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Breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountain ranges from this fabulous residence in La Tierra. This exceptional compound property was beautifully conceived by Archaeo Architects and built by Clemens Construction. Consisting of a 4 bedroom main house, a 2 bedroom guest house, and an exercise studio/office. Located on over 11 acres offering superior privacy yet only 15 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. For horse lovers the property also includes 4 paddocks, a riding arena, hay storage and a 3 stall barn. The barn was originally designed to be a studio and could easily be converted back to this use.  Read More >>

Very Desirable Downtown Railyard Residence on Beautifully Landscaped Lot!

Price: $525,000
MLS: 201302334
Status: Active
Class: Residential
Type: Single Family
Acres: 0.14
Area: 3N-SF City SE North
Bedrooms: 2
Baths: 2
Guest House: No
Fireplace: Yes
Total Sqft: 1880

Very Desirable Downtown Railyard Residence on Beautifully Landscaped Lot. Walled front brick courtyard & walled back yard w/ brick/flagstone patios, rockwork & fountain. Study/den w/ French doors to living rm, access to 2nd BR/BA, & its own entrance. Liv rm w/ Kiva fireplace opens to very functional kitchen w/ big Talavera tile island & gas range. Dining room opens through French doors to pretty back patio. Kitchen accesses large laundry rm, also serves as mud room w/ access to off-street parking. Comfortable master BR/BA separate from 2nd BR. More French doors from front courtyard into front entry room off living rm. Home has Pentile construction, Saltillo tile floors, plaster walls, solid wood doors, bathrooms w/ custom sinks & vanities, Talavera tile shower & tub surrounds. Middle Eastern accents – doors, woodwork, light fixtures. Lots of natural light – skylights & Pella wood/clad windows. Amenities include security sys, evap cooling, refrigerator, washer, dryer. Great offering!   Read More >>

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Mere blocks from the Plaza is this immaculate 2 story condo. High ceilings, vigas and fireplace in the living room, brick floors, a charming garden/patio, French doors, Mexican tiles and a 1 car garage. A gem! And a very well-run homeowners association.  Read More >>

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Private Cul de Sac Location on a greenbelt with great mountain views! This home was extensively remodeled in 2010 with Marvin windows, new high-efficiency boiler and new in-floor radiant heat, tankless hot water, brie roof, new plumbing fixtures and toilets, door hardware, and master closet. There is a water catchment system and new septic system in 2004. This Pueblo style residence with high ceilings and lots of spaces to suit varied lifestyles has a very large family room with fireplace and wonderful views, and this room could also be a fabulous art studio! There is a separate office with its own entry and an area plumbed to create a self-contained in-law apartment, which along with two bedrooms and two full baths comprise the guest wing of the house. The master bedroom has a big closet with skylight, and the master bath features a jetted tub and separate shower. The home has plenty of light and a wonderful feeling of Santa Fe style with wood beam and plank ceilings, tile floors and baseboards, and sombraje cabinetry and Talavera tile in the kitchen. Amenities also include a comfortable living room with fireplace, lovely formal dining room, fenced landscaped yard and a finished two-car garage. Enjoy beautiful sunset views of the Jemez Mountains as well as picturesque views of the Sangre de Cristos from this quiet location. Residents also have use of a private 4,000 acre wilderness preserve for hiking, biking, horseback riding in addition to tennis, handball, basketball, and volleyball courts, horseshoes, soccer and baseball fields, big swimming pool and toddler pool, community center and patio, playground, horse stables, greenbelts, dog park, and 14 miles of hike/bike paths.

Price: $695,000
MLS: 201201017
Status: Active
Class: Residential
Type: Single Family
Acres: 8.154
Area: 8-Glorieta/Canoncito
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2
Garage: 2
Guest House: No
Fireplace: Yes
Total Sqft: 3756

An absolutely stunning adobe home in Apache Canyon, this fabulous residence is really a treat! Experience elegant living in a wonderful setting on 8 acres with picturesque views of Apache Canyon over the Galisteo Creek. Though beautiful to begin with, the current owners have added over $240,000 in thoughtful and gorgeous improvements. Interior features by a professional designer include amazing antique carved doors, antique Mennonite cabinet, Red Dragon granite counters, bamboo window shades, striking chandeliers, attractive hardwood, brick & tile floors, and exquisite plaster walls. Attributes consist of adobe & frame construction, new appliances, new windows & doors, remodeled utility room, new hot water tank, additional storage, new security system, and epoxy garage floor. Exterior enhancements incorporate a large retaining wall, wood Pergola, new well pump and leach field, blacktop driveway, storage shed, along with extensive landscape design including decorative rock & rock walls and lovely vegetation comprised of numerous trees and plantings. The home has a wonderful embracing feeling and great floor plan with a large pleasing living room plus additional sitting area with fireplace, splendid dining room, delightful kitchen, intimate comfortable library/study with fireplace, and outstanding large master bedroom with fireplace and luxurious master bath. This superlative dwelling offers very high ceilings through the house with viga, latilla, and cedar, creating an excellent scale and sense of space together with lots of joyous light! This rural property is only 20 minutes from the historic Santa Fe Plaza yet close to National Forest and Pecos Wilderness Area for fishing, camping, and hiking. The land parcel actually includes a portion the Civil War Glorieta Battlefield and owns the famous Glorieta Bridge built by the U.S. Army in 1850 on The Santa Fe Trail! This exceptional offering is sure to please.  Read More.

The following information has been compiled to provide you with updated information on sales in Santa Fe and its surrounding areas from March 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013.  These statistics are for all residential home sales including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

There were a total of 126 home sales during this time period, ranging in price from $30,000 to $2,749,999.  The number of sales this month was up from 94 homes sold in February 2013. Total sales volume for March was $50,845,794, up from $36,005,089 in February 2013.

The average sales price in March was $403,538, up from the average sales price of $383,033 for the month of February. The median price was $299,000.

Homes on the market for more than 120 days sold for an average of 95.7 percent of list price at the time of sale and accounted for 52.38 percent of all sales. Six homes sold in 30 days or less for an average of 99.81 percent.

The average number of days on the market is 187, which is less than the 222 average days on the market for February. Here is how the number of sales per price-band reported in this month:

•    73 Homes sold for under $350,000
•    29 homes sold from $350,001 to $500,000
•    19 homes sold from $500,001 to $1,000,000
•    6 homes sold from $1,000,001 to $1,900,000

There are a clear series of steps that have to be met from start to finish in the lending process that all parties to the transaction need to understand. The following is a list of those steps:

1.    The fully executed contract is sent to me once the property is under contract.
2.    The borrower provides the documentation I have requested as soon as possible. It is better if the borrower has seen me prior to making an offer and has been pre-qualified.
3.    I send a conditional pre-qualification letter to Realtors.
4.    I prepare the file for processing. The Application Package has to be signed within three days of receipt of the fully executed contract, the title work is ordered, verifications of employment and assets are sent out, and all parties to the transaction must be identified and run through a check to ensure an arm’s length transaction. This part of the process can take up to five days.
5.    Once processing is complete, the file is then electronically sent to underwriting.
6.    The lender sends their disclosures to the borrower within three days of receipt of the file and sets up the file for underwriting.
7.    The lender orders an appraisal through a third party appraisal management company. This part of the process can take up to a week or more from order to delivery.
8.    A Conditional Approval is sent to me. All conditions that the underwriter requests must be met in a timely fashion.
9.    Once all conditions have been sent to and signed off by the underwriter, a Clear to Close is issued by the lender.
10.    The file is sent to the closing department for preparation of closing documents. In some cases, my office prepares the closing documents.
11.    Quality Control is performed by the lender prior to and after closing. This can include re-verification of job status, assets, and collateral. If there is any change in the borrower’s financial status, this could trigger more review in underwriting and a delay in the process.

I have many years of experience with this process and I can clearly show a borrower how to achieve a successful closing by following these steps.

Q Mother’s Day weekend marks the occasion when the gallery stages its famous “Spring Sale.” Why do people from all over the country attend this event?

A Quite simply, Rey, for more than 28 years our customers and the general public find this to be one of the highlight events of the season. It’s a time when home buyers and owners can acquire furniture, accessories, and art offering extraordinary value.

Q You recently told me that last year’s “Spring Sale” was the best public event the gallery has ever staged. What are the reasons for such success after holding this event for nearly three decades?

A A combination of reasons, I suspect, which ranges from consumer willingness to take advantage of our clear pricing strategy, to the fact that the improving economy motivates people to make purchases that they have postponed for some time.

Q Yes, as you know, there is a direct relationship between an improving housing market —which is the case both nationally and here in Santa Fe—and the positive response your gallery receives from home buyers, sellers, and owners.

A  Indeed. As homes are being purchased, buyers are demonstrating a desire to obtain one-of-a-kind items from our gallery that traditional furniture or home accessory stores may not offer. Our “Spring Sale” strategy of marking every item in the gallery down a genuine 30 to 60 percent only serves to make that experience more rewarding.

Q And besides the 12,000 square feet of inventory that covers antiques, accessories, jewelry, silver and gold, art, and estate items, you have added some new enhancements to the gallery operation, correct?

A That’s true, Rey. We have made several physical improvements to the gallery to make the buying experience more satisfying. We also have implemented a new policy of immediately displaying items on the floor of the gallery as they arrive, which means the inventory is constantly changin—a feature our customers tell us they really appreciate. We also have added new staff with retail, gallery, and marketing experience which enhances our ability to serve consumers more efficiently and professionally.

Q So, I guess a good place to celebrate part of Mother’s Day is at your gallery on May 11th and 12th!

A  I can’t improve on that sentiment other than to say we wish every mother all the best on this special occasion!

The New Mexico Court of Appeals recently threw the home building industry into a whirl of confusion when it ruled the current Energy Conservation Codes we have been building under for the last couple of years are not valid.  Huh?  That’s right—not valid.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, on behalf of a number of environmentalist clients, asked the court to overturn rules that went into effect in June of 2011. Those rules were approved by the state’s Construction Industries Commission, a group of citizen “experts” appointed by Governor Martinez.  That group replaced Commissioners who served under Governor Richardson.

Governor Richardson’s appointees labored for months to follow his edict to make Energy Conservation Codes 20 percent more stringent than what builders had followed during his administration. They finished just before Martinez was elected and got them registered just before she took office in January of 2011. Then Martinez came in, sacked the previous Commission, and appointed their replacements with the implied orders to overturn the Richardson Codes, which they did.

Thus the lawsuit. The Court of Appeals ruled the Martinez gang improperly changed the rules by giving no rational explanation for their decision. The Court told the Commissioners to go back and reconsider their action, re-vote on the matter, and give a clear reason for their decision. Meanwhile, the Construction Industries Division (CID), the agency that actually enforces the codes, said they were ignoring the Court’s ruling and intended to continue enforcing the Martinez version of the Codes.

Upon hearing the stance of CID, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center promptly insisted CID be held in Contempt of Court.  As of this writing, the Court has not yet ruled on the allegation of contempt. So where does that leave New Mexico builders? Good question. Unfortunately, no answers are forthcoming at the moment.

The issue has made national news in the home building world and it is not very favorable. Stay tuned.

By now, those who are concerned with HOA Management and members of HOAs know that Governor Martinez signed the HOA Act into law.  Following is a summary of what this means—day-to-day—for HOA boards and members.

Keep in mind that this Act covers Homeowner Associations, which are different than condominium associations, even though many members of condominium associations refer to their own community as “our HOA” rather than the more accurate acronym: COA or Condominium Owners Association.

Following are some practical bullet points regarding implementation of this new law:

•    Section 4 of the Act requires that any association organized after July 1, 2013 record a notice that the HOA exists with the applicable county clerk no later than 30 days after the date that the association’s declaration is recorded.
•    HOAs that exist prior to July 1, 2013 must record a notice of the existence of the association with the applicable county clerk no later than June 30, 2014.
•    This notice must include the name and address of the HOA, name of the company or person responsible for preparation of disclosure documents, and the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) number, if any.
•    Any association that fails to comply with the above provision loses its right to assess and enforce liens for dues payments, making it very important to meet the above deadlines.  In addition, if there is any change of information, such as a change of management, a new notice must be provided to the applicable county clerk.
•    Section 5 of the Act requires that all financial and other records of the association be made available for examination by a lot owner within 10 business days of a request.  No fee may be charged for this other than for the cost of copies. “Financial and other records” includes the Declaration, name and address of the association’s designated agent, bylaws, membership list, minutes, budgets, financial statements, recent audits, all current contracts, and insurance policies.
•    Section 6 establishes a statutory lien on each lot within the association for any assessment levied against that lot for both assessments and fines. Like the Condominium Act, recording the declaration for the association constitutes record notice and perfection of the lien and therefore no further action is required in order to make the lien effective.
•    Section 7 establishes that the board acts on behalf of the association and that when appointed by the declarant (aka developer) shall exercise the degree of care and loyalty required of the fiduciary of the lot owners.  However, officers and members of the board elected by the lot owners (not appointed by the declarant) has the lesser duty of ordinary and reasonable care.

The remaining sections, which deal with declarant rights, voting, audits, and more will be addressed in a subsequent column.

Tom Simon is a Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), Association Management Specialist (AMS), and Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) and Managing Member of WestGate Properties LLC.