Friday, September 30, 2011

Real Estate Glossary - D

Damper : A movable plate in a fireplace that allows smoke and fumes to travel up the chimney's flue.

Days on the market : The period of time a property is listed for sale until it is sold or taken off the market

Deadbolt lock : Locks that require a key to open from the outside and a turn button from the inside.

Debt : Any amount one person owes to another.

Deck : A roofless, floored area that adjoins a house.

Deed : The legal document that transfers ownership of a piece of property.

Deed of trust : A document that gives a lender the right to foreclose on a piece of property if the borrower defaults on the loan.

Deep-seal floor drain : A drain used to dispose of water from the basement floor to a sewer line.

Default : The failure to fulfill a duty or promise or discharge an obligation, such as making monthly mortgage payments.

Deferred maintenance : Any repair or maintenance of a piece of property that has been postponed, resulting in a decline in property value.

Delinquent mortgage : A mortgage that involves a borrower who is behind on payments. If the borrower cannot bring the payments up to date within a specified number of days, the lender may begin foreclosure proceedings.

Density test : An analysis of soil to determine if the surface can support the foundation of a house.

Dentils : Small rectangular blocks that project from a building, usually under cornices or along rooflines.

Deposit : Money given by the buyer with an offer to purchase property. Also called earnest money.

Depreciation : The decline in value of a piece of property.

Design/build : A project in which the owner contracts directly with an individual or company to perform design and construction.

Designer : Unlike architects, designers are limited to drawing blueprints.

Digital images : Images that are incorporated into house listings to give potential buyers a view of the property.

Dimension plans : Plans which show the layout of a house but are less detailed than full blueprints.

Disability insurance : An insurance policy which covers an individual's ability to produce income.

Disclosure : A statement to a potential buyer listing information relevant to a piece of property, such as the presence of radon or lead paint.

Discount points : Fees that a borrower pays at the time the lender makes the loan. A point equals 1 percent of the total loan amount.

Distressed property : Property that is in poor physical or financial condition.

Document needs list : A list of documents a lender requires when a potential submits a loan application.. The required documents range from paycheck stubs to credit card statements.

Domed ceiling : A hemispherical ceiling that projects upward without support.

Domicile : A person's primary or permanent home.

Dormer : A window set upright in a sloping roof.

Double-hung window : A window that consists of two sashes that slide up and down.

Dovetail joints : Joints that lock two pieces of wood together with meshed teeth.

Down payment : The amount of money a buyer agrees to give the seller when a sales agreement is signed. Complete financing is later secured with a lender.

Down spouts : A vertical gutter that empties water from the roof to the ground.

Drainage : A system of gutters and drainpipes that carry water away from the foundation of a house.

Draw : A payment made to subcontractors or suppliers from a construction loan.

Dropped ceiling : A flat ceiling built lower than the original ceiling.

Dry rot : A fungal decay that causes wood to become brittle and crumble.

Drywall : A construction material composed of gypsum or plaster wrapped in paper and produced in large sheets that can be nailed to wall studs.

Dual agency : A relationship in which a real estate agent or broker represents both parties in a transaction.

Duct : Any kind of pipe or channel that carries water, wiring or conditioned air through a house.

Due-on-sale clause : Standard language in a mortgage which states that the loan must be paid when a house is sold.

Duplex : A structure that consists of two separate family units.

Dutch colonial style : A design that features barn-like gambrel roof, a ground-level front porch, and dormers.

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