Posts Tagged ‘Casa Solana’



Selling Your Santa Fe Home in a Buyer’s Market

Posted Thursday January 14 2010 by in Real Estate, Santa Fe Downtown, Santa Fe Neighborhoods
3 comments

Abundant inventory is described as a buyer’s market: great if you’re a buyer, but what if you’re a seller?  The tough news is that the value and appeal of your home will be measured against a greater number of homes than in a neutral or seller’s market.   You’ve got competition and potentially lots of it.  Your mission?  Don’t be a “comp.”

When agents set out to determine the price of your home, either because they are interested in listing it for sale, or because they have buyer’s interested in making an offer, they will do what is called a “CMA, “  or Comparative Market Analysis.  In a CMA, your home is stacked up against active, pending, sold and expired listings that have COMParable features and locations: “comps.” Homes with extras, such as a kiva fireplace, will command more money; homes without such extras, less. Because no home is exactly like another home–even tract homes may have slightly different lot sizes, orientations and upgrades–a CMA is both an art and a science.

Despite its limitations, a CMA is a fact based tool.  If you don’t like the results, don’t get emotional.  Mine it for info you can turn to your advantage.   People tend to focus on the active listings, the price for which someone in the neighborhood is trying to sell their home.  But the market value of an active is unknown until someone makes an offer. Pay close attention to the comps that have sold.  Pay even closer attention to the listings that expired.  Buyers voted in favor of the sold home.  The expired home was kicked out of office.

Once you’ve looked at what sells and what doesn’t, use that measure against your own home.  Understand that not having a fireplace might hurt you with some buyers, and accept the price cut.  Now, turn your attention to your home’s assets.  Barabara Corcoran addresses this brilliantly in her book If You Don’t Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails: “What matters is that you identify and play up what you’ve got.”

Look at your home as if it were a theatrical stage set or work of art.  Presenting is more than just decluttering and removing personal items.  “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak, ” said abstract painter Hans Hofmann.  Let the beauty of your home speak by taking away the visual noise that prevents its charms from being heard.  Try these 30 Can’t Miss Staging Tips from HGTV’s Lisa LaPorta.

If you can afford to invest a little money, Remodeling Magazine’s 2009 Cost vs. Value Report offers tips on how to get the best return on your investment. Do you have nice wood floors that are in shabby shape?  Have them refinished or DIY –if you can do professional quality work.  Ensure you have dynamite curb appeal: weed, trim trees and bushes, repair, remove or replace a fence, add color. (We removed a chain link fence in front of our listing, a Casa Solana Stamm located at 133 Sombrio in downtown Santa Fe.  Visitor feedback confirmed what a huge impact this small gesture had on the home’s streetside presentation.)

Showings are job interviews for your home. Make sure they are dressed-to-impress.

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Real estate agents Malissa Kullberg and Joshua Maes, AKA Changing Gallery, use their listings, where appropriate, to showcase the art, photography, sculpture and other creations of emerging and independent talents. Artists receive 100% of the proceeds from any sale. Currently displaying work by Mark Frossard, Laird Hovland, Jonathan Tercero at 133 Sombrio in Casa Solana, downtown Santa Fe. To schedule an appointment, call: 231.7598. For up-to-date market info and full access to the MLS, visit: Santa Fe Real Estate Downtown.

State of the Santa Fe Real Estate Market at start of 2010

Posted Thursday January 7 2010 by in Real Estate, Santa Fe Downtown
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On Sunday, January 3rd, The Santa Fe New Mexican rang in the new year with the article Promising Signs in Santa Fe’s Housing Market Slide.  Statistics compiled by Alan Ball, a title officer with Southwest Title and Escrow, showed the number and price volume of Santa Fe residential home sales at their lowest point in decades.  Comparing 2009 with 2005, the peak market of the last decade, showed a 56% decline over the 5 years –from 1.2 billion to $540 million. Indeed, the sales volume of 2009 ($540 million) was even lower than the sales volume at the start of the decade ($578 million.)

Still, Santa Fe fared far better than many markets. And there’s good news for both buyers and sellers.

