Interview of Stephen Etre, Owner of Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery
By Rey Post, Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty & Host of “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

Q. Stephen, you have often told me that your gallery serves as a place for “sociological observations of the lives of people.” What do you mean by this description?

A. After more than 30 years of operating the gallery, I have had the opportunity to measure the thinking and opinions of literally thousands of people who either live or are visiting the Santa Fe, New Mexico region. Since our customers largely come to us to either furnish their homes, or prepare them for sale, they offer me and the other professionals on my staff with a fair amount of information about their likes and dislikes across a variety of subjects.

Q. My guests and I—including you—have often commented on the part of our jobs as real estate professionals that sometimes drift into a bit of “therapy” for our clients. Such as offering advice on difficult choices when it comes to either staying in or moving from a home, offering counsel on trying to help them manage their funds correctly when it comes to the largest expense in their lives (owning a home), and other challenging issues.

A. Yes, as is the case for you, I have developed relationships with my clients that sometimes go back for decades, so it is often the case that I know a considerable amount and have experienced the chapters of the lives of many of these people—some of them becoming very good friends.

Q. You have a very easy-going, but professional approach to how you interact with people, so I can imagine how you have become something more than just the owner of a business in your working relationships with clients.

A. It’s a very satisfying element to my job and helps me be a better professional for those who come to the gallery seeking advice and fine products.

Q. On a different front, I understand that your estate sale business is very active as we approach the end of the first quarter of 2016.

A. Yes, Rey, as I have told you and your “All Things Real Estate” radio show audience on many occasions, the gallery has a long-time relationship with estate lawyers, banks, and executors who turn to us to help facilitate the sale of some of Santa Fe’s finest collections of antiques, art, and one-of-a-kind items, including heirloom jewelry. Though estate sales are driven by a special set of circumstances, we have found that they occur quite regularly, as people find them to be an effective method for marketing unique collections in certain homes. We have already hosted quite a few estate sales since the beginning of the year and I suspect that many more will follow as we get further into 2016.

Q. I always like to remind people that they can turn to your very attractive website for information on these events, as well as other current activities and items that the gallery is featuring.

A. Yes, you know that we are very proud of our website which is not only visually appealing, but is constantly changing to provide our customers with the latest news about gallery offerings. For anyone who hasn’t visited our site in a while, I invite them to take a look at: www.stephensconsignments.com.

Q. And on the February 14 “All Things Real Estate” radio show that you co-hosted with me, we  featured commentary from Jose Pablo, a former student and currently the director of the Alumni and Special Events at the United World College (UWC) that is based in Las Vegas, NM. Why is this institution important to you?

A. UWC is one of 15 campuses located on five continents and as a two-year residential school, it serves students age 16-19 who typically represent more than 70 different countries. They participate in a unique program that combines academic challenge with an experiential, hands-on approach to learning. I have been a supporter of the institution and actually have many of the students occasionally stay at our home while they are studying

Q. It was good to receive Jose Pablo’s latest update and for anyone who would like to listen to what he and Stephen discussed during the February 14 broadcast of the radio show, here is a podcast:

http://santafe.com/thevoice/podcasts/all-things-real-estate-first-hour-february-14-2016

A. Thanks, Rey—it’s always a pleasure to be on your radio show and I look forward to joining you again in March!

For    more   than   30     years,     Stephen’s,   a    Consignment    Gallery  has    been    attracting    consumers     from   all    over    the     country,     to    see    the        best      in     antiques,  estate      items,     jewelry,    furniture,   art,     and    countless   home       accessories   under    the   gallery’s  13,000    square    feet    of       space.

Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery
2701 Cerrillos   Road, Santa Fe
stephensconsignments.com

By: Justin Kibbe, Vice President, Fix My Roof LLC

FIX MY ROOF is committed to restoring existing roofs for a fraction of the cost of roof replacement while maximizing our positive impact on the environment by embracing environmentally responsible practices and educating the greater community about environmental stewardship.

Our process:

Step 1: Preparation. With all coatings, the prep work is essential. Both cleaning and drying the roof are very important for a well-done job. We spend a great deal of time with this process (including using blowers and some heaters to make sure any snow/ice that can’t be removed is melted and then dried with towels).

