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A little about me. Grew up in WA state, moved to SF bay area in 1996. Married 10 years with 9 year old. A job is opening up in Rio Rancho that looks pretty long term so i'm looking to uproot and move out there. Now on to the questions. A lot have been answered but a lot have not.
I need to get an understanding on the weather there. I have zero experience in the high desert climate obviously. I was reading from sub zero's in the winter to 100 degrees in the summer? What are the average temps and how often does it actually go below zero? In WA we hit a week or 2 of 10-15 degree highs. No biggie but pretty disruptive to society. Granted this was in the early 80's and i was a kid.
I'm all for the heat and plan on tossing a pool in first thing. Will i have plenty of days basking by the pool sipping my beers and bbq'n? Its 85-110 currently where i live from end of may till basically end of Sept. give or take a few odd heat waves.
How is the area up by intel, sprint and bofa in the NE part of town. Whats the elevation in the neighborhoods sorrounding it, mainly west and north? Is it a flood plane area? How much snow annually can I expect?
I'm coming out with cash to buy a home and really want to make sure i find the right spot. I love snow. I love heat. It sounds like I'm going to love the area. If i had 2 season's, its winter and summer i'd want.
I'm looking for a big enough lot to build a little bbq/kitchen/pool wonderland and get a place that i can put my own hardwood in, upgrade the kitchen, bathrooms etc. I'm not looking for fixer upper but something liveable now and i can upgrade over the next few years and turn it into "our" home.
I've seen there are some piping they put in down there that basically is having to be replaced. What year did they stop putting that stuff in? That obviously narrows down my search to certain years.
Any advice on area's you all like would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to fire away with any questions if i wasn't clear on anything. Im looking to move mid JAN and am listing my house here probably november. Obviously huge difference in housing markets. If any of you have good real estate agents send me a PM. But with me coming in all cash, i do have access to attorney's as a benefit from my company so i can get a contract drawn up. I'd prefer an agent though that knows the area. we'll be up to check it out for a week or 2 as well before we pull the trigger.
A good way to think about the difference in weather is four versus two seasons. Bayfront towns are like the weather in NM but only fall and spring. Summer and Winter never show up there.
You can look up average temps; it seldom goes below zero but it does get there on occasion.
Pools and Convertibles are in theory awesome here but in practice aren't as nice as in California- there is laser beam sunshine year round (not as nice as hazy sunshine in practice) and it's really uncomfortable to be in a swimsuit outside six months out of the year. I'm covering my pool up around now and won't have it open until maybe April. If you're putting up a pool I highly recommend shading structures on the southern end of the pool to provide at least some shade.
Intel is in the SE part of RR, which is adjacent to the NW part of Albuquerque. Weather in Albuquerque metro does have some degree of microclimes, but nothing like the bay. One part might get 1" of snow and another might get 2" and another may get just a trace, but you won't have 20 degree differences across. Asking about the weather in one part of RR versus another is going to get you a bunch of blank stares.
RR is packed with vacant lots. I'd pick one close to your work. Septic systems are restricted in the case of smaller lots, so make sure you get one big enough or one that is sewer system capable.
Don't worry about the pipe. Other major metros like Houston have had problems for years. They leak, they get replaced, big whoop.
RR isn't paradise when it comes to traffic, but you'll think it is once you come out here, at least at first.
Enjoy your time out here. Remember, if you get a house built, it won't go up overnight, and you may have more trouble selling it if you have to leave for a new job.
Don't worry about the pipe. Other major metros like Houston have had problems for years. They leak, they get replaced, big whoop.
The pipe I'd be worrying about is the same stuff that is going to eliminate a whole boatload of homes for me when the time comes. It's the garbage plastic they were using INSIDE so very many homes that is going bad. It's one thing repiping a home that has an attic or basement/crawl and quite another doing a home on a slab with a flat roof. Defective city mains might raise your taxes a few bucks and have you dealing with a street torn up a bit. That's a lot less painful than thousands of bucks and having your walls sawzalled open all over the place.
I wish real estate listings had to divulge from the get go if a home has that piping doomed to failure. I have seen a few listings bragging up the fact that a place has been repiped. Hope I didn't go off on too much of a tangent but it's a serious issue.
