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Actually, it’s really not fine, lol. Not finding homes for my buyers, people being rightfully scared by rising home prices, interest rates, entering lotteries to hopefully get chosen to have a home built in the next year, & participating in bidding wars like we’re on Ebay is all not fine. This is probably not good for business, but you know me, I’ll tell it like it is. Finding Your Perfect Vegas Home is not easy these days. It’s super competitive to say the least. In addition to prices & interest rates going up, bidding wars being normalized, there ain’t a whole lot to choose from with how low inventory has been. This mess can make searching for your dream home a nightmare. Even though I truly do go to bat for my clients having them write personal letters to sellers to accompany offers, drop everything without missing a beat to show homes across town, create video tours, spend months at a time searching, touring, calling listing agents to see how our offers can compete with the 40 other offers on the table, it doesn’t always result in a win. I have succeeded to find homes as well as beat out other offers as a result of my efforts. However, it’s a battle & I have yet to find many of my dear clients their future homes.

Great for sellers though! Except for the fact that sellers need to then buy a place to call home so….yeah.

Besides being heartbroken for my clients who are unable to fulfill their homeowning dreams, I must confess, as optimistic & positive as I try to be, I’m back in the headspace I was in when COVID hit, where being an agent looked as if it was maybe not the ideal career move. Thoughts like: “what did I get myself into?!” “should I go back to being a designer?” “WTF am I even doing?!” became roadblocks in my mind. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to sell houses when you #1, JUST got your license & started a brand new career & #2, are in a world where you can barely leave the house for fear of dying from a global pandemic?! However, after wallowing for a few weeks, the lockdown allowed me to go within myself, involuntarily then voluntarily shut out the world, & self-reflect. I decided to make the most of my quarantined life, focus on my girls, cooking, & combine my graphic design & website development shkizzles, as well as my inclination to ramble on & on (lol) by blogging, & created findyourperfectvegashome.com. At the time, my plan had been to monetize it since I didn’t know that I would be able to actually pursue this not so socially-distant career of being a real estate agent. I still needed to pay the bills & figure out a way to do it while being a full-time mommy.

Then, fortunately as luck would have it, there was an unpredictable surge of quarantined buyers hitting the market. All while the housing market was more affordable, interest rates were at record lows, with plenty of inventory to go around. It happened, despite masks & 6 feet of distance & between me & my clients, I found my groove! I was truly enjoying this new & now exciting career meeting new people, searching & touring homes, discovering more about the city I have lived in for almost 20 years now, having the opportunity to stumble upon incredible builders such as Jewel Homes, & of course the immensely rewarding feeling of finding my clients homes & being a part of such an important journey in their lives. All while still being able to be there for my girls working mainly from home.

Plus, I was able to sell my own house for more than expected, bought & move my girls into brand new home they could “expand” in. Born was the messaging for my site “Live Your Dream Life”. After years of struggling in my previous career as a freelance graphic/web designer, I felt like had hit the lottery. Business was good, clients were satisfied. The icing on the cake was my dream I had before buying the house I had lived in, which was to eventually either rent out or sell at an appreciated value came true. I felt that I would be able to help other people also have their dreams come to fruition the way I did mine.

However, this surge of buying quickly backfired.

Even though I was happy & busy finding my clients homes, house prices started climbing. Inventory started dwindling. Waiting lists for new builds became lotteries. Several of my hopeful, ambitious buyers were now not qualifying for their dream homes. “Living Your Dream Life” slowly became impossible. Bidding wars, lotteries, waiting lists, multiple offers, & not a whole lot to choose from with low inventory has made Finding Your Perfect Vegas Home turned into: Never Finding Your Perfect Vegas Home. By mid-2021, my buyers were losing hope. Even as persistent & resourceful as I worked so hard to be for them, attempting to find creative solutions such as seller financing, directing them to try out different lenders, & even seeing if sellers would be open to lease to own type situations…the dream of home ownership had & has become more & more challenging as 2021 & 2022 has progressed.

