New Mexico
Real estate heirs list one of America’s largest ranches for $142M after patriarch’s death
The family behind home-building titan D.R. Horton is putting one of America’s largest ranches on the market for a staggering $142 million.
The Great Western Ranch, a colossal 500,000-acre spread in New Mexico, is now up for grabs — offering more space than the entire city of Houston, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The move comes just months after the death of D.R. Horton’s founder, Donald Ray Horton, and signals the family’s readiness to part with their rural empire. The ranch is near Quemado, close to the Arizona border — roughly 150 miles west of Albuquerque.
This sprawling estate isn’t just a random plot of land — it’s a fortress of cowboy heritage and prime real estate.
The Hortons, known for their massive home-building empire, pieced together the ranch by snapping up three adjacent properties over the last decade.
The first chunk alone, 293,000 acres, set them back $59 million in 2014.
It’s an operational cattle ranch with about 1,900 cow-calf pairs currently roaming the land. A buyer can even pick up around 900 cows as part of the deal.
The Great Western is a treasure trove of history and natural beauty, too.
There are Native American archaeological sites scattered across the ranch, including ancient stone dwellings, petroglyphs, and countless pottery shards, Jeff Buerger of Hall and Hall, the listing agent, told the Journal. (As it stands, the offering is located near Navajo nation, as well as the famed Acoma Pueblo.)
And when the sun sets, the night sky is nothing short of a celestial show. “You feel like you’re on another planet when you look at the stars,” Buerger told the outlet.
The property also comes loaded with eight homes, including a guest lodge and a ranch manager’s house, plus all the fixings you need for serious ranching — wells, barns, corrals and even an equipment shop.
The ranch is also a hunting paradise, leased to Black Mountain Outfitters for trophy hunting.
Living on the Great Western Ranch is like stepping into a different world, according to Jason Saulan, who oversees the Horton family’s ranch portfolio.
“I don’t know what the opposite of claustrophobia is, but that’s the feeling you get,” Saulan told the outlet, recalling his time living on the property. “We lived up on top of a hill, and we could see 28 miles to St. John, Ariz.”
D.R. Horton has been America’s biggest home builder by sales volume since 2002, and the Horton legacy is rooted deep in the South. Founded in 1978 by Donald Ray Horton, the company has built homes for millions, but it’s clear their heart was also in the vast open spaces of the American West.
With its combination of large-scale beef production and trophy hunting, Buerger says, the Horton family’s New Mexico ranch is rare.
Last year, a smaller ranch in New Mexico occupying 16,700 acres sold for $44 million. But with this deal, the Horton family is aiming to set a new high score in the ranching game.
And while 500,000 acres is a massive amount land, the title for the largest ranch in the United States goes to the King Ranch in South Texas, which spans a jaw-dropping 825,000 acres.
Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.
Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
Good morning!
Heading out the door this morning? Bundle up! Cold air has settled into the Land of Enchantment after two cold fronts passed through New Mexico within the last 24 hours. Temperatures have fallen to the teens, 20s and 30s throughout northern New Mexico. The metro area is just as cold with Moriarty falling to the teens and several other cities bottoming out near the freezing point. The National Weather Service (NWS) has Freeze Warnings in place until 9 a.m. for several locations in northern and central New Mexico. However, one of the aforementioned cold fronts is still moving through eastern New Mexico this morning. That back door cold front has brought 30-45 mph wind gusts, or more, in southeastern New Mexico. The front will push west further west this morning bringing breezy winds to far south and southwestern New Mexico this afternoon. Otherwise, much calmer weather will be on tap for the state compared to the majority of this week.
The colder air this morning will bring cooler and seasonable weather to the Land of Enchantment later on Saturday. Afternoon highs will range from the high 50s, in sections of the northern mountains, to the 70s in southern New Mexico. Throughout the weekend into early next week a warming trend is expected as a ridge of high pressure builds on Sunday, which is forecasted to last through at least Tuesday. By next Tuesday, high temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees above normal, and even warmer for some locations by next Wednesday with breezy conditions returning to the state.
Moisture does stream back into the state early next week across New Mexico. Tomorrow’s forecast is expected to have cloud coverage increase with warmer weather. On Monday sufficient moisture in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere will bring the chance for showers; however, moisture levels toward the surface will be lower. That will also bring the chance for dry showers and thunderstorms throughout the state. Have a great weekend and stay warm this morning!
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man has taken a plea deal for his role in the death of a three-year-old girl more than two years ago. Police said that Kerri Santos brought her toddler to University of New Mexico Hospital, claiming that she fell and hurt herself. Medical staff determined the child was already dead when she arrived, and noticed signs of abuse, including evidence that she had been tied up. Police said that Santos and three others were staying at James Welch’s home when the abuse took place.
On Friday, Welch pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse and tampering with evidence. He faces up to five years behind bars.
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