Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - Enjoy the Fall Colors

New Mexico has a wide variety of scenic adventures.  One of the most popular events in the Fall is the Cubres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.

Through October 23rd the scenic railroad offers a spectacular ride in a steam powered locomotive. Bring your cameras! As you travel from Chama, New Mexico to Antonio, Colorado you will experience beautiful picturesque mountains and grass plains.  The day excursion includes a stop at Osier for  nice meal before heading north to Colorado. You can also purchase beverages and snacks on the train. The train gradually tops the 10,015 foot high Cumbres Pass which is reported to be the highest rail pass in the United States.  The volunteer guides, called Docents, provide a great deal of history about both the train and what you will see as you travel through this beautiful country side.  For more information about this wonderful opportunity you can visit their website at http://cumbrestoltec.com/ .

Share your pictures with us!  We will post them on our blog and facebook page.
Send photos to cathy@loehomes.com

Be well,

Catherine Martin-McKenzie

Tenant Portals

Using a Tenant Portal.

With our hectic schedules it's nice to be able to save a trip to your property manager's office to pay rent or fill out maintenance requests. We are always looking for technology to streamline our processes to save you time and money. By using tenant portals you can pay rent and send in maintenance requests from anywhere that you have access to the internet.  

The payment system you have access to on our tenant portal is free if you pay with a check.  There is a small fee if you use your debit or credit cards.  It is best to initiate your rent payment by the 2nd (second) of the month as it takes 24 to 48 hours to post.  This system also allows you to set up auto-payments or store your payment information so you can make your payment in just a few seconds. You will receive a confirmation once the payments initiated.

In the same tenant portal you can also send in your maintenance requests.  They are then sent directly to our office and the property managers receive notification of the work order.  This is the most efficient way to report maintenance concerns.

If you haven't already been set up on our tenant portal, please contact our office.  We will need to know which email address you want to use.  When you receive your tenant portal activation link you will use the email address you gave us as your user name.  The first time you use the portal, there will also be a prompt to set up a password.  This information is confidential so we do not have access to your password or banking information.

If you have any questions about using the tenant portal, please contact your property manager or speak to someone in the bookkeeping department for assistance.  

Be well,

Land of Enchantment, Inc.

loe@loehomes.com

Realtor® Safety is Very Important

Why We Take Extra Precautions

In recent years Realtor® safety is very important due to increasing cases of Realtors® being robbed, harmed and some have lost their lives.  As an industry this is an increasing concern simply due to the fact that when someone calls to view a home for sale or put their home on the market, we typically do not know the people we are meeting.

Many Realtors® have begun working in teams or setting policies that require potential clients to come into the office and provide us with information about themselves.  Some see this as an inconvenience, but Realtors® safety is very important for all involved.  If the agent you have contacted has asked for a quick visit to the office, keep in mind there is a very good reason.  

On the plus side, this office visit will also give you an opportunity to get to know the agent, express your needs and your goals.  It isn't wasted time especially since you are able to also interview the Real Estate agent and make that very important connection.  We want to help you buy or sell your home and this is an important part of that process.

Be well,

Catherine Martin McKenzie

Land of Enchantment, Inc.

http://landofenchantmentrentals.com/available-rental-home-listings

http://landofenchantmentrentals.com/real-estate-listings-from-land-of-enchantment-in-albuquerque-nm

2015 Annual Balloon Fiesta!

SquawkUR  Pilot - Ursula Richards
Navy Veteran of 12 years

Nine days and counting!  

The balloon fiesta started back in 1972 with about a dozen balloons and over the years has become one of the largest balloon festivals in the world.  Balloon enthusiasts and balloonist now come from all over the world.  This year about 600 balloons and about 1000 pilots will participate in the 2015 balloon fiesta.  

There are a ton of events, ballooning competitions, mass accessions each morning (weather permitting), Special Shape Glowdeo(TM) events, fireworks and so much more.  For more information and the daily schedule of events, park and ride and accommodations, please copy and paste this link: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

This year we will have employees from Land of Enchantment, Inc. crewing the SquawkUR (TM) balloon shown in the photo here.  We have been preparing for this event for months and of course we are super excited to participate.  Come by and say hello!

LOOKING FOR A HOME IN A BUYERS MARKET

We love helping people find their dream home. Buying a home is a big decision and we work closely with you through the entire process.  There are many things to consider when purchasing a home such as price, size, location, lifestyle, and amenities.  Listed below are steps to help you begin this exciting process and to assist in streamlining your wants vs. needs.

Price.  The first step is to find out what you are able to spend on a home.  If you do not have a lender yet, you could check with your bank, credit union, or we can refer you to some mortgage brokers we have worked with.  There are programs available to first time home buyers, veterans, and service workers (police officers /firefighters /nurses), etc. Make sure when you are talking to a lender that you clearly understand the loan options available to you. Once you know what you qualify for and receive a pre-approval letter, I can help you prioritize what you are looking for in a home.

