Buying a short sale in Las Vegas is becoming a much more attractive option for home buyers as our currently inventory has been slashed in recent months. Of the 11,760 homes for sale right now in the Las Vegas valley, only 2,575 are bank owned foreclosures. As a buyer, if you factor in homes that will not be in your price range, reside in areas that do not interest you, as well as the condition of the home not being to your liking, that 2500 figure quickly gets whittled down. Of those few homes that may draw your attention, we are frequently seeing multiple offer situations and your chances of being the winning bidder are further reduced! Buyers get worn down with this process. Imagine having to go out and look at 25 homes a week in the heat of Las Vegas, put in offers on the couple you actually like, only to get shot down. This process can continue for weeks.

As an alternative, buyers have begun to turn to homes being offered on short sale terms. There are advantages to buying short sales vs bank owned.

1. You get to lock up your home under contract right away. A good agent, proficient in short sales, will know how to get that seller to commit to you as a buyer. Remember, sellers can still forward additional offers to the bank even if you have a contract, so having a strong agent, who can keep the seller committed to you is essential.
2. The real estate industry has becoming more adept at processing short sales in this market saturated with distressed sellers. Short sales have always existed, but never has the industry been forced to deal with the volume of foreclosures and short sales. Although not perfect, it is easier than a year ago, and getting better.
3. You often get to see how the home is being treated. With many short sales, they are often occupied, giving you insight into how they home is being maintained, something not available when you are making offers on vacant foreclosures. Also, the landscaping can also be saved, since all utilities are on at the property. Foreclosures usually take at least a couple of months to bring to market, and by that time the hot temperatures may mean you will have to schedule a trip to the local nursery once you move in to replace your burned out landscaping.
4. Sellers are usually very cooperative. They rarely fight you on seller contributions for closing costs, because they don’t care. They are not getting any money from the proceeds of the sale anyway. They are very appreciative of you as the buyer, because you (and your money!) are their ticket out of an impossible situation.

Most of the information out there about short sales is all negative; the pitfalls, drawbacks, etc., and very little about the upside. That is the purpose of this article, to show the benefits. To understand more about the short sales, continue to read through our blog as many topics regarding short sales here in the Las Vegas valley are covered. For immediate assistance, please give us a call at 702-376-0088.

I have been corresponding with a potential Las Vegas Property Management client for a few weeks now.  The initial contact I received was an email asking about our services, fees and an idea of how much his property would rent.  As soon as I received the email, I began to do some research on the condo located in Henderson, Nevada but I couldn’t find the unit number he provided, it didn’t exist.  I sent an email back to him and within a few minutes he sent me the correct unit number as he had the numbers mixed up.  I did my research and sent him an email with details about our services, fees and rental rates.

A short time later he responded and asked if I would be able to meet with him while he was in town working on the unit.  So of course I agreed.  Well today was the day I met with him and his wife.  During the appointment, they asked me several questions pertaining to renting their condo, my experience and why I would be the right Las Vegas Property Manager for the job.  As the appointment drew to a close, I asked them if they had a chance to interview any other Property Managers and his reply was a bit shocking.

He advised that out of all the Property Managers in Las Vegas that he emailed, I was the only one that caught the Unit Number mistake in his email.  It wasn’t like they could have a done a search based on his name and received the correct Unit Number because at the time he was in the process of buying the condo and it was still in the name of the Lender.   So how were the other Property Managers able to provide rental rates without knowing if the unit was a 1 or 2 bedroom unit?  He never provided that information, all he provided was the address.  Makes you wonder how some people are even business!

Many homeowners who purchased their Las Vegas Home between 2004 and 2007 are most likely upside down, unless they put a substantial amount down of at least 40%.  With home values dropping from a high of $315K in June 2006 to today’s average price of $140K can make selling your home very difficult and most likely will require you to sell it as a short sale.  Unfortunately, just because you want to sell your home does not mean the Bank/Lender is going to agree to take a loss without some type of hardship such as job relocation, job loss, divorce or death.  So depending on your financial situation, renting your home for the next 3-5 years could be an option to selling.

