Forbes just ranked the safety of U.S. Cities. Henderson, Nevada ranked No. 2 behind Plano, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas. Median income, the poverty rate, the level of violent crime, and traffic fatality statistics all contributed to the final ranking.

Henderson has a relatively high median income-$61,861- and a low poverty rate-7 percent. The magazine reported Henderson home prices are higher than those in Las Vegas. Just thought you wanted to know!

Here is the Forbest list of the safest cities in America:

1. Plano, Texas

2. Henderson, Nevada

3. Honolulu, Hawaii

4. Santa Ana, California

5. Lincoln, Nebraska

6. San Jose, California

7. Mesa, Arizona

8. Colorado Springs, Colorado

10. New York, New York

((hugs))

Read the full post on LasVegasWebofHomes.com

While a majority of Las Vegas homes are indeed selling below replacement cost (in my world that’s anything under $100 per square foot), the free fall in prices may indeed be over. According to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, the median price of a single family home here in the valley in October was $121,000. In November it rose to $125,000.

Yes, that’s not a huge rise. But the news is the prices haven’t gone down. We’ll see if the trends holds when The GLVAR releases the December figures.

I personally think prices in Las Vegas have hit bottom or are darn close. However, I predict we will be here for quite a while. Maybe two more years?

What do you think? ‘Splain me Lucy!

((hugs))

Read the full post on LasVegasWebofHomes.com

For the 59th month in a row, Las Vegas was No. 1 in foreclosures, according to RealtyTrac. It’s hard to turn on the TV, read a newspaper (if you’re a certain age) or run a Google search without hearing about Las Vegas’s real estate woes.

The world also heard about houses that sold for $375,000 in 2006 selling for $131,000 today.

Well, all of that is true. However, here’s what’s not: Buyers assume that because Las Vegas is a hotbed of foreclosures and prices are down by 6o percent, it’s easy to “steal” a house in the valley.

I’m working with several investors as well as savvy couples who plan on retiring in the valley shortly. To both groups, getting the lowest price is critical to their success. Here’s the reality for house hunters based on my recent outing:

• Most of the houses today are selling below their replace cost. (Good)
• There are a lot of houses to chose from–over 20,000 in fact. There were 8,000 in the MLS when the boom started in 2004. (Good)
• Quite a few of these houses need significant work before you would want to live in them. I’ve seen houses where the entire kitchen and all the bathrooms were empty. Cabinets, sinks, commodes-GONE! (Good or Bad depending on your feelings about home repair. Me, I’m a serial remodeler…)
• It takes quite a bit of searching to find the diamond in the rough. Plan on lots of outings. (Bad)

The perfect house at the perfect price is out there for you and we at eXp know how to find it. But it is hard to find a four bedroom house with a three car garage in a gated community with granite countertops built in the last 10 years 15 minutes from the Strip for $150,000. And that’s a good thing for us locals who are committed to this community regardless of the equity we still have left in our homes.

((hugs))

Read the full post on LasVegasWebofHomes.com

To quote Britney Spears, “Oops, we did it again.” According to Realty Trac, Nevada has retained its foreclosure title for the most homes in foreclosure in November. That means one home in every 175 received some kind of foreclosure filing. That’s three times the national average of one in 579. Ouch!

At least we are not the first in foreclosures per capita. That honor goes to Stockton, California with one in every 120 homes. in this ranking we fall to No. 6.

Larry Murphy, President of Las Vegas-based SalesTrac and my real estate guru, predicted Las Vegas is only half way through the foreclosure process. He anticipate another 100,000 homes in the valley will receive foreclosure notices before it’s all over.

What does this mean for home buyers? An opportunity of a lifetime. The vast amount of homes the banks are dumping on the market is keeping prices low. I’ve shown houses significantly below replacement cost per square foot that just needed new carpet. If I win Megabucks, I’m going to use 100 percent of that money to buy houses, rent them and wait it out.
((hugs))

Read the full post on LasVegasWebofHomes.com

About Jim Girard

I have been actively assisting people in the Greenville South Carolina real estate market since 1998.  During that time I have assisted Buyers, Sellers and Investors in hundreds of real estate transactions around Greenville South Carolina.  My personal experiences in purchasing, selling and investing in real estate in South Carolina has placed me in the center of my clients needs, whereas I can relate to most of their challenges and keep the transaction smooth.  Providing full property management services has given my investment clients piece of mind knowing their investment is fully serviced.  So, if you are interested in buying, selling, or renting Greenville South Carolina homes, or perhaps want me to help you manage one you already own, OR you would like to get into the business of doing any of that, visit my web site  at Greenville South Carolina Home, give me a call at 864.862.1400 or email me at jim@jimgirard.com.

