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Luxury Condo Living in the Sky

4575 Dean Martin Drive (#2008) ~ $469,000

BANK OWNED: Amazing views and fantastic location just minutes away from the strip.
Located in Panaroma Towers, the home is over 1,400 SF with
2 bedrooms and 2 bathroom and includes stainless steel appliances,
granite countertops and terraces.

Just Listed - Near Nellis Air Force Base

1654 Buck Island ~ $79,800

BANK OWNED: This home is located near Nellis Air Force base in Las Vegas
off of Owens and Nellis. The kitchen has lots of work space and cabinets.
The 1,100+ SF home has 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bath with a very appealign open floor plan.

REDUCED PRICE! Luxury Custom Home in Henderson, NV

634 St. Croix - Henderson, NV ~ $5,200,000 (reduced $1,000,000)

Breathtaking architecture, stunning strip views, superb finishes abound in this 13,000 square foot masterpiece.

The European foyer with its double staircase is accented with timeless iron railings, granite & Brazilian cherry wood flooring and a hand-cut crystal chandelier.

Entertain intimate gatherings or large parties in the two story grand salon.

The pool features a swim-up bar, luminaire jet fountains into the spa, and 3 oversized fountains.

Fully enclosed glass observation deck and a custom glass elevator are just a few of the amenities you’ll discover upon your arrival.

A must see for discriminating buyers.

"Leaving Las Vegas"

I recently received the following question from a friend of mine and thought I would pass along the answer to all my friends. Also, if you have questions like this - send them to me!
________

Q: Joe - my daughter is “Leaving Las Vegas” and moving out of state and I was wondering if you could give me advice or help me find an agent I can trust to look out for her best interest. Do you know any agents in Chicago?

A: You came to the right place! And yes, I do know quite a few agents in Chicago. Over the past 14 years I have traveled all over the country speaking and coaching other real estate agents on how to be successful in building their business, providing great service while having a life while in Real Estate! Through this, I have formed friendships with realtors nationwide. (My database includes over 8,000 Realtors.) Please have her contact me so I can get a feel for her needs and personality. This way, I can match her up with an agent that will work best with her and one you can feel comfortable knowing she's with a true professional.

2009 FHA & FANNIE/FREDDIE LOAN LIMITS

The 2009 loan limits were announced Friday for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA.

Effective January 1, 2009:

• CLARK COUNTY FHA - $287,500 (down from $400,000)
• CLARK COUNTY FANNIE / FREDDIE - $417,000 (no change)
• NYE COUNTY FHA - $271,050 (down from $325,000)
• NYE COUNTY FANNIE / FREDDIE - $417,000 (no change)
  

If you have buyers looking to put down less than 10% and they are looking for a home priced over $296,000, they need to find a home quickly.

Loans must be locked by 12/13/2008 and fund by 12/31/2008. No exceptions.

Southern Highlands - Recently Reduced!

12097 Oakland Hills - Southern Highlands - Henderson, NV

Offered at $1,498,000

The moment you view this classic masterpiece you’ll experience attention to detail, soothing center courtyard with a warm fireplace and a tranquil water feature.

Relax and enjoy your personal veranda, custom pool, spa or patio while you overlook expansive views of the lush Southern Highlands Golf Course and the mountains beyond.

With over 5,000 square feet, 2 casitas and every upgrade you can become one of the privileged few to live in this impressive community.

For more information, contact Shannan Fogle
with the DiRaffaele Group at 702.610.7872.

Visit http://www.diraffaelegroup.com/homedetail3.asp?foldernum=0&searchid=822167 for more information and photos.

Bank Owned Home

5824 Wispy Winds ~ $234,000

Wired for alarm. Nice size kitchen with granite counter tops. Tile flooring in kithcen and entry.Great location.

SCHOOL INFORMATION:

Elem K-2 Batterman~ Elem 3-5 Batterman

JHS Faiss ~ HS Sierra Vista

Yr Rnd Y

Over 3,000 SF - Bank Owned Home in Las Vegas

1908 Danielle Rebecca ~ $255,000

Two story home with living room and separate family room. Lovely community with community pool and workout room. Four bedrooms with three and a half baths and three car garage.

