A look at the final county-by-county enrollment numbers for the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange gives a snapshot of the very diverse economic bases across the state.
The total enrollment came in at 54,865, These are individuals who do not have health-insurance through an employer, yet make too much to qualify for Medicaid.
Most of those receiving federal assistance to buy insurance on the exchange probably earn between $17,000 and $45,000 may be either self-employed, working on a contract or shuffling between two or more part-time jobs. They do not work at a large corporation or in government.
That sounds a lot like the independent workforce in Santa Fe, and the numbers reflect that.
Bernalillo County, the state’s largest with a population of 663,564, had the most enrollees on the Exchange at 18,272. But keep in mind the population of Bernalillo is more than four times that of Santa Fe County, where the enrollment number was 7,168, about 40 percent of Bernalillo’s total.
Likewise, Sandoval County has a lot of employees who work for Intel as well other businesses. Its population is just short of Santa Fe’s, yet had an enrollment of 3,414 people, or about 47 percent of Santa Fe’s total.
The same can be said of Los Alamos County, which has a population of largely retirees and those who have health insurance through Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos had just 311 enrollees on the health exchange.
If a shortage of housing inventory has been partially responsible for a more stable real-estate market in Santa Fe County, then that is about to end.
Several brokers are reporting a surge in homes being listed for sale — more so than the usual uptick this time of year. That probably has something to do with what is called the shadow inventory, owners that have wanted to sell but were unable to do so.
It may have been because they were underwater on a mortgage and have now paid that down — or prices have come up to the point where they can afford all the costs and expenses connected with a home sale. Barker Real Estate reports about a 30 percent increase in listings for the month of March, with total inventory now up 4.7 percent over last year.
Statewide, year-to-date sales are about 8 percent ahead of 2015.
For the first two months of the year, Santa Fe County is showing a boost in sales to 196 closings, up from 174 last year. But that is down from 2014, when closings totaled 205 for the first two months.
Don’t forget the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 13th annual Business Expo and Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7 at the DeVargas Center.
This free event attracts over 1,000 attendees and showcases over 100 businesses. It also incorporates Celebrate Tourism Day, which has been held at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
Featured business categories include hospitality, insurance, financial services, technology, real estate, health care, personal services, fashion, retail, media and nonprofits. Businesses participating in the event are given a tent card with either “hiring” or “not hiring,” allowing attendees to easily identify which businesses to visit regarding possible employment. This is a great opportunity for businesses that are looking to hire and meet applicants face-to-face.
The Expo is the most-attended event the Chamber organizes and a great place to network.
This year the event will also be an opportunity to see improvements at DeVargas Center, which is celebrating the arrival of new businesses from Sanbusco Center, which was purchased by the New Mexico School for the Arts.
DeVargas Center is nearing completion of a series of upgrades to add a more contemporary, regional flair.
“We want DeVargas Center to be a local main street, which just happens to be in a mall. So we encourage Santa Fe residents and visitors alike to come in and experience Santa Fe and support our many fine merchants,” said Katy Fitzgerald, project manager for Fidelis Realty Partners, which owns DeVargas Center.
This month, the mall welcomes eight new tenants from Sanbusco, including Santa Fe Pens, Pandora’s, Dell Fox Jewelry and Bodhi Bazaar.
DeVargas Center has also recently completed new spaces for some of its existing merchants, including Elegant Nails, the Bug Museum and Baskin Robbins.
The new spaces and upgraded storefronts were designed by David Naylor Interiors and developed by JR Construction.
One other former Sanbusco tenant, op.cit books, has already made the move, and others, including the Rock, Paper Scissors Salon, are expected to follow.
Other existing merchants, like Elegant Nails, were able to expand. Mimi Lam, owner of Elegant Nails, said with her new space, she has upgraded her equipment, including adding all new chairs.
Date: March 29, 2016