April 2005

Keller Williams Realty-Experience
We have a new office. The address of our temporary office is 340 East Warm Springs Suite 2B. The owner/broker, Miss Joyce Jonekos, 768-1534, has conducted real estate all over the United States of America. She has been successful and accomplished so much in the last twenty- five years. She will next open a 6,500 square-foot office that will be located on the northeast corner of East Warm Springs at Bermuda Road. Jonekos said, “The new office will surpass any buyers’ and sellers’ expectations of the real estate industry.”
Can I ask you a favor? When you, or someone you know, are in need of real estate service, please give Experience the chance. Let me show you how diligent we are. Let me, Brad Emens, 808-3531, set the standard.

Wayne Newton Calls It Quits?
On Wednesday, April 6th, 2005, an article written in the Las Vegas Review Journal stated, “Wayne Newton's rumored split with the Stardust became fact…”
After five-plus years, he is leaving on April 20th. The article goes on to say, ”When he signed with the Stardust in October 1999, the deal was advertised as the richest contract in Las Vegas history, up to 40 weeks a year for 10 years with the potential of $25 million a year.”
The article further states, “An exit option kicked in after five years.” Newton, who recently turned 63, said in a release, "The time had come to move on to new challenges." He must not have been happy there?
When I heard Elton John was going to have a show on the strip, I thought to myself, “Las Vegas really is the entertainment capital of the world.” Now that Wayne Newton is leaving (I did hear a rumor he was going to Las Vegas Hilton), I wonder who the next star will be to have a show on the strip?

The Strip Migrates South!
As the weeks creep by we notice the dramatic changes going on on South Las Vegas Boulevard. We have seen the huge South Coast Casino go up like an Erecter Set project on steroids, the various time-shares (and believe me, there are many more to come) sprouting up like they are going out of style, and the Family Express food mart/gas station/carwash on the southeast corner of Cactus Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard.
What will happen next to South Las Vegas Boulevard? This is what I have learned about the, mostly vacant, stretch of land between Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Starr Avenue and between South Las Vegas Boulevard and Interstate 15:
There are several dozen vacant lots owned by a couple of dozen different owners. For the most part the land had been purchased from the Bureau of Land Management over the past several years. I even found a vacant, 2.54-acre, lot between Cactus Avenue and Frias Avenue that had been purchased by John Kamin V in August 1971 for $7,500!
There are six major landowners that maybe of interest to us. They are Coast Hotels and Casino Inc., Eldorado Resort Corp., Urban Village Development LLC, South Valley Investors LLC, Southern Highlands Dev. Corp., and Vista Holdings. These five organizations own at least four-fifths of the land. These will be the major projects that help raise the value of our homes when they are built. Being the area expert I, of course, will report more of what I learn as time goes on.

Urban Village Begins
On April 13, 2005 an article in the Las Vegas Review Journal stated, “Urban Village will cover the 50 acre site on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard between Cactus Avenue and Silverado Ranch Boulevard... and is part of the 200 acre South Pointe master plan community. Urban Village will be comprised of five distinct affordable luxury communities totaling almost 2,400 residences. These will include lofts, brownstones, flats, live-work and high rise condos.” The article goes on to say, “Construction on the village is scheduled to start in June, with the first 464 units expected to be ready for occupancy 18 to 24 months later.” This puts the first phase release in late spring of 2007. If you are interested in learning more call me, 808-3531.

Cactus Sand and Gravel
In the morning, on March 29th, 2005, I received an email from a curious homeowner. The email said, “I have been reading your newsletter for awhile, and one thing that I was interested to see was if you knew anything about what is going to happen with the big gravel pit on the corner of Cactus and Pyle. When we bought our home three years ago we were told that it was eventually going to be made into a park. Do you know if this is true, or a time-table on that if it is?” I, Brad Emens, learned that a major wash empties into the gravel pit. This 75-acre (+/-) lot is where the Pittman Wash starts. Cactus Sand and Gravel, also known as Impact Sand and Gravel, has been a controversy since October 19, 1999. In fact, an article in the Las Vegas Sun that day announced the site has, “…received a $4,000 penalty for raising dust.” Bruce Woodbury even said in a May 8th, 2002 Las Vegas Sun article, “The idea was to empty the hole and eventually use it as a detention basin to limit flooding down-stream.”
“The Clark County Commission… gave a six-year lease on life to continued digging… despite the warning from the county's legal counsel,” is what another article, dated July 22, 2004 in the Las Vegas Sun said. That would put the end of the mines life in about five and a half years or the summer of 2010.
Today, the presence of the operation seems necessary. I, Brad Emens, understand that; my back yard faces Cactus Avenue. However, if you want my opinion the sooner the big trucks stop hauling the soils away the BETTER!!

Steve Wynn’s Newest Creation
The hotel/resort is due to open on Thursday April 28, 2005. Their phone number is (702) 770-7100. Have you been down to The Strip lately?

Las Vegas Celebrates Its B-Day!
Expect an upcoming events notice, soon.

Interested in learning more?
Call Brad Emens, 808-3531.