Testimonials
“We have been working with Neil Lyon and his team on both the purchase of our new home in Las Campanas and the sale of our present home at 101 Tano Norte – both in Santa Fe. He and his team have not only been very professional in what they do but also are knowledgeable in the latest of real estate affairs, keeping up with conventions and workshops. We also find them taking a personal interest on our behalf and would highly recommend them.” – Martin and Arlena Markinson “12 days on the MLS. 7 showings. Offer over list. All we can say is “Wow”. Having purchased and sold many homes over the years, we’ve never experienced the level of professionalism and service that you and your team provided. We interviewed several top teams of brokers in the Santa Fe area, but your keen understanding of the market coupled with the service above and beyond the others made the Neil Lyon Group the only choice for us. What makes the Neil Lyon team so exceptional? For one, the MatterPort 3D interactive videos of our listing gave prospective buyers an immersive experience prior to coming to view the property. Secondly, teamwork is their secret weapon! Day and night, whenever we communicated to them, someone would reply (even while on vacation)! Last but not least, this team had a knowledge of the business that far exceeded their competition. Exceptional. Professional. Responsive. What more can a seller ask for? They were the answer to our prayers!” – Alana Light and Lance Yamasaki “Neil was the listing agent on our home on Old Santa Fe Trail when we purchased it in 2012. Six years, one wedding, two sons, and one renovation later we found ourselves leaving Santa Fe for a job opportunity in the Pacific Northwest. The first person we called was Neil. His unwavering professionalism, confidence and deep connections in the community, along with his team’s laser focus and efficiency, made the process of selling our home a pleasure. Saying goodbye to a place with so much personal history is hard, but we truly could not have been in better hands.” – Matt and Jen Hinsley “The sale was more challenging than anyone anticipated. Your persistence, positive attitude, calm under pressure, and strategic advise carried us through to an ultimate sale. Challenged by Mother Nature’s anger in Santa Fe, the “1,000 Year” rain deluge caused unforeseen issues that we had to correct. Through your efforts with us and with the Buyer, we were able to maintain the transaction and bring it to a close successfully. This required tact, guts and great working relationships which you displayed and we are most appreciative. Thank you.” – Peter B. Frank and Leslie Shaw “Neil Lyon and his group managed the sale of our house at 978 Indian Ridge Road from the establishment of the price and listing in the summer of 2018 until the closing on December 12. He demonstrated great ability and attention to detail that reflected his years of experience. He kept us well informed throughout the
process so we were able to make key decisions with confidence. This was particularly important because the house was under contract three days after listing and then the agreement fell apart because of unreasonable demands and changes demanded by the purchasers. He and his group overcame this loss of momentum and negotiated the final sale. His contacts were an important additional benefit.” – Bill and Georgia Carson “Moll and I wish to thank you and your team for having orchestrated every facet of our home acquisition flawlessly. The attention to detail, the informative nature of your group, facilitating all aspects of the purchase void of burden to us, was unprecedented in every manner. We are appreciative and thankful for having made the association with your firm of true and distinct professionals in your arena. We assure you that The Neil Lyon Group will be highly recommended with respect to real estate in Santa Fe, New Mexico.” – Moll and Dennis Yares “Just a brief note to thank you and your team for your help in finding a home for us in Santa Fe. Our requirements made the search much more difficult than usual and your knowledge of the market and of current offerings was absolutely central to our success. Your support through the purchase process was also exemplary. We enthusiastically recommend you and your firm to others.” – Dan L. Monroe and Catherine B. Wygant “We could hardly have been anything other than pleased with the level of service and result of your firm’s marketing of our property in Santa Fe. It’s so important that a seller trust his agent and not once did we feel that your advice was not directed to what was best for us. You often advised us to think seriously about whether we really wanted to sell. Once we had decided to go forward, you and the team were extremely efficient. The photographs and sale particulars were excellent and the presentation was first class. The actual sale negotiations were very well handled by yourselves. At the start of the discussions you had promised, in so far as you could, a sale within 90 days – not only did we get that, but the real time elapsed was less than 45 days from start to finish. The back-up services your team provided to an out of country seller were amazing. We simply could not have done it without the Neil Lyon Group. So, Carol and I have no hesitation in endorsing the service and recommending you to a prospective buyer/seller wholeheartedly. Thank you for making the sale process so painless and easy. – Anthony and Carol Hawser “We would like to convey our sincere satisfaction and appreciation of the services and friendship we received from Neil Lyon and his associates regarding the recent listing and sale of our property in Santa Fe. In every way, his advice and support was accurate, realistic, and instructive. During a very difficult market, we feel our home
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received the attention and professionalism that resulted in a sale that was timely and represented the best value. In addition, during the process we experienced a family emergency that severely limited our ability to participate in the process or even be in the Santa Fe area. Neil handled aspects of the sale that we feel went well beyond what could reasonably be expected from a listing agent and made our situation much more manageable. Without any reservation we recommend Neil to you.” – Mike and Lynnette Mallory “Neil Lyon and his team are the consummate real estate professionals. From beginning to end, they know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Neil knows the market like the back of his hand. Pricing a home is a critical first step, and with Neil, your price will be spot on. If you need to polish up the home, inside and out, Neil has a list of highly qualified contractors he can recommend, who will get the job done right and on time. Neil’s people skills are fabulous, so you can be assured that your home will be well represented. His team is on every last detail. They always seem to be one step ahead. And on top of that, they are all the among the nicest individuals you’ll ever meet. During the process of selling our home, I was confident at all times that everything would come together with finesse and efficiency. Imagine that a worry free and pleasant real estate transaction. I give Neil Lyon and his team the highest possible recommendation. You guys are the BEST!” – Kendel Fesenmyer “We want to express our gratitude to you and especially Neil Lyon for your skill and personal interest which resulted in the sale of our Santa Fe home last month. It has been a pleasure all the way to work with you and observe the real estate knowledge and effective techniques which resulted in our successful outcome. We will recommend your company to all our friends and know your success will be ongoing.” – Zane and Mary Travis “How lucky we were to connect with Neil Lyon when looking for a realtor to sell our Santa Fe home. Given market trends, we were expecting the process to take a year or longer but Neil had multiple buyers there every week, and wrapped up the whole process from listing, offer and final closing in four months! Neil is a pleasure to work with – good sense of humor most importantly, and also rocksolid knowledgeable of the Santa Fe market and New Mexico’s realty requirements. He also has a great team of people working with him. They aggressively marketed the house, guided us at each step, were very prompt in communications, and addressed every concern we had. Very happy clients!” –David Miller and Ruth Trimarchi “This is to send the deepest thanks for all of your efforts in helping The Santa Fe Opera sell the Canyon Road properties. It has been a very lengthy process (as you know better than anyone!) and we truly appreciate your expertise and professionalism throughout. It was a pleasure to work with you and Sotheby’s International Realty.” – Charles MacKay, General Director, The Santa Fe Opera
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“WOW! It’s a word I have never used to describe any of the over one dozen real estate transactions I have been involved with. It seems appropriate to use this word to describe what you and your team have done us. Your attention to detail, professionalism, excellent communication and sense of calm really helped in bringing about the best of all possible conclusions for both the buyer and the seller; a win-win outcome. We certainly had our share of potential bumps along the road to closing, (and like everything you were involved with) your hard work and creativity wouldn’t let anything spoil the possibility of making the deal. We thoroughly enjoyed working with you and your staff on the sale of our property. What’s even nicer for us is that you found a buyer who truly understood our property, its special features and that would love it as much as we did. Neil, your team has set a high bar with this transaction. I’m only sorry that our future real estate needs will be outside of your market area. It will be hard to find a “broker” that will meet the standards and deliver the way you have. Thanks again for making this transaction so straightforward, unemotional and yes, easy on us. – Michael Braverman “Neil Lyon has sold three properties for my family, the most recent being my home. He is in every way a top-notch agent. Let me list the ways: knowledgeable, incisive, polite, determined (he never gives up), on time, businesslike, attention to detail, a pleasure to work with, a good listener, an excellent support staff.” – Tony Altermann “We had very high expectations for the Neil Lyon Group, and they did not disappoint. The entire team dazzled us with the wisdom, insight, practical experience and efficiency despite a high client load, exceeding our expectations at every turn. Team Lyon added great value even in places where we had no expectations of their doing so. However, their counsel on pricing and price negotiation, on both the buy and sell sides, was spot on, absolutely invaluable, and completely successful. We couldn’t have asked for more. Their ethics and interpersonal skills, and their unflappable way of handling tough situations was both calming and effective. Whatever is higher than an A+ is how we’d rate them.” – Mary and Russ Roberts “One day, during the lengthy time our home was on the market with Sotheby’s International Realty, Neil Lyon, our broker, said, “I’m looking forward to the time when I’m not your realtor and friend, but simply…your friend.” That time has arrived. Many years ago, I took the initial real estate course. It taught me that showing houses is “the tip of the iceberg” of an agent’s responsibilities. The real work starts when the real estate is in play, and continues through closing. We are so grateful for Neil’s wisdom, expertise, and thoughtfulness. We always felt that we were in secure, in caring hands. Additionally, it is comforting to know that Neil is still here; we would unhesitatingly choose him as our broker for our future real estate transactions, and would consider ourselves very fortunate.” – Helen and Richard Brandt
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“Having never bought land before, we did not know what to expect when starting the process, and were a little nervous. Fortunately for us, Neil immediately responded back to our initial inquiries, which quickly helped us begin to relax. When we began having face-to-face meetings with Neil, including viewing lots, his professionalism and approachability made for a fun and enjoyable experience-which we had not initially expected! We learned a lot from Neil’s expertise, and, with his guidance, we were soon able to choose the perfect lot for us. We highly recommend Neil and his team to anyone interested in a lot or home purchase.” – Barbara and John Musgrave “My husband and I sought the services of Neil Lyon based on a good friend’s recommendation for the purchase of our new home. Our friend did us a great service in this recommendation. Neil and his team were exceptionally professional, extremely well organized, and thoroughly knowledgeable of all aspects of purchasing a home in New Mexico. Neil clearly has a winning team on staff. Should we have another need for buying real estate in the Santa Fe area we would definitely use the Neil Lyon Group again. I give very high marks to Neil and his staff and would recommend them myself without hesitation.” – Paula Buhrdorf “We truly believe we would not be living in our dream home in Santa Fe without Neil Lyon. Neil knew what we were looking for and when a home with our exact specifications became available, he immediately alerted us. At the time, we were in a remote area in northern Minnesota with limited phone and internet access and unable to personally view the property when it came on the market. Neil immediately walked the property for us, took a detailed video of areas we wanted to preview and facilitated negotiations that resulted in a successful purchase offer. Throughout the negotiation, home inspection and escrow process, Neil demonstrated the utmost skill and professionalism in working with the selling agent and owners resulting in mutual trust among all parties, excellent timely issues resolution and a very positive and highly satisfactory experience. Because we live in California, we relied heavily on email and telephone communications throughout the purchase process. All communications were timely, detailed and proactive. Neil prepared us for each step. There were no surprises. Every interaction with Neil exceeded our expectation for customer service. When you work with Neil, you benefit from his incredible experience, his energy and his great enthusiasm for his clients.” – Steve and Marion Yerxa “Finding you was the best possible way for us to complete the next chapter in our lives. You are a one hundred percent positive guy with energy and experience to understand what a client wants and needs. It was delightful working with you while selecting real estate in Santa Fe. We felt entirely secure as you managed the maze of paperwork, trouble spots, negotiations, and closing. Please extend our appreciation to your staff; each and every contact was pleasant and helped move us toward a successful closing. We have nothing
but praise for all of you. The entire experience with Sotheby’s International Real Estate deserves high marks.” – Marian and Emil Liddell “It was a pleasure to work with Neil Lyon and his team at Sotheby’s as my wife and I searched for and eventually found the perfect house for us in Santa Fe. Immediately upon meeting Neil, we felt comfortable and at ease. Neil knows Santa Fe! In addition to being knowledgeable, there are many other positive qualities that we think apply to Neil: helpful, patient (very important for us!), well-prepared, professional, and hard working to name a few. Neil and his team are excellent communicators—they always kept us informed about what was going on during the process and we always felt comfortable asking questions (we had lots of them!). Perhaps most important, we felt that we could trust Neil and his professional advice. By the time the entire process was completed, we felt we had gained a new friend. We were very pleased to have worked with Neil and recommend him highly” – Fred and Nancy Lutgens “Just a quick note to thank you for your assistance with our recent home purchase. Your efficiency and professionalism made the whole process simple and stress-free. Your attention to the details, major and minor, made our part effortless.” – Renny and Maria Levy “We had the easiest time imaginable with our recent condo purchase. Neil picked two, both of which we liked, and we purchased one of them. He thought of our needs before we were even aware of what should come next. Working with Neil is a delight. His suggestions were always pertinent. He made the process easy with step by step guidance up to and including the closing. We thoroughly enjoyed his company and wise suggestions. We will miss his daily cheerful participation in the process.” – Lysle and Dick Mockler “Ours was a long-distance move. Neil helped us find a wonderful home, arranged inspections and recommended an excellent lawyer for us within a week. Then after we went home to Illinois and the home had inspection and title issues, Neil and his team navigated all the complications for us seamlessly. They expertly followed up on every detail of the sale. Neil and his team are the best! We wouldn’t use anyone else in Santa Fe.” – Alison and Rick Reider “Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With you and your team, we just completed the largest, most complex, unimaginable, “once in a lifetime” real estate transaction of our lives. We could not, and would not have done this with anyone else other than you and your team. Period. Every, and we mean EVERY part of the transaction, was handled with the utmost professionalism, expertise, and most importantly to us, personal care. Our family, for generations to come is fortunate that the Neil Lyon Group represented us in acquiring this spectacular property. For any future
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Testimonials
