Ask Steve

A home's market value is set by what recent buyers have actually paid for homes like yours, in your neighborhood, in recent months. Online estimates give you a starting range, but they are built from public records and models.

There are actually two different things people call a cash offer. One is a real, verified cash buyer, an individual or a buyer who can pay without a loan, and that is a strong, safe buyer for any seller.

Summerlin and Henderson anchor opposite sides of the valley, and they are the two most common answers when someone asks where a serious buyer should live. Summerlin is the western flagship, planned around villages with parks and more than 200 miles of trails, built against Red Rock Canyon.

I get asked this more than almost anything else, and the honest answer is bigger than one month. In general, Las Vegas sees a seasonal lift in buying into spring and early summer, when families want to be settled before fall and when many relocations land.

Buyer closing costs in Nevada typically run a few percent of the purchase price, and the exact amount depends on your lender, your loan type, and the title and escrow fees on the particular transaction.

The VA loan is one of the strongest home buying tools in the country, and it exists because of what you did in uniform. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not lend money directly.