Cap Rate

Definition

Short for capitalization rate, it's a number that tells investors whether a property will make money or just slowly drain their soul and savings. The higher the cap rate, the better the return, unless you forgot to factor in literally anything else.

Example Usage

"My rental property has a 12% cap rate on paper. In reality, after the tenants, the plumber, and the raccoon in the attic, it's closer to negative infinity." - A landlord doing math

Related Terms

Beginner

Walkthrough

The final tour of a home before closing where you discover all the things that broke between the inspection and now. It's supposed to be a formality but often turns into a horror movie.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

comparables

Recently sold properties used to determine market value, cherry-picked by whichever party needs to prove their point. The art of comparing apples to slightly different apples.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

appurtenant

A fancy legal term for 'stuff that comes with the property,' particularly easements that transfer with the land rather than staying with the owner. It's the real estate equivalent of 'batteries included,' except it's more like 'right-of-way for your neighbor to cross your lawn included.' Lawyers love using this word to make simple concepts sound sufficiently billable.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

usufruct

The legal right to use and enjoy someone else's property without owning it, common in Louisiana and community property states. It's basically borrowing a house legally and permanently.

🏠 Real Estate

Intermediate

option

In real estate and finance, a contract that gives you the right but not the obligation to buy or sell something at a predetermined price, essentially letting you call dibs with an expiration date. It's like having a golden ticket to purchase property or assets later while everyone else has to deal with current market chaos. The ultimate "let me think about it" that actually has legal teeth.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

restriction

The legal fine print that tells you what you can't do with your property, crushing dreams of backyard chicken coops and neon pink houses since time immemorial. These are the rules embedded in deeds, HOA bylaws, or zoning laws that limit how you can use or modify property. They're the reason you need to ask permission to build that treehouse in your own yard.

🏠 Real Estate

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