Archives for the month of: August2017

When the Sun Goes Down, It’s Time to Bring the Dogs Out!

At the moment, it might be a bit too crispy to take the dogs to the dog parks during the day, but one of the best things about Las Vegas is that we are definitely a dog-friendly town. No matter which side of the valley you live on, odds are, you’re not more than a few short minutes away from a dog park to enjoy with your four-legged friends 😊

Make the best of this valuable asset our neighborhoods have to offer! Here’s a list of 8 great dog parks throughout town to get you started.

SUMMERLIN

Kellogg Zaher Dog Park
7601 W. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89128

NORTHWEST

Barkin’ Basin Dog Park
Alexander & Tenaya, Las Vegas, NV 89129

SPRING VALLEY

Desert Breeze Dog Park
8275 W. Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas, NV 89147

Charlie Frias Park
4801 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89103

SOUTHWEST

CJ Dog Park (Cactus & Jones – Southern Highlands)
Corner of Jones & Cactus, Las Vegas, NV 89141

Exploration Peak Park
9275 S. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89178

SOUTHEAST

Sunset Park
2601 E. Sunset Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89120

EAST

Horseman & Dog Fancier’s Park
5800 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89122

(Just makes you want to go out and play fetch now, doesn’t it?)

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

When you don’t look too far behind the scenes, being a Property Manager sounds pretty ‘easy-peasy.’ After all, what does a Property Manager do, anyway? Hand out keys, collect the rent, and get paid big fees for a few minutes of work each month?

Well, as soon as you find a Property Manager that does only that – give us a call. Because we’ve never met a reputable property manager who didn’t work hard on behalf of their clients to keep all the i’s dotted, the t’s crossed, the tenants, owners and maintenance people happy – all while complying with the laws and regulations of the city, county, state – and the Feds.

Not that we’re complaining! Far from it! When you’re an experienced professional in the real estate industry – as are the experts at New Home Resource – it’s almost a genetic thing for us. We can’t wait to dive-in to organize and address all the steps involved in managing our clients’ properties to the nth degree. It’s something we love, or we wouldn’t be doing it!

But be under no illusion that it’s an easy job – and that’s something that a new income property owner might not realize. A Property Manager needs to know how to handle all the steps required in order to do their job well – while at the same time maximizing the owner’s investment. That includes setting the rental rates, advertising for new tenants, properly screening and researching potential tenants, addressing maintenance issues, handling emergency calls, keeping detailed records, collecting rents on time – and much, much more.

Being prepared by taking as many steps as possible to avoid potential problems may be an even more crucial responsibility for a Property Manager. By not properly screening tenants, a situation might turn into an eviction and/or legal nightmare. By failing to properly maintain a property, a minor repair issue can turn into a major expense. Even unanticipated events such as storm damage can create far larger and more costly issues than they should — if they’re not addressed properly at the time they occur. (Sometimes, even the best laid plans get can have the proverbial wrench thrown into the mix!)

Of course, not everyone thrives on those challenges like we do. It takes time, knowledge, experience and connections throughout the industry to do it well. That’s our business. But for a property owner, handling all these details on your own may not be something you enjoy, have time for, or be the most effective use of your own talents.

That last part is perhaps one of the biggest advantages Property Managers have to offer you as the owner. By taking all that responsibility off your plate, it gives you the time to do what you do best. That frees you up to acquire more properties and assets, develop your investment portfolio, and increase your personal wealth.

To find out how the New Home Resource Property Management team can help take the burden off you and maximize your investment better than you ever imagined possible, give us a call. We’re here to help!

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Summer is a busy time for home sellers in Las Vegas. Well, for that matter, given our amazing lifestyle, climate, and all the other great things about our city – pretty much most times of year are busy for both home buyers and home sellers.

As a seller, though, you need to remember that you are always in competition with other homes that are for sale. To make sure your home is at the head of the line for receiving the best (and most) purchase offers, we’d like to remind you that no matter when home buyers are shopping for a home, there are some things they ALL hate to see. Make sure they don’t see them at your home!

Bad Listing Photos.

Most home buyers begin their search online. If your photos aren’t appealing on the internet, there’s a good chance they won’t even bother to see your home in person. Make sure whoever is listing your home gets the best photos possible of both inside and outside your home. They matter more than you know.

Dirty Homes.

And yes really, we do need to say this. Because it seems not everyone instinctively knows that a clean, neat, and appealing presentation of your home is critical to the interest of the buyer. It’s true what they say: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. And that means both inside and outside. You may not even think twice about your unkempt yard – because you know the landscape maintenance guys will be there tomorrow. Or to you, a messy patio or play area might just look normal and ‘lived in.’ The problem is, you’re not trying to make you comfortable by picturing yourself living in this home…you’re trying to impress home buyers you don’t know anything about. They may actually think just like you, but you have no way of knowing that. So always use the “Best Foot Forward” rule for any part of your property that a potential buyer sees.