Low interest rates and abundant inventory collectively offer a point of entry for many buyers shut out in the past.  A search for single family homes within the Santa Fe city limits, shows the following:
Under $200K = 33 homes
$200K-300K = 120
$300K-400K =95

Roughly 95 of those are within a few miles of the Plaza, including the downtown Santa Fe neighborhoods of Casa Solana, Casa Alegre and Barrio la Canada which we’ve covered in previous blogposts.

For those who qualify, the pot sweetens with the addition of the Federal Housing Tax Credit. Not just for first-timers, homebuyers who have “…owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years” also may qualify for a $6500 move up credit.  Follow the link for a clear presentation of the incentives’ details.

Sellers face tougher competition on the market.  At present, the absorption rate–the number of months it would take to sell all the homes on the market at the pace at which they are currently selling–is 29.71 months. Add to this the fact that homes are selling at roughly the prices they were in 2005, meaning a net loss for those who bought at the market’s peak. To sell now demands realistic pricing, excellent presentation and smart marketing, if not patience.

Sellers can console themselves that Santa Fe is still a good investment.  Just one year ago, the absorption rate was a grimer 34.3 months.  Plus, median prices have risen 50% over the decade, from $296,000 in 2001 to $447,000 at the end of 2009.  We don’t hit the crests of California, neither do we spelunk down to its cavernous lows.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go…
–Tennyson

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Real estate agents Malissa Kullberg and Joshua Maes, AKA Changing Gallery, use their listings, where appropriate, to showcase the art, photography, sculpture and other creations of emerging and independent talents. Artists receive 100% of the proceeds from any sale. Currently displaying work by Mark Frossard, Laird Hovland, Jonathan Tercero at 133 Sombrio in Casa Solana, downtown Santa Fe. To schedule an appointment, call: 231.7598. For up-to-date market info and full access to the MLS, visit: Santa Fe Real Estate Downtown.

Santa Fe Local Biz Review: Violante + Rochford Interiors

Posted Friday December 11 2009 by in Local Events, Santa Fe Downtown
2 comments

Photo courtesy of Wendy McEahern

We met Paul Rochford and Michael Violante through “The South Capitol Treehouse:” their moniker for the second home and rental property they own at 111 East Santa Fe Avenue.   Paul’s persistent good nature, preternatural politeness, and highly attuned sense of responsibility made me want to know more about him. In time, I met Michael–gracious and attentive–and learned that the two had just conjoined their talents and style to create VR Interiors: an interior design and staging company.  Work ethic, integrity, and professionalism merit the pair a blog mention and wave of the quill from this champion of local creatives.

Paul, a Santa Fe native, has owned and sold several successful local businesses (restaurant, catering company, and Canyon Road art gallery, among others) over the past 18 years. He began his entrepreneur career as small fry selling his arts and crafts roadside and door to door. His charm and moxie were so effective, the neighbors finally called his mom begging to have their finances rescued from the kid they couldn’t refuse.  Around age 9 or 10, he started trolling antique stores with friends, identifying an early passion for design.  After graduating from B-school, he turned his golden touch to a series of business that all did well, despite being opened in strange economic times.  Michael, meanwhile, developed and expanded his creative strengths as VP of Design for ACC (AKA American Country Collection) for 17 years.

” What we ideally like to do is clean lines and a mixture of contemporary and antiques, bridging the old with the modern, because much of the new and contemporary has been inspired by the ancient.” Yet while they “enjoy exposing people to new things, new ideas,” the best designs “depend on the clients’ sensibilities.  We [commit] the time to find out how they live.”

“A big part of what we do is bringing someone’s past into their present. Michael is really brilliant at figuring out how to bring a quirky sentimental item into context,” says Paul.

Violante & Rochford make strong efforts to be Green, both in their use of sustainable materials and their  support of local artisans and craftspeople. “Even though the world is our oyster and it can be very much easier to go to a manufacturer, part of our definition of being Green is supporting the local economy.”

Their clients’ homes, and their own rental properties, range through some of downtown Santa Fe and Santa Fe county’s most beautiful neighborhoods.  “We love South Capitol. It’s charming, sleepy, beautiful, moody, with well established gardens. The area is so different from anywhere else and yet completely appropriate to Santa Fe.”

