House Gazing

1 Of My Favorite Hobbies

2013 Update: All of these homes are cheaper now. Just ignore the price for all homes.

*** I have provided the price and layout details and reset the pictures to match the interior. Also, please keep in mind that the price will change if you want most of your house 18" tile instead of just the normal wet areas. Berber carpet, and stainless steal will also increase price but use to be considered standard when we purchased our home.  However, because of the housing problems these things are extra. So what you see in the picture is considered standard, except the pools of course.  Single story homes take up much more land and therefore will cost more. All houses have 3 very different elevation plans that don't change the price.

** This area has its own parks (93 acres), Elementary, Jr. High , high schools, Brand new indoor water park, library, tons of walking trails (3 miles), fields all within walking distance. and 3 golf courses with 10-15 minutes The main entrance to the community is 1/4 mile off the main roads for privacy. 

Pulte is building a new community in Rio Rancho called Loma Colorado. A friend of mine was in town so we decided to go check them out.

______________________________
Cadiz

Starting from $329,990
2,672 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Den
Covered Patio
Kitchen with Nook

To view floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/cadiz

________________________________ Marbella

Starting from $348,990
2,942 Square Feet
5 Bedrooms / 3 Bathrooms
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Walk-in Closet in Master Suite
Kitchen with Nook
Covered Porch and court yard with cobble or flag stone pillars (PIMP!)

To view floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/marbella

________________________________

The Alicante (back home in DC these would be over 1.3 million easy)

Starting from $382,990
4,223 Square Feet
6 Bedrooms / 4 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Curved Staircase Off Rounded Foyer
Separate Living and Dining Room
Courtyard

Loft living area 3

Formal Living room

Sitting area 4 leading to 5th bedroom

Master Bedroom/ Door leads to private patio over looking mountains

Bedroom 3

Bedroom 4

There are additional bedrooms but I didn't take a picture of them all. Click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/alicante for a detailed floor plan. This house also had a Roman pool with hot tub, a mini soccer field and a courtyard.

Standard features of the Alicante click http://www.pulte.com/communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/alicante.aspx

_________________________________

Ok, I can't find info on these houses at all. They had 22 models and my mind can't remeber all their names. I didn't even go into these house because I was overwelmed at all the other houses we saw that day. I'm pretty sure they are around 240K and 310K with close to 2,500-3,500 sq ft or more.

_______________________________

Santa Cruz (Best 1 story house to us)
Starting from $372,990
3,365 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / 1 Half Baths
3 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Curved Island and Eating Nook
Covered Patio

I really need to go back and take a picture of the inside because it's simple beautiful. To see floor plan click http://www.pulte.com/templates/av/index.html?plan=../../communities/nm/rio-rancho/loma-colorado/plans/av/santacruz

_______________________________

In case you wanted to know the cheapest 1 story house is:

Montilla

Starting from $179,990
1,511 Square Feet
4 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms
2 Car Garage Attached
1 Story
Kitchen with Island and Nook Area
Optional Covered Patio
Master Suite with Private Bath, Double Vanity, and Sunken Tub

______________________________

The cheapest 2 story house is:

Alameda
Starting from $221,990
2,088 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / 1 Half Baths
2 Car Garage Attached
2 Stories
Large Two-Story Great Room
Spacious Nook and Kitchen
Upstairs Laundry Room

So what do you think?

Sahayla's Horse Attack

East Coast Rough Riders, MD



The ECRR just had the 2nd Gymkhana
June 7th and thier annual trail ride was this past weekend. You can see the Gymkhana pictures here: http://www.roughridersonline.com/Gymkhana2/index.html

I know they will take at least a week to get over the party from last weekend but I'll post pictures when they do.

Sahayla

Mother, look at Sahayla's fatty legs! lol

To The Graduates- Congrats!

You have elevated our status as a family and we couldn't be prouder of you! Our ancestors would beam but first & final praise belongs to Allah SWT.