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I recently celebrated my friend’s birthday at a fabulous hidden gem of a restaurant. Postino now has 2 locations, the newest being at 5144 Central Ave in downtown Phoenix.  The other location is 3939 E Campbell Ave  in the Arcadia area.
I had never been to Postino and we had such a great time enjoying their Monday and Tuesday After 8 Special which is $20 for a bottle of wine and Bruschetta.  The Bruschetta comes in amazing variety and you can mix and match 4 of your choice. 3 of us shared 2 boards of Bruschetta and it was more than enough.  My personal favorite; the Bruschetta with Dates, Pistachios and Ricotta Cheese…Delicious especially when paired with a bottle of Rick Shaw Pinot Noir.
I recommend it for your next Girls Night Out!!

Check out Postino locations and menu here

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Seattle or Vancouver?

A Tale of Two Cities: Seattle or Vancouver, BC?

The affordability of houses is trending sharply differently in the nearby markets of Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Affordability is made up of three factors: the median home price of a city, median household income of the inhabitants, and the level of interest rates.  Interest rates at this time of writing are historically low in both cities.  Because house prices in Seattle are near flat or slightly rising, falling interest rates and job growth are causing affordability in Seattle to reach levels not seen since 2004, as documented by the SeattleBubble.com.

A very different scenario is taking place in Vancouver, where foreign buyers from mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, and elsewhere are snapping up houses and driving up prices.  Vancouver now ranks as the least affordable market in all of Canada.  These Asian buyers are searching for a better lifestyle: better schools, larger houses, more privacy, less polution, and a beautiful location.  Recent articles in the Seattle Times (“Vancouver attracting buyers from China“) and on CrossCut.com (“Vancouver’s real estate gold rush is totally out of control“) document the trend.

Seattle, I believe, will start to see a spillover effect from this real estate gold rush in Vancouver.  Seattle has similar attractive qualities to Vancouver with its proximity to mountains and waterways, good schools, and rich culture emanating from an ethnically diverse population.  I worked recently with a Chinese/Canadian buyer originally from Taiwan who decided that Vancouver had become far too expensive to buy back into.  He recognized prices in Seattle for high end waterfront properties as a bargain and preferred to buy at the bottom of a market cycle rather than the top.  He shared some property listings we visited together with some friends back in Hong Kong and they were astonished to see estate quality large houses on acreage selling for what they would pay for a condo back home.

See an example of what $2.5 million would buy in Seattle: Magnolia Puget Sound View Home with Beach.

Check out live listings of King County Puget Sound Waterfront Homes.

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Check it out!  There’s still time!! More than seven million lights and hundreds of individual light displays will light up the Phoenix Event Complex for the Arizona Celebration of Lights located at 2209 N 99th Ave.   This display is set up so you can drive through the one mile stretch of lights.  Admission is $15/car weekdays and $20/car weekends.  Special discounts are available so check the website before heading out!

Click here for more info

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Are you considering a real estate purchase in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area?  If so, then I am your buyer specialist.

From the moment you contact me, I will tirelessly work for you throughout the entire purchase transaction.

The first thing I will do is discuss your “wish list”.  From there we can fine tune it between “must haves”, “would like to have” and “can live without”.  This will give me a good idea of how best to set up a custom MLS search for you.

Through the MLS program I have access to every active home on the market. Once I enter your criteria a list of homes that fit that critieria will be presented to you.  Additionally everytime a new listing hits the market that meets your criteria, you will receive an email alerting you.

After you have narrowed down the homes that appeal to you, we can begin going out to view homes.  Once you have found a home you would like to offer on, I will pull comparable sales and we will strategize the best offer to make.  Sometimes it will take negotiating back and forth several times to come to an agreed price.  Once price and terms are accepted I will help you through the entire purchase process from opening escrow, ordering inspections, etc through my favorite part….the closing and handing you the keys to your new home!!  By the way this is all at no cost to you because in AZ, my fees are paid by the seller.

A service I like to offer my buyers, especially out of town buyers, is to go take additional photos of any home they like.  These photos will be taken from a buyer perspective rather than a seller perspective of putting their best foot forward!  Many times my photos will show you flaws you may not see otherwise and can save you time from viewing homes that actually won’t work for you.

I can also put you in touch with my contacts for inspections, repairs, title work, lenders, and even after the transaction closes I can help with most trades you might need…from contractors to handymen, painters, landscapers, home designers, etc.

I am a one-stop shop so don’t hesitate to call me for all your real estate needs.

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I went to my first AZ Farmers Market several months ago and now I am hooked.  I try to attend one somewhere every few weeks.

I first attended the evening market at Citadelle Plaza located at 19420 N 59^th Ave inGlendale.  It’s held every Wed evening from 4-7 pm.

Of course I had to taste test my way through the market before making my purchase decision!  I started with homemade tamales.  My favorite was green chile and corn but there are many varieties.  Next it was on to salsa, hummus, espresso, homemade breads, and one booth had the best pickled vegetables….asparagus, green beans, and more.  You will also want to check out the locally made flavored pastas.  Add a little olive oil and fresh grated parmesan cheese, slice some fresh bread and you have dinner!

Click here for a Farmers Market near you

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