Jeff Howard's Las Vegas Area Real Estate blog

Avast Ye! Today is National Talk Like a Pirate Day!

I just earned my sea captain’s license. To be specific, 50-ton Master Near Coastal with a Sailing Endorsement. I also happen to love pirate culture (the fantasy pirates that is… there are still real pirates on the seas and I am not a fan of them). These terms will have you talking like a pirate in no time. From greetings to insults, you’ll be ready for anything, so get a little silly today and pepper these into any conversation you can. It’ll be fun, I promise!

Greetings and Exclamations
Learn to say “hello” the pirate way!

ahoy – hello
Avast ye! – Stop you!; pay attention!
blimey – something said when one is in a state of surprise
heave ho – instruction to put some strength into whatever one is doing
Savvy? – a question that means, “Do you understand?”
Shiver me timbers! – an expression used to show shock or disbelief
Sink me! – an exclamation of great surprise
yo ho ho – possibly from yo-heave-ho, a chant when doing strenuous work, but also can be used to call attention to the speaker

Insults, Threats, and Dark Omens
Need to threaten or insult someone in pirate lingo?

bilge-sucking – an insult indicating someone drank dirty bilge water from the bottom of the ship
black spot – a death threat (found in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
blow the man down – it possibly means getting knocked to the ground or killed (found in a 19th-century sea shanty)
cleave him to the brisket – cut a man nearly in half with a sword
dance with Jack Ketch – to hang (Jack Ketch was slang for the hangman)
dead men tell no tales – the reason given for leaving no survivors
give no quarter – show no mercy; pirates raised a red flag to threaten no quarter
landlubber – a person who is uncomfortable, or not incredibly skilled, at sea
lily-livered – an insult for someone who displays cowardice
keelhaul – a punishment in which someone was dragged back and forth under the ship
mutiny – a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes forcibly removing the old one
scallywag – an inexperienced pirate, considered an insult
scurvy dog – an insulting name
shark bait – If you’re made to walk the plank, chances are you’ll be shark bait. Also, a dying sailor whose body will soon be thrown into the sea
son of a biscuit eater – an insult
walk the plank – A punishment, probably more myth than truth, which entails making someone walk off the side of the ship along a plank. The person’s hands were often tied so he couldn’t swim and drowned (and then fed the fish).

Slang
Understand what pirates have to say with popular pirate slang.

briney deep – the ocean
cackle fruit – hen’s eggs
clap of thunder – a strong alcoholic drink
dance the hempen jig – to be hanged
Davy Jones’ locker – mythological place at the bottom of the sea where drowned sailors were said to go
feed the fish – if you lose a sea fight, your body will feed the fish
fire in the hole – a canon that is loaded and ready to fire
hang the jib – to frown or scowl
hearties – friends and comrades
hempen halter – the noose used to hang people
hornswaggle – to cheat, swindle
no prey, no pay – an agreement meaning the crew wouldn’t get paid but took a share of any loot
peg leg – a wooden leg
run a rig – play a trick
sea legs – when a pirate can walk comfortably on a moving ship
scuttle – to sink a ship
scuttlebutt – a cask of drinking water; slang for gossip
swashbuckler – a daredevil
three sheets to the wind – someone who is quite drunk

Phrases Related to Pirate Ships and Crew
Next time you’re aboard a ship, you’ll be able to speak like a pirate.

all hands hoay – everyone on the deck
batten down the hatches – a signal to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm
bilge – the lowest decks of the ship, often filled with water.
binnacle – where the compass is kept on board the ship
black jack – a pirate flag; a large tankard
buccaneer – name for a pirate mainly found in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries
coaming – a surface that prevented water on the deck from dripping to lower levels of the ship
coxswain (pronounced cox-en) – the helmsman
crow’s nest – the place on the ship where the lookout stand is built
duffle – a sailor’s belongings and the bag they were carried in
dungbie – rear end of the ship
flibustier – name for the American pirates found around the West Indies during the Golden Age of Piracy
freebooter – a pirate or looter, from the same origin as flibustier, someone who took loot or booty
head – toilet on board the ship
Jacob’s ladder – rope ladder that was used to climb aboard ships
Jolly Roger – the famous pirate flag with a skull and crossbones on it
man-o-war – the name used for a pirate ship that is heavily armed and ready for battle
old salt – a sailor that has a great deal of experience on the seas
orlop – lowest deck in the ship where cables are stored
poop deck – deck that is the highest and farthest back
privateer – a sailor sponsored by the government, paid by what he could plunder from an enemy, technically a step up from a pirate
rigging – the lines and ropes that held the sails
seadog – an old sailor or pirate