real estate ventures in our lives, our first call will always be to Neil Lyon” – Tom and Teresa Walsh “Neil Lyon has been my Realtor for many years, assisting in the purchase and sale of two homes. I cannot thank him enough for his guidance and expertise. He is a man of great integrity, compassion, and calm. Throughout the lengthy process that is buying or selling, Neil gave me support and confidence in the outcome. He taught me patience. Working with the team not only brought success, but was really a pleasure.” – Dianne Chalmers “Neil Lyon and his wonderful staff have assisted us in three real estate transactions in recent years. We could not have been happier with our relationship. Through all of these transactions we felt very secure and treated in a timely and informative manner. He always had time to address our questions and we learned to respect his advice.” – Ray C. and Ella June Daily “When we decided in early June to leave Santa Fe, we put in place a high risk strategy of buying first and selling second. And in the challenging Santa Fe real estate market, the chance of being on the market for many days, weeks or months is quite high. We entered into a contract on June 24 to buy a home in Arizona. When we first met with you on July 11, we outlined our selling strategy of being on the market in the shortest possible time. You pored over the many real estate listings that represented competition for our property. (Six dozen, as I remember.) We reviewed them with you and determined a selling price that would achieve our objectives. In the run up to listing the property, we agreed that a home inspection in advance of a listing would be beneficial. We dealt with a number of issues raised by our inspector. By the time we listed, the house was in impeccable shape. The listing went live on MLS on August 8. We had a contract on August 12. Five days!!! I love it when a strategy comes together. Before and after, you and your team were extremely helpful. When I needed a contractor to deal with an item flagged by my inspector or by the buyers inspector, you knew who to turn to. When I didn’t get a rapid response, you picked up your iPhone and they responded immediately. Your relationships with contractors, the buyers agent and the title company helped make the entire process surprisingly smooth. Also, your help in arranging for a consignment store to pick up the furniture we weren’t taking with us was extremely helpful. And her recommendation on a moving company was perfect. They were the best we’ve ever dealt with. Our profound thanks to the Neil Lyon Group for your professionalism, integrity and responsiveness.” – Kent and Evelyn Roberts “I had a great experience working with everyone on your team. They handled everything with great care, expertise, and professionalism. Neil offered expert guidance on the more technical aspects of pricing, strategy, negotiations, etc. while also ‘holding’ my hand through the
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process when needed. With their attention to detail and efficiency, Neil and his team made the experience as painless and positive as it could be, especially considering that I was living abroad during the whole process. Really fantastic — thank you!” – a very satisfied seller “Kathryn and I would like to thank you for your considerable efforts on our behalf in the purchase of our new home. Your advice and guidance were invaluable and your expertise was needed and timely. Most of all, however, we appreciated the responsiveness and ability to anticipate the inevitable issues that arose. We would like to be counted amongst those who would heartily recommend you and your team. We appreciated the efforts a great deal.” – Robert and Kathryn Clemens “Our home sale experience with Neil Lyon and and his team was outstanding in every way. Particularly important was his careful, evidence-based assessment of the market in determining the initial asking price, followed by his advice on preparing the house for sale. At every stage the effort was characterized by a level of expertise, attention to detail, efficiency and professionalism that is all too uncommon these days. Selling a home is an arduous process. Ours went as well as we could have expected.” – Robert and Karolyn Eisenstein “All of our interactions with you and your team were professional, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. With your vast personal marketing expertise, you helped me see that pricing the house at the $1,300,000 level was the right price—-even thought it was painful to hear since my investment in the property was almost that. However, you were right on target and the house was sold in 2 months! And we were able to move on, into our new, retired-in-California lives. And, during the time 1303 was being shown we were grateful for all the excellent feedback you provided about the prospective buyers and for working to minimize any inconvenience to us.” – Carole Ely and Bob Wickham “Your experience, judgment, and communication skills were evident in guiding our sale to completion. We thank you. To our friends in Las Campanas who asked us, “let us know, how your selection of Neil Lyon turns out?” We will only give you the very highest praise.” – Len and Cyndy Alaimo “It is a great pleasure us to write a letter of appreciation to you and your staff for the incredible experience we had with our home purchase in Las Campanas. It simply could not have gone better. A prior client of yours insisted that we contact you when we began our search for our house. He was correct in his recommendation and we are so pleased that we took his advice. From the beginning several months ago until the closing last Wednesday, everything went without a hitch. Through the years I have had the opportunity to buy and sell several homes and a number of commercial properties associated with my business. Never have I been as completely satisfied as I have been with all the aspects of our home purchase in
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Santa Fe. You started us off in the beginning in the right direction by helping us decide on a home in town or out of town, and you then followed up with finding us exactly what we wanted in Las Campanas. You anticipated all of our questions and had the answers readily available when asked. Your advice on dealing with the prior owner was incredibly valuable, and it is probably fair to say that the transaction would not have been completed without your involvement throughout. Please, feel free to have any prospective clients contact me or Jane personally and we would be more than happy to go into greater detail about your professionalism and genuine concern during our entire shopping and buying experience. Many thanks to you and your staff. We are indeed excited about our new home.” – Joe and Jane Kinsel “Neil Lyon did an outstanding job as our selling agent. We had “complications” with the sale that rattled us. Neil calmly addressed each with an acumen that only comes from a seasoned professional. We were glad he was on our side.” – Cyndy and Len Alaimo “We can’t thank you enough for all you did to sell our house. You and your team were diligent, not missing a single detail and very active in getting the job done. Most importantly everyone was compassionate and supportive as we worked through this process. It was a pleasure working with you and again, thank you for a job well done.” – Michael and Marjorie O’Reilly “Anne and I wish to thank you for your successful sale of our lot in Las Campanas earlier this month. With your help we realized reasonable market value for a property which we no longer had reason to own. Your counsel on pricing and timing in a poor real estate market was most helpful. You found the most likely buyer for that property and moved efficiently to a close. Working with both you and your staff was a pleasure!” – George Howard “Thank you for helping us find our wonderful home here in Santa Fe and for the professional and competent manner in which you handled every detail of the process…We listed many specifications of our future home…we were impressed that you had memorized all we were hoping to find in a home…The communication between you and us was crucial and at all times seamless. You responded quickly. It was very reassuring to know that you were available, listening and there for us. Working with you was a pleasure. Your integrity and conscientiousness was of great importance in our purchasing a home and moving from Los Angeles where we resided for most of our lives. We were concerned that since you also were representing the seller there might be a conflict of interests. We know that you represented us fairly and also appreciate that you represented the seller fairly—a difficult path. You walked it well.” – Barry and Jaqueline Panter
“It is, indeed, our pleasure to send along a “highly recommend” message to you and your team for your excellent service and attention to detail throughout the selling process for our Mariposa property. Your near instant communication and feedback on each showing, and especially your dedication to always being on-site during a showing, made us feel very secure and well represented. In this day and age of increasingly impersonal contact, you and your team delivered, personally and professionally.” – Mike and Chacha Thacker “I consider it a tremendous blessing that I was referred to Neil Lyon for the purpose of selling my first home. Entering a difficult market and confronting many life challenges made the prospect seem so very daunting at the time. Neil and his team made the process transparent, manageable, successful, and efficient. Neil even endeared himself to my 10- year old child and was the best possible advocate for our home as evidenced by his responsiveness, thoroughness, eminent professionalism, and connections throughout Santa Fe. We couldn’t feel better taken care of. Superlatives fail to adequately describe our experience; therefore, let me say that I am confident Neil and his team can nail jelly to the wall. Neil will be my first call and recommendation in all future real estate transactions.” –Amparo Juarez “When it came time to list our home in Santa Fe, a friend recommended Neil Lyon as “the best” so we added him to the list of real estate brokers to interview. The decision to hire him came very easily – there was no contest really. It was not the best time of year to list a house, the market conditions were not great and we needed to upgrade our heating system. Yet Neil was realistic and confident! Neil and his team did a superb job of marketing our home, were incredibly professional, and always gave the impression that we were the most important clients and ours the most important listing they had. He has an excellent understanding of market conditions and of our neighborhood; and he has a great reputation among former clients and other brokers. Neil inspired confidence and delivered results! The period from listing the home to closing on the sale was 7 months – quick for the market we entered – I was thrilled! In addition, Neil’s negotiating skill brought great results on the price. It was an emotional time, made so much easier by Neil’s thorough, professional and ethical approach. Not to mention his calm, easy demeanor and neve rending good humor. I cannot recommend Neil Lyon highly enough – he was a great advocate for me and my home!” – Nancy Brown “We first heard of Neil Lyon from a bank officer, who described him as the “best realtor in Santa Fe”. Since then, Neil has sold two houses for us and we have no reason to doubt that judgment. Neil knows the market better than anyone else in town. He knows what will sell and what won’t, at what price. He also has a huge list of local business connections (an infinite Rolodex) to help stage, maintain, repair, or do whatever else the property needs to make it saleable. He can accomplish anything on the spur of the moment, even during the last crunch of closing. He and his team let nothing drop through the
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Testimonials
cracks, keep you informed, and are always accessible. And to top it all off, they are awfully nice people to work with.” – Chris and Carol Witze “I wanted to thank you for all you did to help me through what has been a difficult experience. Your professionalism, attention to detail, and kindness turned an impossible situation into a successful transaction, and I am genuinely grateful for all that you did to make it happen. You are the best!” – Denise Fraker “Thanks again for everything you did to sell our house in a challenging market. We never had to worry about anything when the property was being shown nor how the prospective buyers were accommodated. Communication and feedback were excellent. When it came to closing, your attention to detail meant a great deal to our peace of mind. It’s our pleasure to recommend the Neil Lyon Group to anyone wishing to buy or sell real estate in Santa Fe.” – Tom and Barbara Kimball “I wanted to thank you and your team for the exceptional service you provided us in the sale of 964 Old Santa Fe Trail. Facing a difficult market, we were looking for expert advice that we could trust when valuing our home. From our very first meeting, you always conducted yourself with integrity, enthusiasm and professionalism. We received insightful counsel from you on how to price and position our home to reflect its unique value in the Santa Fe market. Once listed, your team kept us apprised of feedback from showings and market developments in a timely manner. During negotiations and transaction execution, you provided sound advice and unwavering support. As you know, we have bought and sold many times over the years and this was unquestionably the best service we have received. We would be happy to discuss our experience with any of your clients.” – Matthew Pierce “Neil and his most capable staff have a wonderful way balancing the demands of transitioning home ownership. Long known as one of the most stressful of life’s events, they blended an outstanding collective expertise, pragmatism, raw enthusiasm, financial realism and even a pinch of humor when selling my home during challenging market conditions. Their professionalism surpassed expectations, and every client is treated as if they are their only client, when in fact, they rank superlatively high among the top producers in Santa Fe’s overall sheer number of successful transactions. Neil’s style meshes well with everyone; from busy non-local corporate executives to time-sensitive visitors to relaxed and speculative buyers and sellers, he’ll cull the market to fit your needs and never vice versa. Call them and you’ll hear the difference. Meet them and you’ll look no further.” – Carol Walters Hotubbee
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“Now that the sale of our property in Las Campanas has been successfully completed. I want to express my admiration for the work that you and your organization accomplished. The sale involved difficult and complicated coordination and negotiations involving ourselves as sellers, the buyers, the mortgage holder, and various other agencies over a period of several months. In the past I have bought and sold a number of properties, dealing with other realtors. I have never before experienced the degree of professionalism and care that you and your associates brought to the project. I do not believe that any other agent could have overcome the many obstacles that were encountered.” – Stuart W. Cramer “It was our recent good fortune to employ Neil D. Lyon for the sale of our home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Using Neil provided the advantages needed to successfully complete the transaction. Unlike many other brokers, Neil is extremely professional, service oriented, and dedicated in helping to achieve our unique goals. His diligence and dedication, along with his skill and experience were invaluable. His guidance and advice was dependable, accurate, and thorough. He kept us informed on all activity. Any service he could provide was readily available to us. It was with his help that our sale became efficient and quickly productive. Neil was able to grasp our situation and assess what our true needs were in order to complete the sale. He gave his best advice as to what strategies to use in selling and looked out for our best interest. He is a well-informed agent with state-of-the-art access to the industry. His availability at any time and innovative way of doing business sets a standard for the real estate business. It was a pleasure to work with him and we highly recommend his service to anyone in the real estate market. We are confident that any seller, or buyer, he represents will have a smooth, efficient, and positive experience.” – Paul and Elissa Cahn “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you and your team for the incredible job you did selling our home, and then finding us one that better suited our needs. You managed to sell our home in a depressed market, and then stuck with us through thick and thin helping us search for a new one under challenging circumstances. You and your associates were not only extremely professional and responsive, but also a genuine pleasure to be around. Neil, we so appreciated your optimism, perseverance and sense of humor during a long and daunting process. You kept us on the right track, sharing your wealth of knowledge, years of experience, and candid, but thoughtful opinions. We hope to live in our wonderful new home for many years, but rest assured, when the time comes for us to sell, we will be calling you, Neil. Many thanks again.” – Brian and Melanie Birk “Neil Lyon and his team were one of the BEST recommendations my husband and I have ever received. In a space of only 5 months we conducted an international move, while pregnant with toddler in tow. We could not have done it as effortlessly as it occurred without the incredible support of Neil and his team. Before our scouting
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Testimonials
