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From the first time I spoke with Briana on the phone I knew I was dealing with a professional.

Instead of the “buy now before the house gets taken!” nonsense you get from most agents, she was ready to give me an honest assessment of the market I was looking into. The house I purchased was a foreclosure, and she walked me through the pros and cons of purchasing a short sale vs a foreclosure before we even sat down at her desk and searched for properties. Her extensive knowledge and personable demeanor immediately put me at ease, allowing me to make an informed and relaxed decision about things such as: how much my initial offer would be, how much my monthly expenses would be after the purchase(stuff like HOA, insurance, and warranties), and how much money I would need to get the house livable(she knew a lot about landscaping and kitchen upgrade costs, very useful). Although I was a first time homebuyer, Briana was not the first agent I dealt with, and I can tell you, agents are not all the same!

One thing I really appreciated about Briana was that she had an office. I could call or stop by anytime I wanted, and even if she wasn’t there, her secretary could take any forms I needed to drop off and always knew what was going on. If you’re like me, nothing is more annoying than trying to talk to a secretary that is clueless about her boss’s whereabouts and dealings. The previous agent I worked with did not even have a secretary and had been working out of her car. And besides being difficult to reach, I had to fax her all the forms from a local Kinko’s. I mean, who owns a fax machine anymore?

Another thing I liked about Briana was that when we were looking at properties, I always felt like she was thinking what I was thinking. For example, one of the properties we looked at early on was one of those “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” houses, as in, the only thing going for it was its curb appeal. Rather than insult my intelligence by exaggerating the few positives within, she simply said with a smile, “It’s okay if you hate it. You won’t hurt my feelings.” We had a good laugh about the smell and moved on to the next house.

Having Briana help me find a house was like having one of my friends help me. Briana was there for me before, during, and long after the sale of the house, and being the son of a developer I can tell you that it is very rare to find such sincerity among brokers, agents, and realtors these days.

Sincerely,

Daniel T Hayes

Douglas and Eva Chinn

My husband and I have enjoyed working with Briana as she is able to quickly ascertain and understand our needs, therefore eliminating time wasted looking at properties that were of no interest to us.  As we are not local, we picked properties to view from the internet and she pre-screened them for us, as well as locating others.   She would go see the properties to check their condition, and take photographs, and then email them for us to peruse, and decide which ones that we wanted to visit.  She always easy to reach, via phone, email or smart  phone.  Through her system with electric signatures, we were able to make bids on houses through our email (when we are on vacation) without having to run to a fax machine. In fact, we are working with her again because we may be interested in more property.  She is very professional and we highly recommend her.

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Renee Duran

Briana was a paragon of patience, especially considering we didn’t seem to always know what we wanted. The proof of her abilities is how much we’re enjoying our new home. It was a great pleasure working with Briana.

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Beth Yamishiro and PG Schrader

I was a first time homebuyer.  I didn’t know anything other than what I found online about buying a home.  I really did my research when it came to scoping out properties and Briana was the first to surprise me with her insight and knowledge of the real-estate market.

Briana knows her neighborhoods, property values and people. She was even able to help me figure out what I needed and wanted even when I didn’t really know myself.  My budget was small, but she gave me the time, energy and attention as though I were buying a multi-million dollar property.  She really knows her stuff and she’s an A-class professional.  She’s amazingly hard working and dependable and I couldn’t have asked for a better real estate agent.  It was a great experience and though I closed a long time ago we are still close to this day.  Whether you’re buying, selling or renting, I highly recommend Briana’s services.

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Daniel Hayes

From the first time I spoke with Briana on the phone I knew I was dealing with a professional.

Instead of the “buy now before the house gets taken!” nonsense you get from most agents, she was ready to give me an honest assessment of the market I was looking into. The house I purchased was a foreclosure, and she walked me through the pros and cons of purchasing a short sale vs a foreclosure before we even sat down at her desk and searched for properties. Her extensive knowledge and personable demeanor immediately put me at ease, allowing me to make an informed and relaxed decision about things such as: how much my initial offer would be, how much my monthly expenses would be after the purchase(stuff like HOA, insurance, and warranties), and how much money I would need to get the house livable(she knew a lot about landscaping and kitchen upgrade costs, very useful). Although I was a first time homebuyer, Briana was not the first agent I dealt with, and I can tell you, agents are not all the same!

