A Glance at the Housing Market

This time last year we were house hunting. The market was pretty strong. Plus, there was speculation that rates would be going up in fall so it sparked a bit of a frenzy. Later, this month, we'll have been in our house a year. It just occurred to me that I never shared photos, and back then, I planned to share about our experience with the market. Shortly, after moving in, my world was flipped upside down so yes, it's taken a year to get here, but I try to keep my word... Now, that a year has gone by I can cast some light on the rise and fall of the homes that were in our search.

We searched for homes with a minimum of 3 beds, 2 baths, 2 car garage, pool/hot tub and a killer backyard was a definite perk. During our two years at the apartment we had grown fond of the Silverado Ranch area and sought homes nearby. Though, we were also considering older homes in solid neighborhoods, we were open to fixer-uppers with potential, but mostly wanted something turn-key and preferred single story and fewer rooms. Additionally, we were seeking a low cost, lenient HOA or none at all.

We were pre-qualified for a mortgage before we started looking so it streamlined the shopping experience. We knew our target, but kept an open mind for homes on the high and low end... just in case. We usually knew in minutes of walking in whether it felt right for us or not. Many homes we didn't even bother seeing the second level. Homes moved quickly. There were many that had contingent offers before we could get in to see them. The first half dozen we saw were duds. It wasn't very encouraging, but things improved. We went to contract on a home in Green Valley (89074) it had multiple offers that started a bidding war. We didn't want to participate so we terminated the purchase. I thought the home would've sold for a few thousand over asking price, but when it closed it sold for $100 over. Which happened to be our initial offer. We must not have been the only ones that walked from the deal. Today, that home is estimated at $22,000 less than it sold in July 2015.

Even though apartment rentals have skyrocketed in the past year. It doesn't seem to be the trend for resale home sales. I show nearly twice as many that have values estimated less than what they sold for last summer, compared to those that have risen. Below is a list of homes with the above parameters. I'll list the zipcode. How much over/under list it sold for last summer and the delta of the current estimated value per zillow, as well as, the length of time from list to close.

The following have lost equity (choosing only one from each zipcode for simplicity sake):

89117 +15k,-25k; one month. 89141 +15k, -7k; one month. 89015 +4k,-9k; one month. 89120 +2k, -2k; one month. 89183 -24k,-3k; four months. 89141 -15k,-12k; four months. 89123 -10k, -16k; two months. 89012 -10k,-5k; one month. 89074 n/c, -22k; one month.

Only two had no change:

89147 n/c; one month. 89074 n/c; one month.

And these have gained:

89102 +5k, +39k; one month. 89183 +2k, +5k; one month. 89052 n/c, +1k; one month. 89123 -4k, +2k; two months 89052 -5k, 13k; one month. 89123 -8k, +30k; three months. 89074 -17k, +30k; four months. 89145 -20k, +19k; three months. 89117 -24k, +2k; two months. 89123 -60k +30k; five months.

The big winners seem to be those that were recently flipped or those in need of significant work. I suppose there is some truth when they say to buy the worst house on the best block. Our zipcode in Henderson has had little movement. Homes were selling for asking price last year, closing in 1-2 months, and they have held or gained up to $15,000 in equity. There are a bunch of new homes being built near us, it'll be interesting to see what that does to resale prices. But overall, it seems promising. However, I know better than most that the bubble can burst at any time. That's why when I saw this magnet, I had to have it.

Like New

The day after putting an offer on the house in Green Valley, a new second story home came on the market. It immediately drew my attention. Frank's initial reaction when I sent him the link was "meh". A couple days later, we scheduled a showing for that and another house which was single story, smaller and older. We liked both, each had potential, but we were fixated on the two story. It is two years old, it has four bedrooms, three baths, loft, covered patio, outdoor kitchen, and the pool and hot tub were just completed this January. The only thing wrong with this house was the flooring. It has unsual green grey carpet throughout and vinyl flooring in kitchen and baths. I saw this as an opportunity to make it our own and possibly build some equity. Flooring isn't an overwhelming task. Even better was that our neighbors have single story homes and behind us is a vacant lot. So, we should maintain privacy for many years. It seemed promising. We decided to write an offer.





