Dictionary

Search for real estate and mortgage terms

Real Estate Dictionary contains a comprehensive list of real estate and mortgage terms and definitions for home buyers, home sellers, and real estate consumers with expanded definitions of the most important real estate and mortgage home loan terms. This dictionary is made available by Houston area REALTORS®. Please use the real estate dictionary term index section containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them.

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Debt
An amount owed to another.

Deed
The legal document conveying title to a property.

Deed Of Trust
The document used in some states instead of a mortgage; title is conveyed to a trustee.

Deed-In-Lieu
A deed given by a mortgagor to the mortgagee to satisfy a debt and avoid foreclosure.

Default
Failure to make mortgage payments on a timely basis or to comply with other requirements of a mortgage.

Delinquency
Failure to make mortgage payments when mortgage payments are due.

Deposit
A sum of money given to bind the sale of real estate, or a sum of money given to ensure payment or an advance of funds in the processing of a loan.

Depreciation
A decline in the value of property; the opposite of appreciation.

Down Payment
The part of the purchase price of a property that the buyer pays in cash and does not finance with a mortgage.

Due-On-Sale Provision
A provision in a mortgage that allows the lender to demand repayment in full if the borrower sells the property that serves as security for the mortgage.