High-Tech Event Venue MSG Sphere Reaches Major Construction Milestone on Way to 2023 Completion

LAS VEGAS, NV – The MSG Sphere at the Venetian, the much talked-about high-tech Las Vegas event venue that is currently in the works, reached a major development milestone recently when the final 32 steel beams were bolted into place by the 650-strong construction crew, according to reports.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) Corporation is the construction manager of the MSG Sphere, and handles “strategic planning and the construction timeline, as well as management of all subcontractors,” according to a press release put out by the company. The previous construction manager, an engineering firm called AECOM, remains in a supporting role.

Madison Square Garden Company Vice President of Construction Nick Tomasino noted that there will be two “topping out” ceremonies for the project, with the first representing the completion of the steel beam bolting and the second slated for 2022, when the venue’s “exosphere” will be added.

The exosphere will consist of 580,000 square feet of LED light panels that will be able to be seen from several miles in the distance, and will increase the height of the current MSG Sphere itself by approximately 30 percent.

When completed, the MSG Sphere will be a 400,000-square-foot, 18,000-seat, 360-foot-tall globe-shaped arena slated to be constructed on 63 acres of property located behind the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The exterior of the sphere will feature 36 miles of variable intensity LED lighting – the aforementioned exosphere – enabling the structure to allow outside spectators to peer through a transparent façade to watch the concert within; at higher lighting intensities, outside vision will be obscured.

The venue will typically not feature sporting events, but rather cater to musical performances and concerts; however, the occasional boxing or MMA contest could be held there if needed. Originally slated to be opened in 2020, the project has fallen behind scheduling estimates and is now eying a 2023 opening date.

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, the prices in the Las Vegas rental home marketplace continue to climb amid the recovering local post-COVID economy, and are now ranking among the fastest increasing in the United States.

May saw rental home prices soar as demand remains very high and supply still very low; those factors, combined with the rapidly-recovering Nevada economy, means that there’s people out there with money who want to rent properties, and prices are always set by demand.

The average rent of a Las Vegas home increased year-over-year in May a whopping 17.3 percent, with April showing an 11.3 rate gain over the year before as well, illustrating consistent month-to-month growth.

Las Vegas is now tied with Riverside, California for the second-fastest rising home rents, behind only Phoenix, Arizona, which experienced a rental rate increase of 17.7 percent in May.

Competition for what rental properties there are is fierce, and often realtors are noting that people are filling out multiple rental applications and are nonetheless having a difficult time actually closing a deal with landlords.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rental market in Las Vegas initially suffered, but as vaccine distribution has stepped up and more and more of the country has been inoculated, the recovering economy has fueled increased demand for rental housing. However, landlords are also seeing increased competition from the home-buying market due to lower-than-average mortgage rates available driving sales to a higher level than usual.

But this home-buying frenzy has also helped the rental market as well, since many new homeowners may still need a place to live until their home is ready, and would turn to short-term rentals to satisfy that need.

Other factors driving the Las Vegas rental market are people who moved to the Southern Nevada region for its cheaper cost of living to work remotely during the pandemic.

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, when the federal eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expires at the end of this month, at least 100,000 Nevada residents – and with some estimates placing that number as high as 140,000 – are facing being legally removed from their dwellings due to non-payment of rent.

Nevada’s eviction moratorium ended on May 31, at which time landlords and property managers throughout the state began filing paperwork for evictions that will begin to progress through the court system en masse when the CDC moratorium ceases as of July 1.

Clark County has confirmed that they have distributed approximately $110 million in rental assistance, and has noted that more money would have been sent out to renters except for the fact that many applications that the county received were submitted with errors that require correction before funds can be released.

Kimberly Ireland, a Las Vegas renter who has only recently returned to work at a resort on the Las Vegas Strip, significantly behind on her rent to a small, mom-and-pop landlord who she says has been “gracious and kind” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when record-breaking unemployment was at its worst.

However, the landlord has reached the point where they want the property back so they can rent it to a party capable or paying rent, which Ireland said she understands at this point.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “We’re forced into this. It’s not by choice.”

Assemblywoman Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas) recently stated that she supported a bill that was recently signed into law that helps smaller landlords who might be left out of federal relief programs and pauses pending eviction proceedings once a person applies for rental assistance. However, if a renter receives an eviction notice and does nothing, the eviction will automatically go through by default.

“Maybe the United States didn’t hit depression numbers when it came to unemployment, but Nevada did,” Miller said.

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 – Howard Hughes Corp. has announced that they have begun development on two different projects in Las Vegas that will comprise both office space and rental apartments, according to recent reports.

The first of these projects is an upscale office building located in the vicinity of the Las Vegas Ballpark; the second project is what is considered the second phase of construction on the luxury Tanager apartment complex, which seeks to add an additional 295 rental units to the existing structure.

