Homebuilders are busy once again in Las Vegas

[Joe Republic]

Las Vegas homebuilders can’t build houses fast enough these days to keep up with buyers’ demand.

Yes, you read that right.

The valley’s new home market is booming. Developers say they haven’t built, or sold, so many houses in years.

“I’m as much as 80 to 90 percent higher in volume than last year,” said Robert Beville, president of Harmony Homes. “I’ll probably more than double my deliveries this year.”

Applications for new home permits in Henderson, North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Clark County have increased 40 percent from last year, according to Home Builders Research. Prices have risen 6 percent to an average of $201,000, and sales have jumped 20 percent. By June, experts expect to see 500 new-home closings a month.

“Some of the builders are selling one or more new homes a week,” said Kolleen Kelley, president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors. “That’s up considerably from last year.”

[Fuzzy]

5 congressional districts, here we come! 

[Tender Branson]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

[Joe Republic]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

Two feasible solutions have been proposed:

1. A pipeline that feeds from a deeper point in Lake Mead can be constructed, given that the current ones will soon start sucking air if the water levels continue to drop.

2. A pipeline that feeds from the underground water tables upstate can be built.  Expensive, and the rural communities are already manning the trenches in opposition, but I can see this happening in the next few decades anyway.

Also, a law was passed back in 2006 banning new houses from having lawns or gardens that require water to maintain.

[Tender Branson]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

No, why would I go there ? To get killed by the sun and rattlesnakes ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

Two feasible solutions have been proposed:

1. A pipeline that feeds from a deeper point in Lake Mead can be constructed, given that the current ones will soon start sucking air if the water levels continue to drop.

2. A pipeline that feeds from the underground water tables upstate can be built.  Expensive, and the rural communities are already manning the trenches in opposition, but I can see this happening in the next few decades anyway.

Also, a law was passed back in 2006 banning new houses from having lawns or gardens that require water to maintain.

What about a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to Las Vegas ?

[bore]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

No, why would I go there ? To get killed by the sun and rattlesnakes ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

Two feasible solutions have been proposed:

1. A pipeline that feeds from a deeper point in Lake Mead can be constructed, given that the current ones will soon start sucking air if the water levels continue to drop.

2. A pipeline that feeds from the underground water tables upstate can be built.  Expensive, and the rural communities are already manning the trenches in opposition, but I can see this happening in the next few decades anyway.

Also, a law was passed back in 2006 banning new houses from having lawns or gardens that require water to maintain.

What about a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to Las Vegas ?

Beside the obvious cost issues, isn't salt water pretty useless?

[Tender Branson]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

No, why would I go there ? To get killed by the sun and rattlesnakes ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

Two feasible solutions have been proposed:

1. A pipeline that feeds from a deeper point in Lake Mead can be constructed, given that the current ones will soon start sucking air if the water levels continue to drop.

2. A pipeline that feeds from the underground water tables upstate can be built.  Expensive, and the rural communities are already manning the trenches in opposition, but I can see this happening in the next few decades anyway.

Also, a law was passed back in 2006 banning new houses from having lawns or gardens that require water to maintain.

What about a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to Las Vegas ?

Beside the obvious cost issues, isn't salt water pretty useless?

In the gulf countries they are desaltifying the salt water from the Indian Ocean. Maybe that's an option for Las Vegas too (or better desaltify it in CA already). But yeah, the costs of this would probably be massive.

[ModerateCoward]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

No, why would I go there ? To get killed by the sun and rattlesnakes ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

Two feasible solutions have been proposed:

1. A pipeline that feeds from a deeper point in Lake Mead can be constructed, given that the current ones will soon start sucking air if the water levels continue to drop.

2. A pipeline that feeds from the underground water tables upstate can be built.  Expensive, and the rural communities are already manning the trenches in opposition, but I can see this happening in the next few decades anyway.

Also, a law was passed back in 2006 banning new houses from having lawns or gardens that require water to maintain.

What about a pipeline from the Pacific Ocean to Las Vegas ?

This would be incredibly expensive, and desalination would be incredible expensive again. I think a better solution would be to ban green lawns in Phoenix, Tuscon and Las Vegas outside of Public parks.

[Chareth Cutestory]

Of course they are, nothing has changed since before the crisis. The market is still vastly skewed towards new development and cities still don't understand zoning or development laws in any way. The old adage I allude to in my signature has turned from generational ignorance to something probably close to a collective memory of a few months. We learn nothing from our mistakes and have no interest in real solutions to problems.

[Joe Republic]

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

Ever been to one?

No, why would I go there ? To get killed by the sun and rattlesnakes ?

Okay, I assume you're just f[inks]ing around now.  Rattlesnakes?  Seriously?

In the gulf countries they are desaltifying the salt water from the Indian Ocean. Maybe that's an option for Las Vegas too (or better desaltify it in CA already). But yeah, the costs of this would probably be massive.

It would be.  That's why I already listed for you the two feasible options under consideration.

