Knowledgebase

All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.

Knowledgebase

All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.

LIBOR-Index

LIBOR-Index

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
The world’s most widely used benchmark for short-term interest rates. LIBOR stands for London Interbank Offered Rate. It is based on the US dollar, the euro, the pound sterling, the Japanese yen, and the Swiss franc. When LIBOR rises, interest rates also tend to rise ...
Leverage

Leverage

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
Using borrowed capital for an investment and expecting the profits made to be greater than the cost of the loan ...
Lease-Purchase Option

Lease-Purchase Option

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
A traditional rental agreement may include a first-refusal option for the tenant under certain circumstances. A lease-purchase may define a set time period within which the purchase may be made, pricing, and how the down payment will be obtained, since often tenants planning to exercise a lease-purchase will set a ...
Lease

Lease

The agreement between the owner of a property and a tenant (lessee) that defines how the property will be used by the tenant, for what period of time, and how the owner will be paid for that use. The lease also details the property owner’s obligations to the tenant and ...
Landlord

Landlord

An individual who owns a rental property. Sometimes the term landlord is used to indicate a rental owner who actively manages their rental property, but the term includes both active and passive rental investors ...
Land Trust

Land Trust

| Think Realty | Glossary | Operations
An agreement between two or more parties whereby one party (the trustee) agrees to hold ownership of a piece of real estate for the benefit of another party (the beneficiary) ...
Investment Property

Investment Property

A property specifically purchased for the purpose of creating a return on the investment via rental income, future resale, or other strategy or combination of strategies. This includes flipping properties and buy-and-hold properties ...
Interest

Interest

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
Money paid regularly at a predetermined rate as payment for use of funds lent. Interest may also be paid as a fee for delaying repayment on a debt, as in an “interest only” loan ...
Institutional Real Estate Investor

Institutional Real Estate Investor

A large organization that makes substantial investments in real estate- based assets ...
Inland Empire

Inland Empire

The term is usually used to refer to western Riverside County and southwestern San Bernardino County, but broader definitions include eastern Los Angeles County, the Pomona Valley, desert communities in Palm Springs, and Coachella Valley. The Inland Empire has more room for development than coastal areas of California ...
Income Property

Income Property

a property purchased specifically to produce income via renting, leasing, or appreciation. Income properties may be commercial or residential ...
Income Price

Income Price

A calculated value that shows where home prices should be according to local income. Income price metrics are used to help determine whether a market is over- or underpriced, and are based on data from the FHFA Home Price Index and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This metric was developed ...
Horizontal Development

Horizontal Development

| Think Realty | Glossary | Operations
Also sometimes referred to as horizontal improvements. Includes zoning changes, mapping, clearing ground, cutting roads, installing utilities, and paving roads, sidewalks, and gutters ...
Hope Strategy

Hope Strategy

An investment “strategy” that relies more on an investor hoping there will be profits rather than strong numerical indications a deal will succeed ...
Home Staging

Home Staging

| Think Realty | Glossary | Operations
The act of improving a property’s appeal to buyers using art, accessories, lighting, greenery, carpet, furniture, and other home décor items to create an attractive first impression of the home ...
Heat Island

Heat Island

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
A loan made based on the value of the collateral securing the loan rather than the borrower’s predicted likelihood or ability to repay the loan. In hard money, the value of the collateral is the most important factor in the lending decision although many hard money lenders will check credit, ...
Hard Money Loan

Hard Money Loan

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
A loan made based on the value of the collateral securing the loan rather than the borrower’s predicted likelihood or ability to repay the loan. In hard money, the value of the collateral is the most important factor in the lending decision although many hard money lenders will check credit, ...
Hard Money Lender

Hard Money Lender

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
A lender who makes loans based on the value of the collateral securing the loan rather than the borrower’s predicted likelihood or ability to repay the loan. Find out more about hard money loans (and find a reputable lender) with the American Association of Private Lenders ...
Your Development Is a Process, Not a Destination

Your Development Is a Process, Not a Destination

Real estate investing is a complex and multifaceted field that requires a high level of knowledge and skill to be successful. Although some individuals may be able to navigate the market and find profitable deals through trial and error, most real estate investors aspiring to any reasonable level of success ...
Green Roofs

Green Roofs

| Think Realty | Glossary | Operations
Also called eco-roofs and rooftop gardens. A green, growing vegetative layer of grasses, shrubs, plants, and/or trees. Green roofs may reduce rooftop surface temperatures in addition to improving storm-water quality and management ...
Good-Faith Estimate

Good-Faith Estimate

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
Also referred to as a GFE, this document includes the breakdown of estimated payments due when a mortgage loan is closed. Lenders are required to provide these documents in order to help borrowers make good decisions and comparisons between loan offerings ...
General Contractor

General Contractor

| Think Realty | Glossary | Operations
A home remodeling professional who manages and executes larger remodeling projects. General contractors (GCs) may work in commercial or residential construction and manage new construction as well as remodeling, renovations, and rehabs ...
Fully Distributed

Fully Distributed

The contents of an IRA that is considered fully distributed may be taxed in their entirety. They are no longer tax-protected by the IRA ...
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A piece of legislation that grants public access to documents or other data in possession of a government agency or public authority. Real estate investors can leverage FOIA to get information on foreclosure properties ...
Foreclosure Receivership

Foreclosure Receivership

| Think Realty | Glossary | Funding
The receivership process typically begins when a property owner stops making payments on a property. The receiver is responsible for controlling the property and maintaining its value. These can happen in commercial and residential properties ...