Real Estate Math

REAL ESTATE MATH
REAL ESTATE MATH

All the Math Salespersons
and Brokers Need to Know
NEW YORK
Copyright 2008 LearningExpress, LLC.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC., New York.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Real estate math.

p. cm.
ISBN: 978-1-57685-631-4
1. Real estate businessMathematics. I. LearningExpress (Organization)
HF5695.5.R3R43 2008
333.3301'513dc22
2007038879
ISBN: 978-1-57685-631-4
Printed in the United States of America
987654321
First Edition
For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at:

2 Rector Street
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Or visit us at:
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CONTENTS
Why Real Estate Professionals Need Math vii

How to Get the Most from This Book ix
Part 1: Assessing Your Skills 1

Pretest 3
Chapter 1 Real Estate Math Review 15
Part 2: Selling Real Estate 45

Chapter 2 Calculating Affordability and Evaluating Mortgages 47
Chapter 3 Basic Mortgage Calculations 63
Chapter 4 Advanced Mortgage Calculations 73
Chapter 5 Computing Monthly Payments: Principal, Interest,
Taxes, and Insurance 91
v
CONTENTS
Part 3: Appraising Real Estate 103

Chapter 6 Land and Area Calculations 105
Chapter 7 Market Value of Residential Properties 115
Chapter 8 Market Value of Investment Properties 125
Part 4: Investing in Real Estate 137

Chapter 9 Evaluating Investment Property: Income 139
Chapter 10 Evaluating Investment Property: Appreciation
and Depreciation 147
Part 5: Closing the Sale 153

Chapter 11 Calculating Closing Costs 155
Posttest 167
Glossary 179
vi
INTRODUCTION
WHY REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS NEED MATH

Welcome! You are about to take a mathematical walk through the world of real
estate. Its not the first thing most of us think of when we consider joining the pro-
fession as a salesperson or broker, but it is an essential skill. Salespeople and bro-
kers need to be able to quickly (sometimes on the spot):
calculate the mathematical pros and cons of comparables

determine what that bit of extra square footage is worth
prequalify the prospective client
educate the buyer or seller about what a home is really worth
analyze an investment propertywhether its a home with an extra apart-
ment or an office complex
determine closing costs
calculate commissions
vii
INTRODUCTION
As you walk through Real Estate Math, youll discover how to do all these and
much more. Those of you who bought this book because you are studying for the
exam will find problems similar to those youll encounter on the test. Regardless
of whether you are a student or on-the-job, this book provides the math skills you
need. And it does so simply and clearly.
WHAT YOULL FIND IN REAL ESTATE MATH

Each step of the tour is clearly marked with:
tips to remind you of a mathematical quirk or something to consider or

remember
clearly marked examples that guide you through the problem and show you
how each part of the solution relates to what went before and what comes
next
What You Need to Know, which provides quick conversions needed to
solve some of the problems in that chapter
an extensive real estate glossary that also explains mathematical terms
As all good walk-throughs do, Real Estate Math begins at the front door and
allows you to assess where you are with a pretest covering many of the everyday
problems professionals encounter. Not to worry: Theres an answer key with
explanations that guide you each step of the way through each problem! Like a fact
sheet on a property for sale, the pretest will give you a feeling for the areas where
you need to do a little work and the areas where you are strong. Chapter 1 pro-
vides a refresher that will help you to brush up those areas that need a little
review (and gives you a handy reference just in case you need an occasional
reminder).
Moving farther into Real Estate Math, Part 2 of the tour begins with the math
you need to sell the propertyall the way from qualifying the customer to the ins
and outs of evaluating mortgages and estimating total monthly payments.
Moving right along, Part 3 takes you through all the math you need to
know to evaluate both residential and investment properties and guide your
clientsbuyers and sellersthrough their options.
Speaking of investment properties, Part 4 of the tour goes into the mathe-
matical intricacies of evaluating investment propertylarge and small. Everything
from income to appreciation and depreciation is examined. Last, but definitely not
least, Part 5 walks you through closing costs and commissions.
viii
INTRODUCTION
How to Get the Most from This Book

We recommend that you begin the tour at the beginning and walk through at your
own paceyou may be stronger in some areas than othersuntil you reach the
end. Each chapter follows a logical progression and builds on the knowledge
gained in previous chapters. In addition, each chapter contains fully worked-out,
fully explained examples and practice problems that let you see how well you are
doing as you move along. Like a well-designed house plan, this format allows you
to go at your own pace, stopping wherever and whenever you want to polish your
skills. You can even go back to the real estate math review in Chapter 1 if, for exam-
ple, dividing fractions gives you a headache.
After you have walked through the entire book, take the posttest. It will tell
you how far you have come, and if you find that you still need some polishing in
some areas, return to those chapters and concentrate on them.
Caveat emptor: Financial calculators as well as tools on the Internet can be
helpful, but in order to use them properly, you need to understand the basic math-
ematical principles that make them work. Otherwise, you could end up inputting
the wrong data or dividing when you should be multiplying! What they say about
computers applies to math as well: garbage in, garbage out. Once you understand
the math, youll be able to maximize the tools.
ix
REAL ESTATE MATH
PART
I ASSESSING YOUR
SKILLS
1
PRETEST
This test will help you determine your

strengths and weaknesses. Read each
question carefully and then work the prob-
lem (use scratch paper for your calculations).
The answers, which appear at the end of
the chapter, show step by step how we
arrived at each answer.
3
ASSESSING YOUR SKILLS
1. A borrower wants to know if he qualifies for a $400,000 conventional

mortgage. His monthly income is $25,750, estimated PITI is $4,500, car
payment is $400 per month, and child support is $2,000 per month.
Does he qualify?
2. The purchase price of a house is $280,550. How large would the mortgage
be if the down payment were 15%?
3. The purchase price of a home is $175,000. How much cash would the
buyer need for the down payment if the first mortgage were 80% and the
carryback were 10%?
4. Assuming that the appraised value and the selling price was $160,000 in
a low-closing-cost state and that the closing costs are $325, calculate the
total FHA mortgage.
5. How much is owed on a $512,000 loan after 5 months if the interest rate
is 9.9%?
6. Find the rate of interest on a $64,000 loan, if the amount of interest paid
after 2 years is $9,000.
7. A borrower is charged 4 points to get a 6.2% $322,000 mortgage. How

much will the 4 points cost the borrower?
8. Assume you took out a $627,000 30-year mortgage 15 years ago. The inter-
est rate is 8.5%, and your monthly payment is $4,821.09. If only 33% of
your principal has been paid, how much interest has been paid?
9. A 25-year mortgage of $333,500 with an interest rate of 7.1% has monthly

loan payments of $2,378.43. What is the loan constant?
10. If the purchase price of a home is $187,405 and the mortgage is $162,500,
what is the LTV?
11. Assume that the borrower has purchased a property for $635,650 and has
put 27.5% down. Calculate the transfer taxes, assuming the intangible tax
rate is $.22 per $100 and the documentary stamp tax rate is $.305.
4
PRET EST
12. A home sold for $2.25 million. Determine the assessed taxable value if the
rate of assessment is 19%.
13. Assume a cap rate of $2.25 for every $100 in assessed valuation. A prop-
erty is assessed at $162,000, and the total property tax rate is $.088 per
$100. How much tax is due on this property?
14. On a mortgage of $180,800, where the buyer is putting 15% down, the
monthly mortgage payment at 7.3% is $1,312.66. Calculate the charge for
PMI. Assuming no hazard insurance is required, what is the monthly
payment?
15. How many acres are there in 612,000 square feet?
16. The replacement cost of a small, 25-year-old apartment building is

$855,000; its estimated economic life is 75 years. What is the accrued
depreciation using the straight-line method of depreciation?
17. Regarding the 25-year-old apartment building in question 16: Replace-

ment cost is $855,000, its estimated economic life is 75 years, and its effec-
tive age is 17. What is the accrued depreciation?
18. The comparable property is on 16 acres and sold for $1.9 million. The
estimated replacement value of the building is $1.55 million; the accrued
depreciation is estimated at $325,000. The selling price for vacant land
based on comparables is $33,000 per acre. The actual property is on a
22-acre lot. What is the value of the actual propertys land?
19. Using the following table, calculate the +/ value of the comparable and
subject homes and the estimated market value of the subject property.
Comparable +/ Value Subject +/ Value

Property Property
none Bluestone patio $7,500
Landscaped pool $22,000 none
Marble master $25,000 none

bathroom,
one year old
5

Property Property
Powder room $2,500

(12 bath)
none Finished walk-out $100,000

basement with
kitchen and bath
Landscaping in poor ($15,000)

condition
Total +/
Selling price $575,000 Selling price

comparable subject
20. The projected gross income of a building is $263,400; the property has a
vacancy and collection rate of 12.75%. Calculate the gross operating
income. The operating expense is $52,725.
21. What is the net operating income of the building in question 20?
22. Calculate the capitalization rate if the comparable sold for $239,500 and
its NOI is $54,100.
23. On a property selling for $574,000, the gross income is $8,625 per month,
and there is additional income of $375 per month. Calculate the monthly
GRM and the annual GIM.
24. Assume an investor sold a property after 2 years for $450,000; the discount
rate is 9.5%. How much would the investor have had to pay in present dol-
lars to break even on the investment?
25. An office rents for $125.75 per square foot; increases are tied to an index
that has gone from 1.85 to 2.15. It has 32,320 square feet. What is the
monthly rent?
6
PRET EST
Use the following information to answer questions 2632.
Assume an investment of $1,435,000 in a residential building with 10 apart-

ments. There is an 80%, 30-year mortgage at 7.2% and monthly payments of
$9,740.61. The building has 10 apartments: two studios that each rent for $1,600
per month, 4 one-bedroom apartments that rent for $3,000 per month, and 4 two-
bedroom apartments that rent for $5,000 per month. Collection losses are 12.5%
and estimated operating expenses are 40% of EGI.
26. What is the PGI?
27. What is the VCL?
28. What is the EGI?
29. What is the OE?
30. What is the NOI?
31. What is the yearly mortgage payment?
32. What is the PCTF?
33. An owner resides in 20% of an apartment building purchased for

$750,675; the land is valued at $123,000. What is the owners depreciable
basis?
A residential building was purchased 5 years ago for $872,000. The land was eval-
uated at $174,400 at time of purchase. The property just sold for $1,044,000. Sell-
ing expenses are $75,200, and the balance owed on the mortgage is $697,600.
34. Calculate depreciation.
35. Calculate adjusted basis.
36. Calculate capital gains tax.
7
37. Calculate excess gain tax.
38. Calculate after-tax income.
A closing is on November 7; property taxes paid in arrears twice a year on July 1

(for January 1June 30) and January 1 (for July 1December 31) are $6,250 per
year. The closing date is the buyers responsibility.
39. Using the 365-day method, for how many days does the seller owe the
buyer?
40. What is the average cost per day?
41. How much does the seller owe the buyer?
Using the 365-day method, assume annual taxes of $8,500, payment is made in
quarterly installments on March 15 for the period of November 1 (of the preceding
year)January 31; June 15 for February 1April 30; September 15 for May 1July
31, and September 15 for August 1October 31. Closing date is March 15, and the
seller is responsible through March 14.
42. Using the 365-day method, for how many days does the seller owe the
buyer?
45. A small office building has a rent roll of $57,150 per month, collected on
the 1st. Closing is on August 11. The seller retains the income for day of
closing. How much does the seller have to reimburse the buyer?
8
PRET EST
46. Water bills are averaging $313 per quarter and are paid in advance: Jan-
uary 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. If closing is December 2, how
much will the buyer need to reimburse the seller? The seller will pay for
the day of closing. Use the 365-day method.
47. A seller wants to net $137,275 after commission. The mortgage balance
is $287,000. The agents commission is 6%. Assuming no other costs, what
would the property have to sell for to achieve these goals?
48. Yearly taxes on an office building are $30,650. They are paid in arrears
quarterly on the last day of each quarter. The closing date is March 3. This
is a leap year. Using the 30-day method, how much does the seller owe the
buyer if the seller is responsible for the closing date?
A home is listed at $339,500 and in a bidding war sells for $365,500. Calculate:
49. the total commission at 6%
50. the commission if split 5050 between two brokerage agencies
51. the first sales associates commission at 55%
52. the second sales associates commission at 53.5%
9
ANSWERS
Answers appear in boldface.
1. Yes, both ratios are below the 28% and 36% limits.
$4,500 (PITI) $25,750 (monthly income) = .17 or 17% housing
expense ratio
$4,500 (PITI) + ($400 + $2,000) $25,750 =
$4,500 + $2,400 $25,750 =
$6,900 $25,750 = .267 or 27% = total obligations ratio
2. $280,550 .85 = $238,467.5 mortgage
3. 80% + 10% = 90%

$175,000 10% = $17,500 cash
4. [$160,000 (selling price) + $325] 97.15% (% available) =

$160,325 .9715 = $155,755.74 (maximum loan)
$160,325 .03 = $4,809.75 (minimum cash investment)
$160,325 $155,555.74 = $4,569.26
$4,809.75 $4,569.26 = $240.49
$155,755.74 $240.49 = $155,515.25 or $155,515 (rounded to nearest
dollar)
5. I = P ($512,000) R (9.9%) 112 year

= $512,000 9.9% 112
= $512,000 .099 112 = $4,224
$4,224 5 = $21,120
I ($9,000)
6. R =
P ($64,000) T (2 years)
$9,000
=
$64,00
02
$9,000
=
$128,000
= $9,000 $128,000
= .070 or 7% rate of interest
7. $322,000 .04 = $12,880
10
PRET EST
8. Total paid principal paid = interest paid

$4,821.09 (monthly payment) 15 (years) 12 (months) =
$867,796.20 (total paid to date)
$627,000 (total mortgage) .33 = $206,910 (principal paid)
$867,796.20 $206,910 = $660,886.20 interest paid
9. $2,378.43 $333,500 = .0071317 loan constant
10. $162,500 (mortgage) $187,405 (purchase price) = .867 or 87% LTV
11. $635,650 sales price .725 financing = $460,846.25

$460,846.25 100 = $4,608.4625 taxable hundreds
$4,608.46 $.22 = $1,013.86 intangible tax due
$4,608.46 $.305 = $1,405.58 (rounded) documentary stamp tax
12. $2,250,000 .81 = $1,822,500 taxable value
13. $162,000 (assessed value) 100 = 1,620 hundreds

$2.25 1,620 = $3,645
$162,000 .032 = $5,184
$3,645 property tax owed
$904
14. $180,800 (total mortgage) .005 (annual PMI) =
12 (monthly PMI)
$904 (PMI) 12 = $75.33 (monthly PMI)
$1,312.66 (monthly mortgage) + $75.33 = $1,387.99 monthly payment
15. 612,000 square 43,560 square feet = 14.05 acres
16. $855,000 (replacement cost new) 75 (years of economic life) = $11,400

(depreciation per year)
$11,400 25 (age of structure) = $285,000 accrued depreciation
17. [17 (effective age) 75 (economic life)] = .227 (age-life accrued depre-
ciation) $855,000 (replacement cost) = $194,085 accrued depreciation
11
18. $1,550,000 (replacement cost) $325,000 (accrued depreciation) =

$1,225,000 (depreciated value of building)
$1,900,000 (selling price) $1,225,000 (depreciated value of building) =
$675,000
$675,000 (selling price of vacant land) 16 acres (size of comparable
property) = $42,187.50 (value of land per acre)
$42,187.50 (price per acre) 22 acres (size of actual property) = $928,125
value of actual propertys land
19. $575,000 (selling price per comparable) ($22,000 + $25,000 + 2,500) +

($7,500 $30,000 + $100,000 $15,000) = 588,000
$588,000 $49,500 + $62,500 = $601,000 selling price subject
20. $263,400 (PGI) 12.75% (VCL) = $33,583.50 (VCL in $)

