Las Vegas Real Estate Blog

LAS VEGAS, NV – Local developer Edward Homes recently broke ground on a new housing project located in Las Vegas’ 1,200-acre Providence community, the last new-home development slated to be constructed at that location. The new housing tract, called Brownstones at Providence, is planned to add 30 new townhouses on a 3-acre plot of land, and is expected to start framing the new units in approximately a month. The project, the last new addition to the Providence community according to reports, has already had 10 signed sales contracts by buyers of the townhouses.

Providence is a master-planned community located in the northwest valley of Southern Nevada near the 215 Beltway and Hualapai Way. Its origins can be traced back prior to the mid-2000’s recession, a period of time where developers consistently bought up large plots of land to construct housing developments, which was a very profitable venture before the recession hit. Developed by the Focus Property Group, Providence first began to sell homes in the community in 2006, at the height of the region’s real estate boom.

Edward Homes noted that the low supply of homes on the Las Vegas real estate market was the driving force behind the decision to proceed with the construction of Brownstones at Providence, citing the strong demand for new housing despite the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

June 2020 saw approximately 1,230 sales contracts signed with homebuilders in Southern Nevada, the highest amount since February. Meanwhile, pre-existing home sales in July numbered over 4,000, the largest amount of homes sold in Las Vegas since 2017.

The fact that buyers are able to lock in very low interest rates on loans these days – as low as 3 percent – has also helped to sustain the demand for housing, regardless of the financial difficulties that many residents are experiencing.

Construction for the Brownstones at Providence project is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2021.

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 – According to recent reports, Las Vegas’ ongoing real estate rebound from COVID-19 has hit yet another milestone, with the industry setting an all-new record in the month of July 2020 and cementing it as one of the more notable aspects of the region’s recovering economy, damaged as it has been by the pandemic.

Realtors have revealed that July saw the largest amount of homes sold in Las Vegas since 2017, with over 4,000 pre-existing residences changing hands. That is indeed impressive, especially given how far the market had come since the mid-2000s recession, and how far it had dropped again thanks to COVID.

Local realtors have been quoted as saying that the local housing market is currently “on fire,” citing the non-stop demand coupled with historically low interest rates – some as low as 3 or even 2.5 percent – and a limited supply as the contributing factors to local real estate managing to weather the storm and come back faster than estimated after COVID played havoc with Nevada’s economy. Interest rates are expected to remain low for the remainder of 2020, reports say.

Therefore, individuals and families that have managed to remain employed throughout the pandemic – or who had adequate financial resources already in place – have been taking advantage of the opportunities presented to purchase homes in large numbers.

Also, the median single-family Las Vegas home price in July was $330,000, an increase of approximately 9 percent from the same period last year. Again, this is despite the current pandemic, which is still making its presence felt in Nevada and across the country.

In addition, ongoing forbearance and moratorium decrees that have been enabling people to remain in their homes despite the financial difficulties they have been experiencing have resulted in Las Vegas’ lowest amount of foreclosures and short sales ever, preventing another mid-2000’s-style catastrophe to strike the Southern Nevada housing marketplace. Federal homeowner and renter assistance has also played a part, reports say.

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 – Many landlords jump at the idea of spending around $550 for a home warranty that covers their property for repairs and replacement costs over a 12 month period. All that is required is an up front fee of usually $75 and the home warranty will send out a licensed contractor to assess the issue. If it was just that simple, I’m sure everyone would want a home warranty to ensure their home is protected against unexpected repair costs.

The reality is, Home Warranties are not all they’re cracked up to be. What they don’t tell you when they are trying to sell you their products is that many items aren’t covered so unless you ask specifically what is not covered before you sign up, they will tell you after the fact that it’s listed in the fine print when you have a repair issue that isn’t covered. What they also don’t tell you is that it can take up to 48 hours for their preferred vendors to even get assigned the work order. How would you like to have that conversation with your tenant, I’m sorry but the property has a home warranty so we have to use the vendor that is assigned but they can’t get to your home for 48 hours; that’s not going to go over well with the tenant.

Episode 140: Home Warranty Dangers by: http://www.evicttv.com (An excellent representation of issues with Home Warranty services.

Not every Home Warranty Company is awful, but I would definitely say to steer clear of Choice Home Warranty. Here is an example of a recent claim we filed with Choice Home Warranty for an A/C issue.

