Truth or Consequences (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho: foreclosure, to buy, construction)

[highdesertmutz]

would you have even the slightest clue as to why people want out bad?
home / property values up?
when we first arrived here in nov. 2005, we rented a 2 br. house, complete with roaches, shingles blown off and missing, leaky pipes, and, at one time I researched the value of the property. house was worth 12K and lot valued at 10K.
I asked the prominant realtor how much was their asking price because the home was for sale. they told me 52K. and claimed it was a 'fixer-upper'. I had to let them know that I didn't buy fixer uppers for 52K, and what was their bottom price? reply: 52K. we only stayed in the house for two more months, and exited the slumlord's life. they didn't want to fix anything, just wanted a renter to pay them, and shut up. we nearly froze our you know whats off in that place!
question: don't they receive a lot of precipitation around roswell? along with more inclement weather than T or C does?
right now, it must be what they call a 'buyer's market', due to the lowering of prices or the price people are willing to accept to get out, and, with a weak economy and foreclosures, property has got to be cheaper now than 12 months ago. it surely can't be a sellers market right now because there seems to be a stall in new housing and existing housing sales.
oh, what I would give for a k-mart in this town right now!
there's some places for sale up in hillsboro and kingston, pretty expensive, but, location, location, location! near the Gila National Forest.
I'm glad someone's in agreement with me about wally world. I thought I was the only one whining.lol

Originally Posted by designer

When you look at the real estate mags it would appear that land and homes
have gone up a lot in the past two years but I sure know a lot of people here
in T or C and the butte who want out bad and even after lowering the asking
on their houses they have had no bites at all. I want to sell mine soon but
I know better than to put it on the market now. I'm heading over to the
cool (high) country tomorrow to look to see if there are any bargins in the
cooler zone. Might even go on over to Roswell to see what's happening.

I also agree about the Walmart post and I'm not very impressed either.
They have really lost their price edge and now I would be just as happy
to go to a nice smiths or Albertsons. The only edge that the new T or C
Walmart might have is that they carry some things that are difficult to
find here. I've also been hearing rumors that the new Motorplex may
give up on building here but these could just be some more rumors that
seem to run rampant around here.

[dracul]

Your description of the cabbies seems tailor-made for the Mall-Wart denizens, highdesertmutz! IQ points above those of typical domestic goldfish are not sought for that hive. Kinda reminds me of general trends nation-wide!

[highdesertmutz]

Well, my friend, I am still curious about why property owners around the town are abandoning or bailing out of here.
Just recently, I picked up the local paper, and read that because of all the rains we've had here of late, have damaged buildings downtown, and some stock of storekeeps has been ruined. In fact, employees are leaving the municipal court building because of leaky roof and mold problems. One employee has already quit. It really sounds to me as if the city has absolutely no building code enforcement, but, someone from the city defended the building and inspection department by stating publicly they were doing a good job. I know of several areas that need much improvement concerning building inspections and codes, but I'm not a prominant businessman nor certified inspector, I just must have a greater eye for detail than some city workers might have. Who's to say if inspectors have been turning a blind eye here or not? I lived in and around chicago for most of my life and know that city inspectors were often paid off for looking the other way when it came to inspections or code violation enforcement.
ahh yes, the mental state of future employees. I don't think the country as a whole if affected by mental deficiency, but around this area, there's got to be some problem when people can't be hired because of drug use or criminal background. from what I have heard and read, it is a problem that I'm sure some people wished would just go away. speaking of cabbies, yeah, there were a few that I saw take puffs of mary jane while operating the cabs. I never narced on them, I would just approach them with the philosophy that there's a time and place for everything, and being at work is neither the time, or place. the boss's hiring process did not figure in ramdom or pre-employment drug screening, but god help the guy that ever got caught by him! the boss was 6'4" tall and weighed about 325 pounds. he intimidated me a couple of times, but I called his bluff and won the arguments mostly, or compromised with him.

