LAS VEGAS, NV – While the nation is keeping their eyes on the ever-evolving and expanding housing market of Las Vegas, Nevada, a directly-related market that often gets overlooked – the rental market – is also experiencing a massive period of growth. Much like homesteads in the region, rental units, such as apartments and condominiums, are in big demand, short on supply, and growing in price.

Las Vegas rental prices are increasing at one of the fastest rates in the United States, according to reports, while vacancy is at an all-time low; essentially, this means that there aren’t enough rentals to go around, and that’s driving prices up to significant levels. Developers are in the midst of efforts to create more apartment buildings and condos to satisfy demand, but at the moment they’re falling short of necessary construction goals.

Currently, the typical Las-Vegas-based apartment in the third quarter of 2018 is pulling in an average rent of $1,020, which represents a jump of 5.8 percent from the same period in 2017. While this amount is far below the average price of an apartment in other, more expensive regions of the county – which lies in the $1,300+ range, currently – it still is an increase of 5.8 percent from one year ago, which means that prices in Vegas, while still more affordable than the national average, are still going up at record speed. The availability of rental units in Vegas is a large contributor to the rental hikes as of late, reports show- currently, the vacancy rate for apartments and condos in Southern Nevada stands at 3.6 percent.

However, homes rentals are also feeling the squeeze, with prices increasing at similar rates as they are for apartments; as of press time, rent for a single-family home in Vegas for June has jumped 5.7 percent over the same period in 2017, and while it has been surpassed in recent months by other cities, in early 2018 Vegas had the fastest-climbing rental rates in the United States. Southern Nevada boasts a large number of rental homes on the market, due to the fact that investors bought numerous houses on the cheap during the recession and have since retained the majority of them (as opposed to selling) rental properties.

As the region’s economy recovered and bounced back after the recession ended, the influx of new businesses and jobs greatly increased, along with the number of newly-transplanted residents; as a result, housing demand grew…along with rental prices. As mentioned before, developers are struggling with producing new housing options for residents hungry for shelter, but until they catch up, demand – and, correspondingly, prices – is sure to continue its upward ascent.

If you are considering investing in or around the Las Vegas area give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

NEVADA – The Las Vegas real estate market has seen massive growth in the last several years on a slow and inexorable path back to its pre-recession levels. This growth, in turn, goes hand-in-hand with the huge growth of the local economy, with people and businesses moving en masse to the region in hopes of a more prosperous future. And among these new transplants are an ever-greater amount of Californians looking to leave their highly-taxed state for the far more affordable Southern Nevada area.

Real estate experts are reporting that a growing number of wealthy California residents are engaging their services for luxury properties, lured by facets of the area’s low cost of living when compared to their homes state. An especially big draw for Californians is Nevada’s lack of state tax, as well as a great deal more in the way of elbow room when compared to many densely-populated areas of California.

However, it’s not only elite Californians who are flocking to Las Vegas in search of a better deal; experts say that even the middle classes are doing so as well in record numbers, and when you look at home prices in California and Nevada, it’s easy to see why. In Los Angeles, for example, the median home price is currently in the neighborhood of a whopping $630,000, compared to only $262,000 for a similar property in Las Vegas. Who can blame a hard-working family for wanting more for much, much less?

But the downside to this phenomenon is that the constant influx of new arrivals from California is serving to drive up the prices of homes on the Vegas market, which in turn can make things more difficult for a family just starting out to find a new home of their own. However, with a far greater emphasis on construction efforts in the region in order to meet the ever-growing demands of new arrivals, experts are anticipating that the real estate market will eventually stabilize and retain its affordability.

Previously, due to shortages of workers, contractors were having difficulty keeping up with demand, and any available property on the market would often go for vast sums of money. With this issue seemingly resolved – builders have resorted to offering impressive incentives to attract help, with great success – more homes and apartments are appearing on the market, which should allow Las Vegas to retain its low cost of living amid its record-breaking growth spurt.

