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I can understand your point. Laws are needed in every section of society today. Tom, what kind of zoning law did your neighbor want to implement? It is sad to know that your neighbor was thrown out the moment he thought about implementing the law.
That's ok, there is people watching this thread for any new info. People like me that have property there that have never been there, so any info old or new is great.
Ya I know all about it and I know what I'm getting into but i like wide open spaces.I got a few acres there and I intend on building a winter getaway there and I'm interested in getting to know people in the area.What I wanted to do this winter is park a small trailer on my land, figure out what I want to do and talk with some contractors but now I see where you gotta have some stupid permit to put a trailer on your own land what the hell is with that? Am I going to run into stupid laws like this all the way in NM? I'm 62, retired, don't do drugs, don't belong to a gang (although I do ride a Harley Davidson chopper) and my philosophy is I see nothing, hear nothing, know nothing how's that for a good neighbor? So if anyone is building or living in Sunshine valley maybe we can get together and help each other out. I'm good with a hammer and saw and I'm not afraid of a shovel lol.
Tom In Maine,
What's goin on bud. I just bought some land in block 12 and don't know much about the area and was wondering if you're still around if you could get me some pictures and let me know about the power situation out there. I'm currently in the military and looking forward to traveling in the years to come. Hit me up sometime.
just checking before I buy...and I have learned that I would need "water rights" before I could have a well on this property! It's the same in Utah...and who knows where else! I tried to find out who owns the water rights for the 2 lots I had been considering...I know the sellers do not own the water rights...but I cannot find out who owns them or if they are restricted or closed!! I am about to give up and look for land that includes all mineral and water rights!! I read that a lot without those rights are considered worthless and that is exactly how I feel about the lot I had been considering. I believe there are a lot of people who know nothing about these "rights"....yet I believe there is a way to actually track down whoever owns those rights and buy them. I read that people sell their water rights and mineral rights, to lands they no longer own! So you may need to spend quite a bit of time, trying to find out who owns the water on YOUR land...and that is crazy!! I'm out of here, but good luck to all of you....if anyone is interested, Unit 12, Block 5, Tract 13, South at Franklin/Marana, is a 1/2 acre lot that is now for sale on ebay! $5.00 down and $50 per month...total $1,900 ...but no water rights, so no well can be drilled until you do all the leg work...Hope this info helps someone.
Hi folks....I know this thread hasn't been updated in years (let me know if there's a better one) but I've been toying with the idea of buying land here. I've been eyeing a tract with a tiny house on it, and am well aware that there are drawbacks...I notice properties tend to sit on the market for a LONG time. I'm aware of the issues of lot size and likely having to get an advanced septic system and well if I want to do any improvements. But I'm sort of looking to see if anyone has been successful doing any of this. I'm trying to see exactly how much I can plan and/or budget before committing to a property. So far I think I understand that you have to do a survey, then a perc test for septic, then some kind of testing to see if a well is possible....(all this is possible with the setback limits on half an acre right? Just the only issue is you have to have the more expensive septic system?). Is that right? And since there's no zoning, does that mean I'd be free to run a business out of my home (well....it would be a temporary place I'd come and go from. I wouldn't be there full time)? Like sell plants or crafts or something? Does anyone have recommendations for people to contact to do relevant testing for well/septic and make a quote for installation?
Alternatively, does New Mexico allow holding tanks and cisterns everywhere? (I read some documentation suggesting these as alternatives where setbacks or the land don't allow for well/septic, but they were for other counties. I don't know if that applies here). Has anyone successfully installed those? It's not as convenient bc you have to get the tank emptied and the cistern filled, but I think it's feasible for part time living.
And finally, does anyone have info about solar installers or if it's alright to install solar yourself? I'm kind of unclear on this point. I've read that you need electricity for an address and that solar is acceptable, but I haven't found many specifics about that process.
Also if anyone has info about who in luna county has answers to any of these questions I'd appreciate that.
Again I know this forum has been dead for years, but I'm just so intrigued by this place and am not scrapping this idea yet.
Ya I know all about it and I know what I'm getting into but i like wide open spaces.I got a few acres there and I intend on building a winter getaway there and I'm interested in getting to know people in the area.What I wanted to do this winter is park a small trailer on my land, figure out what I want to do and talk with some contractors but now I see where you gotta have some stupid permit to put a trailer on your own land what the hell is with that? Am I going to run into stupid laws like this all the way in NM? I'm 62, retired, don't do drugs, don't belong to a gang (although I do ride a Harley Davidson chopper) and my philosophy is I see nothing, hear nothing, know nothing how's that for a good neighbor? So if anyone is building or living in Sunshine valley maybe we can get together and help each other out. I'm good with a hammer and saw and I'm not afraid of a shovel lol.
Every county has rules about how you handle sewage. If you don't havea septic tank you have to have something that is at least 50 gallons and that rule is different in each county. The permit it to make sure you are compliant. Get the permit and follow the rules (they are not that difficult) or they county may fine you make you remove the mobile home.
My wife and I drove out to look at a property in the Sunshine Valley Ranchettes subdivision (more about the property later). Here are some observations. Some info is taken from SVR resident C. Felsing's notes, see link at bottom of post.