Originally Posted by dracul

Your description of the cabbies seems tailor-made for the Mall-Wart denizens, highdesertmutz! IQ points above those of typical domestic goldfish are not sought for that hive. Kinda reminds me of general trends nation-wide!

[highdesertmutz]

Just think how much worse off you might be had you tangled with a mountain lion? you might still be recovering in a nursing facility?

Originally Posted by dracul

My wife simply loves the region...it's inexplicable. I'm fond of TorC/Elephant Butte as well, but less dedicated to our relocation there than she is. I will do as I'm told, however. I know better than to cross sabers with the boss!!! The anticipated move will require imagination, lots of work and an eclectic approach. No one trajectory will suffice.

The hand troubles me friend...a lot. It seems to be stiffening up somewhat and even typing like this has become a chore. I can only use the forefinger and thumb of my right hand on the keyboard. Not good. I exercise this mitt with diligence using both light and very heavy resistance (one handed dumb bell wrist curls with up to 120 pounds for instance) but I've had no improvement. The MRI shows that the infection did indeed somehow snap a tendon connecting my middle finger with the extensor digitorum complex. Additionally, the dorsal carpal ligament and the underlying tendon sheaths have hardened into a pronounced bolus just distal of my wrist bones. This sucks...although I try to stay optimistic. All this from a CAT BITE!!!!! No amount of rehab can regrow the tendon and reduce this heavy scaring I'm afraid. I've talked to two surgeons so far and want to consult one more at least before I risk the knife. Considering the fact that I'm an artist whose entire life resides in this paw is a bit unsettling to say the least...at any rate my left hand is becoming much more adept generally. No choice in the matter really.

Mama said that if we go ahead with the surgery around Christmas that maybe we can find a way to have a little celebration and head down to the Florida Keys for a little R&R, post op. We'll see. I do love the Caribbean. But money is very, VERY tight now so I can't predict anything for awhile.

I hope the value of the land we have there in TorC has escalated a bit. Times are tough.

[designer]

I think many of the people that I know in T or c are wanting out because
not much seems to ever get done and some of us have lived there for longer
than we would like to admit. Also most of us didn't care about making the
drive down to Las cruces once or twice a week to go shopping but now
since gas has gone up so much that has made a big difference. I might
ad that some of these people have invested in different bussinesses
and lost big time so they are pretty down on T or C. I know a few more
that used to be big time T or C supporters but when their business failed
they seemed to blame the city and the people so now they are gone.
I'm in Roswell right now and I just checked out the WallyMart here
and sure enough many things are lower priced than the new
Walmart in T or C. I asked one of the floor managers here in Roswell
why this was and he said it goes by the sales volume and walmart
pretty much knows that smaller towns will not have to big volumes.
I think if you like a funky town you will love T or C but if you like
a can do type of city you might not like it at all. Roswell seems to have
some money judging by the large new bank buildings over here.

[anomoly]

Originally Posted by DontDoIt

I worked and lived in T or C for about 6 months. I managed a retail store there. In those 6 months I was cussed out about a dozen times by angry customers. I was assaulted by a fellow employ after confronting them on stealing. I ended up firing 4 people for theft. I interviewed 10 people while i was there and 6 passed the drug test. The 6 that pasted all got hired and 4 of them ended up quitting before the first week was over. Groups of kids would come in after school let out and just rob us blind. I complained to the cops weekly but they couldn’t care less. They told me it was up to me to keep them out if I didn’t want them there. Women would come in and open the boxes of tampax and steal a hand full out and leave the rest sitting there. We could not keep home pregnancy tests in stock. We would get a case of 10 in on Monday and they would be all gone by the weekend. My car was hit in the parking lot twice. Just small dents but still not fun. I had to order propane for the house i was living in and when the driver got there he had to be 90 years old! Guess what? He backed into the wall of the house! Then he acted like it was no big lol. Luckily it was a rental so I was able to pawn that headache of on the owner. The weather is horrible. Hot, dry, and windy. Every time you go outside it fells like a gigantic hair dryer is blowing on you. There not much to do. There is a 1 screen movie theater that shows family movies that have been out for a while. It smells moldy and the floors are sticky lol. I’m a single guy and all the single women i meet had 3 kids. I have been working in retail for 10 year i have worked and lived in some real crappy places but none were as depressing as T or C. I was so desperate to get out of there i just quit my job and left. But there is a nice lake close by.

