provided by: 
There’s a good reason real estate listings are often devoid of vowels and full of odd abbreviations and acronyms. They’re written with quite a few abbreviations to save space.
Case in point: an ad that says “Prvt 3bd, 2ba, fdr, ofc, wbfp, CAC” costs a lot less than “Private, three bedroom, two bathroom house with a formal dining room, office, wood-burning fireplace and central air conditioning.”
Use our translation guide to help decode the lingo:
- AC or A/C: air conditioning
- aek: all electric kitchen
- appls: appliances
- ba: bathroom
- br: bedroom
- 4/3: four bedrooms, three bathrooms (could also appear as 4B/3B, or as 4/3/2 for four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two-car garage)
- CA, CAC, CH and C/VAC: central air, central air conditioning, central heat and central vacuum
- cath ceil: cathedral ceiling
- c-d-s: cul de sac
- cp: carport
- d/d: dishwasher and garbage disposal unit
- det: detached
- dr/fdr: dining room, formal dining room
- DIY: do-it-yourselfer or fixer-upper
- eff kit: efficiency kitchen
- eh: house with ensuite
- eik: eat-in kitchen
- fag: forced air gas
- f/fin bsmt: fully finished basement
- fin w/o: finished walk-out
- fplc/fp or wbfp: fireplace, wood-burning fireplace
- FSBO: for sale by owner
- grmet kit: gourmet kitchen
- grt rm: great room
- hdwd or h/w: hardwood floors
- HUD: Department of Housing and Urban Development
- la: living area
- lr: living room
- neg: price is negotiable
- ofc: office
- oh: open house
- osp: off-street parking
- owc: owner will compromise
- pl, sp or s/p: swimming pool
prvt: private or secluded
- q pos: quick possession
- rf: roof
- sf: square feet
- smart: a computer controls the lights, appliances, heat, cooling and alarm
- spac: spacious
- w/d or wd: washer/dryer
- wic: walk-in closet
- vus: views
Published on January 11, 2007Read full article at realestate.com