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Retirees Enjoy Mountain Scenery,
Safe Surroundings and a Laid Back Lifestyle in the Mellow New Mexico
Resort Town of Ruidoso
Cost of Living: Below the National Average
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High in the rugged Sierra Blanca
Mountains of southern New Mexico, the appealing ski
resort of Ruidoso (population 8,000) exudes rustic
southwestern hospitality and mountain funkiness as well
as a sense of up and coming affluence. Once a
sleepy high altitude hamlet that attracted ski bums,
backpackers and cowboys, Ruidoso has caught the eye of
vacationers and second home owners, as well as retirees.
It got its start as an army outpost, and in later years,
Civil War veterans homesteaded here. In the early
1880s, Billy the Kid roamed nearby. Today Ruidoso
retains its independent character and easygoing way of
life. Conservative and
ethnically diverse, it is a place where a person can stretch out
and find room to breathe. The
cost of living meets the national average, and the crime
rate is below the national average. Fifty-five percent of
residents are age 45 or better (and many of them are retired
Texans and Californians).
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Ruidoso remains unassuming, but it has been growing, 15% in the last 10 years, and developers and
investment money have made their way here. Building has slowed considerably in the last
few years, but spiffy, relatively new subdivisions and
retail developments intermingle with older
construction as Ruidoso has blossomed from a village
into a town (with surrounding suburbs included, the
population of the area is close to 21,000 people). Housing prices
dropped in 2008 and 2009, but the market has rebounded somewhat,
and median home price is now $205,000, above the national
average.
Overall, housing consists primarily of single-family
homes, cabins and condominiums. Modest, somewhat
rustic but comfortable single-family homes, dating from
the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and literally nestled among
the pines, start in the mid-$100,000s. Inventory begins
to expand in the low-$200,000s.
The master-planned Ranches of Sonterra is a gated
community with large lots and upscale homes starting in the
high-$300,000s.
Condos start in the mid-$100,000s, and Ruidoso River Resort has
units for sale starting in the high-$100,000s There are
also many manufactured homes on private mountain property.
Prices
range from approximately $35,000 to $120,000, depending on the size
and age of the home and the size of the land parcel upon which it
sits. Buyers can find working ranches for sale and RV parks, too (Deer Crossing RV Park is a 55+ RV
community with short term and long term rental spaces).
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When it comes to taxes and retirement, New Mexico is a
mixed bag. Social Security is taxed, but residents age 65 or
better may receive up to
$10,900 in deductions from taxable income, and an additional tax
exemption of up to $2,500 for low- and middle-income
taxpayers. Real estate is assessed at 33% of market value, and
the taxable value may be further reduced by exemptions of $2,000
for heads of house holds and $4,000 for veterans.
There is also a property tax rebate for residents age 65 and
older, depending on income. The annual taxes on a
$205,000 home are roughly $1,350. The state
sales tax is 5.12% (food and prescriptions are exempt).
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Ruidoso is one of the prettiest spots in all of New Mexico with 20%
of the town's perimeter snuggled against the 1.2 million-acre Lincoln National Forest.
Known primarily as a down hill ski resort (Sierra Blanca Peak looms outside
of town and is home to the Ski Apache ski area), residents partake in
numerous outdoor activities, including jeep tours, camping, hiking and
cross-country skiing. Bonito Lake offers
opportunities for boating and fishing. With so much wilderness,
it is more than possible to spend a day
completely alone with nature and its bounty.
Ruidoso Downs, a
neighboring town, is the site of the world's richest quarter horse
race, the All American Futurity, and brings a surge of horseracing
fans, up to 25,000 of them, each weekend during racing season, which
starts Memorial Day Weekend. The Billy the Kid Casino is also
located here. Golfers enjoy two public golf courses
and one private one in town, plus four more within 20 miles.
There are more than 40 places of worship, including a racetrack
chapel, and Catholicism has a strong influence here.
This is an
interactive map. Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs
(more than once if necessary) to zoom in
and out.
