Possibly moving to Las Vegas

[Katsmeow]

We are seriously considering moving to Las Vegas. I've done a lot of research on this but would appreciate any feedback from people in the area.

We live in a very hot real estate market and it is a good time to sell our house. We want something smaller on a very small lot. We probably want something around 1700 SF give or take a little, preferably on a lot with no grass and very little backyard. We currently have a pool and we absolutely do not want a pool. We would prefer one story but would consider 2 story. Would prefer a house less than 20 years old and absolutely will not buy anything more than 30 years old. We want something that won't require a lot of remodeling. Paint, carpet would be OK but not gutting the kitchen.

We want to have less money in our house than we do now and want to have much less upkeep. We plan to pay mostly cash so would prefer to not spend more than $450k (actually would prefer not more than $425k). We would probably take a mortgage for about $100k. I know the fact it isn't all cash makes it more difficult but I am not going to pull a bunch of money out of the IRA and pay taxes on it.

I've looked at a lot of listings and there are things in our price range that look acceptable (even allowing for possibly paying over asking). I've read a lot about crime issues. So we are focused on the NW (Centennial Hills) down to Summerlin, then south west to around Enterprise and then across to Henderson. We want to be close to amenities so don't want to be too far out of town.

Everyone says to move to Henderson and Summerlin but there is not much new enough in our price range in those areas. We could find some older houses but not much else. I've occasionally seen some houses in Summerlin that are in that price range, but often in the 55+ part which we don't want.

We probably prefer to live in Las Vegas city limits (for pet reasons -- they allow 4. We don't have 4 cats now but would like to have that potential). We might consider unincorporated Clark County. Will not consider North Las Vegas.

I know Las Vegas is a very hot competitive market right now so I expect we will do a short term rental or AirBnB while trying to buy. This is difficult because will have cats with us but I don't know any other option.

Why Las Vegas?

I haven't been there in awhile (we plan to soon take a trip to scout things out in the areas we are interested in) but back in the day I enjoyed it there. In fact, we got married in Las Vegas. We are not big gamblers and we don't drink. However, I like the dining and shopping options and we would enjoy the occasional blackjack table. I don't imagine we would often go to the Strip but it is nice to know it is there if we want to go there. We also plan to get back to playing bridge and there are several bridge clubs there and we've enjoyed going to tournaments in Las Vegas in the past.

We don't mind the desert heat. I would welcome the lack of humidity and air conditioning exists for a reason. I don't want snow and ice.

Nevada suits us politically overall.

I like how close Las Vegas is to other places we might enjoy visiting (California, Arizona, etc). Also there is a good airport there and this is a place that people we know might actually want to visit. This location factor is very important to us.

The taxes and other expenses are favorable for us as compared to Texas.

Negatives we have considered:

Healthcare - I know there is a shortage of doctors and good specialists. We almost moved to Las Vegas 4 years ago and this was one thing that concerned us then. The situation seems a bit better now. We will handle this in a couple of ways. If need be, we will get concierge doctors (I don't love this option but if that is what is needed to be able to quickly see someone then we can do it). And, for any really complex specialty needs we will fly to LA or Phoenix. 4 years ago that option was suggested and it seemed outlandish. But last year I chose to go to Houston for cataract surgery and for some other medical stuff. That 5 hour drive was really not a big deal.

Crime - I have looked at this a lot. I plan to handle this mostly by choice of where we live. We will only buy a house with a garage. I am leaning toward a gated community. I don't love HOAs but in this case I may seek one out.


There are other negatives, of course, but those were the ones I was most concerned with. Anyway, would appreciate any feedback from people familiar with the area.

Other places we seriously considered:

Vancouver, WA. I loved the location in Washington but over the river from Portland. The mild summers are great (and we could tolerate the rain). But -- we don't really like outdoor activity and that is a big draw for a lot of people in that area. For us, there isn't really anything special to do there. Housing is very expensive. And the potential for disasters is higher than I really like. Also this is a long, long way from Texas and the people we know there and it is a long way to travel anywhere.

