Paula, I just read your wonderful review. Of course it is what we love to hear, which makes us happy to have guests that notice what we work to provide. Thank you very much for staying with us. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Thank you for your response to your visit. We are happy that your stay was up to par, and we look forward to your return when it fits into your schedule. Carl and Gretchen

Laura, thank you for coming and your positive review. Now that some time has passed, if you think of anything that would have made your visit more enjoyable, we would appreciate knowing. We enjoy being here 3 months out of the year and attempt to make improvements or repairs during those times. We hope your visit was rejuvenating. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Thank you for such a warm response to your stay with us. We appreciate your having chosen us. Carl Valdez

Equipment and spices are important, but the cook makes the difference! Thanks for your visit!

What a simple statement of satisfaction! Thank you, Nancy, for coming.

Thank you for your stay and your review, Nadine. We hope it works out another time as well. Safe travels wherever you go.

If I have not written a response yet, thank you for choosing La Lomita. We hope you return and let others know of your experience. Carl Valdez

Thank you, Kyle, for writing your wonderful review. We are already in the new year and more than 2 months since your visit, but we want you to know that you and your family are what offering our home makes doing so valuable. Of course, it is of mutual benefit, because your use of the house keeps it in very good shape, but it is a pleasure to know that others enjoy it and the atmosphere that surrounds it as much as we do. Please come again! Carl and Gretchen

We especially liked your use of the term "energy and light", Eugene, to describe our home, something we hadn't defined in those words, but certainly it is in our hearts. Thank you. Please come again. Carl and Gretchen

Liz was a very good guest. She had some difficulty using the new washer, perhaps due to some new technology that we first-time users have had difficulty with. We trust that it didn't hamper the enjoyment of her stay and hope she returns when her schedule allows. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

We like "Loved it"! Thank you.

Morgan was a fantastic guest, and we hope she returns.

As brief as your stay was, Aaron, we are glad we were a pleasant stop in your travels and hope you return. Thanks for taking the time to review.

According to our neighbor home manager, Lynn was an excellent guest, and are pleased that she experienced what we want for our guests.

Gabrielle, I love your words "perfectly nestled in the New Mexico landscape," because when we imagined it 23 years ago, it took a while to come up with a design and where/how we would place the house. "Nestled" was not the word we used, but the idea sure was in order to make it blend into the natural feel of the environment. Thank you!

...and we hope you return!

Thank you, Sue, for your stay with us and for your comments. Our niece agreed that you were ideal guests, especially with your flexibility. Please return when your schedule allows. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Hello, Dorothy and family, We are so glad the house and location served your family time together well. Thank you for writing your detailed evaluation. You are right regarding the temperature. The climate has changed since we built the house in 1999, especially in the past two years, so we are actively searching methods to make the temperature more comfortable inside and expect to have something installed this summer. Stay well and please come back! Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Great guests are what allows us to continue renting our property. Thank you for visiting us.

Aric and his family were wonderful guests, very friendly and respectful. The family with two young children left the house looking like only one person was here! Please come again.

Barbara, thank you for staying with us. As a guest, you and yours were wonderful. Because our plan to have this as a retirement home needed to change, we are happy to know that others (including ourselves) can experience all that our La Lomita has to offer. We hope you keep us in mind for your future travel plans. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Sheila, thank you for your evaluation. We are always appreciative of our guests taking time to do so. We love hosting, and, in fact, need to because by your using our home for whatever time you do, you are taking care of it in our absence. The neighbors love it, because the house is not vacant, and they know we have dependable guests. Be safe in all your travels, and please consider returning. Sincerely, Carl and Gretchen

Robyn, thank you for your review. All was quite fair. Weather has been a bit more unpredictable, so therefore, we need to respond to that. This summer has had its unusually hot days, so we will look into the possibilities for making the house more comfortable in the future. Thank you for your visit. Carl and Gretchen Valdez

Nancy, we appreciate the review and are pleased that, apart from the heat, you enjoyed our home. We began with a very simple design 21 years ago, but soon realized that we needed a second bathroom, thus a combined laundry/bathroom. Because of more unpredictable weather, and based on comments that we have received, it is clearly time to add some form of cooling apart from making do with adjusting windows and shades. Thank you for your comments and for choosing our home.

Hello, Andrea, As I am reviewing my reviews, I find yours very refreshing, first because we are so appreciative of your detail. Secondly, this past summer season we had several suggestions regarding a cooling system. They are recent notes, I believe, because the climate in just the past couple of years has been hotter than usual, quite enough difference from when we built 20 years ago to warrant a serious look at the conditions. I am investigating ecologically friendly systems and plan to install before July 2020. Thank you so much for visiting and for your careful evaluation. As I write this in March 2020 as COVID-19 is making its mark, we hope you are healthy and safe. Sincerely, Carl and Gretchen Valdez

We are so sorry for your discomfort. No doubt that you assumed that a modern house in NM would have air conditioning, so even with your health condition, you did not inquire. Many guests have asked prior to renting what the weather and cooling system are like; however, with your helpful comments, we will put it in our home’s description so that it is clear. We hope the other aspects of your visit were enjoyable. Thank you for the feedback.

Responses such as this are not only what we hope for, but were our thoughts when we designed La Lomita - to fit with the natural terrain and in keeping with the incumbent spiritual nature of the desert. Thank you for choosing our home and responding.