[jetlagged]

Hello folks. Been browsing city-data forums for the last year now, finally decided to register tonight since i'm jet lagged and cant sleep tonite. For the last 2 months now I've been considering buying a single-family house in Las Vegas next year hopefully around August 2010. My budget is $125,000-127,000, 3+BR, 2+bath. I have been working as a nurse for the last 3 years now in Fresno, CA; and I have saved up enough to pay down the budget of the house in that price range which I plan on doing. I'm very new to real estate and haven't considered buying a home before. I'm single still live at home with my parents saving a ton of money as a result, lol. I figure now is the right time for me. There are several reasons why I'm considering las vegas, mainly of course is the options for many affordable housing that is within my price range, the entertainment las vegas provides, the fact that it's growing and it might be a good investment for me, and the proximity to a major international airport since I love to travel to other countries. I also figure since nursing is a job that is in high demand, hopefully getting a job there won't be too difficult.

I've been to Las Vegas several times before. My parent's friends has houses in the southwest part, and they look really nice.
I read summerlin is a nice area to live in. I'm looking around that area, but mainly I also want it to be close to shopping, supermarkets for my groceries and stores like walmart, target, etc hospitals (for my job), some decent affordable restaurants to order take out food, lol. Can anyone tell me the zip codes of desirable safe places to live in that is in Las Vegas. I'm strongly considering the area near summerlin, but open to other areas as well.

any advice is much appreciated.

[MediocreButArrogant]

IMHO, "nice area to live in" and "close to Walmart" are mutually exclusive. The two nearest WalMarts to Summerlin are the one at Ft. Apache and Tropicana and the one on Cheyenne near the 215. In most parts of Summerlin you'll be a long way from a WalMart, and I'm guessing a lot of Summerlin residents consider that a good thing.

If I were you I might consider looking in Summerlin South, halfway between the shopping center at Charleston and 215 that houses Costco/Lowes/Best Buy/Borders/Office Depot/Bed,Bath and Beyond, and the mega shopping center at Ft. Apache and Tropicana. Closest grocery store would probably be the Albertsons at Flamingo and Hualapai. That looks like 2.5 miles to either shopping center, and 0.75 miles to the grocery store.

[airics]

it's going to be small in summerlin at 127k for a 3br (1200sf?).. also in that range you are right up against the investors paying cash... a bank takes cash before finance even if the the cash offer is less... you might want to check into 89131.

[lv_spiff]

I would hope by aug 2010 the cash buyers will have dropped out and some areas will have a few more availabilities.

I've been watching more in the outskirts of Henderson in 89074, 89012, and 89014. While there aren't many 3br/2ba under 130k, there are some. Currently I live in 89074 and find everything from hospitals, grocery, and department stores (yes even walmart) are close by.

[olecapt]

I put up a table to show the 3/2 buyers what is for sale and what it costs.

It is in a blog at...

http://www.city-data.com/blogs/blog1...bath-nice.html

It will give the 3/2 buyer a good idea of where to look.

[jetlagged]

hey thank you all for the information so far. i've been browsing realtor.com. at this time i'm looking at areas south of summerlin and also southwest las vegas. i'm not sure how up-to-date and how accurate the prices are in realtor.com. in other words i keep thinking that most of the houses i'm looking at in those areas just south of summerlin and southwest las vegas have already been sold or the prices might be higher than listed. does anybody know?

[JackieB23]

Hey, jetlagged, don't forget Centennial Hills. I live in 89166 on the border with 89149. We have Centennial Hills hospital (and associated medical practices nearby), lots of shopping along Durango and we're very close to the Centennial Hills Shopping Center, where our Wal-Mart is.

I bet you could find a home in our area easily at that price - heck, we have several homes for rent/sale in your price range in my neighborhood, Centennial Point (again, that's 89166). There's two for sale, one foreclosure getting ready to go on the market on my street alone!

Plus, across the 95 we have a really great YMCA on Buffalo, and there's lots to do there.

Good luck to you...

[hockeygirl4]

Try Zip codes 89147, 89148, and possibly 89113. Those are right around the Ft. Apache/Tropicana Walmart Super Center, Lowes, Pet Smart, Ross, Sports Authorty, etc...plus there's a Smith's at Hualapai and Trop, Albertsons at Flamingo and Hualapai like another poster mentioned, and Vons is to the South at Durango and Warm Springs, all within 5-10 minutes of these via I-215.

Lots of restaurants in the area too....and in close proximity to Desert Breeze park.