basement? and one story or 2 story?

[Vermonter]

Whatever you call it, it's one of the worst dwelling designs ever devised.

Grew up in one and completely agree. People love them here. I do more new construction split foyers than all other styles combined.

The only good thing is they're easy to measure and you pretty much know where everything is prior to stepping inside.

 

[sputnam]

The only good thing is they're easy to measure and you pretty much know where everything is prior to stepping inside.

That is true.

 

[imjiminnh]

Split entry foyer raised ranch to be specific. There is provision for including basement areas in GLA, you have to if its an earth berm home or else you'd have a 0/0/0 room count with 0 GLA, dang hard to adjust. There's also an area in NH where ski chalets on steeply sloped ledgy lots are common, some have all bedrooms below grade in the walkout basement, I've included the area in GLA so as to not have a 0 BR home, and used similar and dissimilar comps to extract the market reaction to design/functional utility, all properly disclosed and disclaimed of course.

In the case of the OP, clearly a split with finished basement, and why do they want to include the basement in GLA, seems like it'd be better just to use similar ranch comps.

 

[residentialguy]

Split entry foyer raised ranch to be specific.

A Raised ranch has exterior steps that lead to the main level. (a ranch that is raised up). A split foyer/entry does not enter on the main level....it has it's own entrance level 1/2 half way between the upper level and lower level, with 1/2 stairs going up and 1/2 flight going down. OP's house is a split foyer/entry/bi-level.

 

[RSW]

Good Morning!

I'm working on REO that somebody is buying-FHA. You walk in and go down the steps to the lower level or up the stairs to upper level. Before we got to the property, I had thought it was 2 story. The tax record and MLS show it as a two story property. The lower level is equal in quality to the upper level. Most of the front of the house is 1.5 feet below grass level, sides and rear are above grass level with carport attached to the back lower level. There are windows on all sides of the lower level. However, I'm not sure to count this lower level as basement finished or include it in the GLA and call it a 2 story house. I just read through the 4150.2 again and didn't see how to count this.....I'm pretty sure that somewhere there is something FHA that says that if any part of the lower level is below grass/ground level to count it as below grade basement not GLA. Which means I would need to count and comp. it as one story with basement-not as a two story BUT I'm not finding this now right now. help?

It is not uncommon to see this here in the Knoxville area. There is a subdivision off of Ebenezer Rd where there are split foyer above grade homes and split foyer below grade homes. I have appraised several of both styles in that subdivision over the years. The market reaction is the same. Both styles are treaded as one story with a basement.

 

[imjiminnh]

RG,
I disagree, whether a home has exterior stairs does not preclude the fact that the foundation sill plate is substantially above grade (raised), additionally, the OP states that the basement level was only 1' below grade with a split entry foyer, you'd have to go up (exterior stairs) before you could go down, so its technically a split entry foyer raised ranch, that said, I'd identify it as a "ranch" in the report so as not to confuse the lender, because only we appraiser geeks care about style sub types!

Have a nice day all! Ticks have emerged for the summer up here in the northeast btw, be careful out there!

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Split entry bilevel. Lower level is considered below grade and therefore basement. Thousands of them IN MY MARKET. Inexpensive to build. Lower level bedrooms cool in summer.

 

[residentialguy]

RG,
I disagree, whether a home has exterior stairs does not preclude the fact that the foundation sill plate is substantially above grade (raised), additionally, the OP states that the basement level was only 1' below grade with a split entry foyer, you'd have to go up (exterior stairs) before you could go down, so its technically a split entry foyer raised ranch, that said, I'd identify it as a "ranch" in the report so as not to confuse the lender, because only we appraiser geeks care about style sub types!

Have a nice day all! Ticks have emerged for the summer up here in the northeast btw, be careful out there!

A ranch, whether or not it is raised, the door walks into the main level and a full flight of stairs to the lower level. If the foyer is split with it's own level in the entrance, then it can NOT be a ranch. A raised ranch is just a ranch that sits higher in the ground. (hench a ranch that is raised up - "raised ranch"). When the foyer splits, then it's a split foyer. That's how they get their names.

This is a raised ranch




This is a split entry/foyer/bi-level




This is a raised ranch




This is a split entry/foyer/bi-level

 

[Michigan CG]

A ranch, whether or not it is raised, the door walks into the main level and a full flight of stairs to the lower level. If the foyer is split with it's own level in the entrance, then it can NOT be a ranch. A raised ranch is just a ranch that sits higher in the ground. (hench a ranch that is raised up - "raised ranch"). When the foyer splits, then it's a split foyer. That's how they get their names.

This is a raised ranch..........

That is a ranch with a walk-out basement in my markets.

This is a national forum and people in different parts of the country call thing differently. Trust me, I have appraised residential properties in five states.

This is a split foyer

That is what I would call it.

This is a raised ranch

That is a ranch with a built in basement in my markets.

This is a split entry/foyer/bi-level

That is what I would call it.

A raised ranch looks like this, in my market:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8814-Mikado-Dr-Newport-MI-48166/2113983620_zpid/

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Ok, riddle me this, Capn Crunch. Can you use a rancher with finished basement as a comp for a bilevel?