Moving Northward -   What lies ahead for the famous “Las Vegas Strip”?   Looks like action to the North.  The Sahara closed one year ago May 16^th.  It was one of last large resorts on the North portion of the Strip before the Downtown area begins.

SBE Entertainment of Los Angeles and a private equity group are funding $300,000,000 for the rebirth of the old and torn Sahara built in 1952 at a cost of $5 Million.

The new resort will be the SLS Las Vegas.  It will be a boutique hotel designed by Philippe Starch who has the magic design touch of transforming coal into diamonds.

2012 SLS LAS VEGAS BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND CASINO

SLS Las Vegas will open in 2014 with 1,600 rooms.  The rooms will be priced between $100 and $200.  The overall resort will have a much smaller footprint than the other megaresorts giving the resort a warm boutique ambience. SLS is a hotel brand with one of the most luxurious hotels in Beverly Hills.  Rob Oseland is going to bring a Beverly Hills experience at Las Vegas prices.  Slide show of  SLS Las Vegas.

Between SLS Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment building the Linq retail and entertainment district, there is close to $1 Billion of construction of new projects currently being developed.

On Wednesday the Governor stated that “Today’s news will make an immediate and positive impact in Las Vegas, infusing hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy and creating thousands of jobs.”

“Las Vegas is the epicenter of the national brands”.  According to Rob Oseland, president and chief operating officer of SLS Las Vegas.  This project could be the start of the development of the North end of the Strip.  Other signs of movement include the Holy Cow Brewery and Casino and the nearby Riviera is planning on $20,000,000 in renovations.  Who knows, the North end of the Strip could explode in the next two years. The North end of the Strip has empty buildings and stalled construction sites of new projects that could take off too.

50,000 cars pass the Sahara and Strip intersection every day.  The northwest corner is anchored by the World’s Largest Gift Shop.  With the awakening of this intersection, Carl Icahn might think again about the restarting the Fontainebleau site or selling it to someone who will restart it.  Las Vegas has had numbers on the plus side for the last six quarters.

Las Vegas may be in the middle of a robust recovery by 2014!

So you have a backup for your personal belongings? Not that you need duplicates of all the items but do you have a journal listing of all the items with a description and their approximate values? That record becomes the backup that supports the claim for your insurance.

If a building sustains a total loss, the insurance company will usually pay the face amount of the policy. When it comes to personal property which might be 40% to 50% of the insured value of the dwelling, the insurance company is going to expect an accounting with receipts or at least, a relatively recent inventory.

The better your inventory, the less likely you’ll have difficulty with the claim. Almost everyone has a digital camera that can take stills and probably even videos. The combination of the images as well as a written description will help you replace the belongings and serve as proof to the insurance company.

Once you’ve made the inventory, store it off site for safe keeping. Online storage in the “cloud” might be the best place to insure you’ll always know where it is. Contact me for a free Home Inventory form; it’s my way of helping you be a better homeowner.

Each year, owners rent their home for a big premium during the Masters and make tax-free income. Homeowners benefit from a little known provision in the tax code that does not require taxpayers to recognize the income derived from renting their home for less than 15 days per year. See Rental of property also used as home on IRS.gov.

Large sporting events like golf and tennis tournaments, championship games and other high attendance events increase the demand for a temporary rental of a private residence. Obviously, there are challenges with personal belongings and damage but getting a premium rental rate with a substantial deposit and not having to recognize the income could be worth it.

You’ll certainly want to discuss this with your tax professional prior to making this decision. You’ll probably also want to get some help

There are programmable thermostats available at home improvement stores that can make the adjustments for specific times during the day and specific days of the week. They’ll allow you to override the setting when needed without tampering with the programming. They’ll even remind you to change your filter.

An exciting development is the Wi-Fi enabled thermostat that allows adjustments from any Internet connection such as computer or Smartphone. Imagine how convenient it can be to change your temperature from the car before you get home.

