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California

California Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Programs

Located in the western region of the United States, California is the 31st state in the Union. With over 1000 miles of coastline, California is known for its cliff-lined sandy beaches, mountains, the redwood forest, wineries, and the Hollywood entertainment industry. The state’s capital is Sacramento and its largest city is Los Angeles. With a population of more than 39 million people, California boasts a homeownership rate of 55.3% (2022-U.S. Census Bureau).

DPA programs across the country continue to make homeownership possible for many. Below is a list of programs available in the state of California. Also, combining programs may be possible, so be sure to inquire.

In this article

California Housing Finance Agency

CalVet Home Loans

City of Belmont Housing Department

San Diego County Housing & Community Development Services

San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC)

City of Chula Vista Department of Housing and Homeless Services

City of El Cajon Department of Community Development

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Diego

City of Emeryville Community Development

Alameda County’s Housing and Community Development Department

Self-Help Enterprises

Orange County Housing & Community Development

Riverside County Housing Department

Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA)

Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA)

San Francisco County Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development

San Joaquin County Neighborhood Preservation

County of San Mateo Department of Housing

Tuolumne County Community Development Department Housing Division

Fresno County Community Development Division

City of Oakland Housing & Community Development

Town of Paradise Housing Department

City of Porterdale Community Development

City of Redding Housing Division

Community Housing Development Corporation

Contra Costa County Housing and Community Improvement

Riverside County EDA Housing Division

San Pablo Economic Development

Shasta County Housing & Community Action Programs

City of Sonora City Services

City of Turlock Housing Program Services

City of Poway Development Services

San Marcos Neighborhood Programs

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) San Francisco

USDA Rural Development

Habitat for Humanity

City of Walnut Creek Housing Programs

California Housing Finance Agency

California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

“The Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan is a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers to be used in conjunction with the Dream For All Conventional first mortgage for down payment and/or closing costs.

Upon sale or transfer of the home, the homebuyer repays the original down payment loan, plus a share of the appreciation in the value of the home.”

MyHome Assistance Program

CalHFA Government Loans (FHA): MyHome offers a deferred-payment junior loan of an amount up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value to assist with down payment and/or closing costs.”

“CalHFA Conventional Loans: MyHome offers a deferred-payment junior loan of an amount up to the lesser of 3% of the purchase price or appraised value to assist with down payment and/or closing costs.”

First Mortgage Programs – Government Loans

CalHFA FHA Loan Program: The CalHFA FHA Program is an FHA-insured loan featuring a CalHFA 30 year fixed interest rate first mortgage.”

CalPLUS FHA Loan Program: The CalPLUS FHA program is an FHA-insured first mortgage with a slightly higher 30 year fixed interest rate than our standard FHA program and is combined with the CalHFA Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for closing costs.”

CalHFA VA Loan Program: The CalHFA VA program is a VA-insured loan featuring a CalHFA fixed interest rate first mortgage. This loan is a 30-year fixed interest rate first mortgage.”

CalHFA USDA Program: The CalHFA USDA Program is a USDA Guaranteed first mortgage loan program, which can be combined with the MyHome Assistance Program (MyHome). This loan is a 30-year fixed interest rate first mortgage.”

First Mortgage Programs – Conventional Loans

CalHFA Convetional Loan Program: The CalHFA Conventional program is a first mortgage loan insured through private mortgage insurance on the conventional market. The interest rate on the CalHFA Conventional is fixed throughout the 30-year term.”

CalPLUS Conventional Loan Program: The CalPLUS Conventional program is a conventional first mortgage with a slightly higher 30 year fixed interest rate than our standard conventional program and is combined with the CalHFA Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for closing costs.”

ADU Grant Program

“The ADU Grant provided up to $40,000 towards pre-development and non-reoccurring closing costs associated with the construction of the ADU. Predevelopment costs include site prep, architectural designs, permits, soil tests, impact fees, property survey, and energy reports.”

CalVet Home Loans

Home Loans

“CalVet Home Loans is not a bank or a finance company. We are a California state agency authorized to provide home loans to California veterans and their families as a thank you for the sacrifices made for our state and country.”

City of Belmont Housing Department

Below Market Rate Housing

“A Below-Market-Rate (BMR) home is a home that is priced to be affordable to households that are low to moderate income. BMR owners must occupy the home as their primary residence and cannot rent the home.”

San Diego County Housing & Community Development Services

Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance (DCCA) Program

“Low-income, first-time homebuyers may qualify for a low-interest, deferred payment loan of up to 17% of the purchase price for down payment assistance and 4%, up to $10,000 in closing costs assistance.”

Areas served: all unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego and the cities of Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista.

San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC)

First-Time Homebuyer Program

“The SDHC First-Time Homebuyer Program* can assist with the purchase of a single-family home, townhome or condominium in the City of San Diego. Eligible buyers earning no more than 80 percent of San Diego’s Area Medan Income may qualify for a deferred-payment, second trust deed loan of up to 22 percent of the purchase price (based on the buyer’s need), with the interest rate set at 3 percent.”

Affordable For-Sale Housing

“The Affordable For-Sale Housing Program makes it possible for low- and moderate-income families to buy a home at a price that is affordable.

Private sector developers built these homes. The properties meet the City of San Diego’s affordability requirements and are sold below market value.”

City of Chula Vista Department of Housing and Homeless Services

First-Time Homebuyer Program

“Gap financing available up to $120,000 to be used toward down payment and closing costs.”

City of El Cajon Department of Community Development

American Dream and California Dream First-Time Homebuyer Programs

“Assist first-time homebuyers purchase a new or existing single-family or condominium home in the City of El Cajon.”

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Diego

San Diego Black Homebuyer Program

“This is a down payment assistance program for Black/African-American first-time homebuyers. LISC and The San Diego Foundation will grant qualifying homebuyers up to $40,000 to be applied toward the purchase of their first home using one of our Participating Lenders as a mortgage provider.”

City of Emeryville Community Development

Below Market Rate Ownership Program

“Below Market Rate (BMR) units are homes whose values are legally restricted to keep their prices affordable for households at or below certain designated income levels.”

First Time Home-buyers Down Payment Assistance Loans

“This program provides low-interest, deferred-payment loans to help first-time home-buyers cover the down payment on market-rate or co-op homes for sale in Emeryville. Loans are available to households at or below moderate income.”

Alameda County’s Housing and Community Development Department

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program

“An MCC provides the income eligible first-time home buyer with an opportunity to reduce the amount of federal income tax they owe each year they own and live in their home.”

AC Boost

“Borrow up to $210,000 in the form of a shared appreciation down payment assistance loan to buy a home in Alameda County. No payments due during the term of the loan, making your mortgage payment affordable.”

Self-Help Enterprises

Down Payment Assistance

“To meet the needs of those seeking homeownership, Self-Help Enterprises, in cooperation with Valley cities and counties, operates homebuyer assistance programs. The programs are designed to provide the additional financing needed to keep a first mortgage payment affordable to first-time homebuyers.”

Areas served: Cities of Avenal, Clovis ADU, Exeter, Chowchilla, Delano, Farmersville, Tulare, Corcoran, Dinuba, Visalia, Woodlake, and the counties of Rural Merced and Kings.

