An early snow at Taos Ski Valley is spurring condo and hotel reservations at the world reknown ski mecca. Already many inn keepers and reservationists are reporting near-packed houses for Christmas and the spring break crowd is choosing to ski Taos in large numbers. With the new snow and more snow in the forecast, the Village is taking advantage of the cold weather by making snow at a record pace in anticipation of a very exciting winter season.

For beginners and master skiiers alike, Taos Ski Valley is on par with the best accommodations, restaurants and fun to be found in the Western U.S. Bring the kids, bring the family . . .

And if some in your group would prefer to enjoy the sites of Taos while you ski the famous slopes, there are lots of great winter activities in town. Galleries, shops and restaurants abound, and real estate is fun to explore.

Typically real estate can be sluggish in winter, but this year, with low interest rates and lots of bargains, winter real estate shopping could be a lot of fun.

Taos has a great inventory of homes in the $200K to $400K range and up, that would make wonderful vacation homes. So if you want to ski and someone else in the group would rather be in a nice warm car touring the best home and land listings around, have him or her give us a call. We'll be happy to give a tour of this special area. You never know what you might find . . . because we know you'll want to own a piece of this incredible paradise!

I of course, have no idea of your plans for the holidays, but I'd like to suggest you make a trip to lovely and colorful Taos, NM.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I know you folks in Texas can get in the car and take a drive out here! It's a great drive in the fall . . . cool enough out in the Texas wilds to be bearable (meaning the asphalt doesn't put out waves like a mirage), and you know how good the food is between Texas and New Mexico . . . down home beef barbeque along the Texas roadways to authentic northern New Mexico chile getting closer to the border.

When you get to Taos you can stay in any number of wonderful B&Bs, one of our well-known hotels on the main drag, or rent a fabulous vacation adobe and have the whole fam-damily out here at once. That way you might satisfy of all your family holiday obligations for awhile . . . but don't quote me on that.

If you can't get here for Thanksgiving, come on out for Christmas! Be here by 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and go to the Pueblo for the Christmas pageantry. It's really amazing . . . the church service begins the festivities and after the service the Virgin Mary is brought out of the church on a litter carried by Indian braves shooting their rifles into the cold night air. And don't worry about being in the dark . . . the night sky is lighted with several giant bonfires, 20 or 30 feet high, blazing away until the procession is over. It's a very mystical and spellbinding event.

Go to one of our many wonderful restaurants for Christmas Eve dinner or the next day for Christmas Day dinner, and then ski Taos Ski Valley if you're not too stuffed. The week from Christmas through New Year's is filled with great activities . . . shops are open, galleries are showing their best artists, the cold air delicious with wafts of pinon smoke streaming from fireplaces all over town.

You'll fall in love with Taos over the holidays. And I know you'll want to find a piece of this special place you can call your own. Taos homes and land have never been more affordable. You must call us when you're here and let us show you this wonderful piece of paradise.

Thinking of buying property in Angel Fire? Great things are happening up here . . . the public improvement district has completed an important step to bring infrastructure to 800 unimproved lots in the village. Next spring should be the completion of an intense effort to bring town utilities to these beautiful lots, making building your dream home up here in Angel Fire easier than ever.

Our beautiful village of Angel Fire is looking prettier than ever . . . the intense colors of fall are at their peak, the air is cool, and our first snow is just around the corner. In fact, sitting here in my office this Sunday afternoon writing this update, it's almost cold enough to crank up a fire in the fireplace.

I hope you'll take a trip out here this fall or winter. Even if you don't ski, come up and experience the snow, drive to Taos for gallery hopping for a day, have a great meal in one of our fine restaurants. You owe it to yourself to experience Angel Fire in every season's glory. And come see us when you know you just have to have a place here. We'll help you find that perfect Angel Fire home or lot!

Cheers!

Your home has only one chance to make a first impression on potential buyers. In all my years in real estate, the homes that sell the fastest are those that "feel" good.

Know how you walk into a house and you can feel that it's well taken care of? It's lived in, but feels loved and clean. There may be an open newspaper on the kitchen table, but it's placed next to a vase with fresh flowers from the garden outside. There are home-baked cookies cooling on a rack, the bathrooms are clean and sparkly, down to the grout in the shower stall, even though there may be a bathrobe hung on a hook on the back of the door.

The kids' rooms have toys piled up on their shelves and maybe a pair of little shoes just outside the closet door, the scene just says, "happy childhood."

There are lots of pretty pillows piled against the master bedroom headboard and a faint scent of lavender from the sheets, and the sun streams gloriously in through the sparkling clean windows.

When everything about your home says, "This is a happy home. We love it and we take care of it, you can see and feel how much we care about this home, then the prospective buyer feels at ease, "at home."

Maintaining a home that's on the market isn't complicated, but you need a plan. First, de-clutter. You want the home to show, not your stuff. Thoroughly scrub your kitchen and baths, making them sparkle. Get rid of all extra knick-knacks, old newspapers and magazines. If you can, have your windows professionally cleaned, or if you can do it yourself, with no streaks, by all means be our guest.

Not only should your interior spaces be clean and fresh, get your garage clean and organized and make sure the light works.

And finally, let's talk curb appeal. I'm sure you've had at least one experience when you've driven up to a house and thought to yourself, "What are these people thinking?" The trash is piled up in the can at the street, the front porch light is still on from last night, the flowers in the pots needed water last week, and now they're as dead as that chewed up stuffed animal over there in the overgrown bushes.

