Uncategorized Archives | Jeff Howard's Las Vegas Area Real Estate blog

Here is a Smokin’ Topic we Would Like to Fire up Awareness About…

The good news is according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, approximately 96% of all homes in the U.S. have smoke alarms installed. However, the bad news is almost 1 out of 5 (20%) of installed smoke alarms are non-operational, often just because of a dead battery. It has always amazed me as a real estate agent how often I find them with no batteries in them. If every house had a working fire alarm it is estimated that residential fire deaths in the U.S. could drop by approximately 36%.

There are two different types of smoke alarms commonly found in the United States: So, let’s get familiar with both of them.

Ionization smoke alarms contain a radioisotope. This radioisotope is typically Americium-241 and it is contained in an ionization chamber that acts as a shield to the alpha radiation it emits. The assembly ionizes the air, and if a potential difference due to smoke is detected, an audible alarm is sounded. For those of you freaked out by the thought of radioactive material in your home, don’t worry. The radiological risk is negligible as long as the radioisotope is untouched in the ionization chamber. We are subjected to more significant amounts of natural background radiation day-to-day than a normally operating ionic smoke alarm produces. Research has indicated that ionizing smoke alarms are more sensitive to heat and react quicker to rapidly growing fires that are in the “flame” stage.

Photoelectric smoke alarms do not contain a radioisotope. Instead, they work by using sources of light such as infrared, visible, or ultraviolet to monitor the surrounding air. If the intensity of the light being transmitted falls below a certain threshold as a result from scattering particulates, potentially caused by smoke, an audible alarm is then triggered by the circuitry to alert occupants of potential danger. According to research, optical (photoelectric) alarms are more sensitive to smoke, common with fires in the “early” or smoldering state.

TheNational Fire Protection Association (NFPA) “is a global self-funded nonprofit organization, established in 1896. NFPA is devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards”. They advise the installation of “combination alarms”, which use both the ionization and photoelectric smoke sensing methods for the best protection. Certain combination alarms may also include Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection ability.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms are designed to detect dangerous, and potentially fatal levels of CO in the home. Carbon monoxide is not naturally occurring and is produced by incomplete burning of carbon fuel sources including but not limited to natural gas, propane, and gasoline. Surprisingly, the State of Nevada has only required the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in all newly constructed homes since 2017. Another fun fact is that Nevada does not require the installation or retrofitting of CO alarms in homes built prior to 2017. We, however, highly encourage the installation of CO alarms in all homes, and in accordance with NFPA recommendations, even in homes that are all electric and have no carbon fuel utility.

The following are some questions with answers you should really keep in mind to make sure your family is safe.

Q: How often do smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms need to be replaced?

A: Smoke alarms should be replaced at least every 10 years. CO alarms and combination alarms should be replaced at least every 7 years. Certain smoke alarms now come factory equipped with a 10-year lithium-ion backup battery that doesn’t require replacement. Any replaceable battery (i.e. 9 volt) should be changed every 6 months. An easy way to remember this task is by doing it when the bi-annual time change occurs. Spring forward, Fall back! And if you take a marker and write the date the unit was installed inside that battery cover, every time you change your batteries you will see if it is time to replace the whole thing!

Q: My house has hardwired smoke alarms. Can I replace them with battery-operated ones?

A: If your home was originally equipped with wired smoke alarms, they really should be replaced with the same type, in the absolute interest of safety. It is recommended to have interconnection between all alarms in the home via wired connection or wireless technology such as Bluetooth. This way, when one sounds, they all sound.

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

How to Make Your Small Space Festive

December, for many people, has fond childhood memories, and now that you have your own place, maybe you try to replicate that childhood experience or at least bring a little bit of the festivity into the smaller space that you live in now… but what if you live in a small place?

Decorating for the holidays in a small space can be challenging, especially when working with a budget. How does anyone afford a Christmas tree—something that will die in three weeks—in this economy?

Finding ways to make a small space cheery and bright, especially with sustainability in mind, can be tricky—no matter if you’re decorating for Christmas or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, Festivus or another December holiday. Here are a few things to keep in mind when holiday decorating in a small space.

1. START WITH AROMA AND FRAGRANCE

To make a small space smell like a wood-burning fireplace and the aromas of food and chestnuts, etc. there are a few tips, including the simplest option of lighting a natural holiday candle. Not only do candles provide a warm ambiance, but they can also make your space smell festive, too—just try to burn sustainable and nontoxic candles to keep your home healthy.

