The ghost of Byron T. didn't come to our room last night. After reading his legend and the history of the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico, I was kinda hoping he would wake us up in the middle of the night, but no such luck. Maybe it was because hubby, Bub, was sleeping blissfully next to me; it is said that Byron prefers to visit single women in this historic hotel, built in 1882.
We are halfway through a six day road trip in New Mexico, as I present e-PRO workshops in 6 towns. I am finding a great positive attitude everywhere I go. Maybe the people who come to learn how they can hone their skills and offer a higher level of service, are the people whose attitudes are the positive ones anyway. I have been getting educated to what is really happening in the little towns and cities in this part of the country.
Monday morning we were greeting by a friendly crowd in El Paso (and, yes, I DO understand that is Texas, not New Mexico!). The drive from there to Alamogordo, through the White Sands Missile Range, was a quick one. There isn't much going on in that part of the state. In Alamogordo, I found friendly, positive group and enjoyed being treated so wonderfully. They are excited about military plans to bring more people in. A positive attitude was pervasive, but that may, in part, be a reflection of their EO Marty's attitude. What a nice guy!
Mostly agents are telling me, the buyers are out. The lower price ranges have the most interest, but inventories are decreasing and people are buying. Is it the incentives for first time home buyers? Or the fact that in most areas, the affordability extends to more people? I believe most would agree this is a great time to buy and if things are not at the bottom, they are close and waiting could bring a higher interest rate, even if the prices decrease a little more.
We drove up to Ruidoso from Alamogordo and it was nice to smell the pines and enjoy the cooler weather, since we are still experiencing scorching temperatures in Tucson. A wonderful friend lent me her second home there and we saw deer and relaxed in a beautiful home in the pines. The Texas Club had great steaks and Bub found a new delicacy: Texas Toothpicks which were jalapeno strips, lightly battered and fried, smothered in cheese! Yum!!!!
On Tuesday, we drove back to Las Cruces for a workshop at their Association. They had a good turnout and nine folks from there took the smart step of signing up to get NAR's e-PRO certification. That will add to their skills and professionalism in a time that technology and Social Media are changing the real estate business. I have been telling people that 2009 is the year of the Video, showing them my Flip camera, and exhorting them to get a YouTube account! If you don't believe there are going to be some changes in how we communicate, take a look at this.
The drive from Ruidoso to Roswell was through the part of New Mexico that is sparsely populated with large ranches and open range. Roswell has 50,000 and I'm told there are space aliens there, though none came to the presentation...only smart agents, four of whom had been in business longer than my 26 years! Talk about survivors! Well, guess it goes to prove there are opportunities in all markets; we just have to be flexible enough to recognize and take action.
From Roswell to Las Vegas, our trip was again on sparsely travelled roads, with lots of miles between ranches and towns. Flat sands and red clay stretched as far as the eye could see with few trees, a couple of bushes and one ridge filled with wind turbines. As we pulled into Las Vegas, it was dinnertime. Most of the shops had closed, but the Landmark Grill and Byron T's Saloon were hopping with activity. We're glad we got to see this part of New Mexico!
An aside-when we checked in with Granddaughter Lily and her Mom, telling them we were in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Lily said, "No, Grandma, I thought Las Vegas was in California!"
So if you haven't been here...stay at the Plaza Hotel next time you are in the neighborhood and maybe Byron T will visit you! I'm off to Santa Fe and Taos...if you areinthe neighborhood-come say hi!
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