Definition of "Actual age"

Nora  Sienra real estate agent

Written by

Nora Sienraelite badge icon

Chateaux Realty

There’s no mystery. The actual age of a property is the chronological age of a property. Say a house was built two decades ago. That house’s actual age is 20 years old.

The counterpart to it is the Effective Age, which refers to the state the property is currently in.

So, do you know how sometimes you see a person that looks really young – effective age - and you’re amazed that he/she is actually much older – actual age - than what you’d thought? That can happen in the real estate world as well if the homeowner has done a good job with maintenance and renovations.

Usually, this relation of one versus the other comes up in bad scenarios, where the Fair Market Value of the property is brought down because the effective age of the house is much older than the actual age. But in rare cases it can bring the fair market value up because the former is so much older than the latter that it creates a perception of value due to the fact that it stood the test of time and became almost a relic in comparison to other properties in the market.

Real Estate tips:

Learn the actual meaning of hundreds of real estate terms in our Glossary.

Search through
The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory® for that perfect agent!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

(1) Temporary and symbolic payment showing good faith and obligating two or more individuals until a final transaction takes place. The binder is typically returned if the final agreement ...

Insurance or maintenance policy taken out by a buyer of real or personal property. ...

Large heavy piece of wood or other material generally running horizontally through a building providing support for other parts of the structure. The stringer usually runs in the direction ...

Interest rate on a mortgage that moves up or down based on some variable such as an index of lender's cost of funds, inflation rate, or prime rate. ...

Claim by a real estate broker that his or her actions were the principal cause of the completion of a property sale between two parties. A successful procuring cause claim would entitle a ...

provision in a written agreement allowing the prospective purchaser the right to cancel the contract if occupancy requirements are not satisfied as of a specific date. ...

Period of time interest rates are guaranteed by lock-in-clause. The guarantee period of time is longer during stable economic periods with low rates of inflation. ...

Amount paid back or credit given because of an overcollection or the return of property sold. Also called refund. Unearned interest refunded to a borrower if the loan is paid off before ...

Unimproved property. It has no utilities, sewers, streets, or structures and usually must be cleared. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions