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A co-worker of mine is starting her initial search for a new home in Clayton. She hasn’t engaged a Realtor yet (but plans to). She came across a listing for a home in the Tafton Subdivision in Clayton that had the description I pasted below. If she were working with an agent at this point I’m sure he/she could answer these questions, but maybe some folks here can shed some light as to what some of the comments in the description mean?
Listing Description:
“EXPANDABLE RANCH on gorgeous wooded lot! 900 SF unfinished 2nd floor. LR w/gas log FP. Custom woodwork, 9' smooth ceilings & upgraded appliances. Master w/bay window, WIC, dual vanity, tub & sep shower. Screened porch & oversized 2-car garage. Excellent schools. Optional Swim, Tennis, & Golf nearby. Wendell Post Office. LA has ownership interest. Dim & SF form builder's plan.”
What makes something an Expandable Ranch? Is that merely a reference to the fact that there is enough land on the lot to do an addition?
What do they mean when they say it has 900 square feet unfinished in the second floor? Is that the attic? It is a ranch so how does it have a second floor?
What Does “LA has ownership Interest” mean?
What makes something an “Oversized” two car garage? What is a the size of a standard tow car garage?
If anybody knows what some of these statements mean your input would be greatly appreciated by my fellow house hunter!
Hey NRG...It just so happens that I sold a home in this neighborhood last year. Its a wonderful area of Clayton.
To answer your questions:
The ranch is "expandable" because the upstairs is totally unfinished. So, all your main living areas are downstairs (lives like a ranch). You have a full flight of stairs but the 900 sq. ft. unfinished is the 2nd floor. Probably has electric up there already.
LA has ownership is to let you know that the listing agent owns part of this home & works with the builder. Realtors must acknowledge if they are sellers. Suppossedly makes the "playing field" of negotiations even if you understand that your "seller" is an agent.
Some two car garages are only 20'x20' which may not give you enough room for 2 cars, esp. if one is a SUV. Oversized could mean anything larger.
A co-worker of mine is starting her initial search for a new home in Clayton. She hasn’t engaged a Realtor yet (but plans to). She came across a listing for a home in the Tafton Subdivision in Clayton that had the description I pasted below. If she were working with an agent at this point I’m sure he/she could answer these questions, but maybe some folks here can shed some light as to what some of the comments in the description mean?
Listing Description:
“EXPANDABLE RANCH on gorgeous wooded lot! 900 SF unfinished 2nd floor. LR w/gas log FP. Custom woodwork, 9' smooth ceilings & upgraded appliances. Master w/bay window, WIC, dual vanity, tub & sep shower. Screened porch & oversized 2-car garage. Excellent schools. Optional Swim, Tennis, & Golf nearby. Wendell Post Office. LA has ownership interest. Dim & SF form builder's plan.”
What makes something an Expandable Ranch? Is that merely a reference to the fact that there is enough land on the lot to do an addition?
What do they mean when they say it has 900 square feet unfinished in the second floor? Is that the attic? It is a ranch so how does it have a second floor?
What Does “LA has ownership Interest” mean?
What makes something an “Oversized” two car garage? What is a the size of a standard tow car garage?
If anybody knows what some of these statements mean your input would be greatly appreciated by my fellow house hunter!
Thanks!
I will take a shot, although I am not a realtor..LA= Listing agent? oversized garage means just that.. I have heard the term compact two car garage..
I guess the opposite is true here... Expandable, thinking you can finish off the extra 9oo sq ft..DIM= Dimentions from builder's plan.. Thinking typo here..
Maybe the ranch has a frog.. lol... A room above the garage..
A co-worker of mine is starting her initial search for a new home in Clayton. She hasn’t engaged a Realtor yet (but plans to). She came across a listing for a home in the Tafton Subdivision in Clayton that had the description I pasted below. If she were working with an agent at this point I’m sure he/she could answer these questions, but maybe some folks here can shed some light as to what some of the comments in the description mean?