visit to Santa Fe, we had a video chat with Neil to determine the best properties for our budget and those meeting our specifications. With dozens of homes on the market in our price range Neil was able to select only the homes that fit our criteria, so we didn’t spend time seeing properties that just wouldn’t work. We focused on 9 properties and fell in love with one. The home we loved was also listed by Neil, but that didn’t matter. He was professional and even handed – never did we feel that he worked more for the seller than for us or anyone else. He played fair on every front. Once the contract was accepted Neil’s team was “on it” keeping everyone on schedule – organizing inspections, helping with insurance, title, etc. You name it. He even went as far as to attend the inspections and subsequently set up meetings with contractors, making repeated on-site visits to the property. He made sure any and all doubts and concerns were addressed timely and professionally. Postclosing Neil went the additional step of making us feel at home in our new town. He made introductions for us to certain aspects of the community which have also been great recommendations, he even included his own community service projects. Neil thinks holistically about the buyer and the seller and everyone’s needs. He tries as best he can to meet those needs to make his community a place that is vibrant, fun and productive. Again – THE BEST RECOMMENDATION we have ever had!! – Jordan and David Smith “In my view, you three are Santa Fe’s Dream Team of real estate. Your combined knowledge of both macro and micro economic indicators, marketing expertise, strategic product placement and highly effective presentations “got it done,” to use your phrase. The sum total of your credibility within and beyond the real estate community, your meticulous attention to detail and your can-do attitudes and actions equal success. You three as my Dream Team have my trust and respect. I already have and will continue to recommend you to anyone truly interested in accomplishing a real estate transaction.” – Janet Steinberg “Neil Lyon was recommended to me as “the best realtor in Santa Fe” and while that might be hard to prove unless you tried them all, I assure you that Neil Lyon provides the highest professional service and support whether you are a nervous, catastrophe-expecting, condo-buyer like me, or a seasoned, experienced client (I have heard about some of those). Neil unfailingly returns calls and e mails, never loses track of what is going on in the transactions, has the contacts to get things done and patiently (very), takes care of a million details…all this and he is a genuinely nice person. I enthusiastically recommend him and sincerely thank him for guiding us through the purchase of our condominium in Santa Fe last month. Could NOT have done it without him.” – Rosemary Mathews “I would highly recommend Neil and his team, whom we enjoyed working with a great deal. You really could not ask for a more experienced, detail-oriented set of professionals who know and
understand the Santa Fe market extremely well. We also appreciated Neil’s extensive marketing on our behalf. Despite challenging market conditions, our home sold in less than eight months under the guidance and ‘can do’ attitude of The Neil Lyon Group. We will definitely contact Neil when we are ready to reenter the Santa Fe real estate market.” – Linda Chmar “Our relationship began with the Neil Lyon Group as parents while educating our children at Santa Fe Preparatory School, and skiing together most weekends. The Neil Lyon Group sold our home timely, pleasantly, flawlessly and in a totally professional manner. Neil Lyon is the erudite master of his calling. We remain the best of friends. Ski on.” – Bill and Annie Brown “I appreciate your office keeping me informed each time the house was shown and advising me of the responses. This continual and immediate feedback was most helpful when marketing decisions were to be made. Your office was always there with timely information. I never had to wonder what was happening with the casita and with the Santa Fe market. Your office emails were most informative and kept me “up to date”. This flow of information was most appreciated.” – Milton and Adele Ward “Neil and his team provided great service in helping me sell our home in Santa Fe in a very difficult market. His professionalism, responsiveness and follow-through were outstanding. You can count on Neil for open and honest feedback, and good advice based on in-depth knowledge of both the local market and overall economic environment. It was a pleasure working with Neil and his team.” – Michael Pfitzmann “We just wanted to thank you for the incredible job you did for us in these tough times. The sale of our unique property was a long time coming, but your team never lost interest or enthusiasm. We especially were thankful for the “human touch” you provided. Your advice on pricing and marketing was exactly what we needed, and your overall knowledge of the Santa Fe market made us confident that we would be getting the best deal possible. I know it is impossible to count the number of trips you made to show, inspect, and check on the condition of everything. This type of service was so important as we were not living on site. The sale itself went really quickly and with no problems due to your ability to communicate with all parties with honesty and trust on all sides.” – Vic and Shayna Selby Schepps/West Development Corp. “Neil Lyon has been our thought partner for months, as well as our eyes and ears in the Santa Fe property market, while we were disentangling our lives from Los Angeles. His advice has always been sound, pragmatic and totally focused on our needs… which he has an uncanny ear and perceptiveness for. What a pleasure to work with a total professional who is completely reliable, responsive and wise, while also being a genuine human being, ready to support one in
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Testimonials
difficult decisions. We appreciate his patience and care for our wellbeing and his balanced, win-win negotiation style. We like having neighbors like him… and are directing several potential clients to him without hesitation.” – Agnes Mura and John Heinritz “Neil and his team were instrumental in our ability to purchase the home we were looking for in Santa Fe. They went above and beyond the call of duty to make our purchase a successful one. Neil is a fair negotiator and a genuinely caring person, who looks out for his client’s best interests. His expertise and knowledge of the home buying process and connections in both the real estate industry, and Santa Fe in general, proved invaluable. Neil and his team made our relocation both successful and enjoyable. After our experience, we wouldn’t think of using anyone else.” – Bill and Susan Tice “Ed and I have known since our first association with Neil that he is one of the best realtors (the best in my book) in Santa Fe. However, it wasn’t until this last transaction that I fully understood why. As anyone trying to sell a home knows, today is a tough market. Having Neil as our realtor was instrumental in making our sale a success. He was diligent in his attention to our transaction and did everything he possible could to make a deal happen – his follow up was truly outstanding. I can’t imagine using anyone else.” – Sally Sprankle and Ed Wielage “It has been a sincere pleasure working with you and your team on the selling of my home in Santa Fe. I want to congratulate you on bringing this sale to such a successful close, not only in a difficult market for large homes, but also in dealing with a complex set of circumstances which offered unusual challenges. I will be recommending your services to friends and family looking to buy in this area.” – Jack Sperling “This was our 5th transaction with Neil in the past 6 years. Over time and variety of transactions Neil has gently educated on the whole process of buying and selling real estate. He has become a friend and a trusted confidante. Neil focuses on his clients’ interests and wellbeing and really connects with people on a level that you just don’t see much anymore. When you work with Neil you get everything you need sometimes before you even know you need it!” – Daniel and Betsy Ronel “Your outstanding and competent service is unsurpassed. You all did a superb job in not only making me feel special as a client, but as a person as well. Being a single woman and having the responsibility of selling a home was very worrisome to me. However, it wasn’t very long into our contract that I knew I was in good and comfortable hands. I really appreciated being put at ease. I also appreciated all your advice, and professionalism. You’re very good at what you do Neil, thank you again!” – Kery Wirth
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“Our experience with Neil and his well-tuned team was superb. Neil’s commitment to communication and integrity was obvious throughout. We were informed and supported in every way imaginable. We would recommend him to buyers and sellers as one of the most thorough and informed real estate agents. It was a joy working with him both professionally and personally.” – Robert and Tina Denison “My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our buying experience with the Neil Lyon Group. Neil made us feel like we were his only clients with his flexibility, patience and attention to detail. He helped us make an informed and educated decision and we had a lot of fun doing it. Thanks Neil!” – Cami Van Aken “From the beginning of our search for a home in Santa Fe through the closing, Neil Lyon and his team were ultimate professionals. Neil was patient with us as we looked at houses and redefined our criteria. He was very knowledgeable about the market and the entire sales process, and was extremely attentive. We especially appreciated his professionalism and patience with our questions during the inspection and closing process. The entire process was painless and we are thrilled with our new home!” – Brent and Kelley Southwell “Ella June and I were greatly impressed with the level of professional service you allowed us in representing us in our search and purchase of our Santa Fe townhouse…We always felt like we were in caring hands. We would recommend you without hesitation.” – Ray and Ella June Daily “To any prospect home buyer or seller in Santa Fe, I would highly recommend the retaining of the Neil Lyon Group to assist you in your Santa Fe real estate process. Neil and his team provided invaluable assistance in selling my home. They demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and persistence in getting the job done. Their marketing methods are the most current, their willingness to be personally involved in every prospect and their feedback were much more than I had expected based on my prior experience with buying and selling properties. Getting my home sold in a difficult market environment would have been nearly impossible without the assistance of the Neil Lyon Group.” – Robert S. Oliver “Although Renatha and I have real estate purchasing experience, we could not have been as proficient as we were without you. You are an expert in your field and on Santa Fe, and you possess the gracious professionalism that appeals to all and especially to discerning, sophisticated clientele. No wonder you receive the accolades you do, and that you were well recommended and are highly regarded.” – Michael J. and Renatha G. Vernon
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Testimonials
“Neil Lyon demonstrated to be the perfect real estate partner for our home shopping, buying and closing in Santa Fe for innumerable reasons, some of which are: Strategy: Neil quickly and sharply understood our buying needs, was sharply focused to the available homes that met our requirements and that represented excellent value. Patience: We tortured Neil for over three years, including several visits to Las Campanas, viewed over 60 homes including several re-visits to some … and never with a whimper nor sign of forced labor from Neil. Instead, Neil was always available, eager to engage, and enthusiastic. Process: Neil demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and business partnership in advising and guiding us through the negotiation and closing process. Humanity: Quite simply, Neil is an extraordinary individual to deal with on human terms, and not the robotic nor falsely engaged individuals often seen in real estate. Net: Neil was the ideal partner in the fullest sense of the word.” – Jose and Pat Aragon “What a great experience having the Neil Lyon Group list and sell our home. Always professional, yet down-to-earth, understanding our concerns selling our home in a difficult market. We greatly appreciate the time and effort Neil spent with us, and will always recommend the Neil Lyon Group to our friends in the future.” – Rick and Billie Driscoll “Neil I am so glad that I was refered to you in my search for a home in Santa Fe. You and your team were by far the best real estate professionals I have ever dealt with. The whole process seemed so effortless and “stress-free”. Thanks to all your work.” – Steve and Debbie Gray “Neil Lyon and his team are plainly the best realtors you can find. Consummate professionals, highly competent, and market condition experts they work together in perfect unison creating an unmatched track record. They do all this with lightness and flare, respect and humor. I found them wise advisors with communication skills par excellence. I felt a part of a power-team accomplishing the unthinkable; selling my property in Santa Fe in a relatively short period of time to the best possible buyers in the depressed market morass of 2009. The only thing that shadows the results is moving out of state and losing the opportunity to develop further friendship with them. – Runa Bouius “John Paul and I have bought or sold three properties in Santa Fe with Neil and found that each transaction was handled with the utmost level of professionalism and attention to detail. He was also instrumental in putting us in touch with the builder whose style and personality suited us perfectly. Even in today’s challenging and unfavorable market his advice proved to be on target and enabled us to make the right decision. Neil would be our first choice if we were to need the services of a realtor in Santa Fe again. Many thanks Neil to you and your entire team once again!” – John Paul and Judy Miller
“Mary Jane and I cannot thank you and your group enough for your support in the sale of our home in Santa Fe. Your sage, although unwelcome advice on the current state of the market and the reality of pricing homes for sale in this depressed buyers’ market brought clarity to our situation, and your assessment proved unerringly accurate.” – Freeman and Mary Jane Robinson “Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed working with you and your team. I especially appreciated your responsiveness and attention to detail. It was awe inspiring!” – Realtor who worked with the buyer of one of our listed properties “Neil has guided us through every aspect of selling multiple homes, he has made the process smooth, and extremely efficient every time. He was instrumental in selling our home in a time of crisis, and deep concern about the economy. As a Builder, we have relied on Neil’s sound knowledge in regard to the real estate market. Neil is professional, personable and knows the market inside and out. His entire staff treated us kindly and respectfully. Neil and his team have made the entire process of selling a home in today’s market as positive, and successful as it could be. It would be our pleasure to recommend Neil Lyon and Staff to everyone who is considering selling or buying a home.” – Phil and Freda Alarid “Your knowledge, professionalism, patience, and kind help brightened our journey. Along the way we got more than a house, we got a friend.” – Marius and Liliana Stan “We enjoyed working with you in the marketing and sale of our model home in Monte Sereno. Your team’s professionalism is outstanding. It was a pleasure to experience your attention to detail, consistent follow through, and timely communication throughout the process. You are excellent at being organized, staying ahead of the curve, and being proactive in the negotiations. Your experience shows and is much appreciated.” – Kurt Faust, Tierra Concepts, Inc. “Your feel for the market and pricing advice was greatly appreciated and led to a sale that has benefited all parties involved. The escrow process went smoothly and concluded in a timely manner.” – Neil Grasso “We’ve moved many times but never have we had a better ally in this difficult process than we did with Neil Lyon when we moved to Santa Fe. Neil and your team are the absolute best. Of course, they’re incredibly plugged in, experienced and highly competent about actually finding a house and getting the best deal on it. But what sets them apart from everyone else is that they’re holistic realtors: they don’t just treat the need for a house; they help in every way to make you feel at home. No detail was too small, no need not anticipated. Plus, it was a lot of fun, which I’ve seldom been able to say about moving. We can’t recommend them too highly.” – Bill and Andrea Broyles
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Testimonials
“We felt every bit as good about Neil and his team the day of closing as we did the first time that we sat down with him. Neil made certain representations to us when we began our relationship and followed through on everyone. He and his team were knowledgeable, enthusiastic about the task at hand and acted as complete professionals from start to end. We couldn’t have asked for more and wouldn’t consider using anyone else in this area.” – Sally Sprankle
“It was indeed a pleasure to work with you and your staff on the recent sale of our property at Las Campanas. We were impressed with the speed at which the property was sold and very pleased with the final transaction. Everyone we dealt with in your office was very helpful and able to answer our questions. The final closing was faultless. It is not often you can say the final paperwork was even enjoyable.” – C. Phillip Daspit, M.D.