Build Your Own Home

“Through our program, eight to twelve families are grouped together and agree to help each other build their houses with skilled onsite supervision and guidance of Self-Help Enterprises construction staff.”

Orange County Housing & Community Development

Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP)

“The County’s Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) provides silent (deferred payment) downpayment assistance loans to assist low-income first-time homebuyers (FTHB). The 3% simple interest, deferred payment loan has a 30 year term and a maximum loan amount of $80,000. “

Riverside County Housing Department

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

“Intended for interested homebuyers, the MCC entitles qualified homebuyers to reduce the amount of their federal income tax liability. This tax credit effectively increases the homebuyer’s purchasing power, which helps them qualify for a mortgage. “

First-Time Home Buyer (FTHB) Program

“The Riverside County FTHB Program is designed to provide assistance to lower income persons in the purchase of their first home. Assistance may be provided for the down payment in the purchase of a home. The amount of assistance available depends upon the buyer’s qualifications and the price of the home. In general, a buyer may only receive what they need, up to 20 % of the purchase price of the home. “

Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA)

GSFA Platinum® Program

“Down Payment Assistance through the GSFA Platinum Program may help you to purchase a home sooner than you thought possible. Consider what $10,000, $20,000 or even $30,000 could do to help you purchase a home. Program is not limited to first-time homebuyers.”

GSFA MCC® — Mortgage Credit Certificate

“Providing an Annual Tax Credit to First-Time Homebuyers and Qualified Veterans.”

GSFA OpenDoors® Program

“The GSFA OpenDoors Program helps low-to-moderate income homebuyers in California purchase a home by providing down payment and/or closing cost assistance (DPA).”

Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA)

PLHA First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Assistance Program

“The Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Assistance Program is designed to assist low-income homebuyers by providing down payment and mortgage assistance to reduce the amount of the first mortgage loan on homes located in the City of Sacramento.”

Mortgage Credit Certificate Program

“The Sacramento Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program provides homeownership assistance in the form of a Federal Income Tax Credit on home purchases within the County of Sacramento and the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Isleton, Galt, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova.”

Welcome Home Program

“Homes available for purchase under the Welcome Home Program are owned by SHRA and are fully renovated prior to sale. Homes range in size from two to five bedrooms and are located throughout the City and County of Sacramento.”

New Affordable Homes for Sale

“There are periodically opportunities for eligible buyers to purchase affordable single family homes. These homes may be located in new subdivisions or in existing neighborhoods. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and be able to qualify for first mortgage financing to purchase these homes. In addition, most of these homes require restrictions on the resale of the home, so buyers are advised to fully understand these restrictions.”

San Francisco County Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development

Buy a home with City help

“First time homebuyers can get help from the City to buy a home or get downpayment assistance. You must live at the home that you buy with City help. You are not allowed to rent it out, including on platforms like Airbnb. The entire process of buying a home may take months.”

Buy a home at a below market rate price

“First time homebuyers can buy a home in San Francisco at below market rate (BMR) prices. “

City Second Loan Program

“Under the City Second Loan Program, you can borrow up to $375,000 for certain homes in San Francisco. “

Downpayment Assistance Loan Program (DALP)

“With the Downpayment Assistance Loan Program (DALP), you can get a loan up to $375,000 to buy a home. “

San Joaquin County Neighborhood Preservation

GAP Program

“The San Joaquin County GAP Loan Program provides deferred down payment assistance loans, 20% of the sales price up to $40,000 (whichever is the lesser), to low income, first-time homebuyers for the purchase of a home in the unincorporated county areas or within the city limits of Escalon, Lathrop, Manteca, Ripon or Tracy. The loans are intended to bridge the “GAP” between the cost of a home and what a low-income household can afford.”

County of San Mateo Department of Housing

EDPAP: Employee Down Payment Assistance Program

“The Employee Down Payment Assistance Program (EDPAP) is an employee benefit open to all full-time, County of San Mateo and Housing Authority employees.

The program offers a $100,000 loan (second mortgage) towards the purchase of a home in San Mateo County. The loan is deferred for the first, five years amortized for 30 years at three percent interest (3%). The County also offers a $5,000 grant to help cover closing costs, for awardees, moving to San Mateo County from outside the County.”

HEART Opening Doors Program

“Must be a first-time home buyer or be a “move-closer” buyer purchasing near transit in San Mateo County. Our goal is simple: to help you purchase a home with a 5% downpayment and no Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).”

Tuolumne County Community Development Department Housing Division

County and Green First-Time Homebuyer Programs

“The goal of the County’s First-Time Homebuyer Programs are to help make homeownership possible for first-time homebuyers who might not otherwise be able to afford to buy a home. A first-time homebuyer is defined under this program to be an individual or family who has not owned a home in the past three years.”

WISH Downpayment Matching Grant Program

“The WISH program provides up to $22,000 for each participating household, matching up to $4 for each $1 contributed by the homebuyer(s). Borrowers are required to contribute a minimum down payment of 3% of the purchase price of the home. WISH funds can be counted towards the borrower’s down payment. If a homebuyer contributes $5,500 for down payment and closing costs they would receive a forgivable grant in the amount of $22,000 from the FHLB.”

Fresno County Community Development Division

Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP)

The Homebuyer Assistance Program helps low to moderate-income families purchase their first home by providing a zero interest, deferred payment loan that shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the purchase price of the single-family residence plus loan closing costs..”

City of Oakland Housing & Community Development

First Time Homebuyer Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP)

“The Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) is a City of Oakland loan program, operating jointly with participating lenders, to assist low and moderate income first time homebuyers with the purchase of homes in the City of Oakland. MAP loans provide assistance that fills the gap between what a household can afford and the purchase price.”

Town of Paradise Housing Department

First Time Home Buyer Program

“The Town of Paradise offers a deferred, low-interest loan to eligible first-time homebuyers based on Federal 2022 Income Limits as down payment assistance to purchase a home.”

City of Porterdale Community Development

First Time Homebuyer Program (FTHB)

“This program is designed to help lower income first time homebuyers purchase a home and qualify for long-term financing from a participating lender of their choice from the list provided by City staff.”

City of Redding Housing Division

Homebuyer Program

“This program is designed to assist income eligible families or individuals to purchase a home within the city limits of Redding, who are unable to accomplish that goal through conventional financing. Qualified applicants can obtain a “silent” second mortgage that bridges the gap between the purchase price of the home, the primary loan, and the applicant’s down payment. No monthly payments are required on the loan.”

Community Housing Development Corporation

Cal Home Program

“Cal Home Program offers up to $38,000 in a “silent” down payment assistance loan for low-income households purchasing in Contra Costa. This loan is secured by a Deed of Trust on the property and requires no monthly payments.”

IDEA/WISH Program

“WISH grants can help first-time homebuyers overcome the biggest barrier to homeownership: downpayment and closing costs. These programs match $4 for every $1 a homebuyer contributes toward the purchase of a home, up to the Federal Housing Finance Agency annual maximum subsidy limit.”