We know times are tough. None of us ever has enough time to get everything done. But now, we don't have enough time AND money is tight. If you're like a lot of folks, most of your money is tied up in your house, so if you want to sell it to access the cash, to upgrade, or to move away for that new job, remember the competition in the selling market is fierce.

Just remember the best way to sell your house is to clean up your act and start acting like you own the place, because you do . . . And now you want someone else to.

Buying a home in any area of the country these days is challenging, to say the least. Although the deals on homes in Taos and Angel Fire are easy to find, the art is in the deal itself. You can make the task easier by following a few simple rules:

1) Work with a reputable agent. Of course, we at New Mexico Mountain Properties are some of the best around at finding and helping you negotiate the deal on your new home. But the buyer needs to be aware of his/her deal points and what is most important, for example, do you want a drastically lower price, or do you want to close in six months?

2) Buyers should boost their closeability factor. Most sellers would take a lower offer that they knew would close rather than risk accepting a full price offer that had iffy financing.

3) Educate yourself. Ask us if more than the purchase price can be negotiable . . . repairs, contingency periods, closing costs, etc.

4) Be respectful in the deal. You could attach a letter to the offer about yourself and the reasons you like the house.

5) Don't take anything personally by getting overly emotional about the offers you make and receive from the other side. It's a business proposition. Take your feelings out of it!

Finally, it's our duty here at New Mexico Mountain Properties to follow the above guidelines, too, so we know we've lived up to our reputation and found and helped you negotiate the best deal on your new home in Taos or Angel Fire.

Hope to see you on the slopes this winter or lazing in front of your roaring fire in your new home!

Fall is the time to fall in love with our beautiful area. Aspens turning, cool breezes blowing, and the sun comes at you from a new angle. You know it's around the corner: pinon smoke from the Taos Pueblo kivas, long hikes in a flannel shirt, hot suppers at home.

Wouldn't you love to have a home up here where the air is clear, the traffic is tame, and the people are small-town, just down-home, just plain nice? Wouldn't you love to get out of the rat race, out of the traffic, out of the humidity, out of the world, for heaven's sake?

Buying a home in Taos is buying a new dream, a new way of life, a new beginning. Taos homes are some of the most unique in the world. From Pueblo style to adobe farmhouses, to off the grid earthships, your unique Taos home is here waiting for you.

Taos homes are reasonably priced. In fact, you could find your Taos home at a real bargain price this time of year. Or if it's your dream to buy a fantastic piece of Taos land and build your dream home, Taos land is a bargain as well.

Whether you'd like to see Taos homes or Taos land, we hope you'll decide to let us show you around and let us introduce you to the magic of living in beautiful Taos. You'll never want to go back . . .

The summer of 2010 will be enchanting in Angel Fire. Music from Angel Fire is presenting its 27th season featuring prominent international musical artists. There will be 15 concerts featuring works from the Baroque to the Contemporary.

And speaking of Baroque, do you feel really broke these days? Feel like you can't afford to buy a lovely Angel Fire home or a secluded Taos land parcel?

Did you know that mortgage rates are at an all-time low? Did you know that seller financing is offered on most land purchases? Don't let that Baroque feeling damper your enthusiasm for buying Taos or Angel Fire real estate. Come visit us up here in the Land of Enchantment, feel the cool breezes up in the pines, and see just what how far your dollar will go these days . . . go for Baroque and let us show you around!

The Taos real estate market and the Angel Fire real estate market is in full swing here at the end of August. Folks from around the country are arriving to get out of the heat and humidity and jumping to the Taos real estate and Angel Fire real estate markets.

Record low interest rates are driving this Taos real estate and Angel Fire real estate search. And there are some real bargains out there.

Come check out Angel Fire real estate and Taos real estate in beautiful, cool, dry, northern New Mexico. Beat the heat, experience the cool-ture, and take advantage of these great market conditions conducive to making a great deal on Angel Fire real estate or Taos real estate.

If you're thinking about traveling to beautiful Angel Fire this fall on an Angel Fire real estate hunt, our Chamber of Commerce has a great celebration planned . . .

The Chamber's Fun, Run, and Ride at the Peak of Color, October 1-3.

There's a 10-K Run to the Summit and an XC Bike Race. The fall colors are glorious then, and there's no better break from looking at Angel Fire real estate than hiking and biking in the mountains at the peak of autumn.

Angel Fire real estate hunting is such fun in the fall. The days are cool and the nights invite a warm toddy and a filling meal at one of our great restaurants. Give yourself enough time to look at some great Angel Fire real estate listings and then take time to enjoy our autumn beauty!

Summer in Angel Fire and Taos, New Mexico is a fun-filled, thrilling adventure. From rafting the Rio Grande Gorge outside Taos to listening to professional music concerts in Angel Fire, the area can't be beat for nature and music, the arts, and more.

And since you're here anyway, why not look at Angel Fire real estate or Taos real estate? The market for Angel Fire real estate and Taos real estate is looking brighter. Sales are more brisk and prices are coming down, giving most people who look for real estate in Angel Fire and Taos a good shot at purchasing their special place.

Not only are prices coming down on Angel Fire real estate and Taos real estate, but interest rates are at all-time low levels, making the purchase of Angel Fire real estate or Taos real estate much more affordable.

Whether you'd like a piece of land to build your dream home under the wide open skies or a mountain-top chalet for skiing in and out, Angel Fire real estate and Taos real estate have what you want . . . your own piece of paradise.

Check out Angel Fire real estate and Taos real estate on your next vacation. And be sure to call us when you get here!