Again, there were multiple offers. However, we were able to strike a deal without getting into a bidding war. Barring any issues, closing is scheduled for 30 days from when we signed the contract.

Greenlit

After walking away from the Toll Brothers house, Frank and I were torn between renting and buying a house. There were pros and cons to each, I started looking at available rentals and realized that they were renting for what a mortgage would cost. That led us to beginning the pre-approval process. We wanted to secure a lender before wasting time shopping for homes. We've had a bad run with real estate and we weren't sure if the short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure would haunt us. We preferred this route so there would be no surprises. After all of our ducks were in a row, we received approval a few days later, and then, the hunt began.

We enjoy living in the Silverado Ranch area, so neighboring areas were our top pick. However, we'd consider anything near the airport and/or easy access to the freeway. We were also open to older homes with large lots. We had little interest in homes in master planned developments and preferred lenient HOAs. We were flexible on the size of the house, but the focus was on a killer backyard. A pool and spa were a must! We also wanted privacy. An outdoor kitchen and gas fire pit were on our wish list.

The first half a dozen listings were complete duds. I was discouraged, but this was nothing new. Every time we've shopped for real estate we have seen bottom of the barrel properties before gems presented themselves. I'll never forget the first condos we saw in 2003 with cider block walls, gang graffiti and bullet holes. Or the filth I encountered when shopping for condo in Laughlin - Seriously, disgusting. The bugs had bugs. The homes we saw in 2008 were the pits, completely stripped of anything that wasn't holding the place together.

The second outing was far more promising. There was one house, I had my sights set on for a couple weeks. It took a little bit to schedule a showing. When we finally saw it, we thought it was great. They even had a RZR and Camaro in the garage - c'mon, now?! It ticked all boxes, and it was close to where we are now, but the homes were so close together, it felt like the neighbors could watch our every move. The asking price was a bit high, too, so we kept it in mind, but kept looking. I wasn't expecting the market to be so aggressive, but nice turn key homes were selling within days of being listed. Multiple offers became the norm. Anything on the market for a length of time was either overpriced or it had something bizarre going on.

We saw a great house in Green Valley the day after it was listed. It was beautiful, the kitchen was remodeled, but the bathrooms and laundry room needed updating. The house was in a great school district which would help resale value. Best of all, the backyard was killer. It had a ton of landscaping, it was so lush we'd have to hire a service, but it was private. We decided we'd put in an offer on the spot.



[photo: realtor.com]

Of course, the property had multiple offers. I had no interest in a bidding war and that's exactly what it turned into; we withdrew our offer and kept looking. It just wasn't meant to be. I've been stalking the listing on Realtor.com, I'm curious to see what it sold for, I'm guessing at least $25,000 over list, but betting on more.

Dream Home, Dream Car - Switcheroo.

This is the one where we nearly bought a house, but got the Camaro instead. A few months ago, we tagged along with our friends while they were house hunting. We were toying with the idea of moving when our lease is up in August. We still enjoy the simplicity of apartment life, but we miss grilling, swimming in our own pool and hot tub. Initially, we didn't see anything that enticed us to purchase a home and we figured we'd rent a house when the time came.

Then, in an afternoon, our plans changed. We found a house by Toll Brothers we just loved. Walking in, I was head over heels in love. We got pricing, looked at lots and gave it a few days to think it over. As each day went by, we were more intrigued. We figured if the lot was still available - there was only one that would do - it was worth a shot. It was and we put down a deposit, we had a week to do our due diligence and if we changed our mind the deposit was fully refundable.

