Because of its small size — the city’s population is less than 70,000 –  and the fact that a large percentage of its housing stock is used as vacation homes, “you see greater market fluctuations there than most places,” said Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com.

After falling 20% since 2007, home prices are forecast to rise 9.1% over the next five years — the second highest price gain in the nation, according to Fiserv.

Read the full article here.

Now that the market is heating up, he said people are starting to put more properties up for sale.

Yet, homes are selling slowly here, staying on the market for an average of 147 days. That can give buyers some leverage with anxious sellers when negotiating prices.

See photos and more by clicking here.
From the impressive gate of the front entry courtyard and patio area with views to the Sangres de Cristo Mountains, the residence at 1 Pajarito Peak is sited on the premium corner lot in the Windmill Ridge neighborhood.
The open and inviting living spaces of this home flow with ease inside and out.  The landscaped front entry courtyard welcomes you.  Once inside the house, natural light is everywhere.
From the foyer to the large Great Room with gracious living and dining areas, to the handsome kitchen with center-island and informal dining, to the den/home office, the openness contributes to the distinctive feel.
Vigas overhead grace the Great Room.  Doors open out to a grand portal that looks west to sunsets, the Jemez Mountains and the second of two inviting outdoor garden areas.  Creamy porcelain tile flooring is underfoot in all but the master bedroom.  A gas fireplace, nichos, half-walls, built-in shelving with recessed lighting and clerestory windows adorn the room.
At the edge of the dining area, the wall between kitchen and Great Room is open and finished with a tiled breakfast bar. Whether as a place to perch or an easy way to pass food to the dining area, it allows the light of the kitchen and Great Room to meet.
The kitchen features upgraded cabinetry with lower cabinets featuring “pull-out” shelves, smooth Formica work surfaces, a desk area, tiled center island, a Maytag range/oven, and microwave oven and Kenmore refrigerator. Nearby, along the way to the large two-car garage is the laundry area with Kenmore washer and dryer and a utility sink.
The office/den is open to the living spaces and overlooks the front entry courtyard. It could be enclosed to create a 3rd bedroom but its present configuration has room for book shelves, desk/work stations or whatever.
The master bedroom is comfortably sized and opens out to the front garden and courtyard with views of the Sangres. Here underfoot is new Karastan carpeting and there is a gracious bath area with 8’ x 8.5’ walk-in closet with mirrored doors, shower, garden tub, and long vanity with two sinks.
The second bedroom with full bath nearby complete the living/sleeping quarters.  The bedroom features a walk-in closet and porcelain tile floors.
The residence, built in 2006 on .14 acre with an abundance of builder upgrades, was awarded an Energy Star Certification and features in-floor radiant heating, evaporative cooling, a foam roof and a 2000 gallon cistern to efficiently harvest rain water. A drip irrigation system attends to the garden’s watering needs.
Garden plantings include aspen, locust, apple, Bosnian pine and a beautiful flowering desert willow tree. The flower gardens include mature perennials; columbine, purple clematis, roses, agastache, giant sunflowers, daisies and delphinium among others.
In the Windmill Ridge neighborhood of Rancho Viejo, streets are paved and utilities are underground.  Open spaces with walking/hiking trails are part of the community design. This provides an exciting new way to live close to nature and in a village setting. There is a community commercial center with shopping and other amenities as well as easy access to nearby Santa Fe Community College and IAIA.  And the heart of Santa Fe is only a short drive away.

The new trail will be about three miles in length, over land that the Santa Fe Conservation Trust now owns and is conveying to Santa Fe County in order to accomplish this extension.  The name of the trail is going to be La Piedra Trail.

The Santa Fe Conservation Trust was begun in 1993 by Stuart Udall and Dale Ball, among others.  Its purpose is to protect open spaces and wildlife habitat in Santa Fe county as well as other adjacent counties.

When newcomers to Santa Fe ask about which local groups work with the the environment we try to tell them about the Santa Fe Conservation Trust.  They are a good group and a major asset to those of us who work in the Santa Fe real estate market.

The reasoning for the change was to give people more information so they could easily see changes in time to protest their values.  Property owners have one month, until May 1, to protest values or file for adjustments or exemptions.  If you need any help in finding comparable “sold” properties in Santa Fe to yours, and feel that the assessment is high, please email us or call us and we’ll be glad to help.   Find the Contact Us button at the top of our website at www.hometeamsantafe.com.   Or simply scroll down to find the phone numbers for Christopher Rocca or David Rosen.

