Wild Horses Gone Loco

Wild horses in Placitas, an everyday occurrence at this property. Watching the horses interact with each other, establish new heard's, foals in the spring the whole social structure of the wild horse is an amazing up close education. Photo courtesy www.wildhorsesgoneloco.com to see more check out the web site.
~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

Tarantulas

Mating season….begins as the male tarantulas come out to find females. During the early fall months the male tarantulas make their debut. This year I have seen quite a large number walking – very very slowly. While these creatures seem frightful they really are pretty harmless. We have seen several around our home this year, the one in the photos is a prime example climbing on our courtyard wall. They are however HUGE measuring 5 to 7 inches across. Since I am not a native of New Mexico the first time I saw one it really unnerved me a bit. Now that I have been a resident for almost 14 years I find it exciting to see them. Watch out for swerving cars as people attempt to let them cross the road!
~Mindy Prokos, ABR, Associate Broker

Placitas Home Tour!

Saturday October 9th and Sunday October 10th are the last two days for the Placitas Home Tour. The tour is free and self-guided from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Stop by La Puerta Real Estate Services, LLC to pick up a free Home Tour brochure and map at 1 Ridge Court, Placitas NM 87043 or call 505-867-3388. You can also go online to www.placitashometour.org to download a brochure. Don't Miss It!

The Hawk & The Coyote: Stare Down

Placitas is located next to 30,000 acres of wilderness and the Cibola National Forest where wildlife abounds. Take note of the hawk on the tree stump staring down the coyote coming up the hill or is the coyote staring down the hawk? This photo was taken in the back “yard” where the homeowners who are bird watchers / lovers put food out for the native birds.
~Mindy Prokos, Associate Broker, ABR

We just got back from a beautiful trip to the Northwest. It was unusually hot and sunny there-not bad but a bit muggy. We got back last night and as always it’s great to be back in Placitas. There was a perfect cool breeze and beautiful puffy clouds dotting the sky. I loved waking up to the sound of the doves cooing and birds chirping this morning-so different from the harsh cawing of crows that woke us on our vacation every morning. As always, life is sooo good in Placitas.
~Sandy Poling, e-PRO, Associate Broker

Placitas Home Tour

The 2010 Placitas Home Tour will be October 2nd & 3rd and 9th & 10th from 10 am to 5 pm. Keep looking for more information on this blog.

The Agave

This agave or commonly called century plant is blooming on my street. There are two of them blooming right now and they are spectacular with the spike rising 30' above the plant. It takes all the plants energy to produce this once in a life time bloom and then it dies. Does the plant really live to be 100 years old before it blooms? I'm afraid not, they are usually in the 10 year old range, but it may happen at anytime. Even though the host plant dies the agave is self spreading and usually has many smaller plants continuing to fill the landscaped space.
~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

Placitas Appreciation Day

Saturday, June 5th was one of the hottest days on record for June. We reached 100 degrees! It was also Placitas Appreciation Days which was held at The Merc. This is the fourth time I have attended it and it is always so much fun! Teresa (our Transaction Coordinator) and I served up over 200 snow cones. Jim Maduena and Ken Koch helped us most of the day. It was great serving up icey treats on such a hot day! Lauren Herman, Gail McGough-Maduena, Julie Denison, Lynn Koch and Jaime Coulter also helped. Teresa's husband, Loren Morrison, my husband, Vince Leonard, and Jack Hostetler grilled over 400 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs. The Merc supplies the meat, buns and all the toppings each year. There were a lot of people who had booths and there was wonderful music at Blades Bistro. What a fabulous day thanks to everyone who attended and to Tom Ashe who always makes this happen every year!
~Rhonda Leonard, Qualifying Broker

Yellow Flowers

The frequent spring rains have produced an abundance of yellow flowers. They are in very large patches on fields and hillsides. These little ones make the yellow masses we see all over right now.
~Gail McGough-Maduena, GRI, Associate Broker

Mother Nature

Everyday when I walk out of my office in Placitas I experience another beautiful scene. Brought to me by Mother Nature.
I love living here in Placitas, in the Land Of Enchantment.
~Gail McGough Maduena, GRI, Associate Broker

Hey! Who's the new guy hanging around in the tree next to my outdoor shower? It's the first time I have seen a roadrunner in our meadow. EE Gads A Peeping Roadrunner!It's time to close down the shower for the coming winter anyway. I wonder where the roadrunner will go for the winter?
~Gail McGough Maduena, Associate Broker, GRI

Welcome Guests!

Sometimes while at dinner time in Placitas we have some uninvited but always welcome guests. These wild horses came to join us the other night to munch on the weeds and grass at my daughter's home. It was fun to enjoy our meal while they enjoyed theirs!
~Julie Denison, CRS, EcoBroker, Associate Broker

Spring has finally Sprung!

