Wedding

Last night, Brad and I went to a wedding at Dragon Ridge in Henderson. The weather was perfect, and the venue had a great view of the city.

Moving to Summerlin

After two long months of waiting for the bank to sign off on the short sale, I finally closed on my house at the end of September. It was such a relief, and now I can hardly remember all of the drama and the episodes that caused me to panic and cry. Well, I can think of a few (e.g., UPS losing my closing documents). I know the home buying process is never easy, and I'm glad to be finished with it for quite a while.

I flew Dad out to help me move. It was much harder than I anticipated. I don't feel like I own much stuff, but it sure does add up. We rented a Budget truck, that I managed to drive around town without killing anyone, and we transferred all of the big stuff in one day.

I kept Dad too busy and wore him out too much, so we weren't able to do the typical Vegas activities like the Strip and Red Rock. But, we did manage to play a round of golf at Siena...

(It rained as we were getting to the course, and there was a complete rainbow, though this is all I managed to photograph)

And have lunch and a quick hike at Mt. Charleston...

(Mom and Dad, don't tell me that I never take pictures of people. I managed to squeeze Dad into this one.)
I'm completely settled in now, save for a few lingering boxes. I am immensely happy on this side of town and in this neighborhood. I feel like I live on Wisteria Lane, without all of the backstabbing and cheating. My neighbors are some of the friendliest people, and I feel very safe and content here.

The dogs have found some good napping places in the house, for while I'm watching TV...
And for while I'm working in my office downstairs...

Obama Rally

Tonight, Brian, Ron, and I headed downtown to Cashman Field to hear Barack Obama speak. Traffic was awful getting down there, which was exciting to see that many people congregating to support him. It was so exciting to be in such a diverse, energetic crowd.
He spoke for about 30 minutes and had some exciting things to say, though I'm much more interested in what he will have to say during the debates.
I found the message on this billboard particularly ironic considering the news of the day.
After the rally, we stayed downtown for dinner. We parked next to one of Las Vegas' famed drive-through wedding chapels.
We had dinner at Chicago Joe's, an Italian restaurant near Charleston Blvd. It's in a small house and has about 10 tables. The food wasn't anything special, but the place has really neat ambiance that is worth experiencing at least once. This is definitely one of those spots with more old time personality than you would never expect to find in Vegas.

Ajax is the alpha

Ajax never plays with toys anymore, and Bo is never seen without a toy in her mouth. But, every so often, Ajax likes to aggravate Bo by grabbing one of her toys and prancing around with it. The other night he grabbed her turtle (which is the only toy in the house that still has any stuffing), and he ran under the bed and sat with it in his mouth. He didn't play with it, he just calmly sat still holding it for 20 minutes, driving her crazy.
The dogs have routine with their bones - I give them each a bone, they run around showing them off for a few minutes, and then the settle down to chew them. Bo quickly loses interest in her bone and wants Ajax's bone instead. So she will lay down right next to him and pout, waiting for a piece to come loose that she will then carry off to enjoy by herself.

Black Mountain, the other way up

I haven't been hiking in a long time, so I was excited when Rick asked me to hike Black Mountain with him and Danika after work on Monday. We parked in a neighborhood at the base of the mountain (around Horizon Ridge and Gibson) at 6pm and headed up. It was about 105-degrees, but the heat was surprisingly mild. I've never been up this side of Black Mountain, and I like this route much better because it is shorter and has some scrambling.
It took an hour to get to the top, and the view was amazing as always. The sunset was spectacular this night, and we spent about an hour chatting at the top.
We took the paved service road down the mountain because the rocks on the mountain were too unstable to traverse at night. Of course, I fell down a number of times on the loose gravel, and Rick managed to capture one of my clumsy moments on film. It took about an hour to get down for a round trip of 3 hours, the perfect after work hike.

Thank you to Rick for sharing these pictures. This is my first hike when I didn't bring a camera (shocking!), but I can always count on Rick to take some good action shots.