Having the historical values and tax information side by side may actually be especially helpful to Santa Fe real estate owners this time next year when County Assessor Domingo Martinez’s long campaign to clear up Santa Fe’s tax rolls is expected to be finished. Many people expect to see a change in their values next year.  Most of this year’s notices of value don’t reflect changes that will probably be prompted by the new data collected by people in the field sketching and measuring homes which was widely reported earlier this year.

It is still a bit confusing, because it lists “estimated” tax rates and tax amounts for 2013 simply because these figures are unknown at this time, i.e. the mil rate for 2013.  The actual tax notices are sent out by the County Treasurer in November.  These Notices of Value are not tax bills—not yet!

Interestingly, the County Treasurer’s Office tells us that of the parcels that they have recently examined, only three percent are going to increase in value, whereas 35 % of them will go down in value and about 65% will remain the same.

The following verbiage is directly from the Santa Fe County Assessor’s Office Website:

YOUR NOTICE OF VALUE IS

THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING

YOUR PROPERTY TAX PROCESS.

Each year the Assessor mails each property owner a “Notice of Value.” This form serves

to inform the owner of the total assessed value, the property description and exemptions

applied to the property. Santa Fe County typically mails notices on or around April

1st of each year. This form is an important step in the property tax process. Please read

it carefully and follow the instructions on the back. The assessed value on the “notice”

will be a factor in determing your property taxes. See example on back.

DISAGREE WITH YOUR VALUATION?

Property owners may appeal the value or classification determined for their property by

filing a petition of protest with the county assessor within 30 days of the official mail

date of the notice of value. Santa Fe County typically mails notices on or around April

1st of each year. Protest forms are available on
our website or in our office.

Santa Fe County re-appraises property each year. The total value determined

by the assessor for real property each tax year is based on the market

value of the property in the prior year. For example your 2012 notice of

value will reflect a 2011 market value. However, there are restrictions

against increasing residential property valuations, i.e. houses, apartments,

manufactured homes. Under state law, valuation increases on residential

property must not exceed 3 percent per year of the prior year’s assessed

value. Example:

2011 Assessor’s Full Value was $100,000

2012 Assessor’s Full Value can not exceed $103,000

2013 Assessor’s Full Value can not exceed $106,090

There are some exceptions to the limitations.

The limitation does not apply to:

Property that has changed in ownership due to a sale. In this case the valuation

cap is removed in the tax year after the sale date and the Assessor’s valuation

must be changed to reflect the market value of the year of the sale date. This is

especially important to potential home buyers. Please be aware of the potential

increase in property valuation that could lead to increased taxes.

Property that is placed on the tax rolls for the first time such as a new home.

Any new improvements made to property in the year prior to current tax year

such as additions or outbuildings.

Property whose use or zoning has changed.

www.santafecountynm.gov/assessor

Santa Fe County re-appraises property each year. The total value determined

by the assessor for real property each tax year is based on the market

value of the property in the prior year. For example your 2012 notice of

value will reflect a 2011 market value. However, there are restrictions

against increasing residential property valuations, i.e. houses, apartments,

manufactured homes. Under state law, valuation increases on residential

property must not exceed 3 percent per year of the prior year’s assessed

value. Example:

2011 Assessor’s Full Value was $100,000

2012 Assessor’s Full Value can not exceed $103,000

2013 Assessor’s Full Value can not exceed $106,090

There are some exceptions to the limitations.

The limitation does not apply to:

 Property that has changed in ownership due to a sale. In this case the valuation

cap is removed in the tax year after the sale date and the Assessor’s valuation

must be changed to reflect the market value of the year of the sale date. This is

especially important to potential home buyers. Please be aware of the potential

increase in property valuation that could lead to increased taxes.

 Property that is placed on the tax rolls for the first time such as a new home.

 Any new improvements made to property in the year prior to current tax year

such as additions or outbuildings.

 Property whose use or zoning has changed.

County Assessor

P.O. BOX 126

SANTA FE, NM 87504

Phone (505) 986-6300

Fax # (505) 986-6316

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A TAX PAYER BENEFIT?

