Santa Fe: Condos/Developments (Albuquerque, Las Cruces: apartment complexes, rentals, crime)

[Leaving NY]

OK....I am considering a move to Santa Fe. Maybe Rio Rancho.

Can someone tell me where in Santa Fe I can find a nice condo in the middle of town, so to speak? I think I would prefer to live near St. Vincents or South Capitol or wherever it is not sparsely populated, yet, crime is still very low. I have heard of two complexes: The Reserve and Zia Vista (?) . Can someone tell me about these two and perhpas compare an contrast some others? Thanks.

[mmckenna]

I have also been torn between Rio Rancho and Santa Fe. I decided on Rio because it is cheaper for the same type of rental and closer to the airport, but still accessible to Santa Fe.
Check out Broadstone High Resort in Rio Rancho. You will find those luxury apartments cost about 1/3 to half of the equivalent in Santa fe. And it is the only gated apartment community in RR, which definitely appealed to me in terms of safety.

[Leaving NY]

McKenna:

I did some online research. It seems to be an apartment complex, as opposed to Condos. Also: It seems that a lot of these complexes that re condos have rentals there too. I am kind of discouraged by this. In NYC, we have a lot of co-ops and such that have a "no sublet" clause. Keeps out the riffraff and makes your community more stable, IMO.

[Towanda]

I am curious as to the reason someone would be choosing between Santa Fe and Rio Rancho....they are completely different.

Is cost the main concern? Or jobs in the ABQ area compared to Santa Fe?

[mmckenna]

Well, there's a lot more to choose from (in terms of aprtments or condos) as you get closer to Alb, and I like being closer to the airport, and there is just a lot more in Alb if I need to get to a big city.
And yes, since I am planning to buy in about a year's time, renting a really nice place that is cheaper than in Santa Fe is more desirable for me.

[mortimer]

I'm with Towanda; why would you consider Rio Rancho *and* Santa Fe
as your two options? You couldn't have picked two more different places.

Generally, I would assume that you would make a comparison
between [Taos and Santa Fe] or between
[Rio Rancho and Albuquerque/Belen/Bernalillo/Placitas/etc.]

Leaving NY also said:

> Santa Fe .. better ... save for Scottsdale, which I cannot afford.

Scottsdale is much more affordable than Santa Fe.

> Admittedly, I have never been to New Mexico.

May I suggest a visit?

It's August and the weather is miserable in NYC and wonderful here.
It's the perfect time to spend some time. Just up and moving and
plopping yourself down in a place doesn't seem very wise to me.

Fly in. Rent a car. Spend a couple days in Rio Rancho and then do
the same in Santa Fe. Then go back to Rio Rancho and then go back
to Santa Fe.

Visit Taos and Las Cruces while you are at it.

[Leaving NY]

Thanks guys. Obviously, as I save even more money, I will be flying in and ouit of there a few times to assess things.

I don't think Rio Rancho is a wise choice for me. I think Santa Fe is better and am willing to accept that it's more expensive.


I'm still young and will need to work, and, from what I gather from reading this board and perusing the net, there aren't really too many jobs in Rio Rancho. It is kind of a far flung suburb of Albuquerque that requires a commute into the city. Being a native NYer, rolling out of bed and taking a short walk to a nearby convenience store is something I take for granted and am not really willing to part with. From what I gather, this is more likely to be the case in Santa Fe than Rio Rancho. I also want to be near some nightlife, as, I have earned a decent living as a bouncer in NYC. I know that I'll probably make only a fraction of what I make here, but, I am a sure hire for nightclubs/bars out there.

I was doing some more research today and I like The Reserve, from what I can see. Looks like I can get a 2BR/2Bath condo for about 210K. Anyone have any experiences/stories/insight regarding that place? Is is it centrally located?

[Julia2sf]

$210 for a 2 bdrm condo strikes me as a little high. The Reserve is located on the northend of town, about three to four blocks from DeVargas Mall, and another three to four to the Plaza. Close, but not walking distance. I'd suggest looking at the San Mateo Condos, which are set on the corner of St. Francis and San Mateo/Second Street. Second Street is a funky, fun area. It has the Second Street Brewery, a great neighborhood pub, the Cloud Cliff Cafe, and a fabulous chocolatiers. (I don't know about the rest of you, but beer and chocolate about sums up my definition of a good time.)

In addition, once the Railrunner connects to Santa Fe, there will be a station not too far away from there. That's going to be a big plus for the area.

There's also the Miguel Chavez condos off of St. Francis, and Tierra del Zia, condos that are more or less across the street from the Zia Vista.

Occasionally, you'll also see condos available on Gregg Street, which is on the West Side of town off W. Alameda. A little bit more remote, less condo-type amenities, but these places feel more substantive to me and have more character. Just my bias.

Have you looked into renting? I'm a big believer in trying out a town for size and seeing if it jives for you. Santa Fe is not always an easy nut to crack, and I'd hate for you to realize some six months into it that it's not where you want to be. Get to know the place first.

[ConsiderThis]

Yes, I couldn't imagine choosing Rio Rancho over Santa Fe...

except that my condo which was very near down town, right behind Tomasita's in fact, was built over an old privy pit and that caused a lot of problems.

I'm still suffering from the problems.

I think when you buy in a newer community you have less chance of old underground garbage rearing its ugly toxins to affect your health...

url removed

For me it would have been a LOT cheaper to drive to Santa Fe from Rio Rancho to eat at Cloud Cliff and other neat places, even if I did it several times a week.

[fighton93]

I saw your post about Santa Fe Condos, and alot of it depends on what you are looking for. As far as Zia Vista, the Reserve, and others mentioned, you need to be aware that these are converted apartment complexes and still share most of the apartment atmosphere.