A-G Flashcards
Abatement
A method of termination of a nuisance.
Absorption Rate
Rate at which new or vacant property is being occupied.
Abstract
A recorded history of a property (abstracts of all recorded documents).
Abstractive Method
An appraisal method used to find comparable land value. The value of improvements is deducted from comparable sales, and the remainder is the value attributed to the land.
Abstract of judgment
A condensation of a court judgment which, when recorded in the county where the property of the debtor is located, becomes a lien on the property.
Abut
To border on or to touch
Accelerated depreciation
Any method of depreciation that allows a greater rate than the straightline method.
Acceleration clause
A clause in a note giving the lender the right to demand the entire balance owed upon the happening of some event.
Acceptance
The agreement of the offeree that forms the binding contract.
Access Right
The right of an owner for ingress and egress.
Accession
Acquiring property because it has become joined with other property (such as fixtures).
Accommodation party
A third person who signs a negotiable instrument to give it strength.
Accord and satisfaction
Acceptance of a different consideration than had been agreed to. This is common where there is a disputed claim and one party accepts less than the agreement calls for
Accretion
Addition to land from buildup of soil or action of water
Accrued depreciation
Depreciation that has occurred. It is the difference between present replacement cost and present market value.
Accusation
The first action of the Real Estate Commissioner in instituting a hearing against a licensee
Acknowledgment
A declaration made before a notary by an individual that he or she has, in fact, executed (signed) a document.
Acquisition
Act of procuring property.
Acre
A measurement of land equal to 43,560 square feet or 208.7 feet by 208.7 feet.
Action in personam
Legal action against a person.
Action in rem
Legal action against a property.
Actual notice
Personal knowledge of an interest or instrument.
Ademption
The disposal of a property before death that revokes any disposition made by a will.
Adjusted cost basis
Cost plus improvements minus deductions taken for depreciation.
Adjusted gross income
Gross income adjusted for a vacancy factor and collection losses.
Adjusted market value
Adjustments to comparable property sales to estimate sale price of a subject property.
Administrative Procedures Act
An act that covers procedures for hearings by administrative agencies, such as hearings for revocation, denial, or suspension of real estate licenses.
Administrator
A man appointed by a probate court to administer the estate of the deceased. (A woman would be an administratrix.)
Adobe
A type of soil (also a type of brick).
Ad valorem
A tax according to value (such as
real estate tax).
Advance commitment
A lender’s prior agreement to provide permanent financing after construction is complete.
Advance fee
A fee charged by a business-opportunity broker for advertising (the ad must be in a publication primarily devoted to the sale of property).
Adverse possession
Holding property adversely to the owner’s right. Title can be obtained by adverse possession.
Aesthetic zoning
Zoning for appearance.
Affidavit
A written statement sworn under oath.
Affirm
To ratify or verify
Affirmation
A solemn statement before a court by a person whose religion prohibits him or her from taking an oath.
Affirmative easement
An easement that allows the holder of the dominant tenement to use the land of the servient tenement.
Affordability Index
A National Association of Realtors® Index that shows the relationship between the median family income and the median price home in a community.
After-acquired title
A title or interest acquired by a grantor after he or she has conveyed the property.
Age-life tables
Appraiser’s tables that show economic life for various types of structures.
Agency
A relationship between a principal and an agent whereby the agent is empowered to act for the principal.
Agency by estoppel
Agency formed when principal’s actions or words Reasonably result in a third person relying on the existence of an agency
Agency by ratification Agency formed when principal accepts benefits of unauthorized acts by another.
Agency coupled with an interest An irrevocable agency in which the agent has an interest in the subject property.
Agent
One who represents another.
Agreement of sale
A written contract setting forth the conditions of sale.
Air rights
The right of a landowner to reasonable use of the air space above the property.
Alienation Transfer
A type of acceleration clause requiring the existing loan to be paid if property is transferred. Also known as a due-on-sale clause.
Allodial tenure
An ownership system in which ownership is complete except for some rights held by the government.
Alluvium
Soil deposited by action of water (accretion).
ALTA (American Land Title Association)
An extended-coverage policy of title insurance to protect the lender.