Neighborhood LIFT Program

“Neighborhood LIFT provides eligible homebuyers with $25,000 in down payment assistance on qualified properties.”

Contra Costa County Housing and Community Improvement

Mortgage Credit Certificate Program

“Under the MCC program, the maximum tax credit available is equal to 20 percent of the annual interest paid on the borrower’s mortgage. By reducing the borrower’s federal tax liability, the tax credit essentially provides additional income which can be used for mortgage payments.”

Riverside County EDA Housing Division

First Time Home Buyer Program

“The Riverside County FTHB Program is designed to provide assistance to lower income persons in the purchase of their first home. Assistance may be provided for the down payment in the purchase of a home. The amount of assistance available depends upon the buyer’s qualifications and the price of the home. In general, a buyer may only receive what they need, up to 20 % of the purchase price of the home.”

Mortgage Credit Certificate Program

“The Riverside County MCC Program provides for a twenty percent (20%) rate which can be applied to the interest paid on the mortgage loan. The borrower can claim a tax credit equal to 20% of the interest paid during the year.”

San Pablo Economic Development

WISH Program

“Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco’s WISH (Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership) WISH offers first-time homebuyers a matching grant up to $29,000 ($4 for every $1 the homebuyer puts in) toward the purchase of a home. WISH grants are provided to eligible homebuyers through FHLB member institutions with whom San Pablo EDC is partnering to make the grants available.”

San Pablo Loan Assistance for Sustainable Housing (SPLASH)

“The loans made through the SPLASH Program will be deferred payment (also known as “silent second”) loans. No payments will be required until the end of the term unless the property is sold or otherwise transferred (including refinancing). Loan Amount up to 20% of the purchase price of the home not to exceed $100,000.”

Shasta County Housing & Community Action Programs

Down Payment Assistance Programs

“The Down Payment Assistance Programs offered through our office can be used in Shasta County outside of Redding city limits and now includes the city of Anderson and Shasta Lake!

It provides 0% interest loans to qualified, low-income, first-time home buyers to help with down payment and closing costs. The loan amount can be up to 40% of the purchase price. The maximum purchase price is $310,000. The borrower must contribute at least 3% of the purchase price to the sale transaction. These funds may be a gift.”

City of Sonora City Services

Homebuyer’s Assistance Loan Program

“The City of Sonora has funds to assist low-income households in the purchase of a home within the City limits. This assistance is available for up to $100,000.”

City of Turlock Housing Program Services

First Time Home Buyers Program (FTHB)

“Our First Time Home Buyers Program (FTHB) helps eligible applicants purchase a home with down payment assistance of up to $50,000 or 40% (whichever is less) of the sales price of a home.”

City of Poway Development Services

Supporting Home Ownership in Poway (SHOP) Program

“The Supporting Home Ownership in Poway (SHOP) Program provides low- and moderate-income homebuyers with assistance to purchase a home in Poway through a Poway Housing Authority and City of Poway funded second mortgages. Homes purchased with the help of SHOP Program loans will remain affordable for a minimum of 45 years, which requires the home to be sold at a restricted resale price to qualified buyers.”

San Marcos Neighborhood Programs

Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP)

“The Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP) is funded by the CalHome Program and offers eligible first-time homebuyers a simple interest, deferred payment loan to assist with the purchase of a home within the City of San Marcos.”

First-Time Homebuyer Program

“City of San Marcos residents are eligible to apply for loan funds from the County of San Diego’s First-Time Homebuyer Program. The program offers a 3 percent interest, deferred-payment loan of up to 17 percent of the purchase price for down payment plus up to 4 percent of the purchase price for closing costs to purchase a single-family home, townhome or condominium in San Marcos for eligible households with incomes at or below 80 percent of County’s Area Median Income. “

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) San Francisco

States/Territories served: Arizona, Nevada, California

WISH First-Time Homebuyer Program

“In 2023, the WISH Program offers eligible low- to moderate-income households 4-to-1 matching grants of up to $29,172, which is the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s annual maximum subsidy limit. WISH funds can be applied to downpayment and closing costs for the purchase of a home. WISH grants help working families and individuals move from renting to owning and can complement or supplement many local, state, and federal homeownership programs and initiatives.”

USDA Rural Development

Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans

“Also known as the Section 502 Direct Loan Program, this program assists low- and very-low-income applicants obtain decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability. Payment assistance is a type of subsidy that reduces the mortgage payment for a short time.”

Habitat for Humanity 

Habitat Home

“We believe that everyone should have a safe, affordable place to call home. To carry out our vision, we partner with individuals and families from application through construction to when the keys are handed over.” 

City of Walnut Creek Housing Programs

First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program (FTHB)

“The program assists low and moderate income households with the purchase of housing within the City by giving the household a loan to assist with a portion of the down payment. Interest-free equity share loans are available to qualifying homebuyers.” 

Below Market Rate Homeownership Program (BMR)

“There are approximately 46 Below Market Rate (BMR) homeownership homes bought and occupied by low and moderate income households. These homes have sales price restrictions so they are affordable to low and moderate income households.” 

The next blog post in our series will explore Colorado’s down payment assistance programs.

In this article:

California Housing Finance Agency

CalVet Home Loans

City of Belmont Housing Department

San Diego County Housing & Community Development Services

San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC)

City of Chula Vista Department of Housing and Homeless Services

City of El Cajon Department of Community Development

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Diego

City of Emeryville Community Development

Alameda County’s Housing and Community Development Department

Self-Help Enterprises

Orange County Housing & Community Development

Riverside County Housing Department

Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA)

Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA)

San Francisco County Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development

San Joaquin County Neighborhood Preservation

County of San Mateo Department of Housing

Tuolumne County Community Development Department Housing Division

Fresno County Community Development Division

City of Oakland Housing & Community Development

Town of Paradise Housing Department

City of Porterdale Community Development

City of Redding Housing Division

Community Housing Development Corporation

Contra Costa County Housing and Community Improvement

Riverside County EDA Housing Division

San Pablo Economic Development

Shasta County Housing & Community Action Programs

City of Sonora City Services

City of Turlock Housing Program Services

City of Poway Development Services

San Marcos Neighborhood Programs

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) San Francisco

USDA Rural Development

Habitat for Humanity

City of Walnut Creek Housing Programs

Helpful Links:

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Glossary of
Common Terms

Source 1: Wikipedia: Reusing Wikipedia Content. This work is released under CC BY-SA. Source 2: Farlex Financial Dictionary 

