Somerset Drive , San Luis, CO 81152(Costilla County)

Beautiful oversized 2.68-acre off-grid property in the Wild Horse Mesa subdivision of Costilla County, Colorado located only 12 miles south of the oldest town in Colorado, San Luis. Most of the properties in this subdivision are around 2.5 acres. The property front Somerset Drive and is only about 1.5 miles east of Hwy 159 for excellent access. The views from the land are amazing. The Mesa where this lot is located consists of approximately 75 square miles. The Mesa area is home to about 150 wild horses roaming on private lands. These horses are the descendants of horses used by Spanish explorers (conquistadors), brought to America starting in the early 1500's. This great Wild Horse Mesa subdivision lot offers incredible views of mountains and the Mesa, excellent county-dirt road frontage, and plenty of wide-open spaces. The land rests in the beautiful San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado and is a short drive from four amazing reservoirs for great canoeing, kayaking, fishing and boating. Sanchez Reservoir and the Sanchez State Wildlife Area is less than 5 miles east of the property as the crow flies (about a 25-minute drive around the Mesa) and Sanchez Stabilizing Reservoir and Park is only about 5.7 miles north of this lot on Hwy 159. The majestic Rio Grande River, Smith Reservoir, and Mountain Home Reservoir are all about 20-35 minutes from this property where you can enjoy more canoeing, kayaking, boating, and fishing. Thousands of acres of BLM land are located right on the other side of the Rio Grande River. We visited Costilla County in early June 2021 and were stunned by the unique beauty of this area of Colorado. Less than 15 minutes south of the oldest town in Colorado, San Luis, this land is also close to the Southern Colorado towns of Alamosa, Blanca, and Fort Garland. San Luis has a couple of restaurants, a dollar store, a small grocery/supplies store, and a gas station. Alamosa is the largest town about 55 minutes away with a population of about 9,800 people. It has a Walmart Supercenter, an Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply Co., various other retail stores, restaurants, hotels, a regional airport, and even a small university. Taos, New Mexico, with a population of about 6,000 people, is less than 1 hour to the south of the property on HWY 159 and provides some great winter skiing, outdoor recreation opportunities, numerous businesses, and a thriving art culture. Colorado Springs and Denver are located only 2.5 and 3.5 hours to the north respectively.

The legal description of the property is WILD HORSE MESA SECTION B1 BLOCK 17A Lot 11. The APN is 71205630. Taxes on the property are only about $36 per year and paid current, not coming due again until early 2023.

Snapshot of the property:

APN: 71205630

Legal Description: WILD HORSE MESA SECTION B1 BLOCK 17A Lot 11

Zoning: Estate Residential (short term camping allowed for 14 days every 3 months); 2 horses may be allowed; chickens in coop allowed.

Lot Size: 2.68 acres

Access: County dirt roads only 1.5 miles east of Hwy 159; located on Somerset Drive, a county dirt road.

Power: Solar or generator (you install)

Heat: Propane or wood (you install)

Water: cistern (you install). This lot was put in after the subdivision's water augmentation plan, so only cistern water is allowed through water haul/water catchment allowed; not eligible for a well permit.

Sewage: Septic system (you install)

HOA: NO ACTIVE HOA

Time limit to build: None

Deed Offered: Warranty Deed (highest form of deed conveyance guaranteeing no liens and no back taxes on the property)

Property price: $2,900

Processing fee: $399

Yearly Taxes: Approximately $36 per year and paid current; new landowner will not pay taxes again until early 2023

State: Colorado

County: Costilla

City/Location: San Luis, CO 81152: 12 miles south of downtown San Luis; about a 15-minute drive down Hwy 159.

This ranch land is nestled between the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range on the south and east sides, and the La Garita and Conejos-Brazos Mountain Range to the north and west. The San Luis Valley provides a myriad of outdoor recreation opportunities: hike majestic Mt. Blanca, the fourth highest peak in the Rocky Mountains (14,345 ft) and dozens of other trails up other nearby mountain ranges and throughout the Valley; traverse the dunes and recreate in the river at Great Sand Dunes National Park; boat and fish in San Luis Lake and explore the surrounding San Luis Reservoir State Recreation area; explore thousands of acres of wildlife refuges; hunt, hike, and mountain bike on BLM land and experience some of the best big game hunting in all of Colorado; visit Zapata Falls; short-term camp on your property; tube, canoe, or kayak the Rio Grande River and try your hand at some championship trout fishing; boat and fish in the county's four reservoirs: Smith, Mountain Home, Sanchez, and Sanchez Stabilizing Reservoir; visit the many historical sites dating back to the mid 1850s; visit the Stations of the Cross in San Luis and a civil war era military fort in Fort Garland; mountain bike; bring your ATVs. If you are looking for an incredible photography venue, you will love this place.

This property is zoned Estate Residential, but you are permitted to camp on your property for up to 14 days every 3 months without a permit. There is no time limit to build. You are allowed to fence in all or a portion of the lot and you may be able to up to 2 horses; you can have chickens in a coop. If you want to build a home on this land, you will need to have a septic system installed, and you will also need a permanent water source: an underground cistern where you would haul water in and/or build a water catchment system; water can be hauled in from San Luis. Homes need be a minimum of 600 square feet, with a wide variety of home types allowed. Solar is the option of choice for power on this property as there are almost 300 days of sunshine per year. Heating a home in the winter would be by propane or a wood-burning furnace. This land sits at an elevation of about 7900 feet above sea level and experiences moderate temperatures in the summer and cold winters, with not as much snow as up in the nearby mountains.

There are no liens and no back taxes on the land. There are no HOA fees. We will convey this ranch land to the new owner through a Warranty Deed, the highest form of Deed conveyance, guaranteeing no liens and no back taxes on the property. Please contact us for more information about this great property. Thanks for looking! Bart and Lori Leu- Westward Ho! Land Investments LLC