Category Archive : Real Estate

LAS VEGAS, NV – Real estate agents in Las Vegas – and, across the country – are paying very close attention to a current class action lawsuit filed by home sellers that, if successful, could have serious ramifications upon how realtors are compensated for the property transactions they handle. 

How compensation is currently handled for a real estate agent is that they are essentially paid the same commission from the seller regardless of their degree of experience; a newcomer will make the same exact amount as one that has been in the industry for many years. 

However, the plaintiffs in Moehrl v. National Association of Realtors (NAR) – a lawsuit filed in the state of Illinois against both NAR and several major real estate brokerage companies – argue that home buyers should pay for their own agents; this is opposed to the current practice in the industry, where the commission paid by the seller between buyer and seller agents is split, which the plaintiffs claim is anti-competitive. 

Speaking to a local Fox affiliate news station this week, Las Vegas-based real estate agent Steve Hawks expressed concerns that – should the plaintiffs prevail in their case – it could result in buyers being much choosier about who they work with, which could force many new real estate agents out of the industry altogether.  

If this lawsuit goes through, it would probably cut the agent count from 1.6 million to about 200,000,” he opined. “It’s going to impact agents that aren’t experienced.” 

Hawks said the reason that inexperienced realtors would be disproportionately affected in a negative way if the plaintiffs win their case is because if buyers are forced to shoulder the burden of paying fees in the event of a home sale, they will almost certainly want to go with an agent who has more experience in the field. 

If you’ve been in the business one day or 30 years, when you do a transaction on the MLS (Multiple Listing Services), you’re getting paid the same amount,” he said. “In the future, when the buyers see that it’s going to cost them money one way or the other with their agent, they’re going to start interviewing their buyer’s agent similarly to how sellers do their listing agent.” 

Jaime Solorzano is a newly licensed real estate agent in Las Vegas, and said that he isn’t worried about the outcome of the case considering how hot the local market is currently. 

It doesn’t scare me. There’s many obstacles you always have to overcome. That doesn’t put fear in me,” he said. “It’s actually going to become even better. People are attracted over here more. People are coming in often, often. Way more than usual.” 

Moehrl v. National Association of Realtors is expected to be decided at some point in 2024. 

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 – As per a new report released this week, when prospective homebuyers nationwide are looking for a new place to relocate, the Las Vegas valley is currently the most searched location out of entirety of the United States. 

Real estate brokerage Redfin noted that home buyers are being inspired to flock to Las Vegas by several notable factors, the most prominent of which being its extremely high degree of affordability when compared to other parts of the country. 

Buyers with the freedom and inclination to relocate are choosing Las Vegas largely because their money goes a long way there,” the report said. “Its typical home sells for $412,000, less than half the price of a home in Los Angeles, the most common origin for buyers moving to Las Vegas.” 

The data in the report was accumulated from searches conducted by approximately 2 million Redfin.com users between April 2023 and June 2023 and encompassed queries for homes currently on the market across over 100 major metropolitan areas. 

In addition, the Redfin report notes that in the second quarter of 2023, a full 25 percent of their users indicated that they were looking to relocate to a different metropolitan area other than where they currently reside, which constitutes a record number of the site’s users looking to move. 

The Redfin report is backed up by newly released research from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Center for Business and Economic Research, which indicates that 115 people are moving to Clark County on a daily basis. In fact, Clark County’s population is expected to grow by approximately 42,066 residents in 2023 alone, and the number of people moving there will continue to increase, according to UNLV, with that number possibly increasing to as many as 56,000 new residents in 2026. 

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 new high-rise apartment complex is slated to be constructed in Henderson – the first-ever located in the city – with the developers stating they plan to raise the bar in terms of luxury accommodations in the region. 

The complex – dubbed Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas, a fully-serviced luxury residential project – is set to break ground and begin construction at the end of 2023. It will take the form of two towers containing 171 homes, as well as six additional private villas to be located off-site in McDonald Highlands.  

Four Seasons, upon completion, will encompass 7,300 interior square feet and 5,000 exterior square feet, and is being built in partnership with Azure Resorts & Hotels and Luxus Developments. 

The developers describe the project as being a “single-family home, but in the sky,” with the units being marketed to families who are seeking to downsize from high-maintenance houses to a high-rise home with a similar layout. 

The project is also pioneering what they refer to as a “lock and leave” concept, wherein residents can leave their keys at the front desk when going away and have management watch over and maintain their home in their absence. 

Four Seasons will boast 24-hour staff and over 90,000 square feet of amenities, including media rooms, gyms, a golf simulator, an indoor jacuzzi, cryotherapy chamber, wine cellars, meeting rooms, indoor pools an on-site world-class chef with food delivery service, and more. Residents will also be able to access their units through private garages – complete with electric vehicle charging stations – or private elevators. 

Such lavish accommodations certainly don’t come cheap: the homes start at $3.5 million, with some of the high-end penthouses costing as much as $45 million and featuring extras such as large terraces and outdoor kitchens.  

50 residences have been sold already, according to the developer, totaling $250 million in sales so far; the project is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. 

For more information on Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas, please visit https://www.fourseasons.com/residences/private_residences/las-vegas/

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 – New data released by Las Vegas Realtors indicates the number of listings for new homes within the Las Vegas Valley have decreased by approximately 52 percent year-over-year in July, representing a historically low inventory of homes currently on the market. 

The housing market in Las Vegas is currently a one-of-a-kind occurrence, experts say, due to the limited number of homes available for sale along with numerous other mitigating factors – including high interest rates on home mortgage loans – that is creating a degree of demand not otherwise reflected by the majority of the real estate market in the rest of the country at the moment. 

A major example of this phenomena, according to Redfin, is the fact that out of all of the metropolitan areas in the United States, only Las Vegas saw an increase impending home sales in July. In fact, the new Las Vegas Realtors report notes that only 3,524 single-family homes were listed for sale last month without any offers, which represents a 4.2 percent decrease from June, and a whopping 51.9 percent decrease year-over-year. 

Redfin also reports that Las Vegas had a 43.4 percent drop in new listings over the course of the past month, the largest such decrease nationwide during that span of time. 

In addition to high demand, other factors that are reportedly driving the low housing inventory in the Las Vegas valley include a forbearance program instituted by the Federal Housing Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is allowing some homeowners to remain in their residences by means of reducing or outright pausing their mortgage payments. 

The number of homeowners currently taking advantage of this forbearance program potentially number in the thousands, reports say, with the period of time where mortgage payments don’t have to be made ranging anywhere from six to 18 months. 

And finally, homeowners who made purchases during the midst of the pandemic – when interest rates were historically low – are currently hesitant to put their homes on the market due to the low monthly payments they currently benefit from, especially with new interest rates at much higher levels. 

All of these factors have combined to create what experts say is a “perfect storm” in the Las Vegas housing industry, driving up demand – and subsequently, prices – of what homes are left available on the market.

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 housing market in Las Vegas continued its upward trend in July 2023, with the median price of a pre-existing, single-family home increasing by over $9,000 month-over-month, showing a sustained degree of growth that unfortunately was not shared in the city’s condominium and townhome markets. 

A new report released by Las Vegas Realtors indicates that the median value of a home in Las Vegas for July was $450,000, in contrast to just one month prior in June when that number was $440,990. 

That price increase can be contributed to several factors that continue to persist despite the fact that interest rates for home mortgages remain historically high. These factors include the high degree of demand combined with a shrinking amount of housing inventory in Southern Nevada, which is serving to drive up the value of what homes are remaining available on the market. 

The all-time record for the median price of a home in Las Vegas was $482,000, which was achieved in May of 2022. 

While the prices of homes in Las Vegas continued to climb in July, the lower demand for condos and townhomes resulted in the median price dropping to $273,500, a $1,500 month-to-month difference from June when that number was $275,000. 

In their report, Las Vegas Realtors noted that 83.2 percent of homes and 85.6 percent of condos and townhomes sold within 60 days in July 2023; this represents a significant year-over-year decrease, as 95.2 percent of homes and 95.7 percent of condos and townhomes sold within 60 days in July 2022. 

Another decrease in July came in the form of cash buyers for real estate, as they made up one-quarter of all sales for the month; in contrast, that percentage was one-third during the same period of time one year ago. 

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 – A sale of a home in Summerlin’s Summit Club community – dubbed the “Sky Summit” – topped Las Vegas residential real estate sales for the month of July, fetching a cool $15 million for its sellers. 

The Sky Summit was originally constructed in 2020 and is located on Vegas Hill Court; the residence comes in at 8,936 square feet in size – about twice the area of a basketball court – and boasts seven bedrooms, six full baths, two partial baths, a five-car garage, and is situated upon an 0.8 acre plot of land. 

The home features a French contemporary design and impressive views of mountains and a neighboring golf course. The kitchen has a granite island with bar seating, and the primary suite located on the first floor has two custom walk-in closets and a master bathroom that extends from the house and into the outdoors; it is surrounded by dense landscaping to maintain privacy. 

