Ryan and Alyssa Sadowski outgrew their attached South Scottsdale townhouse and bought in Mesa before it sold. The home backed to the freeway, and the buyer's contractor confirmed a collapsed sewer line. I advised them to skip the repair work and pay the $15,950 estimate from their proceeds at closing. It sold for $395,000 and closed August 28, 2026.
Why were Ryan and Alyssa leaving their South Scottsdale townhouse?
They had outgrown it. Ryan and Alyssa bought the townhouse about ten years ago, just the two of them. By the time they listed with me, they had a toddler, they wanted more kids, and their big dog had no room to run. The yard was a postage stamp. The home shared a wall with the neighbor. Ryan worked from home in the garage, and that gets hot fast in an Arizona summer. They wanted a yard and more room, so they bought a home in Mesa before the townhouse sold. That meant two mortgage payments every month while we worked to sell.
What made this South Scottsdale townhouse hard to sell?
It was a unique product. It was a two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,270 square foot attached townhouse in South Scottsdale, not the glamorous side of Scottsdale. It backed up to the freeway, and the inside was not perfect. A buyer can accept one of those things. Together they shrink the buyer pool. We listed in early May. The offer that became the sale came in on August 1. We lowered the price a couple of times along the way, because everything sells at the right price, and this home had to find its number.
What was wrong with the sewer line?
The sellers knew about it before we listed. Roots had grown into the main sewer line. A plumber had jet-cleared them, and the line drained fine afterward, but Alyssa told me it would need to be replaced eventually. They had put off a full fix for years. Before listing, they gathered three estimates. I asked why two of the bids were six times higher than the third. Alyssa explained that those two companies planned to dig everything up, including the road. The third, a plumber her family knew, quoted about $4,000 and wanted to try a smaller dig first and expand only if needed.
What did the buyer's inspection find?
The buyers were first-time buyers growing their family. They offered $395,000, and that is where the sale closed. Their sewer scope found no cleanouts on the line, so a plumber could not easily get a camera or a jetter into it. A plumber we asked for a bid said he needed the depth of the line and a cleaner pipe before he could price a repair. His options were about $600 for jetting, about $2,500 to install cleanouts and camera the line, or $250 to re-camera from the existing cleanout. On August 12, the buyer's agent sent the buyer's inspection notice with their own contractor's finding: a collapsed sewer line, estimated at $15,950.
How did we handle the repair without the sellers doing the work?
I told Ryan and Alyssa not to do the repair themselves. Once work starts, it usually turns into more work and more cost. I try to have sellers give a credit whenever I can. The buyer's agent had a clean idea. The buyers would complete the repair after closing, and title would pay the repair company's invoice from the sellers' proceeds at closing. That also avoided waiting on city permitting before closing, which could have caused a delay. Everyone agreed, and we wrote an addendum. The sellers never had to hire a contractor or manage a dig.
Why were the sellers ready to say yes?
They had already accepted the sewer problem. That is the hardest part of any repair negotiation: getting the seller to accept it. Once they do, it is usually not a big deal. Ryan and Alyssa had known about the line for years. By August they had been on the market about three months, and they were paying two mortgages. They were also realistic. They knew they were selling an attached home that backed to the freeway and was not perfect inside. That made them more realistic than most sellers, especially at this price point. They trusted me, and I kept in touch on a regular schedule and kept following up with buyer's agents.
What would I tell a seller in the same spot?
I would tell them it is going to be a longer ride unless they start at a more attractive price. A freeway-backed, attached home is not for everybody. I would also tell them to expect the repair conversation, because getting a seller to accept the repair is the hard part. And I would tell them to give a credit or pay at closing when they can, instead of taking on the work themselves.
FAQ
How long did it take to sell the South Scottsdale townhouse?
We listed in early May 2026. The offer that became the sale came in on August 1, and the sale closed August 28. We lowered the price a couple of times in between.
Should a seller fix a sewer problem or give a credit?
When it is possible, I advise a credit. Repair work often grows once it starts, and that adds cost and time. Here, the buyer did the repair after closing, and title paid the invoice from the sellers' proceeds.
How much was the sewer repair?
The buyer's contractor estimated $15,950 for a collapsed sewer line. Before listing, the sellers had collected three bids. The lowest was about $4,000, and two others were about six times higher. Those bids covered different approaches, so the numbers were not a fair side-by-side.
Can a home that backs to the freeway still sell?
Yes, at the right price. This one did, after a couple of price reductions. A freeway-facing yard narrows the buyer pool, so the price has to do more of the work.
Ben Graham, REALTOR since 2011, serving South Tempe, South Chandler, and the Southeast Valley. More than 500 transactions closed, including seller-side repair negotiations like this one.