The increasing number of new homes being constructed, however, will now take away from the value of properties on the Las Vegas real estate market, however, with experts giving assurances that the region is – and will remain – very much a “sellers market,” albeit a slightly more reasonably-priced one.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

Officials Report Las Vegas Raiders Stadium Construction On-Time, On-Budget

LAS VEGAS, NV – Construction on the Las Vegas Raiders Stadium is going along as planned, according to team officials, with the project currently at the 15 percent finished mark and proceeding both on-time and on-budget since its Nov. 15, 2017 groundbreaking. At this rate, without any surprises or mishaps, the stadium is well on its way of meeting its stated goal of hosting the start of the newly-transplanted NFL team’s 2020 season.

The $2 billion, 65,000 seat project – funded in-part by a bump in the existing Las Vegas hotel room tax to the tune of $750 million – is currently in the process of excavating a million cubic yards of earth for the construction of the stadium, although developers are unable to rule out the possibility of unearthing something that could create an unexpected snag in their timeline. While unforeseen issues are common when involved in project of this scale, but for the time being, things are proceeding smoothly, according to Minneapolis-based general contractor Mortenson Construction; almost 500 workers are now engaged on a daily basis in concrete work on walls and columns that will form the main support structures for the upper levels of the stadium.

August will see the arrival of prefabricated steel from suppliers in Wisconsin, with which developers will begin working on the vertical component of the construction phase; concerns that tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump on steel and aluminium would inflate projected costs of the project which are largely unfounded, developers said, as the majority of the raw materials were already ordered before said tariffs were implemented. There could be some minor price variations in cost when it comes to materials used by subcontractors, it was noted, but nothing that will affect the overall budget of the project.

The arrival of two cranes – each able to lift in excess of 2,000 tons – are anticipated soon, and will be utilized in raising the translucent polymer roof into position once it has been assembled at the construction site; once placed, the structure supported via a crisscrossing network of Swiss steel cables. In addition to the Raiders Stadium, work is also underway on a $100 million training facility and team headquarters located in the vicinity of Henderson Executive Airport, although according to reports that work is not proceeding at the same pace at on the stadium.

Meanwhile, little news has been made public by Raiders representatives as to the pricing of ticket packages, personal seat licenses, or general game admission; despite this, many individuals and organizations have already put money down in anticipation of when ticket information is finally announced, signifying the intense excitement that is being generated by the impending arrival of the Raiders to their new home in Las Vegas.

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 – With the recent economic upturn experienced by Las Vegas – fueled by an ongoing real estate boom, massive job growth as a result of an influx of new businesses and tourism increasing, and a more affordable cost of living, among other factors – the region has become quite attractive for location-first movers, with a recent study noting that Vegas currently claims the largest percentage of them in the nation. Location-first movers are defined as an individual or family that makes their selection in purchasing a home on the attractiveness of living in a specific area, sometimes before even securing a job there.

Apartment List noted in their study that a whopping 82 percent of movers selected Las Vegas based on numerous factors related to the lifestyle of the region, without even having secured a job before doing so. This is a huge number, and it far outpaces the number two location-first area in the U.S., Phoenix, which comes in at 69 percent.

These decisions are typically driven by a number of reasons related to living in Southern Nevada, including the general lower cost of living when compared to many other neighboring areas. A good example is the large amount of transplants from California, a state revered for its wealth and glamour, but infamous for its extreme cost of living; there has been a recent glut of movers from California to Vegas for the overall cheaper lifestyle, including the price of homes. While property values in Vegas have been steadily climbing due to incredible demand and lack of supply, they are still much lower, proportionally speaking, than in California; while local home values have risen 12.4 percent in the last 12 months, the median home price is still $230,800… this is in stark contrast to California, where the average price is $542,900, well over double. And although Las Vegas itself does have a sales tax of 8.15 percent, that number is nicely counteracted by the fact that Nevada has no state sales tax and very low property taxes.

Again, the reasons for this are clear- Vegas currently has an exploding job market that is offering a record number of placements for people both with and without college degrees; in addition, the revitalization that is taking place in the downtown area is not only offering additional employment opportunities, but it’s also offering an enticing number of entertainment options for local residents who are always on the lookout for something fun and exciting to do. And when they tire of the bright lights and big city, newcomers to Vegas can venture just out of town to experience the vast natural beauty that Nevada offers in abundance.

