over 75 warehouses Amazon currently has across the country, comes in at 800,000 square feet, and is located near Lamb Boulevard and Tropical Parkway. The facility opened its doors in summer 2017, bringing an immediate boon to the local economy in the form of 1,000 new jobs, many of consisting of workers who stock items and pack orders that are destined for numerous locations throughout the Southwest.

Need real estate information on the fast-evolving Las Vegas market? Thinking of relocating here? Maybe investing? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Housing statistics for the Southern Nevada region for July of 2017 have come in, and as usual, the summer heat of the Las Vegas desert is only matched or exceeded by the hot market of local real estate. Following the housing bubble burst of the mid-2000’s followed by a decade of dormancy, the housing and especially the rental market in Nevada is skyrocketing upward, leaving big money men – especially those from out-of-state – scrambling to get in on the action.

According to the most recent Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTOR (GLVAR) report, July 2017 saw the median price of existing single-family homes sold during July increase to $260,000, which represents a 10.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2016. Meanwhile, the median price of local condos and town-homes sold in July jumped to $138,000, an increase of 20 percent from the previous July. And – as it has been for months and months now – GLVAR’s President, David J. Tina, noted that the demand for housing continues to exceed the current supply; Southern Nevada currently has less than a two-month supply of existing homes available for sale, whereas a balanced market typically has a six-month supply. In such an environment, prices for any dwelling will continue to rise until equilibrium between supply and demand is established, which in Vegas’ case could take some time.

Meanwhile, investment opportunities galore continue to make themselves available to those who are willing to sink the funds into the region, and lately the most money has actually been flowing in from banks, lenders, and investors outside the confines of Nevada. Part of the cause for this is the fact that many lenders within Nevada, hit hard by the recession, are still reeling from its effects; loathe to dole out cash after having been burned by numerous loans that went belly-up when the housing market crumbled in the mid-2000’s, many regional and national banks based outside of the Las Vegas Valley have been more aggressive than the local banks, according to reports. Stricter lending laws within Nevada have also contributed to increased reliance of contractors and construction companies on out-of-state lenders, who have fewer hurdles to clear.

That money is sorely needed if new housing is to be completed in a timely fashion to satisfy the near-insatiable demand on the part of prospective tenants and families drawn to the Southern Nevada region in hopes of taking advantage of the new job opportunities in the area and a slowly-but-surely growing local economy. But in the meantime, buyers are scrambling for any piece of real estate they can get their hands on; by the end of July, GLVAR reported a mere 4,995 single-family homes currently listed for sale on the open market without an offer, which represents a 31.9 percent decrease from July of 2016. And when it comes to condos and town-homes, there an even bigger decrease from July of 2016, with only 625 offer-free properties available on the open market for buyers to choose from. Homes sales have continued to soar, as 3,798 homes, condos and town-homes were sold in July, representing 351 additional sales over 2016. Overall, 2017 is outpacing 2016, a year that saw 41,720 properties in total sold in the Southern Nevada region.

Needless to say, the investment opportunities continue to flourish in Las Vegas and its surrounding areas, and anyone with the business savvy and access to sufficient funding is sure to make a killing if they get in on the action as soon as possible. Looking for information on investment properties in the area? Give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

Experts Report Rise in Eviction Rate in Southern Nevada

LAS VEGAS, NV – While the Las Vegas real estate scene is on the rise – and has been for the better part of a year now, with both record demand and prices in both the housing and rental markets following the mid-2000’s recession – there has also been a recent spike in a related field; that of evictions – as the growing Southern Nevada economy struggles to keep in step with increased costs of living.

After the burst of the housing bubble in the middle of the first decade of the new millennium – resulting in properties that had been snatched up by investors sitting dormant for years without buyers or renters – the recent real estate boom has brought money, new businesses, and enthusiasm into the Las Vegas area, and with that surge of prosperity has come a corresponding surge in the demand for housing options…and likewise, an increase in prices that some residents are having difficulty keeping up with.