Wow, Spring has finally REALLY sprung! The hills by my house are carpeted in yellow flowers. The purple and white flowers and the Indian paintbrush make a beautiful accent to the predominance of the yellows. I don’t know the names of all of the wildflowers, but I’m sure Lucy does. I’ll have to ask her. It’s so fragrant it’s hard to believe we’re in the desert. Of course, east of the S curves, it’s really the mountain foothills eco-system and not the high desert and that higher elevation is definitely more colorful. Another wonder is that Las Huertas Creek is running vigorously and that is VERY good. We got such a good snowpack this year. I hope the creek runs for awhile. It’s good for the wild ones. So even though the winds are howling, at least the sky is blue, our world is fragrant with the scent of fresh flowers, the creek is running and the wild horses are thriving. Life is Good in Placitas!
~Sandy Poling, Associate Broker, e-PRO,

Save the date: May 8 & 9, 2010

What a great way to spend Mother's Day! We look forward to another successful tour this spring, with 50 artists participating in the tour!CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO VIEW THE PLACITAS STUDIO TOUR WEBSITE: www.PlacitasStudioTour.com

WILD HORSES IN PLACITAS!

What a wonderful surprise we had in store for us. As we were headed out to tour one of our new listings – lo and behold, we saw a herd of wild horses on a hill beside the road. A white stallion was on its own and the others were hovered together just down the hill. What a treat and a wonderful few minutes of peaceful enjoyment in beautiful Placitas!
~Lynn Koch, CRS, CDPE, Associate Broker, Co-Owner

The Perfect Placitas Lullaby!

Water front property along the California coast is very expensive and everyone would love to be on the ocean or at least see it from your living room window, but in Placitas water front property is rare and has a completely different feel and magic to it. When my creek, Las Huertas, started running Saturday morning it was a cause for celebration! I can call it my creek because part of it runs through my property and is a constant joy to hear, especially at night. The perfect Placitas lullaby.
~Julie Denison, CRS, EcoBroker, Associate Broker

An Evening With Friends

A fabulous evening spent with friends --- this gorgeous yard is in full Spring bloom with colorful tulips everywhere. Good food, wonderful wine, gorgeous Placitas backyard with fabulous new pool, great views of the Sandia Mountains and sunset...life is good!
~Lynn Koch, CRS, CDPE, Associate Broker/Co-Owner

Bobcats in Placitas

As a Realtor selling property to people in Placitas, especially who are moving here from out of state, it is always fun to have them be so excited when they have a "visitor" to their yard. This bob cat appeared in the yard of some people who moved here in November and I love it when they call me to report that the coyotes were by, the wild horses were on the road or "Bob" paid them a visit. It is especially wonderful when they are able to get a picture too and send it with such joy.
~Julie Denison, CRS, EcoBroker, Associate Broker

Spring in Placitas!

Spring in Placitas is a series of stops and go's, warm weather and then a small snow storm, then more warm weather. maybe a freeze or two, I am sure you see what I mean. As a gardener, you learn what will enjoy the erratic weather and still thrive. The picture is one of my pansies that is still smiling even with it's coat of snow. Lettuce, peas, onions and garlic also don't seem to mind the occasional snow storm either.
~Julie Denison, CRS, EcoBroker, Associate Broker

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

New Mexico is Full of High Peaks

New Mexico is full of high peaks, but the one pictured is Wheeler Peak. It is the highest point in New Mexico at 13,161 feet above sea level. Imagine if Wheeler Peak were next to sea level you would look up over two and half miles to see it. Looking up like that hurts my neck, It amazes me when I look out my kitchen window I can see 80 miles to Mount Taylor near Grants, New Mexico. Out the bedroom window I see part of the Sangre De Christo's outside of Santa Fe 40 some miles. The Sandias are to the south that view is up close and personal. I love the name Sandia meaning watermelon which most evenings as the sun is getting ready to set, the mountain is the color and similarity of watermelon, you see a pink mountain and the trees are the seeds. My husband, Randall, spent our first summer mostly staring at the Sandias at different times in the day just watching the colorful changes. From my living room I see clear to the Jemez, North and a bit West for another 30 miles, this view is very different with mesa's in front of the mountains. Funny, but I am in Placitas Trails close to I-25 and not at a high elevation where the views grow way beyond the distances I see.

Having spent many years on the Southeast coast where you could only see about one mile I love the freedom I feel of being able to see such great distances. I feel like I can breath really well. And the ever changing colors are awe inspiring for the creative soul.
~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

Happy New Year!

Happy new year to all of our wonderful customers and to all Placitans. We certainly hope that 2010 is a prosperous year for all.