$263,400 $33,583.50 = $229,816.50 GOI
21. $229,816.50 $55,725 (OE) = $174,091.50 NOI
22. $54,100 (NOI) $239,500 (selling price) = .226 CAP rate
23. $574,000 (selling price) $8,625 (monthly rent + other income) =

monthly GRM
$574,00 $9,000 = 66.55 monthly GRM
$574,000 ($9,000 12) (annual rent + annual other income) = annual GIM
$574,000 $108,000 = 5.3 annual GIM
24. $108,038.02
Year Cash Flow Discount Discounted Value
1 $450,000 1.095 $410,958.90
2 $450,000 1.199 $108,038.02
25. 2.15 1.85 = .3

.3 1.85 = .16 (rounded) or 16% increase
$125.75 1.16 = $145.87
$145.87 32,320 sq. ft. = $4,714,518.4
12
PRET EST
26. 2 $1,600 + 4 3,000 + 4 $5,000

($3,200 + $12,000 + $20,000) 12 =
$35,200 12 = $422,400 PGI
27. $422,400 .125 = $52,800 VCL
28. $422,400 $55,300 = $367,100 EGI
29. $367,100 .4 = $146,840 OE
30. $367,100 $146,840 = $220,260 NOI
31. $9,740.61 12 = $116,887.32 yearly mortgage payment
32. $232,260 $116,887.32 = $115,372.68 BTCF
33. $750,675 (purchase price) $123,000 = $627,675

$627,675 80% = $502,140 depreciable basis
$502,140 27.5 = $18,259.64
34. ($872,000 [purchase price] $174,400 [value of land] = balance due on

mortgage) 27.5 = depreciable basis
($697,600 27.5) 5 (years) =
$25,367.27 5 = $126,836.35 depreciation taken
35. $872,000 (original purchase price) $126,836.35 (depreciation taken) =

$745,163.65 adjusted basis
36. $1,044,000 (selling price) $745,163.65 (adjusted basis) $75,200 (selling

expense) = $223,636.40 capital gain
$228,636.40 .15 = $33.545.46 capital gains tax
37. $223,636.40 (capital gain) [$1,044,000 (selling price) $872,000 (purchase

price)]
$223,636.40 $172,000 = $51,636.40 excess gain
$51,636.40 .25 = $12,909.10 excess gains tax
38. $1,044,000 (selling price) $697,600 (mortgage balance) $75,200 (selling

expenses) $33,545.46 $12,909.10 (taxes owed) = $224,745.44 after-tax
income
13
39. 31 (July) + 31 (August) + 30 (September) + 31 (October) + 6 (Novem-

ber) = 129 days
40. $6,250 365 = $17.123288 average cost per day
41. $17.123288 129 = $2,208.90 (rounded)
42. 28 (February) + 14 (March) = 42 days
43. $8,500 365 days = $23.287671 average cost per day
44. $23.287671 42 = $978.08 (rounded)
45. 31 11 = 20 days
($57,150 31) = $1,843.5484 average cost per day
20 $1,843.5484 = $36,870.97
46. $313 92 = $3.40/day

$3.40 29 (days after December 2) = $98.60
47. 100% (total selling price) 6% (total commission) = 94%

$287,000 (mortgage balance) + $137,275 (to seller) = $424,275
$424,275 .94 = $451,356.38
48. 31 (January) + 29 (February) + 3 (March) = 63 days

$30,650 360 = $85.138888 cost per day
$85.138888 63 = $5,363.75 (rounded)
49. $365,500 .06 = $21,930 total commission
50. $21,930 .5 = $10,965 commission if split 5050
51. $10,965 .55 = $6,030.75 first sales associates commission
52. $10,965 .535 = $5,866.28 (rounded) the second sales associates

commission
14
CHAPTER
1 REAL ESTATE
MATH REVIEW
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Whether you are a real estate professional or
an investor in real estate, math is a vital tool,
one you will need to call on frequently. Knowl-
edge of real estate math will help increase
your earnings, win you clients, and generally
increase your bottom line. So, even if you
werent a whiz at math in school, this chap-
ter will give you the foundation youll need in
your career.
ere are the types of math you will encounter

H in this chapter:
percents
areas
property tax
loan-to-value ratios
points
equity
qualifying buyers
prorations
commissions
15
sale proceeds
transfer tax/conveyance tax/revenue stamps
competitive market analyses (CMA)
income properties
depreciation
Keep in mind that although the math topics are varied, you will be using the
same math skills to complete each question. But before you review your math skills,
take a look at some helpful strategies for doing your best.
STRATEGIES FOR MATH QUESTIONS

Use Scratch Paper
Resist the temptation to save time by doing all your work on your calculator. The
main pitfall with calculators is the temptation to work the problem all the way
through to the end on the calculator.
Check Your Work

Checking your work is always good practice, and its usually quite simple. Even if
you come up with an answer that seems correct, you should check your work.
REAL ESTATE MATH REVIEW

Heres a quick review of some basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and word
problem skills.
Arithmetic Review
Symbols of Multiplication
When two or more numbers are being multiplied, they are called factors. The
answer that results is called the product.
Example:
5 6 = 30 5 and 6 are factors and 30 is the product.
There are several ways to represent multiplication in the above mathemati-

cal statement.
A dot between factors indicates multiplication:
5 6 = 30
16
Parentheses around one or more factors indicates multiplication:
(5)6 = 30, 5(6) = 30, and (5)(6) = 30
Multiplication is also indicated when a number is placed next to a variable:
5a = 30 In this equation, 5 is being multiplied by a.
Divisibility
Like multiplication, division can be represented in a few different ways:
8
83 38
3
In each of the above, 3 is the divisor and 8 is the dividend.
How to Round
If the number after the one you need to round is 5 or more, make the pre-
ceding number one higher. If it is less than 5, drop it and leave the preceding
number the same.
Example:
0.0135 = .014 or .01
Decimals
The most important thing to remember about decimals is that the first place value
to the right begins with tenths. The place values are as follows:
1 2 6 8 3 4 5 7
T H T O D T H T T
H U E N E E U H E
O N N E C N N O N
U D S S I T D U T
S R M H R S H
A E A S E A O
N D L D N U
D S T D S
POINT
S H T A
S H N
S D
T
H
S
In expanded form, this number can also be expressed as . . .
1,268.3457 = (1 1,000) + (2 100) + (6 10) + (8 1) + (3 .1) +

(4 .01) + (5 .001) + (7 .0001)
17
Fractions
To do well when working with fractions, it is necessary to understand some basic
concepts. Here are some math rules for fractions using variables:
a c ac
d =
b
b d
a c a+c
+ b =
b b
a c a d ad
d = =
b b c bc
a c ad + bc
+ d =
b bd
Multiplication of Fractions
Multiplying fractions is one of the easiest operations to perform. To multiply frac-
tions, simply multiply the numerators and the denominators, writing each in the
respective place over or under the fraction bar.
Example:
4 6 24
=
5 7 35
Dividing of Fractions
Dividing fractions is the same thing as multiplying fractions by their reciprocals.
To find the reciprocal of any number, switch its numerator and denominator. For
example, the reciprocals of the following numbers are:
1 3
= 3
3 1
1
x x
4 5
5 4
5 15
When dividing fractions, simply multiply the dividend (the number being
divided) by the divisors (the number doing the dividing) reciprocal to get the
answer.
Example:
12 3 12 4 48 16
= = =
21 4 21 3 63 21
18
Adding and Subtracting Fractions

To add or subtract fractions with the same denominator, just add or subtract the
numerators and leave the denominator as it is. For example,
1 5 6 5 2 3
+ = and =
7 7 7 8 8 8
Sometimes the result may be larger than 1. When this happens, you should
reduce the fraction to its lowest form. This means you must find its greatest com-
mon denominator (GCD), the largest number that can be divided evenly into both
numbers. For example,
7 5 12
+ =
8 8 8
Thus, 4 is the GCD because 12 4 = 3 and 8 4 = 2. In other words, the GCD
is the largest common factor that can be divided into each of the denominators.
Doing that, you get 32, which is an improper fraction.
Therefore, you must take the process a step further, and convert the fraction
into a mixed numeral; to do this, you divide 3 by 2 to get 112.
To add or subtract fractions with different denominators, you must find the
lowest common denominator (LCD)that is, the number that both denomi-
nators can be divided into evenly.
For example, if the denominators are 8 and 12, then 24 is the LCD because
8 3 = 24 and 12 2 = 24. In other words, the LCD is the smallest multiple divis-
ible by each of the denominators.
Once you know the LCD, convert each fraction by multiplying both the
numerator and denominator by the necessary factor to get the LCD, and then add
or subtract the new numerators.
Example:
1 2 5 (1) 3 (2) 5 6 11
+ = + = 1
3 5 5 (3) 3 (5) 5 + 15 = 1
5
19
Percent
A percent is a measure of a part to a whole, with the whole being equal to 100.
To change a decimal to a percentage, move the decimal point two units to

the right and add a percentage symbol.
Example:
.45 = 45% .07 = 7% .9 = 90%
To change a fraction to a percentage, first change the fraction to a decimal.

To do this, divide the numerator by the denominator. Then, change the dec-
imal to a percentage.
Example:
4
= .80 = 80%
5
2
= .4 = 40%
5
1
= .125 = 12.5%
8
To change a percentage to a decimal, simply move the decimal point two

places to the left and eliminate the percentage symbol.
Example:
64% = .64 87% = .87 7% = .07
To change a percentage to a fraction, divide by 100 and reduce.
Example:
64 16
64% =
10
0 = 2
5
75 3
75% =
10
0 = 4
82 41
82% =
10
0 = 5
0
Keep in mind that any percentage that is 100 or greater will need to reflect
a whole number or mixed number when converted.
Example:
125% = 1.25 or 114
350% = 3.5 or 312
20
Here are some conversions you should be familiar with:
Fraction Decimal Percentage

1
.5 50%
2
1
.25 25%
4
1

3 .333 . . . %
33.3
2

3 .666 . . . %
66.6
1
.1 10%
10
1
.125 12.5%
8
1

6 .1666 . . . %
16.6
1
.2 20%
5
Algebra Review
Equations
An equation is solved by finding a number that is equal to an unknown variable.
Simple Rules for Working with Equations

1. The equal sign separates an equation into two sides.
2. Whenever an operation is performed on one side, the same operation
must be performed on the other side.
3. Your first goal is to get all of the variables on one side and all of the num-
bers on the other.
4. The final step often will be to divide each side by the coefficient, leaving
the variable equal to a number.
Solving Equations
To solve the equation 6x =
x + 10

12 , eliminate the denominators by multiplying the
numerators and the denominators:
12x = 6x + 60
Subtract 6x from both sides of the equation:
6x = 60
x = 10
21
Checking Equations
To check an equation, substitute the number equal to the variable in the original
equation.
Example:
To check the equation below, substitute the number 10 for the vari-
able x.
x x + 10
6 =
12
10 10 + 10
=
6 12
10 20
=
6 12
13 = 123 160 = 160

2
Because this statement is true, you know the answer x = 10 must be

correct.
Algebraic Fractions
Algebraic fractions are very similar to fractions in arithmetic.
Example:
Write 5x 1x0 as a single fraction.
Solution:
Just like in arithmetic, you need to find the LCD of 5 and 10, which
is 10. Then change each fraction into an equivalent fraction that has
10 as a denominator.
x x x(2) x
5 10 = 5(
2) 10
= 120x 1x0
= 1x0
Geometry Review
Area the space inside a two-dimensional figure
Circumference the distance around a circle
Perimeter the distance around a figure
Radius the distance from the center point of a circle to any point
on the outside of the circle
22
Area
Area is the space inside of the lines defining the shape.
= Area
This geometry review will focus on the area formula for three main shapes:
circles, rectangles/squares, and triangles.
Circle Rectangle Triangle
r w
h
l b
C = 2 r
A = r2 A = lw A = bh
A = area
r = radius
l = length
w = width
b = base
h = height
C = circumference
= 3.14
Perimeter
The perimeter of an object is simply the sum of all of its sides.
6 4 Perimeter = 6 + 7 + 4 + 10 = 27
10
23
The circumference is the perimeter of a circle.
C = 2r
Word Problem Review

If you are preparing to take a real estate exam, many of the math problems will
be word problems, so pay extra attention to the following review.
Translating Words into Numbers

The most important skill needed for word problems is being able to translate
words into mathematical operations. The following will assist you by giving you
some common examples of English phrases and their mathematical equivalents.
Increase means add.
Example:
A number increased by five = x + 5.
Less than means subtract.
Example:
10 less than a number = x 10.
Times or product means multiply.
Example:
Three times a number = 3x.
Times the sum means to multiply a number by a quantity in parentheses.
Example:
Five times the sum of a number and three = 5(x + 3).
Two variables are sometimes used together.
Example:
A number y exceeds five times a number x by ten = y = 5x + 10.
Of means multiply.
Example:
10% of 100 is 10 = 10% 100 = 10.
24
Is means equals.
Example:
15 is 14 plus 1 becomes 15 = 14 + 1.
Assigning Variables in Word Problems

Sometimes you will need to create and assign variables in a word problem. To do
this, first identify an unknown and a known. You may not actually know the exact
value of the known, but you will know at least something about its value.
Mr. Maxwells house is three years older than Ms. Richardss house.
Unknown = age of Ms. Richardss house = x
Known = Mr. Maxwells house is 3 years older.
Therefore, the age of Ms. Richards house = x + 3
Heidi sold twice as many houses as John.

Unknown = number of houses John sold = x
Known = number of houses Heidi sold = 2x
The Main Street apartment building has five more than three times the num-
ber of apartments than the Elm Street apartment building has.
Known = the number of apartments in the Elm Street building = x

Unknown = the number of apartments in the Main Street building
= 3x + 5
Percentage Problems
There is one formula that is useful for solving the three types of percentage
problems:
# %
part
=
whole 100
or
is = %
of 100
25
When reading a percentage problem, substitute the necessary information into

the above formula based on the following:
100 is always written in the denominator of the percentage sign column.