According to recent reports, Clark County currently averages approximately 82 evictions a day; over 30,000 renters were evicted from their residences in 2016, which represents a whopping leap of 43 percent from the same period in 2009. And when the experts weigh in, the same answers to why this is happening keep coming up…it’s a matter of rising lodging costs in Southern Nevada while the economic benefits of the recent housing boom and influx of investment capital have yet to filter down to an appropriately comparable raise in salaries for the general public. While investors are currently making a killing in Vegas, those living paycheck to paycheck have yet to experience a relief from their financial pressures.

Las Vegas also has slightly tighter eviction deadlines than in other areas of the country, which leads to less time for tenants and landlords to iron out any issues that they may have; according to reports, landlords can issue a five-day eviction to tenants, and in reverse, landlords have 14 days to address a grievance issued by a tenant. Another difference is that, while many other states require a landlord to file a summons and complaint and initiate a court action, in Nevada a tenant needs only to be served with the initial eviction notice; it is then up to them to go to court and file a tenants affidavit, essentially reversing the process compared to many other states. This is another factor that accounts for the rising amount of evictions in the area, because when it comes down to it, most people will attempt to avoid court whenever possible, even if it means the loss of their dwelling.

Experts are anticipating the increase in construction of housing in Southern Nevada will contribute to the lowering of prices for both homes and rentals in the area, and with that a corresponding decrease in the number of evictions. Essentially, Las Vegas is going through a period of intense growing pains as past years of dormancy have left it ill-prepared for its current record-breaking expansion. However, some argue that the equilibrium between housing costs and worker earnings has already been lost to such a degree that government intervention may be required in the form of aggressive affordable housing policy at the state and local level.

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 – When a previously-downtrodden region is experiencing a serious upturn in terms of real estate demand and subsequent value, it’s only natural that investment dollars will begin to flow like finely-aged wine into such an opportunity; thus is the case with Southern Nevada, which is boasting a massive growth spurt over the course of the year after the mid-2000’s burst of the housing bubble laid waste to the local real estate market for nearly a decade.

With demand for housing and rental units skyrocketing and supply unable to currently keep up with demand, combined with a growing economy in the form of new businesses and jobs popping up in the region, Las Vegas is fast becoming the best bet for investment opportunities in the United States, and money-men are indeed sitting up and taking notice.

According to recent reports, The Blackstone Group – a name that should be familiar to anyone residing in the area (as the New York-based firm has been very active on the local real estate scene for some time now), recently purchased the southwest valley’s Elysian West apartment complex for the sum of $106.5 million, representing one of the highest prices ever paid for such a property in Las Vegas. The 466-unit complex cost Blackstone approximately twice the market average, according to reports, but given the fact that it occupancy level was nearly full – it was 96 percent at the time of its sale – and the cutthroat rental market in Southern Nevada forcing prospective tenants to be willing to pay more than usual for an apartment, the move was seen as a nonetheless very sound investment.

But during the same period of time – early August, 2017 – two other investment groups threw their hats into the Vegas housing ring with noteworthy purchases as well; DiNapoli Capital Partners of California acquired Palms at Peccole Ranch, a 404-unit apartment complex located on Charleston Boulevard, for $62 million. Again, as a distinct sign of the times, Palms at Peccole Ranch was 95 percent occupied at the time of its sale, and – as with Blackstone’s purchase – DiNapoli paid over the market average for their acquisition. But again, with local families, individuals, and new transplants to the area fighting over table scraps in terms of real estate, the investment by DiNapoli again can be seen as quite sound in the long run. And not to be outdone, another New York-based investment firm – Abacus Capital Group – paid out $24 million for Sterling Court, a 237-unit apartment complex in Clark County.

However, it’s not just rental space that’s in high demand in Las Vegas – the many businesses that are moving into the area due to the booming economy are obviously looking for space to operate in as well. In addition to the housing and rental markets, demand has been rising for industrial space in the region, especially smaller start-ups that are looking to set up shop and begin the process of growth by establishing roots in the community and hiring local prospects as they increase in scope. As a result, many owners of real estate in industrial areas are rapidly setting out to refurbish their properties to accommodate these companies; for example, Harsch Investment Properties is currently transforming 17,000 square foot property they own into several smaller units approximately 2,000 square feet in size, with the division intended to attract start-ups looking to begin small and work their way up.