Alexis Mercedes McDaniel

Garrett Thomas

Joesph Sirus Cornish, IV

The 1st Counsins

Before

Idriss & Nevaeh

After

The Sun Tan



She's becoming a little scrumptious piece of toffee. She's yummier than Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.

http://stickytoffeepuddingcompany.com/46/sticky-toffee-pudding

At The Park

I went to Bowie Park for a few hours with the children trying to get some good pictures. There were so many geese out with their newborns that I decided to take pictures of them instead. They geese were out taking a family stroll in the park like the rest of us. The male walked with his chest out making noises to warn man and beast to move aside because his family was coming through. :)

Starting Them Off Young


We've always felt that a child for the most part will never do what you say but will instead do what they see you doing. So in our effort to do less talking we've decided to do more walking and have begun a series of activities which we hope will encourage our son to be a productive man and husband one day.

With the rise of TV shows which show men in a stupid, dumb, over weight, or a semi "sweet" state. The culture promotes men who wouldn't know how to tie their shoes without a woman's help, and some are now more "diva" than woman.  There are so many men who can't even change a tire these days and even fewer who can do any home repairs. It was bad enough that so many lack basic cooking skills and clean habits.  Losing a mans ability to be helpful around the house is just so sad and we think there needs to be some sort of rights of passage into manhood in the form of classes or camps. When you have to get someone to cut your grass because your husband is to lazy to do it or lacks pride of ownership in his home by letting his house fall down around him, and his grass turn into something from the Discovery channel, then there is a problem.

As mentioned in previous post we intend to tackle issues surrounding male development on various levels. Being male doesn't mean he has to be a unfeeling brute but we personally think our son should have some type of trade skill in addition to his higher education goals (we hope he will be a physics major) inshaAllah. Currently he is learning how to do various haka dances. He started basic martial arts too. Idriss has had time on a horse and I plan on putting him into a equestrian-swim camp. We've also taken advantage of the land passed down in the family to introduce him to farm life. It's very important for him to keep company with men who work outside and aren't afraid to get dirty.  He sits with the men when they clean weapons and do yard work.  He hikes with his daddy in the mountains and at the dormant volcano's around Albuquerque.  He has very little TV time and because of this he will not watch TV no longer than 10 mins. Most children have a innocence about them but we think some of our efforts are the reason behind him having little to no fear. He goes down into basements when its pitch dark. He walked right up to grandpa's goats and rabbits cages and attempted to stick his hands in there to say hello.


My father loves to watch him all the time. With pride he laughs when ever Idriss gets into something and yells; "That dar is a BOY, I tell yah!"

Warrior Dance

Idriss is learning various warrior dances. The Hakka is a Maori warrior dance from New Zealand.  All males Maori or not know these dances and preform them before team sports, funerals, weddings, and before long journeys.

Check dude out in the very front with the green bandanna on. He is completely feeling it but whats even cooler is the guy behind him with the neck brace on.

Just Awesome.

You're Missed


Hey Daddy!




I'm being a big brother and watching Sahayla just like you taught me Ba Ba. To be honest.... it's hard work...



Hi Daddy!.... I'm doing what I do best..... just hanging around. I miss you Ba Ba because you use to stay up all night holding me and walking me around while mother slept. Now these haters keep making me sit down. One of them "old ones" say you've spoiled me just because I prefer to be held and moving at all times. Whinners... lol





Daddy, I miss you...

Grandpa keeps calling me Kazoo!! (from the flint stones)
The Aunti's are calling me Eeeeek (they say that's how I sound when I talk)
and the cousins call me R2D2.

If I could, I'd clip them as they step off the stairs. lol

Thank You All For The Well Wishes

Ok, she has made it with us as parents for an entire week. Alhamdulliah! I'm not sure who she looks like yet but she might lean more toward my husband in due time. I see her skin getting a tan and her george jefferson hairline is filling in (thank Allah).

The Queen Has Arrived!

Sahayla Alyssa McDaniel-Chick

March 8, 2008

7lb 6 oz

20 cm long

Labor 1 hr 30 mins

No DRUGS! :(

After flaging down a cop and an exciting abulance ride to the hospital; ten minutes later Sahayla poped into the word.

A Dancing Machine

Idriss has to break it down when ever he hears music. It doesn't matter what channel is on the screen; if the music is on; then he's just has to dance.

Armid is to busy dancing with him to hold the camera still. Please forgive him, for he knows not what he do. There is a M. Jackson moment in the 2nd video. NO, we didn't teach him that!!!

