Property Characteristics

Posted by PRO Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:34:00 GMT

As a good risk management practice, Realtors® are encouraged to become familiar with the characteristics of the property prior to the listing presentation or before showing the property to a perspective buyer. Armed with an in-depth understanding of the property, Realtors® are better positioned to spot inconsistencies between public records data and the visual inspection of the property. These inconsistencies could create problems with the transaction or result in litigation.

Realist Property Details Report – Characteristics Section

  

Bedrooms

Public records do not track bedroom information. Please note that there is no universally accepted definition of a bedroom; the definition for a bedroom is determined by the governing municipality.

Bathrooms

Pinellas County uses a formula to calculate the number of bathrooms. The formula takes the number of drains/fixtures and divides that number by three to determine the number of bathrooms in the home. This formula is ineffective for high-end homes that may have more than three drains/fixtures per bathroom. Do not rely on public records for information about the number of bathrooms in a home.

Lot Frontage and Lot Depth

Lot frontage and lot depth are based on a formula used by the county. To confirm the lot shape and size, it is recommended that you review the Pinellas County General Map – Lot Dimensions Report. If the lot is neither square nor rectangular, it is suggested that you record "IRR" on the profile sheet in the Lot Size field and record the acreage date in the Acreage Information in the Residential Features section.

Cooling Type and Heat Type

This information indicates the type of heating and cooling system or systems that are in the home. Improvements or upgrades to the heating and cooling system may require permits from the governing municipality. The property card would reflect these permits however; this information may not be recorded on the Realist Property Details Report or the Pinellas County Appraiser Report. The information in Realist report should be consistent with the information in the Pinellas County Property Appraiser Report and visual inspection of the property.

Roof Material

This information indicates the type of roofing material used on the home. Improvements or upgrades to the roof may require permits from the governing municipality. The property card would reflect these permits however; this information may not be recorded on the Realist Property Details Report or the Pinellas County Appraiser Report. The information in Realist report should be consistent with the information in the Pinellas County Property Appraiser Report and visual inspection of the property.

Exterior

This information indicates the type of materials used in the exterior of the home. Improvements or upgrades to the exterior may require permits from the governing municipality. The property card would reflect these permits however; this information may not be recorded on the Realist Property Details Report or the Pinellas County Appraiser Report. The information in Realist report should be consistent with the information in the Pinellas County Property Appraiser Report and visual inspection of the property.

Year Built and Effective Year Built

If the public records reflect both a "Year Built" and an "Effective Year Built" it is an indication that a major change occurred to the property. The change could be the result of something adverse such as a fire or it could be the result of an extensive remodeling or expansion project.

# of Buildings

If there are multiple buildings on the property, it is important to note that the "TOTAL HEATED SQ FT" and "TOTAL SQ FT" fields will contain the sum total for all of the buildings. It should be noted in MLS Public Remarks Section how much of the total square footage and total heated square footage should be allocated to each building.