The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is the transit authority and the transportation-planning agency for Southern Nevada. It used to be known as the Citizens Area Transit (CAT), and it has an extensive bus network throughout the Valley, which you can find at: http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/about/index.cfm The network runs 20 hours a day, and every 15 minutes at peak hours on the busiest routes.

Taxis can be tricky for locals since the drivers tend to stick to the tourist funnel of the airport and Strip hotels. This is not New York and you can’t just flag a cab down, also when you phone ahead to make a booking you should check to see whether the firm accepts credit cards or not. Some of the taxi firms operating in the city are:

• Ace: (702) 736-8383
• Deluxe Taxicab Service: (702) 567-0557
• Desert Cab Company: (702) 386-9102
• Henderson Taxi Company: (702) 384-232
• Lucky Cab Company: (702) 477-7555
• Nellis Cab Company: (702) 248-1111
• Western Cab Company: (702) 736-8000
• Whittlesea: (702) 384-6111
• Yellow Cab: (702) 873-2000

The Strip itself is serviced by a number of options, including a trolley which takes the back streets to stop at each of the casinos. There are three different routes that you can take: the Vegas Strip route from the Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay; the South route from Mandalay Bay to Grand View; and the Downtown Las Vegas loop route from the downtown bus terminal to the outdoor outlet mall. An alternative to the trolley is the Las Vegas Monorail, which covers a four mile route behind the Strip from MGM Grand to the Sahara.

Whilst these options are all well and good the reality is that you will be driving yourself most places once you settle in Las Vegas. If you are not keen on driving then this is not the place for you. New Nevada residents must obtain their driver license within 30 days, and register vehicles at the same time or within 60 days, whichever is soonest. Those that fail to do so face a $1,000 fine. When you register your vehicle make sure that you have:

• Most recent registration
• Out-of-state license plates
• Nevada Evidence of Insurance Card
• Nevada Emissions Vehicle Inspection Report (smog check) if needed
• Nevada Vehicle Inspection Certificate (“VIN check” done at the DMV office)
• Certificate of Title (if ownership is changing. If not changing ownership, the owner has the option of retaining the out-of-state title.)

It is required that you secure liability insurance from a Nevada-licensed carrier in the exact name(s) which will be on the registration and title. If your insurance is with a large, national company, you must notify the company that you have moved to Nevada. Out-of-state insurance is not accepted. The DMV will verify this electronically with your insurer, and there is a fine of $250 for those who do not maintain Nevada liability insurance.

The smog test, or Nevada Emission Control Certificate can be obtained from any authorized service station. If you don’t pass then you need to undertake repairs until you do.

To get the driver’s license you will need to jump through some administrative hoops and pass a written test on the laws related to driving in Nevada. The test is pretty easy if you do some study of the “Nevada Driver’s Handbook. You should be a Nevada resident and provide a Nevada street address when you apply for the driver’s license. The documents you need to take are some proof of your name and age such as a birth certificate or passport, your out-of-state driver’s license, and proof of social security number.

For the latest information on all your licensing needs you should visit the DMV web site: http://www.dmvnv.com/newresident.htm

As for the people that call Las Vegas home, the thousands of people of people that arrive each month come from a range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Looking at Las Vegas demographics, although the city itself had a population of 558,383, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area has 1,865,746.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is one of the fastest growing places in the United States, and this is fueled by new residents arriving every month, with over 40% of these from California. Around 20% come from the Northeast and Southwest, 10% from the Midwest, 10% from the South and 5% from the Northwest. One good way to track the incomers is via the DMV which records vehicles switching states. That data tells us that the states driving in to register cars in Nevada come mainly from California, followed by Arizona, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Michigan and Washington.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the ethnic background of Las Vegans is:

• White Americans: 70.8%
• Blacks or African Americans:10.6%
• American Indians: 0.7%
• Asian Americans: 5.0%
• Pacific Islander Americans: 0.4%
• Individuals from two or more races: 3.5%
• Hispanics and Latinos: 29.2% (there are Hispanic whites, blacks etc.)

As the population has expanded so has the number of Republicans. Las Vegas demographics have changed such that in a state that used to be 75% Democrat, nearly half of registered voters are now Republicans. In 2000 Las Vegas was made up of 478,434 people, 176,750 households, and 117,538 families. That meant that it had a population density of 4,223 per square mile. Of the 176,750 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20.

In terms of age 25.9% in 2000 were under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,000 and the median income for a family was $58,465. Males had a median income of $35,511 versus $27,554 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,060. About 6.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those aged 65 or over.