Terms About Money and Weapons
Of course, no pirate conversation would be complete without the right words for weapons and treasure.

booty – treasure or loot
bounty – the reward for a deed
cat o’ nine tails – a whip with nine separate strands on the end
chase gun – a cannon at the prow, or front, of a ship
coffer – a chest full of treasure
cutlass – type of sword used by the pirates
doubloons – Spanish gold coins
pieces of eight – Spanish coins

Do you have a need for commercial/industrial/retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? Do you want a guaranteed cash offer? We can help you with all of that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Home Sellers’ Tax-Free Profits Aren’t A One-Time Opportunity

Did you know this important detail? The tax code authorizes “exclusions” that allow home sellers to completely avoid federal and state income taxes on sizable portions of their profits when they sell the principal (main) residences. That means tax-free profit on the first $500,000 for married couples who file joint returns and $250,000 for single filers and couples who file separate returns.

Plus contrary to what many sellers believe, the exclusions aren’t one-time opportunities. They can avail themselves of the exclusions as often as every two years. And you no longer need to buy a replacement home to qualify! (many, many years ago, you did)

The law allows a seller we’ll call “Barbara” to qualify for the exclusion, and she only has to satisfies two requirements:

She has owned and lived in the property as her principal residence or main home for at least two years out of the five-year period that ends on the date of sale.
She can’t have excluded the gain on the sale of another principal residence within the two years that precede the sale date.

An accommodating Internal Revenue Service cuts the seller some slack on the two years that they occupy the home. Plus the two years don’t have to be consecutive; they can actually be off and on for a total of two full years. Like maybe you lived there for a while, and you moved out and turned it in to a rental for a couple of years, then you moved back in and then you sold it. As long as it was your main home for 2 of the previous 5 years, you’re good!

What about short temporary absences for vacations or other seasonal absences? No problem, says the IRS. It’s OK for the seller to count them as periods of owner use. This holds true even if the seller rents out the property during the absences.

The IRS doesn’t limit exclusions to sales of conventional single-family homes.

It considers Barbara’s principal residence to be any of the following:

A condominium.
A cooperative apartment.
Her portion of a multi-unit apartment building.
A house trailer.
A mobile home.
A houseboat or yacht that has facilities for cooking, sleeping and sanitation (although boats and mobile homes don’t usually go up in value).
A vacation retreat that she moves into full time after retirement.

Another plus: The location of her principal residence doesn’t matter. It can be outside the U.S.

Partial profit exclusions. Let’s say Barbara sells another home within the previous two years or fails to satisfy the ownership and use requirements; all is not lost. She may be able to claim a partial exclusion.

Primary reasons for sales.The IRS permits sellers to avail themselves of reduced exclusions only when the primary reasons are health problems (for example, if Barbara moves to a new school district for her special-needs child); changes in employment; or certain unforeseen circumstances, broadly defined to include divorces or legal separations, or natural or man-made disasters that cause residential damage — floods, for example.

An example: Barbara is single and has lived in her dwelling for just 12 months before she moves to a new job in another city. She can exclude a gain of as much as $125,000 — 12 months divided by 24 months, or 50% of her maximum allowable $250,000 exclusion.

The bottom line? Don’t make assumptions about what you may or may not be taxed on if you decide to sell. Talk with a tax professional to make sure you get everything you’re entitled to understand the rules. I have had a few clients over the years decide to go ahead and sell because they found out their profit is tax-free!

(BTW – if you want to sell your investment property and legally defer the taxes indefinitely, there is a way to do that too, but we’ll save that for another day – or you can call me)

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Industrial is the ‘Darling’ of Commercial Real Estate

The commercial real estate industry in Southern Nevada began 2022 on an upswing despite the lingering pandemic effects, supply chain constraints and threatening inflation.

