Flea Market to Benefit Casa Rosa

La Puerta Real Estate sponsored a flea market on Saturday, 2/27 to benefit our local food bank, Casa Rosa. We are proud to say that we raised $1,000 for Casa Rosa. They needed to have some electrical work done on their building and Charlotte Lough, director of Casa Rosa, indicated that this money will go a long way towards accomplishing that. Thanks to everyone who participated in this very worthwhile event and thanks to the Placitas community for coming out in droves to buy. Not only did we make money for a worthwhile cause, but we ended up recycling stuff that might have ended up in our landfill. Giving back – it’s a good thing!
~Lynn Koch, CRS, CDPE, Associate Broker & Co-Owner

La Puerta's Anniversary!

On Valentine Day La Puerta Real Estate Services, LLC celebrated its 8th anniversary. Happy birthday La Puerta!

Placitas Winter Play Ground

As a Southern California girl, born and raised, I love our winters here! Just enough snow to have fun with but not enough to have on the ground all the time and become a real pain like in other parts of the country.. There are usually 2 or 3 days each winter when we have enough snow so that I can go snow shoeing right out my front door. Yesterday was one of those days and my dog Annie and I had lots of fun out in the snow while it was still falling and looking really magical. It is always so quiet when it snows and even the birds are hiding. It is such fun to be able to just go out the front door and not get into the car to drive miles in traffic just to be able to enjoy the winter. We are very lucky to be here!
~Julie Denison, CRS, EcoBroker, Associate Broker

My Sunroom

This is my sunroom. That big white thing is a banco. A real one made with adobes. What for? I like it for the contours that provide relaxing support for my supine body when I read or just relax there and watch the clouds rolls over the Sandia Mountains. My husband (Jim, the green builder) likes it for the thermal mass it contains. Either way when the sun comes into the room and shines on the banco I get the very best cat naps ever. Jim – likes it because the sunrays are absorbed by the adobe blocks the banco is made from. After the sun sets and the inside of the house is no longer getting direct warmth from the solar room we close the doors and the magic begins. Jim loves to point this out to me each and every time the mass of the banco and the adobe walls surrounding it begin to give their warmth into the house. It’s all part of his plan for the passive solar home he (he likes to say “we”) built here in Placitas.
Gail McGough Maduena, Associate Broker, GRI

Wow, what a gorgeous day after so many days of rain, snow & sleet. Today is especially good as I am closing on a house I sold here in Placitas. It was such a synchronistic deal. I made a listing presentation during the week and that week-end, I got a walk-in while I was on floor duty. As he described what he wanted, I thought of the home that was not on the market yet, but I felt it was a good match for him. I called the Seller and set up an appointment and then proceeded to locate every other home in Placitas that might also work for him. We looked at all of them and sure enough, the one not yet on the market was a perfect match. My Seller was ecstatic, avoiding all the hassles of home showings for months and my Buyer is ecstatic with his very smooth transaction. All is Well. Life is Good!
~Sandy Poling, Associate Broker, e-Pro

Wonderful sunshine streaming through my bathroom windows at home allowing my geranium plant to continue flowering adding cheer during these cold and sometimes dreary days of winter. This is the joy of living in Placitas--- because even if it's cold, the sun still shines most of the time.
~Lynn Koch, CRS, CDPE
Associate Broker

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

Placitas is a truly a special place bordering the National Forest with over 30,000 acres of wilderness. There are endless opportunities for hiking, biking or horse back riding within our lovely community. But it is wilderness! And we do have an abundant and healthy population of wildlife. This Bobcat was found taking a “cat nap” on a homeowner’s porch until it heard the click of the camera!
~Mindy Prokos, Associate Broker, ABR