Terms Flashcards
ABANDONMENT
When a borrower abandons a property, he packs up his belongings,
leaves, and stops making payments. Unfortunately, he is still responsible for whatever
payments he is contractually obligated to. If a borrower is in financial distress, there is a
right way and a wrong way to give back the house and re-negotiate or default on the
transaction, but abandonment is almost always the wrong way. If the property has been
condemned or destroyed in a hurricane, well, that’s why there’s homeowners or hazard
insurance.
ABATEMENT
A reduction or decrease in amount of property taxes or mortgage payments
due.
ABSOLUTE TITLE
A title that has no liens, judgments, deficiencies or clouds on it. Sometimes
called CLEAR TITLE.
ABSTRACT (OF TITLE)
A report provided to the Settlement agent that shows the ownership
history of a particular property (called a CHAIN OF TITLE), as well as any other easements or
liens.
ABSTRACTOR
‘The guy’ who goes down to the county courthouse to research a property
by conducting a title search and who provides an abstract of that research (or an
updated abstract, if necessary) to the Settlement agent.
ABUSIVE ACT
Anything that we as mortgage professionals may do or say that ‘materially
interferes’ with a borrower’s ability to fully understand a product or service. A lie or even a
half-truth.
ACCELERATION CLAUSE
The right of the Lender to demand the immediate repayment of
the mortgage loan balance because the borrower defaults on his obligations under the
Note and/or mortgage. The Lender ‘accelerates’ the loan, calling all remaining amounts
due and payable immediately.
ACCRUED EXPENSES
money owed or a financial obligation incurred, but not yet paid,
examples of which might be periodic interest or lender fees. These expenses are found on
the Closing Disclosure and/or HUD-1, and are paid at settlement.
ACQUISITION COST
The total cost to purchase a home. It includes the total sales price
and whatever closing costs the borrower must pay. It has nothing to do with the amount or
terms of the loan itself. As an example, if I bought a house for $675,000 and had to pay
$25,000 in closing costs, my acquisition cost would be $700,000. Again, the terms of the
loan and the down payment are meaningless.
ACT OF GOD
A natural disaster that was unpreventable. And sometimes deserved.
ADDENDUM
An addition or amendment to a contract, usually a contract to purchase a
home, but can also be for a mortgage Note (as in Pre-Payment Penalty Addendum).
ADJUSTED (COST) BASIS
The cost of a property plus the cost of fixing it up, minus any
depreciation taken.
ADJUSTMENT DATE
The date that the interest rate changes or adjusts on an ARM.
ADJUSTMENT INTERVAL
On an ARM, the time between changes in the interest rate, usually
every 12 months or 1-year. On a 5/1 ARM, it is annually after the Initial Adjustment Period.
ADJUSTMENT PERIOD (INITIAL)
The period elapsing between the start rate and the first
adjustment. On a 5/1 ARM, it is five years.
ADVANCE
A partial disbursement of funds under a note. The term is typically used when
describing receiving funds from a Warehouse Line of Credit, a HELOC, as a draw on a
construction loan or receiving cash from utilizing a reverse mortgage.
AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS
A pre-qualification of the borrower’s ability to finance a
property that is not a formal underwriting of the loan, which analyses income, assets
liabilities, and loan transaction particulars.
AGENCY
A legal and contractual relationship between a principal and his agent
whereby the agent agrees to act on the behalf of the principal. If I am buying a home, I
will enlist the services of a Buyer’s agent, whose legal responsibility is to act in my best
interests during the transaction, just as I would myself.
ALTA
The American Land Title Association, which is the Title Company/Settlement
Agency’s national trade association and creators of standardized settlement forms and
documents. Not to be confused with ULTA, which is a beauty store where chicks go to buy
war paint and haircare products.
ALT-A
Alt-A has nothing to do with ALTA or ULTA, but with loan quality. Alt-A (Alternative-
A) loans are those that fall just ever so slightly outside prime lending guidelines – kind of like
‘sub-prime lite’.
DUE ON SALE CLAUSE
used when the property is sold
ACCELERATION CLAUSE
used for when the borrower goes into default
ALIENATION CLAUSE
used when borrower transfers title/ownership. It does not
mean that the property has been sold, just that ownership has changed
APPRAISAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY – AMC
a company that acts as a ‘middleman’
between brokers and appraisers in part to ensure that brokers cannot choose their own
appraisers. God forbid that a broker or lender actually has a business relationship with the
appraiser… The AMC is paid by the broker or borrower directly to provide (usually
independent) appraisers on a rotational basis, and they in turn pay the appraisers a
portion of the fee they received.
APPRECIATION
increase in value
ARM’S LENGTH TRANSACTION
A transaction among non-related parties, each acting in
their own best interest. If I sell my house to you, that’s an arm-s length transaction.
NON-ARM’S LENGTH TRANSACTION
If I sell my
house to my sister, it’s a NON-ARM’S LENGTH TRANSACTION and may require further
underwriting scrutiny.
ASSESSMENT
A local tax that is usually temporary or a one-time assessment, levied
against a property for a specific municipal need or purpose, such as putting in sidewalks or
a sewer system.
ASSIGNMENT
The transfer of the ownership of a mortgage loan from one person or
company to another. The Assignor transfers or assigns his ownership rights to the mortgage
to the Assignee.