The model we chose was single story with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The huge selling feature was that the house was filled with natural light, because they gave the option of panel doors when most builders only allow teeny windows. The house had a very natural flow to the outdoors. And we are all about outdoor living. The large shower in the master was standard, that also wooed us.















The house was at the top of our budget, plus we had upgrades and pool installation to consider. I started researching the home building process and I got cold feet. There were so many unknowns, my excitement faded. I know it's not all horror stories, but I generally feel it's best to expect the worst and hope for the best. We haven't had much luck with real estate in the past, so the thought of risking all of our savings made my stomach turn. While I really loved the house, I wasn't sold on the location. It is in the master planned community of Mountain's Edge. It's more restrictive than I'd like to live. Frank and I debated it for days, but in the end we walked away. It was a beautiful house, but we didn't want to be house poor.

Meanwhile, Frank had been seeking an older camaro for months with no luck. He started to look at new models and fell for the 2015 Camaro SS. He had positive equity in the truck so the trade didn't come at a huge expense. Instead of the dream home, he was able to choose a dream car. It's a great ride. He says, "The best he's ever driven!" Previously, he regretted selling the Firebird, but now, it's a distant memory. Sometimes, things work out just as they should. Though, we still need to find a garage to store this beauty.

Welcome to Paradise

Whew! June flew! We're just days away from the greatest holiday there is. How did that happen? Shouldn't it be Memorial Day? That's what it feels like. Even with the excessive heat the past week I still can't believe it is July. Speaking of the heat, I never saw more that 118 so I don't think we broke any records. It's been toasty, though. By Thursday, we'll have spent a week 113+ it's a bit unusual, but I don't mind it. We had a gorgeous June. The weather couldn't have been better. Sure it was triple digits, but I live in the desert. You come to expect 100's, plus I enjoy it until it reaches 110+ then it's hard to be outside during the day.

So back to June, it was a wild ride for us. A month ago was my first weekend at home in months. I took advantage and caught up on house work. It was exhausting. Not to mention, I looked around at everything that was aging, worn and in need of being replaced, but as a renter there is nothing I can do about it. Unless I want to pay out of pocket. So June 2nd, I casually mentioned to Frank that I wanted to move. Our lease was up in March and we'd been month-to-month since. Frank wasn't surprised, we went and looked at new homes that day.

We only found one we liked near Southern Highlands. American West is the builder, they built our house and their designs speak to us. The current market is inflated and the home builders are playing into it by only releasing a few homes at time to keep demand high. We have been burned by real estate so many times it wasn't a game we wanted to get back into, not now, anyway. I suspect another bubble burst is on the horizon. Until homeowners are people that actually live and work in Las Vegas our housing prices are false. Right now, it is investors that have drove up prices. Plus, there are still so many shortsales and foreclosures yet to file. I'd rather roll the dice and rent.

Coincidentally, two days later, we received a request from our landlord to sign a lease until March 2014. We explained we preferred to stay month-to-month, but they decided to raise the rent $400/mo to do so. No thanks. It was the push we needed to leave.

We looked at house rentals, but they were all too big. I wanted to downsize. We had no need for our 2,500sq ft home. We used six rooms in our house (kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms). It was a lot of wasted space and expense. Plus, we're not home often so the maintenance became such a burden. I considered townhomes and condos, but ultimately we decided on an apartment. No HOA, most have garages, and instant availability, plus there are great incentives. June 9th we found where we wanted to live. We had keys by June 14.

We decided to move across town to Paradise, near the South Point. We like the area because of the convenience to I-15 and 215. Traffic isn't too congested. It's not master planned and there is plenty of shopping and conveniences near by. We've been in Spring Valley for ten years so moving from the SW to the SE felt like unchartered territory. It felt like a whole new city. We were excited to discover new eats. I was thrilled my commute would be shorter despite being five miles further from work.