The Head of Family Exemption is a $2,000 reduction of the

taxable value of your residential real estate. Only one person

in a household may qualify as Head of Family, and it may only be

applied in one county in the state. Essentially, any New Mexico

resident who provides more than half the cost of support

to the household may qualify. Dependants are not a requirement.

By claiming this exemption your savings in taxes will depend

on which tax district your property lies.

The Veteran’s Exemption is a $4,000 reduction in the taxable

value of your real estate. Any honorably discharged veteran (or

the veteran’s unmarried surviving spouse) who has applied with

the New Mexico Veterans Service Commission and has been

issued a “certificate of eligibility” may qualify for this benefit. For

first time applicants, the certificate must be presented to the

Assessor’s Office within the deadline. Once the exemption is

claimed and applied, it remains applied to the property until the

ownership of that property changes. With this exemption your savings

in taxes will depend on which tax district your property lies.

Any veteran who is deemed 100 percent disabled (or the veteran’s

unmarried surviving spouse) who has applied with the New Mexico

Veterans Service Commission and has been issued a “certificate of

eligibility” may qualify for a 100 percent exemption from

property taxes on his or her place of residence. Once the exemption

is claimed and applied, it will remain applied to the property

until the ownership of that property changes. Other circumstances

may apply.

If you are 65 years or older or permanently disabled (at any age)

AND had a modified gross income of $32,000 or less in 2012,

you may apply for a property valuation freeze for your residence.

Application must be submitted along with proof of income, age

& disability. Freezing your valuation will help minimize your property

value increases.

The deadline for claiming the head of family, veterans, 100 percent

disabled veteran’s exemptions, as well as the valuation freeze is

30 days after the official date of mailing as indicated yearly on the

Assessor’s official “Notice of Value.” Santa Fe County typically

mails notices on or around April 1st of each year. You can apply

in person or by mail. Veteran Exemptions must be claimed in person.

DISCLOSURE OF SALES PRICE

This

must be accomplished by filing a notarized affidavit at

the Assessor’s office within thirty days of the date of filing

a deed, real estate contract or memorandum of real estate

contract with the County Clerk. All information collected

is required to be kept confidential with the Assessor’s office,

and will not be made available as public information.

Failure to comply with the law could result in a conviction

of a misdemeanor and punishable by the imposition of a

fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

DISCLOSURE OF SALES PRICE

REPORTING IMPROVEMENTS

HEAD OF FAMILY EXEMPTIONS

VETERAN’S EXEMPTION

100% DISABLED VETERAN EXEMPTION

VALUATION FREEZE

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO APPLY ?

TAXPAYER BENEFITS

& EXEMPTIONS

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A TAX PAYER BENEFIT?

The Head of Family Exemption is a $2,000 reduction of the

taxable value of your residential real estate. Only one person

in a household may qualify as Head of Family, and it may only be

applied in one county in the state. Essentially, any New Mexico

resident who provides more than half the cost of support

to the household may qualify. Dependants are not a requirement.

By claiming this exemption your savings in taxes will depend

on which tax district your property lies.

The Veteran’s Exemption is a $4,000 reduction in the taxable

value of your real estate. Any honorably discharged veteran (or

the veteran’s unmarried surviving spouse) who has applied with

the New Mexico Veterans Service Commission and has been

issued a “certificate of eligibility” may qualify for this benefit. For

first time applicants, the certificate must be presented to the

Assessor’s Office within the deadline. Once the exemption is

claimed and applied, it remains applied to the property until the

ownership of that property changes. With this exemption your savings

in taxes will depend on which tax district your property lies.

Any veteran who is deemed 100 percent disabled (or the veteran’s

unmarried surviving spouse) who has applied with the New Mexico

Veterans Service Commission and has been issued a “certificate of

eligibility” may qualify for a 100 percent exemption from

property taxes on his or her place of residence. Once the exemption

is claimed and applied, it will remain applied to the property

until the ownership of that property changes. Other circumstances

may apply.

If you are 65 years or older or permanently disabled (at any age)

AND had a modified gross income of $32,000 or less in 2012,

you may apply for a property valuation freeze for your residence.

