North West part of the city of Las Vegas, which was once barren and dirty has been transformed into landscaped recreational trail. The section between Ann road and tropical parkway was never improved before and the steep slopes made it difficult to maintain.

To beautify the place the crew had to remove 1500 tons dirt, place 65 tons of base material for concrete improvement and make it more maintainable. To beautify the landscape 75 plants, 25,000 boulders, and 725 tons of landscape of rock were transported.

The project cost was approximately $175,000 but the result is today aesthetically pleasing. Low maintenance, low cost landscaping, which can be enjoyed by the area people as well as the people who pass through them.

Last year the housing market in Las Vegas saw a dramatic price increase due to the lack of inventory for new homes, causing buyers to flock to the resale market and driving prices up. This year a large quantity of homes are on the market that were purchased last year most likely by by investors who are looking to cash in on their investment.

But prices are continuing to rise due to the constant influx of people relocating from other parts of the country, about 7000 new residents per month, as well as from the lack of available raw land to build new homes on.

Land prices are running into millions for a few acres in the fast growing areas of town, such as the southwest part of the valley.The land prices and the lack of availability of vacant land to be developed have caused prices on the strip and around Las Vegas to just skyrocket.

Developers are trying to utilize the parcel of land to its maximum potential by building up and offering a high volume of units which alone makes financial sense.

Green Valley Ranch

Green Valley Ranch located to the south of Green Valley community has been planned complete with community parks, recreation centers, schools, libraries and walking and biking trails. You can choose from the variety of homes available in the planned development. No body who lives here will be disappointed with its many charms and thoughtfully planned features for the benefit of the residents.

MacDonald Ranch

MacDonald Ranch is located in Henderson, Nevada, which is about 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. MacDonald Ranch also a splendid master-planned community contains several self-contained neighborhoods, including the upscale MacDonald Highlands and Sun City MacDonald Ranch. The McCullough Mountains serve as a stunning natural backdrop to this developing community. You can choose from the variety of homes on offer here at MacDonald Ranch real estate. Whether you like a single-family home or townhouse or luxury mansion you can find it here.

On June 20, 1955, citing the opening of three hotels at a cost of $15 million, the Life magazine had a headline saying,” the signs of good times seemed everywhere”. Fifty years later there seems to be an echo of that headline again as demand for affordable housing is going through the roof. This demand is being met by apartment conversions.

Of the 17,105 house closing 2,272 were apartment conversions. Apartment conversion had a median of about $150, 000, while the median price of a new home for six month period was $289,065.

A lot of condo conversions are coming up; as a result the median has come down, which means affordable housing. Converted condos, which were selling for $137,000 to $160,000 are now selling at $200,000. It is predicted that median new home price will jump 20 percent by next year, while the existing prices will rise 15 percent to 20 percent.

Builders have learned to control supply by controlling investors. Only one third of the new homes were sold to the investors last year, which has further dropped to 14 percent this year. With market price soaring high the median of new home in Las Vegas may hit $1million.

The Residences at MGM Grand

Located on the grounds of MGM, these luxury high-rise vacation condos are ultimate in luxury condos. When you are not around, MGM can rent out your vacation homes and you could earn money when not using these luxury suites. As owners of these condos you have complete access to towers amenities including a private owners’ lounge and fully-staffed lobby, swimming pool and 24-hour security, in addition to the MGM Grand’s diverse facilities such as a 171,000 square-foot casino, five outdoor pools, the Grand Spa with 30 treatment rooms and fitness center, in-room dining, concierge and housekeeping service, a variety of signature and casual restaurants, shopping outlets, as well as world-class entertainment venues. From 585 square feet to 1500 square feet of unparalleled luxury! Priced from $350,000 to $1,500,000.

Park Towers

Steve Wynn’s pet project, Park Towers, is a tribute to richness of his imagination. With this luxury high rise condominium Steve Wynn has reached new heights and The Towers will take Las Vegas to new levels in a fantastic league of is own. ! Only 84 units will be built in two twenty story towers and amenities will include valet parking, 24 hour concierge service, maid service, health spa and fitness center, pools, tennis courts, wine cellar and a Hollywood screening room. Prices range from about $900,000 to $5,000,000!

Will Las Vegas be playing host to the real estate battle between Donald Trump and his ex-wife Ivana?

