Buying and using land without attracting attention

[rruff]

If you divide NM into equal 3rds by latitude, North, Central, and Southern.... Ruidoso is solidly in the Southern section.

Silver City has the vast Gila Forest to the north and a smaller bit to the SW (Burro Mtn), but the town itself is in the grass, scrub, and sparse juniper zone. There are lots of deciduous trees in town that are green and pretty in summer.

Oddly, even though the SW has vast forested regions with mild climates, there are not many towns in them. I guess it made more sense for early residents to settle in the flatter, low, desert areas near rivers. Mining was another big draw a bit later, and that's what made Silver City a viable town. Ruidoso was a tiny summer vacation spot that grew rapidly in recent decades.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Well I have a good friend I talk to on ham radio, he lives Just north of Ruidoso, and he refers to the entire area as 'South Central New Mexico'. I guess him and I will have to have a little 'talk'!

https://www.travelsouthcentralnm.com/things-to-do/travel-map/
I live in West Texas, but not West, Texas, which is a small town in North Texas, (or East Texas) but south of Dallas. Out-of-staters will sometimes refer to the panhandle of Texas as 'North Texas'...but 'North Texas' is the area around the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. Far West Texas is the part of Texas that is kinda wrapped under New Mexico and East of El Paso.



Are we confused yet?

Its all about nomenclature, and I tend to use the terms the locals use rather than the compass coordinates. Often they are the same, but many times, they differ.

At any rate, thanks for the clarification.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

I recently visited friends in Madrid New Mexico who built an off grid house and collect all of the rainwater off of the roof. Extra wide gutters catch the water and it runs into 2 large underground cisterns. From there it is pumped into the house and goes through several layers of filtration with the last being ultraviolet light under the sink. Much of the water comes in bunches during the monsoon season and there is snow accumulating and then melting during winter. He has a third cistern out front in case they need water delivered but says so far they have been able to get by on what they are able to collect.

I used to own an off grid home near Tombstone, AZ. It IS possible to get by with water catchment on 10-15"of rain a year. I had 2 10K rainwater cisterns and never ran out, but it requires something the average homeowner is apparently missing: an acceptance of limits that require some adjustment/sacrifice, and the discipline to live within that framework. Is it actually dirty? If not, don't wash it! Use a composting toilet, a low flow shower. Don't have ornamental plants (or, good grief, a lawn) that require watering. Can you use that water twice? Don't "throw away" dirty water, give it to the garden. Get creative! (I used to wash my dishes in one basin, rinse in the second one, dump the wash water, and then use the rinse water to wash the next batch.)

It can actually be interesting and satisfying, but it is constant effort. (I realize this kind of personal effort isn't going to solve the southwest water crisis, but it does make survival for individuals a reasonable possibility, assuming they have the means to put in the system.)

 

[maki2]

That is correct on the physical address issue. It seems to solve that problem. As an artist, I want to be able to have a studio space to work in. So far I've found living in the van makes that difficult with the exception of plein air paintings as I travel. I may start to look into tent structures as nomadic studio spaces. Maintaining comfortable temperatures and withstanding winds seem to be issues to resolve in that. It got me to start to think that being able to build a more suitable structure on the land eventually would be a nice option to have if I were to buy land for the physical address.

I was able to reinforce for the wind and use shade cloth to help with heat but within 2 years in the Southwest the UV damage to the roof killed my canvas and screening portable studio space. Sun rot is a very much a real thing.

 

[user 22017]

I was able to reinforce for the wind and use shade cloth to help with heat but within 2 years in the Southwest the UV damage to the roof killed my canvas and screening portable studio space. Sun rot is a very much a real thing.

What kind of canvas did you use?

 

[BelgianPup]

A couple of people here have posted that they wouldn't drink rainwater, because it's so contaminated. They don't know what they're talking about.

Rainwater is much cleaner than any ground water. Yes, rain can be contaminated in areas with a lot of air pollution, but the pollution does wash out when it rains. Just let the rain fall for a bit without collecting it first, which will also clean off the collection surface.

Texas seems to support more rainwater collection than most other states. They have an online manual on how to do it.

 

[user 22017]

A couple of people here have posted that they wouldn't drink rainwater, because it's so contaminated. They don't know what they're talking about.

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) might be everywhere. Including rainwater:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022...to-drink-due-to-forever-chemicals-study-finds

 

[rruff]

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) might be everywhere. Including rainwater:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022...to-drink-due-to-forever-chemicals-study-finds

I'm a few decades past the time when I decided that purifying the water I drink is a good idea. Rainwater can be a lot better than well water, or water from municipal pipes... or it can be worse depending on what contaminants are introduced after it falls from the sky.

 

[BelgianPup]

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) might be everywhere. Including rainwater:

I didn't say that rainwater is sterile or pure. I said it was cleaner than any ground water. If millions of people can drink from wells, they can drink rainwater.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I didn't say that rainwater is sterile or pure. I said it was cleaner than any ground water....

I think you will have a hard time finding studies that back up that statement.
Whereas atmospheric mixing happens relatively fast, groundwater movement can be very slow:

• Ash from Mount St. Helens traveled around the globe in 2 weeks.
• The Schmidt Brewery well in St. Paul, MN taps into water that is purported to be over 30,000 years old.

The variation in groundwater purity will be (literally) all over the map, either more pure or less pure than local rain water.

 

[thebarefootbadger]

I have bad news. Someday, you're gonna die of something. Probably not a bus.

 

[user 22017]

I have bad news. Someday, you're gonna die of something. Probably not a bus.

Badger,

Death isn't the only possible consequence from environmental poisons. They can cause numerous problems. Eg. Infertility

 

[Catalyst1]

My unsolicited $0.02 on water in the SW:
Is captured rainwater safe for human consumption without some type of filtration/purification?
I would suspect it is not, and someone looking to "make it" in a harsh, typically dry, environment will have difficulty living cheap in those areas...

No one said he didn't filter it. Just that he collects it.

 

[Catalyst1]

I didn't realize that our production was that concentrated. But it underscores what happens when you have really cheap water. If that changes though because of water restrictions in CA, production will shift to other places. Prices will rise to some degree, but we probably won't even notice the difference.

US production of fruits and vegetables= $42B :https://commodity.com/blog/most-fruits-vegetables/
US exports of fruits and vegetables= $12B :https://www.fas.usda.gov/commodities/fruits-and-vegetables
US imports of fruits and vegetables= $21B :https://www.eurofresh-distribution.com/news/record-us-fruit-and-vegetable-imports-expected-in-2022/

In the future, much agriculture will be done in underground chambers where the climate can be controlled and with a minimum of agricultural pests.

 

[rruff]

In the future, much agriculture will be done in underground chambers where the climate can be controlled and with a minimum of agricultural pests.

What about sun?

And I think the pests will just follow the food...

 

[bebewanna]

Sounds like Tres Piedras? I was recently looking around there. INteresting variety of compounds, from some nice adobe houses to Mad Max style compounds with a collection of school busses and camper carcasses making a fortress of doom. I kind of liked it. It seems the 1/2 acre parcels date back to the 60s when a developer subdivided a big parcel and started selling lots at a worlds fair. He was eventually convicted of mail fraud. Is 1/2 acre enough to get a septic permit where your at?

Hey....

Yes exactly where I am and it's a great story The Great Southwestern Land Co, that defunct corporation still owns about 6500 parcels, including the one next door to me ... Which is good I guess

I know that you need 3/4 of an acre for a well... But from what I know drilling only goes to more rock. I don't know about septic and my guess is that few up the hill here have it.

You know... I think over the years that this place has had its moments of Violence etc... but for the most part, the disasters are mostly abandoned And most of the folks that go by me seem OK. There are a few questionable characters but such is life everywhere.

The trees start below me... It's Unit 3, all 1/2 acre and up here is the best part of the entire crazy deal ....trees continue above into unit 7, which are 1/4 acre.

Everyone seems to be just doing what they want... Story goes, don't ask the county, don't tell

I have a spot across the road if you want to look around, it's the photo view ... My dog is OK with people but not other dogs...

It's been a pleasant summer..
Warm but livable.. And for the price great view

The roads are the worst part, you need ground clearance and mud tires... Or wait a few days it dries fast....

 

[bebewanna]

Sounds like Tres Piedras? I was recently looking around there. INteresting variety of compounds, from some nice adobe houses to Mad Max style compounds with a collection of school busses and camper carcasses making a fortress of doom. I kind of liked it. It seems the 1/2 acre parcels date back to the 60s when a developer subdivided a big parcel and started selling lots at a worlds fair. He was eventually convicted of mail fraud. Is 1/2 acre enough to get a septic permit where your at?

Hey I was thinking.... There is a woman on the trespiedrasestates.com page living in Taos has a few parcels further up.. With trees, I searched them out in Taos County pages by her name... They were pretty far up and in good spots.
Access is another story... If you can't find her there drop me a note I have her email as we corresponded but I don't think my Grand Caravan was the right vehicle for up there

 

[GoingMobile]

Hey....

Yes exactly where I am and it's a great story The Great Southwestern Land Co, that defunct corporation still owns about 6500 parcels, including the one next door to me ... Which is good I guess

I know that you need 3/4 of an acre for a well... But from what I know drilling only goes to more rock. I don't know about septic and my guess is that few up the hill here have it.

You know... I think over the years that this place has had its moments of Violence etc... but for the most part, the disasters are mostly abandoned And most of the folks that go by me seem OK. There are a few questionable characters but such is life everywhere.

The trees start below me... It's Unit 3, all 1/2 acre and up here is the best part of the entire crazy deal ....trees continue above into unit 7, which are 1/4 acre.

Everyone seems to be just doing what they want... Story goes, don't ask the county, don't tell

I have a spot across the road if you want to look around, it's the photo view ... My dog is OK with people but not other dogs...

It's been a pleasant summer..
Warm but livable.. And for the price great view

The roads are the worst part, you need ground clearance and mud tires... Or wait a few days it dries fast....

I thought so. I camped several days on a bit of Forest Service land in between the Tres Piedras rock formations, and another night just off the road that goes across the plateau. Woke up to see Llamas grazing nearby. I'm working another school year, until May 2023. I'm of the opinion that prices are still a bit inflated when it comes to land and especially developed land, and am hoping things will subside a bit over the next year or so. So I'm not in a hurry to purchase anything. Mostly a reconnaissance mission this summer. I did like that area, like Taos, its not terribly far from Santa Fe, the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and seems I could do a DIY type of thing there that might be fun.

The sidewalls are disintegrating on the tires that came on my van, so I'm looking for some all-terrain ones this week. The Forest Service guy I spoke with about camping cautioned me about going too far into certain areas during monsoon season. I guess all the clay in the soil makes it very slippery when wet. Is road maintenance more of a DIY thing out there?

As far as violence, crime etc. It seems pretty much everyone doing their own thing without supervision or enforcement of any kind. Humans being as they are I imagine things could go off the rails for some in dangerous ways. But I see a lot of good potential being possible too. I want a relatively simple life where I can live comfortably on a limited income and be left to my own whims and devices without a constant need to earn more, to buy more, to compete with those damn Jonses. Maybe I'll build some folk art structure like the Watts Towers or Salvation Mountain. I enjoy the nearby Earthships.

Are you there year round?

 

[jacqueg]

I want a relatively simple life where I can live comfortably on a limited income and be left to my own whims and devices without a constant need to earn more, to buy more, to compete with those damn Jonses. Maybe I'll build some folk art structure like the Watts Towers or Salvation Mountain. I enjoy the nearby Earthships.

Have you seen this guy? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_6jJUI40kS3boTEkSTFchA

 

[rruff]

Are you there year round?

I'm sure some do it, but it would be cold in winter. Averages in Jan, high 36F low 6F... in July, high 80F low 46F. May to Oct looks like the nicer season.
https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nm9085
There are places with affordable hassle-free land that have a good year round climate. Parcels tend to be bigger though (10-40 acres) and you'll probably need to spend $30-40k, but if you are going to spend time and effort and money to build a viable dwelling it's probably worth it. Nice to have more space and fewer neighbors. PM if interested.