San Antonio Appraisal Blog

Measurement Services: Is the GLA accurate?

May 22nd, 2023 6:32 PM

If you are planning to buy or sell a home, or pay property taxes, you need to know the accurate gross living area (GLA) of your property. GLA is the total area of finished, above-grade residential space. It is one of the most important factors that affect the value of your home.

But how do you measure the GLA of your home? You can hire a professional real estate appraiser who can provide you with an accurate measurement of your property using the ANSI standard. ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute, and it is a set of guidelines for measuring and reporting the square footage of residential properties. Fannie Mae, the largest buyer of mortgages in the US, requires appraisers to use the ANSI standard for appraisals with effective dates of April 1, 2022 or later for loans sold to Fannie Mae .

The ANSI standard has specific rules for measuring and reporting different spaces, such as staircases, basements, sloping ceilings, and openings to the floor below. For example, staircases are included in the GLA of the floor from which they descend, and any space that is partially or completely below grade is reported as basement area. The standard also requires measurements to be taken to the nearest inch or tenth of a foot, and the final square footage to be reported to the nearest whole square foot.

Why is it important to use the ANSI standard? Because it creates alignment, transparency, and consistency in the valuation of residential properties. It also helps you avoid costly mistakes or disputes that may arise from using different methods or sources of measurement. For instance, if you rely on the GLA provided by your local MLS system or tax assessor, you may not know if they used the ANSI standard or not. They may have included spaces that are not considered as GLA by the ANSI standard, such as basements, garages, or unfinished areas. This could result in overpaying or underpaying for your home or taxes.

By using the ANSI standard, you can ensure that you are comparing apples to apples when looking at comparable sales or market data. You can also avoid potential appraisal issues or delays when applying for a mortgage loan. And most importantly, you can have confidence that you are getting a fair and accurate value for your property.

Posted in:Measurement Services and tagged: ANSI Standards

Posted by Mark Caraveo on May 22nd, 2023 6:32 PMLeave a Comment

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