In reading this article, I realize that my tiny little microscopic life in real estate is actually a magnification of the entire housing market. “With housing affordability sitting at a decade low, the home buying frenzy that rocked the real estate market is beginning to fizzle”.

To be honest, it sucks out there. I am heartbroken for my buyers & wish I could give them good news. And, just because I sell homes & have a job in real estate, I really have no idea what will happen in the market from here on out. I do know that as of now, the market is volatile. As much as I want to help my clients & give them a positive outlook, I don’t have the power to lower prices, lower interest rates, & magically create houses that will fit into their budgets.

But, because I also need to worry about my own livelihood, paying my own bills & keeping a roof over my family’s heads, for me the show must go on! Remember how I said, I was in a similar headspace before? Well, here I am again…back to my website & to the blogging world! And quite honestly, super excited! I have a lot of ideas of what I’d like to talk about & I do hope you will visit me here once in a while. It doesn’t mean I’m not here for you as an agent though. Just need to diversify.

I realize I’ve been quite discouraging when it comes to how the market is & the challenges buyers have these days. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’s good to know the reality of the situation. One great thing I HAVE been noticing is that there is a LOT more new home construction. I have personally always been a fan of new home construction so, I would definitely look into that. Just be aware there is usually quite an extended build time due to the nature of the market. Buying new is a long-term goal unless you find a move-in-ready home which is always possible.

On the other side of the token, it is obviously a seller’s market. If you are thinking of selling, you will probably get top dollar & sell quickly. If you live in Vegas, I would be thrilled at the opportunity to help you as I take it quite seriously as you can see here. But to be honest, unless you’re planning on renting (which has unfortunately has also become quite competitive), you’ll have to weigh out whether you want to risk not having a home to move into right away.

If you decide you do want to go to battle with me finding your next home, I’m here for you. However challenging as it gets, I am persistent & do whatever is in my capability to make it happen. And you never really know what’s going to happen till you try.

Selling your house can not only feel absolutely overwhelming – it is by no stretch an easy process. You’re looking at the house you’ve lived in for a good chunk of your life going “where the heck do I start” right? Good memories, bad memories are all reflected by stains in carpets, marks on walls, door locks that never got repaired, outdated paint on walls…ugh. You say “never mind, I’ll just stay” lol. But you would be surprised at how little you may need to fix, not replace, & can just let go of. In many cases, you can price your home according to obvious fixes that you’re not in the state of mind to deal with. You may sell your home “as-is” & the new home owner can just simply put in a “Request for Repairs” stating what they would like to have repaired – leaving you with the decision after accepting an offer instead of before you list. There are several options for you here & you should not at all be scared by this.

I have a few tips here with my experiences so far. First of all, don’t go overboard. I was SO READY to replace my carpet till I got it cleaned. We are always our worst critics. Everyone (my boyfriend & my dad lol) was saying there was no need to replace the carpet. But because I saw it every day & am so much harder on myself than anyone else, I didn’t even give it a 2nd thought. Until I realized the cost. So, I decided to go ahead & get them professionally cleaned by a highly reputable company (important). And VOILA – carpets look amazing.

You would be surprised at how much better your house will look by just cleaning, MINOR replacements, & possibly some fresh paint.

Which leads me to the next subject of painting the walls. THIS I believe can be vital to selling your home & not having it sit on the market for days. Maybe you have a beautiful deep red paint covering your walls (like my last house I at the time covered the walls with rich shades of earth tones spiced up with reds & deep oranges…that at the time were acceptable), or a fantastic blue bright turquoise colored bedroom that you adored at the time you chose it. I’m gonna be real honest with you here only cuz I care aboutchya, take a picture of it for you trip down memory lane photo album & PAINT OVER IT. You will make the money back from your sale that you wouldn’t make by it sitting on the market too long because 95% of the buyers are like “nope”. Paint it a neutral color & tone. It may be boring to you, but it’s what sells!! We lucked out in the department as our walls were already neutral & I never had the $$ to invest into any crazy paint colors.

