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April 27, 2011
On yesterday’s show, we spoke a bit about a new show on the VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK. Talktails with Chris Phillips (known as Zowie Bowie to tens-of-thousands of Las Vegas locals and visitors alike) will be THE show for those who want a behind-the-scenes look at the Las Vegas entertainment business.
Here’s the press release: VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK Launches New Show ‘Talktails with Chris Phillips’. Please take a moment to check it out.
#105: People ARE Moving to Las Vegas!
April 27, 2011
When we first launched the show, our tagline was, “With 5,000 people moving here each month, somebody had to spill the beans.”
That was in 2006.
Until recently, we’ve seen a net loss in residents here in Clark County. But in this episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we hear from two viewers who are making the move to Las Vegas. YES! Show notes:
- Visit LASIK of Nevada (50% Off Premium LASIK + $200 more if you mention VVN)
- LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
- Get your questions answered: OnAirQ@LivingInLV.com
- Weather (76) / LiLV Pool (68)
- VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK News: Golf & Other Fore-Letter Words LAUNCHES, Chris Phillips (Zowie Bowie) gets a name, Large golf publisher to work w/ VVN
- Spring Meet Up is THIS THURSDAY
- Listener Email: Moving to Las Vegas x2
- Casino News (blech. . .kinda)
- Miracle Mile (impressive news)
#104: Did We Find the Best Show in Vegas?
April 20, 2011
Once you’ve lived in Las Vegas long enough, you begin to notice that many of the shows on the Strip are similar. Same gags. Same stunts. Same music. But in this episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we’ve come across a show that is uniquely funny, a little dirty, full of “how are they doing that” moments, and should be required viewing for all producers in the city. Show notes:
- Visit LASIK of Nevada (50% Off Premium LASIK + $200 more if you mention VVN)
- LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
- Get your questions answered: OnAirQ@LivingInLV.com
- Weather (85) / LiLV Pool (75)
- VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK News: Golf & Other Fore-Letter Words Premieres TOMORROW, New show with Chris Phillips (Zowie Bowie) begins next Monday. . .still searching for a show name, Third new show host is an author and a hellava style icon!
- 51’s Baseball is BACK! (Best $13 you’ll spend in Vegas)
- Absinthe - Setting the bar high for Las Vegas entertainment on the Strip
April 18, 2011
I’ve been working with Ted Newkirk over at AccessVegas.com to create a one-of-a-kind meetup/happy hour for all the VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK viewers and Access Vegas readers (locals and tourists alike). Ted has outdone himself in that he’s arranged for us to host a very special "pre-Grand Opening Party" event at Nikki Beach, located at the Tropicana, which has just completed a $100 million makeover.
A full press release will follow, but here are the highlights:
- Date/Time: Thursday, APRIL 28th, 2011. 6PM – 9PM
- First TWO drinks are on us!! By sending your RSVP to HappyHour@VegasVideoNetwork.com, you will be placed on the guest list and receive two free complimentary drinks.
- You MUST RSVP: To receive your two free drinks, you must RSVP separately for each person attending (no "so-and-so plus one"). This means each person in attendance will provide their email address. (No, we’re not going to sell your email address — Emails will be used to update and remind everyone coming of the date and late-breaking info.)
- Location: The brand new Nikki Beach and Cafe at the Tropicana Las Vegas. (This event is one week prior to the big Grand Opening!)
The event will be hosted by Access Vegas CEO Ted Newkirk and yours truly. Also in attendance will be your favorite hosts from all of the VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK programs (Living in Las Vegas, Pub Crawl, Golf & Other Fore-Letter Words, Awkward Silence, Let’s Bet!, and Getting REAL (Estate) in Vegas). Also in attendance will be hosts for two new shows that have not yet been publically announced. (Both are VERY well known here in Las Vegas.)
Looking forward to seeing everybody. PLEASE TELL A FRIEND and send your name and email address to HappyHour@VegasVideoNetwork.com. The new Nikki Beach looks amazing and a good time will be had by all!
Access Vegas / VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK MeetUp + Happy Hour
Date/Time: Thursday, April 28th, 6PM - 9PM
Location: Nikki Beach at the Tropicana Las Vegas
RSVP: HappyHour@VegasVideoNetwork.com
![VVN-Logo-FourColor-OnWhite-260-R[1]](http://www.vegasvideonetwork.com/picts/MarkYourCalendarSpringMeetUpHappyHouratN_A9AF/VVNLogoFourColorOnWhite260R1.png "VVN-Logo-FourColor-OnWhite-260-R[1]")
April 18, 2011
Over at the VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK, we’re very excited about a new show that premieres this Wednesday.
