RAA Property Description 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which plumbing pipe material, common in homes built before 1986, is now considered a health hazard and must be disclosed in many states?
- Copper pipe
- Lead pipe (Correct answer)
- PVC pipe
- PEX tubing
Correct answer: Lead pipe
Lead pipes and lead solder were used in older plumbing systems and can contaminate drinking water; their presence is a significant health and safety concern.
Question 2: In appraisal property description, 'functional obsolescence' caused by a 'super adequacy' would be exemplified by:
- A home with only one bathroom for five bedrooms
- A home with a $100,000 commercial-grade kitchen in an entry-level neighborhood (Correct answer)
- A home with no garage in an area where all homes have garages
- A home with outdated single-pane windows
Correct answer: A home with a $100,000 commercial-grade kitchen in an entry-level neighborhood
Super adequacy occurs when a feature exceeds what the market demands for the property type, making the excess cost unrecoverable in value.
Question 3: When an appraiser measures a home using ANSI Z765 standards, exterior dimensions are measured at:
- The interior finished wall surfaces
- The exterior finished wall surfaces including exterior cladding (Correct answer)
- The structural framing centerlines
- The drip edge of roof overhangs
Correct answer: The exterior finished wall surfaces including exterior cladding
ANSI Z765 standards require GLA to be calculated from exterior measurements of the finished wall surfaces, including the siding or cladding.
Question 4: A 'crawl space' foundation is best described as:
- A full underground level with at least 7-foot ceiling height
- A shallow unfinished space below the floor structure that allows access but is not a basement (Correct answer)
- A concrete slab poured at ground level
- An engineered wood mat foundation used on unstable soils
Correct answer: A shallow unfinished space below the floor structure that allows access but is not a basement
A crawl space is a shallow area between the ground and the first floor of a home, typically 18 inches to 4 feet high, providing access to plumbing and mechanical systems.
Question 5: Which window glazing type provides the best insulating performance by trapping inert gas between two or three panes of glass?
- Single-pane clear glass
- Insulated glass unit (double or triple pane) (Correct answer)
- Laminated safety glass
- Tempered glass
Correct answer: Insulated glass unit (double or triple pane)
Insulated glass units (IGUs) contain argon or krypton gas between panes, significantly reducing heat transfer compared to single-pane windows.
Question 6: A property is described as having 'asbestos siding.' Which era of construction is this material most associated with?
- Post-2000 construction
- Mid-20th century construction (1920s–1970s) (Correct answer)
- Early 19th century construction (pre-1900)
- 1980s–1990s construction
Correct answer: Mid-20th century construction (1920s–1970s)
Asbestos cement siding (often called 'transite' or asbestos shingles) was widely used from the 1920s through the 1970s before being phased out due to health hazards.
Question 7: In describing a property's 'site drainage,' an appraiser is evaluating:
- The capacity of the municipal sewer system
- How effectively water moves away from the structure to prevent ponding or foundation infiltration (Correct answer)
- The depth of the water table below grade
- The type of storm drains installed on the street
Correct answer: How effectively water moves away from the structure to prevent ponding or foundation infiltration
Site drainage assessment evaluates whether the lot grading and drainage features direct water away from the foundation and prevent standing water on the site.
RAA Property Description 4
Which plumbing pipe material, common in homes built before 1986, is now considered a health hazard and must be disclosed in many states?