Angel Fire real estate purchases are increasing as the spring selling season gets underway. Folks are out looking and buying, taking advantage of low interest rates.

Second home sales are brisk in the New Mexico Mountain Properties office, and land sales are picking up, too, after a long hiatus.

Finding a new home can be stress-free if you follow some common sense guidelines:

1) Work with a Realtor! New Mexico Mountain Properties has offices in Taos and Angel Fire. We know these markets; our agents have lived and worked in these areas for 15+ years. Many of our clients see our listings on Trulia, Zillow and other real estate websites and contact us for more information. They may like a house or a piece of land, but buyers know they must rely on our knowledge of the areas to ascertain whether or not they will be a good fit for their needs.

2) Before you look at any property, do some research. Determine which features you want in a home, condo or piece of vacant land. You may want several bedrooms, baths, room for guests, or your new homesite may be best in the trees or on the mesa with 360-degree views.

3) If you will need a mortgage, dig up all your financial records. Mortgaging takes a bit longer today, sometimes up to 60 days for a typical closing. Get a pre-qualification letter for a loan in your price range.

4) When do you want to move? Have you sold your current property? Or when is your lease coming up?

5) Get real. If you're naturally super picky about your dream property, don't be too narrow minded about the possibilities. Remember, you're choosing a different path than the one you're on; be open to new possibilities via your new home purchase.

Remember, a new move is a new adventure. Angel Fire is chock-full of people from all over the world. Many of us came here to escape the rat race, to embark on a new life plan.

Adventure and new beginnings are part of what we Realtors at New Mexico Mountain Properties sell. We would love to help you make your new dream come true, and make your new dream home in Angel Fire materialize just the way you want it to.

Homes, land, condos, or that fabulous adobe casita are here waiting for you.

All best,

Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker, New Mexico Mountain Properties: 575-770-5023

Buying a fixer-upper home or condo here in the Taos real estate market is easy, if you follow a plan to assess the property and your abilities. You could save a ton of money.

Following are some helpful hints:

1) When looking at a fixer-upper, the first thing you should do is to assess what you can do yourself. Remodeling can be fun and inexpensive, or a real nightmare. Do you have the skills? Do you have the time and desire to take on the challenge?

2) Price the cost of repairs and remodeling before even making an offer. Get a contractor over to the house so you can get a written cost estimate. If you'll be doing the work yourself, get a price on the supplies and materials you'll need. Then add a percentage in for unforseen issues and overruns.

3) Check with the County to see what permits you'll need and what inspections will be necessary.

4) Don't try to do structural work yourself, if you're a novice. Get a structural engineer in to assess the situation.

5) Financing costs: Add them up, including downpayment, closing costs and repairs.

If you have the time, energy, skills and resources, there are some good fixer-upper buys in the Taos and Angel Fire real estate market. If you plan and budget well, you could have the home of your dreams at a fantastic price.

Hope to see you on the roof!

All best,

Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker, New Mexico Mountain Properties: 575-770-5023

Purchasing a new home or condo is a very important decision. Studies show there are many factors which influence buyers when making a home or condo purchase.

Most buyers begin their search with where they want to live. More and more people are choosing to move away from big cities, if they can telecommute or if they're retired. The Taos and Angel Fire areas seem to be areas that are attracting much interest these days.

The National Association of Realtors has provided an insightful survey of home buyers who purchased between 2010 and 2012. Below are some interesting results of their survey.

1) The typically recently purchased home, according to the National Association of Realtors, was 1800 square feet, built in 1996. Of course home buyers with large families tended to purchase larger homes. First-time buyers and single women tended to buy older homes. And, three bedrooms and two bathrooms was the norm. A bit over half of home purchases were single-story homes.

2) More than half of buyers bought a home with a garage.

3) Buyers in the south bought newer homes, and typically bought larger homes.

4) Buyers 55 and older bought mostly one-story homes.

5) Great kitchen appliances also rated high on the list of criteria.

