If you are hunting for a house, pay special attention to the language used to describe houses for sale in property listing sites. Property sellers have been known to use ambiguous words and phrases to mask some negative aspects of their properties. Here are a few examples to show you how this can be done:

Secluded

Using the term secluded is supposed to evoke images of a private and peaceful home. However, taking the description at its face value like that may be misleading. Sellers have been known to use the term to describe properties that are out of the way, off the beaten path or are in difficult-to-reach areas. Therefore, digging further is warranted if that isn't the kind of home you are looking for.

Needs a Little TLC

A house that needs a little tender loving care isn't a bad house, as long as the words are taken literally. However, this is rarely the case, and some sellers throw around the phrase to cover the fact that their house is in a sorry state and is in need of a serious renovation. After all, the term "little" is relative and can mean many different things to many people; someone can even say their house needs a little TLC while, in the real sense, the roof needs to be replaced.

Up-and-Coming Area

Buying a property in an upcoming area is good business because you can get in when the home prices are still low. However, you can't be sure that a house is truly upcoming just because the seller has called it. Maybe the neighborhood is just bad or the area is truly upcoming, but at a slow rate and you are looking at years of waiting to enjoy the benefits.

Custom

What does a custom house look like? There is no single answer to that question because, by definition, such a house has been built to the owner's specifications. What if it means the bedroom has an irregular shape, the house is raised too high above the ground or each interior wall has a "unique" color? The current owner customized the house to their taste, which may be very different from your taste.

Not Open to Inspection

Lastly, you should also be suspicious if a house is described as "Not Open to Inspection." In literal terms, this means the house does have problems, but the owner doesn't want you to identify the problems beforehand. 

For more information about real estate terms to watch out for, contact an agent at businesses like Summit Real Estate.