Gays Are Retiring and Buying Second Homes

With the silhouette of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains creating a majestic backdrop, the curtain rises on another day from heaven. Sapphire skies are lit by the sun, framing a scene of pure magic. As I walk out my front door I let the spirit of this great land wash over me. I moved to Santa Fe on New Year’s Eve 2003 and didn’t know a soul. I traded a metropolitan area of over 6 million people for this small little town of just over 60 thousand people. So of course I thought I would be set for a quiet little retirement in the high dessert. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

What I came to discover was a large gay population resides in Santa Fe and seems to be exploding. A University of California-Los Angeles study shows the number of same-sex couples in New Mexico has increased about 35% between 2000 and 2005 and Santa Fe County has the highest percent. We quickly discovered that the city specifically caters to gay and lesbian travelers, both couples and singles, with a wide spectrum of activities and destinations.

As a Santa Fe gay Realtor, what I was pleased to discover was that Santa Fe is home to many gay-popular and gay-owned shops and restaurants located throughout town. Each June for the last several decades, the Railyard, the new heart of Santa Fe, plays host to the Santa Fe Gay Pride Celebration. Every fall, Closet Cinema hosts the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festivalin Santa Fe.  The city of Santa Fe itself is a leader in gay rights, offering domestic partnership benefits to its employees.

So, as a gay Santa Fe Realtor it is no wonder that we have seen an explosion of gay couples interested in Santa Fe gay real estate and relocating to the area. In addition I have assisted many couples in the past year purchase 2nd homes in Santa Fe with the intent to retire in the next five to ten years. They have come from coast to coast including California, Chicago, Texas, Pennsylvania and D.C. and aged 40+. We asked them why now? They all agreed that they wanted to take advantage of the low prices and interest rates. As these couples acclimate to the area I have been happy to introduce them to the gay scene, friends and culture that we have all come to love.

But the most surprising aspect to me has been that after making the decision to purchase Santa Fe gay real estate here they all felt so welcomed and have discovered the magic of Santa Fe that they are trying to figure out how they can retire here in one to three years!

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Mark Banham

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