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
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.
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.
