Real Estate

Residential Rental Property: Comprehensive Overview
Residential rental property denotes rental units designated for dwelling purposes, characterized by specific tax implications and depreciation schedules. This comprehensive entry explores the nuances, examples, and regulations governing such properties.
RESPA: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
An overview of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), its purpose, provisions, and impact on real estate transactions in the United States.
Restraint on Alienation: Property Interest Restrictions
A comprehensive examination of the legal concept of 'restraint on alienation,' which outlines restrictions on the ability to convey real property interests, often in contradiction with the common law policy favoring free alienability.
Restriction: General and Real Estate Contexts
A deep dive into the concept of restriction, including its general meaning and specific implications in real estate.
Revaluation Clause: Understanding Its Role in Contracts
A revaluation clause is a provision in a lease or contract that allows for the periodic revaluation of rent or price adjustments, often based on market conditions or other predefined criteria.
Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM): Understanding a Financial Lifeline for Retirees
A Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM) allows elderly homeowners to monetize the equity in their fully-paid-for homes, providing them with a fixed monthly income or a lump sum while gradually relinquishing equity.
Reversion: Future Property Interest
Reversion refers to the interest that remains with a property owner who has granted an estate less than their own full interest. This interest allows them to regain the property at some point in the future.
Reversionary Interest: Property Rights Upon Estate Termination
A comprehensive overview of Reversionary Interest, a type of property interest that reverts to the original owner upon the end of a preceding estate.
Reversionary Value: Estimated Property Value at Future Date
An in-depth exploration and explanation of reversionary value, a crucial concept in real estate finance, which refers to the estimated value of a property at the expiration of a specific time period.
Rezoning: Action to Change the Designation of a Parcel on the Zoning Map
Rezoning involves changing the allowed uses for parcels of land by altering their designation on the zoning map. This can have significant implications for property development and land use planning.
Right of First Refusal: Preemptive Opportunity in Contracts
Detailed explanation of the Right of First Refusal (ROFR), a contractual right that allows specific parties to match the terms of a proposed contract before it's executed.
Right of Redemption: Right to Recover Property
The right to recover property transferred by a mortgage or other lien by paying off the debt either before or soon after foreclosure, also called equity of redemption.
Right of Survivorship: Legal Doctrine in Joint Tenancy
The Right of Survivorship is a legal doctrine that allows a surviving joint tenant to acquire the interest of a deceased joint owner, primarily observed in Joint Tenancy and Tenancy by the Entirety.
Rollover Loan: Special Mortgage Type with Adjustable Interest Rates
A detailed explanation of Rollover Loans, a type of mortgage loan commonly used in Canada, that blends long-term amortization with short-term adjustable interest rates.
Rule Against Perpetuities: Legal Limitation on Property Interests
The Rule Against Perpetuities is a legal principle that ensures that a contingent interest in property must vest no later than 21 years after the death of a relevant measuring life, preventing indefinite control of property across generations.
Run with the Land: Legal Concept and Applications
A comprehensive overview of the legal concept 'Run with the Land,' explaining the nature of rights or restrictions that affect all current and future property owners.
Rurban Areas: Transitioning from Rural to Urban
Rurban areas represent regions on the fringe of urban development that are in the process of being developed for urban uses, blending characteristics of both rural and urban environments.
S&P/Case-Shiller Index: Comprehensive Home Price Measurement
The S&P/Case-Shiller Index is a comprehensive measurement of U.S. residential real estate prices, tracking changes in the value of residential real estate.
Sales Comparison Approach: Property Valuation Method
The Sales Comparison Approach estimates property value by analyzing sale prices of similar properties recently sold, also known as the Market Comparison Approach.
Sandwich Lease: Definition and Insight
Understand the concept of a sandwich lease in real estate, where a lessee becomes a lessor by subletting the property and stands between the property owner and the end user. Explore its implications, examples, and related terms.
Second Home: A Secondary Residence
Exploring the concept of a Second Home in real estate, tax implications, and legal definitions.
Secondary Financing: Financing Beyond the Primary Mortgage
A comprehensive breakdown of Secondary Financing, including different types, special considerations, examples, historical context, applicability, and related terms.
Security Deposit: Nontaxable Cash Payment by Tenant Held for Lease Term
A Security Deposit is a nontaxable cash payment received by a landlord from a tenant, held during the term of the lease to offset damages or any lease violations. Discover its implications, historical context, and related terms.
Security Interest: A Detailed Examination
In-depth exploration of Security Interest, covering its definition, types, legal implications, application, historical context, related terms, and frequently asked questions.
