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One note here--if you "love snow," the SLV is likely to greatly disappoint you. While the mountains around the SLV get a lot of snow, the valley floor of the SLV, being in the rain/snow shadow, generally does not. What the SLV does get is bitterly cold winter temperatures, especially at night, but quite often with no snow on the ground.
Well, that sounds nice actually. You get to look at snow capped mountains with no mess? Win/win. How is 160 in the winter then? If you are heading from the mountain toward Fort Garland I mean. If there is no snow does it stay clear then?? That and water are my main concerns.
Have you ever seen the land? Did you buy it sight unseen? I have looked at lots of land in Colorado and the SLV, and I think you may be disappointed. Is it in Costilla county? If you would of bought in Saguache or Conjeos or Custer county at least you could of avoided building codes besides plumbing electric and septic and built something really cool and alternative. Good luck and update us when you actually see the land.
Have you ever seen the land? Did you buy it sight unseen? I have looked at lots of land in Colorado and the SLV, and I think you may be disappointed. Is it in Costilla county? If you would of bought in Saguache or Conjeos or Custer county at least you could of avoided building codes besides plumbing electric and septic and built something really cool and alternative. Good luck and update us when you actually see the land.
Yes Costilla County.... the very northern tip. No, we haven't seen it in person yet. Just photos, though we did see a video as well of another property just a few miles away so I think we have a pretty good idea about it. Rolling hills on the adjoining lots and our actual lot has some sage/trees and is mostly flat. It's not like down in the flat lands.... YUCK! We fell in love with this particular lot and since we both agreed (miracle, lol) we went for it. I've started to check into the building codes online already, which are actually more lax than here from what I've seen so far other than the water. I plan on speaking with the zoning department prior to planning exactly what we will build. We do have building experience though so I'm not too worried. The one thing that ticks me off is all the fees they charge, but at least they aren't outrageous I guess..... The only strange restrictions I saw were no tires or grey water use, which we wouldn't do anyway. I think we are going to do a barn house or a metal building house, still looking into it. I want to find out exactly what is/ isn't allowed.
Does anyone know if you can rent a well digging rig out there? I wonder if it'd be cheaper. We are very much DIY people.
Well, that sounds nice actually. You get to look at snow capped mountains with no mess? Win/win. How is 160 in the winter then? If you are heading from the mountain toward Fort Garland I mean. If there is no snow does it stay clear then?? That and water are my main concerns.
A lack of snow down in the Valley does not translate to happy driving on Highway 160 and other roads - both major and minor - in the SLV. From your description, it souds as though you will be living south of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and west of such mountains as Twin Peaks (13,589 feet), Mt Lindsey (14,032 feet), Hamilton Peak (13,658 feet), etc. If so, you'll be driving in on Highway 150 to Blanca where you'll catch 160 to take you the rest of the way into Fort Garland - a desolate little town that functions mainly as a truck stop on the way to such local gems as San Luis and Garcia. Highs in the area IN January average 34 degrees F and lows average 5 degrees F. The average amount of precip in January averages 0 inches and/or 0 cm. You can expect wind gusts of around 18 mph which may cause ground blizzards when snow that has fallen somewhere else is picked up by the gusts of wind and blown across the freezing pavement of Highway 160 and others. Hey, who needs actual snowfall with comditions like that?
So, if you enjoy a mostly brown landscape ( including brown Christmases) consisting of greasewood and sage, cold temperatures that feel even colder thanks to strong gusts of wind, eating lots of locally grown potatoes (the climate does not allow for much corn in the SLV), a great deal of isolation, and sideways looks from the local Hispanic population - many of whom have lived here since the 1500's until the US government stole much of their land back in the 1850's (I might here note that the first great land rush in the SLV took place in the 1850's after the US took possesion of its lands and hucksters sold large tracts of land to people back East who had never visited the region and were taken in by the promise of plenty of green land and water). Like the land booms in the SLV that followed, this first boom soon fell apart thanks to an influx of population that the Valley simply could not support due to its arid climate and lack of access to good pasture and water, among other woes.
There's simply no substitute for actually going out to a place where you are thinking of buying land and doing a little background reseach ON THINGS LIKE THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER, WHAT CLIMATE TO EXPECT, AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE HISTORY OF THE REGION YOU ARE LOOKING TO MOVE TO. Just a thought, of course.
A lack of snow down in the Valley does not translate to happy driving on Highway 160 and other roads - both major and minor - in the SLV. From your description, it souds as though you will be living south of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and west of such mountains as Twin Peaks (13,589 feet), Mt Lindsey (14,032 feet), Hamilton Peak (13,658 feet), etc. If so, you'll be driving in on Highway 150 to Blanca where you'll catch 160 to take you the rest of the way into Fort Garland - a desolate little town that functions mainly as a truck stop on the way to such local gems as San Luis and Garcia. Highs in the area IN January average 34 degrees F and lows average 5 degrees F. The average amount of precip in January averages 0 inches and/or 0 cm. You can expect wind gusts of around 18 mph which may cause ground blizzards when snow that has fallen somewhere else is picked up by the gusts of wind and blown across the freezing pavement of Highway 160 and others. Hey, who needs actual snowfall with comditions like that?
So, if you enjoy a mostly brown landscape ( including brown Christmases) consisting of greasewood and sage, cold temperatures that feel even colder thanks to strong gusts of wind, eating lots of locally grown potatoes (the climate does not allow for much corn in the SLV), a great deal of isolation, and sideways looks from the local Hispanic population - many of whom have lived here since the 1500's until the US government stole much of their land back in the 1850's (I might here note that the first great land rush in the SLV took place in the 1850's after the US took possesion of its lands and hucksters sold large tracts of land to people back East who had never visited the region and were taken in by the promise of plenty of green land and water). Like the land booms in the SLV that followed, this first boom soon fell apart thanks to an influx of population that the Valley simply could not support due to its arid climate and lack of access to good pasture and water, among other woes.
There's simply no substitute for actually going out to a place where you are thinking of buying land and doing a little background reseach ON THINGS LIKE THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER, WHAT CLIMATE TO EXPECT, AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE HISTORY OF THE REGION YOU ARE LOOKING TO MOVE TO. Just a thought, of course.
Thanks for your response. Those peaks are Northwest of the property. It's located South of Lone Rock Hill and Iron Mountain. It's actually off of Forbes Park Rd. So you take 160 then turn onto Forbes Park Rd and it's one of the first roads. We are used to cold. They just canceled school for -20 windchill last week and I've driven in quiet a few blizzards so I know how bad they can be. My main concern is ice. That's what I really hate here. I refuse to leave the house if ice is predicted. We were without power for 10 days with an ice storm a few years back.
I know it's no substitute to get info on the internet, but we don't have the resources to go out there yet. We have been to the state, my husband many times, so we aren't total newbies. We just want isolation, fresh air, and hopefully friendly people. We've only had one white christmas in the past 10 yrs, so it's nothing new, but we do get snow which I love to look at, but hate to mess with, lol. It usually sticks around for a day or two unless we get a big storm with 6+ inches.
Nobody has mentioned this yet, but doesn't prnzez2 need to know if he/she has water rights? I believe he/she already mentioned that they don't know if they do or don't, so before they start asking about how much it costs to drill for water, don't they need to know if they even have the right to drill for water? Where would they find out if they have water rights or not?
OP you also need to know that in Colorado you can't catch rainwater in a cistern. Water rights are extensively legislated and someone else already owns the right to have the water that falls from the sky.
Nobody has mentioned this yet, but doesn't prnzez2 need to know if he/she has water rights? I believe he/she already mentioned that they don't know if they do or don't, so before they start asking about how much it costs to drill for water, don't they need to know if they even have the right to drill for water? Where would they find out if they have water rights or not?
OP you also need to know that in Colorado you can't catch rainwater in a cistern. Water rights are extensively legislated and someone else already owns the right to have the water that falls from the sky.
