Kendra Ruminer's Two Cents of Real Estate

Take A Peek At Los Alamos, New Mexico

Author: Kendra (Page 11 of 19)

Newcomer’s Survival Guide

April 9, 2022 /

There’s no doubt that relocating can be stressful. Buying a new home is always exciting, but each move comes with its own set of unique circumstances. Whether you’re leaving one community for another, moving across country, or just relocating neighborhoods, leaving established relationships in order to dive into new ones is never an easy thing.

As many of us know from first hand experience, moving to Los Alamos has its own set of challenges. But the good news is that there are so very many wonderful resources and opportunities here in the city on the hill. So, if you’re looking for a way to connect with new people and establish yourself in this wonderful community of Los Alamos, prepare to take notes.

For Families & Especially Mothers

If you’ve got kids of any age, the best way to meet new friends is to help your kiddos settle into a new friend group of their own. The first stop in helping your kids find a group is to check out the Family YMCA of Los Alamos. You can see a short brochure of their offerings here. With child care available to younger kids while their parents enjoy an exercise class, the YMCA is a wonderful resource for new families in Los Alamos. Sign your kids up for a team sport, volunteer, and get involved! This can be the first step in meeting new families that share your interests and goals.

And if you’re a mother of a young child, don’t feel as though you’re here all by yourself! Make some time and reach out! Go to a yoga class. Take advantage of the child watch at the Family Y and do something for yourself. Nothing could be more important for you, your kiddo, and your family!

In the past, I’ve spoken about the Family Strengths Network. But I have to say that as a resource for new and existing families in our community, they really know how to offer support! If you visit their website at LAFSN.org, you’ll find a list of support groups, classes, field trips, and activities for everyone. There’s no better way to find people you have things in common with than to take a class or attend a field trip or discussion group. These are perfect places to strike up a conversation and make new friends!

For Everyone

If you’re a happy couple or even a happy single, don’t worry! There are plenty of places for you to find friends and like minded people to just hang out with. The key is to get involved. Remember the Scooby Doo cartoons? The theme song lyrics are, “Come on get involved, there’s a mystery to solve.” I challenge anyone to get out and get involved. Sometimes it becomes an easy habit to sit in your new place and tell yourself you don’t know anybody. It might be true. But you will never know anyone until you get out and get involved!

The Family Y – While you might not need child watch services, the YMCA is a fantastic place to take a yoga class, or use the climbing wall. The listing of available classes has some truly unique opportunities.

FLACL – Or, perhaps you’re more of a bookworm. Volunteer with the Friends of the Library here in Los Alamos and meet some fellow bibliophiles. Find more information about that wonderful group of people here. They collect, catalog, and maintain the Friends of the Library just inside the Mesa Public Library building and do other volunteer work with our county libraries as well as other public service library organizations.

Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club – Are you an outdoor type who likes to hunt? What about target shooting? Would it interest you to know that one of the top Junior Level Shotgun Shooting teams is located right here in Los Alamos? The Sportsmen’s Club offers training classes for novice and beginner shooters of all ages whether your interest is in sporting clays or target shooting with a pistol or a rifle. Members in the club are active and come from every walk of life. Check out their website for more information.

No matter if you like exercise, books, or target shooting and outdoor pursuits, there is an organization for you in Los Alamos. I hope that you’ve gotten some good ideas on ways to get involved here in Los Alamos. If you’re new to our community, we welcome you! If you’ve been here for years, hopefully you’ve read about an organization that appeals to you. And if you’re ready to join our community here in Los Alamos, please give me a call. I’d love to talk to you!

Gardening in Los Alamos

March 26, 2022 /

No matter the status of your green thumb, there are some really interesting options for gardening here in Los Alamos. The topsoil here on the Pajarito Plateau isn’t ideal for growing gardens, but modern farming and gardening technology have come up with soil additives and organic fertilizing options that can help you with everything from basic fertility issues to improving the taste of your vegetables and fruits.

If your home is older and you’re located on a large lot, you might have plenty of room for a garden. Sunlight might be a problem if you live on a lot filled with towering trees or one that happens to be in the shadow of the mountains. Maybe you’re in one of the newer developments such as Quemazon or Mirador and you don’t have the space for a garden. That doesn’t exclude you from the enjoyment of growing your own flowers, fruits, and vegetables here in Los Alamos. It just means you might want to check into joining one of the community gardens.

