[Czero]

My wife will be be attending PA school in Henderson starting in the summer of 2014,so we are starting to look for a 2 to 4 bedroom house or apartment to either buy or rent. We will be relocating from Washington D.C., so this will be quite a transition for us both geographically and culturally. I enjoy the convenience of city life, but both my wife and I are weary of the non-stop traffic the plagues the greater Washington area, so we're hoping to find a neighborhood in Henderson that is quiet and within walking/biking distance to parks and recreational trails.
Questions:
How much does it cost to rent a 2 to 4 bedroom house in Henderson? (our current rent and utilities is $2,000/mo)
How's the traffic? (I'll be working from home, so only my wife will have to deal with rush hour)
Are the summers really that bad? (comparatively, D.C. from June to August is 90-100 with high humidity)
Is Henderson bike/runner/walker friendly?
What is the crime rate like?
How are the people? (In D.C., rudeness and narcissism are the norm, so any improvement from that is welcome).
What do you like best about living in the greater Las Vegas area?

[oeccscclhjhn]

welcome to city-data las vegas.

Originally Posted by Czero

Is Henderson bike/runner/walker friendly?

google heritage park henderson nv. nice 2 mile walk / bike around the park. also, google trails and bike lanes henderson nv.

What is the crime rate like?

this'll give you an idea: crime in these areas.

How's the traffic? (I'll be working from home, so only my wife will have to deal with rush hour)

what part of town will your wife commute to? henderson to _____? also depends what part of henderson you end up in; green valley, old henderson, etc.

Are the summers really that bad? (comparatively, D.C. from June to August is 90-100 with high humidity)

i don't think so. but then again, i acclimatize myself every summer. if you live from a/c to a/c it'll be harder to adapt. we just went through some record high temperatures (around 113F) late june, early july and it wasn't so bad imho. right now we are in a summer monsoon period - not a true monsoon, but we do have a moist air mass bringing thunderstorms and multiple flash flood warnings / watches (previous week or so mostly).

How much does it cost to rent a 2 to 4 bedroom house in Henderson? (our current rent and utilities is $2,000/mo)

a bunch of realtors frequent this board - they'll chime in to help you out.

What do you like best about living in the greater Las Vegas area?

it's not california? lol seriously... no state tax. my wife loves it, and if she's good i'm good. we're in the far southeast - henderson.

[silverspoons]

Henderson is the best place to live IMO if you are from the east.
I would not recommend buying unless you plan on staying long term. PA school is 2-3 years? I don't see the market going up to be worth the cost of owning. I know two military families who moved here recently and both decided against buying since they knew they would be here 3-4 years and it was not a wise financial choice. One of the ladies was chrushed to have to rent. It was the first time she couldn't own a home but the military relocation service a lot of information and flat out told her unless she wanted to throw away around 50k to buy for a 4 year stay or plan on being a landlord when she had to move.

As for rent, it can totally vary even by a few blocks. Write down your must haves, like how large a yard r outdoor space, or you ok with a townhome or do you want detached, 1 or 2 stories (remember unlike DC more homes are 1 story, 2 story homes (which I love being from the east) have much higher utility costs. Does living on a golf course or gated community matter? Your school might be the best place to ask. I assume you will have to do some rotations at local hospitals? The school might know the best locations or have you talk to current students? I know one person who recently rented in Henderson 3 bed detached townhome, nice neighborhood, small yard/patio, home was about 7-8 years old so fairly updated décor and kitchen 2 car garage and paid $1350 a month(utilites/water are $300+). Again the same exact house on a golf course or in a certain community/development could be $1000 more or $200 less. Also make sure you ask about HOA fees, a lot of places have HOA fees. Some are okay and some are outrageous. Also see what the HOA includes. Some HOA include cable or internet but what if you want a dish or DSL instead, then you will be paying twice and some HOA's wont allow a dish. Just look over the HOA rules closely. they can be great to make sure the neighborhood is kept up and safe but also can be restrictive on what you can do(like no gardens, or restriction on guest parking when you rent a house).

The two reason I'm doing the opposite of you going from here back east is the schools (elementary/middle/high) and healthcare. If you have no kids or no school age kids and no complex/rare health issues, then rent a nice place in Henderson and enjoy a few years in a place very different the DC and then go find a great high paying PA job outside of Vegas.