Donald Trump broke ground for his new $500 million 64-story condo-hotel tower near
the Las Vegas Strip. Ivana has meanwhile leant her name to an 80-story $500 million condo tower near Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Actually both the projects are quite different. For one the Trump tower is a condo-hotel tower. Ivana’s project is an exclusive condo tower. Trump’s project is a joint venture between Trump and Phil Ruffin, owner of the New Frontier hotel-casino. In effect owners of the Trump Towers can earn extra income by letting out their condos when they are not using them and acts as extra inventory for the New Frontier hotel without any risk to the owner of the hotel!

The option of renting out is definitely very attractive to both investors and second-home buyers and the Trump towers sold out all the units within days in spite of the prices ranging from $600,000 to $6 million.

The Ivana on the other hand has been plagued by delays and is expected to be completed only by 2008. Although Ivana is a condominium project, it allows for unlimited sub-leasing activity. This move would attract speculators and investors, but deter genuine homeowners who want to know their neighbors. The developers are hoping that Ivana’s celebrity status will attract more buyers and financiers.

While Trump is an experienced and savvy developer and marketer Ivana doesn’t have any experience in this line and most real estate watchers feel in the present market conditions that’s a very serious drawback.

Most experienced market watchers feel that it is Trump all the way!

Most of the high-rise condo projects coming up in the last few years all seem to be aimed at the higher-end of the market. Most of these condos are designed with amenities and features aimed at the luxury market of the jet setters. The hotel-condos projects are aimed at giving residents even more facilities normally obtained only at a luxury hotel. Most of these homes running into millions are out of the budgetary range of ordinary folks.

But, now developers are coming up with new projects aimed at the middle-income groups. The land is getting scarcer and population continues to grow rapidly. People need homes and these vertical towers seem to be only hope. These high-density projects, which are slightly more expensive, then the median prices offer residents a range of features that were previously the sole preserve of the luxury homes.

Others feel with the great demand for high-rise condos from around the world it is the safest investment and good way to provide for her retirement. Many would like to move into these homes, as they grow older far from the suburban life that involves yard work and pool cleanings.

The Governor’s office in a proclamation has declared July as the Energy Star Month. Officials issued similar statements across the five counties of Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City.

Successful energy conservation efforts by the coalition of Nevada Energy Star Partners - Southern Nevada Home builders, developers, retailers, mortgage providers, energy consultants and local utilities has lead to energy efficient measures in the home-building industry across Southern Nevada.

Energy Star promotions have lead to the greater consumers awareness and improved cooperation from the homebuyers towards installing energy saving devices in their homes. Energy Star homes use up to 30 percent less energy for cooling and heating leading to energy savings through the lives of the homes.

Energy Star can take pride in Summerlin, which is an all-Energy Star community in which all homes built since mid-2003 meet or exceed Energy Star specifications.

If moving to Las Vegas city scares you, then consider Henderson. It is a suburb of Las Vegas with a population of 234,320. According to recent reports it is the 3rd fastest growing city in the U.S.

Just like Las Vegas, Henderson is also part of Clark County, it has its own government, taxes, police, fire and utilities. Yet you are not far from Las Vegas or its many attraction. You will be only 20 minutes from the Strip. Henderson has found favour among the for families great environment, best schools and more relaxed lifestyle.

Henderson has several master-planned communities with its boundaries. Biggest among them being the Green Valley Ranch, Legacy, Anthem, Seven Hills, MacDonald Highlands, South Fork, Whitney Ranch and Lake Las Vegas.

The condo projects are doing brisk business. They are in fact selling like hot cakes. A recent project sold out the 248 units in less than 48 hours. The main reason for the their popularity is that there is no restriction on the absentee owners from buying property. So a lot of foreign and domestic investors and out-of-state buyers of second homes are buying up these properties.

A lot of builders had restricted this class of people from buying their homes or investing in their housing project to preserve the value of their homes. The builders were acting against out-of-state owners who had no intention of living there and who bought the homes to just them rent out and watch the values go up. The fear was that it would result in an all-rental neighborhood, thereby lowering property values.

The second reason for their high demand is that Las Vegas is still growing at an astonishing rate and is expected to do so well into the future. Buying a new high-rise condo is a good get, as values will undoubtedly go up. No one sees a decline in the housing boom in other parts of the U.S., especially California. Even if that bubble were to one day burst, the prices would still remain much higher than Las Vegas real estate.