• We placed a claim for our Landlord’s property on Saturday 6/27/2020  for the upstairs a/c unit, my property manager was on hold for almost an hour waiting to place a claim before they finally were able to speak with a representative.

• We called the vendor they assigned on Monday since the tenants hadn’t heard from anyone yet to set up an appointment. When we spoke to the vendor, they said they never received a work order from Choice Home Warranty. So after sitting on hold for 1.5 hours we got through and Choice Home Warranty resent the work order. 

• On 6/30/2020, their vendor arrived at 3 pm, completed a hard start on the a/c unit and left. The a/c stopped working again an hour later. We tried to place a recall on 6/30/2020 with Choice Home Warranty around 4pm and after 2 hours of waiting on hold and calls being dropped we opted for the call back option. My property manager waited around with her work cell phone until 10pm but never received a call back. 

• On 7/1/2020 the property manager called the vendor to see if they could go back and they said we have to call Choice Home Warranty for a recall. My property manager called Choice Home Warranty and after waiting a total of 3 hours and 4 dropped calls later she finally got through and they placed a recall. My property manager called the vendor back to tell them a recall has been placed and now the vendor stated they don’t need to come back but they need Choice Home Warranty to approve a new compressor which will take approx. 2 weeks with shipping. My property manager calls Choice Home Warranty back and they say they are awaiting this information from the vendor. 

• On 7/2/2020 my property manager calls Choice Home Warranty for an update, they say it’s been approved and it will be in within 2-3 weeks.
• On 7/12/2020 the vendor calls my property manager and states that they received a condensing unit but it wont work with the old evaporator coils so they need an additional $4000.

• On 7/12/2020 my property manager relayed this information to the landlords who subsequently called Choice Home Warranty for further explanation.

• On 7/13/2020 a Choice Home Warranty case manager emails the landlord  a new condenser and “indoor unit” will be $2,875, no further explanation was given as to why or what was wrong. Over the next 10 days, my property manager and the landlord emailed, called and left voicemails for the case manager requesting further explanation but never received a response back from the case manager. When my property manager and landlord requested someone else to assist them, they were advised by other representatives from Choice Home Warranty that we have to speak with the assigned case manager.

• On 7/24/2020 my property manager contacted the vendor to see if they had any further update from Choice Home Warranty and they advised that they just received an approval the day before for a new evaporator coil along with the condensing unit for $2,875.

• On 7/24/2020 the landlord paid the $2,875.

• On 7/25/2020 the vendor ordered the evaporator coils.

• On 8/4/2020 the new system was installed.

Luckily, this property had (2) a/c units and only one was not working. We were able to have a portable a/c unit installed to help keep the property cooled while the tenant waited a little over 5 weeks for their a/c unit to be repaired. In addition to the $2,875 the landlord had to pay for the cost of the a/c repair, the landlord had to pay $25 a day for the portable a/c unit and give the tenant a credit towards their power bill as the portable a/c unit was a big draw on power and caused their power bill to go up significantly.

If you are a landlord and you decide a home warranty is worth the investment, be sure to research each and every Home Warranty Company as well as each and every covered item before purchasing your warranty so that you can hopefully avoid the issues that we have experienced with Choice Home Warranty.

Although Shelter Realty does not generally recommend a landlord to purchase a home warranty, we do have several landlords that have home warranties in place. If you would like any recommendations on what Home Warranties we do recommend, give us a call at 702.376.7379 and ask for Shelly, she would be glad to discuss Home Warranties with you.

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 – Plans for a new apartment complex in Henderson were recently announced by a Las Vegas-based developer to be constructed on a 19-acre plot of land at the southeast corner of Galleria Drive and Boulder Highway, according to reports.

Tru Development Company noted that the complex, dubbed The Apex at Galleria (stylized as “theAPEX @galleria”), will be a 336-unit apartment complex with and 3.8 acres of retail development available for sale, ground lease, or build to suit as well.

Tru is teaming up with MultiGreen Properties to bring the project to life, according to Tim Deters, President and CEO of TRU Development.

“TRU Development Company is excited to be partnering with MultiGreen Properties on our first project collaboration in southern Nevada,” he said. “We are honored to have the opportunity to expand the multifamily offerings in the Las Vegas Valley and create a community centered around technology, sustainability, and wellness. We look forward to bringing our vision to fruition and welcoming residents in 2021.”

