Commuting to Sandia Labs (Albuquerque, Alamogordo: low income, apartment, rent)
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I work on base and many people I work with live in the east mountains area. They say their commutes are no more than 20-25 minutes. I commute from the west side and get blinded by the sun to and from work on I-40. Plus all the accidents.
We would to the east mountains but wanted a newer house with A/C and most of the homes there had swamp coolers.
I find this bizarre.
First, the climate is noticeably different in the east mountains, to the point where you don't actually need the A/C like you do on the westside. It's almost like saying you would have liked to move to Iceland but they don't have air conditioning on the houses there.
It's also bizarre because $499 separates you from a house anywhere and a house anywhere with A/C. It's not like A/C is a feature on par with a big yard or a short commute.
First, the climate is noticeably different in the east mountains, to the point where you don't actually need the A/C like you do on the westside. It's almost like saying you would have liked to move to Iceland but they don't have air conditioning on the houses there.
It's also bizarre because $499 separates you from a house anywhere and a house anywhere with A/C. It's not like A/C is a feature on par with a big yard or a short commute.
It's just a preference.
I'm used to A/C. I grew up in the midwest and my wife grew up in the southeast (both have oppressive humid summers).
Guessing you probably already found a place, but I just moved to Tijeras canyon on the side closer to Tramway, and love it. I have a slightly rural feel, but am 5 minutes from Tramway and probably 10 minutes from Sandia Labs. There would never be traffic, you get slightly cooler weather without the much cooler weather (and further commute) of East Mountains, and you're basically getting a bit of both worlds. I have mountain views (mostly), but some city views as well. Person I bought my house from was a former Sandia Labs employee.
We haven't done our house hunting trip yet--waiting for permission from the relocation company--so I still very much welcome everyone's advice! I'll definitely check out Tijeras Canyon. When I search for that on Google Maps, it brings up a spot on a road called Pennsylvania Street SE that runs southeast out of the city--is that approximately right? If not, could you tell me the names of some streets in the area? It sounds really pleasant! Congrats on your new home!
Thanks! Route 66 runs right through the Canyon, so I'd search along that. Most of the canyon is either open space/hiking or a few smaller houses, but there is a bit of variety. The only exit in between Tramway & Tijeras is one called Carnuel. If you get off that exit and cross over 66 and drive back through that neighborhood, there are a variety of houses for sale last time I checked, from $200,000 to over $1,000,000. Try searching along Silver Hills, Desert Mountain Rd, and off shoots of those streets. I'd do a zillow/Redfin search in that area and see if anything pops up. Best of luck house hunting!
Just wanted to send a quick update. We made an offer on an awesome house in Sandia Park with jaw-dropping views but it wasn't accepted. There was one in Tijeras that we really liked the look of as well, but it sold before we were even able to visit. So we ended up buying a great place in Placitas, not too far past the library. The commute will not be quite as scenic and pleasant for my husband, but it's no worse than what he's doing now, and we are prepared to do some driving for shopping, restaurants, and services. We're very excited about joining y'all in the ABQ area next month! Thanks so much for all of the great advice and support!
Yep - most of us show up with $1,399 dollars and an old, used car looking for work and housing. You are coming with a $700,000 housing budget? Where are you gonna live? You'll never fit in here.
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