New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles

New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles

New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles are diverse in many different ways.  New Mexico’s culture blends Hispanic, Native American, Anglo, African American, and Asian influences.  With diversity comes a plethora of lifestyles to fit many. New Mexico homes and lifestyles, too, are pretty diverse. The type of structures, amenities, and features are a broad spectrum of possibilities. Here is a look at some of the different New Mexico Homes and Lifestyle choices you may have. This is not a comprehensive list but a simple outline of the more iconic types of New Mexico homes and lifestyles.

  • Southwest:Albuquerque Homes and Lifestyles This is the iconic look for homes of the Southwest—a very versatile setting and lifestyle for today’s living. It typically offers an open plan with no separate living or formal dining area. Today’s buyer trends prefer a spacious kitchen that flows to a vast open floorplan with a Living and Dining area. Usually, opening to the patio, this design is great for easy entertaining or relaxing. More and more semi-custom and custom builders are incorporating outdoor kitchens or BBQ areas into the patio’s setting. This Southwest-styled home is a popular choice for New Mexico Homes and lifestyles. For a great example of authentic Pueblo-style Southwest architecture, visit our Pueblo Los Cerros page. 
  • Hacienda: This mansion-style home offers expansive front porches, often with arches or columns that set the styling. Spanish tile roofing is the natural choice for this New Mexico home style. Haciendas traditionally have beautiful back patios with courtyards leading out to beautifully landscaped grounds. Haciendas are a favorite for large family estates and even horse properties that give ideal privacy from the outside world.
  • Southwest Contemporary: This New Mexico home and lifestyle type is often large and custom-built. They may still incorporate Adobe, Vigas, Latillas, and stone; however, the materials aren’t as rustic or crude. They are typically finished with Stucco and often accented with the Pueblo or Santa Fe features and amenities. The architectural design has sharper lines, large windows, and a modern look. You can find many Southwest-style homes on our Placitas NM home search page.
  • Northern New Mexico: The Northern NM home is another iconic New Mexico home and lifestyle look. Standout features are a very steep-pitched and typically metal roof. The reasoning is simple the deep snow that accumulates on Northern New Mexico roofs creates a considerable snow load. These steep metal roofs heat up quickly and help shed those heavy loads. Dormer windows are generally standard with this styling as well. These dormer windows allow some excellent natural light to pour throughout the home. The interiors may be a Ranch layout or a great-room configuration. 
  • Custom: This is your dream home! Your ideas, your design elements, and your style. When you are ready to build and design your unique New Mexico home with your taste and lifestyle, we at Albuquerque Homes Realty are here to help you. We will listen to your specific wants and needs and match you with the perfect location, architect, and builder. We will be by your side with every step. Let us help you fulfill your dream of the ideal New Mexico home and lifestyle. 

New Mexico Landscaping

Water is one of New Mexico’s most precious resources. Southwestern Xeriscape is beautiful and easy to maintain yet saves an immeasurable amount of water. The gorgeous designs of desert landscaping and indigenous plants offer striking beauty. Once complete, the rewards of Xeriscape are outstanding! The wildlife and native creatures too will enjoy it. 

New Mexico Water Features

Water features are eye appealing and give a highly desired calming effect. Water features offer an excellent ambiance for outdoor entertaining and relaxing. The sounds of babbling water, whether from a pond or bubble rock, are soothing for many in the high desert. Birds and small creatures are all attracted to the never-ending flow of life-sustaining water. Water features are a frequent addition to New Mexico homes and lifestyles.

New Mexico Courtyard

Courtyards are a common feature in many New Mexico homes and lifestyles. Almost any home can incorporate them, but they are often found in the Southwestern or Spanish home. Courtyard walls are attached, creating privacy for your outdoor living. Building material will vary, but most often constructed with Adobe brick or block and Stucco. Whether large or small, courtyards offer privacy and intimacy from the outside world. They often feature sitting areas, water features, and colorful gardens or Xeriscape havens. The Courtyard patios are eye-appealing and welcome guests as they enter your stunning Southwest home.

New Mexico Patio Oasis

New Mexico provides perfect weather virtually year-round for enjoying your patio. Kiva fireplaces, Fire Pits, and Chimanias are all characteristic while providing warmth—the sounds of crackling wood and the aroma of Pinion wood. Relaxing with friends or enjoying the solitude of stargazing, you will truly enjoy your private outdoor oasis.

