When you walk into an original Stamm house, you feel at home. Typically, a Stamm has a solid wood front door, Kiva fireplace, vigas, and hardwood floors. These pueblo-style, single-story homes and their neighborhoods are a joy to experience. With generous yards and mature trees, they represent some of the best of Santa Fe style for modest prices.

Allen Stamm built close to 2,800 homes in the Santa Fe area from 1939 to 1980. After World War II, veterans were able to buy these homes for as little as $8,000.

An early Stamm had two bedrooms, one bath, living room, kitchen, one-car garage, a walled back yard and an open front yard. Over the years, as families grew, garages were converted to bedrooms, rooms were added on, and in some cases, second stories were added.

The best known Stamm neighborhoods are Casa Linda (Kaune neighborhood off Cerrillos Road at Monterey Drive), Casa Alegre (on both sides of Osage Avenue, sandwiched between Agua Fria Street and Cerrillos Road), and Casa Solana (west of St. Francis Drive and north of W. Alameda Street). These are neighborhoods where you can still buy a single family home in town with a yard for a reasonable price. Resale prices range from $200,000 to over $400,000.

The sizes and floor plans vary. Some homes are as small at 815 square feet, and are as charming as they can be. Others have undergone renovations and add-ons. The homes in Casa Solana are the largest, and the neighborhood provides easy access to St. Francis Drive for the commute to Los Alamos.

When homes do come up for sale, they sell fast. These are stable neighborhoods, without much turnover.