Las Alturas

Las Alturas runs along the high ground southeast of Las Cruces, between Interstate 10 and the open desert toward the Organ Mountains. New Mexico State University is a few minutes to the north.

The neighborhood is known for one-acre lots. Most homes here sit on an acre or a little more, which leaves room for a detached garage, a pool or a workshop, and gives the streets an open, semi-rural feel. The ground is high enough for wide views: the Organ Mountains to the east, and the valley and the city lights to the west.

Building began in the late 1970s and has not stopped, so the homes span nearly fifty years. Older homes in the original Las Alturas subdivisions stand alongside newer custom homes in sections such as Tierra Escondida and Sundance Acres. They are large, commonly 2,500 to 3,700 square feet, with three-car garages.

Most homes for sale in Las Alturas are priced above $500,000, and a good number are above $750,000. Few reach $1 million.

Most of the neighborhood has no homeowner association, though some of the newer sections do.

The freeway makes the trip into town or down to El Paso a simple one.