Average home sales prices in Valencia County, NM, appreciated quite a bit in 2007 over 2006. Statistics from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of Realtors indicate that average sales prices in Valencia County were up nearly $10,000 for single-family, detached homes, compared to the figures from the previous year.

As the chart indicates, the average sales price for 2007 was $184,803 in 2007, vs. $175,068 for 2006. The average listing price for these properties was $190,485, compared to an average list price of $178,499 in 2006.

These are not bad figures at all for home sellers in such Valencia County towns as Bosque Farms, Peralta, Los Lunas, and Belen! These rural homes and small town properties are continuing to have excellent appreciation! The figures also indicate that sellers are not having to negotiate down very much from their list prices, either. In fact, the average home sold for 97% of asking price!

A little less positive note is struck by the figures for days on the market, and number of actual homes sold, though. The average days on the market for homes closed in 2006 was 64, but in 2007 that figure went up to an average of 70 days on the market. Similarly, 2006 saw 834 closings of single-family residential properties in the area, but there were only 630 such sales in 2007. So there are fewer buyers out there, and it is taking longer to sell a home. It is increasingly important that sellers

• Make sure the home is "staged to sell."
• Get an accurate market analysis and price the property in line with its market value
• Choose an experienced, agressive agent who can, and will market the property effectively.

All four of Valencia County's municipalities will be holding local elections in March.

The Valencia County News Bulletin reports that candidates for all offices must file declarations of candidacy on January 8th, with elections held on March 4th. Voters wishing to use absentee ballots for the election must complete absentee ballot applications and file them with the city clerk prior to 5 p.m. on February 29th. Completed absentee ballots will be accepted until 7 p.m. on March 4th. ANyone needing to register to vote must do wo with the county clerk by February 5th at 5 o'clock p.m.

Bosque Farms will be electing a mayor, two councilors, and a municipal judge. Current Judge Richard Wilke has announced that he will not seek re-election, but Mayor Wayne Ake and frist-term councilors Dolly Wallace and Robert Knowlton will all run for re-election. All Bosque Farms voters can cast their ballots at the Bosque Farms Rodeo Arena.

In Peralta, also, seats for the mayor, a municipal judge, and two councilors will also need to be filled. Current Judge Louis Burkhard has stated his intention to run, as has Councilor Nancy Burge.

In Los Lunas, NM, voters will be selecting councilors for District 1 and District 3. The existing District 3 Councilor, Cecilia Castillo, has announced her intention to seek re-election, as has District 3 Councilor Gerald Saiz.

Belen, New Mexico voters will also need to select two councilors. Current Councilor Rudy Jaramillo has stated that he has not yet decided whether he will run for a third term, while Councilor Jeff Trembly plans to seek re-election.

For a weekend full of honest fun for the whole family, keep in mind Rio Abajo Days at the Valencia County Fair Grounds and Sheriffs Posse Arena in Belen, NM!

The entire weekend of September 27-30, 2007 will see all kinds of events for the whole family to watch or participate in!

Some of the scheduled horse and rodeo activities include:

• Roping
• Bullriding
• Barrel Racing
• Junior Rodeo (come watch the youngsters ride a bucking sheep!)
• Draft Horse event

Not horse-minded? Don't worry; you're not left out! There are loads of other activities, including:

• An Arts and Crafts FAir
• a Marathon and a 5K Fun Run
• Bike Tour
• Western Dance
• Dutch Oven Dinner
• 4H Open House
• Echoes of Legends Concert

So head on over to the Valencia County Fairgrounds and the Sheriffs Posse Arena in Belen for Rio Abajo Days next weekend!

Whether you live in Albuquerque or are just visiting, on of the places you just should not miss seeing is the Albuquerque Aquarium.

Located at 2601 Central, in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Aquarium is part of the Albuquerque Bio-Park. The Aquarium allows visitors to take a journey down the Rio Grande River, observing the denizens of the river, and then of  coral reefs and the open ocean. Some of the highlights of the aquarium include sea horses, an eel tunnel, sea turtles, sharks, and manta rays.

Click here for a slide show presentation on the Albuquerque Aquarium.

To take a virtual tour of the Albuquerque Aquarium, just double-click on the "play now" arrow below:

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as is appropriate for its name, is known as "Christmas City, USA." This thriving small city of about 72,000 is located in the Lehigh Valley is eastern Pennsylvania, within easy driving of all the sights and sounds of Philadelphia!