The second floor also features an additional living area with a kitchen and dining area, in addition to a private balcony and two bedrooms. 

This modern, open concept design truly embodies and captures the best of desert living,” the listing says. “With its floor-to-ceiling windows, pocket doors, private Zen courtyard, extensive shaded patios, pool deck and balcony, it truly is a resort unto itself. With smooth white stucco exterior and stone columns, the entrance ushers you into a grand foyer. A great room holds a seating area ringed by beautiful stone, and first and second-story windows allow gorgeous mountain views.” 

The home was purchased by Sweet World Delta LLC from homeowners Candace Carr Easdale and Jack Clarke. 

In addition, a MacDonald Highlands home in Henderson came in as the second-highest sale of July at $12.9 million, with third place going to a residence in Henderson’s Ascaya neighborhood that sold for $8.95 million. 

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 – An incredibly unique new home has hit the Las Vegas real estate market whose eye-catching pirate theme should nonetheless catch the attention of the desert city’s landlocked landlubbers, boasting an affordable price that ensures it will most likely not remain up for grabs for any great length of time. 

The home, located at 501 Sam Jonas Drive near Alta and Buffalo drives and currently listed for $349,999, features 4 bedrooms and three bathrooms spread out over 6,969 square feet. From the outside it’s a fairly normal, run-of-the-mill looking residence; however, once you walk through the front door, you’ll find yourself transported to a nautical paradise that Blackbeard the Pirate himself would be proud to call home. 

The living room has a coffee table with a built-in ceiling-high mast with a sale attached to it; rustic wood accents are everywhere you look; there is a pirate ship-styled DJ booth complete with a cardboard cutout of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow character from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies; there’s a decorative wooden plank bridge; atmospheric mood lighting; and numerous helms, skulls, plants, and 3-dimensional painted murals abound. 

Have you been tirelessly scouring the seven seas in search of a legendary treasure? Well, look no further, for your quest ends here,” the listing says. “Prepare to set sail on an extraordinary journey as every inch of this home is intricately customized to fit the captivating pirate theme.” 

Despite the steadfast reverence to the old days of high sea piracy, the home is not lacking in modern amenities as well, including a recently updated roof and air conditioning unit. 

If your creative soul is seeking a truly unique and unparalleled abode, set your course for a true treasure that awaits your claim,” the listing says. 

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 – What’s the point in buying yourself a swanky new mansion in a high-end Las Vegas neighborhood if you don’t have a fancy sports car to park in front of it? That’s the marketing approach that one seller is taking, offering a free Ferrari along with the $4.8 million Henderson mansion he’s selling if the buyer in question meets or exceeds the residence’s listed price. 

Realtor Jordan Betten said that offering the fancy Italian sports car as an added bonus is an experiment; if successful, it’s something that he plans on expanding upon with his future luxury real estate offerings. 

This is definitely a thinking-outside-of-the-box approach towards selling Las Vegas luxury homes,” he said. “If this marketing technique is successful, we plan on including a Lamborghini with our next luxury listing coming up in MacDonald Highlands for $7 million.” 

The estate up for grabs is located at 22 Anthem Pointe Court, comes in at an impressive 8,414 square-feet in size, and boasts seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. It also features a number of lush amenities, including a movie theater, climate-controlled wine cellar, outdoor pergola, sports bar, steam room, and a secret hidden library. 

22 ANTHEM POINTE COURT, HENDERSON – $4,800,000.00

The seller of the house also owns the Ferrari that is being offered, which is a 2010 California model with low mileage that is estimated to be worth anywhere between $100,000 and $115,000. This is certainly an enticing bonus item, and the idea for its inclusion in the sale was inspired by a question from a prospective buyer during an early showing of the residence, according to Betten. 

They asked when they saw the owner’s Ferrari parked in the garage, ‘Does the car come with the house?’ My response was, ‘Give us a cash offer at list price or higher, and we will get you the Ferrari included.’” he said. “We decided that even though the luxury market has been competitive with low inventory for buyers, especially for modernized and remodeled homes, why not add some icing on the cake to make our listing stand out?” 

See full listing details for 22 Anthem Pointe Ct, Henderson

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 – Las Vegas residents are being cautioned about a new trend that is sweeping across the nation involving brazen scammers clandestinely attempting to sell other people’s real estate right out from underneath them without their knowledge, a move that can obviously be extremely disorienting and distressing to the victims involved. 

