[Vegas_Cabbie]

1. Palms Place sits on a not-so-awesome stretch of Flamingo Rd... Aka "just off" the Strip is definitely where you DON'T want to be.

2. Owning a home in Henderson/Summerlin will be safer than owning a condo around the Strip 99 times out of 100.

3. If you are looking to financially flip said property in a few years, you should have bought in 2010-2012.

Much luck to you, Miss

[MountainBiking]

Since you will to tap into your capital for a potential move to Los Angeles I would definitely rent for now. You never know what will happen to the housing market. You'll be safe renting and you won't tie up a big chunk of money with mortgage and taxes. You can invest this in something else. You never know, you may want to skip an L.A. move altogether and save a lot of money.

Cheers.

[OmegaSupreme]

Oil prices are low. Unemployment is low. The economy is booming.

What happens when the economy booms? Vegas house prices go up by more than most of the rest of the country.

Will there be a crash? Probably. eg, If oil prices suddenly surge (3% doesn't count as a surge in my book)

If I was in a position to buy right now, I definitely would

[squishy506]

I don't think it makes sense to buy if you're not going to be living somewhere for 5-10 years. If you're worried about a burglary, get an alarm system or rent in a place with a gate around the community. Those are usually pretty good deterrents. If you do this and live in Summerlin or Henderson, you won't have much to worry about.

One thing I've noticed about Vegas is that there are pockets of scumminess all around the valley that I haven't really seen in other places I've lived. If the landscaping looks rough, or the houses are older, you might be more at risk for higher crime in that area.

[lvoc]

Lots of misinformation.

First off Las Vegas is not inexpensive. It is virtually on the average for Cost of Living. If you want to live cheap you go to small burgs in the Midwest or South.

Three years is around the normal breakeven point for a home buy. Note that the cost of rental is all negative if you go that way. There is much speculation that LV is going to boom again based on good economic projections. Each person needs his own crystal ball. At the moment though there are only the deepest of doomsters looking for a crash...so very low downside risk.

Condos on the strip are an interesting speculation. Mostly a disaster to the earlier investors unless they got in and out very quickly. Likely to be the most volatile of Las Vegas investments...large percentages swings both ways. Long term it may work out OK as I don't think there will be any more built.

Crime bottoms in southern Henderson and Summerlin. There is no practical difference between good Henderson and Summerlin. Socioeconomics are virtually identical. Both are safer than the strip by large margins.

In general the outlying areas are pretty nice and consistent. It is often driven by HOAs and master plans.

[von949]

Can't wait for the next housing collapse so I can take advantage of the market. I hope others do too.

[ft_chief]

I think the housing market is in a sweet spot right now in Las Vegas. Not too expensive where we have overbuilding and not too cheap where the market is flooded with foreclosures and investors. I hope it stays like this for the next 10 years. I don't like the highs and lows.

[BBMW]

This is based on an outdated and refuted study.

GunCite - Gun Control Web Site: A Gun in the Home

Originally Posted by UTES

Nope, they were right. The odds of being involved in a home invasion are very low. And, people defending their homes with guns are three times more likely to shoot a family member or themselves than an intruder.

Bill

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by BBMW

This is based on an outdated and refuted study.

GunCite - Gun Control Web Site: A Gun in the Home

You can talk to any insurance agent and learn that Bill is right -- people who have guns in the house are more likely to be shot with their own gun than they are to get to play hero and shoot a "bad guy."

Actuarial science is your friend. (Great way to make money, actuarial science.)

[EA]

So, what you're saying is, it's a self solving problem?