I need to get an understanding on the weather there. I have zero experience in the high desert climate obviously. I was reading from sub zero's in the winter to 100 degrees in the summer? What are the average temps and how often does it actually go below zero?
Sub-zero temps are very rare and when they do occur, they only last for a few days at most. Plus we have a big diurnal (day to night) temp swing because of being in a high desert environment. So even on winter days that have cold overnight temps, it will warm up quite a bit during the day. Reverse in summer - very hot days have cooler nighttime/early morning temps. Absolutely great weather!
How is the area up by intel, sprint and bofa in the NE part of town. Whats the elevation in the neighborhoods sorrounding it, mainly west and north? Is it a flood plane area? How much snow annually can I expect?
It's not flood plain area, Rio Rancho generally sits on bluffs above the Rio Grande. We do get intense thunderstorms that can drop a lot of rain in a short time and there can be local areas of flooding near arroyos or in other low spots, so you definitely need to think about local drainage patterns when buying a house or lot.
Not much snow at all in the last several years but everyone is hoping for more this winter due to El Nino. Even so, snow is pretty rare. Have gotten up to a foot or so at times, but it starts melting almost right away and is gone within a few days. And such storms don't happen all that much. A couple of inches at a time is more common, but this typically only occurs a few times a winter.
I'm originally from WA state as well, and have traveled to the bay area frequently in the past. I think you would prefer a spot near I-40 on the eastside of the mountains, as it will give you a bit of shade, easy access to the ski areas, and generally more snow than in ABQ metro. However, that puts you at a more difficult commute to RR. We purchased a house in Cedar Crest, and love it here. Small town feel, nice locals, and only 10-15min to ABQ.
Placitas might be another place to look at buying as it's on the North side of the crest, and generally I've seen nice homes/lots there. Again, all depends on your commute and the type of lot/area you'd prefer to live in. I personally am not a fan of Rio Rancho and avoid going to the west side of the Rio Grande if I can. Traffic on I-25 can get messy, and crossing bridges is a headache during rush hour. But of course, it's still nothing in comparison with bay rush hour traffic. Cheers
I'm normally the first person to bag on people who settle on Rio Rancho as where they want to live because of cheap lots and cheap gas (to cover their 200 miles a week of commuting), but if the job itself is in Rio Rancho, I'd think you'd be silly to live anywhere else. Especially if you want a custom built new home with a pool and a lawn.
Placitas is sought-after by many people (what I call a "status" community), but I find it isolated and almost provincial- many people out there don't even have gas service, and it makes Rio Rancho look well-laid-out and flush with dining and entertainment options by comparison. It may not be possible to even build a pool in Placitas, given the topology (a lot of the lots are directly on rock and large boulders) and covenants.
If skiing is your thing, Sandia Tram (takes you right to the ski area) is probably 90 minutes door to lift at most from RR, but there have been many years where Sandia Peak never opened due to poor snowfall. Ski Santa Fe, on the other hand, is substantially closer to Rio Rancho than most parts of Albuquerque, as are the other excellent skiing areas in northern NM.
Thanks all for the responses. So I may have mislead where I will be working. It will be up by that complex East of enchanted hills area. I thought intel was up there too...my bad
To be a little more clear, i'm not looking to custom build a home. I'd like a big lot where i can put in a custom pool and update the house over the years due to no house payment if i buy something outright. When i say buy something outright, just a simple home 3br2ba and 1500 sq ft is plenty. Its me, wife, daughter and 3 little critters (dogs).
I'm not really looking for "status" area i'm looking for standard neighborhood with cool neighbors. I'm not richy rich. I'm normal guy in IT that has a chance to move out to Rio with a pretty good salary. Bought a house when the market crashed out here in 2008 for 220K and can sell it for double or at least 1.5x.
Just trying to give my wife a break from working and my daughter a life after school. We both have to work here in the bay area, so its time to make a change. Going to give it a shot!
I think you would prefer a spot near I-40 on the eastside of the mountains, as it will give you a bit of shade, easy access to the ski areas, and generally more snow than in ABQ metro. However, that puts you at a more difficult commute to RR.
Can you elaborate on commute? I like the idea of ski area's! I commute from Oakley, ca to Concord, ca, 15-20 miles, over an hour every morning. Its only fueled my plan to move.
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