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GLOSSARY OF MORTGAGE TERMS:
Page 1 of 2 | 19 terms beginning with 'E' Earnest Money The deposit money given to the seller or his agent by the potential buyer upon the signing of the agreement of sale to show that he is serious about buying the house. If the sale goes through, the earnest money is applied against the down payment. If the sale does not go through, the earnest money will be forfeited or lost unless the binder or offer to purchase expressly provides that it is refundable. Easement Rights A right-of-way granted to a person or company authorizing access to or over the owner's land. An electric company obtaining a right-of-way across private property is a common example. Effective Gross Income Normal annual income including overtime that is regular or guaranteed. The income may be from more than one source. Salary is generally the principal source, but other income may qualify if it is significant and stable. Effective Age An appraiser’s estimate of the physical condition of a building. The actual age of a building may be shorter or longer than its effective age. Eminent Domain The right of a government to take private property for public use upon payment of its fair market value. Eminent domain is the basis for condemnation proceedings. Employer-assisted housing A special Fannie Mae housing initiative that offers several different ways for employers to work with local lenders to develop plans to assist their employees in purchasing homes. Encroachment An obstruction, building, or part of a building that intrudes beyond a legal boundary onto neighboring private or public land, or a building extending beyond the building line. Encumbrance A legal right or interest in land that affects a good or clear title, and diminishes the land's value. It can take numerous forms, such as zoning ordinances, easement rights, claims, mortgages, liens, charges, a pending legal action, unpaid taxes, or restrictive covenants. An encumbrance does not legally prevent transfer of the property to another. A title search is all that is usually done to reveal the existence of such encumbrances, and it is up to the buyer to determine whether he wants to purchase with the encumbrance, or what can be done to remove it. Endorser A person who signs ownership interest over to another party. Contrast with co-maker. Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) A federal law that requires lenders and other creditors to make credit equally available without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, or receipt of income from public assistance programs. Equity The difference between the market value of a property and the homeowner's outstanding mortgage balance. Equity Loan A loan based on the borrower's equity in his or her home. Prior to closing; also, an account held by the lender into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance. Escrow account The account in which a mortgage servicer holds the borrower’s escrow payments prior to paying property expenses.Escrow analysis. The periodic examination of escrow accounts to determine if current monthly deposits will provide sufficient funds to pay taxes, insurance, and other bills when due. Escrow collections Funds collected by the servicer and set aside in an escrow account to pay the borrower’s property taxes, mortgage insurance, and hazard insurance. Escrow disbursements. The use of escrow funds to pay real estate taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance, and other property expenses as they become due. Escrow payment The portion of a mortgagor’s monthly payment that is held by the servicer to pay for taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance, lease payments, and other items as they become due. Estate. The ownership interest of an individual in real property. The sum total of all the real property and personal property owned by an individual at time of death. |