One thing I really appreciated about Briana was that she had an office. I could call or stop by anytime I wanted, and even if she wasn’t there, her secretary could take any forms I needed to drop off and always knew what was going on. If you’re like me, nothing is more annoying than trying to talk to a secretary that is clueless about her boss’s whereabouts and dealings. The previous agent I worked with did not even have a secretary and had been working out of her car. And besides being difficult to reach, I had to fax her all the forms from a local Kinko’s. I mean, who owns a fax machine anymore?

Another thing I liked about Briana was that when we were looking at properties, I always felt like she was thinking what I was thinking. For example, one of the properties we looked at early on was one of those “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” houses, as in, the only thing going for it was its curb appeal. Rather than insult my intelligence by exaggerating the few positives within, she simply said with a smile, “It’s okay if you hate it. You won’t hurt my feelings.” We had a good laugh about the smell and moved on to the next house.

Having Briana help me find a house was like having one of my friends help me. Briana was there for me before, during, and long after the sale of the house, and being the son of a developer I can tell you that it is very rare to find such sincerity among brokers, agents, and realtors these days.

By Ron Sylvester

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Howard Bulloch can peer over the top of Mandalay Bay from 500 feet above the Strip.

“When you think of the Strip, that’s the view people want to see,” he said. “That’s the attraction Las Vegas has for the rest of the world.”

Bulloch was looking out of a helicopter hovering above the southern Strip at dusk Monday evening, across from a parcel of land that he has owned with partner David Gaffin for more than 12 years. Little more than a year ago, Bulloch and Gaffinannounced plans for SkyVue, an observation wheel on the scale of the Singapore Flyer, or theStar of Nanchang in China or the London Eye.

“People had been talking about putting an observation wheel in Vegas for years, and we just decided we were going to do it,” Bulloch said

Down on the ground, two pillars now 60 feet tall point skyward, showingSkyVue is more than just so much talk. Today, the project begins the second phase of a $200 million construction that Bulloch promises will have a wheel towering over the Strip by the end of the year.

A dozen semi trucks are set to roll into the construction site this morning, bringing enough steel cable to stretch from the Strip to the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco to serve as supports for the massive wheel.

Plans are to have the hub and spindle for the wheel in place by the end of summer. By fall, constructions workers will begin forging large pie-shaped steel supports around the hub for a wheel expected to carry passengers late next year.

“The engineering behind it is like a big Erector set,” Bulloch said.

The wheel is going over a base of concrete submerged some 14 feet into the desert floor, where cheap hotels once stood on land Bulloch and Gaffin have owned since Mandalay Bay was under construction. The wheel will be flanked on each side by huge LED screens the size of football fields, advertising restaurants and retail shops that are part of the development.

It’s no coincidence that cable trucks are making deliveries just as the International Council of Shopping Centers is holding its convention in Las Vegas. Bulloch spent the day visiting booths at the ICSC, pitching his 140,000-square-feet of retail, dining and entertainment space.

The company has not published many final details about Project Linq, beyond covering about 500,000 square feet with a wheel about 500 feet tall.

Dennis Speigel, president of the consulting firm International Theme Park Services, has said he doubts the Strip could support two giant wheels.

“The first one out will be the last one in,” Speigel said.

Big wheel projects have been floated for Las Vegas in the past but none materialized. Now, Bulloch has various government approvals, but not the money, while Caesars has money without final approval from the county.

The popularity of the 443-foot tall London Eye, which has attracted more than 3 million riders a year since 2000, has attracted a slew of imitators from Singapore to New Jersey to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The latest generation of Ferris wheels come with enclosed gondolas — 22 passengers each for Skyvue — instead of open-air baskets.

“A giant wheel has become the icon du jour,” Speigel said.

“The London Eye has been a tremendous success,” said Bulloch, who will model ticket prices on London’s. The basic ride would cost $20 to $25.

The Monday ceremony also highlighted that big wheels are not financially foolproof.

The bearing Bulloch displayed is a leftover from a Beijing wheel that was never built. According to a spokesman, Bulloch paid about $840,000 for the unused, secondhand bearing.

Bulloch said he has received letters of intent from potential tenants for 15 percent of the retail space. A letter of intent indicates a formal interest, but not a rental contract.

At least some of the early skirmishing between Skyvue and Caesars has revolved around location. By placing his wheel right on the Strip, at a slight angle to the street, riders will get a better view, Bulloch said.

“That is the real appeal, not being off the Strip,” Bulloch said.

But Caesars senior vice president Jan Jones depicted Skyvue as relatively isolated.

“If I was going to argue location, I would rather have the center of the Strip than being on the end of the south end,” she said.