Artist Towns? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos: sale, consignment, new home)

[Sockeye]

Try Googling title. Worked for me.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Sockeye

Try Googling title. Worked for me.

It's very tempting to order it sight unseen from Amazon, about $8 after shipping, VG Used.

[iriegirl]

Ontheroad, I hope stormweary is doing well, I wonder why she moved from Florida.

Dancingearth,
why do you say you wouldn't retire in Santa Fe? too expensive? That is one of the reasons I'm leaving NJ. Just the taxes alone are over 7000 a year, and always going up. So, I'd like to find a place where I could retire, maybe not have to move again for a long while.

ziaAirmac, what are you going to be selling at the festival?

everybody else;
wish I knew what you were talking about with the foods...can't say that I've ever eaten very authentic NM food. Is it spicy or hot or both? It sounds yummy, and you're making me hungry!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by iriegirl

That is one of the reasons I'm leaving NJ. Just the taxes alone are over 7000 a year, and always going up. So, I'd like to find a place where I could retire, maybe not have to move again for a long while.

Are you referring to property taxes? Perhaps somebody can tell us about property taxes in Santa Fe. ???

And yeah, that's my goal too. I want to find some place where I can retire, buy a nice house, and I plan on living there for the rest of my days. You lose money every time you move, broker's fees, moving costs, and on a limited budget (not working, just Social Security) I can't afford to move a second time. I won't be destitute but I can't see repeatedly wasting that much money. So I plan on buying a nice house, and I plan on picking one that I'll be happy to live in permanently and not feel the need to trade up.

Originally Posted by iriegirl

ziaAirmac, what are you going to be selling at the festival?

Please tell us a bit about selling crafts in Santa Fe, including how hard it is to get space at a festival, other venues, and associated costs. I really enjoy handicrafts and it would be nice to pick up some extra money. Hobbies are fun and are even more fun if they turn a profit. I can make stained glass windows and presently I'm going to try custom soap making. Either would be good sellers at a festival or craft show.

Originally Posted by iriegirl

everybody else;
wish I knew what you were talking about with the foods...can't say that I've ever eaten very authentic NM food. Is it spicy or hot or both? It sounds yummy, and you're making me hungry!

Okay to the first level, if you've eaten Mexican food, New Mexican is pretty much like that, but better. It's mostly the same dishes like chili, tacos, enchiladas, chiles rellenos, you know. But there is something with the seasoning and fresh ingredients that you don't get in ordinary Mexican restaurants. New Mexican is neither hotter or milder, neither spicier nor less spicy than regular Mexican although some dishes can be.

My sole experience is about five restaurant dinners during my last visit to Santa Fe, and all of them were better than any similar Mexican food elsewhere, and we've got a lot of Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles. Well, actually my Enchiladas Suisas (http://lovehound.us/recipes/Enchiladas%20Suisas.html - broken link) are equally good to New Mexican although I didn't try that same dish in Santa Fe. So somebody please correct me if I got anything wrong and/or elaborate on what exactly New Mexican food really is.

All I know is that I want to learn to cook it. Actually, at the present I'm a bit annoyed with you Santa Fe people, being able to just head downtown to the Blue Corn Cafe or Pink Adobe and get a nice New Mexican dinner tonight. I'd have to drive for at least two days and get a hotel before I can have that same dinner. You people really make me mad!!!

[santafescribe]

When I first moved here, my cornerstone book was The Green Chile Bible. Followed, of course, by the Red Chile Bible ;-} Amazon has a buy-them-both deal for $23.

[santafescribe]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Are you referring to property taxes? Perhaps somebody can tell us about property taxes in Santa Fe. ???

There are of course mill rates and other components in the calculation, but basically for a $500,000 home you'll pay about $3300 in annual property tax.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by santafescribe

There are of course mill rates and other components in the calculation, but basically for a $500,000 home you'll pay about $3300 in annual property tax.

So that's about two thirds of a percent... I may be wrong but I believe here in California it's about 1 percent.

Is there any limitation on how much property taxes can be raised? Here in California I think the limit (Prop 13) is 2 percent per year.

[Vinegaroon]

The Assessor has been ramping up property taxes lately in Santa Fe. The usual scenario is once a property is sold, the Assessor then takes a look at the comparables and adjusts the tax. I just talked to a person who bought a house here for $600,000. The property tax was assessed previously around what the person bought the place for. Now the Assessor has increased the property tax, and is valuing the property at $900,000 because of some lousy comparables.

[Sockeye]

Have you guys considered Taos? It's still (though not by too much) less expensive than Santa Fe. There are artists and hippies that can still afford to live there, though many in tepees near the Rio Grande. I have a cousin who's lived there 35 years and still loves it. They've done a great job keeping the big box stores away and preserving its unique culture. While Taos too has grown, it is earthier and feels more like a town. Best enchiladas served "Christmas?" At Orlando's in nearby El Prado, of course.
My only gripe - The Blakes now allow snowboarding at Taos Ski Valley. Ernie must be rolling over in his grave!

[Lovehound]

I would rather have a few big box stores handy. Perhaps others would like more "quaint" and less "modern" but not me. YMMV