I think some have forgotten what a ranch style home is.

I think a lot of real estate practitioners do not know what ranch style homes are or they forgot. I go to the MLS to see homes, and I find that such and such a home is listed as a ranch style home when I know it is not, because either i have seen the home, or I know that in a particular neighborhood, the homes are not ranch. Also, the picture of the home in the MLS often will show that it is not a ranch home. I think this is a serious problem. After World War 2, most of the homes that were build in many communities, were ranch style homes. For years, and probably today, most resales are ranch style homes. Ranch is coming back for a number of reasons: easier to maintain the structure, often in convenience intown location, solid structure, and affordable. I want to review what a ranch style home is for those not familiar, or who may have gotten lazy and have decided to lump resale homes in this category.
Characteristics of a Ranch style home:
1.  Low pitched gable roof on a low to the earth structure.
2.  Long horizontal structure, sometimes rectangular, sometimes L shape, sometimes U shape.
3.  The focus is on horizontal lines, not vertical dimensions.
4.  No dormers in the roof.  (this is often a misconception)
5.  With an attached garage, or in some areas, like my Florida panhandle, many have carports.
6.  Natural materials, typically brick or wood.
7.  Big windows, often bay windows.
8.  Open floor plan, with bedrooms on one side separate from living, dining and kitchen, but sometimes
     master bedroom on opposite side of home from the other bedrooms.
9.  Focus on fewer interior walls.
10. Often on big lots, but not always.
11. Sliding glass doors in back in the pure ranch structures, but sometimes, these doors are replaced
      by french doors.
12. Lack of ornamentation.
13, Not a rocking chair front porch type of home.

I hope this is helpful. I grew up in ranch homes all my life, and am sensitive to what agents and others call ranch when indeed they are not looking at or describing ranch.

One thing I want to add regarding the old ranch style homes, is that I would feel much more secure in that kind of a structure than in many, if not MOST of the new homes build today. I just personally think that the construction mentality in those days focussed more on quality, and I say that from a consumer's experience, and in observance of how society is today.