Great Location - Great Bank Owned Home!

928 Autumn Royal - Summerlin Area - Las Vegas, NV

Offered at $231,900

Single story home with over 1,400 SF - 3 BR / 2 BA and 2 car garage. Low maintenance desert landscaping, backyard, covered patio. Spacious owners' suite with separate bathtub and shower.

Call Shannan with the DiRaffaele Group in Las Vegas
at 702.871.7736 to view this home.

Just Reduced - Now Under $400k!

7675 Valley View Road

Large pool size lot waiting for your personal touch. RV gate and parking on both sides of this great property. Circular driveway.

Beautiful slate flooring through out the home. Open view from family room to kitchen.

Generous size master bedroom with walk-in closet and slider leading to the the covered patio.


http://www.diraffaelegroup.com/homedetail3.asp?foldernum=0&searchid=844627

Pool Size Lot with Casita

5507 Tabernas ~ $305,000

Beautiful banked owned home.

This home is located on a cul-de-sac ~ is in great condition and move in ready!

Pool size lot. courtyard entry, casita with full bed and bath. Kitchen with granite counters and stainless built-in oven overlooks the large family. Balcony off master bedroom.

Contemporary Bank Owned for Sale

2631 S. Miller Lane - Las Vegas, NV

Beautiful bank owned custom home for sale in Las Vegas, NV.

This large home is situated on 1/2 acre lot, which includes a pool and spa.

This 4,300 SF home includes marble flooring, custom kitchen,
2 master bedrooms, loft, and 3 balconies.

Visit http://www.diraffaelegroup.com/ for more information and photos.

Sold in 4 Days! Beagle Point - Las Vegas

Beagle Point, Las Vegs, NV

This is not a type-o! This home was on the market less than 4 days before it sold. Through the immediate marketing of this home, the buyer was able to find the listing and make an offer.

U.S. Postal Service Recognizes Cartus

One of our clients, Cartus, has been recognized by the US Postal Service. Coldwell Banker is the principal broker for Cartus.


Special Delivery: Cartus President and CEO Kevin Kelleher (ctr) accepted the award from the Postal Service’s Susan Brownell, VP, supply management and John Potter, postmaster general and CEO.

_____________________

The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers nearly half the world’s mail. Cartus delivers exactly all of the relocation services provided to Postal Service employees. The agency has honored Cartus for the company’s success in managing the USPS account. At an April 22 ceremony in Washington, D.C., the Postal Service presented Cartus with a 2007 Supplier Performance Award.

Cartus was recognized as one of 12 suppliers that have helped the USPS operate at its best in delivering superior products and service to the American public.

Susan Brownell, the agency’s vice president of supply management, said, “We’re very fortunate to work with such a dedicated group of suppliers. This year’s award winners have gone the extra mile to deliver excellence in supply chain management best practices.”

Cartus has provided relocation services to the USPS since 1992 and manages approximately 1,500 moves annually for the agency. Cartus handles a fully outsourced program for the Postal Service, which includes the delivery of policy counseling, expense administration, moving services, and marketing assistance.

Brownell noted that the 12 suppliers honored had furnished the Postal Service with more than $1 billion in cost benefits to the agency. In addition to making cost savings recommendations to this client, Cartus has implemented new billing protocols, helped train inspector trainees, developed a lump sum pilot program for executives, worked with Cartus Home Loans to create a direct billing initiative, and incorporated best practices in the USPS relocation policy. Cartus is also a member of the agency’s supplier council.

Cartus President and CEO Kevin Kelleher said, “We deeply appreciate this award. This is the result of the strong partnership we have had with USPS over the past 16 years. Together, we find new ways to make the relocation experience smooth, deliver high levels of service to USPS stakeholders, and provide ongoing recommendations to drive down the cost of relocation. We view ourselves as an extension of USPS, providing the needed mobility for its key employees and allowing them to stay focused on their roles, while we handle their relocations. We appreciate the great trust placed upon us and are delighted to serve those who serve all of us so faithfully.”