Seisin: Possession of Realty
Seisin refers to the possession of real property by an individual who claims ownership of a fee simple estate, a life estate, or another sellable interest. See also: Title.
Self-Help: Legal Context in Leasing and Default Remedies
An in-depth exploration of self-help measures by landlords to address lease defaults, their legality, examples, and contrasting them with formal eviction procedures.
Seller's Market: An Economic Scenario Defined by High Demand
A Seller's Market is a situation where there is more demand for a security or product than the available supply, leading to rising prices and favorable conditions for sellers.
Senior Mortgage: Understanding Priority Mortgages
Exploring the concept of Senior Mortgages, their features, implications, and distinctions from other mortgage types like first and second mortgages.
Separate Property: Definition and Implications in Community Property States
An in-depth exploration of separate property in community property states, including definitions, types, tax implications, historical context, and critical comparisons with community property.
Servicing: Regular Maintenance and Financial Management
An in-depth look at the concept of servicing including its general application in equipment maintenance and its specialized role in financial loan management.
Settlement: Various Definitions and Applications
A comprehensive exploration of the term 'settlement' in the contexts of estate distribution, legal negotiations, and real estate transactions.
Settlement Cost: Key Components and Examples
Understanding settlement cost, also known as closing cost, including its types, examples, and significance in real estate transactions.
Settlement Date: Definition and Significance
The settlement date is a crucial term in both real estate and securities markets, representing the date on which a transaction is finalized and ownership is transferred.
Settlement Statement: Overview and Key Details
A comprehensive guide to Settlement Statements in real estate transactions, detailing the amounts to be paid by each party and how the funds are distributed.
Settlor: The Creator of a Trust
The Settlor is the person who establishes a trust, transferring assets to a trustee for the benefit of designated beneficiaries. This term is also known as donor, trustor, or grantor.
Severalty Ownership: Individual Ownership of Real Property
Severalty ownership is a legal concept referring to the ownership of real property by a single individual, distinct from co-ownership arrangements.
Severance Damages: Compensation for Diminished Property Value Due to Condemnation
Severance Damages are a form of compensation awarded to property owners when a portion of their property is condemned, diminishing the value or usability of the remaining property.
Shared-Appreciation Mortgage (SAM): Innovative Residential Financing
A Shared-Appreciation Mortgage (SAM) is a residential loan with a fixed interest rate set below market rates, wherein the lender is entitled to a specified share of the appreciation in property value over a specified time interval.
Shared-Equity Mortgage: A Collaborative Path to Homeownership
A comprehensive guide to understanding Shared-Equity Mortgages (SEM) where lenders are granted a share of the equity, enabling them to participate in the proceeds from a property's resale.
Shopping Center: Collection of Retail Stores with Common Parking
A Shopping Center is a collection of retail stores with a common parking area, sometimes including an enclosed mall or walkway, ranging from small strip centers to large regional malls.
Short Sale: Definition and Mechanisms
An in-depth exploration of short sales in securities and real estate, outlining the processes, risks, and implications.
Site Assessment (Environmental): Evaluation of Hazardous Waste
A comprehensive evaluation of a site for the existence of hazardous waste, conducted prior to property acquisition to ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Smoke Clause: Detailed Overview of Coverage in Extended Coverage Endorsement
A comprehensive explanation of the Smoke Clause provision within the Extended Coverage Endorsement, covering smoke damage from sudden, unusual, and faulty operation of cooking or heating units connected by a vent to the chimney.
Soft Money: Tax Deductible Contributions in Investments and Development Costs
Soft Money refers to tax-deductible contributions in investments and development, as well as non-construction costs such as interest during construction, architect's fees, and legal fees.
Special Warranty Deed: Limited Title Warranty
A Special Warranty Deed provides a warranty of title limited to claims arising by, through, or under the grantor, excluding defects existing before the grantor's ownership.
Special-Use Permit: Conditional Approval for Specific Activities
A Special-Use Permit (or Conditional Use Permit) is a right granted by a local zoning authority to conduct specific activities within a zoning district that require special approval.
Specific Lien: Charge Against a Certain Piece of Property
A specific lien is a legal claim against a particular piece of property making it a security for the payment of a debt, typically arising from unpaid taxes, mortgages, or legal judgments.
Speculative Building: An Insight into Risky Land Development
Speculative Building involves land development or construction without formal commitment from end users, contrasting with Custom Building where construction is under contract. Discover types, examples, and market impact.
Split Commission: Definition and Context
A comprehensive guide on split commission, detailing how commissions are divided between brokers and financial professionals, with examples and historical context.
