Likes and dislikes of Rio Rancho?

[Homewardbound66]

Originally Posted by MichaelBC

Homewardbound66, what does your husband do? I ask, because I would have to agree with 30 Apples. Alamogordo is a really nice smaller family oriented place. My ex-wife was born and raised there and I absolutely loved it there. I was born and raised in Michigan and I never felt lie that was my home. When I first visited Alamogordo, and out hiking, I just had this feeling that I was "home".

I chose to relocate to Savannah, Georgia for my family but I try and keep in touch with friends and family back in NM and MI (did I happen to mention I am SOOOOOOOO glad to be out of Michigan?, lol).

good luck with your move.

Hi MichaelBC - My husband is a Windows Network Administrator or Systems Administrator. He has about 3 job possibilities coming up this week. We are very excited about the job opportunities here in Albquerque. We will definitely be concentrating our house hunting in the East Mountains as we end up there every weekend. The mountains draw us. We intend to do other things, but seriously, we end up there. I think its a no-brainer! I do intend to visit Alamogordo and have on the internet. We have done the small town thing, the big city (Chicago), the suburbs (Rockford and Rio Rancho), BUT we have never had the blessings of living on a mountain. I grew up with Waltons and always dreamed of "owning" a mountain. I will feel extremely blessed if we can just live near or on one. The wildlife is exciting and the whole idea appeals to us. Rio Rancho is a great temporary place, but to invest $200,000 or more we will look to the East. Thanks for you opinion. By the way, I totally understand when you said you knew you had found "home" because that's how we feel when we drive through Sandia Park, Cedar Crest and Tijeras. I roll down the window and breath deeply. My husband asks, "So, does it pass the smell test?" and guess what! It never fails to pass the smell test! Very happy to be here in New Mexico!! Excited to entertain our family and friends. Its the best move we've made in our 20 plus years together. Sorry to ramble, but in a rambling mood.

[shaddow]

I am returning to New Mexico after a long absence. How long? So long ago that I can't remember there being such a thing as Rio Rancho! Is there a resident of RR that can tell if there is a gated community there? I also am bringing my 90 year old mother with me and will be needing a good nursing home for her as she has COPD.

Shaddow

[Celia9393]

My daughter and SIL(both about 50) recently moved to Sara's Meadow, a gated community in Rio Rancho. They are most pleased. They have found many military retirees who are older than they are, however the friendly atmosphere has impressed them. These homes are for sale but some are leased. Sorry, I cannot help regarding more gated communities or nursing home facilities.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by 30apples

Family friendly town- Alamogordo, from my experience. small enough to be neighborly, relatively inexpensive housing. small elementary schools, which many kids walk to. Lots of activities available for children. You can get anywhere in town in 10 minutes +-. Two nice town swimming pools, one w/ removable cover for winter swimming. Half hr. to the mts for sledding in the winter. good library w/ kids programs. Town backs up to mts foothills so there's plenty of areas for nature walks,hikes, exploring. The best town I've been to in NM.

I finally got here permanently on Aug 13.....and so far I have found it to be a wonderful place. People here have been good to me up to this point, and I am really enjoying the mountains and scenery.

The only downside has been the heat. It's not anything new to me, but I hope it cools down sooner here than it did in my native West Texas. I am finding the nights are cooling off considerably more than they did at home.

You really do have a small-town feel here....yet have quite a few amenities for the size of the town.

I am looking forward to getting to know the area better.

[TerrapinStation]

Better late than never. Welcome to the Sub.....I moved into one of the first homes built in the Northern Meadows area, which is less than a 1/2 mile from the arena and the new city hall that just opened. Also, according to UNM they will start developing a site near the city hall(I saw some zoning maps at the old city hall when I was starting my home business), this will be done with CNM as well so there will be a large educational facility nearby. I'd say give it a few more years and this area will really be booming as the developments over the last 2 years have grown quite a bit.

I have been here for about 2 years now with my wife. We did have some dust issues at first but now with all the other houses and walls its not that bad. Just during "wind" season.

Norm: our lot is about 1/2 acre so yeah there are some bigger lots out there.

I like the area a lot as well as it is quiet out here, lots of stars at night(my brother recently visited from Atlanta on his way to L.A. and freaked out by the stars that he could see.)

I commute to UNM area daily and it isn't too bad of a drive, usually 30 mins w/o traffic and 45 with.

Anyway good luck with your new place.

[shaddow]

Does anyone out there have an insight as to compairative quality of home builders in Rio Rancho? My parents were briefly involved in real estate/home sales in Albuquerque. They told me that they tended to avoid Rio Rancho, because the community had been built so quickly that they felt that quality had suffered. My father is no longer alive and my mother is in a home and unsure of details, so trying to get information from either of them is not an option.

