Evelyn Bruder, CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO

This week we're wrapping up our discussion on resale value and things that you should consider when buying a new home in Las Cruces, NM. First we examined views and lots. Then last week we looked at size, bedrooms and bathrooms, closets, garages and laundry rooms. Here are the final three things that we encourage your to consider when thinking about the future resale value of your new home.

The Kitchen

Family activity centers around the kitchen, so this is the most important room of the house. Larger kitchens are better, and they should be provided with modern appliances. Obviously, the dining room and breakfast nook should be located adjacent to the kitchen. In newer houses, the family room should also be extremely close to the kitchen.

There should be easy access to the back yard, as there will be occasions for barbecues and outdoor entertaining. In addition, it should be a short trek between the garage to the kitchen so hauling groceries in from the car does not become a horrendous chore.

Fireplaces

The only room where you absolutely have to have a fireplace is the family room. A fireplace in the living room may be nice, but you pay extra for it and will probably rarely use it. At best, it serves as a focal point of the living room, but does not add much in real value.

Swimming Pools

Swimming pools do not provide as much added value as they once did. Safety issues about families with younger children have become more publicized than in the past, so families with small children tend to avoid homes with pools. As a result, having a pool may actually reduce the number of potential homebuyers when you try to resell the home.

Buy a home with a pool for your own enjoyment, not as an investment.

Since we are on the subject of swimming pools, here is a word of advice: If you want a pool, buy a home that already has a pool. Paying a contractor to install one for you is like throwing money away. You will never get a dollar-for-dollar return on your investment.

This wraps up our seriese on factors to consider when thinking about future resale value. Let us know if we missed something or if you disagree with any of the points we made.

Last week we talked about how your view, lot and landscaping affect the resale value of your Las Cruces home. This week we pick up the conversation with 3 more things that you should consider when buying a new home.

House Size

In each residential neighborhood, houses will vary in size and rooms, but they should not be too different. If resale value is an important consideration, you should not buy the largest model in the neighborhood. When determining market value, the homes nearest to yours are most important. If most of the nearby houses are smaller than your house, they can act as a drag on appreciation.

On the other hand, if you buy a small or medium house for the neighborhood, the larger homes can help pull up your value. This is one of those times where determining your "wants" versus your "needs" can be extremely important. Buying what you need in a more prestigious neighborhood may provide more financial reward than getting what you want in a less desirable neighborhood.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Three and four bedroom houses are the most popular among homebuyers, so if you can stick in that range you will have more potential buyers when it comes time to resell. Five is okay, too, as long as you do not have to pay too much extra for the additional bedroom.

There should always be at least two bathrooms in a house, preferably at least two and a half. One bathroom with a place to wash up for day-to-day visitors, one for the master bedroom, and at least one to be shared by the other bedrooms.

Closets, Garages, and Laundry

Walk-in closets are extremely desirable for the master bedroom. For the rest of the house, just be sure there is plenty of closet space. Don't forget space for linens and towels.

Garages add to the resale value and you should always make sure to get at least a two-car garage. Lately, three-car garages have become desirable in some areas of the country.

The laundry facilities should be located somewhere convenient on the main floor of the house, but not in a place it will create an eyesore. Think about whether you want to walk up and down stairs when carrying loads of laundry.

What did we miss? Are there other things that you think impact the value of your home at resale? Tell us below.

When you live in Las Cruces you have access to so much. One of our favorite areas is the Gila Wilderness where you find the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

About 700 years ago the Mogollon (muguhYON) people lived in the cliffs high above the Gila River. They hunted and fished, grew corn, beans, and squash. They used native yucca for food, sandal material, needles and even soap and shampoo.

The dwellings that remain are within the rugged Gila National Wilderness, the first wilderness area established by the US Government. The national park is only 43 miles from Silver City, but takes about two hours to drive because the road winds through spectacular scenery.

Once you make the drive to the Cliff Dwellings, you can stop at the Visitors' Center or proceed to the parking lot at the trailhead. Looking up over your shoulder, you'll get your first glimpse of the magnificent cliffs with the dwellings sitting there reflecting the sun. A rocky one-mile trail rises about 180 feet amid ponderosa pines, cactus, pion, junipers and Douglas fir. It crosses a series of footbridges and is reinforced by log steps in some areas. The trail is not wheelchair or stroller-accessible.