“This purchase had many challenges to it, specifically the longdistance nature of the deal from New York to Santa Fe. Your diligence and attention to my concerns were especially met on this front and you had me feeling confident throughout the process.” – Jamie Compton
“Neil was great! The property which I purchased was owned by a bank and the seller’s broker was indifferent at best…Neil had great patience and perseverance. Closing was a challenge. Neil kept his focus, and kept his optimism which we all needed.” – Jeffrey B. Kosberg
“This was our second purchase with Neil and he was no less stellar than the first time we worked with him. He went beyond the call of duty in every way. He made himself fully available to us at all times and he made the process simple and pain-free. There were some glitches in our second purchase and had Neil not been doing the deal it would have been a much more complicated situation.” – Elizabeth and Daniel Ronel
“Neil was the consummate professional throughout our search, selection and purchase process, and Sotheby’s provided the foundation to enable him to be the best.” – David and Patricia Link
“The level of professionalism exhibited by you and your team throughout the marketing and sales process was exemplary. I will happily recommend your services to both buyers and sellers of homes in the Santa Fe market in the future.“ – Alan O. Austin “Neil is a real pro. It was a pleasure to work with him. His experience and judgment were extremely useful. I have been involved in real estate investing all my life and have rarely dealt with anyone as competent as Neil.” – Paul E. Tierney, Jr. “I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your help on getting this sale through. You are a true professional, I appreciate all your effort.” – Patti Reuss “Neil is the most thorough and knowledgeable broker I have ever worked with in my 30 plus years in buying and selling real estate.” – Lloyd and Reta Scherwinski “Not only was the house sold very quickly and for a price that was fair both to the buyer and me, but also your management and oversight of the process could not have been more professional.” – Joe N. Prothro “Thank you Neil and all of your staff for being so wonderful to work with. We absolutely love our new home!” – Patrick and Katrina Feldman
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“I recently completed the sale of my home in Santa Fe and cannot express enough the gratitude I feel toward the very professional work performed by Neil Lyon and his staff. It was a pleasure to work with him for he was very understanding of my situation and kept me well informed of his progress as well as customers’ feedback. Neil also made sure I was well notified ahead of each showing, which was certainly a convenience for me. Thanks to Neil for such Grade A work!” – Joyce Graham “You and your capable team sold our home so quickly that we hardly had a chance to catch our breath…let alone experience all you could do if you had to pull out all the stops! Then you handled the ensuing negotiations between the buyer, his agent and us, with patience and tact, demonstrating your talent and knowledge. We were delighted to be able to say we completed the sale of our home and the move to our new home within four months, all the more amazing given our “off the radar” location. Hats Off!” – Jules and Helen Cahn “Neil Lyon is extremely helpful in selling residential property, but he also gave us valuable insight during the construction of our new home in Las Campanas as it relates to re-sale. We are very grateful to have Neil as our real estate agent for all our future housing needs in Santa Fe.” – John Paul and Judy Miller “Before too much time passes, we’d like to thank you for the impeccable job you did. Even though you were working for the seller, you made a positive impact on our overall experience. We appreciate all your hard work and we wish you success in all your endeavors.” – Recent buyers of one of Neil’s listed properties, who worked with another Realtor
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Testimonials
“In 2004 we relocated to Santa Fe from New York. We were very nervous about finding just the right house for us. We met Neil and within seconds were put completely at ease by his personable, outgoing manner. His knowledge of the Santa Fe Real Estate market is unsurpassed. He is the only one of his kind out here, truly.” – Dr. and Mrs. Daniel N. Ronel “We attribute their success to their aggressive marketing of the property…they did not just sit back and wait for something to happen via MLS. It was a unique property, and their willingness to spend both time and advertising expense was key to achieving a timely sale. We recommend them, without reservation, to anyone seeking to buy or sell real estate in the Santa Fe area.” – Chris and Carol Witze “Neil Lyon was extremely thorough, efficient, and helpful and kept us informed. We were totally satisfied with his services and would recommend him to others.” – Rick Levin “Thank you again for the professional job and timely work you did for us in selling our home. It was an emotional time for us and we needed someone to just get the job done. We also appreciated the care you took of our home while showing it, not to mention the attention to our cat and dog. They have both asked about you.” – Kyla and Roger Thompson “It was a pleasure to work with Neil Lyon-he is a true professional!” – Kurt and Cynthia Fischer “We so appreciate the hands on personal attention that you gave us. Selling a house can be a difficult time in one’s life, but you made it a fun and pleasurable experience for both my husband and myself. As you know we tried other realtors and had very negative results. From the first day of meeting with you the differences were obvious.” – Lucky and Bob Misrach “Thank you for all your dedication in getting our house sold with the time limits imposed on us with this Maryland purchase. It was a pleasure to deal with you with such a friendly, thoughtful outlook, and the office personnel were so cooperative.” – Carolyn and Bud Becker “Thank you again for your professional and kind service as we purchased our home. You actually made the process enjoyable, both because of your efficient work and your pleasant personalities.” – Gary and Deanne Coles-Christensen “Thank you, Neil, for making it all happen so quickly for us. Just the way we wanted it.” – Katrina and Patrick Feldman
“Thank you for such a thorough and successful marketing brokering campaign. You provided us with great exposure through your marketing efforts. Your extensive experience was responsible for getting this transaction closed.” – Mr. Ted P. Odmark “We spent the New Year in Santa Fe and I continued to marvel at the lovely purchase we made. It is truly perfect for us. We appreciate all your input and guidance. I have never had a real estate person point out the positives and negatives of homes we looked at as you did. I felt I was really well informed and could make a wise choice.” – Diane Daspit “Your sage opinions and valuable recommendations are much respected here. Your experience and straight arrow views have been of great value in decision-making for our real estate activities.” – Toni and Leon Fish “It is rare to find such knowledge and experience in such personable and conscientious brokers.” – Dr. and Mrs. Edward H. Kleiner “Within just a few weeks, he had determined what we wanted in a house or neighborhood, showed us several possibilities, and closed the sale on the house we love. During this time Neil was very efficient, knowledgeable and professional, all this enhanced by his wonderful sense of humor. Just as Neil was referred to us, we would not hesitate to do the same favor for someone else.” – Carole Stott and Mick Fredrickson “Over the years I have probably purchased more than 25 residential properties. I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed the ‘hunting’ process more or had the transaction handled more professionally.” – Mr. Norman Henley “During the marketing of our home, you anticipated our needs, and your follow through was excellent. We appreciated your well thought recommendation on our asking price, and other aspects of marketing our house. We are both very glad we followed your advice and trusted you. We felt like we were your only client.” – Mr. Ed Welch “Thank you for helping us sell our house. It was not an easy job. We thank you for your perseverance. Without it, we don’t think we would have been successful. When friends said you were the best broker in Santa Fe, they were right.” – Ted and Lisa Hallstrom “Neil Lyon expeditiously sold our recent house. In the future I can not imagine using anyone else.” – A.G. Buzz Bainbridge
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Testimonials
“Neil handled our listing and various home showings with consummate professionalism, following our wishes exactly. His counsel and advice concerning the various offers we received was excellent. We have purchased and sold many homes over the years and this transaction with Neil was easily the best experience we have ever had.” – Robert and Denise Ford “There is no real estate professional in Santa Fe that exceeds the standards of service set by Neil Lyon.” – Vincent Braun “In addition to his skills, knowledge, and experience, Neil Lyon has a great demeanor and wonderful sense of humor. He has the unique ability to remove some of the stress from a potentially stressful event. If we were ever to move back to the Santa Fe area, our first call would be to Mr. Neil Lyon to see if he would represent us again!” – Robert B. Wirth, M.D. “Not only was Neil very correct in all business dealings with us, but we enjoyed working with him on a personal level. He always remained optimistic and provided a sense of humor in the many exchanges we had.” – Claude and Bette Saks “From the moment we met, we both had confidence that we could trust your judgment, insight, and market knowledge. Only as time passed were we able to appreciate the total commitment of your effort, enthusiasm, energy—and friendship—to helping make the purchase and move to Santa Fe a very successful and pleasant endeavor.” – Kevin Twomey “Neil’s technical knowledge, professionalism, and genuine support throughout the sales process was exemplary. He is refreshingly enthusiastic, forthright, smart, and honest—a wonderful blend of traits that make million-dollar real estate deals fun. A real estate contract with Neil is a contract for success.” – Vickie and Dennis Saye (Saye Builders) “Neil was involved with the entire aspect of my property’s sale. This included the listing, the property’s preparation for sale, the property management during my absence from the home, the marketing and publicity of the property, the showing of the property, and the sale and follow through of the sale. Neil demonstrated exceptional expertise in each of these phases.” – Steven R. Abram, M.D. “Although our home was not in the upper price bracket of Santa Fe residential real estate, you treated it and us as if we were the highestlevel commission. Neil, you were always available to answer our questions, discuss strategy, and simply make us feel at ease in selling our biggest and most important asset. You are our broker of choice.” – Richard and Annadru Lampert
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“This is to thank you for skillfully guiding us through our recent real estate purchase. First, you were great!!! Your experience and market knowledge made it a fun, pleasurable experience. One more vote for the full-time real estate professional!” – T.A. Ellwein “We have never before had a real estate transaction require only two weeks from initial offer to closing, and the ease with which the parties came together was rather remarkable. To say that we would recommend your services to others would be a great understatement.” – Lucia and Travis Freeman “You believed in my real estate project and conveyed your confidence to my buyer—you can sell for me anytime.” – Audrey Kaplan “Linda and I want to thank you for your terrific, patient and thorough advanced preparation work without which, we never would have landed the wonderful land we purchased in Las Campanas. We finally own a piece of heaven.” – Mark F. Miller, Hearst Magazines “Just a note to tell you how pleased I was with how you handled the sale of my Las Campanas property. I can assure you, from personal experience, that this kind of professionalism and competence is all too uncommon in your business. It was a pleasure, and I would absolutely recommend you without question.” – William D. Jordan “I was very disappointed in the knowledge of certain Real Estate People in Santa Fe. After I contacted you everything went well. You handled the sale of our house and the purchase of a lot in a very professional and knowledgeable manner. This is the way we like to do business. Look forward to more transactions.” – Kurt Koehler “Not only has Neil proven to be a good friend and a great source of information, but also somebody who has been a delight to work with in a professional matter, in the sale of our real estate. We received frequent updates, found no difficulty contacting Neil when we had concerns, and found him to be extremely reliable.” – Brian D. Walker, M.D. “The ease of the paperwork for the final sale surprised us. We know that the convenience was managed by you, and we were grateful. Since selling and buying a home are one of the biggest transactions that people do, the lack of stress and mounds of paperwork were greatly appreciated.” – Roger and Kyla Thompson
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MARCH 2020
neillyon.com
Offering Superior Properties and Service Every year I look forward to the holiday season — not only to the festivities and celebrations — but to finally getting a clear picture on how our year will end up for our clients and for the team.
2019 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 1204 North Summit Drive (S)
$1,995,000
2 Cerro Gordo (L/S)
$4,900,000
As I reflect on 2019, I would rate our year a solid 9.5. I am not sure what would make any year a perfect 10, but the satisfaction generated by this past year feels close to it.
127 Sereno Drive (S)
$520,000
15 Montecito (L/S)
$949,000
123 Lorenzo (S)
$765,000
946 Cerro de la Paz (L)
$995,000
24 Campo Rancheros, Lot 72 (L)
$390,000
76 Chisholm Trail, Lot 32 (L)
$149,000
233A Delgado Street (L)
$649,000
2159 Candelero Street (L)
$354,000
524 Camino del Monte Sol (L)
$2,400,000
9 Village Lane (L/S)
$1,495,000
604 Avenida Villahermosa (S)
$344,000
In response to the growing complexities of transactions, we focused on honing and polishing our transaction management capabilities. With a typical buyer’s offer now consisting of 50 to 60 pages of documentation, the number of details and deadlines is unprecedented. Imagine being a property seller who receives a 60-page offer and you have 24 hours to respond. This now common occurrence requires an even higher level of knowledge and broker engagement to support both sellers and buyers through the complex process. We have worked tirelessly to make the transaction management process as clear, accurate and efficient as possible.
14 Vista la Esperanza (L)
$759,000
1149 East Alameda Street (L)
$1,495,000
233B Delgado Street (L)
$1,095,000
407 Camino del Monte Sol (L)
$1,150,000
49 Heartstone (L)
$1,195,000
729 East Palace Avenue (S)
$1,295,000
7 Camino Maravilla (S)
$998,787
6A El Nido Lane (L)
$1,350,000
414 Camino Delora (L)
$1,500,000
1004 Monte Serena (L)
$1,750,000 $1,495,000
608 Los Altos Norte (L)
$1,450,000
UNDER CONTRACT 40 Tierra Grande (L)
$780,000
22 Camino Amor, Lot 46 (L)
$182,000
Neil Lyon
CRB, CRS, GRI neil@neillyon.com 505.660.8600 NeilLyon.com
We are energized by the evolution of our business and the new challenges created. It drives us to push the capacities of the Neil Lyon Group to new levels, as quickly as possible. With the 2019 overall Santa Fe residential market very similar to 2018, both in terms of production (expected to be up by 3%) and unit sales (expected to be down by 4%), my group’s production was up 25% over 2018. We are extremely happy to be able to buck the market trend to the benefit of our clients. It is a source of great pride for us.
1380 Tesuque Creek (S)
L = Listing Broker (Seller), S = Selling Broker (Buyer) Prices are listing prices at the time of sale.
2019 was a year of focus and refinement. We spent considerable resources refining and evolving our already strong marketing machine. Fulfilling a goal that I have had for several years, we hired our first-ever Marketing and Design Director, who provides us with skills and resources that are pushing our marketing capacity and effectiveness to completely new levels.
While we might have earned the right to sit back, relax, and enjoy the successes of the past year, we are now working on the many initiatives that we will roll out in this new year to make us more effective and work to benefit each of our buyers and sellers. I want to thank the extremely skilled and dedicated members of the Neil Lyon Group who make what I personally do a lot more exciting and satisfying. They push and challenge me daily, to the benefit of all with whom we work. I also want to thank our many clients who give us opportunity and their trust. It is very inspiring to work with such an incredible group of individuals, who provide us with motivation and support every day of the year. I wish all a new year of peace, good health and success.
The Neil Lyon Group is a proud supporter of the
SANTA FE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Santa Fe Brokerages SOTHEBYSHOMES.COM/SANTAFE
231 Washington Avenue 505.988.8088 | 318 Grant Avenue 505.982.6207 | 326 Grant Avenue 505.988.2533 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate brokers affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.