Albuquerque/Rio Rancho, NM. DH actually lived in Albuquerque for a year as a child. His dad was in the Navy and he mostly grew up in southern California but he spent a year in Hawaii and a year in Albuquerque and he has fond memories of it. The housing market is much, much less expensive there which was a huge draw for me. Crime is bad (although not so bad in Rio Rancho). The state is very poor and I worry about the financial stability of the state. Also Albuquerque is a little small for us and is sort of out in the middle of nowhere. Basically the only real thing it has going for it over Las Vegas is the low housing cost. But, again, not much there for us to do.

 

[LV_Travel]

Henderson is one of safest cities in the US. Frequently top 10. Summerlin is the NV version of irvine ca. Several other areas have also basically copied the southern orange county planning. However, many other areas are sketchy. Anywhere within a mile of the strip is definitely a no go zone. Distance from the strip generally equals improvement, but not always. Gated HOA community is definitely better, but not a guarantee of safety anywhere including Vegas. If a manned gate with roaming guards, much much better. Biggest problem is that hundreds of thousands of Californians have moved in, driving prices up dramatically! Maybe the fed will slow down the appreciation, but the way it has been going, your price range in a good area is getting hard to find. Bottom line, get into the best neighborhood you can as soon as you can before you are priced out. The cost to build new homes has gone parabolic and that also factors into the big price increases.

Healthcare isn’t as bad as the rep. Actually many top rated docs from the highest rated institutions. There is finally a local MD school based in vegas as well as a DO school. This plus recruitment by the large practices has increased supply. However the influx of new citizens is huge every month. If you can afford a concierge doc, at least for intros to specialists, it will be worth it,

We’ve been in vegas for over 20 years and love it. Not gamblers. Entertainment and dining options cannot be beat. Good outdoors activities, etc. other than housing appreciation the only other drawback is the crowds and increasing traffic as the population keeps growing. Successful cities grow, better than the alternative.

 

[Lisa99]

We lived in Sun City Anthem for four years and liked it. It was safe, quiet and easy to get to shopping, dining, and entertainment.

I'd be concerned about the water situation but Vegas has been very proactive in water reclamation so may not be an issue.

 

[COcheesehead]

Water would be my biggest concern.

 

[Sunset]

We are seriously considering moving to Las Vegas. I've done a lot of research on this but would appreciate any feedback from people in the area.

.....

We probably prefer to live in Las Vegas city limits (for pet reasons -- they allow 4. We don't have 4 cats now but would like to have that potential). We might consider unincorporated Clark County. Will not consider North Las Vegas.

.....

Other places we seriously considered:

Vancouver, WA. I loved the location in Washington but over the river from Portland. The mild summers are great (and we could tolerate the rain). But -- we don't really like outdoor activity and that is a big draw for a lot of people in that area. For us, there isn't really anything special to do there. Housing is very expensive. And the potential for disasters is higher than I really like. Also this is a long, long way from Texas and the people we know there and it is a long way to travel anywhere.

......

OP , Thanks for such a detailed listing of LV potential, as I keep thinking we need to move as well.

I have had cats in the past, and never cared to pay attention to any city rule on the number of cats as all my cats stayed indoors. Not sure why a city really cares. Dogs I understand as people walk them and let them roam and they poop on other people's lawns.
I don't see how a City would even know how many cats I have.

Can you expand on the Vancouver, WA. potential for disaster ?

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I haven't been to Las Vegas in years, but the last time I was there it was 117 degrees. It was so hot they closed the water parks. It is one of the fastest warming cities in the U.S.

The hellish future of Las Vegas in the climate crisis: 'A place where we never go outside' | Las Vegas | The Guardian

I'm more of an outside, hike in the forest kind of person, so this may not be an issue for you, but the increasing heat is likely to continue. But every area has its drawbacks. We live with a good chance of a big earthquake and fire danger because of all the wooded areas and global warming, so you have to pick what is best for you. If it was me from your list I would move to Vancouver because of the mountains, scenery and parks.

 

[RetMD21]

New Mexico is poor and the Albuquerque crime rate is high but we felt safe visiting for a couple of weeks. The suburbs in Albuquerque seemed safe and prosperous. I wonder if it like our location in Michigan i.e. nice safe suburb near a city with a high Crime area. The Albuquerque version of Dell Webb has trails linking to Petroglyphs National Monument which I think is cool.

