Real estate reporting.

Real estate reporting has its own journalese. All new condos or rental apartments are “luxury.” All tiny galley kitchens are “step-saving.” Any home described as “needing TLC” means it’s a wreck. “Near transportation” means it’s on a very busy, jam-packed highway. The list of real estate journalese is a long one. But a new one that caught our attention is a property listed “for the taking.” This popped up in the top story of the “Boston Homes — The Complete Guide” of Dec. 16-22, 2017. The story begins, “Upscale living in a premiere boutique building is for the taking for the lucky homeowner of a residence at Zero Marlborough in the Back Bay.” Continue reading a description of the four bedroom, four and one-half bath, 3,319 sq. ft, condo, and you finally find that a lucky buyer can get it “for the taking” price of $7,750,000.

But, hey, that’s Boston. Residents in the North End waterfront the other day got a mailing from a local real estate agent for a deeded “covered” (that means outdoor but under a roof) parking place. It’s described as “directly behind building in a well-lit lot with security gate. $300 quarterly maintenance fee. Easy accessible via Hanover St. Steps to Waterfront and North End.” And it’s available for $175,000. How’s that one, “for the taking?”

File under: The creativity of real estate journalese.
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www.JournaleseDictionary.com