I think I know what's causing the slump in the housing market: typos, eggcorns, and spelling mistakes in real-estate listings.
Redfin, a Bay Area real-estate blog, pointed me to some real howlers:
- walking closet (for walk-in)
- fully remolded single-family home (for remodeled)
- stainless steal appliances (presumably purchased legitimately)
- sinking living room (for sunken)
- specious apartment (for spacious)
And remember our friend Hugh Reductions? We meet his cousins Hugh Gourmet and Hugh (and) Bright in this listing for a house in San Francisco's Merced Manor neighborhood, out in the Avenues near Stonestown Galleria and San Francisco State. That listing is also full of abbreviations that qualify as bizarre even in the strange world of Realtorspeak: cbnts, wineculr, jaccz, detchd. The asking price, by the way, is $1,299,000. Tip: Make it an even $1.3 million and buy a few vowels. Better yet, hire a proofreader.
My favorite real-estate blooper--with strong eggcorn potential--comes from the comments on another real estate blog, Active Rain: "Great neighborhood at the end of a cuddlesack."
Seen any funny real-estate goofs lately?
(Hat tip: Tracey Taylor.)
The sinking living room is rather ominous, but I wouldn't mind a single-family home that's recently had its mouldings redone. And that cuddlesack sounds positively cosy.
Posted by: Q. Pheevr | August 14, 2008 at 02:23 PM
@Q. Pheevr: Yes, but a remolded *bathroom* is something else again. Mold is bad enough the first time around.
Posted by: Nancy Friedman | August 14, 2008 at 02:27 PM
You may have seen a wonderful piece in the New York Times recently about Clingstone, a house perched on a rock in Narragansett Bay. Its owner once ran an ad in the local paper looking for a caretaker. It read “Island occupant wanted to live in 23-room house. No charges. No duties. Ready now.” Somehow, the paper printed the last line as “Leaky now.” Not an example of Realtorspeak, but amusing nonetheless. Thanks for the tip Nancy.
Posted by: Tracey Taylor | August 14, 2008 at 04:58 PM
At the end of a "cuddlesack?" It sounds really lonely and in need of a good hug ... oh wait, that's probably what happened at the beginning of the cuddlesack.
Posted by: Stephanie | August 14, 2008 at 09:48 PM
glad you liked the posting. Yours made me laugh too.
Ever specious/spacious conscious,
Anna
Redfin Sweetdigs
Posted by: anna | August 17, 2008 at 11:56 PM
Love the real estate howlers, and I've linked this post, Nancy. Always enjoy your blog. Someone should do Chinese restaurant menus next.
Posted by: Amy | August 19, 2008 at 02:26 PM
@Amy: One order of sauteed wild bacteria, coming right up! http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=392
Posted by: Nancy Friedman | August 19, 2008 at 03:21 PM