  • Addendum – an additional document not included in the main part of the contract. Wikipedia
  • Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) – a mortgage loan with the interest rate on the note periodically adjusted based on an index which reflects the cost to the lender of borrowing on the credit markets. Wikipedia
  • Amortization – paying off an amount owed over time by making planned, incremental payments of principal and interest. Wikipedia
  • Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – the interest rate for a whole year (annualized). It is a finance charge expressed as an annual rate. Wikipedia
  • Appraisal – the process of developing an opinion of value for real property (usually market value). Wikipedia
  • Appraiser – a person that develops an opinion of the market value or other value of a product, most notably real estate. Wikipedia
  • As is – describing the sale of an asset in which the seller gives no guarantee on the quality of the asset and makes no repairs that may be necessary. An “as is” sale transfers all risk to the buyer. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Assignment – a legal term used in the context of the law of contract and of property. In both instances, assignment is the process whereby a person, the assignor, transfers rights or benefits to another, the assignee. Wikipedia
  • Balloon Payment Mortgage – a mortgage which does not fully amortize over the term of the note, thus leaving a balance due at maturity. The final payment is called a balloon payment because of its large size. Wikipedia
  • Basis Points – a value equaling one one-hundredth of a percent (1/100 of 1%). One basis point is equal to 0.01%. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Blanket Mortgage – a type of loan used to fund the purchase of more than one piece of real property. Blanket loans are popular with builders and developers who buy large tracts of land, then subdivide them to create many individual parcels to be gradually sold one at a time. Wikipedia
  • Borrower – a person or company that has received money from another party with the agreement that the money will be repaid. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Break-even Ratio (BER) – estimates how vulnerable a property is to defaulting on its debt should rental income decline. Wikipedia
  • Bridge Loan – a short-term loan,usually from a bank,that “bridges”the period between the closing of a home purchase and the closing of a home sale. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Building Inspection – an inspection performed by a building inspector, a person who is employed by either a city, township or county and is usually certified in one or more disciplines qualifying them to make professional judgment about whether a building meets building code requirements. Wikipedia
  • Building Occupancy Classifications – refer to categorizing structures based on their usage and are primarily used for building and fire code enforcement. They are usually defined by model building codes, and vary, somewhat, among them. Often, many of them are subdivided. Wikipedia
  • Buyer Agency – the practice of real estate brokers and their agents representing a buyer in a real estate transaction. Wikipedia
  • Cancellation Clause – a clause in a contract or lease that allows one or either party to cancel it upon the happening of certain named events other than a default.  Farlax Financial Dictionary
  • Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) – a real estate valuation measure used to compare different real estate investments. Although there are many variations, a cap rate is often calculated as the ratio between the net operating income produced by an asset and current market value. Wikipedia
  • Cash-on-Cash Return (CCR) – the ratio of annual before-tax cash flow to the total amount of cash invested, expressed as a percentage. Wikipedia
  • Certificate of Occupancy – a document issued by a local government certifying that a structure has passed all required inspections and is ready for occupancy. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Closing Costs – fees paid at the closing of a real estate transaction. Wikipedia
  • Co-borrower – one or more persons who have signed the note and are equally responsible for repaying the loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Commercial Real Estate – commercial property, also called commercial real estate, investment property or income property, is real estate (buildings or land) intended to generate a profit, either from capital gains or rental income. Wikipedia
  • Commercial Mortgage – a mortgage loan secured by commercial property, such as an office building, shopping center, industrial warehouse, or apartment complex. The proceeds from a commercial mortgage are typically used to acquire, refinance, or redevelop commercial property. Wikipedia
  • Commission – a form of payment to an agent for services rendered. Wikipedia
  • Common Area Maintenance – CAM for short, are one of the net charges billed to tenants in a commercial triple net (NNN) lease, and are paid by tenants to the landlord of a commercial property. A CAM charge is an additional rent, charged on top of base rent, and is mainly composed of maintenance fees for work performed on the common area of a property. Wikipedia
  • Compound interest – the addition of interest to the principal sum of a loan or deposit, or in other words, interest on interest. It is the result of reinvesting interest, rather than paying it out, so that interest in the next period is then earned on the principal sum plus previously accumulated interest. Wikipedia
  • Conforming Mortgage – a loan eligible for purchase by the two major federal agencies that buy mortgages, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Contingency Clause – a clause that allows cancellation of a contract without penalty if a certain described thing happens. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Contract – a contract between parties for the purchase and sale, exchange, or other conveyance of real estate. Wikipedia
  • Conventional Mortgage – a loan based on the credit of the borrower and on the collateral for the mortgage. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Credit History – a record of a borrower’s responsible repayment of debts. Wikipedia
  • Credit Report – a record of the borrower’s credit history from a number of sources, including banks, credit card companies, collection agencies, and governments. Wikipedia
  • Credit Score – a numerical expression based on a level analysis of a person’s credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of an individual. Wikipedia
  • Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) – the ratio of operating income available to debt servicing for interest, principal and lease payments. It is a popular benchmark used in the measurement of an entity’s (person or corporation) ability to produce enough cash to cover its debt (including lease) payments. Wikipedia
  • Debt Ratio – a financial ratio that indicates the percentage of a company’s assets that are provided via debt. It is the ratio of total debt (long-term liabilities) and total assets (the sum of current assets, fixed assets, and other assets such as ‘goodwill’). Wikipedia
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI) – the percentage of a consumer’s monthly gross income that goes toward paying debts. There are two main kinds of DTI: front-end ratio (indicates the percentage of income that goes toward housing costs) and back-end ratio (indicates the percentage of income that goes toward paying all recurring debt payments). Wikipedia
  • Deed – any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions, sealed. It is commonly associated with transferring (conveyancing) title to property.  Wikipedia
  • Deed Restriction – A provision placed in a deed restricting or limiting the use of the property in some manner. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Discount Point – one percentage point of the principal of a mortgage loan that some lenders require borrowers to pay immediately as a condition of making the loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Down Payment – the amount, usually stated as a percentage, of the total cost of a property that you pay in cash as part of a real estate transaction. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Due Diligence – the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party or an act with a certain standard of care. Wikipedia
  • Earnest money – a small amount of money that a seller requires a potential buyer to deposit before a transaction is completed. Earnest money ensures that the potential buyer is serious about the transaction and will be likely to complete it when the time comes. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Easement – a nonpossessory right to use and/or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. Wikipedia
  • Escrow – a contractual arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties. Wikipedia
  • Environmental Assessment – a study of land to determine if there are any factors such as would possibly give rise to concerns about hazardous materials, protected species, historic remains, or other such factors. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Equal Credit Opportunity Act – designed to ensure that all qualified people have access to credit. It forbids lenders from rejecting credit applicants on the basis of race, gender, marital status, age, or national origin and requires lenders to consider public assistance in the same light as other forms of income. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Equity – the market value of a homeowner’s unencumbered interest in their real property, that is, the difference between the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property. Wikipedia
  • Escalation clause – a clause in any of a wide variety of contractual or real property arrangements that allows one party to increase the price upon the happening of certain specified events. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Fannie Mae – Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA). A publicly owned, government-sponsored corporation chartered in 1938 to purchase mortgages from lenders and resell them to investors. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Federal Housing Administration (FHA) – An agency of the United States federal government responsible for encouraging homeownership. It does this primarily by providing insurance to private mortgage lenders. It finances its activities by buying mortgages from the lender, repackaging them as mortgage-backed securities, and re-selling them. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Finance charge – any fee representing the cost of credit, or the cost of borrowing. Wikipedia
  • Fixed-Rate Mortgage – a fully amortizing mortgage loan where the interest rate on the note remains the same through the term of the loan. Wikipedia
  • Freddie Mac – Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). A Congressionally chartered corporation that purchases residential mortgages in the secondary market from S&Ls, banks, and mortgage bankers and securities for sale in the capital markets. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Ginnie Mae – Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). A United States government-owned enterprise that buys mortgages from banks and pools them, selling the pools as mortgage-backed securities. Ginnie Mae securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and as such are consider risk-free investments. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Government-backed Loan – a loan subsidized by the government, also known as a Federal Direct Loan, which protects lenders against defaults on payments, thus making it a lot easier for lenders to offer potential borrowers lower interest rates. Its primary aim is to make home ownership affordable to lower income households and first-time buyers. Wikipedia
  • Grantee – a person or entity receiving the property. Wikipedia
  • Grantor – a person or other entity giving the property. Wikipedia
  • Gross Rent Multiplier (GRM) – the ratio of the price of a real estate investment to its annual rental income before accounting for expenses such as property taxes, insurance, and utilities; GRM is the number of years the property would take to pay for itself in gross received rent.  Wikipedia
  • Hard Money Loan – a specific type of asset-based loan financing through which a borrower receives funds secured by real property. Hard money loans are typically issued by private investors or companies. Interest rates are typically higher than conventional commercial or residential property loans because of the higher risk and shorter duration of the loan. Wikipedia
  • Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) – a line of credit in which one borrows against the value of one’s home. That is, the collateral on a home equity line of credit is one’s house. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Home Equity Loan – a loan in which the one borrows against the value of one’s home. That is, the collateral of a home-equity loan is one’s house. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Home Inspection – a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. Home inspections are usually conducted by a home inspector who has the training and certifications to perform such inspections. Wikipedia
  • Homeowner Association (HOA) – a private association often formed by a real estate developer for the purpose of marketing, managing, and selling homes and lots in a residential subdivision. Wikipedia
  • Homeowner’s Insurance – An insurance policy protecting a homeowner against damage or loss to property. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Income Property – Property intended to produce income for its owners, especially from rent. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Interest Only Loan – a loan in which the borrower pays only the interest for some or all of the term, with the principal balance unchanged during the interest-only period. At the end of the interest-only term the borrower must renegotiate another interest-only mortgage, pay the principal, or, if previously agreed, convert the loan to a principal-and-interest payment (amortized) loan at the borrower’s option. Wikipedia
  • Interest Rate – the proportion of an amount loaned which a lender charges as interest to the borrower, normally expressed as an annual percentage. Wikipedia
  • Joint Tenants in Common – a way for two or more persons to own property together. Joint tenants in common may own equal or unequal shares of the property (but shares are usually equal), and there are no rights of survivorship. That is, when one of the co-owners dies, his/her share of the property becomes part of his/her estate and passes on to heirs. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Jumbo Loan – . A mortgage loan that exceeds the limits for securitization by U.S. government mortgage banks. As such, a jumbo loan cannot be guaranteed or securitized by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Farlex Financial Dictionary

