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These Southern Colorado acreages for sale in Costilla County are located close to BLM land and the Rio Grand National Forest. This wilderness area is a great secret in Colorado nestled in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains and near the Sand Dunes National Park. Fishing, hunting, ski areas and other recreational activities are nearby. You can often spot elk, deer, and antelope in the area.

Courtesy Reservation:   If someone fills out the RESERVATION FORM and and wants to reserve a property, we allow one week for their deposit to arrive. That is a "courtesy reservation."
Reservation:  Once we have received their Earnest Money, we will mail a signed "Earnest Money Contract" via US Mail.   A potential buyer will then have 30 days to inspect the property, arrange for financing, etc. During that period, the buyer may get their deposit back for any reason.

AREA INFORMATION

Mt. Blanca is the 4th highest mountain in the state of Colorado and lifts up off the valley floor to an inspiring 14,345 feet total. The SLVR properties are either located on the side of Mt. Blanca, or below it with magnificent views of the mountains. The town of Alamosa is located 22 miles away and has a Walmart, K-Mart, Safeway, restaurants, movie theatres, a hospital and a junior college. San Luis is the county seat of Costilla County and is about 20 miles south. The towns of Blanca and Ft. Garland are nearby and have some services. We have several wooded parcels available in the Sangre De Cristo Ranches Area (SDCR) a few miles southeast of Ft. Garland.  We do like to point out that Costilla County is economically challenged - having only about 60 small private employers - and that job opportunities are limited to mainly agricultural in Costilla County, but expands to more types of jobs in Alamosa and the surrounding area.  Costilla County's average income is less than half of the state average and its population is increasing slowly. During 2006, about 100 new homes and cabins started construction.  Most of the people moving into the area are retired - people with a reliable pension income.   The unemployment rate remains much higher than the state's average.  There are more construction workers than jobs, and many construction craftsmen are under-employed . Because of these reasons, we do encourage folks not to re-settle here without long-range job planning and it helps to have some marketable skills, like nursing, mechanic, etc.  It is still a wonderful area for families and visitors, but if you are doing long-range planning to relocate to the area, do PLAN and make sure you know what to expect.

SANGRE DE CRISTO RANCHES -- SDCR

The Sangre De Cristo Area (SDCR) has covenants and previously had an active homeowners association to enforce them. These covenants state: one family per dwelling, 600 square foot minimum size; horses require prior written permission; building projects have to be finished within one year; no offensive activity, such as trash piles or junk cars-these are the major features of these covenants. The SDCR Area is also zoned estate residential and the Land Use Code provisions apply. One discrepancy is the set back requirements: The Land Use Code requires a minimum building setback of 20' from the road.  The SDCR Covenants require a minimum dwelling setback of 30'.
To get to the Costilla County Land Use Code, click the link below which takes you to the county site, then the code is on their home page as a .pdf document.  The SDCR Covenants are also clickable even though they are not enforceable-defer to the county for all questions. 

Costilla County Land Use Code

SDCR Covenants - Click

Click to view original Forbes Brochure Ad

Wells in the SDCR - Click

SAN LUIS VALLEY RANCHES - SLVR

The San Luis Valley Ranch Area (SLVR) is zoned "Estate Residential" and zoning restrictions are spelled out in the new "Land Use Code."  Campers, travel trailers, and RVs can usually be used on SLVR sites for recreational purposes. Under the new code, they cannot be used for permanent residences. Mobile homes have to be 1976 or later models, and require a permit and inspection prior to occupancy. Cabins and homes also require an occupancy permit. These inspections and permits for permanent residences are required, "to protect the quality of life and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the occupants".  A safety inspection of propane systems and electrical wiring are included. Usually an approved septic system will also be required before a occupancy permit is issued. The SLVR area has covenants that were recorded in the 1970s, but there presently is no homeowners association to enforce these covenants. Under the Land Use Code, all buildings must be set back at least 20' from the street. SLVR covenants

SLVR Covenants - CLICK

WEATHER
This land in Southern Colorado has dry and hot days in the summer and the nights usually cool down nicely, as you would expect at a 7,500 to 8,500 foot elevation. There are some rainy periods during June, July and August, when a Monsoon system moves in from Arizona.  During such periods, it can rain several inches on Mt. Blanca and that is the time when the intermittent streams are flowing. The winters are sunny and the temperatures at Wolfgang's cabin are usually ten degrees warmer than those reported in Alamosa. There is some snowfall in this area, and more in the higher elevations on the mountains. In the last 32 years, Wolfgang only remembers one occasion, where snowdrifts closed some of the road for up to three days.

Wells in the Sangre De Cristo Ranches (SDCR)

By Wolfgang Sattler, Colorado Registered Professional Engineer
 

There are approximately 191 wells drilled in the Sangre De Cristo Ranches (out of a total of about 9000 lots). These range in depth from 80' to 1005'.  A 100' well in the area will cost about $7000 in 2011.  A 450' well will cost about $12,500 complete. Out of these 191 wells, 170 were less than 450' deep. The other 12 wells had the following depths: 480',500', 500', 505', 510',575', 600',847', 850', 850', 893', 1005'.

Wells in the SDCR - Click to read entire article