As you can see, the rapid real estate and corresponding economic growth experienced by the Las Vegas region is creating a circle of growth; housing and rental demand and prices are growing, attracting businesses and investors that, in turn, create yet more demand, and so on. The bottom line is, of course, if you have money to invest, Las Vegas appears to be a great place to do it.

Need real estate information on the fast-evolving Las Vegas market? Free residential market appraisal? Property management assistance for investment homes in the area? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – While much hoopla has been made over the greatly increased demand – as well as prices – of the Las Vegas housing and rental market since the region’s recovery from the mid-2000’s burst of the housing bubble, another real estate commodity that has been on the rise is that of master-planned community sales; many such developments throughout Southern Nevada have seen a vast influx of buyers in the past year, so much so that a shortage is starting to take shape to rival the demand in the private housing and rental market.

What is a master-planned community, you may ask? Simply put, it is a type of residential plan that includes an out of the ordinary number of recreational amenities such as parks, golf courses, lakes, bike paths, and jogging trails. The scope of the plan is typically large scale and the number and variety of amenities clearly separates it from a normal plan for a housing subdivision. Some of these communities cater to older homeowners, especially in the 55 year-old and higher range, yet some are inclusive of all age ranges as well.

Among the hottest selling of these communities is Summerlin, located in the Las Vegas Valley of Nevada. A development of The Howard Hughes Corp., Summerlin lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon, on the western periphery of Las Vegas in unincorporated Clark County. The community occupies 22,500 acres and includes a variety of land uses, including, residential, commercial, recreational, educational, medical, open space, and cultural. According to recent reports, units in Summerlin experienced strong sales throughout the first half of 2017 – 470 new home sales, representing a 28 percent increase over the same period in 2016 – making it seventh-highest best-selling among master-planned communities nationwide.

Summerlin has been experiencing a recent glut of expansions in the form of new “neighborhoods” in face of strong sales; Affinity by William Lyon Homes, Caledonia, Trilogy by Shea Homes, Reverence and more either have or will be opening in the near future. Caledonia, Summerlin’s most recently-opened addition, features homes in the mid-$300,000 range and targets families of all ages; Trilogy by Shea Homes is due to launch in several months, and targets the 55-plus community.

Another master-planned community in the Las Vegas area that is boasting impressive growth in the midst of Southern Nevada’s ongoing real estate boom is Cadence Henderson by developer The LandWell Co. , which has ranked in the top 25 nationally for new-home sales in recent surveys. Much like Summerlin, Cadence is actually made up of numerous smaller neighborhoods, each constructed by a different contracted building company and each with their own unique allure and draw for specific segments of the population, including the 55-plus community Heritage. Each neighborhood offers numerous municipal amenities that typical private homes generally do not, including a 50-acre Central Park, six-lane lap pool, and 2,000-square-foot splash pad. And again, much like Summerlin, Cadence Henderson is planning a host of additions and expansions to handle their booming sales and growing population in the region.

While private dwellings – both stand-alone homes and rental apartments – have experienced booming sales and massive growth recently, exclusive planned communities such as Summerlin and Cadence Henderson are also feeling the benefits of the boost the local economy as well; their individual planned expansions in light of such business will only offer more housing options to both existing and new Nevada residents as jobs and money continue to filter into the area, ensuring that the boom Las Vegas is experiencing is no mere passing fad.

Whether you are real estate buyer, seller or investor – if you’re interested in Master-Planned Communities here in the Las Vegas Valley, please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the Las Vegas real estate market continuing its meteoric rise – both in home and rental demand and their subsequent prices (after recovering from the burst of the housing bubble of the mid-2000’s), it’s only natural that families and businesses – as well as tourists – begin to flow back into the region; developers who have been snapping up residential properties have begin to turn their attention to retail, as well.

