Free Of Planning & Zoning Restrictions

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.

Roads & Access: This property is located along Nieto Avenue just west of Hernandez Street. The road conditions here are good and can be navigated by any vehicle type.

Power & Utilities: The nearest power is more than a half mile away servicing a developed home site along Hernandez Street. While it may be possible to get power extended out to the subject property, anyone looking to build here is encouraged to consider an alternative form of energy such as solar.

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.

Conveyance Document: This property will be conveyed one of two ways depending on how the buyer elects to fund and close the transaction. For anyone electing to pay our Company directly and outside of escrow, Hemingway Land will provide a Special Warranty Deed. For anyone electing to close through title and escrow and purchase title insurance, Hemingway Land will provide a Warranty Deed.

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. 

Rio Grande Estates sits just east of the I-25 corridor. From this subdivision, Belen is only ten miles north and Albuquerque only forty miles. The Rio Metro has stops in Belen as well as nearby Los Lunas which may help with commutes back and forth to nearby Albuquerque and as far north as Santa Fe.

The nearest Walmarts can be found in Belen, Los Lunas and Socorro and the nearest Home Depot in Los Lunas.

Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in the state, is located only ninty miles south of Rio Grande Estates along the I-25. This region boasts excellent recreation opportunities such as fishing, boating, jet skiing, camping and RV'ing and may provide excellent weekend getaways for you and the family.