If given a percentage, write it in the numerator position of the number col-
umn. If you are not given a percentage, then the variable should be placed
there.
The denominator of the number column represents the number that is
equal to the whole, or 100%. This number always follows the word of in a
word problem.
The numerator of the number column represents the number that is the
percent.
In the formula, the equal sign can be interchanged with the word is.
Examples:
Finding a percentage of a given number:
What number is equal to 40% of 50?
# %
x
__ = 40
___
50 100
Cross multiply:
100(x) = (40)(50)
100x = 2,000
100x 2,000
=
100 100
x = 20 Therefore, 20 is 40% of 50.
How Are Rate Problems Defined?
x units
Rate =
y units
A percentage problem simply means that y units is equal to 100. It is

important to remember that a percentage problem may be worded using
the word rate.
Finding a number when a percentage is given:

40% of what number is 24?
26
# %
24
__ = 40
___
x 100
Cross multiply:
(24)(100) = (40)(x)
2,400 = 40x
2,400 40x
=
40 40
60 = x Therefore, 40% of 60 is 24.
Finding what percentage one number is of another:

What percentage of 75 is 15?
# %
15
__ = x
___
75 100
Cross multiply:
15(100) = (75)(x)
1,500 = 75x
1,500 75x
=
75 75
20 = x Therefore, 20% of 75 is 15.
Rate Problems
You may encounter a couple of different types of rate problems: cost per unit,
interest rate, and tax rate. Rate is defined as a comparison of two quantities with
different units of measure.
x units
Rate =
y units
dollars interest
Examples:
square foot , year
Cost Per Unit

Some problems may require that you calculate the cost per unit.
Example:
If 100 square feet cost $1,000, how much does 1 square foot cost?
Solution:
1,000
=
100 = $10 per square foot
27
Interest Rate
The formula for simple interest is Interest = Principal Rate Time or I = PRT.
If you know certain values, but not others, you can still find the answer using alge-
bra. In simple interest problems, the value of T is usually 1, as in 1 year. There are
three basic kinds of interest problems, depending on which number is missing.
Equivalencies
Here are some equivalencies you may need to use to complete some questions.
Equivalencies
12 inches (in. or ") = 1 foot (ft. or ')
3 feet or 36 inches = 1 yard (yd.)
1,760 yards = 1 mile (mi.)
5,280 feet = 1 mile
2 2
144 square inches (sq. in. or in. ) = 1 square foot (sq. ft. or ft. )
9 square feet = 1 square yard
43,560 feet = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 square mile
Percents
It is helpful to know how to solve a basic percentage problem.
Example:
What is 86% of 1,750?
Solution:
Start by translating words into math terms.
x = (86%)(1,750)
Change the percent into a decimal by moving the decimal point two
spaces to the left.
86% = .86
Now you can solve.
x = (.86)(1,750)
x = 1,505
Other percentage problems may come in the form of rate problems. Keep
reading for more examples of these problems.
28
Interest Problems
Lets take a look at a problem in which you have to calculate the interest rate (R).
Remember, the rate is the same as the percentage.
Example:
Mary Valencia borrowed $5,000, for which she is paying $600 inter-
est per year. What is the rate of interest being charged?
Solution:
Start with the values you know.
Principal = $5,000
Interest = $600
Rate = x
Time = 1 year
Using the formula I = PRT, insert the values you know, and solve for x.
600 = 5,000(x)(1)
600 = 5,000x
600 x

5,0
00 =
5,0
00
.12 = x
To convert .12 to a percent, move the decimal point two places to the right.
.12 = 12%
Area
Some problems may ask you to calculate the area of a piece of land, a building, or
some other figure. Here are some formulas and how to use them.
Rectangles
Remember the formula: Area = (length)(width).
Example:
A man purchased a lot that is 50 feet by 10 feet for a garden. How
many square feet of land does he have?
Solution:
Using the formula, Area = (length)(width), you have:
A = (50)(10) = 500 square feet
Example:
The Meyers family bought a piece of land for a summer home that
was 2.75 acres. The lake frontage was 150 feet. What was the length
of the lot?
29
Solution:
You will need to refer to the Equivalencies list on page 28 to
answer this question. First, find the area of the land in square feet.
(2.75)(43,560) = 119,790 square feet
In the previous example, you were given the length and the width. In this
example, you are given the area and the width, so you are solving for the length.
Because you know the area and the width of the lot, use the formula to solve.
Area = (length)(width)
119,790 = (x)(150)
Divide both sides by 150.
119,790 (x)(150)
=
150 150
119,790
x=
150
x = 798.6 feet
Triangles
Although it may not be as common, you may be asked to find the area of a trian-
gle. If you dont remember the formula, see page 23.
Example:
The Baron family is buying a triangular piece of land for a gas sta-
tion. It is 200 feet at the base, and the side perpendicular to the base
is 200 feet. They are paying $2.00 per square foot for the property.
What will it cost?
Solution:
Start with the formula Area = 12(base)(height).
Now, write down the values you know.
Area = x
Base = 200
Height = 200
If its easier, you can change 12 to a decimal.
1
= .5
2
Now you can plug these values into the formula.
x = (.5)(200)(200)
x = (.5)(40,000)
x = 20,000 square feet
30
Dont forget that the question is not asking for the number of square feet, but
for the cost of the property per square foot. This is a rate problem, so you need to
complete one more step: (20,000 square feet)($2 per square foot) = $40,000.
Example:
Victor and Evelyn Robinson have an outlot that a neighbor wants to
buy. The side of the outlot next to their property is 86 feet. The rear
line is perpendicular to their side lot, and the road frontage is 111
feet. Their plat shows they own 3,000 square feet in the outlot. What
is the length of the rear line of the outlot? Round your answer to the
nearest whole number.
Solution:
Rear lot line
Outlot Robinson
Fr
Property
on
86
ta
ge
It helps to draw the figure to conceive shapes. The rear lot line is per-
pendicular to the side lot line. This makes the side lot line the base
and the rear lot line the height (altitude).
Area = 12(base)(height)
Area = 3,000 square feet
Base = 86 feet
Height = x
If its easier, you can change 12 to a decimal.
1
= .5
2
Now you can plug these values into the formula.
3,000 = (.5)(86)(x)
3,000 = (43)(x)
Divide both sides by 43.
3,000 (43)(x)
=
43 43
x = 69.767 feet
Dont forget the question says to round your answer to the nearest
whole number. The answer is 70 feet.
31
Circles
2
Remember the formula Area = r .
Example:
Murray Brodman, a contractor, has been awarded the job to put up a
circular bandstand in the town square. The radius of the circular
area for the bandstand is 15 feet. What is the area of the bandstand?
Use 3.14 for .
Solution:
2
Area = r
Area = x
= 3.14
radius = 15
Now plug these values into the formula.
Area = (3.14)(15)(15) = 706.5 sq. ft.
PROPERTY TAX
To solve property tax questions, you will be using percents and rates.
Example:
The tax rate in your county is $4.17 per hundred of assessed valua-
tion, and Mr. Brown, a possible client, has told you his taxes are
$1,100. What is his property assessment? (Round your answer to the
nearest 10 cents.)
Solution:
Start off with the values you know.
Taxes = $1,100
Assessment = x
Tax rate = $4.17 per hundred (%)
If you remember the definition of percent as being an amount per
hundred, then $4.17 per hundred is actually 4.17%. To make this
equation more manageable, convert this percent to a decimal by
moving the decimal point two spaces to the left. Now the tax rate is
.0417.
.0417 of the assessed value of the house is $1,100. Translate the
words into math terms. This means:
(.0417)(x) = 1,100.
32
To solve the equation, divide both sides by .0417.

.0417x 1,100
=
.0417 .0417
x = $26,378.896
Remember, the question asks you round to the nearest 10 cents.
That means that .896 needs to be rounded up to 90. So the answer is
$26,378.90.
Example:
Mr. Smith knew his own taxes were $975 and his property assess-
ment was $17,000 for the house and $6,000 for the land. He wanted
to know the tax rate (%).
Solution:
Tax = $975
Assessment for house = $17,000, plus assessment for land = $6,000.
Therefore, total = $23,000.
Rate (%) = x
According to the question, $23,000 at a rate of x is $975. Convert this
statement into an equation.
($23,000)(x) = 975.
Solve the equation by dividing both sides by 23,000.
23,000x 975
=
23,000 23,000
x = .0423913
To make this equation more simple, round the answer to .0424.
Remember that you are looking for the rate. Therefore, you need to
convert this decimal to a percent by moving the decimal point two
places to the right. The rate is 4.24%. (This can also be expressed as
$4.24 per hundred.)
Tip
Note that you may be asked for monthly amounts in certain problems. Most
calculations are on an annual basisunless you divide by 12.
33
Loan-to-Value Ratios
These problems often deal with percentages.
Example:
A mortgage loan for 10% is at a 75% loan-to-value ratio. The interest
on the original balance for the first year is $6,590. What is the value of
the property securing the loan? Round to the nearest one cent.
Solution:
First, find out the loan amount.
$6,590 is 10% of the loan amount. Let x equal the loan amount.
Now, translate these words into math terms.
$6,590 = (10%)(x)
Change 10% into a decimal by moving the decimal point two places
to the left.
10% = .1
Now you have:
$6,590 = (.1)(x)
Divide both sides by (.1).
x = $65,900
Now that you know the loan amount ($65,900), use this informa-
tion to find the value of the property.
Write down the values you know.
Loan amount = $65,900
Loan-to-value ratio = 75%
Value = x
We know that 75% of the value is $65,900.
Translate this into math terms.
(75%)(x) = $65,900
Change the percent into a decimal (75% = .75) and solve.
(.75)(x) = 65,900
Divide both sides by .75.
(.75)(x) 65,900
=
(.75) (.75)
x = 87,866.66667
When rounded to the nearest one cent, the answer is $87,866.67.
34
Points
Loan discounts are often called points, or loan placement fees, one point mean-
ing 1% of the face amount of the loan. The service fee of 1% paid by buyers of gov-
ernment backed loans is called a loan origination fee.
Example:
A homebuyer may obtain a $50,000 FHA mortgage loan, provided
the seller pays a discount of five points. What is the amount of the
discount?
Solution:
The definition of one point is 1% of the face amount of the loan.
Therefore, 5 points = 5% of the face of the loan. First, change the
percent to a decimal.
5% = .05
Now you can use these values to solve.
Amount of discount = x
Points = .05
Amount of loan = $50,000
So, x = (.05)(50,000).
x = $2,500
Example:
A property is listed at $74,000. An offer is made for $72,000, pro-
vided the seller pays three points on a loan for 80% of the purchase
price. The brokerage commission rate is 7%. How much less will the
seller receive if he accepts the offer than he would have received if he
sold at all cash at the original terms?
Solution:
Here are the values you know:
Sold for original termsprice $74,000
Less 7% commission 5,180 (.07)(74,000) = 5,180
Sellers net $68,820
This question becomes more difficult, because in order to find the

sellers net on the offered price, you must calculate the discount. The
provision is that the seller pays 3 points (or .03) on a loan for 80%
(or .8) of the price.
Start by finding 80% of the price.
(.8)(72,000) = $57,600
35
Now, the points are applied to this amount. This means .03 of
$57,600 is the discount.
So, (.03)(57,600) = discount = 1,728.
You know these values:

Sold at offered termsprice $72,000
Less 7% commission 5,040 (.07)(72,000) = 5,040
Less discount 1,728
Sellers net $65,232
$72,000 Sales price Net at original $68,820

.80 Loan-to-value ratio Net at offered 65,232
$57,600 Loan amount Difference $3,588
.03 Points
$1,728 Discount
Equity
Example:
If a homeowner has a first mortgage loan balance of $48,350, a sec-
ond mortgage loan balance of $18,200, and $26,300 equity, what is
the value of her home?
Solution:
In this case, the value of the home is determined by the total loan
balance plus the equity. Add the three numbers to find the value of
the home.
$48,350 loan balance + $18,200 loan balance + $26,300 = value of
the home
$92,850 = value of the home
Qualifying Buyers
Example:
A buyer is obtaining a conventional loan that requires 2393 ratios. He
earns $66,000 a year and has a $1,350 car payment. What is his max-
imum PITI payment?
a. $1,692.50
b. $1,812.50
c. $1,595.00
d. $2,475.00
36
Solution:
$66,000 divided by 12 = $5,500 monthly income
$1,350 divided by 12 = monthly debt
($5,500)(.29) = $1,595 front-end qualifier
($5,500)(.33) = $1,815 $112.50 debt = $1,692.50 back-end qualifier
Maximum PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) is the
lower of these two qualifiers, $1,595.
Prorations
At the time of settlement, there must be a reconciliation or adjustment of any
monies owed by either party as of that date. The important fact to bear in mind
is that the party who used the service pays for it. If you will keep this firmly in mind
you will not have any difficulty deciding who to credit and who to debit.
Example:
Mr. Sellers taxes are $1,200 a year paid in advance on a calendar
year. He is settling on the sale of his house to Mr. Buyer on August 1.
Which of them owes how much to the other?
Solution:
Ask yourself some questions:
How many months has the seller paid for? 12
($1,200)
How many months has the seller used? 7
($700)
How many months should the seller be reimbursed for? 5
($500)
How many months will the buyer use? 5
($500)
How many months has he paid for? 0
($0)
How many months should he reimburse the seller for? 5
($500)
Credit Mr. Seller $500
Debit Mr. Buyer $500
What would the answer be if the taxes were paid in arrears? In other words,
the seller has used the service for seven months but hasnt paid anything. The buyer
will have to pay it all at the end of the year. In that case, the seller owes the buyer
for seven months, or $700.
37
Tip
In working proration problems, be sure you have the right dates when you sub-
tract. Sometimes, the termination date for the policy is not given, and the ten-
dency is to subtract the date the policy was written from the date of settlement.
This will not give you the unused portion. You must subtract the date of set-
tlement from the date of termination of the policy, which will be exactly the
same date, one, three, or five years after written, depending on the term of the
policy. Most problems use either a one- or three-year term.
Remember!
Use a 30-day month and a 360-day year in all calculations unless you are
told otherwise. Assume a calendar year, unless a fiscal or school year is
specified.
Commissions
Lets look at a commission problem. They are typically rate (percentage) problems.
Example:
Broker Jones sold the Smith house for $65,000. The total commis-
sion came to $4,000. What was Joness commission rate? Round to
the nearest whole percent.
Solution:
You see the word rate and decide this is solved using percentages.
Price of house = 65,000
Commission rate = x
Commission = 4,000
Now, translate the word problem into an equation.

65,000x = 4,000
Divide both sides by 65,000.

4,000
x=
65,000
x = 0.061
Convert the decimal to a percent by moving the decimal two places
to the right. 0.061 becomes 6.1%.
38
Example:
An agent received a 3% commission on 14 of her total sales. On the
remainder, she received a 6% commission. What was her average
commission for all of her sales?
Solution:
Start off by asking yourself: How many fourths (parts) were there?
Four, naturally.
3% 6% 6% 6%
To find the average, you add up all the numbers, and divide by the
number of items you add together. In this case, there are four
numbers.
So, 3 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 21.
And 21% 4 = 5.25%.
Sale Proceeds
Example:
Salesman Garcia was trying to list a house. The owner said he
wanted to clear (net) $12,000 from the sale of the house. The bal-
ance of the mortgage was $37,000. It would cost about $1,200 to fix
up the house to sell. How much would the owner have to sell the
house for if the 7% commission was included? (Round your answer
to the nearest cent.)
Solution:
Use a chart to clarify the problem.
Expenses In Dollars In Percents

Sellers net 12,000
Loan balance 37,000
Repairs 1,200
Commission 7%
50,200 7%
39
If the sales price is 100% and the commission is 7% of the sales

price, all the remaining items added together must make 93% of the
sales price. The place where most people go wrong is in not includ-
ing the sellers net when they add the expenses. The sellers net has to
come out of the sales price. (Where else would it come from?)
Therefore, it is part of the remaining 93%. You now have a percent-
age problem. As always, convert your percents to decimals.
Start with the values you know:
Expenses = $50,200
Sales price = x
Sellers net, loan balance, repairs = .93 of sales price
.93 of the sales price is $50,200.
Convert this statement into an equation.
(.93)(x) = $50,200
(.93)(x) $50,200
=
.93 .93
$50,200
x=
.93
x = $53,978.4946
Dont forget to round to the nearest cent!
x = $53,978.49
Transfer Tax/Conveyance Tax/Revenue Stamps

Here is a transfer tax question.
Example:
A property is sold for $135,800 in cash. The transfer tax is $441.35. If
transfer taxes are calculated per $200 of value, what was the rate (per
$200) of the transfer tax?
Solution:
Selling price = $135,800
Transfer tax rate = x per $200
Transfer tax = $441.35
Its probably easiest to begin by dividing by $200 since the rate is cal-
culated per $200 of value.
$135,800
So,
$200 = 679 two hundreds
40
You know that $441.35 is produced by multiplying 679 by some rate.

Translate this into math terms.
$441.35 = (x)(679)
Divide both sides by 679 to get
$441.35 (x)(679)
=
(679) (679)
.65 = x
Therefore, the transfer tax rate is $.65 per $200.
Competitive Market Analyses (CMA)

To solve these problems, you will use measurements and other hypothetical fea-
tures of the comparable property to arrive at a value. Remember, a CMA is not an
appraisal.
Example:
If Building A measures 52' by 106' and Building B measures 75' by
85, how much will B cost if A costs $140,000 and both cost the same
per square foot to build?
Solution:
Area = (length)(width)
Area of Building A = (52)(106) = 5,512 square feet
Area of Building B = (75)(85) = 6,375 square feet
140,000
Cost of Building A per square foot =
5,512 = $25.40
Cost of Building B = (6,375)($25.40) = $161,925
Example:
Carsons house (B), which is being appraised, is an exact twin of the
houses on either side of it, built by the same builder at the same time.
House A was appraised for $45,000, but it has a 14 20 foot garage
which was added at a cost of about $18 per square foot. House C was
recently sold for $43,000, with central air valued at $3,000. What
would be a fair estimate of the value of Carsons house?
Solution:
Comparable C $43,000
Air Conditioning 3,000
$40,000
41
Comparable A $45,000 Garage: 14' 20' = 280 sq. ft.

