Whats Housing like in Clovis? (Albuquerque, Portales: relocating, estate, landscaping)

[blackbbw916]

I am considering relocating to Clovis. I have been out for a job interview and the wages are very low..and everyone keeps quoting "the cost of living is lower here" Well in the couple of days that I was there I really didnt see it. Store prices (gas, food, walmart) were comparable to what I am experiencing in CA. So I am hoping the housing is super cheap.

Anyone know what the house rental situation is in clovis for a 2 bedroom or more near the north plains mall area?


Thanks

[abqsunport]

On account that Clovis is about 4 Hours Southeast of Albuquerque, you would be better off posting this in the regular New Mexico forum. Nontheless, best of luck with your decision!

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by blackbbw916

I am considering relocating to Clovis. I have been out for a job interview and the wages are very low..and everyone keeps quoting "the cost of living is lower here" Well in the couple of days that I was there I really didnt see it. Store prices (gas, food, walmart) were comparable to what I am experiencing in CA. So I am hoping the housing is super cheap.

Anyone know what the house rental situation is in clovis for a 2 bedroom or more near the north plains mall area?


Thanks

Although I owned a small home in Clovis, some thirty five years ago, my wife and I have considered moving from Albuquerque where we currently live back to Clovis for retirement. In as much, we have looked at a few Clovis properties recently. However, in looking at property prices around Curry County, we discovered to our dismay that home prices are almost comparable to Albuquerque. Also, I'm not sure what is going on, but until just recently gas prices in Clovis were some of the lowest in the State. Now Clovis' gas prices are some of the highest.

I'm sorry that I cannot speak to your rent question but if rent follows property prices, it must be fairly high. I can tell you that the area you are talking about in the northeast of Clovis is some of the nicest in town and where I would also move to.

I really don't want to discourage you from Clovis but I saw your question and thought I should add my observations. Clovis still remains one of my favorite southwestern towns and I still spend a lot of time there. It just seems to have outgrown me.

Best of luck in your decision.

[desert sun]

everything High Plains Retired said is true, housing is almost comparable to Abq but the pay isnt.My family still lives in Portales and Clovis and I hear about the high gas prices,they are usually a dime higher than us,yesterday it was at $4.04 in Portales.

I also hear how the people are trying to get the most out of their houses in Clovis and Portales and selling them for alot more than what there worth.Clovis is growing a tad and people there see it as a big change so they up their prices, rent is also getting high there.Food is another thing I hear about, sounds like they pay the same if not more than I do here in ABQ, so there you have it, good luck on your choice and keep us informed.

[clairz]

Homes in the northeast area of Clovis rent from $600 and up to $1200 or so, with most probably around the $800 range. I've heard that landlords know what the housing allowance is for Air Force families coming into Cannon Air Force Base and charge accordingly.

I know you are asking about rentals, but... At the time we bought our house here about a year ago we got a lot more house for the money than what we were selling back east. With the money left over we also bought a second house to rent out to a family member who moved here and it was only $56,000 for a mid-century Craftsman-style 2 bedroom/1 bath cottage (oak floors, spacious rooms, french doors inside), which was quite a deal in today's market when you compare it to either coast of the country. I've seen "older" (25 years) 3 bedroom homes in the northeastern part of town selling for $125,000 and up. New homes go for way more, up around the $200,000 range--not worth it to me, as they have smaller rooms and no landscaping. Just a personal preference. Buy an older home with mature landscaping, update the appliances and you have more space and a solidly built home.

There are some really lovely neighborhoods here with tree-lined streets and great gardens. You can see some of the styles of the houses in the neighborhoods here and the gardens in May here. There are a couple of other My Clovis slideshows here.

Groceries and gas are comparable to other places, but services certainly cost way less than back east. My husband was pleased that a mountain bike "tune-up" was $12.50 here, at least a $100 annual ripoff back east. No mountains to ride it on, but there you are. We just had four windows installed in our house. It took two men working at an easy southwestern pace for two days and the labor was $600.

You can read the local classified ads for yourself in the Clovis News Journal online. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page for the well-concealed classified link.

