Special offer
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041, Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ  (ReMax Realtec Group)

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Rainmaker
2,390,010
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Even in this litigious society I have never heard a complaint or lawsuit about this measurement Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 

Dec 19, 2019 05:51 AM
Rainmaker
1,844,171
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Seriously? 

Someone could sue because you do or do not have blue eyes.

Dec 19, 2019 05:37 AM
Rainmaker
5,104,806
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Not sure what a survey has to do with a floor plan. I can understand a discrepancy with how an appraiser measures. My homes are professionally measured and measured to the ANSI standards as required by my MLS and State. After 20+ years there's never been a whisper of an issue as to inaccurate numbers.

Dec 19, 2019 06:09 AM
Rainmaker
4,571,456
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

A few years ago, I wrote an ActiveRain post about a fast food company controversy that dealt with "size":  What Can We Learn From Subway? Or When A Foot Does Not Equal 12 Inches

Dec 19, 2019 06:51 AM
Ambassador
2,060,946
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

My association doesn't compel me to include measurements.  My board, however, does. And the disclaimer should hold up in court as long as some care is taken with your measurements.

Builders measure from the "outside" walls, and Realtors® measure from the inside walls, and I've never heard of a case where that's been litigated.

Dec 19, 2019 06:37 AM
Rainmaker
3,416,038
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

When it is a subway sandwich.... I use the standard measure on the plot plan when it comes to land. 

Dec 19, 2019 06:25 AM
Rainmaker
4,881,462
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

Allways be ethical, competent, have have good E&O insurance.

Dec 19, 2019 08:21 AM
Ambassador
3,125,255
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

We are not required to submit size of rooms, garage space, etc. An owner can check a box on how the size of home was determined...Appraiser, County Records or Building Plans on the Seller Property Condition Disclosure. It is also part of the buyer's due diligence to determine and some even bring their own measuring tape.

Dec 19, 2019 07:43 AM
Rainmaker
2,781,013
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

When a "foot" reaches beyond its scope of creation it enters into the mouth

Dec 19, 2019 07:11 AM
Rainmaker
469,510
Dan & Laurie Pittsenbarger Team
Keller Williams Western Realty - Bellingham, WA
Lakeside & Coastal Single Family Homes

That's why our MLS does not include any room dimensions or agent measured anything in our listings. I'm not saying I agree but there's too much liability for our members to be willing to have such data accurately gathered and input by agents for their listings.

Dec 19, 2019 06:54 AM
Rainmaker
1,239,801
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

As also a licensed prof engr. my seal on the structure design drawing is the default official property size entered on permit record. An appraiser can do his measurements enter a different value. Odd geometry home will have different values.

Dec 19, 2019 06:07 AM
Ambassador
3,344,906
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

We do not include measurements in our MLS.  

I imagine there is an industry-standard of measurement used and accepted. 

Dec 19, 2019 08:58 AM
Rainmaker
617,935
David Gibson CNE, 719-304-4684 ~ Colorado Springs Relocation
Colorado Real Estate Advisers LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Relocation, Luxury & Lifestyle residential

My dad was a county land surveyor for 30 years. I’ve heard of rods and chains but never an International foot.

Since our MLS requires us to round down I’m not too worried about being sued.

Dec 19, 2019 07:02 AM
Rainer
509,449
Susie Kay
Ultra Real Estate Dallas Fort Worth - Plano, TX
North Dallas Specialist

I just use square footage based on tax record and put it in the mls as such.  If they want to confirm, they can go to the county website or call the county.

Dec 19, 2019 10:08 AM
Rainmaker
1,543,225
Thomas J. Nelson, REALTOR ® e-Pro CRS RCS-D Vets
Big Block Realty 858.232.8722 - La Jolla, CA
CEO of Vision Drive Realty - Coastal San Diego

Has never been an issue I've encountered or even heard of; I suppose then,

a foot is a foot when you work in America's Finest City, CA.

