Kendra Ruminer's Two Cents of Real Estate

Take A Peek At Los Alamos, New Mexico

Tag: Los Alamos County (Page 10 of 18)

What’s the Deal With Denver Steel?

June 12, 2022 /

All villages, towns, and cities have neighborhoods with names that go way back. Most of these names made perfect sense in the beginning, but the meanings might have been lost over time for any number of reasons. Los Alamos has more than a few oddly named neighborhoods. After all, our most historic area of town is called “Bathtub Row”. But another one of my all time favorites is the “Denver Steels” neighborhood tucked just behind Los Alamos High School on Pueblo Mesa. Believe it or not, the Denver Steels has the dubious honor of being one of the very first single family home neighborhoods in Los Alamos County.

Original drawing of a Denver Steel home

There are a lot of myths about how the Denver Steels got to Los Alamos. Really though, they aren’t myths so much as blended stories about early housing solutions proposed and executed in an effort to ease the housing crisis in Post War Los Alamos.

Myth #1

The homes were shipped here from the Washington State area. I’ve even heard a variation where they were the previous dwellings of steel workers in Washington State, hence the Denver Steels name. Of course, this myth makes no mention of how the word “Denver” came into play.

The truth is that there were temporary houses shipped to Los Alamos from Washington State. The Manhattan Engineer District, or MED, was in charge of operations in 1946. While the Western Area was being built, which was a whole other hassle we’ll talk about some other time, the MED brought 107 “houses” from their plutonium facility in Hanford, WA to Los Alamos. The homes were placed along 10th Street, Rim Road, and Canyon Road. I don’t know about you, but I seriously wish I could’ve been witness to the caravan of 214 flatbed trailers trucking up the Main Hill Road, each with half a Hanford Home strapped onboard. What a sight!

Literally the quote from potential occupants was, “Well, they have indoor plumbing!”

Myth #2

The Denver Steels were originally military troop housing on a base somewhere else in the US. Maybe Denver? There are certainly a number of potential military installations in the Colorado region to choose from. But this myth is once again, not a myth, but a truth based upon another temporary housing solution from our past.

The military installation was Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and the units were duplexes, triplexes, and quadraplexes. There were 270 units of these wood framed domiciles and honestly they looked like military housing. Each individual “pod” was 672 square feet. The structures were placed on Canyon Road, Manhattan Loop, and what used to be M, O, & P Streets in 1947. Currently those areas are in the vicinity of Myrtle and Pine Streets. At the time of their initial usage, these homes were considered the most desirable housing in Los Alamos. Yet the major complaint was that people wanted single family housing. Sound familiar?

There was a definite military look to these homes.

The Real Story

In late 1947 the Army authorized the purchase of housing for the military officers still stationed here in Los Alamos. At that time there were a lot of pre fab housing experiments going on in the US. You can check out my Lustron Homes post if you want to read more about that. But this shouldn’t be a surprise if you think about it. This was Post War America, the Baby Boomer generation was being born. Families wanted the American Dream they’d fought so hard for and they wanted it now! So the pre fab housing boom created some really interesting options.

Enter the Denver Steels. Or rather, the Denver Metals, as they were originally known. These units had steel I-beam framing and aluminum siding. They were fabricated by a steel company in Denver, Colorado and shipped in pieces to Los Alamos where they were assembled in record time.

718 sq ft of no nonsense utility – All were 2 bedroom and one bathroom

It might surprise you to know that the first 39 of these homes were actually placed over on Rim Road and Quartz not far from the other temporary housing brought to Los Alamos. Perhaps that’s where the myths got jumbled together. None of those 39 original Denver Steels are still around. They went the way of the Hanford homes and the Fort Leonard Wood multi units.

There were originally 251 Denver Steels ordered, but only 200 of them managed to be carefully situated onto Pueblo Mesa. Of those 200, half were reserved for the new civilian security inspectors coming into town. Craig Martin’s book on housing in Los Alamos doesn’t specify where the missing 12 were placed. But it’s probable that they were near the original 39 in an area that underwent multiple overhauls. Truthfully, the Denver Steels weren’t intended to be long term housing options for families in Los Alamos.

