Pre-Staked Hillside Lot W/ Power & Underground Utilities Overlooking Sacramento Mtns

The subject property is a .15 acre lot (15% of 1 acre) located in Skyridge Drive Estates, a rustic and secluded community found just south of Cloudcroft and tucked away outside the town of Weed.

Nestled between the canyons and hillsides of the surrounding Sacramento Mountains, this subdivision backs up to the over one million acres that make up the Lincoln National Forest. 

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 subject property is located along Balsam Drive. Like the rest of this small subdivision, Balsam is a dirt road in decent enough condition for most vehicles. That said, given the hillside location of the property as well as the weather common to this region, anyone scouting the land is advised to take a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle.

Power & Utilities: Residential power and underground telecom lines can be found running along Balsam Drive including at the lot line of the subject property as well as servicing a number of nearby developed home sites. 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.

Wells & Water Table Depth: While there are some makeshift signs throughout Skyridge Drive Estates indicating a shared or community well, there's little additional evidence to support this or indicate how one might gain access to it if such a thing even exists. Because of this, anyone looking to develop the property should plan to either drill their own well or use holding tanks to transport and store water.

Wells & Water Table Depth, Cont'd: It should be noted that given the size of the subject property, drilling a well may not be feasible as state environmental regulations will usually require more land. While some homeowners in the region appear to have a well on their property, it's reasonable to conclude such a thing was permitted because they own larger collections of adjacent lots. That said, there are also a number of homeowners here who appear to be using holding tanks to supply their property with water (see photos in the gallery at the bottom of this page). Anyone planning to develop the subject property should consider this the most likely method for bringing water to the land.

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 Skyridge Drive Estates subdivision is not part of an HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: Skyridge Drive Estates also features no recorded covenants on file with the County enumerating any subdivisions restrictions.

Editor’s Note: Given the lack of formal zoning in this region combined with the absence of any sort of recorded covenants and restrictions document, it suggests that land here can be developed in a number of ways. Additionally, surveying the homesites within the subdivision reveals a variety of styles, structures and building materials – some even of notably small square footage. This suggests that as long as structures are created per state building codes, they should be acceptable here. See photos in the gallery at the bottom of this page for further reference.

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.  

Topography: The subject property is a hillside lot featuring a roughly twenty-five-foot difference between its highest elevation along Balsam Drive and its lowest elevation along the eastern boundary.

Boundary Markers: It should be noted that boundary stakes mark the four corners of this property. The presence of such markers should eliminate the need for a new survey as well as the cost.

National Forest: Perfect for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts alike, the subject property is located in the heart of the Lincoln National Forest. This means that you'll have easy access to the many trails, campgrounds, picnic areas and natural springs that surround this region.

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.