Buying An Alpine Ranch

From “All Things Real Estate,” Volume 1 Issue 1

By Steve Ziegler, Co-Managing Partner, Canyon Ridge Ranch Conservation Development

During my tour of Canyon Ridge in November 2006 with Mike Plant, he asked me if I would like to be his fourth partner.  The 5,800 acres of Canyon Ridge are certainly spectacular, and even though I have known Mike since high school and have followed the incredible successes in his business career, I did not have great confidence in his other two partners, so I told Mike that I would not be joining him.

I left New Mexico in that November in amazement over the rugged beauty and peacefulness of alpine ranches, even though I did not become involved that year. During the next four months, my wife Heather and I used the internet to research alpine ranches in four states—Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana.  We were on a mission to find and purchase one of these mountain ranches which Mike introduced us to.

Our research led us to the central part of Colorado a little over three hours north of Canyon Ridge.  In April 2007, Heather and I arranged with a real estate agent to look at six properties.  Three of the ranches were undeveloped land, and three included structures such as a house, barn and loafing shed (a new term for us at the time).

Of the six properties we toured, there was one that stood out above the others and we began the process of purchasing it.

Next month I want to share with you what Heather and I bought.  You may be as surprised to see what we purchased as we were when it was all done, and how fast we went from not even knowing what an alpine ranch was to owning a piece of this heaven.

Set astride the heavily-wooded highlands overlooking the Chama River Valley in northern New Mexico, Canyon Ridge is a new community of 10-to 60-acre ranches. See photos of the Canyon Ridge  Ranch at www.DiscoverCanyonRidge.com