No terms to share.

  • Land Lease (Ground Lease) – a long-term lease of land in which the tenant will erect improvements at its own expense. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Listing Agent – the real estate agent who obtained a listing contract from a property owner, authorizing the broker for whom the agent works to market and solicit offers to buy the owner’s property on specified terms and conditions. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) – a dollar-for-dollar reduction in one’s tax liability due to an investment in a housing complex for low and moderate income persons. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Insurance – an insurance policy that provides coverage to a lender in the event that a borrower defaults on a mortgage. This ensures that the lender does not incur a loss if the borrower is unable to repay the loan. While the lender pays the premium, it generally passes on payment to the borrower (and may roll it into the monthly mortgage payment). Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Note – a written promise to repay a specified sum of money plus interest at a specified rate and length of time to fulfill the promise. Wikipedia
  • Mortgage Protection Insurance (MPI) – an insurance policy that makes mortgage payments on behalf of the policyholder in the event of financial hardship. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Servicer – a company to which some borrowers pay their mortgage loan payments and which performs other services in connection with mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. The mortgage servicer may be the entity that originated the mortgage, or it may have purchased the mortgage servicing rights from the original mortgage lender. Wikipedia
  • Mortgage Underwriting – the process a lender uses to determine if the risk of offering a mortgage loan to a particular borrower under certain parameters is acceptable. Wikipedia
  • Multi-family Residential – a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can be next to each other (side-by-side units), or stacked on top of each other (top and bottom units). Wikipedia
  • Negative Amortization –  a loan repayment schedule in which the outstanding principal balance of the loan increases, rather than amortizing, because the scheduled monthly payments do not cover the full amount required to amortize the loan. The unpaid interest is added to the outstanding principal, to be repaid later. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Non-conforming Loan – a mortgage loan that fails to meet standards set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
  • Occupancy Cost – costs related to occupying a space including; rent, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, insurance on building and contents, depreciation, and amortization expenses. Wikipedia
  • Opportunity Zone – a designation and investment program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allowing for certain investments in lower income areas to have tax advantages. Wikipedia
  • Option Period – in Texas, a short period of time during which a seller of real estate may not to sell to anyone other than the person or entity who placed a bid. This gives the potential buyer time to perform inspections without placing his/her earnest money at risk. The potential buyer pays a non-refundable option fee, which is distinct from earnest money, in order to take advantage of an option period. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Origination Fee -an upfront fee charged by some lenders, expressed as a percent of the loan amount. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Owner Financing (Seller Financing) – loan provided by the seller of a property or business to the purchaser. Wikipedia
  • Passive Income – income that requires minimal labor to earn and maintain. Wikipedia
  • Piggyback Second Mortgage – piggyback second mortgages are originated concurrently with the first mortgage to finance the purchase of a home in a single closing process. In a conventional mortgage arrangement, homebuyers are permitted to borrow 80 percent of the property’s value whilst placing a down payment of 20 percent. Wikipedia
  • PITI – an acronym for a mortgage payment that is the sum of monthly principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Wikipedia
  • Preapproval – a commitment by a mortgage lender to provide a loan with a certain monthly payment to a borrower. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prequalification – the act or process of determining the approximate amount a borrower will be able to borrow before he/she actually applies for a loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prepaid interest – Interest on a loan that is paid before it is billed to the borrower. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prepayment Penalty – a fee that a lender may assess if a borrower repays a loan before the scheduled maturity. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Principal – amount of money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated. Wikipedia
  • Promissory Note – a legal instrument (more particularly, a financing instrument and a debt instrument), in which one party (the maker or issuer) promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other (the payee), either at a fixed or determinable future time or on demand of the payee, under specific terms. Wikipedia 
  • Property Tax – an ad valorem tax on the value of a property. Wikipedia
  • Purchase Price – the contractually agreed upon price for a property, before credits, adjustments, or concessions. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement – an agreement between a buyer and a seller of real estate property, company stock, or other assets. Wikipedia
  • Quitclaim Deed – a legal instrument that is used to transfer interest in real property. The entity transferring its interest is called the grantor, and when the quitclaim deed is properly completed and executed, it transfers any interest the grantor has in the property to a recipient, called the grantee.[1] The owner/grantor terminates (“quits”) any right and claim to the property, thereby allowing the right or claim to transfer to the recipient/grantee. Wikipedia
  • Qualifying Ratio – the maximum debt-to-income ratio for a mortgage. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Rate Lock – an agreement between a mortgage bank and a potential borrower promising that that the bank will not change the proposed interest rate on a loan that has not been concluded for a certain period of time. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Real Estate Agent – a person who facilitates the sale of real estate. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) – a company that owns, and in most cases operates, income-producing real estate. REITs own many types of commercial real estate, ranging from office and apartment buildings to warehouses, hospitals, shopping centers, hotels and commercial forests. Some REITs engage in financing real estate. Wikipedia
  • Real Estate Owned (REO) – a term used in the United States to describe a class of property owned by a lender—typically a bank, government agency, or government loan insurer—after an unsuccessful sale at a foreclosure auction. Wikipedia
  • Real Property – Land and the improvements on it. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Realtor – a designation reserved for members of the National Association of Realtors, and encompasses both real-estate agents and real-estate brokers. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Residential Mortgage – A loan that one or more persons receive in order to buy a house or other residential property in which they will live. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Residential Property – any property that a municipality has designated for single family homes, apartments, co-operatives, townhouses, and any other place where people live. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Return on Investment (ROI) – the money that a person or company earns as a percentage of the total value of his/her/its assets that are invested (ROI = (Income – Cost) / Cost). Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Reverse Mortgage – a loan borrowed against the value of one’s home. In this situation, the lender gives the borrower the amount of the loan and the borrower makes no payments and retains title to his/her home. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Right of First Refusal – the right of a person or organization to take advantage of a transaction before it is open to other parties. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Right of Rescission – the right to void a contract without any penalty within three days as provided in the Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Second Mortgage – a property lien that is subordinate to another mortgage on the same property. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Survey – The process by which land is located with reference to commonly agreed upon landmarks or other points of reference, and then measured out for all of its boundaries, including distances and direction-and-degree of turns. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Title Insurance – a form of indemnity insurance predominantly found in the United States and Canada which insures against financial loss from defects in title to real property and from the invalidity or unenforceability of mortgage loans. Wikipedia
  • Title Search – in real estate, research done to trace a title back to its original owner or back to some date dictated by statute. A title search is done before the sale of property to ensure that there are no competing claims for the same property. A title search protects the mortgage lender from the possibility that that a competing claim will be honored in court, resulting in a loss. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Truth in Lending Act -Title I of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. It is a federal law that requires lenders to make certain disclosures to potential borrowers within 3 days after receipt of a written loan application. A final disclosure statement is provided at the time of loan closing. Farlex Financial Dictionary 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. Wikipedia
  • U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) – a Cabinet department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government that was founded to develop and execute policies on housing and metropolises. Wikipedia
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with integrating life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 1700 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country. Non-healthcare benefits include disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance; and provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members at 135 national cemeteries. Wikipedia
  • Valuation – the appraisal of land or buildings. Wikipedia
  • Waiver – a statement of the voluntary surrender of a right. Farlex Financial Dictionary