Alteration
Unauthorized changes in a contract made by one party to the agreement. It voids the contract.
Amend-escrow instructions
A change in escrow instructions, such as an extension. Both parties must sign.
Amendment
Change to an agreement that has
Amenities
Satisfaction derived from living in a home, such as the beauty, privacy, and so on, that contribute to the quality of life.
AMO (Accredited Management Organization)
A firm that meets the guidelines of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and includes at least one Certified Property Manager (CPM).
Amortization
Payment of a debt on an equal installment basis in which the last payment liquidates the obligation.
Anchor bolt
A bolt used to anchor the mudsill to the foundation.
Anchor tenant
Major tenant in shopping center that attracts other tenants.
Ancillary probate
A probate in a state other than the domicile state in which the deceased owned property.
Annexation
Adding to, such as a city adding additional land
Anticipatory breach
An act or renunciation prior to performance due that can be treated by other party to contract as a breach.
Antimerger clause
A clause that provides that the senior lienholder retains lien priority in the event of a merger should there be a deed in lieu of foreclosure. While a foreclosure of a senior lien wipes out junior liens, a deed in lieu of foreclosure would leave the junior liens intact if this clause were not in the trust deed.
Appraisal
An opinion of value.
Appreciation
A rise in value.
Appropriation of water
Diverting water to one’s own use. The appropriator, after doing so for a period of time, obtains a continuing right (the right of prior appropriation).
Appurtenance Something that belongs with another thing and goes with it (such as a house with land).
Appurtenant easement An easement right that transfers with the dominant tenement.
APR (annual percentage rate) Expressed as simple interest considering loan costs
APY (annual percentage yield) The annual interest paid by a bank for deposits based on compounding the interest.
Arbitrage
Making money on an interest difference (buying at one interest rate and selling at a higher rate).
ARM (adjustable rate mortgage)
A mortgage whose rate is tied to an index such as the T-bill rate
Articles of Incorporation
Filed with secretary of state that state the activities the corporation can be engaged in.
Artificial monument
A manmade point on a metes and bounds description, such as an iron stake, road, canal, or building.
Asbestos
Mineral formerly used in construction. Asbestos dust causes lung problems.
As is
A statement intended to mean that the purchaser will not hold the seller liable for any problems. Its use is considered unethical unless it refers to a specific problem that the purchaser is aware of.
Assemblage
The act of bringing together two or more contiguous parcels to form a larger parcel.
Assessed value
A value placed for tax purposes.
Assessment
The amount of tax levied.
Assessor parcel number
Informal property description based on assessor’s designation. Used on tax bills.
Assets
Property owned by or owed to a business.
Assignment
The turning over to another of a person’s rights in property.
Assignment of rents
Transfer of the right to collect rent. This is often included in trust deeds, allowing the beneficiary to collect the rents when the trustor is in default.
Assignor
One who assigns to another.
Assigns/assignees
Those to whom property has been assigned
Associate broker
Broker employed by another broker in a salesperson capacity.
Assumption
Taking over an obligation of another and agreeing to pay
Assumption fee
Fee charged by a lender to allow assumption of loan.
Attachment
Seizure of property before a judgment under court order to make sure it will be available after judgment. An attachment lien is good for three years.
Attest
To witness a document.
Attorney-in-fact
One who operates under a power of attorney. Not necessarily a licensed attorney.
Attornment
A tenant’s agreement to pay the new landlord and the landlord’s agreement to honor the lease. A tenant will often enter an attornment agreement with a lender to be protected in case the prior trust deed is foreclosed.
Attractive nuisance doctrine
A doctrine according to which an owner is liable for unsafe conditions to child trespassers if children are likely to be attracted
Avulsion
Tearing away of land by action of water
Axial growth
Fingerlike growth in all directions from the center of a city following highways, rivers, and so on.
Back-end ratio
Loan qualifying ratio (gross income to loan payment and long-term debt payments).
Backfill
Dirt filled in around an excavated foundation.
Bailment
Giving possession of personal property for some purpose but retaining title (such as renting a trailer or leaving shoes for repair).
Balance sheet
A document that shows net worth by listing assets on one side and liabilities on the other.
