why Vegas

Good afternoon.
I was asked why we choose Las Vegas as a retirement destination.
Well.....There were several factors that went into that decision.
First, and foremost was weather. We didn't want those long Michigan winters anymore. Now Ideally, southern California would be the first pick, but the cost of living there was prohibitive. Florida you might say would be a good second choice, but Florida has never been a favorite of ours. It's not a pretty state, it's very crowded and traffic is a nightmare. So you ask, is Nevada 'pretty'? Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains. Everywhere you look are mountains. And, within a few hours you can be skiing in the mountains, or swimming in the ocean. There's a lot fairly close to Vegas. But back to weather....

 While not ideal year around, The temps aren't nearly as hot as Arizona, nor as cold as the Midwest. It's a dry heat so not as miserable as anywhere in the south east. And there's a lot more sun!
We also wanted a city big enough to have a lot of variety and things to do.

 And Vegas fits that bill. There are just over 2 Million people in the valley. And it has all the amenities of any large metro area.
If you look at the map above, the famous strip is that orange dashed line. If you go due north of the strip to that bend in highway 215, our community is just north of that. We're 15 mile from the strip.
Another factor was cost of living. Vegas was hardest hit during the great recession. The home we bought nearly 2 years ago we got for $97,000 less that when it first sold back in 2006.  Currently, our floor plan is selling for nearly $40,000 more than we paid 2 years ago. A good investment I think.   :-)

We have the sheep mountains just to the north of our community.

Just off the highway is the Aliante Casino Hotel. Our community of just over 2000 homes is right behind it. The green you see is a golf course that weaves it's way through our community.
So there you have it. Our choice for Vegas is weather first, cost of living, city size, and sunshine.
And with that, my balcony calls. It's a beautiful day here in Michigan. Right now.   :-)