This combination Real Estate Glossary and Personal Finance Glossary provides definitions of commonly used real estate and personal finance terms. All definitions are listed below, arranged in alphabetical order.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Hard Asset Funds - A Hard Assets Fund is a mutual fund that holds a portion of its assets in gold or silver, or other commodities like these, or in indices that are based on hard assets. Hard asset funds may also be invested in real estate.
Hazard Insurance - Hazard Insurance is insurance that covers the property from damages that might materially affect its value. Also known as homeowner's insurance.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - Effective July 1, 1997 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act specifies that if a person has been covered by insurance during the past 12 months, a new insurer cannot refuse to cover that person nor can it force him or her to accept a waiting period when joining a new group plan.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) - An HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) is an organization that provides a wide range of comprehensive health care services for a specified group at a fixed periodic payment. An HMO can be sponsored by the government, medical schools, hospitals, employers, labor unions, consumer groups, insurance companies, and hospital-medical plans.
Holdback - A Holdback is an amount of money held back at closing by the lender or the escrow agent until a particular condition has been met. If the problem is a repair, the money is kept until the repair is made. If the repair is not made, the lender or escrow agent uses the money to make the repair. Buyers and sellers may also have holdbacks between them, to ensure that specific conditions of the sale are met.
Home Inspection - A Home Inspection is the service a professional home inspector performs when he or she is hired to scrutinize the home for any possible structural defects. May also be done in order to check for the presence of toxic substances, such as leaded paint or water, asbestos, radon, or pests, including termites.
Home Warranty - A Home Warranty is a service contract that covers appliances (with exclusions) in working condition in the home for a certain period of time, usually one year. Home owners are responsible for a per-call service fee. There is a home owner's warranty for new construction. Some developers will purchase a warranty from a company specializing in new construction for the homes they sell. A home owner's warranty will warrant the good working order of the appliances and workmanship of a new home for between one and ten years; for example, appliances might be covered for one year while the roof may be covered for several years.
Homeowner's Association - A Homeowner's Association is a group of home owners in a particular subdivision or area who band together to take care of common property and common interests.
Homeowner's Insurance - Homeowner's Insurancincludes hazard insurance, as well as personal liability and theft.
Hostile Takeover - A Hostile Takeover is when a company purchases another against the will of the purchased company's management.
