The second quarter Manpower Employment Outlook Survey was released last week for Greater Las Vegas. How do things look? Southern Nevada businesses plan on hiring additional workers in the coming months for sure. A full one third of firms surveyed expect to add staff while two thirds have every intention of holding steady. Here’s the amazing part of the story, none of the companies surveyed had any intention of decreasing employment whatsoever!

The Las Vegas housing market sits on a very solid foundation of strong economic growth. Better yet, intense competition for skilled labor of all kinds is creating natural upward pressure on wages and benefits. Any narrowing of the gap between the median price of a Las Vegas home and the median income level of Vegas wage earners is a definite plus! For those who like to prognosticate about the Las Vegas real estate bubble, consider this; Las Vegas has lead the entire nation in employment growth for the last three years running.

AFAN is getting ready for AIDS WALK LAS VEGAS 2006. Please help us in the fight against HIV/AIDS here in Southern Nevada. Join thousands of people on April 23, 2006 as we take to the streets to support those living with this disease. Together we can make a difference!

Founded in 1984, Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) is the oldest and largest AIDS service organization in the state of Nevada. AFAN provides direct client service programs, food programs, prevention and education programs, and community outreach. This year will be the 16th Annual AIDS Walk. Last year, more than 5,000 people walked and over $250,000 got donated! Corporate and community teams accounted for 60% of the total funds collected. Please speak to your co-workers and get a group together! Participation includes some of the leading corporations and organizations in Southern Nevada. Expect to see names like MGM Mirage, Macy’s, Pinnacle Health System, M.A.C Cosmetics, UNLV, Wells Fargo and many more. Make a team or join a team and walk with us on Sunday, April 23rd at 10am!

Construction on The Residences at MGM Grand, another Las Vegas luxury high-rise condo development, is moving ahead rapidly. Tower One is slated for completion in May of this year! Tower Two has progressed all the way to the 32nd floor and Tower Three has just hit the seventh floor.

Studio, one and two bedroom residences are available in Tower Three. Prices start from $600,000 and elevate to more than $2.5 million. Interior design features include crown moldings, raised-panel doors and high-speed voice/data connectivity. Luxury amenities include granite counter tops, Snaidero kitchen cabinetry, Sub-Zero refrigerators, Miele appliances, Jacuzzi tubs and flat-screen HDTVs. All three Towers will feature 24-hour front desk/concierge services and around-the-clock security. Residents will also enjoy state-of-the-art fitness centers and swimming pools. How are the neighbors? How do you feel about the fabulous MGM Grand Las Vegas! Please contact MS Las Vegas Real Estate for more information at 888-349-2595.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently conducted it’s annual Best of Las Vegas reader’s poll. This is serious business for Las Vegas business establishments. Winners are very aggressive about letting their customers know that they have been chosen. This year’s survey was especially anticipated due to the arrival of Wynn Las Vegas. Despite this fact, Bellagio again took top honors for the best Strip Hotel. Best coffee in Las Vegas? Yup, it’s Starbucks. The best burgers in Las Vegas? In-N-Out burger blows away the competition. If you don’t have one in your part of the country, grab a cab on your next visit and tell the driver…..hit the In-N-Out drive thru! Angel Park took top honors as the best public golf facility and it’s The Orleans if you like to bowl! Pure at Caeasar’s was without question the coolest club and Ghost Bar was rated the hottest place for singles. Andre Agassi is our most popular local celeb and Ben Affleck is our favorite celebrity tourist. Who was voted the worst celebrity tourist? Paris Hilton…Yikes!

Dear Connie,
Sounds like a good Realtor and a high level of due dilgence would be in order. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly for additional information and guidance.
Sincerely,
The Michelle Sterling Las Vegas Real Estate Team

It’s incredibly fortunate for both parents and teens in Southern Nevada that we have the Driver’s Edge Program. Former professional race-car driver Jeff Payne is the founder of what has to be one of the most incredible non-profit programs in our entire community! Based at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Driver’s Edge provides truly expert instruction for teens with new licenses. This is real world stuff and covers important topics like defensive driving techniques, paying close attention to the road, warning signs that spell risk and quick reaction to dangerous situations. This free course is given about 10 weekends a year out at the Speedway. Over 20,000 teens and parents have benefited from the generosity of this program since 2002. How incredible is that! The MS Las Vegas Real Estate Blog salutes a real local hero…Jeff Payne and Driver’s Edge.

