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Rising land values, increased construction costs and a population boom have pushed median Las Vegas Valley home prices past $314,000, resulting in a flood of newly proposed condominium projects. Developers are offering a variety of super-luxury high-rise residences ranging anywhere from 700 square feet to 5,000 square feet in size, with prices from $350,000 up to $4.5 million … [Read more...] about Reaching for New Heights: High-Rise Construction Comes to Nevada

Can the Democrats win a statewide election in Nevada? The simple answer is – yes, of course. Anyone can win any election, given the right circumstances. But recent developments have made it much more difficult, at least conceptually, for Democrats to ensure a successful statewide campaign. That was never more apparent than the statewide election in 2002. Although there was … [Read more...] about Politics is All About the Numbers …And the Personalities

As an investor, you need to realize that the stock market will always have its ups and downs. You can’t do anything about these fluctuations – but you don’t have to let them wreak havoc on your investment decisions. Of course, during those occasions when your brokerage statement contains unwelcome results, you may be tempted to take action by selling off some "losers." But … [Read more...] about Market Volatility Got You Down? Five Things to Focus on Instead

Far too many managers and supervisors are either afraid to delegate tasks and responsibilities to their people or feel they are the only ones who can do things the way they need to be done. Several years ago, Nevada Business Journal did a survey asking employees to identify what motivated them. While money was on the list, it was well down in the rankings. What people … [Read more...] about Delegate, Don’t Abdicate: The Importance of Sharing Responsibilties

Q: Recent court cases in the news have commentators talking about the role of the judiciary in society. As Chief Justice, what is your position on the role of courts in Nevada government? Commentators speak as though the role of the judiciary has changed. It has not. For over two centuries, the essence of our nation’s representative democracy is the division of power between … [Read more...] about The Role of the Judiciary: An Essential Part of U.S. Government

The CEO was staring at screen images of his internal network, along with his customer database and all the customers’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, credit history and FICO scores. He had just completed a vulnerability assessment of his network and was briefing the results to the executive team, which weren’t pretty. Further investigation revealed a … [Read more...] about The Clock is Ticking: Is Your Business Ready for SB347?

The signs of growth in Nevada are everywhere. Dozens of new schools are built each year, traffic crawls along on overly congested roadways, and a new housing community seems to sprout up in the desert just about every week. Such is life in Nevada these days, where the population has literally doubled in a decade. "There are some folks who suggest stopping growth would be a … [Read more...] about Growing Pains: Nevada Growth Rate Presents Challenges

Several years ago, when Silverwing Development entered the Northern Nevada market, the area’s housing boom was just beginning. At that time, the developer’s only Nevada project was a raw piece of land in Stead, known as Sky Vista. The land was broken into smaller parcels for subdivisions, and sold to other developers for residential building. And in one small portion, … [Read more...] about Silverwing Development: Right at Home in Northern Nevada

The Shade Tree (TST) is the only 24 hour-accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada. Since 1990, TST has served homeless and abused women and children. Many of those who stay at TST are victims of domestic abuse, elder abuse or street violence. Others who make TST their temporary home include female veterans, the elderly, … [Read more...] about The Shade Tree Shelter: Helping Women and Children in Crisis

Northern Nevada business owner Maurice Dussaq purchased a franchise because he could not find a business for sale that he had an interest in, and he did not want to start one from scratch. "Franchising seemed like a viable option, and I knew I wanted a business-to-business franchise that was profitable," said the owner of two FASTSIGNS franchises, one in Carson City and one in … [Read more...] about The Franchising Solution: In Business for Yourself, but Not by Yourself

In Nevada, unprecedented growth has kept just about every entity, from the housing market to government agencies, hustling to keep up with demand. Higher education is no different, leaving the state’s public institutions searching for ways to accommodate more and more college students each year. In the past 12 years, Nevada’s public higher education system has gone from … [Read more...] about Higher Education Outlook: What’s Next for Nevada’s Colleges?

Kenny Guinn created a new precedent when he decided to run for governor – two years before the race actually started. Now candidates for the state’s highest office announce their intentions well ahead of time and have campaign offices in full swing more than a year away from the general election. This type of early campaigning hasn’t been limited to the governor’s race, … [Read more...] about Campaigning for 2006 Seats: How Early is Too Early?

For small business owners, a 401(k) qualified retirement plan can be powerful tool for attracting and retaining talented employees and for helping them to achieve a secure retirement. These plans offer tax benefits as well – for both the employer and the employee. As an employer, you will be responsible for making important decisions regarding your company’s plan. Because … [Read more...] about Setting Up a 401(K) Plan for Employees: Where Do You Begin?

The office phone on the empty desk rings and rings, but no one is there to answer it. Not a problem in your organization today – but how about tomorrow, next week or next year? Take a look at the people in your organization. How many of them are nearing 65 or are eligible to retire? In most cases, the list is a lot longer than anyone expected. It is estimated that over 76 … [Read more...] about Where Did All My People Go? Contingency Planning for Your Company

Now that you have chosen an attorney, how do you keep from giving him or her a blank check? In many ways, you control the amount of fees. Remember the famous saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln: "A lawyer’s time is his stock in trade." Every time you or anyone calls or writes your attorney, you will be charged for the time needed to field the call or read the letter. You can … [Read more...] about Saving Money on Attorney’s Fees: A Guide for Clients