Reasonably priced under $100 for most models, it makes it easy to recapture the cost of the thermostat quickly. Most of the thermostats are designed for do-it-yourselfers; however, you can always have a heating and cooling professional install it for you.

Check out our thermostat Instruction Video by Lowes

A married homeowner filing jointly can have fully deductible interest on a mortgage of up to $1,000,000 of acquisition debt and up to an additional $100,000 of home equity debt. If the married couple files separately, each party is limited to deducting the interest on half of those maximum amounts.

The court case came about when two unmarried individuals who owned a home together as joint tenants felt that they were entitled to deduct the interest on $1.1 million of debt each. IRS did not agree with their understanding and neither did the Tax Court. The Court ruled that the limits apply per residence, not per taxpayer even if a home is co-owned by unmarried taxpayers.

The result for the taxpayers in this case was that their deduction was cut in half resulting in much more income tax due. While this situation only affects a few taxpayers, homeowners in this position should have a discussion with their tax professional.

According to a recent report from DataQuick, there were a greater number of homes sold in Las Vegas in February on both an annual and month-over-month basis. A report indicated that there were 4,240 transactions of both single-family homes and condominiums. This is a 5 percent increase from the previous month, and an 8.9 percent rise from a year earlier.

The Las Vegas marketplace has been flooded with foreclosures and distressed properties during recent years. As a result, a majority of home sale transactions are occurring in the low-end of the market. The report noted that the sales rate of homes less than $100,000 surged 18.9 percent in February on an annual basis and accounted for 42.8 percent of all transactions. In contrast, the rate of home sales for more than $300,000 edged just 1.1 percent higher.

Housing instability in Las Vegas could be seen as negative by a number of people, especially current homeowners. However, falling home prices has made the prospect of purchasing a home for sale in Las Vegas much more affordable for entry-level home-buyers.

Now you may ask! What can I get for $100,000 in the Las Vegas Valley today? You’re going to find this hard to believe, but
click here to take a look—> Single Family Homes from $95 to $120K

Now as you look through these homes, ask yourself: When National housing prices begin to turn in 2013 (as the geniuses predict), wouldn’t you be happy camper in 3 to 5 years knowing that you purchased a home in the Las Vegas Valley at the absolute bottom of the market back in 2012?

Think about it and give me a call because the time to buy low is now.

Kindest Regards,

Smith Center In Las Vegas

The symphony now located in the Smith Center began in the mid-’90s when a group of community leaders gathered to discuss “building a world-class performing arts center.”  The financing was a near 50-50 split of private and public money for a total of $470,000,000.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts definitely puts Las Vegas in the major leagues of the cultural venues.

And that’s entirely by design.  The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that not only did Smith Center officials visit renowned cultural landmarks — from New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to Paris’ Theatre des Champs Elysees and Milan’s La Scala — they even used templates of existing complexes to plan Las Vegas’ downtown cultural center.

Here is a sampling of some of the events:

Past Events in March:  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater -  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater showcases the vision of new Artistic Director Robert Battle with programming that embraces the Ailey tradition and extends the legacy in new directions.

Las Vegas Philharmonic Masterworks IV –  The Las Vegas Philharmonic makes its debut at The Smith Center with nearly 300 performers onstage.

Straight No Chaser –  If the phrase “male  a cappella group” conjures an image of students in blue blazers, ties and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses, think again. Straight No Chaser members are neither strait-laced nor straight faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch.

Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz – Under the direction of Savion Glover, Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz is a celebration of tap dance to sound and sound to dance.

Nevada Ballet  Theatre presents  “Words on Dance” - Nevada Ballet Theatre presents “Words on Dance,” conversations and screenings with dance artists, featuring ballerina Cynthia Gregory and moderated by Donald Williams, “Phantom of the Opera” performer and former principal dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem.

Coming Events

March 30 The Pink Floyd Experience – Pink Floyd presents “Wish You Were Here” live in its entirety with a light and video show, full quadraphonic sound and six musicians.