Giving the state of the economy, the Las Vegas Rental Market is doing well.  Many former homeowners are now becoming renters as they have lossed their home to foreclosure or sold it as a short sale.  For those that lost their home due to foreclosure will be unable to purchase a home for 5 years, making them an ideal long term renter.  Knowing that there is still a market for rentals, the next step is determining what your home could rent for based on what other homes have rented for in the area.  The rental price could be the determining factor on whether you can afford to rent your home out or if the negative cash flow is going to force you to sell your home.  The last thing you want to do is rent your home out knowing full well you are going to let it go in foreclosure as this is very unethical and could cause a hardship for the tenants when they are forced to vacate the property.

If you are in a position that is forcing you to sell or rent your Las Vegas Home, it is important to contact the right real estate agent.  Chances are, if you are going to sell your home, you will need a real estate agent that specializes in short sales and remember there could be legal and tax implications.  If you are going to rent your home, I would recommend having a Las Vegas Property Management Company handle the management of your property.

If you have any questions about the short sale process, feel free to contact Paul Rowe at 702.376.0088.  If you are thinking about renting your Las Vegas Home and are in need of Property Management Services, feel free to contact Tony Sena at 702.376.7379.

Las Vegas Real Estate sales of single-family homes, condos and town homes hit a record of 4,702 in June, beating the previous record of 4,414 set in June 2004 according to the information released by the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.  The main reason for the increase in home sales is the average sales price of $140,000 which is considerably less than the average sales price of $242,000 in June 2004.  The drastic drop in home prices has made it affordable for first time home buyers once again and lucrative for real estate investors.

Majority of the Las Vegas Properties that sold in June were single family bank owned homes and short sales.  Condo and town homes also saw an increase in sales compared to June 2008.  This can also be attributed to the drop in the average sales price which is bringing real estate investors to the Las Vegas Real Estate Market. Many real estate investors are buying condos with cash and then placing them on the market for rent with a Las Vegas Property Management Company.

Now that Banks and Lenders have lifted the moratorium, we should see a rise in bank owned homes hitting the market over the next 5 to 7 months.  This should fuel homes sales even more as many real estate agents are receiving multiple offers on their bank owned home and even short sale listings.  The bad news is the increase in bank owned homes for sale could drive down the average sales price even further as Banks and Lenders price the properties below market value for a quick sale.  Either way, don’t expect Las Vegas Home prices to increase any time soon.

We are a team of professionals that can assist you in all aspects of real estate in Las Vegas, from condos to multi-million dollar estates.  We pride ourselves on providing top-tier service for all our clients, but we do recognize that there is a big difference between residential homes and luxury real estate.  It is not just another property, it is a home that defines a lifestyle.

Las Vegas Luxury Homes and Estates require considerable time as well as a specially designed marketing program in order to attract the right buyers. We have the resources to attract those qualified buyers and match them with your prestigious home.

Any Las Vegas Real Estate Agent would be privileged to list and sell a multi-million dollar property, however; not every agent has the experience combined with the techniques to do so successfully.  We offer a customized marketing plan designed to get your luxury home sold in less time and with less stress.

We start by focusing on your customized marketing plan.  This involves defining and describing your property accurately and creatively, professionally photographing your home, setting up a virtual tour, and maximizing your homes internet exposure.  We specifically target buyers searching for luxury real estate by ranking our website on all the top search engines.  In turn, your luxury home will be one of the most viewed world-wide.  It is essential that luxury homes and estates are clearly defined. Marketing a home as distinctive as yours requires uncommon knowledge and creativity. High-end Las Vegas Homes and Estates are unique because of their quality, historic significance or eminent location.

We have the resources to generate the greatest number of prospective buyers for your Las Vegas Luxury Home.  We use a wide variety of methods to market your home; display advertising in national and international editions, placements in premier home magazines, customized press releases, and direct mail are only a few of these techniques. We continually prove that we can market homes to the maximum number of qualified buyers worldwide, as well as handle every inquiry with discretion, efficiency and sophistication.  Our website provides potential buyers access to virtual tours, expanded listing information, and a property search. Considering that over 80% of all buyers search the internet for available properties, a top ranked website like ours is always beneficial.

We are dedicated to helping you sell your Las Vegas Luxury Home and providing you with the type of service you deserve.   We appreciate the opportunity for an interview, so please contact us when you are ready.  We have the experience, knowledge, and ability to properly market your luxury home.

For a confidential interview, please contact Tony Sena at (702) 376-7379 or complete the contact form to the right.