The original units were 718 square feet. Every home had two bedrooms and one bathroom and there was no bathtub. Only a shower. There were two models available from the company. The Marquette and the Columbine. Strangely, there were only 2 Marquettes ordered. The rest of the homes were the Columbine model and considering the minimal differences between the two, trying to find those two Marquettes would be like chasing the proverbial needle in the haystack. The most memorable feature of the Denver Steels wasn’t a feature at all. It was the fact that the all metal construction created a bizarre situation of simultaneous sweating and freezing in the wintertime. This resulted in the exterior walls being coated with ice. It would be interesting to know if this worked like natural insulation or not. But considering the mass amount of renovating, remodeling, and updating that has gone on in the Denver Steels in the last 75 years, it would be unlikely that any of the homes still have that unique problem.

Hard to believe that this inviting home ever resembled that original drawing!

Truly, the renaissance of the Denver Steels has been incredible. The area has long been considered a “starter” home neighborhood here in Los Alamos because of the modest square footage of the homes and the reasonable pricing. But some of the remodels have nearly doubled the 718 sq ft homes and in the last two years some of the sale prices of these beautifully updated homes have rivaled those of other “higher end” neighborhoods in town.

This home still has the original front window configuration. Two panes on the right, three on the left!

Though many of the updated versions of the Denver Steels have been added onto, it is sometimes still possible to see the ghost of the original construction if you know what you’re looking for. Take a tour of the neighborhood sometime and you’ll get a peek at the wonderful creativity and ingenuity of homeowners throughout the years.

Can YOU see the original structure?

As always, Craig Martin’s book, Quads, Shoeboxes and Sunken Living Rooms: A History of Los Alamos Housing, has been an invaluable and fascinating resource for this post. If you haven’t already, you should pick one up from the Historical Society’s Website. It’s a great resource for anyone who loves the uniqueness of Los Alamos, or even if it drives you nuts! And as always, if you’re ready to talk Real Estate in Los Alamos, I’m your hometown Real Estate Broker. Give me a call! I’d love to talk with you!

Many Hands Make Work Light

June 4, 2022 /

There’s no doubt that we’ve all experienced that down and out feeling. It could be a natural disaster like a fire or a flood. Maybe it’s a financial disaster such as property theft or loss of a job. Loss comes in many different forms. The key to surviving loss is having a support network to help connect you to the right resources when you need them.

The key to surviving these challenges in life is support. A helping hand. A listening ear. Someone who can hear your story, nod their head, and then say, “I know exactly who to call”. Since 1969, the non-profit Self Help Inc has been doing just that.

Located in Los Alamos County and based out of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Self Help Inc offers consultation, advocacy, emergency financial assistance, and seed money grants to Northern New Mexico individuals, families, and businesses. Their goal is to empower others to get back on their feet and become self sustaining and independent. It’s an important mission that takes on all new meaning as this year’s record breaking Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire impacts our neighboring communities in Northern New Mexico.

While Self Help Inc primarily helps those in Los Alamos, Taos, Rio Arriba, and Northern Santa Fe County, they have also made a positive impact on other rural communities north of the Santa Fe City line. Their model of helping others focuses on three things, Emergency Financial Assistance, Seed Money Grants, and Resources.

Emergency Relief

Most of us have experienced that moment of fear and utter hopelessness that comes with a financial situation we simply cannot handle. A sudden illness that leaves us unable to pay our rent or mortgage. The car breaking down when we have no money for repairs and desperately need it for day to day transportation. The list goes on and on. Whether it’s help with utility bills in the middle of winter or groceries in a crisis, Self Help Inc has a solution to offer.

Part of their success in helping individuals and families in crisis has come from their creativity. Money isn’t always the answer. Perhaps an individual just got the new job of their dreams, but doesn’t have enough ready cash to purchase clothes or the necessary uniform to get them through their first paycheck. In that case, a few pairs of scrubs could be the answer to everything!

If you know someone in crisis or have experienced an emergency crisis yourself, the key to reaching out for the helping hand. It’s the hardest step and Self Help Inc has tried to make this as easy and painless as possible. Simply fill out their contact form HERE, and one of their experience staff members will reach out to YOU.

Seed Money Grants

This may be an unfamiliar phrase, but the meaning is pretty darned cool. Seed Money is used to give potential businesses a boost! Perhaps a talented photographer who wants to start a professional business but can’t quite afford all of the equipment necessary. Maybe you’d like to start a business and you’ve got everything ready to go but can’t afford the licensing fees. Seed Money is exactly what it sounds like. The seeds that help to grow your business into a self sustaining, contributing member of the community landscape!