If you’re scratching your head and wondering what I’m talking about, you’re probably not alone. Many residents don’t realize that our lovely city on the hill boasts three separate locations for community gardening. There’s a fairly well known plot up on North Mesa accessible from the North Mesa Stables, another in front of the Police Station, and a third in White Rock. The White Rock Community Garden is directly across State Road 4 from the Visitor Center near the Canada del Buey trailhead.

Community Gardens have a long history here in the United States. According to the Smithsonian’s education and gardening website, “Since the 1890s, Americans have turned to the garden to confront social problems such as economic recession, war, urban decline, and environmental injustice.” You’ve probably heard of Victory Gardens, popular during WWI and WWII, but you might not know that a good number of the Victory or “War Gardens” from WWI were Community Gardens. And it wasn’t just morale they were trying to boost either. There was a shortage of food during these times. “The War Garden Commission reported there were 3,500,000 war gardens in 1917, which produced some 350 million dollars worth of crops.” (communitygardens.si.edu)

Photo Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute Archives

Community Gardening programs were kickstarted in large cities during recession, depression, and periods of heightening unemployment. Why? Because it gave people something to do. It’s good for the body and soul to be outside under the sun working hard. And growing food to feed your family is just as important as taking the excess produce to the Farmers’ Market to earn some much needed cash. With the rise of the Farm to Table movement, this has literally become a way of life for not just family farms, but also enterprising individuals.

With the recent social and political issues going on not only in our country, but internationally, there has never been a better time to get outside and garden! Here in Los Alamos, the growing season is just getting underway. I’ve been noticing members of the Community Gardens out clearing the fall collection of leaves and debris away from their garden plots in preparation for planting. If you’d like to be a part of the Los Alamos Community Gardening movement, contact the Parks & Recreation Department for more information. If you’ve ever wondered what the Parks department actually does here in Los Alamos, they maintain 29 parks and 20 playgrounds covering 600 acres, 4,000 acres of open space, and 58 miles of local trails. Of course, there’s also management of the North Mesa Stables, the Community Gardens, and more than a few amazing amenities like the Aquatic Center and the Ice Rink. So when you’re ready to start growing your own produce in your Community Garden Plot, they’re the department to call.

Worried you have a brown thumb instead of a green one? That’s okay! There are tons of resources online and around Los Alamos to help out. 4-H Cooperative Extension is a wealth of information about soil and land conservation. According to the Smithsonian, part of the community gardening movement has been a growth of School Gardens. The idea of the School Garden actually dates back to the early 1900s. But organizations like Montessori and many public school districts have continued the use of gardening as a way to educate your kiddos in concepts of science, economics, and nutrition. In many large urban areas, outdoor pre-schools are becoming the choice of parents wanting their children to learn about green, growing things.

Here in Los Alamos, the North Mesa Stables based Little Farm on the Hill is working to offer “farm school” classes focused on nutrition and wellness, gardening, and animal husbandry. Keep an eye out for their upcoming camps in Summer of 2022. And if you want to join your kids in learning how to grow a few things, check in with the Los Alamos Garden Club and ask for local resources on how to get your garden growing in Los Alamos.

So get your favorite pair of outdoor shoes and some gloves and get outside this spring! It’s a beautiful time of year here in Los Alamos and there’s no better time to get involved. And when you’re ready to buy and sell real estate here in Los Alamos, look me up! I’ve love to talk Los Alamos Real Estate with you!

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

March 18, 2022 /

The word neighbor might make you smile or groan. So much about liking or not liking your neighbors falls outside of your control. But some things you can control. Things like what kind of fencing you choose. Privacy is a huge part of feeling secure in your home and your fence is what establishes the level of privacy you enjoy.

Planning Your Fence

Here in Los Alamos, the first thing you need to do when planning to upgrade your existing fence or build a new one is to check our county ordinances. You can use this link here. For the most part, if you’re fencing in the back of your home, you need to keep it under six feet in height. If you’re in your front yard, three feet is considered legal. If you have a corner lot or other unique property features, you’ll need to make sure that there aren’t any additional applicable restrictions.

The second thing to ask yourself is what you want your fence to do. Sure. These examples of standard wood fencing are attractive, but will they keep things in or out? Do you have chickens or dogs or children to worry about? How much maintenance do you want to do on your fence?

That beautifully even toned picket fence is going to take a beating in our dry climate. And the UV rays are going to require you to power wash and stain that fence on a yearly basis to even get close to its promised life span. Another frequent complaint of this fencing type is the tendency of the wood posts to dry rot. However, you can look into several different metal post options in order to mitigate that particular problem.

