http://lasvegashomes.com/blog/archive_201507/sort_entrydatetime-desc/            Located South of the strip in the pleasantly removed city of Henderson sits Anthem, a planned community of las vegas luxury homes boasting one of the widest price and size varieties available out of Las Vegas’ luxury neighborhood options. Rather than catering to one type of buyer, Anthem includes both condominiums as well as a plethora of single-family homes. Prices range from 300,000 on the low end and custom estates shoot past 3,000,000. Anthem, and Henderson for that matter, are known as “family-friendly” and offer a cultural removal from the throng of tourists and entertainment Las Vegas offers. This being said, for those working near the strip or outside of Henderson, Anthem is a mere 3 minute drive from the 215.            Further ensconcing this development in Nevada’s natural beauty and promoting a tranquil refuge is the wildlife preserve that borders Anthem to the South and East. The McCullough mountain range sits under 5 miles away offering not only boundless outdoor activities, but also a majestic aesthetic to home. While nearly every luxury community around the Las Vegas area sits on or near a golf course, Anthem boasts not only the Anthem Country Club, but also Revere Golf Club. Revere itself encompasses the Lexington and Concord courses, both of which were designed by Billy Casper and Greg Nash.             For families, Anthem has 11 parks in the nearby area and along with them comes extensive recreational sport activities for every age group, helping foster the “community” Anthem has worked hard to achieve. The District at Green Valley Ranch and Town Square host shopping and dining options at Anthem’s fingertips and are immediately accessible as a resident, only minutes away. Anthem is broken down into 10 smaller communities, each offering their own set of amenities, view, and home style. The most elite by far are the homes in the gated Anthem Country Club, with a private golf course, tennis courts, a fitness center, and round the clock live security. At a minimum in Anthem Country Clubs, 1,200 square foot homes are available and the largest crest 16,000 square feet. This community within Anthem is by far the most expensive, with the majority of custom luxury homes in Henderson here.              Anthem Highlands is similar, yet without the faction of extreme luxury (6,000 sq-ft and up) that Anthem Country Club has. Highlands homes range between 1,275 sq/ft and 5,005 sq/ft making it mid-luxury. Nearly all homes in Anthem are legacy/luxury planned and the majority were built by Del Webb between 1999 and 2005, albeit the custom homes in Anthem Country Club do not fall into any specific specification. Coventry is the third luxury community within Anthem, its selling point is often the extensive recreational space- 66 acres of parks including a roller hockey rink, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and landscaped trails. Coventry also has an award winning primary school. Anthem’s opportunities for family life make it an ideal choice for buyers seeking a somewhat removed location from Vegas to raise children, or have them. Country Club, Highlands, and Coventry all serve family friendly amenities and a safe environment with a wide price range. Bolstering the family-friendly reputation, Henderson was ranked #2 by Forbes in “America’s Safest Cities.” http://lasvegashomes.com/blog/8016/exploring-las-vegas-luxury-real-estate:-anthem/ Thu, 30 Jul 2015 02:46:03 -0800           Solar Power is arguably the best personal step you can take to directly help the environment while simultaneously helping your energy bill shrink by nearly 40%. The efficiency and sustainability of solar power, especially with Nevada’s 292 days of sun yearly, make this a very attractive option. Lopping your current energy bill and replacing it with a solar power bill comes from the sum of your new utility bill combined with leasing the solar panels. For those unfamiliar with the somewhat hairy combination of government incentives, warranties, and maintenance that accompany solar panel purchase and lease, here is a quick summary.Leasing solar panels sloughs off subsidy calculations, responsibility, and upfront payment to a solar company. You decide you want to go solar, call to have them installed, and voila! You’ve gone solar. Leasing also allows you to buy the panels at a cheaper price if you should so choose to during your lease. Buying leaves you with a substantial upfront price tag to deal with, but the savings incurred leave you far better off in the long-run. A 5 kW system is $25,000, but with the $400/kW SolarGenerations rebate, the 30% federal tax credit, and $78/m cut to your current energy bill, the system will pay for itself in 9 years. This leaves you with cheap green energy with a decade long warranty yielding an 11.7% rate of return on a 5 kW system.While it’s clear that solar power is a bright idea, the whole story doesn’t lie in environmental activism and your bank account. Should you sell or buy a house with solar panels, a sea of complications can arise, in particular with leasing the system rather than buying it. While this does not detract from savings earned and your move to sustainability, there is an array of factors to consider when dealing with solar electricity in conjunction with the real estate process. Considering that HousingEconomics.com’s calculations show average homeowner timeframe is 13 years, solar leasing contracts often will surface as part of a real estate transaction. This translates for sellers as your prospective buyer needing to qualify to take over the solar-system lease. If the buyer barely qualified for the mortgage payment, this solar lease may be a red light financially. BOOM. Sale falls through. Should you choose to buy out the lease early to avoid having to transfer the lease, the price-tag hasn’t depreciated enough to make it easily affordable yet. It’s feasible for buyers to take over a lease, and most Nevada solar companies make the process easy. Problems arise when a buyer is on the verge of mortgage qualification, or more commonly, doesn’t want your solar panels. A niche of the market really wants solar panels, and a niche really hates the way they look. More commonly they don’t factor into the equation for a buyer, with the savings incurred if the panels were purchased representing a soft plus for your home.However, seeing solar panels as a major deal-maker for the majority of the market simply isn’t logical. CBPR’s Sahara branch manager Greg Duffield warned sellers and their representatives to “ensure that solar panels are clearly listed as either leased or bought” in order to avoid complications if the deal moves forward. Duffield also noted that it’s imperative for the seller to clarify that the buyer still qualifies financially for the home if the solar lease is transferred. Solar power is a fantastic way to save money and be a personal advocate for sustainable living. Leasing solar panels however can often present complications in closing on a home and should be avoided should you see yourself moving within a shorter time-frame. Closing on a home never should rest on an energy source and its accompanying contracts, so be wary of long-term contracts interfering with your home’s re-salability.   