[BrianJA]

Hi everyone!

I am considering moving from Hawaii to Vegas with my wife and 2 children. I have alot of friends there, but most of them say I'm crazy. The reason why, is that the average job here is $9-$10 per hour, which comes out to around $1500 after taxes. The cost of a 1 room studio is $1200 including all utilities. 1 bedrooms go for $1200 to $1500 depending on the area.

Hawaii is very good about helping out families. They have WIC and also EBT card (food stamps) which we get $450 per month. We are now living in a studio for $1200. Food is taken care of, but that still leaves only $300 to live off of.

I realize that I will still probably be broke when we move there, but from what I've seen on the cost of apartments, we can get a 2-3 bedroom for the price of the studio we are living in now.

Everyone seems to be poining me towards Summerlin. I've found alot of places that say "Summerlin Area" which I am assuming are not actually in Summerline, but around the outskirts.

Are those areas safe to live in? Does anyone know any good places to find rentals that are actually in Summerlin?

Thanks!

[Chest Rockwell]

There are lots of safe areas to live that aren't in or around Summerlin. Summerlin is nice though. Visit craigslist and get a better idea of the prices.

[tortoise]

Nevada already has plenty of welfare cases looking for handouts. It would probably be best for your family to remain in the socialist state of Hawaii, and freeload off the generous welfare mentality the taxpayers seem to support.

[airics]

1200 isnt going to get you a 2 bedroom in summerlin (a nice one that is, maybe a roach infested place)

[GoWest77]

Tortoise...have you ever considered that maybe if you are in a city where simply living is so expensive, just maybe you may need some help? I agree that there are so many cases where people are just freeloading and want handouts, but if someone is making $10 an hour and still can't make it, then the problem is not with the individual but the system itself. Until you've walked in someone else's shoes don't be so quick to judge. It sounds to me like the OP is trying to better himself, and isn't that what you would want for these so-called "freeloade"? Jeez I hope one day you need help so you can understand what it's like.

[mrschilicook]

Your probably better off looking around No. Las Vegas in one of the newer areas.
Summerlin isn't really where you can get the most for your limited $$. There are many safe areas in Las Vegas, No. Las Vegas, and Henderson...there are fewer unsafe areas as long as you stay away from the strip and The Base IMHO.

However, remember you may have enough for rent, but summer utility bills can kill your budget. Handouts aren't as freely coming in Las Vegas (Or Nevada for that matter) as you say they are where your at. Don't move because rent is cheaper...you need to move because you can get a better job, better education, etc...in the long run the cost is probably not that much different.

Also, I would not suggest you move without a job. There a lots of minimum wage jobs, but the better paying jobs are hard to find...Las Vegas has a significant high school dropout rate because they can make $$ working for resorts.

We left Las Vegas this past year and have found that other parts of the country are less expensive if it is just cost that is driving your move.

[cjski21]

Most of this area is safe. There are some shady areas and some bad areas, but all cities have them. You will fit in right here. My wife is hawaiian and has tons of hawaiian friends. Vegas is, after all, the 8th island.

[Positiveone]

We have lived in 2 areas of Henderson for over 11 years now. Never had any sort of crime issues at all. I walk & jog many miles late at night also. No complaints here.

[BrianJA]

Originally Posted by GoWest77

Tortoise...have you ever considered that maybe if you are in a city where simply living is so expensive, just maybe you may need some help? I agree that there are so many cases where people are just freeloading and want handouts, but if someone is making $10 an hour and still can't make it, then the problem is not with the individual but the system itself. Until you've walked in someone else's shoes don't be so quick to judge. It sounds to me like the OP is trying to better himself, and isn't that what you would want for these so-called "freeloade"? Jeez I hope one day you need help so you can understand what it's like.

Thank you for your support. In response to Tortoise, I am not trying to come to vegas to freeload of the government. I do not take pride in paying for food with my foodstamp card.

In the past 7 years, the cost of rent has doubled in Hawaii. I used to have a 2 bedroom for $850 per month. That same 2 bedroom is now $1600 per month. I have 8 years computer experience, 3 years hotel front desk experience, and speak fluent japanese, which is a big plus in Hawaii. The average job here is $9-$10 per hour, which doesn't even cover the rent in most cases.

I hope to come to vegas to advance my career in the hotel industry. I do have 3 years front desk experience, but it doesn't do much good here. It may sound strange, but whites are actually a minority here. There are about 100 hotels and resorts here, but very few have a white person at the front desk. I consider myself lucky just to get in the hotel industry. I'm not trying to blame it on prejudice. It's just that people don't want to save their money for 5-10 years, and spend thousands of dollars to come here and the first person they see is a white guy at the counter. This is a fact. Many guests say it jokingly like "I thought I just left the mainland".

The reason I chose Las Vegas, is the alot of people told me that I can move up quickly in the hotel industry, with my experience.

[kwm03160]

There has been A LOT of discussion in this forum about good/bad places to live in Vegas. I would suggest you start looking there.