Looking at the end of the third quarter, we are seeing headlines today that are contradictory.

Is it Inflation or stagnation? Are we in a recession or has the definition changed? The jobs report is healthy; however, some companies are laying off hundreds and thousands at a time.

Let’s review where we are today and speculate what the outlook for the rest of 2022 looks like. Should you hit the gas, or pump the brakes?

■ The Fed increased interest rates to offset the high inflation rate. In the short run, that has slowed down transaction sales volume, especially so in the runaway residential sector, and for levered buyers in the commercial sector. Given the limited supply of quality products and high demand to place capital, pricing should hold or be slow to decline until sold comparables have a chance to reset the sellers’ expectations. Expect softened pricing over the medium to long term.

■ The local office sector started waning midyear after experiencing a significant upswing during the first part of 2022. Southern Nevada’s inventory expanded by more than 382,000 square feet of new office space. With 41 percent of this space pre-leased, this will add as much as 225,000 square feet of vacant space to the local market. Look for vacancy rates to increase, with the understanding that this is a healthy increase. Southern Nevada has not added quality inventory since the Great Recession.

■ The industrial sector is expected to remain strong as the “darling” of commercial real estate through the remainder of 2022. Prompted by the exponential growth of e-commerce, Southern Nevada’s industrial inventory recently expanded by more than 753,000 square feet, while 1.3 million square feet of space was absorbed. This brought industrial vacancy down to 1.3 percent. That is the lowest industrial vacancy rate ever recorded in Southern Nevada. Plus, demand remains high, keeping developers busy and bringing capital sources to the market.

■ Southern Nevada’s retail market just had its strongest quarter since the fourth quarter of 2021, with net absorption surging to 459,545 square feet. Deliveries of new retail space were light, bringing vacancy down to 4.8 percent, the lowest rate since the Great Recession. Looking toward the end of the year, the local retail market should continue to do well, despite high inflation, and supply chain disruptions.

■ Commercial developers look to be positioning themselves for an expanding market in 2023 and beyond. Local land sales remained solid in the second quarter of 2022, with residential land dominating among all land types and industrial land sales falling significantly (most likely because parcels have been picked off). The average price per square foot for land in the Las Vegas Valley changed a little to $497,891 per acre, compared to $500,069 per acre during the previous quarter. On a year-over-year basis, the average price of land

■ Hospitality metrics for Southern Nevada saw room inventory increase by more than 3 percent, from 146,723 units a year ago to nearly 152,000 rooms through May 2022. Over the last year, Las Vegas saw the completion of Resorts World and the renovation/rebranding of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and the re-opening of the Palms Casino Resort. These properties added over 5,700 rooms and 540,000 square feet of convention space to the local inventory. Room occupancy averaged 83.3 percent through the second quarter of the year, an increase from 77.3 percent for the last quarter of 2021. Through May 2022, year-to-date visitor volume stood at 15.3 million people, representing 45.1 percent annual growth.

■ Business tourism figures are still down 34 percent compared to 2019. Las Vegas has not seen a complete return of its international business. That is not expected to recover until 2024. Despite these gloomy stats, Harry Reid International Airport set a new record for passengers in June 2022 (4,683,156), a 22.9 percent increase from June 2021. By midyear 2022, the airport has seen 52.4 percent more passengers (24,279,867) than the same time last year.

If you only look at the economic numbers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a problem with Southern Nevada’s economy. At worst, you could point to growth being slower in 2022 than 2021. This isn’t surprising, given that 2021 was being compared to 2020, the year of lockdowns.

Over the past three years, we have matured and added capacity in many ways. Newly completed projects include the West Hall expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center, Resorts World, Circa Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium.

Pending projects in the pipeline are MSG Sphere, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Hard Rock Las Vegas, UnCommons and Durango Casino &Resort by Station Casinos. Formula 1 is coming for sure. Major League Baseball is still flirting, and the NBA is like an imminent speculation.

When most economy experts look at what’s happening and what’s to come, they like the odds. As Las Vegas continues to navigate the current economy, the city will continue to do what it always does; we reinvent ourselves, bigger and better!