Hosted by local “golf guru” Dennis Silvers (ESPN, Fox Sports, Sirius/XM Radio), Golf & Other Fore-Letter Words is the newest addition to the network’s line up.
LIVE and very fast-paced, the show featuring three major segments:
- “Tournament Scorecard” - an in-depth review of the previous week’s pro-golfing action
- “Birdies and Bogies” — a funny (and often critical) look at the news and rumors of golf
- “Handicap Helper” — Answers to viewer questions
Here’s the press release: VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK Adds ‘Golf & Other Fore-Letter Words’ to Network Line-Up
Come check us out LIVE this Wednesday at 6PM Pacific (http://VegasVideoNetwork.com/LIVE). If you have a golfing questions, send it along to golf@vegasvideonetwork.com.
April 15, 2011
Take a break from tax headaches with Friday Figures! All information from the GLVAR MLS system. Here’s what you and your Realtor need to know before touring, making an offer, or preparing a listing this weekend. You can see me tell you about the figures live on Getting REAL (Estate) in Vegas on the Vegas Video Network today at 1 PM. Today we demystify MLS codes and talk about what happens between the foreclosure and the sale to a new buyer.
Summary: For the first time in weeks the number of available units is up, now at 14708. Time on market continues to decline. The number of contingent units is also up — signs that buyers are trying to get the “best” listings quickly. While sales continue strong, we are still in great need of more rental property.
The News: With mortgage rates rising — now at 4.91% — I am utterly shocked that anyone thinks it’s a good idea to refinance into an ARM to bring the balance down faster. This strategy only works if you are absolutely sure you will sell at a profit before the ARM resets. I live in the gambling capitol of the world and think that’s a bad bet.
It looks like the Feds are insisting on some payments to homeowners who were “wrongfully” foreclosed upon (good luck proving it was wrongful), but no prosecution of any of the bankers, brokers, executives, or robosigners who actually committed crimes. The Feds are also calling out MERS on unlawful behavior. Never mind that their entire business model is to avoid following state and federal laws. In the meantime, it looks like the state Attorneys General are at an impasse with their foreclosure fraud settlement. At least one has announced that the settlement won’t stop his office from conducting its own probe (probably one of the sticking points). For the moment, foreclosures are down, but B of A’s CEO says that is bound to change as half of borrowers who default and bring the account current (with cash or a modification program) just default again.
Two little tax items in honor of Tax Day. First, the IRS is investigating a half billion dollars in wrongful Home Buyer Tax Credits. Second, under some circumstances you may be on the hook for taxes on forgiven mortgage balances after a foreclosure!
As for local news, wasn’t it a few weeks ago that existing housing prices were at year 2000 levels? Now new home prices are at 1995 levels! That’s why some people think… well, the old real estate cliche. So here’s 20 opinions on whether our local economy is improving. And when you get those Lady Liberty Forever Stamps? Remember that’s the Vegas Statue of Liberty, not the one in New York.
#103: Another 2AM Nite in Vegas. Please Help Us.
April 12, 2011
The first late night (ie; 4AM) we’ve experienced in years (A Different Kind of Island) was followed by a 2AM night after tieing a mother down the very next week. So for this edition of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we hoped to share a more mellow story. The key word being hoped. Show notes:
- Visit LASIK of Nevada (50% Off Premium LASIK + $200 more if you mention VVN)
- LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
- Get your questions answered: OnAirQ@LivingInLV.com
- Weather (80) / LiLV Pool (59)
- VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK News: Live Streaming to iPad/iPod/iPhone will be tested next. Three new shows premiering in the next three weeks. Happy Hour at Nikki Beach (April 28) for Access Vegas and VVN fans (more info to follow).
- Zowie Bowie Vintage Show at Green Valley Ranch
- Vegas StrEATs Festival
- El Cortez
- Don’t Tell Mama Piano Bar
- Hogs and Heifers
- Bar About Big Beer Glass on Fremont St.
April 8, 2011
Welcome to Friday Figures! All information from the GLVAR MLS system. Here’s what you and your Realtor need to know before touring, making an offer, or preparing a listing this weekend. You can see me tell you about the figures live on Getting REAL (Estate) in Vegas on the Vegas Video Network today at 1 PM. Today: myths, buyer’s tips, and avoiding trouble with the County.
