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| GLOSSARY SELECTION | ||
 | SECTION 01: DEFINITIONS A - D | |
| SECTION 02: DEFINITIONS E - H | |
| SECTION 03: DEFINITIONS I - L | |
| SECTION 04: DEFINITIONS M - P | |
| SECTION 05: DEFINITIONS Q - T | |
| SECTION 06: DEFINITIONS U - Z | |
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ACCELERATION CLAUSE A clause in your mortgage which allows the lender to demand payment of the outstanding loan balance for various reasons. The most common reasons for accelerating a loan are if the borrower defaults on the loan or transfers title to another individual without informing the lender. ADJUSTABLE-RATE MORTGAGE (ARM) A mortgage in which the interest changes periodically, according to corresponding fluctuations in an index. All ARMs are tied to indexes. AMORTIZATION The loan payment consists of a portion which will be applied to pay the accruing interest on a loan, with the remainder being applied to the principal. Over time, the interest portion decreases as the loan balance decreases, and the amount applied to principal increases so that the loan is paid off (amortized) in the specified time. AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE A table which shows how much of each payment will be applied toward principal and how much toward interest over the life of the loan. It also shows the gradual decrease of the loan balance until it reaches zero. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE (APR) This is not the note rate on your loan. It is a value created according to a government formula intended to reflect the true annual cost of borrowing, expressed as a percentage. It works sort of like this, but not exactly, so only use this as a guideline: deduct the closing costs from your loan amount, then using your actual loan payment, calculate what the interest rate would be on this amount instead of your actual loan amount. You will come up with a number close to the APR. Because you are using the same payment on a smaller amount, the APR is always higher than the actual note rate on your loan. BALLOON MORTGAGE A mortgage loan that requires the remaining principal balance be paid at a specific point in time. For example, a loan may be amortized as if it would be paid over a thirty year period, but requires that at the end of the tenth year the entire remaining balance must be paid. BILL OF SALE A written document that transfers title to personal property. For example, when selling an automobile to acquire funds which will be used as a source of down payment or for closing costs, the lender will usually require the bill of sale (in addition to other items) to help document this source of funds. BRIDGE LOAN Not used much anymore, bridge loans are obtained by those who have not yet sold their previous property, but must close on a purchase property. The bridge loan becomes the source of their funds for the down payment. One reason for their fall from favor is that there are more and more second mortgage lenders now that will lend at a high loan to value. In addition, sellers often prefer to accept offers from buyers who have already sold their property. BROKER Broker has several meanings in different situations. Most Realtors are agents who work under a “broker”. Some agents are brokers as well, either working form themselves or under another broker. In the mortgage industry, broker usually refers to a company or individual that does not lend the money for the loans themselves, but broker loans to larger lenders or investors. (See the Home Loan Library that discusses the different types of lenders). As a normal definition, a broker is anyone who acts as an agent, bringing two parties together for any type of transaction and earns a fee for doing so. CALL OPTION A provision in a loan that gives the lender the right to accelerate the debt, and require for full payment of the loan immediately, at the end of a specified period or for specified reason. CAP A provision of an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) that limits how much the interest rate or loan payments may increase or decrease. In upward rate markets, it protects the borrower from large increases in the interest rate or monthly payment. See lifetime payment cap, lifetime rate cap, periodic payment cap, and periodic rate cap. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE The cost of an improvement made to extend the useful life of a property or to add to its value, such as adding a room. The cost of repairing a property is not a capital expenditure. Capital expenditures are appreciated over their useful life; repairs are subtracted from income for the current year. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT Any structure or component erected as a permanent improvement to real property that adds to its value and useful life. See Capital Expenditure. CERTIFICATE OF TITLE A statement provided by an abstract company, title company, or attorney stating who holds title to real estate based on the public record. CHAIN OF TITLE The history of all of the documents affecting title to a parcel of real property, starting with the earliest existing document and ending with the most recent. CLEAR TITLE A title that is marketable and is free of liens or disputed legal questions as to ownership of the property. CLOSING The conclusion or consummation of a transaction. In real estate, closing includes the delivery of a deed, the signing of notes and security instruments, and the disbursement of funds necessary to the sale or loan transaction. Also referred to as settlement. DEBT An amount owed to another. See installment loan and revolving liability. DEED The legal document conveying title to a property. DEED-IN-LIEU A deed given by a borrower to the lender to satisfy a debt and avoid foreclosure. Also called a "voluntary conveyance." DEED OF TRUST The document used in some states instead of a mortgage; title is vested in a trustee to secure repayment of the loan. DEPOSIT A sum of money given to bind the sale of real estate, or a sum of money given to ensure payment or an advance of funds in the processing of a loan. See earnest money deposit. DEPRECIATION A decline in the value of property because of physical or economic changes such as wear and tear; the opposite of appreciation. DOCUMENT PREPARATION This fee covers the expenses associated with this process of preparing some of the legal documents that you will be signing at the time of closing, such as the mortgage, note, and truth-in-lending statement. |