RV & Earthship Friendly Lot Just Minutes From Taos

Ranchos De Taos Estates is located  just off Highway 64 roughly ten minutes west of the vibrant community of Taos. Situated within easy driving distance of the slopes and trails of the world-famous Taos Ski Valley, this master-planned subdivision was platted out and pinned back in the 1960's with the vast majority of the region subdivided into quarter 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.

Road Conditions: All parcels within the Ranchos De Taos subdivision have legal access, as roads and easements were allowed for in the original Plats of the area. That said, in many circumstances a four-wheel drive or other off-road capable vehicle may be required to navigate some of the roads. As is to be expected, some areas are easier to get to than others, and some roads are easier to drive on than others. 

Power: Power can be found nearby on the 64 and in some of the parcels closer to that highway, but city utilities have not yet been extended into the further parts of the subdivision, making solar energy a necessary but affordable solution.

Wells & Water Table: Due to the depth of the water table in this region, wells are generally considered either infeasible or prohibitively expensive and most residents rely on refillable tanks for their drinking water. It has been reported that there a few community wells in this region - meaning someone owns a well and lets other residents purchase water from them - but we have never been able to confirm this or find the contact information for the well owners.

While the town of Taos has numerous zoning ordinances and restrictions, Taos County has very relaxed zoning laws, particularly in rural areas like this. Ranchos De Taos Estates is zoned County Rural Area, a fairly permissive designation which, amongst other things, allows a person to park an RV and live out of it for 180 Days even without a building permit. This fact alone makes the area ideal for anyone with an RV looking for land they can vacation to, camp on, or park and live on for a long time without being hassled by local officials. This also makes the area fitting for other "off-grid" dwellings such as earth ship homes, tiny homes, shipping container homes, etc.

If you're purchasing land to build you should check with the county zoning office to learn what permits are required on land smaller than 3/4 of an acre.

Disclosure: Prospective buyers are encouraged to keep in mind that while Taos County has very relaxed zoning, 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, this part of Taos County remains one of the most ideal places in New Mexico for developing land with as few ordinances to conform to as possible.

Parcel Sizes: It should be noted that because this region was first subdivided entirely into quarter acre parcels, it is very difficult to find larger acreage here. For those looking for anything bigger than a quarter acre of land you'll need to purchase adjacent lots which total the amount of land you're looking to develop. Prospective buyers should be aware, however, 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, 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 Ranchos De Taos Estates subdivision as well as the surrounding Carson Estates subdivision 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 feel confident this was an adequate representation of the region. Any prospective buyer looking for a more precise sense of the exact parcel is welcome to scout any property we have in inventory.