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Arizona! Phoenix Valley! Home Buyers and Sellers! Be Warned That There ARE Fissures Throughout Valley! Be Informed!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC

I posted a blog a year ago about fissures "appearing in and around Maricopa and Pinal County and surrounding areas, including Queen Creek, Arizona!!!  It appears as though problems are still occurring, so buyers and sellers - please be aware.

Check out fissuresmy blog from last year in order to grab the links to the information you might need.

As a Realtor, IF we are aware of fissures in locations throughout the valley, we have a DUTY to inform our potential buyers. ABOVE ALL, BE SURE to provide a Buyer Advisory to each buyer that you represent. That document provides necessary information - including information about fissures in our state.

As a direct result of my blog of last August on Active Rain, I received a call yesterday from a woman living in Queen Creek in the community of Pecan Creek - North. She thought maybe I could “direct” her to a place she could lodge a concern or complaint about the “sink holes” appearing in her yard and that of her neighbors’ homes.

The builder, Fulton, had not remedied her problem, and customer service seemed unwilling to work with her. (FYI, fissures can just suddenly "appear," without warning!)  She told me that there were now issues with her water pipe. Her neighbor was experiencing similar problems and, in fact, cracks seemed to be causing stress on her patio.

My immediate thought was: “I was showing homes in that neighborhood last Saturday!!!”  These are definitely warnings that need to be out there for potential home buyers/sellers!

My suggestions included: writing to Builder, reviewing the information HERE!!!! - and checking out the Arizona Department of Real Estate  website as well as sharing information on Twitter and Facebook to get the word out. I also told her I would post it on my blogs so people could be on the lookout. Hopefully those Active Rainers in the Phoenix Valley will be vigilant in looking out for their buyers!

 

Comments(27)

Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Teri - hmm, well that's something new for me. Here we worry about earthquakes, landslides and fires. Do these things get reported in a Natural Hazards Report?

Jeff

Aug 19, 2009 02:51 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

We have lots of snow and melting in New Hampshire... it seems like every region has something to be aware of.

Aug 19, 2009 04:17 AM
Bill Risser
Fidelity National Title - Saint Petersburg, FL
Fidelity National Title - Tampa District

Teri- Great post with very important information for those of us in the southeast valley... I've bookmarked this for future questions...

Aug 19, 2009 07:08 AM
Jerry Spicer
Sonoran Property Inspections LLC - Scottsdale, AZ

Wow, I am going to drive out there and see what's up. That certainly concerns me as an inspector. If I do an inspection on Monday and the sink holes appear on Tuesday I realize I am not liable but..... This could certainly get ugly. Thanks for the heads up on this.

Aug 19, 2009 10:35 AM
Eric Murrietta
Homeowners Financial Group USA, LLC - Scottsdale, AZ

Teri - That is crazy.  I have seen the stories of the sink holes that open in the middle of the street and "gobble" up cars, what a tragedy if it happened to a part of a home??? Yikes.  Thanks for the information.

Aug 19, 2009 11:10 AM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

Just something else to be aware of. I don't think we have that as an issue here. Good luck.

Aug 19, 2009 03:07 PM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Hi everyone! I suspect that in every area, there is something. As Eric mentioned, we're always seeing stories of sink holes in the middle of the road....but this would be even more frightening. Just wanted to send out the alert. Thanks for stopping by. ;-)

On this computer I cannot copy and paste my signature. Seriously dumb!!! ;-)

 

Aug 19, 2009 03:40 PM
Lori Churchill Cofer
Beasley Realty - Pullman, WA
Realtor - 509-330-0086 - Pullman, WA

Teri,

Boy I have to admit...glad we don't have something like that here....I am sure that people in your area are most appreciative of this heads up though...

Aug 21, 2009 04:03 PM
Leesa Finley
RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC
RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

That is frightening to think of!  Great post this time around and the one before - people definitely need to be aware of this!

Aug 23, 2009 10:54 PM
Loren Green
Greens Home Design L.L.C. - Buckeye, AZ
Phoenix Home Inspector & Designer

I did plans for a custom home for one of the development managers at Standard Pacific Homes.  He said that they had a home that had a fissure move under it.  There was over a foot of difference in elevation from one side of the slab crack to the oher.  They built the home owners a new house on another lot.  I belive that was the last time they built a house without a post-tensioned slab.

Aug 24, 2009 07:12 AM
Karen Kruschka
RE/MAX Executives - Woodbridge, VA
- "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"

Teri  It is interesting how the natural challenges vary throughout the country - we have marine clay  Karen

Aug 24, 2009 10:30 PM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Thanks again everyone for your insightful and interesting comments. It is interesting to learn of problems occurring in different areas of the country.

 

Aug 26, 2009 01:16 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

A young guy living in the foothills of Sacramento fell through his living room floor in April of 2006. A sink hole suddenly opened up, and he died. Turned out his home was built near an old collapsed mine shaft.

sacramento agent

Aug 28, 2009 03:20 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Elizabeth, are you kidding me....a sink hole? Whooda thunk - in California? Seriously, I know they happen everywhere....very scarey stuff. ;-)

Aug 28, 2009 05:26 PM
Mike Jones
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ
Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Teri,

It was great to bump into you yesterday at the Active Rain Meet-up! 

Mike in Tucson

Sep 03, 2009 04:44 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Mike, as always - it's great to get a big bear hug from Mike in Tucson!!! ;-)

Sep 03, 2009 06:15 AM
Mike Jones
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ
Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Teri,

I came back and re-read this post, and the comments as well.  I had no idea this was an issue in Arizona.  Imagine the horror the young man in Elizabeth Weintraub's comment must have felt!

Mike in Tucson

Sep 13, 2009 08:22 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Hey Mike: true, true, true.  I think some of these issues are very prevalent throughout areas in the west. I've heard of sink holes appearing on the news with too much rain, or just unprepared ground. Scarey stuff! ;-)

Sep 19, 2009 08:17 AM
Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist
Kingsbridge Realty, Inc - Hubert, NC

Terri,
We all have our differint problems depending on our location, don't we?

Sep 19, 2009 11:19 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Hey Cynthia!!! Is that YOU? new photo and all? Great looking blonde. ;-) Good to hear from you.

Sep 19, 2009 11:48 AM