After a lifetime of living and working almost everywhere, Roger Whitehouse was ready to settle down. But where do you go when you’ve lived in Boston, Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Doha? For Roger, the answer was The City Different.
“I decided to adjust the priorities in my life,” the healthcare industry professional remembers. “I listed the top 10 places for a second home,” he explains. “Santa Fe was number three, after Porto, Portugal, and Savannah, Ga. I never made it beyond number three.” The die was cast in April of 2021 during his inaugural trip. “On my first visit to Santa Fe, I decided that this is the place for me,” he recalls.
Zig-Zagging the Globe
Roger’s road to Santa Fe began in Salt Lake City, where he was born–and until recently–still owned a home. But the native Utahan actually spent a good portion of his childhood in Asia. After graduating from Brigham Young University, he relocated to Massachusetts where he attended Harvard Business School.
His job working in the business/IT side of the healthcare industry brought him to the Middle East, where he was able to further expand his travel portfolio with numerous trips across Africa. “I had the chance to travel throughout that part of the world,” he said. “Africa is just a few-hour flight. It gave me the opportunity to visit Kenya, Cape Town, and Kilimanjaro, among other amazing places.”
Finding the Right House in the Perfect Neighborhood
Roger and I connected when he found me on the GaySantaFe website. He was familiar with the Christie’s name, so I felt I had to live up to the company’s image. I did my best to help focus his search with a bit of Santa Fe education thrown in.
“Mark really gave me a sense of the city,” Roger says. “He’s more than a realtor. I consider him a friend.” The feeling is mutual.
After showing Roger numerous properties, he chose one on the Historic East Side on East Alameda for a number of reasons, not the least of which was its proximity to the river.
We found him a traditional 2500 square foot, one-story prairie-style home with high ceilings, three fireplaces, and viga beams. “I have a small garden and a two-car garage with parking along each side,” he boasts.
But it’s his across-the-street access to the river that has brought him close to his new community. “I love walking along the river. I’ve met so many people through our dogs,” says the devoted owner of Coco, a French bulldog (Roger adds: “A Frenchie named ‘Coco,’ no points for originality there.”)
World Traveler Finds Santa Fe World Class
So, how does Santa Fe stack up for this former resident of so many exciting places?
Like a lot of people, he’s delighted by the art scene. “Canyon Road is just across the park from me,” he says, adding, “The real pleasure is meeting interesting new people from the art community.” The ultimate compliment is how Roger compares our art scene to New York and Milan and stresses our focus on indigenous artists. “There’s such a breadth of artwork here,” he says. Roger also loves our easygoing attitude. “Some equally cosmopolitan areas can also be stuffy, but there’s no stuffiness here. It’s very laid back and friendly,” he says.
Horses, Stargazing and Giving Back
A 2023 goal for Roger is to buy his own horse. “I grew up with horses, and there’s a real horse culture here. It’s one of the top equestrian centers in the country.”
On a community front, he’s already become involved with Friends of Dorothy and Kitchen Angels. On clear nights Roger can also be found just past the mountains near Lake Cochiti. “Santa Fe is a dark sky-designated area and I just love to take out my telescope, drive out into the desert and look up at the stars. It’s amazing what you can see.”
