property
The root record for a parcel of real estate: its identifiers, its legal description, and the characteristics every other class hangs off.
The Property class serves as the foundational data structure for capturing essential characteristics and legal identifiers of real estate properties, providing comprehensive documentation for financing, legal, and classification purposes.
The question it answers
What is this house, physically?
The feature vector, taken from the source of record rather than from a listing agent. Assessor and parcel records are authoritative; listing fields are agent-entered, inconsistent between markets, and absent entirely for a property that was never listed.
Why it matters
Everything else in the model attaches here. A structure, a lot, a tax position and a sales history are all statements about one property, and the identifiers on this class are what make them the same property rather than four records that happen to share an address.
In practice
Identity is the hard part, not the attributes. A parcel is identified by the jurisdiction's own parcel number, which is formatted differently in every county and is not unique across them; the address is a second identifier that is frequently wrong or absent. Both are carried, and neither is trusted alone.
Properties
| Property | Type | Definition |
|---|---|---|
source_http_request | object | HTTP request configuration for retrieving this data. |
request_identifier | string | null | Identifier value that should be substituted into the source HTTP request to retrieve this specific data. |
historic_designation | boolean | True if the property has been granted official historic designation by a local, state, or national authority; false otherwise. |
livable_floor_area | string | null | The total square footage of attached, livable area excluding balconies, porches, garages, car ports, elevators, and utility rooms. |
area_under_air | string | null | Also called “Living Area Under Air” or “Heated Living Area,” this refers to the total finished square footage of a building that is served by a permanent heating and/or cooling system (HVAC). |
total_area | string | null | The total square footage of the property, including all areas, such as the living area, garage, and basement. |
number_of_units_type | string | null | number of units type in mortgage banking refers to the classification of a property based on the number of units it contains.
This classification is important for determining the type of loan that can be used to finance the property, as well as the underwriting requirements and guidelines that must be followed.
Typically, properties are classified into one of three categories: single-family homes, multi-family homes (e.g. duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes), and larger multi-unit properties (e.g. apartment buildings). The number of units type is used to determine the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and other loan requirements, as well as the risk associated with the property.
For example, rdf:type single-family home may have more favorable lending terms than rdf:type multi-unit property, as the latter may be seen as rdf:type higher risk due to the potential for multiple tenants and increased maintenance costs. OneTwoOneToFourThreeFourTwoToFour |
number_of_units | integer | null | The number of units for a property refers to how many separate, self-contained dwelling or rental spaces exist within that property. |
parcel_identifier | string | Each parcel of land has a unique Parcel ID that distinguishes it from all other parcels within the jurisdiction. |
ownership_estate_type | string | null | A value from a MISMO prescribed list that specifies the ownership interest in the property. CondominiumCooperativeLifeEstateTimeshareOtherEstateFeeSimpleLeaseholdRightOfWayNonWarrantableCondoSubsurfaceRights |
property_legal_description_text | string | null | A detailed legal description of the property, often used in legal documents and contracts. This typically outlines the exact boundaries, dimensions, and location of the property as recognized by local or state governments. |
property_structure_built_year | integer | null | The year in which the dwelling on the property was completed. |
property_effective_built_year | integer | null | The year assigned by the property appraiser that reflects the building’s overall condition, age, and the impact of major renovations or additions, rather than the actual calendar year of original construction. |
build_status | string | null | Indicates the current construction and improvement status of the property. VacantLand indicates undeveloped land with no structures, Improved indicates land with completed structures or improvements, and UnderConstruction indicates active construction or development in progress. VacantLandImprovedUnderConstruction |
property_type | string | Property type refers to the classification of a real estate property based on its characteristics, usage, and zoning designation. Property types can include residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and mixed-use properties. CooperativeCondominiumModularManufacturedHousingMultiWidePudTimeshare2UnitsDetachedCondominiumDuplexSingleFamilyMultipleFamily3UnitsManufacturedHousingManufacturedHousingSingleWide4UnitsTownhouseNonWarrantableCondoVacantLandRetirementMiscellaneousResidentialResidentialCommonElementsAreasMobileHomeApartmentMultiFamilyMoreThan10MultiFamilyLessThan10LandParcelBuildingUnitManufacturedHome |
structure_form | string | null | Describes the physical form or architectural configuration of the dwelling structure. This classification identifies the attachment style and unit type, such as single-family detached homes, townhouses, multi-unit buildings, or manufactured homes, which impacts property valuation, lending guidelines, and zoning considerations. SingleFamilyDetachedSingleFamilySemiDetachedTownhouseRowhouseDuplexTriplexQuadplexMultiFamily5PlusApartmentUnitLoftManufacturedHomeOnLandManufacturedHomeInParkMultiFamilyMoreThan10MultiFamilyLessThan10MobileHomeManufacturedHousingMultiWideManufacturedHousingManufacturedHousingSingleWideModular |
property_usage_type | string | null | A value from a MISMO prescribed list that specifies the intended usage of the property by the borrower. ResidentialCommercialIndustrialAgriculturalRecreationalConservationRetirementResidentialCommonElementsAreasDrylandCroplandHayMeadowCroplandClass2CroplandClass3TimberLandGrazingLandOrchardGrovesPoultryOrnamentalsChurchPrivateSchoolPrivateHospitalHomesForAgedNonProfitCharityMortuaryCemeteryClubsLodgesSanitariumConvalescentHomeCulturalOrganizationMilitaryForestParkRecreationPublicSchoolPublicHospitalGovernmentPropertyRetailStoreDepartmentStoreSupermarketShoppingCenterRegionalShoppingCenterCommunityOfficeBuildingMedicalOfficeTransportationTerminalRestaurantFinancialInstitutionServiceStationAutoSalesRepairMobileHomeParkWholesaleOutletTheaterEntertainmentHotelRaceTrackGolfCourseLightManufacturingHeavyManufacturingLumberYardPackingPlantCanneryMineralProcessingWarehouseOpenStorageUtilityRiversLakesSewageDisposalRailroadTransitionalPropertyReferenceParcelNurseryGreenhouseAgriculturalPackingFacilityLivestockFacilityAquacultureVineyardWineryDataCenterTelecommunicationsFacilitySolarFarmWindFarmNativePastureImprovedPastureRangelandPastureWithTimberUnknown |
subdivision | string | null | Subdivision is the term used to describe a defined area within a city or community that has been divided into individual plots or lots, usually intended for residential or commercial development. It is often formally designated by the township or municipality. |
zoning | string | null | Zoning is a system of land-use regulation created by local governments to control how property and land within a community can be used. |
Provenance and coverage
A record of this class is validated against the same definition whatever jurisdiction it came from, which is what makes two counties comparable without a per-county adapter. A jurisdiction appears below only where a committed configuration serves this class's surface.
- Lee, Florida
- Palm Beach, Florida
- Miami-Dade, Florida
- Orange, Florida
- Santa Clara, California