Top 20 Terms You should know in the Real estate Business World

Real estate means the property that is real and includes land and anything permanently attached to it or built on it, whether it’s natural or man-made architecture.  The profession of buying, selling, or renting real estate (land, buildings, or housing) is what we call a real estate business. Many people including Robert Kiyosaki became millionaires in the real estate business and If you are planning to get into this business there are many technical terms you should know.   

Hard Money:

A hard money loan is 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. 

Hard Money Lending:

A hard money lending is a process of lending out money or  loan that is secured by real property. Hard money loans are considered loans of “last resort” or short-term bridge loans. People who do Real estate business and do fix and flip or Double closing often use this type of loan as it’s very quick and easy to get (Some companies in Florida like DKC Lending lend out money as soon as in 48 hours).

LTV:

The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is an assessment of lending risk that financial institutions and other lenders examine before approving a mortgage. Typically, loan assessments with high LTV ratios are considered higher-risk loans. Therefore, if the mortgage is approved, the loan has a higher interest rate.

Origination fee

An origination fee (sometimes referred to as origination “point”) is a fee paid to a lender to process a loan application. The borrower agrees to pay this upfront fee to the lender for setting up the loan or mortgage. The origination fee can vary  according to the situation and lender. 

Credit Check:

A credit check, also known as a credit search, is when a company looks at information from your credit report to understand your financial behaviour. They don’t always need your consent to do this, but they must have a legitimate reason (e.g. you applied for a loan with them). Unlike banks or other financial institutions Hard money lenders for real estate investors don’t usually check them as the loan is backed by the actual real estate property. 

Fix and flip:

Fix-and-flip is the strategy of purchasing a property, renovating it, then selling it at a profit. Investors typically buy a property at a discount because of its condition. It might have lapsed into disrepair due to abandonment or because the current owner couldn’t pay for the upkeep. If you are from Florida and want Fix and Flip loan, contact DKC Lending. 

Refinance 

A refinance occurs when the terms of an existing loan, such as interest rates, payment schedules, or other terms, are revised. Borrowers tend to refinance when interest rates fall. Refinancing involves the re-evaluation of a person or business’s credit and repayment status.

Real estate bubble: 

A real-estate bubble or property bubble (or housing bubble for residential markets) is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real-estate markets, and typically follow a land boom. A land boom is the rapid increase in the market price of real property such as housing until they reach unsustainable levels and then decline. This period, during the run up to the crash, is also known as froth. 

Appraisal

An appraisal is required to gather the estimated value of a piece of real estate. During the home sale, the mortgage lender sends out an appraiser to get a professional opinion of the value of the property. This helps the lender decide if the property is worth the amount of the loan the potential buyer is seeking.

As-is

“As is” is in the condition at the time the offer was written, and should something happen to the property from the time the offer was written to the closing time which alters that condition, then that property is no longer “as is”, as it was, and should be brought back to its original “as is” condition at the time of offer, at the cost of seller. Or in the alternative, the seller should release the buyer from their obligation to purchase and refund the monies spent by the buyer, such as earnest money.

Conventional sale

A conventional sale is when the property is owned outright (has no mortgage remaining) or the owner owes less on their mortgage than what the market indicates the owner could sell their property for. Such conventional sales are often smoother transactions than non-conventional sales, such as foreclosures, probate related sales and short sales.

Closing

Closing is when the home sale is considered final, which typically includes all parties’ signatures on all required documents, all monies conveyed, and when a lender is involved, with full lender’s approval. For some markets across the nation, recording the deed with the county clerk’s office is the ultimate and final step of closing. Once all of these items are completed, then a buyer’s access to the property is then provided, and the buyer is considered the new homeowner.

Days on market (DOM)

DOM is defined as the number of days from the date on which the property is listed for sale on the local real estate brokers’ multiple listing service (MLS) to the date when the seller has signed a contract for the sale of the property with the buyer.

Due diligence:

A due diligence period of time might be available in the purchase agreement, which is a time frame provided to a buyer to fully examine a property, often by hiring experts to inspect the property, perform tests, etc., so that a buyer may decide on how to proceed.

A buyer might also be afforded an opportunity to renegotiate the contract based off of their findings or possibly even to terminate within a specified time period, in order to not be considered in default of the contract. Due diligence allows a buyer to fully understand what they are buying.

Escrow holder:

The escrow holder is the agent and depositary (impartial third-party) who collects the money, written instruments, documents, personal property, or other things of value to be held until the happening of specified events or the performance of described conditions, usually set forth in mutual, written instructions from the parties.

Equity

This is the investment a homeowner has in their home. To calculate equity, take the market value of the home and subtract any mortgages or liens against the property. The amount leftover is the amount of equity you have in the home.

Fixed rate mortgage

With fixed rate mortgages, your interest rate stays the same for the duration of the loan. They are often available as 10, 15, 20 & 30-year loans.

Homeowner’s association (HOA):

A homeowner’s association is a private association that manages a planned community or condominium. When you purchase a property that is managed by an HOA, you agree to abide by the HOA’s rules and pay its monthly or annually HOA dues. If you fail to pay and/or comply, they often have the ability to file a lien against the property and/or foreclose on the property.

Inspection

An inspection happens when buyers pay a licensed professional inspector to visit the home and prepare a report on its condition and any needed repairs. The inspection often happens as part of the due diligence period, so buyers can fully assess if they want to buy a particular home as is, or ask the seller to either complete or pay for certain repairs.

Multiple listing service (or MLS)

An MLS is a database that allows real estate agent and broker members to access and add information about properties for sale in an area. When a home is listed for sale, it gets logged into the local MLS by a listing agent. Buyer’s agents often check the MLS to see what’s on the market and what similar homes have sold for. According to Inman.com, there are over 600 MLS organizations in the United States.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here