Step 2: Primer. For maximum adhesion of the silicone to the roof, we start with a primer that is made and approved by the manufacturer. Many roofers forego this process as it saves money on material and labor, but it’s the correct way to install a silicone membrane.

Step 3: Curing. The primer cures in 15 minutes in warm weather and sometimes up to one hour in cold weather.

Step 4: Application of the first coat of silicone. The tech spec sheet only requires 1 gallon per 100 square feet, but we actually apply two coats of 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet. The first coat is done in a tan or grey color, and the second coat in white. This ensures 100 percent coverage of both coats. The multiple coats and 3 times the coverage equates to better protection on the roof. We squeegee the liquid silicone out onto the roofs. We do not spray because of the concerns mentioned in the tech spec sheet, as well as because wind can cause overspray, which is a big liability.

The silicone itself takes about 8 hours to cure in warm weather, and up to 48 hours to cure when colder. The weather factors are important for us to be aware of during the installation. We work with the manufacturer when installing the silicone membrane in colder temperatures so that they are aware of the conditions.

When the manufacturer representative has visited our jobs, he has been consistently impressed that we do go by the book and take extra precautions while doing the installation, and in maintaining the roofs through annual inspections.

Step 5: Final inspection and 10-year maintenance.

When I started the company, I wanted to change the New Mexico roofing industry. I was appalled at customer service practices, as well as all the short cuts that were being taken. The roofing industry in general does not inspire confidence – and that starts with the manufacturers and trickles down to the local installers. I know that our company’s reputation has started a change in how other roofers must now compete. Our warranty is totally unique.

We are not the only company to offer a warranty that covers material AND labor, but we ARE the only that does not charge extra for this service.

We are not the only company to offer a maintenance program, but we ARE the only one that includes this annual inspection/maintenance service at NO COST to our customers.

Justin.Kibbe@fixthisflatroof.com
Cell: 505.919.9260
www.FixThisFlatRoof.com

Interview Of Stephen Etre, Owner of Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery

By Rey Post
Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty & Host of “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

Q. How is your business starting out in 2016?

A. After more than 30 years of operating the gallery, I have witnessed many different business cycles in Santa Fe. The start of this New Year is evidencing a continuation of the steady economic recovery that we witnessed last year.

Q. A significant amount of your clientele comes from the real estate community—home owners, buyers and sellers, as well as real estate brokers, interior designers, and lawyers administering estate transactions. Given this reality, do you have an impression about the status of the Santa Fe real estate market as we start 2016?

A. Yes, my impression is that as you and your broker colleagues have seen a steady increase in buyer and seller activity over the past year. Correspondingly, the gallery has experienced increased activity. Sellers use us as a source for home staging activities, while buyers of new homes rely on our array of items to furnish their properties.

Q. And estate sales are a major source of activity for the gallery with each passing year, correct?

A. The gallery has a long-time relationship with estate lawyers, banks, and executors who turn to us to help facilitate the sale of some of Santa Fe’s finest collections of antiques, art, and one-of-a-kind items including heirloom jewelry. Though estate sales are driven by a special set of circumstances, we have found that they are occurring quite regularly, as people find them to be an effective method for marketing unique collections in certain homes. We have two estate sales already booked for this January, with many more to follow throughout the year.

Q. And to support your customer activities at the gallery in 2016, what enhancements have you added to the gallery?

A. As you know Rey, in 2013 we actually made some structural changes to the gallery’s outside façade to enhance our curb appeal to customers. We also added an “immediate placement” policy to the display of new arrivals at the gallery, so that the floor of our facility is constantly offering brand new items to meet consumer demand. These two elements have really helped to make the shopping experience at the gallery a lot more rewarding for our clients.

Q. I understand that you also have beefed up your staff and also changed the internal visuals of the gallery, correct?

A. Yes, we enhanced our already well-regarded gallery staff with new professionals who bring a level of knowledge and expertise that our clients seem to really appreciate. We have also transformed a major part of the gallery into actual “show rooms,” replicating what rooms in a house would look like with furniture, art, and accessories. This makes it easier for our clients to see how items could work in their own homes.

Q. A couple of years ago, you also launched a new web presence for the gallery that is quite attractive and very user-friendly!

A. Thanks for the plug about this element of our ongoing marketing efforts. We are very proud of our website which is not only visually appealing, but is constantly changing to provide our customers with the latest news about gallery offerings. For anyone who hasn’t visited our site in a while, I invite them to take a look at: www.stephensconsignments.com.

Q. So all in all, you are entering the New Year with your normal high level of optimism!

A. I couldn’t say it any better than that, Rey, and I look forward to helping every home buyer, seller, and owner throughout 2016.

Q. You also have a special relationship with the United World College (UWC) that is based in the Las Vegas, NM region of the state. Why is this important to you?

A. UWC is one of 15 campuses located on five continents and as a two-year residential school, it serves students age 16-19 who typically represent more than 70 different countries. They participate in a unique program that combines academic challenge with an experiential, hands-on approach to learning. I have been a supporter of the institution and actually have many of the students stay occasionally at our home while they are studying.

Q. On today’s show we are featuring one of the students who has stayed at your home.

A. Yes, Jose-Pablo, a former student and currently the Alumni and Special events Director at UWC will be offering an update on activities at the institution as students begin the New Year.

Q. To close out the show, I want to remind everyone that it is not too early to put Stephen’s annual “Spring Sale” on your calendar. This event has been staged for over 30 years at the gallery on the Mother’s Day weekend in May.

A. Thanks, Rey, for alerting people to this event, as well as for having me on today’s show. I look forward to seeing you next month during the February 14 “All Things Real Estate” radio show!

For    more   than   30     years,     Stephen’s,   a    Consignment    Gallery  has    been    attracting    consumers     from   all    over    the     country,     to    see    the        best      in     antiques,  estate      items,     jewelry,    furniture,   art,     and    countless   home       accessories   under    the   gallery’s  13,000    square    feet    of       space.

Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery
2701 Cerrillos   Road, Santa Fe
stephensconsignments.com

Real Estate by the Numbers

By Abigail Davidson
CRS, ABR, SRES, CLHMS, CNE
Broker Associate
Sotheby’s International Realty

The following information has been compiled to provide you with updated information on sales in Santa Fe and its surrounding areas for July 2015. These statistics are for all Santa Fe residential home sales including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

There were a total of 172 home sales with prices ranging from $72,500 to $3,500,000, down from 196 in June. Total sales volume was $74,538,156, a bit lower than June. The Average Sales Price was $433,361; Median Sales Price was $329,500. The Average Sold to List Price was 96.46 percent, a slight drop from June. Average number of Days on the Market was 172, a slight increase from June.

Sales per price band for homes sold during July is as follows:

• 94 homes sold for under $350,000
• 32 sold from $350,001 and $500,000
• 39 sold from $500,001 and $1,000,000
• 7 sold from $1,000,001 to $3,500,000

Real Estate by the Numbers

By Abigail Davidson
CRS, ABR, SRES, CLHMS, CNE
Broker Associate
Sotheby’s International Realty

The following information has been compiled to provide you with updated information on sales in Santa Fe and its surrounding areas for June, 2015.

These statistics are for all Santa Fe residential home sales including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

There were a total of 196 home sales with prices ranging from $38,000 to $2,050,000. Total sales volume was $84,907,517, holding steady from May. The Average Sales Price was $433,202; Median Sales Price was $337,500. The Average Sold to List Price was 97.11 percent, a slight increase from May. Average number of Days on the Market was 163, a bit higher than May.

Sales per price band for homes sold during June is as follows:

• 100 homes sold for under $350,000; 50 percent of total monthly sales.
• 37 homes sold from $350,000 and $500,000; 21 percent of total monthly sales.
• 29 homes sold from $500,001 and $1,000,000.
• 9 homes sold from $1,000,001 to $2,415,000.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE ” Marks 6 Year Anniversary In June

SANTA FE, NM, May 4, 2015 – The “All Things Real Estate” (ATRE) radio show, blog and website will—on June 7—mark six years of offering timely real estate news and commentary to the public, as well as information on people, places and events that are popular with consumers around New Mexico and the nation.

Launched in June 2009 by Rey Post, the Santa Fe-based Associate Broker with  Sotheby’s International Realty^®, the ATRE radio program airs “live” for two hours each Sunday (12-2pm Mountain Time) on 1260 KTRC-AM and KVSF101.5-FM and also streams to a national audience on SantaFe.com. The ATRE blog offers observations and advice on a variety of issues important to consumers ( www.ATREradio.com/blog ), while the ATRE website provides useful information and resources to home buyers, sellers and owners ( www.ATREradio.com ).