March 31 Branford Marsalis – Three-time Grammy winner Branford Marsalis is one of the world’s most talented saxophonists, and he performs live inside the intimate Cabaret Jazz club.

April 1  “Golda’s Balcony” – A portrait of one of the great women of our time, Golda Meir, “Golda’s Balcony” is the latest work from Tony Award-winning playwright William Gibson (“The Miracle Worker,” “Two for the Seesaw”) and an award-winning play that, in 15 sold-out months on Broadway, set the record for the longest one-woman show in Broadway history.

April 3-6  &  April 7-8   “The Color Purple” – “The Color Purple” is a musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg. It is the story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world.

First Friday & Saturday of every month beginning April 6, 8:30 p.m.

Clint Holmes – Singer Clint Holmes returns to Las Vegas to start an exclusive engagement at Cabaret Jazz.

April 1, 6:30 p.m.  Las Vegas Youth Orchestra Spring Concert

The Las Vegas Youth Orchestras (student musicians, ages 8-18) perform with its Percussion Ensemble. Also featured is the Youth Philharmonic’s Concerto Competition winner, soloing with the orchestra.

April 13, 7:30 p.m. & April 14, 2 and 7:30 p.m.  Women Fully Clothed – Their clothes stay on, but you might laugh your pants off. This sketch comedy show delves into the naked truth of everyday life.

April 13, 8:30 p.m. & April 14, 7 and 9:30 p.m.  Andrea Marcovicci — Marcovicci Sings Movies With an array of movie songs from the 1930s through the 1940s and with a nod and a wink to silver screen legends, Andrea Marcovicci illuminates how movie music has scored our lives and loves.

April 14 Las Vegas  Philharmonic Pops III – An evening of George Gershwin’s greatest hits, including “Rhapsody in Blue” and “American in Paris” and songs such as “S’wonderful” and  “Summertime,” with Broadway star Lisa Vroman and renowned jazz pianist  David Loeb, who is director of jazz studies at UNLV.

April 21, 7:30 p.m.  The Cleveland Orchestra – Under the leadership of Music Director Franz Welser-Most, The Cleveland Orchestra has become one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world.

April 20, 8:30 p.m. & April 21, 7 and 9:30 p.m.  Joey DeFrancesco Trio – Joey DeFrancesco officially emerged on the jazz scene in 1989 with the release of his first album on Columbia, titled “All Of Me.”

June 12-15, 7:30 p.m. & June 16-17, 2 and 7:30 p.m.  “Million Dollar Quartet”  “Million Dollar Quartet” is the hit Broadway musical inspired by the true story of the famed recording session where Sam Philips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night.

You can subscribe to the U.S. Government’s Service to notify the public when recalls are made on vehicles, tires and child restraints through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on their site called http://SaferCar.gov

You’ll receive a notification by email when there is a new recall based on the type you selected. You can change your selections or unsubscribe at any time by going back to their website in the “Manage Your Notifications” section.

I’m committed to helping you be a better homeowner by providing information on items that can protect your family, your home’s value, reduce expenses, improve maintenance and increase the enjoyment of your home.

Best Regards,

Mary

One is an excellent blog written and posted by Jessica Huseman@Housingwire.com entitled House committee meets to discuss Nevada foreclosures 62 months too late

In the interest, of not making this political, while Jessica is quick to mention Joe Heck’s name, you may as well through Harry Reid’s name into the mix as well. Even though he’s a Senator and not on the committee, he should have answers as well.

For those of you who are interested, click on the links above to write and ask them “Where the Heck have you Been? I’m going to post this email on my blog and your posted reply’s are welcome.

Let’s steer away from frustration and recognize some good news. Fannie and Freddie could reverse course on principal reductions. While this may be distasteful to some , I think that the quicker we can fix some of these mortgages and sell the foreclosure and short sale inventory down, the better off all homeowners will be as it will help to stabilize prices and turn home prices back in a positive direction.