When you move to Clovis you will get a small town feel and a relaxed pace. You will also meet some very conservative people. Very, very friendly and very, very conservative. Plus lots of other people from all over, as Cannon reorganizes its mission and more folks start arriving.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions. See my profile on CD for a link to my blog, which has more Clovis photos.

~clairz

[flightlesskiwi]

my family is being "air-forced" to relocate to clovis and i've been doing some housing research myself. first, let me say that i'm excited to experience a new area of the country, regardless if most air force folks respond with an "i'm so sorry for you" when i tell them to where we are relocating.

that said, i am not too happy about the extreme lack of what i would consider suitable rentals and the over-pricing of decent houses to rent. i rented here in arkansas (in a town 25 miles north of little rock) before i bought a home and paid MUCH less per month for a MUCH nicer home than what i can find in clovis at the moment.

i'll just give a for instance. i could rent a brand new, gorgeous 2500 to 2700 sq. ft. 4 bedroom 3 bathroom home in a golf-course community for $1300 to $1600 a month. sure, that's extreme even for me, and, yes, the fact that i could rent a home like that here is because the housing market is cooooold now and there are tons of new homes just sitting. BUT there are some dumpy, dinky, poorly taken care of rental homes around 1200-1500 sq. ft. in clovis and people are asking $1000, $1200 and even $1400 a month!!! It's insane to me, especially considering (personally) our housing allowance is a whole, whopping $26 more a month in NM. And as far as buying a home there-- I am asking $169k for my 1900 sq. ft., 3/2, all brick, 2 year old home. In clovis, I could ask at least $200k. Bleck!!

not trying to sound too pessimistic, but facts are facts. arkansas housing will, apparently, spoil a person. if you want awesome housing at a decent price, move to arkansas!! did i mention my house is for sell?? ;-)

and before anyone gets snippy and tells me to live in base housing: cannon afb housing sucks. sorry, it does. most of it is scheduled to be demolished, the remaining is scheduled to be "moderately/drastically updated" by the end of 2009. oh, and they don't "update" it while you are living in it. they force you to move somewhere different. morale on the homefront will be a huge factor for my family (especially my husband) in the next 3 years, and a nice home can make a big difference.

also know that there will still be a steady trickle of AFSOC personel coming in to clovis, and not a whole lot leaving. that will probably push prices even higher and make it more difficult to find nice housing. and whenever the 3rd SOS moves from Nevada to Cannon, there will be a LOT of people all at the same time (supposedly that will happen in November, but it could be as late as January). just a heads up.

and i'll ask that if anyone who has personal experience with renting (not buying) in clovis can give me a ray of sunshine, please do!!

alright, that's my $.02.

have a great day!!

[desert sun]

I dont have any personal experience renting in Clovis but I did rent in Portales and the two towns have always been the same, the thing is housing and misc.items have always been cheap in the 2 towns, my parents bought a house in 1990 for 34,000,that same house with a remodel is selling for 150,000, Clovis hasnt really seen any growth in decades,I lived 16 years in Portales and Clovis is like a 2nd home and nothing much has changed up untill recently, they added a few restaurants and retail but for the most part housing has skyrocketed and people started fixing up old houses when they found out people would be moving into the base.Everyones got the get rich quick mentality right now.

[broncos80]

Hi,
I will also be moving to the Clovis region soon, and I was wondering if there were any dog friendly rentals in Portales or Clovis. So far, I have only found 2 rental houses that allow dogs.

Thank you!

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by broncos80

Hi,
I will also be moving to the Clovis region soon, and I was wondering if there were any dog friendly rentals in Portales or Clovis. So far, I have only found 2 rental houses that allow dogs.

Thank you!

Im not really too sure, someone is bound to accept pets

[New West 2020]

20 miles from Clovis is a much prettier town with a big university - Portales - where rents and cost of housing are more reasonable. Rents for a small 2 BR house with a huge dog-friendly yard are around $600. Portales people are friendly and better educated, and there is no "bad" part of town like in Clovis, and you can always drive up the road 15 minutes to go to Dillards, work, etc. Houses in Portales start at $60K for a fix up and go to $250 for a 2,500 square foot brick ranch. new homes are $110 per square foot. There is a brand new subdivision called Territorial Estates that is selling like hotcakes and is walking distance to the University Arena (events and workout facilities). the ambiance in Portales is MUCH better than Clovis!