[qingguy]

Originally Posted by SundayDummy

Anyways, thanks for the responses. I am not really looking to be sold on LV in terms of activities, weather, social etc....I am fine with all of that and believe I can enjoy myself there. Mostly, I am trying to gauge the economic environment, and whether I should realistically believe I will secure a decent job within the first 6 months. Any inputs on that would be most welcome. Thanks!

I would not be willing to bet my livelihood on what anyone on C-D Denver or Vegas tells me, are they going to guarantee your mortgage payment? We don't know how you stack-up against your competition in the job market etc., in your mind you could be an Ace and if I looked at your resume you may be a dud (not saying that you are). We've interviewed guys who on paper looked like and Ace and in-person they were total duds several times.

Personally I think I could land anywhere and find a job within six months; now would I land then look, no way in hell I don't care what the location was.

Have you researched job openings in both cities for your desired position? That's where I'd be starting. Also consider getting a local in both cities to let you use their address or PO box, get a 702 or 303 area code phone number and start sending out resumes and see what the response is. Will be the best gauge of where you are most likely to succeed.

Too many people don't do proper due diligence and then are shocked when they fail.

[Triggerman6]

Originally Posted by SundayDummy

Thanks for the insights. I've seen the issues with educators and academics. Is there a reason for the teaching-skillets-shortage? Low wages? I notice that many criticize the Vegas school system (both primary and secondary), saying that Vegas does not really support education....so is it mainly a systemic issue? While we do not have kids to think of, I do believe that solid school systems raise the quality of an area.

Not an expert in the school system but deeply involved with family as teachers and administrators, active and retired. My kids go to a charter school.

So with that said, they are not paying teachers enough to retain or attract new ones. However, CCSD is the what, 5th largest school district in the nation. The size alone brings costly effective and efficiency issues. There are working groups in place now within the district that are looking at breaking it up into 3 -5 different smaller districts. Who knows how that will end. It's been talked about for 30 years.

The drop out rate is higher than average for the nation and always has been going back to the 1980s. Before the downturn in 2006-2007 this had always been the case due to the large volume of well paying jobs that kids could get. Education was not a priority because the jobs and cash was so good. Car valets in this town made 80k to 100k a year for example. So the culture drove it. Not so sure that logic holds up when tested against the downturn.

Vegas is in a stabilization period for the 2nd year in a row. Which we feel good about. Average home price of sales has been steady at $220k the last few months. 80% of the sales are on homes priced between $150k to just under $300k and that starting to create opportunities. 42.9% of the residences in Clark County Rent/ lease their primary residence. more than 14,000 properties a year here are leased just through the Multiple Listing Service. Cash investors in LV are down to about 20% of the 2700 or so properties sold each month. We still lead the nation in homes that are seriously upside down on their mortgage and are averaging still about 800 notice of defaults per day....

[SundayDummy]

Originally Posted by qingguy

I would not be willing to bet my livelihood on what anyone on C-D Denver or Vegas tells me, are they going to guarantee your mortgage payment? We don't know how you stack-up against your competition in the job market etc., in your mind you could be an Ace and if I looked at your resume you may be a dud (not saying that you are). We've interviewed guys who on paper looked like and Ace and in-person they were total duds several times.

Personally I think I could land anywhere and find a job within six months; now would I land then look, no way in hell I don't care what the location was.

Have you researched job openings in both cities for your desired position? That's where I'd be starting. Also consider getting a local in both cities to let you use their address or PO box, get a 702 or 303 area code phone number and start sending out resumes and see what the response is. Will be the best gauge of where you are most likely to succeed.

Too many people don't do proper due diligence and then are shocked when they fail.

Yes, I have compared the job markets in CO to LV. There's really no comparison....CO has many more opportunities and a healthier outlook. But, since the opportunity for my wife is better, I am doing my due diligence (this board is an element of that) to see if LV is worthwhile. The numbers and comments I've seen don't paint a rosy picture of LV, so I am seeing if there's more to it by asking locals. Unfortunately, my network does not include many folks who have spent significant time in NV.

And yeah, my industry/qualifications/efforts will affect my success, but when I am hearing that there are limited industries/quality positions and a glut of applicants, it concerns me. We will have her income and other resources to keep us afloat, so we will not be destitute. However, we have career and financial aspirations that we would prefer not be derailed by a lengthy stint on unemployment.

[SundayDummy]

Originally Posted by Triggerman6

Not an expert in the school system but deeply involved with family as teachers and administrators, active and retired. My kids go to a charter school.

So with that said, they are not paying teachers enough to retain or attract new ones. However, CCSD is the what, 5th largest school district in the nation. The size alone brings costly effective and efficiency issues. There are working groups in place now within the district that are looking at breaking it up into 3 -5 different smaller districts. Who knows how that will end. It's been talked about for 30 years.

