Real Estate Information

Many of America’s famous cities have a unique, natural (non-man-made) feature that defines them as a city. Just like Seattle wouldn't be Seattle without the Puget Sound, and Boston wouldn’t be Boston without its eponymous harbor, Albuquerque wouldn’t be Albuquerque without the Sandia Mountains.

They provide scenic beauty, a definitive horizon and the perfect environment for countless outdoor activities, including:

• Hiking
• Climbing
• Mountain biking
• Hang gliding
• Skiing (downhill and cross-country)
• Snowshoeing
• Snowboarding

One of the best and most efficient ways to experience the majesty of these mountains is via the Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway. The Tramway transports you up to the 10,000-foot top of Sandia Peak via enclosed chairlift-like tramway cars.

Along the way, you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the city of Albuquerque and deep desert canyons. Then, once you’re at the top, you will have a spectacular panoramic view of the Cibola National Forest and the Rio Grande Valley.

But wait, there’s more!

You can make a full day out of your visit to Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway, even when it’s not ski season.

Begin your day with lunch at Sandiago’s Mexican Grill At The Tram, situated at the base of the Sandia Peak Tramway in the same building as the tramway lobby and serving authentic Mexican and New Mexican cuisine.

Then hop on the tramway and enjoy the ride to the top of Sandia Peak. Spend some time catching your breath from not only the altitude, but also the thrill of the 2.7-mile conveyance.

Activities here at the Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway vary with the seasons. During the winter, there’s of course skiing and snowboarding; while during the summer months, there’s mountain biking and hiking, as well as more passive activities, such as picnicking and horseshoes.  

And finally, wrap up your unforgettable visit with a relaxing and delicious dinner at High Finance, located two miles high at the top Sandia Peak. The view is, of course, breathtaking, and so is the primarily American cuisine.

The state of New Mexico has nearly a dozen incredible snow skiing and snowboarding destinations, and the majority of them are within a relatively short and scenic drive of the Albuquerque metro area.

Not only does the state receive more than 300 days of sunshine on average each year, but it also sees more than 300 inches of snow each winter. So yes, it’s definitely a downhiller’s paradise.

Many of New Mexico’s ski resorts are family owned and operated. This provides you with the personal service and unique special niceties that only family-run resorts can offer. It also can translate into better bargains and family package deals. 

Here in the “Land of Enchantment” you will find award-winning ski instruction classes, a laid-back atmosphere and numerous multi-day and age-related discounts.

Whether you’re looking for a one-day run or a full-on vacation package, you have those options and more in Albuquerque.

Ski Resorts Near Albuquerque (Click on the name for more information)

Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway – located within the Albuquerque metro area and offering long, cruising terrain and the world’s longest aerial tramway

Angel Fire Resort - a popular family ski resort located about 155 miles northeast of Albuquerque (3-hour drive, approx.), featuring night skiing and more than 30 miles of trails.

Ski Apache - owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe and located about 184 miles southeast of Albuquerque (approximately 3-hour drive), near the charming resort town of Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Ski Santa Fe – located about 65 miles from Albuquerque (approximately 1-hour drive) and only 20 minutes outside of Santa Fe, featuring 45 trails for skiers of all levels of experience.

Taos Ski Valley – Called “nirvana for powerhounds” by powderhounds.com, Taos is one of the Southwest’s most popular and unspoiled skiing and snowboarding destinations. About 135 miles northwest of Albuquerque (approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes), and offering entertainment, dining and non-skiing family fun Taos is rated the #26 ski area in the U.S. by Ski Magazine’s readers.

Ski Pajarito Mountain – a scenic 2-hour drive (approximately 98 miles) from Albuquerque in the lovely city of Los Alamos, Pajarito Mountain offers 300 skiable acres groomed into 40 magnificent trails

Rio Rancho - a northwestern suburb of Albuquerque – welcomed the city’s first full-service hospital in October, 2011. The brand new Presbyterian Rust Medical Center holds 68 beds, employs about 450 people, and cost nearly $200 million to build over the three years of construction.

On its website, the center says it’s the place “where babies will be born, where physicians will heal and where this community can go to feel better.” Truly, the new Presbyterian Rust Medical Center is a new gem in Rio Rancho. 

Presbyterian’s healthcare system is intended to be centered around the patient, as well as flexible, efficient and technologically innovative. Highlights of the services provided at the new Rust Medical Center include:

• Labor and delivery services
• Intensive care
• Operating rooms
• Cardiac services
• MRI and imaging
• Emergency care

Along those lines, Presbyterian researched and visited several other state-of-the-art hospitals for more than a year prior to building the Rust Medical Center in order to deliver the best possible healthcare today and into the future. Because of the advanced design elements used, the Emergency Department expects to decrease treatment time to 90-120 minutes. Patient flow is designed to be maximized owing to a new triage system which directs patients to one of two places: Lean Track for single-issue concerns, or Acute Track for complex issues.

The new Presbyterian Rust Medical Center’s six identical operating suites standardize the placement of equipment and supplies, with the goal of increased efficiency and patient safety. Also, these suites surround a sterile supply room which features a supply pass-through to limit traffic into the surgical area which not only helps to lower infections, it will decrease the wait time for supplies. These are just some of the advanced design features at the new Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho.

The building of Rust Medical Center and its associated Physicians Office Building ushered in 2,500 construction jobs over the two years of its building phase. At the peak of construction, the project had 500 jobs onsite concurrently.

The Presbyterian Rust Medical Center is located at 2400 Unser Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho, N.M.

I'm often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of action is to wait for the bottom in the market and then buy. The problem with this approach is that you don't know where the bottom is until you see it in the rear view mirror, meaning until you've missed it!

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It's important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial "comfort zone." To that end, it may be more important to lock in today's relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give me a call if I can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today's market.