All of the photos were taken in June 2023 of Rio Rancho Est Unit 9 Block A Lot 3 and the surrounding views.           

To view larger maps/photos just simply click the thumbnail to expand. You can scroll by using the arrow keys on your keyboard as well.

To view the maps/photos in a larger window hover your mouse over the small image, right click and then choose "Open Link".

Make sure to check the map section to see where photos were taken in relation to the property being sold in case the above named property is not the property being sold in this listing.

Prior to visiting the property I suggest you study the maps and the satellite image as they tell the story on how to get there. Get a mental picture of how to get to a property from a main road. I frequently write notes on how I got to the property.

Print out the important maps like the parcel map, aerial photo with the GPS coords and street map. These are the maps I use myself if I was going to view the property. You can enter the latitude and longitude into Google or Bing maps by putting a comma between them.

I also suggest you bring a street dedicated GPS like a Garmin, not your phone. Do not rely on your GPS to take you the correct way as she'll take you down miles of roads that aren't the main drags. I've named mine Thelma and Louise because she's tried to drive me off a cliff a few times! If I could just get Brad Pitt to sit in the back seat! : )

Most of the properties I sell are down some kind of dirt road - my favs! Be smart and bring a shovel, water, food, blankets, mace, a dog and anything else you might need if you get stuck for a day or two. I've been stuck in the sand, a marsh, had tires blow out - you name it. Be prepared, be safe, and have fun. She's a beautiful Earth. We only get one shot here - get out there and see all she has to offer. Char the Explorer : )

In June 2023 I heard loud hammering coming from the distance in the SW part of Rio Rancho in Unit 3. It sounded like a pile driver and I zoomed in to see what was going on. It turns out to be the solar project being built at Quail Ranch

In 2002 Quail Ranch was annexed into the very southern part of Rio Rancho about 9 miles N of Interstate 40. It sat for many years and in June 2022 the City made a Renewable Energy Overlay District on a portion of the Quail Ranch for solar power generation. That is now where the Atrisco Solar Project is being built. It will cover over 3,100 acres and is expected to supply enough clean energy to power 100,000 households for a period of 20 years. And to the S of that is the 600,000 Amazon distribution center. This place doesn't stop growing! 

The area in green highlights the city limits of Rio Rancho. It sits about 2.5 miles S of units 3, 4 & 9.

So I decided to check it out! And about 9 miles to the south you can also see the  600000 square foot Amazon Fulfillment Center that opened in 2021 that sits just off Interstate 40. Wow is that a huge ! I then drove down to the Amazon building and the other major retailers in that area, the Tempurpedic Warehouse, Shamrock Foods, Semi truck dealership, a Fed-Ex Freight distribution center, and Love’s Travel Stop.  Click here to read further information about the growth and Quail Ranch!

This expansion also includes parts of the 30 mile planned Paseo del Volcan (PDV) corridor. I have seen parts of this being built over the years. It’s a four lane freeway facility that starts off I-40 just west of Atrisco Boulevard at heads N up to the city center before heading east to US‐550 by I-25.

We overlayed the PDV corridor onto the unit map so you can see how it will go thru the city.

In January, 2015 I spent two days exploring Rio Rancho. I first noticed the Presbyterian Rust Medical Center just south of Southern Boulevard on Unser had a huge crane sitting out front of it. This is by Intel and I didn’t realize there was a major hospital so close by the southern units! I read that it is undergoing an $80 million expansion adding a tower with 120 additional beds and cancer patient services. It opened in October 2011 with 68 beds and was designed to accommodate growing populations which this places continues to do!

I watched the sunset from unit 4 in the SW part of the city. Wow was it a beautiful sunset! I could see the city lights of Albuquerque across the valley and it was eventually dark enough to see the Man In the Moon above the pink and orange night sky!

As I sat watching the sunset I mentioned that I either wanted to go to a fabulous pasta house or hole in the wall Mexican for dinner! I didn't really have a favorite restaurant for as many times as I've been here. On the way back along Southern Boulevard we spotted Joe’s Pasta House and quickly turned into the parking lot. Talk about lucky!

It was a crowded place on a Friday night with a little bar where you can wait. I noticed it had a big beautiful glass jar of house made Sangria sitting there and although I prefer red wine I do enjoy a glass of sweet red once in a while! So I sat down and ordered a fabulous glass…ok I had two…and then one heck of a pasta dish! The bartender was such a friendly man who educated me about this long time Sicilian restaurant! Wow! Wow! Wow! I definitely have a favorite restaurant there now and I collected their business card on the way out!

I spotted hot air balloons in the early morning by unit 3 which is in the very SW corner of Rio Rancho. It's home of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which takes place in early October and is the largest event in the world lasting 9 days and over 500 balloons yearly. The cool temperatures that time of year create the "Albuquerque box", a set of predictable wind patterns. Balloon Fiesta Park sits about 6 miles SE!

Later on that morning I watched kids out jumping their motorcycles by units 1 & 2. There are some sand dunes on the very west side of Rio Rancho and I've had people tell me they played in these hills as kids. I sure spent a lot of time getting the perfect shot and they were good sports letting me watch. As much as I thought the young kid on the motor bike keeping up with the older kids was cool it was this older one on the green bike that was my favorite jump shot!

We made our way that day from the S to the N spotting a few cool birds, an old airplane over head and even a coyote. I literally ran right into the new 86 acre solar farm in Rio Rancho Estates Unit 6 by Northern and Encino by the water tower. The $16-million Sandoval County Solar Energy Center project by PNM started construction in early fall 2014. The 82,350 solar panels will generate the energy used by 2,400 average residential customers. Cool!

