Kiplinger: Nevada tops nation in job growth
Nevada will top the nation in job growth for 2016, according to Kiplinger magazine, which also has the West dominating the Top 10 list for states with healthy employment trajectories.
Kiplinger said the Silver State's job growth of 3.4 percent would improve to 4 percent for this year, adding 50,800 jobs to the 41,000 created here in 2015.
"The stronger national economy will bring in more gamblers and conventioneers. Moreover, carmaker Tesla's planned $5 billion battery plant near Reno spells potentially thousands of new jobs by the end of 2016," the publication wrote.
Kiplinger also said Nevada's unemployment rate would fall from 6.5 percent to 6.1 percent by the end of 2016.
Most of the states around Nevada also fared well in the report. Next on the list is our southeastern neighbor, Arizona. There, job growth is expected to accelerate from 2.4 to 3.6 percent; job creation will go from 60,500 in 2015 to 95,200; and the unemployment rate will drop from 5.6 to 5.4 percent, according to Kiplinger.
Interestingly, the third state on the list is Florida. Nevada, Arizona and Florida were three of the states hardest hit by the housing crash and the ensuing recession. Rounding out the list are Georgia, Tennessee, Washington, South Carolina, Oregon, California and Utah. For the full report, go to bit.ly/1RVMbid.
Nevada Realtors to visit France
Nevada Realtors will be showcasing the Silver State and its real estate opportunities by attending MIPIM, the world's leading global real estate market, business conference and networking event, being held March 15-18 in Cannes, France.
At least six leaders of the statewide Nevada Association of Realtors and the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors are scheduled to attend. They include NVAR Past President Kevin Sigstad, GLVAR past presidents Keith Lynam and Heidi Kasama and GLVAR CEO Michele Caprio, as well as Las Vegas Realtors Rena Levy and Azim Jessa.
This is the second year of NAR's expanded presence at this global event, providing local and regional U.S. markets the ability to showcase opportunities for foreign investment.
"The U.S. is consistently among the top-ranked markets for real estate investors," said NAR President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Fla. "Events in other global markets, including the slowdown in China and the recession in Brazil, further strengthen the U.S. position as the safest place to put money and see strong returns for both domestic and international investors."
GLVAR and NVAR leaders added that Las Vegas and Nevada have become increasingly popular places for foreign buyers to invest in homes and other forms of real estate.
Industry research reveals foreign buyers plan to invest more cash in U.S. real estate in 2016 than in 2015, which saw massive inflows of foreign capital to the U.S. market. In fact, 64 percent of foreign investors surveyed by the industry association AFIRE plan to increase U.S. property investments in 2016.
Some 21,000 leading real estate executives from 89 countries, including more than 4,800 investors, are set to travel to Cannes for the four-day annual gathering of the global real estate industry. The event brings together investors, developers, occupiers, architects, hotel groups, public authorities, city mayors and property associations from around the world.
HomeAid Southern Nevada
This year, HomeAid Southern Nevada raised more than $500,000 in shelter and provisions to help about 5,000 homeless men, women and children through housing and outreach projects.
The group works with Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada to renovate apartments on Calcaterra Circle, which provide housing for local homeless families transitioning out of homelessness. Other local organizations that help with this effort are Family Promise, Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Women's Development Center and US Vets.
This year, HomeAid Southern Nevada plans to renovate the Catholic Charities' men's shelter facility.
For more information, visit www.homeaidsn.org.