There’s one constant in any populated area: people need to buy things. And as a result of the influx of workers and their families into the Southern Nevada region looking to take advantage of the booming economy and the fact that corporations (such as Amazon), sports teams (such as the Raiders), and other business entities are taking up shop in Las Vegas and are in dire need of employees, real estate developers and investors have begun building new retail establishments and rehabbing old ones that have fallen into disrepair after being closed up and abandoned during the recession several years ago. After all, no one wants to live in an area where they can’t run to the corner market for a container of milk if they need it, do they? So, with an increase in population and residents, also is a coming equal increase in clothing stores, restaurants, bars and other necessities of modern living.

The newest updates of retail development in Southern Nevada is the recent ground breaking on the Ellis Island Hotel, Casino & Brewery on Koval Lane east of the Las Vegas Strip, which is expanding on an existing property with the goal being to attract and accommodate increased foot traffic in the area – especially tourists – with amenities such as a restaurant, bar and beer garden. The rise in pedestrians in the area that is prompting expansion is due in-part to local residents and visitors who are looking for other areas to socialize then just the famous strip; as consumers spread outward towards the eastern resort corridor, more resources are being allocated to courting their patronage.

Other examples of the development of the eastern resort corridor to lure in tourists and residents is the recent opening of Topgolf at MGM Grand, a entertainment venue with a high-tech driving range and swanky lounge with drinks and games; MGM also announced their intention to expand the square footage of its convention center as well. In addition, the Las Vegas Convention Center is slated for expansion after the recent purchase of the Riviera, which is slated for demolition.

In other Southern Nevada retail developments, the Rainbow Dunes Centre – a popular shopping center located in at the northwest corner of Spring Mountain Road and Rainbow Boulevard, now abandoned and dilapidated, is facing the prospect of having new life breathed into it. Currently an eyesore stripped of every ounce of copper from the boarded-up stores which used to welcome numerous customers to establishments such as K-Mart, the current ownership – Golden Legacy Las Vegas in Milpitas, California (who until recently seemed quite uninterested in selling) have announced they’ve hired a listing broker with the intention of selling the property or entering into a business venture with a new partner at the helm.

The 7.6-acre property was originally constructed in 1983, and the loss of a major “anchor tenant” – K-Mart, closed its doors in 2003 – and lead to the eventual closure of the entire shopping center, as additional tenants left; up till 2009, none remained, leaving Rainbow Dunes to do nothing but gather dust. But the recent announcement that Golden Legacy Las Vegas is now interested in restoring the shopping center to life – its currently the source of complaints to the city council on a regular basis due to its state of decay and speaks volumes about the increased emphasis on retail development in Las Vegas.

Need real estate information on the fast-evolving Las Vegas market? Thinking of relocating here? Maybe investing? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – After the so-called pop of the housing bubble in the mid-2000’s and subsequent crash of the real estate market, the last year or so has seen a resurgence the likes of which have not been witnessed in quite some time, with a spike in the local Southern Nevada economy fueled by new businesses and jobs taking up residence in the region, in addition to rapidly-rising demand for housing and rental units. As always, demand sets ever-increasing value and prices; according to recently-published reports, property prices continued to climb as Las Vegas moves into a very real house shortage.

The report reveals that 4,297 properties – consisting of condominiums, townhomes, and single family homes – sold for premium prices on the open Las Vegas market during May of 2017. The median price range of houses that sold in the region during that month was $250,000; this represents a 3.3 percent increase from April ($249,000) and an increase of 13.3 percent from the same period of time one year ago.

The rise in prices and the heavy activity on the sales front, of course, only spells good tidings for the recovery of the Las Vegas economy and real estate market, especially if you’re an investor; however, it can also represent a significant hurdle for those on a budget looking to purchase a home for the first time in order to start a family. As an example, a recent article chronicled the efforts of Kierra Jemison, a single mother of four children, as she attempted to navigate the Las Vegas housing landscape for an affordable home for her family after being forced out of a previous rental. With a very strict budget – Jemison is looking for something with four bedrooms to the tune of $200,000 – she set out with a sense of hopeful anticipation, but soon found herself frustrated and demoralized after 30 house tours and five offers saw her no closer to her goal, as she found herself outbid at every turn in an incredibly competitive marketplace.