Summary: This morning, 14605 properties were available, down from last week — but the rate of decline is slowing down. Unless something radical happens (like, say, a statewide moratorium on foreclosures), we won’t get down to 10,000 again. Notice that availabilities are going down without a federal tax credit! The facts that time on market is going down and contingent units are going up suggest that relatively little new inventory is being put on the market. It’s no surprise that closings were down sharply from last week; it can’t always be the end of the month.
The News: Let’s start with some good news: mortgage delinquencies are down 14% from last year! Fewer delinquencies mean fewer possible foreclosures. That’s great news, since it looks very much like nothing will really be done about banks and their role in foreclosure fraud. Bankruptcies were also down in the first quarter of the year. Mortgage applications are down — mostly on refinancing (because so many homes are “underwater”) despite interest rates that remain below 5%.
Married? Make sure both your names are on that mortgage: an elderly widow in New York was foreclosed upon and evicted because the mortgage was in only her late husband’s name; the bank refused to take payment from her.
Apartment vacancies are down nationwide, pushing rents up in a simple case of the Law of Supply and Demand. While we are seeing a low level of available rental houses and condos in Vegas, prices are stable. My working theory is that with home prices at year 2000 levels, many desirable renters are considering buying instead.
While foreclosures are an obvious downward pressure on housing prices both nationwide and locally, short sales are also part of the price drop problem. On all distressed properties, remember that you’ll need a different strategy to successfully complete a purchase. Do check out this CNN article on buying short sales and foreclosures. It’s a little disjointed — goes back and forth — but still good advice. Keep in mind, that “discounted” figure is from the last sale price, not the current list price!
#102: Tie Your Mother Down [In Elvis’ Shower]
April 5, 2011
After recovering from our Ellis Island adventure (that episode was the most watched LiLV video since the launch of the VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK), we decided to spend much of this weekend at the always-busy Las Vegas Hilton. In this episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we hang with a comedic legend, tie a mother down, and sing in Elvis’ shower. Show notes:
- Visit LASIK of Nevada (50% Off Premium LASIK + $200 more if you mention VVN)
- LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
- Get your questions answered: OnAirQ@LivingInLV.com
- Weather (82) / LiLV Pool (59)
- VEGAS VIDEO NETWORK News: Live Stream Available on Facebook
- Las Vegas Mayor Election is today
- Thanks to R. Scott Leavesly
- Thanks to Ted Newkirk at Access Vegas
- Reaction to the Ellis Island episode
- Thanks to (and check out) David McKee’s very impressive blog
- Hanging at the Las Vegas Hilton
- Vince Neil should call me
- Kevin Meaney and the art of getting a great seat
- Queen Nation KILLED IT
- Touring the stage (and dressing room) that hosted Elvis
- Thanks Ira, Marie, and Mark Broedling
April 1, 2011
No fooling, it’s Friday Figures! All information from the GLVAR MLS system. This may be one of the few true things you read on the internet today: what you and your Realtor need to know before touring, making an offer, or preparing a listing this weekend. You can see me tell you about the figures live on Getting REAL (Estate) in Vegas on the Vegas Video Network today at 1 PM. Today I take a little field trip, then tell you about some new mortgage rules that go into effect today.
Summary: There’s been yet another drop in available properties to 14669. That’s 5% off of last month’s levels. While the number of sub-$100k properties is still alarming, there’s been another month of substantial drops in the number of available bank-owned properties. Even better news is that the number of short sales available is also dropping. For this to be happening in spring — when sellers are trying to make summer sales happen — is remarkable. The number of contingent and pending listings is also down, mostly as a result of the amazing surge of well over a 1000 closings this week before the end of the month. Another good sign: the time on market for those homes that closed continues to drop.
The News: The other day I talked about the bad news in the Case-Shiller numbers; here’s another take on that same information. Some experts insist that the fundamentals of real estate just don’t support the decline we’ve experienced, particularly in states that had a big boom-and-bust over the last decade — like, perhaps, Nevada! The rate of foreclosures is slowing, but it seems that the CEO of one of our largest banks has declared meaningful mortgage balance modification “off the table.” Further, there’s some evidence that foreclosure information from national banks has been deliberately covered up!
Whatever HAMP’s failings may be, it turns out that people who got loan modifications through HAMP were less likely to re-default than those that went through their own mortgage servicer. This is because HAMP participants generally ended up with lower payments.
Even though Vegas homes are worth less than they were 10 years ago, Vegas home sales levels sizzled along in February at levels from 2006. And here’s an interesting little item on median income in Vegas by Zip Code.
Mortgage rates may be up, but they are still at a very nice 4.86%.
And one last item, a must read for home sellers on what turns buyers off. Seriously, sellers, you want your home to be memorable, but not like this!
