According to a report by Business Insider, a blog publication for Hanely Wood, Santa Fe is expected to be one of the country’s 15 best housing market’s over the next five years. Being a tried and true Santa Fean, I  know the long term benefits and allure to living in Santa Fe so I am not surprised our market should do well.  Here is a link to the article — I think you will find it intriguing.

For centuries, Santa Fe has been an important desitination and crossroads in the history of the southwest.  Our history spans from the indigenous Pueblo Indians, the Spainards, to the migration of merchants, treasure seekers, and homesteaders from back east.  Throughout this period, as Santa Fe has grown, its changes have been reflected in its housing and architecture which are truly unique in the United States.   As an example of how lucky we are, I wanted to share with you a blog post on historic homes that our Sotheby’s team put together for us. Just click on this link to read:  http://santafesir.com/featured-properties/10-historic-homes-in-one-of-the-nations-oldest-cities.   Enjoy!

Another week blown out of the water, and a pretty good week after all is said and done. As a company, Sotheby’s put  23 properties under contracts in a variety of price ranges (60 in the entire MLS system), 17 solds with six of those in-house (30 for the entire MLS system), and 21 new listings (77 in the entire MLS system). A  good number of prices changes are still coming in, and there were approximately 400 Sotheby’s showings for the week.  It looks like fall is going to be a strong selling season!

If faith is defined as “something believed with strong conviction” and hope is “to value a wish with expectation of fulfillment,” then I suspect most of you will join me in seeking a big helping of both in the New Year. Combined with hard work, a bit of luck  and the view that embracing pessimism is simply not an alternative, then I think the stage is set for 2011 to be a better year than the one to which we have just said a fond farewell.

You’ll note that we have a new look to our monthly newsletter. On November 30, 2010 Sotheby’s International Realty (SIR) acquired Santa Fe Realty Partners (SFRP), bringing together the established local presence, global reach and brand recognition of SIR and the well known performance and perspective in Santa Fe of SFRP. Under the Sotheby’s International Realty banner, our combined team of brokers share considerable optimism about the future of the real estate market in 2011.

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Its been a hot summer in Santa Fe and our dog Ellie knows how to handle the heat!   Click here to see how a heeler cools her heels!    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ulC2PCb6wc.   Have a great weekend!

Around the turn of the century, artists, attracted by the climate and the beauty of the area, moved to Santa Fe, and the city soon became popular as an art colony. When New Mexico attained statehood in 1912, Santa Fe, as the capital, entered a period of prosperity; government workers arrived to live in the city and federal and state buildings were constructed around the Plaza. By 1920 the population had grown from 5,000 to more than 7,000 people, and by the 1940s it was over 20,000 people.

In 1957 the city established zoning codes designed to maintain a uniform architectural style. Two types of architecture are permitted: Pueblo, characterized by rounded parapets and rough-hewn woodwork, and Territorial, featuring brick coping and milled, often decorative woodworking.

Santa Fe is rich in its art history, another of the fantastic benefits for living here. Frank Applegate, in the early 20th century, was one of the most influential artists in the area. He came to prominence in New Mexico after 1921, as a painter, sculptor and ceramist.

In 1921, Applegate came to Santa Fe, devoting himself to painting. His house was on Camino del Monte Sol, in line with the adobe huts built by Los Cinto Pintores, Mruk, Bakos, Nash, Ellis, and Shuster. His home is one of the historic highlights of the area. He was actually close friends with the designers and architects and sometime financial helper, whatever that means. His home is a historic treasure.

He became a member of the New Mexico Painters society in 1923, exhibiting extensively. He wrote “Indian Stories from the Pueblos” in 1929.

Santa Fe is one of the richest historical areas in the country. One of the historical highlights in Santa Fe is San Miguel. San Miguel Mission, also known as San Miguel Chapel, is a Spanish colonial mission church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is claimed to be the oldest church in the United States.

It was built between roughly1610 and 1626. The church was damaged during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 but was rebuilt in 1710 following the Spanish re-conquest and served for a time as a chapel for the Spanish soldiers. The wooden reredos, which includes a wooden statue of Saint Michael dating back to at least 1709, was added in 1798. Though the church has been repaired and rebuilt numerous times over the years, its original adobe walls are still largely intact despite having been hidden by later additions.