Additionally, you can fragrance your space by creating a citrus garland. If you don’t have space for a tree, use evergreen trimmings, or a natural wreath from Trader Joe’s or your local grocer will smell wonderful as well. Another favorite trick is to diffuse holiday essential oils—like warm and spicy blends. Buy a little portable diffuser for moving around your home and filling each room with cheery scents.

2. PICK A FESTIVE FOCAL PIECE

Whether it’s a Menorah, a Christmas tree, or a mantle decorated with your favorite trinkets, every holiday space needs a festive focal point, even the smallest ones. At the end of the season, be sure to check with your local municipal guidelines for disposing of a real tree.

You could also consider a small tabletop tree or another winter plant. Your festive focal point can truly be anything that brings you joy and makes your home feel warm and cozy.

3. COOK YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY MEALS

Think about the meals you love most that remind you of your best holiday seasons. If it’s something your grandparent or parent made, ask them for their recipe and try to put your own spin on it. Food has a way of making any space feel just like home; it’s also a low-waste festive option as it’s consumable and can even be shared with neighbors or friends.

4. STRING THE LIGHTS

Twinkle lights have a way of cozying up any space and adding a bit of magic and warmth—no matter the holiday you’re celebrating. Consider hanging a few strands inside your window. Twinkle lights are also a wonderful way to boost your mood during what can sometimes be a difficult or lonely season. For a more sustainable option, try solar twinkle lights.

5. FILL YOUR HOME WITH LOVE AND TRADITION

Space doesn’t matter when it comes to tradition, so embrace the ones you loved from your younger years and create a few new ones. This will make you and your family and friends feel the warmth and the spirit of the holiday season

Filling your home with people can be more of a challenge when living in a small space, give it a try! Just the act of doing it will probably fill you with fond memories.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

In Downtown Summerlin, For Halloween There is the Parade of Mischief

Who doesn’t love a parade? Downtown Summerlin has announced the return of its annual Halloween parade, Parade of Mischief!

The parade with take place every Friday and Saturday night in October at 7 p.m. and is filled with excitement and lots of fun for the entire family featuring floats, dancing zombies, ghosts, witches, wizards, wild creatures and there is a cast of 80 local youth, filling the streets of Downtown Summerlin. The parade is free, open to the public and takes place along Park Centre Drive. Parade of Mischief is one of several seasonal parades at Downtown Summerlin. For additional information, visit summerlin.com.

In the past several years Downtown Summerlin has become known for producing incredible family-friendly parades that mark a variety of annual celebrations, including the holidays in December; Lunar New Year in February; Lei Day, marking Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May; and Parade of Mischief in October.

Halee Harczynsk, senior executive of this area of Summerlin stated “Downtown Summerlin is especially well-configured for parades of all kinds given its wide, roomy sidewalks and private streets that can be easily closed and managed for community celebrations like these. Many Summerlin and area families have come to consider Downtown Summerlin their go-to destination to mark holidays year-round given our parades, our seasonal decor and our 30-plus restaurants.” And Halloween is no exception!

Summerlin is now in its 32^nd year of development and as a master-planned community delivers more amenities than any other community in Southern Nevada. These include more than 300 parks of all sizes; resident-exclusive community centers, pools and events; 200-plus miles of interconnected trails; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and office towers. City National Arena is home of the NHL’s Golden Knights practice facility. Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Aviators.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

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

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Breaking News: Positive Changes for Consumers Made Jointly by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion

I think this important information for everyone to be aware of since it can affect your credit rating.

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, the three nationwide credit reporting agencies – – have agreed to three important changes to reporting medical collection accounts.

• Paid medical collection debt will no longer be included on consumer credit reports, as of July 1, 2022. • The time period before unpaid medical collection debt will appear on a consumer’s report will be increased from six months to one year, also effective July 1, 2022. This change gives consumers more time to work with insurance and/or healthcare providers to address medical collection debt before it appears on credit reports. • Medical debt collection accounts under at least $500 will no longer be included on consumer credit reports. This goes into effect the first half of 2023.

