How often have you read the words “diamond in the rough” to describe a house for sale, only to find that the house needs every kind of repair conceivable?
Euphemisms are alive and well in real estate marketing and, of course, what is a veritable palace to one person may look like mediocre dwelling to the next. Such is the subjective nature of buyer impressions. There is nothing illegal about the lingo used in real estate advertising, however, unless it is found to be deceptive (such as a “panoramic view” when all that can be seen from the property is narrow view a hill between two houses). But it is up to buyers to see through the sometimes-thick blankets of fog that accompany the effort to sell a home, especially in this challenging market.
NAEBA, the National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents, is a group of real estate agents who represent only buyers in real estate transactions. They recently published their 2008 Report on “Home Buying Euphemisms and Lingo”, the results of which emanated from an informal survey of association members asked to provide descriptions found in listing data – and then comparing it to what they found when they physically arrived at the listed home. These are, therefore, limited to individual cases in the study and not a reflection of the entire industry. Here are a few:
“Cozy” or
“efficient” may be used to describe an area of a house that is too small for anything more than (take your pick): one person in the kitchen, a twin bed and small dresser, or a recliner and small screen TV. If used to describe the house itself, it could also mean that it is one of the smaller homes or floor plans in the neighborhood or complex.
“As-Is” basically means “in its present condition with full disclosure.” But to the buyer it should be looked upon as meaning that the seller will not be willing to perform any repairs or upgrades. It isn’t that you can’t negotiate defects or other things found during an inspection. The inspection, of course, should reveal the meaning of “as is.”
“Fixer-Upper” – This house could need a complete overhaul, may not have been built or lived in since the world was deemed flat or has been trashed by a previous owner. These homes are usually worthy reality TV candidates for makeovers with generous budgets.
“Minutes from shopping and entertainment” may mean the house is close to a retail area – such as on the other side of the backyard fence or close to a busy street. Or, it could just be a property that is well located but not far from everything you’ll need.
“Light and Bright” could mean that the house is a blizzard of white or yellow paint or tile or could also mean that the house gets brutal sun exposure. By the same token, it may mean that the house has a wealth of gorgeous windows and skylights.
NAEBA advises buyers who are drawn to properties because of their verbal window dressing to ask agents representing them or those agents listing the properties to get the meanings behind the words used in a listing’s description. It just may save them a lot of time and costly visits to homes that might otherwise be quickly eliminated from the home-shopping repertoire.
Dena Kouremetis is a veteran freelance real estate consumer journalist and California real estate broker. She may be reached by email at REritr@aol.com.
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