Sometimes it's a problem, sometimes not. Depending on who they are for.
BPOs for Single family attached homes. Of course the assessor classifies them as condos because the land is shared. Most common around here is for example 22A Oak St 22B Oak St say on a .5 acre lot. Typically a colonial style home with a wall dividing the home into 2 SFA homes.So the assessor has land value as 0 for each side but but doubles the assessed value for the house to make up for it. Problem is the QC people want me to use condos for comps. There is no condo assoc. no condo fees, no condo benefits. So I guess I will now call my SFA comps condos also. That's what I used in case I got this QC issue.

Aren't those just called "Townhouses"? What prompted the question?

Depending on how many units occupy the same parcel, I just assign them an appropriate percentage of undivided interest in the land.

If they're NOT on municipal water and sewer, but share a private well and a septic system, then there's always an implied maintenance cost, regardless of whether there's a HOA or not . . . . but that's often more detail than they can tolerate.

No,around here a townhouse is a style of condo that is more than 1 story. Some have 2 with a loft. Some have 3 levels, but all are attached to a condo complex.
What I am talking about is one lot with only one house on it divided into 2 separate SFA homes. Each has its own water/sewer bill, own electric bill, own Tax bill.
I know legally it is called a condo but all the agents in our MLS call them Single family attached homes because like I said, no condo Assoc, no condo fees, no condo benefits like snow removal, exterior maintenance etc.

Could they be PUD's?

No it's a Single family attached home. Like I said, the only reason the assessor calls it a condo is because neither side owns the land, it's a legality thing. But they really aren't condos. But I know how to deal with the mills. Thanks

It is not a Duplex? as per you statement looks to me as a Duplex...Do you have this kind of construction in your area? if you do does your MLS has a special grid for this? we do have duplex, triplex and Fourplex and they are considering as Income producing properties, they shared the same lot but each has their own address, folio,meter etc as you said. What the legal description said? Does it said block and lot or it said condo? Block and lot are for Single Family, well I hope this info helps you.

In my area of the country it's called a "duet" if each unit is owned separately and the land is included.

These are sometimes called duplexes if both sides are sold together, but most often they are sold separately as SFA.
So whenever I get a SFA subject I always use SFA comps. So if the mill insists that it's a condo, I just call my comps condos because that's what the mill calls them.
Some mills accept them as SFA some don't.
Thanks for all the replies.

It totally depends on your local area. In my market, we have plenty of duplexes. We have the very rare instance in which half of a duplex is being sold which does make it SFA, but no agent ever labels it properly. These are only attached at the garage.

Some of the golf course developments have a handful of those semi detached units sprinkled in with the SFDs. Always a nightmare to comp except for those agents who don't bother to notice.

In our area they are called attched villas. We also have clear laws that state that a condo is a form of ownership not a type of structure. No Condo Association with all of the required corporate docs, rules, regs, and FAQ. No Condo.

When we run into this type of property we put it as an attached villa with a zero lot line.

Update, mill says it must be comped as a condo. No problem, like I said I was prepared for that. So I called it a condo and called all my comps condos. Though, once before when this happened the mill told me I could call it a SFA.

We have detached villas with 1/3 acre and they are condos, attached traditional 2 story townhomes with backyards that are also deemed condos. Crazy stuff. I don't mess with the prop appraiser, if it says condo with no recorded acreage that's what I use. I know it looks like a house or a townhouse and it is marketed that way by agents but it's still a condo and many times I have to exceed mileage to find comps. At least in Florida, can't speak for Mass.

A 'condo' is a form of ownership, period.

Don't confuse what it looks like or what type of building it is, what does the deed say?

We have townhouse communities that are set up as PUD's and some that are set up as condos. The determining factor is in the underlying documents and declarations.

In Florida as far as I Know if has a lot and is one story it is a villa (a PUD), if two stories it is a townhome (a PUD). If it lacks a lot, then it is a condominium. Condos have one large master insurance policy, while PUDs may have separate or joint insurance.

pure aggravation...we have attached condo/villas here in the midwest...taxed as condos with associations that maintain them...everytime I have a order for one...Im sure I [censored] a few agents off in the area...I tend to send multiple violations to my local MLS as they are not SFR...and I end up sifting through 100s of SFR homes looking for them...

LOL...I was just censored....that just made my day complete...

Wouldn't you think the truly diligent amongst us should always prepare a Title Abstract as a preliminary step to working on any $29.95 BPO . . . . just to be on the safe side ?

^ yes, except on Thursdays when BPOs are half-off.