Frank O'Mahony

I was given a great Santa Fe home to sell a few weeks ago – here are the details, thanks for asking – and the first thing I did was to hire a professional photographer, Chris Corrie. Why? Because I am a good realtor but an average photographer. Chris surprised me by telling me he rarely gets hired by real estate people any more. Brokers tell him they ‘don’t need him’ because they have perfectly good cameras of their own. Hmmm….

That’s like saying to Michelangelo ‘we don’t need you on the Sistine Chapel gig because we have our own paint and brushes’. And of course, it shows. The MLS is full of badly lit, poorly focused pics taken by enthusiastic but also very amateur real estate people. Doors open, toilet seats up, dinner plates in evidence – you’ve seen the pictures.

Why it frustrates me, apart from the issue of not giving the client the best possible marketing, is that we real estate professionals pitch ourselves as just that, professionals, and we rail against FSBO’s who ‘try to do it themselves’. They don’t have the skills, don’t understand what goes into a transaction, blah blah. Yet we’ll whip out our camera phone to save a couple of hundred dollars and deliver a sub-optimal job for our clients. Bizarre

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I've noticed more clients asking - and more agents marketing - for properties that could be described as Compounds. I guess it's the cocoon effect - the desire to retreat to a safe, comfortable place surrounded by familiar things and faces. I have a wonderful Santa Fe home for sale in the Museum Hill district, which is about 10 minutes from downtown. The home has a guesthouse, a studio and a main house - all three could be separate or integrated, and that's what people seem to like about the place. I had one son & mother very interested in the property and their plan was for the son to live in the guesthouse, the mother in the main house and the studio for guests and a meditation space. Another Santa Fe home for sale is in the exclusive East Side and it's really a compound too, with a main house, guesthouse, chapel (!) and a number of outbuildings.

Room for Grandma, space for the kids (both of these properties are in great santa fe school districts), space to stretch, indulge in hobbies, arts & crafts.... Is the Compound the new trend?

Yes, Santa Fe has marvellous blue skies, is a cultural gem and has great places to eat. But what about the kids?

Realtors are a varied crew of course, but few Santa Fe realtors have my real-time experience of the school system here, and if you’re considering a move here with school-age children, you need to talk to me! I have a son who is going through the public school system, starting from kindergarden here - my wife also works in the public school system.

I know the zones, the best schools for particular subjects, the best homes in the districts you choose, the whole interzoning lottery, the private school options for K-12….

You’re never just buying a home, but especially with kids you’re buying a neighborhood, a school, buddies that your child will have at a crucial time in their development and of course peace of mind.

As a Dad, I’m very aware of all these issues, and I try to incorporate them in my home selection, so that by the time you arrive in Santa Fe to look at properties, we completely understand each other. Let me help find you and your family a great place to grow up.

ps Things to do while Mom & Dad are house hunting, or afterwards…

Santa Fe Children’s Museum
(505) 989-8359
www.santafechildrensmuseum.org
1050 Old Pecos Trail

If you are traveling with children, and they become bored with the historic sites in and around Santa Fe, this is a great way to lift their spirits. The museum is packed with hands-on exhibits like a climbing wall, obstacle course, bubbles, music, and a working greenhouse featuring daily scavenger hunts. For the fearless, there are even snakes on exhibit. The gift shop has an array of educational toys, puzzles and games.
Admission
New Mexico Residents with ID $4 per person
All other visitors $8 per person
(Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult
Parents of unaccompanied youth over 12 must register at front desk)
* Dollar Sundays: Admission on most Sundays is $1 for New Mexico residents
Hours of Operation: 10am-5pm Wed-Sat; 12pm-5pm Sun


Warehouse 21
www.warehouse21.org
(505) 989-4423
1614 Paseo de Peralta

In the new Railyards, this is a magnetic place for teenagers, with
everything from anime festivals, to turntable classes to concerts.

Painted Dish
(505) 995-1165
839 Paseo De Peralta Suite F
Great place where children, teens and adults can make their own ceramics and arts & crafts.
Price range : $18-$25.

Genoveva Chavez Community Center
3221 Rodeo Road
www.gccommunitycenter.com
505 955 4001

Athletic facilities including ice arena, indoor athletic and recreational swimming pools, gyms, and exercise equipment.
Fort Marcy Complex Pool, Gym and Mager’s Field Park
(505) 955-2500
490 Bishops Lodge Rd
Local gym and pool a short walk from downtown. Also has tennis courts.
Admission: $4

The Bishops Lodge Resort and Spa
(505) 983-6377
bishopslodge.com
1297 Bishops Lodge Rd
Located about a 10 minute drive from downtown, Bishop’s Lodge has horseback rides (by reservation), Tennis (also by reservation), and hiking trails.

Mellow Vello
(505) 995-VELO
mellowbike.com
638 Old Santa Fe Trail
Mello Vello is great for bicycle rentals, and guides.

New Wave Rafting Company
(505) 984-1444
newwaverafting.com
1101 Cerrillos Rd
Rafting season is such fun in New Mexico! New Wave Rafting has excellent guides to ensure a fun and memorable experience. (Special rules may apply for teens and young children)
Trips start at around $50.00

Parks:
Railyard Park + Plaza
Corner of Paseo de Peralta & Guadalupe
Re-opened in 2008, this is a superb place to hang out, with its picnic tables, flowing stream, children’s activity area and grassy knolls. Get your sandwiches across the road in Whole Foods Market and then relax!
There are often musical events in the Park, and it incorporates Warehouse 21 for the teenagers and SITE Santa Fe for the sophisticates. The Park includes the wonderful Santa Fe Farmers Market, which is open year round Saturdays and Tuesdays, and several coffee shops and casual restaurants.

Local malls:
Devargas Center
(505) 982-2655
www.devargascenter.com
564 N Guadalupe St
Hours of Operation: M-F 10am-7pm, Sa 10am-6pm, Su Noon-5pm
Located about a 5 minute drive from downtown. This is Santa Fe’s oldest indoor shopping mall. It has the UA DeVargas Mall 6 cinema here where you can catch a movie. Stores in the mall include Ross Dress for Less, Western Warehouse, Stag Tobacconist, Hastings (video/games/books).

Sanbusco Center
(505) 989 9390
Montezuma St., just off Guadalupe Street

Borders, Just for Feet, Reel Life fishing gear, Santa Fe Pens, Cost Plus - great stores for browsing and buying! This historic building has over 20 stores in a wonderful downtown location, just off Guadalupe, which is a unique shopping and dining experience itself.

Santa Fe Place
(505) 473-4253
www.villalindamall.com
4250 Cerrillos Rd
Hours of Operation: M-Sa 10am-9pm; Su Noon-6pm
Located about a 25 minute drive from downtown (much closer if you’re staying in a Cerrillos Rd. motel). This is the largest indoor mall in Santa Fe, as well as the most modern. It is a popular place to hang out, catch a movie, dine and, of course, shop. The four main stores are Sears, Mervyn’s, Dillard’s and JC Penney’s, and there are close to 80 other shops. There are a number of specialty stores offering candy, shoes, books, home accessories and electronic games. The center food court offers Chinese food, fast food and more. The movie theater shows all the latest releases, and has new very low prices.


Frank O'Mahony is managing broker at Evolve Santa Fe Real Estate (www.EvolveSantaFe.com, 505.699.3985). He works mainly with people moving to Santa Fe to work, relax or retire.