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Month: August 2018

Home / Month: August 2018

Market Updates , Real Estate

Californians Flocking to Vegas In Search of Affordable Homes

By Christopher Boyle August 29, 2018

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.

Economy , Investing , Market Updates

Federal Steel Tariffs Driving Up Las Vegas Construction Costs

By Christopher Boyle August 21, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV – Steel tariffs instituted by the United States government have begin to make their presence felt upon several high-profile, ongoing construction projects in the Las Vegas area, driving up costs of many beyond the scope of their original estimates, according to reports.

Northwest Vegas’ Centennial Bowl construction has seen some issues related to the tariffs; an estimated $12 million has been added to the project’s original projected costs of the newest phase of work, a huge amount that the Nevada Department of Transportation has attributed to the newly-imposed taxes placed upon imported steel from several foreign sources. It is unknown if attempts were made to procure steel from domestic sources in order to avoid additional cost overruns.

The Centennial Bowl initially began construction in August of 2015, with the stated purpose of the project being a widening and upgrade to a six-mile segment of U.S. Highway 95 in northwest Las Vegas in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a more efficient and safe corridor of travel for local residents. The project will expand the highway from its current four lanes of travel to an eventual six lanes, running from Durango Drive to Kyle Canyon Road. That work, coupled with a new series of entrance and exit ramps, is expected to create some much-valued breathing room for area motorists.

Currently, over than 52,000 vehicles traverse this section of highway with that amount of motorists anticipated to increase by at least 50 percent in the next 20 years. Needless to say, an upgrade was sorely needed. The first phase of work was finished in 2016; the next phase is due to begin at the end of 2018.

The Department of Transportation selected Las Vegas Paving as the main contractor for the new phase of the Centennial Bowl project, which involves building an additional three parkway ramps that will serve to join the 215 Beltway and U.S. Highway 95, in addition to two flyover bridges.

All of this construction involves a great deal of steel-reinforced concrete, and the initial estimate of $49-$59 million was bumped up to approximately $61.5 million, with the increased costs being attributed to the new steel tariffs. When the project cost was first estimated, structural steel was approximately costing $3.25 per pound and reinforcing steel $.80 per pound; officials now note that structural steel comes in at $9 per pound and reinforcing steel $.94 per pound.

The current deadline for completion of the new phase of the project is 2020.

Considering relocating to Vegas? Give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

Area Living , Economy , Investing , Market Updates

UNLV Starts Construction on Research and Technology Park; Facility Expected to Generate 25K New Jobs When Complete

By Christopher Boyle August 16, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV – Ground has officially broken and construction is underway on the first of at least 12 buildings that will encompass the Harry Reid Research and Technology Park at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), a $30 million project that the university says should generate as many as 25,000 jobs once it has been completed.

The first building, is expected to be completed next spring and is slated to come in at four stories and take up approximately 115,000-square feet. Developers working on the project are still in the process of finalizing when the entire twelve-building park will be completed, which is slated to consist of as many as 12-15 buildings with up to 1.5 million square feet of office space. The university anticipates that the facility will attract numerous technology businesses to the Las Vegas region.

Located adjacent to Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway, UNLV acquired the 122-acre property for the park in 2005 but was forced to delay construction efforts until now due to financial hardships brought on by the recession. Once completed, the park will offer UNLV students ample facilities to conduct research and engage in business and economic development projects; in addition, the park will also have space available for numerous businesses and partners, although who these specific enterprises are have yet to be divulged.

One complete and fully operational and with full occupancy, the par is expected to provide a vast array of employment opportunities for local residents and boast of an anticipated economic impact upon Las Vegas in the neighborhood of $2.6 billion. UNLV, considered a research university, has stated their goal as becoming a notable research institute and indents to pour approximately $120 a year into their efforts by 2025, focusing on research into technology and increasing the number of patent applications they submit on an annual basis.

The initial building currently under construction is known as an “innovation building,” and will feature offices, research space and lab space, in addition to amenities such as a basketball court and electric vehicle charging stations. UNLV and a corporate sponsor – to be announced in the near future – will be situated on the top two floors of the four-story building, with the bottom two floors being made available to businesses to lease.

Tenants are currently being sought and will be announced once signed, UNLV officials said.

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.

Area Living , Development , Market Updates

City Seeking Permission for 24/7 Construction on Las Vegas Convention Center Expansion

By Christopher Boyle August 10, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has filed a rezoning request and noise ordinance waiver with the Clark County Board of County Commissioners as part of their plan to accelerate progress on the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion, a project that officials say is vital as the current facility is at maximum capacity.

If the Convention and Visitors Authority have their way, construction on the $1.4 billion project would be carried out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This would include from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., a period of time during which work is usually not allowed due to the impact of noise upon the local populace.

The expansion is slated to add 1.44 million square feet of space to the convention center, which will be built upon the adjacent property of the former Riviera and Landmark hotels. As of now, the project is expected to be finished by the close of 2020, with the goal being to host the 2021 International Consumer Electronics Show, an annual event scheduled to take place in January of 2021.

In its current form, Convention and Visitors Authority members stated, the convention center is unable to grow and evolve to better serve the may trade shows, conventions, and special events that take place in Las Vegas on a regular basis. Given the increased growth in the local economy and job market in the last few years, more and more exhibitors are seeking out the city to hold events, and due to that fact, the convention center desperately needs to expand in order to meet the ongoing demand.

The expanded facilities of the convention center will take the form of a three-story building with the first floor encompassing exhibition halls, a main lobby, a food court, kitchen, office space, and storage; the remaining two floors will house meeting and conference rooms, support spaces, and roof-based 25,000-square-foot outdoor terrace that can host a number of different events, a feature that members of the Convention and Visitors Authority are reportedly quite excited about.

The expansion is also subject to a Federal Aviation Administration review to ensure that its proposed height does not interfere with air traffic in and out of McCarran International Airport. Other uses for the expanded convention center are to include food carts, restaurant and bar facilities, and retail sales, as well as live entertainment, among other uses.

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.