Houses/Neighborhoods where to live in Vegas?

[OrangeHeat]

So I get out to go to work today and my brain freezes in the -15 degree weather here in lovely upstate NY. I go back in the warm house and say to the wife "that's it - we are moving to Vegas".

Seriously we have been considering this for awhile as I have relatives there and she has relatives in Phoenix. This weather has made my mind up - no I am dead serious - really it has.

My question is on housing etc... What are the good areas to live? Those to avoid? How much roughly for a 4 BR, 2 bath house with 2 car garage?

Yes I would be quitting my job etc... no poker will not be my source of income just a supplement. We really just need to get to a warm climate and we love Vegas - plus the grandparents will be more likely to visit as they already go there three times a year.

We won't be going right away - but hopefully by next winter or shortly thereafter.

Thanks,

Orange

PS - Bump away if this gets buried by "the reason why i liked the posts in chronological order" thread

[OrangeHeat]

Bump Bump Bump

[OrangeHeat]

[Duke]

Summerlin is nice, though the homeowners associations may piss you off. They piss me off. You need to go a ways out to avoid that, and NOT build in one of those newfangled carbon-copy-home subdivisions like I live in.

If you don't mind being told exactly what color your front door has to be, then it's a good place to live.

~D

[OrangeHeat]

[FeliciaLee]

Have you considered areas outside of Vegas? The cost-of-living has gotten so expensive in Vegas proper that I probably wouldn't consider moving there if I were on a budget.

My Mom spent about 200k on a house that we got for 70k right outside of Kingman. That is the difference between Vegas and Kingman, AZ. We also have a whole acre, whereas she has like 1/12th of an acre and can touch the houses on either side of her within an arm's span.

There are lots of areas right outside of Vegas (within 100 miles) that have a COL which is about 1/2 the price. Our gas is $1.30 per gallon. In Vegas it's about $1.75 right now. Our milk is $1.76 per gallon, it is about $2.50 or more in Vegas. Get the picture? We can also see the sun, all the time, unlike Vegas, which has gotten so covered in smog that it is like being back in Syracuse, with no sun ever shining (I lived in Rochester, which gets less than 65 days per year of sunshine, so I know your pain).

Just another consideration. PM me if I can help you further.

[OrangeHeat]

Thanks for the advice Felicia.

I see Pahrump is driving distance to Vegas - anyone have info on that town?

Also Felicia - Are there any towns closer to Vegas that you reccomend? I was thinking of keeping the driving down to 1 hour or less.

Thanks,

Orange

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the advice Felicia.

I see Pahrump is driving distance to Vegas - anyone have info on that town?

Also Felicia - Are there any towns closer to Vegas that you reccomend? I was thinking of keeping the driving down to 1 hour or less.

Thanks,

Orange


[/ QUOTE ]No problem!

Here is a link for the surrounding area of Vegas:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&add ress=&city=Las+Vegas&state=nv&zipcode=&submit=Get+ Map

I have only been to Pahrump once, but I have heard negative things; a lot of drug abuse/dealing, many people are very poor and on welfare, lots of prostitution. These are just things I've overheard other people mention. You might want to do a neighborhood/crime analysis on www.realtor.com. (http://www.realtor.com.)

You might consider Boulder City, NV. It is about 30 minutes southeast of Vegas.

Dolan Springs, AZ is another prospect. It is about 45 minutes southeast of Vegas and the cost of living is very, very low. We looked at some houses there, and the value was incredible for the money.

I have heard they are building in the Primm, NV area, which is right on the NV/CA state line, about 45 miles southwest of Vegas. I haven't been there since November, 2003, but there may be housing available now.

www.realtor.com (http://www.realtor.com) shows all homes available that are listed in the MLS directory.

Good luck in your search, and I hope to see you out here someday!

[thomastem]

[OrangeHeat]

[OrangeHeat]

Excellent Advice!

Just what I was looking for.

Thanks Felicia,

Orange

[thomastem]

[thomastem]

I live in the Chicago area, I want everyone to tell me why I should move to a particular area of the globe. Pros and Ugly Goats.

[OrangeHeat]

If you have penguins then they might like the weather in Syracuse. Although the rest of you ranimals will be pennd up for six months in a nice warm barn /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Orange

[Six_of_One]

I guess it all depends on your perspective. Getting an actual house (4 walls and a roof, I don't care how small) for only $200,000 would be a dream to me...maybe I should consider moving! Even a 1-bedroom condo in a decent part of LA runs about $300,000...Vegas doesn't sound too bad to me (except for the weather, that is).