Bethlehem, itself, is a historic little city, first settled by the Moravians in 1741. By the time of the Revolutionary War, it had become a center for trades and industry, and is , even now, the international headquarters for Bethlehem Steel. Bethlehem is also home to the 1600-acre campus of Lehigh University, a private university of nearly 7000 graduate and undergraduate students, which was founded in 1865.

Like the rest of the Lehigh Valley, and its neighboring towns of Easton and Nazareth, Bethlehem boasts very affordable real estate prices. To show you what I mean, take a look at the photo at right. This stunning Victorian home offers over 1800 SF of living, with 4 bedrooms, and is priced under $244,000!

Local real estate experts Jill and Ron Fuhrer provide a real estate website that will be very helpful to those interested in checking out the home-buying situation in Bethlehem, as well as in Easton, Nazareth, and the rest of the Lehigh Valley. Sellers will find this site helpful, too, when they want to find out what their home is worth, or check out hot tips for sellers.

According to yesterday's Albuquerque Journal, historic homes in downtown Albuquerque are a really hot new market.

The area bounded by Central and Mountain to the north and south, and by 6th St. and 19th St. on the east and west, features an eclectic mix of pueblo-style homes, brick and ston cottages, and even some new construction. And this is one of Albuquerque's hottest real estate markets. There are five registered historical districts, tow of which require city historical reviews before owners make any exterior modifications. Properties here range from real fixer-uppers to lovingly restored creampuffs, and residents love the variety of architecture, the shade trees, and the ability to walk to jobs, restaurants, and nightlife.

Most of these historic properties were built between 1910 and 1935, and boy, would the original owners of these homes be shocked at current property values! Even just a few years ago, homes in this area tended to sell in the $125 per square foot range, but nicely restored and updated homes are now bringing over $200 a square foot! Even fixer-uppers can go in the $165 per square foot range.

Diverse neighborhoods with a mix of old and new residents from all walks of life, the romantic cachet of owning a historic home, and tax credits available for restoration are additional pluses to historic downtown areas that are helping to boost property values. Residents love the charming features of these older homes, such as hardwood floors, solid wood doors and glass or brass doorknobs, built-in cabinetry, real plaster walls, and deep, clawfoot tubs, and many work hard to retain these picturesque features while updating mechanicals and adding master suites.

Get more information about Downtown Albuquerque and historic homes in the area:

• Albuquerque Historic Neighborhoods
• Search for Historic Homes in Albuquerque
• Albuquerque Neighborhood Maps
• Albuquerque Downtown Lofts
• Albuquerque Virtual Tours of:
  • Albuquerque Downtown Area
  • Old Town
  • Albuquerque Natural History Museum
  • Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
  • Albuquerque Aquarium
  • Rio Grande Zoo
  • Tingley Beach

For more information, contact me any time at brian@brianwarden.com .

Come on and join the fun as Los Lunas, NM, commemorates the 4th of July with a town-wide celebration of patriotism and small-town life! Bright and early on the morning of the 4th of July, hundreds of residents of Los Lunas, New Mexico, were on horseback and in their buggies, perched on top of floats, fire engines, motorcycles or bicycles, lining up to participate in this year's 4th of July parade. Main Street was closed down for miles as spectators thronged the roadway, complete with camp chairs, umbrellas and awnings for parade-viewing comfort. And, shortly after 9:00, the parade began.

You, too, can experience some of the parade fun via the virtual tour below. Just double-click on the arrow, and sit back and relax!

The greater Albuquerque real estate market had a pretty good month of May, according to the real estate sales figures recently released by the Albuquerque Board of Realtors. But where exactly are homes selling best? And in what price ranges?

The Greater Albuquerque Real Estate market actually consists of a number of areas:

• Albuquerque itself
• Corrales
• Rio Rancho
• Placitas
• Bernalillo and Algodones
• the East Mountains
• Valencia County

Naturally, the city of Albuquerque itself posted the largest number of sales, followed by Rio Rancho, and then Valencia County. The table at right shows the actual number of single family homes in each area that closed during the month of May, 2007.

Certain price ranges, of course, have more sales than others. The median homes sales price for the month was $199,000 (up from a median of $185,000 in May of 2006.) That, in itslef, would indicated that homes between $100,000 and $300,000 would probably have the largest number of sales, and indeed, that was so. The graph and the table to the right of it each show the actual sales figures in various price ranges.