Home Depot and their competitors never had it so good. America’s fixation with home improvement projects shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Sales of new and existing homes are expected to remain strong this year at just under 7.5 million, a slight drop from last year’s record of 7.7 million, according to the National Association of Realtors. Not surprisingly, the remodeling and repair sector is expected to grow an average of 3% annually over the next 10 years, stimulated by at least 11 million households becoming homeowners during that period. The record $233 billion in total spending on home improvement projects in 2001-2003 accounted for 40% of total expenditures on residential construction in the U.S. economy. Maybe now it’s easier to see why American consumer spending (across the board) accounts for 2/3 of total U.S. economic activity. One surprising feature of this trend, baby boomers continue to remain active in the home-remodeling market even as they approach retirement. The boomers are responsible for more than half of all expenditures. MS Las Vegas Real Estate provides free expert tips on home improvements that better prepare Las Vegas homes for maximum marketing. You’ll find them right on our website.

Wheel of Fortune is taping shows this weekend in Vegas for national broadcast beginning February 7th. Can you believe that Vanna and the gang are in their 22nd season? The highly popular show (which has crossed over into some of the most popular slot machines as well) will be taping at the Las Vegas Hilton this Friday thru Sunday. The cast and crew will be staying at the hotel, so there’s no telling who you might see in the casino at night. This is actually the fourth time “The Wheel” has come to Las Vegas, but it’s been 3 years since the last visit.

The Las Vegas Valley is beginning to develop a serious manufacturing base that will broaden and deepen our already stellar economic profile. No, we are not talking about the production of padded bras and casino chips here. The Nevada Development Authority is working very hard to get their message out to the rest of the country. What message? The State of Nevada has one of the most business friendly environments in the entire country. Having no state income tax is a big help to say the least. In 2004, there were only two states that logged positive growth in manufacturing rates, and Nevada was number one. Eighty per cent of our manufacturing growth is re-locating from California (please refer to our blog story on Las Vegas real estate and the California connection). The cost numbers are just incredibly tilted in Las Vegas’ favor, from power to transport to workers comp to taxes. There is no comparison to California at all. The savings are tremendous. The market for real estate in Las Vegas benefits handsomely from this surge in our manufacturing base. Las Vegas home prices are supported by very strong economic fundamentals that continue to improve over time. MS Las Vegas Real Estate is fully prepared to guide you through the Las Vegas real estate market. It’s full of opportunities!

Development has begun on Allure Las Vegas, a beautiful 40 story twin tower High Rise community at Las Vegas Blvd. and Sahara Ave. Each tower contains 403 units and the first move-ins are scheduled for 2007. Allure offers 15 floor plans to choose from. Condo unit sizes range from 671 to 4400 square feet. Two story penthouses are also available. Prices begin at $300,000. Current reservations will begin to be converted into sales contracts in late February. Please visit the MS Las Vegas Real Estate website for more information on this and other outstanding Las Vegas High Rise real estate properties.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has just released their new 5 year battle plan for keeping Las Vegas the number one destination in the United States for business and pleasure (who says you can’t mix the two). In 2004 Las Vegas set another record with 37 million visitors. The LVCVA is gunning for 43 million by the year 2009. Don’t doubt their sincerity. These are very competitive people and the City of Las Vegas owes them so much, believe me. The main Las Vegas Convention Center is about to undergo a 400 million dollar expansion and renovation, just to make the point more clear. What’s at stake here? The Travel Industry in the United States is a 1.18 trillion dollar business (how many zeros is a trillion?). Las Vegas expects to grab the biggest piece of that pie every year and we have become exceedingly good at it. Hotel room count at the close of 2004? 131,500 rooms. We can invite alot of people to our parties, no doubt about it. But it’s not just about partying, honestly. Business travelers and conventions are critical to future growth, hence the $400 million renovation and expansion. Marketing efforts will be maintained and increased in major U.S. cities and a new and more aggressive international marketing campaign is about to be unleashed far and wide. Now you know why we are so confident about the foundation and future potential of Las Vegas homes at MS Las Vegas Real Estate. This city has exploded in the last 10 years, but the next 10 are shaping up to be even more dramatic in terms of growth and value. We urge you to think seriously about the market for real estate in Las Vegas. We urge you to think seriously about the level of service and expertise MS Las Vegas Real Estate is prepared to provide.