RE/MAX has introduced a new mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. I downloaded it about a week ago and it’s head and shoulders over the Realtor.com app.

Finally! I would like to brag a little! The Mary Kennedy Team was Named as One of Constant Contacts 2011 Online Marketing All Stars for 2011

We are very proud of the Information we organize and share with readers. Our Email Open and Click Through Rates run just under 3 times the National Average for others in the Real Estate Industry. Our Readers are responsible for giving us these high ratings and we THANK YOU for it.

If you have any questions or feedback, just click REPLY or leave Feedback on my Blog Posts and If I can help, in any way, feel free to call me at (702) 324-1334. Enjoy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAS VEGAS, NV. – March 17, 2012- The Mary Kennedy Team at RE/MAX Central Las Vegas, a business that provides Real Estate Services, in the Las Vegas Valley  has received the 2011 All Star Award from Constant Contact^®, Inc., the trusted marketing adviser to more than half a million small organizations worldwide. Each year, a select group of Constant Contact customers are honored with the All Star Award for their exemplary marketing results. Mary Kennedys E-mail/Internet Marketing results ranked among the top 10% of Constant Contact’s customer base.

The Mary Kennedy Team is dedicated and knowledgeable Las Vegas Valley Real Estate Professionals who provide highly specialized information that will help home Buyers & Sellers make the right Real Estate decisions. Their unique market-knowledge and excellent negotiating skills enable help home buyers and sellers get the optimal price for any property they plan to sell or buy.

“We’re happy to be recognized by Constant Contact for achieving our strong Email and Social Marketing results. Their tools have helped us to better manage client relationships and engagement at a very reasonable cost. In the Real Estate Business, you’re Reputation and Integrity is your whole Marketing Strategy. We will continue to use Constant Contact tools to organize and send information that reader’s value and respond to” commented John Kennedy, the Teams Marketing Representative.

Constant Contact customers using any combination of the company’s Email Marketing, Event Marketing, and Online Survey tools are eligible for this award. Constant Contact looked at the following criteria to select this year’s All Stars:

• Frequency of campaigns, events, and surveys
• Open, bounce, and click-through rates
• Event registration rates
• Survey completion rates
• Use of social features
• Use of mailing list sign-up tools

“There is nothing we like more than to see our customers finding success. It’s the reason Constant Contact was founded, and it’s a thrill to see the fantastic results that our All Stars are achieving,” said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. “This group is really leading the charge when it comes to delivering relevant, engaging content that drives real business results. We salute this year’s All Stars for their success, and are honored to have played a part in their achievements.”

About The Mary Kennedy Team- RE/MAX Central, Las Vegas
As real estate experts in the Las Vegas Valley, we will provide you with helpful insights about this beautiful area, and can show you why Las Vegas living is truly something to be desired. With a professional yet friendly approach, we help clients feel comfortable about what can be a stressful decision. In today’s Las Vegas Valley Real Estate Market, there is simply no substitute for a good REALTOR®. Whether you’re aiming to buy or sell property, The Mary Kennedy Team can spell the difference between a smooth transaction and an unsuccessful one.

About Constant Contact, Inc.

Constant Contact is revolutionizing the success formula for small organizations through affordable, easy-to-use Engagement Marketing^TM tools that help create and grow customer relationships. More than half a million small businesses, nonprofits, and associations worldwide rely on Constant Contact to drive ongoing customer dialogs through email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and online surveys. All Constant Contact products come with unrivaled KnowHow, education, and free coaching with a personal touch, including award-winning customer support.

Constant Contact and the Constant Contact Logo are registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All Constant Contact product names and other brand names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Media Contact:

John Kennedy
Marketing Projects Leader
The Mary Kennedy Team
RE/MAX Central
8400 West Sahara Ave.
Las Vegas NV. 89117
Phone 702-324-1334
KennedyRemaxFiles@Yahoo.com