Real estate descriptions de-coded

Have you ever read a description of a home for sale only to be shocked and disappointed when you see the home in person? Realtors often use puffery or pretty adjectives when describing their listings, but in many cases the reality is something very different than described.  Sometimes the puffery is so extreme that you are left wondering if it's actually the same house...

Many of these real estate phrases are used so often that they've developed their own hidden meaning in the real estate industry.  Today we're letting you in on the insider lingo.  As you search for the perfect Austin home to call your own, here's how to decode some of the common real estate terms you'll see in listing descriptions.  

• ONE OF A KIND:  There's something weird about the house
• INTIMATE:  Small
• COZY:  Small
• STUNNING:  Completely average
• BEAUTIFUL:  Completely average
• SOARING CEILINGS:  8' ceilings
• PEEK-A-BOO:  Sliver of a view if you stand in just the right spot
• ABUNDANT NATURAL LIGHT:  Has windows
• HIDDEN GEM:  Being overlooked by buyers because it's awful
• FLEXIBLE FLOOR PLAN:  Has rooms

And then there's a whole category of words that signal that a home is outdated or needs work.  Consider these words a warning that you are looking at a fixer upper:

• OPPORTUNITY:  Needs work
• GOOD BONES:  Needs work
• TRADITIONAL:  Needs updating
• CLASSIC:  Needs updating
• FULL OF POTENTIAL:  Needs a ton of work
• DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH:  Needs work
• HANDYMAN SPECIAL:  Needs work
• MAKE IT YOUR OWN:  Needs work
• LOVINGLY MAINTAINED:  Looks just like it did when the sellers moved in 30 years ago
• FIRST TIME ON THE MARKET:  Looks just like it did when the sellers moved in 30 years ago

WE'VE GOT YOU

Hopefully this de-coded language will help you narrow down your home search in a practical way.  But if you want real help from the pros, we're here when you're ready.  Reach out for a free consultation.