Cost of Garage 5,040 280 sq. ft. $18 = $5,040
$39,960
Answer: $40,000
Income Properties
Example:
An investor is considering the purchase of an income property gen-
erating a gross income of $350,000. Operating expenses constitute
70% of gross income. If the investor wants a return of 14%, what is
the maximum he can pay?
Solution:
Gross income = $350,000
Expenses = 70% of gross income
Net income = Gross income Expenses
Desired return = 14%
Maximum buyer can pay = x
This is a multi-step problem. Start by calculating the expenses, but
remember you will need to stop to calculate the net income. First,
change the percent to a decimal.
70% = .70
Now, you know that expenses are 70% of the gross income of
$350,000. Change the words to mathematical terms.
Expenses = (.7)(350,000) = $245,000
Gross income Expenses = Net income
$350,000 $245,000 = $105,000
The buyer wants the net income ($105,000) to be 14% of what he
pays for the property.
Change the percent to a decimal (14% = .14) and then convert this
statement to an equation.
$105,000 = (.14)(x)
$105,000 (.14)(x)
=
.14 .14
$105,000 .14 = x
$750,000 = x
42
Depreciation
There are several methods of depreciation, and one you should know is the
straight-line method. This method spreads the total depreciation over the useful
life of the building in equal annual amounts. It is calculated by dividing the
replacement cost by the years of useful life left.
replacement cost

years of useful life = annual depreciation
The depreciation rate may be given or may have to be calculated by the

straight-line method. This means dividing the total depreciation (100%) by the
estimated useful life given for the building.
100%

years of useful life = depreciated rate
If a building has 50 years of useful life left, the depreciation rate would be com-
puted as follows:
100%
= 2%
50
In other words, it has a 2% depreciation rate annually.
Example:
The replacement cost of a building has been estimated at $80,000.
The building is 12 years old and has an estimated 40 years of useful
life left. What can be charged to annual depreciation? What is the
total depreciation for 12 years? What is the present value of this
building?
Solution:
Calculate the annual depreciation.
replacement cost

years of useful life = annual depreciation
$80,000
= $2,000
40
Find the total depreciation over the 12 years.
Annual depreciation of $2,000 12 years = $24,000.
Find the current value: replacement depreciation = current value.
$80,000 $24,000 = $56,000
43
BEGIN YOUR MATH WALK-THROUGH

We hope that this review has helped you identify your strengths as well as any
weaknesses you may have. No matter how well you did, we urge you to take this
tour from the beginning, because each chapter builds on the skills that precede it.
How long you spend on each section will depend on your own needs. Everyone
can benefit from an occasional refresher.
44
PART
II SELLING
REAL ESTATE
45
CHAPTER
2 CALCULATING
AFFORDABILITY
AND EVALUATING
MORTGAGES
PREQUALIFYING THE CUSTOMER

As every salesperson and broker knows, there is little point in spending time
with a customer who cant afford to buy, so prequalifying the buyer is time well
spent because it will help you determine:
the types of financing available to the client

the amount of financing available to the client
the range of prices of property you should be showing the client
It is also a great way to educate prospective buyers who may be overestimat-

ing or underestimating what they can afford. And, most important, it will help you
and your client find a lender. When a lender has formally preapproved your
client, it may make or break a sale in a hot market.
47
SELLING REAL ESTATE
Calculating the Size of the Mortgage

To prequalify a customer, you will need to know how to explain and how to calculate:
gross income
gross expenses
percentage of gross income available for real estate taxes and homeowners
insurance
percentage of gross income available for mortgage principal and interest
payments
amount available for down payment
Before You Begin, You

Need to Know . . .
PITI = principal, interest, taxes, insurance

PITIO = principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and other long-term monthly
nonhousing costs
Income
Calculating gross income requires simple math; making certain that all income is
included in those calculations is more difficult. If more than one person is pur-
chasing the property, ensure that you are calculating both incomes, including:
income from all employment

self-employment income
dividends and interest that are not reinvested
pension, 401(k), IRA, etc.
rental income
child support/alimony
miscellaneous income
Income Example:
Assume both members of a couple are employed; he earns $115,000
per year, and she earns $75,000 per year. Together they receive inter-
est and dividend income of $1,250, and she receives child support of
$200 per week for two children from a previous marriage. The for-
mula for calculating their total income is
$115,000 + $75,000 + $1,250 + ($200 52) =
$115,000 + $75,000 + $1,250 + $10,400 = $201,650
$201,650 12 = $16,804.17 = total monthly income
48
CALCULATING AFFORDABILITY AND EVALUATING MORTGAGES
Expenses
The second part is to determine their regular monthly expenses, not including
their housing expenses or property taxes they pay. This takes a bit more work
because people often dont know how they spend their money.
Tip
Add 5% of the total for miscellaneous expenses.
Expense Example:
Lets stay with the couple in our income example and assume their
monthly expenses are:
telephone, Internet, and cable TV $ 175
medical payments $ 200
utilities $ 200
vacations $ 250
retirement fund contributions $1,092
insurance $ 750
public transportation $ 150
groceries $1,200
dues and memberships $ 165
student loans $1,000
clothing $ 75
car payments (two cars) $ 700
entertainment $ 600
gifts $ 85
charitable donations $ 125
gas and car maintenance $ 750
total monthly expenses $7,517
The formula would look like this:
Total monthly expenses + 5% total monthly expenses = total
annual expenses (minus housing)
Adding the columns, we get:
$7,517 + $375.85 (5% of total monthly expenses) = $7,892.85
total monthly expenses (minus housing)
49
SELLING REAL ESTATE
Other Assets
Next, to determine the nature of the mortgage loan the buyer will require, its
important to know the buyers net worth, how much additional money the buyer
has, and how much of that money is readily accessible for a down payment.
Included in these calculations is money in savings and money market accounts,
checking accounts, retirement funds, stocks, bonds, mutual fund investments, and
other savings. If the buyer owns a home, add in the estimated selling price of the
home and subtract the amount of the balance of the mortgage.
Other Assets Example:

Again, following our couple along, they do not own a home, but
they do have the following assets:
savings/money market account $ 5,000
checking account $ 3,250
retirement fund contributions $50,000
stocks, bonds, and mutual fund investments $25,000
other savings $10,000
$93,250
CALCULATING DEBT RATIOS

Once income and expenses have been calculated, to determine how much debt a
borrower can afford to pay for housing, most lenders use debt ratios, including a
housing expense ratio or a total obligations ratio. For most conventional mort-
gages, the housing expense ratio can be no higher than 28% and the total oblig-
ations ratio can be no higher than 36%. FHA uses 29% and 41%.
Debt Ratio Example 1:

The formula for the housing expense ratio is:
PITI monthly gross income = housing expense ratio
Using the gross income of our couple, lets assume theyve found a
$200,000 home and would like to put down 15%. $200,000 .15 =
$30,000 down. $200,000 minus $30,000 would mean a $170,000
mortgage. At 6.5% interest on a 30-year fixed-rate loan, monthly
payments would be $1,074.51 for principal and interest. Property
taxes are estimated at $350, and insurance will add to another $90
per month.
50
Begin by adding:
$1,074.51 + $350 + $90 = $1,514.51
$1,514.51 (PITI) $16,804.17 (monthly income) = .0901 or
9.01%
Next, add in other long-term expenses, $1,000 per month repayment
of student loans and $700 per month in car payments. The formula
for the total obligations ratio is:
PITIO monthly gross income = total obligations ratio
PITIO = $1,514.51 + $1,700 = $3,214.51
$2,214.51 $16,804.17 = 0.13178, or 13.2%
13.2% is less than the required back-end ratio of 36% for a conven-
tional loan or 41% for an FHA loan.
Debt Ratio Example 2:

To determine the maximum dollar amount PITI for a conventional
mortgage:
$16,804.17 .28 = $4,705.17 front-end qualifier
($16,804.17 .36) $1,700 =
$6,049.50 $1,700 = $4,349.50 back-end qualifier
Lenders generally go with the lower of the two numbers as the maxi-
mum PITI.
PUT YOUR DEBT RATIO CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. A borrower wants to know if she qualifies for an FHA mortgage. Her

monthly income is $6,500, estimated PITI is $2,500, and her car payment
is $400 per month.
2. In dollars, what is the maximum PITI someone with an income of

$150,000 and long-term debt of $22,000 per year could qualify for if
applying for an FHA mortgage?
TYPES OF MORTGAGES
There are many types of mortgages, among them fixed-rate 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-
year mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), growing equity mortgages
(GEMs), graduated payment mortgages (GPMs), interest-only mortgages, Federal
Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages, Veterans Administration (VA) mort-
gages, and, in rural areas, Farm Service Agency (FSA) mortgages. They meet dif-
51
SELLING REAL ESTATE
ferent needs and have different advantages and disadvantages. Some mortgages are
assumable, others are not.
Things that affect a mortgage payment amount and mortgage calculations
are the size of the down payment, which affects the amount borrowed (principal)
and the type of loan available; points (the cost of borrowing); property taxes; and
insurance. Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance are the four major components
of a mortgage payment. Real estate professionals will find themselves comparing
different types of mortgages to find the one thats right for their clients and/or their
own investing needs.
In this chapter, well review the most common forms of mortgages and the
mathematical computations associated with them.
TRADITIONAL/FIXED-RATE CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE

The fixed-rate mortgage is the industry standard, and, for this reason, it is known
as a conventional loan. Generally, traditional fixed-rate mortgages have a term of 30
years, and payments are predictable and spread over a long period. Today, borrow-
ers can find fixed-rate mortgages for periods as few as 15 years and as long as 40 years.
Tip
The fewer the number of years, the lower the interest rate, the higher the
monthly payment, the lower the tax deduction, and the faster the equity
builds.
These loans conform to the limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two
largest secondary markets for mortgage loans. The limit in 2007 is $417,000 for
single-family residences, except in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, where the maximum amount is $625,500.
Tip
The conforming limits refer to the amount of the mortgage, not the selling
price of the home.
52
Fixed-Rate Math
Twenty percent of the homes purchase price as a down payment was once stan-
dard. That is no longer true. Loans for much less than 20% down are available. If
the down payment is less than 20%, most lenders demand that the purchaser buy
private mortgage insurance (PMI), which protects the lender in the event of
default. In some cases, the lender will accept a higher rate of interest in lieu of
mortgage insurance when the down payment is less than 20%. PMI rates vary, but
are in the neighborhood of .5% to 1% of the loan.
The down payment is a percentage of the actual selling price of the property.
The formula is simple.
down payment = selling price % required
Thus, if the selling price of a condominium is $250,000, and the lender
requires a 20% down payment, the calculation is:
250,000 20% (or .2) = $50,000
With a 5% down payment, the equation would look like this:
250,000 5% (or .05) = $12,500
Typically, the first years PMI payment is required at closing. Therefore, if
mortgage insurance is required, the equation looks like this:
down payment + (loan amount % PMI required) = amount due
Tip
Do the math inside the parenthesis before proceeding to the rest of the
calculation.
Lets assume the selling price of a home is $305,000, the purchaser is putting
10% down, and the rate for PMI is .5% (.005). To determine the amount the buyer
would need at closing, break the equation down into its parts. Start with the down
payment:
down payment = 305,000 .1 = $30,500
Subtract the down payment from the selling price:
loan amount = 305,000 30,500 = $274,500
Tip
Another way to calculate the amount of loan is to multiply by 90% (.9). The
equation would be 305,000 .9 = $274,500.
53
SELLING REAL ESTATE
Next, calculate the PMI due:

$274,500 .005 = $1,372.50
Add the results:
$30,500 + $1,372.50 = $31,872.50
Note: Other fees will be needed in cash at the closing; well discuss these in
Chapter 11.
Interest-Only Mortgage
An interest-only mortgage is a relatively recent option. The name says it all: The
borrower pays only interest on the loan and no principal for a specified period,
usually five to ten years. This type of mortgage makes sense for those who do not
intend to hold the property for more than a few years.
Interest-Only Mortgage Example:

If a 30-year loan of $100,000 at 6.25% is interest-only, the required
payment is $520.83. After that period, the payment increases to
include payment of the principal. Additionally, depending upon
whether the interest rate of the loan was fixed or adjustable, the
interest rate could increase. Most interest-only loans are also
adjustable rate.
The identical fixed-rate mortgage would require a monthly pay-
ment of $615.72. The difference of $94.88 goes toward repaying the
principal on the loan of a fixed-rate mortgage.
Jumbo Mortgages
Loans for more than the conforming loan amount of $417,000 (in 2007) are con-
sidered jumbo, and lenders must find secondary lenders on Wall Street and else-
where to purchase these loans. For this reason, interest rates on jumbo mortgages
tend to be .25% to .5% higher than other mortgages. A higher down payment,
approximately 5%, is usually required, and no-money-down programs are gen-
erally not available. Because the loans are large, adjustable rate mortgages are pop-
ular because of the lower monthly payment.
Tip
As home prices rose in many parts of the country, especially between 2004 and
2006, more mortgages moved into the jumbo category. To meet the need for
mortgages in this area, the rules are changing. For example, some borrowers
now take a second mortgage at a slightly higher interest, as a way to avoid PMI,
which is costly on a large mortgage. To see how this works, see Chapter 5.
54
Seller Carrybacks
Seller carrybacks are when credit is extended by the seller to the buyer and secu-
rity is held by the seller of the property. Often when doing a seller carryback, the
equity is low. They are second mortgages, if they are repaid after the original mort-
gage lender. Second mortgages carry greater risk, because if there is a default, the
holder of the first mortgage will be paid first. Only if there is money left will the
holder of the second mortgage be paid.
Interest rates on seller carrybacks are a matter of negotiation between the
seller and the buyer. As with other mortgages, the amount of the down payment
and the buyers creditworthiness are key factors. On the other hand, if the buyer
had cash and great credit, he or she would probably not ask for a seller carryback.
Sometimes, sellers agree to carrybacks in difficult markets or when they dont need
the cash out right away; sometimes, they can receive a higher selling price in return
for a seller carryback.
Generally, seller carrybacks may be 8% to 12% for between five and ten years.
A typical arrangement may be 10% down, 10% seller carryback, and an 80% first
mortgage. The mortgage is calculated in the same way as other fixed-rate mortgages.
PUT YOUR FIXED-RATE MATH SKILLS TO WORK
3. The purchase price of a house is $475,500. How much would a buyer need
for a down payment of 20%?
4. The buyer is putting 15% down, the PMI is .75%, and the selling price of
the house is $247,500. Calculate the amount of cash the buyer will need.
5. The purchase price of a home is $267,000. How much down payment

would the buyer need if the first mortgage is 80% and the carryback is 7.5%?
VA AND FHA MORTGAGES

Both VA and FHA mortgages are federally backed mortgages obtained from tra-
ditional lenders.
VA Mortgages
VA loans are available only to veterans, surviving spouses, and active military per-
sonnel. A VA loan guarantee is not an automatic benefit; the VA offers a guaran-
tee only on loans that meet the requirements, which include borrowers with a good
55
SELLING REAL ESTATE
credit rating, a maximum debt ratio of 41%, and the requisite income to handle
house payments. To apply, a certificate of eligibility is required.
The VA does not issue loans; it guarantees the loan. Loans are made by pri-
vate lenders, such as banks, savings and loans, or mortgage companies. To get a loan,
a veteran must apply to a lender. If the loan is approved, the VA will guarantee a
portion of it to the lender. This guaranty protects the lender against loss up to the
amount guaranteed and allows a veteran to obtain favorable financing terms.
There is no maximum amount for a VA loan, but the VA will limit the
amount it will guarantee. The amount of the guarantee changes annually. For loans
up to this amount, it is usually possible for qualified veterans to obtain financing
with no money down if the veteran is income- and credit-qualified and if the prop-
erty appraises for the asking price.
In 2007, the maximum guarantee authorized by the VA was 25% of the loan
amount up to $104,250. The maximum home loan that the VA will guarantee is
$417,000. For properties in Hawaii, Guam, Alaska, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, loan
limits can be up to $625,000, where the maximum loan guarantee is $256,250.
Types of VA Mortgages
The VA will guarantee a variety of mortgage types, including:
traditional fixed payment

graduated payment mortgage (GPMs)
growing equity mortgages (GEMs)
adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), where annual adjustments are limited
to 1% and the maximum interest rate increase over the life of the loan is
limited to 5%
hybrid ARMs, where the initial rate remains fixed for at least three years
However, funding fees (a percentage of the total home loan) must be paid to
the VA at time of closing. Some expenses (over and above the price of the prop-
erty) incurred by buyers in transferring ownership of a property must also be paid
out of pocket.
Among the advantages of VA guaranteed loans are:
no down payment in most cases; unlike private mortgages, PMI is not

required
loan maximum may be up to 100% of the VA-established reasonable value
of the property; however, loans generally may not exceed limits set by the
VA each year
56
interest rates may be negotiated with the lender

limitation on buyers closing costs
Funding fees may be higher for veterans who previously used the VA home
loan program.
FHA 203(b) Mortgage