6) Central air conditioning was the most important factor to folks. But of course, here in lovely northern New Mexico, air conditioning is not needed.

7) Big closets, especially a walk-in in the master suite were high on the list.

8) 63 percent of buyers who did not buy a home with a separate laundry room said they were willing to pay an extra $1590 for a laundry. And for those buyers who didn't get a separate den or study said they would've paid another $1920 for this room.

9) Most homeowners were satisfied with their purchase (97 percent), but said they wish they still had larger closets and more storage space, and almost half preferred a larger kitchen.

Regardless of your needs when initiating a search for your perfect home or condo, let your real estate agent help you. As I've said before it's great to look on the many websites for listings. But until you actually contact a professional, you're basically flying blind.

To that point, just this morning a client I've been corresponding via email with accidentally made a pocket call to me. I called her back and she said, although the call wasn't intended, she was really happy to talk to me and get my gut feel for the areas and homes she had seen online. Professional agents can tell a prospective home buyer about not only the homes the buyer is finding interesting, but can comment about the neighborhoods, the views, the resale values in these various areas, the home builders, the condo developers, etc.

We may not know everything, but we can give valuable input to this major life decision.

Hope all you condo, home and land buyers use the spring to find out what your most important needs are in finding your perfect place in the Taos/Angel Fire paradise and visit us soon.

All best,

Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker, New Mexico Mountain Properties: 575-770-5023

January 2013 brought a surge in buyers for Taos real estate. It's unusual for our Taos market to show such strength in the dead of winter, but real estate agents aren't complaining a bit.

Lower prices on homes, condos and land, coupled with low interest rates, have brought out the buyers. We hope this is the beginning of a great sales year here in the Angel Fire area.

Lots of buyers are taking advantage of the foreclosure market. But there are other hot deals out there that do not involve the foreclosure process. People are interested in land again, dreaming of building their perfect place in the paradise of New Mexico.

We expect to see more homes, condos and land lots entering the market this spring. Sellers are realizing, as buyers are, that capitalizing on the low interest rates offered could be just the ticket to a successful sale this year.

If you're a buyer, it's good to look on Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com and Homes.com websites, but remember that we as agents for you can do a more comprehensive search for you than those you use on other internet sites. Email us or call us with your criteria and we can send you a direct link to all homes that may fit your needs.

If you want to sell your land or home, do the same. Email us or call us for a complete and complimentary market analysis of your property and what it could bring in the marketplace.

Remember, New Mexico Mountain Properties services the entire MLS system, including all of Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba Counties.

We're here to help!

All best,

Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker, New Mexico Mountain Properties: 575-770-5023

Gosh, it's almost spring . . . typically the best time to put your home on the market. With interest rates historically low, we in the Taos and Angel Fire areas are seeing lots of activity for this time of year. Usually our selling season begins in May and ends in November, but 2013 is, real estate-wise, exploding with buyers looking to take advantage of these low rates. And why not? They have no way to go but up.

Seems like this year will see many homeowners entering the selling market. If there is the sales competition we're predicting, what can you do to make your home stand out in a very competitive market?

I know you love your home, and think it's going to be the best out of all of them on the market. You've lived there for years, making improvements: painting your son's room black to make video gaming more exciting; your baby's room looks just so cute with its bunny wallpaper; your daughter's room radiates with tatoo posters on the walls and mood lighting.

So what if the family room looks "lived in" with newspapers strewn everywhere and pizza boxes on the coffee table, right? It's a happy place with happy family memories. The living room carpet is really worn, but you can cover it up with lots of big furniture and area rugs. No one will ever notice. They won't even notice the wet-dog smell that lingers in the carpets. After all, everyone loves dogs, right?

As a realtor of many years, believe me, I've encountered all of the above, and more when showing or listing properties. Especially as a listing agent, I often cringe when showing one of my own properties that doesn't show well. I feel personally responsible for the sloppiness of some of my homeowners. I just want to get in there and fix everything as though I've left the mess and the smell and my own underwear lying around. My mother tells me not to take it so personally. And that's just great. Wonder if my upbringing has to do with some of this guilt???