Post hosts the ATRE weekly radio show and serves as Managing Editor of the ATRE blog. Over the years, ATRE has been supported by a number of well-regarded New Mexico and national companies, as well as local non-profits and event organizations, who regularly contribute commentary to the radio show and content to the blog.

“We are very proud that people from all over the country find the radio show to be a destination for timely and valuable real estate news and commentary, as well as information on Santa Fe businesses, events and special venues in our community,” said Post. “The popularity of the program is directly related to the excellent content our well-regarded real estate, business, community and non-profit commentators bring each week, whether we are airing from the studio, or from unique locations around New Mexico,” continued Post.

“The ATRE radio show is not only one of the most popular radio programs our company  offers to the public, but is clearly one of Santa Fe’s best known and respected shows,” said Scott Hutton, Owner and General Manager of Hutton Broadcasting. “As a flagship broadcast of our company, we know that the public is drawn to the abundant subject matter that ATRE brings to each Sunday show and we congratulate Rey and his team for their much deserved success,” continued Hutton.

Since 2009, the live ATRE radio show has aired more than 300 times. The show started as a one-hour program broadcasting on a single radio station in Santa Fe, while today, the program offers a two-hour format, featuring New Mexico real estate experts, local and nationally-known celebrity guest interviews and special community information segments. For the past three years, the ATRE show has been simulcasting on two local radio stations, as well as across the nation via SantaFe.com. The ATRE team is currently exploring new and innovative ways of bringing the program’s message to an even wider audience in New Mexico and beyond.

Under its “Unique Destinations” series, the show has aired nearly 100 times from a variety of Santa Fe businesses, non-profit locations, as well as highly attended and well-known public events, including the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association “Home Show” and “Parade of Homes” tour, as well as the Santa Fe Concorso rare car gathering staged at The Club at Las Campanas, located a short distance from downtown Santa Fe.

Here are images of the 2014 Santa Fe Concorso rare car gathering, as well as the March 15, 2015 “Home Show” remote from the Santa Fe Community Convention Center:

September 28, 2014 – Rey Post & Santa Fe Concorso – Pics of Interview Subjects (features images of interviews with Indianapolis 500 race car legends Johnny Rutherford, Parnelli Jones and Lyn St. James, as well as many others): 

http://jessicaprestonphotography.smugmug.com/All-Things-Real-Estate/i-sXGS6RL

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.807679379311195&type=3&l=0674d4b145

ATRE has been nominated for a Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award, profiled in the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Real Estate Guide, as well as in the corporate newsletter of Sotheby’s International Realty^® issued to the public, as well as to more than 14,000 sales associates working in more than 700 offices located in 52 countries and territories. 

In addition, Post was profiled on June 29, 2014 in a Santa Fe New Mexican sports section story for his work in helping to bring soccer’s 1994 World Cup and 1999 Women’s World Cup to the U.S. for the first time:

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/sports/tesuque-man-helped-bring-world-cup-along-with-renewed-interest/article_c8f93c47-9c8b-54a1-b64e-39ab4883bbb8.html 

###

For additional information:

Rey Post : 505/989-8900 (Cell); rey.post@sothebyshomes.com

Scott Hutton: 505/471-1067 (Work); scott@santafe.com

Real Estate by the Numbers

By Abigail Davidson   CRS, ABR, SRES, CLHMS, CNE
Broker Associate, Sotheby’s International Realty

The following information has been compiled to provide you with updated information on sales in Santa Fe and its surrounding areas for March, 2015. These statistics are for all Santa Fe residential home sales including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

There were a total of 167 home sales in March, up from 113 in February.  Prices ranged from $45,000 to $2,637,500.  Total sales volume for March was $71,957,325, up from February which was $40,935,779.

The Average Sales Price was $430,882; the Median Sales Price was $322,000. The Average Days on Market was 184, up from February which was 166. The Average Sold to List Price held steady at 95.40 percent.

Here is how number of sales per price-band reported in March 2015:

• 91 homes sold for under $350,000
• 29 homes sold from $350,001 to $500,000
• 37 homes sold from $500,001 to $1,000,000
• 10 homes sold from $1,000,001 to $2,639,999, a significant increase of properties over $1,000,000 from February, which totaled 3.