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...west of the river from W Picacho down to St Theresa. Could someone give me some info on those areas, or tell me where to find it here? Ideally, we would like a nice 2 bedroom adobe style home on 1/2 to 1 acre. Preferably a somewhat developed area with power.
Not wishing to beat a dead horse, but GOOGLE EARTH views of that area will give you a good feel for the terrain and the fact that the flat lands along the river are still mostly farm fields and outside the Las Cruces city limit. There is one small subdivision and one larger one with "newer" homes, not unlike those found on the east side of the city in the Sonoma Ranch and adjacent subdivisions:
Mesilla Hills and Picacho Hills.
These two subdivisions are on the sand-hill mesas elevated above the irrigate-able flatland along the river. The sand storms in spring are a factor when considering buying in this sandhills area.
There is also a lot of trailer homes mixed in with homes of similar lesser quality closer to the interstate in that area.
You mention not wanting to live on flat land - not on the side of a mountain. The large expanse of homes on the east side of the city - including the Talavera area - are built on the sloping foothills which for all practical purposes are "flat land." At worst, gently rolling. But absolutely flat land is found in the historic flood plain of the valley where irrigation is still possible from age-old acequias (irrigation ditches).
I am not aware of a street named St. Theresa in the Las Cruces area? If you mean Santa Teresa, NM - that is a community on the outskirts of El Paso and about 40 miles south of Las Cruces. It too is in the sandhills and not in the irrigated farmlands at that location. It was first developed in the early 1970s and has seen limited growth over the interim years. It was originally a golf club community but the golf course has been in disrepair for years and bankrupt.
Thanks Joqua, That is the information I was looking for. I was looking at the town of Santa Teresa, not St Theresa. It sounds like the area between Picacho and St Theresa is less desirable and hasn't been developed as heavily as the East side of LC. It's amazing how a golf course can go bankrupt when it's open year round.
I like the xeriscaping but I am also a passionate gardener. Since I have lived on a well for so many years, I have not had to buy water. Is water too expensive for gardening without an irrigation well? I'm not interested in a lush green lawn but would like to be able to water a few trees and a garden
It sounds like the area between Picacho and St Theresa is less desirable and hasn't been developed as heavily as the East side of LC.
It's highly desirable for those who cherish irrigation rights, good farming soil, some acreage and "real" trees - not just desert plants. It is also usually more expensive than land in the area that is not served by the irrigation district.
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It's amazing how a golf course can go bankrupt when it's open year round.
You'd have to know that area and its history, which I am not going to broach. But if you zoom in the aerial "earth view" of the golf course and the myriad tennis courts, you'll not find a blade of green grass and the court surfaces are badly crazed with weeds growing through the cracks.
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I like the xeriscaping but I am also a passionate gardener.
Then I would suggest you look only at those properties within the irrigation district. In addition to surface irrigation, it's possible the property could have well water. If building a new home on raw land, then you're entitled to drill a well but the state imposes restrictions on how much can be pumped in a given period of time. Best to seek a realtor who is well versed in NM's complex water laws and also knows what water rights (if any) would convey with the property being sold. There are plenty of older as well as newer homes within and just outside the city limits of Las Cruces that are on former premium farm land that once grew some of the finest of pima cotton. You might even find a home for sale that has mature pecan trees on the property.
Joqua, I'm going to owe you a dinner when we get there. Thank you for all that information. It is truly helpful. Especially when I just took the dog out and it's snowing so hard we can only see a few hundred yards.
I would look in the valley north of Las Cruces as far as (but not including) Radium Springs. More of the type of properties you are describing (large lot, flat and surrounded by more green) in a more concentrated area a lot closer to shopping etc. South is good too but it's more farming and less housing outside of the villages. Not to say you couldn't find what you want to the south.
...I just took the dog out and it's snowing so hard we can only see a few hundred yards.
I suspect that will be the case in the sandy desert west of Las Cruces today. Difference is that the "snow" is brown and abrasive and arises from the ground - not from clouds!
Where I live we usually see "white" sand in the air on extreme westerly wind days. Need to keep well clear of dead trees here if walking in the forest during high winds.
Darn, I was going to fire up the grill this evening too. Cancel that plan. Spring is truly the one season I could live without here. More dirt in the air than air.
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