looking to move from alaska (Albuquerque, Los Alamos: rent, selling a house, buying)

[snonut]

Wife and i are thinking of moving to nm. From reading other post i know ya'll have beat this horse silly, so please be gentle....
We are looking for a remote place in northern nm. Would like 5-20 acres in or around the mountains. Weather is not a big concern for us, because any place in nm would be warmer than here. Not a real big fan of the hot dry areas. Not worried about the schools, kids are grown. Not to worried about
work, have retirement income. Have been looking at areas like red river,questa, chama,eagles nest, etc... It seems to me that alot of places have gated communities, not interested. Don't mind a long drive to city to
pickup supplies. Well, thats it in a nutshell, any suggestions?

[chilegal]

If you want remote, of a sort, think about Timberon. We are in Southern NM, but up in the Mts. Check out the stats about it.

[GregW]

Get a copy of the Benchmark Atlas of New Mexico from Amazon.com. Then use this site for details and links to the towns. Lots and lots of Info is available. In some places in Northern New Mexico it can be colder than Anchorage!

Find a section of the state and plan a two-week vacation during the winter or summer to experience the extremes. We plan on another exploratory trip this summer to the north and central sections to see what the hot season feel like.

Oh – rent a car in downtown Albuquerque and save about $50 in airport fees.

[MMAllen]

Jemez Springs. I'm selling a house there, in fact! It's 1.25 hrs from Albuquerque, it's mountain community. It's gorgeous and you sound like the ideal folks to survive there. Check it out, it's worth a visit! I can tell you more via messaging if you like.

[yemtig]

I second MMAllens post... The Jemez mountains is a wonderful place and truly embodies what the land of enchantment is about.... From natural hot springs, good fly fishing, and the wonderful pinon forests, it has it all!!!

[snonut]

Thank you for all your post. Haven't looked at Jemez Springs, never heard of this place.
Have heard of tiberon, i know it's in southern nm, does it get any snow?
GregW... At the moment we live in North Pole, ak., we hit -60 at least once a year.

[chilegal]

Originally Posted by snonut

Thank you for all your post. Haven't looked at Jemez Springs, never heard of this place.
Have heard of tiberon, i know it's in southern nm, does it get any snow?
GregW... At the moment we live in North Pole, ak., we hit -60 at least once a year.

Timberon is in the Sacramento Mts, about 7,000 ft. And yes it does get some snow. But I have been out in a sweatshirt shoveling the snow, which is light and fluffy. Buying a place there is a lot less than many other places in the state. Many do not like the distance to the city (1.5 hrs or less) all depends on the weather and traffic. Now all you meet are lots of turkeys on the road - real ones. Or you will see deer or elk on the road. Its not for everyone, but egglady and songinthewind like it here as I do. Its one place to consider.
Also you have the Lincoln National Forest right outside of Timberon, what a great place to visit, wether on foot or ATV.
Jane

[MMAllen]

That's cause they call Jemez Springs one of the world's best kept secrets! I probably shouldn't even be mentioning it, hah! However, if you go to Google and type it in, you will find lots of stuff. A couple years ago it was mentioned in something like the Washington Post or Wall Street Journal, some big paper, in a list of the top ten best places to purchase vacation homes in America, both for amenities and value. It's not easy to live there - you have to go into the city for most supplies, etc. - but it is a tourist area part of the year, the locals are very involved in gov't and what happens (much dicussion if an old tree is to be chopped down) there. Amazing people, lots of creative folks, retired folks, commuters to Los Alamos and Albuquerque, Jemez Pueblo is there, much interaction of the communities, an award-winning winery is up the road in Ponderosa, wonderful cafes, gift shops, Los Ojos Saloon, the Jemez Bath house (mineral baths, herbal wraps, massage). A lot of new building is going on there too. Trout fishing, hiking, hot springs, wildlife.

It's paradise, basically. For the hearty!

[GregW]

I visited North Pole, AK about 40 years ago on the best post 'Nam vacation anyone could ever have. It was during the summer.

Add Glenwood, Reserve and Datil to your list. Like I said - get the Atlas. i have also visited Jemez Springs on a job intervier at Los alamos 30 years ago. JS is a 'garden spot of universe'.

[mortimer]

If you are moving from Alaska and you basically like it there, Northern NM and Southern CO are likely to be less of a transition from your current locale.

Costilla, NM and San Luis, CO areas might be more to your liking. Once you reach Questa, you can start your search.

I like all those other places mentioned, but once you get near the border, you'll be surrounded by peaks that reach above treeline.

> Not a real big fan of the hot dry areas.

Relative to where you are now, Timberon and Jemez Springs are hot dry areas.