This summer has been bad for heat, the worst in 10 years. Most of years you have about 4-6 weeks of very hot weather which is just hot (not humid) but you can dehydrate quickly just walking to your mailbox. The rest of the year is fine. Everything is AC and as long as you don't mind paying a higher electric bill for July/August for 24 hour AC you will be fine. It is just like the extra money you spend on heat in DC in Jan/Feb.

As for crime, I feel the safest in Henderson the other parts of Vegas. I felt safer living in NYC/Boston then Vegas. Vegas has been the place I have felt the most uncomfortable as a women alone. Make sure your wife always has enough gas in the car(weird pet peeve that credit card at the pumps seem to be hit or miss, so many do not work), fully charged phone and knows the areas she is going to at night if outside your neighborhood.

[Golfinnova]

Originally Posted by Czero

My wife will be be attending PA school in Henderson starting in the summer of 2014,so we are starting to look for a 2 to 4 bedroom house or apartment to either buy or rent. We will be relocating from Washington D.C., so this will be quite a transition for us both geographically and culturally. I enjoy the convenience of city life, but both my wife and I are weary of the non-stop traffic the plagues the greater Washington area, so we're hoping to find a neighborhood in Henderson that is quiet and within walking/biking distance to parks and recreational trails.
Questions:
How much does it cost to rent a 2 to 4 bedroom house in Henderson? (our current rent and utilities is $2,000/mo)
How's the traffic? (I'll be working from home, so only my wife will have to deal with rush hour)
Are the summers really that bad? (comparatively, D.C. from June to August is 90-100 with high humidity)
Is Henderson bike/runner/walker friendly?
What is the crime rate like?
How are the people? (In D.C., rudeness and narcissism are the norm, so any improvement from that is welcome).
What do you like best about living in the greater Las Vegas area?

Been here now 6 years from DC, I live in the NW but Henderson is a good place to live! Should have no problems finding a home for your budget.

Let me start with the obvious, traffic is practically non-existent compared to driving the h*ll that is 495/95/50/Dulles Toll Road etc. I can drive from the NW to the automall in Henderson or the airport in 30 minutes at any given day. Same with crime, if you use common sense you won't be a victim. I drive in all parts of this city and haven't been a victim.

Now to the big differences which is lack of sports teams. If you're a diehard Caps/Nats fan like I am, it's tough but we do have the 51's (AAA Mets) and the Wranglers of the ECHL for hockey. While not quite the same as going to Verizon or Nationals Park, the cost is so low it is well worth it. Another big difference is lack of art galleries. Smith Center just opened last year that is closest to Kennedy Center!

As to the summers, you will hear this over and over "it's a dry heat". Well the summers here are the equivalent of turning on your oven and sticking your head in, still I will take them over the 95 degree 85 percent humidity days back in DC where you carry 2x your weight in sweat. The key is getting your windows tinted in your car, drink lots of water and you have to remember to replace your battery and tires every 3-4 years.

People are nicer here, many keep to themselves. I lived in Ashburn for 2 years and it was like the Stepford wives with perfect lawns, perfect lives and one-upmanship, definitely not the case here except in perhaps Summerlin. Check out the area by Green Valley Ranch, plenty of shopping, walking/biking trails and close to the 215/95.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by Czero

How's the traffic? (I'll be working from home, so only my wife will have to deal with rush hour)

Traffic is virtually nonexistent compared to metro D.C.

Originally Posted by Czero

Are the summers really that bad? (comparatively, D.C. from June to August is 90-100 with high humidity)

June is worse in Vegas than DC, July is about equal, and DC is worse in August.

Originally Posted by silverspoons

...some HOA's wont allow a dish.

HOA's haven't had the legal authority to ban satellite dishes since 1996.

[Czero]

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback to my original post. Your input is very much appreciated! The lack of local sports teams never crossed my mind and will be a bit depressing to miss out on the live games.
As far as renting versus buying, I'll keep an eye on the ongoing rebound in the housing market. I understand that the 2-3 year time frame for home ownership is risky, so I'll see. I'm at least encouraged by the affordability of rental homes in Henderson, a luxury that is currently out of my price range in D.C. (Alexandria VA, technically).