[lefty rosen]

Rent an apartment in the downtown area, you will love being solicted by pro's and seeing drunks and other burnouts wandering the streets at all hours of the day, plus paying 800 a month for a crappy 2 bedroom will make your move to Vegas seem worth it..........

[TimTimSalabim]

Green Valley is a nice area, and not as expensive as Summerlin. And it's only 10 or 15 minutes from the Strip.

[thomastem]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have penguins then they might like the weather in Syracuse. Although the rest of you ranimals will be pennd up for six months in a nice warm barn /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Orange

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never been to the state of NY (Go to one of these days) but it can't be much more cold than Chicago. I think my critters could take it. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[MtSmalls]

Check out Green Valley and Henderson as suburbs of LV proper. On a relative basis, EVERYTHING is going to look cheap compared to most of NY state.

I forget how far Mesquite is from LV but another place you might want to look at.

[AmericanAirlines]

Hi FeliciaLee,
Do any of the areas close to Vegas you mention *not* have emmisions inspections for cars?

No problem with wanting clean air (my car is very efficient, etc.) just hate having to hand my car over to someone every year.

Sincerely,
AA

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi FeliciaLee,
Do any of the areas close to Vegas you mention *not* have emmisions inspections for cars?

No problem with wanting clean air (my car is very efficient, etc.) just hate having to hand my car over to someone every year.

Sincerely,
AA

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't even know! We just moved here /images/graemlins/blush.gif

Your question, however, spurred me to check it out. It seems that emissions requirements are only in the Phx and Tucson areas. Here is a link:

http://www.adeq.state.az.us/environ/air/vei/index.html

I guess if you live in the state of AZ, there are no requirements. I surely don't see all of those "Smog Huts" around Kingman and Bullhead City, like they are in Vegas.

In Nevada, however, it seems that all vehicles based in Clark or Washoe counties need emissions testing. Here is that link:

http://www.dmvstat.com/emission.htm

Parumph is in Nye County, but all of the other towns in Nevada that we discussed seem to be in Clark County.

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess it all depends on your perspective. Getting an actual house (4 walls and a roof, I don't care how small) for only $200,000 would be a dream to me...maybe I should consider moving! Even a 1-bedroom condo in a decent part of LA runs about $300,000...Vegas doesn't sound too bad to me (except for the weather, that is).

[/ QUOTE ]
I know what you're saying. The DC area was the same. We would have easily spent 500k for the same house and land combo right outside of DC. In DC proper, maybe a million.

But for this area of the Southwest, Vegas is very expensive, whereas the surrounding areas are super cheap, although their property values aren't increasing like Vegas proper.

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
Check out Green Valley and Henderson as suburbs of LV proper. On a relative basis, EVERYTHING is going to look cheap compared to most of NY state.

I forget how far Mesquite is from LV but another place you might want to look at.

[/ QUOTE ]
He says he wants to be closer in than Mesquite.

Believe it or not, upstate NY has a pretty cheap COL. Check it out on www.realtor.com. (http://www.realtor.com.)

I would say Vegas has a much higher COL than upstate NY at this time.

[Robk]

I've lived in Chicago for three years and Syracuse for many. Syracuse weather is worse, and it isn't even close.

-Syracuse has more days per year below freezing.

-It gets three times as much snow.

-It has 25% fewer sunny days a year.

Only 6 US cities get more snow (2 are in Alaska), and only 17 non-Alaskan cities have fewer sunny days.

[Jim Easton]

[ QUOTE ]
I have only been to Pahrump once, but I have heard negative things; a lot of drug abuse/dealing, many people are very poor and on welfare, lots of prostitution.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prostitution is legal in Pahrump.

[George Rice]

I had to chuckle reading that. I detached house around here goes for about half a $million now. But 70K sounds even better than 200K.

[Hallett]

After reading your post Felicia, I looked at some websites, such as Kingman's Tourism site, the Chamber of Commerce, and a few realtors, and I have to say, as soon as the frozen Canadian dollar hits 1 US buck, I am selling everything I own, and buying a cute little rancher I saw for about 295K. NO mortgage, within spittin distance of Vegas, I just need to work at the local grocery store packing bags to make $$$ for food.