While I must say I really enjoyed touring the southern units in Rio Rancho I also like the northern part which is a lot different with its big rolling hills hidden in the trees and cactus! I was surprised by the tall chollas with their yellow and orange waxy flowers that spread across one of the gentle rolling valleys as far as I could see in unit 26! They were so thick – beautiful!

You can see for miles over the valley to Albuquerque from some parts up here and the growth in the distance around the city center and surrounding neighborhoods. While it remains largely undeveloped it too has many people living up in these areas hidden in the trees and I saw quite a few off grid homes with solar panels set up.

And I sat up there and watched the sunset over Rio Rancho again on the Sandia Mountains. She has some interesting massive rocks at the top of her that really reflects the sunset off them!

And once the sun went down on came the lights of Albuquerque again lighting up the valley below! If you're considering living here I think it would be a great idea to not only view the property during the day time but at night also! Imagine big picture windows overlooking the Sandia Mountains glowing pink from the reflection of the sunset and the city lights of Albuquerque at night!

I couldn't think of a better way to end my day than repeating what we had done the night before so back to Joe’s Paste House I went for another glass of sangria and seafood this time! I spotted Joe’s in a few local flyers and read that it was voted “Best of the City Top 5” for 2014 by Albuquerque the Magazine! I sure can pick them!

A special shout out to our fearless mascot Buddy who helped by marking several properties over the years RIP LITTLE MAN! It really was pretty the way he blended into the blonde landscape and he looked so handsome in his Little Stud jacket! He was a tired man at the end of the day with his tongue sticking out! He lost all his front teeth several years ago in a fight over a dog bone and the older he gets the more his tongue sticks out! Still good looking none the less!

I was researching the origin of the Land of Enchantment and came across their State song. I chuckled after reading the first verse - I think Buddy wrote it just for me!

The State Ballad Land of Enchantment by Martin Murphy, Chick Raines and Don Cook

I met a lady in my drifting days
I quickly fell under the spell of her loving ways
A rose in the desert I loved her so
In the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico
As we watched the sunset by the Rio Grande
A mission bell rang farewell she took my hand
She said "come back amigo no matter where you go"
To the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico
From her arms I wandered, far across the sea
I often heard her gentle words haunting me
"Come back amigo, I miss you so"
To the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico
So come back amigo no matter where you go
To the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico

Rio Rancho is the 3rd largest city in NM at about 91,956 people (that was 2016) (2024 update:112,358), and is one of  the fastest growing communities in NM and one of the fastest growing in the Southwest! It’s within an hour of Santa Fe and 30 miles NW of Albuquerque International Sunport Airport. It is bordered by Albuquerque, the Santa Ana Indian Reservation, Bernalillo and Corrales and the Rio Puerco Basin.

It sits high atop a mesa offering stunning views of the Sandia Mountains and Rio Grande River! At 5,290 feet, the high desert offers year round perfect weather with winter temperatures averaging 49 and summertime averaging 91. There are 330 sunny days a year with 8.2 inches of rainfall. It snows several times during the winter but usually melts the same day.

It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area and big magazines have frequently named it among the top 100 places to live. In 2013 it was listed in the “10 Best Towns For Families” by Family Circle Magazine for its amenities including the indoor aquatic center, sports complex, acres of parks and miles of bike trails. It has also been recognized in the top places to launch a business, raise a kid, and best towns for families frequently by other magazines.

Anchored by chip maker Intel, I sure have seen this place grow since I started watching the growth here in 2003. New schools, city center, hospital, the list goes on and on. Here are some of the highlights:

*In January 2015 I saw the $80 Million expansion of the Presbyterian Rust Medical Center just south of Southern Boulevard on Unser. The hospital currently has 68 beds and is adding an additional 120 additional beds and cancer patient services.

*In January 2015 I caught my first glimpse of the 86 acre solar farm in Rio Rancho Estates Unit 6 by Northern and Encino by the water tower. The $16-million Sandoval County Solar Energy Center project by PNM started construction in early fall 2014. The 82,350 solar panels will generate the energy used by 2,400 average residential customers. Cool!

*In January 2015 I ate at Joe's Paste House on Southern Boulevard for my first time! Ha! I was there again in June 2023 and dang was she still just as delicious! : ) 

*In July 2012 the Sandoval Regional Medical Center with its emergency room had their grand opening! This is located at the city center.

*In August, 2011 the Rail Runner commuter train line pulled into Rio Rancho! This train runs between Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Los Lunas and Belen.

*In August 2010, the Central New Mexico (CNM) Community College opened at the new city center.

*The first building as part of the University of New Mexico Regional Medical Center opened in January 2010. Once completed, the $200 million facility will house 68 hospital beds and will include an emergency room and surgical center.

*In the fall of 2009, V. Sue Cleveland High School opened - home of the Storms!

*Hewlett Packard Tech Center opened their 218,000 square foot building at the City Center in December 2009.

*The new city hall that opened in 2007.

*In October 2006 the Sandoval County Commissioners approved a master plan for a new city, Rio West, in the Rio Puerco Basin covering 18 miles. The County and the developer have ended their joint efforts on this project and continuing efforts will be by the developer.

*In the fall of 2006 the Santa Ana Star Center, a major component in the City Center, opened.

Click here for the Rio Rancho City of Vision Website

Click here for the Rio Rancho Convention and Visitors Bureau Website.

Click here for the Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area in the Cibola National Forest website. It covers 37,200 acres on the west side of the Sandia Mountains.

Click here for the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway Website.