Residential Property In The Path Of Development

Rio Del Oro is a sprawling subdivision occupying 47,000 acres of land stretching from the I-25 and the Rio Grande River in the west to the Manzano Mountains in the east. Comprised almost entirely of quarter acre parcels, it makes up not only one of the largest residential subdivisions in Valencia County, but also one of the greatest expanses of undeveloped land in this rapidly growing region.

The subject property is a combination of two adjacent lots totaling .50 acre in size. While not enough land to be defined by the County as "buildable" this combination acreage is still ideal as investment property, particularly given its location in this rapidly growing area. Additionally, the land is also well-suited for recreational purposes such as seasonal camping or RV trips. 

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 a road the plat identifies as Sheppe Avenue. While this road does not see frequent traffic, it is still a relatively easy to navigate dirt road. In addition, this property sits in close proximity to such major arterials as Sherrod Boulevard and De Haan Loop. Because of this, the property should be easy to access in any vehicle type. While Sherrod and De Haan are graded and clearly marked with street signs, Sheppe is neither.

Power & Utilities: There are no residential power lines at the subject property and the nearest ones are roughly a mile away. Anyone attempting to build, RV or camp here should expect to rely on alternative forms of power. Anyone looking to investigate the costs associated with getting service connected to a specific property is encouraged to contact PNM, the utility company servicing this region.

Cell Reception: It should be noted that despite the lack of utilities in this region, our photographers report a surprisingly reliable cell reception throughout the entire subdivision.

Wells & Water Table Depth: Due to the area it encompasses, it’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to the varying depths of the water table throughout this region. Anyone considering drilling a well here is encouraged to speak with local well drillers for a more accurate sense of cost and logistics.

Zoning: The Rio Del Oro subdivision is zoned PD or Planned Development. It should be noted that while this designation was created to "encourage comprehensive development rather than traditional parcel-by-parcel development" it does not prohibit such individual property development. This is evidenced by the number of the stand-alone home sites which exist in this region independent of either a formal housing development or city utilities such as water and sewer. In all likleyhood, however, these lots were re-zoned as R-1 or Rural Residential when their building permits were issued. To learn more about the PD Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF and to learn more about the R-1 Zoning designation, please see the attached PDF here.

Zoning, Cont'd: The Rio Del Oro subdivision consists of roughly 200,000 parcels. It should be noted that in a subdivision this massive, there will always be zoning anomalies or a small handful of parcels which do not conform to the rest and thus may be designated differently. The above-mentioned designation, however, covers well over 97% of the land in Rio Del Oro.

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

Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: When the Rio Del Oro subdivision was first created, the developer drew up a set of covenants and restrictions to run with the land. These types of documents normally enumerate rules for development such as acceptable structures and minimum square footage requirements. And while the Rio Del Oro covenants were no exception, in the decades since, this document has been updated and amended in, from what we can tell, every Unit and most Blocks of the subdivision. In most every case the covenants were amended to simply conform to the local zoning. In some cases, certain blocks and lots either retained or reacquired by the developer were reclassified as commercial or public use zones. Additionally, some of the original covenants have either become outdated or unenforceable such as ones that make mention of an Architectural Control Committee which doesn't exist and never did. In short, anyone concerned about the original covenants need only familiarize themselves with local zoning as the two are largely redundant at this point.  

The ¾ Acre Rule: Anyone looking to build within Rio Del Oro should be aware that because this is a region without city utilities, building permits will not be issued for structures being developed on land less than ¾ of an acre in size. This size restriction has to do with the amount of space required for both a conventional well and conventional septic system. While "work-arounds" exist to develop structures on smaller lots (such as a holding tank for water and split-flow systems for septic) in most cases it is ultimately easier and less expensive to simply purchase and develop a parcel which conforms to the ¾ acre standard.

Acceptable Structures: As this area is designed with residential development in mind, single family homes are acceptable here as well as mobile and modular homes. Shipping container homes would likely be acceptable if erected per state building code guidelines while tiny homes, yurts and earthship homes would likely be deemed unacceptable. For specific questions about zoning, building plans or the permitting process, buyers are encouraged to contact  the Valencia County Planning & Zoning office.

Camping & RVs: RVs are only acceptable here for thirty days at a time or up to twelve months with a building permit. An RV can only be used recreationally and cannot be used as a permanent dwelling. Lots smaller than ¾ of an acre in size may be used for such recreational purposes.