In addition, the rental market is also thriving and attracting similar numbers of location-first movers, at well over 60 percent; the closest competitor in this regard is San Antonio, with the rest of the field lagging well behind. And while again, demand and scarcity are in the process of driving up prices – currently, a one-bedroom apartment fetches an average of $910, with two bedrooms going for $1,130, with a year-over-year growth of 3.8 percent – but again, the overall lower cost of living, combined with a flourishing job market and numerous attractions and amenities afforded by life in Southern Nevada, have made Vegas THE place to call home these days.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to recent reports, the real estate market in Las Vegas is still on an upwards trajectory with little sign of slowing down; substantial year-to-year gains in terms of the value of properties in Southern Nevada are eclipsing almost every other region in the United States, speaking volumes to the fact that Vegas is a hotbed of housing activity in 2018.

Overall, real estate in the United States is skyrocketing, and even in such an environment Las Vegas is standing out; currently, it is ranked number two nationally in property value appreciation, up 6.3 percent in February 2018 from the same period of time one year prior. This is equal to a previous jump in December, which represented the biggest gain in home appreciation in Vegas in almost three years, making it second only to Seattle, Washington. Coming in third is San Francisco, California.

The gains in home values in Las Vegas can be attributed to a number of factors, with experts mainly citing the improving economy resulting in steadily-increasing jobs – which, in turn, is attracting new transplants to the area – as well as an increased amount of young millennials leaving home and getting their own places. And, of course, there is that old adage that supply and demand sets the price; March 2018 saw an increase in home sales over February, although that overall number was lower than a year ago simply due to the fact that there currently aren’t enough properties on the market to satisfy the growing need.

As far as the prices of homes overall, April recorded a whopping 2017-2018 year-to-year increase in April of 16.1 percent, with the median sales price of a single-family home coming in at $289,000; this represents a 3.2 percent jump from March. As for actual sales, 2,878 homes were sold in April, which was a decrease of 8/7 percent from the month prior but still an uptick of approximately 0.4 percent from last year. As for inventory, 3,816 single-family homes in Las Vegas were up for sale but were without offers in April, representing a drop of 0.5 percent from March, and 24,9 percent from the same time one year ago.

But while this is all good news for dabblers and investors in the real estate market, it spells potential issues for actual home buyers, as the gains to home values reported for February signify that they are rising at a level that is currently greater than respective gains in terms of both inflation and the average pay level for the region. While this obviously doesn’t make buying property for the average family impossible, if appreciation continues at this level for the foreseeable future buyers may have to make more frugal choices in terms of lodging. For example, due to increasing mortgage rates, more and more people in the United States are opting to renovate their homes as opposed to selling them, and less families are selling their properties because – especially in areas like Las Vegas – the supply currently hasn’t caught up to demand, yet, although many developers are doing their best to try.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the imminent arrival of the soon-to-be former Oakland Raiders National Football League team in Las Vegas causing quite a stir in both the tourism and business industries, and their new home stadium – with construction already having broken ground – expected to draw even more visitors and companies to Southern Nevada, a noted bond credit rating business, Moody’s Investor Service recently announced that the already skyrocketing local economy will continue to improve once Las Vegas Stadium, to be located at Interstate 15 and Russell Road, finally opens its doors for business in 2020.

In a recently released report, Moody’s Patrick Liberatore noted that the new stadium, in addition to a future Las Vegas Convention Center expansion would serve as a hub for a revitalised event scene, allowing the city to host a wide variety of different sporting events, concerts, and business and entertainment-based conventions sure to attract numerous tourists to the region.

Clark County expects the new NFL stadium will be a notable new draw for consumers and visitors,” he said. “In addition to professional football, the approximately 65,000-seat stadium will compete to attract other large-scale sporting events and also provide the Las Vegas area with its first major facility that can accommodate other large-scale events, like major music tours.”

The report released by Moody’s, which encompasses 10 pages, confirmed that tourism in the Las Vegas region is up to levels that manage to exceed numbers obtained before the mid-2000’s recession that rocked the region – and especially the real estate market – with the number of visitors to the city’s hotels being considered “consistently strong,” according to the report. This fact is especially telling in light of the recent October 1 mass shooting during an outdoor concert having a temporary yet detrimental effect on tourism in Las Vegas.

