Great places to eat in Albuquerque New Mexico

Last week while showing Albuquerque real estate I was reminded that we are so fortunate to have so many fine places to eat.

My clients and I stopped by Sushi and Sake on Academy NE and Wyoming NE. The service was great and the variety of “specialty rolls” was unbelievable! We were able to socialize, eat, and talk business without interruption.

 
Another great place to take clients for a break during a day of looking for homes for sale in Albuquerque is Papa Nachos on 7648 Louisiana NE. It is a family run Mexican food restaurant with different levels of “heat”. It was an adventure with wonderful results! My out of town clients said it was perfect!


I love my job!
Posted by Tim

The Albuquerque Real Estate Market- What Is It Going To Do?

As a real estate broker in Albuquerque, New Mexico I hear this question or similar questions on a daily basis. My remark is really simple now; “Why do you ask?”

If it is casual conversation they are seeking I can point to many positives that have occurred recently; low rates, steady sales, the focus on reviving sales nationwide. If it’s conversation that feeds the negative beast I simply do not engage.

But if the person asking the question tells me they need to sell or buy a home I always give them words of encouragement. The market is what it is. Who knows, this could be the new norm! I try to discover their needs, offer real life solutions, and hopefully they will feel comfortable enough to allow me the opportunity to find them a home in Albuquerque, and be the real estate broker to help them realize their real estate dreams.

I love my job!

Posted by Tim Fish

Snake, Rattle, and Roll in Albuquerque

American International Rattlesnake Museum

One of Albuquerque's unusual attractions sits on the edge of its famous Old Town. The American International Rattlesnake Museum may not attract some folks, but 50,000 plus people a year seem to be drawn to get up front and personal with the museum's scaly residents.

Bob Myers opened his museum almost 20 years ago, and says rattlesnakes have earned an inaccurate reputation for being agressive. He says most rattlers will avoid people and will only strike if cornered or threatened.

There usually are around 34 rattlers on display at the museum, which is home to a number of rare species like a striped western diamondback rescued from a rattlesnake roundup and a viritrox, which is a cross between a prairie rattlesnake and a diamondback. There are also a number of non-rattlers, like the tri-colored Arizona king snake and a striking (no pun intended) white Texas rat snake - not to mention a number of New Mexico natives that don't fall into the snake category, like a friendly faced Gila monster named Mollie and a whiptail lizard.

The Rattlesnake Museum has a gift shop, and all kinds of displays full of reptile-related artifacts like snake-oil bottles and such. If you are one of the few who like snakes, or are just curious about our rattling residents, it's an interesting way to spend a day with the kids.

American International Rattlesnake Museum

202 San Felipe NW  Suite A
Albuquerque, New Mexico  87104
(505) 242-6569
www.rattlesnakes.com

SEPTEMBER-MAY HOURS

Monday-Friday...11:30am to 5:30pm
Saturday...10am-6pm
Sunday...1pm-5pm
(School Groups...Mon-Fri...10-11:30am)

SUMMER HOURS
Monday-Saturday...10am-6pm
Sunday...1pm-5pm
Closed Major Holidays, Field Trips and Animal Rescues

Kids $3 • Adults $5 • Seniors, Military, Students $4
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We're experts about our city, from attractions to Albuquerque Real Estate!

Great News for Members of the Military, Foreign Services, and the Intelligence Community!

Congress has acknowledged circumstances for members of the military, foreign service and the intelligence community that extend both the $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers and the $6,500 for qualified repeat buyers!  If you're looking for a home at Kirland AFB, this can help.

Normally, homes that are resold or that cease to be used as a principal residence within three years of the initial purchase are subject to recapture of the tax credit. However, qualified service members who sell or move from a tax credit home within the three years of the initial purchase due to Official Extended Duty may be exempt from the recapture rule.

Additionally, for qualified service members who are ordered on a period of extended duty, the deadlines are extended from April 30, 2010 to April 30, 2011 and closed by June 30, 2011! Official extended duty means any period of extended duty outside the United States for at least 90 days between December 31, 2008 and ending before May 1, 2010.

