Very Vintage Vegas

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – A Perfect Picture For A Cloudy, Gloomy Day

January 27th, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

This is how my house felt early this morning, when I’ve normally got sunlight streaming thru the patio sliding glass door.

A picture like this doesn’t do much for helping me to want to see the home.

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURES AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 2 Comments »

Another Chance For The Best Deal In Las Vegas For A Mid Century Modern Home

January 26th, 2008 Categories: Home Repair and Remodel, Mid Century Modern, Paradise Palms

There’s a bank owned Mid Century Modern home in Paradise Palms that sold in 3 days the first time, but the deal fell out, and it’s back on the market. It’s priced at 250k on a street that I usually think of as starting at 350,000.

There’s so much potential in this one, and the bank has priced it to sell fast! There were multiple offers before I could even get anyone over to see it.

It’s got some broken doors and broken glass, and the pool is green,  Someone replaced the sliders with french doors (why?) but the clerestory windows are intact, even if they’ve been painted over in the front of the home.

It’s right on the National Golf Course, and someone’s going to get a steal of a deal.

Might as well be one of our regular readers. Give me a call!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 2 Comments »

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – Sometimes I Just Can’t Figure Out What They Were Thinking

January 26th, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

It just is what it is. But it didn’t cause me to want to go see it.

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURES AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Some Light At The End Of The Tunnel – Las Vegas Realtors Hear From Experts At The Crystal Ball 2008 Seminar

January 25th, 2008 Categories: Las Vegas Real Estate News

Yesterday’s Crystal Ball Seminar for Realtors gave us a look backwards and a look forward. I’ve been friends with Larry Murphy for many years, and he’s usually pretty accurate.

Hubble Smith’s RJ report on the Crystal Ball Seminar

Downtown Las Vegas Reports Good Numbers and Increased Improvement

Alan Choate reports in the RJ that Things Are Looking Good Downtown

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 2 Comments »

Vintage Hotel Party In Downtown Las Vegas – Free Drinks, Swing Dancing And More

January 25th, 2008 Categories: Downtown Las Vegas

We posted a while back about some things going on at the Aruba Hotel & Spa. This Vintage Vegas hotel is located just South of Charleston on the East Side of Las Vegas Blvd. Being right behind John S. Park, and recently under new management, The Aruba is picking up some steam with the local Downtown Crowd. With a larger auditorium, as well as an intimate and ‘just gritty enough’ vibe in the Thunderbird Lounge, more diverse and eclectic events are showing up further south of the Fremont East District.

We still love the Downtown Cocktail Room, don’t get me wrong. However having this cool venue literally in the backyard of The John S. Park Historic Neighborhood is just too cool not to mention.

If you haven’t been to the Aruba yet, tonight is a great time to stop in. From 6-9pm, at 1215 S. Las Vegas Blvd. the roaming party from Spy On Vegas will be in attendance with hosted Vodka and energy drinks.

Also going on there between 6 and 9 tonight, you’ll have a chance to see the long-running event of the Aruba Swings, a local group that joins twice a week to teach and celebrate vintage swing dancing.

After 9pm, Ge-ology from Brooklyn, NY will be showing art, and music will be provided all night by local house music masters, Dj Sense, The Martinez Brothers, and Kilowatt Electric Soul Sound Generator.

For more info check out Racketonline.com.

Posted by Stephen P Christmas | Currently No Comments »

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – Perfect For A Sideways Market

January 25th, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

When markets go sideways, it’s a good idea to make the pictures do it also.

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURES AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Vladimir Kagen, Grandfather Of Modern Furniture Design To Hold Book Signing At Morelli House

January 24th, 2008 Categories: Decorating Tips, Mid Century Modern

The Junior League of Las Vegas
Requests the pleasure of your company
For a reception honoring Vladimir Kagan,
the ‘grandfather of modern furniture design’
 
Thursday, January 31, 2008
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
 
Cocktails, Hors d’ouvres, Music, Book Signing
 
JLLV’s Morelli House
861 Bridger Street
Downtown Las Vegas
 
RSVP
Kristen Routh Silberman, JLLV PR
[email protected] or 702.435.5646

On the same day, Vladimir Kagen will be the first in a series of lectures to be presented at the World Market Center. This lecture series is not open to the public, but it is open to attendees and people in the trades. If you fall into one of those categories, I’m jealous.  

