A to Z · 1055 Terms

Real estate & finance, demystified.

The jargon can be exhausting. Here’s a plain-English glossary covering real estate, lending, investment, and the business-finance ecosystem that surrounds them.

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Property Types

Assisted Living

Senior housing offering personal-care help with daily living activities.

Property Types

Big-Box Retail

Large freestanding retail stores typically 50,000+ square feet.

Property Types

Brownstone

A row house, typically 3-5 stories, faced with reddish-brown sandstone — common in NYC and Boston.

Private & Hard Money

Loan-to-ARV (LTARV)

Loan amount as a percentage of after-repair value, common in rehab loans.

Private & Hard Money

Loan-to-Cost (LTC)

Loan amount as a percentage of total project cost, used in fix-and-flip and construction lending.

Private & Hard Money

Maturity Default

Defaulting because a loan reaches its end date and isn’t paid off.

Private & Hard Money

Mezzanine Loan

A hybrid debt-equity loan that is subordinate to senior debt and often convertible to equity on default.

Private & Hard Money

Recourse Loan

A loan where the borrower is personally liable beyond the collateral.

Private & Hard Money

Soft Money Loan

An asset-backed loan with terms between conventional and hard money.

Private & Hard Money

Sponsor Equity

The cash the borrower (sponsor) puts into a deal alongside private financing.

Property Management

Habitable Standards

Minimum legal requirements for a rental’s safety and livability.

Property Management

Implied Warranty of Habitability

The legal doctrine that landlords must keep rentals safe and livable.