Housing

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández To Announce $750,000 Grant To Homewise Aug. 1

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From the Office of U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández:

SANTA FE — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández will announce at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 that New Mexico’s Homewise is the recipient of a $750,000 grant to provide down payment assistance to potential homeowners residing in New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District.

Through the Homeownership Assistance Voucher Program eligible residents can receive up to $30,000 in the form of a housing voucher that is designed to make their home purchase more affordable.

The voucher is a form of down payment assistance (DPA), a powerful tool that helps fill Read More

Houck: Pricing Your home

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By DAVID HOUCK
Qualifying Broker
Atomic Realty LLC

So you are thinking about selling your home, but how much should you ask for it? When selling your home, deciding on what price to ask is a mixture of data and art.

THE DATA: How much did other comparable or similar homes SELL for, after making price adjustments for their differing features, location and size?

USE THE DATA: Comparing other similar SOLD properties, a broker will usually supply you a range of values they believe your home will sell for. Surprisingly many clients in our market ignore the data saying things like “my friend says this house Read More

County’s Draft Short-term Rental Program Available For Public Review And Comment Through June 18, 2023

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COUNTY News:

On May 17, Los Alamos County Community Development Department (CDD) hosted a public meeting at White Rock Fire Station 3 to present the latest information about its proposed Short-term Rental (STR) Program.

The purpose of the meeting was for CDD staff and contractor Wilson & Company (Wilson) to meet in person with the community, present the draft STR Program and explain how the public input process has thus far been incorporated. Those in attendance had an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.  

Short-term rentals, also known as vacation rentals, are now a mainstay Read More

Houck: More Downsizing Considerations

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By DAVID HOUCK
Qualifying Broker
Atomic Realty

Downsizing for retirement takes planning, hard work, time and usually expense.

Let’s assume you’ve decided to move and downsize. Now it’s time to start, but how do you start? It isn’t a simple process, but it is a process. People have created careers helping other people through the process of downsizing.

Be realistic. Take a hard look at each item in your home. Identify the things that are most useful or loved. If you haven’t used something in more than a year, consider giving it to family or friends, donating it, or throwing it away.

Planning:

  • Where
Read More

New Mexico Real Estate Activity: Mixed In April 2023

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NMAR News:

In April 2023, New Mexico home sales decreased by 12.75% compared to the previous month. While still 26% behind April 2022 sales, the numbers reflect an increase in the median sold price.

In Q1 of 2023, the National Association of Realtors® reported that Santa Fe was one of the top ten metro areas with the largest percent gains in existing single-family home prices at an 11.7% increase.

National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said the Federal Reserve’s most recent rate hike was unnecessary, and he expects the Fed will stop raising interest rates further. Read More

Ozment: Who benefits?

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By CAT OZMENT
Los Alamos

Who benefits from development policy that allows for increased building heights and decreased parking requirements?

Even the “intellectual and skilled human capital the lab needs” will benefit from service industry and retail staff, County employees, mechanics, teachers, health care providers, and other critical members of the fabric of our community having the option to live in the same town where they work.

Instead of worrying that some people may have to choose between their “toys” and their extra car, I am worried about those in town who right now have to choose Read More

Stansbury To Convene Homelessness & Housing Providers

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STATE News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Less than a week after House Republicans passed a budget that slashes federal funding for housing and homelessness resources, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) will convene a roundtable and press conference at 10:30 a.m. MT, Tuesday, May 2, at Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless.

Rep. Stansbury will convene homelessness and housing providers who she funded through the FY 2023 omnibus spending bill and FY 2024 Community Project Funding designees to highlight the impact these cuts would have on New Mexicans.

Rep. Stansbury recently submitted requests Read More

Skolnik: Housing In Los Alamos – No, It Really Does Not Have To Be This Way

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

I commend Stephanie Nakhleh for her exceptionally insightful and well-written pieces on housing.

Ms. Nakhleh makes many important points in her articles. Among the most important for me, someone who has spent a lifetime working in public policy, is:

Our housing shortages are NOT inevitable; rather, to a large degree they stem from a failure of our County Council and its housing policies.

The Planning and Zoning Commission has outlined a number of measures that can be taken to begin to ease some of our misguided housing policies:

  • one is to ease limitations on building
Read More

2023 New Mexico Real Estate Activity Continues Increase

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NMAR News:

For the third consecutive month in 2023 New Mexico Home sales increased. While still nearly 20 percent behind the March 2022 numbers, the numbers reflect the national trend of slowly increasing real estate activity.

“Inventory shortages and mortgage interest rates hovering around 6 percent still present a challenge to many home buyers,” said President Hubert Hill of the New Mexico Association of REALTORS (NMAR). “Median prices also are continuing their upward climb – but at a more manageable rate of 4-5 percent instead of the 20 percent+ seen in some areas in 2022.”

March 2023 saw Read More