However, that tragedy does not appear to be having an effect upon the progress of the construction of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Stadium, with reports indicating a recent sale of $650 million in bonds to help pay for the nearly $2 billion, 65,000-seat project was a rousing success, all of the bonds on offer by Clark County being purchased within only an hour-and-a-half by 43 investors. The bonds constitute a major portion of the $750 million in public funds that are being contributed to the cost of the stadium, and are set to mature over a period of 30 years at an average interest rate of 3.94 percent. The reminder of the funding for the stadium project is being provided by Raiders management.

As is plainly apparent, the resurrection of the Las Vegas economy and its tourism industry are going hand-in-hand, with financial growth leading to a booming job and real estate market, and the arrival of new businesses, residents, entertainment options and professional sporting teams are only serving to attract more visitors – and their dollars – to Southern Nevada.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

Tax Cap Keeping Property Taxes, Cost-of-Living in Las Vegas Affordable

LAS VEGAS, NV – The news when it comes to Las Vegas real estate, day in and day out, mainly consists of the skyrocketing home prices and scant availability of properties for sale, resulting in a mad scramble for just about any home or condo that a buyer can get their hands on. It’s been like this for a while now due to Vegas’ booming economy and quickly-recovering job and housing market, but what is life in Southern Nevada like once you’re lucky enough to have finally gotten your hands on an abode? Will the cost of living – mainly, property taxes – prove to be yet another hurdle to deal with?

In a word, no. In more words…well, please read on.

Unlike other regions in the United States, such as New York, where high taxes are driving people out to greener pastures (financially speaking), Las Vegas features a strict property tax cap that assures homeowners that their costs will only incrementally increase from year-to-year, keeping their bottom lines manageable. In addition, the sale of a home in Vegas does not trigger a reassessment of the property for tax purposes, therefore the purchase price of any given home will not be adversely affected; this prevents property taxes from being a deterrent from any given property sale in the region.

The tax cap is currently set at three percent and ensures that property taxes can only increase that currently set amount – and not a penny more – in any given year. The cap is re-examined each year by the state, and features a variable rate; in recent year, the property tax cap in Las Vegas has been as low as one percent and as high as eight, although recent trends have seen the rate slowly increasing as if late.

An major advantage of the tax cap is the fact that it currently works hand-in-hand with the fact that most properties in Vegas received their most recent re-assessments at the end of the mid-2000’s recession, a time when property values were at an all-time low; while the market has bounced back and house values are the highest they’ve been in over a decade, the tax cap greatly prevents property taxes from increasing at the same speedy rate.

To really get a sense of how much cheaper the cost of listing in Las Vegas is, one merely has to look it Nevada’s neighbors to see how the other half lives; Mike Scanlin, CEO of IT company Born to Sellrecenly noted that his 2016 move from California’s Silicon Valley to Las Vegas saved him a small fortune in terms of property taxes.

“California has a nice climate, but the state income taxes, property taxes and property values drove me crazy,” he said. “You can make half as much in Las Vegas and save more money. In fact, the money I’m not paying in California state income tax is more than the mortgage on my 2,400 square-foot home.”

As you can see, the appeal to newly transplanted residents of living and working in Las Vegas isn’t just the economy, or the culture, or the job market, or the influx of new businesses and enterprises, or the booming real estate…it’s the quality of life and bang for your buck you can enjoy once you’ve arrived and settled down as well, allowing you to work less and enjoy life more while you’re at it.

Looking for information on the fast-growing Las Vegas real estate market? Current home prices? Las Vegas apartments, condos even area nightlife and entertainment expectations? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – International Market Centers announced plans this week to construct a mammoth $76 million, 350,000 square-foot expo center in downtown Las Vegas, next to the group’s World Market Center, pending a signed deal with city officials that is expected to be made within the next few days. The project is slated to be one of the biggest projects in terms of construction volume in the downtown area within the last several years.