Application must be submitted along with proof of income, age

& disability. Freezing your valuation will help minimize your property

value increases. The deadline for claiming the head of family, veterans, 100 percent

disabled veteran’s exemptions, as well as the valuation freeze is

30 days after the official date of mailing as indicated yearly on the

Assessor’s official “Notice of Value.” Santa Fe County typically

mails notices on or around April 1st of each year. You can apply

in person or by mail. Veteran Exemptions must be claimed in person.

New Mexico law requires the disclosure of residential sales information to the County Assessor’s Office. This must be accomplished by filing a notarized affidavit at

the Assessor’s office within thirty days of the date of filing

a deed, real estate contract or memorandum of real estate

contract with the County Clerk. All information collected

is required to be kept confidential with the Assessor’s office,

and will not be made available as public information.

Failure to comply with the law could result in a conviction

of a misdemeanor and punishable by the imposition of a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

All property owners who have made improvements to

their real property, in the preceding tax year, and

costing more than $10,000 must report this information

to the Assessor’s Office by the last day of February of

each year. This includes all new construction

such as: new homes, structures, additions, and any

other changes or improvements. Please do not rely on

outside parties such as title companies to complete

this reporting requirement for you. Property that has

not been reported may be subjected to the imposition of back taxes for up to ten years.

This designation on 240,000 acres in Taos County could also mean an economic boost for Northern New Mexico and even Santa Fe.  The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is estimated to add around 300 jobs and $15 millio

The new monument includes the entire Rio Grande Gorge Recreation Area and the Wild Rivers recreation Area from Colorado border south to the confluence of the Red River and the Orilla Verde Recreation area from the Taos Junction Bridge south to Pilar, New Mexico.

It effectively extends to the west some 25 miles, which protects the herds of elk and pronghorn antelope on the large plains there, up to the slopes of the San Antonio Mountain very near the Colorado state line.

This is great for all tourists and residents of northern New Mexico, including those of us in Santa Fe and those who cherish the great outdoors and recreation.  This is huge.  Another destination we will send folks to who inquire about Santa Fe, its real estate and things to do nearby.

n in additional funds coming into the state.

HARP is not perfect—but can assist folks who are making timely payments on their loans and have ongoing employment or an ongoing source of funds coming in—and waives the requirement that they have equity in their homes.

There is no clear data on how many of these folks would have had to sell through the short-sale method or which ones might have needed to be foreclosed on, but there is reason to believe that the HARP program has helped the Santa Fe real estate market as well as the individuals who have used it.

It might also be a good contributing reason as to why our inventory is lower than it might be here in Santa Fe and Santa Fe County.

You can read more about HARP here http://www.fhfa.gov/ or call a local mortgage broker.

Climb the path of the hillside, entertain on the patio of the central garden, step into the national forest and onto the Windsor Trail or just be still in a world of your own. A rare find on 3.6 acres, replete with tree house and painters shed, the main residence, circa 2007, is pumice-crete construction and the farm-style guest house, circa 1993, is adobe.

The Main Residence features in-floor radiant heating, handsome plaster surfaces, an open floorplan from entry, to living room to atrium/garden with pitched skylight roof, to dining, to outstanding kitchen, butler’s pantry, two dens, and 3 bedrooms, each with baths.

The classic pitched-roof guest house has been featured in many Santa Fe Style home publications and includes in-floor radiant heating, two wonderful portals, plaster wall surfaces, old wood beams and an intimate scale. The studio/guest-quarters is one large living area with fireplace, bath and kitchen. It is attached to the heated 3-car garage.

Here is the link to our website page for this property.  There are incredible pictures on the page!

In the heart of Santa Fe’s prized Historic Eastside, adjoining one of the neighborhood’s treasured walking paths that leads to the restaurants and galleries of Canyon Road and Downtown Subscription on Garcia Street, is a one-of-a-kind property with a storied past.
At cul-de-sac’s end, step through the mesquite entry gates into a garden rich with grasses, flowers and tall trees and glimpse the silhouette of the main residence with its long portal. The entry portal spans the front of the house and harkens to another time; an authentic and exquisite 2-bedroom, 2-bath, 2240 s/f mostly adobe main residence with its origins in the 1920’s awaits you.  The natural light is striking. The formal living room, dining room and kitchen overlook the superb portal and wonderful gardens.   With vigas overhead and brick floors underfoot, 4 fireplaces, alcoves and nichos, the home is richly textured and embracing. Nearby is the free-standing one-bedroom adobe casita.

