Monday’s Albuquerque Journal served up two stories of interest to me that have prompted me to offer some thoughtful responses. (Well at least in my warped way of thinking.)
The first was the listing of the Albuquerque home where the character Walter White of the TV series “Breaking Bad” was filmed.
The home, now surrounded by a serious fence and safety pylons to keep out all of the gawkers who frequently drive by the home while on a tour of local Albuquerque sites used in the series was filmed, has been listed for sale for $4 million. Keep in mind that this is a 1900 square-foot tract home in an otherwise unexceptional neighborhood in Albuquerque’s aging Northeast Heights.
The realtor justified the asking price, which is about $3.6 million above comparable home values in the neighborhood, was because of its “iconic value.”
“We compared it to other properties featured in TV shows and movies and knew this would attract even more attention, given its significance to fans,” said realtor David Christensen.
Granted, we enjoyed “Breaking Bad,” even though I think it cast a rather negative light on Albuquerque because of the drug culture portrayed in the city. But would I want to live in that home for $4 million, just so I could brag about it to my friends but have to put up with endless streams of rubberneckers?
But wait, I have a thought. I think my very good friend Mark, a former next door neighbor and realtor who moved to Albuquerque a couple of years ago, can help me out. I believe my current home might be worth a lot more these days now that I am a famous blogger on the Internet. I’m going to ask Mark to list our humble abode in Las Cruces for a modest $2 million, then wait for the offers to roll in above listing price. Then I’ll probably move down the street and around the corner to a much fancier house that I’ve always lusted for and wait for its value to increase exponentially before moving on to the next big property.
I’m waiting for your call, Mark, to make this all happen.
In the meantime, I’ve come up with another great income producing plan.
The Albuquerque Journal’s Business Outlook says a new company has been formed in Albuquerque called “Hike Doggie.”
When I read the article about the venture, I felt like I was listening to an episode of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” on our local NPR station. That program has a segment that asks panelists to guess which one of three preposterous stories is actually true. This story fits that mold.
In the case of “Hike Doggie,” residents of the Albuquerque area can pay professional dog walkers to take their dogs on a $120 per day hike in the mountains or wilderness areas to enjoy alfresco New Mexico, get a treat, then a bath to remove all those nasty outdoor encounters, and then return to their home in a pet friendly van. These dogs, I suspect, are from homes of DINKs (Double Income, No Kids), who are pampered beyond reasonable expectations.
In Las Cruces, the only mountains nearby are in the spectacular Organ Mountain National Park. Unfortunately, most trails are closed to dogs because of environmental concerns.
So what’s a Pampered Pet owner to do? Well, call us at “Bike Doggie.”
For just a paltry $100, we’ll put your pooch in an eco-friendly, padded dog crate on the front of a trendy electric bicycle and buzz them along the trails adjacent to the Rio Grande. We’ll stop on occasion to let them sniff ground squirrel holes, slop around in any turgid water that might be in the mighty river and then encourage them to poop and pee on anything nearby. At the end of your doggie adventure, we’ll remove any goat heads and Johnson grass burrs they encountered on their paws during their excursion, then return them to your home. They already washed themselves in the Rio Grande, so we won’t charge you for that.
I’ll be taking reservations once I can get my website up with links to my home real estate opportunity.
aero-cordero.com 