Mary's Blog

Current Information

Mary Marcilla (High Vista Realty) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:24:09 -0600

I regret to inform you that Mary Marcilla, my mother, passed November 25, 2008.

Janna Marcilla

Life is a lot like Ironing

Mary Marcilla (High Vista Realty) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:01:07 -0500

My Mother was a Southern Gal. I never received a lecture from her or an admonishment - veiled within gentle homilies were stories of her childhood and lessons she learned from life. One of these stories stuck like glue. It hasn't a thing to do with obtaining perfection or great wealth. It has every to do about how we conduct our daily lives.

Aggie, age 8, sat by the kitchen table and watched as Grandmother did the Tuesday ironing. Grandmother did Grandfather's shirt collar first. Sprinkling the material with water before pressing the heavy iron until the collar points were perfect and not a wrinkle remained. From the cuffs and sleeves to the back, then to the front with careful attention to ensure the material was dry. Satisfied the shirt was perfect, she folded it neatly and placed it into the bureau drawer in the bedroom.

She returned to the table, selected Grandfather's white handkerchief from the basket of ironing and dampened it. She replaced the cool iron with one hot from the wood stove, wiping it on a towel to make sure its surface was clean. She leaned into the iron to increase the pressure as she meticously pressed all four corners perfectly smooth. More water, more leaning her weight on the iron as she pressed into the material. She straightened the corners with her fingers and folded once, pressed and folded again into neat thirds, and pressed again until the material was completely dry.

"Grandmother, why are you taking as much time with the hankie as with the shirt?" Aggie asked.

"Well, Darling," she replied. "If I do one sloppy, I'll do them all sloppy."

Like I said, it stuck like glue.

Life is a lot like Ironing...

Mary Marcilla (High Vista Realty) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:52:49 -0500

"Grandmother, why are you taking as much time with the hankie as with the shirt?" Aggie asked.

"Well, Darling," she replied. "If I do one sloppy, I'll do them all sloppy."

Like I said, it stuck like glue.

The Good News...and...The Bad News

Mary Marcilla (High Vista Realty) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:06:14 -0500

Albuquerque has had its share of rolling home market blackouts...home prices going up and down from month to month with no significant long-term drops or gains. What small upward sales surge real estate professionals saw is beginning to peter out. Our seasonal slowdown begins in autumn and continues through December, only to pick up in January until March. Uncle Sam gets priority as folks hasten to file their 1040s, making April our ‘true' doldrums.

Good News...we have the New Mexico State Fair in full swing in September with an opening parade, plenty of exhibits, art galleries, Indian Fry Bread and funnel cakes. If we have to have down-time, what better place to share with family and friends while watching an old-timey rodeo? We won't get stiff-necks over this dip in the home market.

Speaking of stiff-necks, is it a man or a bird? Nope, it's the 37^th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and sprinkled across a transparent sea you see the confetti of balloons testing our unique ‘box' of air currents. The Fiesta starts officially Saturday, October 4^th; unofficially, it's in progress already. The morning coffee just tastes better on the porch or patio as the whuffing and puffing of gas engines sail overhead. Give the crews a wave and a holler.

No surprises this month...homes in the $200-250,000 range are top sellers with Albuhomes price in the $140-160,000 range a close second. Plenty of folks needing homes and braving the mortgage lenders to see if they can obtain financing.

Two Top Selling Areas for Detached Homes were in a dead heat; the NE Heights got nosed out by Area 92 (Southwest Heights) with 43 sales and (Area 150) Mid-Rio Rancho coming in second with 39 sales.

Listen, folks, whether you got to sell or whether you got to buy, just do it! Life goes on and no matter...good news or bad news...find yourself a real estate partner who knows his or her pinto beans and go for it!