LOCATION & SIZE

General Location: Rio Grande Estates is a sprawling subdivision consisting of thousands of half and one acre parcels which stretches from the I-25 corridor in the west to the Manzano Mountains in the east and as far south as the Socorro County line. It makes up not only the largest subdivision in Valencia County but also the largest swath of undeveloped land in this rapidly growing region.

It should be noted that the subject property is a single half acre lot. While not enough land to allow for conventional building, this acreage is still ideal for recreational purposes such as seasonal camping trips or RV use.

LEGAL INFORMATION

When we speak of property we typically use an address — 123 Main Street for instance.

As most vacant land does not have a physical address, however, county governments will identify it in other ways, such as a “legal description”, a parcel number or a tax code. The information provided in the table to the right are the ways in which the various state and county agencies will identify this specific parcel of land. These signifiers are important to have when speaking with these agencies – whether they be the assessor, the zoning office, or even the local utilities – and may prove invaluable when initiating conversations about whatever research a buyer intends to do.

Whenever one exists or has been assigned to the land, the physical address will be included in this table.

ACCESS & UTILITIES

Legal Access/Road Access: While all properties in Rio Grande Estates have legal access, some roads are easier to navigate than others. Due to the area it encompasses, it’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to the quality and condition of the roads here. That said, whichever part of the subdivision you’re looking to purchase land in, all buyers are encouraged to take a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle when visiting the property.

Utilities: While many properties in the western parts of the subdivision have or sit in close proximity to power lines and underground utility boxes, overall this is a region largely devoid of utilities. Anyone attempting to build, RV or camp out here should expect to rely on alternative forms of power. Any specific property that has access to power lines will be noted on the individual listing page.

Cell Reception: It should be noted that despite the lack of utilities in this region, our photographer reported a surprisingly reliable cell reception throughout the entire subdivision.

Wells & Water Table Depth: Again, because of the area it encompasses, it’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to the varying depths of the water table throughout this region. Anyone considering drilling a well here is encouraged to speak with local well drillers for a more accurate sense of cost and logistics.

ZONING & RESTRICTIONS

Zoning: Rio Grande Estates is a subdivision that consists of roughly 50,000 parcels. The vast majority of these parcels are zoned for Residential use either under the designation of Rural Residential 1 or Outland District. Despite there being two different designations for land in this region, the descriptions of the two per the Valencia County Zoning Ordinance are largely the same and anything permitted in one tends to be permitted in the other. For more information on these respective zoning designations, you can click this link to learn more about Rural Residential 1 and this link to learn more about Outland District.

Zoning, Cont’d: It should be noted that in a subdivision this massive, there will always be zoning anomalies or a small handful of parcels which may be designated differently than the rest. The above-mentioned designations cover well over 95% of the land in Rio Grande Estates.

Building/Camping/RVs: As this area is designed with residential development in mind, single family homes are acceptable here as well as mobile and modular homes. RVs are only acceptable here for thirty days at a time or up to twelve months with a building permit. Shipping container homes would likely be acceptable if erected per state building code guidelines while tiny homes, yurts and earthship homes would likely be deemed unacceptable. For specific questions about zoning, building plans or the permitting process, buyers are encouraged to contact the Valencia County Planning & Zoning office.

HOAs/Restrictions: The Rio Grande Estates subdivision has no Home Owners or Property Owners Association. There are no covenants or restrictions and no yearly dues for land owners in this region. Beyond the annual taxes you’ll pay to Valencia County – which are currently assessed at roughly $5.00 per parcel – there are no additional costs to concern yourself with.

HELPFUL LINKS

The Hemingway Land Company does our best to represent the properties we list as accurately as possible. Our research, however, will always be limited.

Because of this, included in the table to the right is a list of the relevant state and county governments, agencies and authorities as well as local utilities (and all their respective websites and contact information) which should help to answer any questions a buyer may have about developing this specific property.

Whenever possible it is best to speak with these agencies first as they will always be a far greater source of information about the local region and the regulations which govern it.

Valencia County Assessor’s Office (505) 866-2065 (Click Here)

Valencia County Planning & Zoning (505) 866-2050 (Click Here)

Valencia County Comprehensive Land Use Plan (Click Here)

PNM (888) 342-5766 (Click Here)

New Mexico State Engineer (505) 827-6091 (Click Here)

Well Drilling Info (Click Here)

Well Drilling Permit Application (Click Here)

MISCELLANEOUS

Socorro vs Valencia County: It should be noted that the Rio Grande Estates subdivision that we are selling land in – in Valencia County is very different than the Rio Grande Estates subdivision we are selling land in – in Socorro County. Each subdivision’s regulations are different, each subdivision’s roads are maintained differently, and each subdivision is outfitted differently with utilities. So despite the fact they share the same name, these are two wholly different communities providing their own distinct benefits and drawbacks to potential land owners. To learn more about our Rio Grande Estates listings in Socorro County please navigate to the Socorro County listings on our New Mexico Listings Page.

Photography Disclosure: Due to the large volume of inventory we have in this region, unlike other listings on our site, the photos displayed at the bottom of each page will be from the general area of a property and not from the parcel itself. We have done our best to get a variety of photos from each specific region of the subdivision and in each property’s photo gallery we have posted photos we feel most accurately represent the region that property is in. Anyone looking for an exact sense of the property, its terrain or surroundings is encouraged to scout the individual listing at their leisure.

NEARBY TOWNS

Nearby Towns & Resources: Located just outside of Los Lunas, the Rio Grande Estates subdivision has easy access to groceries and supplies as well as big box stores such as Walmart and Home Depot. Additionally, plenty of fast food restaurants, gas stations, post offices, banks, medical facilities and other daily necessities can be found within easy driving distance of this region. Furthermore, Albuquerque, the largest city in the state, is just a quick twenty minute drive north along the I-25 and is likely to have whatever product or service you can’t procure in Los Lunas or nearby Belen.

Belen: 7 miles (11 min)

Los Lunas: 17 miles (25 min)

Albuquerque: 41 miles (44 min)

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Elephant Butte Lake: Located roughly two hours south of Rio Del Oro you’ll find Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in New Mexico. This state park boasts campgrounds, picnic areas, RV stations and a 36,000 acre lake which can accommodate watercraft as diverse as kayaks, jet skis, pontoons, sailboats, ski boats, cruisers and houseboats.

Things To Do In Albuquerque: (Click Here)

Elephant Butte Lake: (Click Here)

Rio Metro: (Click Here)

Abo Canyon: (Click Here)

Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge: (Click Here)

Manzano Mountains State Park: (Click Here)

Rio Salado River: (Click Here)

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument: (Click Here)