A Guide to Living in the Rural Southwest

Living in the rural southwest is "different'" from life in the city.   County governments cannot provide the same level of service to which you're likely accustomed (Yavapai County alone, is roughly the size of Massachusetts, with over 1500 miles of county maintained roads), and, more services would mean more taxes ( No, thank you).   Please read the following and carefully consider these items when looking at Sedona and Verde Valley land for sale.

THE PROPERTY:

• Some lots cannot be built on as a single unit and some will require a significant amount of cost in engineering. Check with the YAVAPAI or COCONINO COUNTY PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
•  Easements may require you to allow travel through your parcel and the construction of roads, power lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. across your land.
• Unless the land has been surveyed and pins placed by a licensed surveyor, you cannot assume that a plat or existing fences are accurate. Fences are often erected in the wrong location.  The older the neighborhood, the greater the chance of discrepancies. Huge survey gaps exist in some areas ( Many years ago, the local surveyor was also renowned as the town drunk! )
• Many Sedona and Verde Valley subdivisions have covenants that limit the use of the property. Obtain a copy of the covenants and make sure that you can live with the rules.  Yavapai County has no legal authority to enforce deed restrictions or CC&R's.  Enforcement of deed restirctions is by the HOA governing the property, or an individual civil suit.
• Homeowners associations (HOA's) are required to take care of commonly owned elements. A dysfunctional homeowners association or poor covenants can cause problems.  Even with well written by-laws, an HOA can be problematic.  It is another form of government, and govenments are some times run by dictators.
• Dues are common in areas with a HOA. The by-laws of the HOA will tell you how it operates and how dues are set.  Be sure you read them when you recieve your title report!
• The surrounding properties will probably not remain as they are indefinitely. See what future developments may be in the planning stages. Be aware that state land can be sold and subsequently developed.  There is a possibility that US forest lands may one day be traded.
• If you live in one of the greenbelts of Sedona and the Verde Valley, you may have an irrigation ditch running across your property.  There is an excellent possibility that the owners of the ditch have the right to come onto your property with heavy equipment to maintain the ditch.
• You may not have the right to use the water from any ditches crossing your land, or you may need to coordinate with a neighbor who also uses the water. Other users may have senior rights to the water and can limit your use or require you to pay for improvements of the ditch. You cannot assume that because the water flows across your property, you can use it.
• It is important to make sure that any water rights you purchase with the land will provide enough water to maintain fruit trees, pastures, gardens or livestock.
• If you purchase land adjacent to National forest, State or BLM land (Bureau of Land Management), it does NOT give you an automatic right to access that land. Contact the agency that owns the land and get "Access Permits."

• A forested parcel has many benefits, but building amidst a forest is as dangerous as building in a flash flood area. "Defensible perimeters" are very helpful in protecting buildings from fire. If you start a forest fire, you are responsible for paying for the cost of extinguishing the fire.
• Steep slopes can slide in unusually wet weather. Large rocks roll down steep slopes...and you don't want to be in their path!
• Expansive soils, such as Bentonite Clay (which is common in the foothills of the Verde Valley) can crack and distort concrete foundations and twist steel beams. Know the soil conditions on your property by having a soil test performed.
• North facing slopes and canyons in Sedona and the Verde Valley rarely see direct sunlight in the winter. Snow and ice can accumulate and not melt throughout the winter.  Take care driving through canyons and along rock ledges.
• The topography of the land may tell where water will go in heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines or washes, they have found that water that drained through the wash, now drains through their home.  Ensure water does not pond next to your home's foundation, as it can eventually cause damage.
• Flash floods occur, especially during the spring and summer, and quickly turn a dry gully into a raging river. Take this into consideration when building.
• Run-off can turn a small creek into a major river. Neither the county or local fire departments provide sand bags, equipment or people to protect private property from flooding. If you live in a flood prone area you are encouraged to contact the Emergency Management Department for information, as well as your neighbors.  Expect to help your neighbors in times of flooding-  likely, they will be helping you, too!
• Nature can be a rude neighbor. Rural development encroaches on the habitat of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, javalinas, deer, elk, raccoons, rattlesnakes, rabbits, prairie dogs, bears, skunks, gophers, mosquitoes, scorpions, black widow spiders, and other animals that can be dangerous, and you need to know how to deal with them. If you leave a family pet out in the evening twilight hours, it may become a meal. Coyotes have been known to snatch dogs off of front porches and javalinas’s have been reported to gang up on dogs traveling through rural areas. Mountain lions occasionally rob dog food stores, or nap under someone's shady porch. Javalina will wreak havoc on your prized tulips, and deer might mow EVERYTHING to the ground.  Keep in mind,  you moved into their neighborhood!