Thinking about living in Las Vegas? Here are some things you should know. They might be useful for some visitors, too.

Between 2001 and 2003 we made a dozen trips to Las Vegas. All were at least a week long, and two lasted a month. We bought residential real estate, and dealt with many people who knew Las Vegas from an insider's point of view.

We asked hundreds of questions about all kinds of topics, and considered ourselves quite knowledgeable about the town.

Living in Las Vegas, however, showed us we still had much to learn.

The Streets of Las Vegas

Whoever laid out the streets of Las Vegas had a warped sense of humor.

One street in our neighborhood has three completely unconnected sections in the space of a mile. They all have the same name, but there is no way to get from one section to another without using three other streets.

Drive north on Fort Apache from Tropicana, and you'll be on Rampart after crossing Charleston. Cross Cheyenne, and now you're on Durango. All without making a single turn

Then there is Lake Mead Boulevard which runs across the northern part of the city and heads out of town to the east. Don't confuse it with Lake Mead Parkway in Henderson, some 12 miles south.

When living in Las Vegas, a good map helps.

The Wind in Las Vegas

I'm not talking about storms. On an otherwise bright sunny day, the wind can suddenly pick up to a steady at 30 miles per hour and stay there for hours. Gusts to 40 are common and 60 isn't unheard of.

This can create some problems.

Doors and windows that don't close tightly allow piles of dirt to form inside your house on windy days.

On trash days, you may have to walk half a block to retrieve you garbage can (If you can find it at all).

And, you will learn very quickly, that, living in Las Vegas, you never, ever, leave an opened patio umbrella unattended.

Why to avoid homeowners associations when living in Las Vegas

We are real estate investors. We own houses. Several are in areas with Homeowners associations. I'm sure these organizations are founded with the best of intentions, but they often get way out of hand.

I recently got a letter from one, explaining why looking into our walled and gated back yard to insure we were complying with their rules, was for our own good.

At another property my wife checked on some workmen. With trucks in the driveway, my wife parked in the street. Even though she had only been there a few minutes, and was standing right next to her car, they tried to tow it.

Still another sent me a violation notice for speakers and a sofa in the front yard. The evidently overlooked the 26 foot orange truck in the driveway that the tenant was loading as he moved out.

Our own house does not have an association.

The maximum temperature in Las Vegas

If you study the official records for Las Vegas weather, you will see that the recorded temperature has never exceeded 117 degrees. Of course, when you drive around town in July or August, you will see roadside thermometers reading higher. Not one or two, mind you. They will all read higher.

I've seen as high as 124.

Your car thermometer will agree.

Turn on the radio, however, and the announcer on any station will happily tell you it's 117 (or even lower).

I don't know why.

It's good to live in Las Vegas

My wife recently went to work for one of the major casinos. She was pleasantly surprised to be offered free show tickets. We decided to take some friends, so we needed to buy two more tickets. As locals, we were given 50% off, so between her employer and our discount we effectively paid for only one ticket.

We have been to several shows since then, and always make sure the ticket vendor knows we live in Las Vegas.

After four years, we keep learning about Las Vegas one day at a time.