The amount of heat a door or window conducts between the inside air and the environment.
Also known as HUD. A federal agency that oversees the Federal Housing Administration and a variety of housing and community development programs.
Real estate services not bound together, but purchase transaction at a time.
A code-approved knot tied at the end of an electrical cord to prevent the wires from being pulled away from their connection to electrical terminals.
The process in which lenders evaluate the risks posed by a particular borrower and set appropriate conditions for the loan.
A fee charged by the lender to verify information on the loan application, authenticate the property's worth as collateral, and make a final determination about whether to grant a loan to the applicant.
A marital partner who can claim the right to a piece of property but is not identified in the owner's will.
A one-sided contract. If one party makes a promise to do something, the second party is not legally required to perform. If the second party does comply, however, the first party is obligated to keep its promise.
A deed that transfers ownership from one party to another without being officially recorded.
An unsecured loan is a loan that is not backed up by collateral. Often, loans from family members or pesonal acquaintances are unsecured loans. A gift from another person that is not expected to be repaid is not an unsecured loan.
Options offered to buyers in a new-home project that go beyond the standard carpeting, lighting, finish carpentry, and other amenities.
Illegally excessive interest charged on any loan.