Is there anyone who can tell me if the homes in Rio Rancho are well built with quality matterials, or if infact some are slap dash, which ones should avoided? I understand with the down sizing of Intel inc. that there may be a buyer's market in RR and I am expecting to return to NM in the not too distant future. Oh, and please do not present the argument that they are all "built to code" as proof that the homes in RR are up to snuff. In my personal expirience, "code" is what the builders tell the local government is adequate.

Shaddow

[LLD]

I live in far north Rio Rancho and I like it. I'm only about 30 minutes from downtown. And there are schools, parks, churches, grocery stores, shopping, recreation etc all within Rio Rancho.

I totally disagree that it is just some big sprawling subdivision. Sure they are subdivisions, but there are also estate homes -- on 1 acres or more. Lots of that up and down 528. And there is every price range here from pretty expensive to million dollar homes. And you can find lots of well planned communities with parks or golf courses etc. and very nice architecture.

I chose Rio Rancho because I could get a new house here and do it the way I wanted and because I could have incredible moutain views and not pay the prices of Far NE Heights or Placitas.

My only drawback is that it is farily far away from most nightlife in town... but then this town is not really for 35 and up. However, that is starting to change as there are a couple of big hotels in Rio Ranch who are having dances and such on Friday and Saturday evenings. I love the Defined Fitness in Rio Rancho... really nice people and a pretty big variety of classes. There are doctors and vets and dentists -- everything you need really.

The Santa Ana Star Center is also getting good reviews and has had some great performances. And the Rio Ranch town center that is planned seems like a very good idea to me. Then there is the Santa Ana casino and also Santa Ana and Twin Warriors golf courses. And the golf pro at Twin Warriors is absolutly fantastic and she runs lots of reasonably priced clinics and lessons. Prairie Star at Santa Ana is also frankly one of the best restaurants in the Albuquerque area with superb service and a gorgeous ambience and beautiful golf course and moutain views. There are many weddings there because it is so beatiful.

[LLD]

There are several builders in Rio Ranch from tract homes to semi-custom to custom. You need to do your research. I have a Wallen home and love it. I would highly recommend them but others have had problems. I don't like KB homes and never have. They have a terrible reputation in several states, but there are people with KB homes here in Albuquerque and they are very satisfied. Centex Homes really screwed up some years back and didn't build the foundations right and had lots of cracked slabs but they have since learned how to build on the sand and seem to have a very good rep here. DR Horton and Rayleigh do a good business also. And there are many more.

[TCK]

I moved here in summer of 2001. I was thrilled with the change from FL to NM, i.e., seeing seasons, mountains, snow and Bosque. It is now Fall 2007 and I am restless.

CONS: No hospital, only E.R., lack of good jobs, dirt, lack of green grass, muddy and dirty rivers, poor schools (greatschools.com does not always give the true pic), violence/fighting in schools (or is it everywhere?), too few major roads (kiss your appt. away if you have one in Albuquerque and there is an accident), lack of police directing traffic when there is an accident or the traffic signals go out, poor response time for fire rescue (one and only time), lack of teenage sports by the city, adults have to come as a team to participate in sports (individuals put on waiting list - guess it makes city recreational employees' jobs easier), past mayor problems, gangs, I WILL STOP BECAUSE I AM GETTING DEPRESSED. No, one more thing - if you live off of unser and the new boomin city hall and Santa Ana - there are no gas stations, grocery stores, recreational facilities. My son had to be at bus stop for mid-high 75 minutes before the start of school. Mid-high sucks. Shame they put all 8th and 9th graders in one school. If you want to transfer out there is nothing unless you homeschool or cyber academy. Houses used to be reasonable but too expensive. Not made sturdy (or perhaps I am just used to FL built houses).


PROS: Majority of people nice, have had the most number of friends in the last six years than 44 years prior. Great churches. Beautiful Jemez Springs is an hour away. Great boxing gym in Albuquerque only 30 minutes away.
THAT'S IT.

[30apples]

homewardbound66-- Alamogordo is a very family-friendly town. It is one the small side, quiet, and safe for children. It is 1/2 hr. from the green mts area of High Rolls and Cloudcroft, w/ not much traffic along the way. Your child would be able to walk or bike ride (when older) to places in town.
There is a large air force base outside of town for possible job opportunities and extra patriotic events.
Must enjoy months of warm and hot weather, w/ some dusty windstorms thrown in. This doesn't bother a lot of people. Good luck.