Iconic ‘Breaking Bad’ house up for sale for $4M

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The iconic house in Albuquerque, known to the world as Walter White’s home in “Breaking Bad,” is officially up for sale for $4 million.

The homeowners let KOB 4 take a look, and it’s the first time cameras have ever been allowed inside.

Even more than a decade after the show ended, it still draws tourists from all over the world. Fans take pictures outside day and night, but most people aren’t allowed inside.

Joanne Quintana and her siblings grew up in the northeast Albuquerque home and own it. Their parents, Fran and Louis Padilla, bought it back in 1973.

Then, one random day in 2006, a knock at the door changed their lives.

“My mother never ever answers the door, and she did. They introduced themselves and handed her a card and said, ‘We would like to use your house for a pilot.’ And she’s like, ‘You want to buy a bridge in Brooklyn? What are you talking about?’” said Quintana.

Fiery Fran confirmed that the project was legit, and it was just a pilot, so they took the leap. Two weeks later, filming began.

“We were, like anybody, it’s a once in a lifetime thing. You got to meet the actors, the actresses, you got to see how they set up the equipment and what it all takes,” Quintana said.

Despite popular belief, they only used the inside of the home for gear, and prep – not for scenes.

The family was there for the iconic pizza scene. Joanne says they had boxes of pizzas lining her sidewalk in case Bryan Cranston didn’t get it on the first take, but he nailed it on try one.

For the pivotal scene when Skyler walks into the family’s pool, the family snapped a photo as they filled the pool with 90-degree water to make the actress comfortable.

Fran always had cookies for the crew.

“What was funny was Bryan Cranston could not eat not one cookie. Because he had cancer in the show, so he was losing weight. So he would pass, but everybody, all the directors, all the writers would eat the cookies. The last day of shooting, he takes a picture holding my mom’s biscotti because he finally got to eat her cookies,” said Quintana. “Aaron Paul had to grunt and get angry to get into his character of Jesse. That was awesome. And the magic of Hollywood, nobody will ever get to experience what we did.”

Then the show became an international sensation.

“The fans started coming. We would go out there, my mother and I, and we would take pictures with them,” Quintana said.

But when did it start to get to a point where they had to put the fence up?

“Around 4:30 in the morning, the doorbell rang, my mom got up and opened the door, and it was a package,” said Quintana.

The package was addressed to Walter White at the Padilla family’s home, so they called the bomb squad.

“My brothers said that’s it, we’re done, fence is going up. That’s too close for comfort is the front door,” Quintana said.

Now, cameras alert them when someone is outside.

“We average 300 cars a day. Come Balloon Fiesta, hundreds of thousands come for balloons. Balloons go up, they come down. Where do they come? Here,” said Quintana.

As Quintana’s parents got older, it got harder for her to protect them inside.

“Nobody knew that there was two people very sick, eventually on hospice, and eventually passed away,” Quintana said.

Now, she says it’s finally time to sell.

“This was our family home from 1973, almost 52 years. 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,” said Quintana.

Zillow estimates the 1,900-square foot home would go for under $350,000, but the family only got paid a fee per shoot, no residuals.

With the multi-million dollar price tag, the family expects that it won’t be a family home anymore, and they don’t think it should be.

“I hope they make it what the fans want. They want a BnB, they want a museum, they want access to it. Go for it,” Quintana said.

For years, people have shown up with luggage, scammed into thinking they rented the home. A speedo-wearing man paid a thousand dollars for a dip in the pool.

“This is what they want. They want the iconic pool,” said Quintana.

David Christensen with eXp Luxury and Ryan Johnston with InterPhase Entertainment are selling the home. For more information, visit www.walterwhiteshouse.com.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Traveling a lighter roster to the Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational last weekend, NM State returns to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Team Open, hosted by the University of New Mexico. Action begins at the two-day meet on Friday, Jan. 31 at approximately 3:30 p.m. Fans can follow along with the action live on FloSports, with live results available at this link. The Starting Line

Aggie Accolades

– DMR – 60m, 200m – 60m, 200m, 400m, 4x400 – Shot put – 4x400 – Long Jump, Triple Jump – DMR – Shot put – 60m H – DMR – DMR – 60m, 200m – 200m, 400m, 4x400

– 200m dash (23.52 seconds) – 60m Hurdles (8.21) – Shot Put (16.10 meters)

– 60m dash (7.59 seconds) – 800m (2:16.10), Mile (5:03.21) – Weight Throw (15.53 meters)

Where We Stand

– Shot put (1) – 60m Hurdles (3) , , , – 4x400 (3) – 200m (4) – Weight Throw (5), Shot put (10) – 200m (5) – 60m (8), 200m (7) – Shot put (8) – 60m (8) – 800m (8)

Fresh Faces

Dual Sport Star

One Year Ago… | New Mexico Collegiate Classic | 2.2-3.24

For complete coverage of NM State Track & Field, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateXCTF), Instagram (@NMStateXCTF), and like us on Facebook (NMStateTrackXC).

++NM State++

A New Mexico Film Office manager joined a global industry board, highlighting the state's growth in international filmmaking.

The New Mexico Film Office announced Jan. 28 that Senior Program Manager Rochelle Bussey has been appointed to the Association of Film Commissioners International Board of Directors.

Bussey’s appointment to the AFCI Board strengthens New Mexico’s presence in the international film industry and showcases the state’s leadership in developing film-friendly policies, programs and partnerships, according to the release.

The appointment recognizes Bussey's contributions to the film industry and dedication to promoting New Mexico as a premier filming destination. In her role at NMFO, she has managed relationships with productions, spearheaded opportunities for New Mexicans and provided critical support to filmmakers.

