The Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors logged 4,398 condominium closings in 2004. The GLVAR reported 582 condo closings in 2003. Get the picture? What’s the difference? Las Vegas High Rise Condos, no doubt about it. The number of condominium closings is expected to TRIPLE in the Las Vegas real estate market over the next two years. The urbanization of a U.S. city on a truly historic scale. Be a part of the action, call MS Las Vegas Real Estate at 888-349-2595.

That’s right…almost. A full scale replica of the Liberty Bell will be brought to Las Vegas in May of this year as part of the centennial celebration. The bell will be rung to mark the centennial birthday of Las Vegas, Nevada and you know that we know how to stage an event. The Liberty Bell monument will be located at the corner of Fourth Street and Lewis Avenue just a few blocks from the Fremont Street Experience. The public will be able to see and touch the bell in addition to enjoying displays on the Bill of Rights, The Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. There will also be presentations about important legal cases that helped to shape the history of Southern Nevada. MS Las Vegas Real Estate would like to remind you once again that Las Vegas is a real city now. Large, ethnically diverse, culturally rich, economically strong and well on the way to first-tier status in America in so many ways that have nothing to do with gambling. A Las Vegas home is a sound investment and a pleasant and rewarding living experience. More so all the time.

Secretary Alphonso Jackson recently announced that Nevada will receive $9,705,420 to provide shelter and care for persons and families without a home of their own. The funding to Nevada is part of more than $1.4 billion announced nationwide - the largest single commitment of federal funds supporting an unprecedented number of local projects on the front lines of caring for people who might otherwise be living on the streets. “This unprecedented level of funds will go directly to those on the front lines, who work tirelessly everyday to bring an end to chronic homelessness, and who provide services to the many individuals and families without a home of their own” said Jackson. MS Las Vegas Real Estate salutes these efforts.

Before we get into the ad revenue part of the story, let’s talk first about who is winning the race for the most search customers. Google remains the top Internet search-site in the world. December data indicate that Google handled 34.7% of all searches. Yahoo is a close second with 31.9% and MSN is still a distant third with 16.3%. Now for the ad data. Google reported Tuesday that its profit rose eight fold as revenue doubled to $1.03 billion in the fourth quarter. Google shares jumped 7% ($13.46) to $205.36 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock has more than doubled since it began trading at $85 in August. Yahoo is again right behind in the chase. Yahoo recently reported that fourth quarter profit increased nearly fivefold as revenue rose 62% to $1.08 billion. Both companies are benefiting tremendously from a huge surge in online advertising, driven largely by companies that pay big money to have their advertisement appear next to consumer search results. You will find MS Las Vegas Real Estate prominently featured on all 3 major search engines.

Microsoft plans to launch an all-out attack on it’s search competitors with a four month advertising campaign designed to promote its new Internet Search Engine product. Microsoft plans to promote the brand new MSN Search Service using “grassroots” marketing, online advertisements and commercials during the Super Bowl and college-basketball playoffs. As of yesterday, Microsoft began using its own technology for the MSN Search service. Microsoft had previously relied on licensed technology for its search engine. The Big M is hoping to differentiate its search capabilities from competitors that mostly provide the same type of functions. For example, Microsoft says its search tool will provide instant answers to standard questions and not just links to various web sites. For instance, say you were interested in the topic of Las Vegas real estate. If you type this phrase into the new MSN Search, you will receive a list of the most important web sites for that particular topic. Even though MSN Search returns over 5 million relevant results, MS Las Vegas Real Estate is right up in the very first group. No accident there. If you were to become interested in a Las Vegas home, MS Las Vegas Real Estate is among the very best of choices you can make. Go to MSN, see for yourself.

This is nothing short of incredible. Even John D. Rockefeller would never have thought of such a thing. The personal income statistics of the American people, as measured by the U.S. Commerce Department, shot up in December by the largest monthly gain since the government began tracking the data in 1959. The U.S. Commerce Department said that total personal income rose by 3.7% in December 2004 as compared to the previous month. What caused this record breaking phenomenon? The large dividend paid to shareholders of Microsoft Corporation. How much was the dividend? Thirty two billion dollars. The Microsoft payment, which affected 4.6 million shareholders, was nearly as large as the $38 billion federal income-tax rebate paid in the summer of 2001. If you live in Las Vegas, and you own a significant amount of Microsoft shares, MS Las Vegas Real Estate has a great idea for your new found chunk of change. How about a nice new Las Vegas home!

