Canopy MLS members and concerned homeowners often report listings with incorrect subdivision names.  Homeowners say their property values are lowered with Canopy MLS members misuse subdivision names.  Follow these tips to avoid costly mistakes with listings, Comparative Market Analyses (CMA) and appraisals. 

Distinguish Between Similar Names: Canopy MLS members must carefully choose the subdivision name they put into their listings.  Always verify the subdivision name in Realist or with the county register of deeds.

In one example, Canopy MLS members had confused three subdivision names – two for single-family communities Wedgewood Phase I (in Matrix as Wedgewood) and Wedgewood II, and one for a town-house community, Wedgewood Commons. 

To distinguish themselves, the homeowners association formally changed the subdivision name from Wedgewood II to Wedgewood North with the department of the secretary of state.  Wedgewood Phase I (Wedgewood) is on Beatties Ford Road, 1 mile from Wedgewood North, and is on the opposite side of I-485.

The town-house community of Wedgewood Commons is 20 miles south of Wedgewood North.  Neither Wedgewood Phase I (Wedgewood) nor Wedgewood Commons are affiliated with Wedgewood North.

Canopy MLS staff corrected the subdivision name on all affected listings.  The residents of Wedgewood North went to great lengths to distinguish themselves from Wedgewood Phase I (Wedgewood) and Wedgewood Commons, but they really should not have had to. 

Canopy MLS received a similar complaint from a Canopy MLS member regarding Windrow, Windrow II and Windrow Estates.  The complainant said properties in Windrow II do not have access to amenities provided to Windrow Estates, and the HOA president of Windrow Estates tried notifying the listing agents who had incorrect listings.  The Canopy MLS member believed the misinformation was affecting her listing in Windrow Estates. 

Identify Subdivisions or Complexes within Subdivisions: Subdivisions within subdivisions, such as Fieldstone within Blakney Heath, present some difficulty.  Canopy MLS members might want to distinguish Fieldstone from other sections of Blakney Heath by using both the “Subdivision” field for Blakney Heath, and the “Complex” field for Fieldstone.  The same principle applies to other neighborhoods, such as Highland Creek. 

Older Neighborhoods:  Canopy MLS staff often receives complaints alleging “incorrect subdivision” in the “Subdivision” field regarding listings in older neighborhoods such as Biddleville, Cotswold, Dilworth, Elizabeth, Myers Park, Plaza-Midwood (in Matrix as The Plaza, and Midwood), NoDa (in Matrix as The Arts District), South Park, Wesley Heights, Wilmore, etc. These older neighborhoods have been in the system for decades. Sometimes they are not actually subdivisions at all (i.e., The Arts District and Elizabeth). The others are considered to be larger than any original subdivision boundaries that may have been platted, or are comprised of a patchwork recorded plats with similar names, but are not a single recorded plat, nor a series of multiple but related recorded plats.

In May 2013, the Canopy MLS Board of Directors considered this issue, and adopted a rule that states that Canopy MLS staff does not accept complaints alleging “incorrect subdivision” regarding neighborhoods or subdivisions without defined boundaries. In September 2023, the Canopy MLS Board of Directors approved defining the word "Subdivision" the same way the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) defines it, "A neighborhood, community, complex or builder tract." (Canopy MLS Rules and Regulations, Section 1.10).