Yet another relocation inquirery (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: real estate, crime, brokers)

[Thorbjorn]

My wife and I have decided that New Mexico is where we want to be, but just where is up in the air. We've live in the mountains of Colorado for longer than I care to remember Ideally we would want to be at or below 7,000 feet, live in a small town but be less than a 1/2 hour to a big city.

I've read many of the posts here but haven't come across anything about Tijeras or Cedar Crest. Anyone have any observations about these towns?

Any info would be appreciated

[nmguy]

I'm not acquainted enough with the two towns that you mention, but it's possible that Placitas, about 20 miles north of Abq., might be a consideration.

[Thorbjorn]

Thanks NMGuy,
Placitas is on our short list too. Wife thinks it might be too big! Another possibilities include Bosque Farms & Carnuel.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Thorbjorn

Thanks NMGuy,
Placitas is on our short list too. Wife thinks it might be too big! Another possibilities include Bosque Farms & Carnuel.

Wow...if your wife thinks Placitas is too big, she surely is a small-town lover! (Many folks would consider Placitas pretty rural and small).

For reference sake, at least in my layperson's opinion, comparing Placitas to a place like Bosque Farms is like comparing apples and oranges...they are just completely different types of areas.

Placitas is upscale (for the most part), pretty darn expensive (for the most part), very scenic, relatively high in elevation, tucked into the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, etc. It is in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe (closer to Albuquerque) and would be considered more of an upper class income type area in general.

Bosque Farms is rural - more in the farming or ranching sense - is lower in elevation than Placitas and not in foothills, but is close to the river (Rio Grande). It is more middle or even less-than-middle class in terms of income. Surely it is far more affordable than Placitas, although crime potentially may be more of a potential issue here as well?

Both I am certain have their good sides and bad sides...both indeed are small communities...but they are night-and-day different from each other.

[Thorbjorn]

EnjoyEP,
The farm/ranch thing is fine by me, being born and raised in rural Minnesota but it might be too much culture shock for the wife! If things work out without any glitches we'll be down there about the 2nd week of March to see firsthand if our research matches up with reality. Thanks for the information.

[Sooner-On-The-Move]

Try Grants. Small town. 6500 ft, but there's a mountain in the background (Mount Taylor) so it'll feel a little like home. It's 45 minutes from ABQ.

[Thorbjorn]

Sooner,
Thanks for the tip but since we are real estate brokers by trade, we really need to be close to a major market.

[Thorbjorn]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Wow...if your wife thinks Placitas is too big, she surely is a small-town lover! (Many folks would consider Placitas pretty rural and small).

For reference sake, at least in my layperson's opinion, comparing Placitas to a place like Bosque Farms is like comparing apples and oranges...they are just completely different types of areas.

Placitas is upscale (for the most part), pretty darn expensive (for the most part), very scenic, relatively high in elevation, tucked into the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, etc. It is in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe (closer to Albuquerque) and would be considered more of an upper class income type area in general.

Bosque Farms is rural - more in the farming or ranching sense - is lower in elevation than Placitas and not in foothills, but is close to the river (Rio Grande). It is more middle or even less-than-middle class in terms of income. Surely it is far more affordable than Placitas, although crime potentially may be more of a potential issue here as well?

Both I am certain have their good sides and bad sides...both indeed are small communities...but they are night-and-day different from each other.

Took another look at Pacitas on the web. Wife definately likes it. It will be on our list to check out in person. Thanks for the tip.

[stevedetrick]

I read on another forum that Placitas may have water problems - that's all that was said. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[nmguy]

stevedetrick,

I've heard that the aquifer below Placitas is bountiful, thanks to the snows and rains we've had over the past year or son.

On the other hand, I've also heard that Placitans living north of the "S" curve --about 4 miles into Placitas-- occasionally have water problems.

I say this, based on what I've heard, not what I've observed.