Looking to relocate, employment not an issue (Albuquerque, Las Cruces: relocating, condo)

[WildWestDude]

Las Cruces Awards & Recognition
One of Inc. Magazine’s 2007 Boomtowns
Las Cruces was ranted 15 out of 400 US deemed boomtowns. The ranking is based on job growth and the strength of the local economy.

One of AARP’s 2006 “Dream Towns” to retire
Las Cruces topped AARP’s first list of great places to retire based on factors such as: the cheapest states to live in as a retiree (based on income, property, and sales taxes), weather, recreational opportunities and livability (access to health care and transportation).

One of the Best College Towns to Retire - Money Magazine November 2005
For the second time in four years, Las Cruces made one of Money’s lists of best places to retire; this time as a college town. The article cited several factors, including Las Cruces’ great weather, amazing views, cultural scene and low cost of living. Click to read story

Top 50 Motorcoach Destinations in the United States - National Bus Association, 2004 & 2005
Motorcoach charter and tour operators were given a list of cities and asked to rank them according to where they think they will be traveling to or through in 2005.

Top 10 Cities for Hispanics to Live - Hispanic Magazine, 2002 & 2003
The Las Cruces/El Paso area was ranked the fifth best city for Hispanics to live. The ranking was based on the percentage of Hispanics in the city, political representation, whether you can speak Spanish without feeling like a foreigner, and the vibrancy and “hipness” of the Latin cultural scene.

Best Small Metro Area for Business and Careers - Forbes/Milken Institute, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005
Las Cruces has ranked in the top 5 for the last several years on Forbes’ list of “Best Small Metro Area for Business and Careers,” including a #1 ranking in 2002 and #2 ranking in 2005. The rankings were based on “job growth, earned income, and “a measure of activity in critical technologies that foster future growth.”

Best Place to Live - Family Digest, Fall 2002
Las Cruces ranked the highest among 300 cities/destinations evaluated in a number of areas determined to be important to families, including: crime rate, housing costs, income, pre-college education productivity, family friendliness, weather and affordability.

One of the Best Places to Retire - Money Magazine, June 2002
The article cited several factors, including Las Cruces’ great weather, amazing views, cultural scene, low cost of living and the country’s best Mexican food and, according to the article, possibly the hottest chile in the U.S.A. The article indicated Las Cruces’ warm climate and mild winters were perfect for year-round activities such as tennis, hiking, golf and visiting attractions like the dunes of nearby White Sands National Monument.

Top Destination - Facilities & Destinations Magazine, 2001, 2002 & 2004
Las Cruces was among 75 cities in the United States selected by the magazine’s readers to receive the annual award recognizing cities for their ability to accommodate groups and conventions.

One of America’s Top 100 Retirement Towns - Where to Retire Magazine, Fall 2001
Las Cruces received praise for its diverse culture, high desert climate, low cost of living, open spaces, and year-round outdoor activities. It was also one of the few towns selected that ranked below the national cost of living average, and had an average new home price under $100,000. Each city considered was assessed on a variety of categories ranging from the availability of medical care, recreational activities, continuing education, and airports, to shopping, dining, cultural and social organizations.

[dang133]

Las Cruces seems very interesting. I didn't realize it had a University. The weather is awesome. I can take the heat. Seems cheap too. The El Paso airport is quite close. Hmm.... very interesting. Definitely worth looking into.

[WildWestDude]

Originally Posted by dang133

Las Cruces seems very interesting. I didn't realize it had a University. The weather is awesome. I can take the heat. Seems cheap too. The El Paso airport is quite close. Hmm.... very interesting. Definitely worth looking into.

Glad you liked it, let us know.....

[Towanda]

Yes, I love cold weather. Santa Fe is mild in comparison to the places I have lived, so I have to laugh a little when people say it is "too cold". To me it is a very comfortable climate.

I would never be interested in living in a hot climate like Las Cruces. I don't like the heat. Why wait for the sun to go down, when I can live someplace where I can be outdoors any time I wish?

Good thing we all like different places, isn't it? And it's okay if we differ here, isn't it?

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Towanda

Yes, I love cold weather. Santa Fe is mild in comparison to the places I have lived, so I have to laugh a little when people say it is "too cold". To me it is a very comfortable climate.

I would never be interested in living in a hot climate like Las Cruces. I don't like the heat. Why wait for the sun to go down, when I can live someplace where I can be outdoors any time I wish?

Good thing we all like different places, isn't it? And it's okay if we differ here, isn't it?

I'm with you on this one!! As I need to be reasonably close to my parents' home in TX (80's and moving on up there!!), it's easier from here in Alamo. Yes, it was hot here from the end of May to the middle of Oct here, with breaks in August/September--but right now it is just super! Cool, crisp mornings, temperate (low70s) days and colder (high 30s to mid 40s) nights!
As I have not been here full time during all those months, I don't know whether it stays consistently hot or not, but I suspect that it does.

Whether or not I head more north/northwest at a later point remains to be seen.....Santa Fe/Farmington climates would be wonderful. Farmington has already had its first freeze, and the temps generally are at least 10 degrees cooler if not more.

[WildWestDude]

You guys must not have been to the rest of the SW!
Las Cruces is not that hot when compared to other desert areas!
Tuscon, Phoenix, Yuma, Palm Springs and Las Vegas get much hotter!
Furthermore, the "hot" spell does not last that long in southern NM and their seasons are more pronounced than the above cities.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

You guys must not have been to the rest of the SW!
Las Cruces is not that hot when compared to other desert areas!
Tuscon, Phoenix, Yuma, Palm Springs and Las Vegas get much hotter!
Furthermore, the "hot" spell does not last that long in southern NM and their seasons are more pronounced than the above cities.

You're quite right when you compare LC (and Alamo is comparable to LC also) to Tucson, Phoenix, Yuma and Palm Springs--I can't say about LV Nevada, as I have never been there. Yuma is especially brutal in the summer, as AC bills can run as high as a mortgage during that time.

I left Midland, TX, in August....it was about 90 there....and I arrived to Alamo with record-breaking 102, so....yeah, it's hot.

How long it actually lasts compared to the cities you mentioned--as well as West Texas...I'll find out next season.

It's hard not to envy the cooler northern NM temps, but I'll bide my time and see how I feel in a few years.

[catman]

I'd say that if 102 was record-breaking, it's not bad. That doesn't break records here in the summer (and humidity makes it worse), and it would be positively cool in Phoenix or Yuma. Las Cruces is too big and growing too fast for me to want to retire to, and it's just a bit on the hot side. I'm thinking Alamogordo or Socorro, with Moriarty still a possibility.

[Towanda]

I spent nine years of my life in San Antonio, Texas, so I know what hot is. And I know I don't like it.

I am 100% satisfied with our decision to move to Santa Fe. I can hardly wait to live there. And I know I won't be as hot there as I would be in Las Cruces, so I am happy.

[Towanda]

catman ~

I was just in Moriarty a few weeks ago. Very nice area. A whole lot more built up than it was last time I was there in the mid-90s.