These significant changes to medical collection debt reporting support consumers faced with unexpected medical bills. These changes will help many of your credit scores go up. Of course better credit scores are wonderful if you are thinking about buying a home. 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

Patio Heaters Are Great to Warm Up the Winter

I think we can all agree that having a patio gives you a great place to hang out and enjoy the outdoors while you’re at home. Then the winter months come ( luckily in Las Vegas not for long), dropping temperatures that often makes your patio all but uninhabitable. Cooler weather doesn’t have to be the end of your time enjoying your patio, there are many options available that can extend your time, including patio heaters.

Patio heaters are different from other outdoor heating options like fire pits. Since they are designed to spread heat out over a larger area, a patio heater could be the ideal solution to keep your patio area usable for the winter months in Southern Nevada. If you think that one of these heaters might be the perfect addition to your outdoor space, here are a few things to consider to help make sure that you pick the perfect one.

How Patio Heaters Work

Patio heaters are designed to radiate heat outward, spreading heat over a larger area than you’d cover with a fire pit or other heat source that doesn’t have a cap or other barrier preventing heat from escaping upward. The amount of heat coverage provided by these heaters are different depending on the type of heater, its size, and where it’s located on your patio. Some patio heaters include chimneys or other exhaust pipes to vent potentially harmful gases generated as their fuel burns, preventing those gases from being diverted outward by the same caps that redirect the heat.

The type of heater really depends on your needs. You can find small patio heaters that can sit on top of a table or other surface, as well as larger free-standing units that sit on the patio floor itself. Most heaters include controls similar to what you see on indoor heaters, allowing you to change the amount of heat produced. This lets you adjust your heater for use when you just need to knock off a little chill or when you need to produce more heat on colder nights.

Patio Heater Types

There are a variety of types of patio heaters; the most common varieties are electric, propane, natural gas, and wood-burning heaters. Here is a little information on each type:

Electric heaters are similar to some of the space heaters you might have used indoors, offering benefits such as portability and heat production without creating fuel exhaust. Unfortunately, these heaters are not as energy efficient as other types, and often do not produce as much heat.

Propane heaters connect to the same kind of tank like you would use with a propane grill. They produce more heat than many electric heaters and are still relatively portable, though they should not be used in covered or enclosed areas.

Natural gas heaters are the most energy-efficient and convenient patio heaters, connecting to your home’s existing natural gas line so that you don’t have to swap out tanks or perform other maintenance. These heaters are not portable at all, and need to be professionally installed to ensure that there are no gas leaks.

Wood-burning heaters are the cheapest patio heaters to operate, but they also require more cleaning and maintenance. They also require more work to light and put out and can be fire hazards if left unattended.

Choosing a Patio Heater

Picking the right heater for your patio area depends a lot on how your patio is laid out and whether portability and maintenance are major concerns for you. Electric and propane heaters are best for those who want to be able to move their heater around easily, and wood-burning heaters are a good option for those who want a heater that operates cheaply and don’t mind emptying out ash and coals to keep the heater clean.

Natural gas heaters are the best options for homes where there’s already a gas line installed, and you don’t mind having a permanent heating option in place. They do require professional installation. If you need to find a professional installer, please contact me, Your Realtor for Life, and I will recommend a reputable firm.

Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? Do you want 3 cash offers? 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

Halloween Is Celebrated the Whole Month Of October

I love Halloween and kids seem to love it too, so Downtown Summerlin kicks of October with the Parade of Mischief presented by SelectHealth® starting October 1, 2021, through October 30, 2021, Every Friday and Saturday| at 7:00 PM on Park Centre Drive. The parade fills the streets of Downtown Summerlin with mischievous mayhem featuring dancing zombies, ghosts, witches, wizards, and more!

Pumpkin patches are also one of the highlights of October and Halloween. Bring the kids to pick the perfect pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern and have fun climbing the hay bales. Good luck finding your way through a corn maze. (But don’t worry, there are maps if you need.) You will be able to get some cute family pictures that the kids will look at and smile. So enjoy the festivities and attraction of the fall festivals that usually are at the pumpkin patches. Here are some favorites:

Halloween Tow n is one of the most popular Halloween events in Las Vegas and has been celebrated for over 20 years. Halloween Town is hosted in three different locations. The original is located at Boca Park, but you can also visit Rainbow & W. Warm Springs, Silverado Ranch and Las Vega Blvd. There are over 30 vintage-themed rides that will pull you back to the 50s. Glides down the giant inflatable slide or explore Las Vegas’s largest pumpkin patch.