So, if you're in the military, foreign service, or intelligence community, and you were on official extended duty for missions outside the United States for 90 days or more beginning December 31, 2008 and ending May 1, 2010 you may be able to take advantage of the extended Tax credits of $8,500 or $6,500.

Visit our website and look through the Albuquerque MLS, or just learn about the different neighborhoods.  We can help you with every facet of your home buying experience!

6 Tips to Improve Your Home's Sales Appeal

From Southern Living

We've all heard the advice about staging your home's interior to make it warmer - much of buying a home is based on the emotions of the buyer. A recent article on MyHomeIdeas.com listed some quick and easy ideas for sprucing up the entrance of your home. Every small spruce-up helps to add more money when you sell, and a little bit of effort on your part may get that contract in your hands sooner!

1. Trim your shrubbery and add new ones to help with overall yard appeal.
2. Add shutters to the windows. Don't buy cheap plastic ones, either. Toss just a few more dollars in the purchase and get wooden ones. Nice coordinated shutters dress up any home!
3. Build a window box. Whether under a window or complimenting your new shutters, nothing adds to the beauty of a home more than a huge window box bursting with gorgeous blooming plants. Be sure to make plenty of drain holes in the bottom so the water doesn't collect and drown the plants.
4. Add potted plants around the home's entrance. Inexpensive pots that match your trim is the key, and the placement counts too. Keep the plants in the walkspace low and out of the foot path. Place larger plants on the ground near the steps to accentuate the home's entrance.
5. Add dark mulch or pine needles to cover the bare spots around the plants and shrubs.
6. Fertilize, patch spots with turf, water more, and make your grass green and healthy. Be sure to keep it freshly mowed for the most inviting look and smell!

Just a little bit of extra effort can make your home look like a showplace, and get it sold faster. Ask us for more tips on dressing up your Albuquerque home for sale! We've got 35 years of experience in selling real estate in Albuquerque NM.    ~Tim Fish

Albuquerque Real Estate News!

Albuquerque Real Estate Sales are on the rise!

In March the local area housing market saw significant increases in home sales! There were 634 residential inits in March 2010 which represented a 36% increase over the same month in 2009! Additionally there were 1,077 sales placed under contract in March 2010 which represented an incredible increase of 44% over March of 2009! This was the highest number of pending sales since June 2007!

The median price dropped about 5% from $184,500 in March of 2009 to $175,000 for March of this year. The average price dropped slightly to $211,049.

The number of homes cureently on the market is down 4.7% from this time last year!

The market is brisk! Buyers are in the marketplace and sellers are selling. With today's interest rates this is nothing but good news for all involved!

Did you know that The Albuquerque Real Estate Group can place your home in the Coldwell Banker Legacy Welcome Home Magazine every month until it sells? Well, we can and we will!

Visit us at TheAlbuquerqueRealEstateGroup.com and search the Albuquerque MLS!

Albuquerque Homes May Be Saved By Reductions in Mortgage Balances

In the newest attempt to stem foreclosures in Albuquerque and elsewhere in the country, Bank of America has announced that it will reduce the balance on some mortgages that owe more than the current market value.

In example some homes that sold for $200,000 during the housing boom may now be worth more like $150,000, encouraging homeowners to toss in their lost down payments and walk away in disgust. Bank of America says it will "forgive" some principal balances up to a maximum of $30,000, providing the homeowner is underwater at least 120%, or owes 20% more than the home is worth.

Since Bank of America bought Countrywide Home Loans in 2008, this has the potential to help a large number of Americans to keep their homes and hopefully prevent another flood of foreclosures as more of the negative-amortization and adjustable rate mortgages with baloons become due.

Here is how the program will work for an eligble mortgagee:

The bank will create a separate, interest-free "forebearance" account that covers a five year period. The $50,000 overage goes into this temporary account, and your new mortgage is based on $150,000 instead of $200,000. In some cases the interest rate can be reduced as well, resulting in much lower payments.

During the first year, if the homeowner makes the new, reduced payments on time, the bank will "forgive" $10,000 of the overage.

The second year, providing the house is still in an underwater condition, another $10,000 will be dropped.

