Just a few quick statistics on the market before I run to show homes to a client looking for a second home:

     Median price rose to $138,000

     4039 homes were sold in September

     44% of sales were cash

That cash figure is phenomenal. It's the investors. Easy to see where the smart money is being invested right now.

I wrote 3 offers on Thursday and had 2 of these accepted on Friday. I think I'll sell one or two more before the weekend is out. At this pace we may not see our normal holiday slowdown until December 24.

With Reflection Bay Golf Club closed at Lake Las Vegas, homes there are selling unbelievably low. If you're looking for a second home, this is a great time to look. Do your research on this one so you are aware of the bankruptcy issue. It's the uncertainty that's driven the prices so low. I never recommend this to investors (too far out for most renters), but for a second home in a postcard-pretty setting, this might be ideal for you. Plan to hold until they get their issues resolved.

If you've made more than one offer on a Las Vegas foreclosure lately, you'll totally get this.

With banks finally trying to spread their REO listings among more than a small handful of listing agents, we come up against new roadblocks, er I mean navigate new systems, daily.

Prices have climbed, albeit a nearly imperceptible rise. With multiple offers on nearly every home, some buyers are getting very frustrated. With fewer than 1600 REOs on the market today, you need to have the right offer to get it accepted.

Expect a roller coaster ride if you are shopping for a bank-owned home in the Las Vegas area right now. Not one of those smooth new highspeed coasters that glide quietly and seemingly effortlessly through the ride. More like that old mad mouse coaster on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk that jars your spine and frays your last nerve.

Use an experienced Realtor, friends. That's my best advice for today.