The main roads (Franklin and Marana) are paved most of the way through, as another poster noted. Some side roads are graded and a few are graveled. Some have been let go and are not much more than overgrown traces.
The main power line runs down Marana. There are some branch lines down a few roads. But if there is no line to a lot, Felsing writes that in 2020 Columbus Electric charged $2000 to put up 350 feet of power line. So it would cost about $15,000 to extend a power line from Marana one road east or west. Solar would be a good choice; the 9 KW system I had installed in Las Cruces cost in the region of $19,000 (after rebates). Incidentally, the installer was Organ Mtn Electric, in Las Cruces. Great company, can't recommend them enough. For a DIY system, one might start at Renology.com.
Of course there is no city water. Felsing writes that well water in this aquifer often contains flouride levels exceeding potable standards, and also "micro-sand" (fine silt? powdery gypsum?). This requires some level of filtration. A whole-house reverse-osmosis filtration system might run from one thousand to several thousand dollars. Another option would be to ignore wells, install a holding tank, and have water delivered. Or you can drink beer and wash up with well water.
No sewer service, so a septic system must be installed if you want to poop and not haul it out. As many have mentioned, the standard half-acre lot is too small for a leach-field, so unless you have enough acreage a more expensive compact system would be necessary.
The area is between 4000 and 4200 feet in elevation; the climate is hot in the summer and cool to cold in the winter. In Las Cruces at the same elevation we had a low of 18 degrees last week (this was in January) and a sprinkle of snow; a few days later the wind was gusting to 60 mph and the whole sky was dusty. (Wind season lasts from late winter through June, usually.) Last summer afternoon temps were above 90 for weeks on end. So you will want AC in the summer and heat in the winter. There will be a few days that are too hot or too damned windy and dusty to do much outside.
The land is flat. In the area we visited the landscape was mesquite scrub, low scruffy grass, and gravelly sand or alkali openings. Pretty bleak. That said, when the summer monsoon comes the land can green up and bloom nicely. Last summer the rains mostly failed, though. Ranchers lease some of the land for grazing, but the cattle are loose and so they wander over any property that's not fenced.
We were warned that vandalism can be a problem if a property is unoccupied some of the time. Migrant foot traffic was common several years ago -- SVR is 14 miles north of Mexico, flat and open all the way -- but a shift in border surveillance has stopped that for now.
Felsing writes that in 2020 out of a total of almost 18,000 lots in the SVR "there are 6 full-time residents and about 4 habitable vacation cabins." I think there are a few more now, but it speaks to the difficulty of getting a household going out there. He also notes that a lot selling for $300 in 1970 should be worth over $2000 in 2020 considering inflation, but the county assessor values the lots at around $600 and asking prices can be $599 to $900. Essentially, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the land has lost value. These have not been good investment properties.
But if you come in expecting to spend quite some money to set up water, electricity, and sewage treatment, and you understand that this is not really a snowbird paradise like Palm Springs, then go for it! It could be a really great place to get away from everything, watch the desert skies and distant mountains, and listen to the coyotes.
The property we looked at had a beautifully renovated single-wide on 2 acres, with a nice outbuilding insulated but not yet drywalled. It's on Marana just beyond the end of the blacktop, so it has Columbus Electric power. Electric fireplace, and AC in the main room and bedroom. The owners had the well redrilled two years ago, and a filtration system added upstream of the pressure tank; additional filtration protects the on-demand water heater. The septic tank is also two years old, and the property accomodates a leachfield. It's fenced with tight barbed wire. All the inftrastructure work has been done and there's a dwelling onsite, so all major expenses have been taken care of. It's really a nice, well-kept place, but it's not for us. I feel kinda sorry I asked the realtor to drive all the way out there for no sale, so here's the info: Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...14525725_zpid/. Realtor contact is listed on the website.
Ya I know all about it and I know what I'm getting into but i like wide open spaces.I got a few acres there and I intend on building a winter getaway there and I'm interested in getting to know people in the area.What I wanted to do this winter is park a small trailer on my land, figure out what I want to do and talk with some contractors but now I see where you gotta have some stupid permit to put a trailer on your own land what the hell is with that? Am I going to run into stupid laws like this all the way in NM? I'm 62, retired, don't do drugs, don't belong to a gang (although I do ride a Harley Davidson chopper) and my philosophy is I see nothing, hear nothing, know nothing how's that for a good neighbor? So if anyone is building or living in Sunshine valley maybe we can get together and help each other out. I'm good with a hammer and saw and I'm not afraid of a shovel lol.
THis reminds me of the 60's when there were the Demming Ranchetes. People from New Jersey bought them sight unseen and thought it was a great bargain untll they found out there was no water, they could not plant a lawn or make the place look like their New Jersey home, it was sand dunes. Some real estate developer sold useless desert to stupid people.
Where do you currently live? And YES, you will find lots of laws and rules you have to follow because it is DESERT and the environment cannot support the current number of people that live in this state. There are rules about how you get water and how much water you use, what plants you can plant etc. Sell it and buy something in the mid west if you want a "ranchette" (or a couple of acres). Or if it is just a winter home you want, buy a house in Yuma, Arizona. It never gets below 80 degrees in the winter and everything you need is already in place.
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Sunshine Valley Ranchettes....HELP!
