In a covered Fannie Mae measurement, a two-story foyer has a true open void with no second-floor surface; it is not a stair opening. How is that void treated in the upper-level finished area?
Correct Answer
C) Excluded from the second-floor area — there is no floor there
The specified open foyer void has no floor at the upper level, so it is excluded from that upper-level area. The qualifying lower-level floor is measured once. Apply the selected measurement standard to actual stairs and other openings rather than relying on an unrestricted walk-on slogan or software default.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option C is correct because the open foyer void has no second-floor surface, so it is excluded from the upper-level finished area. The lower-level floor under the foyer is measured once on the level where it exists. This keeps the same space from being counted twice.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Counted on both floors, since the heated volume fills the space
Option A is wrong because it counts the void on both floors based on heated volume. Finished area is measured by floor surface, not by air volume, and the upper level has no floor in the void.
Option B: Counted in the second-floor area only
Option B is wrong because it counts the void in the second-floor area only. The floor that actually exists is on the lower level, so placing the area only on the upper level reverses the correct treatment.
Option D: Split between the floors by ceiling height
Option D is wrong because it splits the area between floors by ceiling height. Ceiling height does not move floor area between levels; the void simply has no upper-level floor to measure.
No floor, no footage
If you could not stand on it at that level, it is not that level's finished area.
How to use: Use this when deciding whether an open-to-below space counts on an upper floor.
Exam Tip
For open voids, count the area once on the level with the floor and exclude it from the level above.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Counting a two-story foyer on both floors
- -Relying on software that duplicates the first-floor outline upstairs
- -Using ceiling height to allocate floor area
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests how a true open void, such as a two-story foyer, is handled when measuring upper-level finished area under the selected standard. The key fact is that there is no floor surface at the upper level in that void. Area without a floor cannot be counted as finished floor area on that level.
Background Knowledge
Gross living area is measured from the floor surfaces that exist on each level. Open-to-below areas such as two-story foyers and great rooms are counted only on the level where the floor is. Stairs and other openings are handled according to the measurement standard the assignment uses.
Real-World Application
An appraiser sketches a two-story home with a vaulted foyer. The sketch software initially copies the full first-floor outline to the second floor, so the appraiser removes the foyer void from the upper level before reporting finished area.
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