Like any industry, real estate has it fare share of lingo. For homebuyers, especially first-time buyers, these terms can be confusing. We’ve assembled and defined commonly used words in this new homebuying glossary. If you’re still stumped by a term you don’t see here, feel free to contact an Empire sales representative or your real estate agent.
Amenities
Amenities are shared spaces such as pools, playgrounds, green spaces and common areas throughout the community. They are often built new, and can also include schools, sports facilities or walking trails that residents can enjoy. And depending on where you live, your location will offer unique amenities in and of itself.
Architectural Controls
In most communities there are architectural controls to ensure that real estate development happens efficiently and that communities are attractive places to live. Architectural controls typically define things like the size, look and feel of homes and how many of the same home can be built on each street to protect your investment.
Closing
Closing on a home is the last step in taking ownership. Your builder determines the closing date; it’s the day when you handle the paperwork, and the day you get your keys.
Elevations
Traditionally done through drawings called renderings, elevations are visualizations of a home, building or community created by an artist based on architectural blueprints, finishing options (like brick color) and landscape plans. They’re created to give everyone—from the construction team to a homebuyer—a feel for the finished product. Elevations are pre-determined in townhome communities.
Standard Features
Features are objects that are literally fixed (or attached) in the home, like flooring, lights, toilets, etc. Builders will provide a features sheet document to help homebuyers understand what’s included in their new home.
Floor Plans
Floor plans are layouts of rooms, floors and other environments created to show the size of spaces, like bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, as well as the location of doors, windows, staircases, balconies, etc. Sometimes builders will show floor plans with furniture to help homebuyers visualize how they might best use the space.
Inventory
Sometimes called move-in ready or spec by new homebuilders, inventory homes are houses that have already been constructed and are ready to sell and generally have quicker closing periods. Often, inventory homes become available because it’s more efficient and practical to build a home during a specific phase of construction.
Mixed-Use
Mixed-use is a term used to describe a real estate development that combines residential, commercial and institutional areas. A community that offers homes for sale, a retail storefront for lease and business offices is a typical example of mixed-use development.
Phases
Often, developers will plan, sell and execute the construction of residential communities in phases. In communities where a large number of homes will ultimately become available, phasing allows builders to get homebuyers into their new homes in a realistic timeframe. Oftentimes, builders will increase pricing as new phases are released; for this reason, buying early in the lifetime of a community can be a great benefit to buyers.
Homebuyer Orientation
Before you take possession of your new home, your builder will guide you through a comprehensive orientation and teach you how to operate the home’s ventilation, plumbing, and heating systems. At this time, we will also review your home warranty. This process is one of the many ways Empire protects homeowners who buy from us.