Cost of Living Really That High? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: for sale by owner, real estate market, rentals)

[Towanda]

Have you visited the city yet? I would consider that an imperative for anyone thinking of moving here. New Mexico is not for everyone. Many of my relatives from back east have a real problem with the lack of lush green lawns and big trees here. Many people don't like the almost exclusive brown adobe style pueblo southwestern architecture in Santa Fe. Some people don't care for the long drive to ABQ to the sunport in order to catch a flight anywhere.

I'm not trying to discourage you ... just wondering how familiar you are with the city. Come out and check it all out before you make the decision to move!

[Vinegaroon]

Originally Posted by Towanda

Have you visited the city yet? I would consider that an imperative for anyone thinking of moving here. New Mexico is not for everyone. Many of my relatives from back east have a real problem with the lack of lush green lawns and big trees here. Many people don't like the almost exclusive brown adobe style pueblo southwestern architecture in Santa Fe. Some people don't care for the long drive to ABQ to the sunport in order to catch a flight anywhere.

I'm not trying to discourage you ... just wondering how familiar you are with the city. Come out and check it all out before you make the decision to move!

I agree, look before you leap. Santa Fe is not for everyone. It might look like some southwestern fantasy land if you visit for a short time, but it has its shortcomings just like any other place you might live. You need to spend some time here in order to decide whether you really want to live here, or whether you might just make it a place you visit from time to time. And don't just visit the Plaza and the northside. Spend some time driving around Santa Fe in order to know the town. Most of us don't live within the little tourist bubble they create downtown.

[earthfaries]

I wish we could visit first ~ just to look at places to live, but we can't. It's okay though, and visiting first makes sense, but we know we will love it there. I love Asheville , it's beautiful ~ but I won't miss the trees and all the green and the allergies that come with it. I have enjoyed it these past 20 years but the past 5 we have been longing to go back out west. I grew up in Alaska and have lived all over , Asheville being the first place in the south or east we have lived.
The adobe buildings, the southwestern culture, the dessert ... all that is what draws us. I remember it from my childhood and can't wait to see it again.
I know it's going to be completely different from what I've been used to but that is a good thing
As for driving to ABQ, we don't fly too much, and if we need to ~ we don't mind an hour drive at all. Here in Asheville we drive a good 2 hours plus to Charlotte to catch a flight.
Thanks for your help and input ~ I appreciate it. We have awhile until we make the move anyway, we just renewed our lease here for another year. I'm just doing the research and am going to spend the next 10 months getting rid of all our excess stuff and saving up money for when we arrive in Santa Fe.

[Vinegaroon]

Today's newspaper has an editorial that comments a little on the cost of living in Fanta Se.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Our-view-Santa-Fe-too-expensive--You-ain-t-seen-nothin--yet

[GreatSantaFe]

I am often amused by those who claim that Santa Fe is unaffordable for anyone who isn't wealthy. Give me a break! So rather than just have us folks tell you what we think the cost of living is here, I figured I'd see what the 2008 city rankings are for the Cost of Living Index. The link is below. You will note that Asheville, NC has a COL Index of 100, while Santa Fe's is 103. That is really close.
Of course if you want low, then you could move to Joplin, MO (COL Index 84) - but then you'd have to live there (with all the other McPain supporters) . And, for example we're a lot more affordable than Elmira, New York (COLI of 127); now there's a place I'd consider!!!!!

Kiplinger's Complete City Rankings for 2008: See How Your City Ranks, Search Places for Lowest Cost of Living and Higest Income Growth

[earthfaries]

Originally Posted by GreatSantaFe

I am often amused by those who claim that Santa Fe is unaffordable for anyone who isn't wealthy. Give me a break! So rather than just have us folks tell you what we think the cost of living is here, I figured I'd see what the 2008 city rankings are for the Cost of Living Index. The link is below. You will note that Asheville, NC has a COL Index of 100, while Santa Fe's is 103. That is really close.
Of course if you want low, then you could move to Joplin, MO (COL Index 84) - but then you'd have to live there (with all the other McPain supporters) . And, for example we're a lot more affordable than Elmira, New York (COLI of 127); now there's a place I'd consider!!!!!

Kiplinger's Complete City Rankings for 2008: See How Your City Ranks, Search Places for Lowest Cost of Living and Higest Income Growth

I love your post Thanks so much for the link ~ I had looked on another website for a comparison and it stated a greater difference but it wasn't current. I know the prices in Asheville are very high in comparison to other cities and considering the minimum wage difference between Santa Fe and everywhere else it seems that that extra 3 points won't make much or any difference to us, already used to paying a higher cost of living.

[Vinegaroon]

I just ran someone moving from Asheville to Santa Fe that makes $60,000 annually.

Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed, link removed

Guess it depends upon what source you use. This ones shows Santa Fe to be more expensive than Asheville. I suppose how amused you are over people thinking Santa Fe is expensive depends upon you point of view too. The expensive factor here seems to be housing, but as a realtor you would have no reason to want to skew that statistic.

[GreatSantaFe]

Vinegaroon is correct, I do not want to skew the housing statistic, and that's why I didn't. The COLI I referenced was the AVERAGE Cost of Living Index, as I believe THAT was the question posed - NOT the Housing Index. If we were to talk just about housing, the statistics show that housing in Santa Fe is comparably more expensive than Asheville. In 2007 the median cost of a house/condo in Santa Fe was $330,000. In Asheville it was $234,372. Nationally it was $359,352.
btw, info on this City-Data site shows the COLI in Santa Fe for 2008 to be 97.1.
As my old statistics prof in grad school was fond of saying "Figures don't lie, but liars figure."
Whether or not an individual can live comfortably or not in any particular place basically comes down to their income and lifestyle choices.

[Vinegaroon]

I appreciate the discussion as it is one that goes on constantly GSF. Different approaches to the problem aside, I usually resort to my own experience. I have lived in many different cities and towns across the country, and have visited even more. From my personal experience, it just feels more expensive to live here. My experience in Santa Fe is that the gas is higher here than in Albuquerque, the restaurants more expensive than most towns this size, the rents higher, the housing ridiculously expensive for what you get in land and structure, etc. There is a reason that it is common knowledge here in Santa Fe that if you are buying a high end item like a vehicle, you can save a good chunk of money by driving an hour to Albuquerque. I imagine I will hear some protests, so my pre-emptive response is that you all doth protest too much.

[Vinegaroon]

I would like to hear from others that live in and around Santa Fe, or have previously lived here. Does it feel like Santa Fe is more expensive to live in, or is that just a myth?