Rowhome = Townhouse?

[David Bodtcher]

Anyone know the difference between a rowhome and a townhouse?

what is the definition of a rowhome, and the definition of a townhouse and what is used to determine the difference.

(my understanding is that they both are attached, 2 story dwellings)

 

[Randy Beigh]

David

I looked in a couple of dictionaries. They are, essentially, the same.

The rowhouse is an eastern term with the townhouse a western term. They can be 1, 2, or 3 stories tall. The only difference, according to the "Houses" book by Henry Harrison is that townhouses have unique front for each of the units.

The book is from 1973 and I'm guessing the terms are co-mingled now.

 

[David Bodtcher]

Great, thanks Randy!

 

[Rick Neighbors]

Randy ( or anybody interested),

Have you ever appraised a "townhouse"?

I have been asked to appraise what appears to be half of a duplex, but they are being listed as condos, each side individually owned. They are calling them townhouses, but I think it would be more appropriate to call them condos. Pretty much zero lot lines, "yards" are about 6 feet wide around each home. Nice quality.

These are unique to the small town that they are located in, won't be but a couple of comps available. I will probably have to draw on some surrounding larger communities for data.

Know of any good reading available for this type of assignment? I have explained to the lender that this will be a first for me. They are good clients, they said it would be a first for them also.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Randy Beigh]

Rick

My thinking is that a townhouse is a style while condo is type of ownership.

What does your legal say? Follow that. What does the owner own? If they own and undivided 50% of the whole then it will be a condo. If they own the lot, it could be zero lot line.

Start with the legal.

The sales used as comparables will depend on the answers to the questions.

I'm sure there are books, but don't really know which ones to get. You might go the AI website or to Form and Worms. Both put out a lot of good books.

 

[Desiree Mehbod]

Originally posted by David Bodtcher@Sep 9 2004, 02:58 PM
Anyone know the difference between a rowhome and a townhouse?

what is the definition of a rowhome, and the definition of a townhouse and what is used to determine the difference.

(my understanding is that they both are attached, 2 story dwellings)

David,

Randy is right. A rowhouse or a townhouse are synonyms. In Washington DC (and Baltimore I think), we use the term rowhouse while in the suburbs of VA and MD, we use the term townhouse. Also, rowhouses/townhouses can have more than 2 levels.

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

Funny thing, about those townhomes and rowhomes!

A few years ago, when reassignments were the thing going, I did an appraisal on a townhome. The appraisal was reassigned and the new lender asked me to change the term to "rowhome". Then it was reassigned again and the newest lender wanted it changed to "townhome" because, he said, rowhomes were harder to finance!

Whatever it was, I collected the appraisal fee, plus $150 to change the term to rowhome, then another $150 to change it back to townhome! The joke was on them!