I have ALWAYS thought Texas was ranked way too high in those “best gun state” rankings.
Wisconsin has had no license open carry since 1848, tho application probably became more feasible in 2011, for handguns.
My wife was a teacher for 24 years before becoming an administrator for 15 years. She seems to think New Mexico is the place to be, because our daughter lives there. I’m not a fan so much to my option will probably be to go or stay. Alone.
Looking at houses in Tejaris where it appears we are competing against big money and houses are selling in three days for over asking price, on the 4-500K fixer uppers.
@Wstar425:
Texas USED to have free (no permit) OCing -- up until 1871 or so when that changed during "Reconstruction" and the Union Army, Carpetbaggers & Scalawags ruled TX. Couldn't have ex-Confederates OCing "scaring people" on the streets, could we? ;-)
TX didn't get OC back until VERY recently -- 150 years later?
As for looking for homes in the ABQ area, also check out the "bedroom community" (no apartments!) of Cedar Crest, just "across the street" (I-40) immediately North from Tijeras.
ABQ isn't bad cost-wise, either...Rio Rancho is supposed to be a bit higher, but not really THAT much. Some parts of Rio Rancho are a mix of new homes, old homes, and dumps all mixed in the same neighborhood ("eclectic"). But most of NEW construction going on in Rio Rancho is to the North/Northwest, especially way out on N. Unser and Enchanted Hills area (Hwy 550/Paseo del Volcan area).
Even the area where the New Mexico National Guard Armory is (where NW Loop RD runs into the beginning of Unser -- there's a "Duster" parked out in front -- older veterans should know what a Duster is) is getting new homes built near it. It USED to be in the middle of nowhere...
The "Mariposa" subdivision is a very secluded community way out Unser and pretty much just surrounded by desert (kind of "in the sticks" -- at least for now!)...nice homes there, too and lots of things to do...sort of a self-contained community more so than others, and some land is reserved for hiking and such ("The Preserve," a 2200 acre Open Space) -- take a look (
https://www.liveinmariposa.com/).
The area around Volcano Vista High School is very nice also...a fairly recent subdivision and growing. You can hike to the Petroglyph National Monument from there (about 4 miles away). ;-)
Were I to live in ABQ itself, however, my preferred part of town is the NE quadrant of the city...approximately the "box" formed by Hwy 556 (near the Sandia Casino), Wyoming Blvd NE, Montgomery Blvd NE and Tramway Blvd -- High Desert homes (North of Tramway in the Academy Rd NE/Spain Rd NE area) I definitely like, but they're pretty upscale -- and very pricey: Have $800K or more available just to be looking there! ;-)
The Four Hills area (just south of the Tramway/I-40 intersection) -- goes back to 1964 (IIRC) when the Four Hills Country Club was founded -- is also of interest. Even though an older neighborhood (I'm talking about homes in the large "circle" of homes defined by Stagecoach Rd SE & Wagon Train Dr) it's still pretty decent and some really nice homes there. Four Hills is definitely not a cookie-cutter designed neighborhood as usually seen, instead homes there are of various architectural styles. And being a bit higher up in elevation, Four Hills can get a bit of snow when lower-elevation ABQ does not. Same for High Desert as it's also in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.
Good luck...
P.S. Come the end of September, I'm moving back to Colorado Springs...tell me about the high cost of living! Homes, condos AND apartment rents there -- outrageous! They're only a bit lower than even more outrageously expensive Denver and Boulder.