The apartments at The Apex at Galleria will be available for lease in March of 2021, and heralds what the developer is calling a series of “Apex” branded communities to be built throughout the state of Nevada, according to Randy Norton, Founder and Chairman of the Board at MultiGreen.

“We are excited to be working with TRU in the State of Nevada as we continue to grow and design theAPEX brand,” he said. “Our goal is to build thousands of newly constructed APEX- branded units together, all of which will be attainable, sustainable, and tech-enabled residences.”

Tru most recently is responsible for the construction of the Kaktus Life rental project off Cactus Avenue and Interstate 15, a 4-story complex. It also has plans for a southwest valley apartment building in the works, adjacent to the Meadows mall. Ground on Apex at Galleria is expected to be broken at some point in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Editors note: The photo used in this story, a rendering of the new apartment complex in Henderson, is credited to TRU Development, Nevada Business Magazine, Nevada Business Journal and Press Release Wire.

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 – It was recently announced that construction of the long-awaited Allegiant Stadium, new home of the NFL Las Vegas Raiders, will be ready for start of the team’s 2020 season on September 21, despite numerous hurdles and challenges thrown in its path thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, that good news comes with one caveat- according to the team’s management; all of the Raiders’ games played for their inaugural season at Allegiant will be done so without the benefit of fans, who have been banned from the venue due to health concerns.

The Raiders announced that fans would not be allowed in the stadium for the 2020 season in a statement released this week to season ticket holders, following suit with many other professional sporting teams that are taking similar precautions to help curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus that has claimed over 160,000 lives in the U.S. to date.

“There is nothing more important to the Raider Organization than the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff, stadium workers and fans,” the statement said. “After intensive consultation with healthcare officials and state and community leaders, we have made the difficult decision to play the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium without fans in attendance. This decision is based on our commitment to protect the health of our fans and the entire community in response to the coronavirus pandemic affecting us all.”

Reduced seating was considered but ultimately ruled out by the team; season ticket holders have the option of either receiving full refunds or applying their payments to the 2021 season instead.

Allegiant Stadium, a $2 billion, 65,000-seat complex built on a 63-acre plot of land located just west of Interstate 15, officially broke ground in November of 2017 and faced several hurdles in its development – thanks in no small part to the pandemic – while making headway towards its 2020 goal of completion.

The Raiders will play their first game at Allegiant on September 21 when they host the New Orleans Saints. A planned Garth Brooks concert for August 22 – the first-ever event planned for the stadium – was recently re-scheduled to February 27.

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 – In a recent report, the lengths that Southern Nevada real estate agents have gone to in order to reinvent themselves amid the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic were laid out, and it paints a picture of an industry that has not only managed to survive adversity, but actually thrive despite it.

The pandemic initially caused issues for the local real estate market due to mandatory stay-at –home orders and business closures to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease known as COVID-19. While real estate was considered an “essential business” and thus was allowed to continue to operate, it was nonetheless hamstrung by high unemployment levels and the resulting extreme financial uncertainty in the region, not to mention restrictions caused by social distancing guidelines.

However, the real estate industry has bounced back amid the chaos by adapting to conditions; many agents, according to the interview, have moved everything to a “virtual platform,” setting up 3D online tours of properties in their inventory and producing far greater amounts of video content highlighting the homes and rental units on offer.

In addition, Zoom – a popular video conferencing app – was highly utilized to conduct open houses, a move that may have actually changed the way real estate business is conducted going forward, even after the pandemic is eventually a thing of the past. After all, these steps can greatly decrease the amount of time a sale takes, and it allows people who live in other areas to check out a property without having to travel; instead, they can get all the information they need about their potential new home right in the comfort of their current abode.

That said, Las Vegas has seen a bump in the number of real estate buyers from both out of town and out of state throughout the course of the pandemic, particularly from California, mainly due to the affordable lifestyle in Nevada when compared to their home state.

As for what the future could potentially bring – especially now that Nevada is slowly but surely coming out of lockdown – experts believe that the real estate market will continue its impressive rebound, although that enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that is a so-called “second wave” of the pandemic hits in the fall, the economic damage could be just as bad as the first time… if not worse.

However, the current low interest rates in the market have encouraged many U.S. residents to purchase homes, with noted mortgage loan company Freddie Mac noting that current purchase demand activity has actually gone up 20 percent from the same time period in 2019, placing it at its highest level since 2009.

