Dave,

I own a 20-40 acre lot, zoned agricultural, in Mesa County. There are parcels surrounding my land which have RV's, outbuildings, and various stuff that is somewhat hard to look at. Would those variables affect the value of my land?

Thank you for your professional reply,

Ronald, Area Withheld

Ron,

Welcome to Western Colorado! One of the charming things about our area is the eclectic collection of properties that neighbor each other in the more rural areas of our valley, but one of the not so charming things about our area is the eclectic collection of properties that neighbor each other when one or more of those properties more closely resembles a junk yard or antique farm implement graveyard than an agricultural property with a residence. All kidding aside, there is a relatively high level of likelihood that it will negatively impact your property value.

Part of what makes (and has made) Grand Junction and Western Colorado charming is the mix of not only property types and styles but also the potential mix of the socioeconomic status of our neighbors. In my opinion that mix is wonderful and unique, because the lack of socioeconomic segregation that is created by neighborhoods forces us to become neighbors and many times friends with people who may or may not be the same or live a similar financial lifestyle. As Grand Junction continues to grow, this hodgepodge aspect is becoming much less acceptable and frankly not very desirable by many. Before we get into the potential negative impact these properties may have on your home, let’s exhaust positive options to mitigate their potential impact.

There may be things you can do to minimize the eyesore aspects of your neighbor’s properties! Maybe you can plant a row of trees or large hedge. You might be able to put up a new fence or put up your own outbuilding that will help shield some of your neighbors “stuff’. Before assuming, or letting me assume for you, that your property will be negatively impacted, work on positive solutions that may partially or completely mitigate the visible issues and even potentially increase your property's value. You might also approach your neighbors and discuss with them cleaning up their “stuff” so you no longer have to look at it. My guess is they may not even realize that it does not sit well with you and if they knew, they very well may be willing to clean it up. If that fails and you find that you have few options to mitigate their “stuff” then it is likely you will see some value erosion.

Let’s face it, for most, owning a farm or “real” agricultural property is not high on the desirability scale, however more executive and well-kept estate type settings with large homes are quite desirable and this is where the mix is met with less than open arms by many. If you have properties surrounding you that have collected RV’s, broken down cars, dilapidated outbuildings, dilapidated fences, long forgotten farm implements, etc., there is little doubt that it will negatively impact your properties value, unless you find just the right “butt for your saddle.”

“If you find a buyer for your property that intends to collect RV’s, broken down cars, dilapidated outbuildings, worn out fences and long forgotten property implement tools then they are likely not to give it another thought and in this instance you will likely not have a significant, if any, negative impact on your property value.”

If you find a buyer for your property that intends to collect RV’s, broken down cars, dilapidated outbuildings, worn out fences and long forgotten property implement tools then they are likely not to give it another thought and in this instance you will likely not have a significant, if any, negative impact on your property value. It may take longer to find that “right” person, but ultimately there lies the theory that would provide you an alternative to the negative property value impact of less than slightly neighbors.

Again, look for proactive and positive options to minimize the impact, but my guess is that if you can’t find ways to mitigate, there will be some negative impact on your properties value! I am hopeful you can find a way to work this out to your favor. Thanks for the question and best of luck.

Dave Kimbrough
The Kimbrough Team