Category Archive : Area Living

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, after an initial drop in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Las Vegas apartment rents have remained strong in the second quarter of 2020 while vacancy rates were stabilized due mainly to Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s moratorium against residential evictions.

While Vegas rents showed definite signs of rebounding after the initial outbreak, they nonetheless have grown at a slower rate than before COVID-19 hit; local rents increased 2.2 percent during the second quarter, which while positive, nonetheless pales to the 7 percent rent growth year over year, reports say.

The average vacancy rate for local apartments was 6.8 percent during this period, representing a .4 percent increase from 2019 but a decrease of approximately 11 percent during the midst of the mid-2000’s recession.

Las Vegas rents in the second quarter of 2020 have averaged $1,105 per month, which represents a $25 increase from the same period of time in 2019 but only a 5 percent increase from the region’s peak levels before the recession; from 2015 through 2019, rents in Vegas grew at a steady and regular rate.

Governor Sisolak’s moratorium against residential evictions, combined with numerous forms of governmental assistance on the federal, state, and local level, have enabled approximately 90 percent of renters in Nevada to make their monthly rent; however, with the cessation of federal enhanced unemployment benefits at the end of July, along with the end of the moratorium come September, experts expect rental numbers to take a potentially drastic turn in the third and fourth quarters of 2020.

Another factor contributing to vacancy rates is the increased development of apartment complexes prior to the pandemic in order to satisfy the growing demand for housing options in light of Las Vegas’ blooming economy and job market. Currently, Las Vegas has 3,117 apartment units under construction as of the second quarter of 2020, and upon completion, this will also drive up vacancy rates correspondingly.

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, NY – Gaming industry legend and philanthropist Diana Bennett set a record recently when she was responsible for the highest-priced home sale in Las Vegas in over a year, letting go of her Henderson mansion at 770 Dragon Ridge Drive, Henderson, NV 89012 – for a cool $11.25 million, according to reports.

Bennett, a Northern California businesswoman, co-founder of Paragon Gaming, and inductee into the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame, closed on her 17,562 square-foot desert-contemporary-style home last week. The residence features five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a gymnasium with a steam shower, a 12-seat movie theater, infinity-edge pool, a pool, a fountain, a massage room, wine cellar, and game room.

Events at the home can accommodate as many as 400 guests, and to that end there are living room-based bars and even paintings that hide televisions behind their facades. The dining room features a design that sees the table surrounded by man-made ponds of water and the room itself is topped off by a large skylight.

The mansion, located in the MacDonald Highlands in Henderson, is also a “green” property, with solar panels on the roof. The buyer has not yet been disclosed. The sale of the Bennett mansion is the largest one on record since July 2019, when Jim Rhodes – well-known Las Vegas developer – sold his home in Spanish Hills for $16 million.

The sale is yet another example of how the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a major negative impact upon the sales of luxury homes in Las Vegas. Real estate in general, while down a bit at first, suffered no major long-term ill effects and has continued to bounce back faster than many experts expected. However, luxury homes in particular have had record sales as of late, with July 2020 seeing the largest amount of them changing hands in the last ten years or more, experts say.

In fact, many are of the opinion that based on current sales figures, 2020 may be on the path to be one of the busiest and most lucrative years on record in terms of luxury home sales.

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 Calida Group – one of the largest developers in Southern Nevada – is planning to open a new apartment complex in the Hughes Center office park in fall of 2020, one that promises a plethora of upscale amenities for tenants, according to reports. Dubbed the Elysian at Hughes Center, the complex – which will begin pre-leasing later this month – is a 368-unit facility with apartments that range in size from 619 square feet to 2,477 square feet. Rent varies from $1,285 to $4,400 per month, according to Calida Group reps.

The complex takes the form of two five-story buildings, each constructed around a six-level parking garage.

Elysian at Hughes Center features a slew of high-class perks for tenants, ranging from a 5,065 square-foot indoor and outdoor “sky lounge” providing panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip, a clubhouse that contains exercise facilities, tanning rooms, a golf simulator, and a wine-tasking lounge, as well as landscaped resort-style pool, spa, and recreation decks.

The apartment complex is located on a 6-acre site one mile east of the Las Vegas Strip, at the northern edge of the 68-acre Hughes Center. Calida purchased the property for $15.9 million in 2017 from The Blackstone Group, which also serves as the Hughes Center landlord. Ground was broken on construction for Elysian at Hughes Center on January of 2019.