In classic Santa Fe style, the floorplan is eclectic.  The living room, with commanding fireplace and office/sitting alcove, opens to the long portal. Vigas and wood ceilings are at a slight pitch here, adding to the appeal and quality of the space and the view to garden is lovely.
Under the cover of the portal, the traditional entry to the house leads first to the dining room, with the living room slightly to the right.  The ceiling of the foyer is intentionally low and changes dramatically as you enter the dining room. Adorned with a kiva fireplace and 13’ tall coved ceilings with vigas, clerestory windows at opposing ends of the dining room frame the blue sky and offer glimpses of nearby tree tops.  It is a grand room for entertaining.

As you turn back toward the entry, a shepherd’s loft is revealed and the kitchen, open to the dining room and set into the bay window of the portal overlooking the gardens, comes into view.  Thoughtfully updated, the kitchen includes a breakfast bar, Bosch double ovens, 5-burner Thermador cook-top, Asko dishwasher and butcher-block countertops.

Beyond the kitchen is the bedroom wing. The two bedrooms are nicely separate.   The gracious master suite, the newest area of the main residence, set apart by doors crafted in Morocco, includes a small sitting room, large sleeping room with vigas and wood ceiling set at a pitch and private bath with step-in shower/tub and antique Moroccan cabinetry.  Three interim steps lead to the master suite’s sitting room which in-turn opens out to a lovely portal.

The second bedroom is actually where the house began.  It is the oldest room of the house. Comfortably sized, with an updated full bath and closet/dressing area, it overlooks the rear garden. Completing the main residence is the laundry closet with stackable washer and dryer.
Across the flagstone patio, with its own entry and parking, is the free-standing adobe guest house completed in 2006.  With 1-bedroom and 1-bath, the 1247 s/f casita includes a delightful “L” shaped living and dining room with coved ceilings and vigas, and kitchen.

Finished with old wood beams harvested from a Michigan barn, kiva fireplace, deep-set window seat overlooking the rear garden, plaster wall surfaces, concrete floors, skylights and full kitchen with laundry, a Dutch-door in the kitchen opens out to a portal with fireplace.  Five steps down from the living areas, you will find the casita’s bedroom and bath.  Generously sized, with tall ceiling and ample closet, the sleeping room opens out to a private enclosed patio.  Off this patio is the gate that leads to the prized community walking path.

On a historical note, with the original parts of the house dating to the mid 1920’s, this outstanding residential compound has been the home of fiction writer Jack Schaefer, perhaps best known for his novel “Shane”, which became a critically acclaimed film by the same name with Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Jack Palance and a noted Santa Fe interior designer who renovated the original house in 1999. Prior to the addition of the guest casita the house was featured in Christine Mather and Sharon Woods’ photo essay on Santa Fe homes entitled “Houses of Santa Fe”.

At the heart of it all the exquisite gardens contain a myriad of plantings, including fruit trees and flowering perennials that will continue to delight future residents and visitors in the years to come, and who will savor life in an eastside garden.

You can view photographs and more here.

This helpful article by Dona DeZube can certainly work on Santa Fe style and many Northern New Mexico remodels–and a lot involved is just good sense.

“Saving energy wasn’t on the list of reasons we’re finally ripping out the kitchen in our mid-century home (green-veined, imitation marble laminate countertops figured much more prominently). But, a session at the recent 2012 Remodeling Show in Baltimore clued me in as to why adding a few simple tasks to our remodeling plan could lower our home’s energy bill, get rid of some of the annoying hot and cold spots in our house, and make our home less hospitable to mold and other allergens.

Carl Seville, author of Green Building: Principles and Practices in Residential Construction, shared some simple, inexpensive ways to make remodels and additions more energy efficient from the standpoint of energy usage and conservation of resources.

Try these eight tips from Seville:

1. Check for water intrusion, condensation, and excess moisture before you begin the project. Fixing those issues during remodeling can improve your home’s indoor air quality (excess moisture encourages mold).

2. Use the least amount of framing allowed by your building code when adding walls. Not only will you have to pay for less lumber and fewer nails, the contractor will have more room to put insulation in your walls, making your home more energy efficient.

3. Resist the urge to splurge on multiple shower heads. Opt for a single low-flow shower head rather than installing a car wash-style plethora of shower heads.

