You are ready to find your perfect home and sitting down with the realtor for the first time, he/she hands you a stack of MLS sheets (multiple listing system).  Wow so many beautiful homes to look through.  But as you scan the sheet you notice all these acronyms.  The cute little house on the CLDSC has 3BR and 2.5 BA, with a ISLKT, PTSLB, UTINS, DTCHD & HVCMP.  What the heck!?! 

You stare at your realtor wondering if she realized that you were looking for a home or trying to teach you texting?  I thought you might like a very short list from a very long list of acronyms used in the real estate world.  Don't feel shy, believe me there are realtors who have been in the business forever that will shake their heads and shrug when you ask them what PLHTD means?

CMTFB - Cement Fiber

4SDMS - 4 Sides Masonry

ASBSH - Asbestos Shingles

HVCMP - Heavy Composition roof

WDSHN - Wood Shingles

CONCR - Concrete

ATT - Attached Garage

DTCHD - Detached garage

CRCLR - Circular Drive

CONVRT - Converted Garage

UPDR - Unpaved Drive

ADJPL - Adjoining pool and Spa

IGP - In-ground pool

 PLHTD - Heated Pool

AGP - Above Ground Pool

PTSLP - Patio Slab

DK/BL - Deck/Balcony

CH/BW - Chain Link/Barbed Wire

WRGHT - Wrought Iron Fence

EIK - Eat-in-kitchen

ISLKT - Island Kitchen

UTINS - Utility Room Inside

PTSLB - Patio Slab

There are a lot more, believe me, but your realtor will be able to answer the more commone ones for you and be able to find out what the others mean. 

Other important terms that you need to become familiar with on your real estate search are:

Agency - The relationship of trust that exists between buyers or sellers and their agents. The agency is formed via a written contract.
Appraised Value - A licensed appraiser's opinion of the current market value of a property.
Assessed Value - A tax assessor's determination of the value of a home in order to calculate a tax base. 
Comparable sales - Recent sales of similar properties in nearby areas and used to help determine the market value of a property. Also referred to as "comps."
Contingency - A provision of an agreement that keeps the agreement from being fully legally binding until a certain condition is met. One example is a buyer's contractual right to obtain a professional home inspection before purchasing the home.
Earnest Money - A deposit made by the potential home buyer as evidence of good faith that he or she is serious about buying the house. 
Escrow - An item of value, money, or documents deposited with a third party to be delivered upon the fulfillment of a condition. For example, the earnest money deposit is put into escrow until delivered to the seller when the transaction is closed.
Energy Star - A joint program through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that sets energy efficiency guidelines for products, homes and businesses.
Fixtures - Those parts of a property affixed to structures or land, usually in such a manner that they cannot be independently moved without damage to themselves or the property housing supporting or pertinent to them. Fixtures are usually included in a sale and commonly include but are not limited to items such as carpets and awnings.
Full Disclosure - In real estate, revealing all the known facts which may affect the decision of a buyer or tenant. A broker must disclose identified defects in the property for sale or lease.
Green building - Also known as sustainable building or environmental building, this definition varies depending on the agency or group. Generally it means to construct a building to the highest environmental standards by minimizing the use of energy, water and materials. A green building, for example, might have skylights, recycled building materials and solar panels.
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) - Mortgage insurance that is provided by a private mortgage insurance company to protect lenders against loss if a borrower defaults. Most lenders generally require PMI when the amount borrowed exceeds 80% of the purchase price or home's value.
Plat - A plan, map or chart of a tract or town site dividing a parcel of land into lots.
Subdivision - An area of land laid out and separated into lots, blocks, and building sites, and in which public facilities such as streets, alleys, parks, and easements for public utilities are also planned.

Title - A legal document evidencing a person's right to or ownership of a property.
Title company - A company that specializes in examining and insuring titles to real estate.

Just a few terms to get you started on the search to the home of your dreams,  Good Luck!