Of course there’s plenty more on Kagen if you google him, but here’s some of the links I found most interesting and informative when I did it.

designboom interview

Complete Kagen: Vladimir Kagan—A lifetime of Avant-Garde Design (hardcover) at Amazon

An Interview with PureContemporary   “It would be a free form amorphous space; lots of windows, lots of open space, no clutter. [Chuckling] I have created clutter all of my life, I have never practiced what I have preached. “

Architonic has a whole page of Kagen Designs from various auction houses.

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – A New Slant On Selling Real Estate In Las Vegas

January 24th, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

Of Course, cutting off the roof doesn’t help either.

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURE AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently No Comments »

“Clear Story” Windows Are A Modernist Adaptation Of An Ancient Design

January 23rd, 2008 Categories: Crestwood, Housing Styles, Mid Century Modern

How do you let lots of natural light into a room, and still maintain some privacy? The modernist architects that were responsible for the “mid-century modern” home that we talk about so frequently here at VeryVintageVegas solved the problem with “Clear Story” Windows. Since the ceilings were vaulted, and the roofs so often flat, or low pitched, it was easy to add windows above the normal wall space.

In modern usage we find the term spelled “clerestory” as well as “clearstory” and even “overstory”. In the mid mod homes, an excellent definition is:

rows of windows above eye level that allow light into a space. In modern architecture, clerestories provide light without distractions of a view or compromising privacy

I never really connected the high-in-the-wall windows of modernism with the ancient architecture of Gothic cathedrals. In fact, according to this article in wikepedia, the use of clear story windows dates back clear to the Egyptians.  

A big complaint that I get all the time about our suburban cookie cutter homes, is that the windows are so large that you lose all the wall space for furniture. Yesterday’s Worst MLS Photo was a good example of the windows ruining a room. The windows above are  an example of clear story windows, as they might be used in a more suburban 2000’s home.

Modernist homes, however were built for desert living often had wide, thin windows set high in the walls to let in light, allow for furniture below them, and privacy within the room, and minimal direct sunlight.

Now you know what to call high windows in a tall room.

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 3 Comments »

An Adorable Doll House In The Historic Huntridge Neighborhood Of Vintage Las Vegas Is Back On The Market

January 23rd, 2008 Categories: Huntridge, OUR LISTINGS

Unfortunately, we’ve had to put the property at 1037 Yucca back on the market. The good news is that it has a really cool and stylish new kitchen, and has been staged and decorated.  

It’s still sitting on a 13000 sf lot, which is the single biggest lot of any in Huntridge. All the windows are now dual pane, but we’ve kept the price at the same $219,000.

The seller is generously offering to carry a note, assist wtih closing costs,  or to do a lease option and is open to looking at all kinds of creative financing options.

If you know someone who’d be right for this home, give me a call and then tell them about it.

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently No Comments »

Glen Heather – A Vintage Las Vegas Neighborhood That You Should Know About

January 23rd, 2008 Categories: Glen Heather

A little before Scotch 80′s came another neighborhood at the South East corner of Oakey and Rancho. It was called Glen Heather. There’s a big mix of styles, but the most impressive thing is the number and size of the trees. Huge evergreen abound, as well as lots of Mulberry, Olive and of course Palms of every type. 

The earliest homes of the 204 total were built in 1955 and 1956. They were hard core mid-mod! I’m not sure what happened that no homes were built for the next 3 years, but there was a group built in  1959 and then another 3 year gap, and 1962 and 1963 they finished out then neighborhood. 

