Real Estate Information Archive

One of the many factors that makes Albuquerque such a great place to live is the parks and recreation system here. No matter your interest, you'll find a park suited for your needs, whether it be golfing, swimming, tennis, baseball, and softball, to bicycling and rock climbing. There's nearly 300 parks, along with open spaces, all for your relaxation and enjoyment. Here's a few of the outstanding amenities the parks in Albuquerque has to offer.

City Parks

Los Altos Park | 10300 Lomas Blvd NE

This city park offers plenty of recreation options from an indoor swimming pool to a skate park.

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park | 2901 Candelaria Rd NW

The Rio Grande Nature Center is a 38 acre urban wildlife preserve habitat. The park includes a visitors center, two gardens, several wildlife viewing areas, an education building and a building housing the non-profit Wildlife Rescue, Inc. You can also enjoy four constructed ponds that serve as a habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Mariposa Basin Park | 4900 Kachina St NW

Mariposa Basin Park features 3 walking trail loops around ponds, ideal for bird watchers, along with playgrounds & sports fields.

Open Spaces

Albuquerque maintains over 29,000 acres of open spaces.

Golf

There are 4 public golf courses located in the Albuquerque park system. They all include a well-stocked pro shop with rental clubs, range balls, cart rentals, and golf retail merchandise. Lessons are also available.

The oldest course is Los Altos Golf Course and is ideal for beginning to intermediate golfers and features a banquet and grill. Other courses include Arroyo del Oso, Puerto del Sol, and Ladera.

Recreation Activities

You'll find plenty of recreational activities which include basketball, flag Football, shooting range, softball, tennis, pickle ball, model aircraft flying, along with open space activities such as rock climbing, model rocketry, extreme recreation, and bicycling.

There's plenty of fun waiting for you in Albuquerque. Find a park near you:

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

3401 Avenida Charada NW, Albuquerque, NM  $$550,000

3 Bedrooms/ 4 Bathrooms (2 full, 2 partial) / 4000 Square Feet

 Unique Custom home on 1/2 acre lot backing up to open space in the desirable Matthew Meadows! Features including home gym, movie theatre and hot tub just to name a few! New Roof and Stucco in 2014. This home is even available furnished!!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

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Many first time buyers struggle with saving enough for a down payment. But one creative way to save that money is gaining traction - crowd sourcing. It's a great way to let friends and relatives help you buy your first home.

Here's how it works. When a young couple gets married, they will invite the wedding guests to skip the usual gifts and instead contribute to a “Down Payment Fund." Usually a newly wed couple already has the items they need for a new home, as they have their own furniture and home items. Now all they need is the new home.

When you see the math, it makes it even more clear why this is such a great idea. For example, if you have a wedding have 120 guests who all give gifts of about $186 (the average price), then you would have over $22,000 for your down payment! That would cover a 10% down payment on a $220,000 starter home. Not bad! This is just an example, and real world result certainly vary.  But it shows how much this can help a new couple on their way to buying their first home.

Services are already in place to make this all happen, such as a company called HomeFundMe. Friends and family can easily and safely contribute to the fund.  Plus the ones contributing can decide if their gift is  ‘conditional’ or ‘non-conditional’ on the beneficiary buying a home.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article report, “about 400 borrowers have used HomeFundMe to help buy homes since the program launched in October and on average, they raise about $2,500.” The article goes on to show that these funds are used by the borrower along with their own savings to help them reach the down payment.

Another thing that helps first time home buyers is that they can take advantage of programs from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that lets them put down as little as 3%.  Also, FHA programs require as little as 3.5%, and VA Loans are often approved with 0% down!

Gone are the days when you had to come up with a whopping 20% down. And with this creative solution, now even more first-time buyers can make owning a home a dream come true.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

2228 Cebolla Creek Way NW, Albuquerque, NM  $397,000

3 Bedrooms/ 2 Bathrooms (1 full, 1 partial) / 2345 Square Feet

Fantastic Del Webb gated community! Premium lot, wood tile flooring, plantation shutters, garage door screens, artistic landscaping, upgraded light fixtures & appliances, private courtyard w/OJstom gate & stucco wall are just a few!!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

August is coming to a close and September is just around the corner, but there's atill plenty of fun in store in Albuquerque. Whether you love a good baseball game, want to go to the fair, get a taste of the grape, or enjoy fine art, there's something to keep just about anyone busy for the next month in Albuquerque. Here's what we can look forward to:

EXHIBIT: DA VINCI, THE GENIUS

New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
Through August 29, 2018

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science hosts the extraordinary Da Vinci, The Genius exhibition created by Grande Exhibitions of Victoria, Australia in collaboration with the Museo Leonardo da Vinci, Rome, and the French scientific engineer Pascal Cotte.

