Sprawling Ranch Land Partially Fenced With Power Backing Up To Government Land

The subject property is a 20 acre parcel found in the Santa Rita Ranches, a sprawling rural subdivision located roughly twenty miles north of Magdalena in the remote hill country of Socorro County.

Boasting forest road access and consisting of generously portioned ranchettes, the Santa Rita Ranches features expansive views of the Rio Salado Valley as well as Ladron Peak and provide their property owners with unparalleled privacy and peace.

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 in a remote area roughly twenty miles west of the I-25 and twenty miles north of US Highway 60. Despite the location, our photographer reported surprisingly decent driving conditions and stated anyone with a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle should encounter little difficulty.

Roads & Access, Cont'd: The Santa Rita Ranches subdivision can be approached from the I-25 outside of Belen along State Road 12 or from Highway 60 outside Magdalena along Forest Road 354 (which eventually becomes State Road 12). Despite snaking through miles of open desert, however, the driving conditions can be reasonable once you know where you're going.

Roads & Access, Cont’d: Within the subdivision itself, the subject property is located where Bear Mountain Loop meets Ladron Vista Circle and boasts frontage along both. Roads within Santa Rita Ranches consist of graded dirt and gravel, are regularly maintained and can likely be navigated by any vehicle type.

Roads & Access, Cont'd: Anyone looking to scout the property is advised to study a map prior to driving into the region. A mapping app such as Land ID can be particularly helpful in an area such as this where not every road has a name, and not every named road has a sign. In addition, taking a spare tire with you is probably also a good idea.

Power & Utilities: Despite its remote setting, the subject property – as well as most of the parcels here - boasts power at the lot line. Underground utilities can also be found running along the Forest Road just outside the Santa Rita Ranches. Because of this, it may be easier and more affordable to get connected to the grid than one might imagine in this rural setting. Anyone looking to investigate the cost of getting power connected on the subject property is encouraged to contact either PNM or Socorro Electric Cooperative, two utility companies servicing this region.

Zoning: Socorro County has no formal zoning ordinance, and per their own government website "does not restrict the use of real property" within the county boundaries.

POA: The Santa Rita Ranches is governed by an owner’s association whose mission statement is to maintain and preserve the natural beauty of the region. This primarily takes the form of maintaining the roads throughout the subdivision. While the POA does have a website it appears to be largely a work-in-progress with little information available for review. That said, their Facebook page seems to be updated with greater regularity. It also appears to provide greater insights into the goings-on of the community. Anyone curious about owning land here is encouraged to review both.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Santa Rita Ranches were first subdivided, the developer drew up a set of 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 or use of the land. Because of this, anyone considering purchasing the property is encouraged to review the Santa Rita Ranches Covenants and Restrictions document linked here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Cont’d: Notable restrictions enumerated in the above-linked document include: Residential structures must have a minimum living space of 400 square feet; The exterior of the structure must be “in harmony” with the natural surroundings; Structures may be no taller than 35 feet in height; Double wide mobile homes and modular homes may be used as permanent residences but single wide mobile homes may not; RVs, campers, trailers and travel trailers may not be used as permanent home sites but may be used as temporary dwellings during the construction of the permanent home site; All permanent structures will need to be completed within 12 months from the time of ground-breaking. Livestock such as horses and cattle are acceptable; Anyone looking to restrict horses and cattle from trespassing on their land will need to fence their property.

Annual Dues: Annual Dues within Santa Rita Ranches are $200.00 per lot and go primarily toward maintenance and upkeep of the community roads.

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.  

Santa Rita History: The Santa Rita Ranches was created after the former Spears Ranch was subdivided and sold off in the mid aughts. Because it was once a working ranch, the rancher lifestyle continues to be a staple of the current subdivision and the way many of its residents have developed their properties.

Livestock Friendly: While a commercial ranch operation would be prohibited here, the keeping of livestock such as horses and cattle is permitted. In fact, horses and cattle would have grazing rights here, meaning any property owner looking to keep them off their land would need to install fencing. This, obviously, is not a problem for this specific ranchette.

Topography: The subject property features a diverse topography including flat, cut-out areas perfect for parking, camping and building as well as rolling hillsides, steep ridges and a large arroyo. 

Government Land: The subject property is bordered on its north by hundreds of additional acres of government land ideal for hiking, hunting, dirt bike riding, gun shooting and horseback riding.

Fencing: The subject property features fencing along its northern and western boundaries. The fencing marking the northern boundary of the property separates it from the government land to the north and was likely installed by the state. The fencing marking the western boundary of the property separates it from the neighboring 20 acre parcel. It should be noted that - that property has been developed with a home and working ranch.

Property Boundary Markers: While the fencing will help to dictate the exact boundaries of the 20 acre parcel, it's worth noting that one of the only unfenced ends, the southeast corner, does have a property boundary marker and survey pin already in place. This will further help to define the boundaries of this sprawling land without the need for an expensive survey.

As noted, the town of Magdalena is located roughly twenty minutes south of the subject property. Here you'll be able to find some small mom and pop stores, gas stations and a post office. For larger grocery and supply runs you'll need to venture into either the town of Socorro or Belen. In either of these locations, you'll be able to find big box stores such as Walmart and Home Depot as well as grocery stores, fast food restaurants, pharmacies and medical services.

The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is situated just east of the Santa Rita Ranches along State Road 12. This is one of the largest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge system in the continental U.S. making it ideal for hiking, camping, picnics and general site-seeing. In addition, Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in the state, is located only ninety miles south of the subject property in neighboring Sierra County. This region boasts excellent recreation opportunities such as fishing, boating, jet skiing, camping and RV'ing and may provide excellent weekend getaways for you and the family.