Bussey will join a diverse group of 16 members representing Africa, Canada, Europe, the Oceanic territories, South America and the United States.

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"Rochelle’s expertise and leadership have been instrumental in the growth of New Mexico’s film industry. This is a well-deserved recognition of her dedication and a testament to the high caliber of talent within the New Mexico Film Office," NMFO Director Steve Graham said.

“I am deeply honored to join the AFCI Board of Directors,” Bussey said. “Growing up in Santa Fe and working in this industry for over two decades, I’ve seen firsthand how film can transform communities and create opportunities. New Mexico is a place of rich culture, diverse talent and breathtaking landscapes. I’m excited to bring those stories to a global stage while working with my peers to ensure film production remains a powerful force for economic and creative growth worldwide.”

The current board will serve throughout 2025. In September 2025, an election will be held for board officers whose two-year terms conclude at the end of the year.

The NMFO has celebrated many distinctions this year, including topping MovieMaker Magazine’s list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, and global recognition for its Film Crew Advancement Program.

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Quantinuum bolsters New Mexico's position as a leader in quantum technology with new investment.

Global company Quantinuum intends to build a research and development hub in New Mexico, which has worked to position itself as a base for quantum technology innovation.

The integrated quantum computing company, which has headquarters in Denver and the United Kingdom, announced the move Jan. 21.

The new site, yet to be selected, will support its ongoing efforts around photonics technologies to further the company’s product development.

Quantum computing requires fairly stringent environmental measures along with high precision labs and infrastructure that’s not usually readily available, Rajeeb “Raj” Hazra, Ph.D., president and CEO of Quantinuum, told Albuquerque Business First.

For this reason, the company is exploring all options, he explained, and due to the company’s target of being up and running by the end of 2025, a more readily available site with a viable talent pool is most attractive.

The governor's office proposed a legislative package and invited Quantinuum as an ecosystem anchor tenant. Outside of that, the company is engaging with the New Mexico Economic Development Department on incentives.

New Mexico has one of the largest concentrations of quantum research in the United States with the presence of Sandia National Laboratories, the Air Force Research Lab and the University of New Mexico. As a result, a consortium of partners in the state have worked to position it as a hub for quantum technologies.

As part of its Tech Hubs program, in July 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration designated Quantinuum’s headquarters state of Colorado as well as New Mexico as leading hubs for quantum information technology, making The Land of Enchantment an ideal location for Quantinuum to locate its research and development hub.

Additionally, New Mexico Quantum Moonshot, a collaborative initiative between national laboratories, universities and private sector entities, has been invited as one of only four groups nationwide to submit a full proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program. The award would provide up to $160 million over 10 years to project teams trying to create groundbreaking technology and bring it to market.

Part of the company’s decision to locate it’s research and development hub in the state can be attributed to Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum’s joint forces to become Quantinuum as Honeywell International, Inc. manages Sandia through its subsidiary, National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, Hazra explained.

“[I have] a deep awareness and appreciation and admiration for the depth of talent in New Mexico ecosystem,” Hazra said.

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“We were aligned in in objective with New Mexico. We were aligned in the need for, ‘Why now?’ Because we have to get this already started and grown for us to deliver our road map, and we were aligned in heart, because it felt like the right place based on the years of working with various ecosystem partners,” he added.

Quantinuum’s research and development goals have been made specific, Hazra explained. One main area of focus is integrated optics, a core technology fundamental to building quantum computers, and making them larger and more powerful.

The power of a quantum computer comes from the number of qubits, the basic computing units the computer has, and specifically how good they are, or their “fidelity.”

Optics is critical to managing those qubits, reading and setting their value, moving them, and understanding their state. The integrated part is critical in building larger and more powerful machines with more qubits as the correct levels of integration contribute to ensuring the system’s engineering is enabled for highly complex systems, explained Hazra.

“It is a capability that is of strategic value to us, because it is the key driver of scalability, right? And so that's the specific technology that we will be advancing and accelerating through our presence in New Mexico and our investment and our increased investment in this area for our roadmap,” said Hazra.

Quantinuum plans to be the first company with 100 logical qubits in 2026 and hundreds of logical qubits and 10s of 1000s of physical qubits by 2029. These are machines with the potential to help with drug discovery, run large supply chain optimization problems, look at new materials for refrigerants and fertilizers and understand new energy sources.

“The real value from quantum computing is not 30 years away, it's in the next three to five years. And we absolutely expect New Mexico to be both a leader and have been a beneficiary of being an early mover in this technology area,” said Hazra.

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James Beard Awards semifinalists have been announced, eight of whom are in New Mexico.

The James Beard Awards announced its 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists on Jan. 22, with five New Mexico chefs on the list.

James Beard Foundation, which runs the awards, is a nonprofit that supports and elevates restaurateurs in the United States. This is the 35th anniversary of the awards, which were established in 1990.

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There are 25 different categories and New Mexico restaurants, chefs and servers have eight total semifinalists for the awards, five of which are chefs in the state. This is up from six semifinalists in the state in 2024 and four semifinalists in 2023. The categories include:

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program:

Outstanding Bakery:

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service:

Best Chef Southwest:

Outstanding professional in cocktail service is a brand-new category created this year, along with two other categories focused on beverages for the anniversary of the awards.

The last time a New Mexican won a James Beard Award was in 2022 when chef Fernando Olea of restaurant Sazón in Santa Fe won the Best Southwest Chef Award.

Nominees will be announced on April 2. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

A full list of semifinalists can be found on the foundation’s website.

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