 

[l8_apex]

Seems like you've thought it through quite well. A home in a gated community, with a garage big enough for all of your vehicles + stuff and I wouldn't worry about crime, at least at home.

And a yard with no grass and I wouldn't worry about possible future water shortages.

 

[Katsmeow]

However, many other areas are sketchy. Anywhere within a mile of the strip is definitely a no go zone. Distance from the strip generally equals improvement, but not always. Gated HOA community is definitely better, but not a guarantee of safety anywhere including Vegas. If a manned gate with roaming guards, much much better. Biggest problem is that hundreds of thousands of Californians have moved in, driving prices up dramatically! Maybe the fed will slow down the appreciation, but the way it has been going, your price range in a good area is getting hard to find. Bottom line, get into the best neighborhood you can as soon as you can before you are priced out.

Yes, I've researched the neighborhoods extensively and plan to stay on that outer part on the west and south. We could pay a little more if need be but would prefer not to. But, yes, we will definitely focus on location and then on house.

Water would be my biggest concern.

I've looked at this and not worried about unduly. I think Las Vegas is probably in better shape than a lot of other Western areas.

I have had cats in the past, and never cared to pay attention to any city rule on the number of cats as all my cats stayed indoors. Not sure why a city really cares. Dogs I understand as people walk them and let them roam and they poop on other people's lawns.
I don't see how a City would even know how many cats I have.

Can you expand on the Vancouver, WA. potential for disaster ?

Our cats are entirely indoor also. But, I just prefer to stay within rules if possible. Some cities actually provide that they can confiscate (and then potentially euthanize) any pets that are unregistered.



The biggest risk in Vancouver (and much of western Washington and Oregon is the Cascadia Subduction Zone which is overdue for a major earthquake. Chance of 7.1+ magnitude quake in the next 50 years is 37%. This zone also has the potential for a 9.0+ magnitude earthquake. Such an earthquake has a large potential for a tsunami. I am not too worried about the tsunami risk in Vancouver but a high magnitude quake could do a lot of damage. The last earthquake on that fault was in 1700 at 9.0 magnitude and is overdue.

In addition to the earthquake risk (I do think the risk of death is not high but the financial risk is high as earthquake insurance usually has very high deductibles), there are also risks of volcanoes and wildfires. The volcano risk is not just Mt. St. Helens which many recall but other volcanoes. At least with those, there were would be warning. And, wildfires are an increasing risk.

I'm more of an outside, hike in the forest kind of person, so this may not be an issue for you, but the increasing heat is likely to continue. But every area has its drawbacks.

I would, of course, enjoy a milder temperature in the summer but you can't everything and we tend to think the mix of factors favor Las Vegas for us. Realistically speaking we will stay in the air conditioned space in summer where it is 95 outside or 115 outside.

 

[mojavesue]

Well, I feel like I can give you info as I have a home in Las Vegas and Albuquerque area! I've lived in Las Vegas since the mid 90s. Have lived in most areas of the city. Our house in Vegas is in 89129 in the NW near Cheyenne and the 215. Its a single story 2200 sq ft house on a 8k square foot lot. Just north of the Summerlin border. LOVE the neighborhood and location! We're 10 minutes from Centennial Hills shopping. Summerlin Center and Red Rock casino is 10 minutes. 10 minutes to Boca Park and Tivoli Village. I can be downtown in 15 minutes. We are not in an HOA but are surrounded by them. The homes in our neighborhood are well taken care of and many are still owned by original owners. Our house was built in 95. So a little older but not bad. As far as prices, Its still a hot market but noticed things arent as crazy as it was 6 months ago. We bought the place a few months ago for 480k.
Crime is really no different than any other large city in the US. If you want to find crime, you can find it. Most of it tends to be on the east side and North side nearer to downtown areas. BUT, there are some really nice neighborhoods in those areas too.

Weather. Yes it does get hot. But really the only time its bad for me is during Monsoon season which runs from July to September. When its 110 and the humidity kicks up just a little, well, its pretty oppressive! But after September through June I think is great! It does get chilly in the winter, and occasionally will get snow on the valley floor. But for the most part, sunny and mid 50s to mid 60s in January!

