http://stephaniebullock.cbvegas.com/blog/archive_201607/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ By: Sam SkeeteReleased on July 6th, Pokémon GO, a free application which brings animated monsters to life through augmented reality, has become the biggest mobile game in U.S. history with over 15 million downloads in under a week. The application taps into years past featuring aspects of Pokémon, Nintendo’s most popular brand. Just in one week, Pokémon GO managed to boost Nintendo’s market value over $7.5 billion, and all the numbers encompassing the game are only rising.Pokémon GO uses your smartphone’s GPS and Camera functions to help players find and capture characters from the series. The game takes the player out of residential areas into parks and nature preserves to search for elusive monsters so they can battle and trade with other players. When a player finds a Pokémon, the phone camera is used to make the monster appear in the real world. The game also features other incentive to get people out of their cars, and out walking, running, skating, or biking, all with the same goal, to catch them all.For Las Vegas, this game is the new craze. Children, teens, and adults alike now repopulate and rejuvenate parks and recreational areas, and they’re all looking for Pokémon. Last Sunday, only three days after the game’s release, a meet and greet was held for the game at Sunset Park. The event gathered hundreds of people of varying ages, backgrounds, and locations in the valley. Smaller meet ups also occur every day between both friends and groups of strangers thanks to the game. All this foot traffic raises questions for the residents of Las Vegas. Both negative and positive aspects arise from the game. Players buried too deep into their phones might not be aware of their surroundings, leading to accidents. Some players also tend to play the game while driving, and even in some cases in other states there have been crimes that used the game to help criminals lure out and mug players at night. Despite these negatives about the game, the sense of community in Las Vegas is greatly rising. Players now concern for the upkeep of parks and sidewalks, pedestrian walking paths, and other factors that concern walking around in Las Vegas. Some players have taken the initiative to help clean garbage and litter around where they look for Pokémon. With the game comes more support for a faster organized transportation system. The game manages to both players who do and do not play the game with a healthy, active community. Hopefully, this trend will still exist outside of the game.The application can also be extremely beneficial from a real estate angle. Currently, Niantic Inc., the creators of the application, are planning to work with sponsors to host stops for players at any place of business that is not already a stop. A player stop, known as a Pokéstop, gives players resources to catch Pokémon and are found in high traffic locations. Now, users on forums such as Reddit are looking for work or living locations that have many Pokéstops nearby. With new features imminent, companies can get these players to visit any of their multiple locations, Pokémon GO can be a penultimate decision in the purchase of housing. 1.      1.   Source of market information: https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/11/pokemon-go-nintendo-stock-up-value/2.  Source for app growth: https://www.surveymonkey.com/business/intelligence/pokemon-go-biggest-mobile-game-ever/3.    Source for sponsorship information: http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/13/12171920/pokemon-go-businesses-pokestops-sponsored http://stephaniebullock.cbvegas.com/blog/16235/gotta-catch-‘em-all!/ Thu, 28 Jul 2016 12:00:00 -0800 Owning a home isn’t always a happily-ever-after story. On any given day, you might deal with a leaky roof, a weedy lawn or a bad neighbor. Homeowners associations can help with these inconveniences.HOAs are governing bodies found within common-interest communities, such as planned or gated neighborhoods and apartment or condominium buildings. They’re run and funded by residents, and have boards of directors that organize regular meetings, establish and maintain budgets, and enforce rules and regulations.When they work well, HOAs can increase property values by ensuring that their communities stay visually appealing — no rusting Oldsmobiles on front lawns, for example. When they don’t work well, whether because of high fees or poor management, they can make owning a home a bureaucratic pain.To decide whether you should buy a home in a neighborhood with an HOA, keep these two factors in mind.You’ll have to pay feesHOA members are required to pay monthly, quarterly or yearly dues. These fees pay for the installation and upkeep of community common areas, including walkways, parks, lighting, elevators, pools and clubhouses.Fees vary depending on living situations. A resident of a New York high-rise with a movie theater and a gym might pay higher fees than a resident of a tract house in Portland, Oregon. And owners of a two-bedroom condo will pay more than owners of a one-bedroom.Based on a community’s maintenance needs and number of residents, its HOA can raise its fees. And if there isn’t enough money in a reserve fund, homeowners might be charged a special assessment — sometimes without a majority vote, depending on how the HOA is run.HOA boards can also take action against those who don’t pay, from issuing a warning to putting a lien on the home or forcing the owner to foreclosure.Despite their ability to collect dues, 70% of HOAs are underfunded, according to the National Association of Realtors. Keep this in mind when you’re looking at properties. You might want to ask your real estate agent for a copy of the HOA’s most recent financial report.Before you buy a home in a neighborhood with an HOA, find out:How much the fees cost.How often fees are due.What fees cover.If there’s a reserve fund for emergencies or special projects.Check in with yourself, too: Are you going to use the amenities that the fees cover? Do the fees fit your budget?You’ll have to follow the rulesHOA rules are known as covenants, conditions and restrictions. Always obtain an HOA’s CC&Rs before making any homebuying decisions.When it comes to houses, most HOA rules center on exteriors. For example, members might be required to keep their lawns green, even in a drought. For apartment or condominium owners, they might dictate the types of pets residents are allowed to have or whether they can smoke inside.You might welcome these rules if you’re concerned about noisy or sloppy neighbors. But if you want to install solar panels, paint your front door neon pink or throw late-night parties, you might run into trouble with your HOA.And if you don’t follow the rules — say, by adopting a Great Dane when residents are limited to dogs 50 pounds or smaller — the HOA will request that you reverse your actions. Further repercussions could include fines and even a lawsuit.Before you buy a home in a neighborhood with an HOA, find out:The rules.How the rules are implemented.What happens when rules aren’t followed.And ask yourself: Are you the type of person who can abide by these rules?You can also ask your real estate agent whether you can sit in on an HOA meeting or whether the minutes are available. This will give you a sense of the community dynamics. Successful HOAs are democratic, with board members acting in the best interests of residents.There are going to be rules to follow and bills to pay no matter where you live. Living somewhere with an HOA — especially one that works well — essentially gives you a home caretaker and security provider all in one. More than 20% of the U.S. population lives in some type of common-interest community, and more than half of them are part of an HOA, according to the Community Associations Institute.But they’re not for everyone. When you’re looking to buy a home, get more information about HOAs from your real estate agent — and ask yourself whether you can live happily ever after with or without one.By: Michael Burge is a staff writer at NerdWallet. This article originally appeared on NerdWallet http://stephaniebullock.cbvegas.com/blog/15932/two-things-you-need-to-know-about-homeowners-associations/ Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:00:00 -0800