Posted: 4/6/2026 11:35:34 PM EDT
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Hi, I feel like I got scammed. I bought a house and it was listed and sold as a 1948 sq ft house. The appraisal came back a OK. I never actually saw it. I got the loan and bought the house. Fast forward almost 5 years and I have to refinance. So new apprasial. New appraisal shows my house as 1679 sq ft. I see it, see the layout and think it is correct. So I got shorted 269 sq ft. or over $40,000 worth of home value. This seems like a giant clusterfuck and I got the shaft on one of the biggest purchases of my life. I'm pretty frustrated. I'm the third owner. So my appraisal wasn't the first one... It's amazing this issue wasn't caught sooner. Should I investigate further and lawyer up, or just a waste of time and resources? |
AEKDB
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I’m not sure. Here are their drawings. Attached File Attached File |
AEKDB
| Former coworker was involved in a similar situation, but his was caught shortly after the sale closed. As always contact a lawyer, a breif discussion should be able to inform you in you have a claim in your area. |
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
I'm not lazy, I just really enjoy doing nothing.
Joined:
Mar 2019
Posts:
14823
EE: 100% (17)
USA
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I talked to the recent appraiser and he said if it was him, he'd be worried. They have errors and omissions insurance for a reason. The lady that did it messed up. This isn't a rounding error. I don't know if the law will be on my side, but it totally should be. |
AEKDB
Joined:
Aug 2023
Posts:
4146
EE: 67% (3)
TX, USA
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It's like you're ignoring me. The answer is literally staring you in the face. I gave you the correct answer. According to ANSI Z765-2021 standards, your house is 1948 square feet. The smaller number is simply the added total of the interior room dimensions. As I mentioned, that is not how official square footage is calculated. |
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Originally Posted By -Obsessed-: It's like you're ignoring me. The answer is literally staring you in the face. I gave you the correct answer. According to ANSI Z765-2021 standards, your house is 1948 square feet. The smaller number is simply the added total of the interior room dimensions. As I mentioned, that is not how official square footage is calculated. Sorry, I don't think they are not counting closets etc. They measure the exterior and then minus the garage and that storage room. Look at the sketches and numbers. They are completlely different. I measured the exterior today with my own laser and the new guy is correct. What do you think accounts for the 16% difference? |
AEKDB
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I just measured with my Bosch laser beam and I got 1601 sq ft by measuring inside, including closets. If I didn't mess up... that makes it 347 sq feet less than what the original appraiser said was liveable space. 21.6% discrepencey. According to AI my best course of action is a demand letter to the appraiser and their insurance company and hope they just write me a check. With the current system in place, the bank protects themselves, the real estate agent protects themselves, and the appraiser protects themselves. No one protects the buyer. This blows. |
AEKDB
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Originally Posted By Hunter8793: I just measured with my Bosch laser beam and I got 1601 sq ft by measuring inside, including closets. If I didn't mess up... that makes it 347 sq feet less than what the original appraiser said was liveable space. 21.6% discrepencey. According to AI my best course of action is a demand letter to the appraiser and their insurance company and hope they just write me a check. With the current system in place, the bank protects themselves, the real estate agent protects themselves, and the appraiser protects themselves. No one protects the buyer. This blows. Some states require the realtor and the seller to sign and vouch for disclosures which includes sq footage. In my coworkers case the selling realtor and title company worked something out. Again check in your state. |
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
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Originally Posted By Hunter8793: I just measured with my Bosch laser beam and I got 1601 sq ft by measuring inside, including closets. If I didn't mess up... that makes it 347 sq feet less than what the original appraiser said was liveable space. 21.6% discrepencey. According to AI my best course of action is a demand letter to the appraiser and their insurance company and hope they just write me a check. With the current system in place, the bank protects themselves, the real estate agent protects themselves, and the appraiser protects themselves. No one protects the buyer. This blows. Well, first off, you measure OUTSIDE, not inside. That is a significant error. ETA, just your exterior perimeter walls would add ~105 SF to your interior measurements. |
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Originally Posted By VVinci: Well, first off, you measure OUTSIDE, not inside. That is a significant error. ETA, just your exterior perimeter walls would add ~105 SF to your interior measurements. Why do they call it liveable square footage then? Can't live in the 2x4s. Why is this such a big deal? Numbers don't lie. It's just math and apparently we can't do it very well. |
AEKDB
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Originally Posted By Hunter8793: Why do they call it liveable square footage then? Can't live in the 2x4s. Why is this such a big deal? Numbers don't lie. It's just math and apparently we can't do it very well. Thanks for confirming you completely ignore all the knowledge in this thread. You are willfully ignorant at this point. |
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Originally Posted By -Obsessed-: Thanks for confirming you completely ignore all the knowledge in this thread. You are willfully ignorant at this point. Really? What knowledge am I ignoring in this thread? I told you, he measured the exterior and subtracted the garage and storage room in the garage. Is that not the correct way? I also had another appraiser come measure the exterior. They had access to the old appraisal sketch, and the new one. They measured and said the new one is correct. So, please explain to me how the first one that is 1948 sq ft correct in your mind? |
AEKDB
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Originally Posted By Hunter8793: Really? What knowledge am I ignoring in this thread? I told you, he measured the exterior and subtracted the garage and storage room in the garage. Is that not the correct way? I also had another appraiser come measure the exterior. They had access to the old appraisal sketch, and the new one. They measured and said the new one is correct. So, please explain to me how the first one that is 1948 sq ft correct in your mind? Originally Posted By Hunter8793: Originally Posted By -Obsessed-: Thanks for confirming you completely ignore all the knowledge in this thread. You are willfully ignorant at this point. Really? What knowledge am I ignoring in this thread? I told you, he measured the exterior and subtracted the garage and storage room in the garage. Is that not the correct way? I also had another appraiser come measure the exterior. They had access to the old appraisal sketch, and the new one. They measured and said the new one is correct. So, please explain to me how the first one that is 1948 sq ft correct in your mind? My experience is they measure the exterior foundation for square footage and deduct for garages. |
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Originally Posted By VVinci: Well, first off, you measure OUTSIDE, not inside. That is a significant error. ETA, just your exterior perimeter walls would add ~105 SF to your interior measurements. Originally Posted By VVinci: Originally Posted By Hunter8793: I just measured with my Bosch laser beam and I got 1601 sq ft by measuring inside, including closets. If I didn't mess up... that makes it 347 sq feet less than what the original appraiser said was liveable space. 21.6% discrepencey. According to AI my best course of action is a demand letter to the appraiser and their insurance company and hope they just write me a check. With the current system in place, the bank protects themselves, the real estate agent protects themselves, and the appraiser protects themselves. No one protects the buyer. This blows. Well, first off, you measure OUTSIDE, not inside. That is a significant error. ETA, just your exterior perimeter walls would add ~105 SF to your interior measurements. This, the footprint of the interior walls can make a difference, I'm not certain if closets are considered 'living space'. |
