Helpful Tips for Buyers:
Buying a new home in an environment as different as Taos, NM can be stressful.
Are you scratching your head?? Vigas, nichos, latillas, kivas????? Yes we
have a whole new lingo here in Taos. Home Solutions Realty was created to
guide the way through this foreign language and enjoy the process of discovering
Northern New Mexico.
We are a small company with many years of experience. We handle all kinds
of real estate from bank foreclosures to new adobe construction. When you
call you will be talking to either Anne or Jim, the brokers and owners of
most of the properties we market.
Some of the important factors to pay special attention to in purchasing
a home in Taos, New Mexico:
Adobe vs. Frame Construction- Many new homes are frame construction
and only look like adobe. Adobe houses are more expensive to build and
have different insulating qualities.
Vigas, Latillas, Nichos & Kivas - What are they????? Vigas- Heavy
logs across the ceilings of the interior rooms are used to support the roof. Vigas are
expensive to install and increase the market value of a house. Latillas-
Thin logs used as fencing and other decorative uses. Nichos- Those cute
recessed areas in walls that decorative items are placed in. Kivas- Traditional
fireplaces used by Indians.
Views- are very important for resale and strongly influence value.
Radiant heat-many homes in Taos are heated with hot water pipes under
the floor. This is a highly desirable way to heat because it is very quiet,
does not stir up dust and does not dry out the already low humidity air
inside of the homes. But you need to be aware that there is a class action
lawsuit against one manufacturer of the pipes for some limited production
runs (all the other pipes are considered good) because of potential quality
problems.
Water Rights- there are above ground and below ground water rights.
Normally when talking about a well (underground water rights) for a single
home you are legally allowed to use the water for household/yard use but
not for farms or livestock. With above ground water (water from a ditch,
creek, or river) you need to own or purchase the right to use the water.
Just because you own the land the water runs through does not mean you
own the water! Above ground water rights can be expensive to purchase.
This is just a very brief explanation of some very complicated legal issues.
An attorney should be consulted for any questions on water rights.
Wells- the age of a well is important to know. It is possible that
any age of a well can go dry, but it is more likely as they get older.
A 30 or 40 year old well is much more likely to go dry than a 5 year old
well. Also attention should be put to how deep the well is. Any home purchase
should include a well test.
Maintenance of Roads- It is important to ascertain if a road is a county
or private road. Many roads service multiple houses and have the appearance
of being a county road, but are not maintained by the county.
These are only a few of the many things that are important to consider
when purchasing a home in Northern New Mexico.
| Contact Us! |
| Email us at: taoshomes@yahoo.com
or use our contact form |
Phone: 1-505-751-0695
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