General Contractor Moving to Taos (condos, zoning, employment)

[woodbutcher]

Hello! I am a general contractor, cabinetmaker and journeyman carpenter. I am considering moving to Taos. Does anyone know what the market is like around Taos for someone who builds and remodels houses, and does general carpentry project like decks and fences? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
-WOODBUTCHER

[Zoidberg]

Taos is a small town, and it's all about who you know.

One of my friends remarked that a good chunk of the town is on unemployment half the year. Some of them rely on the ski industry during the season, then don't work the remainder of the year. The other bit relies on the construction industry during the summer, and don't work the remainder of the year.

I asked if they were the same people. She said absolutely not.

Construction's going great guns in Taos. You need to put in some good roots quickly to find work, however. There are a lot of people who don't speak English who you'd be competing with, and they have family and friends going back 7 generations.

You might have a chance of flipping houses if you can afford to get into your first one. Land values have appreciated significantly out that way, and I don't believe it's been hit too hard by the housing crash, since most new construction caters to the über-rich.

[woodbutcher]

Thanks! I'm in Los Angeles now, I speak some Spanish but only at the construction site related level. I understand that New Mexico requires a 90 day residency before one can alpply for a contractor's license. I know an architect there who designed a house that I built in Los Angeles. I'm trying to contact him as well. Unemployment 50% of the year, sounds dicey to me. I gues it will take some good researech and planning to figure out if Taos is the place for me.

[GregW]

Sounds like you could build houses outside in the summer and cabinets in the winter. Take some time to visit and talk with local building officials and contractors before you move your business.

[Vinegaroon]

The thing that is going to go gangbusters there in the future is condos. So you need to find open space, purchase it, wade through all the zoning and subdivision laws, and start building your condo units. If you build it, they will come.

[woodbutcher]

Thanks! I plan to go out to Taos in about a month and look around and talk to as many people as I can about the construction biz out there. I haven't been to Taos since 1973. I was at the time recently discharged from the USAF after having spent a year in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. I bought a motorcycle and took a long rode trip, and went through Taos and spent a couple of days there. If I recall, I camped near a place called the Hot Springs, which at the time was sort of a dilapidated old abandoned resort.

[jsc23]

Where are you moving from? NM does not have "reciprocity" for out of state contractor licenses. If you are from outside NM, you'll have to jump through a few hoops to get licensed here. The process is tedious and a bit convoluted but not impossible- but you should be aware of it before making final decision.

this link is to the NM Regulation and Licensing page on getting licensed
NM Construction Industries Division - Getting Licensed