Deming Ranchettes, Luna County.....

[JOONTHEROAD]

I have land in Unit 2 of the Deming Ranchettes. I was extremely lucky. Got one acre (two lots) with well, septic tank and power. County laws now states that you must have 2 adjoining acres (4 lots) to be allowed to install a septic tank or well.
There are ways you can get around this. Purchase a water storage container and have your water dilivered. Guess you can do the same with the liquid waste.
There are some wonderful views of the Florida Mountians. Awsome sunsets. Rock Hound State Park is only minutes away. If it gets a little to warm for you, you can always head for the Gila National Forest for a day trip.
When it comes to the desert - you either love it or your hate it. I personally love it.

[scottvor]

Hi Joontheroad,
I just recently bought land in the Sunshine Valley Ranchettes unit 15. I bought 4 lots all together. I have never seen them and would like to know more about the area. You seem to know the land there so if I can get more info from you that would be great. Do you live on your land there?
I read in one post that it is like the old west and the border patrol said there are drug runners. Is this true and should I worry while living there?
I was looking forward to building a home and living there with my wife and children.
How can I get more detailed maps and the location of my lots? I’m hoping to go there in the fall to see my land. I’m having a hard time getting this info from the seller and I have not got anywhere with the city clerk on this other than a map of the unit 15. And I still don’t know what lots are mine. They are numbered in a different way than how my contract reads. My contract says it is (NW4 and SW4 and NE4 and SE4. Tract 14, block 13, unit 15,) what does that mean? And the map the clerk sent me I cant read even with a magnifying glass it’s so small. All I can see is the name of the roads and the block numbers and the lot numbers barely, But nothing saying NW4 SW4 and so on.
I hope I did not waste my money on this land.
Can you help? Thanks

[JOONTHEROAD]

SCOTTVOR

Greetings from Deming. I live on my property. Had been full time RVing it for the past four years but because of the new county ordiance I have a house on the land now.

Not knowing where you currently live it is hard for me compare Deming to it.

You land is south of Deming on the west side of Hwy 11. The tax office should be able to provide you a map that includes unit and lot numbers on it. Yes you may have to use a magnifier.

I love the desert so when my health indicated that I needed to leave the east coast and its high humidity I knew I would come back to NM. I chose the southern portion of NM because of the minimal amount of snow we get here.

The down is small and quant. We are an hour from Las Cruses and Silver City. Two hours from El Paso and three from Tucson. If your family is into the outdoors they will love it here. Not much for trees and the color green but it has its own buety.

As for the desert, you either love it or you hate it. Personally I love it. Hop on the ATV, load up the dog and hit the desert. On the other hand you can go just outside of Silver City to the mountains and have the tall pines and cooler air for a day get away. Friends and I spent the day in Pinos Altos today and had a wonderful time.

As with any move it is meeting people and getting out and doing things.

I don't know if you are a military veteran. If so there are clinics in Silver City and Las Cruses. VA hospitals are in El Paso and Albq.

Haven't heard to much about the schools here but it has to be like most places - good and bad teachers.

As for the drug runners. Tell me where they are not at in this country of ours. You leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

If you do decide to come this fall to check things out let me know JOONTHEROAD@HOTMAIL.COM

[lydie]

Unit 77 sounds familiar. Our acre is probably there. We are the first within that unit (tract?) to develop. We had to start developing because of the law change that you have to own 2 acres to develop, which we don't. We love it there and can't wait to get our house built. Unfortunately, my husband will be building the house out of adobe bricks he will be making by hand from the dirt on the land, and well... it's not happening all that fast, especially since we live in California. :-) Will you be our neighbors there? :-) Lydia

[lydie]

I just joined this to find friends and neighbors in Deming and saw your post, so I'm not sure if you will actually see this reply since I don't know what I'm doing. :-) We also have our acre in Unit 77 I think. It sounds familiar. Anyway, the land in the Deming Ranchettes is not useless. I recently contacted a realtor there and we would be able to sell our land (which now has well & septic) for the cost of the land and development so far (about $15K). We were the first to develop. There is only one house, about 2 miles away. Will you be our neighbors? :-)

[BBFARRAR]

The number for the treasurer's office (for tax info) is 546-0401. I own ten lots up in the Florida gap with house, well, septic, etc. I currently live in Nashville, TN but visit Deming as often as possible. We love it but have found that most of the land owners in our area have never seen the land or the area. Most think of it as other parts of the country... small lots, city water and sewage, trash pickup, etc. Not so. This is desert. No rain, no trees, no grass. No city water, sewage, trash pickup. It's beautiful country but for folks from the East or North, it's major culture shock.

I've bought several lots to join mine. Least was $800. Most was $1800. (I really wanted that one).

[boomer626]

I aquired 2 lots in Sunshine Valley Ranchettes, deming NM from my father in law now deceased 8 years. He purchased the land, had to be 20+ years ago, could any one give me a clue as to the aprox coordinates or zip code or cross streets in the area, so i could google it, i've been paying the taxes for years. I have what's called unit 6 block 4 track 17 and 18.

Thanks for anyones help

bob

[TerraSol]

Hi,
I know people that live in that part of Deming...on the east side of the Florida Mtns. We visit there all the time...horse-riding! Its very beautiful...if you like mountains (Florida Mtns, Tres Hermanas), flat land dripping with sunshine as far as the eye can see, starry, starry nights, and the best part...peace & quiet! Its pure country out there, and so far it has been kept free from the influx of construction. The folks that live there...that we know...have never had any problems with "drug runners", and they've been there forever. The border patrol is out there watching everything and everyone. There are illegal immigrants out there...passing through that is...but they're picked up pretty quickly by border patrol.