But enough of the psychoanalyzing. Remember, your home should show as well as possible. Don't you clean the place up before your favorite aunt or the boss or the preacher comes over for dinner? Well, a prospective buyer's first impression of your home is even more important than anyone else's. After all, is the preacher paying you hundreds of thousands of dollars to come over for a meal? No, but a prospective buyer is looking to give you lots of money for a house he or she may fall in love with.

So make that buyer fall in love with your house at first sight. De-clutter, paint in nice, neutral soothing colors, get that dog smell out of the house, for heaven's sake, empty the litter box, put in some inexpensive shrubs and flowers at the entrance for curb appeal.

Remember, there is a lot your listing agent can do to market your home. New Mexico Mountain Properties in Angel Fire and Taos spends the big bucks on advertising. And we're very nice and accommodating to buyers, sellers and other agents in order to sell your home. But as much as we'd like to, we can't just come into your house and take over and do the work for you. You may find that just a bit controlling, and probably downright offensive.

The bottom line is, work with your listing agent to prepare your home for sale. Ask us questions, listen to our suggestions, within your budget, make necessary repairs and improvements to make sure your home has the best chance of selling in a competitive market.

Happy Sales!

Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker, New Mexico Mountain Properties, 575-770-5023

Looking for the biggest return on your investment when it comes to remodeling? REALTORS® suggest you consider exterior replacement projects. Get the most bang for your buck when remodeling your home in Angel Fire! With six out of the seven ski lifts in full swing, the snow in the Moreno Valley can be reason to celebrate. However, the snow can also have a damaging effect on your home or vacation rental – and when that's the first thing your potential buyer sees, it's important to keep up maintenance. Cleaning, repairing cracks, and painting your stucco are just some of the ways to ensure this lovely winter weather doesn't affect your homes' interior.

A realtor is the best resource for helping homeowners decide which improvements will provide the most upon resale in our Taos and Angel Fire market, so stop in today!

We know that some of you buyers are waiting for the perfect time in the real estate market to buy your next home, and we have some good news: the wait is over! Statistics from the Taos Country Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service support the theory that Angel Fire real estate is at the bottom of the market.

The average price of homes sold in Angel Fire has decreased each year; homes that sold for over $424,675 in 2007 sold for $366,624 in 2011. However, houses in Angel Fire that sold in the one year prior to November 2012 were an average of $46,479 more than those sold the year before. Prices have risen for homes in Eagle Nest, and condominium unites in both Angel Fire and Red River this last year. The good news has spread- local agents have sold 81 homes in Angel Fire as of late November 2012. People are realizing they may not get a better deal and you should, too! The village of Angel Fire is the perfect place for your second home in cooler climates, your vacation home for the skiing family, or your mountain ranch that stretches across the valley. Give New Mexico Mountain Properties a call today to schedule an appointment and take advantage of the perfect buying market Angel Fire has seen in years.

Information from Sangre de Cristo Land & Homes.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Picking an Offer Price

Today's buyers do more legwork than any other generation of home buyers, on everything from mortgage rates and programs to neighborhoods and schools, to comparables for the home they want, because so much more of this information is freely and easily accessed online. But none of that information diminishes the anxiety around making the final decision what number to ink onto an offer for a home. In fact, this inundation of information can shift a normally sane buyer into overwhelm and overload, and actually interfere with smart decision-making.

Here are five questions you should ask yourself to collect the targeted and essential information you need to pinpoint your exact offer price:

1. How close/recent/similar are the comps – and what story do they tell? Your agent will present you with the recent sales prices of similar homes near your target home (assuming you're in an area where there are recent sales). This information, in conjunction with the listing price should begin to narrow your thoughts on offer price into a ballpark price range. But once it's time to pin down a precise offer dollar amount, it behooves you to look beyond the sales prices of the comparables and to work with your agent to suss out the story they have to tell – and what implications that story has for your own offer price.

