Real estate definitions Dictionary provided as a service by Sandra Conley, Broker of HB Land and Homes, Palmdale, California.
Home buyers and sellers - please visit www.real-estate-palmdale.com or call 1-877-SCONLEY for more information on buying or selling a home ANYWHERE in the Antelope Valley and surrounding areas! 


Service area: Acton - Agua Dulce - Ana Verde Hills - Antelope Acres - Antelope Valley - Canyon Country - Juniper Hills - Lake Elizabeth - Lake Hughes - Lake Los Angeles - Lancaster - Leona Valley - Littlerock - Llano - Palmdale - Pearblossom - Quartz Hill - Rancho Vista - Santa Clarita - Shadow Acres - White Fence Farms - Barrel Springs - Rosamond
www.real-estate-palmdale.com for more information

IREM:
Institute of Real Estate Management. Asset and property managers, extensive educations programs, conferences and networking.

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network A high-speed data and media communication system, as much as ten or more times faster than conventional phone lines.

ILLINOIS REALTORS:
aRobinHood   Speed & Precision! in Real Estate serving the Western Chicago area. Guaranteed performance or we'll rebate the customer. Our team includes 22 years of real estate and technical experience.

IMPLIED:
Presumed or inferred rather than expressed.

IMPLIED CONTRACT:
An agreement which is not reduced to writing but is created, under the common law, on the basis of the behavior of the parties which suggests that they are acting under an agreement.

IMPLIED WARRANTY:
A guarantee of the condition of a thing or the truth of a statement which is created as a result of the actions of a party but not written down.

IMPOUNDS:
A trust-type account established by lenders for the accumulation of funds to meet taxes, FHA mortgage insurance premiums and/or future insurance policy premiums required to protect their security.  Impounds are usually collected with the note payment.

IMPOUND ACCOUNT:
The trust account held by a lender into which payments for insurance, taxes, etc., paid by the borrower are placed prior to being disbursed by the lender.

IMPROVED LAND:
Also known as "developed land". Opposite of "raw or vacant land". Land which someone has, by dint of their labour, taken out of the state of nature.

IMPROVEMENTS:
Things built on land which become a part of the real property.

IMPROVEMENT RATIO:
A comparison of the value of the improvements of a property with the value of the property without the improvements.

IMPUTED INTEREST:
Interest which is deemed to have been charged on a loan by a court.

IN REM:
Latin term meaning "Against the thing." Used to describe a legal action which is taken against land rather than against the land owner, such as a bank's foreclosure on a defaulted mortgage.

INCHOATE:
Describes something that has been begun but never completed or a right that has arisen but is not yet enforceable (such as Dower rights).

INCOME APPROACH:
One of the three methods in the appraisal process; an analysis in which the estimated income from the subject residence is used as a basis for estimating value.

INCOME PROPERTY:
Property that produces rent.

INCOMPETENT:
One who is incapable; any person who is, by reason of age, disease, weakness of mind or any other cause, unable, unassisted to properly manage and take care of himself or his property, and by reason thereof, would be likely to be deceived or imposed upon by artful or designing persons.

INCORPOREAL PROPERTY:
Real estate in which a person has a legal interest but no right of possession and occupation.

INCREMENT:
An increase.  Most frequently used to refer to the increase of value of land that accompanies population growth and increasing wealth in the community.  The term "unearned increment" is used in this connection since values are supposed to have increased without effort on the part of the owner.

INCURABLE DEPRECIATION:
The presence of a defect in an asset (i.e. a building) which is too costly to fix.

INDEMNIFY:
To take responsibility for the losses and damages suffered by another person.

INDEMNITY:
A document in which one party agrees to take responsibility for the losses and damages suffered by another party or parties.

INDENTURE:
Similar to a contract. An agreement between two or more parties, often referring to land.

INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL:
An estimate of the value of a property prepared by someone who has no interest in the property or, if a mortgage is involved, in the lender.

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR:
A legal term for a person who is hired to do work for another person but who is not an employee or agent of that person. The hiring person is not responsible for the actions of the Independent Contractor nor does she owe that Independent Contractor the same legal duties owed by an Employer to an Employee under labor and employment laws.

INDEX:
Any rate published by an independent third party (the government, the federal bank, etc.) which serves as the base for calculating a variable item in a contract. (A Variable or Adjustable Rate Mortgage may use the Federal Bank's monthly prime interest rate as the index for the interest charged under that mortgage).

INDEXED LEASE:
A rental agreement where the amount of the rent to be paid changes in accordance with changes in a specified index (i.e. the cost of living index).