One recent example of this fraud comes from Nevada’s neighboring state of California when Laguna Hills resident Bernie Gates received a shocking letter in the mail informing him that a property he had owned in Boulder City had been listed for sale in March for $175,000 – without his knowing about it – and had just found a buyer. 

The scammer had listed the property with a real estate agency, and then upon news of the sale a title company had sent Gates – still legally listed as the owner-of-record – a certified letter informing him of the transaction. 

Gates, quite understandably, was utterly blindsided since he had never listed the property for sale. He subsequently had the sale cancelled and notified the authorities, narrowly avoiding falling prey to a new form of fraud that Landmark Title of Nevada President Greg Hulett noted is especially worrisome due to the utter brazenness of its perpetrators. 

You hear about people stealing cars, but who the hell steals houses?” he said. “Who steals land?” 

While it may be difficult to understand how such a scam could actually take place in this day and age, experts say that attempting it can actually be fairly easy, as a fraudster attempting to sell another person’s property may not actually be required to prove they actually own it, at least initially. 

Nevada real estate agents are not mandated to verify that their clients own the properties they’re attempting to sell, as per state law; practically any individual can list a property for sale online without offering any proof whatsoever that it belongs to them. These scammers are also able to carry out sales utilizing phone and e-mail correspondence, and often will use fake forms of identification to hoodwink their victims into believing that they are the actual owners of the property in question. 

While some victims are able to discover the scam and thwart it before it is too late, others who fall prey to it are often forced to go through extensive court proceedings to get their property back; in addition, hoodwinked buyers often will have to file insurance claims to get their stolen money reimbursed, which can often be a lengthy and stress-inducing process.  

So, if you are a property owner or buyer in Southern Nevada – or anywhere else in the country – it pays to take extra precautions whenever buying or selling real estate and to make sure that the individual you are dealing with really is who they claim to be. 

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 new report by online real estate brokerage Redfin, in June 2023 Las Vegas’ real estate marketplace experienced the largest year-over-year decline in the number of new home listings when compared to the rest of the nationwide market. 

Las Vegas came in first out of the 50 biggest United States metro areas when it came to the decline of new home listings in June, with a 47.5 percent decrease when compared to the same period of time one year prior. The remaining cities in the top five, in order, were Phoenix, Arizona (41.1 percent), Riverside, California (36 percent), Oakland, California (34.9 percent) and New Brunswick, New Jersey (34 percent). 

The main reason attributing to these numbers is due to a general lack of inventory of new homes across the country, with the resulting demand beginning to reignite a phenomenon that existed during the pandemic where homes are once again starting to sell for more than their initial asking prices.  

Redfin noted that the average sale to list price ratio has hit 100.1 percent, the first time this has occurred in almost a year. 

A lack of homes for sale is the main reason homes are selling above their asking price, with new listings down 25 percent from a year ago and the total number of homes for sale down 12 percent as homeowners hang onto relatively low mortgage rates,” the report says. “Despite the double dilemma of low inventory and high prices, early-stage homebuyer demand is picking up.” 

In addition, Las Vegas also came in second among metro cities in terms of the biggest year-over-year drops of home sale prices in June; first place in that category was Austin, Texas, which saw a 9.8 percent decline when compared to June 2022, followed by Vegas (7.6 percent), Detroit, Michigan (6 percent), Oakland, California (5.9 percent)m and Fort Worth, Texas (5.7 percent). 

The top cities that saw the largest year-over-year home sale price increases were, respectively, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (11.2 percent), Providence, Rhode Island (8 percent), Newark, New Jersey (6.3 percent), Miami, Florida (6.2 percent) and West Palm Beach, Florida (5.5 percent). 

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 rental market in Las Vegas growing by leaps and bounds as of late, this positive situation has unfortunately also given rise to an equally hazardous one – an exponential increase in the number of rental scams, which have already cost would-be renters of homes and condos in the valley thousands of dollars. 

Patsy Wagner had wanted to move to Las Vegas; unbeknownst to her, the individual she contacted about a home they claimed to be renting was a scammer, who took her for a $950 down payment but then never showed up at the address to meet her in person. 

I cannot tell you how many times I sat there for two hours waiting for this scammer to show up and never showed up. He had excuses,” she said. “I never thought this would happen to me. I’m supposed to be smarter than that.” 

Unfortunately, Wagner’s experience mirrors that of a growing number of people in the Las Vegas real estate market as of late; experts say the problem is mainly caused by people who are not utilizing licensed realtors when looking for a rental. 