Provided the City of Las Vegas gives final approval to the proposal, work on the expo center is expected to begin in anywhere between 12 and 18 months. The completed project would see the 60 acres next to the World Market Center transformed into a cutting-edge exhibition hall and meeting venue that would allow the facility to host large-scale trade shows, conventions, and other events that may be too large for other halls to accommodate.

The current plot of land that is slated for the expo center is already host to three showroom buildings, a parking garage, and several temporary tent-based pavilions; it is currently not known if the new expo center would incorporate these existing buildings into its design, but the pavilions are expected to be removed upon completion of construction in order to make room for more expo parking spaces.

The expo center could also be used to host elements of the bi-annual furniture, gift and home décor focused Las Vegas Market, which brings some 100,000 visitors to the city. In addition, IMC will offer the Expo Center for a set number of days throughout the year to host non-profit events as designated by the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency.

The Las Vegas Market, a popular home décor-based bi-annual event that typically attracts 100,000 visitors to the city, could also run aspects of their show in the expo center; also, according to the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency, a pre-determined number of days each year at the center will be made available to not-for-profit organizations for attraction and fund-raising purposes.

The City of Las Vegas is proposing to partially fund the expo center project to the tune of $30 million in tax increment financing, which means that taxes collected by the construction of the expo would be put right back into the project by the city. Such an investment is seen as a wise expenditure on the part of local officials; once completed and functioning at maximum capacity, the expo hall is expected to attract a large increase of visitors to the area on a regular basis, creating an influx of tourism-based funds for downtown Las Vegas in the projected amount of $97 million annually, in addition to $234 million for the overall region of Southern Nevada.

The expo center is expected by many to fill a large void for large-scale event hosting made by the closure of the Cashman Center in late 2017, which had operated as a meeting, theater, and sporting venue in the downtown Las Vegas area.

Looking for information on the fast-growing Las Vegas real estate market? Current home prices? Las Vegas apartments, condos even area nightlife and entertainment expectations? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas’ transformation into a major player in the national sporting scene (the region has already successfully lured popular NFL team the Oakland Raiders into the fold, come 2020), continues to chug along as a home-town Pacific Coast League baseball team recently announced they have broken ground on a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility sure to attract many new fans in the near future.

Minor League Baseball the Las Vegas 51s – named after the infamous Area 51 military base located 80 miles north of Vegas – broke ground on Friday, February 13 on the Las Vegas Ballpark, a $150 million, 10,000-seat stadium located in Summerlin, with construction due to be completed in time for the start of the 51s’ 2019 season.

In April 2013, the 51s – formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars until they were re-named in 2001 – were purchased by Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club LLC, a joint venture of Howard Hughes Corp. and Play Ball Owners Group. The group’s intention was to eventually move the 51s to a new stadium in Summerlin. In October 2017, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved a 20-year, $80 million naming rights agreement to help pay for a new $150 million ballpark, which is expected to include 22 suites, a center field pool, kids’ zone, and several bars. The stadium will be owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation.

The team won their only division title in 2002, with the team posting the best record in the league at 85–59, but they lost to the eventual PCL champion Edmonton Trappers, three games to one. In 2012, the 51s signed a Player Development Contract with the New York Mets through the 2016 season.

The 51s have played out of Cashman Field Las Vegas since 1983, which has a capacity of 9,334 people; the decision to move to a brand-new home stadium was based on a number of factors, with most of them revolving around the age of the facility. Considered far behind the times, Cashman Field had fallen into disrepair in recent years, with the field, bullpens and clubhouse criticized by players as being “second class” and “decrepit.” The stadium also has very limited training facilities.

The final straw, however, fell in 2015, when the stadium’s sewage system backed up during an actual game, causing raw sewage – including actual fecal matter and other potentially infectious materials – to flow into the dugouts, driving the team out onto the playing field; it’s a problem that players and team owners say has yet to be fully rectified, with manager Wally Backman expressing concerns that the incident could repeat at any time. The numerous issues eventually drove team president and chief operating officer Don Logan to publicly declare his embarrassment to have the 51s associated with Cashman Field in any way.

“It’s disappointing that Vegas has the worst facility in our league when we have such a great town with the greatest hotels, the greatest dining, the greatest shopping,” he said. “It’s not becoming of this community to have a place like this.”

