Small town New Mexico (Santa Fe, Silver City: crime, mortgage, house)

[ognend]

Hello,

My wife and I have been looking (online) for properties in New Mexico for a while. We have looked at Deer Canyon Preserve (actually visited it for a weekend) in Mountainair but the lots are too expensive, ~120-180K for 20 acres out of which you can only build on a 1-3 acre envelope (the upside is that hunting and ATVs are prohibited on the ranch and the lots do come with a well and electric). They have another ranch (Berrenda) which looks to be cheaper and it is by Hillsboro, about 40 acres for ~$60K but again one can only build on a 1-3 acre envelope.

We are looking for 10+ acres of land with decent views where we can build a home and have a few horses and cattle. Nothing extremely secluded but nothing very close to big city either.

I have noticed ranches like Ponderosa Views near Quemado and maybe a few others that look decently priced. However, given the huge disparity of land prices around New Mexico, when I see 10 acres for $30K it makes me wonder if I will be building a house next to a lot that will be full of ATVs all weekend and drunk people shooting off guns.

We live in FL now and are looking to move somewhere to build a mortgage free house ourselves, go solar and be self-sustained as much as possible. We are not made of money by any means either. However, one of the requirements of our final desitination is that it is relatively safe of drug and gang crime. We know that there is poverty in NM and we don't mind it but I don't want us to live in a crime infested gang area either. Does this kind of crime happen in small towns in NM? I have heard that drugs are a huge issue in small town, NM. Last time we visited, we spent a day in Chimayo and some portions of it looked pretty strange (I wont say "scary" but they looked creepy).

On the other side, we noticed a lot of land lots that seem pretty expensive ($100K for a few acres near Silver City for example). That seems like a lot for a few acres of wilderness. Is Silver City a destination for a lot of people from California by any chance? We also visited Taos and that looked way out of our price range and kind of, well, California style. I wont even mention Santa Fe which is probably more expensive than the area we are currently living in (West Palm Beach, FL).

So, long story short - any recommendations on where to look for land 10+ acres in size that is affordable, close to a relatively safe small town but relatively private?

Thanks!

[BrianH]

How small town are you willing to go ? I live in Clayton ( Clayton New Mexico - Clayton Tourism Department - Sponsored by The Union County Leader ) which has a population of 2k people.
There are 10 acre lots for $15,000 in the Mountain View Estates here which are pretty nice. My inlaws live on it and this is their view

There is a pretty nice one with a house for $130,000 that somebody is selling I think too. We are about 2 hours from Amarillo and 1 hour from Dumas which both have good shopping.

[catman]

That's a nice photo of the Rabbit Ear Mountains!

[hawk1]

You may want to re-consider Deer Canyon Preserve. There are many reasons to choose DCP but one big reason is the sense of community you get there. People from all over the country with basically common values of conservation, preservation, etc. I would suggest weighing the pros vs. the cons and you'll see Deer Canyon is a good value. And now would be a good time to make a low offer for one of the lots.....I think you could get a good deal.

Cattle are not allowed to my knowledge (horses are definitely welcome and even encouraged I think) but you'll need a lot more than 10 acres to run a few cattle I believe.

Good luck in your search.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by hawk1

You may want to re-consider Deer Canyon Preserve. There are many reasons to choose DCP but one big reason is the sense of community you get there. People from all over the country with basically common values of conservation, preservation, etc. I would suggest weighing the pros vs. the cons and you'll see Deer Canyon is a good value. And now would be a good time to make a low offer for one of the lots.....I think you could get a good deal.

Cattle are not allowed to my knowledge (horses are definitely welcome and even encouraged I think) but you'll need a lot more than 10 acres to run a few cattle I believe.

Good luck in your search.

Hey Hawk1,

Thanks for the information. I am aware of the advantages of DCP. However, it seems like lately the advantage of living in a decent place comes with a hefty price tag. So, the lots are probably about $120K to $150K at this point - that's just for the land! To build a house we are talking at least $110/sqft - there is I believe a minimum sqft you must build at DCP - let's say I go with something decent - 1500 sqft. That would bring me to at least $165K plus $120K = $285K. Now, this is counting on bare minimums - more realistically we are talking $300-$350K. There are a few homes listing there for $400K and up, that's the ballpark. Now, most of the residents at DCP are not from NM, they are from Virginia, California, NY, NJ etc. It is easy to slap me with the "advantages" of living in a like-minded community if you had a home that sold for $800K in Washington DC or Virginia and now you are coming to DCP to enjoy the birds and views for a mere half the price. Unfortunately for me, I am not in that situation.

Cheers,
OD

[ognend]

Originally Posted by BrianH

How small town are you willing to go ? I live in Clayton ( Clayton New Mexico - Clayton Tourism Department - Sponsored by The Union County Leader ) which has a population of 2k people.
There are 10 acre lots for $15,000 in the Mountain View Estates here which are pretty nice. My inlaws live on it and this is their view

There is a pretty nice one with a house for $130,000 that somebody is selling I think too. We are about 2 hours from Amarillo and 1 hour from Dumas which both have good shopping.

BrianH,

What is the climate around there? How about the landscape? Is it flat, is it mountainous...? How about trees - from the photo it looks barren. Crime a problem?

Thanks!
OD

[rruff]

Originally Posted by ognend

So, long story short - any recommendations on where to look for land 10+ acres in size that is affordable, close to a relatively safe small town but relatively private?

Part of the reason why I moved to Ruidoso is because it is a great place for this. We bought 16 acres at Vista Rio Bonito for $79k 1-1/2 years ago. It's about a 25 minute drive to downtown, paved roads all the way, electric, gas, mostly pinion and juniper trees @6700ft elevation. Need to drill a well, but the people around me are only going down ~250ft. Horses are allowed but not cows.

Ruidoso Properties

[DOUBLE H]

Gotta agree with rruff. Ruidoso is one pretty place.

[GOPATTA2D]

Silver City - don't rule it out.

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by ognend

BrianH,

What is the climate around there? How about the landscape? Is it flat, is it mountainous...? How about trees - from the photo it looks barren. Crime a problem?

Thanks!
OD

Usually high 80's to mid 90's in the summer. Winter is bitter cold. Lots of trees all over the town. To the north is mountainous and to the west and south of us is pretty flatlands. Crime is not an issue as of now, a majority of the town still leaves their doors and cars unlocked.