2. What kind of shape is the place in? Fixer-upper homes may not qualify for low-down payment FHA financing. That can force you to come up with a larger down payment or evaluate the feasibility of obtaining a rehabilitation loan. On the other hand, if you had planned to put a large amount of your cash savings down on a home that needs a lot of fixing, you might want to conserve some to fund repairs. In these cases, it's very helpful to review any disclosures or reports the seller has made available. It's also essential to include your mortgage broker in the offer-price setting conversation, as condition issues might impact the loan programs available to you and, thus, the down payment, closing cost and monthly payment required at a given offer/purchase price point.

It's wise to have a quick conversation with your mortgage pro before you decide upon your final offer price in any event, but it's particularly necessary if the place has obvious condition issues.

3. What's the competition like? If you know there are other buyers competing for a property, you'll likely want and need to offer more for it than you would if the players were limited to just you and the seller and the more buyers are bidding, generally speaking, the higher the victorious offer price is likely to be.

How will you know what your competition is like? Ask your agent – and they'll likely give the listing agent a ring, let them know you're serious about making an offer and feel out whether there is competition or not, and how fierce it is.

4. How much do you want it? Your personal desire and motivation level to get a particular property is an absolute must to factor into the offer price decision-making mix, especially when you get close to putting a final number of dollars and cents on the table. Of course, your home is an asset and a major investment, so your offer price is a decision about which you want to be smart, logical and deliberate. But we're also talking about the place that will serve as the backdrop and environment for your everyday life, and your family's lives, too. To ignore the emotional impact and logistical implications of the place you live when you're deciding what to offer is to make the decision based on an incomplete portfolio of information. (And that's also how so many buyers who lose properties end up regretting their offer price, wishing they had offered just a smidge more for "the one that got away," sometimes for years on end) Pinpoint your precise, best offer so you can make it, then let the chips fall where they may, without regrets.

5. What can you truly afford? No, really. It's not that you haven't asked yourself this question, worked through your monthly financials, pored over the numbers with your mate, your financial planner and your mortgage broker ad nauseam. It's more that a lot of time can elapse between that deep financial dive and the time you actually have to decide how much to offer on a particular home. And in that time, lots of variables might have changed:

· Interest rates might have changed. · You might have decided you need to move your price range up, because you can't find anything that works in a lower range. · You might have realized you need to offer more than the asking price, due to the competition. · Your expenses might have changed, because you had to put a kid in daycare or start some new service up. · Your cash cushion might have changed, because you had to repair your car or fix something at your existing house. · Your cash needs might even have changed, as you realize the home you are trying to buy needs a lot of work that will take a lot of cash.

Get clear about how much you want the place then, just before you finalize your offer price, touch based with your mortgage broker or banker and tell them what you're planning to offer. Ask them to give you an updated set of numbers, including what your down payment, monthly payment and cash to close would look like at that price, based on today's interest rate.

Today's buyers do more legwork than any other generation of home buyers, on everything from mortgage rates and programs to neighborhoods and schools, to comparables for the home they want, because so much more of this information is freely and easily accessed online. But none of that information diminishes the anxiety around making the final decision what number to ink onto an offer for a home. In fact, this inundation of information can shift a normally sane buyer into overwhelm and overload, and actually interfere with smart decision-making.

Here are five questions you should ask yourself to collect the targeted and essential information you need to pinpoint your exact offer price:

1. How close/recent/similar are the comps – and what story do they tell? Your agent will present you with the recent sales prices of similar homes near your target home (assuming you're in an area where there are recent sales). This information, in conjunction with the listing price should begin to narrow your thoughts on offer price into a ballpark price range. But once it's time to pin down a precise offer dollar amount, it behooves you to look beyond the sales prices of the comparables and to work with your agent to suss out the story they have to tell – and what implications that story has for your own offer price.