Calida owner Eric Cohen has expressed great excitement about the Elysian project, noting that its home at Hughes Center – an office park with thousands of workers and situated within walking distance of dozens of restaurants – makes it an “amazing location” and a great alternative to the high-rises that are on the nearby Strip.

The projected cost for the project is over $100 million, 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 – With the COVID-19 pandemic remaking the concept of work as we know it, scores of people are finding themselves transplanted from their familiar office settings and telecommuting from their own homes thanks to social distancing guidelines designed to curb the spread of the disease. And while there are advantages to working from home, there are also stresses that naturally come with the idea of taking your own personal abode and making it your place of business. If home is work and work is home, what’s a person to do to?

Well, go to Las Vegas, it seems.

MGM Resorts has launched a new “Work from  Las Vegas” travel package, aimed at professionals in the business world who are tired of working while stuck in their homes. The package includes discounts on airfare, lodging, and even includes a dedicated concierge – dubbed an “executive assistant” by MGM – to help them with their workload, including handling reservations and scheduling.

The program – dubbed “Viva Las Office” and heralded by MGM Resorts as “the ultimate home-away-from-the-home office experience” – is yet another innovation that Las Vegas is breaking out in an attempt to make up for the losses in revenue due to the drop in tourism brought about by the pandemic. The program offers stays ranging from 3-to-5 nights at costs ranging from $100 to $350 per night, not including any additional resort fees that may be incurred.

MGM Resorts also offers semiprivate jet service with discounts of $75, $100 or $125 off round-trip tickets. Packages include varying tiers of prices and service – including “The Associate,” “The Manager,” and “The Executive” –  with the overall goal being a productive and focused work experience, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of Vegas during the off-hours.

The “Viva Las Office” program is currently limited to Bellagio and ARIA.

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 – According to recent reports, Clark County officials are attempting to set up an ordinance that will offer a degree of protection to those facing losing their home or apartment in September, when a mandate by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak to prevent evictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire Sept. 1.

However, critics are arguing that these proposed protections introduced last week may lean too far in favor of tenants, leaving landlords, who have also been suffering financially – as hundreds of thousands in the state have from the widespread economic damage caused by the pandemic – out in the cold.

The proposed ordinance, in part, would charge landlords with a misdemeanor if they discriminated against an individual by refusing to rent, negotiate, or make a property available to them on the basis of their source of income, or if they had a previous eviction on their record that was related to the pandemic.

Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones noted that the proposed ordinance was created in response to the financial hardship suffered by Las Vegas residents, many of whom have lost their jobs in light of mandatory stay-at-home orders issued by Governor Sisolak in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“Clark County is doing everything in its power to keep people in their homes,” he said. “We know that this is a difficult time so we want to take every action that we can.”

Part of this ordinance stems from a rental assistance program that Clark County is planning on rolling out; officials have said that some landlords may be reluctant to rent to potential tenants receiving assistance from the program, fearing the sigma that Section 8 housing programs often bring with them.

Shanta Patton, a regional vice president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, noted that she does not support any ordinance that does not allow a landlord their right to make a decision on who to rent to based on a background check that would include a tenant’s income source and eviction history.

The ordinance is expected to be publicly heard Aug. 4.

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 – For renters in the Las Vegas area that are behind on their rent thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and a looming eviction date threatening to see them put out on the street, good news is potentially coming in the form of relief funds from Nevada state.

According to reports, $50 million in federal coronavirus relief funds via the Nevada State Treasurer’s office are to be made available to renters facing eviction on September 1 when Governor Steve Sisolak’s extended moratorium on residential evictions and foreclosures is due to end.

Previously, Sisolak’s moratorium, enacted on March 29 as a response to widespread unemployment and economic hardship brought about by the pandemic, was due to come to an end on June 30. However, as that end date approached, Sisolak made an amendment- instead of ending at the end of June, the moratorium will be lifted in phases over the course of the summer, with residential evictions finally allowed to fully resume on September 1.

With numerous landlords already preparing paperwork for the mass evictions expected to begin at the start of September, the Nevada State Treasurer’s office announced this week the availability of federal relief funds to help qualified individuals to remain in their homes. The $50 million will be divided into two categories – residential tenants will have access to a $30 million pool, and commercial tenants, $20 million.

