| Damper |
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| A movable plate in a fireplace that allows smoke and fumes to travel up the chimney's flue. |
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| Days on the market |
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| The period of time a property is listed for sale until it is sold or taken off the market |
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| Deadbolt lock |
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| Locks that require a key to open from the outside and a turn button from the inside. |
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| Debt |
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| Any amount one person owes to another. |
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| Deck |
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| A roofless, floored area that adjoins a house. |
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| Deed |
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| The legal document that transfers ownership of a piece of property. |
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| Deed of trust |
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| A document that gives a lender the right to foreclose on a piece of property if the borrower defaults on the loan. |
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| Deep-seal floor drain |
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| A drain used to dispose of water from the basement floor to a sewer line. |
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| Default |
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| The failure to fulfill a duty or promise or discharge an obligation, such as making monthly mortgage payments. |
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| Deferred maintenance |
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| Any repair or maintenance of a piece of property that has been postponed, resulting in a decline in property value. |
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| Delinquent mortgage |
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| A mortgage that involves a borrower who is behind on payments. If the borrower cannot bring the payments up to date within a specified number of days, the lender may begin foreclosure proceedings. |
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| Density test |
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| An analysis of soil to determine if the surface can support the foundation of a house. |
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| Dentils |
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| Small rectangular blocks that project from a building, usually under cornices or along rooflines. |
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| Deposit |
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| Money given by the buyer with an offer to purchase property. Also called earnest money. |
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| Depreciation |
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| The decline in value of a piece of property. |
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| Design/build |
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| A project in which the owner contracts directly with an individual or company to perform design and construction. |
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| Designer |
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| Unlike architects, designers are limited to drawing blueprints. |
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| Digital images |
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| Images that are incorporated into house listings to give potential buyers a view of the property. |
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| Dimension plans |
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| Plans which show the layout of a house but are less detailed than full blueprints. |
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| Disability insurance |
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| An insurance policy which covers an individual's ability to produce income. |
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| Disclosure |
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| A statement to a potential buyer listing information relevant to a piece of property, such as the presence of radon or lead paint. |
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| Discount points |
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| Fees that a borrower pays at the time the lender makes the loan. A point equals 1 percent of the total loan amount. |
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| Distressed property |
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| Property that is in poor physical or financial condition. |
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| Document needs list |
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| A list of documents a lender requires when a potential submits a loan application.. The required documents range from paycheck stubs to credit card statements. |
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| Domed ceiling |
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| A hemispherical ceiling that projects upward without support. |
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| Domicile |
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| A person's primary or permanent home. |
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| Dormer |
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| A window set upright in a sloping roof. |
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| Double-hung window |
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| A window that consists of two sashes that slide up and down. |
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| Dovetail joints |
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| Joints that lock two pieces of wood together with meshed teeth. |
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| Down payment |
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| The amount of money a buyer agrees to give the seller when a sales agreement is signed. Complete financing is later secured with a lender. |
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| Down spouts |
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| A vertical gutter that empties water from the roof to the ground. |
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| Drainage |
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| A system of gutters and drainpipes that carry water away from the foundation of a house. |
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| Draw |
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| A payment made to subcontractors or suppliers from a construction loan. |
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| Dropped ceiling |
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| A flat ceiling built lower than the original ceiling. |
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| Dry rot |
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| A fungal decay that causes wood to become brittle and crumble. |
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| Drywall |
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| A construction material composed of gypsum or plaster wrapped in paper and produced in large sheets that can be nailed to wall studs. |
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| Dual agency |
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| A relationship in which a real estate agent or broker represents both parties in a transaction. |
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| Duct |
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| Any kind of pipe or channel that carries water, wiring or conditioned air through a house. |
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| Due-on-sale clause |
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| Standard language in a mortgage which states that the loan must be paid when a house is sold. |
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| Duplex |
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| A structure that consists of two separate family units. |
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| Dutch colonial style |
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| A design that features barn-like gambrel roof, a ground-level front porch, and dormers. |
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