2. What kind of shape is the place in? Fixer-upper homes may not qualify for low-down payment FHA financing. That can force you to come up with a larger down payment or evaluate the feasibility of obtaining a rehabilitation loan. On the other hand, if you had planned to put a large amount of your cash savings down on a home that needs a lot of fixing, you might want to conserve some to fund repairs. In these cases, it's very helpful to review any disclosures or reports the seller has made available. It's also essential to include your mortgage broker in the offer-price setting conversation, as condition issues might impact the loan programs available to you and, thus, the down payment, closing cost and monthly payment required at a given offer/purchase price point.

It's wise to have a quick conversation with your mortgage pro before you decide upon your final offer price in any event, but it's particularly necessary if the place has obvious condition issues.

3. What's the competition like? If you know there are other buyers competing for a property, you'll likely want and need to offer more for it than you would if the players were limited to just you and the seller and the more buyers are bidding, generally speaking, the higher the victorious offer price is likely to be.

How will you know what your competition is like? Ask your agent – and they'll likely give the listing agent a ring, let them know you're serious about making an offer and feel out whether there is competition or not, and how fierce it is.

4. How much do you want it? Your personal desire and motivation level to get a particular property is an absolute must to factor into the offer price decision-making mix, especially when you get close to putting a final number of dollars and cents on the table. Of course, your home is an asset and a major investment, so your offer price is a decision about which you want to be smart, logical and deliberate. But we're also talking about the place that will serve as the backdrop and environment for your everyday life, and your family's lives, too. To ignore the emotional impact and logistical implications of the place you live when you're deciding what to offer is to make the decision based on an incomplete portfolio of information. (And that's also how so many buyers who lose properties end up regretting their offer price, wishing they had offered just a smidge more for "the one that got away," sometimes for years on end) Pinpoint your precise, best offer so you can make it, then let the chips fall where they may, without regrets.

5. What can you truly afford? No, really. It's not that you haven't asked yourself this question, worked through your monthly financials, pored over the numbers with your mate, your financial planner and your mortgage broker ad nauseam. It's more that a lot of time can elapse between that deep financial dive and the time you actually have to decide how much to offer on a particular home. And in that time, lots of variables might have changed:

· Interest rates might have changed. · You might have decided you need to move your price range up, because you can't find anything that works in a lower range. · You might have realized you need to offer more than the asking price, due to the competition. · Your expenses might have changed, because you had to put a kid in daycare or start some new service up. · Your cash cushion might have changed, because you had to repair your car or fix something at your existing house. · Your cash needs might even have changed, as you realize the home you are trying to buy needs a lot of work that will take a lot of cash.

Get clear about how much you want the place then, just before you finalize your offer price, touch based with your mortgage broker or banker and tell them what you're planning to offer. Ask them to give you an updated set of numbers, including what your down payment, monthly payment and cash to close would look like at that price, based on today's interest rate.

By Chris Isidore | CNNMoney.com – 2 hours 1 minute ago

In another sign of a housing market rebound, home prices posted the biggest percentage gain in more than two years in the third quarter, according to the closely followed S&P/Case-Shiller index.

The 3.6% increase from a year earlier is more than three times the rise in the previous quarter and was the biggest jump in prices since the second quarter of 2010. But that 2010 rise was much more of a temporary blip caused by a homebuyer's tax credit of up to $8,000 on homes purchased in late 2009 and early 2010.

This latest rise comes as the housing market has shown numerous other signs of recovery in recent months. The rebound is spurred by a combination of record low mortgage rates, an improving jobs market and a drop in foreclosures to a five-year low, reducing the supply of distressed homes available. There is also a tighter supply of both new and previously owned homes on the market.

The improvement in housing market fundamentals have helped to lift the pace of both home sales and home building.

The latest rise in the Case-Shiller index was the second straight quarter of year-over-year improvement, while the monthly annual reading has climbed for four months in a row.

Home prices are now back to where they were in early 2003, before the housing bubble inflated over the next three years before bursting. Even with the recent gain, the index is down 28.6% from the peak level reached the first quarter of 2006.

Angel Fire and Taos real estate market trends tend to reflect national trends although there is usually a certain "lag time". Ask us about the current local market!