Weather, Golf, and House

Today, the high was 87 degrees, and I just had to take advantage of the "cool" weather by playing a round of golf. The forecast called for thunderstorms and flash floods, but I figured I would chance it. I played at Desert Willow, the executive course in Henderson that I play at most often. After 10am, it's $25, and there were very few people on the course. It was blustery, and my ball was left up to the discretion of the wind. It rained for a few holes, and otherwise there were sprinkles here and there. But there were no flash floods, and the temperature was 78 degrees when I finished, so I enjoyed the cool July day despite my horrible score.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about my house, and this Las Vegas Review Journal article didn't do anything to calm my anxiety. The house I'm buying is a short sale, which means that it is owned by an individual who wants to sell it for less than is owed on the house. The bank must approve the sale, and this can be a very long process. I had been avoiding short sales when house hunting, but the listing agent said that this price was already approved by the bank and the paperwork had been expedited, whatever that means. Everything is moving along as planned, but we're waiting on the bank to give final approval of the sale price. I'm not necessarily worried about this, especially because the appraisal came in pretty close to the sales price, but I'm just concerned about timing. Earlier this week, I locked in a 40-day loan at 5.5%, which is a phenomenal rate. But, if we don't close in 40 days, I lose that loan and must secure another. No matter how on the ball my real estate agent and mortgage broker are, they can't do anything to make the process with the bank any faster. I can go month-to-month at my current place, so that's not a problem, but I just don't want to lose my loan and risk paying a much higher fee for my great interest rate.

Yesterday, my real estate agent was kind enough to take me by my house to take another look at it and to take pictures. When I saw it the first time, I literally flew through the house because I wanted to get the paperwork prepared right away. It was so much fun to visit it, and I still love it. I especially liked that we went on a Saturday afternoon and the neighborhood was silent. There were no kids screaming in the street, dogs barking, or cars speeding though, as would be typical in my current neighborhood.

Here's a picture of the front of the house:

House Hunting, Part II

The hunt is over...I got a house!!!

I’ve been drooling over this floorplan since February when I first looked at the model home. This house just came on the market on Tuesday, and it is completely filled with upgrades and is more beautiful than the model. I saw it on Thursday, and as soon as I walked through the front door, I was ready to make an offer. After scurrying through the house to make sure there were no surprises (only good ones!), my realtor and I rushed back to his office to put together the offer. It's a short sale that is already approved by the bank at that price, so we offered the asking price, which was an incredible price for that house (they are still building in the neighborhood, and if I were to build the house brand new, it would be at least $150,000 more!). The listing agent said that she was expecting another offer that night, but by Friday morning it hadn't come in, so she was just going to present my offer to the seller. Later that day, I found out that the other offer had come in, and while we were offering the same price, the other offer gave more as an earnest deposit and was putting considerably more down. I figured at that point I wouldn't get the house because on paper the other offer looked better, plus, if the other people had more to put down, they were probably in a better position if we got into a bidding war. My realtor already had a relationship established with the listing agent, which worked in my favor. He had my mortgage broker call her and explain that my credit is great and I would have no problem qualifying for the loan. Somehow, between the two of them, they were able to convince her that I was the stronger offer, and the seller signed the paperwork to accept my offer on Saturday!

I am so thrilled with this house. It is in a guard-gated community with a pool, gym, and tennis courts. It's at Sahara and the 215, so it is convenient to the highway, shopping, hiking, and golfing. It is 2 bedrooms with an office and a bonus room and has incredible details throughout. The best thing about this house is that it is an amazing investment. It’s going to retain its value much more than the other places I was looking at, and as I mentioned, I should have quick equity on the house because it is really under priced as compared to the new homes in the community. It's a short sale, so the escrow period will likely take longer, and I'll probably close in September. I'm so happy that I don't have to look at houses any more!

House Hunting, Part I

With the Las Vegas housing market tanking, I decided to take a look at buying a house out here. The process started with Brad and me drooling over the new developments near him in Summerlin. A little research on realtor.com showed me that I could get a resale of the same homes that they are currently building for as much as $100,000 cheaper! Thus, the house hunt began.