You might have thought from the title of this story that Wynn Las Vegas is already open for business. It is not. The new luxury mega-resort doted over by the jedi-master of the casino business doesn’t open until April 28th. Already booked solid for a year? Absolutely, even at 2800 rooms. In fact, the hotel is booking convention business already that extends until the year 2012. Not bad when valet parking is still full of construction equipment, as it is right now. What’s going on here? Everyone expects it to be the best. They are unlikely to be disappointed.

Come on, admit it, you thought the title was a typo. High-End Gaming capital right? Well, that is right, but I didn’t make a typo. Get your taste buds (and your wallets) ready for this. USA Today just recently published their year end list (remember 2004?) for the top 20 cities for sophisticated dining. Las Vegas tied for second place! The only city to beat us was New York City! You can’t imagine what an accomplishment this is unless you’ve lived in Las Vegas 24 years as I have. Believe me, it wasn’t always like this. But Las Vegas is rapidly turning into an incredibly impressive and sophisticated urban living environment. I can tell you from experience, Las Vegas shopping has joined Las Vegas dining as truly world class. What’s coming next? The most beautiful and luxurious and stunning High Rise Las Vegas real estate developments in the world. Yes, in the world, which includes New York. Don’t believe it? Go to MS Las Vegas Real Estate and check it out for yourself. Don’t like computers? Call us at 888-349-2595.

Wow, televised high stakes and celebrity poker tournaments are the rage! This is good news for Dennis Rodman. It keeps him on TV at a point when Larry King is unlikely to invite him back on CNN. My very own webmaster confesses to being hooked on this latest craze involving the crazier side of the Las Vegas lifestyle. If you love poker (or happen to be stuck with someone who does) you know that the ultimate event in this formerly underground world (there was a reason for that) is the World Series of Poker. Harrah’s Entertainment Corporation owns the World Series event and they take this very seriously. How seriously? Harrah’s has just hired Pilson Communications to re-negotiate their agreement with ESPN (is poker a sport now?) for television rights to this earth shattering global event. Pilson who? Neal Pilson was the boss at CBS Sports for 20 years and his current roster of clients includes NASCAR and Major League Baseball. This guy is a heavy hitter and doesn’t come cheap. Believe me, televised poker has arrived. This summer marks the 36th time the World Series has been held. Harrah’s is expecting over 5000 entrants this year, which is almost double the previous player record. ESPN did 22 hours of broadcasts last year for the tournament and plans to do as much or more (thank god) this year. With over 50 million dollars in total prize money up for grabs, it should be the biggest year ever for the World Series of Poker.

Residential real estate in Las Vegas takes another step forward. KB Homes has debuted the latest addition to the Aliante master-planned community in North Las Vegas. The neighborhood is called La Vella, and prospective residents have a choice of three model homes to explore. The new La Vella models range in size from 1231 to 2973 square feet, and residents have a choice of nine different floor plans. Prices for these beautiful Las Vegas homes start at just under $300,000. The MS Las Vegas Real Estate team would be happy to give you a personal tour of the entire Aliante community. Give us a call at 888-349-2595.

Pulte Homes introduces the Augusta Series of Las Vegas homes at Silverstone Ranch. This outstanding collection is comprised of four single-story home designs that range in size from 1913 to 2807 square feet. These Las Vegas homes are offered in a master-planned guard gated community surrounding the stunning Silverstone Golf Course. The interior designs are intended to exude warmth and comfort and understated elegance. The level of technology built into these Las Vegas homes is impressive as well. Every Augusta home exceeds the EPA’s Energy Star requirements. Pulte offers a three year heating and cooling energy use and comfort guarantee on every home. This is an especially attractive offer in warm desert climate. It can be a great relief to get a reasonable power bill in July when the temperature is 108 degrees. Other amenities include a 6 acre park, basketball, tennis courts and playgrounds. Please contact MS Las Vegas Real Estate for more information.

