mobility
number one advantage to renting, ability to move more quickly and easily than if one owns a home
tenant
anybody who rents the place they live in to live there (kind like having roomates)
landlord
the person who owns the property you have rented
lease
a legal document that defines the conditions of the rental agreement between the tenant and the landlord
security deposit
an amount of money paid to the owner of a property by the tenant to guard any financial loss or damage the tenant might cause (usually equal one or two months' rent
equity
the value of the home less the amount still owed on the money borrowed to purchase it (your worth - what you owe)
Escrow account
an account where money is held in trust until it can be delivered to a designated party
Private mortgage insurance (PMI)
a special policy that protects the lender in case the buyer cannot make payments or cannot make them on time
Mortgage
a long-term loan extended to someone who buys property
Points
extra charges that must be paid by the buyer to the lender in order to get a lower interset rate
Amortization
the repayment schedule
Fixed-rate mortgage
(also known as conventional mortage) a mortage with a fixed interest rate and a fixed schedule of payments
Adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)
(also known as a variable-payment mortage) a mortage with an interest rate that increases or decreases during the life of the loan
Home equity loan
a loan based on the difference between the current market value of a home and the amount the borrower owes on the mortage
Refinance
obtaining a new mortage to replace an existing one
Closing
a meeting of the seller, the buyer, and the lender of funds , or representatives of each party, to complete the transaction
Title insurance
a type of insurance that protects teh buyer if problems with the title are found later
Deed
the official document transferring ownership from seller to buyer
appraisal
an estimate used to determine current value of a property. Your lender WILL do an appraisal to see if you are paying what the property is worth
Complex
is a building or a group of buildings with housing units
Foreclose
a process that begins when a borrower fails to make their mortgage payments. (lender takes back house)
Sublet
lease a property to a subtenant (becoming a "mini landlord")
P&I
principle and interest (also called PITI -> Principle, Interest, Taxes, Insurance)