Santa Fe, NM

Downtown - The Neighborhoods of Santa Fe, New Mexico - Michael's Blog

by Michael Umphrey on July 2, 2009

Through 2010 the city is celebrating its 400^th anniversary and we're in the mood to party. My office is in the neighborhood of downtown Santa Fe. I'm looking out my window at the Santa Fe River and the awe- inspiring Sangre de Cristo Mountain range beyond. The Plaza is three blocks away. I'm surrounded by world- class restaurants all of which have been given the highest ratings in Conde Naste, Bon Appétit, Travel & Leisure and many others. The Lensic Performing Arts Theater, The New Mexico Museum of Art, the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, and the Institute for American Indian Arts are all downtown. This weekend we celebrate Independence Day with the 33^rd annual Pancakes on the Plaza party, hosted by United Way. The average high temperature for Santa Fe in July is 82 degrees and New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment for good reason. I'll try to save you some pancakes. Be sure to visit LuxuryHomesForSaleInDowntownSantaFe

Michael's Bit of Real Estate

I currently have over 10.5 million dollars worth of residential homes pending and due to close in August. Many residents here make Santa Fe their second home. I'll be sending the latest local market data to my buyers and sellers on July 11 which will show why I am urging my clients and customers who want to make Santa Fe their home to take advantage of the low interest rates and the large selection of homes from which to choose. I'll find you the house that you want for the price that you want. If you'd like to receive the report please give me a call at 505.470.4180 I am encouraging you to take the next step. You can thank me later.

My Business to Business Referral

Each week I present to you an outstanding business. Let me introduce to you Randy Moya, of WIN Home Inspection. Randy not only performs an excellent home inspection, he also performs pre-listing inspections designed to help sell your home with less fear of the buyer's inspection. Pre-listing inspections now includes a 120 day warranty for the seller. WIN Home Inspection has been in business for over 9 years and they have performed over 3000 inspections. Randy's number is 505.466.7243, his e-mail is www.wini.com/santafe and on the Web at www.wini.com. Randy is a person I can put my name to. Let him know I referred you and he will take extra special care of you. If you need anything, please give me a call at 505.470.4180, or send e-mail an e-mail at mumphrey@prusantafe.com. For a complete list be sure to visit MyBusinessToBusinessReferralDirectory

Happy 4^th with wishes for your continued success,

Michael Umphrey

Santa Fe is in the Top 10

Recently Santa Fe was named as one of the top 10 cities to appreciate within the next 10 years by US News and World Report. This news could not have come at a better time considering the state of the housing market across the country. Santa Fe has long been considered a great investment due to our climate, beauty and attractions. We have a strong second and investment home market which has probably attributed to our being named amounst the top 10. Below is the link so you may enjoy the entire article.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/real-estate/2009/06/04/the-top-10-housing-markets-for-the-next-10-years.html

I will come out and say it I am a registered Democrat and that is about the gist of it. I serve as the chair of our local real estate government affairs committee, the vice-chair (incoming chair) of our state associations legislative committee, and finance chair of our county democratic committee. I am also an RPAC trustee. All of this is great since in the real estate committees we do our best to stay non-partisan and address issues which effect property rights.

But boy can it be scary when you get in a car with potential clients and they begin asking those soft political questions. I just smile and tell the real estate committees I sit on but I am very careful not to let anymore slip. In the car with clients is not the place to spew our political beliefs, it is the place to talk up our cities and all the amenties they will offer the future homebuyer. I can tell you I have had a bloodied tongue on occasion just having to bite down on it. But at the end of the day when you have given it your all - you know it was the right thing to do and keep politics out of the home selling process.

by Michael Umphrey on June 24, 2009

The Inn at Loretto

I don't think I'll soon run out of wonderful places to write about that are still within walking distance from our home in Santa Fe. The short walk to Museum Hill is one of our favorites. Set among the Pinon and Juniper pines that pepper the landscape are four world-class museums: the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the Museum of International Folk Art and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Of course, they each have their own unique gift shops. In The Museum Hill Café you can enjoy the full service and food hosted by Walter Burke Catering while marveling at some of the most exquisite hilltop vistas of the town. July 11-12 the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market will be held here at the museums featuring artist from 50 countries. There are no middle- men and 90 percent of the profits go to the artists. Visiting here could possibly be the highlight of anyone's holiday. The neighborhood itself is extremely desirable and you can take a look at Homes For Sale On Museum Hill

Michael's Bit of Real Estate

It's Open Season on ID theft. It is the fastest growing crime in America, and the average victim spends 175 hours and $1,000 repairing the damage. Here are some tips to protect you. Invest in a locking mailbox. Use a cross cut paper shredder and buy software that will perform a "secure delete" of your sensitive files. Beware of tax preparation services that hire seasonal workers with minimal training. Be careful of using an online tax service insuring the site is reputable. Type in the Web site URL directly and never follow an e-mail link. Here's the real estate part...my new listing www.spanishhillestate.com

Downtown Santa Fe

My Business to Business Referral

Each week I present to you an outstanding business. Let me introduce Marc Howard, the creator of exceptional jewelry designs. For many years Tonia and I have been delighted with his marvelous craftsmanship and customer care and he is a person I can put my name to. If you need any sort of custom designed jewelry you can visit Marc's shop in the Railyard shopping district at 328 S. Guadalupe Street. His number is 505.820.1080 and his Website is www.marc-howard.com. Let him know I referred you and he will take extra special care of you. If you need me for anything please feel free to call me on my cell at 505.470.4180

Continued success,

Michael Umphrey

Yesterday I read an ActiveRain blog titled A Little Ancedote About Strangulation and Baseball. The blog was very touching having been written by a husband whose wife has terminal breast cancer. He spoke of the negativitiy of people and their very hurtful comments when his wife lost her hair due to the chemo treatments. But most of all it was his relaying an experience at a baseball game they attended and her hair was beginning to grow back. The nasty comments finally got to him and he snapped. I couldn't blame him this was someone he loved and wanted to shelter. It is sometimes hard to turn that other cheek when a person has nothing pleasant and only hurtful things to say. It always amazes me how many cruel and negative people there are out there. Whether it be in a store, while driving around or in their blogs - they spew negativity and hatred. I guess I will attribute it to poor upbringing - I suppose their mothers never taught them the simple saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything".