RIO DEL ORO
LAND FOR SALE
VALENCIA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
LOCATION & SIZE
Rio Del Oro is a sprawling subdivision occupying 47,000 acres of land stretching from the I-25 and the Rio Grande River in the west to the Manzano Mountains in the east. Comprised almost entirely of quarter acre parcels, it makes up not only one of the largest residential subdivisions in Valencia County, but also one of the greatest expanses of undeveloped land in this rapidly growing region.
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 the Subdivision Details section.
ACCESS & UTILITIES
Legal Access: All parcels in the Rio Del Oro subdivision have legal access.
Road Access, Primary Roads: There are a number of major arterials which cut through the Rio Del Oro subdivision from north to south and east to west. They include the Manzano Parkway, the Rio Del Oro Loop and Military Road. These roads are all paved, well-maintained and can be navigated by any vehicle type. In addition, these roads are also clearly marked with street signs and other directionals.
Road Access, Secondary Roads: For however well-maintained and labeled the primary roads are, there are literally thousands of secondary roads throughout this subdivision which are not regularly maintained and whose quality and condition varies from frequently-trafficked dirt and gravel roads, to sandy roads to overgrown roads only discernable from above. Additionally, while all of these roads have designated names per the plat, almost none of them are labeled and almost all of them require a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle to traverse.
Power & 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 here should expect to rely on alternative forms of power. Any specific property that has power will be noted on the individual listing page. Anyone looking to investigate the costs associated with getting service connected to a specific property is encouraged to contact PNM, the utility company servicing this region.
Cell Reception: It should be noted that despite the lack of utilities in this region, our photographers report a surprisingly reliable cell reception throughout the entire subdivision.
Wells & Water Table Depth: Due to 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: The Rio Del Oro subdivision is zoned PD or Planned Development. It should be noted that while this designation was created to "encourage comprehensive development rather than traditional parcel-by-parcel development" it does not prohibit such individual property development. This is evidenced by the number of the stand-alone home sites which exist in this region independent of either a formal housing development or city utilities such as water and sewer. In all likleyhood, however, these lots were re-zoned as R-1 or Rural Residential when their building permits were issued. To learn more about the PD Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF and to learn more about the R-1 Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF here.
Zoning, Cont'd: The Rio Del Oro subdivision consists of roughly 200,000 parcels. It should be noted that in a subdivision this massive, there will always be zoning anomalies or a small handful of parcels which do not conform to the rest and thus may be designated differently. The above-mentioned designation, however, covers well over 97% of the land in Rio Del Oro.
No HOA: The Rio Del Oro subdivision has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.
Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Rio Del Oro subdivision was first created, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. These types of documents normally enumerate rules for development such as acceptable structures and minimum square footage requirements. And while the Rio Del Oro covenants were no exception, in the decades since, this document has been updated and amended in, from what we can tell, every Unit and most Blocks of the subdivision. In most every case the covenants were amended to simply conform to the local zoning. In some cases, certain blocks and lots either retained or reacquired by the developer were reclassified as commercial or public use zones. Additionally, some of the original covenants have either become outdated or unenforceable such as ones that make mention of an Architectural Control Committee which doesn't exist and never did. In short, anyone concerned about the original covenants need only familiarize themselves with local zoning as the two are largely redundant at this point.
The 3/4 Acre Rule: Anyone looking to build within Rio Del Oro should be aware that because this is a region without city utilities, building permits will not be issued for structures being developed on land less than ¾ of an acre in size. This size restriction has to do with the amount of space required for both a conventional well and conventional septic system. While "work-arounds" exist to develop structures on smaller lots (such as a holding tank for water and split-flow systems for septic) in most cases it is ultimately easier and less expensive to simply purchase and develop a parcel which conforms to the ¾ acre standard.
Acceptable Structures: As this area is designed with residential development in mind, single family homes are acceptable here as well as mobile and modular homes. 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.
Camping & RVs: RVs are only acceptable here for thirty days at a time or up to twelve months with a building permit. An RV can only be used recreationally and cannot be used as a permanent dwelling. Lots smaller than ¾ of an acre in size may be used for such recreational purposes.
TITLE INFO
Conveyance Document: This property will be conveyed one of two ways depending on how the buyer elects to fund and close the transaction. For anyone electing to pay our Company directly and outside of escrow, Hemingway Land will provide a Special Warranty Deed. For anyone electing to close through title and escrow and purchase title insurance, Hemingway Land will provide a Warranty Deed.
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 below 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 PlanPDF(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)
MISC.
