number of bedrooms

What is the name of your state? IA


I live in a ranch that I am trying to sell that has three bedrooms on the main floor. Last year I built a bedroom, a bathroom, and a rec room in the basement with an legal egress window. The listing agent says that she cannot list it as a four bedroom house, but does list the bathroom. Why is this the case.

Thank you

[HomeGuru]

Originally posted by jrg9662
What is the name of your state? IA


I live in a ranch that I am trying to sell that has three bedrooms on the main floor. Last year I built a bedroom, a bathroom, and a rec room in the basement with an legal egress window. The listing agent says that she cannot list it as a four bedroom house, but does list the bathroom. Why is this the case.

Thank you

**A: why are you asking us? Didn't you ask your real estate agent? Maybe it has to do with an illegal addition due to no building permit. Is there a building permit and do the improvements conform to current building and zoning codes?

[Souix]

Originally posted by jrg9662
What is the name of your state? IA


I live in a ranch that I am trying to sell that has three bedrooms on the main floor. Last year I built a bedroom, a bathroom, and a rec room in the basement with an legal egress window. The listing agent says that she cannot list it as a four bedroom house, but does list the bathroom. Why is this the case.

Thank you

What did she say when you asked her?

[HomeGuru]

Maybe the writer and the real estate agent are not on speaking terms.

She said something about it having to do with rooms above ground.

The reason I ask is because I have seen other real estate agencies list rooms in the basement of a ranch in their listings.

I did use building permits when making the additions.

[gobonas99]

I don't know if this applies to Iowa, but I know that when my husband and I were looking at houses last year we ran into this issue. A couple houses that we looked at had bedrooms in the basement (with appropriate windows, so they legally be used as bedrooms). However, only 2 of the houses had this basement bedroom included in the number of bedrooms on the listing. We asked several realtors and one of the owners (it was a FSBO home). We were told that for ANY addition to be included in the number of bedrooms in the listing that it had to be done by a licensed contractor, and that the design style had to match that of the pre-existing house. I don't know if this is a law/zoning thing, but that is what we were told by several sources. So, if Iowa has a similar law/zoning thing, then that may be why your added bedroom cannot be included in the listing. :-)

[Souix]

To original writer: That seems strange to me. In Oregon we cannot include an unfinished basement in the square footage, but if the basement is finished and permitted then we can list it in the listing. Our MLS forms even have spaces for upper and lower bedrooms. I have a listing now that has 2 bedrooms in the basement and I have put them in the listing. Can you get a second opinion from another Realtor?

[HomeGuru]

Writer, please ask your agent and post her response.

thanks for all the responses.

I talked to another real estate agent and they said the same thing. That it can not be listed because it is below ground. It can be listed as a three plus house though. Seems stupid to me that you can put all that work into a house and go through the legal process of getting permits and can't list it. But I guess I will have to accept it.

I found out that it does show that it has four bedrooms in the listing that real estate agents see, but on the web it shows no indication at all that there is a fourth bedroom.

thanks again for the responses.

[HomeGuru]

Originally posted by jrg9662
thanks for all the responses.

I talked to another real estate agent and they said the same thing. That it can not be listed because it is below ground. It can be listed as a three plus house though. Seems stupid to me that you can put all that work into a house and go through the legal process of getting permits and can't list it. But I guess I will have to accept it.

I found out that it does show that it has four bedrooms in the listing that real estate agents see, but on the web it shows no indication at all that there is a fourth bedroom.

thanks again for the responses.

**A: I am not satisfied with their response. What exactly does that "below ground" mean? Is it a zoning or building code issue? A health department issue? A seller disclosure issue? A real estate listing and/or appraisal issue? An MLS issue? I can find no real estate law that restricts listing and selling a home with a basement below ground. I would think there should be more value to a home with a bomb shelter. What is the exact reasoning?

[Souix]

Until you find out why, can you ask the agent to put something in the remarks that show on the web that there is a fourth bedrooms in the basement? It would seem to me that having a finished basement is more valuable than not.

[HomeGuru]

Where is the writer? Underground?