How to Understand Real Estate Listings

Are you shopping for a new home? Sorting through numerous real estate listings can seem like an unending process. Fortunately, knowing how to read and process such listings effectively can maximize how well you use them. Here are some helpful tips:



1. Get clarifications when necessary

If something seems odd or ambiguous about a listing for a particular home, then make sure to clear everything up before you take the next step.



2. Know your abbreviations

This is certainly one of the most important steps if you want to read your real estate listings more effectively. There are tons of abbreviations in such listings, and not knowing them can make it seem like you are reading a foreign language. Here are some of the key ones that you should certainly add to your "vocabulary":



a/g pl above ground pool

ac acre

a/c air conditioning

alm aluminum siding

apt ` apartment

Atfn attic fan

ba bath

Balc balcony

bd/br bedroom

brk brick

bsmt basement

1C,2C 1 or 2 car garage

cac central air conditioning

Cen central air-conditioners

Cfan ceiling fan

CPT carpet

c-fan ceiling fan

cent h/a central heat & air

CW/CD clothes washer/clothes dryer

Dr dining room

Dsp garbage disposal

ELE electric

ELV elevator

fr family room

fplc fireplace

FSBO for sale by owner

gar garage

G-RNG gas range

HP heat pump

HTUB hot tub

HW hot water-to-air

liv rm living room

MBA master bedroom

MWV microwave oven

OFC office/study

PAT patio

PL swimming pool

PLAY playground

RDR radiator

REF refrigerator

SAT satellite dish

spklr sprinkler system

SUN sun room

TEN tennis court

TOWN town house

WTR water

w/d washer/dryer

yd yard



3. Do not assume that what you read is what you get

Yes, it is possible that the listing you read for a house is completely accurate. However, you should always visit the house before putting your name on the dotted line. That is the only effective way to be 100% certain that the listing is indeed accurate. Considering the high-end cost of buying a new home, it is definitely something that you should do.



4. Do your homework after seeing the asking price

This should be automatic whenever you are in the market for a house. Make sure that you compare apples with apples. The good news is that several websites can make the process much simpler. Simply look for properties in your area that have the same features as the house you are evaluating. You will soon be able to determine if the asking price is reasonable. If it is not, then keep searching until you find the right house at the right price.



5. Learn to negotiate well

It might seem that the asking price is higher than you think it should be. That is normal. When homeowners put their homes on the market, the asking price is often higher than the house's market value. By doing your homework you will know what a reasonable asking price is. Remember that you should always attempt to negotiate. If you are able to, you could save big bucks on the final price of the house. And your chance is even greater if the owner must sell the house now.



Use the above tips to learn the language of real estate listings.



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