Very quickly, prospective first-time homeowners in Southern Nevada are finding it harder and harder to find a property under the $300,000 mark. New construction, however, looks to address the lack of housing and rental options; Lake Las Vegas, up until recently, was considered a lackluster investment in terms of real estate, yet it has recently seen a number of housing projects in the works, with as many as six developments stated to be completed and entered into the marketplace within the next year. However, while this will certainly help to address the scarcity of real estate options – Las Vegas currently has a two-month supply of homes on the market, whereas a balanced market typically has a six-month supply – the subsequent prices of these new developments stand to mirror the current marketplace. For example, one of the Lake Las Vegas developments in the works – CalAtlantic Homes Regatta Pointe – will feature homes in the mid-$300,000 range.

In the meantime, prospective homeowners on a budget, such as Kierra Jemison, will have to continue to fight it out with other like-minded individuals in a marketplace that is currently seeing explosive growth and expansion; however, with big-money investors in droves setting up shop in the region and real estate prices continuing to climb ever-higher, competition for affordable housing options will remain fierce.

If you’re looking to purchase a home here in the Las Vegas Valley, please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – North Las Vegas has been clearly embracing the recent re-surge Southern Nevada has been experiencing in both the economic and real estate sectors; since the burst of the housing bubble in the mid-2000’s laid waste to much of the property value in the region, Las Vegas as a whole has been on the comeback trail in the past year, with housing and rental demand – and prices – quickly on the rise, including jobs and construction which are flowing back in a steady stream. Clearly, the area is enjoying a resurgence, and many are looking to get in on the action.

In fact, North Vegas Mayor John Lee has been quite vocal in recent months on the benefits of living and working in his city, citing construction of new homes and apartment complexes as well as an influx of commercial entities that see the area as ripe for business opportunities. In order to jump-start further economic growth in his municipality, Lee recently invited a number of real estate agents and professionals to a meeting at the North Vegas City Hall, where he extolled the virtues of investing in the region, referring it to the primary place in Southern Nevada to see a significant return on their dollar.

“There will be more new money in North Las Vegas than anywhere else in this valley in the next 20 years,” he said. “I’m not going to make your sales for you, and I’m not going to give you leads, but I am going to tell you- you will make good money if you come to North Las Vegas.”

Lee’s attempt to woo businesses to North Vegas to take advantage of the growth overtaking Vegas as a whole has encompassed his governing strategy as a whole in recent months; in May, he and his board of trustees unanimously voted to approve a multi-million dollar revitalization project aimed at cleaning up the city’s seedy downtown district, including a plan to essentially demolish and rebuild a housing complex known as a centerpiece of violence and drug activity, in addition to constructing a new $22 million home for senior citizens, projects spurred on by a $485,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In addition, Fanatics Inc. and The Honest Co. are currently building dual warehouses in the region – at a combined total of 800,000 square feet – and nearby at the Apex Industrial Park, Hyperloop and Faraday Future are in the midst of constructing new facilities as well.

Lee, a former businessman and state senator, is credited as using the ample experience he has in both fields to essentially pull North Vegas back from the precipice of financial ruin since taking office in 2013; at that time, the city was in ruins, economically speaking, with a budget deficit of $152 million. Lee worked hard to attract new businesses and diversify to the city’s economy, in addition to job creation and taking advantage of state grants and resources to help fund infrastructure projects. Today, North Vegas is well on its way to recovery and prosperity, while Lee’s renewed push to concentrate on housing and business development as well as growth is being touted as the new means to that end.

Of course, Lee still has an uphill battle on his hands; numerous areas of downtown North Vegas are known for blight and homelessness, and to combat that a project is currently in the works to re-develop and revitalize a 160-acre area from urban decay into a hip, stylish community replete with hew homes, retail, and eateries, dubbed Lake Mead Village West.