If you’re looking for less maintenance, you might try metal fencing. Some of these wrought iron options are really attractive and can be matched to the spindles on your deck or outdoor staircase.

I realize that when you think metal, you might be thinking about chain link or even barbed wire. While chain link fencing can be an inexpensive option, it doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy. And unless you’re keeping cattle in your yard, barbed wire isn’t going to do anything but add that “rustic” appeal.

Something you might have seen going up in various places around town is masonry walls. There are four to five different varieties of masonry wall, including those covered in stucco, and they can sometimes be combined with other fencing options such as metal or coyote fencing to create a unique and even artistic look to your fence. Masonry walls also have the advantage of being more durable against UV rays and offer good sound buffering. However, they aren’t inexpensive and you’ll likely want to hire a good contractor instead of trying it yourself.

Masonry Walls can be used in several different kinds of fencing combinations.

Location

The other critical piece of planning your fence is the location of your property. How much rock are you going to run into when digging post holes? Are you on the canyon edge? How many bears are you likely to host in your backyard? Are you on the edge of White Rock and prone to sixty mile per hour straight line winds? Does your property have trees to help with the sun’s punishing rays?

All of these questions need to be considered when choosing your best fencing option. Once you’ve determined the material best suited to your needs, you can take a look at budget and the expected lifespan you need from your fence. Keep in mind that part of my “good fences make good neighbors” proverb has to do with choosing a fence that doesn’t offend your neighbors. Talk to them about it. You never know, if you and your neighbors can come to an agreement about what works best for everyone, they might even be willing to help with the cost.

At the end of the day, we’re all neighbors here in Los Alamos. And when you’re ready to talk real estate, give me a call! I’m your hometown real estate expert!

Get Out & Run!

March 9, 2022 /

If you’ve never heard of the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs, you have no idea what kind of fun and excitement you’re missing out on. Even if you don’t enjoy a good trail run, don’t click away from this post just yet. First of all, you don’t have to set out at the crack of dawn and run fifty miles to enjoy this annual event here in Los Alamos. Jemez Mountain Trail Runs offers 50 mile, 50 K and 15 mile runs. You even get 7 hours to complete your 15 miles, which is pretty generous in allowing participants to set a pace that’s comfortable to them.

This year’s Sixteenth Annual Running is scheduled for Saturday May 21. It might seem like this post is a bit early for an even that is still just over two months away, but let’s be honest. It’s been a bit of a strange and sluggish winter here in Los Alamos. This could be just the incentive you need to get out and get moving! It takes some time to work up to a trail run. So now would be the perfect time to start training.

The races have staggered start times between 5:00AM and 8:00AM depending on how much trail running you’d like to do. All races start and finish at the Sheriff’s Posse Lodge up on North Mesa Road.

I love to run, but if you’re more ambitious than I am, you can actually use the 50 Mile and 50K Jemez Mountain Trail Runs as a way to gain ITRA points. The International Trail Running Association was formed in 2013 to keep track of points earned by trail runners in order to qualify for some of the bigger trail races such as the Bighorn in Montana and the Western States in Wyoming. If you really get into trail running, you might even qualify for the UTMB series. This Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc takes place every August in Chamonix, France. It’s like the Olympics of Trail Running, a seven day mega event that challenges trail runners from every corner of the world. And for the record, American women have traditionally done pretty darned well in this race!

Meanwhile, Back In Los Alamos…

Part of the coolness of the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs is that it traverses one of Los Alamos County’s best trails. The Mitchell Trail. Sometimes known as Forest Road #69, The Mitchell Trail was first developed as an Eagle Scout Project. The trail was created in 1974 by David Mitchell with the purpose of connecting Los Alamos with Guaje Canyon. Erosion and later flash flooding damage caused by the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000 and the Las Conchas Fire in 2011 made the northern portion of the trail impassable. However, in 2018 efforts were made to rebuild this important connecting trail by moving a portion to the ridge in order to provide access to the Guaje Reservoir.

If you’ve never walked or run the Mitchell Trail, the trailhead is located at the top of Arizona Street. According to the hiking project,

“From the trailhead on Arizona Street, travel uphill a short distance to meet the Perimeter Trail coming in from the left, proceed over a low ridge and continue straight when the Perimeter Trail heads to the right. Skirt below a water tank and make a crossing of a dry stream channel. The original trail use to stay in the canyon bottom but flooding in the canyon after the 2011 Las Conchas fire, more or less wiped out the trail. Circa 2014, the Mitchell Trail was officially re-routed by the USFS up out of the canyon and onto the ridge to the west of the canyon. There is an official sign marking the left turn up out of the canyon bottom. There is still a decent use trail in the canyon bottom used by hikers heading to the Natural Arch Trail and this use trail continues through the canyon to the intersection of the “new” trail where it heads up the steep switchbacks to Guaje Ridge.