FHA mortgages are designed for low- and moderate-income families. Mortgage
lending limits vary based on the type of housing as well as the state and county
in which the property is located. There are higher limits for two- to four-family
properties. FHA offers traditional fixed-rate mortgages as well as ARMs, GEMs,
and other mortgages.
FHA Title II Section 203(b) is the most popular FHA program. It can be used
to purchase new or existing one- to four-family homes, including manufactured
homes, in both urban and rural areas. A section 203(b) fixed-rate mortgage is a
15- or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
Interest rates on FHA loans are slightly higher than market rates; however,
the down payment is lower, but must be at least 3%. Closing costs may be included
in the mortgage and may be counted toward that 3% minimum.
FHA Maximum Loan-to-Value

Percentages
Low Closing Costs States*

98.75%: For properties with value or sales price** equal to or less than
$50,000
97.65%: For properties with value or sales price in excess of $50,000 up
to $125,000
97.15%: For properties with value or sales price in excess of $125,000
High Closing Costs States

98.75%: For properties with value or sales price equal to or less than
$50,000
97.75%: For properties with value or sales price in excess of $50,000
* All but 25 states and territories are considered high closing cost states. A list can be found at
http://www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/cgi/pdfforms/98-29attach.pdf.
** Value = appraised value; loan is based on the lower of the two.
57
SELLING REAL ESTATE
FHA Example:
The calculation to determine how much one can borrow is
sale price % available = maximum FHA loan amount
Thus, if the sale price is $75,000, the calculation is
$75,000 97.75% =
$75,000 .9775 = $73,312.50 maximum FHA loan amount
To determine the minimum cash investment, simply multiply the
sales price by 3% (.03). In the previous example,
$75,000 .03 = $2,250
The total acquisition cost is equal to the sales price plus the closing
costs that are paid by the buyer. If closing costs are $1,000, the calcu-
lation for total acquisition cost is $75,000 sales price + $1,000 clos-
ing costs = $76,000 total acquisition costs.
To see if this purchase meets the minimum cash investment require-
ment, subtract $73,312.50 from $76,000:
$76,000 $73,312.50 = $2,687.50 down payment
Because this is more than the required minimum cash investment of
$2,250, the down payment of $2,687.50 is sufficient. Had it been less
than the minimum required cash amount, the amount of the loan
would have been reduced by the difference.
Note: FHA loans are always rounded to the nearest $50. In this case,
$73,312.50 is rounded to $73,300, which decreases the buyers down
payment by $12.50.
PUT YOUR VA AND FHA CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
6. Assume the appraised value and the selling price of a home purchased
with a guaranteed loan from the VA is $312,000. How much of the loan
will the VA guarantee?
7. Assuming the scenario in question 6 is a first purchase and the funding

fee is .5%, how much will the funding fee be?
8. Assume that the appraised value and the selling price was $160,000 in a
low-closing-cost state, and that the closing costs are $325. Calculate the
total FHA mortgage.
9. In question 8, does the buyer meet the required minimum cash investment?
58
ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE (ARM)

As the name implies, the interest rate on ARMs mirrors the fluctuations in inter-
est rates. Generally, the initial rate of interest is lowan incentive for the borrower
in exchange for potential higher rates if and when interest rates go up. Interest rates
on ARMs are adjusted periodically; some are adjusted annually, others every few
years as specified in the mortgage agreement.
The index to which the ARM is pegged can dramatically affect the loans
volatility. For this reason, most mortgage agreements contain caps on the amount
the interest rate can increase at any one time. Some ARMs include a cap on the
amount a payment can increase over the life of the mortgage. There are three types
of caps: initial adjustment caps, periodic adjustment caps, and lifetime caps.
These are usually represented as three numbers, such as 1/2/6. The first is the ini-
tial adjustment, in this case, 1%; the second, the periodic adjustment, 2%; and last,
the lifetime cap, 6%.
To estimate the cost of an ARM, several things must be considered:
the amount of the loan, and the interest rates over the life of the mortgage
the length of the mortgage
the intervals between adjustments
Once one knows this information, the equations are identical to those used
to calculate the cost of a fixed-rate mortgage. However, the math is cumbersome
because one also has to compute the amount of principal on which interest was
being paid.
Tip
Here are some of the many mortgage calculators available online:

http://fha.com/calculator_amortization.cfm
http://www.mtgprofessor.com/calculators.htm
http://www.fincalc.com/hom_11.asp?id=6
http://www.gmacmortgage.com/calculators.do?method=mortgage
Adjustable
http://www.bankofamerica.com/loansandhomes/index.cfm?template=
learn_calculators&context=financenter&calcid=home04
59
SELLING REAL ESTATE
GROWING EQUITY MORTGAGE (GEM)

This type of loan, normally a 30-year mortgage, features a fixed rate and a chang-
ing monthly payment pegged to an index. Unlike an ARM, when the payment goes
up, the excess goes to pay down principal, not to additional interest payments. This
allows the borrower to pay off the loan more rapidly than he or she can with a tra-
ditional fixed-rate mortgage.
These are a bit easier to calculate than ARMs, but here, too, one of the many
online calculators may be better.
60
ANSWERS
1. No, maximum FHA ratios are 29% for housing expense and 41% for all
debt including housing.
$2,500 $6,500 = .3846 housing expense
($2,500 + $400) $6,500 = .4462 total debt, which exceeds the permitted
41%
2. $150,000 (annual income) 12 = $12,500 monthly income

$22,000 (annual long-term debt) 12 = $1,833.33 monthly debt
$12,500 .29 = $3,625 maximum housing expense
($12,500 .41) $1,833.33 =
$5,125 $1,833.33 = $3,291.67
3. $475,500 .2 = $95,100
4. down payment required + (loan amount % PMI required) = amount due

$247,500 .15 = $37,125 = down payment
$247,500 $37,125 = $210,375 = amount of loan
$210,375 .0075 = $1,577.81 (rounded) = PMI
$37,125 + $1,577.81 = $38,702.81 amount due
5. 80% + 7.5% = 87.5% (amount borrowed both loans)

$267,000 .125 = $33,375 down payment
6. $312,000 (purchase price) .25 = $78,000 (amount guaranteed by VA)
7. $312,000 .5% = funding fee

$312,000 .005 = $1,560 funding fee
8. $160,000 97.15% =
160,000 .9715 = $155,440 maximum FHA loan amount
9. Yes, the buyer meets the minimum cash investment.

$160,000 .03 = $4,800 minimum cash investment
$160,325 $155,440 = $4,885 down payment
61
CHAPTER
3 BASIC MORTGAGE
CALCULATIONS
hether a property is purchased for personal

W use or as an investment, it is a large purchase that often requires financ-
ing. Mortgage calculations involve the principal (P), which is the amount of
money borrowed; the rate of interest (R), the cost of the money and the annual per-
centage that is being charged for the loan; and time (T), which refers to the dura-
tion of the loan as well as the periodic payment schedule. Well examine the
calculations involved in each of these and finish the chapter by seeing how they
work together.
63
SELLING REAL ESTATE

Need to Know . . .
The mathematic formulas that express the relationship among the compo-
nents in a mortgage calculation are:
I I I
I=PRT P=
R T R=
P T T=
P R
Total Monthly Payment = Principal + Interest + Taxes + Insurance

(known as PITI)
CALCULATING THE INTEREST ON ANY LOAN

Although interest on mortgages is generally paid monthly, the lender most often
presents the rate in yearly terms, such as 6.25% per year. The lender will also pro-
vide an annual percentage rate (APR), which is the interest rate plus any associ-
ated fees, which may include the following:
pointsboth discount points and origination points (see Chapter 4)

prepaid interestthe interest paid from the date the loan closes to the end
of the month, usually assumed to be 15 days when presenting APRs (see
Chapter 4)
loan processing fee (see Chapter 11)
underwriting fee (see Chapter 11)
document preparation fee (see Chapter 11)
private mortgage insurance (PMI) (see Chapters 2 and 5)
loan application fee (see Chapter 11)
Tip
Not all lenders include the same fees in their interest rates, so when comparing
APRs, be sure to determine what is and is not included.
64
BASIC MORTGAGE CALCULATIONS
Interest Example:
Lets assume you borrow $100,000 at this rate for one year. To deter-
mine how much you owe each year, the calculation would be:
I=PRT
= 100,000 6.25% 1 year
= 100,000 .0625 1
= $6,250
If you wanted to find your monthly payment, the formula would be
the same, but the calculation would look like this:
= 100,000 6.25% 112 year
= 100,000 .0625 112
= 6,250 .0833
= $520.83 (rounded) per month
Tip
As youve no doubt noticed, you could simply have divided the answer in the
first calculation by 12. So, if you already know that number, you can jump
directly to the last step.
To obtain the daily interest, you would divide by 365:

= 6,250 365
= $17.12
Tip
Some states use a 360-day year/30-day method. In that case, the formulas are:
daily interest = annual interest 360 days

monthly interest = annual interest 12 months
Well be using the 365-day system throughout this book, unless other-
wise noted.
65
SELLING REAL ESTATE
There are times, such as closings, when you must calculate interest to the day.
Daily Interest Example:

How much would you owe on $175,000 if the interest rate were
7.25% for seven months and three days?
1. Calculate annual interest: $175,000 .0725 = $12,687.50
2. Calculate monthly interest: $12,687.50 12 = $1,057.29
3. Calculate daily interest: $12,687.50 365 = $34.76
To find the amount owed
4. Calculate seven months interest: 7 1,057.29 = $7,401.03
5. Calculate three days interest: 3 $34.76 = $104.28
6. Add the results of steps 4 and 5: $7,401.03
+ 104.28
$7,505.41
Tip
When you are computing interest, the result will be more accurate if you carry
the answer to at least three decimal places and then round off the final answer.
PUT YOUR INTEREST CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. On a $250,000 loan with an interest rate of 7.2%, how much are the
annual payments?
2. How much would you owe on a $475,000 loan at 6.75% for 15 days?
CALCULATING THE IMPACT OF TIME ON ANY LOAN

Thus far, all of our calculations have been based on the formula I = P R T, where
the amount of time was one year or a fraction of it. If you are looking at interest
over a longer period, or if one of the elements is missing, using the multistep
method previously described would be cumbersome. Using one of the other
equations provides the solution.
Impact of Time Example 1:

Lets assume you have a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage locked in at
5.75%, and you paid $22,500 interest in the last six months. How
much did you borrow?
66
Tip
Before you begin, convert six months into a decimal or fraction.

6 months part 1
= or 0.5.
12 months whole 2
I
Begin with the formula P=
R T
22,500
=
.0575 .5
= 22,500 (.0575 .5)
= 22,500 .0288
= $781,250
Impact of Time Example 2:

Similarly, if you dont know the rate of interest, but know the amount
paid over a certain period of time, you can determine the rate by
using the formula:
I
R= P T
Using the facts from the previous example, calculate the rate of
interest as follows:
22,500
=
782,608.70
= 22,500 (782,608.70 .5)
= 22,500 391,305
= 0.0575
Note: The difference of .0001 is the result from rounding in the orig-
inal example to determine the length of the loan. Lets use .0575 as
the rate of interest.
The formula is:
I
T= P R
Tip
Before you begin, multiply $22,500, which represents six months of payments,
by 60 payments to get the total amount paid over the life of the mortgage.
22,500 60
=
781,250 .0575
= (22,500 60) (781,250 .0575)
= 1,350,000 44,921.875
= 30.05 years
Note: The difference of .05 is the result of rounding in previous
calculations.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
PUT YOUR TIME CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
3. Lets assume you have a fixed-rate 25-year mortgage and your interest rate
is 7.5%. In the first three months of the year, you paid $3,000 interest. How
4. Find the rate of interest on a loan of $150,000 if the amount of interest

paid after two years is $26,500.
5. Find the term of a $175,000 loan where the rate of interest is 8.5% and
$60,000 has been paid.
CALCULATING EARNEST MONEY AND DOWN PAYMENT

Earnest money, also known as a binder or good faith deposit, is money a buyer
puts down to demonstrate his or her seriousness about buying a home. Laws and
customs vary from state to state, but in general, the amount should be large
enough to demonstrate serious interest. In hot markets, the amount may be
higher as an indication of the buyers enthusiasm for a particular house.
A down payment is the amount paid when the contract is signed, and it too
is applied toward the buyers down payment. It generally is made in cash. The
amount varies, but as a rule, it is between 5% and 20% of the purchase price. An
additional amount may be needed to satisfy mortgage requirements. During the
hot real estate market of the early 2000s, which saw property values rise expo-
nentially in many parts of the country, the necessary down payment amount was
lowered to as little as 3%, and, in some cases, no down payment was required.
Earnest money is the amount paid when the contract is signed. A down pay-
ment is the amount paid before the transaction closes. Earnest money becomes
part of the down payment if the offer is accepted and is held in escrow until clos-
ing. If the offer is rejected, the money is returned. On occasion, if the buyer later
backs away from the deal, some or all of the amount is forfeited.
Tip
When an individual purchases an investment property, the risk to the

lender is thought to increase, and the down payment as well as the rate of
interest may be higher than if the property were purchased as an owner-
occupied residence.
68
Earnest Money/Down Payment Example:

To calculate earnest money and down payment if the purchase price
is $75,000 and the buyer is paying 1% as earnest money and a 7.5%
additional down payment, calculate the amounts separately: Multi-
ply 1% 75,000 = $750 earnest money; then multiply .075 75,000
= $5,625 down payment. To calculate the total, add 1% + 7.5% =
8.5% and multiply .085 75,000 = $6,375, or simply add $750 +
$5,625 = $6,375.
PUT YOUR EARNEST MONEY/DOWN PAYMENT CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
6. Assume that a borrower is purchasing the perfect townhouse, has paid

2.5% as earnest money to be applied toward the down payment, and has
made an additional down payment of 10% on contract signing. The town-
house sales price is $425,000. Assume, too, that the buyer is taking an 80%
conventional mortgage. Excluding other closing costs, how much does the
buyer have to bring to the closing to satisfy mortgage requirements?
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
ANSWERS
1. I = P ($250,000) R (7.2%) T (1 year)

= $250,000 7.2% 1
= $250,000 .072 1
= $18,000
2. I = P ($475,000) R (6.75%) T (1 year)

= $475,000 6.75% 1
= $475,000 .0675 1
= $32,062.50
$32,062.50 365 = $87.84 (daily interest)
$87.84 15 = $1,317.60
I ($3,000)
3. P =
R (7.5%) T (3 months)
3,000
=
7.5% .25
= $3,000 (.075 .25)

= $3,000 .01875
= $160,000
I ($26,500)
4. R =
P ($150,000) T (2 years)
$26,500
=
$150,0
00 2
$26,500
=
$300
,000
= $26,500 $300,000
= .088 or 8.8%
70
I ($60,000)
5. T =
P ($175,000) R (8.5%)
$60,000
=
$175,000 .085
= $60,000 ($175,000 .085)

