[AbsolutKaz]

Hey everyone!

My wife and I have browsed through this site a bit and have enjoyed a lot of great information from all of you...

We have spent the last 4 years working on a cruise ship together, and are looking to relocate to Las Vegas in early 2012.

I am from Pittsburgh, PA and my wife is from Houston, TX.

We have spent a lot of time in Las Vegas, on and off the strip when we have time off the ship, and in driving around and looking at different areas, really fell in love with the "Mountains Edge" area.

We are first time home buyers, will be starting a family, and I will have to set up another job once off the ships. I do hotel marketing and management now, but previously I was a singer/entertainer, and I also had my own photography studio which I would like to restart in Vegas.

We both have flawless credit, and could put a down payment of $60,000 cash without breaking the bank at all. (the bonus of working on a ship with no expenses)

So my questions are these:

1.) What do people think of the Mountains Edge area? Are there better spots in that section we should also look at?

2.) I know jobs are scarce, but with a decade's worth of experience in the hospitality industry, as well as work from home opportunities, do you think there could be a few decent work options in Vegas once out there?

3.) We have time off in March/April this year...are we better off trying to secure a place now, or could we still find a nice value in the early part of 2012?

Thanks in advance for helping out!

[macgeek]

the ship or the strip, that is the question!

Jonathan

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by macgeek

the ship or the strip, that is the question!

Jonathan

Are you cruisin' for a brusin'??? Shape up...or ship out!

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by AbsolutKaz

Hey everyone!

My wife and I have browsed through this site a bit and have enjoyed a lot of great information from all of you...

We have spent the last 4 years working on a cruise ship together, and are looking to relocate to Las Vegas in early 2012.

I am from Pittsburgh, PA and my wife is from Houston, TX.

We have spent a lot of time in Las Vegas, on and off the strip when we have time off the ship, and in driving around and looking at different areas, really fell in love with the "Mountains Edge" area.

We are first time home buyers, will be starting a family, and I will have to set up another job once off the ships. I do hotel marketing and management now, but previously I was a singer/entertainer, and I also had my own photography studio which I would like to restart in Vegas.

We both have flawless credit, and could put a down payment of $60,000 cash without breaking the bank at all. (the bonus of working on a ship with no expenses)

So my questions are these:

1.) What do people think of the Mountains Edge area? Are there better spots in that section we should also look at?

2.) I know jobs are scarce, but with a decade's worth of experience in the hospitality industry, as well as work from home opportunities, do you think there could be a few decent work options in Vegas once out there?

3.) We have time off in March/April this year...are we better off trying to secure a place now, or could we still find a nice value in the early part of 2012?

Thanks in advance for helping out!

I'm not personally crazy about Mountain's Edge. Too much traffic and, or maybe due to, dangerous roads. It's not bad, but it's nicer in the northwest part of town, or Summerlin, or Desert Shores IMHO. Besides if I lived at Mountain's Edge I'd spend way too much time and money at Bass Pro Shop.

Hard to say about jobs. If you are in the right place at the right time you'll get a job. If not ...you won't. You just have to be here and make the rounds.

From what the real estate section of the paper says, new home prices keep going up every month, and the price of existing homes keeps going down. I suppose it's a good thing that last year they only built about 5500 new homes as opposed to something like 40,000 a year from 1988 to 2008.

Like Nike (and others before them) says, just do it.

[AbsolutKaz]

Thanks for the tips so far (and the sailing puns)

...I liked Green Valley and the Mountains Edge area for being close to the airport and the strip...we spent a month across from South Point Casino in a time share and explored the SW area and dug that more than heading out to Summerlin...to each his own I suppose...just wasn't sure if anyone here lives in the Mountains Edge area or has any other info on it....

[LVPoker1]

The paper and job sites are full of jobs for people with your type of experience. While the hotels and casinos had job losses the construction industry is where the big hit was. Stations just announced they are hiring 1000 people in 2011 and there is plenty of attrition, the worst of the time are behind.

As for Mountain's Edge it's too far for me and unfinished in sections but to each their own. If that is what you want then great, go for it. There are quite a few people on this board that love it.

Just a word of advice about your mortgage. I had a nightmare getting a loan with perfect everything, 20% down and a 2.5 year job. The banks didn't like the idea I was relocating to LV with a company to expand. If you are leaving the cruise ship and will be coming here without a job you aren't getting a loan. Close on your house while you still work in the cruise ship or else you will not be able to secure a loan until well after you land a job. The banks are extra tight here.

[AbsolutKaz]

Originally Posted by LVPoker1

If you are leaving the cruise ship and will be coming here without a job you aren't getting a loan. Close on your house while you still work in the cruise ship or else you will not be able to secure a loan until well after you land a job. The banks are extra tight here.

Thanks for that tip!

[bethp8]

Also look at some of the companies that support the hospitality industry for jobs; your experience can come in handy there. I know some of the vendors to hospitality orgs really like industry experience with the knowledge of their products (point of sale, accounting, inventorying software, etc.) and as the hotels, casinos, and cruise ships rebound from the recession, they are too. I don't know that the job market is any better than it is actually in hospitality at the immediate, but it never hurts to look broadly.

[abby1422667]

This is nice