After about a mile, the Mitchell Trail turns north and steeply ascends to a saddle. Guaje Ridge, hidden until now, is still one half mile and 400 feet of elevation gain ahead. The intersection with the Guaje Ridge Trail #285 is near a plaque honoring the late trail builder, David Mitchell.”

Alltrails.com considers the Mitchell Trail to be 7.1 miles out and back. But part of the fun of the Mitchell Trail is using it again and again to link to other trails here in beautiful Los Alamos County. Whether you’re trying to reach Guaje Canyon, the old Perimeter Trail, or to find the Natural Arch, this is the place to begin.

And whether you want to hike the Mitchell Trail on your own, take a chance on joining the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs, or set your sights on competing in Chamonix, France, our tiny town atop the hill is a great place to be! And when you’re ready to make your home here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat local with YOU.

Looking Back At Real Estate in Los Alamos

February 19, 2022 /

There’s no doubt that we can look back ten years and see change. No matter who you are, a decade is a looong time! But as I celebrate my tenth anniversary as a ReMax real estate broker, I want to take you with me on a time warp journey back through my real estate journey in Los Alamos.

First of all, let’s clarify what ten years really means in this context. I’ve been with ReMax ten years, but I actually started here in the real estate business in 2003. I worked until 2006 before taking a break to raise some babies between 2006-2014. When my kiddos were ready to be a little more independent, I got back into the real estate game. So in reality, we’re talking about almost twenty years of changes in the market here in Los Alamos.

Plenty to Shop For

If you’ve been here in Los Alamos for a few decades, you know that our real estate market can fluctuate in some pretty steep patterns that correlate pretty consistently with LANL projects. Ten, fifteen, and even twenty years ago, we were in a very different market, a buyers market in fact. There were plenty of houses on the market to look at. Buyers could pick and choose from a variety of options. Sometimes the same house would see nearly a $100K price difference from one sale to the next. And that could go in either direction!

The large number of available homes back in the day meant that there were more than a few full time real estate brokers here in town. Back in 2003, names such as my mentor, Kendra Henning, Pearl White, Nancy Mroz, and Jim Gautier adorned many signs around town. Some you still see, some have retired or semi-retired. At that time there were such a large number of local real estate agents that we had our own Los Alamos Association of Realtors® (LAAOR).

New Construction at Quemazon

I remember when Quemazon was a new and fantastically different housing option here in Los Alamos. Buyers could opt to build new instead of buy an existing home right in the (kind of) middle of town. Now we’re building in White Rock and looking at an expansion of Ponderosa Estates. The growth might not be fast, but it is happening.

Homes Prices Were Still Rising

It’s true that we’re seeing home values right now that feel shocking. But it’s important to remember that this isn’t isolated to Los Alamos. This is everywhere! I remember the first Los Alamos home selling in the over $800K price range somewhere around 2005. It seemed unbelievable at that time too. Don’t forget that whether we call things inexpensive or expensive is mostly perception and whatever else is going on at the time. Keep in mind that ten years ago in 2012 the high price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $3.62. That isn’t wildly different from what you’re probably paying now. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember how wildly things can fluctuate. Certainly, we’ve seen a steadier rise in real estate values. Circa 2004-2006, the average rise was 5% per year. In 2012 & 2013 the average price dropped 4%! Now we’re seeing a 10%-15% per year increase in prices, but that’s also influenced by inflation, which has risen to 7.5%. That’s the highest inflation rate we’ve experienced in the US since 1982.

A ten year anniversary is certainly something to celebrate, but really I’ve been in the Los Alamos Real Estate game for almost two decades. Since coming back in December of 2014 I’ve sold $93M in volume and worked with 284 families of all shapes and sizes to buy or sell their home. And that’s not even close to how many wonderful people I’ve met through being in this business. I’m so glad to be here in Los Alamos doing what I love in a place that is very much my home! So many exciting things have happened in my time with ReMax and I expect more and more exciting things to keep happening! And when you’re ready to talk real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call. I’d love to chat with you!

The Wisdom of Compromise

February 7, 2022 /

Sometimes it is fairly easy to compromise. Maybe you aren’t all that invested in the outcome. Perhaps you’re compromising one thing to achieve another goal that is far more important. So many things affect the way we view a compromise.