1. They are just one block east of the Strip
2. They deliver resort-style landscaping, atmosphere and facilities
3. They are cheaper that luxury high-rise condos

This popularity of the Meridian Condos Las Vegas is despite of the development’s legal woes, and in fact it is these legal issues that are contributing factors in keeping prices depressed. Meridian started out life as an apartment complex, was converted to condos, and then converted into a hotel. This hotel operation was declared illegal by Clark County and the development reverted to a condo.

Location

The Meridian Private Residences has 16 acres of private gated grounds, that have a Mediterranean-style atmosphere. Its courtyards, fountains and pools are genuinely sophisticated and this is no kitsch Caesar’s Palace. On site there is a Resident Service Center which has DVD rental, cleaning, mail services, and food. There is also a concierge service, conference rooms, movie theatre room, clubhouse and a business center. All residents benefit from gated underground parking, and there is outside parking for guests.

Layout

There are five floor plans available.

• Athens, Studio, 530 Sq Ft
• Barcelona, One Bedroom, 692 Sq Ft
• Calais, One Bedroom, 757 Sq Ft
• Florence, One Bedroom, 760 Sq Ft
• Genoa, Two Bedroom, 1,005 Sq Ft

[View with PicLens]

Background to the Meridian’s Legal Issues
Owners have filed a number of complaints with the Nevada Real Estate Commission about the development, including that the Meridian violated state laws on how homeowner associations are to run. However, the property’s dramas started when it was found to have been operating as an illegal hotel.

American Invsco, a Chicago-based company, converted the Meridian from apartments to condos in 2005. It then went on to sell individual units to individuals and operate it as a hotel. Clark County shut down the unauthorized hotel operation in July 2008 and it was subsequently fined $568,000 for back taxes.

Meridian employee Rebekah DeSmet was taken to court and faced two misdemeanor charges for zoning and licensing infractions. The Meridian owners contested that Clark County knew that it had been operating as a hotel, and that this was evidenced by in November 2007 when a “renewal” of a business license to operate transient lodging at the Meridian was issued. However, the county stated that this was an error in its records and that a renewal could not be issued since no active license was issued in the first place.

The hotel shutdown saw the end of the rental income that some owners claim they had been promised at the time of purchase. With most owners counting on the rental income to make mortgage payments many units went into foreclosure. The owners made a number of complaints, from the fact that they had been unwittingly underinsured and not covered for the liabilities that a hotel is exposed to, right up to mortgage fraud. The plaintiffs asked the court to rescind their purchase contracts, and award punitive and other damages.

The legal fight has two sides. Plaintiff attorney Michael Mushkin stated, “If (defendants) had dealt straight up, and it was a bad investment — then, buyer beware. But orchestrated fraud is simply wrong.” Whereas attorney Ken Morgan (defending Koval Flamingo LLC, a company that was formed to purchase the Meridian to convert it from apartments to condos) stated, “The allegations of the complaint are largely false. And the conclusions that the plaintiffs’ counsel would have anyone draw from an inaccurate set of statements are largely invalid.”

The fraud allegation stems from the fact that some plaintiffs claim that the seller, Koval Flamingo LLC, led them to secure residential mortgages suitable for a primary residence, rather that a higher rate investment property loan. This is used to substantiate the plaintiff’s claims that an investment opportunity was disguised as a residential community.

Meridian Private Residences Summary

Kitchens:

• Granite counters
• Pantry
• Breakfast bar
• Microwave
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator

Room features:

• Great views from some rooms
• There are vaulted ceilings in some units
• Mirrored closet doors
• Tiled floors
• Extra storage available
• Cable
• Private balcony or a private patio
• Walk-in closets
• Roommate split floor plan in some units
• Some paid utilities
• Ceilings reaching nine feet
• Washing facilities

Community Features:

• Gated community
• Mature Mediterranean landscaping
• Elevator
• Business center
• Conference center
• Concierge
• Maintenance available on call

Recreational Facilities:

• Swimming pool
• Spa
• Modern Fitness Center
• Clubhouse
• Racquetball court
• Tennis court

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So in terms of location Panorama Towers has great highway access, but more significantly one of the key selling points of the development is that it looks out onto MGM’s CityCenter – there is even a bridge that goes right over the I-15 right out the back gate of Tower I. It’s like being a part of CityCenter without the same expense. However, in a car city like Las Vegas residents do not overuse the bridge, particularly in the sweltering summer months.

