Calculating the square footage of a home is more of opinion than exact science. I doubt if anyone is purposely trying to mislead you or the public, but it's true that not everyone in the real estate business calculates square footage the same way. In fact, it may be different from one real estate agent to another, one assessor to another and one appraiser to another.
The square footage listed in the county assessors records for real estate are typically not questioned. These numbers are taken from the original documents and are generally accurate.
Most real estate appraisers measure the exterior of the home to calculate the gross living area.
Many real estate agents and builders will include all finished "walkable" areas when totaling the square feet of a house.
At the bottom of most listings is a disclaimer that says in part ..."Buyer to verify square footage."
Also in the listing it will say where the square footage came from.

If you're interested in buying a particular house and want to know the size expressed in square feet, my advice would be to make an appointment to visit the home and bring your tape measure.

Good luck, Terri and Larry Mulinix, Keller Williams...(405) 834-7842

Court house records are comomly incorrect. We as Realtors have the option to look up appraisal records. Appraisers are trained to measure accuratley. So, we we check several different records when listing homes. If there are several discrepacies it is usually best to ask our clients to get a new appraisal or go and measure the home ourselves. I hope this ansers your question for you, Thank you for asking, Sherri Parker-Evans/Century 21 Goodyear Green. 405-631-9230