As we move further into 2022, the home market is still predominantly a seller’s market. Not just here in Los Alamos, but everywhere. Analysts at Realtor.com predict that the available home inventory will grow an average of 0.3% this year. That might not seem like much, but every little bit helps the market loosen up. Here in Los Alamos, and all across the country.

When it comes to the question of whether or not it is time to stop paying rent and buy your own home, there are more than a few things you would want to consider. You might say you’ll need to consider more than one compromise as you navigate this important decision.

Rent vs Own

In the days of markets past, people rented a home for much less cash each month than they could purchase. It was a way for those who couldn’t come up with a large enough downpayment, (or the entire cash price back in our grandparents’ day), to live somewhere and save up enough money to purchase their own home.

Modern times have seen a shift in the cost of renting that is a direct result of the supply/demand issues of housing. Now, depending upon where you live, you’re probably going to pay more money in rent than you would if you were paying on a low interest mortgage. While you still might have difficulty coming up with a down payment, there are first time homebuyer incentives that could still make purchasing possible.

However, be real with yourself about the cost of owning a home. Do your research! Here in Los Alamos, you might not prefer the idea of moving into one of the new apartments going up in several locations around town or paying what seems like a lot of cash each month to rent a Group 11 Quad or a Group 13 Duplex. It might seem like a waste of money to pay your landlord’s mortgage instead of building equity in your own home.

If you’re the sort of person who loves new, then the homes that are most likely to fit your preferences are in Mirador down in White Rock. The homes are new, and therefore likely to have less in the way of maintenance or renovations necessary, but you’re still going to be paying a premium on top of your mortgage payment because of the public improvement district cost associated with that subdivision. If you’re not familiar with that term, PID, you can see a previous post here. The bottom line is that you’re going to have an extra $200 on top of your mortgage payment to pay toward your living expenses. If you add in the cost of yard upkeep, home maintenance, and anything inside that might need to be maintained, those dollars can really add up. It doesn’t take long for you to realize it might have been cheaper to rent that brand new apartment.

Even if you decide to purchase an older Quad or Duplex or even a home on Barranca Mesa, North Mesa, or White Rock, most of those were built in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I can tell you from experience that a good number of them require a lot of renovation to bring them up to date. They’re fantastic homes with a lot to offer, but there’s a good chance you’re going to find hidden costs to home ownership that you never dreamed of when you were renting.

Remember, when you’re the homeowner, there is nobody to call in the event of a furnace malfunction, a total breakdown of your swamp cooler, or a clogged drain or toilet. There isn’t a landlord to replace an appliance, repair door knobs, or even do simple things like make sure the bathtub is well sealed so it isn’t leaking. And if it is leaking because of a breakdown in maintenance schedules, the landlord is the one responsible. If you’re the landlord, those costs can quickly add up.

How Handy Are YOU?

A lot of my homebuyers are DIY types. And if you’re the sort of person who can look at a list of small repairs and reach for a wrench, then this might not be such a big deal for you. But if you’re all thumbs when it comes to a screwdriver and you don’t know the difference between drywall and sheet metal screws, you might want to consider carefully before you take the plunge into home ownership. It might be less costly to rent until you’re ready to step into a new home where home maintenance is very basic.

What Happened to Starter Homes?

This is something that we just don’t hear about all that often anymore. To some degree, the concept of the starter home has been affected by the rising cost of housing in general. Essentially, if people are going to spend that much money each month on a place to live, they want it to be exactly what they want.

Think of it like this. If you just need a car to get from point A to point B and you only spend a short period of time in that car each day, you’re probably not going to spring for the luxury automobile. You’re going to go for the compact, commuter vehicle with basic features and a much more manageable price tag.

But even in the car industry we’ve seen this shifting. “Starter cars” are filled with bluetooth capability and heated seats when we used to only see that on high end vehicles that came with a large price tag. Our expectations of everything are shifting too. As a culture, we expect things to be made to order. But it just doesn’t work that way for everything.

Purchasing a home here in Los Alamos is very much a situation that calls for compromise. Apartment therapy.com calls it the 80/20 rule. If a potential home meets at least 80% of your list of features, then you should probably compromise and buy it. Depending upon your budget, you might even want to be more willing to compromise. When searching for your “starter home”, it might mean that your kids have to share a bedroom or you might not get that three car garage, (those are rather rare around here). Maybe you don’t get your spa inspired bathroom or your gourmet kitchen. But realistically, this doesn’t have to be your only home. Most homebuyers move every three to five years. Even here in Los Alamos. The market can shift based upon hiring and contracts at LANL. That means in five years you might be able to be a little more choosy, but you would still have your starter home to “trade in”. It could work as a solid investment for your next down payment on the home of your dreams. Or your dreams in five years…

Whatever your compromise, I’d love to talk with you! I’m Los Alamos Local and I love everything about real estate in this unique town. Give me a call and let’s talk compromises that might work for you!