From my research so far, the Sangre De Cristo ranches are usually granted home only use with the possibility of limited garden use (not sure what the possibility of limited garden use means I found that on a real estate site). You can't find out if you'll be approved until you apply for permit, and you won't know if you have water until after you dig. So, I need to plan who will do the drilling and cost prior to applying for the permit as far as I can tell.
Well, I found the road cameras for 160 and they all have snow and the McElmurray's say they get an average of 264", which I believe after seeing their blog photos. The entrance to Forbes Park is just 4 miles down the road from the road that the property is on. So, I'm going to just assume I was given false info about no snow and plan on saving to buy the appropriate equipment, lol.
With the first link and your lot info you may be able to zone in on availability...and on what others have tried to do/are doing and where existing wells may be.
Contractors list on 2nd link. You CANNOT drill your own well/rent the equipment. All drillers are licensed and go by the laws cus they can be put ut of biz pronto if they fail to do so.
3rd link is info and links to the different types of permits.
I would dig DEEP and call the developer...the State...etc. and find out if I indeed, have a right to drill a well on this parcel. I only hope you do....because if you don't, yer gonna be facing a tough go of it hauling water/living a minimalistic existence overall. Without water/a well/water right, this land is worthless for a residence...or for resale to most prospective buyers.
I did Google Earth that area. It is higher in elevation than the valley floor...so temps may be a bit more moderate on those really cold days as the cold air SINKS to the valley floor. More snow is also possible...though on most years I'm doubting it will be a problem. Even so, if you do build you will likely need a plow or a good neighbor with a plow for those occasional big dumps. There's far more vegetation in that general area...just gonna depend which parcel you own. some have no vegetation...some are sage covered...and some appear to maybe have a pinon/cedar mix. There appear to be a few houses here/there....so others have forged ahead and built/evidently have been permitted to drill a well. I also see where some areas may be on "city" water...but it's impossible (so far) to find that info. (could be in the real estate listing/etc.)
I'd apply for a well permit first and see what happens. You could also (as I mentioned before) query local drillers for general info/well depths in that specific area. That will give you a VERY rough idea of cost.
you also need to find out how far the electric service is from the lot/building site. The farther it is the more the cost.
Ditto phone/internet.
Also...check Costilla county requirements on minimum size of homes/etc. you haven't said what your goals are here (unless I missed it) as far as home size....many counties require 6-800 sq ft as a minimum.
It's good to have all of the Devil's Advocates you are getting responses from even if some are severely jaded and don't even live here anymore. (your responses tell me they do not shake you) Their GENERAL knowledge of the area/their personal take on the area is valuable but not SPECIFIC to your parcel.....or YOUR DREAMS. If this is something YOU WANT, don't let anyone rain on your parade but realize that undeveloped land such as this ISN'T easy to build on nor is it CHEAP to build on....even for the simple basics.
Dunno yer budget/what you THINK a house will cost/well cost/driveway cost/etc..etc..etc...etc...etc...etc...etc...etc (lots of "etc" because the hidden things will surprise you/will **** you off/will always arise). You might also try calling some local builders and see if you can get a bare bones quote per sq ft for building a home. Gonna guess you'll do no better than $125 a sq....but never say never. It's been awhile since I paid a contractor to build a house here! (1990)
Do some footwork on the Well situation. that will tell you everything/will let you know if this will be a standard build...or something with far more challenge. WATER IS EVERYTHING HERE. Seriously. Permits can also e transferred if you secure one...so by doing so..should you NOT decided to build your lot will have more value for a resale/etc.
Though I obviously don't know for sure....I kinda think you/yer hub sound like go-getters. My wife and I are the same. we've made things work others backed away from and have put in massive hours on our properties that we just don't see many others investing their time in. If you want it bad enough....and your budget is big enough...it will happen.
Get some info and keep us informed. Best of luck!
Last edited by Rainbow Demon; 01-13-2015 at 08:23 AM..
4 miles...depending on elevation gain...can be a staggering difference in snowfall.
even so...it's wise to prepare.
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