Be reasonable in evaluating what needs to be replaced, painted, &/or repaired. It would be my pleasure to help guide you in this area as sometimes because it IS your own home, it can be difficult to be objective. Like I said, I thought for sure we needed to replace the carpet & either clean or paint the grout. However, after getting the carpets cleaned, I realized it was not at all necessary. I saved a couple-few thousand in that department. You never know, maybe the future resident would prefer laminate flooring throughout & will be looking to rip out all the brand new carpet you just spent your hard-earned money for.

Our repairs were minor thank God. A few missing tiles on an exterior wall, a missing lock on a door…there were things we could have gone overboard on – but honestly, I just wanted to move fast & do it affordably. Oh, actually one more thing I did that I don’t really know if it made a difference was missing patches of rock in the front. I made a last-minute trip to Star Nursery & picked up a few bags of rock (brought original rock to match up perfectly) & filled in the areas I felt were obvious. Little touches here & there go a long way!

In the end, it’s really about keeping the big picture in your mind. Pay attention to the details, but don’t forget your end goal.

The 2 schools of thought when selling your beloved home:

1. “I’m selling my home – YAY!!!”
2. “I’m selling my home – Oh $hit this is gonna suck.”

Here are 5 reasons why moving out BEFORE you list your house why you will keep you in school #1 & will be the best decision you’ll ever make:

1. A vacant home sells faster – why?

Let me put it this way: Do YOU want to move into someone else’s home that smells, looks, & feels like someone else’s home? I don’t know about you, but that is not appealing to me & I’m pretty sure not appealing to most people.

2. You/we are able to stage it to sell WAY way easier for potential buyers coming into the house & to get that money shot.

Whether you decide to stage it or not is up to you & your budget. Sometimes the cost of staging is worth it depending on how competitive the market is. With how hot it is as of now, there probably isn’t a need to go crazy with staging. A few plants, good lighting, & scented candles can go a long way. Staged or not, getting good photos are incredibly important & are best if vacant or staged. Bottom-line.

3. Showing a home to potential buyers while living in it is a pain in the @$$.

The other very obvious & logistical reason is, do you really want to have to keep leaving your house when a showing is scheduled while also having to keep it perfectly orderly & clean all day, every day till the house is sold? I knew with 2 girls, a grown woman & man, a dog, a cat, & 2 guinea pigs – there was no way in hell that was gonna happen😂. I also wanted agents & their clients to have full access 24/7 without having to always schedule an appointment. This is great as it really widens your audience.

4. You may need the $$ for your next home.

Another big reason in my case & possibly in yours, I needed the $$$ I’d make off this house to put a down payment on my next house. SO, please consider how you may benefit in the big picture by vacating before-hand if at all possible. There are many options for temporary housing for something in between. Or maybe you want to move into your new house before moving forward. Whatever the case is, I strongly suggest you vacate the premises.

5. You’re gonna move out of there anyway.

May as well move out now & leave that headache behind. Yeah, you may be stuck with a mortgage payment in addition to renting a temporary residence, but it’s better than paying several more months of a mortgage payment because you couldn’t sell your house because you lived in it the entire time.

Short story long: Move Out. You won’t regret it.

What do you have when you blend sophisticated architecture + fine art + design elements discovered while being inspired by traveling the world doing nature photography + building homes? You have a stunning collection of eclectic, artistic, & unique custom home developments known as Jewel Homes founded by a world-reknowned photographer by the name of Peter Lik. With most of my background in mixed & multi-media art & design, & an early interest in architecture – I truly resonated with this development. Not surprisingly, I am not the only one Jewel Homes made a lasting impression on….

