Anyone homestead in Eastern AZ or Western NM?

genuck · #1 03/15/13, 11:27 PM

Hope I'm in the right place with this question.

I've driven through this area before and loved it, lately I've been looking at land prices and the temptation is just...irresistible. This would be in the mountains around 5000-6000ft off the grid. i could raise any animals I want and the land is supposed to be fertile and good grazing.

Are there any red flags I should look for? Unexpected surprises from someone who's never lived there? I'm in PA now, but I've lived in FL, CA, and Central TX. They all have good and bad points.

blaundee · #2 03/16/13, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuck

Hope I'm in the right place with this question.

I've driven through this area before and loved it, lately I've been looking at land prices and the temptation is just...irresistible. This would be in the mountains around 5000-6000ft off the grid. i could raise any animals I want and the land is supposed to be fertile and good grazing.

Are there any red flags I should look for? Unexpected surprises from someone who's never lived there? I'm in PA now, but I've lived in FL, CA, and Central TX. They all have good and bad points.

I live in the mountains of northern NM. I have several friends out in the Gallup area, they have good grass for their pastures. I don't know of any crops or farming over there, but that's not saying it couldnt be done. My best advice would be to rent a house or RV space in the area you think you might like, and live there for a year before deciding to make it permanent- I see SO many people who think they want to live in NM move out here only to leave the first winter, and then have a hard time selling the lans they impulsively bought... there's a reason it's cheap lol

NM is VERY different from back east, it is SUPER dry. Even though the sagebrush and pine trees are green, it is around 9% humidity and water wells are commonly around 700' deep. Many counties have limits on how many acres you can irrigate, water is a rare and precious resource. There aren't a whole lot of people in NM, so you can't be the sort who needs neighbors to help you, or emergency medical care (it takes 2 hours for cops or an ambulance to get to us, though we do finally have a volunteer fire dept in our community, pop 200-300 nobody really knows the pop because everyone keeps to themselves lol). Winters are frigid (but they are back east, too) and summers are hot and dry, and the growing season is short. Also, there are a lot of predators to be dealt with if you have animals, even pet dogs.

All in all, I love it here. I hate being cold, but live in the community that holds the record for 3rd lowest temperature in the lower 49 states (-52!!!) and I dont ever plan to move- raised here and will die here (from freezing to death, I'm sure!) lol It normally gets between 0 & -15 on winter nights, and usually doesnt get over 25 or 30 on winter days here at my house. Weather farther to the west is about the same as at my house, according to my friends over there. I've lived in TX, and things are extremely easy to grow there because its so humid and warm and long long long growing season... it is NOT that way here, you must work for and EARN every single green bean you get!!!

blaundee · #3 03/16/13, 06:19 AM

All that said, I know of this 2 acre lot near my house- http://northernnmland.com/listing-ne...ll%3F-302.html

and this http://www.landwatch.com/Rio-Arriba-.../pid/200161150 That land is good land, but 5 miles down a dirt road and VERY VERY remote! lol It is 10 miles from my house... our community is very spread out, over 20 miles or so. We are a little piece surrounded by Jicarilla Apach reservation on 3 sides and the Santa Fe natl forest on the other side, and 2 hours from any big city. The nearest grocery store and clinic are 30 miles away. I always tell people that "you go to the middle of nowhere, then 30 more miles- that's where we live" lol

blaundee · #4 03/16/13, 06:21 AM

Oh- as with any place in the world, if there is an existing water well on the prospective property, be sure to get it inspected and tested before you buy. Just because "it used to work" or "the water is good in this area" doesn't mean THAT well is good or does work.

blaundee · #5 03/16/13, 06:28 AM

http://www.landwatch.com/Rio-Arriba-.../pid/200345682 This property is across the dirt road from the previous land-

Prices are almost always negotiable, and both of those ranches have been on the market for a long time. If it were ME, I'd offer $500/acre and be willing to go up to $1000/acre. It never hurts to start with a low offer... I have a friend who got 800 acres here for less than $200/acre because he just called them up and offered it- the land had been on the market so long that they just took his offer even though it was listed for over 5 times more.

joebill · #6 03/16/13, 08:11 AM

We live within rifleshot of the Arizona/New Mexico line, on the New Mexico side. Lots of advantages staying in New Mexico. Arizona is becoming Californicated. Likewise NORTHERN New Mexico in many places, but SW New Mexico not so's you'd notice.

Police car last came down my road 12 years ago when the sherriff was getting re-elected and came to ask for my vote.

Border patrol, see them all the time. Mostly very nice guys to talk to. Built my buildings as and where I pleased, county gal came around and put them on the tax roll, end of story.

I have been in the West since the day Nixon resigned, lived all over Az and NM, and to me, the less the land is advertised the more likely you are to get along well on it. Some areas, vacant land is an industry. Folks buy a chunk of it with no clue, move onto it, live in a school buss, struggle along on food stamps for a year and leave. Noble effort, but in that desperate year they are there, they usually prove that desperate folks don't make good neighbors.

A truly empty area is another story, as is a setteled area with very sparse population. My county, as I remember, has about 5000 square miles and less than that may people, with most of the folks living in one small town and a few tiny villages. While most of the country is empty BLM land, one can find acreages from 10 to 30 and smaller for reasonable prices. Water is around 200' here, and enough of it. You can't irrigate more than 5 acres without special permits, so if you are looking to farm for a cash crop, forget it. You can, however, raise animals, feed sprouts or hay, etc.

We rarely see any snow, except on the mountains on either side of us. Water pipes don't freeze if there is ANY dirt on top of them, and yes, it gets hotter than a six dollar pistol in the summer, but very low humidity, and 105 in the shade feels OK, especially with a bit of breeze.

You'll need some kind of business or gig to live here. No worthwhile jobs I can see. Anything else I can tell you, just ask.....Joe

Wolf mom · #7 03/16/13, 08:44 AM

Yuppers - I live in the White Mountains of Arizona. Love it!

Depending upon where you want to live within a half hour's drive, you've got lodge-pole pines & skiing (Pinetop, Apache reservation) to great gardening & little frost - Snowflake/Taylor area I live sorta in between at 6000 ft.

You can buy 40 acres for $20,000 or 1 acre for $150,000. Water? I sit on the largest aquifir in AZ. Soil? Lotta clay. Growing season? Depends upon your altitude.

People? This is a summer resort area, not many people; not many jobs. Two junior colleges, major hospital. A great outdoor recreational area - fishing, camping, hiking, horses. 175 miles from Phoenix, 2 1/2 hours from Flagstaff.

Look at both states - I like AZ better than NM. Depends upon what you want (and your age) . I also like the political attitude of AZ better.

blaundee · #8 03/16/13, 10:25 AM

I absolutely LOVE AZ for the winter... If I had the money to uproot my whole life every 6 months, I'd love to be a snowbird! It's around 85 here in the summer, on a rare day it might get into the high 90s, 100 would be a scorcher.... I have camped in a tent in AZ for the last 3 Thanksgivings, and LOVE it! Plus there is a very healthy rodeo season all winter in AZ, which is my business (raising, training, competing, and selling rodeo horses).

Here where I live almost everyone's job is in the oilfield. Without that, there would be NO jobs around here, so if you don't have or want an oilfield job, you'd need to figure out another way

Of course, if you're self suffiecient, you wont need much money, but you will need some until you are completely sufficient- even then, you'll need some for land taxes every year, as they unfortunately will not take potatoes and corn lol

Freya · #9 03/16/13, 06:23 PM

Northern/Central/Southern AZ are three different planets! Northern can see alot of snow and forest.... Central is Sonoran Desert and 120+ in summer is normal... southern has REAL monsoons that cause flashfloods near daily during the season and lots of mountain ranges and "Sky Islands".

Wells can be deep and watch out for "shared wells" if you buy a premade place or "improved" land. Cause you will share the well with one or more neighbors.

genuck · #10 03/16/13, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaundee

even then, you'll need some for land taxes every year, as they unfortunately will not take potatoes and corn lol

Well, crap!

apparently I typed up a whole response and it's gone...

until tomorrow...

genuck · #11 03/17/13, 12:17 AM

Thank you for all the great answers! Now I just have more questions.

The land I was looking at is where they've bought large ranches and divided them into 40ish acre tracts, one is in Heber, the other is north of St Johns.

Wolf Mom, sounds like you are in the middle of that area? If you're familiar which do you prefer and why?

By predators I'm thinking coyotes and vermin? maybe a bear? I have those here, they've not bothered the livestock so far, my Kom seems to keep everything away. I would guess I would need at least a pair of LGD's?

As far as temps and soil etc, I get about 180 frost free days here (SW PA), probably less since I live in a 'dip' as the locals call it. I plan on having sheep (10-15) mainly with a few chickens, and a horse (maybe, only cause I've heard the riding areas are endless) a small garden mainly just for me fresh/canning. So mostly I want grazing area and some treed but not much, grazing is more important.

What are the locals like? Here if you and your last 3 generations weren't born here you're lucky if people are nice to your face, until they want something.

Is firewood something that is readily available if I don't have a ton of trees?

I'm guessing hay and feed isn't an issue since I was told it's "horse country" But I guess the grasses go dormant at least one part of the year (hot summer or cold winter?)

Having something like this is something I've been wanting for almost 20 yrs, and now sadly I might just have the money to buy it outright (inheritance). Sorry if any of this is unclear, I am a bit foggy at the moment. Tired as heck but can't sleep!

TIA for anymore advice or answers you have!

EDIT: Ok, that is really weird, this is the response I typed up last night. MAGIC!

joebill · #12 03/17/13, 10:02 PM

Hay and feed is only "not an issue" if you can afford to buy it no matter the price. A lot of land around Heber burned a few years ago, and a lot didn't. I'd like to urge you, in the strongest possible way, to take a trip around the places you are interested in. Talk to people. Look at land. Ask in the county courthouse about restrictions. Talk to realtors. Talk to local welldrillers. Walk the land. You can make a lot of mistakes that you cannot afford, no matter how much money you have......Joe

genuck · #13 03/18/13, 01:08 AM

I won't be having too much money! I know my pasture is gone right now

thankfully we still have hay available, but a few of our sources have stopped selling, $4 +/- a square bale for grass hay plus the gas to go get it at least 20 miles.

My husband went and looked at a few places today, talked to realtors, got at least one well drillers number, took lots of pictures for me. But said that it looked like SW PA to him >.< I will def fly out and explore when I get the chance. Right now I am pretty much stuck at home caring for my mom, not that I mind, I just can't leave for more than a few hours at a time.

Snakes? Are they an issue in higher altitudes? I know dogs can get rattlesnake aversion training but I don't think it'd work on the sheep. Or that one dog...

joebill · #14 03/18/13, 08:47 AM

At any temperature that you are completely comfortable, so is a rattlesnake. If you can see your breath, he will be in a warm place. If it's too hot for you in the sun, he'll be in the shade. Altitude means pretty much nothing.

I WILL say that the area you are looking at offers some good opportunities for cash suppliment to your business through the tourist trade. I have made pretty good money selling our crafts to dealers all through that area.

As to feeding animals, I'm convinced that sprouted fodder is the wave of the future, and you can begin with practically nothing. TONS of info on the web. Lots of good vids on youtube, and a thread on this forum.........Good luck, and post any further questions.....Joe

uhcrandy · #15 03/18/13, 05:26 PM

You can also widen your search a bit. Look around Cortez Co, or over the border @ Montecello Utah. Good Luck!