One of the recent businesses helped by Self Help Inc was Muy Salsas in Los Alamos. I think we should all make a donation of gratitude to Self Help Inc in honor of Taco Tuesdays!

Resources

When you feel overwhelmed by circumstance, sometimes the only thing you need is a listening ear and someone to help you decide what the next step is. In the last few years, Self Help Inc has been doing their best to make as many network connections all over Northern New Mexico as they can. These connections enable them to know exactly who to put YOU in touch with when you’re facing a problem and you don’t know what to do. The amazing thing is how much comfort you can get from someone listening to your story and then offering reassurance that this isn’t the first time they’ve known someone facing your situation. It’s comforting to have someone identify possible next steps, and then name resources to help you make those steps happen. So many of us could keep moving forward in life if we only knew what direction to take!

Helping Self Help Inc

In this day and age it’s difficult to know how best to help your community and your world. You can hit any social media platform and be offered thousands of “buttons” that give you the opportunity to donate money to a worthy cause. Whether you’d like to give your time or you want to donate cash, the coolest thing about partnering with Self Help Inc is that your contribution, whether it’s labor or money, is being automatically diversified. Self Help Inc partners with the United Way of New Mexico and more community foundations than I can name off. For a peek at their partners, click on this link. Maybe the most important piece is that supporting Self Help Inc allows you to support our community.

So when you’re ready to help out in Los Alamos, check out Self Help Inc. And when you’re ready to buy and sell real estate in Los Alamos, call me! I love to talk anything Los Alamos and I’m your hometown real estate broker!

What Lessons Did YOU Learn?

May 27, 2022 /

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I did a little rain dance this past week when the clouds finally rolled in and a whole fifty drops of moisture fell from the sky. A rise in humidity and a lowering of the temperature has given the firefighters a helping hand with the Cerro Pelado Fire. Los Alamos is back to the “Ready” Stage of “Ready, Set, Go!” and the haze of smoke hanging over us has lessened.

My question to you, friends and neighbors of Los Alamos, is what did YOU learn through this most recent potential evacuation? Whether your lessons involved places to go, what to take, or even what sources of information are reliable, they are too important not to remember. Let’s make certain it doesn’t take another near evacuation for us to at least have a plan in place.

Where to Go

This question has far more pieces to it than a lot of us imagined. With three kids and more than one pet in my home, the logistics of getting our crew to a safe place took a bit of planning. And that isn’t just because my growing son is more than six feet tall and requires not only space but a serious amount of calorie intake!

I hadn’t anticipated just how anxious my kiddos were about the potential evacuation. Our dogs are current on their standard vaccinations, but if we’d had to kennel them we would have needed a few extra shots I hadn’t counted on. And don’t get me started on our feline friend! It was one heck of a search to find the cat carrier and I know from chatting with friends that they were also seeking animal crates and considering for the first time how they might transport everything from hermit crabs or chickens, to goats, and even horses!

The long and the short of it is, we’re probably going to have to do this again at some point. Perhaps even this year (though I fervently hope not!) and maybe even next year or the year after. So, what did YOU learn about finding a safe place for your family and all of your pets or animal companions? Is there anything YOU can do to make future emergencies easier on your family?

What to Take

This question became the hottest topic on Facebook so far this year! The last time we evacuated in Los Alamos it was 2011. Over a decade ago. So much has changed in a decade. A LOT of the paper documents that we used to consider vital to our evacuation just aren’t necessary anymore. Bank statements and other financial documents are stored in the cloud. Even photographs can be uploaded with the help of technology into a format that can be accessed from a smartphone!

The question then becomes, what can YOU do to streamline the packing process during an emergency? How can you prepare yourself and your family so that when the time comes you simply get your family, your pets, and maybe a quick overnight bag so you can just go?

Who to Trust

This question is far more complicated. The amount of misinformation floating around town and probably coast to coast was unbelievable! There’s not a single doubt that social media became a bit of an enemy as people compared their evacuation plans in the comments and revved one another up until a frenzy of fear and worry added to the smoke hanging over Los Alamos.

