Real Estate Information Archive

The New Mexico History Museum is a sparkling new (it opened on May 24, 2009), architecturally beautiful showcase of the Land of Enchantment’s singular, eclectic and culturally diverse history, covering the last 400 years. It is a sometimes turbulent, sometimes peaceful, but always a fascinating history.

It is also a relatively long history. The state’s capital city of Santa Fe bills itself as The Oldest Capital in the United States. This singular southwest American town is literally colorful and so is its history, as you will discover on your first visit to the New Mexico History Museum, located at 113 Lincoln Avenue in the heart of Santa Fe’s historic Plaza. Santa Fe was initially inhabited by a group of American Indians from the Pueblo tribe between the years of 1050 to 1150.

Exhibitions in the 96,000-square-foot New Mexico History Museum enlighten and broaden the horizons of residents and visitors alike about a vast expanse of the state’s colorful settlers, from the Spanish Conquistadores and Mexican pioneers, up to and through the period in which the legendary Santa Fe Trail guided a generation of settlers headed to all points west.

As you casually stroll among the exhibits, interactive multimedia displays and mesmerizing photographs, the artwork and handcrafted jewelry, you are bound to come across some names that just might be familiar to you, such as Kit Carson, Billy the Kid and Robert Oppenheimer.

The New Mexico History Museum strives to achieve a relatively new position within the community of Santa Fe and New Mexico as a whole. Its mission, as stated on its website, is to provide more to residents and visitors than dusty old artifacts and obscure objects. It serves as a civic hub and educational partner, actively engaged in the social life of the community.

One of the methods by which the museum is striding confidently toward its goals is through the efforts of the staff and variety of the offerings at its other campuses, such as the Palace of the Governors, the Fray Angelico Chavez Library and the Palace Press.

Hours and Admission

Hours:

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday

Open on Mondays from Memorial Day through Labor Day

Open until 8 p.m. on Fridays

Admission:

$9 for out-of-state visitors

$6 New Mexico residents

Free on Sunday for New Mexico residents

Free on Wednesday for New Mexico senior citizens

Free all open dates for Museum Members and children under 17

Free Fridays from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

If you are thinking about buying a home in the Santa Fe area, but are concerned about the real estate and home buying markets (and who wouldn’t be after watching the national news for the last few years?), you can study the real estate section of the newspaper and visit some open houses with renewed vigor, encouraged by the knowledge that the home buying market in Santa Fe is sliding back into a positive groove.

While the real estate industry is known for sometimes taking an overly rosy view, the data really do tell us some good things. A detailed report issued by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in June said that May’s pending home sales matched the highest mark in the last 24 months. According to NAR, yearly and monthly gains were reached in each region of the country, and the price tag for existing homes (as opposed to new construction) nationwide is predicted to jump 3 percent this year and perhaps an additional 5.7 percent in 2013.

NAR’s economist brain wizards, however, indicate that evaporating inventory is negatively impacting unit sales. They suggest that if the credit climate snapped back to normal and more inventory was available, specifically in low to middle price ranges, even more contracts would be successfully completed. In layman’s terms, supply cannot meet the demand in the housing market at this time.

The unbiased real estate website, Trulia, supplies us with some detailed information specifically focused on the Santa Fe area. Here are some pertinent numbers for you to crunch concerning the three-month stretch from January to March 2012:

• Median home sales price: $259,250, a 9% ($25,750) decrease from the same time frame last year
• The number of home sales decreased by 56.2% from the same time frame last year
• Average home listing price: $702,420 in the week of June 20, a 0.4% (about $2,630) decline from the previous week

While the real estate market certainly can’t be described as roaring, it’s good to hear good news when it happens.

If you have ever visited or lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, you will no doubt agree that, more than any other single feature, art of all shapes, sizes, methods and descriptions is the heart and soul of this beautiful southwestern United States city. And this is saying a lot, since Santa Fe boasts a beautiful natural environment, a rich history and is the state capital of New Mexico.

Yes, there are magnificent mountain ranges dressing up the panoramic scenery of Santa Fe. Yes, there are lovely and picturesque historic churches, shops and restaurants. Yes, there is a vast, seemingly endless desert stretching to the horizon and supplying Santa Fe with breathtaking sunsets and invigorating sunrises. Yes, the climate and accompanying weather is nearly perfect year round. And, of course, there are numerous and varying other aspects, amenities and natural features that also play their individual roles in making Santa Fe the dramatic, one-of-a-kind city that it is. However, for people in Santa Fe and lovers of the city who visit, art is the definitive quality of the city, just as Dixieland music is the definitive quality of New Orleans.

The ART Santa Fe fair is a high-profile celebration and all-encompassing showcase of art, not only from the 240-plus galleries in the Santa Fe area, but also from prestigious, cutting-edge and emerging galleries, artists and dealers from every corner of the globe. It is an international event at which scene-seekers and regular people who love art rub elbows with the glamorous celebrities, the “name” artists and the stratospherically wealthy art collectors.

At the twelfth ART Santa Fe fair, running from July 12 through July 15 is held primarily at the Santa Fe Convention Center; however, the festivities don’t stop there. There is a gala celebration kicking off the event called Vernissage, which is the fancy French term describing the preview ceremony of an art exhibition. And, if you are going to attend the ART Santa Fe fair, you cannot miss its distinctive Art Santa Fe Presents keynote lecture, given by a prominent figure in today’s hip and trendy art scene.

So, if you love art and you love Santa Fe, ART Santa Fe is the place to be beginning on Thursday, July 12!