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Real Estate and Mortgage Glossary & Definitions

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Acceleration clause
Adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM)
Adjustment date
Amortization
Amortization schedule
Annual percentage rate (APR)
Application
Appraisal
Appraised value
Appraiser
Appreciation
Assessed value
Assessment
Assessor
Asset
Assignment
Assumable mortgage
Assumption
 
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Balloon mortgage
Balloon payment
Bankruptcy
Bill of sale
Biweekly mortgage
Bond market
Bridge loan
Broker
Buydown
 
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Call option
Cap
Cash-out refinance
Certificate of deposit
Certificate of deposit index
Certificate of Eligibility
Certificate of Reasonable Value (CRV)
Chain of title
Clear title
Closing
Closing costs
Co-borrower
Collateral
Collection
Commission
Common area assessments
Common areas
Common law
Community property
Comparable sales
Condominium
Condominium conversion
Condominium hotel
Construction loan
Contingency
Contract
Conventional mortgage
Convertible ARM
Cooperative (co-op)
Cost of funds index (COFI)
Credit
Credit history
Creditor
Credit report
Credit repository
 
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Debt
Deed
Deed-in-lieu
Default
Delinquency
Deposit
Depreciation
Discount points
Down payment
Due-on-sale provision
 
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Earnest money deposit
Easement
Effective age
Eminent domain
Encroachment
Encumbrance
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
Equity
Escrow
Escrow account
Escrow analysis
Escrow disbursements
Estate
Eviction
Examination of title
Exclusive listing
Executor
 
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Fair Credit Reporting Act
Fair market value
Fannie Mae (FNMA)
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
Fee simple
Fee simple estate
FHA mortgage
Firm commitment
First mortgage
Fixed-rate mortgage
Fixture
Flood insurance
Foreclosure
401(k)/403(b)
401(k)/403(b) loan
 
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Government loan (mortgage)
Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
Grantee
Grantor
 
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Hazard insurance
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)
Home equity line of credit
Home inspection
Homeowners' association
Homeowner's insurance
Homeowner's warranty
HUD median income
HUD-1 settlement statement
 
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Impact fees
Implied warranty of habitability
Impounds
Income property
Incurable defect
Index
Individual Retirement Account
In-file credit report
Infill development
Infill housing
Inflation
Infrastructure
Initial interest rate
Inspection report
Installment contract
Insulation
Insurable title
Insurance
Insurance binder
Interest
Interest accrual rate
Interest-only loan
Interest rate
Interest rate buy-down plans
Interest rate caps
Interest rate ceiling
Investment property
 
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Joint tenancy
Judgment
Judicial foreclosure
Jumbo loan
 
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Kit home
Knee wall
Knob-and-tube wiring
 
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Late charge
Lease
Leasehold estate
Lease option
Legal description
Lender
Liabilities
Liability insurance
Lien
Life cap
Line of credit
Liquid asset
Loan
Loan officer
Loan origination
Loan servicing
Loan-to-value (LTV)
Lock-in
Lock-in period
 
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Margin
Maturity
Merged credit report
Modification
Mortgage
Mortgage banker
Mortgage broker
Mortgagee
Mortgage insurance (MI)
Mortgage insurance premium (MIP)
Mortgage life and disability insurance
Mortgagor
Multidwelling units
 
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Negative amortization
No cash-out refinance
No-cost loan
Note
Note rate
No-cost loan
Notice of default
 
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Original principal balance
Origination fee
Owner financing
 
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Partial payment
Payment change date
Periodic payment cap
Periodic rate cap
Personal property
PITI
PITI reserves
Planned unit development (PUD)
Point
Power of attorney
Pre-approval
Prepayment
Prepayment penalty
Pre-qualification
Prime rate
Principal
Principal balance
Principal,interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI)
Private mortgage insurance (MI)
Promissory note
Public auction
PUD (Planned Unit Development)
Purchase agreement
Purchase money transaction
 
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Qualifying ratios
Quitclaim deed
 
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Rate lock
Real estate agent
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
Real property
Realtor
Recorder
Recording
Refinance transaction
Remaining balance
Remaining term
Rent loss insurance
Repayment plan
Replacement reserve fund
Revolving debt
Right of first refusal
Right of ingress or egress
Right of survivorship
 
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Sale-leaseback
Second mortgage
Secondary market
Secured loan
Security
Seller carry-back
Servicer
Servicing
Settlement statement
Subdivision
Subordinate financing
Survey
Sweat equity
 
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Tenancy in common
Third-party origination
Title
Title company
Title insurance
Title search
Transfer of ownership
Transfer tax
Treasury index
Truth-in-Lending
Two-step mortgage
Two- to four-family property
Trustee
 
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Underlayment
Underwriting
Undisclosed heir
Undisclosed spousee
Unrecorded deed
U.S. Departmet. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Unsecured loan
Upgrades
Upzoning
Urban sprawl
Usury
 
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Variable interest rate
Variable rate mortgage
Variable rate
Vaulted ceiling
Verification of deposit
Verification of employment
Vestibule
Victorian style
Vinyl-clad windows
Voluntary lien
VA mortgage
Vested
Veterans Administration (VA)
 
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Wainscoting
Waiver
Walk-out basement
Walk-through
Warranty
Wetlands
Wild deed
Will
Window light
Window seat
Window well
Window well covers
Wraparound mortgage
 
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Zero-lot lines
Zoning
Zoning variance
 
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