What Does FICO Do For You?

January 30, 2022 /

It’s likely you’ve probably seen the letters FICO. You might even use them regularly when talking about your credit score. But do you actually know what they stand for?

Hmm. Federal… Well, the I could be income, right? And the C is definitely credit…

It might surprise you, but FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation. You might wonder what on earth Isaac being fair has to do with your credit score, but the letters FICO simply come from the name of the first organization to come up with a credit score. A way to use data about a potential borrower’s credit history to assign them a score that banks can use to determine the level of risk associated with lending that borrower an amount of money.

FICO scores are a pretty important part of the home buying process. But this isn’t a random number assigned to you because of your income bracket. You actually have some control over your score. The decisions you make can improve that number and help you in your journey to buy your dream home. So, let’s take a look at the FICO score.

When Did Credit Scores Appear?

The very first method for calculating a credit score was introduced in 1989. That may seem really recent to some of you, and ages ago to others. But what you’ll notice is that for a good number of you, your parents and their spending habits predate the concept of a credit score.

In the old days, “credit” was an account you had with an individual store owner. Your reputation was based on how well you kept up with making payments on that account. And in a good number of small towns throughout the US, farmers and ranchers only had cash money to pay accounts when the harvest was sold or the cattle went to market.

Homes were either built and paid for with cash, or sometimes you would get a bank loan. If you’ve ever watched the holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, this is the entire purpose behind the Savings & Loan concept that is central to the plot in that movie. Go back and watch it if you haven’t seen it in awhile. Pay attention to the run on the bank, and the purpose of the Savings & Loan. It will give you a snapshot of why we have FICO scores, fair credit reporting, and equal opportunity lending laws.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart

Unravel the Mystery

According to Investopedia, “to determine credit scores, the FICO weighs each category differently for each individual. However, in general, payment history is 35% of the score, accounts owed is 30%, length of credit history is 15%, new credit is 10%, and credit mix is 10%.”

This may seem somewhat simple, but it isn’t. The key is that the FICO weighs each category differently for each individual. With the addition of new database comparison capabilities, this has actually become very complex! These percentages are a guideline though. And if you’re trying to figure out the best way to build or rebuild your credit, take a look at these numbers and rethink how you utilize your credit.

Version 2.0

Here’s something that might really surprise some of you. Since coming up with the first scoring method in 1989, the FICO has had more than 10 versions of their calculating methods! The most widely used version as of 2021 was still FICO 8. FICO 9 was introduced in 2016 and was more attuned to medical based accounts, but a good number of auto loan and even mortgage lenders still use FICO 5. Investopedia suggests that the Version 10 introduced in January of 2020 might become the new most widely used version due to some really sweeping changes in how we do business in our post Covid world.

I highly suggest clicking on this link and checking out Investopedia’s easy to understand overview of how these multiple versions of the FICO could affect you personally. However, just at a glance, it could help you a lot to understand that when you apply for a credit card, an auto loan, or a mortgage, your credit score number might be different. Not because you made a mistake or did something unexpectedly amazing, but because that lender might be utilizing a different method of the FICO for calculating the number of your score. Another important thing to understand is that your number will likely be within a certain range. If that means your range is on the border of excellent to good, good to fair, etc, this could affect your interest rate and is certainly worth considering.

Your Credit, Your Life

The best way to feel good and secure about your FICO score is to understand it and take control of your credit life. Even if that means coming up with a long term plan, it can still feel really good to be fiscally responsible. And fiscal responsibility is an important step on the way to homeownership. When the moment comes, you want to be able to step up and by the house you want. And when you’re ready to talk home ownership in Los Alamos, give me a call! I would love to chat with you!

Golf Los Alamos!

January 23, 2022 /

Considering the amazing improvements our county is planning for the local Golf Course, I thought it might be fun to look at the history of golf here in Los Alamos County. If you’re not a part of the golf community, you might not realize that the Los Alamos Golf Association was established in 1947. In the map below, notice that as of May 1947, the golf course was located pretty much where Sullivan Field is right now. At that time, home construction had not yet expanded beyond the intersection of Diamond Drive and Canyon Road. The golf course and the horse stables were both located at the edge of the townsite and were both considered vitally important to life in Los Alamos.

