I first came to Taos on a vacation when I was twelve. I won't say how long ago that's been, it's enough for you to just know it was quite awhile ago. In fact, I think there was only one traffic light here in Taos, if that gives you a clue.

My parents had moved from Houston to Levelland, TX, just west of Lubbock, and they were looking for a way to get the four kids out of the West Texas heat one summer. We all piled in the pick-up with the camper on top, ready for our camping vacation in the mountains of Ruidoso. Mama and three of the kids were in the back in the camper, one of us rode shotgun with Daddy. Daddy had taken the hose off Mama's vacuum cleaner and hooked it up as an intercom between the front and back. I can still smell the dust from that thing!

Stopping at Stuckey's was the highlight of the long trip to New Mexico. We really liked the Pecan Logs. I think that was before high fructose corn syrup was invented.

We arrived at the campground right at dark (none of the family had ever been camping before), wanted to build a campfire for our marshmallows, but Daddy's flashlight batteries were out of juice and we couldn't see to find any firewood, so we ate sandwiches and tried to sleep in our new sleeping bags. Daddy and my younger brother, Bruce, slept under the stars, and Mama and the rest of us stayed safe in the camper.

Early the next morning we awoke to drizzle, but Daddy took us fishing in the nearby stream, where we actually miraculously caught some fish for breakfast. Well, nobody but Daddy liked fish for breakfast, but it was a success, anyway. The rain, however, continued through the day, so the decision was made to go to Santa Fe and stay at the historic LaFonda Hotel.

We saw the Santa Fe sights for a couple of days and then Mama had the idea to go to Taos. I'll never forget her description of Taos, the way she said, "It's an artist colony!" It made Taos sound so magical and other-worldly, and I was so happy to have what Mama considered to be a real adventure, off the beaten path.

I remember the unpaved streets, the Pueblo, the Rio Grande River, the turquoise skies, the distinct lack of humidity, and the incredible cool breeze and aroma of the pines as we walked by the river. I am not kidding you when I say, that at 12 years of age, I decided right then and there I would move to Taos one day.

In 1992 my husband and I came out here on a vacation, and the next year bought 5 acres of land near the Rio Grande Gorge and here I am to tell my tale today. I had a dream and a vision of where I wanted to spend the rest of my life, and I hope you, the reader, have a vision of your future homeplace, too.

Taos, NM is the most beautiful place in the world to settle. The summer weather is humidity-free, and so comfortable you don't need airconditioning. The winters are snowy, but still dry so you don't feel the cold as much as you would in other places. The community is diverse, welcoming and friendly.

Before Daddy passed away, he and Mama came to visit us here on the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge. It was before our house was finished, and I remember him standing on the land looking at the mountains. He said, "We're in heaven." And, yes, that's where we are here in Taos. We're in heaven.

That's why I'm here, and that's the reason many of us choose to be here. Do you want a little piece of heaven? We've got it, right here.

Call me. I know heaven when I see it.

All best, Katheryn Pate, Associate Broker,575-770-5023

I had a Taos real estate dream last night. I'm not kidding. I dreamed a neighbor of mine out here in the Tune Drive area, near the Gorge, called me to say she was putting her Taos house on the market. Great, I thought, I'll get another listing! The inventory for homes in Taos is low right now, and this seemed like a great property listing for me.

Of course, I told her, I'd love to list your house! She replied that she wouldn't be listing the property with me, but that she was listing it as a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), and she wanted me to "just put it on the MLS."

Well, of course this naïve request immediately woke me up! And I began thinking how uninformed many homeowners are about real estate marketing. As I lay in bed, unable to go back to sleep, I thought over and over about all the reasons homeowners shouldn't try to sell their homes themselves:

1. Agents probably won't show your home. Selling real estate is a tough business. Does the FSBO homeowner think an agent wants to negotiate with the owner of a property over a potential sale when there are other listings out there that have a posted commission due the buyer's agent? Too much time and trouble.

2. Do you think potential buyers just love having the homeowner hang around while they're looking at the FSBO? Not usually. It's hard to discuss with the homeowner any defects the home may have. An agent can effectively field issues the buyer or seller has about the property.

3. No, FSBO sellers don't pay a commission, but why do they usually get greedier and set a higher price for the property?

4. The FSBO seller can't list his or her property on the local MLS. Yes, there are FSBO websites, but I get most of my Taos real estate leads here in the Taos area from people calling in to speak with an agent. Savvy buyers know speaking with an agent is the best way to find an area they'll like, not just a home.

Yes, homeowners have to pay a commission if they list their property with a licensed agent, but think carefully before you say, "no," to utilizing this professional service. In the long run, you'll sell your home for a higher price, in a shorter timeframe, and with less hassle if you list with an agent. Save yourself the headache and let the real estate pros do your selling for you.

The Taos real estate market has very few FSBO homes available right now. Finally returning to sleep, I was comforted by the thought that we have some really smart sellers here.

Hope to see you in my dreams . . .

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

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

Now is the perfect time to come enjoy spring in Angel Fire. New Mexico Mountain Properties has lots of land in Taos, or if you just can't wait to move into your dream home, we have plenty of homes in the Taos and Angel Fire area for sale! Use the great weather as an excuse to come see what could be your new vacation home in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains.

In between house hunting with us, don't forget all there is to do here in Angel Fire. We have activities to please the whole family, from hiking, to fishing, to bicycling, we've got it all! But don't be discouraged if you haven't found a lot or home in Angel Fire quite yet! While we work hard to match your vacation home needs, you can take advantage of the great deal Angel Fire Resort has going on right now. Valid until May 4th, pay regular rate for a room in the Lodge or in one of their condos or homes and get a free room for the same dates and number of nights in the lodge! Plan your vacation to Angel Fire today!

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

Angel Fire Resort is offering an amazing deal until March 24, 2013! The Spring Fever Season Pass is available for $249 and is valid for unlimited skiing and snowboarding for the rest of this winter and THE ENTIRE 2013-2014 Winter Season! This is a great opportunity to check out an Angel Fire condo, or to pick out a piece of scenic land to build your very own dream home!

It's Spring Break in Angel Fire! Now is a perfect time to make your way to Angel Fire Resort where March 9th – 17th, they will be hosting a series of events including live music, contests, night skiing and more. On your way up to the resort, keep your eyes out for the many Angel Fire condos available just minutes away from the ski lift! If you'd rather build your own dream home in a more secluded place such as a lakefront property at Hidden Lake, or perhaps on a scenic piece of land in Angel Fire, that's possible too! Call us at New Mexico Mountain Properties and one of our agents will gladly help you find a home or lot that suits your personal needs.

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