4. If possible, add new HVAC ducts to parts of your home that are heated and cooled, rather than placing them in a space with unconditioned air (like the attic). If that’s not possible, insulate the ducts. Have an HVAC diagnostician analyze your system to make sure it’s sized correctly and balanced to properly exchange old and new air.

5. Be sure to insulate around recessed lights that protrude into un-insulated attic spaces — these are major sources of air leaks.

6. If you’re wasting water, you’re wasting energy. Look at high-efficiency or solar water heaters, and insulate your water pipes. If you want hot water faster, move the water heater closer to the faucet or install demand pumps to drive hot water to the fixture.

7. Install wall-mounted efficiency toggle switch plates for the outlets where you plug in your televisions and computers to make it easy to cut off the power to electronics you’re not using.

8. A humidistat that automatically turns on the bathroom fan when moisture rises beats depending on teenagers or tenants remembering to use the fan. Reducing bathroom moisture reduces the chances you’ll have mold.

When I pull the kitchen cabinets off the wall, I’m going to use caulk to seal between the wallboards and the floorboards before I put down new flooring and install the new cabinets. And since I’ll have the caulk out, I’m going to seal the top of window trim, something my home’s builder didn’t do.”

It’s early September, and fat, electric-green and red-tinged chiles from the southern parts of our state have arrived en masse, filling barrel roasters in parking lots all around town. There are the $5 and $6 zippered sandwich bags of still-warm charred chiles lining the tables at the farmers market; and 13 bucks buys a lumpy burlap sack full of not-yet-popped “Hatch extra-hots” from the roaster inside the chain-link fencing set up outside Lowe’s supermarket on St. Mike’s.

I buy both kinds of bags—Ziplocs and bushels—but, admittedly, I sort of buy them blindly, certain only that I prefer a mix of “medium” to “extra hot” peppers to freeze and then dole out for enchiladas, burritos, dips, stews and sandwiches throughout the winter.  A little asking around reveals that most of my friends, native New Mexicans and newer arrivals alike, do the same thing—buy chiles for their declared heat index instead of their origin or variety—so the buying details below should help us all be more informed chile consumers this season.

Jaye Hawkins, the executive director of the New Mexico Chile Association, an industry advocacy group, tells me that most of the chiles tossed in the roasters around town were likely harvested in and around Hatch or Deming, in the southern part of the state—though increasing numbers of the fat pods are picked in the middle Rio Grande valley around Socorro. “The most important question to ask a roaster before you buy is where his or her chile comes from,” says Hawkins, who confirms that ‘impostor’ peppers from Mexico are on the market, too.

Hawkins also admits that California has now outgrown New Mexico in terms of acres of green chiles harvested, though the Golden State’s peppers are not the same varieties as those favored by New Mexico chile growers; and Hatch, NM, still holds the title of “Chile Capital of the World.”  “None of our New Mexico farmers really cultivate on a largescale, like in California,” Hawkins says.

“California chile fields are thousands of acres. New Mexico’s biggest chile growers farm hundreds of acres at most, and in northern New Mexico, 5-10 acres of green chile makes for a ‘big farm.’ Plus, New Mexico’s chiles remain the go-to chiles of connoisseurs,” she continues. Green (and red) chiles distinguish New Mexican cuisine, of course, and our green chiles are apparently in high demand in the Pacific Northwest this year, Hawkins says.

This demand gives the NM Chile Association members hope that our state’s cultivated acreage might soon return to what it was back in its heyday in the 1990s.  Before you buy, ask where the chiles were grown. Anywhere in New Mexico is really “top notch,” insists Hawkins, who also points out a common misperception: “Hatch is a place, not a type of chile. When it comes to types of chile, many Santa Fe roasters source from the Socorro area, where the majority of northern New Mexico’s chile is grown.” At the farmers market, proprietary varieties are available.

Romero Farms has sold its “Alcalde Improved” variety for a dozen years, though Matt Romero claims his family has been “improving” the meaty, red-tipped pepper for some 40 years.  Perhaps the most popular chile variety on the market is the Big Jim. “Growers love [it] because it’s a large, meaty pepper that is great for relleno-making,” Hawkins notes.

“It’s probably the most widely sold medium-heat variety out there.”

(The content above is from a fine article by food writer Rebecca Withers Chastenet from the Santa Fe Reporter.  Original full article is here.)