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Some Homeowners ask: How Can I Package My Home to Impress Buyers?

Even the hardiest shopper has difficulty remembering each home they visited after a full day of house-hunting. As a seller, you want to feature your property’s benefits as a great way to be sure your home stands out. The following marketing strategies have been used successfully in selling many homes. They could very well work for you too!

Creativity Counts

You can make a poster or photo album or even a loose-leaf binder showing your home’s best attributes which can be attractively displayed on your dining table or near the front door. Home shoppers appreciate take-home flyer as a memory-jogger, for later study. The flyer should always include the property address, price, and a brief description .

Focus on Features

Every home a buyer is looking at has its own outstanding features. When you and I talk about a marketing strategy for your home, we will consider what to include in your display and on the flyer. Here are some worthwhile ideas.

Capital improvements. Including project description, year completed and your investment in the improvements.
Upgrades or replacements. List new appliances, paint, wallpaper, attic fan—anything you’ve accomplished that buyers won’t have to do after they move in. You can mention special features and benefits. For example: “Easy-care kitchen range with self-cleaning oven, sealed burners, electronic ignition, digital controls etc.
Energy-saving features. Important to list money-saving extra insulation, high-efficiency heating/cooling system, and thermal double-pane windows.
Mention affordable property taxes. Buyers want to know!
Provide a floor plan. Room arrangement and dimensions are important when the buyer is thinking about their furniture. Home builders and renovators can often provide floor plans, or one can be drawn for your home.
Gardening highlights. Have pictures to show the work you’ve done. Identify trees and plants, especially if you have unusual ones. Provide photos of bushes and flowers in full bloom, if you’re selling off-season.
Pre-listing home inspection report. Impress buyers with proof of your home’s excellent condition. Show receipts for correcting any problems the inspector noted.
Neighborhood map. Highlight nearby schools, convenient transportation, shopping, parks, libraries, hospitals and any other amenities or points of interest.
School data. Feature excellent schools. Mention honors and awards, good student-teacher ratios, sports and athletics, drama presentations and special programs (i.e. for learning disabilities or English as a second language).
Neighborhood information. List HOA dues (if any), annual community events, Neighborhood Watch programs etc. If yours is a friendly, quiet neighborhood, be sure buyers know it!
Community services. Include helpful information such as days for recyclable material and bulk trash pick-ups, availability of swimming pools, children’s summer day camps, adult education and so on.

For more ideas on making a lasting impression with potential buyers, CALL me Jeff Howard, your realtor for life. I have many ways to make your home stand out when you decide to sell so potential buyers will have a great impression of your home.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

What is a HELOC and Why Would I Want One?

Home values have risen dramatically in the last few years, and many homeowners would like to tap into their equity to make home improvements or go on a great vacation or even payoff some high interest credit cards, but they don’t want to refinance their primary mortgage because the rate they have is much better than today’s rates. If you purchased your home 2 years ago or more, chances are you have significant equity. Or maybe you have paid so much of the mortgage down that you’ve and now you wish you had held onto some of that cash.

Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs) are a very popular option for homeowners in this very situation. They’re flexible loans that give you a lot of options and time to decide what you want to do with your equity. However they can also be a bit confusing because they don’t work like a more traditional home loan.

HELOCs Are Lines of Credit

HELOCs are unlike a traditional home equity loan, where you borrow a set amount all at once, and then repay it. HELOCs are lines of credit that they work much more like a credit card than a mortgage. You’re approved for a maximum amount that represents the most money you can charge to your HELOC (just like with a credit card), and your payments are based on how much of that line of credit you’ve used.

If you max out your HELOC, you can pay it down and charge again, just like with a credit card. Unlike a credit card, however, your home is being used as the security for this loan, so if you get in over your head, your home is at risk of foreclosure. So you must be very careful with this particular kind of credit line. Of course rates are almost always a lot lower than your credit card rates.

HELOCs Have Two Separate Loan Periods

HELOCs start out as open lines of credit, allowing you to charge or pay off as much as you wish at any given time. You’re usually expected to make at least an interest payment each month, but beyond that, you can charge a lot or a little and only pay based on the percentage of the credit line you’ve utilized. This is known as the “draw” period.