Former Motley Crue front man Vince Neil got married in Las Vegas last week at the Four Seasons Hotel. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that Vegas had a Four Seasons! Just tell me that you didn’t know that Vince got married in Las Vegas, because I didn’t know either until I saw it in the paper. MC Hammer officiated in the ceremony, for real. See? Now you think I’m lying!! I’m very serious about Vince and MC. Ask Dennis Rodman or Tommy Lee, they were there too. You’ll never guess who wasn’t there….the original best man! Randy Kubota was supposed to do the honors, but he’s in the hospital with very serious injuries. A couple of weeks ago he was at a party at Vince’s house, and after he left, some one pushed him out of the car! Yes it was moving! They found him in a drainage ditch somewhere in LA. Vegas baby, gotta love it.

Webster’s dictionary defines a symbiotic relationship as one that is “the intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship”. How can you say it any better than that? There can be no doubt but that California and Las Vegas are radically dissimilar organisms. It’s equally the case that the relationship is mutually re-enforcing in an economically dynamic way. In no part of the Las Vegas economy is this more true than residential property. Before we examine the reasons, let’s take a quick look at the current status of the California real estate market.The West Coast is absolutely smoking, no question about it. The median price of a California home increased 23% from a year ago and now stands at an amazing $473,000. The month of November saw a record breaking number of sales of single family homes. What is driving this demand? A strong economy that continues to create strong consumer demand, combined with the mortgage rates that remain encouragingly low by historical standards. In short, a record year for home sales and home prices. The best of both worlds. Southern Nevada (Las Vegas and vicinity) has a residential real estate profile that more than matches California. The 2004 Las Vegas housing market shattered all previous records for home sales and price appreciation. The best of both worlds. No coincidence here. Just take a look at the map. Las Vegas is 45 minutes by plane and 4 hours by car from anywhere in Southern California. Geography is the basis for the symbiotic relationship that sets the theme for this article. Hanging around out in the desert is fine as long as you are in the backyard of the worlds fifth largest economy. That’s right, the State of California is the fifth largest economy in the world. How does this benefit Las Vegas residential real estate specifically? At MS Las Vegas Real Estate, we are constantly working with California based investors that want to expand their holdings to include our market. What kind of opportunities do they find? Let’s begin with median prices. As you now know, the median price of an existing California home is $473K. The median price for an existing home in Las Vegas is approximately 250K. An investor that cashes out a California property can realistically turn around and buy two homes for the same money in Las Vegas. Considering the 53% price appreciation of Las Vegas homes in 2004, this is an option that many investors found attractive. Real estate portfolio adjustments of this nature require a highly liquid market environment. Again, the volume of home sales broke all records in both states last year. The ability to liquefy equity gains in both markets remains impressive to say the least. Symbiosis at work. Not to be forgotten is the new resident to the Southwestern United States who considered California only to be overwhelmed by sticker shock. The MS Las Vegas Real Estate team is working with clients on a regular basis who seek to enjoy the close proximity of Southern California while benefiting from the pricing and tax benefits of living in a Las Vegas home instead.

Located adjacent to the newly renovated Fashion Show Mall and directly across the street from the new Wynn Las Vegas Resort, Trump International Towers Las Vegas looks destined to set the standard as the flagship of the new Las Vegas high rise condo community. The original plans called for one 64 story building (645 feet) that would combine hotel rooms and luxury condos into one incredible package as only Donald Trump can do.Groundbreaking on the first building is scheduled for April 2005 and almost 1000 of the buildings 1282 units are spoken for already! For this very reason, it was announced on January 4th that an identical second tower would be added to the project as well. Mr. Trump assures that Tower #2 will be just as spectacular as the first building. Both buildings are modeled after the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. This of course includes 24K gold glass with white accents that are sure to sparkle and dazzle in the bright Las Vegas sun. Please contact the MS Las Vegas Real Estate Team for more information on this world class property.