It takes a lot of willpower not to give into the urge to troll the various social media sites looking for every scrap of gossip about the fire. It also takes willpower to limit yourself to the National Forest Fire Information website. But choosing what news sources you get your information from can eliminate so many worries! And if you have friends that might be a little prone to drama, now is the time to establish some boundaries when it comes to how much of that drama you’re going to absorb! Boundaries are far easier to establish during low key times rather than waiting until the entire world seems to be going nuts.

Regardless of how you handled yourself in this recent high tension situation, there are lessons to be learned. What worked, what did NOT, or what you think you could make easier for yourself and your family if something happens again. Because it’s probably a sure thing that something will happen again. At some time. We DO live on the edge of the wilderness here in the City on the Hill! But no matter what happens, Los Alamos is a great place to be! And when you’re ready to seek out a hometown Real Estate Broker, give me a call! I’d love to talk Los Alamos with you!

You Can Still Have Fun Outside During Stage 3 Restrictions

May 20, 2022 /

There’s a lot of chatter around Los Alamos about the declaration of Stage 3 Fire Restrictions here in Los Alamos. There’ve also been reports that as of this morning, Thursday May 19, 2022, the National Forests have been closed as well. This move on the part of the Forest Service and Los Alamos County isn’t unlike a stern parent making a decision to limit the activities of their children for very good reasons. Sure. We’re all disappointed. School is about to end, the sky is blue, the sun is hot, and it would be wonderful to escape down to the canyon floor to enjoy a hike in the shade.

But last week we were talking about possible evacuations due to extreme fire danger and the Cerro Pelado fire. So this week, I want to focus on all of the amazing things you can still do here in Los Alamos in order to get outside.

For the Kids

This might be a really great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center! The outdoor demonstration gardens and nature play area are still fair game for visitors. Check out their website HERE and plan a visit soon! It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air here in town.

Park Hopping

There are very likely more than a few parks here in town that you’re not aware of. It’s highly likely you’ve heard of a Pub Crawl. So why not do a much healthier version and Park Crawl all over Los Alamos County? Pull up a Google Map and type in “Parks in Los Alamos”. I bet you’ll see more than a few on the list that you’ve never heard of in places you’d never expect! Pack a snack and plan on visiting those parks one at at time until you’ve seen them all!

And while you’re doing your Park Crawl, don’t forget to check out the resting place for a lot of the old playground equipment retired from parks in Los Alamos County, the Miniature Golf Course. Many of you might not realize that Los Alamos County maintains a miniature golf course. During Covid 19 restrictions, the county opted to stop renting equipment, but you can always buy your own and make this activity a regular on your list of cool things to do in town!

For Everyone

Not that everyone can’t play miniature golf, but if you’re itching to get out and about here are a few suggestions for changing up your hiking, biking, walking, riding, running, or dog walking scenery:

Tour the Neighborhoods

Pull up that Google Map again and plan a trip to a neighborhood you’ve never visited before. Be polite to the residents as your walk their streets. Pick up the official Field Guide to Los Alamos Housing and then take yourself on a tour to find the various group housing areas of Los Alamos. Challenge yourself to discover the remaining Lustron Homes. In some of our neighborhoods, nature is just as close as it is out on the trail.

Don’t forget you can still use paved trails such as the Canyon Rim Trail. Try taking one of these in order to connect you to a neighborhood you’ve never visited before. You might be surprised what you find here in Los Alamos.

Tour the Acres

You may or may not know that there is a paved trail that meanders through Pajarito Acres and La Senda in White Rock as well. Perhaps this is your opportunity to explore country living in Los Alamos County and enjoy a walk or a run while enjoying some fresh scenery.

Now, my fellow residents, if you’ve got additional ideas of how to get outside and enjoy yourself despite fire restrictions, put them in the comments of my Facebook Post! I’d love to hear how you keep busy and stay active no matter what season it is. And when you’re ready to join our community here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat Real Estate with you!

What IS Good Information Anyway?

May 11, 2022 /

There is no doubt that a haze of anxiety hangs over Los Alamos. Sure, there’s a layer of smoke from the Cerro Pellado fire too, but the anxiety is a very real thing that many of us feel right now. Whether your anxiety comes from having to evacuate for wildfires in previous years, or it comes from never having done this before and feeling completely out of control, anxiety is still very real and very difficult to deal with. With that in mind, I’ve asked my friends at Los Alamos Family Council for some thoughts about mental health during these difficult times.