No terms to share.

No terms to share.

  • Zoning – method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Wikipedia
  • Addendum – an additional document not included in the main part of the contract. Wikipedia
  • Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) – a mortgage loan with the interest rate on the note periodically adjusted based on an index which reflects the cost to the lender of borrowing on the credit markets. Wikipedia
  • Amortization – paying off an amount owed over time by making planned, incremental payments of principal and interest. Wikipedia
  • Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – the interest rate for a whole year (annualized). It is a finance charge expressed as an annual rate. Wikipedia
  • Appraisal – the process of developing an opinion of value for real property (usually market value). Wikipedia
  • Appraiser – a person that develops an opinion of the market value or other value of a product, most notably real estate. Wikipedia
  • As is – describing the sale of an asset in which the seller gives no guarantee on the quality of the asset and makes no repairs that may be necessary. An “as is” sale transfers all risk to the buyer. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Assignment – a legal term used in the context of the law of contract and of property. In both instances, assignment is the process whereby a person, the assignor, transfers rights or benefits to another, the assignee. Wikipedia
  • Balloon Payment Mortgage – a mortgage which does not fully amortize over the term of the note, thus leaving a balance due at maturity. The final payment is called a balloon payment because of its large size. Wikipedia
  • Basis Points – a value equaling one one-hundredth of a percent (1/100 of 1%). One basis point is equal to 0.01%. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Blanket Mortgage – a type of loan used to fund the purchase of more than one piece of real property. Blanket loans are popular with builders and developers who buy large tracts of land, then subdivide them to create many individual parcels to be gradually sold one at a time. Wikipedia
  • Borrower – a person or company that has received money from another party with the agreement that the money will be repaid. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Break-even Ratio (BER) – estimates how vulnerable a property is to defaulting on its debt should rental income decline. Wikipedia
  • Bridge Loan – a short-term loan,usually from a bank,that “bridges”the period between the closing of a home purchase and the closing of a home sale. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Building Inspection – an inspection performed by a building inspector, a person who is employed by either a city, township or county and is usually certified in one or more disciplines qualifying them to make professional judgment about whether a building meets building code requirements. Wikipedia
  • Building Occupancy Classifications – refer to categorizing structures based on their usage and are primarily used for building and fire code enforcement. They are usually defined by model building codes, and vary, somewhat, among them. Often, many of them are subdivided. Wikipedia
  • Buyer Agency – the practice of real estate brokers and their agents representing a buyer in a real estate transaction. Wikipedia
  • Cancellation Clause – a clause in a contract or lease that allows one or either party to cancel it upon the happening of certain named events other than a default.  Farlax Financial Dictionary
  • Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) – a real estate valuation measure used to compare different real estate investments. Although there are many variations, a cap rate is often calculated as the ratio between the net operating income produced by an asset and current market value. Wikipedia
  • Cash-on-Cash Return (CCR) – the ratio of annual before-tax cash flow to the total amount of cash invested, expressed as a percentage. Wikipedia
  • Certificate of Occupancy – a document issued by a local government certifying that a structure has passed all required inspections and is ready for occupancy. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Closing Costs – fees paid at the closing of a real estate transaction. Wikipedia
  • Co-borrower – one or more persons who have signed the note and are equally responsible for repaying the loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Commercial Real Estate – commercial property, also called commercial real estate, investment property or income property, is real estate (buildings or land) intended to generate a profit, either from capital gains or rental income. Wikipedia
  • Commercial Mortgage – a mortgage loan secured by commercial property, such as an office building, shopping center, industrial warehouse, or apartment complex. The proceeds from a commercial mortgage are typically used to acquire, refinance, or redevelop commercial property. Wikipedia
  • Commission – a form of payment to an agent for services rendered. Wikipedia
  • Common Area Maintenance – CAM for short, are one of the net charges billed to tenants in a commercial triple net (NNN) lease, and are paid by tenants to the landlord of a commercial property. A CAM charge is an additional rent, charged on top of base rent, and is mainly composed of maintenance fees for work performed on the common area of a property. Wikipedia
  • Compound interest – the addition of interest to the principal sum of a loan or deposit, or in other words, interest on interest. It is the result of reinvesting interest, rather than paying it out, so that interest in the next period is then earned on the principal sum plus previously accumulated interest. Wikipedia
  • Conforming Mortgage – a loan eligible for purchase by the two major federal agencies that buy mortgages, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Contingency Clause – a clause that allows cancellation of a contract without penalty if a certain described thing happens. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Contract – a contract between parties for the purchase and sale, exchange, or other conveyance of real estate. Wikipedia
  • Conventional Mortgage – a loan based on the credit of the borrower and on the collateral for the mortgage. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Credit History – a record of a borrower’s responsible repayment of debts. Wikipedia
  • Credit Report – a record of the borrower’s credit history from a number of sources, including banks, credit card companies, collection agencies, and governments. Wikipedia
  • Credit Score – a numerical expression based on a level analysis of a person’s credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of an individual. Wikipedia
  • Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) – the ratio of operating income available to debt servicing for interest, principal and lease payments. It is a popular benchmark used in the measurement of an entity’s (person or corporation) ability to produce enough cash to cover its debt (including lease) payments. Wikipedia
  • Debt Ratio – a financial ratio that indicates the percentage of a company’s assets that are provided via debt. It is the ratio of total debt (long-term liabilities) and total assets (the sum of current assets, fixed assets, and other assets such as ‘goodwill’). Wikipedia
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI) – the percentage of a consumer’s monthly gross income that goes toward paying debts. There are two main kinds of DTI: front-end ratio (indicates the percentage of income that goes toward housing costs) and back-end ratio (indicates the percentage of income that goes toward paying all recurring debt payments). Wikipedia
