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B
Back fill
Back title letter
Back-to-back escrow
Backup offer
Backwater valve
Balance sheet
Balloon loan
Balloon payment
Balloon-frame construction
Balustrade
Bankruptcy
Bargain sale
Baseboard
Baseboard electric heat
Basement
Basis Point
Bay
Bay window
Bearing wall
Bed Tax
Before-tax income
Beneficiary
Bequest
Betterment
Bidding war
Bilateral contract
Bill of sale
Binder
Biweekly mortgage
Blackout Drapes
Blanket insurance policy
Blanket mortgage
Blighted area
Blind nailing
Blue sky laws
Blue-ribbon condition
Blueprint
Board foot
Board of Equalization
Board-and-batten siding
Boilerplate
Bona fide
Bond
Book value
Boring test
Borough
Borrow
Borrow pit
Boulevard
Boundary
Braced framing
Breach of contract
Breach of covenant
Breach of warranty
Break-even point
Breast height
Breezeway
Brick
Bridge loan
Broker
Brokerage
Broom clean
Brownstone
Buffer strip
Builder upgrades
Building and loan association
Building code
Building inspector
Building line or setback
Building moratorium
Building paper
Building permit
Building restrictions
Built-ins
Bulkhead
Bundle of rights
Bungalow
Butterfly roof
Buy-down mortgage
Buyer broker
Buyer's market
Buyer's remorse
Bylaws
Back fill
Soil used to solidify the foundation of a structure.
Back title letter
A letter that a title insurance company gives to an attorney who then examines
the title for insurance purposes.
Back-to-back escrow
Arrangements that an owner makes to oversee the sale of one property and the
purchase of another at the same time.
Backup offer
A secondary bid for a property that the seller will accept if the first offer
fails.
Backwater valve
A valve in a sewer line that prevents sewage from flowing back into a house.
Balance sheet
A statement that shows the assets, liabilities and net worth of an individual.
Balloon loan
A mortgage in which monthly installments are not large enough to repay the loan
by the end of the term. As a result, the final payment due is the lump sum of
the remaining principal.
Balloon payment
The final lump sum payment due at the end of a balloon mortgage.
Balloon-frame construction
A type of framing used in two-story homes in which studs extend from the ground
to the ceiling of the second floor.
Balustrade
Railing held up by a set of posts on a porch or stairway.
Bankruptcy
A proceeding in which an insolvent debtor can obtain relief from payment of
certain obligations. Bankruptcies remain on a credit record for seven years and
can severely limit a person's ability to borrow.
Bargain sale
The sale of a piece of property for less than market value.
Baseboard
Any board or molding found at the bottom of an interior wall.
Baseboard electric heat
Heating units installed in the floor that can be controlled by a central
thermostat.
Basement
The area of a home below ground level.
Basis Point
A basis point is one one-hundredth of one percentage point. For example, the
difference between a loan at 8.25 percent and a mortgage at 8.37 percent is 12
basis points.
Bay
The opening between two columns or walls that forms a space.
Bay window
A window that projects outward in a curve.
Bearing wall
A wall that supports its own weight in addition to other parts of a structure.
Bed Tax
A fee collected by the city, also called transit tax. Exceptions to the payment
of this tax are persons who stay at the motel for more than 30 days, state
employees and some city and county employees. This is paid quarterly and is a
good check on the reported gross income. Keep in mind the exceptions. The bed
tax totals will not always match the reported gross income, however, should be
close. The owners must approve your looking at the bed tax roll before the
clerk will show them to you
Before-tax income
Total income before taxes are deducted.
Beneficiary
The lender who makes a loan, also called a mortgagee. The person borrowing
money is the mortgagor.
Bequest
Personal property given to a person through a will.
Betterment
An improvement that increases a property's value as opposed to repairs that
maintain the value.
Bidding war
Offers from multiple buyers for a piece of property. Agents also sometimes
compete to list a house for sale.
Bilateral contract
A contract in which the parties involved give mutual promises. Also called
"reciprocal" contracts.
Bill of sale
A document that transfers ownership of personal property.
Binder
A report issued by a title insurance company that details the condition of a
home's title. and provides guidelines for a title insurance policy.
Biweekly mortgage
A mortgage that requires payments every two weeks and helps repay the loan over
a shorter term.
Blackout Drapes
Lined drapes that will prevent light from showing through the windows, usually
for day sleepers
Blanket insurance policy
A policy that covers more than one person or piece of property.
Blanket mortgage
A mortgage that covers more than one property owned by the same borrower.
Blighted area
A neighborhood that has deteriorated.
Blind nailing
Nails driven into a wall and concealed with putty.
Blue sky laws
Regulations on the sale of securities to prevent consumers from investing in
fraudulent or high-risk companies without being informed of the risks.
Blue-ribbon condition
A house maintained close to its original condition. Also called mint condition.
Blueprint
A print of an architectural plan or technical drawing
Board foot
Measurement of lumber that is the equivalent of 144 cubic inches.
Board of Equalization
A state board charged with ensuring that local property taxes are assessed in a
uniform manner.
Board-and-batten siding
Siding is composed of 8- to 12-inch wide wooden boards nailed vertically to
create a barn-like exterior.
Boilerplate
Form language used in deeds, mortgages and other documents. Details can be
added by individual parties.
Bona fide
A legal term that refers to actions or persons that are honest and in good
faith.
Bond
An agreement that insures one party against loss by acts or defaults of another
party.
Book value
The value of a property as a capital asset based on its cost plus any
additions, minus depreciation.
Boring test
An analysis of soil in which holes are bored into the ground and samples are
removed.
Borough
A section of a city that has authority over local matters.
Borrow
Sand, gravel or other material used for grading.
Borrow pit
The hole at a site that has been excavated.
Boulevard
A street lined with trees or constructed with a landscaped median.
Boundary
The dividing line between two adjacent properties.
Braced framing
A construction method in two-story homes in which the frame is reinforced with
posts and braces.
Breach of contract
The failure to perform provisions of a contractwithout a legal excuse.
Breach of covenant
The failure to obey a legal agreement.
Breach of warranty
A seller's inability to pass clear title to a buyer.
Break-even point
The point in which the owner's rental income matches expenses and debt.
Breast height
The height at which the diameter of a tree is measured: four feet, six inches
above the ground.
Breezeway
A roofed passageway with open sides.
Brick
Building material made from clay molded into oblong blocks and fired in a kiln.
Bridge loan
A short-term loan for borrowers who need more time to find permanent financing.
Broker
A person licensed by the state to deal in real estate.
Brokerage
The act of bringing together two or more parties in exchange for a fee or
commission.
Broom clean
The ideal condition of a building when it is turned over to an owner or tenant.
Brownstone
A vintage row house constructed of red sandstone.
Buffer strip
A parcel of land that separates two or more properties.
Builder upgrades
Extra house features or better finishing materials that a builder offers.
Building and loan association
An organization that raises money to helps its members purchase real estate or
construct a building.
Building code
A comprehensive set of laws that controls the construction or remodeling of a
home or other structure.
Building inspector
A city or county employee who enforces the building code and ensures that work
is correctly performed.
Building line or setback
Guidelines that limit how close an owner can build to the street or an adjacent
property.
Building moratorium
A halt on home construction to slow the rate of development.
Building paper
A thick, water-resistant paper that serves as insulation.
Building permit
A permit issued by a local government agency that allows the construction of
home or renovation of a house.
Building restrictions
Regulations that limit the manner in which property can be used.
Built-ins
Appliances or other items that are framed into a home or permanently attached.
Bulkhead
A retaining wall designed to hold back water from the ocean or another body of
water.
Bundle of rights
The various interests or rights an owner has in a property.
Bungalow
A small one-story house or cottage.
Butterfly roof
A roof formed by two gables that dip in the middle to resemble a butterfly's
wings.
Buy-down mortgage
A home loan in which the lender receives a premium as an inducement to reduce
the interest rate during the early years of the mortgage.
Buyer broker
A real estate broker who exclusively represents the buyer's interests in a
transaction and whose commission is paid by the buyer rather than the seller.
Buyer's market
A slow real estate market in which buyers have the advantage.
Buyer's remorse
An emotion felt by first-time homebuyers after signing a sales contract or
closing the purchase of a house.
Bylaws
The rules and regulations that a homeowners association or corporation adopts
to govern activities.
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