Real Estate Terms and Definitions

Piti
principle, interest, taxes and insurance, forming the basis for monthly mortgage payments.


Point
one percent of the loan principle. It's charged in addition to interest and fees.


Prepayment Penalty
a fee paid by a borrower who pays off the loan before it is due.


Principle
one of the parties to a contract; or the amount of money borrowed, for which interest is charged.


Probate
divide or assess proportionately.


Purchase & Sale Agreement
see "Contract," or refer tp "Purchase and sale agreement" in this guide.


Settlement
all financial transactions required to make the contract final. See "Settlement - who pays what" in this guide.


Title
a document that indicates ownership of a specific property.


Title Search
detailed examination of the entire document history of a property title to make sure that there are no legal encumbrances.