[ArmyWife94e]

My husband is retiring from doing 20 years in the Army and we are thinking of retiring in the Vegas area
But I have a ton of questions
1. What is the safest area to live in (doesn't need to be Las Vegas) just the surrounding area
2. How is the housing market? Would we be able to get a nice home in a safe neighborhood for 150,000 or less?
3. Just a rough estimate, how much does housing insurance cost a month , I am sure it is more then what we pay here in Kansas.
4. I know there is no state tax, but what other taxes are there. That would come out of our paycheck, besides fica and ss ?
5. Are utilities very expensive out there
6. How bad is the job market?

Thanks for all the help and suggestions

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ArmyWife94e

My husband is retiring from doing 20 years in the Army and we are thinking of retiring in the Vegas area
But I have a ton of questions
1. What is the safest area to live in (doesn't need to be Las Vegas) just the surrounding area
2. How is the housing market? Would we be able to get a nice home in a safe neighborhood for 150,000 or less?
3. Just a rough estimate, how much does housing insurance cost a month , I am sure it is more then what we pay here in Kansas.
4. I know there is no state tax, but what other taxes are there. That would come out of our paycheck, besides fica and ss ?
5. Are utilities very expensive out there
6. How bad is the job market?
=

1) The safest area to live would most certainly be the area surrounding Las Vegas, otherwise known as the Mojave desert. Since there's nothing out there but tumbleweeds, dirt and broken glass, your chances of being interfered with by other humans is basically nil.

2) The easiest way to get into a $150K house in Las Vegas is to build a time machine, go back to 2005, and buy a $400K house.

3) Depends on the insurance.

4) That's it. Federal taxes only. And they won't be very much because most of the work around here is part-time at a dollar store.

5) Only if you plan on using the air conditioner when it's 117 degrees F.

6) I wouldn't move here without at least one year's living expenses in the bank. (My one serious answer out of the six. Really, bring a year's expenses with you, or plan for big disappointment.)

[ArmyWife94e]

LOL Thanks,
and we were looking at homes there are a ton of them under 150,000 just not sure about areas. And I love dry heat, we have lived all over the world. Including in Fort Irwin California which is in the desert also. But its the work that we were worried about, some say there is work others say there isn't.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by ArmyWife94e

LOL Thanks,
and we were looking at homes there are a ton of them under 150,000 just not sure about areas. And I love dry heat, we have lived all over the world. Including in Fort Irwin California which is in the desert also. But its the work that we were worried about, some say there is work others say there isn't.

You're going to get the usual responses from the various cheerleaders for various sections of town.

If you think you want to move here, come here on vacation. Preferably come here in mid August. Stay away from the strip. Don't go there. Don't gamble. Instead, drive around town checking out various neighborhoods. There is no substitute for first-hand experience.

As for work, what is it that you do? Construction? No chance in hell. Chef? Odds are pretty good you'll be working in a month. It's all about having skills that are in demand.

[ArmyWife94e]

No my husband has been offered a job on Nellis AFB but I want to work also, I however do not have a lot of work experience. But I wouldn't mind being a housekeeper or something like that in a casino.

[Okey Dokie]

I would imagine homeowners insurance may be less in Vegas than Kansas. Not quite as many tornadoes out there.

[irishspy]

Hi Army wife, please keep an open mind about your question and some of the answers you get. I am in the process of buying in Las Vegas as we speak. I went out for a week to look at homes and had a good real estate agent. I spent about one year doing serious searching on line and gathering all of the info I could + and _. I will be retiring early there so I would be open to a part time job also. There are many retail stores in Las Vegas and etc. Housing varies in each area but some great deals can be had. I have been in LV during the very hot weather so I know what that is about. Most areas are very close to most attractions and driving around with a GPS to start with is easy. So I would start with a good Agent who understands your needs. As far a crime use the crime maps and please keep in mind there are almost 2 million people living in LV. Some areas show no crime but until one happens it is not a real forecast. Take Summerlin a shooting happen so now is that a crime area? No but a crime can happen any where big or small city or town. Google insurance rates for LV and you will see they are under average for the nation. Utilities are the opposite of cold weather states where elec goes up in the hot season because of more usage A/C as compared to heating in the winter months else where. LV has most areas beat for weather and location. So good luck and keep us posted here on your quest. If you want the info on the Real Estate agent I am using DM me.

[ft_chief]

Lots of retired military live here in Vegas. New VA hospital is almost completed and there are many VA clinics throughout the Valley. Since your husband will work at Nellis, Excellent housing can be found at Aliante in North Las Vegas in your price range. Lots of Nellis Airmen and base contractors live in this area. Property taxes and insurance is very inexpensive here. I personally only pay $300.00 per year in property insurance and my taxes just went down to under $1000.00 for a 2000sf 4br/3ba townhouse.

[BBMW]

Originally Posted by ArmyWife94e

My husband is retiring from doing 20 years in the Army and we are thinking of retiring in the Vegas area
But I have a ton of questions
1. What is the safest area to live in (doesn't need to be Las Vegas) just the surrounding area

The cliche answer is the Summerlin master plan community (which has several neighborhoods) and the better parts of Henderson, which by my definition are those south of I-215. As I'm sure others will point out, there are other areas that might be worth looking at. But I'd start with those and work out from there.

Also, I'd rent for a year, see how you like the area, and scout out the areas you really like. I don't see any reason to rush to buy.

2. How is the housing market? Would we be able to get a nice home in a safe neighborhood for 150,000 or less?

Yes

3. Just a rough estimate, how much does housing insurance cost a month , I am sure it is more then what we pay here in Kansas.

Can't answer that.

4. I know there is no state tax, but what other taxes are there. That would come out of our paycheck, besides fica and ss ?

No income taxes per se, but you're auto registration may be higher than you expect. That's a little hidden tax the came up with.

5. Are utilities very expensive out there
6. How bad is the job market?

What kind of job are you looking for? What skills do you have?

Generically, the market is pretty bad.

However, with your husbands pension, and a job lined up for him, you're better set up than most to move to Vegas.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions

[ArmyWife94e]

Thanks everyone for the great answers! I really appreciate it.