Wants vs. needs.   There will be certain conditions and elements that are “must haves” and others that would be “nice-to-have”.  Distinguishing between the two will help in your home search.  An example could be that you must have 3 bedrooms and it would be nice to have a Jacuzzi tub.  We will discuss and fill out a checklist of your wants and needs to narrow down your search.

Finding your dream home.  Viewing homes for purchase is exciting.  As you view different properties we will be able to narrow down the wants vs. needs even more.   Price permitting, there may be features that you didn't think of before that you would like to incorporate in your search. I use all of the resources available to me to explore available properties to narrow down homes worth your time to view.   Once you find a home, it is my promise to guide you through all aspects of writing up a strong offer at a fair price for you.  I will be with you through the entire process of the purchase to ensure you walk away a happy home owner.

Price Reduced! - Wonderful 3 Bedroom, 2448 sq. ft.

661 Sunny Meadows NE, 87144.  Only $174,500
Prop Specific: 3Br, 2.5Ba, 2 story house with spacious living areas, formal living room, den w/ fireplace, large loft w/ storage closet, kitchen dining, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, refrigerator, stove, kitchen island, pantry, large master bedroom, over sized master closet, laundry room, washer & dryer, carpet & tile, 2 car garage w/ opener, gas furnace, 2 refrigerated air units, nice xeriscaped back yard and covered patio.
For more Information click here.

                                             

Albuquerque Annual Chocolate and Coffee Fest

If you have a sweet tooth and love coffee, the Southwest 

Chocolate and Coffee Fest is Here!

This event is PACKED with vendors selling gourmet chocolate, cakes, donuts, specialty coffee and teas.  There are baking contests, culinary demos and live music.  Kids under 12 get in for free and they will have face painting, games and a bouncing house.  

The festival is held at EXPO New Mexico on 300 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, NM on March 21st and 22nd.  The door open at 10:00 and there is an admission fee for anyone over 12 of $10.  

Be well and enjoy!  Let me know how you liked the event.

Homebuyers - The Importance of Getting Preaproved

Buying a home is a very exciting time and likely to be the largest investment you’ll ever make. The first step as a potential home buyer is to find out what you can afford. 

When you meet with a lender to pre-qualify, make sure you fully understand the type of loan(s) available to you.  Your lender should be able to guide you through what the loan process is and the kind of down payment you will likely need.  Once you have this information available, you will be ahead of those who choose to look at homes first and then try to qualify.  

Being pre-qualified before you look at homes for sale will help you in two ways.  One being you will know how much home you can buy and second, you will be ready to make an offer quickly.  This moves the process along and saves on the frustration of finding the home you want and then finding out you don’t qualify for it.  It also helps to have this information when you make an offer so the seller can see that the offer is not a waste of their time. 

Put yourself in the home seller’s shoes for a moment. They may be looking at more than one offer on their home.  A fair offer presented by you and your Realtor® with a pre-qualification letter can carry more weight than an offer without this knowledge.

If you have more questions about buying a home, we are always happy to help.  The information above is simply one part of the process, but it is a very important part.  Feel free to give us a call and talk to an experienced Realtor ® today at  505-821-0807.

Be well. 

Catherine Martin-McKenzie
Land of Enchantment, Inc.

Interesting Finds and the Firey Foods and Barbecue Show is right around the corner.

If you are interested in learning interesting facts about the Albuquerque and the surrounding areas, I came across a Facebook © page that has a little bit of everything.  They talk about local business, things to do, local news and the history of our growing city.  Facebook.com/AbqNewsCastic is a refreshing take on Albuquerque news.

On another note, the Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show is having it's 27th annual show from March 6th to the 8th at the Sandia Resort and Casino.  I have attended this event in the past and not only is the food fantastic, but they have great contests and different themes each year.  People from all over the world attend and participate in this event.  Tons of fun!  Tickets are available at the door.

Be Well & Enjoy.

Strong Rental Market for Albuquerque and Rio Rancho

Compared to our surrounding states, our great city has the added benefit of a low cost of living, mild weather and year-round outdoor activities. We also have a rich culture that has been influenced by Native American and the Spanish cultures. If you love museums, the downtown area boasts of several museums reflecting the history, art and culture unique to our state.

The Albuquerque Metro area continues to grow and the housing and rental market provides affordable housing for every taste.  From the newly renovated lofts in the downtown area, to the rural areas in the valley and Corrales, renters can find what they want for the right price.  According to Zillow under their "Home Value Index", the average rent for a single family home across the metro area is between $1000 and $1025 per month.  There's also a growing number of upscale houses across Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Placitas that are affordable compared to surrounding areas and states.

If you are considering a move to the Land of Enchantment, we want to personally welcome you and hope you enjoy our city as much as we do.

Be well.