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Mortgage Glossary & Common Mortgage Terms

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a third-time refinancer, you’re likely to come across some terms in your home loan process that need clarification. We think jargon has no place in the homeownership journey, so we created this helpful glossary to fill you in on every term you need to know—from covering what a real estate agent actually does, to what closing means, and more.

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 Top of Page

Acceptance – 

Account Termination Fee

Adjustment cap 

Amortization

Amortization table 

Annual percentage rate(APR)

Appraisal

Appreciation

Assumable loan

Balloon Loan

Buydown 

Cash reserve 

Cash to close

Cash-out refinance

Certificate of Eligibility

Certificate of Title Chain of Title

Close of escrow

Closing

Closing costs

Closing disclosure

Co-applicant

Co-borrower Collateral

Comparable

sale/comp

Compounding Interest

Condo insurance Condominium (condo)

Conforming loan

Conforming Loan

Construction Loan

Contingency

Conventional mortgage

Cooperative/co-op

Covenant

Credit check

Credit Limit

Credit score

Credits/lender credits

Debt Consolidation

Deed of Trust

Default

Depreciation

Down payment

Earnest money/good faith deposit

Encumbrance

Equity

Escrow Account

Escrow Analysis

Escrow Shortage

Escrow/impounds

Fannie Mae

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 

Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA)

FICO score

Fixed-rate mortgage

Floating rate

Flood certification

Flood insurance

Foreclosure

Freddie Mac Gift letter

Government loan

Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae)

Home equity line of credit (HELOC)

Home inspection Homeowners association (HOA)

Homeowners insurance

Income property

Initial rate Interest rate

Interest-only loan Investment property

Investment property Jumbo loan

Liability insurance Lien

Listing agent

Loan commitment

Loan Consultant

Loan estimate (LE)

Loan Processor

Loan term

Loan-to-value (LTV)

Lock period

Margin Market value

Mortgage Expert Mortgage insurance premium (MIP)

Mortgage note

Multi-family residence (2 to 4 units)

Negative amortization

Nonconforming loan

Note

Notice of default

Occupancy date

Option ARM

Origination fee/loan origination fee

Owner-occupancy

Pest inspection

PITI

Planned unit development (PUD)

Points

Pre-approval letter

Prepaid costs

Prepaid Expenses

Prepayment penalty

Primary residence

Prime Rate

Principal Private mortgage insurance (PMI)

Processing Fee

Purchase Agreement

Purchase contract

Qualifying ratios

Rate Cap

Rate Lock

Real estate agent

Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)

Recorder

Refinance

Rescission

Secondary home

Settlement costs

Short sale

SOFR

Survey

Termite letter

Third-party fees

Title

Title insurance

Title vesting

Total Expense Ratio

Transfer taxes

Trustee

Truth in Lending Act (TILA)

Underwriter

Underwriting

Uniform Residential Loan Application (1003)

VA loans

Variable Rate

Verified pre-approval

W-2

Walk-through

What-if Analysis

Wire transfer

Year-end statement