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 – According to reports, 38 acres of undeveloped land located on the famed Las Vegas Strip recently sold for $108.6 million during an online auction that garnered four separate bids by undisclosed buyers.

The virtual auction was the first of its kind held in Clark County due to social distancing guidelines brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which made a traditional in-person auction problematic. The land has been designated as a “qualified opportunity zone,” meaning that it can be developed for a variety of uses, including as a casino, hotels, retail, restaurants, parking, resorts, in addition to a variety of other establishments. The land is just west of McCarran International Airport, which would mean that different parts of the property would have varying degrees of maximum height allowances.

The property is located on the corner of Hacienda Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, and is within walking distance of Allegiant Stadium, the upcoming home of the NFL Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels. The land includes 750 feet of frontage on Las Vegas Boulevard across from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

The auction involved the sale of six separate lots in the area which were owned by Desert Land, LLC, Desert Oasis Apartments, LLC and Desert Oasis Investments, LLC. The property came into Clark County ownership after the aforementioned firms filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions in the District of Nevada.

At the time, Kavita Gupta was appointed by the Chapter 11 Trustee, and oversaw the sales process and was given management of the debtors’ business and property dealings. The trustee, in turn, engaged Keen-Summit Capital Partners LLC and Colliers International as the real estate agents for the auction.

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 – According to reports, Nevada officials have announced that a large amount of federal funding made available to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic is still available via the state’s CARES Housing Assistance Program, which launched last Monday.

Since the program began on July 20, it has received 3,085 applications from residents whose finances have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and are seeking assistance with remaining in their homes. Most of the people applying for rent assistance are asking for up to two or three months of back-rent to be paid to cover missed rent payments during the eviction moratorium.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread financial hardship in Nevada, with record unemployment numbers dominating the economy amid mandatory business closures and stay-at-home orders issued to halt the spread of the dangerous virus. And while cases of COVID had dropped to levels that saw these mandates being lifted, the long-term financial issues – coupled with a resurgence of positive cases – has left many facing the very real prospect of homelessness.

The rental assistance program is being run by the Nevada Housing Division and in coordination with Clark County Social Services, the Reno Housing Authority, and the Nevada Rural Housing Authority. In addition, a network consisting of 14 community not-for-profits is administering the program in Clark County.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak recently announced the rental assistance program, available to Nevada residents who are experiencing financial insolvency due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in the form of $30 million in federal CARES Act funding allocated to residential rental assistance, and an additional $20 million towards commercial rental assistance.

In order to apply for the rental assistance program, Nevada residents can visit housing.nv.gov. Successful applicants should begin seeing payments sent directly to their landlords over the course of the next two weeks, reports say. Funds will be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis.

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 – After the housing market in Las Vegas came to a virtual standstill amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, initial reports indicated that the market was bouncing back at a higher than anticipated pace; more recent reports indicate this is still the case, with sales reaching their highest point yet since the advent of the pandemic.

When COVID-19 first hit the region, Southern Nevada’s housing market practically collapsed due to the economic devastation, with sellers drying up and cancellations of pending sales running rampant. However, the lows, while bad, never quite hit the points that experts first predicted, and efforts on the part of sellers – including virtual walk-throughs and online forms, among other methods of maintaining social distancing – have enabled business to improve over the past month.

June saw a major improvement in the number of sales contracts signed, with 1,230 people signing on the dotted line, which is the highest number reported since February when the pandemic had just started making its presence felt in the United States. In addition, June also saw just 208 sales cancellations, which represents a drop of 43 percent of the cancellations that occurred in May; obviously this is also a good indication of recovery for home builders.

Also, despite the rocky road for builders during the past few months, a saving grace came in the form of home price stability; prices on new homes did not lower significantly, and sellers did not provide many significant incentives in an attempt to attract sellers, citing that demand was still present and that sales would bounce back eventually.

The resale market also has continued to improve recently, with 2,460 homes selling in June for a median price of $325,000, representing a 45 percent jump from the previous month. Clearly, the basic need for home ownership will eventually outweigh concerns over a pandemic as long as proper precautions are taken.

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 – According to a recent report, retail in Las Vegas has been especially burdened with hardship amid the ongoing – and currently resurging – coronavirus pandemic. In addition to heavy job losses, approximately 75,000 square feet of retail space has been put back on the open market due to business closures, with an additional 500,000 square feet potentially on the chopping block after several major chains announced closures.

