Rio Grande Estates

Rio Grande Estates is located just south of Belen off of Highway 60 in the shadows of the Manzano Mountains. Situated just forty miles south of Albuquerque, this master-planned subdivision was platted out and pinned back in the 1960's with the vast majority of the region subdivided into one acre parcels.

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.

All parcels within the Rio Grande Estates subdivision have legal access, as roads and easements were allowed for in the original Plats of the area. Additionally, because this region boasts a largely arid climate, few of the roads have become impassable because of overgrown brush or washed out from rain, meaning that with rare exception, most all of the roads can be driven by any vehicle type. As is to be expected, some areas - particularly those closer to Highway 60 - are easier to get to than others, and some roads are easier to drive on than others.

Power can be found running the length of Highway 60 and servicing some of the roads and home sites closest to that area. The further north and south you go within the subdivision, the less of a presence those utilities will have, though you will encounter the occasional home site being serviced by a power pole and utility box. Because city utilities have not yet been extended into the further parts of the subdivision, solar energy may be a necessary but affordable solution for those electing to live outside the range of local utilities. Anyone developing land in this region who wants to get power extended to their property and would like to investigate cost is encouraged to contact PNM, the local utility servicing this region.

Zoning: Socorro County has no formal zoning ordinance, and per their own government website "does not restrict the use of real property" within the county boundaries.

This fact alone makes the area ideal for anyone with an RV who's looking for land they can vacation to, camp on, or park and live on for lengthy periods of time without being disturbed by local constables enforcing zoning ordinances. This also makes the area fitting for other types of "unconventional" dwellings such as earth ship homes, tiny homes and shipping container homes, typically difficult to get permitted elsewhere. 

No HOA: Rio Grande Estates has no HOA and there are no annual dues associated with land ownership.

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: In addition to having no HOA, Rio Grande Estates has no covenants, conditions or restrictions (CCRs) recorded with the County. This means there are no subdivision restrictions on land use either.

Disclosure: Prospective buyers are encouraged to keep in mind that while Socorro County has no formal zoning and the subdivision has no recorded restrictions, land in this region will still be subject to state-wide laws, building codes and environmental regulations. This is especially true as it pertains to how waste is disposed of and wells are drilled and installed. The NM EPA oversees septic permits and the State Engineer is responsible for well permits and are two organizations you or your contractor will deal with eventually. State regulations aside, however, Socorro County remains one of the most ideal places in New Mexico for developing land with as few ordinances to conform to as possible.

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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.  

Rio Grande Estates Inventory History: Hemingway Land has bought and sold hundreds of lots in the Rio Grande Estates subdivision and we typically boast a revolving door of property here. Anyone looking to expand their parcel boundaries is encouraged to review our master spreadsheet of past and current inventory to see if we have now or have had in the past land which is adjacent to yours. NOTE: Adjacent lots are best identified by knowing the Unit/Block/Lot of your own property.

Rio Grande Estates Property Owners Facebook Group: Even though this subdivision was first created in the 1960's, the region has sat largely undeveloped since. Within our time selling land here, however, a number of like-type individuals looking to build unconventional structures and/or live an off-grid lifestyle, have purchased property from us, relocated and begun to develop the region and the sense of community within it. While there is still a great deal of undeveloped land here and plenty of privacy, a number of our past buyers have created a Rio Grande Estates Facebook group for those who own land here or are looking to relocate to help better educate people on the region. This group of land owners also acts as an excellent resource for things like surveyors, well drillers and fence builders. 

Adjacent Parcels: It should be noted that because this region was first subdivided almost entirely into 1 acre parcels, it is very difficult to find larger acreage here. For those looking for anything bigger than 1 acre of land you'll need to purchase adjacent lots which total the amount of land you're looking to develop (2 acres = 2 lots, 3 acres = 3 lots, so on and so forth). Prospective buyers should be aware that combination lots are very difficult to come by here and the larger the property you require, the less likely it is to exist. While Hemingway Land has sold a number of adjacent lots in this region (including lots combos as large as ten acres) that is the exception and not the rule in a subdivision platted like this one. In circumstances where we have two neighboring lots, they will always be sold together as they are inherently more valuable. 

Photography Disclosure: Unlike our other listings, the properties being sold in Socorro County's Rio Grande Estates are being represented with photos from different regions of the subdivision and are not property-specific. As Hemingway Land has purchased and had photographed so many parcels throughout this area - and because there is little observable difference in the roads, topography and scenery - we have elected to reuse past photos. It should be noted, however, that this is not something we would do if we didn't have hundreds of images from nearly every intersection in the subdivision. While we feel this serves as a reasonable representation of the properties, any prospective buyer looking for a more precise sense of the exact parcel is welcome to scout any property we have in inventory.