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Real Estate Encyclopedia

This Real Estate Dictionary and Encyclopedia is addressed to all real estate professionals and individuals that are active in the field of real estate in one way or another.

This is an ongoing project and will attempt to go well beyond a simple and short explanation of terms listed. It is also intented to be very comprehensive covering relevant terms from all theoretical and analytical aspects associated with real estate investment and development, such as economics, finance, law, management, valuation, planning, etc.




Absorption Schedule
Adjustable Rate Motgages
Adjusted Rate of Return
Airport Cities
Annual Return
Apartment Cap Rates
Appreciation Rate

Bargain Properties Properties that can be bought significantly below their market value due to special circumstances, such as foreclosure, tax delinquency, and bankruptcy.

Before Tax Cash Flow
Blanket Mortgage
BMV Properties
Books on Retail Property
Buy-to-Let Investments
Buying Foreclosure Homes
Cap Rate Calculation
Cap Rate Cycle
Cap Rate Data
Cap Rate Forecasts
Cap Rate Formula
Cap Rate Spread
Capital Gain The dollar difference between the purchase and the sales price of a property.
Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate)
Capitalization Rate Influences
Capitalization Rate Readings
Cash-Out Refinance
Closed-Ended Funds
Commercial Property or Commercial Real Estate
Commercial Real Estate Analysis
Commercial Real Estate Data Sources

Compatibility Recovery Potential The potential of a property for value gains due to the removal of nearby incompatible uses that undermine its value.

Complementarity Improvement Potential The potential of a property to become more complementary to neighboring uses. Improvement of complementarity does not necessarily imply increases in values if it is associated with a downgrade of the property.

Construction Lag The time that it takes to perceive, plan, and construct a project. This time can range from 18 months to several years, depending on the size and nature of the project.

Correlation A statistical measure indicating the extent to which movements in one variable are related to movements in another variable.

Cyclical Property Investing
Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR)
Demand Concepts
Demand for Office Space
Demand for Real Estate
Determinants of House Prices

Development-Driven Value Increases Property-value gains triggered by major urban and transportation development projects, or developments specific to the location of a property, which improve its attractiveness and income-earning potential.

Development Patterns
Discount Rate
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Model
Distressed Property Investments
Econometric Equations
Effective Gross Income

Encumbrances Encumbrances include claims of use (not ownership) or monetary claims that may burden a property, such as right of way, maintenance agreements, homeowner association assessments, and utility easements.

Equated Yield
Equity Capitalization Rate
Equity Dividend Rate

Equity Investment The amount of investor’s own money used to finance investments in real estate (purchase and/or development).

Equivalent Yield
Estimated Rental Value
Exit Cap Rate

FAR Abbreviation for the ratio of buildable floor area over land area (floor/area ratio).

Foreclosure Investing
Foreclosure Process
French Economy Forecast
Geometric Mean Return
Germany Economy Forecast
Going-in Capitalization Rate
Gross Income Multiplier
Hedonic Models
High Profit Investing

Highest and Best Use The most profitable use to which a site can be legally developed.

Historical Cap Rates
Home Price Data and Forecasts
Home Prices
Hospitality Industry Megatrends
House Price Increases: Drivers
Housing Demand and Household Growth
Hurdle Rate
Income Capitalization Approach
India Economy Forecast

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)The periodic (annual, quarterly, etc.) rate of return of an investment. This is calculated as the discount rate that equalizes the purchase price with the present value of all cash flows expected to be received over a given holding period, including the resale price at the end of the holding period.

International Property Investing
International Property Investing: Advantages
International Real Estate Investment in the US
Investing at the Pre-Construction Stage
Investing in Apartments
Investing in Distressed Property
Investing in Foreign Property
Investing in Office
Investment Holding Period
Investment Property Valuation
Investment Property Loans
Investment Value Calculation
Leveraged Return or Leveraged IRR

Liens The term “lien” refers to any charge or encumbrance against a property that secures the payment of a debt. For example liens may include past due property taxes, judgments, and other mortgage loans that may burden a property.

Loan to Value Ratio
Location Analysis and Selection for High Investment Returns
Location Targeting
Los Angeles Housing Market

Market-Driven Value Increases Value increases triggered by increases in demand because of economic growth in the broader market area of a property.

Maintenance Expenses
Market Capitalization Rates
Market Value
Maximum Loan Amount
Megatrends in Real Estate

Migration Relocation across jurisdictional boundaries, the definition of which varies, depending on the geographic scope and context of the analysis. Within the context of this book, the more appropriate boundaries for examining migration patterns are the metropolitan area boundaries.

Mismanaged Properties
Modified IRR
Monopoly Properties
Monthly Mortgage Payment
Mortgage Constant
Mortgage Financing and Real Estate Investment
Mortgage Loans: Types
Mortgage Loan Amortization
Mortgage Refinancing: Advantages
Multipurpose Shopping
Natural Vacancy Rate

NCREIF National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries.