Balloon payment
A final installment payment greater than the preceding payments; it is needed to pay the debt in full.
Baltimore method
An appraisal method for a corner commercial lot in which the value of the corner lot is said to be equal to the sum of the values of the lots on each side of it.
Band-of-investment method
A method of finding an average capitalization rate to use for appraising.
Banker’s interest
Interest based on a 30-day month and a 360-day year.
Bankruptcy
A legal procedure whereby a person can eliminate his or her unsecured debts (to eliminate secured debts, one must surrender security). A person cannot go bankrupt more than once every six or eight years.
Bargain-and-sale deed
A deed, given for consideration, that does not contain any warranties other than that the grantor has not harmed or
clouded the title.
Baseboard
A narrow board placed against the wall at the floor around the perimeter of a room.
Base line
An east-west surveyor’s line used to locate property.
Base shoe or molding
Molding used in conjunction with the baseboard.
Basis point
A measure: 1 /100 of 1 percent.
Batten
Wood strips used to cover joints (as in board-and-batten siding).
Beam
A heavy horizontal structural member.
Bearer paper
An instrument made out “to bearer” or to “cash.” No endorsement is necessary to negotiate it.
Bearing wall
A wall that also supports the building.
Benchmark
A location marker placed by a government survey showing elevation.
Beneficiary
One who is benefited by a trust, or the lender under a trust deed.
Beneficiary statement
A statement by a lender as to the condition of a trust note (the balance).
Bequeath
To give by will.
Betterments
Improvements to real estate.
Bilateral contracT
A promise made for a promise.
Bill of sale
A written instrument passing title to personal property
Binder
Insurance coverage given by an agent prior to issuance of policy.
Biweekly mortgage
A mortgage where half of the monthly payment is made every two weeks resulting in 13 monthly payments per year.
Black mold
Dangerous mold that can affect respiratory systems.
Blank endorsement
Signing name only on back of negotiable instrument. No further endorsements are required
Blanket mortgage
One encumbrance covering several separate properties.
Blended interest rate
A rate of interest greater than the previous rate but less than the prevailing rate. It is used in refinancing and loan assumptions.
Blind advertisement
An ad that fails to state that the advertiser is a broker or an agent. (An abbreviation, such as Agt. or Bro., is Acceptable.)
Blind pool
A syndication in which the property to be purchased will be selected after the money is raised
BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
The federal bureau that controls federal land.
Blockbusting
The illegal procedure of inducing panic selling based on the fear of minority groups entering the area.
Blue sky laws
State security laws to prevent sale of securities without registration. Purpose is to help prevent fraud
Board foot
A measurement for lumber. One foot by one foot by one inch, or 144 cubic inches.
Book value
The value at which a firm carries an asset on its books (cost plus improvement expenses minus depreciation).
Boot Additional money or unlike property given to even up a trade of property
Bracing Diagonal boards added for rigidity (located in corners).
Breach
The breaking of an agreement or a law.
Bridging
Diagonal boards nailed between joists.
Broker
A person employed as an agent for real estate dealings. Only a broker can employ a salesperson.
Brownfields
Areas having soil contamination due to chemical discharge.
BTU (British thermal unit)
A unit of heat measurement. One BTU equals the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It is used to measure the capacity of heating units
Budget loan
A loan with payments that include taxes and insurance.
Buffer zone
An area that divides different zoning uses.
Building line
The setback for building.
Building paper
Tar or impregnated paper used as a vapor barrier in the walls and on the roof.
Building permit
Construction permit issued by building inspector’s office.
Bulk Sales Act
Part of the Uniform Commercial Code. It requires recording and publication of sales not in the course of usual business.
Bulk zoning
The use of zoning to control density with setbacks, height, and open-area requirements.
Bullet loan
A short-term unamortized loan
Bundle of rights
Includes all rights that are incidental to ownership (such as the right to sell or lease).
Buy-down loan
A loan in which the seller pays the lender so that the lender will provide the purchaser with a loan at a lower rate of interest.
Buyer agency
Single agency where licensee represents buyer, not seller.
