Just got orders to Nellis (Ely: short sale, lease, house)

TommyFlip · 09-02-2010, 11:50 AM

Howzit DallasCat! I did the samething you guys just did, Hickam to Nellis in 08'. There are many rentals to chose from here in Vegas. You can try the military suggested website Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN.com) v7.0. All of them cater to the Soldier, Sailor, Airmen Act, which really helps if you get orders.

Anywhere along the 215 up north will get you base fairly quick. I live right off the North 5th ramp. Depending on where your husband works determines which gate he will be using and traffic conditions (i.e. main gate on LV blvd and Craig takes 5 min extra from that corner, range road gate to main base hospital gate has a lot less traffic).

There are a lot to chose from. Here is a small hint as well. There is no food tax in Las Vegas, so you don't have to worry about shopping at the commisary. The commisary has a surcharge anyway, kind of like tax. Try getting in contact with your sponsor if you have any questions about the base.

Pomaika'i!

srasaint · 09-09-2010, 08:50 PM

dallascat, we're also moving to Nellis from the Pacific. We're currently stationed in Guam and will be flying out in October (with a short layover in Honolulu). We usually choose to live on base, since our kids are very social and our previous off-base living experiences have been quite lonely. Plus we like being close to the base benefits such as the gym, pool, etc. However, our daughter is in highschool, and I have heard nothing positive about Mojave. Our son is in 4th grade and struggles academically, so we're equally concerned about elementary schools (and middle school in two years).

I'm gravitating toward the Aliante area, near the Nature Park, library, and casino. We just want a place where we can bike/walk/play, close to shopping/entertainment, but not snobby where we feel like we have to keep up with the Joneses.

Good luck with your move and house hunting and school research! I know it's so overwhelming!

lisdol · 09-10-2010, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srasaint

dallascat, we're also moving to Nellis from the Pacific. We're currently stationed in Guam and will be flying out in October (with a short layover in Honolulu). We usually choose to live on base, since our kids are very social and our previous off-base living experiences have been quite lonely. Plus we like being close to the base benefits such as the gym, pool, etc. However, our daughter is in highschool, and I have heard nothing positive about Mojave. Our son is in 4th grade and struggles academically, so we're equally concerned about elementary schools (and middle school in two years).

I'm gravitating toward the Aliante area, near the Nature Park, library, and casino. We just want a place where we can bike/walk/play, close to shopping/entertainment, but not snobby where we feel like we have to keep up with the Joneses.

Good luck with your move and house hunting and school research! I know it's so overwhelming!

Good luck with your move. We live on base but you are correct to be concerned about Mojave. There are two "choice" schools you can send your HSer to instead of Mojave because they did not meet AYP - Sunrise Mountain HS and the one out in Mesquite (I forget the name but I cannot imagine most people would be interested in sending their child on a bus to Mesquite for HS every day). The principal of Mojave spoke at a community meeting for education on base, and she said any parent who wants to meet with her to discuss why they did not meet AYP before they choose to go to a "choice" school is welcome. I still would not choose Mojave but just wanted to let you know she is willing to meet with parents to talk about the school.

There are charters but you would need to drive. There are also career and technical academies and magnet HS which do have bus transportation but I am not sure if you can get your HSer into a CTA mid-year - I am pretty certain the magnets don't admit mid-year but the magnet person from CCSD also spoke at the meeting and did say if your child was in a magnet program at their old district, they would try to see what they could do. You might want to look into the CTA (I am not sure if the base is NW or East CTA).

Aliante is nice - there are different neighborhoods and they are all pretty convenient to getting on 215 and getting over to the base in the morning. Its a good location for being close to the base but also close to stuff in the NW part of the city.

srasaint · 09-12-2010, 04:42 PM

lisdol,
It's good to know that the Mojave principal is willing to communicate with parents. I've had such a hard time researching Mojave since most of the negative comments come from people who don't have first-hand experience with the school itself. I'm always skeptical of relying on test scores and ratings alone, since my mother was a teacher and knows how those numbers can be manipulated. My daughter has a friend who went to Mojave for her freshman year and says she loved it. Looking at the high schools in the Aliante area, even Legacy and Shadow Ridge didn't meet AYP and they also have incidences of violence, and weapon and drug possession. So I'm just trying to understand what makes Mojave so much worse.

