Albuquerque Real Estate - Housing Market Statistics - MLS Search

Walk Score is a website that ranks the walkability of neighborhoods. Just type in an address, and it will calculate the walk score based on location to stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.

I think this is a good idea but, at least in Albuquerque, it doesn’t seem to work well. Unfortunately, based on some of the addresses I tested, the information isn’t always accurate.

I ran several addresss and the information is pretty interesting–let’s take a look at the results.

Example One:

Revi Don and Spain: just west of Morris and North of Montgomery.

The Mountain Run Shopping Center includes a grocery store, Subway, and Walgreens shows as being 0.37 miles, but my Google map shows 1.1 miles. Still walkable, but not next door.

The park location mentioned is Academy Hills Park, a very nice park located across from the Mountain Run Shopping Center which, as we learned, is 1.1 miles away. For some reason, the tool fails to mention the equally nice park, El Oso Grande, located 0.3 miles away–a much more walkable park than the first one.

The bookstore mentioned is labelled "TVI Bookstore," which is a community college bookstore–not what you would probably be looking for. By the way, the "TVI Community College" is now known as the CNM Community College, which hasn’t been updated.

Ok, this one is missing the mark, so let’s try another neighborhood.

Example Two:

For this example, we are going to the Four Hills neighborhood, located in SE Albuquerque. I located Lanier SE, a small area of new townhomes, which is southeast of Central and Four Hills Blvd.

The tool shows that the Albertsons grocery store is 1.95 miles away, when it is actually about 0.3 miles. The La Luz de Amistad Park is indeed about 0.2 miles away as shown, but this is more of a green spot than a family park. The tool seems to calculate the restuarants correctly. Most of the bars are over three miles away, making them a bit of a stretch to include in the lineup. But when compared to the 8.78 miles to the Sunshine Theatre, they are just a short stroll. Would you consider 8.78 miles a walkable neighborhood location?

Example Three:

I think the UNM South area is a very walkable neighborhood. Let’s find out how the tool measures up. We’ll start at the corner of Gold and Terrance.

The Smith’s Food and Drug at Lead and Yale is accurate at 0.33 miles. The Frontier Restaurant, a long-time fixture in the UNM area, is shown at 0.29 miles–close enough to Google’s 0.4 miles. This time, the Sunshine Theatre shows up at a more walkable 1.37 miles. Looks like we have our winning example!

Overall, we had two misses and one hit. Actually, I think the more walkable a neighborhod is, the more accurate this tool is. If you are not familiar with an area, it is important to work with an agent who knows the neighborhoods and can help you locate the right one for your lifestyle. While a website tool like this might be fun to play with, it doesn’t replace competant local expertise. That’s where I come in. If you are relocating to Albuquerque and need help finding the right neighborhood for you, drop me an email or give me a call.

Google has recently added Albuquerque to its street view line-up. If you are moving to Albuquerque, this is a good way to get a sneak peek of the area.

Just simply type in an address and then start "driving" around Albuquerque virtually.

Albuquerque Uptown Mall

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Not sure if that gated community is what you had in mind? Then check it out with Google’s streetview.

Tanoan - a gated community with a country club and golf course.

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Keep in mind, addresses are only estimates. From the searching I have done, they are pretty acurate. I have seen addresses off by a few, but overall, it’s a good way to get a feel for an area before you get in your car or hop on a plane.

For a brief overview of neighborhoods in the NE, SE and Downtown, check out my Albuquerque Neighborhoods page. Also included is an up-to-date list of all homes for sale that are currently listed in the MLS.

Forbes highlights the most expensive home in the US with a starting price of $75 million. While Albuquerque’s luxury market doesn’t come close to those prices, we do have numerous luxury communities and I’m going to highlight a few of them today.

Tanoan is a gated, upscale community with a championship golf course and country club. The CNM Community College and private Albuquerque Academy is located nearby as well as numerous shopping and medical facilities.

Sandia Heights is located in the natural southwest topography of the foothills of the Sandias with breath-taking views of the city lights. Enjoy the many custom adobe homes on large lots, several neighborhood parks, and walking trails.

High Desert features unique Southwestern architecture and several gated communities. You’ll have convenient access to the foothills open spaces, including Elena Gallegos Park, miles of walking trails, and numerous shopping strips within easy reach. Read more about High Desert.

North Albuquerque Acres mixes country living with city conveniences and luxury homes on large lots. Horses are even welcomed in some areas.

The Four Hills area is minutes away from Sandia National Labs and Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) with country club living and an award-winning golf course. Development began with the first home in 1957 and continues with new construction today. Read more about Four Hills.

It is commonly considered that luxury homes in Albuquerque start at the $500,000 price point. The most expensive home currently for sale is priced at $2,950,000 and the highest priced home sold so far this year was $1,749,000.

Be sure to consult with a mortgage professional before beginning your luxury home search since you will want to have a pre-approval letter in hand; some homes will require one before scheduling a showing appointment.

View all luxury homes for sale in Albuquerque.

Simply stated…If you know the ownership and just need to add or remove a legal owner, a quitclaim deed is an easy way to do so. Commonly seen in a divorce or marriage, but also if one partner obtains the mortgage in their name and wishes to add the other partner to the deed. Being added or removed does not relieve you or make you responsible for the mortgage. This is a separate document.

For brief definitions of other terms, visit my Real Estate Glossary.

Simply stated…An amount of money offered with the purchase agreement to show the sellers that your are serious about purchasing their home. A homeowner will want to know this before agreeing to take their home off the market. Typically in Albuquerque, earnest money can range from $1,000-$1500 for less than $250,000 and $3,000-$5000–up to $500,000. This is always negotioable, but needs to be reasonable to the seller. Earnest money is generally held in escrow with a title company in Albuquerque and is credited to the buyer at closing. .

For brief definitions of other terms, visit my Real Estate Glossary.