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Las Vegas Houses:What you must know before you buy (or rent)
If you plan to rent an apartment or buy a condo in Las Vegas, I'm afraid that I can't help you. I haven't done either of those things in many years. I have bought 13 houses in Las Vegas, however, and learned a few things along the way. My wife and I are real estate investors, so we do know what questions you should ask when looking at rental houses. Please read the rest of this page and the section on homeowners associations before you rent a house. Most of the information applies to renters as well as buyers. Thanks. Las Vegas houses come in all styles, sizes and price ranges. I won't try to recommend one over another, nor will I tell you about specific areas, or neighborhoods. Those are all very personal decisions.
Before we go any farther let me strongly suggest what some of those questions should be. Is there a homeowners association?This has more effect on the way you live than almost any other question you will ask. Do not buy a Las Vegas House without reading about homeowners associations! Did they get permits?This could mean very little, or it could make a difference of many thousands of dollars. Protect yourself. Read why it is so important to have permits for all past work. You might want to ask your Realtor if the house that has caught your fancy is in the City or County. The differences are not huge, but there are some differences in taxes and governing laws. Your agent should be able to explain the finer points. Now let me ramble on with some thoughts about what to look for when viewing a Las Vegas house.
As available land in the Las Vegas Valley becomes more expensive, Las Vegas houses tend to be built on smaller and smaller lots. In some cases, much smaller. If you like your privacy, look out all the windows in a house, to see if anyone can see in. I was recently in a multi-million-dollar house (just visiting), and noticed that the house next door seemed rather close. It was, in fact, less than 10 feet away. Despite the privacy wall between the houses, anyone standing in the kitchen had a great view into the neighbor's kitchen, and they could look right back. What do you wear when getting that first cup of morning coffee? Many Las Vegas houses swimming have pools. If the house you're looking at has one, do the second floor windows of a neighboring house look right into it? Would that bother you? Is there a nice big picture window in the front of the house? Many houses, old and new, have this feature. You will probably want to close the drapes after dark.
How big is the driveway? Small lots mean that driveways have often been shrunk to a very minimum size. A Las Vegas house with a driveway so small a full size SUV will hang over the sidewalk is common. If, like many people, you leave at least one vehicle out all the time, make sure your car or truck will fit before signing the contract. While I'm on the subject, is street parking allowed? In some areas, especially those with associations, you and your guests, must park in your driveway or in the garage.
Smaller lots often mean smaller houses. It is very common, in Las Vegas, for the garage to be piled full of stuff that doesn't fit in the house, while two expensive cars sit baking in the sun.
One solution when you have too much stuff
If possible, get rid of it before you move. If you can't part with it, make sure you have space for it. Otherwise, you could end up patronizing one of the many self-storage facilities in town. I speak from experience, when I say the costs can add up quickly. We have two 10 x 12 sheds, and a 24 x 24 foot garage with massive storage, and we're still getting rid of stuff.
Which way do the windows face. All Las Vegas houses are subject to the extreme heat and sun of the desert. Any window that faces south or west should be looked at closely. It gets hot here in the summer, and a vast expanse of south facing glass can add to the cooling bills. There are ways to overcome this (window treatments and solar screens), but do give it some thought. When we first moved here, we put plastic blinds in the west facing bedroom windows. The blinds remained closed most of the time. By the end of the first summer, the heat from the afternoon sun had actually melted them to the point where they sagged! We now have all new, energy efficient, double pane windows. If you expect to enjoy your yard or patio during the summer, make sure there is some kind of shade. Something as simple as a good sturdy umbrella will do the trick, but see the The Weather in Las Vegas section before you buy one. The hottest part of the day in Las Vegas is late afternoon. During the summer, the sun can get to some pretty extreme angles. The first time we opened an umbrella over one of our patio tables, it shaded the chairs at a table 15 feet away.
Some Folks want a house that's never been lived in. Some feel the older the better. Others prefer something in the middle. See how the age of a Las Vegas house makes a difference. We opted to live in an older house to get the bigger lot, extra space, and established neighborhood. Our House has provided many interesting problems during the last few years, and, I'm sure, will offer some new ones in the future. Still, we're very happy with our home, and would do the same thing again.
If you'd like to see how we learned much of the information presented here, you can read about Our rental houses
Here are some useful numbers for the owners of Las Vegas houses. I have also included links to both the Clark County and City of Las Vegas web sites. Each of these sites is packed with useful information. Thanks for visiting, and reading about Las Vegas houses.
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