I have HAD IT UP TO HERE with listing agents marketing every house that *doesn't* back on to another house as a "PREMIUM RAVINE LOT". This is veeeeery misleading and in my opinion, can be seen as false advertising if you have a buyer who pays a premium on the property for the "ravine lot" only to find out that it is merely privately owned vacant land with the potential for rezoning and development into high density housing in the near future - so much for your premium ravine lot! This is yet another reason why it is SO important for buyers to work with a dedicated buyer agent whose job it is to find these things out and protect their interests and hard earned money!
A few (REAL!) examples...
*A garbage dump, no matter how beautifully the perimeter is forested, is NOT a ravine
*A privately owned farmer's field, despite the festive and fanciful seasonal corn display, is NOT a ravine
*A 2 metre wide walking trail in between two backyards....you guessed it...it NOT a ravine
*A bulldozed parcel of land slated for development??? NOT A RAVINE!!!
You may be asking...how can I be sure what a ravine really is? Let us turn to the old standby, the dictionary, for clarification on the matter...courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravine
Main Entry: ra·vine
Pronunciation: \rə-ˈvēn\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French, rapine, rush, from Latin rapina rapine
Date: circa 1772
: a small narrow steep-sided valley that is larger than a gully and smaller than a canyon and that is usually worn by running water
Happy House Hunting! :)
