[MilitaryFamilyUSAF]

Hello all,

We are a Military family currently living in Idaho at Mountain Home AFB. We are getting stationed at Nellis AFB in June. Since the waiting list for on base housing is forever an a day we are going to rent outside the base. I was thinking North Las Vegas for its close proximity to the base but after reading many posts here I am very weary. So here are a few of my questions I have for the board. I would greatly appreciate your time in some responses.

What area close to the Base is a good desent neighborhood? I was looking at a couple places some on Craig road but im seeing thats not a good place. I will be living there for a full year with just me and my 2 daughters while my wife will be away in Korea for a year. Schools are of non importance to me as I will take my children to school on the base.

Im looking to rent. Could I get some estimates on costs of living? Utilities, phone, car insurance...things of that nature.

I use Qwest right now but they dont serve the LV area. Is Cox the only option out there. Im thinking of Vonage. Any body got that in Vegas? Is it reliable?

Also, what are the gun laws? I plan on protecting my children to the extreme. New city, just us, I will be a gun owner.

Really the location question is a biggie for me. I need to make sure that I get into a good neighborhood for me and my daughters. Im from Denver, CO. so I am definitley used to big city living, im used to seeing crime on the news everyday. I stay away from it but am no stranger to it. Though living in Mountain Home, ID. the past 4 years, I have goten used to almost zero crime. I am looking forward to hearing the responses from you fine people on this board.

Thank you,
MilitaryFamilyUSAF

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by MilitaryFamilyUSAF

Hello all,

We are a Military family currently living in Idaho at Mountain Home AFB. We are getting stationed at Nellis AFB in June. Since the waiting list for on base housing is forever an a day we are going to rent outside the base. I was thinking North Las Vegas for its close proximity to the base but after reading many posts here I am very weary. So here are a few of my questions I have for the board. I would greatly appreciate your time in some responses.

What area close to the Base is a good desent neighborhood? I was looking at a couple places some on Craig road but im seeing thats not a good place. I will be living there for a full year with just me and my 2 daughters while my wife will be away in Korea for a year. Schools are of non importance to me as I will take my children to school on the base.

Im looking to rent. Could I get some estimates on costs of living? Utilities, phone, car insurance...things of that nature.

I use Qwest right now but they dont serve the LV area. Is Cox the only option out there. Im thinking of Vonage. Any body got that in Vegas? Is it reliable?

Also, what are the gun laws? I plan on protecting my children to the extreme. New city, just us, I will be a gun owner.

Really the location question is a biggie for me. I need to make sure that I get into a good neighborhood for me and my daughters. Im from Denver, CO. so I am definitley used to big city living, im used to seeing crime on the news everyday. I stay away from it but am no stranger to it. Though living in Mountain Home, ID. the past 4 years, I have goten used to almost zero crime. I am looking forward to hearing the responses from you fine people on this board.

Thank you,
MilitaryFamilyUSAF

Here is a map that shows you the nice sections that provide good access to Nellis.

http://www.donohueteam.com/images/So...East%20Map.gif

Rents depend on what. Basic three BR two bath start around $1000. Pretty nice house in nice neighborhood $1500. Deluxe maybe 1800.

Utilities will run $200-300 a month or so depending particularly on how much cooling you chose to do. Car insurance is relatively expensive. A 2004 Toyota Avalon runs about $1200 per year.

The internet choices are Cox or Embarq or a local wireliss operation. Most use Cox. $95 for broadband, cable and phone.

Gun laws are quite permissive. Pistols require registration. Concealed carry is allowed with a course and is easy to get.

[Las Vegan Cajun]

Originally Posted by MilitaryFamilyUSAF

Also, what are the gun laws? I plan on protecting my children to the extreme. New city, just us, I will be a gun owner.

Nevada is for the most part a very gun friendly state. I assume that being military that your state of residence will not be Nevada. Non-residents, even military stationed here, must apply for a non-resident Nevada concealed firearms permit to carry a concealed firearm, highly recommended if you are going to carry one at all. The only difference between a non-resident permit and a resident is that a resident permit is good for five years and a non-resident is good for three years, both permits have the same rights to carry concealed.

I could go on for weeks about how gun laws vary around here, the best thing to do is to take the class for a concealed carry permit and you will learn about them. Boulder City and North Las Vegas have more restrictive gun laws than Henderson, Las Vegas and the rest of Nevada. You can travel through the Lake Mead National Recretation Area with a firearm as long as it is not loaded. NOTE: Not loaded doesn't mean that if you remove the clip from your semi-auto pistol with rounds still in the clip and chamber cleared that you are not loaded. A case like that was tried here and the court ruled that the clip is part of the gun and therefore with rounds in the clip, even though removed from the gun, is still considered a loaded gun. HINT: Take a revolver with you with a speed loader, speed loaders are not considered part of the gun.

As previously mentioned ALL handguns must be registered with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department within 48 hours of arriving in Clark County. NOTE: I don't agree with that policy but it is the law if you are in Clark County with a handgun. This registration is commonly known as having a blue card, because the registration card they give you is blue. You must have a blue card with you whenever you have that firearm with you. There is one blue card for every handgun you own, yes I have a wallet full of blue cards, and the blue card IS NOT a permit to carry the firearm concealed. You still have to attend a full day class from an authorized instructor, get finger printed and apply for an FBI background check before you will get a permit to carry concealed.

Nevada is an open carry state, yes you can walk around with a holstered handgun on your belt out in plain view, BUT not highly recommended in high density areas like the Strip and Downtown or even in your neighborhood. Someone could still call the law on you and you may get cited for brandishing a weapon even with it in the holster. Another good reason to get a concealed carry permit and keep it concealed.

Nevada does allow you to travel with a loaded handgun in your vehicle and it doesn't have to be in a compartment in the vehicle. You can have it out in plain sight in the vehicle. But be careful when you cross jurisdicitions, like Boulder City and North Las Vegas, they do not allow it. Also on federal property, like the base, I'm sure you know what the base restrictions are. This also includes areas like Lake Mead, since it is a national park area the federal guidelines apply there.

[Buzz123]

It looks like OleCapt and Las Vegan Cajon answered your questions pretty thoroughly. I even learned a few things and I've been a resident here for 43 years. I would add that you might have a good chance of finding house rentals in the Sunrise Mountain area where it is close to the base, but I'd look over the neighborhood very carefully. Some of it is good and some is bad. Whichever way you drive to get to the base, you'll pass through some of our worst neighborhoods, and those are really only a problem after dark. A better place to look first would be in the neighborhoods surrounding Camino Al Norte north of Craig Rd. It's North Las Vegas but a pretty good area. In fact my daughter lives in that area in a really nice house.

[lvkewlkid]

Anything on Hollywood is fine, it just gets a littler harder each time you go a little west...

[PinkString]

Just go to Aliante. There are so many homes sitting vacant right now waiting to be rented. It's a good family oriented community. You will love it. Or your money back.

[Buzz123]

We were going to buy out there recently but the numbers didn't add up. Too much for theirs, not enough for ours.

[RedWingsFan]

You will be okay if you stay up on Hollywood. There's nice places up there and it's still close to the base. Plus you get a great view of the valley. If you have kids, O'Callaghan M.S. is up there and it's a pretty good school, I've worked quite a few days there because I lived close by.

[olecapt]

There is one rental on Hollywood or east of there. $3000.

There are three if you go halfway down the hill. 3000, 2400, 1700

Hollywood is not a good rental area....

[LVeastsider]

lake meade and hollywood area is a safe area just south of nellis afb.