The third year brings the same, providing the homeowner is continuing to make timely payments and the house is still over-mortgaged. This brings the amount "forgiven" to $30,000.00.

During the fourth and fifth years, your situation would be re-evaluated, and if you still benefitted from the reduced payments, they could remain the same. However, if the house has appreciated, or your principal balance is now under 100%, no more would be forgiven for that year. If home prices have not gone up and your mortgage is still more than the market value, they may elect to forgive $10,000 more these final two years until the total overage of $50,000 is met.

On certain negative-amortization mortgages, the bank may forgive the principal amount down to a 95% loan to value level as well.

Wells Fargo has also announced similar plans to reduce negative equity balances, and the Obama Administration has announced measures aimed at getting lenders to reduce underwater borrowers' principal balances and refinance their mortgages into government-sponsored loans. Government programs could affect loan modifications offered by many other banks and mortgage companies.

With these programs coming into effect, the prices of Albuquerque homes for sale will hopefully stabilize and our real estate market will bounce back sooner instead of later.

If you are a homeowner currently facing this situation, be sure to contact your mortgage company and find out your options before you decide to walk away from the home that you love.

If you are a buyer looking for a home in Albuquerque, there is no better time to buy than right now. Use our website to search the Albuquerque MLS and find just the one for you. 

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Free WIFI on Albuquerque's Rail Runner Express

One of fun things about making your home in Albuquerque is the Rail Runner Express shuttle bus. Getting to the Albuquerque Airport is a snap with the Rail Runner, whether you take Route 350 from north of downtown, Route 222 from south of downtown, or the single Saturday Route 50.

Ride to the Santa Fe Depot, the Kewa Pueblo for a little casino action, downtown Bernalillo, or several other destinations in New Mexico's attempt to go green and eliminate a few cars on the road.. And now you can work (or play) while you ride with the free WIFI on the train. For the last several months, only a 50 chosen participants had been given access to test the system. As of April 5, 2010, the final test phase is being opened to all passengers for the next 90-days to work out any remaining bugs in the system.

Quite the "Google-esque" thing to do, don't you agree?

Check the schedules and full information about times and stops from their website at www.nmrailrunner.com. Our city offers more reasons every day to own real estate in Albuquerque, NM. Downtown Albuquerque condos offer more and more in lifestyle amenities and conveniences and there's always plenty of land for new homes in Albquerque too. Let us show you around town and convince you we've got the best city in the west!

The website offers the following instructions for connecting on the shuttles:

How to connect on the NM Rail Runner Express:

1. Turn on your device
2. Check for a list of available Wi-Fi networks
3. Select or connect to NMRX (SSID or Service Set Identifier that will appear in list of available networks)
4. Open your browser and you will be redirected to the NM Rail Runner portal page.
5. Click on “accept” to accept the terms of using the service and you will be allowed into the free internet.

 Remember this is a free service and is not password protected. Never perform any data-sensitive transactions such as banking while accessing the internet on an unprotected network. 

Albuquerque Mayor Promotes Bicycle Safety

Mayor Richard Berry has adopted a new bicycle safety campaign called "Easy to Miss". The campaign, which includes a new website, billboards, mall and airport displays aims to raise awareness of drivers who share the roads with cyclists.

According to statistics, more than 100 bikers in Albuquerque are killed each year from accidents involving motorists who didn't see them until it was too late.

As recently as last June, mother and biking enthusiast Heather Reu was killed after being struck by a car. She left behind four small children and grieving friends, who came up with the idea for the campaign. Reu worked for a marketing company that partnered with the mayor to produce the billboards and website.

One of the billboards is designed to demonstrate how hard it is to see a bicycle until you are almost upon it...a picture on the sign has a biker that doesn't show until seen at a certain angle as a car begins to pass.

Bicycles are popular in our city, particularly in the neighborhoods and homes near Albuquerque's UNM campus. The campaign sponsors hope to make drivers in the University area more careful and on the alert.

Also in the works are more bicycle lanes throughout the city. Mayor Berry encourages bicycling and bike lanes, according to Chris Ramirez, City of Albuquerque communications director. He considers it a quality of life issue and wants Albuquerque residents to feel safer and enjoy biking. The website offers answers to questions of driving laws and safety tips for drivers and bikers.