My realtor is Brad's business partner, and it is so nice to have someone that Brad knows and trusts to be leading the way. Our first day out wasn't very successful, as I found that the foreclosures on the market aren't in the pristine condition of the model homes I had seen. The second day had some better finds, which leads me to...

House #1

I had already seen a couple of homes with the same floor plan that I liked very much - an upside down house with the kitchen, living room, master, and office upstairs, and the guest quarters downstairs. But, as soon as I walked onto the balcony of this house, my heart skipped a beat. This house had an incredible 180-degree panoramic view of the Las Vegas valley, including an unobstructed view of the Strip. Additionally, it had a huge pool-sized yard and no neighbors on any side. My realtor and I got really excited and sat down to look at the comps in the neighborhood to decide what to offer, and that's when the bad news arrived...this house was priced at $359,000 but would not appraise for over $300,000 based on the comps. It turns out that the house had been purchased at auction a few weeks earlier for less than $200,000 by a company that specializes in flipping properties. They put in new carpet and appliances, painted the walls, and put the house on the market for a $160,000 profit! My realtor tried to get in touch with the listing agent to negotiate the price, but she refused to return his calls. I learned my first lesson on the Las Vegas real estate market:

Even though the market has tanked, some people are still trying to get the money they would have gotten a year or two ago.

I loved the view of that house, but there are plenty of houses on the market. And I couldn't feel bad about not getting a house when my hands are tied - even though I could qualify for a $360,000 loan, I couldn't get a loan of that size on that house because the house must appraise for the amount of the loan. So, we moved on to the next round of houses, and along came...

House #2

This home was 1-story with a huge great room-kitchen area and an absolute oasis backyard. It had large trees for privacy, an in-ground hot tub, and a tranquil waterfall that flowed into a pond. The floor plan was perfect, not too big and not too small. Unfortunately, as with the 1st house, it was priced way over the probable appraisal value. It was listed at $334,000, but based on the comps, we figured it wouldn't appraise for more than $300,000. The owners had just moved into a new house, so we knew they would be anxious to sell. And, we knew that they paid around $150,000 for it in 2000, so we went ahead and made an offer at $300,000. As expected, they countered the offer, but we weren't going to budge because we didn't want to offer more than it would appraise for. Again, I was disappointed, but it was impossible (and would be a waste of money) to go any higher. Last week, the listing agent of the house called to say that they had lowered their price to $324,900. My realtor told her that the new price still wasn't low enough but that they should consider our offer of $300k on the table whenever they want to take it. Yesterday, the house changed to contingent, so I guess they got an offer at near their asking price. Unless that person is paying cash, I can't imagine them getting it appraised for anything over $300k because the identical house without the spa backyard just went into contingency at $260k. So, with this house, I learned my second lesson of the Las Vegas real estate market:

It completely sucks that someone can come into this market having sold their house for an exorbitant amount and pay cash for a house that is priced too high for financing, thinking that this house is steal compared to the market they came from (e.g., California).

Again, there were plenty of other houses on the market, so I moved on. Sure enough, on our next outing, I found the house that completely crushed my spirits...

House #3

Ahh, this house was just amazing. It was a foreclosure, so it needed a little bit of work (some appliances, a good cleaning, some touch up paint), but it was actually in very good condition. It had great curb appeal and everything was upgraded inside. It had the perfect office for me at the top of the stairs with double French doors with small vertical windows on either side and a nook that was just begging for built-in cabinets. The beautifully tiled shower had two shower heads. And the yard was to die for - although the was no landscaping, it had an in-ground pool overlooking a greenway (no neighbors behind) with a spectacular view of Red Rock. Best yet, the price was incredible: $291,900. I absolutely had to have this house. My realtor and I started on the paperwork, and when he called the listing agent to ask a question, he was told that there were multiple offers, so we had to make our highest offer. Ugh! My mortgage broker said that the house would likely appraise between $295,000 and $310,000. I didn't want to offer too little and lose the house, but I didn't want to offer too much and not get it appraised at that price. We decided the best bet was to offer $295,000, which was more than it was listed at and was a safe bet for appraisal. My realtor called the listing agent to find out if the offer was competitive, and to our shock we were told that there were multiple offers over that price. At that moment, I learned my third, and tearful, lesson about the Las Vegas real estate market:

Banks are putting foreclosures on the market at a price that seems too good to be true, which leads to competitive bidding that drives up the price of the house.

