Glossary Provided by Homes.com, a RE/MAX Approved Supplier.
- Damper
- A movable plate in a fireplace that allows smoke and fumes to travel up the chimney's flue.
- Days on the market
- The period of time a property is listed for sale until it is sold or taken off the market
- Deadbolt lock
- Locks that require a key to open from the outside and a turn button from the inside.
- Debt
- Any amount one person owes to another.
- Deck
- A roofless, floored area that adjoins a house.
- Deed
- The legal document that transfers ownership of a piece of property.
- Deed of trust
- A document that gives a lender the right to foreclose on a piece of property if the borrower defaults on the loan.
- Deep-seal floor drain
- A drain used to dispose of water from the basement floor to a sewer line.
- Default
- The failure to fulfill a duty or promise or discharge an obligation, such as making monthly mortgage payments.
- Deferred maintenance
- Any repair or maintenance of a piece of property that has been postponed, resulting in a decline in property value.
- Delinquent mortgage
- 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.
- Density test
- An analysis of soil to determine if the surface can support the foundation of a house.
- Dentils
- Small rectangular blocks that project from a building, usually under cornices or along rooflines.
- Deposit
- Money given by the buyer with an offer to purchase property. Also called earnest money.
- Depreciation
- The decline in value of a piece of property.
- Design/build
- A project in which the owner contracts directly with an individual or company to perform design and construction.
- Designer
- Unlike architects, designers are limited to drawing blueprints.
- Digital images
- Images that are incorporated into house listings to give potential buyers a view of the property.
- Dimension plans
- Plans which show the layout of a house but are less detailed than full blueprints.
- Disability insurance
- An insurance policy that covers an individual's ability to produce income.
- Disclosure
- A statement to a potential buyer listing information relevant to a piece of property, such as the presence of radon or lead paint.
- Discount points
- Fees that a borrower pays at the time the lender makes the loan. A point equals 1 percent of the total loan amount.
- Distressed property
- Property that is in poor physical or financial condition.
- Document needs list
- 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.
- Domed ceiling
- A hemispherical ceiling that projects upward without support.
- Domicile
- A person's primary or permanent home.
- Dormer
- A window set upright in a sloping roof.
- Double-hung window
- A window that consists of two sashes that slide up and down.
- Dovetail joints
- Joints that lock two pieces of wood together with meshed teeth.
- Down payment
- 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.
- Down spouts
- A vertical gutter that empties water from the roof to the ground.
- Drainage
- A system of gutters and drainpipes that carry water away from the foundation of a house.
- Draw
- A payment made to subcontractors or suppliers from a construction loan.
- Dropped ceiling
- A flat ceiling built lower than the original ceiling.
- Dry rot
- A fungal decay that causes wood to become brittle and crumble.
- Drywall
- A construction material composed of gypsum or plaster wrapped in paper and produced in large sheets that can be nailed to wall studs.
- Dual agency
- A relationship in which a real estate agent or broker represents both parties in a transaction.
- Duct
- Any kind of pipe or channel that carries water, wiring or conditioned air through a house.
- Due-on-sale clause
- Standard language in a mortgage which states that the loan must be paid when a house is sold.
- Duplex
- A structure that consists of two separate family units.
- Dutch colonial style
- A design that features barn-like gambrel roof, a ground-level front porch, and dormers.