Many of the impending vacancies revolve around the upcoming end of the moratorium issued by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, forbidding commercial and residential evictions due to coronavirus-related issues. While the moratorium on residential evictions has been extended until September, its commercial equivalent ended on July 1, allowing landlords to begin charging late fees, initiate lockouts, or start eviction actions for non-payment of rent.

In contrast to the woes suffered by retail, the rental and sales of industrial space – in particular, warehouse and distribution space – actually increased throughout the pandemic, with the second quarter of 2020 seeing over two-million square feet of industrial space change hands. Other types of industrial space that rely more on small businesses, however, suffered losses and are waiting for the economy to recover to see if leases increase once again.

Office space continued to be acquired throughout the pandemic, reports say, although not to an impressive degree, with just 10,000 square feet being leased; however, considering the degree of job losses in the second quarter, any leasing activity is seen as a positive, experts say.

The hospitality industry also suffered losses during state-mandated shutdown orders intended to slow the spread of the pandemic; given that Las Vegas’ economy relies heavily on tourism, it remains to be seen what impact this will have on Vegas’ recovery going forward, assuming the current resurgence of the coronavirus – which occurred when the state began a phased reopening – can be brought back under control.

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- The COVID-19 pandemic has touched all Nevadans particularly hard resulting economic hardship in one form or another for the vast majority of residents. With Governor Steve Sisolak’s moratorium against residential evictions due to end in September, many people are scrambling to secure funds to stay in their homes as landlords dealing with unfortunate tenants unable to meet their rent are about to be forced into making a very difficult decision.

In order to provide a measure of relief for many involved in the current financial crisis, State Senator Catherine Cortez Masto recently announced that help is available for Nevada residents in the form of $30 million in CARES Act funding allocated by Governor Sisolak to residential rental assistance and an additional $20 million towards commercial rental assistance.

The CARES Act funding, an addition to several other forms of assistance – both via the government and select not-for-profits – is available to Nevada residents who are experiencing financial insolvency due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, be it a loss of employment or major reduction in income due to a decrease in work.

Among the various programs and organizations that can help Nevada residents make up their rent deficits is the Nevada Housing Division’s CARES Housing Assistance Program, which not only offers funding to people unable to make their rental or mortgage payments, but also to landlords and property owners who are currently not receiving payments from tenants due to COVID-19.

In addition, up to three months of rental assistance can be provided to qualified city residents by the City of Las Vegas Housing Assistance Program, payable directly to the landlord; the city of North Las Vegas is offering both short-term and long-term rental assistance to lower-income households to eligible individuals and families; and various charities in Northern Nevada are offering housing assistance, including Catholic Charities, the Nevada Rural Housing Authority and the Reno Housing Authority.

Finally, the Legal Aid of Southern Nevada is offering an online FAQ that residents can consult to find out how the end of the residential moratorium will affect them, as well as information about further housing assistance that are out there that they may be able to utilize.

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 – The economic damage inflicted upon the economy by means of the COVID-19 pandemic has left many experiencing financial difficulties, even in the wake of attempts by many states to re-open their economies to prevent the spread of the disease. Unemployment has been rampant, and as a result, bills are becoming harder to pay for many Americans.

Reports indicate that more and more people are, in particular, falling behind on ‘mortgage payments;’ 6.1 percent of April 2020 mortgage payments nationally were 30 days late, up from 3.6 percent the month before. Las Vegas is not immune, and is in fact one of the more worse off regions of the country in this regard.

Part of the reason for Las Vegas’ mortgage issues is its current high level of unemployment; in April 2020 it was a whopping 34 percent, up from just 3.9 percent in February. The cause of skyrocketing unemployment was due to Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issuing a mandate that all non-essential state businesses close in light of the pandemic. Recently, attempts have been made to re-open businesses, but a resurgence of COVID-19 cases have made this problematic, slowing the state’s economic recovery and preventing job re-growth.

A foreclosure moratorium, issued by Governor Sisolak in March, is due to finally end in September, adding more pressure to families that are experiencing money problems. However, there are hopes that millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief funds can help keep unemployed Nevadans in their homes while reducing the financial burden on lenders who have not been receiving mortgage payments throughout the pandemic.

Despite the current financial strain on homeowners, the amount of delinquent payments have yet to reach the low levels they did during the mid-2000’s recession. In addition, the housing market has not suffered the same level of damage, and is bouncing back faster than analysts have predicted.

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.