Admission here is free, but you will need to purchase tickets or a wristband for your children to go on the rides. (you might as well get the wristband as kids always want to go on rides more than once.)

Gilcrease Orchard is a U-Pick orchard. This fruitful farm in the middle of the desert is thanks to the great care and long family history. This means you can pick the best-looking pumpkin right off the vine for an unbeatable price.

Be sure to download the orchard’s app to help navigate through the farm and pumpkin patches. Once you’ve chosen your perfect Halloween carving pumpkin, you can grab their famous apple cider and donuts for the road.

Moapa Valley Maze and Pumpkin Patch. This patch is an hour out from the iconic strip of Las Vegas; however, it is definitely worth the drive. When you visit Moapa Valley you can expect to have more than your share of fall fun with the family. From a corn maze and petting zoo to pig races, giant Jenga, peddle carts, a zip line and, of course, a pumpkin patch. Entry to the corn maze is $12 and at night it becomes haunted for adults to enjoy.

The Las Vegas Farms hold the annual Farm Fall Harvest Festival that is a blast for all ages. The fun festival consists of a cow train, pony rides, corn mazes and more. At the farm’s pumpkin patch, you can find a selection of squashes and pumpkins. You will be greeted by egg-laying hens and can also purchase a range of homemade, artisan breads, jams and jellies. You can expect to pay $8 per adult and $4 per child for entrance to this farm.

Staheli Family Farm has a stunning pumpkin patch as well as a corn maze, giant chair, zip line and pig races. You can spend the whole day exploring and making memories at all the attractions. In the evening, adults can come back for the Field of Screams and Zombie Rampage for a bit of a scare and start their Halloween night. This farm has been in the family for six generations and has just celebrated 20 years of festival fun.

Horses 4 Heroes Ranch – This lovely ranch has a pumpkin patch of already gathered pumpkins for you to seek through and pick your favorite. Here, they host a fall festival to raise money for the Horses 4 Heroes’ fund. There are child-sized hay bale mazes, horse-drawn rides, tractor rides and a trick-or-treat event for kids to take part in. The Horses 4 Heroes Ranch is open from the 3rd to the end of October, giving you plenty of time to join the fun fall madness.

This should give you plenty to choose from.

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

Experts Offer Tips to Make Your Home More Secure

In Southern Nevada, as well as most cities across the country, the news headlines covering rising crime rates are increasing. With that said homeowners and renters alike, may wonder how to effectively improve the security of their home. If you have been lucky enough to never have been burglarized, then I truly hope you never feel the sheer violation I felt years ago.

The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to keep your home safe and make it less desirable for any would-be intruder without breaking the bank. As sad as it is to say, we are never going to stop burglaries, so your job is to make your house look like more work than your neighbor’s… it sounds kind of crummy to put it that way, but if they look at your house and look at the one next door, well, which would you rather they chose? Here, experts share some simple, inexpensive home security tips that don’t take a lot of effort or money to implement.

Start With Doors And Windows

Advancing the security of your home starts with fortifying your front door. We all have heard about the importance of having a quality deadbolt lock. However there’s a little more to understand when it comes to the quality of the entire door lock components.

The point of failure for a lock is usually the strike plate or the small piece of metal screwed into the door frame where the actual bolt of your deadbolt lodges into. You want to invest in a stronger strike plate that requires four or six screws to anchor it. Then, buy 3-inch screws to anchor the plate. This advice comes from Chris McGoey, a Southern California crime expert witness who has analyzed thousands of crime scenes for homeowners and businesses.

“Those 3-inch wood screws can make all the difference in the world,” he said.

An even stronger solution, which costs more money is to have a security door installed. That is one of the things I have done, (with my HOA’s blessing of course).

Mike Johnston, chief security adviser for Boss Security Screens, a Las Vegas Valley-based window covering manufacturer, stated “Fortifying windows is important, too. Johnston is also a former Henderson Police Department captain.

Johnston encourages homeowners to also place a wood or metal bar in all sliding glass doors and windows. If you have a bigger budget, security window coverings are a deterrent as well. “The No. 1 thing is that you don’t want to make it easy for anyone to enter the home,” Johnston emphasized.