The later homes were mostly Cinderella Ranch, rambler ranches and regular ranches, instead of the earlier mid century modern.  In the 70′s and 80′s we started to get the assorted add-ons, expansions, conversions and other things people have done over the years, just as in most of the Vintage Vegas Neighborhoods.

Always, they been considered the little brother of McNeil and the nearby distant nephew of the Scotch 80′s. A few of the homes are severely noise challenged by the adjacent I-15, but most of the homes are as peaceful as you’d hope. 

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – Voulez Vous Couchez Avec Moi?

January 23rd, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

It’s the only french I ever learned, so I thought I’d throw it in there for the hell of it.

Let’s show the features of the home instead of the the furniture!

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURES AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Fed Rate Cut Has Huge Surprise Impact On Mortgage Interest Rates

January 22nd, 2008 Categories: Las Vegas Real Estate News, Mortgage

As you may have heard by now the Federal Reserve made an unprecedented emergency rate cut this morning lowering the federal funds rate (this effects rates on credit cards, home equity lines of credit and auto loans) by .750%.  While the lowering of short term rates typically do not have a major impact on 30 year mortgage rates, this morning it did.  FHA rates have dropped to below 5.5% for a 30 year mortgage and conventional rates are down around 5.250% depending on credit score on loan amount.

Steve says that  all of the sudden,  you can get a 5 year conforming fixed for as little as 4.875%.

I spent the morning glued to CNBC trying to digest all that was going on. The bottom line?

From Reuters:

There is no quick cure for what ails the U.S. and global economies, but if the Federal Reserve’s emergency interest rate cut Tuesday can instill some confidence among consumers, companies and investors, it may speed a recovery. Interest rate reductions take time to work, and they cannot undo the damage inflicted by the tumbling U.S. housing market and subsequent credit contraction that has curbed the flow of cash to households and businesses, pushing the economy to the brink of a recession.

For volatile world financial markets, the best hope is that the Fed’s efforts, coupled with a $150 billion fiscal stimulus plan that President Bush is planning, can coax cautious consumers and companies back to normalcy and shorten any U.S. downturn, limiting the strain on the global economy.

Between these rate cuts, and the number of times a day my phone is ringing with new inquiries and the dramatically increased showings on my listings, the bottom is probably closer than you think. NOW is the time to buy.  Please let me know if you, a friend or family member needs to purchase or sell a home.  

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently No Comments »

Surprise Rate Cut By The Fed

January 22nd, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Mortgage

The Fed this morning cut the Federal Funds Rate by .75%. The cut which comes as a surprise move before their scheduled meeting on the 30th of this month brings the Fed Funds Rate to 3.50%. The Discount Rate, or the rate at which member banks can borrow from the Federal Reserve was also cut, down to 4%. With the government offering money to banks at lower rates we should continue to see favorable available mortgage rates offered to consumers.

The Libor, (London Interbank Offered Rate), which regulates the movement of many Adjustable Rate Mortgages is currently 3.71%, down from 5.15% a few weeks ago. This drop makes adjustable rate mortgages tied to this index a great deal in the mortgage market right now. Fed Funds Futures are still pricing in another 50 basis point cut at the Fed meeting still scheduled for next week, despite rising inflation.

With the Government’s best solution to keep things stable being dramatic rate cuts, many homeowners are finding this a perfect opportunity to refinance their mortgage rates that have adjusted up over the last year or two. Others who haven’t yet bought a home are finding that with the rates available today, moving in to an ownership position now would be more affordable than they thought. We should continue to see things maintain a low position or dip lower before rising. Remember to get the best rate you want to have your loan application process already underway before the rates begin to shift upward. Call me today 702-686-2036 to get started. We just need about twenty minutes to get you going.

Posted by Stephen P Christmas | Currently No Comments »

Worst MLS Photo Of The Day – How To Tell If You’ve Got Too Much Furniture

January 21st, 2008 Categories: Worst MLS Photo

There’s a gas appliance faux fireplace hiding in there, I think.

The only thing worse than a bad picture is NO PICTURES AT ALL!

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »