Real Estate Glossary

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sale-leaseback
A technique in which a seller deeds property to a buyer for a consideration, and the
buyer simultaneously leases the property back to the seller.

second mortgage
A mortgage that has a lien position subordinate to the first mortgage.

secondary mortgage market
The buying and selling of existing mortgages.

secured loan
A loan that is backed by collateral.

security
The property that will be pledged as collateral for a loan.

seller take-back
An agreement in which the owner of a property provides financing, often in combination
with an assumable mortgage. See owner financing.

servicer
An organization that collects principal and interest payments from borrowers and manages
borrowers’ escrow accounts. The servicer often services mortgages that have been
purchased by an investor in the secondary mortgage market.

servicing
The collection of mortgage payments from borrowers and related responsibilities of a loan servicer.

settlement
See closing.

settlement sheet
See HUD-1 statement.

special deposit account
An account that is established for rehabilitation mortgages to hold the funds needed for
the rehabilitation work so they can be disbursed from time to time as particular portions
of the work are completed.

standard payment calculation
The method used to determine the monthly payment required to repay the remaining
balance of a mortgage in substantially equal installments over the remaining term of the
mortgage at the current interest rate.

step-rate mortgage
A mortgage that allows for the interest rate to increase according to a specified schedule
(i.e., seven years), resulting in increased payments as well. At the end of the specified period,
the rate and payments will remain constant for the remainder of the loan.

subdivision
A housing development that is created by dividing a tract of land into individual lots for sale or lease.

subordinate financing
Any mortgage or other lien that has a priority that is lower than that of the first mortgage.

subsidized second mortgage
An alternative financing option known as the Community Seconds® mortgage for low- and
moderate-income households. An investor purchases a first mortgage that has a subsidized
second mortgage behind it. The second mortgage may be issued by a state, county, or local
housing agency, foundation, or nonprofit corporation. Payment on the second mortgage is
often deferred and carries a very low interest rate (or no interest rate). Part of the debt may
be forgiven incrementally for each year the buyer remains in the home.

survey
A drawing or map showing the precise legal boundaries of a property, the location of
improvements, easements, rights of way, encroachments, and other physical features.

sweat equity
Contribution to the construction or rehabilitation of a property in the form of labor or
services rather than cash.