This exciting adventure started when I stumbled upon Jewel in my search for homes for a lead referred to me by my team leader. So, as usual, I revved myself up to make a phone call (which is a large feat for me to overcome LOL), being out of practice, stumbled through an awkard introduction where on the other end of the line was a super nice & friendly voice (THANK GOD). As most people these days, this couple was on Zillow searching for their “Perfect Vegas Home”😉. However, they were not just looking for any home, they were looking for a luxury home with a contemporary design in the heart of the city close to the Strip & not far from the airport. The actual property they initially were interested was a gorgeous Blue Heron home located in a community named Midtown Modern not far from downtown Las Vegas. No doubt these homes are incredible. But after my visit to Jewel Homes to preview the property, I knew I needed them to see this extraordinary community & development. ESPECIALLY, one in Vegas where you wouldn’t normally think of a place you would find avant garde, artistically & sophisticated designed houses (which I’m coming to find is quite the opposite).

This particular community located an area of town one would not expect to find modern types of homes. I remember curiously driving through roads lined with large trees, huge lots of horse-properties, & older estate type homes eagerly looking for this architectural phenomenon I had only seen online. And there it was. Standing amid desert landscape, large-acre lots, trees, & single-story estate type homes built in the 1980’s was this towering Bauhaus styled anomaly that looks like it came straight out of Architectural Digest. Who knew that my love for architecture (my 1st career choice), would be sparked at this stage in my life…many decades later; my  art roots dug deep into mixed media; and a much-needed transformative moment. To say I was intrigued is an under-statement.

Before my clients came to town, I really wanted to check this inspired eccentricity – so I set up a preview tour with the agent representing Jewel. The preview was more like touring a fine arts museum with the agent as my guide. She told stories of how Peter (the artist) found a huge piece of granite while traveling Italy & used it for a kitchen island & how he had insets carved into the walls specifically & perfectly designed to house a rustic kettle he found in Japan. It truly felt like a had discovered a magical fairy tale of a builder & his romance with nature & architecture.

PREFACE: I wanted to make sure it was obvious I got the last 3 images off of the Jewel Home website by actually posting the screen with the website on it. (Which I urge you to look at!)

Honestly, nothing I say or portray here will not do these 5000+ square foot highly-customized living spaces blending industrial finishes, with natural woods, stone elements, & artistic inspired.. EACH thing had a story behind it! It was seriously so cool. Ok, yes, I’m sure to maybe to an architect or anyone who is used to working with these levels of homes may be used to seeing this kind of thing. I probably sound a little overly-excited = luxury newbie = immature. But it’s a fact. I was blown away.

I believe searching for a home  for the most part – a practical procedure which involves logical aspects such as financing, time-frame, location etc. In the end though, it’s a “feel” you get. You just know. To me, finding a home can be one of the most transformative phases in your life that should be guided by MORE than just practicality. In some ways, I find it almost magical. It’s called a “Dream Home” for a reason & why I call the process a “journey”.  The experience I have had in this journey has been nothing short of being magical from the 1st phone call I made to my client to when I got to share the experience of Jewel Homes with them.

BTW, I realize the price point of these communities are not reachable to everyone – I know they aren’t for me LOL. But seeing them would definitely be akin to take a sightseeing tour! And I would be more than happy to be your personal tour guide 😉 !

Sooooo, I’m in the arduous & complicated process of moving. Complicated because I had to find & am living in a temporary house IN BETWEEN my old house & new house which is still under construction. As I’m sure you are all familiar with this process of needing to sell your current home, wanting to sell it BEFORE taking on the commitment of yet another mortgage payment – or if you are like me who does not enjoy showing your home while living there, temporary housing is a necessary evil. I knew this before deciding on what/where this temp house was going to be. We COULD have moved into one of our very welcoming relatives homes. However, we basically have a farm (a dog, a cat, & 2 guinea pigs), an 11 year old, 14 year old, an grown man & a grown woman. The thought of moving this village & disrupting another household felt like I was adding more stress & misery to the already overwhelming & chaotic moving process.