INDEXED LOAN:
Any loan whose interest rate is adjusted in accordance with a rate published by an independent third party (an "index").

INDIRECT COSTS:
Also known as "soft costs", those costs which are not automatically considered in a construction project.

INDUSTRIAL PARK:
A parcel of land specifically developed to provide lots for industrial activities.

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY:
A plot of land used for a factory or other industrial use.

INFRASTRUCTURE:
Term for the public-use improvements made to an area such as sewers, roads, bridges, and public utility installations.

INGRESS:
Means of entering property.

INHERIT:
To acquire property by will or succession.

INHERITANCE TAX:
An assessment payable to a level of government based on the value of assets inherited.

INITIAL INTEREST RATE:
The rate chargeable on a mortgage on the day it is signed.

INITIAL RATE PERIOD:
The period of time for which the "initial interest rate" is guaranteed on a Variable or adjustable rate mortgage before it begins to change according to its "index".

INJUNCTION:
A writ or order issued under the seal of a court to restrain one or more parties to a suit or proceeding from doing an act which is deemed to be inequitable or unjust in regard to the rights of some other party or parties in the suit or proceeding.

INNER CITY:
A slang term for the older, central residential area of a municipality which, in many cases, has deteriorated into poverty.

INSIDE LOT:
Term for a property that is not on a corner at the intersection of two roads.

INSPECTION:
A physical examination of a person, document or other thing, such as a home.

INSPECTOR:
Any person charged with the task of making a physical examination of a person, document or other thing. Could be employed by a government body (i.e. an electrical inspector, fire inspector) or by a potential purchaser (a home inspector).

INSTALLMENT:
A regular periodic payment.

INSTALLMENT CONTRACT:
Same as land contract.

INSTALLMENT LOAN:
A loan which is paid back in periodic payments.

INSTALLMENT NOTE:
A note which provides that payments of a certain sum or amount be paid on the dates specified in the instrument.

INSTALLMENT SALE:
The sale of a property with the Vendor taking back a mortgage from the purchaser and paying the taxes on the sale proceeds as they are collected.

INSTALLMENT SALES CONTRACT:
A land contract.

INSTITUTIONAL LENDER:
An accredited financial organization (i.e. a bank, trust company, credit union, etc.) which offers loans.

INSTITUTIONAL MORTGAGE:
A loan secured against real property offered to the land owner by a bank, credit union, trust company or other accredited financial organization. Opposite of "private mortgage".

INSTRUMENT:
A written legal document created to effect the rights of the parties.

INSURABLE INTEREST:
A legal right to a property which results in the holder of that right suffering damages in the event of the destruction of the property.

INSURABLE TITLE:
Ownership of land which a Title Insurance Company is willing to insure.

INSURABLE VALUE:
The cost of replacement of all improvements to a property which could conceivably be destroyed.

INSURANCE:
A contract in which one party agrees to compensate another party for any losses or damages caused by risks identified in the contract in exchange for the payment of a lump sum or periodic amounts of money to the first party.

INSURANCE BINDER:
Written evidence that insurance is in effect with regard to the property and the risks set out in the binder. Temporary in nature, the binder assures coverage until permanent coverage can be arranged.

INSURANCE COVERAGE:
Term to describe the monetary limits and risks covered as set out in a contract or policy of insurance.

INSURED CLOSING LETTER:
A promise by a Title Insurance Company to a lender to pay for all costs and losses to the lender which might result from the actions of the Company's closing agent while closing a transaction.

INSURED MORTGAGE:
A loan secured against land for which an insurance policy exists promising to compensate the lender for all losses and costs resulting from the borrower's failure to meet her obligations under the loan agreement.

INTANGIBLE VALUE:
An asset which is not physical.  Goodwill, patent rights.

INTER VIVOS:
Latin meaning "during life". Used to describe a gift made during a person's lifetime (as opposed to a bequest in a will) or a trust.

INTEREST:
1. A person's legal right to an asset or property.
2. The cost of borrowing money, charged as a percentage of the outstanding amount owed.

INTEREST ADJUSTMENT DATE:
The date upon which the borrower is required to pay accrued interest on the borrowed principal under a mortgage, which date falls one full payment interval before the first payment date as set out in the agreement. For example, if a mortgage is advanced on May 15 to be paid on the first day of each month, June 1 would be the interest adjustment date and July 1 the first payment date. On June 1, the borrower would be required to pay the interest that has accrued on the principal since the date of the advance (May 15).

INTEREST ACCRUAL RATE:
The rate, stated as a percentage, at which interest accumulates on a mortgage.

