NM Mountain home for young family (Las Cruces, Silver City: rental, houses, purchase)

[andymc12]

We're looking to purchase mountain home in NM and are trying to find the right fit. My wife and I have a 4 year old and live near Austin TX and have family in TX panhandle, where we visit frequently. We'd like to use it ourselves obviously and potentially rent it out as well. We would love to hang on it for the long term for our family. I really would like a mountain feel, partially secluded. Close to hiking, nature but reasonable access to town/amenities - there seems to be a lot of options that fit this general picture. Price < 400 K. We aren't real familiar with the area so would appreciate any input.Thanks!

[Ruth4Truth]

Ruidoso would. be worth looking at; good vacation rental potential, closer to TX than Taos and some of the other options. Would fit your budget easily. Good, dependable water supply!

[jiminnm]

It depends on how far you want to travel to get there. The Ruidoso area is probably the closest to Austin.

We had a house in Angel Fire for more than 10 years and well over half of the homes in Angel Fire and Red River were owned by Texans. Most brought their children and/or grandchildren with them and it was very busy there around the holidays and in the summer. We sold our house there to someone from Amarillo. But, that is much further from you than Ruidoso.

[C24L]

Originally Posted by andymc12

We're looking to purchase mountain home in NM and are trying to find the right fit. My wife and I have a 4 year old and live near Austin TX and have family in TX panhandle, where we visit frequently. We'd like to use it ourselves obviously and potentially rent it out as well. We would love to hang on it for the long term for our family. I really would like a mountain feel, partially secluded. Close to hiking, nature but reasonable access to town/amenities - there seems to be a lot of options that fit this general picture. Price < 400 K. We aren't real familiar with the area so would appreciate any input.Thanks!

Ruidoso might work.Its a real nice place.

[bjaxon]

You might want to check out Silver City (tho' a bit farther from the Texas panhandle...).

We're originally from Austin and found Silver City an incredible place in NM - it has a very strong arts and music community, a university, a dynamite food Co-op, a wonderful downtown movie theater plus playhouses. It really reminds me of Austin in the 70's where creative people made things happen...

As to the outdoors... it is the gateway to the Gila Wilderness along with hiking trails starting where city streets end going up into the hills and mountains (it is on the Continental Divide). The Gila Cliff Dwellings are really cool! We have an annual Blues Festival and the Tour of the Gila 5-stage bike race that draws thousands from across the country (& world). There is an incredible variety of things happening every week here, most focusing on the outdoors. Good restaurants and saloons...

Silver City is an hour and a half from Las Cruces and 2 hrs. from El Paso, 3 from Tucson... there are a lot of folks who have bought houses here and live part-time, renting their houses out (AirBnB & such), when they're not here.

We liked it so much after visiting frequently, we bought a house and stayed and as a musician, I do stay busy. Absolutely NO regrets.

[andymc12]

Great advice ! We hope to make a trip soon and check these places out