After giving a series of investors, real estate agents and developers a tour of North Vegas to show them how far the region has come – and how far it’s going to continue to progress in the near future – Lee received plenty of feedback, and the majority of it was positive. Upon viewing a new housing development dubbed Beazer Homes Dorado Skies, investor Patti Domingo was open to admitting that her view of the once-blighted North Vegas had changed considerably, and that putting her money there was looking more and more like a very sound business decision.

“[Mayor Lee’s tour is] opening my eye up to the amenities and new communities in North Las Vegas,” she said. “When you think of North Las Vegas, you think of not such a nice community. But now, after taking this tour, you’re seeing everything that the mayor has spoken about.”

If you’re looking to invest here in the Las Vegas Valley, please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – When the largest alternative investment firm in the world decides that your city is ripe for sinking their dollars into on a vast scale, it all but cements you as a hot property, and for all intents and purposes, that’s just what Las Vegas has become in recent months.

The Blackstone Group is an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management, and financial services firm based in New York City. It specializes in private equity, credit, and hedge fund investment strategies, and it has recently turned its sights on the Southern Nevada region and the current real estate surge that is gripping the local economy.

The prices of single-family dwellings have gone up nearly nine percent since February 2016, with the average home currently going for approximately $240,000. 2,249 single-family homes were sold in the Southern Nevada area in February, an increase of 6.5 percent from one year ago; and with that steadily increasing demand also comes increasing prices; in February of 2012, the average price of a single-family home in the Las Vegas was about $121,000, but in 2017 that same home will net a seller $240,000. Not only has the Las Vegas real estate market stabilized since the burst of the housing bubble of the mid-2000’s, but it clearly is on the comeback trail in a very big way…and investors, such as Blackstone, are sitting up and taking notice.

The Blackstone Group recently signed on the dotted line to acquire ownership of three Las Vegas Valley apartment buildings – primarily from developer Martin Egbert of Nevada West Partners – to the tune of $170 million. The properties included in the deal are Dream apartment complex in Henderson as well as Union Apartments and SW Apartments, both situated in Vegas’ southwest valley. All told, the deal netted Blackstone ownership of 972 individual living units, and when you do the math, that comes out to approximately $174,900 apiece; in contrast, apartment units in the region were going for about $96,700 each one year ago at about this time, which is yet another example of the skyrocketing real estate market in Las Vegas these days.

This move represents a distinct change of pace from the investment giant; previously, The Blackstone Group was known for their budget-conscious nature when it came to Las Vegas properties, purchasing over 900 homes in Southern Nevada at rock bottom prices after the housing crash, promptly turning them into rentals servicing both Millennials – who typically are either unwilling or unable to spend the money needed into buying a home – and tourists to the area. This strategy, while not immediately resulting in tidy profits, has finally come to fruition in the last year, as the prices of rentals – both homes and apartments – have jumped steadily in 2017, with a typical rent for a three-bedroom home rising up three percent in the first three months of the current year to an average monthly price of $1,328, and according to reports, apartment prices went up four percent, with one-bedroom apartments now typically costing $890 on the open market.

Clearly, places to live in Las Vegas – home purchases or rental properties of different types – are in ever-growing demand and not showing any signs of slowing down; even powerful business tycoons of Wall Street are opening up their wallets to degrees unprecedented in recent years to get in on the action, and as a result, investors of all walks of life are seeing dividends on their efforts. Las Vegas is, quite literally and figuratively, a hot property right now, and anyone looking to cash-in is best advised to get moving while they can.

If you’re looking to invest here in the Las Vegas Valley, please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Before the housing bubble burst (mid-2000’s), the idea of flipping a property, especially in markets such as Las Vegas,  was as appealing to real estate investors as the gold rush to old-time prospectors heading to America’s frontier in the 1800’s. Both groups saw their respective purpose as a way to potentially get rich quick, but much like the prospector who struck out to the west – and failed to strike gold, more often than not, the recession dashed the hopes of more than one prospective house flipper looking to turn a fast buck.

