LOCATED OFF HIGHWAY 64
FEATURING POWER AT THE LOT LINE
AND RELAXED ZONING

LOCATION & SIZE

The subject property is a 10 acre parcel located just off Highway 64 roughly twenty minutes northwest of the vibrant community of Taos.

Situated in the Tres Piedras region of Taos County, this sprawling rural property will put whoever owns it within a short drive of countless enviable attractions and activities. For those who enjoy hunting, hiking and exploring, you’ll have over one million acres of Carson National Forest to keep you busy. For the fishermen in the family, there’s Eagle Nest, Abiquiu, Heron and El Vado Lakes, not to mention the Rio Chama. The winter sports enthusiasts will be able to traverse the slopes and trails of Angel Fire and the surrounding Taos Ski Valley. And for those who enjoy arts and culture, the galleries and restaurants of Taos await your weekly visits.

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 above 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 the Property Details section.

ACCESS & UTILITIES

Road & Access: The subject property is located just off Highway 64 and features road frontage along both its eastern and northern boundaries. It should be noted that while both roads serve as legal access, neither appears to be named on any plat of the region. Additionally, while both roads traverse the boundaries of the land, the road connecting off the 64 and running north/south along the parcel’s eastern boundary is the better maintained and more logical access route. All three roads can be navigated easily by any vehicle type.

Roads & Access, Cont’d: It should be noted that a gate can be found along the primary access road at the turn-off from Highway 64 (see photo in the gallery at the top of this page). Gates like this are common in this area and are not meant to prohibit access to the land but are installed rather to “keep the cows in, not keep the people out.” When our Photographer visited the property he reported that this gate is not locked and was easy to pass through which tends to be typical for this region. Anyone living here or merely scouting the land is simply expected to be good neighbors and shut the gates behind them as they drive to and from their property.

Power & Utilities: Residential Power lines can be found running along the eastern boundary of the subject property as well as nearby along Highway 64 and servicing a number of developed home sites throughout the region. Because of this, getting power connected on the land should be both easy and affordable. Anyone looking to investigate the cost of getting power connected on the subject property is encouraged to contact the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, the local utility serving this region.

Wells & Water Table: City water service is not available in this region and anyone looking to develop the land will either need to drill a well or rely on refillable holding tanks for their drinking water. It has been reported that there a few community wells in this region – meaning someone owns a well and lets other residents purchase water from them – but we have never been able to confirm this or find the contact information for those well owners. Anyone who would like to get a sense of the cost involved in getting a well drilled on the subject property is encouraged to contact well drillers local to the region.

ZONING & RESTRICTIONS

Zoning: While the town of Taos has numerous zoning ordinances and restrictions, Taos County has very relaxed zoning laws, particularly in rural areas like Tres Piedras, where the subject property is located. This property, like most of the undeveloped land in the outskirts of the County, is zoned County Rural Area, a broad designation which allows for everything from standard single-family residences to mobile and modular homes as well as small scale ranching and agricultural uses. Additionally, because the County has – what we will describe as – a “laissez-faire attitude” toward rural land use, it is not uncommon to see property in this area developed with less conventional or alternative building styles difficult to get permitted elsewhere. This includes everything from earthships to geodesic domes, to barndominiums and even tiny homes. In short, whatever plans someone might have for a property like this are likely to be met with little resistance, at least from the perspective of local zoning. As always, prospective buyers are encouraged to contact the County and discuss their plans in advance of purchase.

No HOA: The subject property is not governed by an HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: There are no covenants, conditions or restrictions (CCRs) on file with Taos County for this property. As such, a landowner is further free to develop the land in whatever way they please without needing to concern themselves with or be limited by deed restrictions.

RV Use: RVs may be used for camping and temporary living for up to 180 Days in Taos County even without a building permit. This fact alone makes the area ideal for anyone with an RV looking for land they can vacation to, camp on, or park and live on for a long time without being hassled by local officials.

