If you are looking for a new geographic location in which to buy or build a home, you may want to consider luxury living in the Southwest. More specifically, homes for sale in Santa Fe New Mexico may be worth particular consideration.

Though you may not have considered the area previously, recent reports suggest that Santa Fe should certainly be on your shortlist of places to consider living. In a list of the 10 best places in the country to live, Kiplinger gave Santa Fe the #4 ranking in September of 2013. Furthermore, Business Insider counts the city as one of top 15 housing markets for the next five years.

But what makes Santa Fe such a fun and interesting place to live? Though perhaps not as touted as that of larger cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago, the arts and culture scene in Santa Fe is a rich and storied one. For example, the oldest government building in America, the 1610 Palace of Governors, is located there. The capital city of New Mexico is also home to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum–a significant player in the local art industry–as well as the Museum of International Folk Art and several museums devoted to Native American culture.

The city also boasts the formidable Santa Fe Opera and the relatively new company Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. If you enjoy sculpture, there are numerous outdoor works, including several depicting St. Francis of Assisi. The literary history of Santa Fe is also rich, with authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Kate Braverman, George R.R. Martin have all called the city their home.

Once you’ve fond the right area in which to settle down, you can make your new house your own. Upon finding the right home in the area, you may find that there are particular rooms in the home that you would like to have remodeled. According to the National Association of Home Buyers in 2012, the kitchen was the second most desired room to renovate among prospective buyers.

If you have further questions, comments, or recommendations regarding luxury living in the Southwest and homes in Santa Fe, be sure to share them in the forum below. For more, read this link.