Property Impact: Disclosures & Real Estate Reality
When infrastructure changes happen right behind our back fences, it changes more than just the view—it impacts our property records and long-term home values. This page breaks down what every homeowner on our block needs to know.
1. The Mandatory Disclosure Reality (SPDS)
In Arizona, when you sell a home, you are legally required to fill out a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS).
- Section 4 of this form explicitly asks if there have been any grading changes, drainage modifications, or alterations to natural water flows near your property.
- Because the city has cleared the natural desert and put in a wide concrete channel right against our property lines, every neighbor on this block is now legally obligated to disclose this to future buyers, whether you sell next year or 15 years from now.
2. Neighborhood Values & Market Perception
Real estate appraisers use a term called External Obsolescence when a home’s value is affected by something built right outside the property boundaries.
- Homes backing up to the undisturbed natural views of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve carry a financial premium.
- Replacing that natural desert ecosystem with a wide concrete track changes that premium, shrinks the pool of luxury buyers, and can force sellers to adjust prices to stay competitive.
3. Long-Term Wall Maintenance
Heavy machinery has removed the creosote, and deep root structures that naturally held the soil together right behind our property lines.
- Over time, we will need to carefully monitor soil erosion and dirt shifting to make sure our private block walls stay completely stable and secure.