The House Next Door Is On Sale

I't's brand new, never lived in, and almost 1000sq feet bigger than my house.

It's listed for 289,900 but I'm pretty sure you can get it for about 250k or less as Pulte Homes is very pressed to sale the last 3 houses in this community.

Man, Don't This Dude Look Like His Daddy?!




Doesn't look like me at all. :-/


Look at those shoes! lol








Here's a quick video of the boyz "bonding" and I. I look like this baby is going to pop out any day now. Make dua that all goes well for me plz!

Housing Slump In NM


Like many areas we suffer from a over priced market, high inflation, high gas, and a super weak dollar. When I 1st moved here I could see homes being built as far as the eye could see. I still see lots of building but the new home construction has slowed dramatically as many people are finding it hard to sell there own homes to move into bigger ones.


Over the summer we went to visit the neighborhood across from where we brought our home to see what Longford Homes had to offer in comparison to Pulte Homes new development. You can see the Longford home a few post below. The house shown was listed for 483,000 with a very small back yard. However, it also had:


3588 sq ft

4 br

3.5 baths

3 car garage

Bonus room & Den

2 Fire Places

Balcony off the Master Bedroom

483, 575 is completely out of our territory so they waved us away like the peasants they assumed we were. 5 months later they can't sell any of these mega houses and were all to happy to lower the prices and sound more reasonable. This same house sold for 270k at auction this past Saturday.


HAHAHAHAHAHA


Who is laughing now.


Now back home in DC no house will sell for less than 1 million with the same kind of stats; so I guess we shouldn't grumble to much about the original price tag.


But wait!... I'm in New Mexico... 483k for this ugly looking
house.




Ok, it's not completely horrible. It's just that the entire neighborhood is this color. Where is the stone, or brick front, a little grass, and a decent back yard? They wouldn't even landscape the back yard. This is not a gated community and the houses are very close together. It's no wonder they had a hard time telling them.


For a complete listing of homes that homes that sold this past Saturday. You can go to http://www.auctiontoday.com/ and also check out the other auctions that could be happening right in your back yard.


Happy Hunting!!!

Really Understanding the Importance of the Constitution




It's rare to see a show, any show on the air these days where people aren't at each other throats. Bill Moyers show is a breath of fresh air. I wish we would go back to shows like this where people sit down and talk rational about things even if they represent different political spectrums.



If you don't understand why impeachment is so important to keeping order and insuring we keep people with dreams of being a dictator out of office; then this will certainly explain things for you.

TOUGH TALK ON IMPEACHMENT BILL MOYERS JOURNAL explores the talk of impeachment with Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who wrote the first article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, and THE NATION's John Nichols, author of THE GENIUS OF IMPEACHMENT

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/video_popups/pop_vid_impeachment1-1.html

Albuquerque

Most people have difficulty spelling this word. I admit I had some issues with it at first. Now, I look at people as if their retarded for not knowing how to spell Albuquerque. LOL

Today it was 101 degrees, thank goodness this state is void of humidity or I'm sure we would all melt like ice cream. It's cooler at night so we don't have to keep on the AC. I can honestly say we're having a nice time. Idriss will have is 1st swimming debut tomorrow. Afterward, we plan on riding the tram up to the top of the mountains and hiking for a few hours and taking pictures. I tried to tell Mr. Man that we need one of those backpacks you put a child in but he refuses to carry Idriss that way. So it should be interesting to see how this works out tomorrow. I've been to the top of the mountain before and the trails aren't smooth and easy going. You are HIKING for REAL!

Mr. Man thinks I'm always trying to walk him like a dog so this trip should be funny. The look on his face when those tram doors close will be enough entertainment for weeks. I'm sure Idriss will love it just like he loved the plane ride.

Yesterday we went to check our home building progress and decided to drive around the neighborhood to see what other home builders were offering in relation to our community. On the west side of our development Longford Homes is building 4100sq ft homes starting at 280k. Now I know we could never get anything back home at the size for this price, even if we went out all the out Eastern Shore.

Here are some pictures but I didn't like the outside because it just lacks curb appeal to me. Tell me what you think. Oh, and you can see the rest of the pictures at my Flickr page.