  • Deed – any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions, sealed. It is commonly associated with transferring (conveyancing) title to property.  Wikipedia
  • Deed Restriction – A provision placed in a deed restricting or limiting the use of the property in some manner. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Discount Point – one percentage point of the principal of a mortgage loan that some lenders require borrowers to pay immediately as a condition of making the loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Down Payment – the amount, usually stated as a percentage, of the total cost of a property that you pay in cash as part of a real estate transaction. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Due Diligence – the investigation or exercise of care that a reasonable business or person is normally expected to take before entering into an agreement or contract with another party or an act with a certain standard of care. Wikipedia
  • Earnest money – a small amount of money that a seller requires a potential buyer to deposit before a transaction is completed. Earnest money ensures that the potential buyer is serious about the transaction and will be likely to complete it when the time comes. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Easement – a nonpossessory right to use and/or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. Wikipedia
  • Escrow – a contractual arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties. Wikipedia
  • Environmental Assessment – a study of land to determine if there are any factors such as would possibly give rise to concerns about hazardous materials, protected species, historic remains, or other such factors. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Equal Credit Opportunity Act – designed to ensure that all qualified people have access to credit. It forbids lenders from rejecting credit applicants on the basis of race, gender, marital status, age, or national origin and requires lenders to consider public assistance in the same light as other forms of income. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Equity – the market value of a homeowner’s unencumbered interest in their real property, that is, the difference between the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property. Wikipedia
  • Escalation clause – a clause in any of a wide variety of contractual or real property arrangements that allows one party to increase the price upon the happening of certain specified events. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Fannie Mae – Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA). A publicly owned, government-sponsored corporation chartered in 1938 to purchase mortgages from lenders and resell them to investors. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Federal Housing Administration (FHA) – An agency of the United States federal government responsible for encouraging homeownership. It does this primarily by providing insurance to private mortgage lenders. It finances its activities by buying mortgages from the lender, repackaging them as mortgage-backed securities, and re-selling them. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Finance charge – any fee representing the cost of credit, or the cost of borrowing. Wikipedia
  • Fixed-Rate Mortgage – a fully amortizing mortgage loan where the interest rate on the note remains the same through the term of the loan. Wikipedia
  • Freddie Mac – Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). A Congressionally chartered corporation that purchases residential mortgages in the secondary market from S&Ls, banks, and mortgage bankers and securities for sale in the capital markets. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Ginnie Mae – Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). A United States government-owned enterprise that buys mortgages from banks and pools them, selling the pools as mortgage-backed securities. Ginnie Mae securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and as such are consider risk-free investments. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Government-backed Loan – a loan subsidized by the government, also known as a Federal Direct Loan, which protects lenders against defaults on payments, thus making it a lot easier for lenders to offer potential borrowers lower interest rates. Its primary aim is to make home ownership affordable to lower income households and first-time buyers. Wikipedia
  • Grantee – a person or entity receiving the property. Wikipedia
  • Grantor – a person or other entity giving the property. Wikipedia
  • Gross Rent Multiplier (GRM) – the ratio of the price of a real estate investment to its annual rental income before accounting for expenses such as property taxes, insurance, and utilities; GRM is the number of years the property would take to pay for itself in gross received rent.  Wikipedia
  • Hard Money Loan – a specific type of asset-based loan financing through which a borrower receives funds secured by real property. Hard money loans are typically issued by private investors or companies. Interest rates are typically higher than conventional commercial or residential property loans because of the higher risk and shorter duration of the loan. Wikipedia
  • Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) – a line of credit in which one borrows against the value of one’s home. That is, the collateral on a home equity line of credit is one’s house. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Home Equity Loan – a loan in which the one borrows against the value of one’s home. That is, the collateral of a home-equity loan is one’s house. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Home Inspection – a limited, non-invasive examination of the condition of a home, often in connection with the sale of that home. Home inspections are usually conducted by a home inspector who has the training and certifications to perform such inspections. Wikipedia
  • Homeowner Association (HOA) – a private association often formed by a real estate developer for the purpose of marketing, managing, and selling homes and lots in a residential subdivision. Wikipedia
  • Homeowner’s Insurance – An insurance policy protecting a homeowner against damage or loss to property. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Income Property – Property intended to produce income for its owners, especially from rent. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Interest Only Loan – a loan in which the borrower pays only the interest for some or all of the term, with the principal balance unchanged during the interest-only period. At the end of the interest-only term the borrower must renegotiate another interest-only mortgage, pay the principal, or, if previously agreed, convert the loan to a principal-and-interest payment (amortized) loan at the borrower’s option. Wikipedia
  • Interest Rate – the proportion of an amount loaned which a lender charges as interest to the borrower, normally expressed as an annual percentage. Wikipedia
  • Joint Tenants in Common – a way for two or more persons to own property together. Joint tenants in common may own equal or unequal shares of the property (but shares are usually equal), and there are no rights of survivorship. That is, when one of the co-owners dies, his/her share of the property becomes part of his/her estate and passes on to heirs. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Jumbo Loan – . A mortgage loan that exceeds the limits for securitization by U.S. government mortgage banks. As such, a jumbo loan cannot be guaranteed or securitized by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Farlex Financial Dictionary

No terms to share.