Creditor
gives out the loan - e.g. Mortgage Bank
Debtor
owes money on the loan - e.g. Borrower
Mortgagor
Borrower is the Mortgagor, giving Mortgage to collateralize the loan
Mortgagee
Bank is the mortgagee, who received the mortgage as collateral from the borrower
ASSUMABILITY
With an assumable mortgage, a purchaser can take over the remaining mortgage obligation (and payments) from the home seller. This does require underwriting
and qualification, and generally speaking, only VA and FHA loans are assumable. If a mortgage contains a due-on sale clause, it is not an assumable loan.
It only makes sense for a buyer to assume a loan if it can save him money because of a
shorter remaining term and/or if it contains a lower than current market interest rate.
ASSUMPTION FEE
The fee paid to a lender when an assumption takes place, which I assume you probably figured out.
ATTACHMENT
A lien on property to force payment of a debt when the property is sold or otherwise refinanced.
ATTEST
To witness by observation and signature
ATTORNEY’S OPINION OF TITLE
A written statement by an attorney after examination of
public records and or abstracts of title that in his or her judgement the title to a particular
property is free and clear of liens and encumbrances.
BAD TITLE
A condition where title to a property is impaired by unsettled claims and liens.
Also called CLOUD ON TITLE.
BANKRUPTCY
The legal discharge (Chapter 7 Bankruptcy) or reorganization of a debtor’s
debts (Chapter 13 Bankruptcy) via the court system. Not to be confused with insolvency,
which is the financial inability to pay one’s debts when due, and when his liabilities exceed
his assets.
BLANKET MORTGAGE
mortgage covering two or more properties as security for the
same loan, usually used for builders and developers who are working with several projects
simultaneously. When a particular property is sold, a PARTIAL RELEASE OF LIEN is issued by
the developer’s lender.
BLENDED RATE
In a refinance with both first and second mortgages, it is the mathematical
average of both mortgage interest rates calculated according to the percentage of each
loan in relation to the total amount borrowed.
BLOCKBUSTING
The practice of illegally frightening homeowners by telling them that
people who are members of a particular race, religion, or national origin are moving into
their neighborhood and those homeowners should expect a decline in the value of their
property. The purpose of this scheme is to get the homeowners to sell out at a deflated
price, so that the properties can be purchased on the cheap and sold at a high profit.
BONA FIDE
is Latin for ‘In good faith’.
BORROWER CREDIT
Credits (money) given to the borrower at closing that are subtracted
from the final closing costs, including seller paid closing costs or a portion of the yield
spread premium received by the broker.
BRIDGE LOAN
A second mortgage on the borrower’s present home, used for purchasing a
new house before the present home is sold. Also called a “swing loan.”
CASH FLOW
The amount of cash generated over a specific period of time from an
income-producing property. There is positive cash flow when the amount of rent exceeds
the expenses of property, including PITI, maintenance, utilities, etc.
CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY (COE)
The document given to qualified veterans which entitles
them to VA guaranteed loans.
CERTIFICATE OF REASONABLE VALUE (CRV)
An appraisal for a VA loan.
CERTIFICATE OF TITLE
A statement provided by Settlement agent attesting that the title to
a property is legally held by the current owner.
CERTIFICATE OF VETERAN STATUS
The document given to veterans or reservists who have
served 90 days of continuous active duty (including training time) which enables them to
obtain lower down payments on certain FHA insured loans (NOT VA loans!).
CHATTEL
Personal property that is not real estate.
CLEAR TITLE
A title free of clouds, liens or encumbrances.
CLOSING
The act of transferring ownership of property; when the buyer and seller
become contractually obligated to each other. Not to be confused with
CONSUMMATION, which occurs when the borrower becomes contractually obligated to
the lender.
CLOSING DISCLOSURE
The Settlement Statement. The new document that replaced the
Final TIL and HUD-1.
CLOUD ON TITLE
Exists when there is an outstanding claim or encumbrance on the title.
COFI
The 11th Federal Reserve District Cost of Funds Index. One type of index used to
determine interest rates for adjustable rate mortgages.
COSI
The 11th Federal Reserve District Cost of Savings Index. Another type of index used
to determine interest rates for adjustable rate mortgages.
COLLATERAL
Property pledged as security for a debt.
COMMITMENT
A binding agreement issued by a Lender to a borrower to lend money
under specific terms. The Commitment to Lend must be good for a minimum of 10 days
once it is issued (same 10-days also applies for the Loan Estimate).
CONDEMNATION
A determination that a property is unfit to occupy.
CONSIDERATION
payment
CONTROLLED BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS (CBA)
A CBA exists when real estate, mortgage
and title companies provide related services to each other through subsidiary companies
they each own. It is similar to a multi-entity AfBA.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
drugs
CONVERSION OPTION
A provision in an ARM allowing the loan to be converted to a fixedrate
usually at the end of the first adjustment period.
CONVEYANCE
The transfer of the Title from one entity to another.
CORRESPONDENT LENDER
Mortgage Banker utilizing a warehouse line of credit to fund loans.
COVENANT
Promise written into Deeds and other instruments agreeing to performance or
non-performance of certain acts or preventing certain uses of the property.