If you enjoy the excitement of major sporting events, Greater Las Vegas is a great place to live. Our NASCAR track is one of the best in the country. Residents also enjoy Arena Football, Wranglers Hockey, 51′s Baseball, The PGA Tour, National Finals Rodeo and much, much more. Now we’re about to add another world-class event to the schedule! The PGA Grand Slam of Golf will move to Coyote Springs, Nevada from Hawaii beginning in 2007. The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority has approved a three-year, $4.5 million sponsorship for the made-for-television event that will run from 2007 through 2009. The Grand Slam is a tournament that features the winners of the four majors from the year. I wonder what they do if Tiger wins all four? In any event, you’re probably wondering where Coyote Springs is? Coyote Springs is a 42,000-acre golf community in-the-making that is about one hour north of Las Vegas. Plans include as many as 10 golf courses, the first of which (a Nicklaus design) will host the PGA Grand Slam. The development will also be home to the PGA Village, which will include a PGA learning facility and historical center. Stay tuned to the MS Las Vegas Real Estate Blog for more information in the coming months about the PGA Grand Slam and the residential opportunities that are taking shape just north of Las Vegas in Coyote Springs!

The regeneration of Downtown Las Vegas is nothing short of astounding. From the Arts District on Charleston Blvd to the bright lights of Fremont Street, Downtown is rapidly developing into the ultimate mixed-use business/residential/recreational district. A case in point is the new Juhl, a 15 story contemporary glass cube that provides authentic urban loft-style living. Located at the corner of Bonneville and Fourth Street, Juhl is truly in the middle of the action. Starting at 600 and increasing to 2,500 square feet, loft units at Juhl feature exposed concrete and building mechanicals. This is the real thing. Ten foot ceilings, full scale glass and interior walls if you want them and none if you don’t, that’s the Juhl scene. Walk out of the building and walk into a bustling montage of cafe’s, shops, art galleries, premium office space and The Golden Nugget! Not a bad mix of choices. Downtown Las Vegas, the best of what it used to be, combined with the finest in contemporary living. Contact MS Las Vegas Real Estate for more information at 888-349-2595.

In addition to the tremendous amount of ink spent on the so-called housing bubble in the national media, a fair amount has been spent on the demise of the high-rise condo market in Las Vegas. The truth is, a few high profile projects have been cancelled as of late, and should have been. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The MS Las Vegas Real Estate Blog would like to offer two cases in point. First, let’s talk about Allure Towers on Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. At completion, Allure will consist of two 41-story towers and 900 luxury units. Construction on Tower One is in full effect and they just set the concrete for the ninth floor. The development is right on schedule for the November 2007 opening and sales activity has been active to say the least! How about the $500 million Trump International Hotel and Tower Las Vegas? Believe me, it’s full speed ahead on that project as well. Perini just finished a challenging concrete pour for the huge sixth floor recreation deck. Next, it’s straight up to 64 stories. The first residents are scheduled to move-in early 2008 and all indications are that they will! There’s plenty of Las Vegas Luxury High-Rise real estate going vertical without any drama, or any lack of buyers for that matter!

Now in it’s 34th season, the Nevada Ballet Theatre is one of the leading lights of the cultural experience in Southern Nevada. Skillfully led by Artistic Director Bruce Steivel, Nevada Ballet has garnered status on a national scale. The dance company numbers 35 and includes talent attracted and recruited from around the world. Due to the tremendous generosity of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and the Howard Hughes Corporation, the Nevada Ballet Theatre is proud and fortunate to call Summerlin their home. Housed in a truly world-class facility of 36,000 feet, students and members of the local community are invited to share in the experience that is professional dance. Next on the performance schedule for the Nevada Ballet Company is Scheherazade. Performance dates are May 12th thru the 14th at the Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV. Another recent event worthy of mention was the annual NBT Black and White Ball at Wynn Las Vegas on January 28th. This gala event honors a specific individual every year and Rita Rudner was chosen for 2006. Attendees included Paula Abdul, Smokey Robinson and Danny Gans. The event was sponsored by Cartier and guests enjoyed elegant touches and party favors fitting for the occasion. Las Vegas is a real city and the MS Las Vegas Real Estate Blog won’t stop promoting this side of the “Vegas experience” until people nationwide truly understand what we have to offer. This is a great place to start a business, to enjoy retirement, to start a family, to buy a home. We’re proud to be part of the Las Vegas real estate community and thrilled to be living in culturally rich Southern Nevada!