68 James Pl · Highland Meadows, NM 87026

$160,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 891 sqft · SingleFamily · 8 Days on market

Built 2007 2.00 ac lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +12.2/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +3.6/10.0
• Schools +2.6/10.0
• 1% rule +2.5/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Livability +2.2/5.0

Listing remarks

Escape to the quiet beauty of Laguna, New Mexico with this fully fenced 2-acre property offering privacy, functionality, and room to make it your own. This property is equipped with a private well, owned propane tank, and a septic system that was serviced within the last two years. With plenty of open space for animals, hobbies, storage, or future improvements, this home delivers the freedom and flexibility of rural living while still remaining accessible. Enjoy peaceful surroundings, wide-open views, and the opportunity to create your ideal lifestyle in the heart of New Mexico. Whether you're searching for a full-time residence, weekend retreat, or investment opportunity, this property is

Key facts

• 2 acre lot
• Garage
• Built 2007

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Lot size: 2 acres; Lot dimensions and size from survey; Zoning: RR (rural residential); Rain water collection for water conservation; Has a view

Exterior

• Parking: Detached finished garage (1 car); RV access/parking
• Utilities: Electricity connected (Net Meter); Propane; Water connected via private well; Septic tank
• Home design: Single-story home; Faces north; Permanent foundation; Resale property
• Construction: Stucco construction; Tar/gravel roof; Year built (owner-provided)
• Exterior features: Owned propane tank; Landscaped lot with few trees and views; Private road frontage; Road surface: gravel and paved; Full yard fencing

Interior

• Kitchen: Free-standing gas range; Microwave
• Bedrooms: Bedroom 2 on the main level
• Flooring: Tile
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Radiant floor heating
• Interior features: Double-pane insulated windows; Wheelchair access; Ceiling fans; Main-level primary bedroom
• Laundry & utility: Washer included; Electric dryer hookup

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $160k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-33 ($-395/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $154k (3.6% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $120k (25.0% below list).
• Recommended offer: $120k (25.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 44/100 on livability (#354 in NM) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, crime A; Watch: schools F, amenities F, commute F.
• Los Lunas Public Schools (suburban): math 20% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #34 of 95 in NM (top 36%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 12 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 303 units permitted in Valencia County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $6k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $5k appreciation (3.0% local appreciation)).
• Valencia County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 6, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$31k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• Only 8 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 2 sale attempts with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $120,000 (25.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
4. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
5. What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
6. What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
7. How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.75% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.05%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.88%
• DSCR: 0.96
• GRM: 11.1

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 6.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.38×
• Total profit: $17,117
• Equity at exit: $71,943

10-year hold

• IRR: 9.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.42×
• Total profit: $63,820
• Equity at exit: $110,873

Cash invested: $44,800 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 55 Moderately Landlord-Leaning
• State New Mexico: 55 Moderately Landlord-Leaning · D+3
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day notice but with cure rights; relocation assistance in some cities.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 87026

• Active inventory: 12
• Price-to-rent: 11.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,200 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax from tax record: −$75 /mo · $903/yr
• Insurance: −$67
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$252
• Net cashflow: $-33

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,242

Max offer price $154,178

Occupancy floor 98%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $58	-5% $12	+0% $-33	+5% $-78	+10% $-124
Rent	-10% $-128	-5% $-80	+0% $-33	+5% $14	+10% $62
Rate	-1.0pp $48	-0.5pp $8	base $-33	+0.5pp $-74	+1.0pp $-117

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $40,000
• Closing costs: $4,800
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 1 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
45 Baca Laguna, NM	2.0	2.0	940	$1,200	$1.28	4d	1	0.84mi

Listing history 8 events

1. 2026-06-05
   status $160,000 Pending 8 DOM
2. 2026-06-03
   days on market $160,000 Active 8 DOM
3. 2026-06-02
   days on market $160,000 Active 7 DOM
4. 2026-06-01
   days on market $160,000 Active 6 DOM
5. 2026-05-31
   days on market $160,000 Active 5 DOM
6. 2026-05-18
   status Pending 748-char remark
7. 2026-05-15
   listed $160,000 Active 748-char remark
8. 2006-03-30
   soldstatus

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast NM · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $903 · $75/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,280 · $107/mo
• Expected delta: +$377/yr (+$31/mo · 41.8%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥94°F today · 18 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,400
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,962
• − Property taxes: −$903
• − Insurance: −$800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,152
• − Management: −$1,152
• − Depreciation: −$4,655
• Taxable loss: −$3,224
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$774
• After-tax cash flow: $378/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Los Lunas Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 3501680
• Math proficiency: 20% —
• Reading proficiency: 34% —
• Median HH income: $44,438
• Composite: 26.11/100
• National rank: #12724
• State rank: #34 of 95 in NM

Livability — Highland Meadows

• Score: 44/100
• State rank: #354
• US rank: #26726

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A Employment F Housing B- Health & safety F User ratings A

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Highland Meadows, NM
• Population (ZIP): 3,465

Population outlook (Valencia County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 73,788 people
• By 2030: 72,101 · -2.3%
• By 2040: 67,930 · -7.9%
• By 2050: 63,191 · -14.4%
• By 2075: 53,644 · -27.3%
• By 2100: 40,882 · -44.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Highly diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.99)
• Race & ethnicity: Native American 84% White 8% Hispanic / Latino 5% Two or more races 5%
• Common ancestry: Italian 1%
• Languages at home: 56% English-only · Spanish 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Valencia

• 2024 margin: R (+16.4) · D 40.9% · R 57.3% · Other 1.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: -24.1pp toward R · 2008: 7.7pp · 2024: -16.4pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+16.4 2020: R+9.6 2016: R+8.7 2012: D+2.5 2008: D+7.7

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: —
• Current HPI: —
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

5 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-03 Pending — Southwest MLS
• 2026-05-29 Relisted — Southwest MLS
• 2026-05-18 Pending — Southwest MLS
• 2026-05-15 Listed $160,000 Southwest MLS
• 2006-03-30 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records

Property tax history

+0.7%/yr

Latest (2025): $903 · +27.5% YoY. Source: county tax records.