Santa Fe? (real estate, apartments, rentals)

[Brick82]

I work for Wholefoods amrket and am trying to figure out whether or not I want to move to Santa Fe. I know it doesn't rain much which dissapoints me but it does now which suprised me!

I'm searching for apartments and reading reviews since I have to be enar the store....in downtown I assume. I'm having trouble finding places that are safe and not outrageously priced!

Can anyone give me some tips??? How is life over there?

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by Brick82

I work for Wholefoods amrket and am trying to figure out whether or not I want to move to Santa Fe. I know it doesn't rain much which dissapoints me but it does now which suprised me!

I'm searching for apartments and reading reviews since I have to be enar the store....in downtown I assume. I'm having trouble finding places that are safe and not outrageously priced!

Can anyone give me some tips??? How is life over there?

Yes, it doesn't rain much -- but the sun shines a lot. If you really want rain, then maybe Santa Fe is not for you. And Santa Fe looks like it doesn't rain -- xeric gardening is very much the practice and you don't see the green lawns that you may see in some parts of other New Mexico cities.

Of course, it does rain -- on an average almost 14 inches a year. See SANTA FE 2, NEW MEXICO - Climate Summary

Santa Fe is really not a particularly dangerous place so I wouldn't worry a lot about that. You will see postings about Mexican street gangs, etc. -- all I can say is that some tourists have active imaginations.

Real estate prices escalate rapidly -- very rapidly -- the closer you get to the plaza which is a more than a little silly because why live near the plaza? After all, you won't be a tourist.

Whole Foods is close enough to the plaza that nearby rentals are probably high -- but I don't have any experience with that. Still, I suggest getting a map and looking for places that are farthest from the plaza and still near to Whole Foods.

How close do you have to be? The drive or bus up St. Francis (84/285) is not that bad and you can finder cheaper as you go south. My experience is that driving on St. Francis can be slow -- but it is not the stop dead for long periods type of commute.

There are Santa Fe people on the forum. A suggestion: ask more specific questions and you'll get more help.

[santafescribe]

Devin's of course correct: the closer to the Plaza the more expensive everything is (including Whole Foods!). Renting is expensive close to downtown because you're competing with vacation renters, who of course pay more for a short period. Same applies to buying, whether it's a condo or single famiy home. Ten minutes further away, you can save a lot - for example you could buy a condo for about $130,000 - $150,000 (this example is the Tierra de Zia or Zia Vista apartments, if you want to check it out) or a single family home from about $200,000.

[Brick82]

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

Yes, it doesn't rain much -- but the sun shines a lot. If you really want rain, then maybe Santa Fe is not for you. And Santa Fe looks like it doesn't rain -- xeric gardening is very much the practice and you don't see the green lawns that you may see in some parts of other New Mexico cities.

Of course, it does rain -- on an average almost 14 inches a year. See SANTA FE 2, NEW MEXICO - Climate Summary

Santa Fe is really not a particularly dangerous place so I wouldn't worry a lot about that. You will see postings about Mexican street gangs, etc. -- all I can say is that some tourists have active imaginations.

Real estate prices escalate rapidly -- very rapidly -- the closer you get to the plaza which is a more than a little silly because why live near the plaza? After all, you won't be a tourist.

Whole Foods is close enough to the plaza that nearby rentals are probably high -- but I don't have any experience with that. Still, I suggest getting a map and looking for places that are farthest from the plaza and still near to Whole Foods.

How close do you have to be? The drive or bus up St. Francis (84/285) is not that bad and you can finder cheaper as you go south. My experience is that driving on St. Francis can be slow -- but it is not the stop dead for long periods type of commute.

There are Santa Fe people on the forum. A suggestion: ask more specific questions and you'll get more help.

Thanks!
I don't mind Mexicans , the ones I have been around never bothered me unless you count blaring Tejano music at 6am. LOL I'm looking at the prices(renting), the public transportation, the precipitation,and the sheer fact of living in such an arrid ecosystem.

I really do appreciate all your help, but I don't think it's for me. It's always still an option as sometimes you have little chopice in where you move when transferring with a company.

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by Brick82

Thanks!
I don't mind Mexicans , the ones I have been around never bothered me unless you count blaring Tejano music at 6am. LOL I'm looking at the prices(renting), the public transportation, the precipitation,and the sheer fact of living in such an arrid ecosystem.

I really do appreciate all your help, but I don't think it's for me. It's always still an option as sometimes you have little chopice in where you move when transferring with a company.

I gave you wrong impression. There many Hispanics (Spanish-Americans) and few Mexicans.

And I suspect that you're right -- it is not the place for you.

Good luck