Cost of living there is not bad. Everyone mentions low taxes in Nevada and its true, no state income tax and low property taxes. BUT, if you drive a new car or truck, be prepared to pay a lot for registration. The state goes by the value of the vehicle. So, I've seen people pay as much as 1500 bucks a year for something worth 100k. If you drive older cars, then its cheap. 70 bucks for my old 98 Tacoma. Another shocker for a lot of people is our gasoline prices. In March, we were paying 5.50 a gallon. Its down a little now. 4.89. But compared to our place in NM, its a full dollar more a gallon. Thats due to higher road taxes but the state really does spend it back on keeping the road infrastructure in good shape. Car insurance is high too due to a lot of visitors in the city.

Entertainment. Hey, what can I say, its The Entertainment Capitol of the World! Tons of shows and concerts on the strip. Actually, my favorite part of Vegas is the outdoor attractions. Red Rock is absolutely beautiful! Awesome hiking and backpacking. Mt Charleston has a ski lodge for skiing and snowboarding in the winter. A few miles north of the valley is Desert Wildlife Refuge. Lake Mead is just 30 minutes away. Although its harder to launch a boat now due to very low lake levels. Hoover Dam and Boulder City are nice attractions. In the city itself. So many amazing city parks! Just withing walking distance from our place is Lone Mountain park and Police Memorial park. Wonderful parks. Just 2 hours drive north on the 15 is southern Utah with Zion National Park. Southern California is 4 hours, Phoenix is about 4 hours. So many amazing areas to mention!
If you have any questions about the area, you can PM me. I'll start another reply in a bit about the Albuquerque area! We have a place in Corrales which is NW of Albuquerque. An absolutely amazing little village. We also own a rental in Rio Rancho so know that area too.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I would, of course, enjoy a milder temperature in the summer but you can't everything and we tend to think the mix of factors favor Las Vegas for us. Realistically speaking we will stay in the air conditioned space in summer where it is 95 outside or 115 outside.

Just a thought, but have you ever lived in an area with lots of scenery, parks, mountains and hiking? Is it that you don't like to do those kind of activities, or is it that you don't live in a place where that is an option so you have gotten used to being inside most of the time? I moved from an area with abundant forests and scenery and then stayed inside most of the time, too, when we moved to a prairie city with really hot weather and zero interesting state parks or hiking trails. Have you ever considered renting some location with pleasant weather and amazing parks and see how you like it?

Pleasant Weather Chart of 48 States (48 states noted since Koolau has pointed out in the past that Hawaii isn't included)
kelly norton: The Pleasant Places to Live (kellegous.com)

 

[Jenna]

We were in downtown last month. In the past 5 years, the city has really gone downhill in terms of homelessness and the poor areas not being maintained-driving through is like being in a foreign country not because of diversity but because of the intense poverty. It was really sad to see an American city like this. That's with most big cities. That being said, we enjoyed our concert, the airport is easy and we have family in Henderson. They enjoy the retirement community there.

 

[Katsmeow]

Our house in Vegas is in 89129 in the NW near Cheyenne and the 215. Its a single story 2200 sq ft house on a 8k square foot lot. Just north of the Summerlin border. LOVE the neighborhood and location! We're 10 minutes from Centennial Hills shopping. Summerlin Center and Red Rock casino is 10 minutes. 10 minutes to Boca Park and Tivoli Village. I can be downtown in 15 minutes. We are not in an HOA but are surrounded by them. The homes in our neighborhood are well taken care of and many are still owned by original owners. Our house was built in 95. So a little older but not bad. As far as prices, Its still a hot market but noticed things arent as crazy as it was 6 months ago. We bought the place a few months ago for 480k.

Thanks. This is super helpful. I am thinking that the earliest we will be there looking to buy is maybe July or August. I am hoping that by then things will have cooled down a bit and inventory will be better. That zip code is in one of the areas I was interested in from my research. I don't want a yard or house that big so hopefully we can find something that is smaller and a little less expensive.