This period of the HELOC, where it functions as a line of credit, is usually about 10 years, but can be more or less, depending on the specific terms. Immediately following this period, your HELOC becomes a set loan, and you can no longer charge anything else to the line of credit.

In this repayment period, your HELOC becomes much more like a traditional second mortgage, with a payment that’s based on the amount of credit you ultimately used during the draw period. From here on, your payment is more or less fixed, but can vary if you have an adjustable-rate loan. The repayment period is usually about 20 years, but, again, can be different based on your agreement with your bank.

There is often a balloon payment due at the end of the repayment period, so if this is a concern for you, make sure that your loan either will fully amortize or that you’re paying extra each month to ensure your last payment takes your note to a zero balance.

HELOC Requirements

Just like other home equity loans, you’ll need to qualify for a HELOC with a reasonable credit score (ask your lender for specifics), a debt-to-income ratio of about 40% or below, and a high amount of home equity. Most lenders won’t lend more than about 85% of your home’s equity back to you, in case of default.

There are exceptions to all of these rules of thumb, so it’s very important to understand the specifics of the loan program you have chosen. You’ll also need an appraisal to assess the current value of your home, as well as minimal closing paperwork to finalize and record the loan and there is typically an annual fee.

Need Help to Find Your HELOC Lender?

If you need a recommendation for a lending company to use for a HELOC – CALL me Jeff Howard, your realtor for life. I have a list of great lenders that I trust and I would be happy to recommend.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Stock Investors are Considering Multifamily, Commercial Real Estate as Another Way to Invest

The primary place to investment in the United States has always been stocks and bonds. In fact, the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio is a standard that many investors follow, however this trend of investment points to one of the most stable long-term investments out there: real estate.

In the last 12 months, ending June 30, 2022, all aspects of the stock market were down. The S&P 500 was down 11 percent, Dow Jones Index was down 14 percent and Nasdaq was down 22 percent. The volatile Bitcoin went down 68 percent.

In the meantime, the real estate rent amounts continued to increase during that same period, meaning profits continued to climb for investors.

The annual rent for multifamily properties grew an average of 13.5 percent during 2021 (which is admittedly higher than historical increases) so multifamily properties generated the highest average returns among real estate classes in 2021. This is a trend that has been going on for the last 40 years.

A point you should consider is that real estate does not follow the typical stock market swings. Stocks and bonds follow the stock market ebb and flow, and multifamily properties are independent of those swings. While this may mean that real estate doesn’t see large swings in gains and losses like some stocks do, it does mean that return profits are more stable and consistent.

Multifamily properties give the strongest average total return (9.75 percent), according to a 2017 report by CBRE Research, however, there are also other types of properties that give average total returns over eight percent as well; hotel (9.61 percent), industrial (9.57 percent) and retail (9.44 percent) & office properties (8.38 percent).

The main reason that multifamily properties top the list is that millennials have a solid desire not to own their homes properties, and now baby boomers have started renting more, as well.

Lease agreements for multifamily rentals also typically last just one year, allowing for faster increases over office, industrial and retail leases, which are typically five years or more.

I remember one of my real estate mentors once telling me “The stock market is a great place to have your money… when it’s not in real estate”.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Due Diligence is a Lot More than a Home Inspection

The Due Diligence in your purchase contract is more than just a home inspection! You need to verify, confirm and sign off that you are OK with every aspect of the home you intend to buy. Here are some more important items that should be included in your due diligence as a home buyer.

Verify & Obtain Historical Water Usage

Verifying water usage is very important. While a good home inspector makes every effort to detect an underground water leak in the course of a home inspection (i.e., checking water meter for movement,) they do not have the ability to spot underground water leaks because this is a visual service as defined by NAC 645D, an underground leak may be detected by excessive water usage.

You can call your water provider to verify water usage and historical use by going to their website or calling them.

Review Homeowner’s Association (AKA CIC or HOA) Documentation

After the seller sends a written request to the HOA, in Nevada, that HOA has 10 days to deliver the documents, and the prospective purchaser has 5 days to review and approve those documents. If a prospective purchaser disapproves the documents, they have the right to cancel the purchase contract, not ask for changes.

