If it's the only road like that, and others are maintained or managed under contract, the unlucky owner may get slammed with a special assessment road charge one day.
And it's not like it will be an optional charge either. That issue could fall under your E&O because it's in the realm of due diligence.
You call the assessor and ask about the likelyhood of special assessment for roads, if it goes on elsewhere, etc, etc. Some places you have to worry about it, others not.
It's when the road is necessary for access to more than 1 property that special assessment can become an issue. Also apparent in areas of changing use towards more density. Eventually everyone is expected to have sidewalks and streetlights, and gutters of some sort. Like Glen said, that can turn into many things, but often is right of way and easement issues. Typically someone will be the hero with a snow plow or tar fill bucket or something to keep the roads nice for themselves. Sometimes though, you don't get such great community interaction, and assessments become levied via complaints to the county.
The implications of an unusual access is limitation of the potential buyer pool and possible extension of reasonable marketing period. For one guy it's a value in use issue, for the next guy it's an impossible challenge they can't accept.
In CO, those issues are front and center in some areas, because of the changing seasons, and snow. Roads private maintained can be treacherous to drive on. We've got some of those up by Turkey Creek, just a stones throw from the city. There was also another one off of hampden which the whole crummy neighborhood got hit with special assessments for sidewalks streetlights. For something like a private drive with a decent road and private indicating street sign, that's a maintenance cost which probably offsets the gained value in use.
You clearly state the condition. Clearly state the comparative condition if it's similar to the normal market. What and where. Identify valuation issues if any. Then pass that hot potato off to title to figure it all out. A special assessment imposed by the county can result in a lien.
