Why MLS Feature Flags Can Miss the Homes You Mean to Search

The October 6 supplied file contains 52 records classified FLTHOME, but only 41 of those are marked Y in the separate Floating Home field. The other 11 are marked N. Within this selected sample, searching only the Y flag would not select the same group as searching the FLTHOME property code.

This is a field-consistency result, not a determination that any listing was entered incorrectly. The underlying MLS field definitions were not supplied. Original search filters, the complete result count and cutoff are also unknown, so the result cannot establish a market-wide error rate.

A classification and a feature flag can answer different questions

Property type and a Y/N field are separate columns in the export. A familiar word in their labels does not prove they have identical definitions or inclusion rules. Before relying on a saved search, ask your agent what each field means in the current MLS and how the search combines them.

The manufactured-home fields offer another example. All 139 IN-PARK records are marked Manufactured Y. The file also contains 19 RES-MFG records, and none of those is marked Manufactured Y: 18 are N and one is blank. A Y-only manufactured filter would therefore select the IN-PARK group in this file while leaving out the RES-MFG group.

That observation does not establish the ownership interest, land arrangement or financing eligibility of an individual home. The earlier manufactured-home study supplies separate background on comparing property forms; current transaction documents remain essential.

Keep blank, N and Y distinct

The ADU field contains eight Y values, 1,973 N values and 19 blanks. The Green/Energy field contains 398 Y values, 1,583 N values and 19 blanks. These are all-record denominators of 2,000, not counts restricted to records with numeric asking prices.

A blank field is unknown in this export. It should not silently become N. A Y flag identifies what was entered in that column, but it does not by itself establish a permitted ADU, an income stream, a particular energy improvement or a measured utility saving. The file contains no documents or performance figures that could confirm those conclusions.

Test a feature search before treating it as complete

Ask your agent to compare the relevant property-code search with the feature-field search, using the same current geographic and price settings. Look at records that appear in one group and not the other. Confirm the field definition and actual listing details rather than assuming the smaller group is the complete universe.

For a shortlisted property, write down the exact feature you need and the evidence that would confirm it. For a floating home, use the waterfront buyer guide to organize property and ownership questions. For an energy-related feature, the Green/Energy study explains why a listing flag is separate from documented performance.

What this comparison does not measure

The study does not calculate permit compliance, rental returns, energy premiums or the share of all suitable homes missed by a live MLS search. It compares the literal columns in one received file. Listings, flags and status may change, and the export's selection settings remain unconfirmed.

Use the finding to improve your questions. Ask Own It Northwest to confirm the search fields and review current candidates against the feature and documents that matter to you. A careful filter gets the shortlist started; property-specific evidence supports the decision.

Source and supporting research

Own It Northwest analysis of the MLS export supplied October 6, 2026. Read the supporting report, aggregate CSV, and methodology and source register. Raw records remain private.