= $60,000 14,875 = 0.0336
= 4.0336 or 4 years, 12 days
6. 2.5% + 10% = 12.5%

$425,000 .125 = $53,125 amount paid prior to closing
$425,000 .2 = $85,000
$85,000 $53,125 = $31,875 due at closing
71
CHAPTER
4 ADVANCED
MORTGAGE
CALCULATIONS

Need to Know . . .
1 discount point = 1% of the loan

Each discount point lowers the rate by 18 of 1%, or .00125.
CALCULATING DISCOUNT POINTS AND ORIGINATION FEES

An origination fee (or point) is the fee paid to the company originating your loan
to cover the costs associated with creating, processing, and closing your mortgage.
This charge amounts to approximately 1% of the loan amount. Often, origination
fees are built into the loan amount. Discount points differ from origination fees
in that discount points are used to reduce the interest rate on a mortgage.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Discount points are essentially prepaid interest. Each discount point is an

upfront payment of 1% of the loan amount, paid at closing. In theory, because the
lender has received this money upfront, the borrower obtains a lower interest rate
in exchange; today, however, lenders charge points to increase their profits, and the
points could be considered an additional payment to the lender. Regardless of how
points are viewed, the amount should be factored into the borrowing decision,
because it affects the effective rate of the loan.
Tip
Lenders base discount points on the size of the loan, not the price of the
house.
Although there is no hard and fast rule, on average each discount point paid
on a 30-year loan lowers the interest rate by 81 of 1% (.00125). A 7.5% rate would
be lowered to 7.375% if the borrower purchased one point (.075 .00125 =.07375).
Assuming there is a choice, deciding whether paying points is good for the bor-
rower depends upon the length of time he or she plans to own the property. To
determine this, you must calculate the break-even point. To determine the break-
even point, you need to know the:
original interest rate

rate after discount points
number of discount points
total amount of the loan
term of the loan
Break-Even Example:
$100,000 loan with a 30-year term
7.5% interest, no points = $699.21 monthly payment
Buying one point for $1,000 = monthly payment $690.68
Monthly savings = $8.53
$1,000 $8.53 = 117 months
The break-even point is 117 monthsor nearly ten years to recover
the cost of buying the discount point (considering only the simple
calculation of those funds at todays value).
If the buyer plans to keep the house that long, purchasing one point
may make sense, but most homebuyers do not keep their homes that
long. The national average is between five and seven years.
74
ADVANCED MORTGAGE CALCULATIONS
Tip
To perform this calculation, use an amortization schedule. You can create one
either manually or with a spreadsheet program or calculator, which can be
cumbersome if you are working with a long time frame. Or you can use a
mortgage calculator or refer to an existing amortization schedule. You can
find this information on many websites, including:
http://fha.com/calculator_amortization.cfm
www.mtgprofessor.com/calculators.htm
www.fincalc.com/hom_11.asp?id=6
www.gmacmortgage.com/calculators.do?method=mortgageAdjustable
www.bankofamerica.com/loansandhomes/index.cfm?template=learn
_calculators&context=financenter&calcid=home04
PUT YOUR BREAK-EVEN CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. Lets assume the buyer in the break-even example decided to take a 15-
year mortgage. Using a mortgage calculator, find out if the buyer does bet-
ter or worse than in the example.
2. Lets assume the loan was for $500,000 at the same rate on a 15-year mort-
gage. How long would it take the borrower to break even?
Tip
Mortgage calculators also provide the total amount of interest a borrower

would pay over the life of the mortgage. The total interest paid on a $500,000
loan over 15 years at 7.5% would be $334,311.12; the same loan over 30 years
would cost $758,586.12, or $424,275 more. Of course, this calculation doesnt
factor in tax consequences, the value of money, and so on.
Origination fees and points can be used to compare market rates and FHA
rates, as well as to calculate the cost of points. In doing these calculations, the
important thing to remember is that every point reduces the interest rate by 18 of
1% and that every point is the equivalent of one percentage point.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Comparing Rates Example:

If the rate on a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage is 614%, the FHA rate is
518%, and the amount to be borrowed is $111,000, the calculation is:
614 518 =
628 518 = 118
Next, convert the difference to eighths of a percent.
118% = 98%
Convert the eighths to discount points by dividing.
9 1
% % = 9 discount points needed to obtain equivalent rate
8 8
Calculating Costs Example:

Using the previous example, begin this calculation by converting the
number of points into a percentage.
9 1
8 =
8
9 8
1=
8
9
=
1
9 points = 9%
Next, multiply this number by the amount of the loan to determine
how much the discount cost.
$111,000 .09 = $9,990
PUT YOUR POINT CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
3. A borrower who wants to borrow $225,000 has been offered a rate of

5.5%, and is charged two points. What is the cost to the borrower?
4. If an FHA lender will lend a borrower $137,500 for a rate of 541% on a 15-
year fixed-rate mortgage, the conventional rate is 621%. How many points
must the conventional lender charge to meet the FHA rate?
CALCULATING AN AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE

This is a cumbersome process, and anyone with access to the Internet or a good
spreadsheet program does not have to suffer through it. On the other hand,
doing it yourself will help you understand what it is and why it is so useful.
When a mortgage or any loan is amortized, it is gradually reduced through
regular paymentsthe monthly mortgage. Therefore, to create a schedule, you
need to know:
76
the principal
the rate of interest
the amount of each payment (generally monthly)
To create an amortization schedule, you need to use three formulas:

principal interest rate 12 = first months interest
monthly mortgage payment first months interest = principal paid
opening principal balance principal paid = principal balance due
The schedule should look like this:
AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE:
30 YEARS TO REPAY $400,000 AT 6.25%
Payment Payment Interest Principal Balance
Number Amount Amount Reduction Due
1 $2,462.87 2,083.33 379.54 399,620.46
Amortization Example 1:
Using the three formulas, lets see how the first payment was derived.
$400,000 (principal) 6.25% 12 = first months interest
$400,000 .0625 = $25,000 12 = $2,083.33
$2,462.87 (monthly mortgage payment) $2,083.33 (first
months interest) = $379.54 (principal paid)
$400,000 (opening principal balance) $379.54 (principal paid)
= $399,620.46 (principal balance due)
PUT YOUR AMORTIZATION CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

Lets assume we want to take a longer view to find out how much interest was paid
on this $400,000 loan after 20 years. We know the monthly payment is $2,462.87.
5. Calculate payment 2.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Calculating Amortization in the Long Term

To continue the calculation, you could simply repeat the three formulas as often
as necessary. Calculating the entire amortization schedule on a 30-year mortgage
by hand would require 360 entries (12 months 30 years). Quite a bit of work!
Assuming you have or can get all the information, there is an easier way to go,
even if an amortization table or online mortgage calculator isnt handy. For exam-
ple, if you want to determine the amount of interest paid after a given length of
time, you must know the monthly payment, the amount of time, the percentage
of principal already paid, and the total amount of the mortgage. Then all thats
required are four formulas:
number of years months in a year = number of payments

monthly mortgage payment number of months paid = amount paid to date
total mortgage amount percent of loan repaid = amount of loan repaid
amount repaid principal paid = interest paid to date
Tip
To eliminate a step, combine the first two steps:

number of years months in a year monthly mortgage payment = total paid
Assume that after making payments on that $400,000 mortgage for
20 years, 55% of the principal has been paid. We know the mortgage
payment is $2,462.87 each month. To determine how much interest
has been paid, begin by multiplying, using the first three formulas:
20 years 12 months = 240 months paid
$2,462.87 (monthly mortgage payment) 240 = $591,088.80
total paid to date
$400,000 (total mortgage amount) .55 (percent of loan repaid)
= $220,000 = amount of loan repaid
$591,088.80 $220,000 = $371,088.80 interest paid to date
78
PUT YOUR LONG-TERM AMORTIZATION CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
7. Assume you took out a $97,500 30-year mortgage 5 years ago. The inter-
est rate is 10% and your monthly payment is $855.63. Only 1% of your
principal has been paid. How much interest has been paid?
8. On the same $97,500 mortgage, how much interest will be paid at the end
of 30 years?
9. Assuming no points and ignoring closing and other costs, if you refi-
nanced the original mortgage for 30 years at 5%, would you pay more or
less total interest after 30 years?
The information derived from an amortization table is invaluable. In addition

to determining break-even points, amortization tables show the total amount of
interest and/or principal paid over any given period.
Payoff Calculations
Accelerated payment optionsmonthly, weekly, biweeklycan shorten the life
of a mortgage as well as reduce the amount of money spent on interest.
To determine the amount of savings, take the monthly payment schedule,
and assuming only four weeks in a month, divide your monthly payment by four
for weekly payments or two for bimonthly (twice a month or 26 payments a year).
The difference goes directly toward paying off principal, and by the end of one year,
one month comes off the mortgage.
Tip
Some lenders set up special accounts to facilitate this savings, but there is usu-
ally a setup fee and a per transaction fee, which will slightly reduce the
amount of savings.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Using the previous amortization formula, you can calculate the impact over time:
principal interest 12 = first months interest
monthly mortgage payment first months interest = principal paid
At the end of month 12:
opening principal balance principal paid = principal balance due
Or, to make longer-term calculations simpler, get the information from
your lender and plug it into the long-term formula:
number of years months in a year monthly mortgage pay-
ment = total paid
total mortgage amount percent of loan repaid = amount of
loan repaid
amount repaid principal paid = interest paid to date
This may not seem like much at first, because so much of the mortgage pay-
ment in the first year is going to repay interest; however, as principal declines, the
amount of interest also declines and more of the payment goes toward amortiz-
ing principal.
The impact on a $125,000 30-year mortgage can be quickly
compared:
$729.47 (monthly mortgage) 12 = $8,753.64
($729.47 2) 26 = $364.74 26 = $9,483.24
($729.47 4) 52 = $182.37 52 = $9,483.24
$9,483.24 $8,753.64 = $730
Amortizing the mortgage at the end of month 120 (10 years), the principal
balance due is $103,900; at the end of 20 years, it is $38,912; at the end of 24.7 years,
the mortgage is paid in full; and the amount of interest saved is $28,534.
Tip
There are many accelerated payment and prepayment calculators on the

Internet, including:
http://www.gmacmortgage.com (then click on Calculators)
http://www.mortgageintelligence.ca/handy_tools_quick_calculator.aspx
http://www.mortgageintelligence.ca/handy_tools.aspx
80
PUT YOUR PAYOFF CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE:
210 $2,462.87 $207,439
211
212
The monthly payment on this mortgage is $2,462.87. At the end of 16 years,

the balance due is $207,439.
12. Assume it is now 20 years since this mortgage was taken out, and 70%
principal has been paid. How much interest has been paid?
13. How much interest will be paid at the end of 24.3 years, when the mort-
gage is paid off?
Refinancing Calculations
A borrower must consider a number of things before deciding whether to refinance
a mortgage:
Will the amount saved really compensate for the cost of refinancing?
Will the borrower benefit from a reduction in monthly payments in
exchange for a longer-term mortgage?
Conversely, if the refinancing is to obtain a shorter-term mortgage, is the
long-term saving sufficient to compensate for higher monthly payments?
If the money is for making a home improvement, will the improvement add
to the value of the home equal to or greater than the cost?
If the money is for another type of investment, such as an investment in
stocks or bonds, is it a sound investment?
This can be a risky path. Whatever the reason, before proceeding it is important
to perform this type of cost-benefit analysis.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Refinancing Example:
Figure 4.1 provides a quick basis for comparison (for more on clos-
ing fees, see Chapter 11).
Current Mortgage
Current monthly payment: $2,528.27 Current interest rate: 6.5%
Balance left on mortgage: $347,117.07 New interest rate: 6%
Years left on current loan: 21 New loan term (in years): 20

Calculating Costs
Points: 2 Cost of points $6,942.34
Application fee: $1,000 Credit check: $30
Attorneys fee (yours): $1,200 Attorneys fee (lenders): $750
Title search: $1,000 Title insurance: $875
Appraisal fee: $450 Inspections: $400
Local fees (taxes, transfers): $200 Document preparation: $400
Other: 0
New Mortgage
New monthly payment: $2,150.82 Monthly savings: $377.45
Difference in interest: $137,172.23 Months to recoup costs: 35.1
Total cost: $13,247.34

Figure 4.1
82
PUT YOUR REFINANCING CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
Use the following to answer questions 1416.
Current Mortgage
Current monthly payment: $2,462.87 Current interest rate: 6.25%
Balance left on mortgage: $275,300.80 New interest rate: 6%
Years left on current loan: 14 New loan term (in years): 20

Calculating Costs
Points: 2 Cost of points $6,942.34
Application fee: $1,000 Credit check: $30
Attorneys fee (yours): $1,200 Attorneys fee (lenders): $750
Title search: $1,000 Title insurance: $875
Appraisal fee: $450 Inspections: $400
Local fees (taxes, transfers): $200 Document preparation: $400
Other: 0
14. Calculate the amount of interest that would have been paid on the bal-
ance of the old mortgage after 14 years.
15. The new monthly payment would be $1,650.47. Calculate the amount of
interest that will have been paid on the new mortgage at the end of 20 years.
16. How much would be saved/lost by refinancing, assuming costs remain

same?
CALCULATING MORTGAGE CONSTANTS

A mortgage constant (also called a loan constant) is the amount of cash flow
needed each year to pay the principal and the interest on a mortgage over the term
of the mortgage. To determine this amount, you need to know the amount of the
loan, the rate of interest, and the term of the mortgage.
Conversely, when the monthly rate of interest is unknown, and you know the
mortgage constant, you can determine the rate of interest.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Mortgage Constant Example 1:

To find the mortgage constant for the $125,000, 30-year mortgage
(360 payments of $729.47), divide the monthly payment by the total
amount of the mortgage.
$729.47 $125,000 = .0058357
Mortgage Constant Example 2:

Now, lets reverse the example. The mortgage constant is .0058357
on the same $125,000 loan, but you dont know the monthly pay-
ment. This time, multiply the amount of the loan by the mortgage
constant to determine the monthly payment.
$125,000 .0058357 = $729.4625 or $729.47 (rounded)
PUT YOUR MORTGAGE CONSTANT CALCULATION SKILLS

TO WORK
17. A 15-year mortgage of $257,500 with an interest rate of 6.95% has

monthly loan payments of $2,307.29. What is the loan constant?
18. Find the monthly payment on a $625,000, 20-year mortgage, where the
loan constant is .0085206.
Calculating Loan-to-Value Ratio

One of the factors lenders consider before they approve a mortgage is the loan-to-
value ratio (LTV), which is a measure of risk. The LTV is the loan amount expressed
as a percentage of either the purchase price or the appraised value of the property.
The higher the LTV, the higher the risk. Therefore, if the mortgage company agrees
to the loan, it will probably charge a higher rate of interest, which frequently
makes the loan more difficult to qualify for, and/or the lender may require private
mortgage insurance, increasing the cost of the mortgage (see Chapter 2). For the
same size loan, some lenders require borrowers to have a larger monthly income
to qualify for a high LTV mortgage than do borrowers with a low LTV loan.
A high LTV occurs when the mortgage amount is high in relation to the
down payment or to the equity in the property. In general, when borrowers make
a large cash down payment or have a large equity in a property, they are less likely
to default on the mortgage. Borrowers with less equity in a property have less to
lose; therefore, any loan for more than 80% is considered to have a high LTV, even
if the appraised value is higher than the purchase price!
84
Tip
Sellers should be concerned about the buyers LTV. If the appraised value
comes in lower than the purchase price, the lender will base the LTV on the
lower of the two amounts.
LTV Example:
LTV is calculated as:
amount of mortgage appraised value or purchase price = LTV
$350,000 (mortgage) $400,000 (appraised value/purchase
price) = 87.5%
This loan could be considered risky, and the borrower may need to
go back to the bargaining table in order to avoid paying a higher
mortgage rate or putting up additional cash. On the other hand,
$275,000 (mortgage) $400,000 (appraised property value) =
68.7%
PUT YOUR LTV CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
19. If the purchase price of a home is $77,900 and the mortgage is $62,500,
what is the LTV?
20. Calculate the purchase price of a home if the down payment is $32,500
and the LTV is 73%.
CALCULATING TRANSFER TAXES

