Snowbirds Split Time Between Fort Lauderdale and Santa Fe

Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home
Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home

After over 30 years together, Randy Grant and Bruno Trambusti were looking for a locale for the next chapter of their lives. Having built a life together in Fort Lauderdale, the couple was looking for the perfect place to escape the hot, humid Florida summers. Now they’re members of a growing group of gay retirees who call “The City Different” home.

In 2016, after a quick house hunt facilitated by Mark Banham, Randy and Bruno settled in a three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, three-story townhome in the convenient Cielo Vista condominiums. Fast forward two years later and they’re here from June through October, returning to Florida for the winter months.

And although they bought without knowing many people in town, the couple has developed a large network of friends, especially within the city’s retired gay community. Their vibrant social life is centered around restaurants, dinner parties and get-togethers with their new friends and visitors.

What first brought you to Santa Fe?

Bruno: My sister traveled here 15 years ago and told us all about it. We came a year later and fell in love with the place.

Randy: We love the unique character and culture. We love the wonderful Canyon Road art galleries, the delicious food and great restaurants. We love the Indian Market and all the summer and fall festivals.

Bruno: The Folk Art Market is our favorite.

What made you choose to buy a second home here? And how did you find Mark?

Randy: Like I said, we fell in love with Santa Fe. So much, that we had our destination wedding here in May of 2014. A year later, we came back here for our first anniversary. We were still working at the time with an eye on retirement in a few years. It was basically a Google search with the idea that after we retire, we may want to split time between Fort Lauderdale and here.

Bruno: We googled “gay Realtor Santa Fe” and Mark popped up.

Randy: And we decided to contact him and explore some of the condos and townhouses during our visit. Our search took about two days. We gave Mark our list of preferences and he lined up about ten properties for us to look at, including the place we bought – our clear favorite.

How did Mark make the home-buying process easy while you were in Florida?

Bruno: The biggest accolade I can give Mark is that he makes the process really easy for remote buyers.

Randy: He was very thorough. He helped with negotiations. We had a problem with the roof, and Mark helped facilitate that process. He handled it all. And once we were settled, he even introduced us to his friends in the gay community here.

Now that you’re officially locals, have you had much company? How does the house work for out-of-town guests?

Bruno: We liked that it was fairly modern and only a block from Santa Fe Spa and close to downtown without being in the middle of everything.

Randy: And it’s perfect for entertaining guests. We’ve had six different groups of guests and friends from around the country this year!

Bruno: The layout is perfect for us. The two guest bedrooms are on separate levels. It works great for company because you’re not on top of each other.

Randy: When we have guests in from out of town, we usually have one dinner here, then showcase all the great restaurants in town.

We hear you like to cook. How’s the kitchen in your Santa Fe home?

Bruno: The previous owner spent little time here. Everything was in great condition. The kitchen and bathrooms were basically new.

Randy: The kitchen was important to us because Bruno likes to cook. He was born in Italy and bakes a lot.

Bruno: I’m a regular Martha Stewart. When we have people over, he helps prep.

Randy: I’m the cleaning crew and I keep the social calendar. It’s a collaboration that works for us and our guests are always pleased with the results!

Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home

Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second homeGay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home

Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home

Gay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second homeGay couple relocates to Santa Fe for second home

Thinking about purchasing a vacation home or relocating to Santa Fe? Reach out to Barker Realty Associate Broker Mark Banham to learn more about real estate opportunities in Santa Fe, as well as the cultural and social opportunities available in this unique, welcoming community.

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