Calculating liveabe area on raised ranch

[VoiceOfReason]

I have a raised ranch where the lover level is considered a basement when no wall is below grade. The grades slopes to the rear. The house is on a pad that is raised in the rear so no wall is partially or otherwise submerged. The rooms downstairs have consistent standard height. I reviewd all sources that say if no part is below grade the area should be counted in square footage.

 

[KHS445]

Is it a raised ranch or a two story on a slab? How is the home laid out? Kitchen, living, bathrooms & bedrooms up and family room, laundry and utility down? Are the fit, finish and materials used consistent from one level to the other? Where does the main entry enter the house? What it is called is fairly immaterial, how does it function and what comparables are available? If there are truly fully and I mean fully exposed full height exterior walls all the way around the home, then both levels are generally included in the GLA calculation.

Depending on the market the real trick is going to be finding true comparables. If it is what I would consider a true raised ranch with the majority of the living/sleeping areas on the upper level and the family room, utility and laundry areas down, it is my experience that the overall value will be more similar to a traditional ranch with a finished basement and more specifically a walkout basement. Versus a more traditional two story home layout with kitchen, dining and living on the lower level and bedrooms up, regardless of whether it has a basement or not. Functionality is probably going to be one of the greatest areas of explanation regardless of what it is called and what comparables are used.

 

[Tru Red]

I have a raised ranch where the lover level is considered a basement when no wall is below grade. The grades slopes to the rear. The house is on a pad that is raised in the rear so no wall is partially or otherwise submerged. The rooms downstairs have consistent standard height. I reviewd all sources that say if no part is below grade the area should be counted in square footage.

I do not see a question here. So......OK.

 

[Mark K]

The rooms downstairs have consistent standard height. I reviewd all sources that say if no part is below grade the area should be counted in square footage.

Agreed. There are some appraisers that assert that, in your example, the lower level is still a basement, which makes no sense, but in your case its all living space.

Call it a two level and include all sf in the GLA.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

If below the level of dirt, it is not GLA regardless finish. Finish is not the sole factor in the determination of GLA. If 100% "above grade" then it is GLA. A picture would help.

FHA
d. Gross Living Area
i. Definition
Gross Living Area (GLA) refers to the total area of finished, above-grade residential
space calculated by measuring the outside perimeter of the Structure. It includes only
finished, habitable, above-grade living space.

 

[alebrewer]

Below is the ANSI standard. Hyperbole to be sure, but demonstration of what is considered above grade and what is considered below grade. If ANY portion of the level is below grade, the entire portion is below grade. IOW, not only the back wall has to be 'exposed', but the entire perimeter in order for it to be considered above grade GLA. That said, Fannie/Freddie do allow deviation, so long as the local market considers the space as living area, and so long as the appraiser is comparing apples to apples.

 

[sandpiperapp]

Very common here in New Yawk, but we call them hi ranches. The market area I service call it GLA all day, every day Many get caught up in definitions and guidance from the alphabet soup entities, when they should be concentrating on what the market says first, and then worry about explaining it to the alphabet entities.

 

[alebrewer]

Very common here in New Yawk, but we call them hi ranches. The market area I service call it GLA all day, every day Many get caught up in definitions and guidance from the alphabet soup entities, when they should be concentrating on what the market says first, and then worry about explaining it to the alphabet entities.

I don't disagree with that, except for the fact that the agencies, as well as HUD, have specific guidelines regarding above and below grade GLA. Just a good idea to be up to speed with guidelines, as well as what the market says...

 

[Marty Boone]

Alebrewer's post shows an excellent illustration for ANSI, I add the following information in my reports when I am dealing with splits, bi-levels and raised ranchers.

ABOVE AND BELOW GRADE FINISHED AREAS - AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD FOR SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SQUARE FOOTAGE-METHOD FOR CALCULATING: ANSI Z765-2003
The above-grade finished square footage of a house is the sum of finished areas on levels that are entirely above grade. The below grade finished square footage of a house is the sum of finished areas on levels that are wholly or partly below grade.

 

[Lee Lansford]

I have a raised ranch where the lover level is considered a basement when no wall is below grade. The grades slopes to the rear. The house is on a pad that is raised in the rear so no wall is partially or otherwise submerged. The rooms downstairs have consistent standard height. I reviewd all sources that say if no part is below grade the area should be counted in square footage.

If the lower-level is fully above-grade, it is GLA. But, I may be answering a question that you didn't ask?!?