Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other
- 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.