Having a fun and healthy neighborhood for biking is often a deciding factor for our buyers looking for Albuquerque homes for sale. If you are interested in property near UNM or in a bike-friendly area, call us, or use our free Albuquerque MLS search!

Albuquerque Home For Sale by Owner - Will it really sell?

"FSBO" (pronounced fizz-bo).

This is a four-letter word for most Realtors, but not for the reasons most consumers might think. Many agents will look past a FSBO and pretend it doesn't exist when they are searching for homes to show a buyer. I've heard it referred to as "kinda like the obnoxious relative you see out with your friends and hope they go away before someone makes the connection". Beyond the obvious reason of commissions, why would a Realtor avoid the pitfalls of helping a buyer to purchase a FSBO? Glad you asked!

Despite the fact that an owner sponsored listing might be a bargain, an agent becomes twice as liable for legal and other problems. Also, a seller being represented by a professional Realtor is more willing to pay for inspections, repairs, and even closing costs. Those are major negotiating points, after all.

O.K., let's just pretend that you want to buy a FSBO home without a Realtor. You would save 6%, right? That's $12,000 on the average price of a home for sale in Albuquerque. Start with this...would you feel comfortable taking the seller's word on the condition of the home?

Do you consider yourself as a professional negotiator?  This isn't a car you're buying,  It's a HOUSE... the most expensive investment that most people make in their lives.

"But I have done it in the past.", you say. Neat. You can negotiate with this stranger all by yourself and save the commission dollars. So...do you know all the new rules regarding tax levy disclosure? FIRPTA? Septic and well regulations? Does the seller know them? Do you trust him well enough to take this chance?

Who do you call for inspections?  Do you have an escrow officer at a trusted title company?  Do you have a mortgage officer? Is that mortgage officer up to date with all the new government regulations?  These are the things you have to consider with an Albuquerque home for sale by owner.

And the appeal of SELLING your home by yourself is definitely tempting. Realtors understand this. But how much are you going to save selling a product that basically repels the main group of people (Realtors) that represent the one group of people (qualified buyers) that you want your property exposed to?

The statistics speak for themselves: 92% of For Sale By Owner transactions FAIL - this is according to the Nation Association of Realtors.

If I was feeling that lucky, I would go put my 6-3% "savings" on red or black at my local roulette table. My odds would increase 6.25 times. It would make much more sense...and maybe I would make enough money to pay a real plumber to fix that faucet I've tried to fix myself that continues to drip, drip, drip all the time...:-)

### ~Tim Fish

Visit our website and see our FREE Albuquerque MLS Search.
We are Albuquerque Real Estate Experts!

Albuquerque Job Market is Expanding

We happened to run across a new job listing in careerbuilder.com for Greyhound Bus Drivers in Albuquerque. That's kind of an ususual job that many folks might not think of on their own, but it looks to be a good one.

Greyhound was founded in 1914, according to their short bio. They provide not only passenger bus transportation, but also accept express package delivery and charter services.

Drivers (or Greyhound Motorcoach Operators, as they list the official job position) are expected to possess safe driving practices, the ability to be on schedule at all times, to excel in customer service, and be dependable and professional.

Requirements of the job include: professional dress, the ability to lift baggage and packages of up to 100 lbs, be on-call 24/7, and be away from home for stretches of three or more days when necessary. You would also have to be proficient enough with reports to do passenger counts, driving logs, and safety inspections. (They would love you to speak Spanish, but it's not a requirement!)

More job specifications include:

• Be at least 22 years of age
• Have a valid driver’s license
• Minimum of three (3) year’s driving experience (Commercial or private)
• Have a good character and positive work history
• Consent to a background check and alcohol/drug screen
• Pass a background check (MVR, Criminal Extended Employment Verification).

Your driving record must:

• Have no more than two (2) moving convictions/accidents in the past three (3) years.
• Have no more than three (3) moving convictions/accidents in the past five (5) years) (Speeding, tailgating, etc.)
• Have no license suspensions in the past ten years (Suspensions for physicals, insurance lapses, failure to pay fine and failure to appear are exempt under the ten-year rule)
• Have NO driving convictions related to alcohol or illegal drugs.