If they would have used a licensed realtor, I’m pretty confident that maybe none of them would have been scammed,” said one local realtor, who noted that he had had six clients who had come to him after being scammed out of as much as $3,000 beforehand. 

Many scammers prey upon their victims by creating a “phantom rental,” which is essentially a fake listing; some of them even manage to gain access to lock box codes to show houses to individuals who are interested in renting them, which adds a veneer of legitimacy to their attempted grift. 

Expert say that the best way to avoid being scammed when looking to rent a house or condo is to only deal with a licensed realtor, and to try not paying any money up front if possible. In addition, never wire money, don’t provide a security deposit or first month’s rent before signing a lease, and be especially wary of property owners or realtors who do not wish to meet you in person.  

In addition, if you are the victim of a scam, you can report it to the Better Business Bureau of Southern Nevada by clicking here. 

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 – Being a landlord of a rental property typically comes with many responsibilities, and one of the major ones is dealing with regular upkeep, maintenance, and repairs that will inevitably be required as a result of not only normal wear and tear, but tenant negligence, acts of nature, or a variety of other factors. Issues could range from a leaky faucet or broken water pipe all the way up to replacing an HVAC System or even an entire roof.  

But while approaching a maintenance or repair job may seem fairly straightforward to the uninitiated, exactly who a landlord chooses to employ to go about it can have major financial repercussions for them, as well as their management company, if they are not familiar with the laws in their state that mandate licensure requirements based on the size and complexity of the job at hand. 

The Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) is a quasi-governmental consumer protection and advocacy agency empowered by the state – according to their website – to ensure “the integrity and professionalism of the construction industry in Nevada. The NSCB has the responsibility to promote quality construction by Nevada licensed contractors through a regulatory licensing system designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.”

Essentially, the NSCB is tasked with “determining the qualifications of applicants prior to licensing, setting forth conditions for licenses, such as limiting the field and scope of the operations of a licensed contractor, bond requirements and establishing maximum contractual limits.” The NSCB is also empowered to create rules and regulations governing the construction industry within the boundaries of the state, and is able to enforce them by levying penalties upon violators, such as fines and other punitive measures.

One particular aspect of NSCB regulations that Nevada landlords should be especially careful to abide by comes to the type of individuals or companies they employ when conducting repairs on their rental properties. While a local handyman who does not meet specific NSCB licensing requirements may be acceptable to conduct minor maintenance or repairs upon a property, any work that goes above the value of $1,000 – and if it requires a specialty license such as electrical, plumbing and heating, refrigeration and air conditioning, roofing and siding, or so on – must be carried out by NSCB-licensed contractors who are considered experts at their respective trades.  

Not adhering to this important aspect of Nevada state law (NRS 624) can see a landlord slapped by the NSCB with numerous penalties, including significant fines and more.

Landlords should also beware of repairmen who tout themselves as being a “licensed handyman,” as no such thing actually exists within the state of Nevada. While anyone conducting business in the state must possess a business license, this is not the same thing as having a contractor’s license granted to qualified individuals or companies by the NSCB. Based on this fact, the scope of services that a handyman is able to provide in the state is curtailed by law, and attempting to circumvent that law for any reason could result in serious consequences. 

For one, a landlord could find themselves fined or otherwise penalized by the NSCB, as mentioned earlier in this document. But perhaps even more importantly, work carried out by an unlicensed handyman who does not meet the skill requirements mandated by state law could potentially carry out extremely shoddy repairs that ultimately could result in additional expenditures down the line at best, and potential danger to a landlord’s tenants and/or property at worst. 

Under Nevada state law (NRS 624.031), there are also numerous aspects of home repair and maintenance that are illegal to be carried out by a handyman, unlicensed contractor, or homeowner who intends to either sell or lease the residence within one year. These illegal acts include work normally performed by a licensed Plumbing, Electrical, or HVAC contractor; any work that requires an official permit to carry out; a job where the combined cost of material and labor are in excess of $1,000; and any work related to safety measures. 

Also, according to the NSCB, contracting without a license is considered a crime in the state of Nevada; as per the agency’s website, “It is unlawful for any person or combination of persons to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor within the state of Nevada or submit a bid on a job situated within this state without having an active license.”

The first offense is a misdemeanor, second offense a gross misdemeanor, and third offense a Class E felony, according to the NSCB. 

As you can see, the facts clearly speak for themselves; a properly responsible landlord should always leave major repair work to properly licensed professionals, without fail. Cutting corners with a handyman just to hold onto a few bucks or avoid red tape can cost you way more than you save in the long run. 

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.