Deming, NM Real Estate Homes Properties and Lots,Desert, High Desert, Retirement, Mild Winters

Deming Ranchettes

A new scam!!!
Beware, owners of Deming Ranchettes and Sunshine Valley Ranchettes! A new scam is afloat. Owners are receiving calls from a company called United Property Sales. These folks are telling owners that there is a new casino going up in the area near their property and property values are going up! They are quoting prices between $20,000 and $40,000 for one or two lots in these Ranchette subdivisions. They even have a website showing these properties for sale at these prices. Of course there is no way of know if any of them are selling.
The Luna County Assessor has these properties assessed at $600 each. They may sell for a little more than that, but not much. Of course the worst part is that they are requiring a $2000 fee up front. I don't know what they are calling the fee and also don't know if it varies from property to property but that's how they are making their money.
Everything on the MLS in Deming/Luna County is available on our website at http://c21drc.com. Check out the Ranchette listings there and that will give you a more realistic picture. There is a casino at Akela which is approximately 20 miles from Sunshine Valley Ranchettes but the only thing open is a restaurant and a smoke shop. The Apache Indian owners are still working on the gambling permit. Even if gets up and running it is not going to greatly affect the value of the Ranchettes. There are approximately 80,000 Deming Ranchettes and 20,000 Sunshine Valley Ranchettes in Luna County. It is going to take more than a small casino to affect the value.
A good thing to remember is that if you list your property with a reputable real estate broker you probably will not owe for the commission or listing fees until the property closes. If that is not the case, ask around! Another thing to remember...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Keep your thoughts realistic. Don't fall for this scam!

Ranchette owners receive more calls

By Kevin Buey Headlight Staff
Deming Headlight

Article Launched:11/20/2006 12:00:00 AM MST

The Luna County Treasurer's Office reports numerous calls in the past two weeks from property owners responding to a Nov. 3 Headlight story regarding a Florida company's telephone solicitation of owners of ranchette lots in Luna County.
"I've been getting them all week," Chief Deputy Treasurer Rick Kocab said last Friday, "50 to 60, just to me."
The county first heard from property owners in late October and early November, with reports owners had a been contacted by U.S Properties representatives who mentioned large dollar amounts for the 1/2- to 1-acre lots, most of them in undeveloped areas.
The General Manager of U.S. Properties, Craig Bedard, told the Headlight via telephone his was a legitimate business licensed in Florida and telephone solicitors were not offering money for the property.
Rather, he said, they offered to list property for sale on a site with a multi-million person readership. In turn, the company sought a finder's fee of $800, with as much as a fifty percent discount for seniors. Solicitors asked for a credit card number to which to bill the finder's fee.
Publication of the article resulted in more calls to county offices and e-mails to the Headlight with more property owners reporting calls that mention large dollar amounts.
State Sen. John Arthur Smith has also reported receving calls from property owners.
"I just had a call from Ohio," Kocab said Friday morning. "I instructed her to call the (New Mexico) Attorney General's Office. She said she was offered $16,000 for one lot."
Other reports are offers ranged from $12,000 to $18,000.
A Clinton, N.J., resident e-mailed the Headlight Friday morning.
"US Property Services called me," the New Jersey resident wrote of a Nov 15 call. "A man by the name of Robert Vaughan called and made an offer for my 1/2-acre lot in Deming Ranchettes. He asked for a credit card payment of $450. Yeah, hello. I'll send it right out. I just got off the turnip truck.
"I asked him to send me out the contract so I could have a real estate attorney look it over, and was told he could not do that. At that point, I basically ended the conversation."
A property owner who spoke with Kokab in early November had a similar story.
"One fellow I just talked to," Kocab said in early November, "told the company, My brother's a lawyer and I'll have him look over the papers. Just send them to me,' and at that point the phone went click.'''
Bedard said the company had been involved earlier this month with property in Rio Rico, Ariz, an area just north of Noglaes, Ariz. and about 14 miles from the Mexico border.

Kevin Buey can be reached at kbuey@demingheadlight.com.