[lisdol]

We are possibly moving to Nellis next summer.

Before we make a final decision, I am trying to do some research.

I know that many people who are stationed at Nellis live in N. Las Vegas.

I am going to comb through the forum to see what neighborhoods in N.L.V. are recommended vs. stay away from, but feel free to reply here as well.

I have 4 kids and will be using the public school system. Two have mild special needs (counseling, speech therapy, OT...) and are also in the gifted program. If anyone has any experience with which school clusters/tracks are better than others I'd appreciate it.

We currently live about 40 min from the base, in a rural area outside of Albuquerque. We have an 1800 sq ft home on 2 acres. I know N. Las Vegas is a lot more urban than this. If the schools are OK, I would not mind the trade off of a smaller yard and more cramped neighborhood as long as the amenities make up for it. I do miss having a pool and many other activities closer than 40 min away. But, since we are used to this kind of living, I do want to ask if there are any outlying areas that are more spread out that are within 40 min of Nellis before I simply assume there are not.

Thanks!

BTW what is the name of the area in N. LV bounded to the north by the "bruce woodbury belt", to the W by Decatur Blvd, to the E by Aliante Pkwy/Simmons St, and to the S by W. Craig rd. I remember a couple of friends that moved to Nellis a few yrs back mentioned that they were buying a home on one of the streets in that area.

[Buzz123]

We really don't have any of the rural areas like you find around Albuquerque. At least none that are actively being developed. There are a few rural homes in the area of Kyle Canyon Road, and further up in Kyle Canyon itself, in the Spring Mountains. Also there are a few homes in Cold Creek which is further north towards Indian Springs in the same mountain range, and there is an area, which I think is still called Corn Creek, near the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. You might also find something at Blue Diamond, or you could go north on I-15 to Moapa or Logandale. Schools in any of those areas would be a problem for you even if you did find a house though. Best if you find the schools you need and look for homes near them. If you've been in Albuq. long you'll run into a little bit of cultural shock here. There are few similarities here. But it works the other way too, from anywhere to Albuq. You'll miss the cultural things, as well as the food and weather most.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by lisdol

We are possibly moving to Nellis next summer.

Before we make a final decision, I am trying to do some research.

I know that many people who are stationed at Nellis live in N. Las Vegas.

I am going to comb through the forum to see what neighborhoods in N.L.V. are recommended vs. stay away from, but feel free to reply here as well.

I have 4 kids and will be using the public school system. Two have mild special needs (counseling, speech therapy, OT...) and are also in the gifted program. If anyone has any experience with which school clusters/tracks are better than others I'd appreciate it.

We currently live about 40 min from the base, in a rural area outside of Albuquerque. We have an 1800 sq ft home on 2 acres. I know N. Las Vegas is a lot more urban than this. If the schools are OK, I would not mind the trade off of a smaller yard and more cramped neighborhood as long as the amenities make up for it. I do miss having a pool and many other activities closer than 40 min away. But, since we are used to this kind of living, I do want to ask if there are any outlying areas that are more spread out that are within 40 min of Nellis before I simply assume there are not.

Thanks!

BTW what is the name of the area in N. LV bounded to the north by the "bruce woodbury belt", to the W by Decatur Blvd, to the E by Aliante Pkwy/Simmons St, and to the S by W. Craig rd. I remember a couple of friends that moved to Nellis a few yrs back mentioned that they were buying a home on one of the streets in that area.

That area is primarily Aliante with some similar neighborhoods to the south.

In general in that area watch the schools. Get far enough west to be in Shadow Ridge or Arborview. We just had a discussion in another thread about the middle schools. Leavitt, Cadawaller and Escobedo should all be OK for you.

There are school rankings based on the "No Child Left Behind" scores at..

Schools of Las Vegas Rankings

The school zone maps are located at...


Clark County School District - Zoning Information

There are pockets of half acres in various places in that area. Start at around $250K for a fixer. There are however some great buys (or rents) on large homes in that area. Foreclosures are not bad for buyers.

[lisdol]

Thanks for the info! and the speed.

I haven't decided on what we could spend b/c we are not sure if we want to sell this home or keep it and use a property manager to rent it out for us (we'd like to come back to this area in the long run). Since we have a 15 yr mortgage (about 12 yrs to go), rental income would not cover the whole payment. If we do sell our home (and actually sell it) we'd have more to use.

Our BAH would be a little over $1500. On base we'd qualify for a 1400 sq ft (approx) 4 bdrm home, so I am definitely checking out the areas off base.