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 This could be a unique new career path for our young people, or even pre- or post-retirees. An Albuquerque relocation is proving to be a very good choice as our economy tries to pull out of its problems and make a comeback. When you are ready to find a home, use our website to search the Albuquerque MLS, and then give us a call. With over 35 years of experience, we are Albuquerque real estate experts, and we look forward to helping you!
 

Living in Albuquerque- Balloon Festival Event

On March 7, the Albuquerque Balloon Museum will host one of its best exhibits - The Open House Sky Sailing.

Visitors will thrill to hang gliding and paragliding demonstrations, including an acrobatic paragliding act by the Ozone Team, as well as 12 ft walking puppets, remote controlled flight demonstrations, and model gliders.

The Museum's open house will feature an Olympus 180 hang glider and a giant sailplane with wingspans of 50 ft. These aircraft will be hanging in the Museum Gallery.

The concept of wind flight will be explored, from the aircraft to nature's own wind machines - birds, squirrels...and even amphibians.

This is a great free exhibition that the whole family will enjoy. Come and learn about Albuquerque's special wind currents, and then drive around afterwards and check out what Albuquerque real estate has to offer these days!

The exhibition is on March 7, 2010, from 11-3pm.

Albuquerque Balloon Museum
9201 Balloon Museum Dr. NE
Albuquerque, N.M. 87113
505-880-0500
I-25 (exit 233), west on Alameda
Google Map and Directions

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Home Staging for Albuquerque Real Estate Sales

From Ambiance Home Staging & Interior Design, LLC

You've decided on your price, listed your home on the Albuquerque MLS, and now you wait to find a buyer. Whether a home is lived in or vacant, it will benefit from "staging" before being placed on the market. When a family has lived in a home for awhile, they are so used to it that they can't see some of the problems. A fresh set of eyes (or, in the case of Ambiance, TWO sets of professional fresh eyes!) can quickly spot things that might be a deterrent to a quick sale. Sometimes it is a need to remove clutter, freshen up things such as bedding, re-arrange furniture and wall hangings to better show off the space, etc.

Out latest staging was this week in a beautiful large expensive home in Albuquerque. It is a gorgeous home with almost no clutter and just the right amount of furniture. However, there were almost no accessories, ambient lighting or accoutrements to soften up the space and make it look comfortable and livable. Being super bargain shoppers, we were able to purchase just a few things such as new bedding, pillows, throws, lamps, candles, etc. which made a world of difference in this space. The homeowner had no time, interest or knowledge of what was needed and welcomed our shopping service.

Check out our website below and look at the Facebook page at the bottom for before and after photos of this job. (Or, go directly to Facebook and search for Ambiance Home Staging and Interior Redesign. Our website also features a before/after gallery of other Albuquerque interior redesign we've done!)

A vacant house offers different challenges. We bring in just enough furniture and lots of accessories to set up interesting pockets of interest, or "vignettes" to bring the rooms alive and interesting. It is a proven fact that potential buyers will spend more time in a staged home than one that is vacant. We direct the buyers eyes toward the home's interesting features and provide a sense that the house would be nice to live in. Ambiance brings in all the furniture, accessories and any props necessary to accomplish this goal. For the reasonable cost of our service, the client gets our expertise, information concerning any other things that should be done to the home/property, staging materials and their set-up for a period of 90 days.

After that period, if the house is still on the market, our staging props may be retained on a month-to-month basis for a small fee. The client/homeowner is responsible for our materials while in the home, but we only had a problem once where a house was broken into. Fortunately, the owner had homeowner's insurance, which covered our stuff, as well as the appliances, etc. that were taken! (We, of course, carry general business liability insurance.)

If you are thinking about putting your Albuquerque home on the market, call Ambiance Home Staging and Interior Redesign, LLC first! Carefully staged homes will sell faster, get more Realtor traffic and will usually be priced higher than those that are not staged. Our service is a small price to pay to have your home look its best for potential buyers! Check out our Albuquerque Home Staging Website at www.NMAmbiance.com and call us for a quote or consultation!

