NO…this page is not about gossip and juicy scandals in Las Vegas. Rather, it gives you the low-down on all that vacant land you can see around Las Vegas and the small lots in the city.
About 90% of the state of Nevada is owned by the federal government. When you gaze around Las Vegas and see seemingly endless miles of vacant land, you’re looking at land owned by one federal agency or the other. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the largest landholder here and their holdings virtually encircle the Las Vegas Valley. The Air Force, too, owns a big chunk of property at and surrounding Nellis Air Force Base in the northeastern and northern part of the Valley. Then, further north, is Indian Springs where the U.S. Air Force trains drone pilots and controls their drones around the world and beyond that, the highly secretive Area 51. And the National Park Service owns another huge swath of land.
Land sales by the BLM
Privately held land available for development into home sites and commercial areas is limited and has been at a premium for decades. Finally, as the city grew and pressure increased, the BLM began to auction of land in the Valley in November 2002. At that time the average price per acre was about $160,000. In June 2003, the average price per acre was over $230,000. And at each subsequent auction prices continued to rise until the collapse of the real estate market in Las Vegas in 2008. Land prices, however, have risen again as the U.S. economy improved.
Small lots mean less mowing
Since the available land for development has historically been scarce, builders have traditionally divided their communities into quite small lots. A third-acre or half-acre lot is considered “large” in Las Vegas. Most lots are smaller. And if you’re having to landscape and maintain a third or a half acre here with rocky desert soil and summertime desert heat, you’ll realize that “smaller is better” — if only because it reduces the water bill. And who wants to mow a half-acre of grass when the temperature is 105 degrees?
If you are interested in gardening in Las Vegas, go to Hot Gardens for the best advice from a Clark County Master Gardener.
Visit these established villages in northern Summerlin:
| The Pueblo | The Trails |
| The Canyons | The Vistas |
| The Crossing | Paseos and Arbors |
Visit my author’s site to see books I’ve published.