OK, I will start with schools. One of the things that makes where we currently live so great is we are in a wonderful school zone with the area's best elementary in terms of staff, families, and academic achievement(IMHO), and a good middle school, and a choice of a nice charter high nearby or a large public hs that has a lot of opportunities, academically and extracurricularly. I'd be willing to live on a postage stamp lot in a cookie cutter/Pulte home neighborhood if I were happy with the school district.

Wanted to add: Those school zone maps are a great resource. Thanks. I am using greatschools.net and the maps right now to get some ideas. We will be there for 4 yrs and my oldest will enter 9th grade our last year there, and the second oldest will enter 6th grade our last year there. I now need to go look at listings to see what the price ranges are in the area. Thanks so much.

[lisdol]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

If you've been in Albuq. long you'll run into a little bit of cultural shock here. There are few similarities here. But it works the other way too, from anywhere to Albuq. You'll miss the cultural things, as well as the food and weather most.

LOL sometimes I get culture shock going into Albuquerque. Its all mud and gravel out here where we live. We stopped to pick up takeout at BWW in the city one Sat night this winter, and there I was in my jeans with a bit of mud on the cuffs, a down jacket, and hitec hiking boots (with some more mud), and I felt very out of place. In our little town east of Albuquerque, I'd be dressed just like everyone else.

So, if we do go to Nellis, I'm in for a change, huh?

[lvkewlkid]

Originally Posted by lisdol

Thanks for the info! and the speed.

I haven't decided on what we could spend b/c we are not sure if we want to sell this home or keep it and use a property manager to rent it out for us (we'd like to come back to this area in the long run). Since we have a 15 yr mortgage (about 12 yrs to go), rental income would not cover the whole payment. If we do sell our home (and actually sell it) we'd have more to use.

Our BAH would be a little over $1500. On base we'd qualify for a 1400 sq ft (approx) 4 bdrm home, so I am definitely checking out the areas off base.

OK, I will start with schools. One of the things that makes where we currently live so great is we are in a wonderful school zone with the area's best elementary in terms of staff, families, and academic achievement(IMHO), and a good middle school, and a choice of a nice charter high nearby or a large public hs that has a lot of opportunities, academically and extracurricularly. I'd be willing to live on a postage stamp lot in a cookie cutter/Pulte home neighborhood if I were happy with the school district.

Wanted to add: Those school zone maps are a great resource. Thanks. I am using greatschools.net and the maps right now to get some ideas. We will be there for 4 yrs and my oldest will enter 9th grade our last year there, and the second oldest will enter 6th grade our last year there. I now need to go look at listings to see what the price ranges are in the area. Thanks so much.

They redistrict school zones about every year so it is very difficult to predict which school your children will be going to just by looking at the current zoning maps...

[lisdol]

Originally Posted by lvkewlkid

They redistrict school zones about every year so it is very difficult to predict which school your children will be going to just by looking at the current zoning maps...

Well, that kind of stinks.

I had figured growth had slowed down enough that they were not doing that anymore.

What about keeping to the NW side in general?

[lvkewlkid]

Originally Posted by lisdol

Well, that kind of stinks.

I had figured growth had slowed down enough that they were not doing that anymore.

What about keeping to the NW side in general?

it even happens in the older areas as well, the schools are so overpopulated that it will take years for it to be corrected since they're not even building enough schools to keep up with the past growth...When Del Sol opened, it changed Chaparral's, Valley's, Green Valley's, and I'm sure even LVHS's zones...

The NW is probably going to have an issue with rezoning since it is such a new area, i'm sure they're going to continue with building schools in the area...

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by lvkewlkid

it even happens in the older areas as well, the schools are so overpopulated that it will take years for it to be corrected since they're not even building enough schools to keep up with the past growth...When Del Sol opened, it changed Chaparral's, Valley's, Green Valley's, and I'm sure even LVHS's zones...

The NW is probably going to have an issue with rezoning since it is such a new area, i'm sure they're going to continue with building schools in the area...

There is minor risk in the NW. But nothing serious. Avoid living really close to boundaries.

I am not aware of any large reshuffles between now and September. The real way to tell is call CCSD and see where new schools are opening in the NW. I am not aware of any but perhaps someone else knows of one.

But without a new school that area has mostly gone through its shakeup.

[lvkewlkid]

http://azac.ccsd.net/maps.htm (broken link)

That site has maps of schools that are coming in the future...