New Mexico

[starsmile85]

Sorry to hear you have to re-home your birds.

DH wants to live close enough to a population center so he can start up a new business, so we are thinking within 30 minutes of ABQ.  I am hoping to not work or possibly telecommute part-time, so I'd probably be happy anywhere with a beautiful view, a few pinyon trees, and enough water for a small garden.    Will Google Alamogordo now.

What kind of business?? Alamogordo is about 45 minutes from Las Cruces and an hour and a half from El Paso. Plus we've got an Air Force Base too.

 

[bumpershoot]

Friday yet, Santa Fe is not like anywhere else in NM. Its very expensive. That said horse properties around Albuquerque are expensive because horses are expensive here. They require precious water and bailed feed all year. You were probably also being shown houses in the north valley and corrales. Both are pretty and pricey. I personally like the south valley, but some folks find it a little wild. Los Luna's is not too far south of here and is heavily agricultural, plus its on the train line. I live in the mountains and here you will deal with high winds and colder winters. The plus is that my house is about 15 degrees cooler then ABQ and we get more rain in summer.
Anyway, with some looking you should easily be able to find a place for you and your hens. This state is highly agricultural. Just stay away from the HOAs. I do just on principal, but there you are.
BTW, my apologies if this is somewhat stilted...I am typing on my tablet and we are fighting. I think the tablet is winning.

 

[bumpercarr]

There are lots of areas around the state that would be suitable for chickens. Most of them are NOT North of I-40. The city different definitely has many more regulations than most of the rest of the state. Depending on the business that your husband wants to start, the other cities besides Albuquerque that have decent populations are Las Cruces (1 hour from El Paso), Roswell, Las Lunas and Belen (which also put you in close proximity to Albuquerque), Farmington, Gallup....there are many "towns" with populations over 40,000. You have to remember that there are only about 2 million in the entire state, so you aren't going to find a Dallas or Houston here. That said, there are some distinct differences in the people between those in the north central and north east portion of the state and the rest of the populace.

 

[Peep_Show]

Where to live for chickens?
Well, don't choose Rio Rancho as they ban chickens outright. HOWEVER, right next door in the village of Corrales they welcome agriculture and livestock. I called the Zoning Dept to ask about numbers and was told that unless you have CC&R's (not many subdivisions there, though) you are not limited as to how many or what you keep...just keep the neighbors happy re: noise and odors. Corrales is the horse capital of New Mexico and most parcels have either a corral, pasture, vineyard, orchard or field crop. It's butted up to ABQ's borders, so civilization is not far away. Lots of retirees, too. Most lots range from 1/2 to 2 acres. Unfortunately, some upper price ranges happening. Some folks on this thread kind of pooh-pooh Corrales, but I find it charming.... And Santa Fe is only 40 minutes away.

 

[FridayYet]

Thanks for the replies Bumpershoot and Bumpercarr. I forgot to mention that both my daughters live in the Denver area, and they are campaigning heavily for us to move to Colorado, so we'll probably end up in northern NM since I haven't been able to fall in love with CO - (Except Durango, which is even farther from my grandson than Santa Fe is.)

We've been traveling to NM for the past 25 years and love the high desert mountains. I'm very (painfully) aware of how expensive Santa Fe is, and believe it or not, have not crossed that city off our list because we absolutely love all the art galleries there. You can have chickens in the city, even on a postage-stamp sized lot, but it's the subdivisions with bigger lots in the county that are so over-regulated!

Part of the reason I love NM is that it does NOT have a Dallas or Houston, or a Los Angeles, Denver or New York. An ABQ metro area of almost a million people sounds like so much nicer than a metro statistical area of almost 13 million people where I live in now.

Having 4 seasons sounds like a very nice change. I'll take a colder winter and give up our 105 degree smoggy summers any day. Our heavy winds usually come in the fall, and fuel the annual brushfires. Have to say our winters are absolutely gorgeous though. No place is perfect, we're just looking for a change.

We just sold our place in the mountains above Palm Springs at 6100 feet, so we're looking to trade one set of desert mountains for another. Could not live full-time up there due to work

and I didn't think it would sell so fast - so we have to spend this summer down the hill....

I've found there are nice people everywhere - sometimes you have to just look a little harder for them. Contrary to the popular opinion in most other states - Southern California has a lot of great people here, too. (Once you get away from all those immersed in the superficial crap.) I'm sure Northern NM is the same way.

DH has been a landscape contractor for many, many years. He could easily start up a part-time business in xeriscape, hardscape, drip, and landscape lighting if we are close to an area that will support it. I could always look for a job if I had to - as long as I'm near a hospital.

I'm so looking forward to a pace of life that is a bit slower, cleaner air, wonderful food, and looking for a place with a sense of community we can get involved in. Now the task is to find all that where I can still keep my chickens!

Bumpershoot - are your winds mostly in the spring months?

 

[FridayYet]

Where to live for chickens?
Well, don't choose Rio Rancho as they ban chickens outright. HOWEVER, right next door in the village of Corrales they welcome agriculture and livestock. I called the Zoning Dept to ask about numbers and was told that unless you have CC&R's (not many subdivisions there, though) you are not limited as to how many or what you keep...just keep the neighbors happy re: noise and odors. Corrales is the horse capital of New Mexico and most parcels have either a corral, pasture, vineyard, orchard or field crop. It's butted up to ABQ's borders, so civilization is not far away. Lots of retirees, too. Most lots range from 1/2 to 2 acres. Unfortunately, some upper price ranges happening. Some folks on this thread kind of pooh-pooh Corrales, but I find it charming.... And Santa Fe is only 40 minutes away.

Thanks Peep_Show! Big black X over Rio Rancho on the map now. WIll definitely look at Corrales while we are researching areas in a few weeks. Almost rented a house in Corrales for the week - now I wish I had! May have to stay there next trip.

I like quirky since I'm a bit tired of curbs, and streetlights, and tract houses. Would love to have an orchard, vineyard, or just a kitchen garden!!

 

[bumpercarr]

Thanks Peep_Show! Big black X over Rio Rancho on the map now. WIll definitely look at Corrales while we are researching areas in a few weeks. Almost rented a house in Corrales for the week - now I wish I had! May have to stay there next trip.

I like quirky since I'm a bit tired of curbs, and streetlights, and tract houses. Would love to have an orchard, vineyard, or just a kitchen garden!!

Look on airbnb.com to rent vacation homes/temporary homes so that you can "feel" the area before your chose where to live. If I had kids in Colorado, I'd probably be looking at Mora myself...but it won't support a landscaping business, it is much too small. Raton is a cool place, not too far from Denver, but....I don't know if it would support a landscaping business as it is a smaller community. Of course, if you throw in all of the communities in the area, you might be able to make a living provided you don't have a big mortgage. I personally like the area around Raton and Las Vegas, NM. Beautiful mountains, privacy and most of all a great environment for the freedom you may be looking for. My oldest is in Virginia and youngest lives here in Tularosa, so I either have to travel a long, long distance to see them or else just knock on the door down the street...depending on which kid I am trying to see!

Good luck, keep in touch with us and let us know where you settle.

 

[csaiz100]

Hubby an I moved to the South Valley (Albuquerque) about 8 years ago now. We are on an acre and a half. I would not trade it anything (Well, maybe for 500 acres in Ireland with sheep

)

 

[LDSB]

I am in Alburqueque

 

[Peep_Show]

I am in Corrales, nearby.

Albuquerque used to do a yearly coop tour. Do they still have it?