Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas Real Estate: April 2009

After spending the afternoon at The Signature at MGM Grand (that's Tower 2 in the photo), I rushed back to Henderson to make the 4:30 service at Central Christian. On the way there, I wondered if it would be selfish to offer up a quick prayer for a few closings.

Leads and buyers are very easy to come by in today's Las Vegas market. But with about 70% of our market being distressed properties (REOs, short sales, foreclosures) the competition to get an accepted offer can be brutal, and escrows face their own challenges. How brutal is it? An REO agent in my office closed 25 homes last month; those homes received a total of 668 offers!

As pastor Jud Wilhite delivered his sermon on Ephesians 1:3, reminding us we are blessed with every spiritual blessing (not just some or a few, every), my cell phone vibrated.

Back home twenty minutes later, I returned the call. It was from a buyer asking to see one of our listings. She wanted to pay cash. The buyer's name was ... Christy.

There is a higher power beyond the 38th floor. I'm filing this lead under Divine Lead Generation.

One of the better corporate real estate blogs that I've found is CleanSlate - Insights Into the Real Estate Industry from Better Homes and Gardens.

The site includes contributions from many of BH&G's senior executives, as well as the option to email questions to CEO Sherry Chris. Content is organized into five main categories: Brokerage Operations, Commentary, Marketing, Talent Attraction, and Technology.

One feature that I really like is the Friday Blog Scan, a weekly wrap-up of their favorite real estate related posts from around the blogosphere. If you're looking for a quality blog to add to your reading list, CleanSlate definitely deserves a spot.

What are the top four social media tools used by marketers? What are the top benefits of social media marketing?

These questions and more are answered in "Social Media Marketing Industry Report - How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses." Author Michael Stelzner shares his insights on the findings in this report which is available as a free download.

I found some valuable info in this survey, and as Michael says, "Enjoy the report!  Remember, the nature of social media is to "share," so if you find value here, please let your peers know about this report."

Imagine having 48,000 subscribers ... that was the title Midori Miller chose when she published her interview with Darren Rowse from Problogger. Unquestionably one of the top bloggers in the world, Darren has built a great following by helping others develop their own blogging styles. He selflessly shares tips on both his site and in the book he co-authored with Chris Garrett, "ProBlogger - Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income."

Darren's current project is 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Each day he sends subscribers an email with a task to help them improve their blogs. Some of the tasks so far have been "Write a List Post", "Analyze a Successful Blog". and "Promote Your Blog with Forums."

Want to learn blogging from one of the best? Subscribe to ProBlogger's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Your blog, and your readers, will thank you!

Sun City Aliante consists of all one-story homes with two to three bedrooms from 1,157 to 2,104 square feet. All homes have 2-car garages. Construction began in 2003, and new homes are still available. For more information, or to buy or sell a home in Sun City Aliante, contact John Novak at (702) 339-9700 or JohnNovak@kw.com.

 
Here are the details of the first quarter sales:

(GLVAR deems information reliable but not guaranteed. Properties listed and sold by various MLS participants. Sale Price adjusted for any seller contributions. DOM = Days on Market)