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We will be moving to Santa Fe, and these neighborhoods have been suggested to us. What are they really like? Safe? Good schools? Good investment? Would YOU live there?
I have had a second home in Rancho Viejo for over 3 years. I feel very safe here. I really like the trails around the neighborhood (was biking out there yesterday). It's also very quiet where we are (Windmill Ridge area). Rancho Viejo is a large development, built with its housing areas in clusters with a lot of open space between them. Each part of the development seems to be a little different. I really don't like the newer part (La Entrada) as much as the older areas, but maybe that is because its just not grown up yet. You may prefer Eldorado if you are wanting more land and more spacing between homes. I don't have kids in school so I cannot address your school questions.
We considered moving to Eldorado because you get a lot of house and land for the money, but it does have some drawbacks. First of all, there are covenants and people who have very different ideas about the direction of the community -- you can't do what you want with your property if it doesn't fit in with the covenants. Go here to check them out:
The latest problem is the chicken controversy -- some want them and others don't. We just decided that we didn't want anything that restricted as we think a couple of chickens is no big deal. It just doesn't bode well for the future of an area sure to be on water restrictions and other climate challenges.
Of course if you don't mind that sort of thing, Eldorado has its own community store, restaurant, post office, etc., and is relatively crime free. Not sure about the schools.
You'll see lots of threads on these communities - as Poncho_NM (our moderator) has referred you to.
The "feel" of Eldorado and Rancho Viejo are quite different.
If you like a suburban feel, with homes on small lots, all neatly lined up in a row down clean streets, that's RV.
If you prefer a more rustic/rural environment with homes on 1.25+ acre lots, then Eldo might suit you better.
Eldorado Elementary and Middle schools are highly rated. The high schoolers go to Santa Fe High.
A new elementary school was completed in RV, but they use Capshaw Middle School and Capital High for the upper grades.
You can go online to see the school ratings.
Both communities are considered safe. You can go on the County Sheriff's website to see crime statistics.
As for investment potential, prices in the entire Santa Fe area are still at their lows, but inventory is down 14% from last year so prices are firming up and, in some areas, they've gone up around 3% over last year. Eldorado is particularly "hot" these days - well-priced homes are selling at a brisk pace. It's slower in Rancho Viejo. A well-priced home almost anywhere in Santa Fe should prove to be a good investment according to economic forecasters who predict Santa Fe to be one of the top places for real estate appreciation over the next 5 years.
It would sure be nice to have a crystal ball….
I have had a second home in Rancho Viejo for over 3 years. I feel very safe here. I really like the trails around the neighborhood (was biking out there yesterday). It's also very quiet where we are (Windmill Ridge area). Rancho Viejo is a large development, built with its housing areas in clusters with a lot of open space between them. Each part of the development seems to be a little different. I really don't like the newer part (La Entrada) as much as the older areas, but maybe that is because its just not grown up yet. You may prefer Eldorado if you are wanting more land and more spacing between homes. I don't have kids in school so I cannot address your school questions.
Thanks--belatedly--for you post, which helps so much! I did not realize the initial batch of replies to this thread had mistakenly landed in my Spam folder. Fixed, and eager for any more tips you may have!
You'll see lots of threads on these communities - as Poncho_NM (our moderator) has referred you to.
The "feel" of Eldorado and Rancho Viejo are quite different.
If you like a suburban feel, with homes on small lots, all neatly lined up in a row down clean streets, that's RV.
If you prefer a more rustic/rural environment with homes on 1.25+ acre lots, then Eldo might suit you better.
Eldorado Elementary and Middle schools are highly rated. The high schoolers go to Santa Fe High.
A new elementary school was completed in RV, but they use Capshaw Middle School and Capital High for the upper grades.
You can go online to see the school ratings.
Both communities are considered safe. You can go on the County Sheriff's website to see crime statistics.
As for investment potential, prices in the entire Santa Fe area are still at their lows, but inventory is down 14% from last year so prices are firming up and, in some areas, they've gone up around 3% over last year. Eldorado is particularly "hot" these days - well-priced homes are selling at a brisk pace. It's slower in Rancho Viejo. A well-priced home almost anywhere in Santa Fe should prove to be a good investment according to economic forecasters who predict Santa Fe to be one of the top places for real estate appreciation over the next 5 years.
It would sure be nice to have a crystal ball….
Once again getting into this late but hey...I live in RV and pretty much like it a lot with some caveats. The developer here is trying to over turn the open space commitments to develop any way they want. The home owners here are NOT HAPPY. Main road through RV is Richards and it is going to get congested if developers get their way without widening or other modifications to allow more traffic. This part of town is sprawling out pretty fast with fast foods, ticky tack big box stores, etc. Eldorado on the other hand will not likely see commercial development like this but the big issue out there is water. Last I heard, one of the wells failed and yet a local land owner got approval to build more houses nearby despite the water issue. He owns lots of land out there so figure the rest. Water is a serious issue with Eldorado home owners. They had their hydrologist at the county meeting I attended and provided direct evidence regarding water supplies that was opposite what the county said. Bottom line: Eldorado no, RV yes.
Hold up there Solovino1 - Rancho Viejo is a fine community, and the commercial development is along the Cerrillos Road corridor - so plenty of distance between the two. That's not to say I hope the green spaces in RV will remain forever green.
As for Eldorado, you seem to imply that building 39 more houses (should they ever get built) will endanger the area's water supply. I do not disagree that water is a resource that requires conservation-minded citizens and regulations.
what I do disagree with is the implication that allowing a proposed subdivision of 39 homes to be added to the Eldorado Water District, makes Rancho Viejo a more water-secure place to live. Hydrologists proved to the county that Eldorado has at least a 100-year supply of water - with those 39 extra lots. And while those opposing the development had a hydrologist contest that finding, the county went with the developer's plan. I am not siding with the developer - believe me. I question his motivation and wisdom, but there are reasons some people prefer RV and others Eldorado, and water has nothing to do with it.
The county hydrologist did state that there is a 100 year supply of water at Eldorado. The same county allowed a an individual who had purchased some land with an archaeological site on it (the owner was not aware of this but had suspicions) to bull doze some of the land which opened up the ruin and spilled out human remains and artifacts. This owner went to the county land office on two separate occasions with questions about what he planned to do and was it okay to proceed. They said yes. Events like this call into question the veracity statements that the county makes. I DO NOT BLAME THE COUNTY. They are hamstrung by computer systems and information that is out of date. I don't see anyone raising their hands to get their taxes increased in order to update the quality of the information the county has. But with events like this I cannot take seriously statements from the county that there is a 100 year supply. Such statements do not take into account the quality of water as the aquifer gets lower and lower. So...indeed 39 more homes will not appreciably impact water supplies but the current population of Eldorado did and the land owner in question owns much more property than what we have addressed here and I cannot think that there is no other intention but to develop it. Prospective buyers need to know this.
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