ANSI issue with new home

[sailorboy]

My attention & eyes would not be as good as yours on this one. Are you sure that's what you saw. So ansi tech, if 30 sq ft of that floor is below the back grade, then you have a 30 fq foot fin basement or a 400 sq ft fin basement, or no basement. Which situation would be accepted by most civilians in the area. But then, i do not like ansi. New had an issue thinking not basement. Did you take a picture of the back side, gotta love the underwriter who asks you why is that basement above ground, and not GLA. Please verify.

Yes I am sure, even went back out to measure and it runs from less than 3" to 1.77' for 20' of a 64' back length. I have also been dealing with the underwriter and told them I was going to use exception rule. After reading TerryRohrer, he is right. The sketch he shows is exactly what I am dealing with where a small portion is below grade so the entire level has to be shown as below grade. I will have to use all above grade comps because the market recognizes this as an above grade space and NOT basement. Large adjustments for square footages and room counts that cancel each other out. I see no way around this. It will be confusing but what FNMA wants, have to follow ANSI as ridiculous as it is. Tried to upload a photo here but it was too large.

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[Terrel L. Shields]

I believe there is a one foot exception. Anything less can be counted as "on grade" - keeps sunken living rooms from being called "basement"

 

[TerryRohrer]

I believe there is a one foot exception. Anything less can be counted as "on grade" - keeps sunken living rooms from being called "basement"

Did you make that up on the fly, or ruminate on it a while? Citation?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Did you make that up on the fly, or ruminate on it a while? Citation?

ANSI
2.4 Grade The ground level at the perimeter of the exterior finished surface of a house.
2.5 Level Areas of the house that are vertically within 2 ft. of the same horizontal plane.

 

[TerryRohrer]

ANSI
2.4 Grade The ground level at the perimeter of the exterior finished surface of a house.
2.5 Level Areas of the house that are vertically within 2 ft. of the same horizontal plane.

Exactly nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

 

[TerryRohrer]

Yes I am sure, even went back out to measure and it runs from less than 3" to 1.77' for 20' of a 64' back length. I have also been dealing with the underwriter and told them I was going to use exception rule. After reading TerryRohrer, he is right. The sketch he shows is exactly what I am dealing with where a small portion is below grade so the entire level has to be shown as below grade. I will have to use all above grade comps because the market recognizes this as an above grade space and NOT basement. Large adjustments for square footages and room counts that cancel each other out. I see no way around this. It will be confusing but what FNMA wants, have to follow ANSI as ridiculous as it is. Tried to upload a photo here but it was too large.

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I would make the front page of my report an Addendum page, summarize the issue and your resolution, and move on. That would be my only commentary on the matter. They don't tell you how to adjust, so I would simply say what the market recognizes as GLA is reported as basement due to ANSI and FNMA requirements, but is valued as the market does, as GLA.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Exactly nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

And how do you interpret it?

 

[TerryRohrer]

And how do you interpret it?

The actual definition of a level is, "Areas of the house that are vertically within 2 ft. of the same horizontal plane."
There is no interpretation needed with a statement that clear and succinct. If you have two levels within the house that are within 2 feet of one another, they are reported as being the same level. So the suggestions for carving out part of a single level and calling it another level are crap advice.

 

[The Bob]

And how do you interpret it?

There talking about a house where you have 2 levels that are 2' or less in height difference. I've seen a few like that. Typically a split level with one or two steps up to another level.

 

[The Bob]

This is from my house. Looking from my office into our game room.