Panorama Tower I was built in 2006. It has 33 floors and has a height of 420 ft (130 m). Panorama Tower II was completed in 2007. It also has 33 floors and is the same height as Tower I. Panorama Tower III was completed in November 2008. It is 483 ft (147 m) tall and reaches 42 floors. Panorama Tower IV has not been constructed, and plans are on hold. If built the current design has 44 floors, and a height of 550 ft (170 m). In the below you can take a virtual tour of the area when Tower III was under construction. This Tower III is also known as Panorama North.

View Larger Map

The views of the Las Vegas Strip are the strongest selling point of Panorama, but it also has all the luxuries that you would expect of a luxury high-rise:

There are quite a few different apartment configurations in the three towers, and you can get places ranging from 700 to 4,400 square feet. Ten feet high ceilings are a feature of the apartments, and the floor to ceiling windows let you take in the Strip or Red Rock depending on the direction you are facing. The newest tower, Panorama North, has floor plans that range from 1,035 square feet to the larger 1,962 square feet. All units are one or two bedroom, but most of the one bedroom units have a den that could be used as a guest room.

1. $189,000 : 6928 Emerald Springs Ln, Las Vegas
   
   2 beds, 1 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 1,636 sq ft

   Lot size: 3,049 sq ft

   Year built: 1988

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 139

   Walk Score®: 55
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

The Springs is on the east side of Las Vegas’s first prestigious guard-gated community Spanish Trail. This is one of the most beautifully landscaped parts of the community, with streams running through back yards, and some great communal space. This video gives you a sense of what an oasis it is from the hectic pace of the Strip, which is just 10 minutes away.

[View with PicLens]

12►

Kerkorian was an amateur boxer with a 29-4 record, before becoming a commercial pilot in 1941. After serving with Canada’s Royal Air Force during the war he went on to become a plane dealer, and eventually start his own airline. After selling Trans International Airlines for $104 million in 1968 he started investing in Vegas. Kerkorian had already invested in the Dunes by this time, and flipped 80 acres of land to Sarno’s Caesar’s Palace, but as his airline cash came in he wanted to place some bigger bets on Vegas.

In 1967 Kerkorian bought 82 acres on Paradise Road, and the Flamingo. By 1969 he had built and opened The International, a 30-storey hotel with 1,500 rooms and a 30,000 square feet casino. Maintaining his trading track record Kerkorian sold both The International and the Flamingo to Hilton Hotels a year later. The International set the standard for the mega-resorts to come, both in terms of scale and layout.

Next came the MGM Grand in 1973, which Kerkorian built in 1973 right next to the Flamingo. It was instantly the most stylish of the Strip hotels. Hardly surprising given the $104 million that was invested in this 2,100 room spectacle. Unfortunately the MGM Kerkorian hotel was engulfed in flames in 1980, killing 87 people. Although the hotel was rebuilt eight months later, Kerkorian’s plans for further expansion were on hold. The next phase of the Strip’s development belonged to Steve Wynn.

Further reading:

Read about Las Vegas Strip Condos.

Hearst Corporation, owners of Cosmopolitan magazine, had sued Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas owner Deutsche Bank in June 2008 over the use of the name. They were seeking a $500,000 pay day and a percentage of future profits. The details of the settlement were not revealed. This is just the latest problem to be overcome by the project which was bought by Deutsche Bank at a $1 billion price tage when New York-based Bruce Eichner’s company, 3700 Associates LLC, didn’t have the steam to complete the development. Some people have had deposits down on condos for as long as five years, but this could be a development that is worth the wait. Features include:

• A location in the heart of the Strip with two 50-story towers with some incredible views
• There will be a total of 2,995 hotel rooms and condos. These are notable for the terraces that they have, some overlooking the Bellagio fountains. High rise terraces on the strip are rare
• Three swimming pools said to be different from anything else on the Strip. In a city of hyperbole we will have to wait and see
• A wide range of gourmet dining is promised
• A 100,000-square foot casino. Apparently there are also going to be Casino Cabanas – sounds like a scene out of Hootersa
• A 50,000 square foot spa and fitness center
• A state-of-the-art convention center

With the latest court case behind it we are one step closer to seeing the Cosmopolitan reach its potential to be the destination at the heart of the Strip. Of course it has to compete with City Center, but with its terraces these condos should give MGM a run for its money. The Cosmpolitan of Las Vegas is set to be more than just another Strip condo.

Following in Hull’s footsteps was developer R.E. Griffith who bought up 175 acres on the highway and built the Last Frontier. Opening in October 1942 this was Vegas’s first themed casino and its tribute to the wild west proved popular. The Carrillo Bar was named after the Cisco Kid’s sidekick, and there were stuffed animals throughout the casino.