No website yet, but Violante & Rochford Interiors can be contacted at: 983.3912 where you will most likely reach their assistant, Natasha.  Email: morafine@earthlink.net

***UPDATE: Violante & Rochford Interiors now has a website that’s attractive, clean and easy to navigate.

Photo courtesy of Wendy McEahern

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This week in Santa Fe’s alt/indie/emerging cultural scene….
“Bah Humbug: Twelve Artists Take on Christmas”opens this Friday at 5 PM at GF Contemporary, 707 Canyon Road.  This first annual group exhibition and benefit in support of The Food Depot and The Empty Stocking Fund involves some pretty fabulous talents in the local alt/indie cultural scene.  For more information, go to the BANG! Art Gallery website.

Red Cell calls High Mayhem “consistently interesting” and “the reason I didn’t just leave Santa Fe after a year.”  High Mayhem describes itself as “a not-for-profit emerging arts facility, record label and multimedia production collective based in Santa Fe. Join them this Saturday at 9 PM for Duos! Two very different possibilities in the world of drum and bass duos.  With Ray Charles Ives (RCI), MVIII Los Duo and Creatures of Routine. 2811 Siler Lane, Santa Fe.  Cost: $10.

ALSO NOTED:
Check out MyHungryEye™: the online home and selected works of Jenna Gersbach, an artist and photographer currently living and working in Santa Fe.  Jenna’s has strong creative muscles and manic professionalism.  Smart, driven, delightful and decent, she is one to watch.

And, finally,  another shameless plug for The End of Being: an esoteric guide to difficult and unusual art, music, film, people and ideas (because any city worth its grit needs someone willing to explore such things….) Powered by Red Cell and Patricia Sautoff.
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Real estate agents Malissa Kullberg and Joshua Maes, AKA Changing Gallery, use their listings, where appropriate, to showcase the art, photography, sculpture and other creations of emerging and independent talents. Artists receive 100% of the proceeds from any sale. Currently displaying work by Mark Frossard, Laird Hovland, Jonathan Tercero at 133 Sombrio in Casa Solana, downtown Santa Fe. To schedule an appointment, call: 231.7598.

To learn more about  us, and for full access to the MLS, visit: SantaFeDowntownRealEstate.com. **Access the MLS from your smartphone at: SantaFeDowntownRealEstate.com/m

Neighborhood Market Watch: Casa Alegre

Posted Wednesday August 26 2009 by in Real Estate, Santa Fe Downtown, Santa Fe Neighborhoods
1 comment

Cactus Color2.5 miles from the Plaza  is another desirable denizen of downtown Santa Fe, Casa Alegre. A residential oasis close to the bustling heart of Santa Fe, Casa Alegre strikes a winning balance between access to the action and serene removal.  Although bounded on the south by Cerrillos, one of the city’s major commercial arteries, Casa Alegre is a relatively quiet neighborhood characterized by mature trees and solidly built, older homes.  As with Casa Solana, many of the area’s homes were built by Allen Stamm (see profile in the 7/22/09 blogpost) Stamm’s classic, pueblo structures– icons of Santa Fe Style–commonly include vigas, wood floors, nichos, corbels, kiva fireplaces,  and portals.   Since the original homes in Casa Alegre were often under 1000 square feet, many residents have chosen to convert their garages to bring their home’s square footage more into line with modern tastes.

There are plenty of  good restaurants and desirable services in the vicinity. Special mention to the restaurants  India House, El Parasol, and The Pantry. The College of Santa Fe’s much loved movie theater, The Screen, is within comfortable walking distance. For more info on area amenities, go to Walkscore.com where you can check out the Casa Alegre Neighborhood’s Walkability Score (86 out of 100) as measured from our current listing at 1837 Kiva (MLS#904396).

The three public schools that serve the area are:  Salazar Elementary;  DeVargas Middle School and Santa Fe High School.  Frenchy’s Field– a popular walking park–lies opposite the area’s northern border.   Ashbaugh Park defines the eastern border and Gregory Lopez Park is tucked at the corner of San Felipe and Hano Rd.

Visit CityData.com for a detailed statistical profile of the Casa Alegre subdivision.

