Your Product May Be Brand New, But We Still Deserve Quality Service

Recently, we had the unfortunate displeasure of experiencing some of the worst service we've ever experienced in our industry. It was so bad, we've actually taken action and escalated our concerns to the corporate office to have them addressed. It involved how we (and our clients) were treated by the sales staff at a new home development sales office.

In the Las Vegas market right now, our inventory is so limited that many home buyers are resorting to new construction homes. I've heard so may horror stories from homeowners who purchased new construction.

"Once my real estate agent checked me in to the sales office, I never heard from them again"

"We walked in and just didn't have the respect we expected. We knew the home we wanted, but expected way better service, instead we were treated with inferiority"

The fact of the matter is, an agent's job does not stop at the door of the new home development sales office. In fact, it's at that threshold our job just got a whole lot more challenging! The law states we, as agents have a fiduciary responsibility to look after the best interest and protect the rights of our clients. It's really that simple.

If you're a potential home-buyer, make absolutely sure when you select your real estate agent you discuss your expectations of them regardless if the home is new or previously owned. Remember the law is a little different when it comes to new construction, and permits minimal involvement from your agent when negotiating the terms of the sale for new construction. It doesn't require minimal involvement. The fact remains, this is still a major investment which deserves dedicated representation from a licensed and experienced professional..


When you step foot in the sales office of a new development, you have the right to demand respect. With that in mind, don't lose site of the fact that it is just that, a sales office. They are there to SELL you a product. To add insult to injury, in the world of real estate, everything is negotiable. Having a real estate agent in the office to represent you though the entire process (yes, right up to and including the closing) is the best way you can protect your best interests, and the best part is you won't pay a penny for their service!

If you think buying a home is exciting, wait until you have the experience of picking each feature of your new home and watching it be built to order. What are you waiting for? Go customize your dream home! (But call your agent first!)


The Greenleaf-Elving Group
Christopher Greenleaf, Real Estate Consultant
Keller Williams Realty Southwest
6180 Brent Thurman Way, Las Vegas, NV 89148
info@captaurre.com
Content deemed reliable, but not guaranteed, Equal Opportunity Housing Provider
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

Partnering With the Right Realtor - 2,000 Miles Away

Finding 'A' Realtor is easy. You can drive down any street and find five or more yard signs with photos, names and numbers to call to find or list your property. Finding 'THE' Realtor that's right for you, perhaps not so easy.

"I am reminded of a scenario years ago when a family member had to sell a home in New Hampshire. Of course everyone and their sister 'knows' a Realtor, so we called the Realtor we 'knew'. With only two showings and no offers during the six-month listing contract, we took the property off the market and re-evaluated our needs. Months later, we did a little more research, and I happened to be chatting with a good friend who was in California and he provided me the name and number of a Realtor he knew, and had done business with in the past. Needless to say, that agent, at the exact same asking price had the property sold in less than two months"

Real Estate is similar to most other industries in that your professional must be licensed in the state they are doing business, so how can your friend or family member who may be over 2,000 miles across the country help you find an ethical, trust-worthy agent to represent your best interest? The answer is easy! Ask for a referral.

We all want to do 'good business'. Part of good business is trusting who those close to us have trusted in the past. Most agents take referrals very seriously. We work hard and strive to pro-actively build a strong network of agents across the country and around the globe. We know we live in a mobile society and we can't be bound to just one geographic location, but we also can't realistically be licensed and service everyone in every state.


Here at the Greenleaf-Elving Group, we dedicate several hours each week just to agent outreach and networking. When we travel, we reserve time to meet the agents and office managers in that region. We feel it is, in fact, our fiduciary responsibility to provide our friends, clients, partners, and associates around the country and the world reliable, ethical, result-driven agents for all of their real estate and lifestyle needs.

So what are you waiting for? Reach out to an agent or broker in your inner circle no matter where they may be located (we all know someone in real estate!); educate them on your needs and let them do the leg work for you. Don't trust a Google search or Yellow Pages listing alone, trust in those who you already trust to deliver what may be the path to the most important investment of your life!



The Greenleaf-Elving Group
Christopher Greenleaf, RealtorKeller Williams Realty Southwest
6180 Brent Thurman Way, Las Vegas, NV 89148
www.living-in-lasvegas.com
info@captaurre.com
Content deemed reliable, but not guaranteed, Equal Opportunity Housing Provider

Keller Williams Realty Southwest and KW Cares Joins Michal Gorski's Fight to Live

Today, we are taking a break from real estate, short sale, buyer, seller, and agent talk and shifting gears to something so close, so personal and heartfelt in our Las Vegas community.

