Fissures in Queen Creek (Phoenix, Mesa: houses, buy, closing)

[sarahp]

We are relocating to the Mesa area and are interested in Queen Creek. However, our realtor suggested we avoid Queen Creek to due a problem with fissures. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Boatdrinks]

I remember seeing a local news story about sinkholes in the Queen Creek area. Other then the fact that some people were ending up with sinkholes in their yards, I don't remember specifics. I'd try Googling it to see if you can find some news stories.

[nitram]

Go into google and type in "fissures in Queen Creek AZ" and you'll get your answer. Fissures are all over AZ, but Queen Creek seems to have an abundance of them.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Your realtor is overgeneralizing a large area. Fissures are found all over the valley. Much has been made in Queen Creek because housing has popped up in what was formerly rural land. Nobody cared about the fissures in Queen Creek until people began moving there. They've been there a LONG time. A lot has been made about these fissures from folks who were unaware of where they were when they purchased, but now new data has mapped these areas and must be disclosed. When you go looking, ask for the newest, most recent map of these fissures once you find something you like. There will be an updated report out next week disclosing the latest. Problem was that the last fissure reports were done 20 years ago.

Queen Creek's water table has been rising the past few years. Much of the agriculture land is being replaced by houses, and farmers were the largest users of the local wells. Fissures are created from underground tapping of the water supply aiding in land subsidiation. I suspect the fissure problem to be contained once dislosures are accurate. Request the most recent map from your realtor if you really are interested, otherwise the realtor is probably trying to make his/her job easier by telling you to not buy in QC. There is an Arizona Geological website that posts these maps, and realtors are supposed to be keen on them.

[Luvman5]

Originally Posted by sarahp

We are relocating to the Mesa area and are interested in Queen Creek. However, our realtor suggested we avoid Queen Creek to due a problem with fissures. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

It is a serious problem no matter who you look at it and anyone who tells you it's not is making rash assumptions on a very serious matter. Either that or they work for a developer! lol

Fissures are NOT all over the valley. Some of the fissures in Queen Creek have been there for years and years and it's just now starting to rear it's ugly head and it's getting worse. So all those people who made that gamble or who were told (much like the person on here told you) "it's no big deal, they've been there for a long time" are now in a world of concern over their homes! Complacency has no business when you're considering something as serious as your home. And fyi.. the ground water pumping is NOT stopping. With AZ being in a draught and the decreasing amount of water from the Colorado river and new possible municipalities trying to tap into a large portion of that Colorado water (reservations and other cities), and with the continued booming growth of population in Phoenix, the ground water pumping is NOT going to stop. The demand for water is increasing, not decreasing just because of less crops.

Take a look at these articles..

[SIZE=2]http://www.queencreek.org/Business/PlanningZoning/EarthFissures.shtml[/SIZE] (broken link)
[SIZE=2]http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/88255.php[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/0908st-fissures.html[/SIZE] (broken link)
[SIZE=2]http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0811fissures-ON.html[/SIZE] (broken link)
[SIZE=2]http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0811fissures-ON.html[/SIZE] (broken link)

There's lots more out there, but the point is. It's a growing problem getting worse, not better. Also consider that the traffic out there is horrendous coming into the valley. It takes my co-worker over an hour to get to work in Tempe (even at off-peak hours -- He works 6am-3pm.) Just one word for Queen Creek. Don't.

[pynkpanther]

Originally Posted by Nice Nice Baby!

Your realtor is overgeneralizing a large area. Fissures are found all over the valley.
Queen Creek's water table has been rising the past few years. Much of the agriculture land is being replaced by houses, and farmers were the largest users of the local wells. Fissures are created from underground tapping of the water supply aiding in land subsidiation. I suspect the fissure problem to be contained once dislosures are accurate.

not to make light of this terrible situation, but I hope when you ate these words, they went down well with your thanksgiving "jive" turkey...lol!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Thread is exactly 2 yrs old.

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Thread is exactly 2 yrs old.

So? It is a very important issue to those who live / move here.

There are now mandatory disclosures on these fissures (from the ADRE)