Basement or not? Another ANSI conundrum. Visuals included.....

[NJ Valuator]

Bilevel house. Grading was built up in front for a covered patio. From a side view, it is the slightest of incline.

Rear and other side of house are completing at grade on slab like the garage.

In your opinion, should the ground level be recognized as a basement? Would you consider this to be a 1 story house with basement or 2 story house on slab?

 

[Joe Flacco]

That is definitely a basement.

 

[KHS445]

It is a bi-level/split entry with a portion of the lower level below grade. Technically the lower level is a basement with some finished areas and a built-in garage. I am not code enforcement, but it appears the lower level windows in the front and on the right side are too high off the floor for those rooms to be considered a legal bedroom per most area’s building code and the opening may not be large enough.

The easiest thing to do would be to find bi-level and tri-level comparables. I know easier said than done. You may also be able to find a ranch or two with partially finished basements.

 

[Surf Cat]

I'm with the others. If it's partially below grade, it can't be counted as GLA. That being said, hopefully you have a couple of comparables that are split level like the subject. This way, you'll find out if the below grade portions are valued similar to GLA.

 

[Trihard]

https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/media/30266/display

Q18. Fannie Mae requires any area that is partially or wholly below grade to be counted as basement; what defines ‘partially’ below grade? A floor level is partially or wholly below grade if any portion of its walls is not entirely at or above ground level.

 

[Dublin ohio]

Would you consider this to be a 1 story house with basement or 2 story house on slab?

Everytime I see the above. It reminds me of back in the day when they would call it a 2 story on a slab and compare it to actual 2 story home on a basement and make minimal basement adjustments to hit the number

 

[andrew81]

Can not view the attachments. @Head Surfer

From the description of the other replies, I agree. Basement

 

[residentialguy]

It's a basement. It functions like any other basement.

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

Can not view the attachments. @Head Surfer

From the description of the other replies, I agree. Basement

It's one of those "split-foyer" deals. Be happy you can't see it. But yes, basement.

 

[L J Fell]

Bilevel house. Grading was built up in front for a covered patio. From a side view, it is the slightest of incline.

Rear and other side of house are completing at grade on slab like the garage.

In your opinion, should the ground level be recognized as a basement? Would you consider this to be a 1 story house with basement or 2 story house on slab?

If that's a common style in the area and your comps are similar, then handle them all the same way and explain why you chose that method. Before I had to retire (a long time ago now) because of a disability, I was a review appraiser at an AMC and as long as it was all explained everything was OK. If you have to use different styles then lean heavily on comments and use at least 4 comps. A dated one of similar style, etc. At the risk of sounding like an 8th-grade math teacher, make sure you show your work.