Come 2019 and the completion of the Las Vegas Ballpark, however, the Las Vegas 51s – and their fans – will finally have a new stadium with cutting edge, modern amenities that they can be proud to call home.

Looking for relocation information on the fast-growing Las Vegas market? New home recommendations? Las Vegas apartments, condos or rental info? Please feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – In a year of never-ending real estate news, 2017 comes to a close with Las Vegas as the region of the United States with the fastest-climbing real estate market; today, let’s take a look back and evaluate some of the highlights – and, considering what a red-letter year it’s been for Nevada, that’s no small task – in anticipation of what is yet to come in 2018.

Raiders Stadium: The former Oakland Raiders will be transplanting themselves to Las Vegas in 2020, and to make them feel at home, in May they purchased a 63-acre plot of land located at Dean Martin Drive and Russell Road in order to construct a massive $2 billion stadium and practice facility – with $750 million of that amount coming from public funding sources – which officially broke ground in November. The project has been credited with increasing tourism interest in Las Vegas, as well as serving as a beacon to companies interested in setting-up shop in Southern Nevada due to the local economic benefits the famous NFL team is providing, even well before their arrival in two years.

World Market Center: Wall Street-based investment firm The Blackstone group made a particularly noteworthy acquisition in Las Vegas in 2017- the World Market Center, a nearly 5.5 million square-foot furniture showroom facility located on Grand Central Parkway at Bonneville Avenue. The purchase, the cost of which was not made public, was announced in September, which was the same time-frame as Blackstone’s procurement of International Market Centers, which owns furniture showrooms located in both Vegas and North Carolina. Blackstone has made several high-profile purchases of Las Vegas real estate in the last few years, including the Las Vegas Strip-based The Cosmopolitan, a 3,000-room hotel.

Fontainebleau: The infamous 60-story hotel, which has been standing overlooking the Strip in its partially-constructed state for years due to the iron grip of the mid-2000’s housing bubble burst upon Southern Nevada, has changed hands several times; in August, real estate investment firms Witkoff and New Valley made public a deal where they acquired the property from the previous owner, Billionaire Carl Icahn, for the sum of $600 million (Icahn had purchased during the depths of the recession for $150 million), with the hopes of finishing the facility for an as-of-yet unannounced purpose (although presumably it will take the form of a hotel of some sort), with the project currently carrying the temporary moniker “Project Blue” as new development efforts are set to commence in 2018.

Alon: The Alon site, a 38 acre expanse of land located on the Strip adjacent to the Fashion Show Shopping Mall, was purchased in December for $336 million by billionaire developer Steve Wynn, who has purchased several properties in the area in recent years – including the $1.5 billion Paradise Park hotel and resort – although it is currently unknown what his plans are for his newest acquisition, the sale of which will be finalized in the first quarter of 2018. At the moment, representatives for Wynn have merely stated that they are purchasing the Alon site and some of its adjacent property – which has changed ownership hands several times over the years, including in 2007 and 2014 – for “future development.”

Town Square: A large open-air retail and office complex located at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sunset Road, Town Square Las Vegas was sold in January to investment firms TIAA and Fairbourne Partners; price was not publicly disclosed, but according to reports the companies took out a $215.6 million mortgage in connection to the acquisition of the 100-acre property, which was seized via foreclosure by creditors in 2011. Retailers already in-place at Town Square include Apple, The Container Store, and Whole Foods Market, in addition to office tenants such as SolarCity.

 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.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the local economy on the rise and new businesses are arriving in the area, Las Vegas is on the verge of its greatest all-time comebacks. But the famous city and its surrounding areas are still struggling in one area- attracting the next generation of young business leaders and workers, and to that end, local officials are eyeing several different projects they hope will appeal to Millennials, a relatively unique section of society with different motivations for success than most.

Millennials are the demographic cohort following Generation X; those born in the early 1980s throughout the mid-1990s to early 2000s, and they are typically known for their savvy with technology and social media and a high degree of ambivalence about material success, preferring a more stable work-life balance and a fulfilling social life as opposed to grinding away for hours behind a desk. As such, Las Vegas is seen by many as the city of excesses; it would only be natural that this would not be the average Millennials’ first choice to live. However – owing in part to their love of posting exciting activities on social media platforms such as Instagram – Southern Nevada developers are starting to invest in amenities they hope will draw in this coveted generation, including a zip line across the Las Vegas strip from Caesars Palace and an e-sports arena at the Luxor, both currently under development and slated for use in 2018.

