Benefits of Living in Santa Fe Crisp and temperate winters Cool and breezy summers Clear, dry air Spectacular scenic beauty A friendly community that's brimming with bright, creative, and energetic residents A vibrant and growing economy The nation's second largest arts market with a $1.6 billion annual arts economy A growing center of clean industries, such as renewable energies  These are just a few of the reasons to come visit and live in my beautiful city. 05/01/2009

Located just 7 minutes to the Santa Fe Plaza and 20 minutes from the Santa Fe Ski Basin is the carefully planned mountain valley community of Los Cerros Colorados.  The homes and lots offer ½ acre to 2 acres with direct access to miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails.  City utilities are all underground and the roads are paved.  There are designated Open Spaces and wide views.  I can refer architects, builders, contractors and anyone you might need to build a beautiful home for you here.  To view one of the homes I represent for sale in this neighborhood be sure to see www.1856CerrosColorado.com. Click here to view: Homes for Sale in Los Cerros Colorados Michael's Bit of Real Estate Since I'm so active in the business I come across some great referrals from time to time.  J.M. Ev... 04/30/2009

Santa Fe is still a place that has neighborhoods. When I think of Santa Fe, it's all about lifestyle.  Here, a family can ski in the morning and play tennis or golf in the afternoon.  Or hike in the morning and ride horses in the afternoon.  Or switch them all about! This week, I'm letting you know about the neighborhood of Sundance Estates.  Just 15 minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza, the homes here are all built with the lifestyle in mind.  Many of the 2 ½ acre sites have majestic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Santa Fe Ski basin.     It is not a gated community and the residents walk their dogs through the gently rolling hills surrounding by stunning views and the world famous New Mexico sunsets. Here are the homes for sale in the neighborhood Homes for sale in Sundance... 04/16/2009

Below you will see a photo taken from the back of my home on Easter weekend.  The wind was blowing 40 mph, it was raining then snowing and back to rain.  I woke up on Easter morning and thought it should have been Christmas.  There was an inch of snow on the ground.  This should not surprise me afterall our last freeze date in Santa Fe is May 15th.  If you grew up here you know not to put a plant outside until that date - I cannot tell you how many times throughout the years I have tempted that date only to be shown who upstairs is the boss.  But despite the weather - buyers were calling.  I had a few calls from brokers and buyers with customers wanting to see property.   Any of my seller's who did not have company were very accomodating.  It was a day that made for happy seller's and g... 04/14/2009

the phone has been ringing and the buyers are coming.  It is quite wonderful as the weather warms up and the trees are beginning to bud we are seeing new life come about.  Well it is that way with our Santa Fe housing market - buyers are here visiting for Spring Breaks and they have their wallets out.  It looks to be a wonderful year. Here are some of my listings:   04/03/2009

As you know, I am high on living in Santa Fe.  This week I am highlighting the neighborhood of Las Campanas.  Just 15 minutes from the downtown Plaza, you'll find a celebration of possibilities.  On more than 4,700 acres of high-desert landscape are two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses, an unparalleled Equestrian Center, a well appointed Spa & Tennis Center and the inviting Hacienda Clubhouse.  Las Campanas builders create modern interpretations of adobe homes that are both striking pieces of sculpture and spectacular living spaces.  For a glimpse of a beautiful home be sure to visit www.7HoneysuckleCircle.com Click here to view Luxury Homes for sale in Las Campanas  Michael's Bit of Real Estate Since I am so active in the business I come across some great referrals from time to tim... 04/02/2009

The visionary developers, Nancy and William Zeckendorf, saw the city lights of Santa Fe and the unsurpassed views of the sun setting over the Jemez Mountains. Knowing that soon the sky would fill with stars that seemed close enough to touch they began to fulfill their dream of a new subdivision close to the city. Sierra Del Norte is one of the city's premiere developments of fine homes.  www.1062SierraDelNorte.com  At 7,600 feet of elevation, the beautiful mountain neighborhood location is 600 vertical feet higher than the Santa Fe Plaza but still close in - inside the city limits just 3.3 miles and 5 minutes to downtown, and only 12 miles to the Ski Basin.  The first "delicious" attribute is the setting. City lights, Black Mesa, and even Colorado can be seen from here. The surroundings... 03/26/2009

Our beautiful city of Santa Fe will be celebrating for the next two summers our 400 year birth.  As a member of a family who has been in the area since 1598 I cannot tell you how very proud I am of our city.  I highly recommend for any of your reading this as visitors to our fair city that you make your reservations for the summer of 2010 now and come celebrate our heritage with us.  The city has been a bit slow on getting up their website - which we here often refer to as Manana Land (tomorrow land) but I am sure they will not disappoint us and have the site up and functional soon.  When it is up you can go to www.SantaFe400th.com.  In the meantime here is our stunning logo: 03/24/2009

Social Networking  About a month ago it was suggested to me that I  join a social networking group, Facebook.  Reluctantly, I logged on, uploaded my photo, photos of my wife, Tonia and my two sons, Nicholas and Christopher, and my Websites, Within an hour  I was delighted to hear from people I had not been in contact with for 30-40 years.  Fantastic people I had known and loved and neglected by way of....what's my excuse?  Now, each time I log on, my friends, many of them my former colleagues in The New Christy Minstrels, let me know what their up to and who they've found that I should connect with.  If I manage my time correctly, it provides a way of attending ‘multiple cocktail parties' from the comfort of my chair.  While not everyone embraces this way of connecting, the fact is tha... 03/06/2009

