With the costs of homes and interest rates plummeting to record lows, a lot of people are in the market looking for the right home to move into. But when it comes to clever selling tactics, real estate ads are notorious for covering up the true condition of a house or condo.
While the real estate agent may be working in the best interest of their client, it’s absolutely a “buyer beware” situation when it comes to certain words in the listing. Learn how to read between the lines of advertisements featuring homes for sale so that you can make an informed decision before everything goes to waste on a “handyman special.”
Don’t let the enticing lingo of real estate adjectives lead you astray on your quest for the house of your dreams. Before you can even get to the point of calling professional movers to schedule a move, you need to wade your way through the murky waters of real estate listings.
Here are a few of the most common tip-offs that the ad you’re looking at is a real estate agent’s creative interpretation of a problem house:
-Words and phrases like “ideal for one,” “cozy,” and “intimate,” are synonymous for tiny, compact, and small. Homes listed with these words are probably no bigger than your current closet.
-”Vintage” and “retro” suggests that the house is old (duh!) and has a lot of outdated features, but there could be a lot of value in the property, once you renovate it, of course.
-If a house is listed as having “potential,” “needs TLC,” “handyman special,” or “a loving touch goes a long way,” expect to walk into a Money Pit situation. The entire home will have to be fully renovated.
-A “low maintenance” home probably doesn’t have much of a surrounding yard around it. Not a smart choice if you have dogs or children.
-”Rustic” homes are probably going to need a good paint job. The flooring may also need to be revamped.
-”Backs to open area” or “no neighbors behind” simply means that the house is on the location of a future development project.
The photos of a real estate ad can also reveal a lot about the house, not by what you can see, however by what’s missing. For example:
-Photos showcasing the large yard of a home or the state-of-the-art gym on the complex give you an idea that the actual interior of the home itself is in bad shape.
-If the listing shows various shots of the inside of a house, but nothing on the outside, there most likely isn’t much of a yard on the property.
-Newly renovated houses will have shots of the redone interiors, so if pictures of the bathroom or kitchen are missing, you’ll probably have to invest in getting them remodeled.
Now that you have an idea of how to read between the lines of the text in a real estate ad as well as the images, you can make a safer decision on what homes to check out before you purchase and get in contact with your local movers.