The Past

The 2011 Las Conchas fire was the last evacuation of Los Alamos County. That particular fire was burning very hot and moved quite fast. In addition, several of the public notification systems were quite new and there were still a few bugs that needed to be worked out. It’s true that evacuation was haphazard and created the need for residents to throw what they could into a suitcase at 2:00AM in the morning.

In 2000 when Cerro Grande burned parts of Los Alamos, the technology for both wildland firefighting and also emergency management was much less developed. Can you remember back to 2000? Here’s a fact to keep in mind: Facebook wasn’t even created until 2004. Created, not even widely used. Yes. We had Internet in the year 2000, but while information was more readily available, it wasn’t nearly the beast that social media has become.

What We Learned

The best news of all right now is that our emergency planning teams have learned a lot from past fires. Not just here in Los Alamos, but all over the country! When folks here in Los Alamos take a walk at the North Mesa Stables and see almost all of the animals gone, take comfort in realizing they have been preemptively and voluntarily evacuated by their owners in order to make things less hectic if a full scale evacuation actually needs to happen. Horses, cattle, llamas, sheep, goats, and chickens can’t just be loaded into the backseat of an SUV so they can watch a video on the way down to Santa Fe. The logistics involved in moving livestock is considerable. So let’s pause to be glad there won’t be a hundred stock trailers tooling down the mountain with you and your household pets.

The same goes for vulnerable populations like the residents of Sombrillo and Aspen Ridge. Taking time to move these elderly residents allows them to be treated with extra special care. Their caregivers can find appropriate medical facilities to host them and have ample time to make sure their routines and medical needs are kept as intact as possible. So instead of viewing this portion of the preemptive evacuation as alarming, see it as proactive and helpful to you and your family.

Just Another Trip

Picture the last time you boarded an airplane. Are you one of those people who wants an assigned seat and then waits until the last possible second to board so you don’t have to be squished into that airplane seat for hours on end?

Perhaps you’re a family with small kiddos or pets and you take advantage of the early boarding to get your kids on board and settled in. Maybe boarding early lets you set up the tablet and get the livestream going so your children aren’t driving you crazy during the flight. Or maybe your pets need some calming meds so they aren’t completely stressed out during their trip. Either way, there are decisions to be made in order to make traveling easier.

Think about this potential evacuation like an airplane trip. Do you want to stay off the plane (in your own home) until the last possible second or do you just want to get on the plane? Would you rather get someplace and get settled and just plan on being there for a little longer (and nobody can even say what that would look like right now)?

When To Take Your Trip

This decision is really important. But going back to the title of my post, it’s also critical that the decision of when to go, where to go, how to go, and when you plan on returning is made with the help of viable information sources. Don’t get sucked into a race to evacuate created by the recent Facebook Frenzy! This is not a race. Reports from the incident team and Fire Chief Troy Hughes suggest we’re going to have 24 to 48 hours to pack up and go. Be calm and get your information directly from the Community Updates or the Forest Service. Don’t get them from your favorite Facebook Group, Instagram, or Snapchat. Don’t give into someone else’s anxiety. Take a mental step back, check the real news, breathe, and make an active plan with your family. And if you’re really that worried, go!

Los Alamos is still an amazing place to live! We have so many things to do, beautiful sights to see, and a fascinating history to learn. For right now, I hope that all of you stay safe here in Los Alamos or wherever your plan takes you! If you’re truly feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, the Los Alamos Family Council Counseling Center will remain open until Los Alamos moves to “Go!” status and the counseling center closes to maintain the safety of their employees and the firefighting personnel with boots on the ground. Family Council offers telehealth services anywhere in New Mexico and has resources available for those in need regardless of their insurance or socioeconomic situation. And when things settle down and you’re ready to talk real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat with you!

Thanks to Karla Palmer, LMHC, of Los Alamos Family Council for her contribution to this week’s post!