You might think we're crazy, we've heard it from friends and family. But we're looking at major savings and no fuss. I cannot tell you how excited I am that I will not have a $450 bill from NV Energy this summer. By simplifying our lives we'll have more time and money to do what we love. We'll miss skinnydipping and our Fourth of July parties, but other than that? I don't see us missing much. Our apartment complex has two pools and a gym with a sauna. Our place is 1,100sq ft with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one car garage. The complex was built as condos so there is no one above or beneath us. The garages are on the first floor and living space is on the second. Only downsides noted so far is the gated community and the speed bumps. We had both at our condos and it's such an annoyance. If that's the worst of it, we'll deal. The ice cream man even came thru the complex the other day. There will be no shortage of choco-tacos.

We moved from the house into the apartment one car load at a time. We sold as much as we could beforehand and had great luck with Craigslist and our moving sale. We thought we did good, but truthfully, there is more we should part with, I'm working on it as I unpack. Anything kept must bring us joy or must have been used in the past year. We made a good chunk of change on our stuff (enough to cover the new mattress set we bought) and I cashed in change I had collected around the house. The coins netted us $150 that I cashed in at Coin Star for an Amazon Giftcard. A new desk is on its way and I have money leftover for my next purchase.

Our first night in the apartment was June 22, which ironically, was our 10th anniversary of our arrival to Las Vegas. Ten years later, we found ourselves in Paradise. Appropriate, no? Anyhow, each day after was spent at the house moving and cleaning until June 27. That's when we turned over the keys. We had great times in our house. We owned it for three years, and then rented it for two more. We have no regrets letting it go. We look forward to the next chapter.

Aye! Sold?

Yesterday, we got a cash offer on our house sight unseen. I've been dodging showings because we're in no rush to move. Well, my plan back fired. Unlike the previous offer we received this one had nothing for us to counter. It's obvious they're investors. It's clear, cut and dry. All we could do was sign it and send it off to the bank. Now, it's in Wells Fargo's hands.

I have no clue how long approval can take, but we're hoping for a long while so we can stay put. Assuming the offer is accepted, closing will be 30 days after approval. I anticipate a mad scramble to find a rental and to set a moving date. I don't mind the idea of relocating, but I'm dreading the move itself. My mom's move was so nightmarish. However, ours is certain to be much easier. That's a guarantee.

I should look at the brightside, house hunting is always fun. It's not in our desired area, but look at this beauteous rental...







I think we'd consider the extra commute, it's gorgeous. Ultimately, we're looking to stay near our current neighborhood, we really enjoy the Southwest part of the valley. Once, we get the green light the search is on. In the meantime, it's time to purge and pack.

Patience is a virtue

Among many things, waiting sure gives the mind plenty of time to wonder. Curiosity got the better of me and I started researching both properties we’re interested in. I was able to dig up information from the assessor’s website on the Lost Valley home (the one with potential that needed a lot work). It was purchased 10/00 for 183,995, and again 7/05 for 499,990; then it foreclosed in March for 344,470. It’s currently listed for 339,900. I checked it out on realtor.com today and there is now a contingent offer. Looks like that one is off the table.

Frank considered playing a wait and see game with the other one we like. It's newly on the market; it’s been listed for 2 wks. The longer it sits the more likely the homeowner will be willing to negotiate. He thinks if it's meant to be, it'll still be there. I, on the other hand, would rather know sooner than later whether or not they’ll negotiate our offer. If they don’t, then we can focus our attention on new listings. I think we’ve come to agreement to place an offer once we have approval from our lender.

We were told keeping the condo is a non-issue. The only hitch that the lender mentioned is that we may have trouble getting approved with a FHA loan because they consider Las Vegas high risk. I understand why they’d feel that way, given that we lead the nation in foreclosures, but they should recognize that we are not part of the problem. In theory, there is NO reason we should have trouble getting a loan. However, I’ll be happy once that is confirmed. We expect to hear something today.