Buyer’s market
A real estate marketplace where there are more sellers than buyers.
Bylaws
Corporate rules that include the authority of officers.
Caliche
A type of soil.
California Homeowners Protection Law
An act that gives homeowners a bill of rights dealing with
foreclosure.
California Housing Finance Agency (CALHFA)
A state housing bank supported by bond issues that
offers home loans to lower and moderate income
buyers.
CALVET loans
Loans made to California Veterans; administered by the California Department of Veterans Affairs
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
An act to control unsolicited and misleading e-mail solicitations.
CAP
The limit an adjustable rate loan can be increased at each adjustment period and/or over the period of the loan.
Capital assets
Physical assets (land, buildings, and equipment).
Capital gain
Profit from the sale of a capital asset.
Capitalization method
An appraisal method based on the income of a property.
Capitalization rate
A percentage of return that is divided into net income to arrive at value
Capital loss
Loss from the sale of a capital asset.
Capital market
Refers to the financial marketplace for bonds, notes, and treasury bills.
CAR (California Association of REALTORS®)
The state organization of the National Association of REALTORS®.
Casement window
A window on hinges that swings outward.
Cash flow
The amount of cash left over from gross receipts after cash expenses (does not consider paper expenses such as depreciation).
Casing
Wood trim around doors and windows.
Caveat emptor
“Let the buyer beware.” The old rule is now being replaced with duties on the seller.
CC&Rs
Covenants, conditions, and restrictions.
CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment
Member)
A designation earned by a member of the Commercial-Investment Real Estate Institute, which is a part of NAR.
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental
Response Compensation and Liability
Act)
Makes owners strictly liable for cleanup costs
Certificate of eligibility
A certificate given by the VA to a veteran as to loan eligibility.
Certificate of occupancy
Required from building inspector’s office prior to new structure being occupied.
Certificate of Reasonable Value (CRV)
A VA loan appraisal.
Certification of title
An opinion of title showing liens
Certified appraisal
A written appraisal in accordance with standards required by law.
Chain
A surveyor’s measurement equal to
66 feet.
Chain of title
A history of the actual conveyances from the original patent to the present owner.
Chattel
An archaic term for personal property.
Chattel mortgage
A mortgage on personal property.
Chattel real
A personal property interest in real property (a lease).
Check
A 24-mile square area formed by correction lines on government surveys. This is also known as a quadrangle.
Chronological age
The actual age of a structure.
Circuit breaker
A safety device that shuts off electricity in the event of an overload (used instead of a fuse).
Civil Rights Act of 1866
First act to prohibit race discrimination in housing accommodations.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Act that prohibits discrimination in government related housing.
Civil Rights Act of 1968
Federal Fair Housing Act.
Clapboard
Overlapped horizontal board siding
Clearance receipt
A receipt from the State Board of Equalization for the sale of a business, certifying that the sales taxes have been paid to a certain date.
Client
Principal that employs the agent.
Close corporation
Corporation where stock is held by a small number of stockholders who actively control the corporation. There is no ready market for its stock.
Closing statement
The final accounting statement for a real estate transaction.
Cloud on title
Anything of record that may create any possible doubt as to marketability of the title.
CLTA (California Land Title Association)
The organization that developed the standard form of
title insurance for buyer protection.
Cluster zoning
Zoning where housing is densely clustered allowing open spaces between clusters.
Codicil
An amendment to a will.
Coinsurance
Requires that insurance be at least 80 percent of the replacement value. If the insured carries only a percentage of the required coverage, then the insured gets only that percentage of any loss (generally for non-residential property).
Collar beam
A horizontal beam connecting opposite rafters.
Collateral
Property given as security for a loan
Collaterally
secured Describes a loan secured by other loans, such as in mortgage warehousing.
Collusion
Agreement to defraud or to perform an illegal act.
Color of title
An appearance of having title but actually not having title at all.
Commercial acre
The net remainder of an acre after deduction of land for streets, walks, and so on (less than 43,560 square feet).
Commercial paper
Bills and drafts used in lieu of currency in a business
Commingling
Failure to properly segregate the personal funds of a licensee from funds entrusted to the licensee as an agent.