THE ART OF LIVING S O T H E B Y S H O M E S . C O M / S A N TA F E
The Neil Lyon Group 2018 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 791 Paseo de Florencio (B) 11 Camino Azulejo (S) 4725 Chesapeake (B) 1072 Calle Largo (S) 1011 Lead Street SW, Albuquerque (B) 47 Craftsman Road (B) 435 Calle Bonita (B) 2838 Paseo del los Pueblos (S) 63 Thundercloud (S) 1400C Cerro Gordo (S) 758 Allendale (B) 290 Circle Drive (S) 10736 Stone Hollow (S) 2 Basketmaker (B) 122 Circle Drive (B) 2101 Foothills (S) 3101 Old Pecos Trail (S) 19 Cloud March East (S) 964 Old Santa Fe Trail (S) 611 Alarid (B) 885 Palace Avenue (S) 310 Delgado (B/S) 212 Cordova (B) 33 Tierra Grande (B/S) 920 Old Santa Fe Trail (S) 1254 Avenida Morelia (B) 3 Campo Rancheros (B) 1005 East Alameda (S) 1012 Marquez Place, 109B (S) 9 Camino Sin Ganas (S) 720 Camino Cabra (B) 3532 Via Brisa (S) 1564 Corte la Canada (B) 1010 Monte Serena (S) 978 Indian Ridge (B/S) 99 Cicuye (S)
$1,049,000 $699,000 $150,000 $795,000 $199,000 $254,650 $515,000 $260,000 $825,000 $860,000 $275,000 $2,495,000 $222,000 $290,000 $995,000 $1,395,000 $275,000 $760,000 $1,495,000 $565,000 $895,000 $1,100,000 $795,000 $105,000 $1,295,000 $315,000 $1,725,000 $1,175,000 $269,000 $799,000 $1,575,000 $599,000 $448,000 $1,190,000 $1,165,000 $99,000
2018 UNDER CONTRACT 1204 North Summit Drive (B) 2 Cerro Gordo (B/S) 501 Sunset (S)
$1,995,000 $4,900,000 $650,000
OFFERING SUPERIOR PROPERTIES AND SERVICE
I am pleased to present my annual End of the Year Recap. Since I began this tradition in 2006, many readers have commented how much they appreciate my perspective on the year just ended. As one very highly regarded real estate broker (who very sadly passed away last year) often said, “In Santa Fe, real estate is the drug of choice”. I think Mikey Baker was right. People in Santa Fe love real estate and they follow it using a variety of information sources. As I pen recap letters every December, I am always struck by the changes from one year to the next. Some obvious, and others subtle. This past year we witnessed buyers expressing extraordinarily specific preferences that resulted in many properties selling quickly (and even benefitting from multiple offers) while others languished. In my many years in the business, I don’t recall a comparable time when perfectly wonderful homes had so much difficulty selling, despite a generally brisk market. Most of these homes are in the higherend segment of the market, which accounts for this situation to a large degree. We also saw houses with any level of deferred maintenance much more difficult to sell than in past years. Whether a home was new or decades old, buyers wanted them as new-like as possible, resulting in homes with any measure of deferred maintenance at a serious disadvantage. I also observed a difference in key factors that drive the Santa Fe housing market. There was a time when home sales were closely tied to the performance of the stock market. If the market was above a certain threshold, activity was brisk. Below that threshold, activity ground to a halt. (I referenced this dynamic in my January 2009 EOY letter, if any of my readers follow my annual recaps that closely) In the past few years, performance in the equity markets has grown mostly disconnected from buyer activity. In the past year the price of oil appeared to be the more relevant driver. When the per-barrel-price was at its lowest, we saw a significant slowdown in activity. As oil rebounded, activity followed. With the swings we are now seeing, it seems to have a bearing on activity. Buyers from Texas and Oklahoma have always played an important role in our market, but the seemingly direct connection to oil prices wasn’t so obvious in the past. I’d like to end my letter with some gratitude and good wishes. My group of six sincerely thanks the many who made last year another very productive year. We were involved in property transactions at values at approximately $100,000 for land to approximately $5,000,000 for homes. We helped many newcomers to Santa Fe and assisted those who were bidding farewell to the City Different. We helped others move a couple of blocks or a few miles from one Santa Fe home to their next. Every year I marvel at how fortunate we are to work with truly incredible people. 2018 was no different. Whether it was with our buyers and sellers, lenders, title and escrow professionals, attorneys, or all the other professions who are involved in our transactions, we interacted with so many fine and competent individuals. Each brings great joy to us and helps make our lives fuller and more interesting. They are critical to why I love where we live and what we do. Wishing each of you a great 2019 and thanking the many who made last year such a great one.
S = Listing Broker (Seller), B = Selling Broker (Buyer) Prices are listing prices at the time of sale.
Neil D. Lyon, CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 | 505.660.8600 cell neil@neillyon.com
NeilLyon.com
Nina Farana 505.231.1123
nina@neillyon.com
Santa Fe Brokerages
231 Washington Avenue, 505.988.8088 | 318 Grant Avenue, 505.982.6207 | 326 Grant Avenue, 505.988.2533 sothebyshomes.com/SantaFe Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Christian Weichsel 214.577.9834
christian@neillyon.com
NEIL LYON GROUP 2017 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 2551 Withington Peak Drive (S) Private Drive Road 1139, Tract C (B) 1012 Marquez Place, Unit 210A (S/B) 531 Harkle Road, Suite B (B) 1862 Camino de Cruz Blanca (B) 535 Douglas Street (S) 31 Camino de los Montoyas (S) 19 & 33 Camino de los Montoyas & 4 Camino Don Patron (S) 305 Brownell Howland (S) 8226 Sprenger Road (B) 657 Garcia Street (S) 8 Tamarisk Trail (S) 17 Sonrisa Trail (S) 39 Paseo Aragon (B) 3 Alfalfa Fields Lane (S) 711 Camino Corrales (S) 6 Safiro Circle, Lot 60 (S) 404 Circle Drive (S) 104 East Sunrise Drive (S/B) 12 Deer Circle, Lot 269 (B) 1708 Paseo de la Conquistadora (B) 320 Kearney Avenue, Unit 6 (S) 310 Delgado Street (S/B) 212 Anita Place (S) 1414 Laguna Court NE (B) 9 Luna Nueva, Lot 48 (S) 84 Circle Drive Compound (B) 2 Lugar de Madison (B) 4 East Golden Eagle Road (S) 9 Columbine Lane (S) 3 Camino Medianoche, lots 825 & 827 (S) 3544 Tierra Abierta (S) 1926 41st Street (B) 2614 Campo Verde (B) 19260 HWY 84/285 (B) 8 Paseo de Aguila (S) 8 Picacho Peak Drive (B) 3101 Old Pecos Trail, Unit #304 (S) 4351 Waking Sky (S) 22 Tierra Grande (S) 9 La Traviata and 80 Avenida de las Casas (B) 1320-1324 Camino de Cruz Blanca (S, B) 264 Cuesta Del Norte (B) 19 Picaflor Place (B) UNDER CONTRACT 122 Circle Drive (B) 47 Craftsman Road (B) 2600 West Zia Road (S)
$187,500 $115,000 $249,000 $299,500 $1,925,000 $950,000 $925,000 $310,000 $3,400,000 $259,000 $1,095,000 $810,900 $950,000 $1,099,000 $560,000 $4,250,000 $89,000 $2,175,000 $1,260,000 $65,000 $390,000 $810,000 $1,050,000 $849,000 $218,500 $59,000 $1,750,000 $799,000 $995,000 $600,000 $2,195,000 $200,000 $320,000 $274,500 $250,000 $1,080,000 $2,300,000 $479,500 $369,000 $710,000 $3,745,000 $895,000 $398,500 $525,000 $995,000 $254,650 $95,000
Back in January of 2007, I published my first “End of the Year” (EOY) recap letter and record of my closed transactions for the prior year. That was an interesting time as the first hints of the Great Recession (I am not sure why it was named that, as there was nothing great about it) were just surfacing. Most of us were too busy with our thriving businesses to see the early signs or to take seriously the early chatter. This is my 12th EOY recap and it summarizes one of the strongest and most productive years my team has had in Santa Fe since 2007. 2017 was a year that ebbed and flowed as all years do, but we saw underlying strength that we hadn’t seen since before the recession. It was very exciting to successfully sell homes for 26 of our sellers and assist 21 buyers, as well, in the same year. We helped many sellers and buyers realize their real estate goals last year. That, above all, fuels our excitement and dedication. While the entire Santa Fe market ended 2017 with approximately 15% more closed transactions than Santa Fe experienced in 2016, the Neil Lyon Group’s increase was over 74%. Of our 47 closed transactions, nine were completed in the $750,000 - $1,000,000 price range, six were completed in the $1,000,000 - $2,000,000 range, three in the $2,000,000 $3,000,000 range and two at more than $3,000,000. This transaction record is a great source of pride to all of us in the Neil Lyon Group, given that our market’s average sale price is approximately $420,000. This speaks to the unique niche of customers and clients that we have the great fortune to serve. In the past twelve years, the local real estate market has changed dramatically, as have many facets of how we manage our business. Technology has put a great deal of deep and valuable information in the hands of buyers and sellers and communication technology has specifically revolutionized the pace at which we conduct our business. The notion of a true day off for a busy real estate broker is about as antiquated as the fax machine. Driven by a very strong commitment to stay well ahead of the evolutionary curve, the Neil Lyon Group has invested heavily and continuously to maintain our market-leadership position. Our team of five professionals includes my partner Roberta Lowe, our Operations Manager Nina Farana, our Marketing Specialist Marge Garcia Loehr and my wife Cindy Lyon, who plays a critical role with one of our most effective tools – Matterport, an all-in-one marketing platform combining HDR photos, stunning 3D virtual tours and floor plans of each of our listings. Speaking of Matterport, it was in the spring of last year that we concluded our first home sale that was benefitted by the buyer being able to access the Matterport platform. The virtual tour created by the 9-lens camera enabled him to view the property without personally visiting the home prior to completion of his purchase. That was a jarring example of the extreme power of presenting properties to the world using truly market-leading technology to revolutionize the buying and selling process. So many times when we are showing our listed properties to buyers who were brought by other brokers, the buyers have said, “We’ve been through this property many times and we are really excited to finally see it in person”. When we hear this, we know our outreach is working well. The addition of a Marketing Specialist is a long-term goal finally realized. The marketing resources of Sotheby’s International Realty have exploded in the recent years, which made it a nearly impossible challenge to evaluate all of the options and decide which ones to implement for the benefit of our sellers and buyers. This takes time, resources and thoughtfulness. With the considerable skills of our new marketing professional, we are already rolling out marketing initiatives that are taking our global outreach to new levels. This will accelerate in the months ahead. What 2018 has in store for Santa Fe is difficult to know with certainty, but with the tax cuts that are working their way through Congress (as I write this), the fuel that has served us all well in the past year is likely to be increased and added to the fire. We are very excited about the New Year and remain grateful to our sellers and buyers, who motivate us every day to do our absolute best. Wishing all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.
Prices are listing prices at time of sale S = represented Seller, B = represented Buyer
NEIL D. LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 | 505.660.8600 cell neil@neillyon.com
ROBERTA LOWE
505.954.5536 | 505.366.4753 cell roberta@neillyon.com
CINDY LYON
505.660.8400 cell cindy@neillyon.com
NeilLyon.com SAN TA F E B RO K E RAG ES | SOT H E BYS H O M ES.CO M /SA N TA F E 2 31 WAS H I N GTO N AV E N UE , SA N TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 8.8088 326 G RA N T AV E N UE , SA N TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 8. 2 5 3 3 318 G RA N T AV E N U E , SAN TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 2 .6 207 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.
January 1, 2017
NEIL LYON GROUP 2016 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 4 North Brisa Fresca (B 8 Avenida Herrera (B) 4 Lilac Circle (S) 6 Via Pampa + Lot 5 (S) 405 Estrella Court (B) 1508 Summit Ridge (S) 27 Hollyhock Circle, Lot 49 (S) 3 East Arrowhead Circle (S) 349 Calle Loma Norte (S) 3101 Old Pecos Trail #501 (B) 155 Brownell Howland (B) 165 Brownell Howland (B) 14 Paintbrush Circle, Lot 292 (S) 479 Camino de las Animas (SB) 413 Los Altos Way (S) 19 Koshari, Lot 734 (S) 613 Camino del Monte Sol (S) 511 Camino Pinones (S) 55A South Double Arrow Road (S) 352 Hillside Avenue (SB) 48 Calle Mi Gusto, Lot 53 (S) 616 East Alameda, Unit E (S) 34 Sangre de Cristo Drive (S) 138 Avenida Frijoles (S)
$1,095,000 $700,000 $719,500 $1,130,000 $925,000 $1,250,000 $60,000 $950,000 $445,000 $480,000 $1,800,000 $1,950,000 $50,000 $1,960,000 $929,000 $49,000 $1,050,000 $2,175,000 $1,395,000 $1,350,000 $38,500 $1,049,000 $843,000 $559,000
UNDER CONTRACT 1012 Marquez Place, Unit 210A (SB) 820 Los Lovatos (S) 657 Garcia Street (S) 962 Cerro De La Paz (B) Prices are listing prices at time of sale S = represented Seller, B = represented Buyer
$249,000 $698,000 $1,095,000 $3,400,000
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." –John F. Kennedy If there were ever a year to embrace change, it was 2016. Embrace may not be the most appropriate word for many, however, this last year caused so many of us to think about our world in truly new ways. Ironically, the real estate market in Santa Fe in 2016 wasn’t much different from the year before. Overall sales were 1% greater than in 2015. The most notable changes were in the higher end market segment. Why higher end sales were off as they were was discussed and theorized often once the trend became obvious. Was it oil trading at such a low price, keeping those who were interested in a vacation home on the sidelines? Was it the everpresent claim that activity slows down in anticipation of a presidential election? Was the lack of urgency due to prices remaining stable? Did buyers come to buy but didn’t because they couldn’t find the perfect house, due to limited choices? It was these factors and likely other less obvious dynamics that contributed to the outcome. Back to change… 2016 was a year of growth and expansion for the Neil Lyon Group. Roberta Lowe joined us as my partner. It was a coup to attract Roberta, who brings great strength, substance and style to the team. Another addition was Jackson Blagden, who returned to Santa Fe after honing his vast education and skills in distant lands to join my group as the Operations Manager. My wife Cindy also joined my group to roll out a stunning new technology that is transforming the web experience for those seeking a Santa Fe home. We acquired Matterport, a truly cutting edge tool that allows viewers of our High Definition 3D Virtual Tours to walk through our listed properties as they wish… room by room, at their pace, viewing a home unlike any way they have ever walked through a home… remotely. The quality is remarkable and the user experience is unlike any in the past. The reaction to Matterport has been incredible. Once you see our virtual tours, you’ll understand. We are now filming all of the properties we are marketing to show them to the world through the eyes of Matterport. The most frequent question asked by our new clients is “what will this cost me?" We proudly answer “nothing”, as we have integrated Matterport into our ever-increasing toolbox of marketing assets and services. We also embarked on the re-branding of the Neil Lyon Group, which will result in many new tools and resources and the rollout of NeilLyon.com 3.0 late in the first quarter. Our new website will expand on the theme of enhancing the user experience, to the benefit of all who work with our Group. Despite the challenges of the market, we sold an impressive amount of real estate in 2016, but we remain focused on getting the job done for our many buyers and sellers who are making changes in 2017. We are grateful to our many clients and supporters who have made this last year such a great success. We now take a bit of time to rejoice in the many victories that were achieved for our clients in the year that has just ended. However, our focus is on the future and completing the critical transactions for those who have engaged the Neil Lyon Group to achieve their real estate goals in this New Year. We are off to work!
