Abbreviations are a necessity in real estate advertising because many time there is so much information must be communicated in such a small amount of space allotted or because sellers want to save money on advertising charges.
What do all those real estate abbreviations/acronyms in the ads mean? Below you will find some of the common abbreviations and their meanings:
* assum. fin. — assumable financing
* ba – bath
* blt – built-in
* br – bedroom
* brk – brick
* bkporch – back porch
* bldrs – builders renovation
* cac – central air conditioning
* dk — deck
* dr – dining room
* expansion pot’l — may be extra space on the lot, or possibly vertical potential for a top floor or room addition. Verify actual potential by checking local zoning restrictions prior to purchase.
* fab pentrm — fabulous pentroom, a room on top, underneath the roof, that sometimes has views
* fha – qualifies for FHA?VA financing
* fin ll – finished lower level
* fml – formal
* frog – finished room over garage
* FDR — formal dining room (not the former president)
* fr – family room
* frplc, fplc, FP — fireplace
* fsbo – for sale by owner
* gar — garage (garden is usually abbreviated “gard”)
* grmet kit — gourmet kitchen
* HDW, HWF, Hdwd — hardwood floors
* hi ceils — high ceilings
* In-law potential — potential for a separate apartment. Sometimes, local zoning codes restrict rentals of such units so be sure the conversion is legal first.
* ingrd pool – in-ground pool
* large E-2 plan — this is one of several floor plans available in a specific building
* lsd pkg. — leased parking area, may come with an additional cost
* lo dues — find out just how low these homeowner’s dues are, and in comparison to what?
* lr – living room
* meik – modern eat-in kitchen
* mk – modern kitchen
* mstr – master bed room/suite
* mtg – mortgage
* nr bst schls — near the best schools
* pvt — private
* pwdr rm — powder room, or half-bath
* sec sys – security system
* scrnd porch -screened porch
* th – town house
* txs – taxes
* u/g sprk – underground spinkler system
* upr – upper floor
* yd – yard
* vw, vu, vws, vus — view(s)
* wbs – wood burning stove
* wo – walk out
* Wow! — better check this one out.
BUYING TIP
Pay attention to the number of days on the market (DOM) – original listing date of the homes you look at. Sellers tend to be more flexible the longer the house has been on the market.
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. Please complete the form below or even better, give Team Sadler Realtors and we will be happy to answer any question you may have.
