Open House -- Saturday, February 4th from Noon-3:00 p.m. --  3 Bedroom / 2.5 Bath
Southern Highlands Home With A Touch Of Class & Style.  Click for details: http://www.onestoplasvegashomes.com/specialevents.html

"Order is the shape upon which beauty depends." -- Pearl Buck

  

Just Reported -- A record 477 active new home subdivisions open in Las Vegas!

Source:  SalesTraq, Inc.

"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief." -- Gerry Spence

Vegas' Cost of Living Climbs -- A whopping 21.9 percent increase in utility rates, and a 4.3% rise is housing costs, drove up Southern Nevada's cost of living in the 3rd quarter of 2005, according to statistics compiled by the Las Vegas research firm Applied Analysis.  The Relative Cost of Living Index climbed to 114.8 in the quarter.  An index score of 100 is equivalent to the national average.

Similar increases have occurred in Salt Lake City, Boise, and Phoenix.  Compared with the top 10 states from which Southern Nevada residents come, Las Vegas remains 11% less expensive.  For example, California's cost of living index score is 144.1, well above Las Vegas' 114.8%.

The rate of cost-of-living increases in Las Vegas appears to be stabilizing.  "We certainly expect a stabilizing or even a slight decline in the (Las Vegas) cost of living index, says Jeremy Aguero, principal with Applied Analysis. "Other areas are rising faster."  Catherine Phillips-Olsen, a research director for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s San Francisco Region, says "Phoenix is now #1 for housing appreciation."

Source:  Kevin Rademacher, In Business Las Vegas, kevinr@lasvegassun.com


"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy." -- Anne Frank

 Basil-Scented Chicken Salad -- The weather is warming up and everyone's schedules keep heating up; so here's a light, quick and delicious recipe from Southern Living magazine:

• ½ cup mayonnaise • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • ½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning • ¼ teaspoon hot sauce • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken		• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley • ½ cup chopped celery • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil • 2 green onions, chopped (¼ cup) • 6 cups torn or shredded fresh spinach • 2 tablespoons pine nuts or pecan pieces, toasted
Combine first five ingredients, stirring well. Add chicken and next 3 ingredients, and toss gently. Place spinach on individual serving plates; top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with pine nuts.		Yield: 3 servings.

* This recipe is provided by Lori Leal of Southern Living at HOME, one of our Preferred Home-Related Service Providers.  Click here to view the complete list of Preferred Providers -- all of whom are 'tried and true' -- based on the recommendations provided by readers of the 'One Stop For Las Vegas Housing Trends and Tips' newsletter.

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are." -- Adelle Davis

Announcing Satisfaction Guaranteed -- Introducing The New Standard of Excellence In Real Estate Service.  100% Satisfaction or My Commission Back—That's right: when you employ me to sell your home, if at the end of the transaction you don't feel that I have earned my commission, I will gladly give it back. No hassles, no loopholes, simply Satisfaction Guaranteed. When you're considering a real estate move, call me at 702-419-2728 or reply to this email and ask for a copy of my 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' program.

"Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open."-- Elmer  G. Letterman

 Smiles and Grins --   WHEN the last of their three children was about to leave home, my parents decided to buy a smaller house. The real-estate sign went up. A week later, a second "For Sale" sign appeared two doors away. "Soon you'll have new families on either side of you," my mother remarked to the neighbour whose house was in the middle.  "We're thinking of putting up our own sign," she replied wistfully. "It would read: 'Was it something we said?' "
Source:  http://www.becquet.com/laughter/54.htm