Relocating (Las Cruces, Roswell, Alamogordo: renting, high crime, appliances)

[zekemom]

My retired husband and I (also retired) are hoping to move to New Mexico in the near future. Needless to say, we are on a very limited budget and would like to live in the Las Cruces area although Deming is starting to look good as well. We've done some extensive traveling in the southwest and have passed through both cities and like what we've seen. Any suggestions?

[Scholar]

This, of course, is such an individual choice with so many unknowns, but I can say that you might want to look at resource availability. Las Cruces has so many more resources, especially medical resources. While this may not be a concern for you now, having to travel over an hour from Deming to a hospital could be an issue one of these days. People in New Mexico often travel to El Paso, Midland/Odessa or Lubbock for medical care, and it can get expensive.

[Mark S.]

I don't know that much about Deming, but my father lives in Las Cruces and loves it. It's a great little town if you don't mind intense desert heat.

I've heard good things about Silver City and Alamagordo, but I confess I don't know much about them myself.

Carlsbad is also nice, I've heard. Even if you don't end up living there, you must go see the caverns. They really are one of the great wonders of the world. You won't regret it.

Towns to avoid: Clovis/Portales, Artesia, Roswell.

[zekemom]

Thank you for the info. I guess my next question is housing and neighborhoods and such. We're a little more familiar with Las Cruces as we have friends there but I'm thinking we're looking for something a little smaller. We currently live in a big, northern city after living in San Diego for many years, and at this stage in our lives we're looking for somewhere smaller and quieter and more affordable. Do you think Deming is what we're looking for?

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by zekemom

Do you think Deming is what we're looking for?

I don't know that much about it. Sorry. Their crime stats are on the high end. Check out: http://www.city-data.com/city/Deming-New-Mexico.html

My dad recently moved back to Las Cruces, and the found a neighborhood up the mountains. It's still within easy driving distance of town, but they have the benefit of a quiet place. And being up on the mountain, it isn't quite as brutally hot up there as it is down in town.

[KimK]

Deming is growing but not to the point where its future direction is very clear. It has some vineyards going in out there so there is some economy developing but there is lots of poverty and unemployment (not unlike Lordsburg). I have worked all over New Mexico and I didn't like working in Deming. There are still enough crazies out there that think they are living off the grid (but they are not) and they answer the door with shotguns (they are not off on ranches mind you but in housing tracts) and lots of hostility.

Also, as was pointed out, you would have to use the services in Las Cruces so why not check areas around there like Hatch or Mesquite, Vado, Mesilla Valley, Anthony to live. Those areas are growing and its pretty clear that they are going up in quality of life over the next decade and not down so your investment would be protected as well.

[zekemom]

I'm now thinking about Mesilla. Does anyone have any information regarding this area? We've been happy home-owners for many years and are now thinking about renting a house for awhile before deciding where to settle permanently.

[chilegal]

Great idea on renting before buying, that way you can check out all the area and decide then. I am in Alamogordo, and love it. Close to the mountains, and close (70mi) to Cruces. Yes the desert is hot, but many days cooler than back in Illinois where I am from.
Good Luck on your search,
Jane

[tito]

Perhaps it will help other people if I tell my own story of how I chose to live in Las Cruces. The first time I heard of Las Cruces was about ten years ago, from a a very distinguished painter (artist) from New York who had retired there. My first thought was, if this talented and famous artist has chosen to retire in Las Cruces, it most be because he has found something good in that town. So, I started to explore Las Cruces in the Internet and in travel books. However before making my final decision, I traveled extensively in Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Mexico, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas, the Pacific West Coast and New Mexico looking for a good spot too retire. Let me make clear that chosing where to retire is a very personal thing, it does not mean that other parts aren't good. For instance, I loved the Pacific Northwest but the constant rain and the high humidity index played havoc with my arthritis. Mexico was interesting to me, because I'm bi-lingual and could easily adapt. Some parts of Mexico attracted my atttention, like Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast, lovely sites and quite affordable. Inland I checked Guanajuato, Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende, nice cities with a great climate and also very affordable. The things that made me decide not to go to Mexico were:
1- Quality of health care in the province is not very reliable
2- Public health in some towns leaves a lot to be desired, like poor quality of drinking water, disease transmiting mosquitoes, contaminated raw vegetables and fruits. etc.
3- High crime index
4- A very limited market for my paintings (since I'm an artist), difficulty in obtaining good quality painting supplies
5- Very complicated immigration laws that prohibited me to bring my own automobile and household appliances.
6- A lot of red tape for buying property
7- I was forbidden to work or make any money there
So I gave up, because I had no chance even if goiing there as an illegal, because they are jailed like criminals and deported.
I'm happy for having chosen las Cruces as my new home, because it has many of the things I like and which will be redundant to describe. My advice to people who are looking for a retirement place is to do enough traveling to see by yourself, because no one can see the same things that your eyes can see. Renting is a wise idea if you don't mind having to move again. I personaly hate movng and prefer to take the chance of moving just one time.

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by chilegal

I am in Alamogordo, and love it. Close to the mountains, and close (70mi) to Cruces.

I love the Sacramento mountains....So neat to go up the mountain (U.S..82) in hard core desert and about ten miles up to go thru a Tunnel in the mountain and come out the other side and be in beautiful pine trees for hundreds of square miles.