The anatomy of a listing: What does 4/3/2 mean?

In real estate listings, properties are often described using a series of numbers like 4/3/2. To the untrained eye, this might seem like a random sequence of numbers, but these figures are key to understanding the property's features.

Generally, the first number ($4$‍ in this example) stands for the total number of bedrooms in the home. The second number ($3$‍ in our example) refers to the total number of bathrooms. Lastly, the third number ($2$‍) often indicates the number of parking spots or garages available. So a listing described as a 4/3/2 home typically has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two-car parking space or garage.

These abbreviations can sometimes get more complicated, where you might come across listings like 4/3.5/2. Here, the half refers to a restroom that has a toilet and sink but does not have a shower or bathtub. This kind of bathroom is also sometimes referred to as a 'powder room'.

While there are many types of property available in the real estate market, we will be exploring some of the most common types: apartment, condo, townhouse, single-family, and multi-family homes.

An apartment is a rental home that's part of a bigger building or complex. All the apartments in the building are owned by a single person or company. When you live in an apartment, you pay rent to the building's owner. The owner is the one who takes care of the building, fixes things that break, and maintains the entire place. Apartments often share things like a swimming pool, gym or a laundry room with the other renters in the same building.

A condo, short for condominium, is like an apartment but you can own it. It's one unit in a bigger building or group of buildings. From the outside, apartment and condo complexes look the same. Just like in an apartment complex, people in condos share things like pools and gyms. But as owners, they have to pay a monthly fee for keeping these shared areas clean and working well. This fee is called a homeowner's association (HOA) or condo fee.

Townhouses/townhomes are similar to condos in that they are individual units that are part of a complex or row of houses. They're like a mix between a condominium and a house. You still get multiple floors like in a usual house, but share one or two walls with neighbors, like in a condo. What makes them different from a condo is that usually, you get a small piece of land, which can be your front and/or backyard.

A single-family home is what most people think of when they imagine a typical home. It's a free-standing house meant for just one family or group of people to live in. It's not attached to any other house—it sits on its own plot of land. One of the best parts about a single-family home is the privacy as there are no shared walls with neighbors. But, it also means all the maintenance and repair work fall on you as the homeowner.

Multi-family homes are buildings that have more than one separate place for different families to live. They're like a few houses stacked or placed side by side in one building or complex. This could be a duplex (two homes), a triplex (three homes), a quadplex (four homes), or even an apartment building (many homes). It's common for the owner to live in one part and rent out the rest to others. This way, owners can make some money from the rent.

A duplex is a multi-family home that consists of two different units. These units are generally in the same building and share a common wall but have separate entrances. The duplex is an attractive option for investors, as it enables them to rent out or sell each unit independently.

So why do all these terms matter? Because they paint a clearer picture of what living in a certain place will be like. For example, if you live in a condo, you won't have to worry about mowing the lawn - that's usually covered by your HOA fees. But if you choose a townhouse, the yard is yours to take care of. Knowing these terms helps you choose a home that fits just right. It makes picking your new place less of a guessing game and more of an adventure in finding your perfect match.