Some states charge a one-time transfer tax on mortgages, known as an intangi-
ble tax. The rate varies; currently in Georgia the rate is $1.50 per $500 or $.30 per
$100. There is also a one-time documentary stamp tax on the note. Currently
in Nebraska that rate is $2.25 for each $1,000 or $.225 per $100. These rates may
be lower in some states and higher in others. These amounts will appear on clos-
ing statements in states that levy them.
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
Tip
If the mortgage is assumed, and no new mortgage is created, and there is no

change in the property securing the loan, then no new intangible tax is
levied. However, the documentary stamp tax would still have to be paid on the
assumed mortgage.
Transfer Tax Example:

In a state that levies intangible and documentary stamp taxes, the
intangible tax rate is $.27 per $100 and the documentary stamp tax
rate is $.35 per $100. If the total mortgage is $725,000, to determine
how much is owed for each tax, first divide to obtain the number of
hundreds on which the tax must be paid.
$725,000 100 = 7,500
Then, multiply to get the intangible tax amount.
$7,500 $.27 = $2,025
Next, multiply to calculate the documentary stamp tax.
$7,500 $.35 = $2,625
To determine the total tax amount, add the two $2,025 + $2,625 =
$4,650.
PUT YOUR TRANSFER TAX CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
21. Assume that the borrower has purchased a townhouse for $365,500 and
has put 35% down. Calculate the transfer taxes, assuming the intangible
tax rate is $.26 per $100 and the documentary stamp tax rate is $.325.
86
ANSWERS
Answers are in boldface.
1. Worse.
$100,000 loan with a 15-year term
7.5% interest, no points = $927.01 monthly payment
buying one point for $1,000 = $919.92 monthly payment
monthly savings = $7.09
$1,000 $7.09 = 141 months or 11 years 9 months
2. $500,000 loan with a 15-year term

7.5% interest, no points = $4,635.06 monthly payment
buying one point for $1,000 = $4,599.62 monthly payment
monthly savings = $35.44
$1,000 35.44 = 28.2 months or 2 years 4 months
3. $225,000 .02 = $4,500
4. 612% 514% = 114%

114% = 180 %
10
%
8 18 = 10 discount points
5. Payment 2:
$399,620.46 .0625 12 = $2,081.36
$2,462.87 $2,081.36 = $381.51
$399,620.46 $381.51 = $399,238.95
6. Payment 3:
$399,238.95 .0625 12 = $2,079.37
$2,462.87 $2,079.37 = $383.50
$399,238.95 $383.50 = $398,855.45
7. $855.63 (monthly payment) 5 (years) 12 (months) = $51,337.80

(total paid to date)
$97,500 (total mortgage) .01 = $975 principal paid
$97,500 $975 = $96,525 interest paid
8. $855.63 30 12 = $308,026.80 total paid to date

$308,026 $97,500 = $210,526.80 interest paid
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SELLING REAL ESTATE
9. $523.40 30 12 = $188,424 total paid to date

$188,424 $97,500 = $90,924 interest paid
$90,924 + $96,525 (interest paid on previous mortgage) = $187,449 total
interest paid
$210,526.80 $187,449 = $23,077.80 amount saved by refinancing
10. Payment 211:

$207,439 .0625 12 = $1,080.41
$2,462.87 $1,080.41 = $1,382.46
$207,439 $1,382.46 = $206,056.54
11. Payment 212:

$206,056.54 .0625 12 = $1,073.21
$2,462.87 $1,073.21 = $1,389.66
$206,056 $1,389.66 = $204,666.34
12. $2,462.87 20 (years) 13 (months) = $640,346.20 total paid to date

$400,000 (total mortgage) .70 = $280,000 principal paid
$640,346.20 $280,000 = $360,346.20 interest paid
13. $2,462.87 24.3 13 = $778,020.63 total paid

$778,020.63 $400,000 = $378,020.63 interest paid
14. $2,462.87 14 (years) 12 (months) = $413,762.16 balance of mortgage

$275,300.80 principal repaid after 16 years
$413,762.16 $275,300.80 = $138,461.36 additional interest paid
15. $1,650.47 20 (years) 12 (months) = $396,112.80

$396,112.80 $275,300.80 = $120,812 interest paid
16. $138,461.36 $120,812 = $17,649.36 interest saved

$17,649.36 $13,247.34 (expenses) = $4,402.02 net savings
17. $2,307.29 $257,500 = .0089603 mortgage constant
18. $625,000 .0085206 = $5,325.375 = $5,325.38 (rounded) monthly payment
19. $62,500 (mortgage) $77,900 (purchase price) = .8 or 80% LTV
88
20. 100% (purchase price) 73% (loan) = 27% down payment or .27
27% is equal to $32,500 down payment
$32,500 .27 = x
x = $120,370.37 purchase price
21. 100% 35% = 65% financed or .65

$365,500 sales price .65 financed = $237,575
$237,575 100 = $2,375.75 taxable hundreds
$2,375.75 $.26 = $617.70 (rounded) intangible tax due
$2,375.75 $.325 = $772.12 (rounded) documentary stamp tax
$617.70 + $772.12 = $1,389.82 transfer taxes
89
CHAPTER
5 COMPUTING
MONTHLY
PAYMENTS:
PRINCIPAL,
INTEREST, TAXES,
AND INSURANCE

Need to Know . . .
1 1
mill =
1,000 of $1, or 10 of a cent, or .001
Rules of thumb:
PMI = 12 of 1% = .005
Hazard = 12 of 1% = .005
PROPERTY TAXES
A number of factorsincluding the intended use of the property (i.e., commer-
cial, industrial, or residential), the value of the property, and the tax rate (often
expressed in mills)go into determining property taxes. State, municipal, county,
town, school district, and other local agencies such as water and sewer authori-
91
SELLING REAL ESTATE
ties may also levy property taxes. The money raised is used to pay for services, such
as schools, fire and police protection, parks, libraries and other facilities and
services.
Tip
Communities determine millage rates by taking their total budget require-

ment and subtracting all revenues from sources other than property taxes.
What remains represents the amount the community needs to collect from
property taxes.
Taxing authorities determine the value of the property in a variety of ways,

among them the propertys assessed value, its actual market value, or its estimated
market value. The local tax assessor, a government employee whose job is similar
that of a home appraiser, generally determines the value of the property.
Tip
Property taxes are usually deductible from federal income tax returns.
Calculating Taxable Value

The principle elements of the property tax consist of the tax rate and the tax base.
Although the method varies from place to place, in general the tax base is deter-
mined by appraising the value of property according to statutory requirements to
find the taxable value. The result is multiplied by the level of assessment to get
the assessed value; the tax rate is then applied to the assessed value to determine
the total amount of taxes due. The formula is:
taxable value level of assessment = assessed value
assessed value tax rate = total property tax
The level of assessment, known as the rate of assessment, is generally
expressed as a ratio of assessed value to taxable value. Again, in some places, assess-
ments are at full value; in others it can be a percentage of full value. The formula is:
taxable value level of assessment = assessed value
Taxable Value Example:

If the taxable value of a single-family residence is $200,000, and the
level of assessment is 35%, then the assessed value would be:
$200,000 (taxable value) .35 (level of assessment) = $70,000
(assessed value)
92
COMPUTING MONTHLY PAYMENTS: PRINCIPAL, INTEREST, TAXES, AND INSURANCE
If the tax rate is 627 mills or .627 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, to
get the total amount of property taxes for a year, divide:
$70,000 $1,000 = $70
Then, multiply.
$70 .627 = $4,389 property tax due
Tip
Most communities have a separate property tax for schools; in some places,
a homeowner may pay a village, town, and/or county tax. When calculating
the total amount of property taxes on any piece of property, make sure to add
the various taxes.
PUT YOUR TAXABLE VALUE CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. The taxes on a farm in Franklin Township are 32 mills per $1 of assessed

valuation for the town and 19 mills for the school district. Assessed val-
uation is $165,000. What are the annual taxes on this property?
2. A home sold for $1.5 million dollars. Determine the assessed value tax-
able value if the rate of assessment is 25%.
3. On the home in question 2, calculate each of the following tax rates: city
5.3 mills, county 7.6 mills, and school district 6.5 mills. Then, calculate
the total property tax on this home.
Caps on Property Tax Rates

Some states have outright limits on the property tax rate; for example, $.05 per
$1.00 of assessed value ($5 per $100 of assessed value).
Other states have homestead exemptions or exemptions for those older
than age 65 or for the disabled. They remove part of a homes value from taxation
in order to lower taxes. These exemptions usually apply only to primary residences;
they may not be used by corporations or for investment properties. Sometimes,
an owner may qualify for more than one exemption; other times the owner may
have to choose the most advantageous one.
Sometimes, rebates are based solely on income, for example:
93
SELLING REAL ESTATE
Gross Income Rebate Amount (% of Property Tax)
$100,000 or less 20% (maximum $2,000)
$100,001 to $150,000 15% (maximum $1,500)
$150,001 and $250,000 10% (maximum $1,000)

Figure 5.1 Rebate
Still other states have homeowner rebates based on a percentage of gross

income and amount of taxes paid, for example:
Gross Income Rebate Amount (% of Property Tax)
Not more than $70,000 $1,000 to $1,200
$70,001 to $125,000 $600 to $800
$125,001 to $200,000 $500

Figure 5.2 Rebate
In such cases, use the following formula to determine the amount of the rebate:
property taxes paid % of gross income = rebate
Limits of various kinds are usually placed on rebates. In this case:
the rebate amount is equal to property taxes paid minus 5% of gross

income, but never less than the lower rebate amount
no rebate on incomes over $200,000
the amount of rebate is limited to the maximum rebate amount for the
homeowners income level
the amount of rebate may never be more than the amount of property taxes
actually paid
Caps Example:
Assume the tax on a piece of property is $4,100.72. There is a cap of
$5 per $100 of assessed valuation, which is $85,000. To find out
whether the tax qualifies for a reduction in taxes, use the formula:
4,100.72 4,100.72

85,000 100 =
850
4,100.72 850 = $4.82
The taxes due are below the $5 cap.
94
Exemptions Example:
Now, lets assume the home was originally assessed at $100,000, but
the owner qualified for a 15% exemption.
$100,000 .15 = $85,000
The owner will pay taxes based on the home as if it were worth only
$85,000.
Rebates Example:
Assuming the percentage of gross income is 5%, use the rebate for-
mula shown here:
property taxes paid % of gross income = rebate
and Figure 5.2 to determine the amount of rebate. Assume this
homeowner has a gross income of $75,500. We can determine that
the homeowner qualifies for a rebate. To determine the amount of
the rebate:
$4,172 ($75,500 .05) = rebate
$4,172 $3,775 = $397
Because this is less than the lower rebate amount for an income of
$75,500, the homeowner would receive $600.
Using Figure 5.1, the calculation would be:
$4,172 .2 = $834.40
PUT YOUR CAPS, EXEMPTIONS, AND REBATE CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
4. Assume a cap of $7.50 for every $100 in assessed valuation. A property is

assessed at $432,500, and the total property tax rate is .082. How much
tax is due on this property?
5. The state offers a homeowners exemption of $15,000; the homes assessed

value is $332,025. The total tax rate is 17.5 mills. Calculate the total prop-
erty tax.
6. Using Figure 5.1, calculate the rebate if the owners gross income is
$225,000 and the total property tax paid is $6,742.53.
7. Using Figure 5.2, calculate the rebate if the owners gross income is
$275,000 and the total property tax paid is $7,373.
95
SELLING REAL ESTATE
Use the following information to answer questions 811. A homes assessed

evaluation is $425,000. There is a homestead exemption of $22,500.
8. Calculate the taxable value.
9. Calculate the total property taxes if the rate is .0072.
10. How much did the exemption save the homeowner?
11. If the owners income is $99,500, using Figure 5.2, determine the amount
of his rebate if the percentage of gross income is 2.5% and none of the
other rules apply.
INSURANCE
So far weve covered the computations that go into mortgage calculations and pay-
ments, the transfer taxes that may be associated with the purchase of property, as
well as the various property taxes. The last leg of the equation is insurancewhich
includes private mortgage insurance (if required by the lender) and homeown-
ers and hazard insurance.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

As a rule, lenders require PMI on all mortgages when the down payment is less
than 20%, and although things are changing, PMI still is required on jumbo
mortgages. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, PMI
charges vary depending on the size of the down payment and the loan, but they
typically amount to about 12 of 1% of the loan, although the amount may be
0.2%
reduced in later years. Beyond 20 years, the monthly PMI premium changes to 12

of the initial mortgage amount, regardless of the size of the down payment.
In some cases, PMI for the first year is paid upfront at closing; in others, PMI
is included in monthly mortgage payments from the beginning. In this case, the
insurer normally collects an escrow equal to two months premium at the begin-
ning of the mortgage.
By law, PMI is paid until the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio falls to 78%, and the
homeowner may request that it cease when the LTV falls to below 80% of the orig-
inal loan. Appreciation does not factor into PMI; it is based on the original loan.
96
Tip
Mortgage insurance premiums are not tax deductible.
Hazard Insurance
In some locations, the lender will require hazard insurance to cover property dam-
age caused by natural disasters, such as fire, wind, and storms. Earthquakes and
floods are not always covered by hazard insurance, and insurance for these may
have to be purchased separately.
Premiums for hazard insurance are based on the appraised value of the prop-
erty, the age of the building, construction methods, and known natural hazards in
the area. As with PMI, the borrower may have to pay for first year of hazard insur-
ance at the closing; in other circumstances, hazard insurance is included in monthly
mortgage payments from the beginning. Here again the insurer normally collects
an escrow equal to two months premium at the beginning of the mortgage.
Tip
Homeowners insurance covers a dwelling, its contents, as well as personal lia-

bility. Hazard insurance may be included in some homeowners policies, but
not all. Depending on where the property is located, some buyers may choose
to purchase hazard insurance and/or flood and earthquake protection.
PMI and Hazard Insurance Example:

The selling price of a home is $163,000; the mortgage is $138,550, or
15%. The monthly mortgage is $853.08 at 6.25%. Assuming the
annual PMI is 12 of 1%, the additional cost with PMI is calculated as
follows:
$138,550 (amount of mortgage) .005 (PMI) = $692.75
To calculate the monthly charge, divide:
$692.75 12 = $57.729 = $57.73
To get the total monthly payment, add:
$853.08 + $57.73 = $910.81
The identical calculation is used for hazard insurance.
Tip
If both are to be included in the mortgage payment, simplify the equation by

multiplying by .01 and then by dividing by 12.
97
SELLING REAL ESTATE
PUT YOUR INSURANCE CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
12. Assume a monthly mortgage payment of $1,752.62 on a 30-year $295,700

mortgage. Calculate the annual payment inclusive of PMI and hazard
insurance.

mortgage. Calculate the monthly charge for PMI. Assuming no hazard
insurance is required, what is the monthly payment?
14. On a jumbo mortgage of $800,000 where the buyer is putting 15% down,
the monthly mortgage payment at 6.6% is $5,109.27. Calculate the charge
for PMI. Assuming no hazard insurance is required, what is the monthly
payment?
15. Assume instead that the buyer in question 2 puts 20% down; the mort-
gage amount would be $752,940, and at the same interest rate, the
monthly payment would be $4,808.72. Instead of mortgage insurance, the
buyer decides to take a second mortgage on the difference ($47,060) and
negotiates a rate of 6.4% so that mortgage comes to $294.36. Exclusive of
other costs, would the buyer reduce her monthly payments? If so, by how
much?
CALCULATING PITI
Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) combine to equal the total monthly
costs associated with a mortgage.
In Chapters 3 and 4, we covered all the factors that go into calculating loans,
mortgages, and interest payments:
type of mortgage: fixed rate, adjustable rate, conventional, FHA, and others
minimum down payment required
loan term (length of loan)
contract interest rate
points (may also be called loan discount points) and origination fees
In this chapter, we examined the impact of:

taxes
insurance
private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums and hazard insurance
98
PITI Example:
For the purposes of calculating PITI, it is not necessary to know
what portion of a mortgage payment is principal and what portion
is interest; therefore, the formula is:
mortgage payment (principal + interest) + taxes + insurance =
PITI
PUT YOUR TAXABLE VALUE CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
16. Assuming a monthly mortgage payment of $764.88 per month, total

property taxes of $4,122.43 per year, and hazard insurance payments of
$637.50 per year, calculate the monthly PITI.
99
SELLING REAL ESTATE
ANSWERS
1. 32 mills = .032
19 mills = .019
.032 + .019 = .051
$165,000 (assessed value) .051 = $8,415 annual taxes
2. $1,500,000 .75 = $1,125,000 taxable value
3. 5.3 mills = .0053

