Huning Highlands Makes Best Old House Neighborhoods 2009: The West

Story From This Old House Website

Huning Highlands looks decidedly out of place among the stucco and adobe homes that are ubiquitous in Albuquerque. "It's definitely got more of a Victorian feel," says resident Karen Doty, whose father moved here in the late 1920s, hoping New Mexico's clean air and wide-open spaces would help cure his tuberculosis. "He lived well into his 70s," Doty says. "So I guess it worked." The neighborhood was built to accommodate Albuquerque's growing population brought in by a new railroad, which arrived in 1880. Many who moved here had distinctly Northern tastes, preferring the Victorian style of architecture to the more popular Southwestern styles. After hitting a rough patch in the 1960s and 1970s, Huning Highlands, now a National Historic District, is once again popular for its out-of-place architecture, generous front porches, and the fact that it's within walking distance to downtown.

The Houses
There are a few adobe-style homes here, but most are either wood-framed or brick Queen Annes with fish-scale-shingled gables and wide front porches. Restored homes sell for between $300,000 and $400,000, though there are still fixer-uppers available for a lot less.

Why Buy Now?
Because Huning Highlands is part of a historic district, you can benefit from New Mexico’s 50 percent income-tax credit for qualified rehabilitation work. The credit applies to half of the eligible costs of qualified work, with a maximum credit of $25,000.

Among the best places for: Healthy Living, Victorian, Financial Help for Homeowners, Fixer-Uppers, Families, Retirees, The West, Dog Lovers