Monsoon, anyone? (Las Cruces, Santa Fe: house, estimated, yard)

[Lovehound]

Thanks Tow (and hi DE!). I have no problem with hail. I had thought you meant ice left over from winter! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Cold is probably my #1 problem with SF although I think not insurmountable. We're having 100 and 100+ temps every day in L.A. this month. I'm miserable with only one wall air conditioner and it is in my living room. No relief in my bedroom.

I bet you could even life in SF with no air conditioning at all.

[Towanda]

I have no air conditioning in my house here.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Thanks Tow (and hi DE!). I have no problem with hail. I had thought you meant ice left over from winter! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Cold is probably my #1 problem with SF although I think not insurmountable. We're having 100 and 100+ temps every day in L.A. this month. I'm miserable with only one wall air conditioner and it is in my living room. No relief in my bedroom.

I bet you could even life in SF with no air conditioning at all.

Hi LH! I never had air conditioning here. This house is a little stuffy when I get home from work but opening the windows in the evening takes care of it. My new house was fairly cool last week when it was hot outside--it's well insulated with no air.

It was cold last winter--probably the coldest I remember. There just seem to be trade offs no matter where you live, you just need to figure out what you can live with (or not.) I find the blue skies and sun all year round help. Of course, it didn't help that my bedroom was 49 degrees because the heating didn't work and I didn't want to waste energy running a space heater. My new house will be a toasty 60 next winter.

[Lovehound]

I'm afraid my house is heating challenged too. I have no heat in my bedroom and in past winters for very cold nights I've had to use a space heater.

My wall unit plus fans keeps my living room from being miserably hot most days, although not always to a comfortable temperature.

For summer nights I close up my entire house except my bedroom window and one other window across the house, in which I place a fan pointed to outside. That way the cool air is coaxed to enter my bedroom window, and the noise of the fan doesn't disturb my sleep. I bet this would work in SF too, although I suspect that summer nights are usually cool enough for an open bedroom window to be sufficient.

I'm kind of stalemated here in Los Angeles, nearing retirement, having lived 30 years in the same house. After all those years and with the falling house prices I'm loathe to put any investments in this house, like adding central air conditioning and heating. I hope I'm not wrong, that a lower asking price for the sale of my house would be as attractive as having brand new central air. The new owner can fix it up however they like.

I can't tell for sure if I'll move to SF but this part of my life feels like it's at an end, with 1-2 years between my life restarting, waiting for the house price situation to improve. Actually I don't really care about the prices since they are depressed on both ends of the move. The simple fact is that it's very difficult to sell any house no matter what the price is, unless you're willing to sell it for a song.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I'm afraid my house is heating challenged too. I have no heat in my bedroom and in past winters for very cold nights I've had to use a space heater.

My wall unit plus fans keeps my living room from being miserably hot most days, although not always to a comfortable temperature.

For summer nights I close up my entire house except my bedroom window and one other window across the house, in which I place a fan pointed to outside. That way the cool air is coaxed to enter my bedroom window, and the noise of the fan doesn't disturb my sleep. I bet this would work in SF too, although I suspect that summer nights are usually cool enough for an open bedroom window to be sufficient.

I'm kind of stalemated here in Los Angeles, nearing retirement, having lived 30 years in the same house. After all those years and with the falling house prices I'm loathe to put any investments in this house, like adding central air conditioning and heating. I hope I'm not wrong, that a lower asking price for the sale of my house would be as attractive as having brand new central air. The new owner can fix it up however they like.

I can't tell for sure if I'll move to SF but this part of my life feels like it's at an end, with 1-2 years between my life restarting, waiting for the house price situation to improve. Actually I don't really care about the prices since they are depressed on both ends of the move. The simple fact is that it's very difficult to sell any house no matter what the price is, unless you're willing to sell it for a song.