However, as the Vegas housing market experiences resurgence in the past year – homes and rental properties have been growing exponentially in both demand and price when compared to 2016, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down – it appears that flipping has come back into vogue, as housing options for families in the Southern Nevada region are sorely outstripped by the number available on the open market, experts say. Therefore, an industrious investor with little money and some elbow grease is in position to swoop in on property which might be considered “less desirable,” – fix it up, and find that it is suddenly a hot ticket.

Flipping in Las Vegas has jumped in terms of profitability in the first quarter of 2017; when judged against 2016’s first quarter, experts report a 29 percent increase, which equates to approximately $51,000 in additional profit from flipping; this is also the single biggest increase in profitability since 2005, the period just before the mid-2000’s housing bubble burst. With the jump in prices, competition for lower-priced homes – especially fixer-uppers – has risen to near ecstatic levels.

But it’s not just the resurrection of the housing market that has real estate entrepreneurs racing to renovate; entertainment media has drawn attention to the benefits of investing in Las Vegas homes as well, and when Hollywood takes notice, so does the public. For example, HGTV recently announced the renewal of its breakout hit television show “Flip or Flop Las Vegas” for a second season after its first season displayed very strong ratings. The show, which debuted in April and chronicles the exploits of real estate agents/designers Bristol and Aubrey Marunde as they buy, rehab, and sell off local area properties, has attracted a whopping 12.5 million viewers, according to HGTV.

These factors have contributed in no small part to Las Vegas being currently ranked as the number two place in America to flip properties, according to yet another real estate reality star- Scott Yancey of the reality show “Flipping Vegas,” who says that the goal of any successful flip is to buy low, renovate fast, and get the property back on the market as soon as humanly possible. He cites RealtyTrac, a real estate information company and online marketplace, as evidence of how Vegas is currently a hotbed of flipping activity in terms of gross profits, noting that average home in the region typically sells for $134,000, and upon being successfully flipped that same home brings in an average of approximately $204,000, a gain of 53 percent; that certainly represents a significant return for an investor.

Flipping has been around for decades, and after a period of dormancy in the Southern Nevada area, it’s set to rear its head once again for ambitious real estate investors willing to sink in some dough and some hard work; the payoff promises to be more than worth the effort.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the announcement of the move of the Oakland Raiders from their current eponymous home to Las Vegas come the NFL season of 2020, a firestorm of curiosity has centered on not only where their home stadium would be built, but who would be building it and when. And, in a rash of recent announcements by the Raiders management team, those questions have finally been answered.

The Raiders organization has announced that it will be employing the services of Mortenson Construction and McCarthy Building Companies will handle the construction duties involved in bringing the Raiders’ proposed Las Vegas Stadium – currently its working name – to life. The structure, designed by Manica Architecture – the Kansas firm that supplied initial concept renderings of the stadium and property when this project was still in its proposal stage – is slated to contain 65,000 seats and boasts a price tag of $1.9 billion with an anticipated opening date of 2020, according to reports.

Mortenson Construction, based out of Henderson, NV, had a long list of sporting venue construction to its name; most recently, they completed work on U.S. Bank Stadium for the Minnesota Vikings in their hometown of Kansas City, and did so a full month-and-a-half ahead of their originally scheduled completion date. Other construction credits to Mortenson’s name include Major League Baseball team Atlanta Braves’ SunTrust Park in Georgia, and the currently in-progress work on National Basketball Association team the Milwaukee Bucks’ Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center.

Mortenson will serve as the on-site construction team on the Raiders project, whereas it is currently unknown as of press time what role McCarthy Building Companies – headquartered in Henderson, NV – will be serving.

Las Vegas Stadium is the working name for the domed stadium, which will not only serve as the home base for the re-christened Las Vegas Raiders, but of the UNLV Rebels football team from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as well. It will be located about 62 acres west of Mandalay Bay at Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue, just west of Interstate 15.

