Thinking about building rather than buying an existing home? First Mortgage has a great construction loan program that allows you to lock in your interest rate NOW rather than when construction is completed.

Ever made an offer on a place you really loved, only to have it snatched away by another buyer? With an offer that was the same as your’s, or even a bit lower?

That happens, especially in this very hot Santa Fe market where multiple offers are becoming more and more common.

If your New Year resolution is to own a home in Santa Fe, here are few quick tips for making the most of your experience. I’m here to help, but sometimes buyers get so excited about how a place looks and feels that they forget these details:

1.  Don’t assume every fixture you see is included.

We all love transformations, don’t we? Our favorite stories are those “ugly ducking to a swan” tales. Movies that show the librarian in the thick glasses becoming a gorgeous siren are crazy popular. Think “My Fair Lady.

Here’s the good news of the day: Home builders are on a roll. The Wells Fargo/National Association of Home Builders Sentiment Index posted at 64 for October. This is the highest this number has been since 2005 (a posting above 50 tilts sentiment toward optimism).

Santa Fe is the home of amazing lodging. Eldorado Hotel, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, Inn of the Governors, Inn at Loretto. . .and one of my personal favorites, Hotel Santa Fe. The list is long and varied. I’m happy to help you find a place if you’re stumped on all the choices.

Here’s a sweet property that I just listed a few minutes south of Santa Fe – on 2.6 acres with extra room, and horses are allowed. Views are amazing, and the home has two kiva fireplaces.

Why buy here? Well, for one thing, you get rural living without having to put in a well.

In a dream world, we’d all have cash to buy our Santa Fe home. However, here in the real world, most of us have to obtain an mortgage to fund our property purchases.

In the very special real estate market that is Santa Fe, the majority of our buyers are from out of town. You have a week here, or a weekend, and you want to see every single home on your list in one day.

Let’s talk about common househunting mistakes. Finding your dream Santa Fe home can seem daunting at best, and usually when you’re looking at homes here, you’re also enjoying a holiday with your family.