Each home purchase we've made has been unique and none have been the norm. I shouldn't expect this one to be any different. I just have to take a breath and know that what will be, will be.

Looking up

I left work early yesterday and met with our realtor to see more homes. Frank got stuck at work and joined us later. We toured a couple dumps that were bank owned, but we also saw three homes that were listed by homeowners. What a difference! The homes were well maintained and clean. One in particular was a diamond in the rough. It’s a 4 bedroom 3 bath home with sun room, pool and spa. The sellers are the original owners and they took great pride in their home. The place is immaculate. The house has everything we are seeking and a bit more, and it’s located on a cul-de-sac in the SW west part of town that we enjoy. The only downside is the list price is higher than our budget allows since we intend to keep the condo. We plan to place an offer about $20k below list, hopefully, the sellers will accept. Before we can write the contract we need a new approval letter from our lender. Our last one qualified us based on the sale of the condo, now, we need one that confirms we still qualify. Frank already has the ball rolling on that, with any luck the lender will move quickly and we’ll have it wrapped up today or tomorrow. Then maybe, just maybe, we will call this house home

The difference a day makes

As of Friday, we were less than a week away from our vacation to San Francisco. We had been anticipating the trip for a couple months. However, by Saturday, our plans completely changed. While I was shopping for a couple items for the trip, Frank called and suggested we start house hunting now rather than wait until our condo sells. Particularly because the deadline for his relocation perks is quickly approaching, and frankly, we’re tired of waiting. It’s been on the market for six months and there’s been very little interest because qualified buyers have unbeatable deals (on newer places) at their fingertips due to the overwhelmed market from the mortgage crisis fallout. He calculated raw numbers and realized we could afford to keep the condo until it does sell, and still swing the costs of owning a home. It didn’t take much to sell me on the idea because it was something I had already been tossing around. He set an appointment with our realtor for Sunday.

Saturday evening we searched home listings and compiled a list of 19 homes that met our criteria. We ran figures again to be sure we can afford two homes for an indefinite amount of time, and sure enough we can do it. We’ll have to sacrifice a few meals at high end restaurants and other splurges, but it’ll be worthwhile. We also determined that it was best to cancel the San Francisco trip as the money would be better spent toward the down payment of a house.

Sunday we began the house hunt. Half of the properties we selected had offers pending so our realtor printed off eight others with similar criteria. I have to say the process was a bit discouraging; every house we looked at was a short sale, foreclosure or repo. We didn’t intend to look at bank owned properties, it just so happened that’s what was available. A few homes were not structurally sound or up to code, others needed to be completely gutted and a couple needed cosmetic repairs. None were move-in ready, it seems anything decent is swept off the market in an instant. The investors are pouncing on them left and right. There were two homes worth consideration: one was smaller than I’d like, the other was 2555 sq ft. so it offered room to grow. The home had no interior doors, it needs to paint, flooring and overall maintenance. However, I saw the potential right away, Frank was hesitant, but he’s coming around. I think it’ll cost $15k for repairs, we are considering placing an offer below list to cover repair costs. It’s not likely the bank will accept the offer, but I figure it can’t hurt to try. There’s another home listed down the street, it has an identical floor plan, in good condition, no pool, but gorgeous landscaping, it is listed for $420,000. That’s more than $80k than the house we’re interested in, after touring that property I was assured that this home truly has potential.

There's another 12 properties we'd like to see. Most are more than we want to spend, but I'd like to see how they compare to those we have seen. Hopefully, we'll be able to take a look today.

Never a dull moment

Per usual, a lot is happening in our neck of the woods. Frank finally finished up in Laughlin, he’s now back in Las Vegas full-time. We have the Laughlin condo on the market and we are hopeful that it sells quickly. The updates to the Vegas condo are coming along; although, I took this past weekend off from home projects. I was in need of break, but I’ll be back to work this weekend. As we’ve decided to tie up all the loose ends as soon as possible so we can put our Las Vegas condo on the market, as well.