Taking advantage of rising home prices, a record number of Las Vegas home owners are choosing home equity loans or lines of credit as a source of less expensive funds. A home equity line of credit gives the owner of Las Vegas homes the right to borrow up to a certain amount, either all at once or as needed. You only have to pay interest on the amount you actually withdraw. Home equity loans on the other hand, provide borrowers with a lump sum all at once and carry a fixed interest rate. The rise in home equity lending may reflect a more fundamental shift in consumer funding preferences. Home equity lending is competing very effectively with credit cards in the consumer marketplace. For Las Vegas real estate borrowers, the advantages include lower interest rates and tax deductibility. On an interest rate basis alone, home equity lines of credit look especially attractive as compared to credit cards. Interest on the first $100,000 of a home equity line of credit is usually tax deductible. If you own residential real estate in Las Vegas, it may be wise to consult your accountant about the advantages of these options.

In one of the largest philanthropic donations in history, The Gates Foundation is donating this enormous sum to assist in the battle for preventable childhood diseases in the developing world. The contribution goes to the International Vaccine Fund and will help fight diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, polio and yellow fever in 72 different countries. In 1999, the Gates Foundation gave an identical $750 million that established the Fund itself. The World Health Organization credits the first donation in 1999 with saving the lives of over 670,000 children already. The Gates Foundation is the world’s largest charitable organization with an endowment of 27 billion dollars.

Sharon Osbourne has organized a recording effort that will benefit the Save the Children organization as they battle the odds in providing desperately needed tsunami relief all over Asia. Current Las Vegas headliners Elton John and Andrea Bocelli will be collaborating on “Tears in Heaven” which was originally recorded by Eric Clapton for his son when he died. Other artists contributing to the effort include Rod Stewart, Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban and many more. The release date for the tsunami relief recordings has yet to be announced. Watch for it in stores, pick it up off the rack, and help Save the Children to restore hope to the lives of so many that are so desperately in need.

I think it’s often the case that when people think about life in Las Vegas as a resident, they still imagine bright neon and spinning roulette wheels. And in fact it is true that you can very easily live that life as a resident of Las Vegas, but it doesn’t have to be that way necessarily. Let me give you some examples of your alternatives. There are so many things about our community that you would recognize from a non-neon point of view. Take high school sports for example. Palo Verde High School is in the Summerlin master-planned community. The Palo Verde Panthers football team just won their first state championship with a 14-0 record. The whole valley is proud of them and the stands were packed for every game. KNPR is our local Las Vegas public radio station. It has just been distinguished by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as being in the top 10% of all public radio stations nationwide. What about Climb for Life? Former U.S. National champion rock climbers have teamed up with the local medical community for Ovarian Cancer Climb for Life on February 5th. Part of the event includes a Learn to Climb clinic at a local indoor rock climbing center. Did you know that Red Rock Canyon (30 minutes from the strip) is rated #2 in the country for cliff climbing? The truth is, our valley offers an incredibly diverse range of lifestyle choices for those that call Las Vegas home. MS Las Vegas Real Estate would be happy to introduce you to facets of Las Vegas that you probably never knew existed. The real estate market in Las Vegas is among the strongest in the country. It takes more than roulette and neon to accomplish that.

MS Las Vegas Real Estate is amazed and impressed with the rapid development of North Las Vegas as a municipality, and as an integral part of the Greater Las Vegas community. On May 1st, 1946, the City of North Las Vegas was officially incorporated. At the time, the population was a border busting 2,875 people. The population of North Las Vegas today is 170,000 and growing by the day. The real estate market in North Las Vegas has built up a bit to say the least! In fact, one of the newest master-planned communities in the valley is in North Las Vegas. Aliante is a beautiful development and a wonderful place to purchase a Las Vegas home. North Las Vegas has been known for years as the nerve center for light manufacturing and transportation services in the Las Vegas valley. More recent arrivals in the business community include data processing, medical, aerospace and automotive. The market for real estate in North Las Vegas continues to benefit strongly from business and residential expansion. MS Las Vegas Real Estate has over a decade of experience in North Las Vegas. Put our knowledge to work for you.

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.

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.

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.