Dec 19, 2019 09:28 AM
Ambassador
4,691,993
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Hmm, I did not know this and I don't think we are required to measure our listings for the MLS.  We can provide room sizes, but I don't always do that unless they seem to look small and I want to tout their actual larger size.

Dec 19, 2019 09:27 AM
Rainmaker
679,404
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

In our MLS it is common that when you measure that you round up or down for your measurements.  EG:  5 ft 9 inches is rounded up to 6 ft

Dec 19, 2019 09:20 AM
Rainmaker
1,502,848
Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA
https://HugginsHomes.com - Thousand Oaks, CA
Residential Real Estate and Investment Properties

I was not aware of the difference in feet, or there being two kinds.  One of the local area boards (San Fernando, now known as Southland Regional) used to require room measurements.  The agents banded together with lawyers and made them remove that requirement (via a lawsuit, if memory serves).  That was also 15-20 years or more ago (I think).  I'd probably put in 0 for the measurements... after consulting with my lawyer.

Dec 19, 2019 09:10 AM
Rainmaker
7,834,939
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

In our area, measurements are not usually included. We us the square footage shown in the tax records.

Dec 19, 2019 11:50 AM
Rainmaker
711,752
Lynnea Miller
Bend Premier Real Estate - Bend, OR
Premier Real Estate Service in Central Oregon

We do not measure homes in our market. Is this an optional thing with your mls? If so, I wouldn't take measurements and would suggest if the records from the county on the square footage are not sufficient, a client hire an appraiser to come up with an acceptable number.

Dec 19, 2019 10:30 AM
Rainmaker
2,182,502
Michael J. Perry
KW Elite - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

Back in the Day , very few had Size 12's !!!!!!!!!

Dec 19, 2019 10:20 AM
Ambassador
5,228,997
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

The appraiser uses the same measuring tool as we do to measure the improvement on the property.

The surveyor does his own thing to measure the boundaries of the property and it is certainly not something I ever attempt to measure. 

Thankfully, the two don't intermingle!

Dec 19, 2019 10:16 AM
Ambassador
6,392,879
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Sounds like fake news to me, where did you pick up this story?

As a Forester I have taken many surveying classes in college, this was never an issue.

Dec 19, 2019 02:23 PM
Rainmaker
5,215,388
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

The easy way is to quote Alan May:

Builders measure from the "outside" walls, and Realtors® measure from the inside walls, and I've never heard of a case where that's been litigated. 

Dec 19, 2019 11:59 AM
Rainmaker
1,196,588
Doug Dawes
Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA - Topsfield, MA
Your Personal Realtor®

The only figures I use are those that are public record

Dec 19, 2019 04:05 PM
Ambassador
2,178,433
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

We were advised long ago not to state square footage other than that "per assessor".

Dec 19, 2019 02:19 PM
Rainmaker
5,583,278
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

I never measured anything..... with new homes, I rely fully on the architectural drawings.... or if the architect does the floor plan with only the sq.ft of each room, I'll have him label the sheet "For Conceptual" purposes....

with resales, I never provided dimensions....if the potential buyer wants to measure interior room sizes, he can do it himself....

Dec 19, 2019 01:43 PM
Rainmaker
5,868,372
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

OK

Dec 22, 2019 08:28 AM
Rainmaker
4,935,551
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Interesting point

Dec 20, 2019 01:27 PM
Rainmaker
536,943
Rose Mary Justice
Synergy Realty Pros - Dandridge, TN
Synergy Realty Pros

I agree on the attorney message. I can see it rising popularity on late night tv.

Dec 19, 2019 08:57 PM
Rainmaker
1,310,972
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

We mostly take house living area size from public records. We have a standard advisory for buyers that says - among many other things - that, if the living space of the house is a material matter to you, hire a professional to measure it.

Dec 19, 2019 06:01 PM
Rainmaker
763,783
Tony Lewis
Summit Real Estate Group - Valencia, CA
Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo

When it at the bottom of the stairs.

Dec 19, 2019 04:26 PM