Shooting Sports in Los Alamos

April 16, 2022 /

You may have already visited Rendija Canyon while in Los Alamos. The canyon is situated at the bottom of Rendija Road, just below Barranca Mesa. Where San Ildefonso Road dead ends just past Dinosaur Park, you’ll find yourself diving down a narrow, curving paved path leading to a rough dirt road. If you followed it too much farther you would essentially leave civilization. Generations of Los Alamos residents have enjoyed off road adventures down there. A gravel parking area hosts plenty of hikers and bikers and trail runners heading for the Rendija Canyon Loop or one of the other plentiful trails. But where the trees thin for a brief span, you might have noticed a collection of well kept metal buildings, some locked gates, and probably a lot of cars.

Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club

In October of 1947, circa end of World War II, a group of Los Alamos residents formed the LA Rifle Association. They met in an old building in the downtown area to share their love of shooting, practice their skills, and teach anyone interested the basics of shooting and hunting safety.

The Association eventually moved to an outdoor range atop Barranca Mesa. When housing was privatized and multiple phases of housing developments on Barranca Mesa went up, the group relocated to the bottom of Rendija Canyon in the 1960’s. The group was granted a land lease by the then Atomic Energy Commission and today holds a lease from the Department of Energy.

The Purpose

The current Sportsmen’s Club is a non profit organization that includes more than 500 memberships with more than 1000 members from families and organizations of all shapes and sizes. Their purpose is to promote safe enjoyment of shooting sports and to educate the community about the amazing opportunities available to those who enjoy the sport.

The Sportsmen’s Club offers basic shotgun, rifle, and handgun classes to teach beginners how to be safe while enjoying the sport. For Los Alamos residents looking to enjoy some of the hunting opportunities around the state, the club hosts NM Hunter Education Classes. You can see a full offering of training and classes available here.

Programs

The Sportsmen’s Club is one of the only ranges in Northern New Mexico to offer practice for all three phases of competitive clay pigeon shooting for shotgun enthusiasts. Our Los Alamos High School affiliated Junior shotgun team is nationally ranked and one of the best ranked teams in New Mexico! Even if you’re not a competitive shooter, you might really enjoy reliving your Nintendo Duck Hunt experience and challenging yourself with a group of supportive fellow shooters on the shotgun range.

The rifle range offers measured targets from 25 to 300 yards with covered and uncovered shooting stations allowing a variety of methods to be used. If you’re looking for something old school, Los Alamos also hosts a division of the Single Action Shooting Society Single Action is also known as Cowboy Action. So if you’re ready to pull our your Wyatt Earp costume and blast a few targets with either a rifle or a six shooter, you’re in good company!

Speaking of six shooters, there are a number of handgun opportunities at the Sportsmen’s Club. You can even utilize the indoor range on cold or windy days. And if your taste runs more to archery pursuits, the beautiful archery range hosts competitions and educational opportunities as well.

Community

The Sportsmen Club offers the use of their range for 4-H and Boy Scout activities in an effort to promote the shooting sports in a fun and safe environment. 4-Hers can qualify their projects with the help of mentors while enjoying themselves in the beautiful Rendija landscape. Both the regular scouting activities as well as the mounted troop practice on the range. LAPD and other law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions utilize our range for their qualifying programs, and the range also frequently hosts ROTC members for educational purposes.

The Future

I’ve heard plenty of rumors lately regarding the club’s future in Los Alamos. The most recent rumor was that there would be a closure of the club and a housing development going up. While Los Alamos is always looking for good places to put houses, Rendija Canyon is realistically very low on the list. The electric services aren’t sufficient to support housing, there is no public water or sewer services, and the costs of installing these basic infrastructure necessities would be astronomical.

At this time, the Sportsmen’s Club has just signed a fifteen year lease with DOE for the property. While there are historic issues with possible unexploded ordinance from the war years and various concerns with land contamination similar to other canyons in the Los Alamos region, none of these things currently affect the club’s use of the land, or the use of the surrounding canyon area for public recreation. For more information about this, check out the club’s home page for a letter from the club president.

Regardless of your personal interest in shooting sports, there is no doubt that this is a unique and amazing opportunity to add to the list of things to do here in Los Alamos. The club hosts several open range days each year for non members to enjoy the facilities. Members welcome anyone to come out and experience target shooting, clay pigeon shooting, or handgun shooting, even providing equipment and tutoring to those who need it. Shooting sports are just one more piece of our Los Alamos History puzzle. And when you’re ready to be a part of Los Alamos, get in touch with me! I’d love to chat 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!

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!

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