Our decision might depend on how long we have to wait for base housing. We were originally told 3-4 weeks, but now we've heard it could be 2-3 months. So we're keeping our options open and doing research, more research, and even more research.

lisdol · 09-12-2010, 04:50 PM

We were told 1-2 mos for base housing and then were in 18 days after we checked in to the leasing office on base. I'm going to PM you with more information on options.

olecapt · 09-12-2010, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srasaint

lisdol,
It's good to know that the Mojave principal is willing to communicate with parents. I've had such a hard time researching Mojave since most of the negative comments come from people who don't have first-hand experience with the school itself. I'm always skeptical of relying on test scores and ratings alone, since my mother was a teacher and knows how those numbers can be manipulated. My daughter has a friend who went to Mojave for her freshman year and says she loved it. Looking at the high schools in the Aliante area, even Legacy and Shadow Ridge didn't meet AYP and they also have incidences of violence, and weapon and drug possession. So I'm just trying to understand what makes Mojave so much worse.

Our decision might depend on how long we have to wait for base housing. We were originally told 3-4 weeks, but now we've heard it could be 2-3 months. So we're keeping our options open and doing research, more research, and even more research.

Shadow Ridge is very close to the best high school in the NW. I would absolutely avoid Mojave and would think hard about Legacy. There is Arbor View and Centennial if you wish other choices

I maintain a ranking of the high schools off the AYP numbers but I have not got it done for this year yet, I doubt it will change significantly though it has not in years past. I will try and get the high school piece done this coming week.

Ignore missing AYP. It is pretty close to meaningless. Look at the scores...and the disciplinary stuff. Note that cooking the disciplinary numbers has occured more than once so be skeptical of schools that look too good.

Pay attention to FRL and LEP. They are warnings.

srasaint · 10-10-2010, 12:04 AM

We're actually in Vegas! Has definitely not been an easy move for us so far. Right now we're on the exhausting search for housing. We checked out Aliante today, since it seems to be the closest "nice" area near Nellis. I liked the parks and shopping, but felt claustrophobic with the tight housing and walled neighborhoods. Just didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling. But that might be due to the jetlag.

Tomorrow we're heading down to Green Valley and maybe up to Centennial Hills. Just looking to see if we can find somewhere with some breathing room and views from our yard. But not sure if that's available or affordable.

Still debating whether to rent or buy. Common sense says to rent first, but I doubt we'll want to move again anytime soon, or make the kids change schools again. We've never been homeowners, so the whole process is daunting. Would hate to waste a realtor's time if we decide not to buy at this time. What's the opinion of the realtors out there? We have money for a down payment and excellent credit, so we'd be ready to buy if we find THE right home. I'm not sure if I'm going to love Vegas, but I'm sure tired of moving.

Gotta say that the mountains are gorgeous. And the kids were so thrilled to see chipmunks today. And so far everyone we've met has been very friendly and helpful.

justthe2ofus · 10-10-2010, 05:08 PM

welcome the srasaint family!
we got here about a month ago. renting a condo in Summerlin.

don't stress! you'll find the right situation for your family.
happy hunting!

lisdol · 10-10-2010, 07:11 PM

Welcome! The weather is just beautiful this week. You got here at a great time. Good luck house hunting!

srasaint · 10-10-2010, 11:48 PM

Thanks for the welcome, lisdol and justthe2ofus! I appreciate the encouragement. It's hard not to get stressed out when we need to find a place pronto in order to get the kids back into school and normal routines. Time is not on our side. Today we visited Green Valley. It's definitely greener than Aliante. Saw some nice neighborhoods and some not-so-nice neighborhoods. We're looking at both rentals and sales, so it's a bit time consuming driving around trying to find addresses. Then half of them are cruddy looking or already off the market. I'm sure there's something out there for us. Just hoping to find it soon. Thanks again!