What's in a word? When it comes to real estate, some words that seem simple can actually be a little tricky. Two to look at are bedroom and oceanfront. Getting these right should be a key for a real estate agent - we want to be truthful in our advertising; we also do not want to deceive a buyer into thinking she is getting something she isn't - that can lead to mistrust and a lost relationship. It's also important for buyers and sellers to pay attention to these words and decide if they are being used accurately.
What is a bedroom? On the face of it, that seems like a straightforward question, however, when it comes to real estate, the answer is not always as simple as it seems. There are no hard and fast definitions, but generally most local real estate agents use the same definition as the county - it has to have a closet. This goes back to the tie-in between the health codes, septic systems and bedrooms. Mainly, the septic has to be big enough to accommodate the number of bedrooms in a home. Of course, we've all been in rooms that look like bedrooms but do not have a closet; some families will turn any possible space into a sleeping area in order to house a growing family! Truth in advertising pushes us Realtors(R) to be as accurate as possible. If a room does not have a closet, we are likely to call it a den or an office or something like that. Generally, we do not want to bring in a buyer who thinks they are getting three distinct bedrooms when in fact they are getting two and an office; that's going to hurt the relationship between the agent and the buyer.
There is an exception to the closet "rule." In older homes - and dating this is not easy either - bedrooms did not include closets. In times past people used armoires to store clothing, not closets. So in older homes there are rooms at are fairly obviously bedrooms but that do not actually contain a closet. In Mendocino one sees this quite a bit - a lot of the homes were built in the 1800's and the bedrooms are just four walls, a door and a window. In this instance, most agents find it acceptable to call these bedrooms despite the lack of a closet.
Ocean front seems to be another term that gets played a little loosely. Most agents agree that if you own the land up to the ocean - beach or cilff - then it is ocean front. Yet there have been instances where there is a strip of land between the home and the ocean that is owned by another entity - private or public - and still they have been called ocean front. In Fort Bragg, there is the haul road that runs between many homes (and businesses), separating the property from the ocean. There is no way the view will ever be blocked, yet these homes don't actually own land fronting the ocean itself. In these instances, the more appropriate definition would be "ocean view."
The exception here seems to be easements - if there is a trail easement along the ocean bluff, for instance, the property is still considered to be ocean front as the land is still owned by the property owners, it's just owned subject to the trail easement.
What all of this means to buyers and sellers is to pay attention and think about what it is you are trying to convey. Buyer beware, as usual - if the property description in the MLS or elsewhere says "three bedroom," take the time to make sure there really are three bedrooms - or if there aren't actually three rooms with closets, will the extra room serve your needs? Sellers should be cautious about retaining the trust of potential buyers - someone who comes to look at a three bedroom home but only finds two is likely to have a couple of different reactions - one might simply be annoyance or disgust and they will walk away without considering making an offer; another might be to make an offer, but at a price lower than asking to account for the lack of the third bedroom. The same goes for ocean front vs. ocean view - only here the value can be significantly different. Hopefully, the agent you've decided to work with, whether you are buying or selling, can help provide guidance to keep the descriptions accurate. If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me - 707-937-9216 or anne@annefashauer.com.