We live in the Butterfield Ridge II subdivision of the Picacho Hills area. This area is in Dona Ana County, approximately 2 miles west of Las Cruces proper, across the Rio Grande river, and situated at the base of Picacho Peak, as seen in the topmost image.
[ map 1 ]    [ map 2 ]

That in itself does not tell you much. However, the following images will do justice to precisely pinpointing our house's location. The satellite images are courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey and were taken on October 6, 1996 ... at the time this area was being developed.
[ image 1 ]    [ image 2 ]    [ image 3 ]    [ our lot ]     

Why did we choose Picacho Hills?

We elected to move into the Butterfield Ridge II subdivision because it is the most desirable residential neighborhood in Southern New Mexico ... bar none.

It has peace and quiet amid wide-open spaces. It is an environmentally sensitive development that preserves the natural beauty of the high desert terrain. It is ideally located at the edge of the Picacho Hills Country Club.

But more importantly ... it has the potential for sustained property value ... a laid-back lifestyle ... and is far removed from the impending sprawl on the Eastern mesa of the valley. Professionals, medical practitioners, business executives choose Butterfield Ridge II. Even Frank Borman, the astronaut, is a nearby neighbor. Well, if it's good enough for them ...  

The community of Butterfield II ...

is a gated-community. Access is through a security gate (you may actually walk around it .. more for traffic control than security) and down the private roads. It is an area of moderately expensive to pricey homes. Only 54 lots are developed ranging in area from 1+ acres to 5+ acres. The views from the ridge are dynamite. Privacy, seclusion and serenity prevail here. You can actually see the stars at night .. no light polution.

Our house is located on Bright View Road .. appropriately named. The sun never ceases to shine here, and the views of the greater Las Cruces and the fertile Messila Valley below are intoxicating.

The house sits on 1.78 acres ... it is 2,975 square feet of living space ...
4 bedrooms ... 2.5 baths ...
split bedrooms ... 3-car garage ...
978 square feet under covered patio.
[ survey ]    [ floor plan ]

Let's look at the house from a number of different views.

To get a sense of space and dimension of the house, and to visualize the house's location relative to Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley below, let's take a panoramic tour.  

• Panoramic view at East side of house   
• Panoramic view at West side of house
• Panoramic view at West side of house (2005)
• Panoramic view of patio of house
• Panoramic view of patio of house (2005)
• Panoramic view of house and the Valley

On the outside ...

Every man needs a three-car garage. Not only to store their four-wheeled toys, but to have all the room to set up a workshop. Here in the Southwest, homes have no basements, no attics, and limited closets. One must store one's "stuff" somewhere. That's why this house is so desirable.

10 foot ceiling in garage ... 16-foot (needed for my Expedition) and 10-foot doors ... plenty of room for shelves ... floor space for storage cabinets and such. Since I don't golf, the third bay is my workshop and includes all of my stationary power tools. Woodworking is a pleasure here. Even in the wintertime, with doors wide open, its quite pleasant to work in the garage ... my escape.

For all you gardeners out there ... appreciate what we had to do to put the outside in order. Every new house comes with landscaping needs. Our house was no exception. True, this is high desert, but color and variety is still desired. To that end, we have spent nearly four months with a landscape architect and contractors to undo the construction disorder and to achieve what we feel is a truly marvelous result. Come and visit and see for yourself. As an example, consider the Eastern slope of our house, a 160-foot long ribbon of color ...

     

 
On the inside ...

this house exudes luxury and has all the amenities one would desire (at least to us it's luxurious and a far cry from what we have ever experienced.)

Built by Desert Sage as a Showcase Home for 1999, the house's Southwest architecture and interior design is not your everyday fare. It does take some getting used to and the single-floor plan is a delight for these old bones.

Now … a brief tour of the inside of the house.

The great room is our combination family room / living room / breakfast area. Folks.. it's huge.

All of our furniture fits neatly into this one large room. Rear is breakfast area … center is formal … closest is entertainment area. Floor is Italian tile.

The center kiva (fireplace) is the focus of the room. Made of adobe. To the left of the kiva is the built-in entertainment center. The vigas (pine logs across the ceiling) add a certain rustic charm to the room, plus, they support the roof. Double door in the background leads to the patio.

Five large fixed windows on the curved wall in the center give us a panoramic view of the city and most of the valley below. Before we subscribed to satellite TV, that view was our TV for a few weeks.

The kitchen / dining room are adjacent to each other. The dining set + end table by window we bought locally. Inexpensive, but the style is true Southwest.

By the way, do notice my elk racks hanging in the great room & dining room. Now, that's making best use of the trophies.  

 
The kitchen is a joy. Wormy maple custom cabinets, Bosch stainless steel appliances, center island with cooktop, two skylights, and a floor plan that's comfortable.

Valley view from kitchen window. The entryway at the rear leads to the garage (straight) and to the laundry room (right.)  

The master suite and the other two bedroom / office are somewhat standard in size. The only other notable room is the master bathroom, shown on right.

Picture was taken from inside the shower. Tile floor, whirlpool tub, two-person shower (romantic) with two showerheads and two controls, his and hers vanity (mine is on right, out of sight,) and a toilet in a separate small room.

Ceiling is nine feet high. Glass blocks in wall add plenty of light and still give privacy. Personal hygiene was never this elegant.

Anything else you wish to know?

We have only touched upon a few things that might be of interest. This is truly a house to be enjoyed. Whenever we return from our frequent day trips, it's always a delight to see our house come into view. We have a guest bedroom all set up and ready for out-of-town visitors. It's almost a B&B, and all are welcome to our casa (mi casa .. su casa). We will extend a true Southwestern welcome and hospitality to you.

The mystery of the year occurred in July of 2000.

An insect infestation of biblical proportions swooped down on Southern New Mexico. Surely, we thought, every green thing growing around us would be devoured.

But it was not the scourge we envisioned. Simply a periodic event that is triggered by the climatic events of the seasons. The Sphinx Moth has arrived and will soon disappear.
[ story ]

Sunrise / Sunsets in Las Cruces ...
( All photos taken from either the front door or the patio facing the valley. )

 

Back to top

[ Home Page ]