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Limit on how much the interest rate or mortgage payment may change on an ARM capital improvement
Any structure or component erected as a permanent improvement to real property that adds to its value and useful life. cash-out refinance
A refinance transaction in which the borrower receives cash in excess of existing mortgages and certain financing costs. hotel near airport TurinCertificate of Eligibility
A document issued by the federal government certifying a veteran’s eligibility for a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgage. Certificate of Reasonable Value (CRV)
A document issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that establishes the maximum value and loan amount for a VA mortgage. certificate of title
A statement provided by an abstract company, title company, or attorney stating that the title to real estate is legally held by the current owner. chain of title
The history of all of the documents that transfer title to a parcel of real property, starting with the earliest existing document and ending with the most recent. clear title
A title that is free of liens or legal questions as to ownership of the property. closing
The final procedure in which documents are executed and/or recorded. closing cost item
A fee or amount that a home buyer must pay at closing for a service, such as origination fees, title fees, loan fees etc. closing costs
Expenses (over and above the price of the property) incurred by buyers and sellers in transferring ownership of a property. Closing costs normally include an origination fee, an attorney's fee, taxes, an amount placed in escrow, and charges for obtaining title insurance and a survey. cloud on title
Any conditions revealed by a title search that adversely affect the title to real estate. Usually clouds on title cannot be removed except by a quitclaim deed, release, or court action. collateral
An asset that secures the repayment of a loan. collection
The efforts used to bring a delinquent mortgage current and to file the necessary notices to proceed with foreclosure when necessary. co-maker
A person who signs a promissory note along with the borrower. A co-maker's signature guarantees that the loan will be repaid, because the borrower and the co-maker are jointly responsible for the repayment. commission
The fee charged by a broker or agent for negotiating a real estate or loan transaction. commitment letter
A formal offer by a lender stating the terms under which it agrees to lend money to a borrower. Essen hotel roomscommon area assessments
Levies against individual unit owners in a condominium or planned unit development (PUD) project for additional capital to defray homeowners' association costs and expenses and to repair, replace, maintain, improve, or operate the common areas of the project. common areas
Those portions of a building, land, and amenities owned (or managed) by a planned unit development (PUD) or condominium project's homeowners' association (or a cooperative project's cooperative corporation) that are used by all of the unit owners, who share in the common expenses of their operation and maintenance. Common areas include swimming pools, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities, as well as common corridors of buildings, parking areas, means of ingress and egress, etc. common law
An unwritten body of law based on general custom and usage which is recognized and enforced by the courts. community property
In some western and southwestern states, a form of ownership under which property acquired during a marriage is presumed to be owned jointly unless acquired as separate property of either spouse. comparable (COMP)
An abbreviation for "comparable properties"; used for comparative purposes in the appraisal process. Comparables are properties like the property under consideration; they have reasonably the same size, location , and amenities and have recently been sold. Comparables help the appraiser determine the approximate fair market value of the subject property. compound interest
Interest paid on the original principal balance and on the accrued and unpaid interest. condemnation
The determination that a building is not fit for use or is dangerous and must be destroyed; the taking of private property for a public purpose through an exercise of the right of eminent domain. condominium
A real estate project in which each unit owner has title to a unit in a building, an undivided interest in the common areas of the project, and sometimes the exclusive use of certain limited common areas. condominium conversion
Changing the ownership of an existing building (usually a rental project) to the condominium form of ownership. construction loan
A short-term, interim loan for financing the cost of construction. The lender makes payments to the builder at periodic intervals as the work progresses. contingency
A condition that must be met before a contract is legally binding. For example, home purchasers often include a contingency that specifies that the contract is not binding until the purchaser obtains a satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified home inspector. contract
An oral or written agreement to do or not to do a certain thing. conventional mortgage
A mortgage that is not insured or guaranteed by the federal government. convertibility clause
A provision in some adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) that allows the borrower to change the ARM to a fixed-rate mortgage at specified timeframes after loan origination. convertible ARM
An adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) that can be converted to a fixed-rate mortgage under specified conditions. cooperative (co-op)
A type of multiple ownership in which the residents of a multiunit housing complex own shares in the cooperative corporation that owns the property, giving each resident the right to occupy a specific apartment or unit. cooperative corporation
A business trust entity that holds title to a cooperative project and grants occupancy rights to particular apartments or units to shareholders through proprietary leases or similar arrangements. cooperative mortgages
Mortgages related to a cooperative project. This usually refers to the multifamily mortgage covering the entire project but occasionally describes the share loans on the individual units. cooperative project
A residential or mixed-use building wherein a corporation or trust holds title to the property and sells shares of stock representing the value of a single apartment unit to individuals who, in turn, receive a proprietary lease as evidence of title. corporate relocation
Arrangements under which an employer moves an employee to another area as part of the employer's normal course of business or under which it transfers a substantial part or all of its operations and employees to another area because it is relocating its headquarters or expanding its office capacity. cost of funds index (COFI)
ERROR MSG An index that is used to determine interest rate changes for certain adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) plans. It represents the weighted-average cost of savings, borrowings, and advances of the 11th District members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. covenant
A clause in a mortgage that obligates or restricts the borrower and that, if violated, can result in foreclosure. credit
An agreement in which a borrower receives something of value in exchange for a promise to repay the lender at a later date. credit reporting agency (or bureau)
An organization that prepares reports that are used by lenders to determine a potential borrower's credit history. The agency obtains data for these reports from credit repositories (EFX, Experian, TU), as well as from other sources. credit history
A record of an individual's open and fully repaid debts. A credit history helps a lender to determine whether a potential borrower has a history of repaying debts in a timely manner. credit life insurance
A type of insurance often bought by mortgagors because it will pay off the mortgage debt if the mortgagor dies while the policy is in force. creditor
A person to whom money is owed. credit report
A report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. See merged credit report. credit repository
An organization that gathers, records, updates, and stores financial and public records information about the payment records of individuals who are being considered for credit. You may contact the credit repositories to obtain a copy of your credit file to review and/or correct reporting mistakes. Equifax (EFX); telephone number 800-685-1111; web address www.equifax.com.
Trans Union Corporation (TU); telephone number 800-888-4213; web address www.tuc.com.
Experian (TRW), formally Trw, telephone number 800-831-5614; web address www.experian.com. | 
