DEAR EDITOR:

Referencing Kim Kotheimer’s recent letter advocating using MLS listings to help appraise property for the auditor’s tax re-appraisals, both the auditor’s system and the MLS system have shortcomings. Many times, the MLS listings utilize the same data pulled from the auditor for their listings. Neither can be fully accurate unless costly, invasive, in-house inspections were incorporated into each.

At times, MLS listings are inaccurate because sellers and agents stretch the listing boundaries to help maximize profit. Use the following two examples as guidelines for discussion. Cape Cod attic space should not be counted as living square footage unless it is a finished livable space. By code, basement square footage cannot be remodeled into bedroom square footage unless there is a basement egress directly out of the house.

A Cape Cod, two-bedroom first floor, small 1,028 square foot house on the MLS was listed as three bedrooms, but correctly noted with only two on the auditor’s site. The attic space was never completely finished into living space. The basement has a small sectioned-off room that would be a hard stretch to call a bedroom. The basement does not have its own direct exit from the house. The auditor is correct and MLS incorrect. A small difference on this one.

The second example is a 1,400+ sq. ft. ranch with three bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms as noted on the auditor’s website. Flippers bought the house, walled off the basement, adding two “bedrooms” and a small bathroom. MLS then doubled the square footage to 2,800 sq. ft.; bedrooms went up to five and bathrooms up to 2 1/2 when listing the property. There were no additions to the exterior to double the square footage of the structure. The basement has no exit of its own. The upgrades do not meet building codes, and the auditor had it correct. A major discrepancy on this one.

Simply put, the MLS listings are influenced by greed to maximize seller’s and agent’s profits. One-bathroom MLS houses are listed as 1 1/2 bathrooms, but only include a toilet and sink sitting in the open basement beside the washing machine for a half bath. Property MLS listed as a wooded lot, without a single tree on them, but their neighbors have trees. MLS listings are getting more outrageous because AI enhances photos of interior decor show what the house potentially can look like, not what it currently looks like at the time of listing. There is very little oversight into the accuracy of the content on the MLS listings, and they will not necessarily improve the accuracy of tax appraisals in their current format.

LEE ARENT

Youngstown