Listing Description:
“EXPANDABLE RANCH on gorgeous wooded lot! 900 SF unfinished 2nd floor. LR w/gas log FP. Custom woodwork, 9' smooth ceilings & upgraded appliances. Master w/bay window, WIC, dual vanity, tub & sep shower. Screened porch & oversized 2-car garage. Excellent schools. Optional Swim, Tennis, & Golf nearby. Wendell Post Office. LA has ownership interest. Dim & SF form builder's plan.”
What makes something an Expandable Ranch? Is that merely a reference to the fact that there is enough land on the lot to do an addition?
What do they mean when they say it has 900 square feet unfinished in the second floor? Is that the attic? It is a ranch so how does it have a second floor?
What Does “LA has ownership Interest” mean?
What makes something an “Oversized” two car garage? What is a the size of a standard tow car garage?
If anybody knows what some of these statements mean your input would be greatly appreciated by my fellow house hunter!
Thanks!
You basically have it all correct. The future owner could live in the house as a ranch, or they could expand it to the second floor, finish it and have living space up there as well.
LA has ownership interest means that the listing agent partially owns the house.
Oversized garage usually means that there is some type of storage area in the garage, it is also helpful if you have bigger cars and they can fit more easily into the car. Usually, it means nice storage area in the garage.
That makes a lot more sense now! By the way, I have already passed on to my friend the contact info of the regualr realtors on this forum. Not sure when she is going to "Get serious" but I have encouraged her to start her search for a realtor here.
By the way, I am still a little confused about two things. Why would 900 square feet of a house be left unfinished? I know some people like to customize things and see the blank canvas as a plus, but aside from that, why would a builder choose to leave a house incomplete? Wouldn't that turn many people off? I thought one of the huge selling points of new construction is that the are "move-in ready". Is it still considered a ranch eventhough it has two floors?
The second thing, how common is it for a listing agent to have ownership interest? Seems like this really adds some weight to the position that you really should have a buyers agent even when looking at new construction!
Thanks again for your help! Positive rep to everyone!!!
Thanks for the point! Usually mine seem to be taken away! Honesty hurts?
Anyway...think of the house as being a ranch. With the added bonus of having an upstairs that someone MAY want to finish or to use for storage. Possibilites are endless. More bedrooms? Office? Pool table???
And you are right (imagine that...a man thats right) about another reason to have a buyer's agent!
And "dangleing" a possible client in front of these Realtors? Are you just trying to get on our good side???
Beware of the secret private messages you WILL be getting!!!
Unfinished space is actually quite common in new construction. Often, it will be an unfinished bonus room, or an unfinished 2nd or 3rd floor. The original homeowner may not have needed that much space, but saw the potential for added square footage down the line. It is much cheaper to go ahead and have that extra space framed in, so when you ARE ready to finish it, you won't need to make structural changes, just GET PERMITS and finish the room. (Get your permits, people.) As has been noted in another recent thread, often the most costly part of finishing an unfinished room is the HVAC.
Another reason not to have the builder finish it at the time of original construction is cost - the builder marks up the cost to finish the space, and you can often get a contractor to do it cheaper later. It's a great way to add equity to the home.
Hey I live in Tafton! I know the model you're speaking of as one of my neighbors lives in it as will my new next door neighbors when they close in July.
One benefit is that the home is less expensive than a regular 2 story finished home. And you do have a full ready to move in home with 3 bedrooms, LR, large EIK, 2 baths, etc. Its over 1700 sqft on the main floor with another 900sf on the unfinished 2nd floor.
The listing agent is the builder's wife.
There's no swim/tennis/golf, I'm guessing that means you can join the Riverwood Athletic Club (and pool) if you want to pay the application fee and $85/month.
I think the garages are all about the same at 22 x 22. Barely fits 2 cars really and only if you have nothing in it.
Still its a great place. The lots are wooded in the back of the S/D. The front was pasture so trees planted 2-3 years ago are finally getting established. But where I am the lots are fairly wooded with about 50ft of woods beyond the backyards on most lots.
I have looked at some new townhomes where I would have the option to finish the upstairs or leave it as an attic. People may choose the latter because they do not need the extra space (except maybe for storage) and therefore do not want to incur the additional expense of finishing, heating, and cooling.
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