At this writing, there are 11 Active listings, 1 Pending on the market in Casa Alegre, ranging in price from $229,000 for a 3 bedroom, 1 Bath with 1350 sq.ft. home to $499,00 for a 3/2 with 2,220 sq. ft.  Since January 1st, 7 homes have sold.  Most (57.1%) were on the market for more than 120 days prior to their sale, reflecting the time of year as well as the slower state of the market over that time period. 42.9% sold within 60 days of their listing for an average of 95.85% of their asking price.  Statistics are only part of the picture, but from our professional perspective, Casa Alegre has shown itself to be a strong investment and is likely to remain so.

Neighborhood Market Watch: Casa Solana

Posted Wednesday July 22 2009 by in Real Estate, Santa Fe Downtown, Santa Fe Neighborhoods
2 comments

Black Hollyhock

Close to the Plaza, comparatively affordable, blessed with broad streets, mature trees and an old-fashioned neighborly feel, Casa Solana is one of our top picks for a first home, trade-up or investment in downtown Santa Fe. Located about a mile west of the Plaza, Casa Solana’s streets finger northward from West Alameda toward the neighborhood’s apex at Alamo/Camino de las Crucitas. (The Frank S. Ortiz Dog Park, a popular, off-leash dog play place for pooches, sits on the neighborhood’s upper border.) To the west is “Temblon” (which means “shaky, trembling” and, by extension, “Aspen” in Spanish). On Casa Solana’s southern border, above the Santa Fe riverbed, is Alto Park with tennis and basketball courts, a playing field, pool and bike paths (The mushroom water feature in the kiddie pool is a big hit with the tots.) On the opposite side of the street, about a block in from St. Francis, is the Casa Solana shopping center: a small strip mall with a variety of useful services including La Montanita Coop (groceries), a laundromat and five distinct restaurants: Annapurna (Chai house and Ayurvedic cuisine); Xiclo (Vietnamese); Masa Sushi, La Dolce Vita (italian/pizzeria) and Home Run Pizza. Other tenants include the Solana barbershop, Undisputed Fitness (gym), a Pak, Ship and Mail outlet, Stag tobacconists, Emmanuel’s Picture Frames and Straight-shooting Technologies. During the Spring and Summer, the center hosts the Santa Fe Artists’ market. Community services include Gonzales Elementary (more info at Great Schools.Net, Gonzales Elementary) and Police Substation #4 and reserve fire station. Casa Solana community pool, located at 1125 N. Plata Circle is open to all, although the number of memberships is limited.

The subdivision itself was established around 1950 with a cache of homes by Allen Stamm, beloved local builder. From the Santa Fe Living Treasures website:

“A visionary as well as a man of immense integrity, character, compassion and humanity…[Stamm] worked always to make [the homes he built] livable, durable, handsome, architecturally sensitive…. His homes featured hardwood floors, vigas, kiva fireplaces, nichos and other traditional touches, plus superlative workmanship. What they did not have was front-yard fences, for Stamm wanted the people living in his houses to know each other. He hired women consultants to design the kitchens. He made places for Christmas trees and highchairs, and built garages that were easily converted into bedrooms for growing families…. He elevated the building industry’s standards, here and throughout the state.

With home values as low as the mid two’s Casa Solana is one of the most affordable neighborhoods close to classic downtown Santa Fe. At this writing, there are just six homes on the market in this desirable neighborhood, priced from $275,000-369,500, all three bedroom/two bath single family homes from 1,105-1530 square feet. Since January 1 of 2009, ten homes in Casa Solana have sold. The average sales price was 95% of the listing price.

Visit City-data.com for a detailed statistical profile of the Casa Solana subdivision.

Point of interest: current Santa Fe Mayor, David Coss, grew up in Casa Solana.

The sincerest token of our respect and affection for the value and liveability of Casa Solana? In 2008, we bought a home here. My business partner, Joshua Maes, had previously sold two listings in Casa Solana. We walk our dogs here and regularly ride our bikes up and down its undulating streets. If you’re interested in buying or selling in Casa Solana, let us put our knowledge to work for you.

For up-to-date info on the Casa Solana neighborhood real estate market, go to: Santa Fe Real Estate Downtown.

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