While the main goal stated by the Raiders Organization is to complete their move from Oakland to Las Vegas in time for the 2020 NFL season – and with a company with the reputation that Mortenson Construction has at the helm, this seems quite the realistic goal – the Raiders must still finalize a lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority by the end of May, 2017; if the two parties are unable to come to terms on the arrangement, the next chance to do so will not come until October of this year. If that were to occur, it would most likely push back the start of the Raiders in Las Vegas to the 2021 NFL season, something that neither party most likely wants to happen. In addition, environmental and traffic impact studies must be preformed and pass muster before local government.

The Las Vegas Stadium is anticipated to provide a boost to the local economy, including jobs (and corresponding wages), tourism, and especially the real estate market, which has already been seeing a steady and constant increase in prosperity recently since the housing bubble pop of the mid – 2000’s. Home and rental prices have been climbing on a regular basis, and with the much-anticipated arrival of the Raiders on the horizon, real estate is looking to enter a legitimate boom period for the foreseeable future.

On March 27, 2017, NFL team owners voted nearly unanimously to approve the Raiders’ application to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas, Nevada; the Raiders will remain in Oakland through 2019; previously, the team had moved from Oakland to Los Angeles and back again.

LAS VEGAS, NV – There’s no doubt about it- real estate in Las Vegas, Nevada, is on a slow but powerfully non-stop climb after sinking into the financial mire in the mid-2000’s. Records are being broken in terms of both prices and sales totals, and everywhere you drive, new developments are gracing the once-barren landscape. In addition, projects that had stalled or been outright abandoned are once again pushing forward in this new, more positive economic climate. While things aren’t quite at the booming levels they are right before markets crash, they are nonetheless very positive and getting better every day.

But for those who are looking to jump aboard this freight train to the top and are feeling some trepidation in regards to it all tumbling down again in the near future, experts are predicting – using the strongest of verbiage – that this isn’t a likely outcome.

Within the last year, the real estate market in Las Vegas has surged in leaps and bounds; 2,249 single-family homes were sold in the Las Vegas area in February, an increase of 6.5 percent from February 2016, and the average single-family home has gone up nearly nine percent, with the average price currently coming in at approximately $240,000.

And of course, these properties aren’t being simply given away, so there’s been a corresponding increase in the demand for mortgages Southern Nevada as well; continuing a three-year trend of growth, home purchase loans jumped up an additional 8.5 percent in 2016 over the previous year, equating to a total of 36,130 mortgages . And all that increasing demand has, of course, in turn driven up prices; in 2017, the average price of a single-family dwelling is coming in at $240,000, which represents an increase of $119,000 for the same home during the very same period in 2012.

In a recent interview, Home Builders Research founder Dennis Smith notes that the demand in Vegas for new homes is very strong, with one of the main reasons for that being fear of rising interested rates; as of now, many people are recognizing a housing boom and have decided to finally get off the pot, so to speak. After all, when interest rates go up, prices quickly follow. In addition, he said, is the limited supply of new homes in the area, which is also serving to inflate demand. However, unlike with a limited trend in the area a few years ago, Smith notes that this current drive is not investor-driven, but homeowner-driven, which suggests far more stability and optimism in the surrounding economy and job market.

It’s this stability, combined with moderate yet steady growth based on legitimate consumer need, that Smith says offsets any possibility of the Las  Vegas real estate market growing too much, too soon and creating another bubble that is sure to burst; instead, he notes, it’s ensuring a strong, profitable tomorrow for anyone getting into Southern Nevada real estate, as well as a good place for families to take a shot at the American Dream, with industry – and, along with it, jobs – quickly filtering into the region.

“Is Vegas going to grow? Yes. Do they want it to grow? I would certainly hope so. If not, then go live out in the desert. But is there a bubble or too much construction? I don’t understand why people would suggest there’s too much construction when the demand shows there isn’t,” he said. “How can anyone convince me that 8,000 sales a year is a bubble? We’ve had 30,000 – 40,000 permits a year; that was a bubble. But before that, in the 1990s and early 2000s, we were doing 20,000 permits and closings a year, and everyone was marveling how wonderful everything was in Las Vegas.”