[Berrie143]

My husband works for a company that has a new office in Las Vegas that is looking to get outfitted with the best of the best and they're making inquiries in his direction. He's recruited regularly but this particular one is a little different. While we love being in TX (escaped our home state of CA 6.5 years ago) a move to that area is something that appeals to us on a few levels. His profession is in very high-demand and he literally will always have job security as long as there is hot weather, which, in TX and Las Vegas, is a given.

The thing is, we're only familiar with The Strip in Vegas, as we used to go there to vacation and party as youngsters so we are not sure of what areas would be the safest and family-centered. What areas should we look in and what areas should we avoid? We are interested in BOTH Vegas and Henderson. We're regular homebodies now with a solid family and our needs would be as follows:


1. SAFE neighborhood
2. Solid schools (would need middle and high school)
3. Family-friendly area
4. NO HOA'S- Cannot stress that enough.
5. Budget of 500K



We've come to realize that we're willing to live with less as long as our family is in a solid, safe area. The ironic thing is, our buying power would be more out there than here in TX due to the lower property taxes. Any information is appreciated! Happy New Year

[RocketRider]

From your requirements, especially nice area with no HOA it sounds like you could also check out Pahrump if he could handle the commute. Plenty of people live here and work in LV. You may also want to put Overton on your list of places to look at. If I were going to have to live in Clark County Overton would be at the top of the list.

bob

[johninvegas]

Most of the newer homes in Vegas or Henderson come with HOAs. If you look for older housing in the northwest part of Vegas you can find what you're looking for, but I don't know about schools since I'm 70 and don't have any kids or grandkids. We live on a nice cul-de-sac with a bunch of nice neighbors, across the street from a park with no HOA, housing in this neighborhood runs around 350-500k, but all the homes were built in the 80s so lots of maintenance is needed. (FYI--LV was growing very rapidly in the 80s and most homes were built by Larry, Moe and Curly at that time.)

[movin1]

Home prices have gone up a lot, supply is low and demand is high. Unfortunately, $500K doesn't get you nearly what it did a few years ago. You really need to get a realtor to help you. You might want to live close to work so that's a factor. Traffic is not as bad here as some cities (yet), but it can be an issue if you have to work "normal" hours. There are good and bad areas in both Henderson and Las Vegas. Vegas (including Henderson) is not that big, it doesn't take long to drive around and get to know the areas.

[WestieJeff]

The no HOA restriction is probably the most difficult, particularly coupled with good schools (best schools are in HOA only areas), and with a 500k price point. Your options for no HOA are either older stuff (pre-1990, mostly in neighborhoods that are past their prime) or larger lot custom home neighborhoods which are basically out of your budget (800k+). Our great schools are in areas that basically have HOA only or high end custom homes (1M+) and our great schools are still probably not all that great compared to TX.

[movin1]

Not sure why you are opposed to HOA's, they generally protect you against bad things and are not that intrusive. Some communities offer very nice amenities and the HOA fees are not expensive. My HOA is $55/month, there is a nice pool and the community always looks good. I lived in Florida and the HOA fees were exorbitant compared to Vegas.

[Mr B Kind]

Originally Posted by johninvegas

(FYI--LV was growing very rapidly in the 80s and most homes were built by Larry, Moe and Curly at that time.)

As long as it was Curly and not Shemp, I'll take it !!

[Mariza160]

Originally Posted by movin1

Home prices have gone up a lot, supply is low and demand is high. Unfortunately, $500K doesn't get you nearly what it did a few years ago. You really need to get a realtor to help you. You might want to live close to work so that's a factor. Traffic is not as bad here as some cities (yet), but it can be an issue if you have to work "normal" hours.

This is spot on. Prices have rocketed tremendously in the last 1.5 years.
I was fortunate to buy in December of 2019 before the prices went crazy.
For $500K, it's going to be hard to get a place in one of the nicer areas.
I'm in the Northwest , Lone Mountain area, which has lower density and
bigger lots than other parts of town. Even here, we have seen incredible
price inflation.

Most of the smaller houses are going to be found in the HOAs with tiny
lots. In my immediate area, I think the houses (no HOAs) are starting
around $700K and inventory is pretty low. I know Skye Canyon to my
north by 3-5 miles is putting in thousands of homes but that is going to
be a HOA situation.

In my opinion, finding a good school is going to be a tougher battle than
finding a house. I haven't heard many good things about the school system
here unless you're in a private school or a special program/charter.

[longviewJoe]

SAFE and no HOAs, as much as I love Vegas, I would look somewhere else. Vegas is not great on crime and has a TON of HOA communities. Very few non-HOA communities. Yes, there are some but not common. Especially in desirable areas like Summerlin and Henderson.

[moguldreamer]

Your budget of $500K is just the downpayment, right? You'll have several options, but more if you double it.