Have you talked to a Realtor? If you really are ready to get out what do you have to lose by trying? You can always not sell it and then wait another year or two. I'm a believer in trying and finding out--things have a way of working when it's time. When I was thinking of moving to WA (two years of thinking ) I tried selling my house myself and had two contracts which fell through and I was selling it lower than market price figuring I'd split the difference with the buyer. When I finally decided to get serious a year later I listed it for $20M more with a real estate agent and sold it in three days for $5M more than I asked. Of course that was in 2003 and I hear the same house is $100M more. Oh well, I had a great time in WA and don't regret it especially now that I am buying another house. I might close on Thursday, definitely Friday--I am SO ready. Last night my housemate brought home a young woman he just met and who had been sleeping in the National Forest--I woke up at 3 AM hearing banging and thought someone was breaking into the house or car. He sure is trusting but she seems nice enough. Turns out he was cleaning out his camper so she could sleep in it. I'm not the hippie I use to be--now I'd like a say who comes into my home.

You could rent your home and investigate a place to live by moving there and renting until your house sells. You probably already thought of all these things. Lately it sounds like you are ready. Hopefully a new president will improve the economy.

Summer nights in Santa Fe are wonderful--rarely hot. You are right--I open the windows without using a fan and it cools down very fast. I sleep with flannel sheets year round and a blanket. Layers just like clothing. Last night I was in the hammock with a blanket watching clouds. Have you tried one of those mattress heating pads? What a great idea they are--I like it much better than an electric blanket. It's the reason I could go without heating the room last winter. Just use the energy to heat the spot I'm in.

I still haven't gotten more than a few drop of rain. Today I'll be at La Cienega volunteering at las Golondrinas at the Wine Festival. I want one of the posters--love the print. Watch it rain out there. I see the forecast is scattered T-storms all week. Acting like monsoon to me.

[Devin Bent]

A lot of people in Santa Fe (7,000 feet) get away without air conditioning. If you are living in a genuine adobe, or better yet a double adobe, then air conditioning is downright silly.

Here in the north county (6,000 feet) we do need an air conditioner a few weeks of the summer. Air conditioner is also nice if anyone has allergies. We use the ultra whatever you call them filters which get pollen and spores and Consumer Reports say are as good as any of the stand alone allergy filters.

The trade off of the greater heat in the summer is we are a little warmer in the winter.

Mortimer is a big advocate of swamp coolers. You could read some of his posts on the subject.

[Towanda]

I have been here for six weeks now, and every night has been cool...in the 50s. We always have our windows open around here day and night ... and it's very comfortable for sleeping.

[Lovehound]

I bet many people would say that cool weather is good sleeping weather.


I'm stuck in the present house for sure until I can lick my procrastination and fix some of the things that need repairing, paint, tidy things up. I've just began a new effort this week trying to put my remodeled bathroom back together. A lot of my problems are my own damned fault, but at least the last few days I've started working on shortening the list. Home repair and maintenance is not fun but it is necessary to get it done before trying to show it to prospective buyers.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I bet many people would say that cool weather is good sleeping weather.


I'm stuck in the present house for sure until I can lick my procrastination and fix some of the things that need repairing, paint, tidy things up. I've just began a new effort this week trying to put my remodeled bathroom back together. A lot of my problems are my own damned fault, but at least the last few days I've started working on shortening the list. Home repair and maintenance is not fun but it is necessary to get it done before trying to show it to prospective buyers.

I hear you, I hate that part of selling yet it's also funny because it seems to take selling it to finish--been there.

I just got home and it rained here but not at las Golondrinas although I heard the thunder and the wind did it's blowing dirt around thing. A big crowd today. Finished my first skein of yard and washed it--all ready for my fermented avocado dye when I get enough avocados.

[clairz]

Originally Posted by Dancingearth

Finished my first skein of yard and washed it--all ready for my fermented avocado dye when I get enough avocados.

DE, this would make a wonderful new thread for those of us around the state who do spinning and dyeing. Fermented avocado dye? Tell more!

~clairz