Oh and when our neighbors put in the fence they decided not to line up the side fence with the back one...so we were hoping the emerald greens would hide that.

Usually, landscape projects cost enough on their own that there's no need to add unnecessaries which make them cost more, but add no particular advantage. A while later when those Emerald Greens (or any number of other plants) are completely screening the neighboring houses, one would wonder why was extra $ spent on raising the grade. And that's the question I pose now, why must the grade be raised? Plant material alone is perfectly capable of getting to the height that would screen the undesirable views. The large expense of raising the grade CREATES problems and saves only a year or two of waiting for plants to get taller. You have a basically normal looking back yard. The pitch is nothing out of the ordinary. Planting alone can accomplish all the screening that's needed. And a garden is no problem. Usually, they're not raised. They're just plots on flat or gently sloping ground. I do not understand why you think the grade must be raised or that doing so provides some great advantage. The way I see it, it adds unnecessary cost and complications you'd be better off without.

If you need topography for artistic purposes, a berm might be a better option.