Zone Map: In the interest of helping our buyers narrow their search for the ideal property, we have created a Zone Map which breaks the Rio Del Oro subdivision into eight more easily digestible chunks a few squares miles at a time. This Zone Map has been included in the photo gallery at the bottom of each individual listing page along with a map for that property's specific Zone. Please note that this Zone Map is not something official nor recognized by the County but rather is an invention specific to this website created merely to aid our buyers in their search for land.
The Value Of Adjacent Lots: Because of the way this subdivision was originally platted, as well as zoning and environmental laws that were enacted subsequent to its creation, there is far greater value in combination acreage totaling greater than ¾ of an acre in size, especially for anyone looking to build. Because of this, Hemingway Land has done our best to offer adjacent parcels which would surpass the standard building requirement and hence, create greater value for our buyers. Should you already own land in this area and are looking to expand your property boundaries, we encourage you to review our master property list or call our offices to see if the land you're looking for is one we may be listing in the future.
Lot Sizes: While the average lot in Rio Del Oro is a quarter acre in size, due to the number of cul de sacs that have been designed in the plat, there are quite a few parcels which are anywhere from marginally to markedly larger. With this in mind we have done our best to post the exact acreage of a property on its individual listing page. This is especially the case with adjacent lots which may total a larger size than the same number that "standard" lots would normally create. All parcel sizes have been derived through information found on the Valencia County GIS website, and anyone looking to confirm the size of a property we're selling is encouraged to review the information provided on that site.
Pricing: The Hemingway Land Company has attempted to price the properties in this subdivision as affordably and as uniformly as possible with quarter-acre single lots listed for $999, half-acre double lots listed at $2,400, three-quarter-acre triple lots listed for $3,750 and one-acre quadruple lots listed for $5,000. Additionally, we are offering affordable financing options on all our inventory between a half-acre and an acre-and-a-half in size. In some cases, however, certain lots have been priced higher on a price-per-lot basis due to some exceptional feature that the property boasts such as utilities, improved road access or because it sits in a more developed area. Where applicable, each property's specific listing page will describe the differences or particular features of a given parcel.
Pricing, Rio Del Oro vs Rio Grande Estates: Due to the way Rio Del Oro was originally subdivided, as well as the scarcity of larger "buildable" lots, listings in this region tend to be more expensive on a price-per-acre basis than lots in some of the neighboring Valencia County subdivisions. Anyone looking for less expensive property in this same general area is encouraged to review our offerings in the Rio Grande Estates subdivision.
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 Zone of a property and not from the parcel itself. We have done our best to get a variety of photos from each specific Zone of the subdivision and in each property's photo gallery we have posted photos we feel most accurately represent the Zone 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.
Photography Disclosure, Cont'd: Only listings 1.25 Acres or larger (typically priced north of $6,000) will have property-specific photos taken from the land itself.
Do you have any adjacent lots?
Only where indicated on the above property list. If we have two or more properties that are next to one another we will always sell them that way as they are inherently and exponentially more valuable than if sold separately.
I’m looking at Property X and Property Y. Are THEY adjacent?
No. If they were adjacent we’d combine them into one listing.
I’m looking at Unit 1, Block 37, Lot G. Is that adjacent to Unit 5, Block 196, Lot A?
No. If you look at the property list on this page, you’ll see the Legal Descriptions of the properties. These are written logically. Unit 1, Block 1, Lot A would be adjacent to Unit 1, Block 1, Lot B. So on and so forth. If you’re looking at two properties wondering if they’re adjacent - or even close by - simply review the legal descriptions or their locations on the map.
Do you have any 5 or 10 acre lots? Or anything bigger than 1 or 2 acres?
No. This entire area was subdivided over fifty years ago into quarter acre lots. There is nothing larger, and the only way to get something larger is to purchase adjacent lots. Whenever we have adjacent lots totaling larger amounts of acreage it will be clearly indicated on the above property list.
What are the chances you’ll get a bunch of adjacent lots that total 5 or 10 acres?
Highly unlikely. That much adjacent acreage in this region is the rural land equivalent of a unicorn. But if it’s that important to you we’d encourage you to subscribe to our weekly newsletter or YouTube channel. New properties debut on our site every Friday and are announced in those platforms first. By subscribing to either, you’ll be among the first to know should we ever have a listing like that.
If you get a bunch of adjacent lots totaling x amount of acres, can you call me personally to let me know?
Why is it so difficult to find larger acreage in this region?
