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| Tucked high above the desert floor
at 7,000 feet in southern New Mexico's rugged
Sierra Blanca Mountains is the is the
up-and-coming ski resort town of Ruidoso
(population 15,000 including the surrounding
area), a pretty spot where the
cost-of-living is less than the national average
and there is room to spread out. Billy the Kid roamed here
during the early 1880s, and today Ruidoso retains its
southwestern character with wide-open skies and a
friendly community. Of the population 30% is
age 45 to 64 and 22% is age 65 or
better. |
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An unpretentious place, Ruidoso offers a casual
lifestyle, but it is no longer a "sleepy mountain
community," as more people are discovering it and developers
have made their way here. In fact, Ruidoso is the
third fastest growing metropolis in New Mexico. Housing, though, is
still relatively affordable; the median home price is
$205,000, below the national
average, and the overall cost-of-living is roughly 7% below
the national average. Ruidoso
housing consists primarily of single-family homes, cabins
and condominiums. Modest, somewhat rustic but
comfortable single-family homes, dating from the 50s, 60s
and 70s, and literally nestled among the pines, start in the
low to mid-$100,000s. Inventory begins to expand in the
upper-$100,000s and some truly lovely mountain homes can be
had for $200,000 to $250,000. |
Alto Village, nine miles north of Ruidoso, is a beautiful, gated
development with a private golf course and spacious homes, some
southwestern adobe-style, starting in the low- to mid-$300,000s and rising
to $900,000. The master-planned Ranches of Sonterra is
another similar gated community with upscale homes.
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Some small (500 square feet) condominiums in and around Ruidoso
are for sale for less than $100,000, and smaller (900 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths) but more
elegant units are also on the market for $150,000. 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.
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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 (more than once if necessary) the +/- signs to zoom in
and out.
Property taxes in the municipality of Ruidoso
range from $24 to $30 per $1,000 of value with homes assessed at
33% of appraised value. Those residents who are 65 or above
and with an annual income of less than $16,000 can claim a
$125-$250 homestead exemption. The tax
on a $150,000 home, at the highest rate and without an exemption,
would be about $1,485 per year. Social security income is
taxed, but those 65 or better may qualify for an $8,000 exemption
on other taxable income. Ruidoso,
New Mexico, Continued...
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