Spot Zoning: Special Rezoning of Land Parcels
Spot zoning involves rezoning a specific parcel of land where all surrounding parcels are zoned for different uses, often leading to incompatibility with surrounding land uses.
Spreading Agreement: Expansion of Collateral Across Multiple Properties
A Spreading Agreement is a legal arrangement that extends the collateral of a loan to include multiple properties, thereby offering enhanced security to the lender.
Square Footage: Understanding the Measurement
Square footage is the area measured in square feet of a property or space for sale or rent. The inclusions in square footage calculations can vary considerably depending on the property type and usage.
Squatter's Rights: Legal Allowance to Use the Property of Another
Squatter's Rights involve the legal allowance for individuals to use a property they do not own. Over time, and under certain conditions, this may result in the acquisition of legal title to the property through adverse possession.
Staying Power: Investor Resilience in Finance and Real Estate
An in-depth look at the concept of staying power, its implications in investment and real estate, and related terms such as deep pockets.
Steering: Illegal Practice of Limiting the Housing Shown to a Certain Ethnic Group
Steering is an illegal practice in real estate wherein real estate agents guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their ethnicity, race, or other discriminatory factors.
Step-Up Lease: Understanding Increasing Rent Structures
A Step-Up Lease, also known as a Graduated Lease, is a rental agreement where the rent payments increase at predetermined intervals.
Straw Man: Concealed Property Purchaser
An individual who buys property and then transfers it to another person to hide the identity of the ultimate purchaser.
Strip Development: Form of Commercial Land Use
Strip Development is a form of commercial land use where each establishment has direct access to a major thoroughfare, generally associated with intensive use of signs to attract passersby.
Structure: Definition and Examples
An in-depth exploration of structures as constructed improvements to a site, covering various types and their significance.
Subcontractor: A Detailed Explanation
A comprehensive guide to understanding the role and significance of subcontractors in various industries, including definitions, examples, and frequently asked questions.
Subdivider: Definition, Functions, and Considerations
A subdivider partitions a tract of land for the purpose of selling individual plots, typically installing utilities and streets.
Subdividing: The Process of Dividing Land
An in-depth overview of subdividing land, including definitions, processes, types, historical context, and related terms.
Subject to Mortgage: Condition of Sale of Real Estate
A comprehensive analysis of the 'Subject to Mortgage' condition of sale in real estate transactions, where the purchaser acquires a property with a pre-existing mortgage without becoming personally liable.
Sublet: To Lease from Under a Lease
Subletting involves a tenant leasing a property to another party while still holding the original lease with the landlord.
Subordination: Establishing Priority of Claims and Debts
Subordination involves the establishment of priority between claims, debts, liens, and other interests, which can significantly impact financial and legal transactions.
Subsurface Rights: An In-Depth Look at Mineral Rights
Understanding subsurface rights, often referred to as mineral rights, which pertain to the ownership and usage rights beneath a plot of land, including minerals, oil, and gas.
Subtenant: Leasing and Subleasing Explained
A comprehensive look at the role of a subtenant, the legal implications, and practical considerations involved in subleasing rental properties.
Summary Possession: Legal Eviction Process
Summary possession, commonly known as eviction, is a legal process in which a landlord removes a tenant from rental property for reasons specified by law.
Surrender: Cancellation of a Lease by Mutual Consent
The term 'surrender' in the context of real estate and leasing refers to the mutual cancellation of a lease agreement between the lessor (landlord) and lessee (tenant). This article explores the concept, types, key considerations, examples, historical context, applicability, comparisons with related terms, FAQs, and references.
Survey: Comprehensive Overview
Detailed insight into the concept of surveys, covering land measurement techniques, population questionnaires, and the creation of survey plans.
Surveyor: A Detailed Exploration
A comprehensive examination of the role of a surveyor, including their tasks, tools, techniques, and significance in various fields such as real estate, construction, and environmental studies.
Survivorship: Ownership Rights Upon Death of a Joint Tenant
Survivorship refers to the right of a joint tenant or tenants to obtain ownership rights following the death of another joint tenant, thereby preventing the heirs of the deceased from making ownership claims against the property.
Syndication: Method of Selling Property
Syndication is a method of selling property whereby a sponsor, or syndicator, sells interests to investors. This can take various forms, including partnerships and corporations.
Synthetic Lease: Rental Agreement Shifting Obligations
A comprehensive overview of synthetic leases, a rental agreement that shifts all obligations, risks, and costs of the property to the tenant while the owner receives a fixed rent. Also known as a credit-tenant lease.
Takeout Loan: A Long-term Refinancing Solution
A detailed exploration of takeout loans in real estate and securities, covering their definitions, types, uses, examples, and related terminologies.

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