LOL! Im sad for you, but laughing because this was a great description- especially about the pregnancy tests ! I think I know one of those girls BTW- she's pregnant now . Your experience of TrC is a common one Ive heard soo many times!
Weather-wise, I love the desert heat, and unfortunately the wind can be annoying, but I think it was especially bad this year. In fact, I froze all winter, and don't plan to spend another winter that cold.

Originally Posted by Sturgis

Sorry your experience here was so bad DontDoIt, If you're the type that needs clubs, movieplexes etc, this is DEFINATELY not the place for you. If you like driving around looking at wildlife, goin fishing etc, I still would say T or C isn't bad. Finding people you like is pretty much the key, even for a loner like me.
My belief is that most any place can be ok. Just gotta find the right people to be with, and suddenly things don't seem as bad. Heck, I lived in a place with less stuff than this, and loved it too so maybe i'm just wierd. I guess my point is, if anyone is thinking of moving here, don't take any of our words for it. Come stay for a while, rent a house, look around, meet people, and decide for yourself. Like so many other things in life, such a decision is extremely subjective so come .. 'subject yourself' to our little town and see how it goes.

I don't want to argue, because it's true that 'one man's ceiling is another's floor', but.....
I get kinda irritated when people assume that because you dont like TrC, (or anything else) that it must mean that it's because you must want the extreme opposite.
Sturgis, you mentioned liking an even smaller town. I don't think my feelings about TrC can be explained due to it being a 'small town'. There is just something 'depressing' about TrC, and the people there. I felt more desolate going out there, than I did being home alone.
There are small towns, and then there are 'twilight zone' small towns!
Some may love it in TrC, but alot of people feel like Don'tDoIt. Me, for one. I felt like myself becoming Zombie-like the longer I stayed there. I started feeling like I didn't know how to leave after awhile!
Thank God I got out. I literally felt like I started breathing again as soon as I got to Las Cruces !
About the Police: I have to agree that TrC Law Enforcement is the most laid back I've ever seen! But for me, that's been a benefit, because I lived in Arizona for a few years, where I learned to hate and fear them. They were corrupt and loved to abuse their authority, and they would lie, cheat and steal. In that environment, you realize you could be arrested, convicted and sent to prison at any time! TrC helped remove that constant fear and distrust I had.

[highdesertmutz]

jeez, you're a comedian at heart. please post some more goofy coments so I can laugh my you know what off at. you are 2 funny.
since yer a yung 1, you can't have been anywhere important at any time that you really appreciated, or grew to appreciate, not that living in the SW is unappreciable. I think it's sorta like sturgis put it in so many words, you gotta find the right people to mesh with, and if you don't, you're like an island in the middle of nowhere. but, don't give up hope, something, somewhere will find you, trust me.

Originally Posted by anomoly

LOL! Im sad for you, but laughing because this was a great description- especially about the pregnancy tests ! I think I know one of those girls BTW- she's pregnant now . Your experience of TrC is a common one Ive heard soo many times!
Weather-wise, I love the desert heat, and unfortunately the wind can be annoying, but I think it was especially bad this year. In fact, I froze all winter, and don't plan to spend another winter that cold.