Applicants would have to meet income qualifications and would have to have lost their employment due to COVID-related issues. In addition, applicants cannot receive Federal Housing Vouchers and the liquid resources of the entire household must not exceed $3,000.

According to reports, residents of Clark County will be able to apply for the federal coronavirus relief funds within the next week; in addition, tenants who are behind on their rent are encouraged to work with their landlords on a method and timetable of repayment of back monies owed. Landlords seeking back rent, on the other hand, would do well to inform their tenants of the federal relief program if they are unaware of it.

Editors Note: The photo used in this article, the Clark County Regional Government Center building in Laughlin, Nevada., is for editorial use only. It is credited to Felipe Sanchez and licensed through Shutterstock.com.

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, AirBnB has recently instituted a new policy in Las Vegas – as well as nationwide for that matter – which imposes restrictions on renting homes through their service for some local residents under the age of 25.

Individuals under the age of 25 will not be able to rent an entire home – as opposed to just a single room – through the AirBnB unless they have a previous, proven record of consisting of positive reviews from previous home rentals. A minimum of three positive reviews are required, and the reviews can be compiled from anywhere in the country; they do not have to be specifically situated in Las Vegas, AirBnB said.

If someone under the minimum age of 25 and without the required review credentials attempts to rent a home, they would automatically be blocked from doing so by the website; the rental will not be processed. A recent example AirBnB supplied was an 18 year-old Las Vegas resident who was unable to utilize the service.

The reasoning for the move on the part of AirBnB , according to a release they put out, is to help curb the spread of the conronavirus pandemic, citing public health mandates in place throughout the country. In addition, they noted that they typically have more issues with younger renters in general.

“We’re taking actions to support safe and responsible travel in the United States,” Airbnb said. “[Young people] wanting to get out of their situation get into an Airbnb with a pool, bigger backyard, bring their friends in and then obviously we know what happens when people have been locked up for the last three months.”

Henderson has reported several complaints from AirBnB rental houses, which may have contributed in-part to this new program.

This policy pertains to all United States residents under the age of 25, and only affects AirBnB listings near the area in which the under 25 year-old resident resides; these residents are able, however, to rent entire homes outside of the area where they live. Private rooms and hotel rooms are exempt from this clause, AirBnB says.

Editors Note: The photo used in this article, a woman installing AirBnB on a Lenovo tablet, is for editorial use only. It is credited to Daniel Krason and licensed through Shutterstock.com.

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 – Despite the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, house prices and sales totals in Las Vegas continued to break records in June, illustrating that the real estate industry is in the process of a very real comeback as Nevada’s economy slowly continues to reopen.

Las Vegas house prices hit a record high with the median price of a previously-owned single-family home hitting $350,000, representing a jump of 3.2 percent from the previous month and 6.9 percent from the same period of time last year.

In addition, the number of homes sold in June was also robust, with 2,464 changing hands; this represents a whopping 44.7 percent increase from May but still a drop of 15.1 percent from June 2019, showing that the pandemic is still taking a toll on overall sales numbers.

Nonetheless, despite sales activity remaining below 2019 levels, this activity represents a significant recovery for the industry as a whole.

Although, there could be just one fly in the ointment- as Las Vegas has been easing stay-at-home orders originally intended to curb the spread of the COVID-19, there have been reports of increased numbers of residents testing positive for the disease. If this surge is not contained or controlled, it could possibly lead to another round of quarantine orders and mandatory business closures. Hopefully, this will not be the case.

In addition, despite Nevada reopening its businesses and entertainment venues, it will take time to truly access the overall damage done to Las Vegas’ economy and job market, even if it indeed manages to avoid further COVID-related restrictions.

Regardless, it appears that the pandemic’s impact upon the housing market, while very real, was still less severe than experts had been warning. The industry evolving to adapt to the “new normal” helped to negate the impact to some degree, with agents resorting to virtual home tours and online paperwork to minimize contact with clients and maintain their sales.

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, the 35-story Circa Resort and Casino, originally slated to open its doors for business in December of 2020, has announced that they could now be open as soon as October.

The first five floors of the tower are scheduled to open October 28, just prior to Halloween; this includes everything except for the hotel tower, which will open at a later date.

The early opening is a milestone that owner Derek Stevens – also owner of the Golden Gate and the D Las Vegas hotel-casinos – attributes to the skill and speed of developer McCarthy Building Companies and construction manager Tre Builders.

