ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A house adorned with a large American flag on its pitched metal-paneled roof has hit the market in Albuquerque and is gaining attention on social media.
The 3,672 square-foot house on Mezcal Circle NW contains three beds and baths, a finished basement with a pool table, a two-car garage, a detached garage, a lap pool in the backyard, and more features. The home sits on a 7,849-square-foot lot and is listed for $489,000.
It even got a feature on the Zillow Gone Wild Facebook page, known for showcasing unique and bizarre listings. The post read: “JUST in time for #paris2024, here’s the most American house we could find.”
When KRQE News 13 asked the owner why he chose to display Old Glory on his roof he said: “I’m a patriot, and this is my honor to all veterans, why I did this, for past, present, and future veterans,” said Rick Gabaldon, who also noted that his dad served in World War II and his partner’s father was in the Korean conflict.
The display of patriotism does not stop at the outside of the home; inside, while the Americana aesthetic is less subtle, Gabaldon has multiple American flags, photos of loved ones in their military uniforms, and statues of bald eagles.
Gabaldon said that while he and his family have made a lot of memories in the home, it’s time to downsize. “I want to retire completely. And being that my grandkids are gone, this is a lot of house for us. And I just want to move a little bit east to the East Mountains,” he said.
KRQE News 13 first spoke with Gabaldon in 2018, when his new roof was installed. Since then, he said that a lot of random visitors have stopped to take photos of the house. “I even tell them, get out and take a picture standing in front of the house. And people get off on it. It’s really cool,” he explained.
While the next owners will have free reign to decorate the house however they like, Gabaldon has one wish for them: “I hope that they bring kids and they enjoy the swimming pool, they enjoy the house. It’s really awesome,” he said.
