In Alexander Pope's poem An Essay On Criticism, he cautioned against surface knowledge:
“A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring;
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.”
And so the often-repeated statement with numerous variations and attributions reminds us that no one knows all.
In this day and age of artificial intelligence, it could not be more true.
In our business, it's been said that AI would ultimately become a hyperlocal expert in real property with all that it entails.
Not a chance.
EXAMPLE: I'm getting ready to list some commercial land. The terrain is choppy but the location is both desirable and rapidly developing.
I reached out to a colleague with a nearby listing. He said his (very low) pricing was because there would be grading work required, but also that to develop in the area would entail engaging the Army Corps of Engineers.
That didn't resonate with me. ACOE 'usually' oversees the WATERWAYS as our beautiful Colorado River is 'owned' by 3 states, 30 Tribes and 2 countries!
The ACOE does have building restrictions for certain designated washes. For example, in a wash they control, you can't build a structure but you can install powerlines beneath and driveways over the land. But you cannot do anything that would disrupt the flow of water. And that's not just their rule, AZ Civil Law and Common Enemy Rules would apply if you deliberately tried to drain water onto your neighbor's land.
So I set out to find out what was true.
First stop, County mapping. I see nothing indicating a designated wash.
County Cartography. Do you see any designated washes over this parcel? No.
Flood Control. We look at a topo map. No wash designated.
Finally, City Development Services. Would you defer to ACOE to develop this land in a permitting process? No. That land has no designated washes, plus it's also not in a floodplain. To develop, we 'might' require an engineering report by a civil engineer but the ACOE would not be involved.
So now we know that engaging the government (although not difficult, just takes time) is a non-issue.
I dare you to solely use AI to find out what I did. First, AI would not know who to ask. I know them by name, email and direct extension.
The bots would also not know how to to rule out who not to ask.
AI cannot read a FEMA, plat or topo map for a specific parcel. I checked it.
It's a general tutorial on who ACOE is and what they oversee.
Not inaccurate but certainly just a
little knowledge.
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