NEIL D. LYON CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 | 505.660.8600 cell neil@neillyon.com
JACKSON BLAGDEN 505.954.5522 | 505.490.0114 cell jackson@neillyon.com
ROBERTA LOWE 505.954.5536 | 505.366.4753 cell roberta@neillyon.com
CINDY LYON 505.660.8400 cell cindy@neillyon.com
NeilLyon.com SAN TA F E B RO K E RAG ES | SOT H E BYS H O M ES.CO M /SA N TA F E 2 31 WAS H I N GTO N AV E N UE , SA N TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 8.8088 326 G RA N T AV E N UE , SA N TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 8. 2 5 3 3 417 EAST PA L AC E AV E N UE , SA N TA F E , N M 875 0 1 | 5 0 5. 9 8 2 .6 207 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.
Neil D. Lyon, CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 • 505.660.8600 cell • neil@neillyon.com Vanessa Rios y Valles 505.954.5522 • 505.231.3708 cell • vanessa@neillyon.com Michaelene Sargent 505.954.5514 • 505.660.3850 cell • michaelene@neillyon.com
NeilLyon.com January 1, 2016
NEIL LYON GROUP 2015 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 540 East Alameda, Unit D (S) 30 Paseo del Antilope (S) 338 Calle Estado (B) 1204 Calle de Agua (B) Lots 95 & 98, Sierra del Norte (B) 8 Plaza del Centro (B) 40 Greywolf (S) 899 Camino del Este (B) 1909 Meadow Court (B) 115 East Sunrise (S) 2334 Wilderness Way (B) 16 Falling Star Circle (S) 84 County Road 74 (B) 4 Calle Cimmaron (B) 320 Kearney Street, #2 (S) 1057 Sierra del Norte (S) Spirit Rock Ranch (S) 675 Garcia Street (B) 233 Delgado Street, Unit B (B) 6 Morning Glory (S) Triple 7 Ranch (B) 44 Paseo del Coyote (S) 201-C Williams Street (S) 908 Lorenzo Street (S)
$1,595,000 $650,000 $499,000 $2,800,000 $400,000 $1,495,000 $2,595,000 $840,000 $525,000 $795,000 $1,195,000 $1,095,000 $975,000 $944,000 $1,250,000 $1,245,000 $795,00 $1,420,000 $945,000 $695,000 $4,750,000 $845,000 $624,000 $344,500
UNDER CONTRACT 718 West Manhattan (SB) 4 Camino Sabio (S)
$549,000 $1,835,000
Prices are listing prices at time of sale S = represented Seller, B = represented Buyer
2015 was a very productive year for the Neil Lyon Group. We participated in 26 closed transactions and we generated six referral transactions. Our productivity increased by 37% as compared to 2014. This success was made possible by our sellers who carefully considered the detailed market information that we provided to them, who then effectively prepared their homes and strategically priced them to be very attractive to potential buyers. In some cases sellers opted to make bold price adjustments in order to gain the competitive edge their homes were initially missing. This success was also made possible by our many buyers who came to the market well prepared and serious-minded. Some of these buyers hailed from California, Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Virginia and Great Britain. Some we had worked with as many as seven times in the past and others were referred to us by past clients or other brokers from around the country. We sold properties that were available for less than a week and others that had been on the market for several years. Some transactions involved buyers who were turned down for financing, who we then connected with a more creative lender and made it work. We sold primary residences, vacation homes, and investment properties. Some were acquiring homes to be occupied immediately, while others bought now with plans to move to Santa Fe in the future. Some purchased because of a new job, some to get closer to their children, and others to be closer to their horses. Some of our sellers sold because they couldn’t get to Santa Fe often enough, or they wanted to move closer to their children and grandchildren, or some were executing a move into assisted living communities in distant locations. As you can see, in a year when we were involved in over 30 transactions (which is typical for us), each transaction addressed a very unique and personal set of circumstances. We assisted people and families coming and going. And coming back. And going again. Most of these transactions involved many of the usual steps, but each transaction was also about addressing a need that was very specific to that person, couple or family. And almost every transaction we were involved in had surprising and unexpected twists and turns, some representing minor speed bumps and others representing major obstacles. But in cooperation with other brokers, lenders, appraisers, inspectors, contractors, title companies and the many other involved parties, we got the job done. Finally, I want to acknowledge the members of the Neil Lyon Group. Starting with the consummate professional Vanessa Rios y Valles. Vanessa has served our clients for over 11 years and continues to provide impeccable service and expertise every hour of every day. Michaelene Sargent continues to play a pivotal role with our many sellers and buyers, always demonstrating unusual care and rock-solid expertise. And lastly, Lauren Robertson provides valuable, accurate and totally reliable marketing and website support to our many sellers and the Team. My team is comprised of three unusually talented and dedicated professionals. Everyone who comes in contact with the Neil Lyon Group benefits from their talents. I want to publicly thank them for their always-excellent work. I want to wish every reader a new year of good health and success in their endeavors. And a very sincere thanks to our many sellers and buyers who give us the opportunity to serve them. We are very grateful to each of you.
SANTA FE | sothebyshomes.com/santafe 231 Washington Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.988.8088 326 Grant Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.988.2533 417 East Palace Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.982.6207 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc., Equal Housing Opportunity.
Visit onlywithus.com to discover the benefits available through us alone.
Neil D. Lyon, CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 • 505.660.8600 cell • neil@neillyon.com Vanessa Rios y Valles 505.954.5522 • 505.231.3708 cell • vanessa@neillyon.com Michaelene Sargent 505.954.5514 • 505.660.3850 cell • michaelene@neillyon.com
NeilLyon.com January 2015
137 Calle Ventoso West (B)
2014 was an “interesting” year. As I write this letter in early December the Dow Jones Industrial Average is cautiously marching towards 18,000. Interest rates are low… in the 3.25% to 4.25% range, dependent upon the particular terms of a loan. Our biggest feeder markets are experiencing very strong economies. Home prices are at or near their post-recession lows. The number of properties on the market is more than suf$1,395,000 ficient for buyers to have plenty of great choices.
791 Paseo del Florencio (S)
$899,000 We were set up for a very strong year of recovery. After the first quarter we were off to a blazing start. Then
431 & 435 Arroyo Tenorio (B)
$2,325,000
23 Rising Moon (S)
$795,000
960 Old Santa Fe Trail (SB)
$1,600,000
310 Delgado Street (B)
$1,150,000
2101 Foothills Road (S)
$1,495,000 The very positive news is that Santa Fe is again poised for a very strong year. The key factors are in place and
NEIL LYON GROUP 2014 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS
21 Ridgetop Circle (B)
a (not so) funny thing happened. Our recovery lost steam and we experienced three quarters of restrained activity, which will cause the market to end the year very similarly to 2013. In the $2,000,000+ market, Santa Fe will see about the same number of closed sales as we experienced in 2013. Approximately 1 each month. In the $1,000,000 – $2,000,000 category, Santa Fe will experience approximately one more sale every two months. In the $500,000 to $1,000,000 category, the market will end up generating about 3 more sales each month as compared to 2013.
$1,550,000 we saw spurts of increased activity late in 2014. We think this bodes very well for 2015.
821 Camino Vistas Encantada (S)
$660,000 2014 was a very good year for the Neil Lyon Group. Our sales activity was about as we expected. And our ex-
Spirit Rock Ranch (B)
$1,170,000 pectations are always high. We made some significant refinements in our marketing approach and we blazed
49 Calle San Martin (B)
$1,395,000
to our buyers.
616 East Alameda, Unit C (B)
$1,337,000
46 Hollyhock Circle (S)
$997,000 Vanessa continues to provide incredible value and service to our clients and customers, evidenced by the
127 Duran Street (B)
$455,000 always-predictable praise she earns from those with whom we work. Michaelene Sargent, approaching 2
144 Gonzales Road, Unit 5 (S)
$550,000 ers and sellers. And with Lauren Robertson providing primarily web-based marketing and advertising support
14 Vista La Esperanza (B)
$698,000 for our listed properties, the capacity of the Neil Lyon Group reached a new level in 2014.
74 Lodge Trail (S)
$1,545,000 As we wrap up 2014 and put a bow on the year, I have very similar feelings to those I had last year at this time.
10 Sonrisa Court (S)
$699,000 And in other past years at this time, for that matter. I am very grateful to the members of the Neil Lyon Group,
144 Gonzales Road, Unit 7 (B)
$540,000 and I am extremely thankful to our many clients and customers who call upon us, in many cases time after
some new territory in how we advertise and promote our listed properties, and in the services that we provide We had a significant milestone in 2014, with Vanessa Rios y Valles celebrating her 10th year with my Team.
years on my Team, continues to provide very intelligent and competent brokerage services to our many buy-
I am proud to be a part of Sotheby’s International Realty (having just celebrated 30 years with the company),
time, to provide them with our expert services as they buy and sell in Santa Fe. It is truly an honor. And as 35 Koshari (S) $859,000
UNDER CONTRACT 19 Entrada Descanso, Lot 878 (S)
$55,000
we celebrate the many successes of 2014, we are very mindful of the important work that still needs to be completed on behalf of our many clients, as they look to sell their Santa Fe properties or to purchase in Santa Fe, and become a part of our great community. Wishing everyone a 2015 full of good health, good fortune and ample time to do all that makes us happy, satisfied and help improve our communities.
Prices are listing prices at time of sale S = represented Seller, B = represented Buyer
SANTA FE | sothebyshomes.com/santafe 231 Washington Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.988.8088 326 Grant Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.988.2533 417 East Palace Avenue | Santa Fe, NM 87501 | 505.982.6207 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc., Equal Housing Opportunity.
Visit onlywithus.com to discover the benefits available through us alone.
Neil D. Lyon, CRB, CRS, GRI 505.954.5505 • 505.660.8600 cell • neil@neillyon.com
Vanessa Rios y Valles 505.954.5522 • 505.231.3708 cell • vanessa@neillyon.com
Michaelene Sargent 505.954.5514 • 505.660.3850 cell • michaelene@neillyon.com
neillyon.com
NEIL LYON GROUP 2013 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 263 El Duane Court (S) 245 Rael Road (B) 708 Calle del Resplandor (S) 704 Camino Ocaso del Sol (S) 1340 Vista Morada (S) 1549 Wilderness Gate Road (SB) 984 Paseo del Sur (B) 1 South Stargazer (S) 721 Calle Picacho (B) 705 Camino Ocaso del Sol (SB) 211 Rosario Blvd #4 (S) 3161 Vista Sandia (S) 118 East Sunrise (S) 1010 Monte Serena (S) 34 Primrose Circle (S) 2 Light Air, Lot 43 (S) 4 Light Air, Lot 44 (S) 1117-1123 Canyon Road (S) 49 Heartstone Drive (SB) 1303 Hummingbird Court (S) 616 Los Altos Norte (S) 11 Parsley Circle, Lot 222 (SB)
UNDER CONTRACT 1847 Sun Mountain Drive (S) 137 Calle Ventoso West (B)
January 1, 2014
A year of rebuilding. That was the predominate theme of 2013. It was the most “normal” year our market has experienced since 2007. Unlike many of the real estate markets around the US that had $625,000 spectacular recoveries, Santa Fe quietly and pretty steadily gained footing as the year progressed. We $299,000 didn’t experience the dramatic appreciation that quite a few other markets did, but we saw the multiyear decline in local values cease and we saw stabilization and same value increases. $765,000 $1,995,000 We also saw another very important sign of strength. Many very appealing properties were brought to the market, with accurate and thoughtful asking prices, and many of them went under contract $769,000 within a matter of weeks. And in quite a few cases, even in days. We witnessed multiple offers and we $665,000 saw properties selling above their asking prices. Results only seen when a market has some fundamen$610,000 tally solid underlying strength. Strength we hadn’t seen in quite a few years. Buyers always seemed to $550,000 be present and ready to jump when a well-priced and compelling property hit the market.