In addition, a construction project at a Lake Mead National Recreation Area campground is set soon, which will result in approximately $3 million in improvements to the popular Boulder Beach Campground, including restorations and repairs to at least 73 campsites, roads, and sanitation and potable water refill stations. In addition, structures to provide shade during hot summer months will be added as well, providing an environment sure to attract Millennials, many of whom are big fans of outdoor activities when on free time.

Additionally, sporting events are always a great way to attract the younger generation, and in addition to the much-publicized start of construction on the incoming Las Vegas Raiders NFL team’s eponymous stadium, due to open in 2020, local officials recently gave the green light to another sporting complex- the Las Vegas Ballpark, set to be built in Downtown Summerlin. The proposed 10,000-seat baseball stadium will be the new home of Las Vegas 51s Triple-A minor league baseball team, with the initial groundbreaking set to be held in early 2018. The developers have laid out what they refer to as an “aggressive” development schedule, and anticipate the stadium being open in time for the 2019 season. Again, offering more in the way of exciting entertainment options for residents is seen by officials as a way to attract younger people to Nevada, something access to quality sporting entertainment often results in.

A region with a rapidly growing economy and a very competitive real estate and job market needs young people to fill their ranks more than anything, and recent developments in Las Vegas have made it clear that businesses and officials are doing what they can to entice Millennials to take a chance on all that Las Vegas has to offer.

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

LAS VEGAS, NV – The soon-to-be-transplanted Las Vegas Raiders NFL team has gotten people talking, and their imminent arrival in Southern Nevada – in 2020, if all goes well with the construction of their new state-of-the-art stadium situated at Interstate 15 and Russell Road – has already resulted in economic growth and the interest of new businesses opening up shop in the region. However, a proposed tax reform currently in the works by the Republican members of the House of Representatives may throw some roadblocks into the equation, as certain provisions investors were relying upon to fund the Raiders project may now be in jeopardy.

Currently, the cost of the $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat Las Vegas Raiders football stadium is being financed, in part, via the use of tax-exempt bonds; this is a common practice used by investors when it comes to the construction of stadiums for sports teams. However, a provision of the proposed House tax reform bill – one currently being championed by United States President Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to sign it into law before Thanksgiving of this year, placing the Raiders project within its legal boundaries – will outlaw the use of Tax-exempt bonds in this manner, which would mean that $750 million in public monies will be excluded from the stadium’s financing package if 429-page legislative bill passes in its current form.

What does this mean for the future of the Raiders stadium, which recently held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 13?

At the moment, the ultimate effect is not known, although experts have noted that the current design of the stadium would fall into the parameters of a project covered by the Republican tax reform bill; the passage of the bill would very likely give developers major cause to revise the financial details of the construction, although to what degree is currently up in the air. Most reports, however, say that the passage of the tax bill will potentially increase make the project more expensive by increasing interest rates, decreasing the yield, or both. However, all aspects of the proposed House legislation must be made public and examined before the true extent of its effect upon the finances of the Raiders stadium project will be laid bare. But this is provided that the bill passes and doesn’t suffer the same fate as the GOP’s recent health care reform efforts, which were held off by House Democrats and several defecting Republicans members; likewise, the tax reform has generated a similar degree of discontent between the two major political parties, so currently its fate is uncertain.

If the bill passes and the Raiders project is no longer able to utilize tax-exempt bonds in its financing, it is likely that the project will continue as planned, albeit with higher costs; additional investment streams may be required as well to deal with rising development costs. It is vital for the stadium’s development to continue unabated, as its initial announcement has had a spillover effect on industrial properties that had previously stood vacant and unused, even amid Las Vegas’ current housing boom, proving that not only will the arrival of the Raiders have a positive effect on the NFL team’s own bottom line, but the bottom line of the region as well.

Need real estate assistance in 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.