Next came the casino that people mistakenly think was the start of the Strip. Billy Wilkerson, founder of the Hollywood Reporter, bought 33 acres south of the Last Frontier in 1945 and started construction of the Flamingo in April of the same year. Wilkerson had Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway as operating partners despite their links to organized crime, but the biggest problem was that he was a degenerate gambler. He gambled on the development itself when he started it without sufficient funds to complete it, and he also lots thousands of dollars of his own money as he played the tables during the construction period. The project ran out of money, and crime boss Meyer Lansky came in with $1m to invest.

Soon after Lansky’s cash injection one of his representatives, Benjamin Siegel, came to oversee the investment. Bugsy Siegel first split the project with Wilkerson, and then moved on to take the whole thing over. But Bugsy was no developer, and cost overruns and changes led to a delayed opening in December 1946. It opened without the rooms being complete and thus the casino could not generate the funds to maintain operations: the Flamingo closed just one month after it had opened.

It was in March 1947 that the Flamingo reopened with 93 rooms available. It pretty quickly started to generate profits, but it seems that the mob had not forgotten the cost overruns: in June 1947 Bugsy was killed, and Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway stepped in to run operations.

In the story of Las Vegas it is easy to forget the credit due to the true pioneers: Thomas Hull and R.E. Griffith. In the story of the Flamingo it is easy to forget the importance of Billy Wilkerson’s initial vision, and the operational skills of Greenbaum and Sedway. For many people it will always be Bugsy who built the Strip.

The Flamingo opened up a new market to Las Vegas of more sophisticated customers than those that visited Downtown. Once the Flamingo’s success was proven the Strip underwent a period of rapid development in the 1950s. The western-themed Thunderbird opened in 1948, and the Palm Springs-inspired Desert Inn opened in 1950. With each new development the luxury was ratcheted up, and the Desert Inn provided the Strip’s first golf course. Next came the Sahara, followed by the Sands, the Royal Nevada, the Dunes and the Riviera. All of these hotels were complete by 1955 and the Strip had just witnessed the first of its building booms. But the growth spurt still had legs, and the Hacienda opened in 1956, the Tropicana in 1957, and the Stardust in 1958.  The Stardust was the first hotel to realize the potential of the mass market, and its 1,000 rooms were soon filled with average folks who enjoyed gambling.

It was in the 1960s that Jay Sarno came along with the concept of massive themed resorts. The creator of Caesar’s Palace and Circus Circus, Sarno was a visionary. When Caesar’s opened in 1966 it was an instant hit. Sarno doubled up and took his Caesar’s profits to build Circus Circus. It was not until Sarno sold Circus Circus to William Bennett and William Pennington in 1974 that it started performing well. The two Williams toned down the circus act, removed the admission fee and targeted the mass market. Despite the mixed results of his hotels Sarno and paved the way for future casino developers who had grand ideas for the Strip. The ideas would eventually extend outside of casinos to Las Vegas Strip Condos, but that development phase has had mixed results.

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Spanish Trail was a pioneer in providing a lifestyle experience for wealthy Las Vegans, rather than simply a place to live. Bordered by Tropicana and Hacienda running east to west, and by Durango and Rainbow running north to south, this 640 acre community is like a town of its own, just without any decent shops. For a long time Spanish Trail was the premier Las Vegas address, and today it benefits from having some of the most mature landscaping amongst Vegas’s master-planned communities. In its time it has attracted Prince Jefri of Brueni, baseball player Geoff Maddux, and Andrei Agassi (although he has since moved to Spanish Hills).

Joe Blasco, a Spanish immigrant who arrived in the US at the age of five, was a Las Vegan who made his money in mobile home parks and gravel pits. He acquired the Spanish Trail land from the federal government, probably with the intent of using it for the gravel business. However, having bought the land in 1953 its highest and best use had changed by 1983, when Blasco decided to build a golf-course community.

The community is named after the Old Spanish Trail – an historical trade route which connected northern New Mexico with Los Angeles. The route was 1,200 miles long, and was named in John C. Frémont’s Report of his 1844 journey from California to New Mexico. The name was chosen to acknowledge the fact that the Spanish had known about the route since the seventeenth century.

The design of the new Spanish Trail was modeled on Californian developments and in particular Palm Springs. At the time the community was built it offered the first new golf course Las Vegas had seen in fifteen years. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed the 27-hole course, which cost more than $10m and was planted with 1,500 mature trees from day one. The course features five lakes with streams and waterfalls, 120 bunkers and sweeping mountain vistas.

