New Mexico
The house made famous by
The house made famous by the “Breaking Bad” TV series is up for sale, and the owners of the otherwise unassuming home in one of Albuquerque’s older neighborhoods are hoping the property’s role in the long-running series will help them fetch a pretty penny.
Centered on mythical methamphetamine cookers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the series wrapped up more than a decade ago, but its legacy continues to draw looky-loos to the home and other associated filming spots around town.
New Mexico’s governor also recently tapped the Walter White character, played by Bryan Cranston, to star in a campaign against littering in New Mexico.
While “Breaking Bad” certainly has left its mark on New Mexico and this quiet block in Albuquerque, the listing is sure to reignite interest.
Time to move on
Fans often flock to the home, sometimes with hundreds of cars driving by in a single day, Joanne Quintana told Albuquerque television station KOB-TV.
Quintana said her parents purchased the home in the 1970s and that she and her siblings grew up there. As her parents got older and the show’s popularity skyrocketed, it became harder to protect them. The family was forced to put up a metal fence and install security cameras to keep fans at bay.
Now that her parents are gone, it’s time to sell.
“This was our family home from 1973, almost 52 years,” she told the station. “So we’re going to walk away with just our memories. It’s time to move on. We’re done. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”
Hollywood magic
It was 2006 when a film scout first approached Quintana’s mother about shooting a pilot episode at the home. Within months, the equipment was set up and filming began.
The family got to meet Cranston and the other stars and watched from behind the scenes as crew members worked their magic. Quintana’s mother was always sure to have cookies for the cast and crew.
The inside of the home was used to prep, while interior scenes were shot in a studio.
For the famous pizza scene, Quintana remembers boxes of pizza lining the sidewalk. Plenty of unsliced cheese and pepperoni props were at the ready in case Cranston didn’t nail it on the first try. He did — landing the pizza face-up on the roof after his character’s wife shut the door in his face.
The homeowners had a hard time keeping fans from attempting their own pizza tosses or trying to sneak dips in the iconic backyard pool.
Priced to sell?
The housing market in New Mexico’s largest city certainly isn’t what it would have been when Walter White was applying for a mortgage, and the price paid by Quintana’s parents five decades ago is unimaginable now. The median price in the Albuquerque area is approaching $400,000, and interest rates are expected to hover around 6% this year.
Some online real estate calculators put the estimated market value of the four-bedroom ranch-style home at just over $340,000. But with the star power of “Breaking Bad” behind it, the global luxury realty service that is listing the home for Quintana and her family has it priced at just under $4 million.
David Christensen with eXp Luxury told The Associated Press on Friday that it’s been a busy day with the listing going live and that investors will be looking at the property. Ideas include turning the home into a vacation rental or a museum.
The listing company has set up a website to showcase the property, billing it as a chance to own a piece of pop culture history.
New Mexico
No Real ID, no problem: TSA’s ConfirmID offers quick fix at Sunport
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Travelers without a Real ID can now use TSA’s new ConfirmID program for a fee to get through security at the Sunport.
The program, which began Feb. 1, allows travelers to pay $45 to enroll for a period of 10 days.
Acting Executive Assistant Administrator Steve Lorincz from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said, “It’s a voluntary option to those customers to make sure that they’re able to get processed through the TSA.”
Lorincz explained that the program ensures travelers can make both their outbound and return flights. The $45 fee covers the cost of the operation itself.
Jeffrey Harris, a passenger flying through Sunport, said, “It’s a great idea for anybody who loses their ID. Or, you know, I lose stuff all the time.”
Tyler Barber, another traveler, added, “Your stuff gets stolen or anything like that. It’s a good just second option.” Scarlett Dooley also supported the program, saying, “It’s smart, because I think there are a lot of situations that happen where someone just leaves it in their car, but they might miss their flight.”
However, some passengers remain skeptical. Christi Alvarez questioned, “They just going to have somebody pay the $45 or are they expected to bring other forms of identification? I don’t really know.”
According to TSA, travelers need to show a receipt or confirmation of ConfirmID along with another ID or documentation to verify their identity. The agency noted that about 6 percent of the U.S. population lacks a Real ID, with the figure rising to 20 percent in New Mexico.
New Mexico
Southeast New Mexico College trustees sworn into office – Carlsbad Current-Argus
New Mexico
Unemployment claims in New Mexico declined last week
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in New Mexico dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 795 in the week ending January 24, down from 939 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 209,000 last week, down 1,000 claims from 210,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Nebraska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 207.4%. Kentucky, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 59.7%.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
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