100 best places to live and launch a business - Henderson, NV makes the list

Population: 241,011
Pros: Business-friendly tax structure, proximity of The Strip
Con: Often perceived - incorrectly - as a gaming and casino town

Sin City's less flashy neighbor, Henderson, is becoming a destination for entrepreneurs who want to be close to, but not live in, Las Vegas. One of the state's fastest-growing cities, Henderson and its active business organizations are working hard to recruit and foster the growth of small and mid-sized companies: The city's economic development manager visits a different local business each week to talk to its owner about his or her needs and concerns.

Click here to read the full article on Henderson, LV

Five Topics to Discuss With Your Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home

Thinking of selling your home? Before you place the “For Sale” sign in front of your house, there are a few things you should consider in order to maximize your home value and make the sales process smooth and efficient. Be prepared to discuss the following subjects with your real estate agent when you’re ready to sell your home and you’ll be one step ahead in the market.

1) Best Time of Year to Put Your House on the Market
Conventional wisdom dictates that spring is the best time for selling a home. The weather is getting warmer, the school year is coming to an end, and people who have just received their tax refunds may now have extra cash to use for a down payment on a home. However, since not everyone can sell a home in the spring, here are some other seasonal factors to consider. According to annual home sale data from the National Association of Realtors, the slowest selling months of the year are typically January and February, since fewer home sales occur during the holidays. In spite of this, with less competition in the marketplace, you may be able to ask for a higher price for your home, or a quicker closing. Additionally, temperate locations like Florida and California don’t see the seasonal fluctuations in the housing market, where house-hunters are almost always looking. And a late winter or early spring in the Northeast may extend the typical “selling season.” These seasonal variations, as well as a variety of local factors, will all influence the housing market in your area. Be sure to talk to your real estate agent regarding the current state of the market and how it will affect the sale of your home.

2) Open House Strategy and How to De-Clutter
At an open house, first impressions count, so you’ll want to enhance your home’s perceived value. Make your home inviting by taking care of bothersome minor repairs; clean bathroom and kitchen counters and clear them of dishes and clutter. Arrange storage areas neatly and put unused items in a closet. If you have pets, consider having a neighbor watch them for the duration of the open house. It’s a good idea for you to be absent during the open house, also. If you must be present, let your agent do the talking.

Decorate your home to sell by arranging the furniture to look as spacious as possible. Add color and fragrance to any room with fresh flowers. Lastly, don’t forget the outside of your home. Put away all gardening equipment and neatly arrange outdoor items like firewood or furniture. Even take a hard look at your mailbox and make sure it reflects the value and character of your home.
3) Features to Accentuate
While you may have long determined which aspects of your home you love, having a fresh set of eyes assess its best features is a smart idea. If you’re considering selling your home, take the time to walk through it methodically with your real estate agent. Together you can determine which features of the home should be accentuated. Does your home have a wonderful view? Make the most of it by sprucing up window treatments and arranging furniture to draw the eye toward the windows. Perhaps the location of your house is truly incredible. Your real estate agent can help accentuate this feature in sales and marketing materials.

4) Desired Price and Bottom Line Price
It’s great to shoot high, but when determining your home value, it’s also important to identify your bottom line. By assessing recent home sale statistics in your area, your real estate agent can recommend an appropriate target price range. Working with your agent, you can set an initial asking price, as well as privately determine the absolute lowest price you would comfortably accept for selling your home. By crunching the numbers and setting parameters early on, you can avoid emotional rollercoasters during the process of receiving, countering and accepting offers.

5) Disclosures
When selling your home, you may be obligated to disclose problems that could affect the property’s value or desirability. In most states, it is illegal to fraudulently conceal major physical defects in your property, such as a basement that floods in heavy rains. And many states now require sellers to take a proactive role by making written disclosures on the condition of the property. Ask your real estate agent for the particular laws of your state.




The staff at Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC writes select articles about important topics related to real estate. For more information about buying a home or selling your current property, visit ColdwellBanker.com today.

Developers scrap $5 billion Las Vegas casino plan

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- A development group planning to build a 5,000-room hotel and skyscraper on the Las Vegas Strip has scrapped the project, owing to difficult credit- market conditions, according to one of the partners in the joint venture Wednesday.