Long story long, I decided to find a temporary rental. The thing was though in my overthinking, decision-making ordeal, was that did I really want to move ALL my furniture to another empty house? Easier to find a FURNISHED place that was ready to go, put my furniture into a storage unit, & vacate the old house. There were several furnished rentals that came up, however, I would only need it for 2 – 3 months. Hmmm….the criteria was getting quite challenging.

So far, here were our needs:

• Sleeps 4
• Pet-friendly
• Under $2K/month
• Fully-furnished
• Flexible short-term lease

After my very exciting high-rise touring adventure with my millionaire clients, I thought: “hey, why not look?”. Especially since the kids are doing online school full-time these days, I did a search. And yup! There they were, EXACTLY what I what we needed at the MGM Signature towers. I called up the Realtor, made a deal & here we are!

Besides the essentials I had named above, here is a full list of the amenities:

• Sofa bed in living room
• Full kitchen
• Dishwasher
• Stove
• Decent sized fridge
• 1 bedroom + living room (there are studios & even 2-bedrooms)
• 2 full baths with showers
• Master bath has 2 full counters with 2 separate sinks
• Jacuzzi tub
• Plasma TV’s
• Washer & dryer
• Trash pick up
• All utilities, besides electricity – paid for
• Balcony
• City and Mountain Views
• Designer Amenities
• Resort Pool and Spa
• Fitness Center
• Full Concierge and Valet Service
• 24 hour guard gate and access to MGM’s amenities
• Living (practically) on Las Vegas Strip
• And did I mention pet-friendly!

This is experience has reminded me of how much I LOVE living big city life. If you have read my story – you will know that I am a lover of New York. I love NY for SO many reasons. The culture, the diversity, the history, the mystery, the people…list goes on & on. There is something so indescribable also that I think now, I can kinda remember now that I’m here on the Strip. The ENERGY. There’s something about towering buildings & high-rises, traffic, lots of people, & the hustle & bustle that inspires me.

I’m loving it here, the kids love it here….even under the COVID quarantine, we are simply enjoying the vibe. To be honest, I could see myself actually buying one of these condos some day I love it so much! It feels like a permanent vacation!

HIT ME UP if you would like to know more about this possibility. Besides rentals, there ARE also units that available to BUY & at surprisingly affordable prices. Give me a buzz & I will give you the lowdown.

A common question I have been asked of course, is “what are the good/safe neighborhoods in Vegas?” This is tricky because in studying to become a real estate agent, I learned that it is actually unethical & can be illegal to tell you what I think. So instead, I have provided a few links that hopefully will help you to figure this out on your own:

• 2020 Best Neighborhoods to Live in the Las Vegas Area
• Crimemapping.com
• Places Most Dangerous to Risk Your Life in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is BIG. And by big, I don’t necessarily mean in size. I mean in the number of neighborhoods, communities, & areas. This could also be because the surrounding areas like Henderson would be thought of as part of Las Vegas – however it is a different city. Confusing huh?! I had found more & more as I was making my way around the city & suburbs showing houses. It’s awesome, but can be daunting. Especially as a newly minted REALTOR®.For now, here is a basic breakdown with some of the communities (more to come!):

Southwest Las Vegas:

• Mountain’s Edge
• Rhodes Ranch
• Southern Highlands

North Las Vegas

• Centennial Hills
• Skye Canyon
• Providence
• Desert Shores
• Eldorado

Summerlin

Peccole Ranch

The Lakes

Henderson

• Green Valley
• Lake Las Vegas
• Seven Hills
• Anthem
• MacDonald Ranch
• Inspirada
• Cadence

The Strip

Downtown Las Vegas

East Las Vegas

Whew!….as you can see, there is a MULTITUDE of options. Don’t worry though, I gotcha covered! In upcoming posts, I will be exploring these neighborhoods & communities while providing you as much info as I can!