$1,695,000 The 16 day Federal government shutdown hit us hard. Not only in Santa Fe, but it significantly ham$2,800,000 pered many markets across the country. We then saw our local market regain traction and end the $350,000 year with an impressive number of sales in the $1,000,000+ market segment. The segment of the market that had previously been struggling. $705,000 $829,000 Within the Neil Lyon Group, we continued to evolve and grow our business. We had the good fortune to have Michaelene Sargent join our team in June. Bringing with her a long history in Santa Fe and $1,115,000 many years of highly relevant experience while working with a top local title company, Mikey added $1,450,000 to our capacity immediately. We also developed a new and very comprehensive tool to assist buyers $100,000 who are coming to Santa Fe from outside of the area. This Buyers Guide has proven to provide valu$110,000 able guidance to those unfamiliar with much of what is unique to our small city. A city that is appropri$1,400,000 ately called the City Different. We also embarked on a project to video our listed homes, adding this valuable tool to the many websites we use to expose our listed property around the globe. This is a $1,395,000 project that will take another 4-6 months to complete, but the response to the videos we have had $1,295,000 produced thus far has been very gratifying. $1,095,000 We are grateful for completing a year that was again very productive. Selling properties priced $99,000 between $2,800,000 and down to $99,000, we took unusual pride in getting it done for each and every one of our clients, both sellers and buyers. We sold some properties in a matter of days and others took more years than we like to admit. In the extremes, we were thrilled in all cases. $699,000 As we jump into 2014, we are thankful to the many clients who have contributed to our recent $1,395,000 successes, yet we remain excited for the business yet to be completed for our clients who are relying upon us in the months ahead.
Prices are listing prices at time of sale S = represented Seller, B = represented Buyer
326 Grant Avenue i 505.988.2533 231 Washington Avenue i 505.988.8088 417 east Palace Avenue i 505.982.6207
sothebyshomes.com/santafe Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.
SANTA FE’S MARKET LEADER We are Local Experts with a Global Reach
NEIL LYON GROUP NEIL LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI DIRECT: 954.5505 CELL: 660.8600
neillyon.com
VANESSA RIOS Y VALLES DIRECT: 954.5522 CELL: 231.3708
2012 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 1054 Encantado Drive (B) 44 Lamy Downs (S)
$1,595,000 $599,000
1055 Old Santa Fe Trail (S)
$1,350,000
7 Greywolf (B)
$1,495,000
114 Thundercloud Road (S)
$110,000
11 Sonrisa Court (S)
$570,000
545 Vista de la Ciudad (S)
$895,000
15 Calle Ventoso East (S)
$60,000
111 Coronado Lane (SB)
$449,000
1776 Fort Union Drive (S)
$509,200
964 Old Santa Fe Trail (S)
$1,235,000
10 Bluesky Circle (S)
$1,037,000
1 La Traviata (SB)
$2,100,000
1433 Old Sunset Trail (S)
$1,375,000
2558 Atalaya Hill Trail (S)
$995,000
7 Bluesky Circle (S)
$899,000
18 Calle Noble (S)
$2,975,000
7 Tano Point Lane (S)
$4,800,000
817 Camino del Este (S)
$859,000
76 Paseo del Coyote (S)
$595,000
16 San Juan Ranch Road (SB) 105 Valencia Road (S)
$1,375,000
245 Rael Road (B)
With the usual excitement and energy that I experience after the greatly-enjoyed holiday season, my team bounds into 2013 with great anticipation and enthusiasm. We had a wonderful and very productive 2012 and we hope you had the same. 2012 was an unusual year. A mixed-bag of sorts. Quite a few very positive outcomes occurred. Nationally, we witnessed the end of the 5 year slide of the real estate market. Good news was heard often. Cautiously delivered, but still heard frequently. That was very refreshing and important. Property values not only stop dropping in many markets, but some markets actually saw increases in values. In a few cases, markets saw very significant increases in values. These were normally the markets that were hit the hardest. Interest rates stayed very low. Record low mortgage interest rates benefitted many buyers for much of 2012. The U.S. saw significant improvements in the rate of unemployment, to levels that we hadn’t seen for 5 years. Homebuilding saw its first signs of recovery since the market began to slide. Not universal improvements, but it happened in enough markets to signal that the corner on new construction had been turned. And to top it off, the expected slowdown that was anticipated between Thanksgiving through the New Year didn’t really happen. The post-election period saw buyers coming to Santa Fe, engaging and being excited by the environment of attractive values and very low interest rates. We ended 2012 pretty strongly. 2012 was not without its challenges. In the months leading up to the November election, we saw a significant slowdown in our local market. This was especially true in the higher-end segment of the market. While the market priced under $1,000,000 saw a 26% increase in sales in 2012, the market over $1,000,000 experienced a decrease in sales of 12%. That certainly was unexpected. We also continued to see lenders making the buying and selling process unnecessarily difficult. Working through the short-sale process remained far too painful. Buyers seeking loans to finance their purchases experienced the dreaded inefficiencies of the loan process. As is usually the case, the Neil Lyon Group had a truly wonderful year. We sold listings priced as low as $60,000 to as high at $4,800,000. I added to my staff to improve our turnaround time on key activities. We engaged professional consultants to improve our tools and services. We sold properties for 21 of our sellers, which was close to a record number of listings sold. We also saw a level of civility between buyers and sellers that we hadn’t see for quite a few years. That fact alone contributed immensely to 2012 being a really wonderful year.
$895,000 And the sprinkling on the cake…Vanessa Rios y Valles celebrated her 8th anniversary with my team. She is such a valuable asset to all with whom we interact.
UNDER CONTRACT 1023 Sierra del Norte (S)
January 1, 2013
$1,295,000 $299,000
Here is to wishing everyone a great 2013 and thanking our clients in advance for making 2013 another great year.
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY SANTA FE BROKERAGE 326 GRANT AVENUE I 505.988.2533 231 WASHINGTON AVENUE I 505.988.8088 Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
417 EAST PALACE AVENUE I 505.982.6207
sothebyshomes.com/santafe
SANTA FE’S MARKET LEADER We are Local Experts with a Global Reach
NEIL LYON GROUP NEIL LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI DIRECT: 954.5505 CELL: 660.8600
EVELYN SPIKER, CRS, GREEN, RSPS DIRECT: 954.5556 CELL: 930.0999
VANESSA RIOS Y VALLES DIRECT: 954.5522 CELL: 231.3708
2011 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 77 Calle Ventoso West (S) 52-B Paseo del Pinon (B) 31 Calle Ventoso West (S) 8 Morning Glory (B) 144 Gonzales #9 (B) 2910 Rufina Court (SB) 4 La Vida Court (S) 49 Rancho Escondido (SB) 43 Rancho Escondido (B) 13 Chestnut Circle, Lot 919 (B) 3337 Paseo Segunda (SB) 22 Piute Road (B) 8 Lavadero Road (S) 14 Plazuela Intimo (S) 12-A Deans Court (S) 2232 Wilderness Arroyo (SB) 535 Douglas Street (B) 20 Lamy Drive, Lot 20 (S) 64 Paseo del Conejo (B) 14 Vista La Esperanza (S) 31 Graythorn (S) 36 Sierra Rosa Loop (SB) 24 Tano Escondido (S) 290 Circle Drive (S) 35 Entrada Descanso (SB) 704 Calle del Resplandor (B) 18 Paseo del Rancho (S) 1121 West Ridge Road (B) 50 Mustang Mesa, Lot 867 (S) 560 Piedmont (S)
$1,795,000 $795,000 $1,895,000 $699,000 $389,000 $200,000 $865,000 $13,500,000 $659,000 $475,000 $950,000 $695,000 $1,050,000 $635,000 $317,000 $1,975,000 $850,000 $299,000 $950,000 $649,000 $925,000 $850,000 $1,650,000 $2,750,000 $1,050,000 $695,000 $580,000 $550,000 $175,000 $1,495,000
UNDER CONTRACT 524 Camino del Monte Sol (B) 15 Calle Ventoso East, Lot 799 (S) 1055 Old Santa Fe Trail (S) 1054 Encantado Drive (B)
$1,450,000 $60,000 $1,350,000 $1,595,000
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer
January 1, 2012 I hope everyone reading this letter had a great holiday season. Retail sales and home buying activity were strong as we ended 2011, which indicates that many are now experiencing a comfort and confidence that we had all come to question in the past few years. We should all take this as a positive sign as we head into 2012. A complex set of circumstances created a bit of a surprising outcome in 2011. As we all know, property values have been declining significantly from their highs of 2006/2007. In some segments of our local market…very significantly. What defined 2011 was most buyers seemed to have reached the collective belief that Santa Fe home prices had finally reached their low point, or were very close. This conclusion, combined with incredibly low interest rates, encouraged many previously on-the-fence buyers to finally complete their purchases. But there is more to the story: In the past 34 years I have observed a very cautious attitude on the part of affluent consumers resulting in their being extremely careful with their assets. This circumspection allowed them to maintain (or build) financial strength so that they were in a position to comfortably take advantage of the extraordinary buying opportunities that were (and still are) available in Santa Fe. It is also worth mentioning that many who finally purchased in 2011 had been considering a move to Santa Fe or a Santa Fe vacation home for many years. Their patience was rewarded when all of the above factors came together, allowing them to move forward with confidence. The results of the above dynamics caused there to be an interesting end result. The higher-end segment of the market ($1,000,000+) saw a 21% increase in the number of sales in 2011 as compared to 2010. Contrast this to the number of sales below $1,000,000, which saw less than a 1% increase as compared to the previous year. The successes the Neil Lyon Group experienced last year were due to some very important partners. We worked with property owners who were realistic about the (usually painful) realities of the market and allowed us to be their guides as we successfully marketed and sold their properties. Is some cases we completed our assignments in weeks or months, in other cases it took us a year or two. We thank all our sellers for their trust and patience. We also had the pleasure of working with many buyers who were genuinely excited about purchasing in Santa Fe. Very few purchase in Santa Fe because of a “have to”. Almost all do so because of a “want to”. This single fact injects a very different and wonderful dynamic into our business. We worked with buyers who came from many states and a couple of foreign countries, making our transactions interesting, challenging and rewarding. I also want to thanks the 2 outstanding professionals who comprise the “Group” in the Neil Lyon Group. Evelyn Spiker, who joined my team in the summer of 2010, was rock-solid in her professionalism, her analytical skills, her diligence and a dedication to getting things done for our buyers and sellers, with their interests as priorities one, two and three. Vanessa Rios y Valles, who has been with me since the fall of 2004, has a role of such importance that it is difficult to reduce her value to the written word. Her diligence, extensive knowledge, skills and attention to detail are all unique qualities that combine to make her an incredible asset to our sellers, buyers and the Group. I am extraordinarily grateful to both Evelyn and Vanessa and our many buyers and sellers for helping make 2011 one of the most productive years I have experienced in my many years in the residential brokerage business. We begin 2012 with gratitude for the many successes we participated in last year, while feeling the weight of the work that lies ahead. Of the dozens of sellers and buyers we are now working with, we’ll be thanking many of them a year from now. That gives us plenty of incentive to go after the new year with great energy and enthusiasm. My thanks to all who are involved with the Neil Lyon Group, and I wish each of you a new year filled with good health, happiness and success.
www.sothebyshomes.com/santafe Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
www.neillyon.com
326 Grant Avenue • 505.988.2533
NEIL LYON GROUP NEIL LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI DIRECT: 954.5505 CELL: 660.8600
EVELYN SPIKER, CRS, GREEN, RSPS DIRECT: 954.5556 CELL: 930.0999
VANESSA RIOS Y VALLES
DIRECT: 954.5522 CELL: 231.3708
January 1, 2011
2010 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 942 Old Bridge Court (S) $575,000 54 Dayflower (B) $1,295,000 211 Rosario Blvd. #4 (B) $319,000 64 Paseo del Conejo (S) $975,000 1212 North Summit (S) $2,550,000 2570 Atalaya Hill Trail (S) $1,750,000 155 Ridge Road (SB) $1,650,000 Lot 37, La Tierra (B) $395,000 526 Calle Corvo (S) $455,000 1549 Wilderness Gate Road (S) $579,000 1040 Bishop’s Lodge Road Tract B (B) $320,000 939 Acequia Madre (B) $990,000 516 Camino Rancheros (B) $1,995,000 1401-1407 Upper Canyon Road (S) $1,800,000 61 Paseo del Antilope (S) $899,000 36 La Ventana Drive (B) $1,395,000 538 Garcia Street (S) $1,200,000 24 Star Dancer (S) $899,500 811 W Manhattan #D (S) $330,000
UNDER CONTRACT 1057 Sierra del Norte (B) 1521 Wilderness Gate, Lot 16 (S)
$1,165,000 $249,000
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer
I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season. I personally have come to enjoy the holidays now more than at any other time in the past. There is much to be grateful for, not the least of which is the fact that I get to have both our children at home which now is a pretty rare occurrence. I also appreciate the expectation (our clients and mine) that there gets to be some “down time” for us all, which certainly isn’t the norm for me. And, to be totally candid, I was also looking forward to the holidays because I was very curious to see how this past year would end up business-wise, after experiencing another very challenging year in Santa Fe real estate. So how did it go? In a nutshell, 2010 was a “three fer year”. That’s my way of saying we got the equivalent of 3 very different years in one. Let me explain: The first 5 months of 2010 had things shaping up to be a very strong year. Then came the next 4 months: a tumultuous time due to a wild and scary ride in the stock market that slowed activity down to a crawl. Finally, in the last three months we experienced a pretty decent recovery which now positions us for a very strong start for the New Year. The Neil Lyon Group had the pleasure of having Evelyn Spiker join us last year. Evelyn has brought a great deal of strength, experience and professionalism for the benefit of our clients and our team. Vanessa Rios y Valles also started her 7th year as a key member of my Group. Her wide range of skills, her intelligence and intuition, and her unwavering commitment benefits our clients every day, as it does the rest of my Group. As I noted above in my description of the “three fer year”, the environment for completing transactions got very difficult in the late spring and I couldn’t be prouder of my team and what we accomplished. At that time we began seeing buyers delaying their decisions on the expectation that prices would decrease further and we also began dealing with lending issues unlike any I have seen in over 30 years in business. Between very stringent and unpredictable underwriting guidelines, the mechanics of a very challenging and inefficient short sale process and the ever-changing appraisal process, getting each of our transactions closed seemed like a minor miracle. Due to these adverse conditions, 2010 was not my Group’s most productive year, but it definitely ranks towards the top and I am extremely proud of and grateful for Vanessa and Evelyn, our clients, the many co-brokers with whom we worked, the lenders, appraisers, title professionals, surveyors, general inspectors, septic and well experts and others who collaborated to make things happen when a less tenacious approach would have ended in far fewer successful transactions. As we jump into 2011, the Neil Lyon Group has many listed properties yet to sell, we have many buyers with whom we will complete transactions and we’ll represent many new clients in the months ahead. We are excited and grateful to have gotten through the very challenging past 2 ¼ years; achieving many successes under trying circumstances. With what looks like the worst behind us, we move forward with optimism and confidence.