This house took me some time to get over it. Ask anyone who spoke to me that day, I was not a pleasant person to be around. I felt like I was on the dating scene, having head-over-heels first dates, just to have some bombshell dropped on me during the second date and getting my heart broken. After a few days of ignoring the house hunt all together, I got back on the horse that threw me with a refreshed attitude and a harder shell. Which led to...

House #4

This house was very well-kept inside, with a nice floor plan, and a killer backyard with a pool, spa, waterfall, and big trees for privacy. My realtor had the forethought to call the listing agent before I got my hopes crushed by another house. She told him that they had a few offers but none were acceptable because the owners needed to sell near the asking price ($289,999) or they'd have to do a short sell (they're already paying some out of pocket to cover the mortgage at that price). We were fine with that news because the house is in perfect condition and has a beautiful backyard. But, when we ran the numbers, the comps came in at around $250k. And so I was introduced to lesson number four about the Las Vegas real estate market:

Even when a house is listed at a seemingly good price, banks may be selling foreclosures in the area at rock bottom prices, driving the values down, but homeowners may owe more than that and cannot lower their own prices.

At this point, I've seen more than 60 houses. I'm not kidding. When I started out, my goal was to be moved into a new place in August before my lease runs out so that I don't have to sign a new year-long lease. Fortunately, my property manager said that I can go month-to-month in my current house (that I hate!) for $100 extra per month. So, now I don't have the time constraints on my search. Another good thing is that after looking at that many houses, I know what I like and what I don't like. I really, really, really want a pool. I don't want to put $50k out of my pocket into the house only to get about $10k back when I sell.

I found this MSNBC article that describes the bidding wars that have erupted over these cheap foreclosures. This is obviously a very frustrating market right now. Everyone says that the Las Vegas market is suffering and that now is the time to buy (or in the next year). But, from what I've seen, the good properties are going at a high price and the crappy properties are just sitting on the market. So, much to my realtor's chagrin, the process continues.

I just don't understand - I watch people all the time on HGTV look at three houses, make an offer, and move into their new house within 30 minutes. Why can't that be me? :)

Puppy Playdate

Leigh brought Maddie over to play with Ajax and Bo. I wouldn't say Ajax and Bo are "bad" with other dogs, but their play tends to be quite aggressive. And Maddie is a passive dog.
They chased her all around, and she held her own. But she much preferred to be in Leigh's lap.
After a night of being chased around by two wild Jacks, poor Maddie was pretty rough looking.
I don't know about Maddie, but Ajax and Bo passed out as soon as she left. It was a successful first date!

Bristlecone Loop

On Sunday, Brad and I wanted to golf, but we couldn't get an early tee time. So, instead, we packed up the dogs and headed to Mt. Charleston for a hike. We did Bristlecone Trail, which is an easy 3 mile trail. The scenery was beautiful, with great views of the mountains and a trail that meanders through pine trees and Quaking Aspen. The high in the Las Vegas valley was 108 degrees, but the temperature was 75 at the trailhead and 68 at the top of the trail where we stopped for lunch. It was the perfect break from the heat. The dogs loved the hike, though Bo tired out early and nearly fell asleep in my arms as I carried her back to the car.
More pictures here

TPC Las Vegas

Brad got a great deal on summer golf at TPC Las Vegas, so we will be playing this course throughout the summer. The course is spectacular, with fairways nestled within the desert landscape and Red Rock canyon visible from nearly all holes. I didn't find it as difficult as the courses in Tucson, but that's probably because the greens are more forgiving. Still, I made only one par, and I picked up my ball several times as the heat started to wear me out.
More pictures here

Bo loves to play

"Please throw the hedgehog for me...I want to play!"

Golf holiday in Tucson

Brad and I spent June 4-8 on a golf holiday in Tucson. We chose Tucson because we wanted a great golf destination, and neither of us had been there before. Tucson is about a seven hour drive from Las Vegas, and the trip took us over the Hoover Dam and through Kingman and Phoenix, and we spent hours and hours looking at yuccas and saguaro cacti.

We stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon. We chose this resort because of its incredible golf rates (June is low season because of the heat) and its location nestled in the Catalina Foothills. I was nervous about this resort because it received mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, but it was everything that I imagined and better. I don't know how people could possibly give it a poor rating - the service was impeccable, the scenery was breathtaking, and the atmosphere was as relaxing as it can get. I would absolutely stay here again and recommend it to anyone looking for a golf vacation or just a place to unwind.

View driving into the foothills.View of the waterfall from our balcony.
A winding walking path on the back of the property led to this waterfall...
...and a view of the city (with the resort in the foreground).
We golfed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. There are two courses that the resort shares with the Lodge at Ventana Canyon, the Canyon Course (which we played twice) and the Mountain Course (which we played once). Both courses were challenging, despite having surprisingly wide fairways, but the greens on the Mountain Course were absolutely a killer. We were only paired with another twosome on Saturday, and the weather was perfect all three days. Although the highs were around 100, because we played in the morning, we were off the course before the temperature reached 90.

Lots of golf pictures follow. I love this one of the two of us with the 18th green and the Loews behind us.
The most picturesque hole on the course, the 3rd on the Mountain Course.We saw lots and lots of animals on the course, including ground squirrels...
...dragon-like lizards...
...and a road runner. We also saw hundreds of rabbits and quail. Thankfully, there were no snake sightings.
The resort is at the trailhead of the Ventana Canyon Trail. I was anxious to hike this trail, but there was limited time with our golfing. On Friday, I grabbed my pack and headed up the trail, trying to reach the Maiden Pools, about an hour and a half in. At about an hour in, I lost the trail and the cairns disappeared, so I decided it would be best to head back rather than getting lost in the dark. I still enjoyed my hike and was glad to take advantage of the proximity of the trail to the resort.
On Saturday, Brad and I skipped our post-golf nap to check out the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. We were told that this is the second-most visited attraction in Arizona (the Grand Canyon is first, of course). It was about an hour drive from the resort, and the drive took us through town and over this beautiful mountain pass.
The museum is more like a zoo, with many animal exhibits. It is located in the middle of the desert and was quite hot, but we were able to zip through it in less than two sweaty hours.

Mountain lions.
Bobcats.
Sweet little margay.
Desert big horn sheep (Red Rock has lots of these, though the seem to hide every time I'm out hiking).
Bird in the aviary that kept dive-bombing Brad.
The hummingbird aviary was my favorite part.
In addition to the golf and site seeing, we ate many great meals. There were many restaurants on our list that we didn't get a chance to try. A brief run-down:

• Dinner at Vin Tabla - nice outdoor patio, good wine selection, and informative waiter who helped us choose our other dining locations
• Lunch at Wildflower - nice courtyard dining, absolutely fantastic food
• Guacamole and margaritas at the Flying V Bar and Grill at Loews- beautiful view of the 18th hole from the outdoor deck, delicious table-side guacamole
• Lunch at Armitage Wine Lounge and Cafe - probably should have just stopped in for a glass of wine, as the food was unremarkable
• Dinner at the Ventana Room at Loews - AAA 5 diamond restaurant overlooking the city, the service was impeccable, the food was amazing
• Dinner at Cafe Poco Coso downtown - unique Mexican food, loved the idea of the chef's selection where the chef surprises you with three different menu items for your plate

More pictures from our wonderful vacation here. I can't wait to return!