New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles

There is plenty to learn and know about New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles. New Mexico was named by the Spanish in 1563 and called Nuevo Mexico. This naming was over 250 years before the country of Mexico was established and named, not after.

  • The State of New Mexico is quite diverse, with many cultures woven into the tapestry of its civilization.  
  • New Mexico is the 47th State of the United States of America.
  • New Mexico is ranked 37 by population, with an estimated 2.1 Million inhabitants in 2022. 
  • New Mexico is appropriately called “The Land of Enchantment.”
  • Santa Fe is the State Capitol known to some as “The City Different.”
  • Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city and the hub for state commerce.  
  • Albuquerque is known as “The Duke City,” “The Q,” or “The Burque.”
  • Rio Rancho, NM, or “The City of Vision,” is Albuquerque’s sister city and connected at the NW sector of Albuquerque and borders Corrales, NM, to her East.  
  • Spanish explorers first brought the NM State Flag to NM in 1540.
  • The NM State Bird is the Roadrunner. Remember Wile E Coyote and the Roadrunner?
  • NM State Question RED OR GREEN? (what type of chile do you prefer on your favorite Mexican dish)
  • New Mexico State Flower is the Yucca.
  • The Pinon Pine is the New Mexico State Tree

Terms of the Southwest:

The Spanish and American Indian influences have brought several specialized words and terms into area homeowners’ vocabularies. Here are a few often peculiar terms describing New Mexico home features:

  • Adobe: a brick formation created from mud, straw, and gravel. Used heavily by the SpanishNew Mexico Homes and Lifestyles-Adobe Wall and Native Americans, it provides an excellent insulation barrier from the hot summer and winter cold.  Still used today, it is a coveted feature of many Southwest-styled homes.
  • Viga: Traditional peeled log beam. These beams carried the load for the iconic flat Pueblo-type roofs. Still used for this purpose in modern Southwest architecture and design, many non-custom-built homes may appear to have outside Vigas but are visual only and have no structural purpose. 
  • Latilla: Small (1-2 inch diameter) peeled poles used to accent the ceiling. In old the old world, the Latilla was part of the supporting structure of the roof system. Straight, uniform Latillas are usually made of aspen, although some homeowners prefer the more rustic look of Saguaro cactus or other woods.
  • Cedro: Split cedar poles, which give the ceiling a hand-hewn look.
  • Canale: A trough that protrudes through a parapet wall on a flat roof so rainwater and snowmelt can effectively drain.
  • Saltillo Tile: A floor tile made from red clay. Commonly 12 inches square but sometimes octagonal, they carry imperfections to texture, giving them a rustic look. Often this type of flooring had heavy grout lines. Named after Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. 
  • Lintel: Crossbeam above a window. In Southwestern homes, the lintel often is a large wood beam in its natural look or painted a bright blue, turquoise, or brown. 
  • Corbel: A wooden block component, often ornamental, supporting a timber or beam like a Viga. The end of the corbel may be cut square for a stepped appearance or carved for a decorative look.
  • Nicho:New Mexico Homes and Lifestyles-Chile Ristra Recesses carved or typically built into a wall. Initially, these Nichos may have served as shrines for “Santos” (carved religious saints). Today these Nichos are often used to display artwork, collectibles, or other items of interest.
  • Banco: Built-in seating, usually around a Kiva fireplace, traditionally finished with plaster or similar, with an added upholstered cushion.
  • Ristra: These are red or green chiles carefully strung while the chile is fresh. These Chile then air dry, and the family chef utilizes the hot chile pods for cooking. Many people use these beautiful Chile ristras for decorative purposes only.
  • Coyote Fencing: This is fencing around the properties parameter made from tall 2 to 3-inch diameter posts. These posts are placed close together, providing privacy and security while providing a unique and old-world look. The height may deter Coyotes, which can quickly jump typical fences.

Here at Albuquerque Homes Realty, we are always by your side and ready to help guide you and provide the information you need. Whether you need a better understanding of the many different New Mexico homes and lifestyle choices or help to find that perfect home with an open floor plan, Kiva Fireplace, and those beautiful Adobe walls.  We know Albuquerque and the surrounding areas well.  Put us to work, and let our experience be the keys to your new home.