INTEREST PAYMENT:
The portion of each periodic payment on a loan, expressed in dollars, which is allocated toward accrued interest.

INTEREST RATE:
The percentage of a sum of money charged for its use.

INTEREST RATE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD:
The length of time between changes in interest rate on an Adjustable or Variable rate mortgage.

INTEREST RATE BUY DOWN PLAN:
A method of reducing the effective interest charged to a borrower. A third party (often a vendor) deposits a lump sum into an account, portions of which are then used to reduce the amount required from the borrower for each periodic payment over a set period of time.

INTEREST RATE CAP:
A clause in an Adjustable or Variable rate mortgage which limits the change in the interest rate charged. May limit change within a single adjustment period or over the life of the mortgage.

INTEREST RATE CEILING:
The highest rate of interest chargeable under a Variable or Adjustable rate mortgage, as set out in the mortgage contract.

INTEREST RATE FLOOR:
The lowest rate of interest chargeable under a Variable or Adjustable rate mortgage, as set out in the mortgage contract.

INTEREST-ONLY LOAN:
A debt for which the periodic payments are enough to pay only the interest which accumulates on the principal over the payment period. Principal is due at maturity.

INTERIM FINANCING:
1. A construction loan to pay for costs up to completion;
2. Another name for a bridge loan, a short-term loan designed to cover a gap of time between the purchase of a new home and the sale of the old when equity becomes available.

INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE:
Simple style of house, with little or no ornamentation.

INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE DIGEST
The source for independent real estate information

INTERSTATE LAND SALES ACT:
Federal law administered by HUD regulating the practice of the sale of land between people in different states.

INTERVAL OWNERSHIP:
Where title in a property is shared among a group of people, each of whom is entitled to occupation of the property for a specified period of time each year. Also known as "time-sharing".

INTESTATE:
A person who dies having made no will, or one which is defective in form, in which case his estate descends to his heirs at law or next of kin.

INTESTATE SUCCESSION:
Inheriting property when the deceased had no will or a defective will.

INVENTORY:
A list of the stock and fixtures of a business.

INVERSE CONDEMNATION:
When the government damages property and the owner sues the government for damages.

INVESTMENT PROPERTY:
Vacant land held for an expected increase in value.
InvestingBC.com - Real Estate Investing with No Money Down  Real Estate Investing

INVOLUNTARY CONVERSION:
Loss of land through natural forces or through government action.

INVOLUNTARY CONVEYANCE:
A transfer of title without the owner's permission.

INVOLUNTARY LIEN:
A lien imposed against property without consent of an owner; taxes, special assessments, federal income tax liens, etc.

IRREVOCABILITY DATE:
Time and day specified in an offer until which the offeror may not retract the offer, until which the offeree may accept the offer.

IRREVOCABLE:
Incapable of being recalled or revoked; unchangeable.

IRRIGATION DISTRICTS:
Quasi-political districts created under special laws to provide for water services to property owners in the district; an operation governed to a great extent by law.

ITALIAN VILLA:
A large, two- or three-storey house in the Latin style, with overhanging eaves and masonry construction.


GENERAL LINKS:
Shoshone Idaho Web Design and Resume Writing  Affordable website design. Html Resume writing.


SANDRA CONLEY, BROKER of HB LAND AND HOMES, PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA.  PLEASE CALL 1-877-SCONLEY FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE.
Serving Palmdale - Rancho Vista - Quartz Hill - East Lancaster - West Lancaster - Ana Verde - Rosamond - Acton - Leona Valley - Littlerock - Canyon Country - Aqua Dulce - Sand Canyon - Antelope Acres - Antelope Valley - Bouquet Canyon - Green Valley - Lake Elizabeth - Lake Hughes - Santa Clarita and the surrounding communities of AV & Los Angeles County.


This site is informational only. No representation is made or warranty given as to its content. Content deemed reliable but not guaranteed. User assumes all risk of use.  Site owner and affiliates assume no responsibility or liability for any loss, delay or otherwise resulting from such use and are held harmless. Properties may become unavailable for ANY reason.  This site page is a compilation of terms and opinions from different sources most commonly used and found in the real estate, mortgage and construction industries. This publication has been created to provide basic overview information with regard to these industries, and while generic, this information may not be applicable to all jurisdictions.  If legal advice or other expert assistance is required or needed, the services of the appropriate professional should be sought and you should not rely on the information found herein. Please notify site owner of any copyright infringement that you believe has occured so that site owner may make full and remedial investigation. Please leave the site now if you do not agree to the conditions of use.  Thank you.