Forested Hillside Lot In Community With Power And Spring-Fed Water System

The subject property is a .25 (1/4 acre) lot situated along Deer Spring Road in Waterfall, a forested residential community located along State Road 130 just south of Cloudcroft.

When we speak of property we typically use an address -- 123 Main Street for instance. 

As most vacant land does not have a physical address, however, county governments will identify it in other ways, such as a "legal description", a parcel number or a tax code. The information provided in the table to the right are the ways in which the various state and county agencies will identify this specific parcel of land. These signifiers are important to have when speaking with these agencies - whether they be the assessor, the zoning office, or even the local utilities - and may prove invaluable when initiating conversations about whatever research a buyer intends to do.

Whenever one exists or has been assigned to the land, the physical address will be included in this table.

Roads & Access: The subject property is located along Deer Spring Road. While most of the roads in this subdivision consist of well-maintained dirt and gravel, Deer Spring does not appear to be regularly trafficked and thus, is comprised of a more challenging, rocky terrain. Because of this, a larger truck or off-road capable vehicle is advised for anyone scouting the property.

Power & Utilities: Residential power lines and underground utilities can be found throughout the Waterfall subdivision, servicing a number of developed home sites. While those utilities are not present on the subject parcel itself, they can be found servicing homes as close as one or two lots away. Because of this, it should be both easy and affordable to get them extended to this parcel. Anyone looking to investigate the costs associated with getting service connected on the subject property is encouraged to contact the Otero County Electric Cooperative, the local utility servicing this region.

Water Service: Because of its location, this subdivision is the beneficiary of a local waterfall whose water has been engineered into a system servicing the community and bringing potable water to each of its members. The organization that maintains this system is The Waterfall Community Water Users Association (WCWUA) and property owners looking to develop land here will need to become members to take advantage of all the benefits this association affords. To learn more about this organization or to contact them with questions, please visit their website linked here.

Water Service, Cont'd: Because of the presence of this community water utility, anyone developing the property will not have to take on the added expense of drilling and installing a well.

Septic Installation: Like most all the parcels in this subdivision, the subject property is under the ¾ acreage requirement set forth by the New Mexico Environmental Department for traditional septic installation. While this standard may not apply to a property or a subdivision which has its own water system, anyone developing the land will need to consult the NM EPA about proper septic systems or appropriate work-arounds. It should be noted, however, that many of the developed properties in this region are under the ¾ acre threshold, suggesting that whatever is required will not be difficult or prohibitively expensive.

Zoning: Otero is one of a handful of New Mexico Counties which have no formal County-wide zoning ordinance and defer instead to towns and municipalities within their borders to make their own rules. As this property is located in "Unincorporated" Otero County that means it is outside the jurisdiction of even the most "small government" town. This means that aside from state-wide regulations such as building codes or environmental ordinances, there are no governmental restrictions about how the land may be used or developed.

No HOA: The Waterfall subdivision has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Waterfall subdivision was created, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. While most of these are what we like to refer to as "reasonable, good neighbor restrictions" dealing primarily with the disposal of trash and prohibitions on excess noise, there are a few covenants that deal with acceptable structures for the region as well as minimum square footage requirements of those structures. Because of this, anyone considering purchasing the land is encouraged to review the Waterfall Covenants and Restrictions document found here.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, Cont'd: Notable conditions enumerated in the above-linked CCR document include the following: Homes must have a minimum size of 1,500 square feet; All construction will need to be completed within twelve months from the time of ground-breaking.

The Hemingway Land Company does our best to represent the properties we list as accurately as possible. Our research, however, will always be limited. 

Because of this, included in the table to the right is a list of the relevant state and county governments, agencies and authorities as well as local utilities (and all their respective websites and contact information) which should help to answer any questions a buyer may have about developing this specific property.

Whenever possible it is best to speak with these agencies first as they will always be a far greater source of information about the local region and the regulations which govern it.  

Fencing: It should be noted that anyone reviewing the photo gallery at the bottom of this page will see pictures of fencing installed along the neighbor's property. This fencing shares only a small border on the northwest end of the subject property and will neither help to determine parcel boundaries nor be an adequate substitute for a formal survey. It is being shown simply to demonstrate the property and its immediate surroundings.

Topography: Like most of the properties in and around this forested, mountainous area, the subject parcel has a slope to it with its highest point being along Deer Spring Road and gradually declining to the back, or western end of the lot. It should be noted, however, that the slope of the property is typical of this area. Many home sites in the local region have been developed on land like this, and any local contractor will have experience with this type of terrain.

The subject property is located just outside Cloudcroft, a charming rustic community of less than one thousand residents. While small, this area features amenities such as post offices, banks, medical practitioners, schools and churches. In addition, there are a number of places to eat and drink as well as purchase building materials. Located as close as it is to the National Forest and local skiing destinations, there are also places to purchase hunting supplies and skiing equipment.

Anyone looking for the nearest Walmart or other big box stores, national retailers or fast-food chains will need to either drive west into Alamogordo or north into Ruidoso.

This part of New Mexico is home to a number of popular skiing destinations such as the slopes of the nearby Ski Cloudcroft as well as Ski Apache further north in Alto.

The Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino – home to plenty of gambling, concerts and general entertainment - is also within an hour's drive of this region.

In addition, this entire subdivision is set against the backdrop of the Lincoln National Forest with its numerous trails, camp grounds and picnic areas. Home to species as diverse as Elk, Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Oryx, Ibex, Javelina and Bighorn Sheep, this region is ideal for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.