With the costs of homes and interest rates plummeting to record lows, many people are in the market in search of the perfect home to move into. But when it comes to clever marketing techniques, real estate ads are notorious for hiding 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 definitely a „buyer beware“ situation when it involves certain words in the listing. Find out how to decipher messages 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 attractive lingo of real estate adjectives fool you 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 some of the most common tip-offs that the ad you are 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“ means that the home is old (duh!) and has a lot of outdated features, but there may be a lot of value in the property, once you renovate it, of course.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 need to be totally 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“ is a good indicator that the house is on the location of a future development project.

The images of a real estate ad can also reveal a lot about the house, not by what you can see, however by what’s missing. Here are some examples:

-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 probably 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.

Another great article by Ronnie McKenzie Real Estate, North Country Rl Est Inc