Where cozy means tiny and charming means needs work.
Limitations on property use recorded in the deed, binding future owners. They're the previous owner's way of controlling your property forever—kind of a creepy form of real estate haunting.
Finely dressed stone blocks with straight edges and flat faces, typically laid in mortar in horizontal courses to form strong masonry walls. Ashlar is prized in construction for its neat, formal appearance and structural integrity.
Insurance required by lenders when a borrower puts down less than 20%, protecting the lender (not the borrower) if you default. It's a tax you pay for not having enough money.
A formal notice that a borrower has failed to make mortgage payments and is in breach—basically the bank's official 'we're really upset' letter. The beginning of the foreclosure process.
A mandatory document providing borrowers with loan terms and final costs before closing. It's the moment buyers realize they're paying thousands in fees they forgot about or didn't fully understand.
A framework of interwoven rods or branches, often plastered with mud or clay, used as a building material in traditional construction. The term can also refer to the fleshy, colorful appendage hanging from the head or neck of certain birds like turkeys or chickens.
A quantified surface extent measured in square units, or a specific geographic region that someone drew on a map and said 'that's a thing now.' In real estate, it's the magic number that determines your mortgage payment.
A recently sold property similar to your target property, used to determine fair market value. Real estate agents use them to justify why your home is definitely worth exactly what you want it to be worth.
The percentage of a property's value that's financed through a loan versus down payment. Higher LTV means less cash down but more risk for the lender and more PMI for you.
A final inspection of the property before closing to ensure agreed-upon repairs were completed and nothing else broke. Your last chance to catch the seller's damage before you own the disaster.
That short private road connecting your house to the street, where you park your car and contemplate life's decisions. Real estate's way of saying 'personal road to your personal space.'
The primary loan secured by a property, with first claim on the asset if you default. It's the top priority in the property's loan hierarchy—the alpha predator of mortgages.
A property owned by a lender after foreclosure because nobody bought it at auction—basically the bank's accidental property. These often sell at discounts but come with inspection nightmares.
An acronym for East Downtown Houston, a neighborhood designation in Houston, Texas that real estate and locals use to pinpoint specific districts.
A government claim on a property for unpaid property taxes—Uncle Sam's way of saying 'pay up or we're taking your house.'
A hybrid agreement where you rent with the option to buy, basically rent-to-own for people who can't decide.
A small holiday dwelling, typically beachside and minimally furnished, where one escapes civilized society for a few days. Named after the composer, because apparently musical genius requires cramped coastal quarters.
A desk or storage furniture with a flexible, tambour-like cover made of slats that rolls up or down to open or close the workspace, popular in Victorian and modern home and office design. Valued for concealing clutter while remaining visually distinctive.
An absurdly wealthy enclave in upstate New York where millionaires go to feel middle-class and every conversation revolves around money and material possessions. Entry requires a trust fund and a complete absence of self-awareness.
The binding contract between buyer and seller detailing price, terms, and conditions—basically the real estate relationship's prenup. Everything that matters is in this document.
Filing a deed or other document at the county recorder's office, making ownership official in the eyes of the law.
A house style, common in colonial New England, characterized by two stories in front sloping down to one story in back, creating an asymmetrical roofline that resembles the shape of a salt container.
The floor of a fireplace or the area surrounding it, traditionally the center of a home where warmth and family gather. Metaphorically, it represents home and domestic life.
The number of housing units or people per unit of land, used by planners to describe everything from sprawling suburbs to vertical cities.