Realistically we are three years from moving to a new city. With all likelihood we will be moving to Las Vegas. We like the Summerlin area, Lake Las Vegas and also considering Green Valley Ranch area of Henderson. We have to get the kids through high school and stash a few more bucks into savings. However, in many ways my mind is there and I am thinking about ways I can be more ready to move when the time comes. So what do I do and what can you do if you are thinking of moving to Las Vegas or moving to any new place?
CLEANING OUT THE CRAP: We all have too much stuff and it takes time to sort through the crap so start early! I find that each time I go through a box of stuff I find more stuff I can get rid of. So if you start now and go through the same box every 6-12 months you will find more stuff to get rid of. By the time we actually move we’ll probably get rid of the whole box! Because really why bother moving some box of a crap that sits in the garage? Otherwise you’ll pay a mover to move it and then you’ll store it in your new house. Just get rid of it now. We did a huge Goodwill run last weekend and it felt GREAT to get rid of the stuff… and we have more to do! Perhaps it’s my OCD but I love getting rid of crap!
READ FORUMS ABOUT YOUR NEW CITY: The internet is awash with great resources to learn about different cities, states, countries. I take all the posts with a grain of salt as some sites, like City-data, for example seems to be a competition of Realtors who like one area bad-mouthing a different area and vice versa. Just a guess. Nonetheless, lots of good info to learn from. Before moving to Las Vegas become a contributor on the forms. Here are some forums that I like:
READ LOCAL NEWSPAPERS: The Las Vegas Review Journal may not be the best newspaper in the world but it’s going to be your local paper if you are going to move to Vegas so embrace it. So, subscribe to the paper! It was like $75 for a one year digital subscription. I love reading the paper but especially features like Kats Column which is daily. Also, reading the new homes section every Saturday morning is great if you are thinking of buying a new home. Beyond the daily there are a number of other newspapers and magazines to check out. Here are some:
WATCH THE DAILY NEWS: My family laughs at me but I watch Las Vegas news everyday online. I watch in the morning, at the gym, on the treadmill, and often watch the afternoon news at home. Here are some links:
LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO: I like sports so listen to a couple different Las Vegas radio channels. The problem is they mostly have the national shows but if you go to their websites they have a schedule when the local shows are. Of course being Vegas they are heavy on sports gambling. I have not yet found a good local news/talk station in Vegas. Let me know if you have one. Here some links:
READ AND SUBSCRIBE TO GREAT BLOGS: There are a million blogs about everything and living in Las Vegas is no exception. The only limitation with Vegas is most blogs are about visiting Vegas rather than living in Vegas so you need to look through a bunch to learn about living in LV. However, as I say that, a bunch of the blogs about visiting are about stuff you will enjoy when you live in LV like the incredible food and the world class entertainment that takes place nightly! Here are a few blogs you might want to check out:
BOOKS ABOUT VEGAS: Ok, I have already said my family laughs at me for watching the local Vegas news every day. I am not sure they know I subscribe to the paper. Shhhhhhhh. However, another guilty pleasure is reading books (ficton and non-fiction) that take place in Vegas. A few of my favorites are below but honestly the list of books that take place in Vegas is LONG! Here are a few to check out:
- Gangsterland and Gangster Nation by Tod Goldberg. A former Italian Mafia hit-man that moves to Vegas and assumes a new identity as a Rabbi. Sure it’s fiction but it’s fun!
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a classic book.
- Casino is a fun read about Lefty Rosenthal and other mafia characters.
- The Killing of Tupac Shakur is written by a former Las Vegas Review Journal crime reporter. If you are interested in Tupac it’s a good read.
PODCASTS, PODCASTS, PODCASTS: There are podcasts about every imaginable topic. Similar to blogs a lot of the podcasts are aimed at tourists coming to visit Sin City. However, I have found several that I enjoy. Here is a list of a few to check out:
- Living in Las Vegas Podcast was my favorite but Scott Whitney seems to have shut it down.
- Vegas Never Sleeps by Steven Maggi has a lot of fun guests and regular segments.
- Vegas Nonstop with Jonathan J. Scott and Geoffrey (with a G) Kramer talks about everything from sports to food.
- Rink Rats is all about the Las Vegas Knights hockey team. I will do many blog posts about the VGK (Vegas Golden Knights) in the future as they are HUGE in Vegas.
REAL ESTATE: If you are going to move to Vegas you need to know the neighborhoods and you probably want a Realtor or leasing company to help you find the best place. There are several great real estate websites as well as seasoned professionals we have used. I will share those here:
- Kahli Grantz is a seasoned Realtor with Northcap Residential. She loves Las Vegas and it shows when she shows you around town.
- Flip or Flop Las Vegas is one of the TV shows that focuses on the Vegas Valley.
- Flipping Vegas is a popular show.
- Gady Medrano is a Realtor who was made famous by being on one of the TV shows. Someone said she is very Vegas. You can be the judge with this Google search.
- Rice Real Estate is a high end property management company if you want to rent a house.
What else can I say about moving to Vegas? Heck, if I say everything here I won’t have anything to say on other blog posts so let’s sign off for now.
Maybe I’ll meet you in Las Vegas one day!