Santa Fe, a popular international destination in the American Southwest, is called the "City Different" for a number of good reasons, among them: It is one of the oldest cities in the U.S., with the Palace of the Governors having the distinction of the oldest, continuously inhabited government building in the U.S. Santa Fe is celebrating its 400th Anniversary (Quatrocentennial) in 2010. The heart of the city is The Plaza, in the tradition of Plazas, or Zocalos, found in Spain and Spanish-settled cities and towns, and a popular gathering point for tourists and locals alike. Its pueblo-style architecture is uniquely charming and comes with its own vocabulary: bancos, nichos, kivas, vigas, etc. (Click here for a glossary of Santa Fe architectural terms). And beyond architecture, the romanc... 11/18/2008

Our local realtor association, Santa Fe Association of Realtors  has a tremendous website to give you the information you may need concerning local, state and national information on real property issues.  If you need a link or some information go to www.sfar.com and get the answers you need.  You can also drop me a note and I will be happy to assist you in any way possible at VictoriaSantaFe@gmail.com 11/05/2008

An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride, and superiority. The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too. The children thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, Which wolf will win? The old Cherokee simply replied: The one I feed. This evening (September 12th) on Bill Moyer's Journal, Mr. Moyers made reference t... 09/12/2008

Attention, New Mexico endurance riders! The fifth annual Caja del Rio Endurance Ride is scheduled for August 23, 2008. This year's ride will be a fundraiser for the Caja del Rio Trail, too. There will be three options for riders: A 15-mile "Fun Loop" that makes a great trail ride for a beginner A 30-mile limited distance endurance ride A 50-mile endurance ride The event is sanctioned by the AERC, and will be monitored by veterinarians. Water for the horses will be available along the trail  every 5-7 miles, and sponsors are encouraging new riders to get involved. Fun riders can choose to tide with or without a ride leader, and will have the convenience of marked trails. HAM radio coverage will also be provided as part of a rider safety net. So what and where is Caja del Rio? The fun rid... 08/16/2008

GMAC is pleased to announce a new commercial and business division in our Santa Fe Office. Now you can buy or sell or lease any business in New Mexico. Right now, we are asking anyone who wants to post their business location (building) for lease, purchase or if you have a business you wish to sell, please let us know by visiting our site by clicking here. Whether you want to sell or buy a business, New Mexico is a great place to live and work and is very business friendly. We are looking for businesses and commercial property for sale or lease you want to post for the following cities: Albuquerque Alamogordo Las Cruces Ruidiso Santa Fe Taos By listing with GMAC Property Management your properties will also be advertised on www.Kayyah.com 06/26/2008

Realtor Association of New Mexico (RANM) just sent an email congratulating its members on a successful legislative session.   It outlines the highlights of the session: The bill to prohibit transfer taxes (SB160-Grubesic) overwhelmingly passed the Senate, and now goes to the House Business and Industry Committee. The subprime lending bill (HB21-Lundstrom) which would have eliminated numerous types of loans was tabled in the House Business and Industry Committee. A bill requiring disclosure of real property taxes (HB388-Berry) was amended after considerable discussion and negotiation among all those involved in the sale of real property.  The title companies eventually agreed to provide a disclosure form which will be promulgated by the State Department of Insurance.  Senator Boitano has... 02/05/2008

Gentle Reader - here in the Real (Estate) World I was heartened to receive several responses - all positive - from Realtors in different areas of the country, even those areas supposedly hard hit by this recent financial (who-knows-what-to-call-it). And EVERY person had something good to say about what's happening for them and others in their markets. So I have a proposal - I welcome your responses posted here - or we could establish some other venue - Let's talk about what good "stuff" is happening in our individual markets! I know it would help me when I'm working with clients to keep a perspective both for them and for me. And, nobody knows the real estate business like we do. It's in our hands. For sure corporate media obviously prefers profits to people & panders to the worse fears... 10/05/2007

 Is anybody else feeling like there is some sort of strange disconnect between what the media is portraying and what's really happening for those of us Realtors still doing business in the midst of this current market? Granted, in our market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, there is hesitancy on the part of buyers. But that's because buyers are believing that what is critically affecting other markets across the country is affecting us in the same way. In this Real (Estate) World - There's another story that needs to be told: New Mexico has one of the lowest rates of foreclosures, that the sub-prime debacle didn't engulf our communities in the same way, that there is still mortgage money to be loaned and lenders who have programs to meet the needs of qualified borrowers.The other good part of t... 10/04/2007

Participants in the Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race will start off Monday, September 3rd to begin an 800 mile trail ride! Commencing at 7:00 am near Rowe Mesa, the ride will see horses and riders travel all the way to Independence, Missouri during a 13-day endurance competition which includes 10 riding days and 3 break days. Many competitors arrived in Santa Fe a week or so ago, in order to have time to acclimatize horses and riders to the altitude.The endurance race will closely follow the old Santa Fe Trail which was traveled by traders and pioneers during the 1800s. New Mexico towns on the route include Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Clayton and Springer, and participants then proceed through numerous Kansas towns like Dodge City and Council Grove before finishing up in Independence, Missouri.... 09/02/2007

This years Santa Fe's Haciendas Parade of Homes will be held in mid August.  This is one of my favorite area events to attend.  As a Taos Realtor,  a local homebuilder's partner and a "wanna be" homestager this event provides a  wealth of great ideas and the unique chance to see what other builders and designers are doing in the wonderful arena of Santa Fe homebuilding and design. Most of these are truly well done and very beautiful.If you have never attended one of these events and love looking at both upscale and unique homes don't miss this.  It is held two weekends so there is ample opportunity to take your own self guided tour. I am sure I walk around with my jaw open half the time.  I go several days of the event and return to my favorite homes a second time for a closer look.  On... 07/26/2007