"GAS HOLE" in NM

Oh, I just got the title! "Gas Hole" as in a__hole. Get it? anyway apparently this aspiring Michael Moore producer showed this film in ABQ yesterday at the Guild Cinema. It's neither conservative or liberal but factual. Okay, well I'll go see it on DVD in the Fall. Did anyone see it?

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANN LERNER

Ann Lerner, city of ABQ Film Liason, won the Arts Alliance Award, the association's highest award, for her work over the past five hears on helping the state's film industry get a foothold in our enchanted city.

I spoke to the wife of the director for the next Terminator film yesterday who said that our high winds and blowing sand weren't received well by the crew trying to film. Hope no one got hurt!!

FILM OFFICE LOOKING FOR LOCATIONS

Hang a sign on your property that says “We welcome film productions!” says Todd Christiansen, the location scout for the ABQ film liaison office. Todd, who is from LA, told me, he spends a lot of time just driving around looking for unusual properties. Ann Lerner, who heads up the office, states that she is particularly interested in large warehouse buildings with high ceilings. Bummer. I just sold one in the UNM area for an auto shop. What was I thinking?? Actually, I know how hard it is to find properties in all the little pocket communities here in Albuquerque, so if you are looking for a location, call me. By now, I know this city inside and out.

“BEER FOR MY HORSES”???

This is the name of a film shot in Madrid with a whole slew of country and rock music stars. The film was written by Toby Keith and Rodney Carrington for their buddies. I wonder if they all have Harleys sitting out in front of the saloon.

REAL ESTATE TRENDS IN ALBUQUERQUE

The Greater Albuquerque area once again defied the rest of the United States. The total homes sold, attached and detached, for April were 1,668 up from 1,616 in March. Days on market decreased to 66 days in April from a high of 71 in January. As reported in the USA Today, April 29, 2008, "Few areas of the country have been spared from the housing market meltdown, but some cities have managed to avoid the worst of the surge in home foreclosures. Consider Albuquerque."Demand for luxury homes has slowed but activity in the range of $249,000 and lower remains strong. That being said Rio Rancho showed the strongest price gains in the Albuquerque MSA with a 7.13% increase in average sales price from April 2007.The same USA Today article reported from Kiplinger.com saying, "The area’s outlook remains bright. It continues to generate jobs and attract retirees. The city offers "resort-town ambience, a boomtown economy and cow-town prices." Kiplinger has named Albuquerque one of the top 10 smart places to live in 2006."The Albuquerque area real estate market is strong and stable compared to other parts of the country," says Cathy Olson, Chair of the Board of the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® "Housing remains affordable in Albuquerque as we continue to attract new employers ranging from film to high tech to government contracting."

Extreme Makeover

The Extreme Makeover filmed in freezing January aired tonight and it was a tear jerker. The Rodriquez family is truly amazing in what they have done over 6 years in our "war zone" area. The crime rate is down 50% and the area is buzzing with hope. The show tonight captured the big hearts that differentiates New Mexico from the family themselves to the thousand or so volunteers that built the homes. Someone said that every city has a word that describes it. For Albuquerque the word is "heart". People here with and without alot of money give generously of their time, concern and money. I love it here! I left Hollywood ten years ago and have never regreted it. I'll let Hollywood come here to me as I am not leaving! Call me if you want to move here! You will love it too.

FILM MAKERS SEEK HOMES WITH POOLS

The weather would seems ideal, but few homes in Albuquerque have pools, and renting homes with pools is quite desireable for filmmakers here on location. There are nice apartments that can be rented on a month to month basis with outdoor pools, but few homes. I think the main reason we do not see many pools here is the heat. It's hard for pools to survive without cracking issues when you have our freezing winters and hot summers. We found after moving here from LA that you can't lay out in the sun here; it's too intensely hot. Swimming in that heat will fry your skin in a nanosecond. The altitude creates a much more intense heat even though our summers do not get as hot as AZ or Nevada. So here in our Mile High City we head to the half dozen or so wonderful gyms with beautiful indoor pools.