If you're about to purchase property or already have, check for:

flood zones: Check with the Luna County Clerks Office & ask for the flood zone mapping department. Give them your property legal description or physical address (if you have one) and they'll tell you if your property is in a flood zone. If it is, & you plan on building you will need flood insurance if you finance your new house. If you don't plan on building, then make sure your dwelling is high enough above the ground to avoid flooding inside your home. The flood zone mapping department will recommend a safe height for your structure.
Luna County Clerks Office: 575-543-6620

Legal access: If your property doesn't already have a legal access onto it, meaning an actual road that you can drive through to access your property, then call the Luna County Road Department. Give them your legal description/physical address & see if your property already has a legal access. Don't assume that your lot will automatically come with a legal access, even if its in a subdivision!
Luna County Road Dept Supervisor Marty Miller 575-546-2703.

Wells: If you plan on drilling a well, call the State Engineers Office to get the average depth of the neighboring wells and any other information you can get from their well logs...plus the steps you need to take to drill a well. Also, ask if you can have the name & address of neighboring well owners this way you can write to them to ask them about their well water...sandy, low pressure, etc.
State Engineers Office (Deming office) - 575-546-2851

Survey: Did you ask the realtor/seller for a current survey? The survey will tell you everything about your lot...boundary lines, exact location of lot, etc. Its a good thing! The realtor/seller will either give you a copy or order a new one...usually at their cost.

Electric/Phone: Call the electric company & phone company to find out if you will have service from them. And, if so, is it at the property line or further away? Again, give them your legal description/physical address. I'm not trying to bash realtors, but they don't always know for sure that the electricity right across the road from your property is actually going to be legally accessible to you. I know...it sounds crazy...but its true!
Columbus Elec. Co-op 575-546-8838
PNM Elec. 575-950-1997
Qwest Phone Co. (888) 508-8511 (Deming area)

Oh and snakes! Yes...rattlesnakes! When you're ready to move onto your land, de-weed your lot asap, so that they won't have to many places to hide. Ok...if I think of anything else I'll let you know. I hope this helps someone.
Rebecca

[in_the_gloaming]

I once had the winning bid on a piece of property, Deming Ranchettes, thru ebay. However, I felt the price was too high and it was too far from Deming to suit me, so I didn't pay for it. Hence, I'm sure I received negative feedback thru ebay, but; I've also been bit thru ebay with sellers who either aren't knowledgeable about what they are selling, or they don't want you to know everything they know about the property before you buy it! The same is true with cheap, cheap, cheap land on the north end of Imperial Valley in California, which leaves a lot to be desired because of the drug lord problems and polluted soil in Salton Sea. Pe U! My older brother told me not to buy either one..., land at Deming Ranchettes or Salton City. But, if I were to make a choice, I'd prefer Deming Ranchettes over Salton City.

I guess my biggest conscern with that area would be over illegals if you or I were out in the toolies. I know my older brother had a nice pair of boots which were stolen from him at the Border Patrol station near Alamogordo one night. He had taken his boots off before he went to sleep. When he awoke, his boots were gone.

Much of the area around Deming is on volcanic soil. While I haven't seen Deming Ranchettes, I have been in Deming on several occaisions covering over half a century. I like it in Demng, but; I'm not sure if I would like Deming Ranchettes. Deming is like a bedroom community to Las Cruces. Someday, I hope to see housing all the way between Las Cruces and Deming, but; that may be beyond my lifetime. Deming is built on an ancient lake bed. It has a very nice downtown area and the air is clean and pure there.

I may be wrong, but; I think Deming Ranchettes is a bit south of Deming itself. I saw it on a map once a few years ago and that's about all I remember about its location. Don't quote me, however; I think its about 20 miles outside of Deming.

Personally, I feel that the ones that market Deming Ranchettes thru ebay feature land which is not Deming Ranchettes! Look closely at the pictures and you will learn that what I am saying is correct. I feel Deming Ranchettes is just a dusty wind blown piece of land which has: rattlers, scorpions, broken volcanic soil, is very dry and may offer you some surprises too! Nice view of the mountains though. I was impressed with the new Wal Mart store and downtown Deming! There is a thrift store there too, where you can buy used clothing. I think its a Catholic Vincent De Paul center, on the off beaten track in Deming, on the west end of Deming. My older brother insisted we stop there so he could buy a few nice things..., jeans, T-shirts, a nice leather belt, etc. They had quite a lot for a thrift store.

[JOONTHEROAD]

All areas in this section of the country get winds to include Denver during the winter months. The Deming Ranchettes are south south east of the town of Deming . When you are looking at the map and find the the Ranchette is north ofFlorida Mountains, west of the Little Florida Mountains and Rock Hound State Park.
During late summer rains we have temporary flooding from the water coming off the mountains but as long as the property is high and dry and your home is within code with a little earth slope coming off there isn't much if any problem. It is an adventure.
I wouldn't suggest this area to anyone that does not like country living. No public transportation, closest neighbor is at least a half a block away. Homes are scattered.
Cattle roam freely so it is always adviseable to fence in your yard or deal with the cows. Livestock is allowed except pigs. So you may hear the rooster crowing before you really want to get out of bed. You dog may have barking sessions at night when the coyottes start up they howling. But country life is wonderful.
Lots of area to go out on ATVs or horses. Wonderful walks with interesting things to find (jasper, agate, steer skull, an old rusted gun, interesting piece of wood and so many other things).
This is an area that the Indians attempted and most of the time succeded to keep the white man out. So battles were found on this land.
If you are adventurous come on out. If you are not - stay in the city because you wouldn't be happy.