Neighborhoods in Santa Fe (Pecos: real estate market, foreclosed, rental) - Santa Fe County - Page 4 - City-Data Forum

Towanda · 05-01-2008, 12:24 PM

Nice post, Lovehound.

Frankly, I would rather not anyone even consider moving to Santa Fe if they are already looking for negative things to say about it. They have a lot of other choices for retirement.

I am moving to hot, dusty, expensive Eldorado "quite a ways from Santa Fe" (LOL) in TWO WEEKS .... and I could not be happier.

Lovehound · 05-01-2008, 01:25 PM

Thanks Towanda.

I don't know if I adequately explained the price situation particularly with regard to "you out of towners are moving in and paying your big city dollars and increasing the prices so much we natives can't afford to live here anymore." Let me try again, with an analogy.

Let's say you have a really big swamp and you own a parcel of land there. All the other land owners like the swamp the way it is but you want a lake, so you hook up a hose and start filling your part of the swamp until it gets deeper and deeper and deeper until finally you have your lake. Unfortunately now the entire swamp is a lake, not a swamp. The other swamp land owners complain that "we don't like you lake lovers coming here with your water and making our swamp so deep that we can't live like we used to."

The analogy behind this is that water is free to flow wherever it wants and it seeks its own level, so you can't fill just one part of a swamp. With housing values, people are free to move and buy houses wherever they want, so due to supply and demand forces the housing prices of your lovely town are going to increase just like that water filled the entire swamp.

America has a free market economy and people can live and buy houses wherever they like. Your housing prices are going up in Santa Fe because my prices and those other guy's prices and everybody's prices all over the land are going up. Housing is a commodity and there are no safe harbors from being subjected to increased prices, not in Santa Fe and not anywhere else.

It's a shame to see your home town change in ways that you don't like, but you can't blame "people who aren't from here" for ruining it. It's not the fault of the people moving in. It's the fault of having a free market. That is where the blame lies, and there's nothing you can do about having a free market. So you might as well start making friends with those people who are moving into your home town. They're your new neighbors.

Devin Bent · 05-01-2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinegaroon

I disagree. Many people who grew up in Santa Fe are being forced out because of the cost. I do have to say Santa Fe would be one of the last places I would retire to unless I had a good amount of disposable income. I would rather retire somewhere where my dollar went farther.

I take a lot that I hear with a grain of salt. Somebody buys a newer, bigger home in Rio Rancho. That's not forced out.

Somebody can't afford to live near the Plaza. So they live farther from the Plaza. That's not forced out.

If you don't retire here -- that's great. That is the market at work.

You are doing your bit to hold down prices in Santa Fe.

Lovehound · 05-01-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

Somebody can't afford to live near the Plaza. So they live farther from the Plaza. That's not forced out.

I wouldn't want to live near the Plaza. Please tell me if I'm right or not, but that's the epicenter of the worst traffic jams and the busiest part of SF. You might want to go there for dining and entertainment, but I think you'd want to live away from there in a quieter neighborhood. I'd like to live on the outskirts, and drive into town, to the Plaza area, if I have business there or want to dine in a nice restaurant or go to a museum or something. Right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

If you don't retire here -- that's great. That is the market at work.

You are doing your bit to hold down prices in Santa Fe.

Exactly.

Vinegaroon · 05-01-2008, 02:45 PM

I don't have to retire to Santa Fe...I already live in Santa Fe. When and if I retire somewhere, I just doubt it will be Santa Fe.

mortimer · 05-01-2008, 03:29 PM

Devin Bent and his problem:

> Originally Posted by Vinegaroon
> > ... people that work in Santa Fe cannot afford to live there,
> > and have chosen to ... commute, ... [ ... from Albuquerque ... ] ...

> I have problems with this article. A woman and her husband are
> offered as an example of someone who can't afford Santa Fe.

My problem is how can they afford the commute to and from Santa Fe?

They can afford that, but can't afford a house there?

Nope. No sir. I don't get it.

Devin Bent · 05-01-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I wouldn't want to live near the Plaza. Please tell me if I'm right or not, but that's the epicenter of the worst traffic jams and the busiest part of SF. You might want to go there for dining and entertainment, but I think you'd want to live away from there in a quieter neighborhood. I'd like to live on the outskirts, and drive into town, to the Plaza area, if I have business there or want to dine in a nice restaurant or go to a museum or something. Right?

It is busy at tourist season which are ski season and especially summer. The rest of the time it is reasonable. A week ago Wednesay at 11 AM, I drove up Galisteo to San Francisco, and across the bottom of the Plaza with scarcely another car moving. You can get good deals for staying at La Fonda.

The Art Fairs in the summer are bumper to bumper.

I would not want to live near the Plaza -- you are not going to do your day-to-day living there and even some of the museums are on Museum Hill.

But many people are into prestige and "walking distance of the Plaza" is prestigious. I am just as happy that people like that are not buying in my neighborhood.

But during the summer art fairs -- it is crazy.

santafescribe · 05-01-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

But many people are into prestige and "walking distance of the Plaza" is prestigious

Strangely enough, several clients I've been working with want to be within "walking distance of Trader Joes" Seems much more sensible to me...

Towanda · 05-01-2008, 04:42 PM

Here's a question for you guys ~ during the summer art fairs and Fiesta, etc. do they run shuttles from some places at the outskirts of town for us to ride into the downtown area?

Devin Bent · 05-01-2008, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Towanda

Here's a question for you guys ~ during the summer art fairs and Fiesta, etc. do they run shuttles from some places at the outskirts of town for us to ride into the downtown area?

Last year as I remember they had parking areas further out and shuttles. I assume that they will do the same every year. Much rides on people showing up -- sales and Santa Fe's status as a major art center.

Santa Fe is not going to blow it. After all -- what a deal -- the most tourists show up for the worst weather.