Yes, I knew about the high gas prices. Our vehicle unfortunately requires premium gas so I know it will hurt. I had read about the car registration being expensive. Our car thanking isn't a $100,000 (2018 Volvo XC) but the registration will be more expensive than here of course. I've factored in those costs. But, I expect real estate taxes and house insurance to be less, so....

Just a thought, but have you ever lived in an area with lots of scenery, parks, mountains and hiking? Is it that you don't like to do those kind of activities, or is it that you don't live in a place where that is an option so you have gotten used to being inside most of the time?

I don't like mountains except looking at them from a distance (which is nice). I have no desire to be on one. I have a hard time with greenery and parks because my allergies kick in. I don't want to hike, but don't mind walking IF it isn't more than about 80 degrees. Honestly, I don't really like being outdoors. I enjoy looking at pretty views but not so much going to the outdoors. Let me put it this way. There was a period of Covid where I literally didn't go outside my house for about 3 months. And, I was fine with it. I missed the stores, but not the outside....

 

[clifp]

I have a few rental properties in Vegas. So I make sure to take advantage of my deductible business trip to Vegas, many years 2 or three trips, cause I love to play poker. I'm also pretty much an indoor person, so lots of Hawaii is lost on me.

Before moving to Hawaii, I seriously considered retiring to Vegas. Ultimately, the obvious advantages of Hawaii won out, but there is something about the energy of Vegas which has a lot of appeal.

Enjoy your move.

 

[cyber888]

I'm going to Vegas end of this month - it's a fun city, nice restaurants, concerts, but too HOT .. I think I remember it hitting 112 F one summer a decade ago. Unless you hang around inside the Casinos, that's fine. I would need a swimming pool if I live in Vegas.
But I'm fine here in North Carolina Good luck.

 

[COcheesehead]

We drove through Vegas from western Colorado into Southern California not too long ago. Once Vegas comes into view as you head southwest, it appears as a bubble of air pollution. You can see the inversion sit over the city. It stands out because you approach from such open desert. Denver and a few other cities have the same issue so I am not picking on Vegas, but air quality was one of the reasons we moved out of Denver. Our sinus infections dropped to zero once we were out of the city.

 

[RetiredHappy]

We live in Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, bought our "vacation" home in 2014, moved here in 2016, sold the "vacation" home last year and bought our current single storey home. Homes here are generally above your budget and every community is gated, and our current home is in a guard gated community. We love living here and away from Las Vegas. We like that we can go to the strip for shows and then we can go home to peace and quiet.

Green Valley in Henderson is a nice area with lots of restaurants and you may want to look at homes in that area.

Regarding cats, we are supposed to pay for license but the license mandates rabies shots are current. When we moved here, our cats were ill and vets strongly recommended that they not get anymore shots. They were indoor cats anyway and no issue in not getting license for them. We had to put both down in 2020.

We have great specialists, better than the ones which we had in California. Finding good PCPs is a little harder and we both have a concierge doctor (PCP).

 

[OldShooter]

... (re water) I've looked at this and not worried about unduly. I think Las Vegas is probably in better shape than a lot of other Western areas. .. .

The problem is that everyone in that part of the country is in the same system. What one little jurisdiction does may actually be counterproductive in that reduced consumption may be rewarded by a reduced per-capita water allocation as the political fights ebb and flow. The most important factor will be political power. In the water fights to come, will Nevada have more political power than the farmers in the central valley. than Phoenix? than LA?

A story just today illustrates: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us...enish-colorado-rivers-lake-powell-2022-05-03/ This deals with Lake Powell in Northern AZ and its power generation impact on seven states.

"The new measures will put more stress on Lake Mead [near Las Vegas], the country's largest reservoir, which is downstream from Lake Powell and also at a record low. Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam in the 1930s and crucial to the water supply of 25 million people ... "

" 'We are never going to see these reservoirs filled again in our lifetime,' said Denielle Perry, a professor at Northern Arizona University's School of Earth and Sustainability.
​

In the midwest we are even a little worried about a politically powerful West coast coming for our water. There are already proposals to pipe water from the Great Lakes to the West, though so far DOA.