Take a walking stick. Especially if you're not a seasoned hiker, you'll appreciate it on the steep part of the trail and on the smooth but uneven rocks near the dwellings themselves. The hike is not particularly strenuous and benches are available in case you do tire. Try to arrange your trip to the ruins when guides are available, twice a day. They will greatly enhance your experience with the information they can provide about the dwellings and the people who lived there. A guided-trail booklet is also available.

Now the best part. The dwellings were excavated and stabilized in a series of projects beginning in 1907 and you can actually enter some of the 40 rooms the Mogollon built out of a series of caves. Stroll through the same rooms they used for cooking, sleeping, worshipping and working. Then return to the Visitors' Center for books and photos to remember this very special place.
Actual hours vary depending on the season. Wear sturdy clothing and bring water. There is a nominal entrance fee.

When you buy your next home in Las Cruces you should put a lot of thought into it. Don't just think about your needs and desires, think about what's going to happen when you try to sell it in the future.

Here are 2 things to consider when thinking about your resale value.

Buying a Home With a View May Not be Worth the Price

Homes with a pleasant view of the horizon often sell at a premium above similar homes without the view. However, if a view is important to you, buy it mostly for your own pleasure and not as an investment. Though you may place a considerable dollar value on the view, future buyers may not be so like-minded. It may take you longer to find a buyer when it comes time to resell the house. Or you may end up dropping your price to more nearly match other sales prices in the neighborhood.

In short, if you are buying a house with a view, try to pay as little extra as possible. Otherwise, you might not get your money back.

Lot and Landscaping Matter

Even though most real estate value is usually concentrated in the building, the lot is important, too. Obviously, it should be as level as possible. Assuming the property is in a typical neighborhood, the lot should be rectangular - no odd shaped lots or oddly situated lots.
Yard sizes are smaller in modern homes than in older homes, but there should still be a decently sized front and back yard. Do not buy a house where the entire back yard is taken up by a swimming pool, for example.

Do not purchase an over-landscaped property, either. You would normally pay a premium for that, which you may not be able to recover when you sell. You will get your best value if the house is moderately landscaped or under-landscaped for the area. You can always improve the landscaping during your ownership by improving the grass and adding bushes and trees. Just do not spend too much.

Next week we'll take a look at a few other things that affect resale value. Is there anything in particular that you'd like us to look at? Leave a comment below.

There are so many different types of lighting to choose for your Las Cruces home these days, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

Probably the most important thing to do when choosing new light fixtures is to determine what you are going to use the lighting for. Is this lighting you are going to read or work under? Are you looking for a spotlight for a piece of art or the perfect task light for your kitchen?

Knowing what you want to use the light for will make it much easier to decide what kind of light you need.

Ceiling lights are the most common lighting in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. A ceiling fan adds both light and air circulation, which is often a good idea.

Track lights give more of a spotlight look and focus light on a particular part of a room. They're popular above fireplaces or as a spotlight on artwork, and are also available in flexible tracks.

Fluorescent lights are popular in kitchens, garages and other work spaces because they add a lot of light without a lot of heat or using a lot of energy.
Lamps, either floor or table varieties, can add a concentrated beam of light where you need it, such as next to your favorite reading chair.

Choosing New Lighting

Picking new light fixtures is a balance between what kind of light you need and what your style is in the particular room. The good news is there are many, many different designs for all of these lighting types, so you should easily be able to find a style that suits your needs and your budget. Shopping for light fixtures can be a lot of fun, because there is such variety and the fixture you pick will help set the tone for the room you are lighting.

Installing Lighting

If you are replacing an existing light fixture, installing ceiling-mounted light fixtures is not that difficult, but take care if you are installing a completely new fixture. You'll have to measure correctly so that you cut your hole in the ceiling in the right place, and you also need to know what you're doing with the electricity so you don't hurt yourself.

Installing light fixtures is a fine project for do-it-yourselfers as long as you have some experience with electricity and know the proper safety precautions.