Sellers Being Home During the Showing.

Yeah, it’s true. Even if you’re immensely proud of your home and would like to be there to “point out all the little things they might not notice, but are so important and add value to this home!” But all your being there will do is make everyone feel awkward, make visitors shy about asking their Realtor® questions that you may overhear, and encourage potential buyers to want to rush through the home and get out; which is, ironically the very thing you were trying to avoid. The longer a shopper takes to explore your home, and the more comfortable they feel, the more it sticks in their mind, compared to all the other homes they’ve seen. We’d even suggest doing something out-of-the-norm – like leaving cold bottles of water and freshly baked cookies out, with a note that it’s just for them. (A welcome idea in Las Vegas during the summer, for sure!) Anything that makes their visit to your home stand out (in a good way, we mean!) – is going to be to your benefit.

There are other words of wisdom that our experienced team of Realtors® at New Home Resource would be happy to share with you about how you can help show your home in the best possible way – and maximize your chances to sell rapidly and at the best price. Just get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to share those ‘inside tips’!

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Should I buy a home – or keep renting?

That’s a common question these days, especially since everyone knows the cost of rent has skyrocketed in the years since The Great Recession. So many lost their homes at that time and had no choice but to move into rental properties; but now time has passed and many have gotten back on a little better financial footing. So the question comes up again: “Should I Own or Rent?” Good question.

However, it’s not simply the amount of your Rent Payment vs. a Mortgage Payment – although here in Las Vegas with mortgage interest rates still hovering around the 4% range, that alone can make owning a much more appealing alternative to renting.

That even takes into account the cost of maintaining your own home vs. those maintenance items being a landlord’s responsibility – because in many cases, the principal and interest payment to buy a home can be hundreds of dollars less than renting the same property.

But there are other economic factors that most people forget to consider when deciding between the two: How tax benefits can affect their financial bottom line for the better. Although the tax codes change yearly (so if you have any questions about this topic, be sure to get current information from your accountant), the following have been among the most common IRS deductions for homebuyers in recent years.

Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
Typically, this is one of the largest tax breaks available to homeowners. It allows you to write off the interest paid on your mortgage loan, which can be most lucrative during the first years of your mortgage (when the majority of your payment applies to interest, rather than principal). In some cases, this is even applicable to home equity loans. Certain limits to your loan amount do apply, but most typical first-time buyers fall into this category. When you pay rent – there’s no deduction for that. It’s just money out the door.

Mortgage Points Deduction
If you paid points on your mortgage in order to lower your interest rate, you may also be allowed to write off this expense on your taxes.

Property Tax Deduction
Nevada’s property tax rates fall about mid-range between all U.S. states – and the average American pays in the neighborhood of $2,500/year (just as an estimate). But whatever the property taxes for your home, they are a deductible expense when it comes to your 1040 filing.

Property Mortgage Insurance Deduction
If your mortgage loan includes Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) – often the case if your down payment is less than 20% – depending on your income, you may be eligible to deduct this expense annually, as well. PMI generally runs between .5%-1% of the amount of your home loan, so this write-off could benefit even more on your taxes.

Tax-Free IRA Withdrawals for First Time Buyers
Saving money for your down payment got a little bit easier when the IRS allowed first-time buyers (or those who haven’t owned a home in two years) to break into their IRA’s for their down payment funds without having to pay the 10% penalty that applies to withdrawals before age 59-1/2. (Although we should note that your 401k plan does not qualify for that same penalty exception.)

Home Improvement
The rules for home improvement tax breaks vary often. For example, by taking out a home equity loan to finance major improvements, currently that loan could qualify for the same interest deductions as your main mortgage loan. But there is one important thing to remember: If you document and keep track of the improvements and upgrades you make on your home during the entire time you live there, you can deduct those costs down the road when you sell that home – thus lowering the amount of your Capital Gains Tax.

The ability to take advantage of tax benefits like those listed above really do affect your financial bottom line. Case in point: Consider that if you have a $250,000 mortgage loan at 4% interest, that’s costing you approximately $10,000/year in interest. With just that one deduction, you’ll save money on your annual tax bill. And when you combine the other homeowner tax breaks that could apply to your situation, that’s money that will stay in your pocket (or bank account) – rather than going into your landlord’s.

If you’d like more information about the many other benefits to owning your own home, give our crackerjack team of experienced Realtors® at New Home Resource a call and let’s talk about your specific situation, needs, and goals.

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!