Negative Leverage Refers to the negative effect of borrowed funds on an investment's overall return. Assessing the conditions under which a particular loan will result in negative leverage requires analysis through the discounted cash flow model but a quick and rough rule of thumb in the case of fixed-rate loans is that negative leverage occurs when the loan used to finance the purchase of a property is such that the mortgage constant is greater than the investment’s unleveraged return.

Net Absorption
Net Income Multiplier

Net Migration The difference between immigration and outmigration.

Net Operating Income
Net Present Value
No-Money-Down Property Financing Techniques
Occupancy Rate
Office Cap Rates or Capitalization Rates
Office Investment Strategy
Office Market Analysis
Office Market Cycle
Office Space Demand

Outbidding The phenomenon during which one user is involuntarily displaced by another user who is willing and can afford to pay a higher price.

Overall Capitalization Rate
Payback Period
Positive Cash Flow
Positive Leverage

Price Elasticity of Demand The sensitivity of quantity demanded to changes in prices. It is measured as the ratio of the percentage change in quantity demanded over the percentage change in price. If the absolute value of this ratio is less than one, then demand is characterized as price inelastic. Investors looking for markets that will allow for greater price increases in response to increases in demand should be looking for areas and property types with price inelastic demand.

Price Elasticity of Supply The sensitivity of quantity supplied to changes in prices. It is measured as the ratio of the percentage change in quantity supplied over the percentage change in price. If the absolute value of this ratio is less than one, then supply is characterized as price inelastic. Investors looking for markets that will allow for greater price increases in response to increases in demand should be looking for areas and property types with price inelastic supply.

Primary Trade Area The area from which a retail center or cluster draws primarily its customers.

Private Urban Renewal Inner-city neighborhood revitalization primarily originated and carried out by private population and business groups.

Profitability Index
Property Demand
Property Demand Segmentation
Property Investment Analysis
Property Investment Strategy
Property Investment Value
Property Management Expenses
Property Portfolio Analysis
Property Portfolio Management
Property Portfolio Strategies
Property Purchase Option
Property Targeting
Property Valuation Guidelines
Property Value
Property Value Increases:Drivers
Property Values and Market Recovery

Public Urban Renewal Inner-city neighborhood revitalization primarily originated and encouraged by the local government.

Readings on Home Prices
Real Estate Construction
Real Estate Cycle
Real Estate Demand
Real Estate Demand Concepts
Real Estate Demand Segmentation
Real Estate Investment Characteristics
Real Estate Investment Process
Real Estate Market Data
Real Estate Math
Real Estate Return Measures
Real Estate Risk
Reducing Real Estate Investment Risk

Refinancing Replacement of existing secured loan through another loan using as collateral the property through which the original loan is secured. Refinancing is typically pursued in order to secure a loan with better terms (lower interest rate, shorter or longer term, etc.) or to switch from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage.

Retail Development
Retail Vacancy Rate
Return on Equity
ROR or Return on Total Capital
Second Mortgage
Secondary Mortgage Financing
Shopping Center Location
Shopping Center Data
Shopping Centers
Significant Profit Potential
Sinking Fund Explained
Structural Vacancy Rate
Suburban Office Market
Supersonic Travel
Tax Lien Investments
Terminal Capitalization Rate

Title Insurance Insurance policy issued by a title insurance company that protects the buyer against liens and encumbrances not discovered in the title search. Its cost is typically based on the value of the property under consideration.

Underperforming Properties
Unleveraged Return or Unleveraged IRR
Urban Growth
Warehouse Property Demand
Warehouse Property Investments
Wraparound Mortgages
Yield Capitalization



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Real Estate Investment Mathematics!
Download RISK-FREE all these formulas Now!
Internal Rate of Return(IRR)
The 3 Formulas for Modified IRR (MIRR)/Financial Management Rate of Return (FMRR)
Potential Gross Income Multiplier (PGIM)
Potential Gross Income
Effective Gross Income Multiplier
Effective Gross Income
Net Income Multiplier
Net Operating Income
Overall Capitalization Rate/Income Return
Capitalization Factor
Band-of-Investment Formula for Estimating a Market/Required Capitalization Rate
Theoretical-Approach Formula for Estimating a Market/Required Capitalization Rate
Appreciation Return
Total Return
Return on Total Capital (ROR)
Return on Equity (ROE)/Cash-on-Cash Return/Equity Dividend Rate
Before Tax Equity Cash Flow (BTECF)
Equity Investment
Loan Amount
Debt Service
Mortgage Constant
Payback Period
Breakeven Occupancy
After Tax Cash Flow (ATCF)
Taxable Income
One-Period IRR
Income Tax Payment in Association with Income Producing Property
Capital Gains
Formula for Cash Flow for Last Period of Analysis
Future Resale Price
Annual Rental Income of Occupied Multi-Tenant Property
Multi-Period Lease Rate Growth Formula with Intertemporally Variable CPI Forecast
Multi-period Lease Rate Growth Formula with Constant CPI Forecast
Present Value (PV)
Net Present Value (NPV)
Profitability Index





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