BUYER RESOURCES MENU WORKING WITH A PROFESSIONAL STARTING THE BUYING PROCESS RENTING VS. BUYING CHOOSING A COMMUNITY PROPERTY TAXES UNDERSTANDING LISTINGS HOME HUNTING TIPS APPRAISALS, INSPECTIONS, LEGAL,    INSURANCE MAKING AN OFFER CLOSING PROCEDURES AND MOVING

UNDERSTANDING LISTINGS

If I'm moving a considerable distance, is there any way I can screen homes before I start traveling?

Yes. Today's Multiple Listing Services (MLS) � which include as much as 90 percent of the homes listed in any given community � have made it relatively easy for buyers to access detailed information on homes for sale practically anywhere in the country.

ERA Real Estate has taken the MLS concept into the next generation with ERA.com, our Web site, which features over 50,000 domestic listings. It's a powerful way for buyers to find the perfect home. The site also includes ERA® International listings, allowing interested buyers to expand their search to other countries without ever leaving their home.

BUYING TIP

Pay attention to the original listing date of the homes you look at. Sellers tend to be more flexible the longer the house is on the market.

Real estate listings and ads seem to have a language all their own. What do all those abbreviations mean?

Abbreviations are a necessity in real estate advertising because so much information must be communicated in so little space. Some common abbreviations and their meanings:

ba	bath		gmt kitchen	gourmet kitchen
blt	built-in		ingrd pool	inground pool
br	bedroom		lr	living room
brk	brick		mk	modern kitchen
bkporch	back porch		meik	modern eat-in kitchen
bldrs redo	builder's rennovation		mstr	master bedroom/suite
dr	dining room		mtg	mortgage
dk	deck		pvcy fence	privacy fence
fdr	formal dining room		sec sys	security system
fha/va	qualifies for FHA/VA financing		scrnd porch	screened porch
fin ll	finished lower level		th	townhouse
fpl	fireplace		txs	taxes
fml	formal		u/g sprk	underground sprinkler system
fr	family room		w/o	walk-out
frog	finished room over garage		wbs	wood-burning stove
fsbo	for sale by owner		yd	yard

If you run across any other abbreviations or terms you don't understand, don't be embarrassed - after all, you don't buy a home every day. For further assistance with real estate terms or abbreviations, simply contact a local ERA® office; they'll be happy to "translate" for you.