I don't want to argue, because it's true that 'one man's ceiling is another's floor', but.....
I get kinda irritated when people assume that because you dont like TrC, (or anything else) that it must mean that it's because you must want the extreme opposite.
Sturgis, you mentioned liking an even smaller town. I don't think my feelings about TrC can be explained due to it being a 'small town'. There is just something 'depressing' about TrC, and the people there. I felt more desolate going out there, than I did being home alone.
There are small towns, and then there are 'twilight zone' small towns!
Some may love it in TrC, but alot of people feel like Don'tDoIt. Me, for one. I felt like myself becoming Zombie-like the longer I stayed there. I started feeling like I didn't know how to leave after awhile!
Thank God I got out. I literally felt like I started breathing again as soon as I got to Las Cruces !
About the Police: I have to agree that TrC Law Enforcement is the most laid back I've ever seen! But for me, that's been a benefit, because I lived in Arizona for a few years, where I learned to hate and fear them. They were corrupt and loved to abuse their authority, and they would lie, cheat and steal. In that environment, you realize you could be arrested, convicted and sent to prison at any time! TrC helped remove that constant fear and distrust I had.

[dracul]

Oddly enough, highdesertmutz, I might have faired better with the mountain lion than with the house cat whose needle teeth injected so much infection into me. Large, open lacerations usually heal without the massive infections that are commomnplace with the bites of small animals, such as housecats, that possess slender, needle-like teeth. The reason being is that such bites do not bleed out well, if at all, and the infection starts almost immediately. Larger bites often permit profuse bleeding that cleanses the wound to an extent by washing most of the nasty stuff away...so...if ya don't bleed out on the spot and yer limb is not removed then infection is less likely. Such is life.

Cases in point: I've been bit several times by pit bull dogs over the years and wear the scars to this day. But never once have I become infected by these bites.

[GregW]

I really like this thread. Part of me wants to de ghost town some place like Winston or Chloride and set up a B & B (with a bar so it would pay its way) so I could have some company once in a while. The more practical part will settle on the outskirts of a small city/larger town. Up here in New England one of the winners of the Fire Department Lottery was recognized as “the town thief”. It takes all kinds to make a world. I even saw some guys trying to steal some wood that was cleared along the interstate being made to put it back by a state cop.

Dracul – good luck with that hand. After reading your descriptions I am way more careful about cuts and infection.

[highdesertmutz]

First of all gregw, you would have to convince the sierra county highway department to straighten the road out going into and out of the town to accomodate impaired people. I don't know if you know it or not, but recently, there was a tragic accident on the road to cuchillo. A motorcyclist was traveling at a higher rate of speed than the posted limit, a mrs. torres pulled out in front of the cyclist, and, ironically, mrs. torres' was husband was standing beside the roadway rendering motorist assistance to someone who was broke down, and the cycle struck mrs. torres' vehicle and became airborne, and then struck her husband killing him instantly. the road to cuchillo is a murderous stretch of highway. before this tragic accident, the owner of t or c's big a burger and other businesses was killed when his vehicle flipped and killed him. so, before considering opening a bar in cuchillo, winston or chloride, maybe you should reconsider. I really don't think alcohol impaired persons need to be on this road, after all, most of the deaths that occurred were not alcohol impairment related! if you're really considering a bar, have your patrons drop their vehicle keys in a safe when they enter the bar, have cots in the back room where they can 'sleep it off' and then give them their keys back after sobering up. thus far, there have been two traffic deaths on just this road within a few months time, and if anyone's ever driven this road knows how many twists and turns it has, and should be or remain alert at all times, because this road is full of unpleasant surprizes.

Originally Posted by GregW

I really like this thread. Part of me wants to de ghost town some place like Winston or Chloride and set up a B & B (with a bar so it would pay its way) so I could have some company once in a while. The more practical part will settle on the outskirts of a small city/larger town. Up here in New England one of the winners of the Fire Department Lottery was recognized as “the town thief”. It takes all kinds to make a world. I even saw some guys trying to steal some wood that was cleared along the interstate being made to put it back by a state cop.

Dracul – good luck with that hand. After reading your descriptions I am way more careful about cuts and infection.