Smile4u Inc.

Ladron Peak at 9,210 feet!

This property is located just south of the Valencia County line as seen in the section map link above. It located about 40 minutes south of Albuquerque and ten minutes south of Belen just off Interstate 25. Hihgway 60 runs through the southern part of the subdivision. It sits near the top of the subdivision and there is a cute country road that leads out of the top and in to the town of Belen - a very cute drive to town! The Rio Grande River flows just to the west and you can see the bosque and mesa above the river in the distance!

We had a chance to visit the area close to this property in October 2007 and all of the photos were taken only one block to the southwest as noted in the parcel map. The top part of the subdivision is my favorite part - it is clearner and there are a few nice homes in this top part. And of course the drive to town along the country road is nice as well. Inexpensive country living with beautiful views of the mesa that rises above the green Bosque to the west down along the Rio Grande River.

There is a bladed dirt road leading along the south of the property. Barela Road was a decent graveled road that runs along the west side of block 390 so there is very good access to this property! There is an excellent road that leads through the top part of the subdivision out to a paved road which then is a short drive to along the country road to town. It looks like power is about 3/4 of a mile to the northwest at the neighbors. There may be power closer as well at the neighbor about a block to the southeast, but you would have to check with the local power company to see as they may be using an alternative power source.

I think this is a beautiful part of the subdivision with magnificent views of the red mesa that sits above the green Bosque where the Rio Grande River flows from the southwest to the northwest. There is a nice home to the northwest and a cool windmill with a structure to the northeast. From the northeast to the southeast are views of the Manzano Mountains. Manzano Peak sits at 10,098 feet. Manzano is the Spanish word for apple tree and the Manzano Mountains State Park offers fishing, bird watching, hiking and cross country skiing. There is a cool looking hill to the southeast.

Ladron Peak can be seen to the southwest. Located in the Sierra Ladrones which lies between the Rio Peurco to the east and the Rio Salado to the southwest, the peak is 9,210 feet and the summit is almost 4500 feet above the Rio Grande Valley! Part of the range is included in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge which sits just below this subdivision! Animal species include mountain lion, pronghorn, bear and desert bighorn sheep. I spent a couple hours exploring it one day and saw some beautiful wildlife as seen in the area photos. Enjoy! Char the Explorer : )

The rich red mesa that rises along the Bosque down by the Rio Grande River to the east!

A pretty home to the north and northeast.

A beautiful view of the Manzano Mountains to the east - there is a cute windmill in the distance as well!

AREA AND SUBDIVISION INFORMATION:

The Rio Grande Estates is located about half an hour south of Albuquerque in an area called Bernardo which is just south of Belen. It sits at the northern part of Socorro County along highway 60. Interstate 25 sits a few minutes to the west on the other side of the Rio Grande River. It is on the valley floor with incredible views of the green bosque along the river to the west and Ladronne Peak in the distance. The other side of the valley is a beautiful view of the Manzano Mountains. What is very cool about this subdivision is that it is bordered to the south by the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge!

There has been quite a bit of growth in this area in the past few years and the location of these communities from Albuquerque makes it inevetable. If you have been looking for an investment piece of property be sure and check this out. You will be hard pressed to find an acre of land this cheap so close to Albuquerque with decent access! There is a road that leads north out of the subdivision to a country road that leads you into south Belen. Or you can leave out the southern end onto Hwy 60 and quickly jump on I25 which takes you north into Albuquerque. I constantly read about growth in the greater Albuquerque area and frequently realize that the town is close to Hwy 60 which runs through the bottom of this subdivision.

Update May 2009: We spent some time looking at land in the Rio Grande Estates just south of Belen and then went north out of the subdivision to the town of Belen. They sure have done a lot of improvement to their streets and it was a pretty afternoon in the quiet town. The Rio Grande was pretty full and the bosque along it was a brilliant green! We then headed down to the town of Socorro to pick up a few maps at the county courthouse. Socorro continues to be a busy town and I have seen so much growth there since my first visit around 2002. From there we went for a long drive out to Valle de Manana near the Alamo Indian Reservation, through the Rio Salida and then up to the interstate west of Albuquerque. Wow what a beautiful long drive that was!!

The Albuquerque Journal named some of the projects the federal stimulus program will fund and on that list was 1.4 MILLION for general improvements at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Part of this refuge adjoins the bottom of the Rio Grande Estates to the south and we have some photos below of our visit there!

The Rio Grande was a plush green and full!

Some creatures we found out in the Rio Grande Estates:

A church just north of the Rio Grande Estates on the way into the town of Belen and some of the local businesses in Belen.

Lots to see as we explored Socorro County!

April 2008 Update For Rio Grande Estates Subdivision: We received the assessed notices for properties we own in this subdivision. I quickly glanced through a few and was so surprised to see they were between $2700 and $3000. That is considerably more than what we are selling them at! We really work hard to find affordable land in growing areas. Be sure and do your research!

The Rio Grande River which flows through the bosque!

Lots of new construction can be seen while driving along the interstate between Belen and Los Lunas!

The new Rail Runner station in Belen. The parking lot was full when we drove by to look at it!

ADDITIONAL STATE INFORMATION:

New Mexico's new liquid waste regulations went into effect in September of 2005. These regulations will provide the highest quality to the environment and was greatly needed with the drought situations over the years. Smile4u Inc greatly encourages you to research the new regulations to understand what you will be allowed to do with your property. We have not researched the ground to depth water in any of the areas we sell land in. If the property does not meet the new standards for conventional septic systems, other ideas to research are: installing complete retention systems such as holding tanks, waiting till public utilities are provided in the street, or to purchase an adjoining property. The new regulations for undeveloped lots platted before February 1st, 1990 require at least 3/4 of an acre for a conventional septic system and 3/4 of an acre in areas with depth to ground water 100 feet or less. There are sunset provisions that allow a 3-5 year period for you to install using the old guidelines. After the sunset period is over you will need to comply with the new regulations. If you would like to see a copy of the new regulations that we obtained from the State please Click Here. We also have information we can email you if you would like to research retentions systems. We actually came across a subdivision in Kansas a few years ago that had several hundred properties that all were required to use holding tanks so don't be afraid to think outside the box!

For more information and photos of our journeys to Socorro click here: Socorro County

Please conduct your due diligence research and be sure to ask all questions prior to hitting the "Buy Now" button below.

Once you click on the "Buy Now" button we put a Sale Pending notice on the listing and email out further instructions. Within 24 hours we must receive a response to that email that includes your contact information. Payment is due within 5 days unless prior arrangements are made. We often have several interested buyers in the same property and in fairness to all interested parties we keep the property available until someone is 100% prepared to complete the transactions.

The purchase price plus a $150.00 doc prep fee buys 100% ownership of this property! We will prepare all documents necessary to transfer ownership and even include a check to cover all recording fees and transfer taxes as well. We will also include maps to assist you in locating the property. It's all part of the $150 doc prep fee! Buyer will have 5 days to send payment by cashiers check, money order, Visa/Master/Discover Card or we also accept Paypal.

With our sincere thanks,

Mark, Charlotte, Derek, and Kristy : )

Cash Price Only $2,500.00 Or Best Offer!

Please feel free to call Char at 360-550-8943 with any questions! We are on Pacific Time!

To view our other available Properties, please Click Here

Thank you for looking!