The drop out rate is higher than average for the nation and always has been going back to the 1980s. Before the downturn in 2006-2007 this had always been the case due to the large volume of well paying jobs that kids could get. Education was not a priority because the jobs and cash was so good. Car valets in this town made 80k to 100k a year for example. So the culture drove it. Not so sure that logic holds up when tested against the downturn.

Vegas is in a stabilization period for the 2nd year in a row. Which we feel good about. Average home price of sales has been steady at $220k the last few months. 80% of the sales are on homes priced between $150k to just under $300k and that starting to create opportunities. 42.9% of the residences in Clark County Rent/ lease their primary residence. more than 14,000 properties a year here are leased just through the Multiple Listing Service. Cash investors in LV are down to about 20% of the 2700 or so properties sold each month. We still lead the nation in homes that are seriously upside down on their mortgage and are averaging still about 800 notice of defaults per day....

Thanks! I work in higher ed, and really value education in general. In my opinion, an emphasis on education is an important driver for a nice area. This is another check for CO over NV. We will not be looking to purchase homes in Vegas, but it is promising to see the mortgage crisis being pushed back into memory, even if slowly. We plan to rent, as our longterm plans are still unclear. Guess we're part of that "transient" community I am hearing about.

[LV10101]

I think you have already made your decision...if CO has more opportunities and a healthier outlook then that is the option you should go with.

[qingguy]

+1 for CO for you

[usnftcret]

Originally Posted by Raiderman

Compared to the beltway, the traffic here is laughable. I get stuck in one of 3 places, if I have to drive in certain directions between 4:30p and 6:30p - 215 West at the interchange with 15, "The Spaghetti Bowl" where you have the cloverleaf at the 15/95, and 95 North from about Charleston to the Spaghetti Bowl.

Other than that, virtually nonexistant comparatively speaking to the Beltway. Even when traffic is backed up, figure it is going to add 20 minutes to wherever you are going. it's not hours of gridlock.

When I moved here in 2009, I never had to deal with traffic anywhere in town. Now it seems it is congested on every major street.

[Golfinnova]

Originally Posted by SundayDummy

Thanks! I work in higher ed, and really value education in general. In my opinion, an emphasis on education is an important driver for a nice area. This is another check for CO over NV. We will not be looking to purchase homes in Vegas, but it is promising to see the mortgage crisis being pushed back into memory, even if slowly. We plan to rent, as our longterm plans are still unclear. Guess we're part of that "transient" community I am hearing about.

I can't comment on CO but coming from the DC area myself, here is my insight. It is a completely different animal here compared to the DMV with only one university system here compared to the multiple campus system of UMD as an example, the public school system here CCSD is the only system compared to a MoCo or P.G. system, CCSD is top heavy with bureaucracy so schools in poorer neighborhoods are run down and there are significant dropout rates compared to the DMV.

You can get a professional job here but there will be increased competition. My suggestion would be to spend some time here during the summer and see if you can handle the 110 heat which while much better compared to the high humidity back home is still like stepping into a blast furnace, the other 9 months of the year are good but make sure you both are ok with the amount of wind we get here as dust gets everywhere.

Hope this helps, good luck whichever way you go.

[Cyborgt800]

Make sure you consider climate, as Denver and Las Vegas are polar opposites.

REALLY? Having lived in both places I'd say they are quite similar!


Denver ISN'T in the mountains...is actually drier on your skin due to the altitude and while LV get a bit hotter in the hot times and Denver colder in the cold times most of the time they are withing 6-10 degrees of each other.

My home page on the web even shows Denver and LV temperatures...has for years. It's amazing how close they always are.


That said: Here are some other things to consider;

Denver rental market is WAY expensive right now as are home prices!
Cost of living is WAY higher in Denver.
Lots of stupid retail jobs in Denver because you cannot survive on that income here.
Traffic? Give me a break! The worst traffic in LV at rush hour can be had on Denver roads at midnight some days...constant road construction, accidents and stupid drivers.

I lived in LV on 35k and had all of my credit cards paid off, money in the bank and in my pocket all the time...in Denver I'm TRYING to live on 60k, my credit cards are maxed and I've no savings at the moment.
There isn't anything you can do in Denver that you couldn't do in LV within the same amount of time/travel.
LV has WAY more entertainment options...especially for locals.
LV has better gun laws and a WAY more efficient DMV.
Denver has a way worse drug/gang problem than LV....like LV Denver has been pretty good about keeping that quiet.
If you work in the City of Denver you will also pay a city income tax along with state and Federal!

The only thing Denver beats LV on is that you can buy lottery tickets here.

[Dibbels81]

There's always a need for teachers out here. With a Master's degree, you'll be making around 40k a year (for 10 months work). Clark County School District has a program where people with non-educational background can get a full-time teaching spot. Just a thought:

Alternative Routes to Licensure | Teach Vegas