Adjust Your Landscaping

Johnston is certified in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design by the National Institute of Crime Prevention. CPTED was created to make crime prevention part of the landscape design process. One of the key elements of CPTED is what Johnston calls the “2-foot, 6-foot rule,” meaning shrubs should be no taller than 2 feet off the ground and tree canopies should not hang lower than 6 feet.

Dan Kopec, an associate professor in UNLV’s School of Architecture, added Thorny bushes like roses near pathways can also be a deterrent. Larger rocks in desert landscaping, while they add thermal gain, are difficult to run across and are a good security choice.

Assess What Passersby See

McGoey says it’s important not to leave visual enticements for anyone casing the area. This can be as simple as leaving your garage door open for long periods of time during the day. In these cases, the door from the garage into the home is usually unlocked as well, and if not, they may just walk up brazenly and take items from the garage. I know we all like a nice breeze during those 2-3 weeks of spring and fall that we get every year in the Las Vegas valley, however, even open windows on the front of the home can be an enticement.

Giving the appearance of activity at your home can deter an intruder. When you’re home, having blinds open so that people can see you moving around inside during the day is good practice, Kopec noted.

Security Plans & Technology

Once you’ve secured access points, some homeowners create an overall security plan for the home. That can include making sure the home is well-lit, alternating lighting schedules, installing security doorbells that let you see and talk to your guest from your phone, and even adding a whole home camera system and/or a home alarm service.

It’s important to view these strategies as “layers” that complement one another, said Johnston, and even the best technology only serves you well if you use it properly and maintain it. A maintenance plan can include:

Regularly trimming trees and shrubs to make sure your home is visible from the street.

Regularly testing alarm systems and technology components.

Having a system of checks in place when you leave the home for windows, doors and systems.

And if all of that unfortunately fails, McGoey also notes that in the event of a burglary you can more easily and accurately identify stolen items, if you have taken photos/videos of items and kept them, along with receipts, in one place (ideally, electronically, such as on a smart phone, hard drive or cloud storage).

Choose to have an amazing day….Jeff

My Thoughts on The Current Housing Market (or “is the Bubble About to Burst?”)

If you aren’t aware, most of the U.S. is seeing a sharp rise in the cost to buy a home, and in many cities, buyer’s find themselves in one bidding war after another until they finally win (or give up). Some have commented to me that it is reminiscent of 2006… so is a housing crash around the corner? Now I don’t have a crystal ball, but…

I say unlikely.

Now let me explain my answer.

I’ll speak specifically about the Las Vegas housing market, because I know it intimately, however from what I have gleaned from professionals I know around the country, what is happening in Las Vegas seems to be true in most cities in the U.S.

In 2006, home builders were building as fast as they could in Las Vegas, with a sort of “Field of Dreams” mentality that “if you build it, they will come”, and the buyers bought… (until they didn’t anymore). When the Las Vegas market screeched to a halt, there were roughly 50,000 completed vacant residential units (single family homes and condos) with no buyer, and thousands more in some state of incomplete. To put that in perspective for you, (not counting 2005, when the most units were sold in Las Vegas) approximately 3,000-5,000 units sell in our valley each month on average – literally 3,708 in the past 30 days. In economics we learn that when the supply goes way up – even if the demand does not change, then more sellers are competing for the same number of buyers, so most of them begin to lower their prices… and they lowered them and lowered them.

Additionally, in 2006, you also had money that was super easy to borrow, so very few buyers had any “skin in the game” when they bought a property. In 2006, you could buy a $300,000 house with zero down payment and zero proof of income… in fact, just before the crash, there were loans that let you buy a house and actually walk away with cash in your pocket!

So, when the number for sale properties went up sharply, and sellers were dropping their prices to attract the buyers, the owners that had recently purchased with no down payment, saw the prices of their properties begin to go down. Those people had no down payment to lose… so they just walked away from their new homes, leaving them to be foreclosed on, and add more units for sale to an already over-supplied market. Then prices dropped more and more units went up for sale and priced dropped more and (well, you get the idea).

Builders stopped building almost completely (a few were built here and there) until around 2012, when the inventory finally dried up and houses started to go up in value again. Between 2006 and 2012 a lot of people also consolidated households out of need. The economy was bad so people shared homes with parents, friends or whoever they could to keep expenses down… causing there to be very little need for new homes anyway.

