ALL
December 10, 2008
It is with great pleasure that I welcome another “Friend” of the LiLV Podcast to the ranks of photogenic folks displayed on our website. Ron G is not only a LiLV Friend, but a personal friend as well. Welcome, Ron!
December 10, 2008
According to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtor (GLVAR), 2,185 homes were sold in November, which represents a 125% increase from November 2007. That’s the (very) good news.
Here’s the bad (but not unexpected) news: if you’re a Las Vegas homeowner, the median price of a house dropped 32% from November of 2007, to $186,000.
On the plus side, I would suggest that a median price of $186k makes for a pretty reasonable price to live in an area as large as the Las Vegas Valley. What’s really good news is that houses are moving quicker off the market. In November, 47.4% of homes sold within 30 days.
December 2, 2008
Boy, when it rains, it pours (salt on a wound).
As a large employer in the Las Vegas Valley, the latest news from Station Casinos will likely affect many folks–the company says they will suspend matching contributions to employees’ 401k retirement plans. This, according to the company, is because of the economic downturn.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, no other local casinos are currently following suite (although others are considering).
Rest assure, I’m doing my part to support Station Casinos. For example, I didn’t ask for any money back from the Aliante Station movie theatre after watching about 1/2 of Twilight this past weekend. I want these guys to thrive! Twitter/Twilight Comment 1, Twitter/Twilight Comment 2.
November 30, 2008
Having recently been told by a cop who lives a few doors down to have a critical eye about any suspicious vehicle in the area, I saw a van+trailer in our neighborhood today that was out of place and decided to see what they were up to.
I was surprised by what I learned.
After a few questions, and while the woman I spoke to rifled through a large quantity of paperwork, I learned that this husband and wife team were “cleaners”. Fanny Mae had hired them to go to a foreclosed home that had been abandoned and to, well, clean it. . .inside and out. Their job is to remove any items left behind (tables, sofas, pots, pans, etc.) and to clean the place up. And besides getting the inside straighten up, they focus their efforts on the outside of the home and do some light yard maintenance as well.
Why was this a surprise?
Because we’ve seen several homes in the area that were in foreclosure and clearly being neglected as a result. This, of course, further increases the difficulty of selling one of these homes. Come to find out, the hiring of “cleaners” is a common practice of Fannie Mae. Who knew? This is good to know. Our Home Owners Association is currently dealing with the fact that the few foreclosures in our neighborhood are looking bad as a result of no yard maintenance. And getting the banks to respond to requests to clean a house, even if it includes fines, has proven largely unsuccessful.
Although this foreclosure business is bad news, and there is no question that Fannie Mae contributed mightily to this problem, I am happy that they are smart enough to recognize that a clean house, inside and OUT, is a more sellable house.
November 28, 2008
Just, not for me! Melissa and the kids have taken to their shopping chariot and have begun the Black Friday tradition of buying stuff. I wish them well.
November 27, 2008
Just saw the Wynn Encore Commercial. Here it is:
The video is courtesy of Fred Weinberg Productions, the audio producers of the commercial. Thanks, Fred!
November 22, 2008
Thought we’d give this Twitter thing a spin around the block and see what’s what. We’ve added a little bit of web code to our home page to display our last three “tweets” (geez, how do adults say that without feeling like a goofball). For those more TwitterHip listeners to the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, follow us by visiting our Twitter Feed.
November 20, 2008
In Business Las Vegas reports in this week’s edition that Clark County’s population “dropped during the past year after decades as one of America’s fastest growing counties”.
So much for our tagline.
In the last year, the county lost about 10,000 people. Most folks believe this is the first drop in population in nearly 40 years.
Here’s the data (according to the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department):
| 2008 | 1,986,146 |
| 2007 | 1,996,542 |
| 2006 | 1,912,654 |
| 2005 | 1,815,700 |
| 2004 | 1,747,025 |
| 2003 | 1,641,529 |
| 2002 | 1,578,332 |
| 2001 | 1,498,279 |
| 2000 | 1,428,690 |
| 1999 | 1,321,312 |
| 1998 | 1,246,193 |
62: A Tour of the Aliante Station Casino and Hotel
November 12, 2008
Twenty-three months ago, the folks at Stations Casino did a Show & Tell about their upcoming Aliante Station Casino. Last night, two years of planning, construction, traffic delays and speculation came to an end with the grand opening of the Aliante Station Casino and Hotel. This episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast gives you a “soundseering” tour of the $600+ million “locals” casino. Show notes:
- PHOTOS!
- Weather/Pool
- LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up for Email Alerts!!
- The Aliante Station Casino and Hotel
- Fireworks
- Early entry and free beer
- The Tour
November 12, 2008
. . .and was surprised by what we saw. Stay tuned. . .we’re planning to record the podcast reviewing the Aliante Station Casino grand opening tomorrow night.
