Living in Santa Fe Blog - Barker Realty LLC

Broker Spotlight: Laura Lichtenstein

“I simply can’t imagine living anywhere else!”

The allure of Santa Fe is timeless. How often do we hear, “I came for a brief visit and decided this would be my home?” Laura felt the same draw towards a life in Santa Fe. “I vacationed one winter to ski. As soon as I graduated from college, I moved to Santa Fe and never left. I simply can’t imagine living anywhere else!”

Laura enjoyed an idyllic childhood in Bethesda, Maryland in a tight community where all the moms knew each other, the kids were out playing until dark every evening, and block parties were the norm. “My parents taught me the importance of having a voice and the courage to speak out. To not blindly follow others, but have your own opinion and the knowledge to back it up, no matter…

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How to Declutter Before Downsizing to a Smaller Home

So you’ve made the decision to downsize to a smaller home in Santa Fe. For whatever reasons, your larger home no longer reflects your needs and how you want to live. You may have grown-up children who have really and truly moved out, coming over to visit perhaps with their own kids in tow. You may have rooms and square footage you’re not using—but still cleaning, heating, and maintaining. You are ready—so ready—to live in a smaller space.

You may be ready to downsize to a smaller home, but your household belongings may not be. Check out our eight strategies for decluttering before you make the move to a smaller space.Downsizing to a smaller home is a big endeavor that takes planning, effort, and…

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Ten Ways to Prepare Your Home for Telecommuting

You can’t beat the freedom of setting your own hours and working in your own space. Some people thrive on the workplace routine, but for those of us who like to take life at our own pace, working from home just feels right. Not to mention you get your pick of office. You want to put a desk in the master bedroom and sleep in the guest room? Hey, that’s your call to make. That’s one of the main benefits of the job: Being in charge of your own workspace. Here are some ideas to really make it work.

1. Select the Right Home

A two-bedroom house may sound like a great idea for a small family, but are you going to have devoted space to yourself for working? You may love the view from the outskirts…

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Broker Spotlight: Christopher Streit & Matthew Tootelian

“Living Life the Santa Fe Way!”

Coming from different backgrounds, Christopher grew up on the east coast and Matthew was born and raised in Santa Fe, the deep friendship they share has led to a successful business partnership with their real estate team. “We play well off of each other, have a great dynamic and a way of lightening things up when they get too serious,” Matthew explains.

“I was Matthew’s age when I first got into real estate in 1984,” Christopher recalls. By age thirty, Christopher became vice president of sales and marketing for a local high end custom builder and developer in the Pennsylvania and Delaware market. Matthew and Christopher both enjoy working with all types of clients — from first time home buyers to empty nesters,…

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Four Steps to Upsizing Your Home, Santa Fe Style

When Lynne and Peter bought their home in Santa Fe, they moved into a 1,400-square foot home that was just right for their needs. With an open layout kitchen and living/dining area, the home was ideal for keeping track of two active toddlers once they started their family. Their boys shared a bedroom.

“As the kids got older, their room was too small for them both of them to get dressed at the same time,” Lynne said. “So they came into our room, which wasn’t much bigger and felt a whole lot smaller during the morning rush.” The time was right to buy a larger home.

Lynne and Peter fit the profile of upsizers, homebuyers who move to larger home. Upsizers can reflect a wide variety of homebuyers. Some…

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Broker Spotlight: Riesha Fiorina

“Santa Fe is a magnet to me and will always be my home”

Growing up in the City Different was idyllic for Riesha, a third-generation Santa Fean. Proudly raised by a family deeply involved in our community, Riesha is filled with memories of a lifetime here. “Yesterday I was showing homes to a buyer and the listing broker said, ‘Oh, are you Gary Fiorina’s daughter? I went to school with your dad, and your mom was the most beautiful cheerleader!’ One of the most amazing things about growing up in this close community is randomly running into people who know my family. Their fond stories about those I love simply warms my heart. ‘I was a troubled teenager in high school and your dad was the baseball coach. He put me on the team and mentored me all through…

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The Ultimate Guide to Downsizing Your Home

The numbers don’t lie: Every day thousands of baby boomers turn 65. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65 every day until 2029.

Downsizing is a hot topic for many of these retirees and pre-retirees. One recent Merrill Lynch survey of retirees showed that 51 percent of those who moved chose a smaller home.

If you share the goal of downsizing to a smaller home, you may be facing a number of questions about where and how to downsize. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest questions.

Where to Downsize: Type of Home and Location

Deciding where to downsize is a question with two broad aspects. The “where” question touches on the type of home as…

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Trading Up in Santa Fe: Tips for Buying a Bigger Home

We often work with clients who want to stay in Santa Fe but trade up to a larger home. These repeat homebuyers have their sights set on a bigger and typically more expensive home. They’re trading up rather than downsizing.

Trading-up homebuyers can include first-time homebuyers who are ready to move on from a starter home. But they also are long-time homeowners who want more space to spread out. Trading-up homebuyers range from millennials to baby boomers.

And “bigger” doesn’t necessarily mean more square footage. Many trading-up buyers look for homes that are better than their existing homes in some way. A better floor plan, a better location, or better features (think casitas or home…

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How to Buy a Home for Telecommuting

Forget the stereotype about working from home in your pajamas while you sip a leisurely coffee. Telecommuting is serious business. A growing number of homebuyers are basing their decision not on the best commuting route, but on the best location for working remotely.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 4.4 percent of residents in New Mexico are full-time telecommuters. Texas and New York rank a little lower at 4.1 percent and 4 percent, respectively. And of all 50 states, California comes in at #10 on the list with 5.2 percent of the population telecommuting full-time.

Telecommuting is a daily and global occurrence. A 2018 Swiss study found that 70 percent of professional workers in the world…

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Broker Spotlight: Stephanie Duran

“Truly listening to clients is absolutely crucial”

Blessed with a high level of discipline from an early age, Stephanie has excelled in many facets of her life and has enjoyed the ride immensely. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Stephanie was a child athlete and competitive figure skater. “Every day I would wake up at 5:00, be on the ice at 6:00, skate for 2 hours, attend classes at elementary school, then back to the rink for 2 hours of skating before going home to do homework. When I was training for big competitions, I would be alone on the rink at 2:00 in the morning!”

In her 20s, Stephanie was a musical theatre actress living in New York City. “What a magical time that was in my life! I would train and audition all week, and to fund my…

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