Square footage/ bedroom count discrepancy

[Thuy Pham-Satrappe]

I've been running across a lot of discrepancies when it comes to square footage and number of bedrooms on properties I'm looking to buy in Indiana.

The MLS listing will have one thing, Zillow/realtor.com will have another and the local tax assessor's website might have yet another number (although sometimes the tax assessor matches with the non-MLS listing).

It seems that sometimes the extra bedroom and/or square footage listed on the MLS is the basement.

My question- when it comes to appraisals and refinancing, which number should I rely on/care about? It also dramatically impacts my numbers when calculating ARV and pulling up comps so I've been having that challenge with my calculations as well.

Please help! Thank you!

[Jaysen Medhurst]

@Thuy Pham-Satrappe, the city records are the authority here. If there is a discrepancy, tell the listing agent and request an explanation. You should be basing your comps on what is legally in the house.

I looked at MFR with an illegal 3rd unit in the basement once. When I mentioned to the listing agent that the unit clearly wasn't up to code and I was going to check the town records, she stammered something about "showing the potential of the property." The listing was changed the next day.

Don't be afraid to call out the B.S. and push the agents. Most people don't know the 1st thing about codes, legal bedrooms, what's included in livable space, etc. so agents use that ignorance to their advantage. If they are knowingly misrepresenting a property, they are putting their license at jeopardy. Feel free to remind them of that should they give you any guff.