What do all of those real estate acronyms in the ads mean?
If you find yourself stumbling over weird acronyms in a real estate listing, don’t be alarmed. There is method to the madness of this shorthand (which is mostly adopted by sellers to save money in advertising charges). Here are some abbreviations and the meaning of each, taken from a recent newspaper classified section: * assum. fin. — Assumable financing * dk — deck * gar — garage (garden is usually abbreviated “gard”) * expansion pot’l — may be extra space on the lot, or possibly vertical potential for a top floor or room addition. Verify actual potential by checking local zoning restrictions prior to purchase. * fab pentrm — fabulous pentroom, a room on top, underneath the roof, that sometimes has views * FDR — formal dining room (not the former president) * frplc, fplc, FP — fireplace * grmet kit — gourmet kitchen * HDW, HWF, Hdwd — hardwood floors * hi ceils — high ceilings * In-law potential — potential for a separate apartment. Sometimes, local zoning codes restrict r