Within ten years both the golf course and the horse stables would be relocated to the other end of the ever expanding townsite. The horse stables eventually migrated to North Mesa (see my previous post for more information on that), but the golf course remained between 35th Street, Barranca Mesa, and North Mesa.

Considered one of the oldest 18 hole golf courses in New Mexico, the course was established in 1947 by the Atomic Energy Commission. The current course sits at 7400 ft elevation and is 6500 yards long. The course par is 72 and most visitors agree that it’s a challenging course for golfers of any skill level. Between the gorgeous scenery and the lovely climate, the Los Alamos Golf Course is a popular stopping place for golf enthusiasts from all over.

More Than One Way to Play

But golf isn’t the only thing on offer. Not only do we have a lovely course, and a pro shop, we’ve got a stellar restaurant at the clubhouse. Cottonwood on the Greens is a full service restaurant and bar that offers everything from special events catering to in restaurant dining and takeout whether you have a large party or need an intimate table for two.

The restaurant also offers a Prime Rib Sunday Brunch, so don’t forget to click over to their website and make a reservation for your family! Or if you’d rather, you can order online and pick up your food to go on the way home from work. Their menu offers a wide variety of unusual options from Pub style Fish & Chips and BBQ Pork Sliders to Beef Schnitzel and Pierogies.

Cottonwood on the Greens

Improvements Are On The Way

The recent County Council meeting on January 4, 2022 included a vote to move forward with plans to make some really modern improvements on the golf course. Previous to this meeting though, the process of addressing concerns and coming up with solutions was quite a lengthy one that began near the start of 2021. County officials brought in professional golf course designers, met with the Los Alamos Golf Association, the Los Alamos Youth Golf Association, and even established a way to conduct surveys at the course in order to gain more insight into public opinion regarding some of the proposed changes.

Most Los Alamos residents, be they golfers or not, have heard about the proposed improvements to the irrigation system. But something I found quite interesting was the proposal to use low flight golf balls for the driving and practice range as a temporary measure to address safety concerns. Eventually, the intention is to increase bunkers along Diamond Drive and at other points around the course to address safety concerns. In the meantime, before additional netting can be placed around the driving range, they’re trying restricted flight golf balls to increase safety. The golf association even provided these restricted flight balls to customers last summer in an effort to get the public’s opinion.

Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or just a Los Alamos County enthusiast, there’s really no doubt that the Los Alamos Golf Course benefits our community. It’s just one more in a long list of things to do outdoors in Los Alamos. If there’s snow on the ground, don’t forget to utilize the golf course as a handy place for cross country skiing. There are tons of ways to enjoy this open, green space here in our community. So whether you’re looking for a place to walk your dog or watching your kiddo run in a cross country meet, enjoy our beautiful golf course! And when you’re ready to talk real estate in Los Alamos County, give me a call! I’m your local real estate expert and I’d love to talk Los Alamos with you!

What IS a “normal” Winter in Los Alamos?

January 13, 2022 /

As you look around at the melting bits of ice and snow left from the most recent storm here in Los Alamos county, you might hear your neighbors, friends, and coworkers reminiscing about times past “when we used to get LOTS of snow”, or even mournfully recalling those unusually warm winter days just a few weeks ago in December when we were basking in the sun at nearly sixty degrees. Regardless of which weather pattern you prefer, even long time residents of Los Alamos are struggling to remember what a “normal” winter in Los Alamos is supposed to be like.

First, let’s look at what our weather patterns suggest about our climate in general. According to a LANL website about Los Alamos, “In general terms, Los Alamos has a temperate mountain climate with four distinct seasons”.

Hmm. Okay then. Four seasons. So, what IS the average snowfall? Again, LANL’s website suggests, “snow, like rain, in Los Alamos is highly variable, but tends to average 28 inches annually”.

Holy cow! 28 inches annually? So, why isn’t the ski hill open every year? Well, because, as the LANL website reminds us, snow amounts are highly variable in our climate. A lot of us remember that huge snow we had in the winter of 2018 and 2019. Between the day after Christmas to New Year’s Day we had 22 inches of snow. It had been quite a while since we’d had such a prolific snow year and most of us were unprepared.

