After years of living in Los Angeles, married couple Doug Eady, an entertainment industry VP and Dwayne Trujillo, a non-profit Development Officer, were looking for a location for their life’s next act. Their search for a new city to relocate to became a “road movie” of sorts. But proximity to Dwayne’s family in Albuquerque was a key deciding factor, as was a city with a vibrant arts scene and gay community.
Fade in Santa Fe, enter Mark Banham.
The date is October 2017. After looking at eight properties, they fell in love with a home on the South side of town, which they purchased in February of 2018. The next few months were a whirlwind that included the sale of their LA house, move, and renovation of their new Santa Fe home.
Since moving to Santa Fe on Memorial Day Weekend 2018, Doug and Dwayne have happily settled into their life in the Land of Enchantment. Doug is enjoying hiking and is looking forward to taking landscape classes and Dwayne is keeping busy with his position as Development Officer for Kitchen Angels, where he’s planning many 2019 fundraising events. (Visit KitchenAngels.org for more information.)
What prompted your move from Los Angeles? What made you choose Santa Fe?
Doug: We had been looking for places outside of California. LA had gotten so expensive and the traffic was super crazy.
Dwayne: We looked everywhere – on the East Coast. We considered the Northwest and looked in Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Oregon. But those paces were just too far.
Doug: Every time we considered a new city, one common thing kept coming up. How long would it take for us to travel to Albuquerque to visit Dwayne’s family.
Doug: I suggested we look at Santa Fe.
Dwayne: I didn’t know much about the community here. Neither did Doug.
Dwayne: Our realtor, Mark Banham, was a tremendous help.
How did you find Mark?
Dwayne: Doug looked up gay realtors online and found Mark. We were wondering what the gay community was like here in Santa Fe. That’s why we specifically wanted a gay realtor. We set up a trip out here in October of 2017. Mark had lined up eight properties for us to look at.
Doug: Mark was a real game-changer in our search for a new home. He gave us an introduction to the downtown area with its galleries and the city’s arts scene. He gave us real first-hand insight into understanding the gay community here.
Doug: It was then that we decided that Santa Fe was the place we really wanted to live.
Dwayne: We ended up in the house that we loved. We moved in Memorial Day Weekend
How has life been since your move? Are you still in touch with Mark?
Dwayne: Mark was a huge help to us after the sale. We remodeled, and Mark referred us to our contractor. He has a great list of recommendations for new home buyers.
Doug: Socially, he was a huge help too. We didn’t know anyone in Santa Fe before moving here. Mark really took us under his wing and introduced us to people.
Dwayne: He knows Santa Fe really well. Everything he said was true and authentic. He wasn’t just selling us or telling us what we wanted to hear about the community.
Doug: He’s become a dear friend to us too.
What do you love most about Santa Fe?
Doug: I like to snowboard and Dwayne likes to ski. We love having four distinct seasons. Getting around town is a breeze. People are so friendly.
Dwayne: I love the charm of it all. Santa Fe has a wonderful small town feel to it and you don’t have to drive on the highway in traffic to get somewhere. It’s both exciting and relaxing.
End scene – They are looking forward to continuing in Santa Fe the sequel.
Thinking about purchasing a vacation home or relocating to Santa Fe? Reach out to Barker Realty Broker Mark Banham to learn more about real estate opportunities in Santa Fe as well as the cultural and social opportunities available in this unique, welcoming community.