This is the most comprehensive Leonardo da Vinci traveling exhibition ever assembled and is designed to be accessible to all ages.

ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES BASEBALL
Isotopes Park

Through October 31, 2018

"The 2018 season is shaping up to be yet another special year at Isotopes Park. The schedule is very favorable relative to the summer months and weekends. We are already planning some very big promotions and exciting things for our 16th season." - General Manager John Traub.

HARVEST WINE FESTIVAL

Balloon Fiesta Park

September 1, 2018 - September 3, 2018

Sample wines from 20 of the state's top wineries as we celebrate the New Mexico grape harvest. Enjoy dueling pianos along with fine food and art in the shade. Tickets include a wine glass, wine sampling, and $5 off any bottle of wine. Free parking.

80TH ANNUAL NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR

EXPO New Mexico
September 6, 2018 - September 16, 2018

One of the top 10 state fairs in the US returns to the EXPO New Mexico for another year of fun. Enjoy PRCA rodeo and performances by nationally-known country recording stars, plus Indian and Spanish villages. Explore art, agriculture, animals, entertainment, food, carnival rides, exhibits and shopping at one of the largest state fairs in the country.

Have a great time in Albuquerque over the next month!

Check back on our blog every week for more real estate advice and local articles about living in Albuquerque. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for up to date real estate news for Albuquerque and surrounding areas.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

2228 Cebolla Creek Way NW, Albuquerque, NM  $397,000

3 Bedrooms/ 2 Bathrooms (1 full, 1 partial) / 2345 Square Feet

Fantastic Del Webb gated community! Premium lot, wood tile flooring, plantation shutters, garage door screens, artistic landscaping, upgraded light fixtures & appliances, private courtyard w/OJstom gate & stucco wall are just a few!!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

It's no secret that it can get fairly hot during the summers here in Albuquerque. It's not like we can just run to a nearby beach to cool off. Most people who live in Albuquerque stay cool with the air from their AC. If you plan to move to the area, you probably know that air conditioning is especially desirable during the summer.

But the problem with leaving your AC running all summer is the high energy costs. In fact, AC units account for around 12% of home energy expenses, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Yet that doesn't mean you can't find ways to keep these costs lower.

What are some ways to reduce your energy costs?

Lessen direct sunlight.

Albuquerque can get plenty of sunlight during the summer months. And the hotter your home gets, the harder your AC has to work, raising your energy costs.

The easiest way to keep the sun out of the house is to close your drapes and blinds on all the windows during the day, and close the windows to keep out the warm air. You might also plant trees and shrubs on the west and east sides of the house.

And since nights are fairly cool in Albuquerque, take advantage of that cool air by opening windows at night and directing air in with fans in the windows. Fans take up much less energy and will bring the core temperature of the home down.

Let your AC unit rest.

Not every day is a scorcher. When the temperature get low enough to be comfortable, turn off the AC completely. This will give your unit a break and lower your energy costs.

Don’t touch the thermostat.

You might be tempted to set your thermostat to it's lowest level when temps go up. But that can make a huge increase in your bill. Try setting your thermostat to a consistent level of 78 degrees. This should be enough to keep both you and your energy bill cool.

Use ceiling fans.

Ceiling fans can be your AC unit's best friends. If you run your ceiling fans when you run the AC, you can even adjust the thermostats to 80 degrees, reducing your energy costs by 15-25%!

Keep the air filter clean.

Dirty air filters can affect the airflow in your AC, which makes it work even harder. And of course, this increases energy costs. Air filters need to be replaced or cleaned regularly every 90 days for optimal AC performance.

Keep cool for the rest of the summer in Albuquerque and save money!

Check back on our blog every week for more real estate advice and local articles about living in Albuquerque. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for up to date real estate news for Albuquerque and surrounding areas.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

12009 Modesto Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM  $750,000

4 Bedrooms/ 4 Bathrooms (2 full, 2 partial) / 5000 Square Feet

Exceptional Custom Ranch Home on .89 Acre! Expansive Floorplan features both formal & informal living areas, with outdoor living that includes a newly refurbished pool w/built in hot tub, deck w/views & more! Enormous 29'x28' Den for indoor entertaining w/Wet Bar & fireplace. So much more! A MUST SEE!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

Home security is an important consideration when owning or even renting a home. Many people have home security systems to help keep their home secure. But is that enough? A home security system can only do so much. There are other steps you can take to make sure your home is as secure as possible.

