Real Estate Abbreviations

Some first time home buyers may think that real estate agents communicate in another language as the number of abbreviations commonly utilized in real estate dealings does tend to be extreme. However, all of these abbreviations are indeed in the English language and it serves neophyte buyers to familiarize themselves with the exact meanings of all these arcane alphabet soup abbreviations. Keep in mind that some of these abbreviations can vary from area to area so unfortunately they are not standardized.

A

A.K.A.

Also Known As, as in the case where a horizontal duplex could be also known as a semi-detached.

APS

The Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

Apt

Apartment, an individual residential unit as part of a multi-unit structure.

Att

Attached, as an attached garage.

B

B/I

Built-in, a term to indicate that a fixture or appliance is set into the structure itself.

B/I/DW

A Built-In Dishwasher.

Brdlm

Indicating installed wall to wall carpet or broadloom.

Bsbrd

Baseboard, as in baseboard heating units.

Bsmt

The Basement of a structure.

C

CAC

Central Air Conditioning, also expressed as C/A.

CCA

The Capital Cost Allowance is the total amount allowed by Revenue Canada to be deducted from income taxes as an expenditure by an owner of a property that produces income

CMHC

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a Crown corporation which insures Canadian residential mortgage loans, protecting lenders against borrower defaults on mortgages where the down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price.

CPT

Carpet, but it can also refer to a Carport.

Cvac

A centralized vacuum cleaner system.

D

Desig

A Designation that the property has heritage value and relevant restrictions.

DOM

Days On Market, or the number of days since the listing was first entered into the MLS system or launched as an exclusive listing.

DR

Dining Room

E

ELFs

Electrical Lighting Fixtures which specifies strictly permanently attached lighting and does not include any plug in portable lamps.

ELV

Elevator.

Exp

Expired, to indicate a listing that is expired and no longer valid.

F

FAG

Forced Air Gas as relates to a furnace or an entire heating system.

Fin

Finished as in a basement or attic which has been completed for habitation with wall, ceiling and floor treatments.

FP

Fireplace, sometimes also abbreviated to Fpl.

FRBO

For Rent By Owner

FSBO

For Sale By Owner

FXR

Fixer Upper, or a property which requires significant renovations.

G

Gdo

Garage Door Opener also known as a GdoR, which is a remote unit garage door opener.

GB&E

Gas Burner & Equipment, a term to indicate a furnace of a heating system which functions on gas.

GDSR

The Gross Debt Service Ratio is the percentage of the total gross income which represents the maximum funding that a mortgage borrower is permitted to pay yearly in P.I.T. If after analysis of the borrower financial standing the determination is made that they are allowed to contribute $350 out of their $1,000 of gross income it is thus referred to as a percentage: P.I.T. up to 35% of gross income.

H

HE

High Efficiency as applied to various HVAC units for heating and cooling. Also known as Hi-Eff.

HVAC

Heating Venting and Air Conditioning, which is a term generally applied to the entire climate control installation of a structure.

I

I/G

Inground as in a swimming pool, lap pool, or hot tub which is set into the grade of the land.

Incl

Included as in the case when a particular fixture which could be removed, is left in the property as part of the purchase price.

Insp

Inspection as in the case of a home inspection or an inspection report.

Irr

Irregular, indicating a lot shape which is not close to rectangular. Also referred to as Irreg.

J

Jr

Junior, as in the case of a junior bedroom which is usually only suitable for a single bed.

K

Kit

Kitchen

L

L/A

A Listing Agent of a real estate property, and also known as L.A.

LB

Lockbox which is the secure container which real estate agents place the keys to a property, operable usually through a combination lock. Also referred to as Lbx.

LBO

Listing Broker Office, which is an abbreviation to indicate the main local office of the real estate company.

Lux

Luxury, usually applied in the sense of high end properties such as opulent condos and villa type residences.

Lvl

Level or storey of a structure.

LVR

Loan To Value Ratio is the total amount of a mortgage lien expressed as a percentage of the appraised value of a property. For example, if there is a loan of $200,000 to purchase a house worth $250,000, the LVR is $200,000/$250,000 or 80%. Also known as LTV for Loan To Value.

M

Mbr

Master Bedroom, which is generally the largest bedroom in the structure and often benefits from an en-suite bathroom.

Micro

Microwave oven on the property.

MnFlr

Main Floor of a structure, also expressed as Mn, MnFl, M/F, or Mn Floor.

Msrmnts

Measurements.

N

Nr

Near

O

O/Looks

Overlooks, as in a case where the living room overlooks the patio.

OWN

Owner Financing, or a form of creative financing such as a vendor take back mortgage which is extended directly by the seller.

P

PC

Piece, as in the number of pieces which are in a bathroom.

P.I.T

Principal, Interest, and Property tax which is a common expression to indicate the total amount of basic costs a homeowner confronts. If it includes insurance, it is then expressed as PITI.

Pvt

Private, as in a backyard that offers a degree of privacy.

REA

Real Estate Agent or Realtor

Q

Qlty

Quality, to establish that the particular fixture or feature is of extraordinary quality above the usual standard for similar homes.

R

Rec

Recreation as in a recreation room. Also expressed as Rec Room or Rec Rm.

Res

Residence to indicate a single family unit but also used in the case of Residential as in the case when a property is Zoned Residential.

R/I

Rough-In as in the cases where the space for a future fireplace or dishwasher is set into the wall structures but the unit itself has not yet been installed.

S

SAT

Satellite Dish system installed on the property.

Sds

Sides as in sides on a park, or ravine, or school.

Sec

Security, and can refer to a multitude of features including an onsite installed security alarm system that may or may not be monitored, or an existing contract with a private security firm, or in the cases of condominiums and commercial properties it can refer to 24 hour a day onsite guards.

Sep

Separate as in a separate living room and dining room, or a separate kitchen and breakfast area.

Sky

Skylights in the roof of a property.

Sgwo

Sliding Glass Door Walkout.

SPIS

Seller Property Information Statement

Splt

Split Level or a structure which has stories which are offset at half height to each other.

Sqft

Square Feet, and you may also encounter Sqm for square metre.

Stv

Stove, which generally indicates a single unit kitchen range.

Sys

System, as in a security system or an air conditioning system. 

T

TBA

To Be Announced or Arranged as the possession date is negotiable or not yet firmly established.

TDSR

The Total Debt Service Ratio is the percentage of their gross income which constitutes the maximal amount that a borrower is allowed to pay in P.I.T. yearly on all of their debts combined.

TLC

Tender Loving Care, as in the case when a particular property has been neglected and requires some minor renovations.

U

UFFI

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation.

Upgr

Upgraded, usually applied in the sense of a particular fixture or feature being fitted to the property that is above the usual standard for similar homes, such as upgraded cabinets or carpets.

V

Vyl

Vinyl, usually indicating a type of floorcovering.

W

W

With as in the case when a property comes with all the standard appliances.

Wdstv

Woodstove, or any form of vented, enclosed metal wood burning stove.

Win

Window as in the case of window coverings.

w/d

Washer and dryer on the premises.

W/I

Walk-In as in the case of a large closet which is referred to as a Walk-In closet.

W/L

Where Laid, which indicates that there is wall to wall carpeting or broadloom existing only in specific parts of the structure.

W/O

Walk-Out as in a basement apartment which walks out to a level ground entry.

X

Xtra

Extra or additional fixture or feature.

Y

Yr

Year, and sometimes expressed as Yrly for yearly, or annual.

Z

ZLT

Zero Lot Line, which indicates a specific form of municipal zoning regulation allowing particular properties to place structures right up to the line separating it from the adjoining property.