Both of these projects are situated near the open-air downtown Summerlin mall at Sahara Avenue and the 215 Beltway.

Current estimates place completion of the office building near the end of 2022, and the completion of the apartment project in early 2023, according to the Texas-based developer.

The office marketplace in Las Vegas has come under scrutiny over the course of the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw an increased number of workers telecommuting to work via the internet; this has resulted in a decreased need of physical office space. And despite nearing the end of the pandemic due to the rollout of vaccines, many workers have indicated a distinct preference for working from home due to the convenience and a reluctance to return to the confines of the office life they once took for granted.

Regardless, life in Las Vegas is slowly returning to normal, with tourism increasing and unemployment shrinking to levels below the pandemic’s high-points; experts are saying this is a boon for the local commercial real estate market, and that people will eventually be returning to their offices after the health scare has died down, necessitating the subsequent need for more commercial space sooner or later.

To that end, Hughes Corp. notes that they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars investing in the property in Summerlin, which it still is planning to develop for future commercial use.

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, prices of homes in Las Vegas are continuing to soar based on continuing demand, while the supply of homes to placate the need for housing options is still falling far behind, proving the truism of the age-old adage of “supply and demand.”

The current median price of existing single-family homes in the Southern Nevada region during the month of May 2021 was reportedly $385,000; this represents an increase over the same period of time in 2020, which was $315,000.

Meanwhile, the May 2021 median price of local condominiums and townhomes came in at $205,000, which is an increase of 10.8 percent from one year prior, at which time those residences were fetching just $185,000, reports say.

While this degree of growth is a boon for the Southern Nevada real estate scene, experts are saying that continued escalation in housing costs may have the detrimental effect of pricing some first-time and entry-level buyers out of the market.

In terms of housing trends in the near-future, experts are saying that since it seems unlikely that prices will be going down in the near-future – indeed, they are expected to continue on their upward trajectory – rentals will also take an increased role in the marketplace until prices begin to stabilize.

Indeed, a six-month supply of homes in any given housing market is considered “balanced,” but May sales figures suggest that Las Vegas merely has a supply of existing homes that is considered one-month or less; however, it must be said that it has been some time since the region has possessed a legit six-month housing supply.

Reports indicate that a total of 4,100 existing local homes, condos and town homes sold during May 2021 while currently this year, local home sales are on pace to exceed last year’s total, 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 – According to reports, Cadence – a recently-built master-planned community located within the city of Henderson – has been the center of a number of new building efforts recently, with several developers hard at work constructing apartment complexes and tracts of rental homes to satisfy Las Vegas’ ongoing need for housing amid the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Already one of the top-selling locations in Southern Nevada in terms of new single-family homes, rental developers are now making their presence felt in Cadence; Scottsdale, Arizona-based The Wolff Company are planning to build a 388-unit apartment building, and A.G. Spanos – headquartered in Stockton, California – has a 265-unit apartment complex in the works as well. Both projects are expected to break ground either this year or in early 2022.

In addition, a tract of single-family rental homes was recently opened in the community by American Homes 4 Rent, a real estate investment trust based in Calabasas, California; several tenants have already moved in, reports say.

With the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly on its last legs as vaccine rollout continues, the rental scene in Las Vegas and its surround communities is on a state of constant flux; the need for rental housing options is greater than it has been in years as the local economy continues to recover, but the impending end of the federal eviction moratorium looms at the end of the month, it us unknown how many residents may be facing eviction.

While developers may be working at a fever pitch at the moment in order to satisfy demand, it still remains to be seen how many pre-existing rental units may eventually be opening up after potentially thousands of eviction proceedings kick in come July 1.

Until that question is answered, one thing remains certain – currently, Las Vegas residents are renting apartments and houses at record paces, rents are increasing at some of the fastest rates in the United States due to demand, and more and more developers are working on rental projects.

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 – Legendary tennis champions – and husband and wife since 2001 – Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have recently put one of their several Las Vegas homes up on the market for $2.4 million, according to reports.

The athletic couple’s primary residence is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the upscale community of Summerlin; in addition, they also own a number of other homes in the vicinity for members of their family, and one that Agassi – who grew up in Vegas – has owned for a number of decades, is also up for sale.

The home Agassi is selling may hold some special appeal to fans of his, or just fans of tennis in general; the two-story, 4,600 square-foot residence features a private tennis court that Agassi has previously used to train when he was a professional player. In addition, it also has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms and sits on a third-acre lot that boasts a backyard lawn, swimming pool, and spa.