A few reasons:
1) When the subdivision was first created in the 1960s, these lots were sold as investment properties outside of a “rapidly developing” Albuquerque community which would “one day soon” be worth a lot of money. Hence, they were sold for expensive prices that precluded most casual investors from purchasing more than one.
2) Environmental laws adopted throughout the state in the 1970’s devalued the viability of a quarter acre lot or anything smaller than 3/4 of an acre in size. Because of this, most of the people who purchased these lots ten years prior suddenly lost interest in their land. Because they lost interest in the land, they never bothered to ensure that the property would transfer to a next of kin upon death. Hence, a lot of dead people own land in this region that their families can’t sell and that we/you/no one can buy.
3) Because most family members/next of kin continue to pay the rather negligible yearly tax bills on the land they don’t own, the land has never been foreclosed on by the state and resold at auction.
4) Because the tax bill is so small, most family members continue to pay it rather than attempt to navigate the probate process required in New Mexico to formally and officially put the land in their names.
5) Because the tax bill is so small, it has to be in default for longer than the customary Three Year period allowed for in New Mexico law before the state will foreclose on it. Put another way, it costs more to resell it at auction than it does to leave it in default accruing interest and penalties.
…and finally…
6) Because the land became so devalued while nearby Albuquerque and Los Lunas were expanding, Investors with an eye toward future development of the region have been, slowly over time, buying and recombining as many adjacent lots as possible. These are people and companies who are hoping to one day flip their forty acres to a developer looking to build in the region. This means that many of the viable chunks of land have already been purchased and are being held until the day population growth expands to the region.
Do these lots have “legal access?”
Yes.
How are the roads in this area?
While all properties in Rio Del Oro 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.
There are a number of major arterials which cut through the Rio Del Oro subdivision from north to south and east to west. They include the Manzano Parkway, the Rio Del Oro Loop and Military Road. These roads are all paved, well-maintained and can be navigated by any vehicle type. In addition, these roads are also clearly marked with street signs and other directionals.
For however well-maintained and labeled the primary roads are, however, there are literally thousands of secondary roads throughout this subdivision which are not regularly maintained and whose quality and condition varies from frequently-trafficked dirt and gravel roads, to sandy roads to overgrown roads only discernable from above. Additionally, while all of these roads have designated names per the plat, almost none of them are labeled and almost all of them require a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle to traverse.
Are there any covenants or restrictions for this subdivision?
Short Answer: No.
Longer Answer: When the Rio Del Oro subdivision was first created, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. These types of documents normally enumerate rules for development such as acceptable structures and minimum square footage requirements. And while the Rio Del Oro covenants were no exception, in the decades since, this document has been updated and amended in, from what we can tell, every Unit and most Blocks of the subdivision. In most every case the covenants were amended to simply conform to the local zoning. In some cases, certain blocks and lots either retained or reacquired by the developer were reclassified as commercial or public use zones. Additionally, some of the original covenants have either become outdated or unenforceable such as ones that make mention of an Architectural Control Committee which doesn't exist and never did.
In short, anyone concerned about the original covenants need only familiarize themselves with local zoning as the two are largely redundant at this point.
What is the zoning like in this area?
The vast majority of these parcels in Rio Del Oro are zoned for Residential use under the designation of PD or Planned Development. It should be noted that while this designation was created to "encourage comprehensive development rather than traditional parcel-by-parcel development" it does not prohibit such individual property development. This is evidenced by the number of the stand-alone home sites which exist in this region independent of either a formal housing development or city utilities such as water and sewer. In all likelihood, however, these lots were re-zoned as R-1 or Rural Residential when their building permits were issued. To learn more about the PD Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF and to learn more about the R-1 Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF here..
What does zoning say about RV’ing or camping on the land?
Both are acceptable but only for thirty days at a time.
RVs can not be used a permanent dwelling.
If you have a building permit, however, you can RV on the land for up to twelve months while you’re building your permanent residence.
Can I build X, Y & Z on the property?
For specific questions about zoning, building plans or the permitting process, buyers are encouraged to contact the Valencia County Planning & Zoning office.
Is there power in this region?
Not throughout the subdivision, no, but obviously the closer you get to the western part of the subdivision and other housing developments, the closer you’ll get to power and hence, the more affordable it may be to get power extended to your property.
It should be noted, however, that solar panels and other alternative forms of energy are very popular in this region as traditional sources of power may either be too impractical or prohibitively expensive to get extended and installed. With rare exception, anyone looking to build in Rio Del Oro should anticipate relying on alternative energy sources as the primary method for powering their new home site.
Any property with either power at the lot line or within close proximity of power will be labeled as such on its individual listing page.