A Street in White Rock Winter 2018-2019

But pause for a moment and consider this:

The record snowfall for one day here in Los Alamos is 22 inches. That snow event happened back on January 15, 1987. Can you imagine? That entire storm from 2018-2019 happening in One. Single. Day? Los Alamos actually made the New York Times on January 19, 1987. The Times stated, “The storm was so severe that at its peak, four to five inches of snow fell every hour in Los Alamos.”

In Katrina Bennett’s blog, she takes a fascinating look at snowfall events here in Los Alamos in both 7-day and 14-day segments. You can view the blog post here. Katrina is a big fan of water and weather and points out that these snowfall events tend to occur every four to six years. The amount of these snow events has been affected by climate change. While we used to see larger events in a seven day period, Bennett estimates its been about 18 years since a seven day record event and about 10 years since a record setting 14 day event. The sustained drought has affected our average temperature, which impacts the amount of snow we see in a year. So while we aren’t getting quite as much at once, we are still going to see snow here in Los Alamos. If you really want some cool information about the snowfall patterns here in Los Alamos, check out Katrina’s blog post by clicking the link above.

Image from April 12, 1975 Photo credit ~Sumner Barr & William E Clements

Something else to consider is that of the top 20 biggest snowfalls recorded in a day, only 8 of those happen prior to January. Of those 8, one is the 12.5 inch October 21, 1996 snowfall and another is the 22 inches received on November 22, 1931. The other six are December snowfalls and one of them is attached to that massive snow event in 1987. In fact, three of the TOP FIVE daily snowfall highs come from 1987. If you wanted amazing skiing at Pajarito, 1987 was your year. And if you’re dreaming of White Christmases, Los Alamos tends to offer White New Year’s Days or Valentines instead.

At the end of the day, those heavy snow winters are still statistically likely to happen in the future. Until then, something else Los Alamos does really well is sunshine. We average close to 300 days of sun per year and if you can’t have snow to play in, you might as well have sun to bask in.

And when you’re ready to buy and sell real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’m always happy to talk housing in Los Alamos!

2021 Wrap Up!

December 31, 2021 /

As we say goodbye to 2021 and welcome in a new year, I hope this post finds you and your family enjoying your holidays and planning great new things for 2022! My January newsletter will be filled with thoughts about buy, sell, and hold. If you’re not a subscriber, be sure and email me to get your name on the list! Since the 2021 Los Alamos County Real Estate report came out this past November, I thought I might share with you some interesting facts.

How Many Homes Sell Each Month?

This is an interesting statistic, especially here in Los Alamos County. In fact, it’s a bit like a chicken and the egg question. Look at the graphic below and see what it can tell you about about how many homes sell each month in Los Alamos.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the peak month for home sales is in August. Not a surprise really. Seasonal fluctuations are highly common in real estate markets. But don’t you find it interesting that for the last three years the highest number of homes sold has been the same? November is always shown in red because that’s when the cycle begins again, but realistically, the trends are very similar each year.

How Many Days Does it Take to Sell a Home?

This is a question that has a lot of different parts. After all, the offer is only a tiny piece of the sale puzzle. When we say that we’re experiencing a seller’s market, it certainly means what you think it does. But it also means that seller’s can spend a little time choosing just the right offer. That can affect the number of days a home spends on the MLS.

How Much Are Homes Selling For These Days Anyway?

The answer to this question probably isn’t what you think. Truthfully, average home prices have been consistently rising right along with inflation. We’re certainly seeing homes that wouldn’t have been nearly as popular several years ago become more so, but this is happening all over the US right now.

What has happened is that the number we used to consider really high ~ $500K ~ is no longer as high as it once was. So when we look at this ~

We aren’t nearly as shocked to see that in 2021, 118 homes sold for over $500K. After all, inflation paired with demand is a recipe for this sort of increase. Perhaps the year that should be considered an outlier based on this information is 2006. Of course, without the numbers for a handful of years prior to 2006 there’s not a way to see what the trend really was at that time. But it is sufficient information for us to infer that these fluctuations are not all that unusual. Perhaps what gets us is the idea of such a large sum of money. After all, if someone tells you that they remember paying under a dollar for gasoline, you feel wishful for those days of cheaper gas prices. However, you’re not likely to believe someone is telling you a whopper if they say they paid more than $7.00 a gallon for gas in California.

As I mentioned in my last post, perception is everything when it comes to looking at the real estate market. I hope you’ll look at the information I’ve given you and feel encouraged. Of course, it’s never wonderful to feel as though things are getting more expensive. However, when it comes to homes, continuing low interest rates are a huge part of what makes people able to pay a little more for what they want. And when YOU want to talk real estate, give me a call! I’m your local real estate expert!

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