Escrow is a legal arrangement in which a third party temporarily holds a sum of money or property until a particular condition has been met, such as the fulfillment of a purchase agreement. It is designed to protect both the buyer and the seller in a real estate transaction.
An exclusive listing is used to motivate an agent to sell a property quickly, within a specific number of months. If they meet that goal, the agent gains a commission regardless of how a buyer is found.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was enacted in 1970 and ensures fairness, accuracy, and privacy of personal information contained in files maintained by credit reporting agencies. The goal of this act is to protect consumers from having misinformation used against them.
A property’s fair market value is its accurate valuation in a free and open market under the condition that buyers and sellers are knowledgeable about the asset, acting in their best interests, and free of undue pressure to complete the transaction.
Fee simple refers to the most common type of property ownership. It means the owner’s rights to the property are indefinite and can be freely transferred or inherited when the owner chooses. It is most often associated with single-family homes, as condominiums and townhomes are purchased with covenants, conditions, and restrictions.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans have been around since 1934 and are meant to help first-time homebuyers. The FHA insures the loan, making it easier for lenders to offer the homebuyer a better deal, including a lower down payment (as low as 3.5% of the purchase price), low closing costs, and easier credit qualifying.
A fixed-rate mortgage is a loan where the interest rate remains the same throughout the entire term of the loan. Fixed-rate mortgages are one of the most common types of loans.
For sale by owner, or FSBO, is a term that refers to a method of listing a property for sale. In a FSBO listing, the seller does not work with a real estate agent; rather, they sell the home themselves.
If a homeowner doesn’t make a mortgage payment (usually, for more than 90 days), foreclosure is a legal process during which the owner forfeits all property rights. If they are unable to pay off outstanding debt on the property or sell it via short sale, the property enters a foreclosure auction.
The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is an FHA reverse mortgage program enabling homeowners to withdraw equity on their home through either a fixed monthly payment, a line of credit, or a combination of the two.