What is the water table depth in this region?/What will it cost to drill a well?
This region is too large to give a one-size-fits-all answer. Our recommendation is to speak with local well drillers about the cost, logistics and viability of drilling for water in this region.
Do I need a minimum of ¾ of an acre to build in Rio Del Oro?
Short Answer: Yes. Anyone looking to build in the Rio Del Oro subdivision is encouraged to purchase AT LEAST 3/4 of an acre of land.
I see you have some half and quarter acre listings in inventory. Does that mean I can build on those?
We wouldn't recommend it. At least not in this subdivision.
Anyone looking to build on the land is encouraged to purchase at least 3/4 of an acre of property.
So why sell quarter and half acre lots if buyers can’t build on them?
Some buyers just want a spot they can RV or camp on for short period of time. Some buyers want to build things that don’t require well or septic permits. Some buyers - particularly in this region - are just trying to purchase and recombine as many parcels as possible. Point being, there are many people whose objectives do not include building for whom a lot of this size would still be desirable.
How’s the internet/wi-fi in this area?
Having no first-hand experience with it ourselves, we can’t speak to this issue directly. That being said, we’ve had our photographer as well as a number of buyers scout properties in this region, and no one has ever reported any problems using their smart phones to locate the lots.
Can I scout the property I’m interested in prior to purchase?
Yes. Please do. We encourage anyone who’s going to buy from us to view the land they’re interested in prior to purchase.
Is the land marked – like with a ‘For Sale’ sign?
No.
Has the property been staked or surveyed?
Not recently and not by us, no.
This entire region was platted out years ago. Stakes or pins may have been used to mark property boundaries but it’s questionable they still exist or can be found. While they may be there, we’re not making that guarantee to our buyers.
The GPS coordinates we give you to locate the lots are fairly accurate and should get you to a location that will give you an excellent sense of precisely what chunk of land it is that you’d be buying. For a specific sense of where the lot begins and ends, it is ultimately best to hire a local surveyor.
Why don’t you get the lots surveyed?
Three reasons:
1 - For our purposes of creating listings, we have software that tells us everything we need to know about the property’s size, shape and location.
2 - We never know if our end buyer will want or require a survey.
3 - If the survey costs us $1,000 we’re simply going to increase the price of the land $2,000. Hence, it’s ultimately cheaper for the buyer to pay for the survey themselves.
Do you have a Plat Map of the region that you can provide for me?
Yes. Plat Maps for each property are provided on their individual listing pages.
What about a giant map of the entire subdivision with highlighted squares for where each lot is and which lots are available - do you have something like that?
No. And even if we could create such a thing it would require updating on an all-too-frequent basis to be convenient for us.
How can I buy one of these properties?
Simply click the ‘Buy Now’ button at the top of the listing page of the property that interests you most. All properties can be purchased with a credit or debit card and some properties are offered with affordable financing options.
I’d like to get title insurance. Can I fund and close this transaction through a title company instead of your website?
Yes. Anyone who wants to close through a title company is welcome to do so. As we normally only require an upfront deposit (instead of the entire purchase price) to begin transactions like this, and as many of our individual listing pages are not set up to process a mere deposit, anyone wanting to fund and close in this manner is encouraged to contact us via email at Support@HemingwayLand.com. Provide for us either the Reference Number or the Legal Description of the property you’re looking to purchase, and we will send along a secure payment link within 24 hours to initiate the process.
Please Note: Anyone electing to fund and close their purchase this way will be required to make a NON-REFUNDABLE $500.00 Earnest Money Deposit.
For more on the Buying process please visit our How It Works - Buying From Us page.
Do you offer financing?
Yes, though not on all properties.
To see if a specific parcel is being sold with a financing option, it is best to view that property's listing page. All purchasing options will be presented there.
If I finance the property, won’t I be paying more for it?
Only if you use the full term of the contract to make your payments.
Our contracts contain only pre-payment incentives and no pre-payment penalties.
Additionally, every contract will come with a "Same-As-Cash" clause such as "90 Days Same As Cash." This means the purchase price will be the same whether you pay the balance of the land on Day 1 or Day 90.
To see an example of one of our generic land contracts, click here.
When will the property be deeded into my name?
If you pay us all the money at once, it will be deeded into your name immediately. If you elect to finance the land, we will not deed it into your name until such a time as all the payments have been made. Until that time, the land contract will be the document that demonstrates your equitable interest in the property.
How soon can I start using the land?
As soon as you give us money, it’s yours to do with as you please.
