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- ABSTRACT
OF JUDGMENT:
- A summary of money judgment obtained in
court.
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- ABSTRACT
OF TITLE:
- A summary prepared by a licensed abstractor
of all documents recorded in the public records of the political
subdivision where the land is located.
An abstract in some states or areas is reviewed by an attorney
or other experienced title examiner to determine the status of
title. Virtually every abstractor today provides actual copies
of the records rather than an abstract of each document.
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- ABATEMENT:
- A reduction or decrease. Usually applies to
a decrease of assessed valuation of ad valorem taxes after the
assessment, and levy.

ACCELERATION
CLAUSE:
- Clause in a deed of trust or mortgage,
which accelerates, or hastens, the time when the
indebtedness becomes due. For example, some deeds of trust
contain a provision (an acceleration clause) stating that
the note shall become due immediately upon the sale of the land
or upon failure to pay interest or an installment of principal
and interest.

ACCOMMODATION
RECORDING:
- Recording of instruments with the county
recorder by a title company merely as a convenience to a
customer and without assumption of responsibility for
correctness or validity.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
- A formal declaration before a duly
authorized officer (such as a notary public) by a person
who has executed an instrument that such execution is his own
act and deed. An acknowledgment is necessary to entitle an
instrument (with certain specific exceptions) to be recorded, to
impart constructive notice of its contents and to entitle the
instrument to be used as evidence without further proof. The
certificate of acknowledgment is attached to the instrument or
incorporated therein.

ADJUSTABLE
MORTGAGE LOANS:
- Mortgage loans under which the interest
rate is periodically adjusted to more closely coincide with
current rates. The amounts and times of adjustment are agreed to
at the inception of the loan. Also called: Adjustable Rate
Loans, Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM'S), Flexible Rate Loans,
Variable Rate Loans. (See also: Indexing, Rate Index).

ADMINISTRATOR:
- A person appointed by the probate court to
carry out the administration of a decedent's estate when the
decedent has left no will. If a woman is appointed, she is
called an administratrix.

ADVERSE
POSSESSION:
- A process of acquiring title to real
property by possession for a certain (statutory) period of time,
in addition to fulfilling other conditions.

AFFIDAVIT:
- A written statement or declaration, sworn
to before an officer who has authority to administer an oath.

AGENT:
- One who has authorization, either expressed
or implied, to act for or represent another party, usually in
business matters, such as issuing title insurance policies on
behalf of a title insurer for a portion of the premium.

AGREEMENT
OF SALE:
- A written contract entered into between the
seller (vendor) and buyer (vendee) for sale of real property
(land) on an installment or deferred payment plan. It is also
known as an agreement to convey, a long form Security Agreement
or a real estate installment contract.

ALL-INCLUSIVE
RATE:
- Rate which includes charges for title
insurance, searching or abstract fees and examination fees.
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ALTA: (American
Land Title Association)
- Organization composed of title insurance
firms which sets standards for the industry, including title
insurance policy forms used on a national basis.

AMENDMENT:
- Changes to alter, adds to, or correct part
of an agreement without changing the principal idea or essence.

AMORTIZED
LOAN:
- A loan that is paid off, both interest and
principal, by regular payments that are equal or nearly equal.

ANNUAL
PERCENTAGE RATE (APR):
- The yearly interest percentage of a loan,
as expressed by the actual rate of interest paid. For example:
6% add-on interest would be much more than 6% simple interest,
even though both would say 6%. The A.P.R. is disclosed as a
requirement of federal truth in lending statutes.
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APPRAISAL:
- An estimate of value of property resulting
from analysis of facts about the property; an opinion of value.

APPROVED
ATTORNEY:
- An attorney whose opinion is acceptable to
a title company as the basis for issuance of a title insurance
policy by the insurer. The insurer, rather than the attorney,
executes the policy.

ASSUMPTION:
- The act of conveying real property; taking
title to a property with the Buyer assuming liability for paying
an existing note secured by a deed of trust against the
property.
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