Real Estate Glossary
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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.
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.
Designer - Unlike architects, designers are limited to drawing blueprints.
Dimension plans - Plans which show the layout of a house but are less detailed than full blueprints.
Disability insurance - An insurance policy which 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.
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.