www.santafesir.com • www.sothebyshomes.com/santafe Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
326 Grant Avenue • 505.988.2533
NEIL LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI DIRECT: 954.5505 CELL: 660.8600
DEBORAH DOUGLAS DIRECT: 954.0777 CELL: 577.5169
VANESSA RIOS Y VALLES
DIRECT: 954.5522 CELL: 231.3708
With attractive property values and very low interest rates, it’s a great time to buy in Santa Fe. January 2010
2009 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 1985 Cerros Colorados (S)
$1,050,000
7 Madrona Circle (B)
$1,295,000
825 Placita del Este (B) 2564 Tano Compound Drive (S)
$699,000 $1,125,000
5 Paintbrush Circle (S)
$795,000
1322 Cibola Circle (B)
$434,000
688 La Viveza Court (S)
$710,000
7150 Old Santa Fe Trail (S)
$1,495,000
3 Chestnut Circle (B)
$2,295,000
24 Tano Escondido (S)
$1,650,000
4 Encantado Loop (S)
$424,500
4305 Cloud Dance (S)
$237,500
9 Cloudview Court (S)
$1,350,000
946 Cerro de la Paz (S)
$1,100,000
1128 West Ridge Road (SB)
$1,950,000
3278 Paseo Segunda (S)
$1,190,000
9 Carissa Road (S)
$485,000
1040 Bishop’s Lodge Road (B)
$1,100,000
27A Glowing Star Road (S)
$1,495,000
1908 Meadow Court (S) 1011 Monte Serena (SB)
$895,000 $1,595,000
18 Sunlit Drive East (S)
$489,000
128 West Zia Road (S)
$465,000
7 Greywolf (B)
$1,650,000
UNDER CONTRACT 410 West San Mateo (B)
$450,000
1159 South Summit Drive (B)
$382,500
54 Dayflower Drive (B)
$1,295,000
For at least 6 months I have been looking forward to this new year. My desire for 2009 to end wasn’t really because 2009 was such a bad year. It wasn’t. Challenging, yes. Bad, no. My desire to see 2010 was more about my curiosity about how ‘09 was going to end. The suspense about the year was due to the fact that 2009 was really two very different years rolled into one. I wasn’t sure if we would see yet another major shift before it was over. The first few months of 2009 were defined by a fear that I’d never seen or felt before, and I think I speak for most of us. Those of us with jobs experienced concerns and uncertainty unlike any in the past. Those fortunate with substantial wealth felt an insecurity that they never expected to feel at this point in the lives, and that was most unsettling. The election of the Obama administration spread needed hope over the national landscape, but the reality of what we saw and felt daily created a confusing disconnection. It wasn’t until the stock market started its dramatic assent did the fear start to recede for many. However, it felt as though we were inching our way onto the icy surface of a newly frozen lake, hoping that it was thick and solid enough to carry our weight. It felt good to be back on the ice, even while sensing the fear of possibly venturing onto the lake before it was solidly frozen. As we moved into the summer months, something wonderful started to happen. Buyers returned to Santa Fe, found properties that excited them, found values that emboldened them... and bought homes. This didn’t happen as frequently as we had seen in past years, but it was happening. Prior to this, buyers looked and looked, and then returned to their homes, assuming that prices would continue to decline, and expected to be rewarded for delaying their purchase. Is the recovery real? It appears that it is. Is the recovery going to continue without hiccups? Very doubtful. Is the Santa Fe housing market alive and well? Yes to alive, but still recovering with much more work ahead. Values are well off the highs of the past, but we now have sufficient market information that has accumulated since the dramatic changes that began in September of 2008 that gives us a much clearer picture of where we are and what most likely lies ahead. It is good to know that we are in a far better place than we were 12 months ago. A few comments about the Neil Lyon Group. 2009 ended up being a very solid year for us, as you can see. With 2 truly incredible real estate brokers and dedicated professionals, Vanessa Rios y Valles and Deborah Douglas, we managed an extremely challenging environment exceedingly well. Many of our completed transactions were complex and rife with obstacles, but we had the great fortune to work with committed buyers and sellers who stayed focused on the desired outcome of each of their transactions. Lenders worked diligently to cope with ever-changing rules and requirements, escrow and title professionals executed their roles expertly, appraisers successfully struggled with too little relevant data and much of it inconclusive, and most of the cooperating brokers we worked with went the extra ten miles to get their jobs done with impressive skill and professionalism. After the holidays, as we focus on the year ahead and how to best serve our clients, I am very grateful for the many successes we had in 2009, but my team and I are very mindful of the many clients for whom we still have much work to complete. To each of you who contributed to our successes in 2009, my team and I offer a sincere thank you.
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer
For detailed information about the Santa Fe market go to the USA Report on NeilLyon.com 326 Grant Avenue Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.988.2533
NEIL LYON, CRB, CRS, GRI DIRECT: 954.5505 CELL: 660.8600
DEBORAH DOUGLAS DIRECT: 954.0777 CELL: 577.5169
VANESSA RIOS Y VALLES
DIRECT: 954.5522 CELL: 231.3708
Averaging one closed transaction e ver y 12 days in 2008. December 2008
2008 CLOSED TRANSACTIONS 436 Camino del Monte Sol (SB) 35 ABC Polmood Farm Road (S) 10 Parsley Circle, Lot 224 (S) 313 West Manhattan (S) 4 Rain Dance Ct, Lot 521 (SB) 70 Amberwood Loop (S) 40 Shaggy Peak Trail (SB) 85 County Road 74 (S) 1028 South Summit Ridge (S) 14 West Arrowhead Circle (S) 414 Camino Delora #4 (B) 35 Primrose Circle, Lot 67 (S) 73 La Serena Trail (S) 24 Wilderness Gate (S) 730 Camino Pinones (S) 14 Miller’s End (B) 506 Agua Fria (B) 2326 Wilderness Ridge (S) 6 Puma Circle (S) 20 Amberwood Loop, Lot 328 (B) 10 Cloud March West, Lot 8 (S) 15 East Golden Eagle (S) 26 Entrada Descanso, Lot 872 (S) 3072 Monte Sereno Drive (S) 26 Camino Caruso (S) 1176 Cerro Gordo (B) 1569 Cerro Gordo (B) 804 Calle David (B) 716 Camino Ocaso del Sol (B) 144 Gonzales, #5 (SB)
$832,000 $6,250,000 $195,000 $580,000 $145,000 $1,825,000 $2,300,000 $869,000 $1,145,000 $1,200,000 $1,625,000 $249,000 $950,000 $1,050,000 $2,675,000 $1,695,000 $995,000 $1,295,000 $1,695,000 $450,000 $259,000 $895,000 $165,000 $1,095,000 $1,350,000 $1,050,000 $1,966,000 $799,000 $1,995,000 $595,000
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer
How high does this foggy mountain road go until we begin to head back down to lower elevation? How deep are the black waters of the lake we’re floating in? How many more miles to drive tonight until we reach the next town? Each a question we may have asked in the past. Similar to the question we are all asking now. Buyers are clearly struggling with the question, as they continue to look at the great buys in Santa Fe. Some have determined that bottom is near and they don’t want to lose the property of their dreams, others are willing to roll the dice and seek the low-point. Both positions certainly have merit. They are positions taken after many personal and oftentimes complex factors are taken into account, one person at a time. In spite of being in the midst of a very challenging time, the following trends are a few of the many reasons for optimism: In tumultuous times, Santa Fe is exactly the type of refuge many are seeking. Some are able to make the move in a complete way, others are making the move for the weeks or months they can be in Santa Fe, until circumstances allow for more time in New Mexico. With sellers keenly aware of the hyper-competitive state of the local market, many have positioned their properties to be among the best buys around. When an experienced buyer sees one of these properties, the excellent value is obvious and frequently motivating. Mortgage interest rates are dropping and causing the picture to become even more appealing. With enough trillions poured into the economy, the financial landscape is bound to improve. Many potential buyers are in the fortunate position of not worrying about their jobs and future income. They have accumulated sufficient wealth and independence to be able to take advantage of the real estate opportunities that exist. Our market looks awfully good to them. Most Americans are tired of the malaise that has gripped the country in the past months. The fascination of watching the DJIA has been replaced by the yearning for stability. 150 points swings are fine…700 points swings are not fine. What most of us want now is normalcy and a sense that we know what is ahead. Because of the economic uncertainties that are now common, 2008 will go down in history as one of my most gratifying years in business. As you can see by the list of closed transactions, we have been very busy and productive. In spite of the many challenges we continue to work with buyers who are focused on acquiring great properties in this very desirable community, fulfilling important personal goals. We work with property sellers who appreciate the challenges of the market and position their properties to be competitive to the best that are available. We head into 2009 with many wonderful properties for sale and with the same goal as past years: having them on next year’s list of successfully completed transactions. To the many that have been instrumental in our successes of 2008, we cannot adequately express our gratitude. We are so appreciative. Sincerely,
Neil D. Lyon CRB, CRS, GRI
View all of our available properties at www.NeilLyon.com 326 Grant Avenue Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988.2533
Neil Lyon’s 2006 Sales
January 2007 What did it take to have another record-breaking year in 2006? It took buyers and sellers whose trust could be earned. It took a support staff that always did what was best for our buyers and sellers. Competent and reliable bankers and lenders, inspectors, appraisers, insurance brokers and title/escrow professionals all contributed in critical ways. It required the cooperation and prowess of some of my biggest competitors: other real estate brokers, who worked tirelessly to make sure each party in each transaction got proper representation and a desired outcome. It took the unwavering support of Sotheby’s International Realty to provide my team and me with the tools and infrastructure we needed to deliver effective marketing and advertising exposure that was contributory to our success. It required the unconditional support of my family, who accepted the unending telephone calls and emails that infiltrated our time together, whether it was during evenings, weekends or vacations. In a year that was filled with much uncertainty and universal disagreement as to whether the Santa Fe real estate market was a “buyer’s market” or a “seller’s market”, with the superlative support of Vanessa Rios y Valles and Matt Desmond, we completed a transaction a week and generated well over $60,000,000 in closed transaction volume. To say that I am grateful to everyone who contributed to our success in 2006 is the understatement of the year. My sincerest thanks to all who were involved. Sincerely,
Neil Lyon
2208 Fort Union Drive (B) 17 Stormview Lane (S) 601 San Mateo Road #16 (B) 24 Primrose Circle (S) 21 Painted Horse, Lot 625 (S) 4 Chippewa Circle (SB) 34 Sangre de Cristo (SB) 143 Graythorn Drive, Lot 113 (S) 905 Calle Vistoso (B) 114 Thundercloud Road, Lot 560 (B) 16 Arriba Circle, Lot 204 (S) 171 Calle Ventoso W, Lot 904 (S) 50 W. Saddleback Mesa (B) 29 Dayflower Drive, Lot 153 (S) 1103 West Alameda (S) 301 Chula Vista (B) 1122 East Alameda (S) 21 Clove Circle, Lot 103 (S) Tract 5, Pecos Area (B) 6 Puma Circle (SB) 15 Chestnut Circle (SB) 70 Amberwood Loop, Lot 359 (SB) 84 Circle Drive Compound (SB) 19 Picacho Peak, Lot 637 (B) 22 Lodge Trail (SB) 600 Camino Rancheros (S) 516 Camino Rancheros (S) 479 Camino de las Animas (B) 1123 East Alameda (B) 707 East Palace #8 (B) 50 Paseo Aragon (S) 568 Garcia Street (S) 3 Daisy Circle (S) 19 Painted Horse, Lot 626 (SB) 6 Juan de Gabaldon Trail (B) 954 Cerro de la Paz (S) 19 Entrada Hermosa, Lot 847 (S) Lot 179 Monte Sereno (B) 117B Rodriguez Street (S) 538 Garcia Street (B) 905 Allahna Way (B)
$465,000 $2,395,000 $214,900 $1,150,000 $235,000 $1,395,000 $1,077,000 $135,000 $705,000 $180,000 $170,000 $264,900 $220,000 $190,000 $294,000 $649,000 $1,495,000 $150,000 $200,000 $1,400,000 $12,250,000 $259,000 $1,775,000 $329,000 $1,350,000 $1,350,000 $1,850,000 $2,950,000 $1,299,000 $775,000 $1,350,000 $1,450,000 $1,450,000 $185,000 $395,000 $3,950,000 $200,000 $479,900 $725,000 $699,000 $955,000
Prices shown are listing prices at time of sale. S = Seller, B = Buyer
NEIL D. LYON CRB, CRS, GRI
Matt Desmond, Associate Broker Vanessa Rios y Valles, Marketing/Operations
NeilLyon.com
Santa Fe’s 2001 REALTOR OF THE YEAR 326 Grant Avenue • 988-2533
www.santafesir.com