Here's a few important precautions you can take to firm up your home protection.

1. An old trick that still works is leaving the TV or music on when you're gone.

2. Reduce the amount of hiding places outside with motion sensor security lights.

3. All exterior doors should have 1-inch deadbolts installed.

4. Make sure to lock all doors and windows when going to bed.

5. Never open your door until you confirm who is there. Check you security camera or get a doorbell camera.

6. Thieves know all the hiding places for keys. If you must hide a key, don't hide it under a doormat or rock. Find an inconspicuous place or leave it with a neighbor.

7. Use a metal pipe or bar, or a wood plank or dowel to secure sliding doors. You can also install a glass break sensor on the door.

8. Keep your garage door closed, even when you're home. The garage leads straight into your home, giving intruders easy access. An overhead garage door contact can also provide further protection.

9. Make sure drapes or blinds are closed on rooms that have valuable items.

10. Keep expensive items that are not in use in a deposit box at your bank.

11. Don't leave notes on your door for family or service people letting them know you're not home.

12. If you plan on being gone for more than a few days, have someone you trust collect your mail and newspaper.

You can keep you home and family safe with just these few additional steps. Our world is becoming more dangerous. This isn't meant to scare you, just as a friendly warning to stay safe.

Check back on our blog every week for more real estate advice and local articles about living in Albuquerque. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for up to date real estate news for Albuquerque and surrounding areas.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

12009 Modesto Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM  $750,000

4 Bedrooms/ 4 Bathrooms (2 full, 2 partial) / 5000 Square Feet

Exceptional Custom Ranch Home on .89 Acre! Expansive Floorplan features both formal & informal living areas, with outdoor living that includes a newly refurbished pool w/built in hot tub, deck w/views & more! Enormous 29'x28' Den for indoor entertaining w/Wet Bar & fireplace. So much more! A MUST SEE!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

Selling your home can be challenging and stressful. You're taking on two major tasks at once - getting your home to show to potential buyers and getting ready to move. Will getting a storage unit will help the process go more smoothly? Yes and no, depending on your situation.

When you move, it provides a perfect opportunity to clean the clutter from your life.  You can sell, donate, or dispose of the things you don't need, meaning you'll have less to pack and move.

But you may also not have enough time to go through everything, so you may need to do whatever it takes to get through the process. That's where storing items may be an advantage. What are some things to think about when considering if you should use storage when you move?

Advantages of Using Storage

1. Pack up all the things you don't need now.
2. Staging your home will be more simple.
3. You home will look larger, adding to selling appeal.
4. Personal items will be out of sight from buyers.
5. Out of sight, out of mind.
6. You can sort all your items later.
7. You can decide what furniture works best in your new home and decide what to keep after you move.

Disadvantages of Using Storage

1. Another expense.
2. You'll have to handle everything twice, which is more work.
3. Not all units guarantee your items will be safe, so you may need additional insurance.
4. Storing items can lead to delayed decisions about what stays and what goes.
5. You may end up storing things you don't need, and paying monthly fees for those items.
6. It's hard to reach items in the back of a full unit.

Portable Storage Units

By now, you've seen people use portable storage unites. PODS was one of the first companies to offer this service, but other companies have caught onto the trend. Portable storage units can either be used for long term storage or to store and move items to your new home. That way, you can keep the storage at your house and pack as you go.  Then the unit is delivered to your new house, or taken to a warehouse for long term storage.

The great thing about portable storage is that you can pack and unpack everything in one go. This way you don't need to haul your things to a storage facility, then back again to the new home.

Moving is hard work for sure.  But with careful planning and good use of storage, you can make the process go more smoothly.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

5007 Ensenada Place NW, Albuquerque, NM  $325,000

3 Bedrooms/ 3 Bathrooms (2 full, 1 partial) / 2338 Square Feet

CASUAL ELEGANCE in this newly built custom home in the North Valley!! Close to Rio Grande Nature Center, Farmer's Market, shopping, restaurants and boutiques in the North Valley! Guest BDR with its own full bath! Landscaped yard, large covered patio, walled for privacy and hard to find oversized 3CG!!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team