We’ve done some house hunting and determined that most of the new housing developments don’t meet our needs. Therefore, we’re expanding our home search to include resale homes. Despite it being a buyers market, homeowners are still not keen on accepting offers contingent on sale. So, we plan to sell both properties to avoid troubles purchasing our next home. For now, we’re reviewing properties on realtor.com to get an idea of what’s available. There are plenty of viable options, hopefully that’ll be the case when we are ready to buy.

Amid all this bedlam, I have two trips on the horizon. I will be heading to Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend. Missing Nicky’s first birthday and recent milestones (walking, talking, etc.) have broken my heart. So, I figured the long weekend will be well spent with family I miss terribly.

Two weeks after I return from Chicago, Frank and I will be on our way to Xpu-ha, Mexico. Our passports arrived last week and they were the last item needed to prepare for the trip. We are anxiously awaiting our vacation; we are in dire need of some rest and relaxation.

House Hunting

We’ve concluded that our dreams of purchasing a high rise condo is not likely anytime soon, so we’ve decided to focus on purchasing a single family home. We’re not ready to move yet; we need to wait until Frank transfers back to Las Vegas. Which could be as early as June, but another six months or longer is more likely. We’re mainly researching our options at this point, so we are prepared when the time comes.

We’re seeking a house with a garage and patio for BBQ’s. We also like natural light, a large living room, master bedroom and bath, and we want space to use as an office. Sounds easy enough, right? Yeah, it’s more complicated than you’d think…

We like the far west and southwest parts of the Las Vegas Valley. So far, we’ve been most interested in new developments in Summerlin. This past weekend we found a house that we could call home. It’s the Napa Valley model located in the Ladera Ridge Development by KB Homes within the Mesa community of Summerlin. The only downside of the floorplan was the separate shower and tub in the master bath are each too small for Frank. We visited the KB homes Studio to see what upgrades are available, but their options will not suit our needs. Their advice was to have KB homes sub out the work to have the master bath customized to our specifications. Which is a possibility, but I imagine we’d pay far more going that route than if we were to handle it ourselves. Then again, I would want a new home move-in ready and free of “diy” projects.

There’s another builder in the same area so we’ll see what they have to offer. We’ll also continue to seek out other communities, as well as, resale homes. If we go the resale route I think we’ll be able to get more for our money and closing will be a bit easier.

Things get better with age, even birthdays.

I had a wonderful birthday on Sunday, in fact it was one of the best that I can remember. It was sunny and 80 degrees - absolute perfection. My day of bliss began at Harrah’s Spa. Frank booked me a 50 minute facial. He dropped me off and he walked over to Mirage to play some poker. I used the eucalyptus steam shower and then lounged near the whirlpool while I waited for my appt. I enjoyed the treatment, but I think I'll stick to massages for my b-day (I felt a bit freakish due the redness that lingered).

Afterwards, I walked over to Mirage to meet Frank at Carnegie Deli. Had to grab a couple of our favorite cookies. With cookies in hand, we headed to our nook outside of the coffee shop near the parking garage. We relaxed and nibbled on our treats. We returned to the car and I requested that we drive down the strip because I wanted to check out construction progress and see the site where Stardust used to be. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly buildings go up in this town. There’s nothing but rubble from the Frontier to Circus Circus. Weird.

It was a lovely day and we wanted to take advantage of it, so we decided to visit Ethel M's Cactus Garden. Disappointing trip, landscaping was a mess and much of the cacti looked like it suffered from the cold temps we had this winter.

Next, Frank got the idea to check out some new homes. We looked at condos with garages. We found a real nice one, everything was great except the living room was too small. After that we visited Rhodes Ranch for what we call Real Estate Porn. It's a gorgeous master planned community that surrounds a man-made lake and golf course. Homes have spectacular strip and mountain views. We looked at "The Collection" subdivision which has homes in the $500-800k price range. There was only one house we really liked, it was $770,000. There was a ton of natural light and views from the loft and master bedroom were out of this world.