When we blog about real estate, we, here at The Greenleaf-Elving Group often refer to the term and concept of 'lifestyle'. The story I'm about to share with you is also about lifestyle. It is the lifestyle we are trying to save and enhance for our local friend, our neighbor here in Las Vegas, Michal Gorski.

Several weeks ago, our broker, Tom Joseph asked Michael and I if we'd be able to help with a project he was working on through a program that Keller Williams Realty has called KW Cares. At the time, we were both new to the brokerage, and agreed to help in our respective capacities.

As we watched the project grow and come to life, we began to understand what KW Cares stands for and what this project was about.  When we realized the project was for a young local man, who like many others does not have the 'luxury' of having health insurance, and is in need of a heart transplant to save his life. Sadly, even in life-saving circumstances, without health insurance a patients name cannot even be placed on the list to receive a transplant.  Please take a moment to watch Michal's heart-felt story in the 4 minute video below.

Michael Gorski Heart Transplant from Tom Joseph on Vimeo.

The roles we played in executing this project are so insignificant in comparison to Michal's story and his bravery. Our hope, our drive is the small outreach we have with you, our readers, our friends, our family, and our colleagues will touch the right hearts to help Michal and share his story.

If you are able to make a monetary contribution to Michal's fund, you will see a URL to click at the end of the video, or you  can go directly to the page by clicking here. If you have questions, or would like more information about Michal, please contact us directly.



Living Near an Airport: A Grounded Move or One-Way Ticket to Madness

(702) 900-4741

There are countless perks about moving into a big city. Shopping, public transit, diversity of restaurants and dining, and of course, easy access to convenient air travel and so much more; but at what cost are we willing to pay for these conveniences? Increased market prices? Influx of heavy traffic and louder vehicles? The steady rumble of a freight train passing at 3AM?

Las Vegas is a very unique market in a lot of ways. Before moving here from the East Coast, I never really considered air traffic to be a key consideration in marketing lifestyles around real estate. Growing up around the Boston area, airplanes always landed and took off over the ocean with minimal impact to residential neighborhoods; I experienced similar scenario the short time I was in Los Angeles.

As an aviation aficionado, moving to Vegas was a dream come true for me. Being just southwest of the McCarran International I could tune into the control tower frequency and 'plane spot' all day from both runways!

Aerial photo of McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas) on December 24, 2012 looking north on approach

There is a fascination with aviation that seems to draw us in from all directions. We see runway observation areas, restaurants and businesses being built to overlook airfields, and even smart phone apps you can download to listen to all of the aviation chatter between the flight deck and the various control towers around the world... But what do you need to consider before purchasing a home near a major airport such as Las Vegas' McCarran International?  Here are a few key considerations:

• Runway and air traffic patterns: If you're concerned about the noise factor that accompanies living near an airfield remember, planes are louder on take off than landing. Some cities require primary runway use to facilitate that and ensure minimal noise to residential neighborhoods. Although the preferred departure runway in Las Vegas departs to the West, all runways are eligible for use as-needed. Before purchasing, look at the runway maps of nearby airports and see if your neighborhood is aligned for a noisy early morning departure push!
• Has the home been sound-proofed? When some airports are built out, as an effort to maintain property values in the area, the airport, city, or other entity may reimburse homeowners in direct path of the runway to have their homes sound-proofed. This was the case in Manchester, NH in the early 2000's where, through federal funding, the airport paid approximately $25,000 per home for 1,400 homes to have new, insulated doors and windows installed to minimize airport noise.
• Will further airport expansion take over my neighborhood? While with eminent domain, there are never any guarantees, as home buyers it is our duty to exercise adequate research and risk assessments. Having your home bought out from under you just so another 4,000 feet can be added to a runway to accommodate bigger planes, or another 5-level parking structure can be erected to handle additional passengers may not be your plan 6 years down the road. If you've selected a seemingly perfect property. Know your local zoning laws, and research to see if additional expansion plans are in the works. 

There are several dimensions to consider when purchasing a home in the heart of a big city.  Most are convenient and add value to your property. Count on your Realtor to show you how to maximize the value of your home in today's market!

Christopher Greenleaf
The Greenleaf-Elving Group
Keller Williams Realty-Southwest
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 900-4741