4944 SPANISH HEIGHTS DRIVE, LAS VEGAS – $2,390,000.00

Originally constructed in 1993, the Mediterranean-style home has numerous amenities, including a glass, two-sided fireplace that divides the living room from the dining room, a beverage bar a second-floor balcony that overlooks the pool and tennis court, with views of distant mountains.

Now retired from tennis and pursuing other business and charitable ventures, Agassi, 51, is a former world No. 1 tennis player; in singles, he is an eight-time Grand Slam champion and a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, as well as a runner-up in seven other Grand Slam tournaments.

He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which has raised over $60 million for at-risk children in Southern Nevada. In 2001, the Foundation opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, a K-12 public charter school for at-risk children.

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. File photo: Everett Collection, Shutterstock.com, licensed.

LAS VEGAS, NV – A Native American tribe in North Dakota, flush with cash – $1.7 billion in tax revenues, to be exact – from lucrative oil-drilling operations they have carried out on their land for the past 15 years, have used some of those profits to purchase a multi-million dollar vacant lot adjacent to the famed Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, reports say.

However, what the tribe plans to do with their investment acquisition remains a mystery for the moment.

The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation – known collectively as the Three Affiliated Tribes – had discovered a bankruptcy auction in Southern Nevada that had divided a large, vacant plot of land just off of Vegas’ famed central casino-lined corridor, and purchased an 8.7-acre plot of land for $12 million; according to tribal Chairman Mark Fox, the land could be used for a variety of different purposes, including building a casino or a parking lot.

“We saw it as an opportunity to get land — prime real estate land — in Las Vegas for a good price, and that’s essentially why we went there,” he said.

The 95 E. Ali Baba Lane property is situated just off the south end of the Vegas strip near the 43-story Mandalay Bay casino and about one mile from Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team.

Originally, the property purchased by the Three Affiliated Tribes was part of a 38.5 acre lot that was divvied up into smaller parcels of land after a developer had failed to get a Ferris wheel venture going and declared bankruptcy. The lot was completely unused, except for a brief stint where obstacle course-based reality television show American Ninja Warrior filmed some episodes there.

“We’re still in that phase of trying to develop a concept of development for the acreage. Nothing beyond that right now,” Fox said, noting that his tribe is meeting with developers to discuss potential uses for the property.

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, a futuristic new mansion boasting numerous cutting-edge amenities has just hit the Henderson, Nevada marketplace, and if it sells for anywhere near its asking price, it could go down as the most expensive residence sold in the region.

The new listing, dubbed “Vegas Modern 001,” is currently going for $28 million, and offers a plethora of crazy features, such as a great room with retractable walls, an office casita, seven fire features, water on three sides and views of both the Las Vegas Strip and the Red Rock Mountains, 200 solar panels, and a high-tech “smart home” system that allows users full control over the security system, sound system, and energy management.

FOR SALE: 685 DRAGON PEAK DRIVE, HENDERSON – $28,000,000.00

The home’s chef’s kitchen is no less jaw-dropping, with Wolf and Sub-Zero touchscreen appliances, a full catering kitchen, and a glass wine cellar.

The realtor handling the listing notes that Vegas Modern 001 is beautiful, forward-thinking, and unique, and serves as “a showcase for the way people are going to be living in the future.”

Vegas Modern 001’s vast 15,000 square-feet of space offers enough real estate for up to seven bedrooms – including a primary suite with a private patio and a separate suite accessed by a glass bridge – as well as nine bathrooms and a garage with room for up to 11 cars. The home was designed by Southern Nevada architecture firm Blue Heron; Tyler Jones, the founder and owner of the firm that said their approach to this project was inspired by, “capturing the energy of our city, where we were born. It’s meant to connect with people about the current modern lifestyle for Las Vegas.”

As stated above, if Vegas Modern 001 sells for anywhere near its asking price, it will become the most expensive sale in the area, breaking the previous record-holder, a 12,940-square-foot penthouse near the Las Vegas Strip that sold for $16.25 million just last week.

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, a vintage apartment complex located in the Convention Center District of Las Vegas has been sold to the Camino Verde Group, a Southern Nevada-based real estate investment, development and asset management company, with this being the fourth such purchase they’ve made in this area recently.

Kevin Romney, co-founder and managing director of Camino Verde Group, noted that Sherwood Palms – an aging property located at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip – would be an excellent source of housing for the local area workforce once much-needed restoration has taken place.

“Sherwood Palms was a great opportunity to restore this vintage Las Vegas property and provide quality workforce housing for workers on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip,” he said. “With the opening of the Convention Center Expansion, Resorts World and Circa, the need for affordable and workforce housing grows. Sherwood Palms fills an important need for that.”