 

[Bamaman]

We went to Las Vegas last June on a $141 round trip out of Nashville. Took the grandkids. It's probably our 10th time visiting there over the years.

The best website to look at about moving anywhere is City-Data.com I've found the answers to be right on, and suggest you ask these same questions there.

$450K for 1750 square feet? It's so nice to have Realtor.com and Zillow to research any housing market. The prices noted may not be 100% accurate, but it's nice to see what the insides of the home and neighborhoods look like. Vegas is one of those markets that's been hot and cold over the years.

Come to think of it that Las Vegas temperatures are also hot as a firecracker in the summer. Many think Dallas is hot enough.

 

[COcheesehead]

If you want nice neighborhoods, golf, small casinos without all the other urban mess, look at Mesquite NV.

 

[mojavesue]

The problem is that everyone in that part of the country is in the same system. What one little jurisdiction does may actually be counterproductive in that reduced consumption may be rewarded by a reduced per-capita allocation as the political fights ebb and flow. The most important factor will be political power. In the water fights to come, will Nevada have more political power than the farmers in the central valley. than Phoenix? than LA?

A story just today illustrates: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us...enish-colorado-rivers-lake-powell-2022-05-03/ This deals with Lake Powell in Northern AZ and its power generation impact on seven states.

"The new measures will put more stress on Lake Mead [near Las Vegas], the country's largest reservoir, which is downstream from Lake Powell and also at a record low. Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam in the 1930s and crucial to the water supply of 25 million people ... "

" 'We are never going to see these reservoirs filled again in our lifetime,' said Denielle Perry, a professor at Northern Arizona University's School of Earth and Sustainability.
​

In the midwest we are even a little worried about a politically powerful West coast coming for our water. There are already proposals to pipe water from the Great Lakes to the West, though so far DOA.

Las Vegas and Nevada may not have the political power, but we have an intake pipe thats lower than what the Hoover Dam will allow water to pass. So realistically, Las Vegas could literally be the last user of the water! I would say out of all the other western cities, Las Vegas probably has the safest water supply. For now.
In any event, if things get that bad, then we are all in trouble. If there were mass migrations back to the midwest and east, there would be crazy inflation because of the limited supply of homes and the ability for cities to handle such a large and quick influx of people. The ability to absorb 40 million people would cause extreme hardship on communities and the ability to house and feed them.

 

[W2R]

Katsmeow, I love how thorough your research has been. It sounds like you know exactly what you want and that's a big step towards *getting* exactly what you want.

I don't know anything about Las Vegas.

I'd suggest that if you have a hard time finding the perfect house, maybe look at a few houses that are slightly too old to meet your criteria, to see if you can find one that is extremely well maintained and has been kept up to date. My present "Dream Home" was built in 1965, but it hasn't required as much maintenance as did some newer houses my ex and I owned. Just a thought in case your search gets discouraging due to the hot market.

In my case, I pulled money out of my taxable accounts each year for about 3 or 4 years before my Dream Home came on the market. That helped to spread out the taxes while allowing me to make an all cash full price offer. I think that here, at that time, all cash made a huge difference since the market was pretty hot. It also helped for me to be flexible about the closing date, which the prior owner changed at least a half dozen times while it was in escrow. Yes, that was infuriating! But it was worth it to get the house that I wanted.

 

[Turbo29]

The problem is that everyone in that part of the country is in the same system. What one little jurisdiction does may actually be counterproductive in that reduced consumption may be rewarded by a reduced per-capita water allocation as the political fights ebb and flow. The most important factor will be political power. In the water fights to come, will Nevada have more political power than the farmers in the central valley. than Phoenix? than LA?

A story just today illustrates: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us...enish-colorado-rivers-lake-powell-2022-05-03/ This deals with Lake Powell in Northern AZ and its power generation impact on seven states.

"The new measures will put more stress on Lake Mead [near Las Vegas], the country's largest reservoir, which is downstream from Lake Powell and also at a record low. Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam in the 1930s and crucial to the water supply of 25 million people ... "

" 'We are never going to see these reservoirs filled again in our lifetime,' said Denielle Perry, a professor at Northern Arizona University's School of Earth and Sustainability.
​

In the midwest we are even a little worried about a politically powerful West coast coming for our water. There are already proposals to pipe water from the Great Lakes to the West, though so far DOA.