[True Federalist]

Conceivably, desalinization might play an indirect role in providing Las Vegas the water it wants.  It might be practical to pipe desalinized water to the Imperial Valley in place of the Colorado River water that now goes there and then have other users take more water further up the Colorado.

[Senator Sbane]

But why would California build expensive desalinization plants when we can get water from the Colorado already? Unless Nevada and other Colorado river states chipped in, I don't think California will be reducing the amount it takes from the Colorado.

[Ѕenator Αverroës]

Las what? Are you taking about the gigantic automobile slum?

[Joe Republic]

Las what? Are you taking about the gigantic automobile slum?

Oh dear, you must have had a bad experience when you visited.  What happened?

[Ѕenator Αverroës]

I don't want to talk about it. It involves rattlesnakes.

[True Federalist]

But why would California build expensive desalinization plants when we can get water from the Colorado already? Unless Nevada and other Colorado river states chipped in, I don't think California will be reducing the amount it takes from the Colorado.

Agreed, but the scheme I laid out could conceivably be the least expensive scheme for the upstream users to get more water.

Also California may need to do that anyway.  The Colorado is horrendously overdrawn already.

[RomneyGekko Situation Hairgel]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

A) Me.  I'd love to live there.  LOW humidity and sitting by the pool at 90 degrees with a 5% humidity is awesome.

[True Federalist]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

A) Me.  I'd love to live there.  LOW humidity and sitting by the pool at 90 degrees with a 5% humidity is awesome.

You can have humidity that low?  As a resident of South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, I say that "You Lie!"

[opebo]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

A) Me.  I'd love to live there.  LOW humidity and sitting by the pool at 90 degrees with a 5% humidity is awesome.

You can have humidity that low?  As a resident of South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, I say that "You Lie!"

Chapped lips, guys.  Chapped lips and premature wrinkling.

As for the subject of the thread - it is really astounding that they are building homes again.  I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

[Torie]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

A) Me.  I'd love to live there.  LOW humidity and sitting by the pool at 90 degrees with a 5% humidity is awesome.

You can have humidity that low?  As a resident of South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, I say that "You Lie!"

Chapped lips, guys.  Chapped lips and premature wrinkling.

As for the subject of the thread - it is really astounding that they are building homes again.  I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

Upper middle class neighborhoods in Socal are in rather pronounced price upswing at the moment actually. I even see signs of life out in the desert in those gated golfing communities. Indio however is still prostrate.

[Vosem]

This is not good.

A) Which sicko wants to live in a desert ?

B) Aren't they running out of water there at some point in the next few years if this growth continues ?

A) Me.  I'd love to live there.  LOW humidity and sitting by the pool at 90 degrees with a 5% humidity is awesome.

A) I could never live in a desert. I live in Cleveland and I would rather it rain/snow more.

B) Yes, but there're ways to fix that, as JR detailed.

[opebo]

I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

Upper middle class neighborhoods in Socal are in rather pronounced price upswing at the moment actually. I even see signs of life out in the desert in those gated golfing communities. Indio however is still prostrate.

I don't know 'Indio' but I would assume it is the area out in the Eastern part of the LA metro.  But when you say 'upper middle class' in Socal what is the price range?  Does that designation fit my $1.6-2 million conjecture above?

[Torie]

I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

Upper middle class neighborhoods in Socal are in rather pronounced price upswing at the moment actually. I even see signs of life out in the desert in those gated golfing communities. Indio however is still prostrate.

I don't know 'Indio' but I would assume it is the area out in the Eastern part of the LA metro.  But when you say 'upper middle class' in Socal what is the price range?  Does that designation fit my $1.6-2 million conjecture above?

Oh, areas where lower end houses are around 750K or so might be near the break point as a guess. It is amazing to look at an LA County map. The areas with appreciation are very tightly correlated with chic.

[Torie]

I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

Upper middle class neighborhoods in Socal are in rather pronounced price upswing at the moment actually. I even see signs of life out in the desert in those gated golfing communities. Indio however is still prostrate.

I don't know 'Indio' but I would assume it is the area out in the Eastern part of the LA metro.  But when you say 'upper middle class' in Socal what is the price range?  Does that designation fit my $1.6-2 million conjecture above?

Indio

[Senator Sbane]

I would have thought the only homes to be built nowadays would be for the very high-end luxury market - say at least 800,000-1,000,000 dollar plus houses (double that for CA, etc.).  This income bracket is doing well as is this housing bracket.  But everything below is sheer deflation.

Upper middle class neighborhoods in Socal are in rather pronounced price upswing at the moment actually. I even see signs of life out in the desert in those gated golfing communities. Indio however is still prostrate.

I don't know 'Indio' but I would assume it is the area out in the Eastern part of the LA metro.  But when you say 'upper middle class' in Socal what is the price range?  Does that designation fit my $1.6-2 million conjecture above?

Oh, areas where lower end houses are around 750K or so might be near the break point as a guess. It is amazing to look at an LA County map. The areas with appreciation are very tightly correlated with chic.

Where are you seeing this map of price changes?