Disclosure: Prospective buyers are encouraged to keep in mind that while Taos County has very relaxed zoning, land in this region will still be subject to state-wide laws, building codes and environmental regulations. This is especially true as it pertains to how waste is disposed of and wells are drilled and installed. The NM EPA oversees septic permits and the State Engineer is responsible for well permits and are two organizations you or your contractor will deal with eventually. State regulations aside, however, Taos County remains one of the most ideal places in New Mexico for developing land with as few ordinances to conform to as possible.

TITLE INFO

It should be noted that while Hemingway Land normally likes to offer our buyers the option of closing on a property through a title company and thus receiving a Warranty Deed, for this particular property we are not able to extend that courtesy and will only be able to convey the land 1) without title insurance and 2) only with a Special Warranty Deed.

To explain: Title Companies in Taos County are notoriously reticent to insure land in this region. During the time we have been in business we have never found one that will offer this service. Because of this, our Company is only prepared to offer a Special Warranty Deed. Anyone who would like title insurance and a Warranty Deed is welcome to call title companies in Taos County to see if anyone will insure property in the Tres Piedras region. And if you can find one, we will be glad to work with them. That said, in our experience it’s highly unlikely you will find one.

If that is your intention, you should not initiate this transaction until you are certain you have found a title company willing to work with you.

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 informat

Taos County Assessor’s Office (575) 737-6360 (Click Here)

Taos County Planning & Zoning (575) 737-6440 (Click Here)

Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (575) 758-2258 (Click Here)

New Mexico Environmental Department (505) 827-2855 (Click Here)

Taos County Zoning Ordinance  (Click Here)

Taos County Zoning Map (Click Here)

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

Well Drilling Info (Click Here)

Well Drilling Permit Application (Click Here)

MISCELLANEOUS

What Makes This Property Unique: The subject property distinguishes itself both in its size as well as the amount of freedom and privacy it provides its owner. To explain: The vast majority of the land in this region of Taos County was purchased decades ago by developers who subdivided it down into quarter and half acre parcels. This is especially true of the Tres Piedras Estates subdivision which sits in close proximity to this parcel and straddles both sides of Highway 64 for miles. Furthermore, because the parcels in that and other nearby residential subdivisions are less than 1 acre in size, it makes those properties fundamentally harder to develop per State Environmental Regulations. For while local Taos County zoning is fairly relaxed, it’s State environmental rules that present the greatest challenges for local landowners, particularly the vast majority who have less than one acre of land. Finally, because so many people in this region own land that’s only a fraction of an acre in size, it leaves local landowners with little space to call their own, often having to get along with or tolerate neighbors who live all too close to their property. It’s for these reasons that this 10 acre parcel is both unique as well as of exponentially greater value than all the land that surrounds it.

Private Land To The South: While the subject property is bordered to its west and south by land that is privately owned, most of the land to the south of those properties is owned by the County. In fact, the north/south access road which runs along the subject property’s eastern boundary appears surprisingly well-maintained given how few people live here. That is until you realize that the County has a radio tower and a Wildlife Management Area in the region they likely tend to on a regular basis. Either way, the amount of County owned land suggests even more privacy for whoever elects to purchase and develop this 10 acre parcel, as well as hundreds of additional acres on which to explore.

Fencing: It should be noted that fencing runs along the eastern boundary of the subject property. It’s unclear when the fencing was installed but it appears to pre-date the subdivision of this 10 acre parcel from the 10 acres to its south. Either way, such fencing may help to define property boundaries and preclude the need for an expensive survey.

NEARBY TOWNS

Taos: 27 miles (31 min)

Santa Fe: 84 miles (1 h 27 min)

Las Vegas: 105 miles (2 h 10 min)

Albuquerque: 146 miles (2 h 24 min)

Farmington: 176 miles (3 h 17 min)

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Things To Do In Taos (Click Here)

Taos Ski Valley (Click Here)

Taos Pueblo (Click Here)

Pueblo Balloon Tours (Click Here)

Taos Wine Tours (Click Here)

Llama Trekking (Click Here)

Angel Fire Ski Resort (Click Here)

Sipapu Ski Resort (Click Here)

Things To Do In Santa Fe (Click Here)