Ms. Perry doesn't know that. These type of pronouncements by "experts" are why the general public is losing trust in experts. (Just look at the last two years regarding another issue.)

When they first built Glen Canyon Dam in the mid 1960s some were saying that Lake Powell would never be filled yet by 1983 both Lake Powell and Lake Mead were overflowing and they almost had a failure of Glen Canyon Dam due to it. Her statement is more political than scientific.

 

[Katsmeow]

Homes here are generally above your budget and every community is gated, and our current home is in a guard gated community. ....
We have great specialists, better than the ones which we had in California. Finding good PCPs is a little harder and we both have a concierge doctor (PCP).

Sorry about your cats. So hard to lose them.

When you say homes "here" are generally above my budget do you mean in Henderson or are you including the entire area that I described. From haunting Realtor.com for quite some time and looking at hundreds of listings I don't find many that meet our criteria in Henderson. Most are indeed too expensive or are older or larger than we want. We would even consider a 2 story if necessary (we prefer one story). Anyway, looking at the price listing it seems like we could find something in our budget either in the southwest or up in the Northwest and perhaps the far west.

We will sacrifice size to get something with a layout we like (mostly open) and on a small lot. I won't sacrifice safety. Guard gated is great but from what I am seeing most of the gated communities are not guard gated.

The best website to look at about moving anywhere is City-Data.com I've found the answers to be right on, and suggest you ask these same questions there.

$450K for 1750 square feet? It's so nice to have Realtor.com and Zillow to research any housing market. The prices noted may not be 100% accurate, but it's nice to see what the insides of the home and neighborhoods look like. Vegas is one of those markets that's been hot and cold over the years.

Oh, I have read every thread on City-Data. I haven't yet posted in the LV forum but absolutely will. I've also joined a few forums on FB that talk about moving to LV. And, I've read the subreddit (although most people there hate moving to LV questions....)

I suspect we won't end up with 1750 SF. Most of what I see in our budget range is 1500 SF although some are larger. We can compromise on size more than safety or location.

If you want nice neighborhoods, golf, small casinos without all the other urban mess, look at Mesquite NV.

Mesquite is just too far out. I want to be within 30 minutes of good hospitals. And, honestly, I like the bigger city. I do think Mesquite is less expensive but just too far away.

Las Vegas and Nevada may not have the political power, but we have an intake pipe thats lower than what the Hoover Dam will allow water to pass. So realistically, Las Vegas could literally be the last user of the water!

Yes, I've read quite a bit about that which is why I am less concerned than I started out being.

I'd suggest that if you have a hard time finding the perfect house, maybe look at a few houses that are slightly too old to meet your criteria, to see if you can find one that is extremely well maintained and has been kept up to date. My present "Dream Home" was built in 1965, but it hasn't required as much maintenance as did some newer houses my ex and I owned. Just a thought in case your search gets discouraging due to the hot market.

There are things I will compromise on and things I won't. I might go back as far as 1990 on a house if it has been well maintained. But, otherwise I am very leery of buying older houses. I will be more likely to compromise on size and layout than age. I would also be willing to buy a house that needed new carpet or painting, etc. if the underlying bones were good.

We are hoping to make a trip to Las Vegas in the next few weeks so we can take a look and get a better feel for the houses and locations. Looking on a map is valuable but there is nothing like driving around in person (of course, I realize many subdivisions are gated but we will do what we can).

 

[mojavesue]

Another area to look at that is near Summerlin is 89117. The Lakes area has some nice homes on small lots. Homes are generally older, built in the late 80s. We used to own a home near Boca Park in 89117 near Charleston and Durango. It was 1800 sq ft single story 3 car garage with RV parking. Those types of homes are in very high demand though. But 550k is definitely doable. Also in the same zipcode is Peccole Ranch. Homes built in late 80s to early 90s but a very nice location near Summerlin with some smaller homes. The HOA there is a little high. But those are 2 more neighborhoods that I really like and think are what you might like too.