Around 2011, a ton of cash began flowing into the Las Vegas real estate market and in 2012, close to half of the houses purchased in our valley were paid for all in cash by investors scooping up bargains. Many of them had seen the writing on the wall in 2005 and sold their assets and putting their cash “on the sidelines” to wait for this. Wall Street got involved too and hedge funds like Blackstone started buying properties to rent out. Since 2012, close to 1/3 of the houses in the valley have been purchased with all cash, and now, (unless you are a veteran of the armed forces), you pretty much have to have at least a small down payment to buy a house… plus, builders, who learned their lessons, are only building if you give them a down payment, and even if they wanted to build them faster than they could sell them, according to a Wall Street Journal article this past April, we also have too few home builders in the US.

So, with the economy recovered (pre-Covid), combined households, began to realize they wanted their own space, so builders began to build again. But remember, for 6 years, our population grew at a normal rate, but the number of new houses built, stagnated significantly. So now we have a lot of people wanting to own a home, but not enough homes to own.

Then came Covid… along with a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Sure there were plenty of people out of work, but believe it or not, there were a fair number of essential workers who had good income and wanted to own their own place, but there were very few for sale because many people who may have thought about selling, just didn’t want a stranger in their house, so they waited… and you did not have people “forced out”, so those did not come on the market.

[January, 2020, just before Covid hit in the Las Vegas valley, saw 23% more homes sold than January 2019 with 23% less homes on the market, and this has actually got worse since then. January 2021 saw 28% more homes sold than the year before and 40% less homes on the market.]

According to a Wall Street Journal article this past June, the U.S has 5.5 million too few homes, currently, and I read another that says if we double the number of homes built from last year, and kept that pace, it would take until 2050 to catch up based on current demand and estimated population growth.

Wow that’s a lot of information and if you didn’t follow it too well, I’m not surprised, so I will sum it up. We need a lot more houses in this country than we currently have (make that a lot more than a lot… actually a lot more than that), so it is highly unlikely based on the laws of supply and demand that the Las Vegas or U.S. housing market is going to crash anytime soon. Individual small markets could certainly be an exception here and there, however that is the overall outlook.

Choose to have an amazing day… Jeff

Barn Doors have moved to Cities and Suburbs

Barn doors in an apartment or a modern home – outrageously wonderful! They are so versatile and can be used in every room in different ways.

They are one of the most sought-after features for homes of all styles. Whether you want an attention-grabbing entry, a space-saving solution, or an attractive way to divide rooms, there’s a sliding barn door appropriate for your home.

Here is a great idea for small apartments. A very savvy apartment dweller used a set of sliding barn doors to separate the bedroom from the living space in her New York City apartment. When opened they cover two hidden closets.

In an open-concept home, large sliding barn doors can be used to create a little privacy as needed, without permanently closing off the rooms. High windows on the door design allow for light to pass between the rooms. What you need to find is an interior rolling barn-door hardware kit – the kits are sold in most hardware stores and Home Depot and Lowes.

Inside the kitchen of an older home the owners replaced old swinging doors to the pantry with a set of sliding barn doors. They included the hardware to add even more character. If you have a narrow kitchen, with a fully loaded grid of open shelves and cabinets, they can disappear behind a sliding barn door.

In a small space where every single inch counts, sliding barn doors come in handy. A well installed sliding barn door offers great space economy for whatever room you use it in. Of course, you need to have enough adjacent wall space for the barn door to slide over when it is opened. But this is often preferable to similarly space-saving pocket doors that require much more work to install or remove.

A friend of mine installed a one in front of her stairs, to reduce the noise coming from downstairs (her stairs were enclosed on both sides).

Another advantage of sliding barn doors is their support system. Sliding barn doors use a track for movement. The entire weight of the door is therefore distributed along the length of the track. This allows for the installation of heavier-than-usual doors without affecting stability of ease of movement. For places that need more security but are limited in space, a heavy sliding barn door would work just fine.

One small disadvantage of sliding barn doors is that they may not close as quietly as traditional doors. But a good contractor should be able to install it in such a way that noise is reduced to a minimum.

There is also, of course, the aesthetics side of the sliding barn door craze. Some sliding barn doors have this rustic outdoorsy feel that creates a stunning contrast when indoors. This contrast is especially noticeable when styled in a worn, rustic design that makes it seem like it was taken right from the barn outside and installed inside.

Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… 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