Of Fish Men and Men Who Fish...

It was in the north western part in NM on a ranch called Vermejo Park, owned by Ted Turner. The very first thing we saw when entering the park was a herd of Elk.  I rolled down my window and actually heard them bugling, which I guess is pretty rare.

We kept driving toward the main lodge and then saw a herd of deer. When we pulled up to the lodge we got out of the car and immediately entered the wrong building - and I'm glad we did. The building we entered was Ted Turner's personal lodge and it looked like something you would find in Europe. The ceilings were high and arched with amazing detail and in every corner was a some kind of stuffed animal...even a lion!  I could go into much more detail, but just imagine rich wood and marble everywhere.

When we finally figured out we were in the wrong building, we went to check into the right one. It also was impressive. Very clean and massive logs made this lodge. Jumping forward about two hours, we went to the "Fish House" and got a few coolers - one for drinks and one for fish - then headed to the lakes...

We finally found the lake we wanted to fish, and the very first thing we saw were two bears drinking from the lake. The lake was situated in the middle of a open, grassy area and about 100-200 yard away were pine trees. The view from the lakes was the Colorado mountains. It felt like we stepped right into some sportsman's magazine.

The rest of the day was amazing. We caught several FAT trout and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. One of the men fishing with us was a very good friend of my father's (and mine), Jim Padon, who was suffering from terminal brain cancer.  This was one of his wishes - to finally fish the legendary Vermjo Park.  I feel very fortunate to have spent that time with my father and Jim. Jim passed away several months later.

I will never forget those couple of days and will some day take my sons (and daughter if she wants to go).

A memory as told by Tim Fish. Photos are: Top - Father Dennis with one of those "fat trout", and Middle - Tim and his prize trout
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Visit our Albuquerque real estate mls website and let our 30 plus years of experience help you find your dream home in Albuquerque, NM.

Investing in Albuquerque Real Estate

Why real estate? Well I like it because:

I can buy it leveraged. Instead of paying dollar for dollar as with stock, I can usually purchase a rental home in Albuquerque with 30 % or down, or less - depending on the financing.

Real estate in Albuquerque typically appreciates, while also providing excellent tax advantages for me. Currently, I can deduct interest, property taxes, and improvements.

When I decide to dispose of the real estate I may postpone the taxes owed by exchanging. If I must sell the property outright I may be able to spread the tax liability out over a period of time depending on the terms of sale.

I know what you're thinking - the real estate market is down!

I don't purchase real property for the short term, I buy it for the long haul.

I am confident that just as the value of real property has decreased over the last several years, the value of homes and condos in Albuquerque will increase once again.

So today I am looking to acquire additional property. It just fits my investment strategy, along with stocks and mutual funds. And there are some bargains out there!

Visit our website and browse through the Albuquerque MLS.

Let us help you get started on your road to real estate investing.

Posted by Dennis Fish, The Albuquerque Real Estate Group

Albuquerque Real Estate Offers Something for Everyone

Albuquerque Real Estate Offers Something for Everyone

With the best schools, family friendly neighborhoods, gated golf communities, and downtown Albuquerque condos - the beautiful city of Albuquerque NM attracts families, retirees, and rocket scientists.

Albuquerque, NM (PRWEB) December 30, 2009 -- Kirtland Air Force Base brings in the techno-folks, with its 23,000 jobs in munitions maintenance, training and nuclear weaponry. Sandia Laboratories adds to the numerous high-paying jobs that helped to put Albuquerque in the number 2 place for Kiplingers Top 10 Cities for 2009. Albuquerque's unique art and cultural activities helps to attract those who want to live in a nature-friendly town and still have all the big-city attractions. More...

Your Albuquerque Home - To Sell or Not to Sell

"Are you crazy? Why would I want to sell now? I'd rather rent my house than to give it away!"

As home sellers are faced with the reality of the current housing crisis, many consider the prospect of renting their home in Albuquerque...but is it the smart thing to do? Several factors must be considered before you make that decision.

