LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's not just Californians moving to Las Vegas anymore. A Las Vegas realtor who's from Hawaii says, he's been getting a wave of people wanting to move here to the "ninth island."
A Las Vegas realtor talked with 13 Action News about the price comparison between a single-family home in Hawaii and here in Las Vegas. It's a staggering difference.
Late last year, the average price of a Las Vegas home was over $430K, but in Hawaii, the average price was just over $800K.
In Hawaii, "aloha" means hello and goodbye. A local valley realtor from Hawaii says an influx of people are saying aloha to Hawaii's steep price of living and embracing the desert.
Scott Suzuki from Ohana Realty says Las Vegas has been an attractive option for decades because it's cheaper.
But now, real estate prices in the islands are through the roof.
"The home prices in Hawaii right now - the condos are about $500K and homes could be around $1.1 million," said Suzuki.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Census, the median household income for Hawaii was almost $90,000. While here in Nevada, the median household income is about $65,000.
For Trevis Nishioka, moving to Las Vegas from Hawaii was the ticket.
"I like vegas. Vegas is pretty dope. There's no other place. Vegas is one of a kind," said Nishioka, a cook for Bowlz LV on west Charleston.
He says from his experience, he's not missing the beach because he never had time to hang out there. He was always working to afford it. He moved his whole family to Las Vegas 12 years ago.
"We moved here because my wife and i had a family. We wanted our own place. We were living with my auntie and her parents," said Nishioka.
But to maintain a feeling of home, he cooks up hawaiian style poke' every day. He says we might not have an ocean near by, but he's still able to get fresh ahi.
Nishioka says his advice to Hawaiians who move to Las Vegas is, take it easy.
