Henderson Fire Department will have its next Explorer Program orientation on January 14 at the Henderson Fire Training Center located at 401 Parkson Road.

Orientation is outside, so dress appropriately. Some physical activity will need to be performed during the orientation.

Applicants must be between 14-21 years of age, if you’re in High School you must carry a 3.0 GPA.

The Explorer Program is designed to educate our youth about careers in the fire service and medical fields.

http://www.cityofhenderson.com/fire/explorer_program.php

Consumer Electronics Show is set to open tomorrow, January 7, in Las Vegas. The show, which is not open to the public, will run January 7 thru January 10.

The CES, which is more of a business to business opportunity than a “sales event”, will have over 300 new vendors this year, and is expected to draw in 110,000 people into Las Vegas for the weekend. Everyone from TV celebrities to sports legends will be seen at the event.

There have been rumblings that the show might be loosing some of the steam that it showed in previous years.

Just look around you, RIGHT NOW! The electronic gadget industry does not seem to be in a slump!

One of the most anticipated products for this years event will be Googles Nexus One phone. Google jumping into the “smart phone” business should not only put some fear into competitors but should also (hopefully) drive prices down.

If you can dream it up…someone will make it…and we’ll in turn, BUY IT!

Pardee homes’ Nevada Trails offers award winning models! If you’re looking for Homes in South Las Vegas, this new community just may be what you’re looking for. Pardee homes is offering 12 upgraded model homes for sale in the Nevada Trails community in South Las Vegas. The models are show stoppers, and with so many upgrades and custom details included, they are well priced from $367,950 to $789,350.

The homes are appointed with such features as indoor and courtyard fireplaces, wet bars, upgraded appliances, flooring, cabinets and shutters, as well as professional landscaping. Some models include casitas and master suite balconies.

If you’re looking for a Home in South Las Vegas, and a 3700-4500 square foot home is what you need, the Plan Four is what you’re looking for. This plan recently was named the Best Single Family Home in the most recent Homer Awards.

With 23 acres of parks and outdoor trails, these Homes in South Las Vegas have the best of both worlds. Many environmentally attractive features indoors coupled with the great southwestern location.

After increasing for several months, the number of homes listed for sale in Southern Nevada is beginning to come down. The inventory of Las Vegas Resale Homes on the market appears to have peaked, which is a good sign for the local housing market. The same can be said for the continued steady sales prices for single family homes. Statistics show that sales prices for local homes have remained stable for the past 13 months.

For months we’ve been requesting to our sellers that “they should be realistic in pricing their homes for sale.” With another month with a drop in the number of active listings, it looks like the message has taken hold. Sellers who may just be speculating are either removing their homes from consideration or renting them out, which is positive.

In the months of November, December, and through mid January, the statistics for the Las Vegas Resale Homes market are as follows:

November: 

Single Family Residential (SFR):

                    Listed For Sale = 19,726      Sold = 1,547

December:

Single Family Rresidential (SFR):

                    Listed For Sale = 17,834     Sold = 372

Projections through mid January show the number of Las Vegas Resale Homes listed for sale to increase but, the number of sold units to increase as well. Historically, as the weather begins to turn from winter to spring, as well as schools beginning to wrap up their current year, the Las Vegas Real Estate market begins to get more active.

In North Las Vegas, this brand new master planned community has a mission to deliver 16,000 new homes in a desert environment, surrounded by some of the most scenic mountain views in the entire Las Vegas valley.

On January 3rd groundbreaking on the Park Highlands Community took place. The 2,675 acre development, will celebrate its grand opening this fall, will be the largest master planned community in the valley’s north.

Following in the footsteps of the Southern Highlands master planned community, Park Highlands will be distinguished by decorative streetscapes, meandering sidewalks, decorative medians, neighborhood shops and expansive green areas. There will be no golf course but, there will be a record number of parks and recreational areas totaling some 425 acres. There will also be a 40 acre regional sports park and 9 neighborhood parks, including baseball fields, football fields, soccer fields and volleyball.

Builders are being kept to a small contingent selected by the quality of their work. American West Homes, Astoria Homes, D.R. Horton and Standard Pacific Homes are expected to be on the list of selected builders.

This development will be a huge economic boost to the City of North Las Vegas. An investment of $1 billion brought into the community means growth, that means jobs, that means economic opportunity.

Park Highlands expects to receive its first residents in 2008. The community will open 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 police substation, 1 fire station, a post office and a public library.

Park Highlands is located 20 minutes north of the Las Vegas strip near Aliante Parkway and Interstate 215.