Forested Hillside Lot With Power Partially Fenced And Very Private

The subject property is a .45 acre lot situated along Squirrel Lane in Quarris Acres, a forested, mountainous, residential community located along US Highway 82 just east of Cloudcroft.

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.

Roads & Access: The entrance to Quarris Acres is Hollywood Boulevard which connects directly to US Highway 82. From the highway to the back or northern end of the subdivision, the community has a notable rise in elevation. Hollywood Boulevard, at its lowest point at the turn-off from the highway, is a well-maintained gravel road. As Hollywood continues through the subdivision, and hence becomes steeper, the road becomes less maintained, and the gravel turns to loose rock.

By the time Hollywood meets Squirrel Lane, where the subject property is located, you have reached both the last road in the subdivision and well as the highest elevation. This means it is also the road that receives the least traffic. Because of this, Squirrel Lane is narrower than most of the other roads but surprisingly not as rocky.

All of this is our way of saying that anyone purchasing or even scouting this property should only do so in a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle. 

Power & Utilities: Residential power lines can be found running along Squirrel Lane including at the lot line of the subject parcel as well as servicing a nearby developed home site. Because of this, it should be both easy and affordable to get power connected on this parcel. Anyone looking to investigate the costs associated with getting service to the subject property is encouraged to contact the Otero County Electric Cooperative, the local utility servicing this region.

Water Service: Like many of the small subdivisions in this region, Quarris Acres has its own solution to bringing clean water to the residences within its community, namely the Quarris Acres Water Cooperative. The presence of this entity may eliminate the cost of getting a well drilled on the property.

Water Service, Cont'd: While Hemingway Land would like to provide further information about the Quarris Acres Water Cooperative to help prospective buyers evaluate development and service costs, this water utility is unique in that aside from a mailing address and a list or corporate officers, it appears to have no online presence. No website, no Facebook page, no social media – nothing. That said, it is a non-profit registered with the state and has been in business servicing this community since the mid 1970's. Anyone curious to learn more is encouraged to contact the Otero County Planning Commission, as they will likely help to coordinate service between landowners and the utility once building permits are issued.

Zoning: Otero is one of a handful of New Mexico Counties which have no formal County-wide zoning ordinance and defer instead to towns and municipalities within their borders to make their own rules. As this property is located in "Unincorporated" Otero County that means it is outside the jurisdiction of even the most "small government" town. This means that aside from state-wide regulations such as building codes or environmental ordinances, there are no governmental restrictions about how the land may be used or developed.

No HOA: The Quarris Acres subdivision has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Quarris Acres subdivision was created, the developer drew up a set of very minor covenants and restrictions to run with the land. While most of these are what we like to refer to as "reasonable, good neighbor restrictions" dealing primarily with the disposal of trash and prohibitions on excess noise, there are a few covenants that deal with acceptable structures for the region as well as minimum square footage requirements of those structures. Because of this, anyone considering purchasing the land is encouraged to review the Quarris Acres Covenants and Restrictions document found here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Cont'd: Notable conditions enumerated in the above-linked CCR document include the following: Trailer houses for permanent usage must be a minimum of '8 x 40'; 480 square feet is the minimum square footage requirement for structures.

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.  

National Forest: The subject property is located just two hundred feet south of the northern most end of the subdivision and thus, is within walking distance of the Lincoln National Forest. While that short walk will be across privately owned land, it should be noted that – that property has not been developed, meaning it's unlikely anyone would ever know or care that someone were crossing it.

End Of Subdivision: It should also be noted that the subject property is situated at the western end of the Quarris Acres subdivision and backs up to 190 acres of privately owned land. While the owners of the neighboring parcel may one day elect to develop their property more, for the time-being it seems untouched and in no hurry to change. Because of this, anyone owning the subject property will have a greater degree of privacy and a wide-open expanse of forest.

Property Boundary Markers & Fencing: Property boundary stakes can be found marking the corners of this parcel. In addition, fencing – most likely installed by the aforementioned neighbors – runs the length of the western border. As the property boundaries have been clearly marked, this means that whoever purchases the land will likely be able to save money on the cost of an expensive survey.

Parcel Size: As noted, the subject property is .45 acres, or slightly less than one half acre in size. While this may not seem very big, most parcels in this subdivision occupy a fraction of that space. In fact, this property is a re-plat of three adjacent smaller lots, each roughly .15 acres in size. This opens the landowner up to either develop one of the larger home sites in the region, construct multiple cabins, or to simply subdivide and resell for a profit.

Topography: Despite its location at the northern end of a steep subdivision, the subject property, surprisingly, has only a slight pitch to it descending from its highest point along Squirrel Lane to its lowest point along its southern boundary. This means the terrain may not be as difficult to develop as one might expect.

James Canyon Volunteer Fire Department: It should be noted that just east of the Quarris Acres subdivision is a volunteer fire department which services the many residential subdivisions along Highway 82. This can be a tremendous benefit, particularly in a densely forested region such as this where fire mitigation is crucial to preserving the residents' way of life. 

The subject property is located just outside Cloudcroft, a charming rustic community of less than one thousand residents. While small, this area features amenities such as post offices, banks, medical practitioners, schools and churches. In addition, there are a number of places to eat and drink as well as purchase building materials. Located as close as it is to the National Forest and local skiing destinations, there are also places to purchase hunting supplies and skiing equipment.

Anyone looking for the nearest Walmart or other big box stores, national retailers or fast-food chains will need to either drive west into Alamogordo or north into Ruidoso.

This part of New Mexico is home to a number of popular skiing destinations such as the slopes of the nearby Ski Cloudcroft as well as Ski Apache further north in Alto.

The Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino – home to plenty of gambling, concerts and general entertainment - is also within an hour's drive of this region.

In addition, this entire subdivision is set against the backdrop of the Lincoln National Forest with its numerous trails, camp grounds and picnic areas. Home to species as diverse as Elk, Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Oryx, Ibex, Javelina and Bighorn Sheep, this region is ideal for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.