In 2004 and 2005, real estate listings for Henderson Nevada were a hot commodity for investors because of steadily increasing property and appreciation values. What investors want to know now is whether a stake in Henderson, Nevada real estate remains a good bet, or more of a high stakes gamble?

Henderson, Nevada, with a population of 252,516 is the second largest city in the state, and nicknamed “the gateway to Southern Nevada.” Henderson is located approximately 5 miles from Las Vegas, and is home to many major corporate distribution offices including Levi Strauss and Company, Ocean Spray Cranberries, and Ford Credit. Residents take pride in their city’s nationally accredited parks system and low crime rates, if not its average temperatures, which can range from 91-108 degrees in the summer to a chilly 58-41 degrees in the winter.

Local surveys of real estate listings for Henderson, Nevada report that the average home price is $200,781, a decline from 2004, when it was $353,798. While the consensus among many local real estate experts seems to be that the housing bubble in Henderson has already burst or soon will, a few remain optimistic that because of the city’s stable economy, due to the amount of industry and tourism employment opportunities, property values will peak again next year and real estate listings for Henderson Nevada will reflect this trend.

According to Realty Times, an online real estate blog, both the housing market and the appreciation rates of area homes have slowed down dramatically since peaking in 2004. Real estate listings for Henderson Nevada do seem to show a decline in home sales when one considers the high amount of “reduced to sell” and re-priced listings.

Many investors are keeping a pile of chips on the sideline as more distressed and foreclosure properties hit the market. The thinking is that “cash positions” will give investors the advantage in case it does become more viable to examine real estate listings for Henderson Nevada for possible reinvestment strategies in the future.

Real estate investment is a lot like spinning a roulette wheel or playing the slots: sometimes you make a profit, sometimes you get your money back, and sometimes you end up with your bank account in the red and nothing but lemons to show for it. Skilled investors know that there is a time to bet high, and a time to wait it out and spend some money on a few lobster dinners and $4.99 casino buffets in Las Vegas instead.