Verify School Zoning

If schools are important to you, utilize the school’s online zoning tools to verify school zoning. Do not rely solely on what the listing agent stated. For Clark County Nevada schools, go here: https://www.ccsd.net/schools/zoning/ For other areas, ask Google.

Verify Value with an Appraisal

You will want to verify the value of the home:

a) an independent CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) that can be done by your real estate agent (me)

b) a licensed appraiser (even if you are paying with cash). Try not to rely on online valuation sites as they are notoriously unreliable sources. They gather date but can’t actually visit the house being valued. A trained human brain and eyeballs is your best source for valuation!

Check for Kitec Re-Plumb

If the home you are buying was built in between 1996 through 2006, Kitec may be an issue. A good inspector does their best to look for signs of defective Kitec plumbing. If they find signs, or even if you are just curious, you may check to see if the home had a Kitec re-plumb as part of the class action lawsuit:

http://kitec.totalclasssolutions.com/pages/propertysearch

If built with Kitec and not replumbed, you will want to ensure you are getting enough of a discount to make it worth having the replumb done professionally after you buy it.

Review Title Report

You will receive a Preliminary Title report from the Title agency that you selected on your contract. Review the Title report for any inconsistencies, liens, encumbrances or red flags. These documents can be a little confusing, so ask your Title Officer if you have any questions. Title and Escrow Officers are often the same people in the Las Vegas market. Make sure you return the information sheet promptly to your Escrow Officer when you receive it.

Verify Building Permits

Many property owners (especially flippers) do not hire licensed contractors so you will really want to verify permits issued (or the lack of) if extensive work was done to the home you are purchasing!

Here are your resources for verifying permits:

City of Las Vegas: https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Business/Permits-Licenses/Building-Permits/Permit-Application-Status

Clark County: https://citizenaccess.clarkcountynv.gov/citizenaccess/Cap/CapHome.aspx?module=Building&TabName=Building

City of Henderson: https://eportalprod.cityofhenderson.com/ePortalProd/Permit/Search

City of North Las Vegas: http://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com/departments/ldcs/building_safety.php

Review Seller’s Real Property Disclosure (SRPD) & Any Other Disclosures

Sellers are required, by law, to disclose property defects. This includes, but is not limited to “non-traditional” sellers: investors, flippers, bank owned entities, etc. There are very few exclusions to this law.

It is important to remember SRPD’s convey with the property and run with title, so this should be a comprehensive disclosure of the property’s history.

Check Crime Statistics

Crime Mapping – https://www.crimemapping.com/ – is an excellent tool. You can plug the address of the home you are purchasing into the website and set yourself up for alerts to be sent directly to your email. Just make sure that you put your current address in the map as well for comparison. There is probably more crime in your own neighborhood than you think, and I wouldn’t want you to walk away from a great property because it looks like they have a lot of crime, when in fact, it may have less crime than your current neighborhood.

Verify Zoning

Verify Zoning with your local zoning office. There is always a lot of new construction in the Las Vegas valley and you will want to make sure that all land zoned around you is acceptable to your needs.

Order a C.L.U.E. Report

A C.L.U.E. report is also known as “Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange”. You may obtain this report from your home insurance providers. Some insurers will provide it for free and some will charge a nominal fee.

You do not want to go through all of this due diligence process to find out in the end that the home you are purchasing is uninsurable due to a large claim in the past.

Research & Order Your Home Warranty

Having a home warranty can save you from spending a lot of money on replacing water heaters, appliances, and many other systems in your home. I have Dwellness Home warranty. They are local and have their own techs and I think they are great! Many HW companies are terrible, so if you have had terrible experiences in the past, ask me about Dwellness.

Check for Airplane Noise

Is the home you’re buying directly under a common flight path? And if it is, does that bother you when you’re inside?

Review and Turn Around Documentation to Your Lender Promptly

If you are working with a Lender, make sure you turn around paperwork quickly to avoid last minute closing delays. Also, do not make any large credit purchases (like a car) because this could throw off your ratios. Do not open any new lines of credit and believe it or not, don’t close any existing lines of credit… that can cause you issues too.

