Acceleration Clause

Jun 20 2007 by Emily Matthews

acceleration clause – A clause in your mortgage which allows the lender to demand payment of the outstanding loan balance for various reasons. The most common reasons for accelerating a loan are if the borrower defaults on the loan or transfers title to another individual without informing the lender.

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Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM)

Jun 21 2007 by Emily Matthews

A mortgage in which the interest changes periodically, according to corresponding fluctuations in an index. All ARMs are tied to indexes.

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Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

Amortization

Jul 02 2007 by Emily Matthews

The loan payment consists of a portion which will be applied to pay the accruing interest on a loan, with the remainder being applied to the principal. Over time, the interest portion decreases as the loan balance decreases, and the amount applied to principal increases so that the loan is paid off (amortized) in the specified time.

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Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Jul 03 2007 by Emily Matthews

This is not the note rate on your loan. It is a value created according to a government formula intended to reflect the true annual cost of borrowing, expressed as a percentage. It works sort of like this, but not exactly, so only use this as a guideline: deduct the closing costs from your loan amount, then using your actual loan payment, calculate what the interest rate would be on this amount instead of your... Full Story

Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

Appraisal

Jul 08 2007 by Emily Matthews

A written justification of the price paid for a property, primarily based on an analysis of comparable sales of similar homes nearby

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Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

Bankruptcy

Jul 25 2007 by Emily Matthews

By filing in federal bankruptcy court, an individual or individuals can restructure or relieve themselves of debts and liabilities. Bankruptcies are of various types, but the most common for an individual seem to be a “Chapter 7 No Asset” bankruptcy which relieves the borrower of most types of debts. A borrower cannot usually qualify for an “A” paper loan for a period of two years after the bankruptcy has been discharged and requires the re-establishment... Full Story

Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions

Buydown

Aug 01 2007 by Emily Matthews

Usually refers to a fixed rate mortgage where the interest rate is “bought down” for a temporary period, usually one to three years. After that time and for the remainder of the term, the borrower’s payment is calculated at the note rate. In order to buy down the initial rate for the temporary payment, a lump sum is paid and held in an account used to supplement the borrower’s monthly payment. These funds usually come... Full Story

Categories : Real Estate, Real Estate Definitions
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Hello all! My name is Emily Matthews and I'm a real estate agent in Austin and the surrounding areas specializing in the downtown area and luxury living.

My passions include the Austin real estate market, green building, and weekend events so that is what I write about.

For more information about buying, selling or leasing please contact me by phone or email.

phone: 512.496.3219

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