Percent distribution (793 represents 793,000). Data are percent distribution of characteristics for all houses completed (includes new houses completed, houses built for sale completed, contractor-built and owner-built houses completed, and houses completed for rent). Data for 1970 cover contractor-built, owner-built, and houses for rent for year construction started and houses sold for year of sale. Percents exclude houses for which characteristics specified were not reported. For methodology, see http://www.census.gov/const/www/characteristicsdoc.html

Definitions Bathroom. For the purposes of this survey, a full bath-room is one that has a wash basin, a toilet, and either a bathtub or shower, or a combination of bathtub and shower. A half bathroom is one that has either a toilet, bathtub, or shower, but not all the facilities to be classified as a full bathroom. If the respondent reported a full bathroom and two half bathrooms, the house is classified as a two-bathroom house. Bedroom. A bedroom is a finished room specifically designed to be used for sleeping. A den, a space in the attic, or a basement which could be converted to a bed-room are not counted as bedrooms.

Financing, type of. The type of financing tabulated in this survey is the type reported at the time the original sales agreement was signed or deposit accepted. However, changes in the type of financing do occur between the original contract signing and final settlement. These changes are not reflected in the tables. The FHA and VA type-of-financing data presented tend to differ from those published directly by those agencies. For the actual number of FHA-insured and VA-guaranteed loans made for new houses at the time of final settlement, refer to the publications of the respective agencies. The data differ because of the difference in time periods between the signing of the original sales contract, the start of construction, and the insurance or guarantee of the mortgage, as well as the sampling variability in this survey. Early in 1995 the Farmers Home Administration was reorganized. As part of this reorganization the Rural Hous-ing Service now handles the mortgage functions formerly done by the Farmers Home Administration. Fireplace (indoor). An indoor fireplace is defined as an open recess in a chimney in which a fire may be built. Included are those made of masonry, tile, metal, or other permanently installed materials that are a fixed and integral part of the building. Floor area. For this survey, floor area is defined as all completely finished floor space, including space in base-ments and attics with finished walls, floors, and ceilings. In concept, measurement is based on exterior dimen-sions. Measurements are taken to the outside of exterior walls for detached houses. Half stories are measured to the outside of enclosing partitions. Row houses are mea-sured from the centerline of party walls to the outside surface of the exterior walls. For purposes of this survey, where the floor area for a new house was reported based on interior dimensions, the figure was converted to exterior dimensions by multiplying by a standard conversion factor of 1.08. A standard conversion factor of 1.04 was used to convert figures to exterior dimensions where it was not known whether the reported area was based on exterior or interior dimensions. Heat pump. Heat pump refers to a heating/cooling system which utilizes indoor and outdoor coils, a compressor, and refrigerant to pump hot air in during the winter and out during the summer. Only heat pumps that are centrally installed with ducts to the rooms are included in this category. Housing unit. A housing unit is defined as a single room or group of rooms intended as separate living quarters by a family, by a group of unrelated persons living together, or by a person living alone. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants do not live and eat with any other persons in the structure and which have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall which is used or intended to be used by the occupants of another unit or the general public. In addition to single-family detached houses, the definition of single-family houses also includes those townhouses attached together in groups of two or more which are partitioned from each other by a ground-to-roof wall. Also, these units must not share heating/air-conditioning systems or interstructural public utilities, such as water supply, power supply, or sewage disposal lines. New houses sold. The category, houses sold, includes all houses for which a sales contract has been signed or a deposit accepted. This includes houses for which a sales contract is signed or deposit accepted before construction is actually started; for instance, houses sold from a model or from plans before any work is started on the footings or foundations. It also includes houses sold while under construction or after completion; that is, houses built on speculation. Story. That portion of a building between the floor and the ceiling or roof, or the next floor above in the case of a multistory house. A basement is not counted as a story even if it is finished as a den or recreation room. Houses referred to as bi-levels or split foyers are classified as two-story houses. Half story. A story finished as living accommodations located wholly or partly within the roof frame is consid-ered a half story; it is tabulated in this survey as a whole story; for example, one and one-half stories is counted as two. Split level. Identifies a structure having floors on more than one level when the difference in some floor levels is less than one story. This definition is interpreted on the basis of local custom and may vary from area to area.