Obtain Historical Electrical & Natural Gas or Propane Usage

Call the electric and gas providers to check historical usage specific to the house you are purchasing.

Review Nevada Sex Offender Registry

The Nevada Sex Offender Registry is located online: http://www.nvsexoffenders.gov/ Keep in mind that the Las Vegas area is very transient, and people move around often.

Review the Nevada Residential Disclosure Guide (RDG)

Order Uncommon Inspections That Are Specific to the House & Important to You

a) Lead based paint is hazardous to young children who ingest paint chips. Lead-based paint was outlawed a long time ago and it is extremely difficult to test for paint as it is generally under several layers of paint. There is a good chance that if the home was built prior to 1977 that it does have lead-based paint. You can buy lead-based paint test kits at Home Depot or any hardware store, and if you are really concerned about it, you can hire a professional to do the testing. If there aren’t going to be any young children in the home, it may not be important to you (unless you are prone to eating paint chips).

b) If the home has a septic system, definitely get the septic professionally inspected.

c) Well or Public Water Quality: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is a resource to get well water quality testing done: https://ndep.nv.gov/water/lab-certification/drinking-water-testing. You may also check the SNWA website for additional guidance: https://www.snwa.com/water-quality/treatment-testing/index.html

d) Mold: If moisture or suspicious biological growth was found during your home inspection you may want to find a qualified and experienced mold inspector.

e) Pest: Scorpions, black Widows, pigeons and roof rats are just a few of the common pests in the Las Vegas Valley. You may want to hire a pest inspector that is licensed by the State of Nevada Department of Agriculture. http://agri.nv.gov/Pest-Control/

Verify Repairs Were Done Correctly

If you have requested the seller to do repairs prior to close, make sure you verify that the repairs are done before you close. Also obtain receipts for those repairs, licensed Nevada contractors must provide a statutory warranty for work done.

Final Walk Through & Release

A Final-Walk Through & Release is vital at the conclusion of your escrow period. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems will fail from time to time during an escrow. I highly encourage all of my clients to do their own walk-through Inspection and test all systems to make sure they are running correctly. I have a checklist for you to complete this walk-through in a thorough manner!

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Las Vegas Farmers Market -The Pavilion at Downtown Summerlin

Downtown Summerlin is known for many things; the fantastic array of restaurants at all prices ranges and lots of varied cuisines to choose from. There are also many retail stores to shop in and of course the events that make Downtown Summerlin the hub of the master-plan of Summerlin.

One of the events that happens every Saturday in Downtown Summerlin is the Las Vegas Farmers Market. The hours are 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.at the Pavilion, 1980 Festival Plaza Drive 89135.

The Las Vegas Farmers Market® features fresh fruits and vegetables from the South West, authentic hand-crafted European style breads and cakes as well as local fresh breads and pastries, blood oranges and many varieties of citrus, asparagus, beets, leaf greens, nuts, pasta, salad mix, fresh cut flowers, bedding plants, avocados, squash, pomelos, bok choy, strawberries, and more. It offers a wide selection of diverse and unusual fruits and vegetables not available through mainstream purveyors. I’m told that this farmer’s market will be the only one in the Las Vegas area where 90 percent of its produce is organic and free of pesticides.

Throughout the season, the market is supposed to host cooking demonstrations, live music, classes dedicated to ecological stewardship and tasting events. The Downtown Summerlin Farmer’s Market will continue at the same time and place each week throughout the year.

Bring your family, tell your friends and make sure to stop by and visit all the friendly farmers.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

What the Heck is a SEER Rating?

If you are considering a new HVAC unit (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) you’ll need a way to see beyond all the hype and tell just how efficient different units are. That’s where SEER ratings come in. With the cost of cooling and heating your home throughout the year, homeowners want to have the most efficient units that they can afford. Asking for recommendations for a specific unit can bring about a wide range of different answers.

An HVAC unit’s SEER rating is one of the most important factors to consider when trying to decide on a model. Most likely if you don’t know what a SEER rating is or how it’s used, the acronym can seem mysterious. To help, here’s a basic rundown of what SEER ratings are, how they level the playing field so to speak, and where you can turn to get more information.