One of the major attractions of Spanish Trail in its early days was that it was one of the only guard gated communities, and that it was further secured by eight miles of wall. This hasn’t prevented all crime, with the famous kidnap of Steve Wynn’s daughter being one high profile case, but even today it is one of the safer places in Las Vegas.

The luxury end of Las Vegas’s residential community started with Spanish Trail, and went onto be replicated in multiple developments such as thee neighboring Spanish Hills. Spanish Trail retains a certain old Vegas prestige, and its mature landscaping is not easily imitated. Within the community there are a number of distinct areas: Islands, Gardens, Springs, Courtyards, Carmels, Villas, Estates and Links.

One of The Estates Lanes

There are three Spanish Trail golf courses:

• The Sunrise Course totals 3,426 yards if you tee of from the championship tees, is notable for the ninth hole, which you can see from the clubhouse if you don’t make it onto the course. One of the tricky aspects of the course is the rolling fairways, which means that you can easily end up with a difficult approach shot if you don’t hold your line. If you are looking to card a low score then you need to be on top of your game – the fifth hole was ranked as one of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour back when Spanish Trail Country Club hosted the Las Vegas Invitational.
• The Lakes Course takes it name from the fact that two thirds of its holes have water hazards, including five holes where you have to carry over water to reach the greens. The greens are rather fast, but it will take you over 600 yards to get to them from the championship tees.
• The Canyon Course is 3,576 yards of challenging course. It is desert-landscaped and was completed in 2004. It is the most difficult of the courses, and the combination of bunkers and water hazards push most golfers beyond their handicap.

The country club at Spanish Trails Las Vegas also has twelve championship tennis courts, including one with artificial grass. There is also an automatic ball machine in a practice alley, and a pro shop with everything you need. After a round of golf or game of tennis,

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 68. See more Spanish Trails community real estate.
(all data current as of 2/6/2012)

1. $599,900 : 7809 Bermuda Dunes Av, Las Vegas
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 3 part baths

   Home size: 4,134 sq ft

   Lot size: 13,939 sq ft

   Year built: 1990

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2

   Walk Score®: 12
   
2. $429,500 : 8196 Horseshoe Bend Ln, Las Vegas
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,505 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,662 sq ft

   Year built: 1990

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 2

   Walk Score®: 25
   
3. $199,000 : 4916 Mt Pleasant Ln, Las Vegas
   
   2 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,308 sq ft

   Year built: 1994

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 2

   Walk Score®: 45
   
4. $849,000 : 7889 Rancho Mirage Dr, Las Vegas
   
   3 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 4,134 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,454 sq ft

   Year built: 1990

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 4

   Walk Score®: 18
   
5. $138,600 : 4971 Cold Springs Ct, Las Vegas
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,173 sq ft

   Lot size: 3,049 sq ft

   Year built: 1986

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 6

   Walk Score®: 51
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

The figures released by the Gaming Control Board show that gaming revenues on the Las Vegas Strip were $495 million in January, compared to $510.4 million in the same month a year ago. Downtown took a less severe hit, and was down just 2.1%, whilst North Las Vegas was down 0.2%. We could hypothesize that this is because the Strip has the biggest exposure to Asian tourists and that February will give us hope, but on the other hand Mesquite is down 10.4% and Laughlin took a 14% hit on the same month a year ago.

The casino industry recovery is something that developers desperately want to see, but even with Chinese New Year straddling January and February this year there is not much to get excited about. The American economy has dug itself such a massive hole that it has to climb rather than jumps out – are these January figures a foothold?

The January 2009 Nevada gaming revenues were a 15 per cent drop on the previous year, so at least the rate of decline is slowing. But it is not an even slowdown, with slot machine volume down 9.9 percent versus table games at 2.2 percent. It is high stakes baccarat that has been propping up the Strip – revenues if $107 million were collected in January.  Unfortunately the real estate industry is not going to be rehabilitated off the back of some baccarat whales.

Nevada collected $59.7 million in gaming taxes for the period, compared with nearly $47.1 million a year ago, according to the Gaming Control Board.

Collections were helped by the repayment of outstanding debts associated with high-end customers.

“Much of the money collected came from markers owed for the New Year’s weekend,” said Control Board Tax and License Division Chief Frank Streshley. “January was one of our strongest months for tax collections in some time.”

For the first eight months of the fiscal year, Nevada has collected $406.3 million in gaming taxes, a decline of 1.6 percent compared with $412.9 million collected for the same time period in fiscal year 2009.

Streshley said the tax collections were trending ahead of predictions made by the Nevada’s Economic Forum for the fiscal year. The forum’s panel thought gaming tax collections would be down 2.5 percent for fiscal 2010 compared with fiscal 2009.