http://lasvegashomes.com/blog/7724/solar-panels-shining-doubt-into-closings-but-money-in-your-pocket/ Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:55:32 -0800 Las Vegas is best-known for glitz and the glamorous lifestyle tourists can enjoy while on vacation – even if it’s on a temporary basis. However some affluent Las Vegas Valley residents get the opportunity to live the life of luxury daily in exquisite homes throughout the area, which extends far beyond the famous Strip properties.One of the hidden gems in the Valley located on the outskirts of town past the city of Henderson is Lake Las Vegas, a community that has experienced its ups and downs over the past decade but seems to finally be thriving again thanks mostly due to a revitalized economy. Lake Las Vegas uses Lake Mead as a backdrop for boating and other recreational activities while golf courses are prevalent and used by tourists and residents alike. MonteLago Village is also available nearby for those seeking unique local restaurants and shopping in the area that take advantage of the waterfront setting.The homes in Lake Las Vegas offer “master-planned living in a resort setting” and range in price from less than $500,000 to well over $1 million. Some small town homes in MonteLago Village can still be bought for under $100,000, but those prices likely will not last much longer as more people look for worthwhile investments in the area.On the other side of the Valley near Red Rock Canyon is another popular master-planned area- Summerlin. A relatively large community, Summerlin is broken down into smaller planned communities with ample manicured walking paths throughout. It boasts extensive fine dining and shopping options for those living West of the Strip, with Red Rock minutes away with a plethora of outdoor activities. One Queensridge Place is an exclusive Summerlin high-rise community across from Tivoli Village with prices spanning from 1 million to 10 million. Queensridge’s proverbial penthouses are ultra-lux three-story affairs that are internationally recognized as the epitome of high-rise glamour, complete with outdoor pools overlooking the Las Vegas strip and Red Rock. With world-class amenities such as a personal spa and wine cellar, it is no wonder One Queensridge Place is recognized as one of the hottest places to live for those who can afford to pay a premium for a condo there.Another up-and-coming community still under construction is being built as a joint venture between the Howard Hughes Corp. and Scottsdale-based Discovery Land Co. The “Discovery” project, as it is being called, is expected to be the most expensive residential community in Vegas with vacant parcels alone starting in the low millions. The private neighborhood will have its own Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a fitness facility and spa along with nutritional and wellness plans for adults as well as outdoor recreational programs for kids. The 555-acre site is located in the foothills of Red Rock, and this luxurious community will no doubt be the talk of the town when it finally opens. LasVegasHome.com will be covering the progress of the Discovery project as well as highlighting the most affluent and luxurious Las Vegas neighborhoods in upcoming blog-posts. Upcoming articles highlight the following communities.Enterprise The Lakes The Estates at Southern Highlands MacDonald Ranch Anthem Willow CreekSpanish Hills Estates Mountain Trails Red Rock Country Club Palisades Rancho Estates Dragon RidgePalomino Aliante Turnberry Place Granite Ridge Badlands Colf Club Estates Mandarin Oriental The Promontory Seven Hills Roma Hills Eagle Hills VineyardsPalms Place Hotel http://lasvegashomes.com/blog/7141/an-introduction-to-las-vegas-luxury-communities-&-neighborhoods/ Fri, 17 Jul 2015 05:07:49 -0800 Buying a newly constructed home is exciting. You get to design your dream home from the ground up; from choosing your home site, your model, interior finishes and upgrades. You don’t have to drive far to see newly constructed homes and neighborhoods popping up across the Las Vegas valley. There are a variety of builders, neighborhoods and models to choose from.Like any home purchase, buying new construction is serious business--an expensive transaction with many financial implications. You may have heard that on-site agents can represent both the builder and the seller, but the reality is that on-site agents mainly represent the builder. While the on-site agents are indeed great resources for specific information about the builder, the community and the homes they are building, a buyer’s agent is only there to represent you to protect your interests and negotiate the most favorable terms for you. HERE IS HOW A BUYER’S AGENT CAN HELP YOU WITH BUYING A NEW HOMEFiduciary responsibility. One of the most important considerations for any buyer is fiduciary responsibility. When you retain the services of a Coldwell Banker Premier Realty Agent, their responsibility is to YOU! That means you have an expert who is looking out for your best financial interests--an expert who’s contractually obligated to protect YOU. A good buyer’s agent will help you navigate the new-construction purchase agreement; help you understand how specific clauses, riders and upgrade options affect you; and make sure you know what you need to before you sign on the dotted line. Negotiating a better deal. Finding the right model and picking your upgrades is the fun part. Once you’re ready to sign the purchase agreement, an agent can work on your behalf to negotiate better terms, from upgrade options to financing and closing costs, than you would get on your own. Shepherding your new home to closing. Signing a contract with a builder is just the beginning. You must also line up financing, work with title companies and attend numerous inspections throughout the construction. Your buyer’s agent can manage that process and can accompany you on inspections to ensure you’re not missing anything at each construction milestone, so you have someone really protecting your best interest.So, when purchasing a new Las Vegas home, be sure to make sure your buyer’s agent is a seasoned Real Estate professional, that they are neighborhood experts and take pride in being educated on the difference between new and resale homes. They should be willing to  invest time to establish effective relationships with the builders’ sales agents to ensure a smooth, hassle-free transaction on YOUR behalf. It should also be noted that including a buyer’s agent in your transaction will not cost you a dime.  http://lasvegashomes.com/blog/6559/purchasing-a-new-las-vegas-home?-a-buyer’s-agent-is-essential-to-you/ Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:50:43 -0800