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. 

Zone Map: In the interest of helping our buyers narrow their search for the ideal property, we have created a Zone Map which breaks the Rio Del Oro subdivision into eight more easily digestible chunks a few squares miles at a time. This Zone Map has been included in the photo gallery at the bottom of each individual listing page along with a map for that property's specific Zone. Please note that this Zone Map is not something official nor recognized by the County but rather is an invention specific to this website created merely to aid our buyers in their search for land.

The Value Of Adjacent Lots: Because of the way this subdivision was originally platted, as well as zoning and environmental laws that were enacted subsequent to its creation, there is far greater value in combination acreage totaling greater than ¾ of an acre in size, especially for anyone looking to build. Because of this, Hemingway Land has done our best to offer adjacent parcels which would surpass the standard building requirement and hence, create greater value for our buyers. Should you already own land in this area and are looking to expand your property boundaries, we encourage you to review our master property list or call our offices to see if the land you're looking for is one we may be listing in the future.

Lot Sizes: While the average lot in Rio Del Oro is a quarter acre in size, due to the number of cul de sacs that have been designed in the plat, there are quite a few parcels which are anywhere from marginally to markedly larger. With this in mind we have done our best to post the exact acreage of a property on its individual listing page. This is especially the case with adjacent lots which may total a larger size than the same number that "standard" lots would normally create. All parcel sizes have been derived through information found on the Valencia County GIS website, and anyone looking to confirm the size of a property we're selling is encouraged to review the information provided on that site.

Pricing: The Hemingway Land Company has attempted to price the properties in this subdivision as affordably and as uniformly as possible with quarter-acre single lots listed for $999, half-acre double lots listed at $2,400, three-quarter-acre triple lots listed for $3,750 and one-acre quadruple lots listed for $5,000. Additionally, we are offering affordable financing options on all our inventory between a half-acre and an acre-and-a-half in size. In some cases, however, certain lots have been priced higher on a price-per-lot basis due to some exceptional feature that the property boasts such as utilities, improved road access or because it sits in a more developed area. Where applicable, each property's specific listing page will describe the differences or particular features of a given parcel.

Pricing, Rio Del Oro vs Rio Grande Estates: Due to the way Rio Del Oro was originally subdivided, as well as the scarcity of larger "buildable" lots, listings in this region tend to be more expensive on a price-per-acre basis than lots in some of the neighboring Valencia County subdivisions. Anyone looking for less expensive property in this same general area is encouraged to review our offerings in the Rio Grande Estates subdivision.

Photography Disclosure: Due to the large volume of inventory we have in this region, unlike other listings on our site, the photos displayed at the bottom of each page will be from the general Zone of a property and not from the parcel itself. We have done our best to get a variety of photos from each specific Zone of the subdivision and in each property's photo gallery we have posted photos we feel most accurately represent the Zone that property is in. Anyone looking for an exact sense of the property, its terrain or surroundings is encouraged to scout the individual listing at their leisure. 

Photography Disclosure, Cont'd: Only listings 1.25 Acres or larger (typically priced north of $6,000) will have property-specific photos taken from the land itself.

Nearby Towns: Located just outside Los Lunas, the Rio Del Oro subdivision has easy access to groceries and supplies as well as big box stores such as Walmart and Home Depot. Additionally, plenty of fast-food restaurants, gas stations, post offices, banks, medical facilities and other daily necessities can be found within easy driving distance of this region.

Nearby Towns, Cont'd: Albuquerque, the largest city in the state, is also close, being only a quick twenty-minute drive north along the I-25. Home to a population of over a half million residents, this vibrant metropolitan area boasts plenty to see and do including museums, concerts, sporting events, nightlife, zoos as well as fine dining and high end shopping. In addition, it is home to the Annual International Balloon Fiesta, a week-long gathering held every October which brings together hot air balloon owners and enthusiasts from around the world.

Elephant Butte Lake: Located roughly two hours south of Rio Del Oro you'll find Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in New Mexico. This state park boasts campgrounds, picnic areas, RV stations and a 36,000 acre lake which can accommodate watercraft as diverse as kayaks, jet skis, pontoons, sailboats, ski boats, cruisers and houseboats.