1. Are you moving out of town? If you are moving out of the area, who will manage the leasing of your home or condo in Albuquerque until you decide to sell? What will that cost monthly?
   
2. Are you prepared to pay the monthly payments in the event it should become vacant?
   
3. Are you prepared to make the necessary repairs to bring your home up to rentable condition after each tenant vacates your property?
   
4. Who will maintain the landscaping in your absence?

The reality of renting your home is that it is not so easy. It can be a tremendous strain on the family.

I would also suggest that you ask yourself if your facts are correct. For example, if you are renting "until the market comes back", you must be clear on what that means. If you are renting until you can sell it for what it would have sold for in 2006, then you may need to rent it for about 6 years, assuming a 3.5 - 4% appreciation.

Another huge consideration - Could you use the money to purchase another property that is a beautiful home caught up in the same situation as your own?

The bottom line is this: Yes, you will have to be realistic in pricing your home if you sell now. But you may also be realistic in buying your next home as well! Current inventory, tax credits, and very attractive interest rates should all be considered before buying and selling in today's real estate market.

We invite you to browse through all the helpful information on our Albuquerque real estate website, or search through our Albuquerque MLS Listings. Let us know if we can help you buy or sell your home.

Happy New Year!
Dennis Fish - The Albuquerque Real Estate Group

Albuquerque Homes Near Kirtland AFB and Sandia Labs

Kirtland Air Force Base is located in the southeastern part of Albuquerque, encompassing over 51,000 acres of Albuquerque real estate, and providing jobs for more than 23,000 folks. It is home to the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, the 498th Nuclear Systems Wing the 377th Air Base Wing, which provides munitions maintenance, training and support to 76 federal and 384 private sector units. The Air National Guard Unit on Kirtland is the 150th Fighter wing, part of the Air Combat Command.

Other divisions include the Space Development and Test Wing, the Department of Energy local office, and the Sandia Labs National Laboratories.

With the current military situation in our country, the influx and exit of personnel through Kirtland is ever-changing. We can help with your military relocation needs.

For information on homes and residences near the Kirtland AFB, or help with selling your home in Albuquerque if you've been re-stationed, please contact us.

Some useful websites:
Kirtland Air Force Base Homepage

Kirtland AFB First Time Homebuyers

Kirtland AFB Moving Planner

Search for Homes Near Kirtland AFB

Albuquerque Real Estate Benefits from Kiplinger's Top 10 Cities

Albuquerque was awarded the number 2 place in Kiplinger's Top City List for 2009. Our city and the industry of real estate in Albuquerque should find this honor an asset to attract desired professionals and the jobs to sustain them.

Kiplinger's Kevin Stolarick evaluated the listed cities for growth potential, judging the number of professional jobs, the quality of the jobs, and the ability of cities to hold on to them in tough times. Stolarick is quoted as saying, "Although downturns are felt by everyone, our research has shown that the impact is less severe for those in the creative class - people who are paid to think."

Stolarick looked for the presence of occupations and people filling them in the industries of science, engineering, architecture, and education. Albuquerque's recent acquisition of the Schott solar power plant was cited, as well as the industries that attracted it; Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed Martin's national defense plant, and the PHD's at the University of New Mexico. UNM has special programs to educate workers in these industries.

Other attractions are the growing film industry in Albuquerque as well as it's "Green City" promotions such as energy efficient requirements for home and commercial buildings, and the city's bike trails all along the Rio Grande.

All manner of "upwardly mobile" residents will find a happy home in Albuquerque, NM.

The Top 10 Cities on the list were:

• Huntsville, AL
• Albuquerque, NM
• Washington DC
• Charlottesville, VA
• Athens, GA
• Olympia, WA
• Madison, WI
• Austin, TX
• Flagstaff, AZ
• Raleigh, NC

Welcome to our new Albuquerque Real Estate Blog!

With our brand new website comes a brand new blog! We hope you'll enjoy our news and information about real estate in Albuquerque. We are here to serve you and help you find your dream home. Please feel free to email or call us when you're ready to buy or list your home.

Albuquerque NM Real Estate

www.TheAlbuquerqueRealEstateGroup.com