The first humans (as far as we can tell) in what would become New Mexico were the “Clovis People,” a Paleo-Indian culture we might not have known about if not for the stone tools they left behind. Much later, the region was settled by tribes like the Mogollon, the Hohokam, and the Ancestral Pueblo. 

European contact came in the mid-1500s, as Spain’s explorers and conquistadors ranged ever farther from their colonies in South- and Central-America. The Province of New Mexico was founded in 1598, but the locals soon rebelled. Spanish dominance was not truly achieved until the early 1700s, and even then it was not to last.

When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, New Mexico came with it. The Republic of Texas then seceded from Mexico in 1836. Texas claimed a great deal of New Mexico, but also failed to actually control it. 

The Mexican-American war ended with Mexico ceding much of what was to become the modern states of New Mexico, Texas, and California to the US. More land in the area came under US control in 1853, with the Gadsden purchase. 

After the Civil War, New Mexico earned a reputation as part of the “Wild West.” It was where Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Maria Gertrudis Barcelo, and Elfego Baca came from. New Mexico didn’t actually become a US state in 1912, just before WW1.

With the discovery of oil in 1928 spurred an early New Mexico land rush when extraction and sale of this resource brought in wealth. Land for sale in New Mexico began to be desirable to people “back east.” However, there were no New Mexico condos for sale – they hadn’t been invented yet. 

New Mexico is the southernmost US state along the line of the Rocky Mountains. You’ll find it just north of the Mexican States of Chihuahua and Sonora, surrounded on the US side by Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Fun fact: the capital of Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the US – the city is far older than the state. It goes back to 1610, when the region was a part of new Spain, called Nuevo México. No bonus points for translating that in your head. 

New Mexico is big. Real “big sky country.” At 121,590 square miles, it is the 5th largest US state by area, but the 36th largest by population. It only had 2,120,220 residents as of the last count in 2020. Everyone has plenty of room to spread out. That is just one of the reasons it is pretty easy to find a property or a condo in New Mexico. 

The state has many different climate zones. You can hike in lush forests, drive across arid deserts and climb rugged mountains here. The center of the state is dominated by the Rio Grande, providing a lush riparian biome that stretches from the northern to the southern border. 

Still, they won’t be putting up condos for sale across the whole of New Mexico. Around 1/3 of its total area is federally owned and managed, providing not just hunting land but space for national monuments, UNESCO World Heritage suites, and protected wilderness areas. 

Many of the best colleges and universities are clustered around Albuquerque. As a result, there are probably more condos for sale in New Mexico than in any place other than the capital at Santa Fe. However, there are great schools all over the state, and plenty of New Mexico condos and other student accommodation near them. If you do need a New Mexico near a school, we can help you find it.

The state’s school system is known for its dedication to groundbreaking scientific research, a solid technical education, and supplying the experts and technicians the state’s thriving industries need to build a future in this new, greener century. 

A short list of the state’s best colleges and universities might include:

The main campus of New Mexico State University is in Las Cruces, but there are 4 more locations across the state and each has its own collection of New Mexico condos nearby. NMSU takes around 12,000 students every year, and charges around $24,000 per year for out-of-state tuition, In-state students pay a great deal less. 

New Mexico Tech was founded in 1889. It is tied for the #20 place among regional universities (West). It accepts around 1,200 students each year at the undergrad level, and offers similar tuition rates to NMSU and other state schools. 

The University of New Mexico was founded in 1889 in Albuquerque. It enrolls around 16,000 undergraduate students every year, and again offers great discounts to students who become state residents. There are worse reasons to buy a condo in New Mexico. You might even be able to sell it for a profit after you graduate. Or rent it out. 

St. John’s College in Santa Fe is one of the state’s oldest private colleges. Founded in 1696, St. John’s comes in a number 96 of all the Liberal Arts colleges in the US. It is a very small school, accepting just over 260 undergraduate students every year. Tuition and fees come in at around $36,000 – with no discount for residency. 

Almost anywhere you look, you’ll find people building condos in New Mexico. Granted, a prime condo in Santa Fe isn’t going to be “cheap” compared to something on the edge of town, but compared to prices on the east or west coasts, it’ll be a steal. 

The real question is what kind of New Mexico experience are you actually looking for? Are you condos for sale in Angel Fire, New Mexico? Ski view condos in Red River, New Mexico? We can help you find them. Condos in Ruidoso, New Mexico? There are plenty available. Santa Fe, New Mexico condos for sale? Condos for sale in Albuquerque, New Mexico? Just let us know how we can help.