Latin descent, blue collar air conditioner repairman working at residential home. He prepares to begin work by gathering appropriate tools and referring to digital tablet.

SEER Ratings Explained

SEER is one of the details provided on those big yellow “EnergyGuide” stickers that you’ll see on things like air conditioners, heaters, and HVAC units and it stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio”. It’s the ratio that takes the output of the unit over the course of an average season and divides it by the average energy estimated to be used during that same season. The ratio provides you with an idea of how cost-effective it will be to run the unit, since the ratio sums up how much energy it will take to keep your living space comfortable for an entire season.

It’s important to note that the rating represents the unit’s maximum potential efficiency; your actual experience may (and likely will be) at least somewhat less than that potential based on weather conditions and other factors such as routine maintenance. With that in mind, the SEER rating provides a basis for comparing different options and finding the best solution for your home.

Using a SEER Rating

The smallest SEER rating you can legally install in the US as of today is 13 SEER, and 14-15 is more common (and you can go as high as 21). Higher SEER units use less energy to create the output that the unit achieved. This translates to a significant reduction in cost for you. If you are upgrading from a unit that is maybe 10 to 15 years old, you might save as much as 20 to 40 percent on your energy bills because of the higher efficiency of modern units. Using the SEER rating as a guide will help you to maximize that savings.

Also, SEER ratings can help you to compare models from different manufacturers to find the one that provides the best value for you. A unit that’s more expensive up front because it has a notably higher SEER rating than cheaper models may save you money in the long run.

While there are typically limits to how much your budget can handle, using the SEER rating should help you to find the most efficient option from among multiple models and vendors that otherwise seem very similar.

Choosing the Right HVAC Unit

If you still aren’t sure just which HVAC unit you need, don’t be afraid to interview a few professionals. Get in touch with pros that specialize in HVAC sales and installation, as they’ll not only know how to find the most efficient unit within your budget, they’ll know what type of unit is best for the area you live in. Best of all, they’ll be able to deliver and install the unit for you to make sure that everything is done correctly. This is not what I would consider a DIY project!

If you need a recommendation for which local HVAC company to use – CALL me Jeff Howard, your realtor for life. I have companies that have been checked out and I am happy to recommend.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Transforming a Bathroom in a Single Weekend

These four quick DIY tasks can have dramatic results with the addition of a few accessories.

When thinking about remodeling your home, focus on the kitchen and bathrooms if you want the most bang for your buck. It can indeed cost a small fortune to renovate both of these spaces; however, you can find less expensive ways to refresh them.

Remodeling your boring bathroom may be easier than you think with a few simple DIY tasks and adding some new accessories. Here are tips and tricks for refreshing a bathroom in as little as a weekend—no contractors needed.

Paint

One way to bring a new look to the space is to paint the walls or vanity a fresh new color. It is typically better to stick with neutral colors for the bathroom. Nice soothing colors like a soft blue or green are relaxing and can be a great accent color for around a tub area.

Update Your Mirror

It may be time to give that plain builder-grade mirror an overhaul. If you want to use the same mirror, you can get a custom frame to evoke more personality. There are the DIY frame kits from MirrorMate (this link is external) that have you measure your mirror, then choose from a variety of frame styles. The frame kit arrives at your door and you can assemble it in minutes.

Modernize the Hardware

Older hardware, from faucets to drawer pulls, can make a bathroom appear outdated. Switch out your current hardware for something more modern. Mixed metals are trending right now; we’re seeing black with brass and brass with chrome.

Shop the internet for variety of manufacturers and a vast selection.

Accessorize

You can update and refresh the bathrooms, especially the guest bathroom by simply replacing your linens and adding new accessories.

To finish off the look, add an air-purifying indoor plant, a natural tray for texture, and a favorite candle to a shelf for an attractive display. You can also find small bottles made of interesting glass to place on a shelf or around the vanity.

You will be so surprised how these little modifications change the entire atmosphere in the bathroom.

And as an extra tip – when shopping for accessories for the bathroom look at TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Target and Home Goods for special finds that do not cost a fortune. Also, if you don’t want to go online to find knobs etc. to switch out in your bathroom just go to Ikea, Lowe’s or Home Depot. They also have great selections.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff