LAS VEGAS MAN CAVE HISTORY TRACED BACK TO DAWN OF TIME
Without risking a theological debate, it’s clear that something Darwinian is taking place when it comes to some recent developments in Las Vegas home refurbishment. We’re talking about today’s Las Vegas man caves. As one Fort Myers, Florida newspaper writer put it last week (without the slightest hint of irony), “the concept of the man cave is evolving.” Today’s Las Vegas man cave has progressed far beyond the original prehistoric versions—which were little more than saber-tooth tiger-proof grottos. Millennia had passed before they developed into the 20th-century versions, which were indistinguishable from garages. They usually had greasy tool benches, half-empty cans of paint, and dusty jam jars filled with nails and screws that the man-inhabitant couldn’t bear to throw out (even though they were destined to spend eternity in those jars). The luxury versions of these early man caves might have been adorned with splintered skis and some out-of-state license plates nailed to the walls—but that would have been the extent of the décor. Merriam-Webster defines these early man caves as “places women hated to go into.” (All right, maybe MW didn’t print that entry, but that was the defining feature in the 50s). Boy have things changed since then! Today’s modern woman isn’t deterred by the modern man cave, which is no longer dominated by tool benches and paint cans. Those are still in the garage, but the man cave has moved into the house. Today’s modern woman doesn’t even call the Las Vegas’s man caves ‘man caves’ at all. She calls them ‘family rooms’ or ‘TV rooms’ or, in extreme circumstances, ‘sewing rooms.’ Today’s modern woman got rid of the jam jars long ago. The Fort Myers newspaper article had a terrifically evocative headline: “Modern Man Caves Focus on Solace, Sports and Luxury.” It’s the truth: today’s man caves can have so many gadgets and goodies, women and children frequently elbow the men out of the way. When that happens, the intended ‘solace’ is elbowed out, too. As the article put it, “…they are so cool, everyone wants to use them—kids, wives, in-laws, buddies…” There may be no way to prevent that because whole Design Groups are coming into being to maximize the appeal of the man cave. In one of them, the Weber Design Group came up with a “built-in wet bar, and zero-corner glass sliders combined with gender-neutral furnishings…” Gender neutrality aside, it is almost universally agreed that a proper Las Vegas man cave must have a massive television screen (the “no tv, no man cave” principal). Without the screen, the man cave becomes “a living room” —and a throwback living room, at that. If you are thinking of selling your Las Vegas home (but it doesn’t have a proper man cave), being that the man caves of today are such expressions of individual imaginations and taste, it’s probably wise to leave that feature undeveloped. Let the new owners decide how to design their own. Just give me a call—and then after we’ve made the sale (and found you your new Las Vegas home), you’ll have plenty of fun turning it into your dream man cave. Of course, then you should be prepared to be elbowed out by the kids and the in-laws…
LAS VEGAS READERS FIND SWEET REAL ESTATE REPORTS
Our area’s real estate picture usually differs little from that of the nation as a whole. The latest rumblings from the mass media and web continue to bolster the picture of rising values and quickening activity—a sweet story with nary a sour note. In fact the unanimity of voices from almost every corner of the country is a story in itself. There was just one exception. Some samplings Las Vegas readers would have found in the past week’s real estate news and opinion— • From the Associated Press, we learned that “prices are soaring” in some cities, and that they rose in all 20 cities polled. The pace of existing home sales rose to the “fastest pace since February 2007.”—roughly what might be expected in a healthy housing market. The AP attributed at least some of the reason for the real estate price rises to widespread predictions that the Federal Reserve may start raising short-term interests rates sooner rather than later. • From Dan Green’s Mortgage Reports, the home value increase was illustrated in a multi-colored chart, which showed sample cities’ rises at anywhere from 1%-11%—with most clumped between the 4%-6% lines. Freddie Mac was quoted as pegging the average 30-year mortgage rate at below 4%, with VA and FHA mortgage rates even lower. Their opinion was straightforward: “It’s an inexpensive time to finance a home.” Since historically “mortgage rates average nearer to 8:25%,” that opinion is hardly a stretch! • Headlines from CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index Report were “Home Prices Rose by 6.5% Year Over in June 2015” and “HPI Forecast Projects 4.5%” rise for the coming 12 months. CoreLogic’s nationwide real estate numbers are among the most reliable—whereas some of the government numbers sometimes have to admit regular later revisions, it’s not usually the case for them. • Surprisingly, Las Vegas observers would have had to go to the National Association of REALTORS® site to find what at first sounded like the only sour note to be heard—yet it, too, had a sweet finish. “Pending Home Sales Dip in June” headed the last week’s news release. You had to read the fine print to learn that the pending sales were 8.2% higher than a year before, and that although they dipped slightly from May’s number, they were still the third highest reading in 2015…and marked the tenth consecutive monthly year-over-year increase! Strengthening real estate prices have continued to bolster a solid summer selling season. If you are interested in exploring the Las Vegas market as a prospective buyer (or as a seller), the climate continues to be inviting. Good reason to give me a call!
LAS VEGAS FOR SALE BY OWNER SIGNS MAY BE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
They may be getting rarer, but you still see some Las Vegas “For Sale by Owner” signs from time to time. Sometimes they signify an owner who, truth be told, simply doesn’t mind letting it be known that he or she isn’t in much of a hurry to sell the place. This can be true if it’s an extraordinary example of its architectural style, or beautifully landscaped and maintained, or in other ways, from curb to chimney-top, obviously a prime piece of Las Vegas property. This is a For Sale by Owner anomaly, though; you don’t see many of them. A far greater number of them (‘FSBOs,’ for short) are average, run-of-the-mill homes—or even clearly neglected ones (in the latter case, the For Sale by Owner designation invites passersby to assume the sign really means “Fire Sale!!!”). But for the everyday-looking Las Vegas For Sale by Owner properties, that sign out front has to make you wonder. Currently, 88% of homes are sold through a real estate agent or broker—a percentage that’s been steadily rising for more than a decade. What would impel the owner to take a route that the vast majority of sellers avoid? There’s often a history behind the sign: a major experience that prompted the go-it-alone venture. That story usually falls into one of two general categories—and they’re opposites! HAPPY STORY! This camp had a pleasure cruise the last time they sold their home. Their agent put together a listing, and BANG! That was it! Showings by the end of the week, and SOLD in days! For the full asking price! A dream was closing with no unexpected details, gifts to and from the excited buyers, and nice notes still exchanged at the holidays… The Happy Story takeaway: selling a house is so simple, why in the world would you gift a commission to a third party? It’s so easy, why not save thousands of dollars? Up goes the ‘For Sale by Owner’ sign… UNHAPPY STORY! These folks found themselves all but victimized by a previous home sale. Everything went haywire from the get-go. They may have started on the wrong foot, assuming that every licensed agent is equally qualified and offers the same level of service. From there, it was all downhill. Bad communication, missed appointments, showings to loud-mouthed prospects who made it clear they were not about to pay anything like that asking price. Maybe a change of agents, but the eventual sale, after those lengthy missteps (and perhaps a technical hitch or two at closing) resulted in a disappointing sale price. The Unhappy Story takeaway: I bet I can do this better, myself! Up goes the Las Vegas For Sale by Owner sign… The current national statistics seem to indicate that the FSBO sign itself is a lot more likely to engender an Unhappy Story result. A typical For Sale by Owner home, if it sold at all, yielded just 80% of what agent-assisted sales brought. Not to mention the hassle of previous all the technical and marketing help a good agent brings. The first key to your own Happy Story is to find the right agent—one with a history of Happy Story endings. This takeaway: call me!
Categories
Recent Posts