“It was really the creativity of McCarthy and Tre Builders to get the first five floors open earlier,” Stevens said. “It’s exciting. During this crazy year of 2020, it’s great to have this story that we’re opening early.”

The Circa, clocking in at 1.25-million-square-feet, is located in downtown Las Vegas at 18 Fremont Street. It will have 777 guest rooms, five restaurants, a two-level casino, and a nine-story parking garage dubbed “Garage Mahal.” Above the casino will be a rooftop deck and amphitheater with six swimming pools and a 125-foot screen.

In addition to a plethora of amenities for guests, the Circa will also boast the largest sportsbook in the country. A sportsbook is a place where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, including golf, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, greyhound racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts. The Circa was designed by architecture and design firm Steelman Partners. The hotel-casino, initially announced at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center in January 2019, also holds the distinction of being the first downtown Vegas resort to be built from scratch – as opposed to the renovation or re-purposing of an existing structure – since 1975.

The Circa will employ 1,000 people when it opens. It is being constructed on the site of the former Las Vegas Club and Mermaids Casino, which were demolished in 2017.

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 – Due to open in late June 2020, shareDOWNTOWN – a new apartment complex located in Las Vegas’ downtown area – offers small, affordable apartments conveniently located within a busy employment area to give workers a local place to live within easy walking distance of their jobs, according to reports.

The apartment complex, which is four stories in height, will feature 63 one-bedroom units that are 480 square-feet in size, with a projected rent ranging from $1,100 to $1,300 per month. Most units will offer either city or mountain views, reports say.

When the complex opens later this month, the first 16 units will be made available with a limited early move-in special discount; the remaining units will be made available soon afterwards.

The building features an interior, open-air courtyard available to all residents that includes a large shade tree, landscaping, and a shared BBQ. Communal lounge areas on each floor offer free Wi-Fi, workspaces, private conference rooms, flat-screen smart TV and a wireless printer/scanner.

A unique aspect of shareDOWNTOWN will be a focus on healthy and active activity for its tennants; rather than one centralized gym or fitness facility location on the premises, as is the norm of most apartment complexes, shareDOWNTOWN will offer calisthenic exercise stations on each and every floor, eschewing complex machinery and equipment in favor of an “urban style workout.” shareDOWNTOWN’s exercise rooms will primarily rely on body-weight exercise stations that will provide for a full-body workout, making use of movements such as dips, pull-ups, push-ups, and more.

The apartments will feature enhanced security, including key-less front door locks, key fob main entry, fully secured garage and remotely monitored cameras. Developer Sam Cherry broke ground on shareDOWNTOWN last summer, with the original open date being May 2020. Cherry has previously developed two Las Vegas condo towers prior to shareDOWNTOWN- the 16-story Soho Lofts, and the 22-story Newport Lofts.

Rendering photo credit: shareDOWNTOWNLV on Facebook.

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, the Henderson City Council has voted on hiring a company to design and build an arena to serve as the home for the Henderson Silver Knights minor league hockey team. The new arena, which was approved last month despite opposition from the public will replace the Henderson Pavilion at Green Valley and Paseo Verde parkways.

Following approximately two hours of public comments from people both in favor of and against the development, the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company was awarded the project, with only one Councilman – Dan Stewart – voting against it, and another – John Marz – not present at the meeting.

The new venue, which was listed on the meeting agenda as having a top price of $70 million, currently calls for a structure that houses 6,100 seats and an on-site parking lot containing 1,400 spaces. In addition to hosting home games for the Silver Knights, it will also be available for community events such as music, performing arts, and graduations.

The cost of the project is expected to be divvied up evenly between the City of Henderson and the Vegas Golden Knights, who are the owners of the Silver Knights.

Some members of the community have come out against the new venue, mainly as it related to the use of public money towards its construction. Some residents have attempted to collect enough signatures in order to include the project on the ballot in the upcoming November election season in an attempt to stop the city from funding their share of it. Other concerns involve the potential impact upon the surrounding neighborhoods that construction could have.

The existing pavilion is under 20 years old, and has reportedly suffered from numerous issues that would take extensive renovations to correct. Construction on the new venue is slated to begin in August 2020.

The photo used, in this article showing a sign of the Henderson Silver Knights taken June 17, 2020, is for editorial use only. It is credited to Chara Stagram and licensed through Shutterstock.com.

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.