Sherwood Palms was originally constructed on 1963, and consists of 24 two-and-three bedroom apartments – with floor plans of up to 1,000 square feet – spread out over two stories, with the property featuring an enclosed outdoor courtyard, a community laundry facility, high-speed internet access, and air-conditioning and heating units.

The Camino Verde Group has extensive renovation plans for Sherwood Palms, according to Romney, including new appliances, countertops floor coverings, and more.

“Many of the properties Camino Verde Group acquires are in dire need of rehabilitation and nearly uninhabitable,” he said. “We repair holes in the walls, broken windows and security issues to make them both safe and aesthetically pleasing to tenants. We are committed to providing affordable housing that our hard-working industry workers will appreciate.”

Once the renovations are completed, Sherwood Palms – which stands in the middle of public transportation routes – is anticipated to be a significant lodging draw for those working at numerous local high-profile employers, including the Convention Center, Resorts World, The Westgate, the Strat tower, Fremont Street Experience and the Fashion Show Mall.

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 – Courts in Las Vegas are steeling themselves for a massive influx of eviction cases as the eviction moratorium set by Governor Steve Sisolak finally came to an end as of May 31, with thousands of local residents who may have lost their income due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown facing expulsion from their homes after months of not making good on their rent, reports say.

A large number of Nevada residents have applied for rental assistance via CHAP, the county’s housing assistance program, but many have either been denied and are appealing or are still awaiting a decision on their eligibility. But regardless, no one can anticipate how large the upcoming number of evictions will be in the coming days now that the clock on the state eviction ban has run out.

Las Vegas Chief Judge Melissa Saragosa noted that it’s impossible to anticipate how many eviction cases will be filed in the upcoming weeks after over a year of landlords being forced to essentially provide free room and board for people while running their own bank accounts dry.

“It’s really hard to say,” he said. “I mean, we’re doing the best to be prepared and have the capacity to hear cases, but without knowing exactly how many cases are coming in, that’s very difficult to say.”

Prior to COVID-19, the caseload for evictions at the Las Vegas Justice Court was approximately 30,000 cases a year; however, with the vast number of anticipated cases that are expected to be filed as of June 1, that number is expected to be eclipsed very shortly, especially with the move on the part of city government to a remote eviction filing system.

“We’ve changed our model from a very in-person driven process to one that’s working online,” Saragosa said, noting that while a backlog is expected due to huge demand, extensive preparation means that it’s expected to be measured in terms of weeks and not months.

“I don’t anticipate anything even remotely close to six months!” he said. “We’re cross-training all of our legal office assistants, our legal office specialists, we’re cross-training those individuals to help us process the eviction paperwork. We also have additional courtroom space that we’re able to dedicate to hearing just evictions.”

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 – Finally moving out of your parent’s place into the big bad world? Naturally, you’ll have more responsibility, and will have to look out for yourself more. You’ll need to learn about things like paying bills you’re not used to paying for, and that you should always read any paperwork you’re given before signing it. 

Being smart with your money, budgeting wisely and not spending more on your rent than you realistically can are great ways to start strong in solo life. It’s also important to stay away from scams and frauds. Never pay for an apartment you haven’t had a chance to tour, and always be careful about who you’re doing business with. 

If all these tips are confusing you and you’re not really sure what to do, don’t worry. Here are some of our top tips for renting your first apartment. 

Know Who You’re Dealing With 

Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of scammers and criminals in the real estate world, and you don’t need anything much except for money to be a landlord. That said, it might not always be safe to trust landlords to be who they say they are, or even about the history of the property. 

If you’re renting a place with someone you don’t know well, get in touch with a provider of landlord background check or any similar service so you can verify the authenticity of your future landlord’s claims and find out if there’s anything fishy going on with the property. 

Don’t Pay Too Much Rent 

Obviously, you don’t want to rent a property for above market value, but you also don’t want to rent one that’s nicer or more expensive than you can afford. Ideally you shouldn’t be spending any more than 30% of your gross income on rent, and be smart about your savings. 

Be careful about how much you’re paying and if utilities are included in the package or not. Sometimes bills like water and electricity come out of your rent payments, and other times they don’t. It can even be possible that you need to pay some of the utilities and bills yourself because they’re not included in a “utilities included” rent package. 

Consider the Parking Situation 

Parking spaces aren’t always ideal in all places, and if you’re getting a cheaper than usual deal for an apartment it may be because it comes with some hidden cons. Check if any parking space is available nearby, and if the parking lots are safe. The last thing you want is to get mugged or attacked while you’re getting out of your car and heading for your home. 

Make Friends with Your Neighbors 

Your neighbors and the people who are living in the area are by far your most trusted source of information on what it’s like to live in the area, you also need to know who you’ll be living around to make sure there won’t be any problems – particularly if you belong to a marginalized community. 

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.