Cultural amenities are limited, and evening are usually pretty
quiet, but the Spencer Theater for the
Performing Arts, a dramatic, world-class facility with eight stories,
more than 500 seats, a waterfall and a crystal lobby, hosts visiting
performances and community presentations throughout the year. And
a key attraction is the glittering Inn of the Mountain Gods Hotel,
Resort and Casino which is located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation
that borders Ruidoso. Here guests enjoy elegant
accommodations, fine dining, 24-hour gambling, championship golf and
tennis. Ruidoso shopping is not extensive, but there
is a Wal-Mart.
There are also a number of annual festivals, most
with a definite southwestern flavor. The Lincoln County Cowboy
Symposium is the country's premier cowboy gathering (with real
cowboys) and is held every October. The Smokey Bear
Stampede, in Lincoln County, is held every July 4th and features
fireworks, a rodeo, music, chainsaw bear carving, a marketplace, a
"calf scramble" and lots of food. The Golden
Aspen Motorcycle Rally brings 35,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to town
each September. For a bit of culture, the Mountain Blues
Festival takes place in June, and the Ruidoso Arts Festival in July is
recognized as one of the top juried art shows in the United States,
featuring more than 100 award-winning artists displaying work in a
variety of fine art mediums, including glass, ceramics and
photography.
Local health care is provided by non-profit Lincoln
County Medical Center (25 beds), which is managed by Presbyterian
Healthcare Services (LCMC also has several clinics around town).
It is accredited by the Joint Commission and gives residents access to 24-hour emergency
care, intensive care, surgical services and diagnostic services. LCMC meets
national averages in nearly all specialty areas, but the number of
specialty areas is limited. Medicare and Medicaid patients are
accepted, and 68% of patients would recommend the hospital to a
friend, which meets the national average. Major medical care is available in
Roswell (75 miles away), the home of
space aliens, and in nearby Alamogordo (35 miles away). For
military retirees, the closest VA hospital is in El Paso, Texas, 115
miles away (but two clinics are within 35 miles).
The Ruidoso Senior Center is open Monday through
Friday and provides a variety of programs and services, including
Wednesday noon potlucks, bridge games and various speakers.
The Retired
and Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) has a chapter here and is a good
way to become involved in volunteer activities. The
Ruidoso branch of Eastern New Mexico University offers continuing
education classes. The Ruidoso
Public Library has free Internet access, and there are at least two
free wifi spots in town.
The climate is a strong reason to retire here.
Summers are pleasant, moderated by the elevation (6,720 feet above sea
level), and are
characterized by warm days, cool nights and lots of sunshine.
Daytime temperatures average around 80 degrees. Indian
Summer conditions often run through October, with temperatures in
the 70s. Winter temperatures dip into the 20s with high
temperatures in the 40s. Snow stays mostly in the mountains,
although Ruidoso does receive a few inches each year.
Overall, the area receives just 12 to 15 inches of precipitation
annually, and humidity is very low. The water quality is
below the national average, but the air quality is outstanding.
Ruidoso is small community with a big heart, but retirement here
has drawbacks. Rapid growth has put pressure on
infrastructure, including the water supply, and some locals wonder if city
leaders have a workable growth management plan. Lincoln
National Forest has been closed in recent years because of the fire
danger. There is no public transportation around town due
to a lack of funding. Class lines are somewhat evident. The town
sits along U.S. Route 70, which was a major east to west highway
before the interstate system arrived, but it is a remote place (there is Greyhound Bus station and a small airstrip for private planes, but the nearest major airport is in El Paso,
Texas).
Even with these problems, Ruidoso casts a certain spell, and anyone
wanting to retire in a casual locale with room to spread out should
give this high altitude spot a look. Despite the recent
growth, deer still graze in people's front yards, and neighbors stop
to say hello to one another. Daytime skies are deep blue
with puffy clouds, and evening skies shimmer with a thousand stars.
The air is crisp and the natural surroundings are inspiring.
Overall, it is not a bad place for a mellow southwestern retirement.
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