Afterwards, we returned home and watched some TV to rest up before our dinner reservations at STACK at 6pm. Dinner was fantastic, as usual. We adore the place, it's like it was meant for us. It has great ambiance and music, with excellent food and service to match. This time we had the wings as a starter, unlike any buffalo wings I've ever had. They were tasty and so cute. We followed with a split Caesar. Next up, was petite filet and tater tots for me; and lamb shank and XL potato for Frank. Pure Ecstasy. When I thought I could eat no more, warm chocolate with vanilla ice cream was delivered with a lit candle and a happy birthday message. Frank had it arranged earlier in the day. It was heavenly, and I don't particularly like cake. Gluttony is, by far, my favorite sin.

My fabulous day still wasn't over. We had tickets to Spamalot at Wynn at 8pm. We walked over and enjoyed the perfect weather. We were surprised by all the changes to the theater, very different from when Ave Q played; it is now very tailored to fit the Spamalot theme. We had seats 116, 117 in the Mezzanine Row E... dead center, high-up, but we could see the entire show. I really don't think there could be a bad seat because the theater is so well designed. It was a full house. The theater erupted into laughter hundreds of times. It was silly and incredibly entertaining. Spamalot seems to be very well received. The cast was fantastic and received a standing ovation. We had a ball, my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing for 90 minutes. Great show, definitely one of my favorites.

My birthday was drawing to a close, we saw the Bellagio fountains in the distance. Frank asked if I wanted to go there. I smiled real big and said yes. We saw "Luck be a Lady" while sitting in traffic. It was a bit of a cluster so we weren't able to get into the turning lane to enter the garage. So, we didn't make it to Bellagio, Frank offered to turn around and try again, but I declined. I suggested we go next week, instead.

On cloud nine...

I am in love. With my husband? Yes, but that’s stating the obvious. With Las Vegas? Yes, but again that is apparent. So what am I ever so infatuated by? A high rise condo, particularly, Club Renaissance.

I can recall, ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to live in the city, in a skyscraper, high up above it all. I loved visiting Chicago, walking down Lake Shore Dr., Michigan Ave., State St., etc. all the while, marveling at the skyscrapers towering overhead or being mesmerized by the impressive skyline. I especially adored the views these high rises offered. Forever I’ve been intrigued by this lifestyle, up in clouds…

For me, Chicago lost its luster, but my roots will forever reside there. And now, my heart belongs to Las Vegas. From the first visit, I knew I was home. I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to live in skyscraper in Las Vegas. Then, the land values sky rocket, population growth continues and so the inevitable comes, the high rise condo craze begins.

I signed my name to every interest list since Turnberry started construction. Quickly, I learned the chances of living near the strip were slim, seeing that these high rises offered luxury condos with sky high prices. The starting prices of these units are not affordable to those who actually work and live in Las Vegas.

Then talk of high rise condos began for the downtown area. As you may imagine, I was thrilled. For most, the downtown area leaves something to be desired, but for us it’s comfortable and fun – we love downtown and we see the potential downtown Las Vegas holds. Again, I signed up on every interest list known. One after another, each was crossed off the list because the starting prices were steep. Then a glimmer of hope, Club Renaissance was announced. It claimed to be the only affordable high rise in Las Vegas and it claims to be the only sky scraper, sounds like perfection.

Months pass and I was finally contacted with presale information. Indeed, it is affordable. Plus, we were invited to be part of a focus group and by participating we’d receive friends and family pricing. Sounds good to me.

Last night, after a lovely dinner at Roberta’s (in the El Cortez). We headed to the Ice House for the focus group presentation. It was first look into floor plans and details about amenities were given. We found exactly what we’ve hoped for. Now, it’s just a matter of finding the means to be able to attain it. In the meantime, I am on cloud nine.