UNDERSTANDING LISTINGS
November 19, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
If I’m moving a considerable distance, is there any way I can screen homes before I start traveling?
Yes. Today’s Multiple Listing Services (MLS) — which include as much as 90 percent of the homes listed in any given community — have made it relatively easy for buyers to access detailed information on homes for sale practically anywhere in the country.
ERA Real Estate has taken the MLS concept into the next generation with ERA.com, our Web site, which features over 50,000 domestic listings. It’s a powerful way for buyers to find the perfect home. The site also includes ERA® International listings, allowing interested buyers to expand their search to other countries without ever leaving their home.
BUYING TIP
Pay attention to the original listing date of the homes you look at. Sellers tend to be more flexible the longer the house is on the market.
Real estate listings and ads seem to have a language all their own. What do all those abbreviations mean?
Abbreviations are a necessity in real estate advertising because so much information must be communicated in so little space. Some common abbreviations and their meanings:
| ba | bath | fin ll | finished lower level | mstr | master bed room/suite |
| blt | built-in | fpl | fireplace | mtg | mortgage |
| br | bedroom | fml | formal | pvcy fence | privacy fence |
| brk | brick | fr | family room | sec sys | security system |
| bkporch | back porch | frog | finished room over garage | scrnd porch | screened porch |
| bldrs redo | builder’s renovation |
fsbo | for sale by owner |
th | townhouse |
| cac | central air conditioning | gmt kitchen | gourmet kitchen | txs | taxes |
| dr | dining room | ingrd pool | inground pool | wbs | wood-burning stove |
| dk | deck | lr | living room | w/o | walk-out |
| fdr | formal dining room |
mk | modern kitchen | u/g sprk | underground sprinkler system |
| fha/va | qualifies for FHA/VA financing |
meik | modern eat-in kitchen | yd | yard |
If you run across any other abbreviations or terms you don’t understand, don’t be embarrassed — after all, you don’t buy a home every day. The glossary of real estate terms in the back of this book provides further assistance, or you can simply contact a local ERA® office; they’ll be happy to “translate” for you.