Casino company Crown Ltd., headed by the Australian investor James Packer, said it and its partners, the private-equity firm York Capital Management and the property developer IDM, decided to pull out after conducting a strategic review.

"The recent upheaval in world credit markets has made it increasingly difficult for Crown and its partners to develop a commercially viable project," Crown Chief Executive Rowen Craigie said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange Wednesday.

Crown said it will write off its A$44 million (US$42.1 million) investment in the project. The development at the 27-acre site, which Reuters reported was valued at $5 billion, had included plans for the tallest tower in Las Vegas and an integrated hotel-and-casino complex Crown said it would focus on other areas of its business.

Click here to read the article and comments on MarketWatch

Las Vegas & Nevada Fun Facts

1. From 1990 to 1998 the Las Vegas population grew by 55%.
2. Las Vegas is billed as the "Entertainment capital of the world"
3. Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911
4. The Stratosphere is 1149' tall, making it the tallest observation tower in the United States. It is also home to the world's highest roller coaster.
5. The Aladdin was built in 1963, and Elvis and Priscilla were married there on May 1, 1967.
6. The ichthyosaur is Nevada's official state fossil.
7. Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state, with its highest point at the 13,145 foot top of Boundary Peak near the west-central border.
8. Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation. It is second in the world behind South Africa.
9. Construction worker hard hat's were first invented specifically for workers on the Hoover Dam in 1933.
10. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.

How to Prepare for the Closing (Buyer)

After making the decision to buy a home, many buyers are surprised by the amount of work required for a successful closing. To ensure that you are prepared to close on the home, you may want to develop a checklist of necessary steps with your real estate agent. As you prepare to complete the sale and move into your new home, consider the tips offered here concerning the most important tasks facing homebuyers.

After you have filed your loan application and placed a deposit on the home, your mortgage lender will provide you with an estimate of closing costs. As the amount provided by the mortgage lender is merely an estimate and can change prior to closing, you are allowed to inspect all the loan documents the day before closing. Once you have confirmed the amount, including the remainder of the down payment, you will need to obtain a certified or cashier’s check. In most cases, personal checks are not acceptable for payment of closing costs, so work with your agent if you have concerns about the proper methods of payment.

Most real estate professionals recommend performing a final walk-through inspection of the home before finalizing the sale. In most cases, the contract between both parties will include a clause allowing the buyer to inspect the property within the 24 hours prior to closing. At this time, the buyer should make sure the home is vacated, all appliances that the seller agreed to leave in the home are intact and any repairs included in the terms of the sale have been completed. If needed, you can also request that the seller perform a walkthrough with you to explain all of the home’s details.

For the most part, this final walkthrough is the buyer’s last opportunity to ensure the terms of the contract are met. If any problems are uncovered during the inspection, you can work with your agent to obtain funds from the seller for repairs or postpone the closing until all repairs are made.

Another requirement of the closing process is the purchase of homeowner’s insurance. Required by nearly all mortgage lenders, this insurance protects both homeowner and lender against loss in case of damage to the home. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will include personal liability for the buyer – protecting the homeowner in the event of accident or injury on the property – and a combination of coverage against theft, fire, flood and region-specific weather concerns. By working with your real estate agent and mortgage lender, you should be able to find an acceptable policy that meets the requirements of the loan. At the time of closing, you will need to provide proof of insurance to the mortgage lender before finalizing the sale.

In some cases, title insurance may also be required by your mortgage lender. This simple policy protects both the buyer and lender in the event that problems with the title are uncovered after the sale is finalized. If required, both the lender and homeowner need individual title insurance policies, yet these are usually combined into a joint policy to be financed by the buyer.

Prior to the closing date, the buyer should also transfer all utility accounts from the seller. Besides being a required part of many closing proceedings, this small step will ensure that your new home is ready for move-in after the sale is completed.

On closing day, you can expect to sit down with the seller, your agent, your lender and the legal representation required to finalize the sale. If you have completed the steps outlined here and arrive with proper documentation, you can expect a smooth closing. In fact, if you follow your checklist prior to closing day, you can begin focusing on life in your new home as soon as you like.



The staff at Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC writes select articles about important topics related to real estate. For more information about buying a home or selling your current property, visit ColdwellBanker.com today.