  • Land Lease (Ground Lease) – a long-term lease of land in which the tenant will erect improvements at its own expense. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Listing Agent – the real estate agent who obtained a listing contract from a property owner, authorizing the broker for whom the agent works to market and solicit offers to buy the owner’s property on specified terms and conditions. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) – a dollar-for-dollar reduction in one’s tax liability due to an investment in a housing complex for low and moderate income persons. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Insurance – an insurance policy that provides coverage to a lender in the event that a borrower defaults on a mortgage. This ensures that the lender does not incur a loss if the borrower is unable to repay the loan. While the lender pays the premium, it generally passes on payment to the borrower (and may roll it into the monthly mortgage payment). Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Note – a written promise to repay a specified sum of money plus interest at a specified rate and length of time to fulfill the promise. Wikipedia
  • Mortgage Protection Insurance (MPI) – an insurance policy that makes mortgage payments on behalf of the policyholder in the event of financial hardship. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Mortgage Servicer – a company to which some borrowers pay their mortgage loan payments and which performs other services in connection with mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. The mortgage servicer may be the entity that originated the mortgage, or it may have purchased the mortgage servicing rights from the original mortgage lender. Wikipedia
  • Mortgage Underwriting – the process a lender uses to determine if the risk of offering a mortgage loan to a particular borrower under certain parameters is acceptable. Wikipedia
  • Multi-family Residential – a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can be next to each other (side-by-side units), or stacked on top of each other (top and bottom units). Wikipedia
  • Negative Amortization –  a loan repayment schedule in which the outstanding principal balance of the loan increases, rather than amortizing, because the scheduled monthly payments do not cover the full amount required to amortize the loan. The unpaid interest is added to the outstanding principal, to be repaid later. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Non-conforming Loan – a loan that fails to meet bank criteria for funding. Wikipedia
  • Occupancy Cost – costs related to occupying a space including; rent, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, insurance on building and contents, depreciation, and amortization expenses. Wikipedia
  • Opportunity Zone – a designation and investment program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allowing for certain investments in lower income areas to have tax advantages. Wikipedia
  • Option Period – in Texas, a short period of time during which a seller of real estate may not to sell to anyone other than the person or entity who placed a bid. This gives the potential buyer time to perform inspections without placing his/her earnest money at risk. The potential buyer pays a non-refundable option fee, which is distinct from earnest money, in order to take advantage of an option period. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Origination Fee -an upfront fee charged by some lenders, expressed as a percent of the loan amount. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Owner Financing (Seller Financing) – loan provided by the seller of a property or business to the purchaser. Wikipedia
  • Passive Income – income that requires minimal labor to earn and maintain. Wikipedia
  • Piggyback Second Mortgage – piggyback second mortgages are originated concurrently with the first mortgage to finance the purchase of a home in a single closing process. In a conventional mortgage arrangement, homebuyers are permitted to borrow 80 percent of the property’s value whilst placing a down payment of 20 percent. Wikipedia
  • PITI – an acronym for a mortgage payment that is the sum of monthly principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Wikipedia
  • Preapproval – a commitment by a mortgage lender to provide a loan with a certain monthly payment to a borrower. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prequalification – the act or process of determining the approximate amount a borrower will be able to borrow before he/she actually applies for a loan. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prepaid interest – Interest on a loan that is paid before it is billed to the borrower. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Prepayment Penalty – a fee that a lender may assess if a borrower repays a loan before the scheduled maturity. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Principal – amount of money originally invested or loaned, on which basis interest and returns are calculated. Wikipedia
  • Promissory Note – a legal instrument (more particularly, a financing instrument and a debt instrument), in which one party (the maker or issuer) promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other (the payee), either at a fixed or determinable future time or on demand of the payee, under specific terms. Wikipedia 
  • Property Tax – an ad valorem tax on the value of a property. Wikipedia
  • Purchase Price – the contractually agreed upon price for a property, before credits, adjustments, or concessions. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement – an agreement between a buyer and a seller of real estate property, company stock, or other assets. Wikipedia
  • Quitclaim Deed – a legal instrument that is used to transfer interest in real property. The entity transferring its interest is called the grantor, and when the quitclaim deed is properly completed and executed, it transfers any interest the grantor has in the property to a recipient, called the grantee.[1] The owner/grantor terminates (“quits”) any right and claim to the property, thereby allowing the right or claim to transfer to the recipient/grantee. Wikipedia
  • Qualifying Ratio – the maximum debt-to-income ratio for a mortgage. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Rate Lock – an agreement between a mortgage bank and a potential borrower promising that that the bank will not change the proposed interest rate on a loan that has not been concluded for a certain period of time. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Real Estate Agent – a person who facilitates the sale of real estate. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) – a company that owns, and in most cases operates, income-producing real estate. REITs own many types of commercial real estate, ranging from office and apartment buildings to warehouses, hospitals, shopping centers, hotels and commercial forests. Some REITs engage in financing real estate. Wikipedia
  • Real Estate Owned (REO) – a term used in the United States to describe a class of property owned by a lender—typically a bank, government agency, or government loan insurer—after an unsuccessful sale at a foreclosure auction. Wikipedia
  • Real Property – Land and the improvements on it. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Realtor – a designation reserved for members of the National Association of Realtors, and encompasses both real-estate agents and real-estate brokers. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Residential Mortgage – A loan that one or more persons receive in order to buy a house or other residential property in which they will live. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Residential Property – any property that a municipality has designated for single family homes, apartments, co-operatives, townhouses, and any other place where people live. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Return on Investment (ROI) – the money that a person or company earns as a percentage of the total value of his/her/its assets that are invested (ROI = (Income – Cost) / Cost). Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Reverse Mortgage – a loan borrowed against the value of one’s home. In this situation, the lender gives the borrower the amount of the loan and the borrower makes no payments and retains title to his/her home. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Right of First Refusal – the right of a person or organization to take advantage of a transaction before it is open to other parties. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Right of Rescission – the right to void a contract without any penalty within three days as provided in the Consumer Credit Protection Act of 1968. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Second Mortgage – a property lien that is subordinate to another mortgage on the same property. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Survey – The process by which land is located with reference to commonly agreed upon landmarks or other points of reference, and then measured out for all of its boundaries, including distances and direction-and-degree of turns. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Title Insurance – a form of indemnity insurance predominantly found in the United States and Canada which insures against financial loss from defects in title to real property and from the invalidity or unenforceability of mortgage loans. Wikipedia
  • Title Search – in real estate, research done to trace a title back to its original owner or back to some date dictated by statute. A title search is done before the sale of property to ensure that there are no competing claims for the same property. A title search protects the mortgage lender from the possibility that that a competing claim will be honored in court, resulting in a loss. Farlex Financial Dictionary
  • Truth in Lending Act -Title I of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. It is a federal law that requires lenders to make certain disclosures to potential borrowers within 3 days after receipt of a written loan application. A final disclosure statement is provided at the time of loan closing. Farlex Financial Dictionary 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. Wikipedia
  • U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) – a Cabinet department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government that was founded to develop and execute policies on housing and metropolises. Wikipedia
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with integrating life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 1700 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country. Non-healthcare benefits include disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance; and provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members at 135 national cemeteries. Wikipedia
  • Valuation – the appraisal of land or buildings. Wikipedia
  • Waiver – a statement of the voluntary surrender of a right. Farlex Financial Dictionary

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  • Zoning – method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Wikipedia

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