7.6 mills = .0076
6.5 mills = .0065
$1,125,000 .0053 = $5,962.50 city
$1,125,000 .0065 = $7,312.50 county
$1,125,000 .0076 = $8,550 school district
$5,962.50 + $8,550 + $7,323.50= $21,836 total property tax
4. $432,500 (assessed value) 100 = 4,325 hundreds

$7.50 $4,325 = $32,437.50
$432,500 .082 = $35,465
$32,437.50 property tax owed
5. $332,025 (assessed value) $15,000 (homestead exemption) = $317,025

(taxable value)
17.5 mills = .0175
$317,025 .0175 = $5,547.94 (rounded) property tax
6. $6,742.53 .1 = $674.25 rebate
7. No rebate due. The owners gross income exceeds the maximum of

$200,000.
8. $425,000 $22,500 = $402,500 taxable value
9. $402,500 .0072 = $2,898 total property taxes
10. $22,500 .0072 = $162 saved
100
11. $2,898 (property tax) (.025 $99,500) (percent of gross income) = rebate
$2,898 2,487.50 = $410.50 rebate
12. $295,700 (total mortgage) .01 (PMI and hazard insurance) = $2,957
total annual payment
$1,660
12 (monthly PMI)
$3,160 (PMI) 12 = $138.33 monthly PMI
$4,000
12 (monthly PMI)
$4,000 (PMI) 12 = 333.33 (monthly PMI)
$5,109.27 (monthly mortgage) + 333.33 = $5,442.60 monthly payment
15. Yes.
$4,802.72 (monthly payment first mortgage) + $294.36 (monthly pay-
ment second mortgage) = $5,097.08
$5,442.60 (monthly payment on $800,000 mortgage including PMI)
5,097.08 = $345.52 monthly payment reduction
$4,122.32 $637.50
16. $764.88 (monthly mortgage) + (monthly taxes) + monthly
12 12
insurance) = total monthly PITI
$4,122.32 12 = $343.53
$637.50 12 = $53.13
$764.88 + 343.53 + 53.13 = $1,161.54 PITI
101
PART
III APPRAISING
REAL ESTATE
103
CHAPTER
6 LAND AND AREA

CALCULATIONS

Need to Know . . .
12 inches = 1 foot 640 acres = 1 square mile

144 square inches = 1 square foot township = square, 6 miles by
6 miles or 36 square miles
3 feet = 1 yard section = square, 1 mile by 1 mile
5,280 feet = 1 mile circle = 360 degrees (360) or
4 quadrants of 90
1,760 yards = 1 mile 1 degree (1) = 60 minutes (60)
43,560 square feet = 1 acre 1 minute (1) = 60 seconds (60)
105
APPRAISING REAL ESTATE
HOW TO CALCULATE THE AREA OF ANYTHING

Finding area is one of the most frequently performed calculations in real estate.
Determining the square footage of a piece of land, house, condominium, or room
will require area calculations. Whatever the unit of measurefeet, acres, yards, or
milesyou need to know how to perform the calculations. Generally, its a sim-
ple case of multiplication.
length width = area of square or rectangle
1
(base height) = area of a triangle
2
r2 = area of a circle (3.14 )
Rectangle Example:
To determine the gross square footage of a condo that is 60 feet long
by 25 feet wide, multiply:
60 25 = 1,500 square feet
Tip
Gross square footage is total square footage. This is not the same as net
square footage or usable square footage.
a plot of land 3 acres 5 acres = 15 square acres

If you wanted to know how many square feet were in 15 acres, you
would multiply
15 43,560 (the number of square feet in 1 acre) = 653,400
square feet
If this same property was on the market for $1,100,000, you could
determine the price per square foot as well as the price per acre. The
formula is:
sale price per square feet (or square acre) = price per square foot
(or square acre)
$1,100,000 653,400 square feet = $1.68 per square foot
$1,100,000 15 acres = $73,333.33 per acre
Note: In each case, the answer is rounded to the nearest cent.
106
LAND AND AREA CALCULATIONS
Triangle Example:
The base of a triangular-shaped center island on a road is 450 feet,
and the height is 100 feet. The property is selling for $1.50 per
square foot.
(.5 450) 100 = square footage
225 100 = 22,500 square feet
22,500 $1.50 = $33,750
Circle Example:
There arent many circular pieces of property, buildings, or rooms,
but occasionally, you do come across one. Lets say you find an
antique carousel house for sale, and its radius is 40 feet. The asking
price is $200,000.
(3.14 402) = square footage
3.14 1,600 = 5,024 square feet
$200,000 5,024 = $39.81 per square foot
Tip
If a property is irregularly shaped, divide it into its component parts, calcu-

late area, and then add the results.
PUT YOUR AREA CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. How many acres are there in 102,000 square feet?
2. A 2,200 square foot condo is listed at $450,000. How much per square foot
is it selling for?
3. Assume an L-shaped lot is composed of a square 1,200 1,200 and a rec-

tangle 400 600. What is the total square footage?
4. Convert the answer to question 3 into acres. Reminder: 1 acre = 43,560

square feet. This is a percentage problem.
107
METHODS USED TO DESCRIBE REAL ESTATE

There are three methods used to describe real estate: lot and block, metes and
bounds, and the U.S. government survey system (also called the U.S. rectangular
survey system). The lot and block method requires practically no math because
boundary lines, streets, actual measurements, and easements are included on a plat
map, which is publicly recorded.
Metes and Bounds

The metes and bounds method yields the least accurate form of legal description.
Metes refers to the length or measurement (for example, feet or miles) of the par-
cel; bounds refers to its boundaries, and is expressed in terms of direction and
degrees on a compass.
A compass has four primary directions: north (N), east (E), south (S), and
west (W), which can be illustrated as follows:
W M E
Figure 6.1
When measuring metes and bounds,start from the center.According to Real Estate
Math, Sixth Edition (Dearborn 2005, 45),the point of beginning (POB) and all turn-
ing points should be regarded as the exact center of a circle. The center is usually an
existing monument (for example, a gazebo) or marker set precisely by a surveyor
(shown as M in Figure 6.1).To describe a parcel using the metes and bounds method,
use north or south as your starting point. For example, In metes and bounds legal
descriptions,all directions begin with a reference to either north or souththe primary
indicators (Dearborn 2005, 45). Then, measure the distance in all directions. The
result is expressed in terms of the number of degrees, the distance, and the direction.
108
Metes and Bounds Example:

Beginning at the monument, head north 30 82.5' east and south
42 102' 00'' west. (See Figure 6.2. The solid line indicates the first
direction, the dotted line the second.)
W M E
Figure 6.2
Although you will probably never have to write the metes and
bounds of a parcel, it is important to understand what they mean so
that, if necessary, you can walk the property line. Some descriptions
are long, especially if the property is irregular in form, but they all
follow the same principle and sound something like this:
Beginning at the intersection on the southwest corner of State Street,
head west 200 feet, then north at a 90 angle onto Elm Street for 50
feet, then east into Schubert Alley 200 feet, then south 50 feet, and
then back to the point of beginning in a straight line.
200 ft.
50 ft.
50 ft.
200 ft.
Figure 6.3
109
PUT YOUR METES AND BOUNDS SKILLS TO WORK
5. Draw a line in the circle demonstrating a boundary running north 40 west.
6. What is the square footage of the piece of property described in Figure 6.3?
7. What part of an acre is Figure 6.3? (Round your answer to two decimal
points.)
U.S. Government Survey System

The last method, the U.S. government survey system, tends to be used mostly in
western states and is not used in every state. It is based on a grid of numbered
squares (6 miles by 6 miles) representing townships; each township contains 36
sections, each 1 mile by 1 mile (see Figure 6.4), or 640 acres.
North 6 miles
6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 9 10 11 12
West 6 miles
East 6 miles
18 17 16 15 14 13
24 23 22 21 20 19
30 29 28 27 26 25
31 32 33 34 35 36
South 6 miles
Figure 6.4
These are usually divided into smaller and smaller rectangles. This is done by
dividing each sectionno matter how large or smallinto quarters. A quadrangle
is four townships high by four townships wide, or 24 miles square. Each standard
1-mile-by-1-mile section contains 640 acres. Fractional sections may contain
more or less than 640 acres.
110
North
NW 14 NE 1
4
West 6 miles
East 6 miles
SW 14 SE 1
4
South
Figure 6.5
North
1 square mile (640 acres)
NW 14 NE 1
4
West 6 East
640 acres 640 acres
SW 14 SE 1
4

South
Figure 6.6
PUT YOUR GOVERNMENT SURVEY SKILLS TO WORK
8. Using Figure 6.6, locate the southeast corner, and subdivide it into quarters.
9. How large is each quarter in the southeast corner in miles? Section 6 mea-
sures 1 mile by 1 mile or 1 square mile.
Tip
To determine the size of one of the new parcels in miles, you need to deter-
mine what 14 of 14 of the southeast 14 is.
111
10. Assume now that the northeast of the southeast corner is divided into
quarters. How large is each of the newly formed quarters in acres?
Section 6 measures 640 acres, or one square mile. To determine the size of
the northeast 14 of 14 of the southeast 14, set up the following equation:
640 14 14 14 = x
Often we must calculate the area of more than one parcel; these calculations are
more complicated. You will be alerted to this by the word and in the description.
It means that you will have to set up two equations and add the results. Suppose
a parcel is described: north 32, northeast 41, south 21 section 27, and south 21, south-
west 14, north 12 section 26. To determine the combined acreage:
Section 27 = 23 14 12 =
211

2 1
3 4 2 = 24 = 12
640
= 53.33 acres
12
1 1 1 111 1
Section 26 = = = 1
2 4 2 242 6
640
= 40 acres
16
Total acres in parcel 53.33 + 40 = 93.33 acres
112
ANSWERS
1. 102,000 43,560 = 2.34 (rounded)
2. $450,000 2,200 = $204.55 (rounded)
3. (1,200 1,200) + (400 600) =

1,440,000 + 240,000 = 1,680,000 square feet
4. 1,680,000 43,560 = 38.57 (rounded)
5. Starting from the center of the circle M, head directly toward the top of
the circle (north), then travel to the left (west), just a bit less than halfway.
6. 200 50 = 10,000 square feet
10,000 x
7. =
43,560 100
43,560x = 1,000,000
x = 22.96%
113
8. Your answer should look like this:
North
West 6 East
640 acres 640 acres

South
1
9. 1 14 14 = 16 mile
Alternatively, you could convert the fractions to decimals, 14 = .25
1 .25 .25 = .0625 square miles
10. 640 14 14 14 = x

4 4 4 = 64
640
= 10 acres
64
114
CHAPTER
7 MARKET VALUE OF
RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTIES
n the home real estate market, a common

I definition of market value is the price a particular house, in as is condition,
will sell for within 30 to 90 days of the date of appraisal.
From an investment point of view, one estimate of market value is the price
the property would command based on the highest and best use to which it can
be put. This is not necessarily the way it is being used at the time of the appraisal,
but rather its highest potential value. To make this assessment, an appraiser
determines:
what uses are legally allowed

which of these are physically possible
which of these are financially feasible
which one is maximally productive for the site
115
In making the appraisal, it is assumed that the buyer will put the property to
that use. Following are three approaches commonly used to appraise real estate:
1. cost
2. sales comparison
3. income capitalization
CALCULATING MARKET VALUE USING THE COST APPROACH

To estimate the value of a property using this method, use the formula:
land value + depreciated value of any improvements = value
Depreciation is any loss in value that results from physical deterioration,
functional, or external obsolescence. Accrued depreciation is the amount of
depreciation that has accumulated since initial construction, or the difference
between the current appraised value and the cost to replace the building altogether.
Often, the cost approach is combined with the sales comparison approach,
in particular, to estimate the cost of the land and depreciation. For example, new
home construction costs can be determined by adding the labor, material, and so
on; land values and depreciation are best determined by analyzing comparable data.
Tip
The cost approach is most reliable when applied to newer buildings and spe-
cial use commercial properties, such as a theater.
Replacement Cost
To estimate the value of improvements, use one of two formulas:
reproduction cost new depreciation = value of improvements
where reproduction cost is the cost of reproducing an exact replica.
Or
replacement cost new depreciation = value of improvements
where replacement cost is the cost of building a house or commercial prop-
erty of the same utility, using contemporary techniques and materials. In practice,
most appraisals use replacement cost rather than reproduction cost.
Appraisers generally begin with a scope of work to define their assignment.
Depending on the approach, activities could include an analysis of cost per square
foot, first in total and then room by room. The cost per square foot of an unfin-
ished attic or basement is quite different from the cost of a fully equipped high-
end kitchen or bath. Prices vary in different parts of the country, so appraisals are
based on local cost. A number of publications are available to help appraisers deter-
116
MARKET VALUE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES
mine what values should be used for each part of the house as well as for other
structures on the property, for example, an unattached garage or a barn.
The appraiser next assesses the unique qualities, if any, of the structurefor
example, high ceilings, moldings, and internal amenities such as fireplaces. Out-
side landscaping, pools, patios, and so on are evaluated in residential property.
Similar steps are used in appraising agricultural land; for example, a fenced pas-
ture would be taken into account.
Replacement Cost Example:

Lets assume the following square footage and costs to determine the
replacement value of a home:
living areas: 1,581 square feet at $100/sq. ft. = $158,100
attached garage: 400 square feet at $50/sq. ft. = $20,000
total value of dwelling = $178,100
PUT YOUR REPLACEMENT COST CALCULATION SKILLS TO

WORK
1. Replacement costs on a home are estimated as follows: a recently remod-

eled kitchen and bathroom, 17' 15' at $150/sq. ft.; remaining living
space, 25' 60' at $95/sq. ft.; an unattached garage, 20' 22' at $45/sq. ft.;
and a wraparound porch, 10' 50' at $22.50/sq. ft. What is the replace-
ment cost?
Depreciation
There are two methods used in real estate for estimating depreciation. One is the
straight-line depreciation method, which spreads the total depreciation over a
buildings estimated economic life (how much longer the building can be used
productively). Appraisers base their analysis of economic life on a combination
of experience and comparison with similar structures of similar age.
The other is the age-life depreciation method. Here, depreciation is deter-
mined by comparing a buildings economic life to its effective age. This method
is considered more accurate because it takes the actual condition of the property
into account rather than its chronological age only.
117
Tip
The way in which a building has been maintained and/or improved can add
or subtract years from its effective age. Neither economic age nor effective age
is the same as chronological age.
Straight-Line Depreciation Method

To calculate the effect of depreciation on market value using the straight-line
depreciation method, use the formula:
replacement cost new years of economic life = depreciation per
year age of structure = accrued depreciation
Straight-line Depreciation Example:

Assume that the total replacement cost of a dwelling is $190,000 and
that the home is five years old. It has an estimated economic life of
50 years. Plugging these numbers into the formula for determining
accrued depreciation using the straight-line depreciation method,
we get:
$190,000 (replacement cost new) 50 (years of economic life) =
$3,800 (depreciation per year) 5 (age of structure) = $19,000
(accrued depreciation)
PUT YOUR STRAIGHT-LINE DEPRECIATION CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
2. The replacement cost of a 12-year-old beach house is $625,000; its esti-

mated economic life is 62 years. What is the accrued depreciation?
Age-Life Depreciation Method

The second method, age-life depreciation, determines accrued depreciation
using the formula:
(effective age economic life) replacement cost = age-life
accrued depreciation
Age-Life Depreciation Example:

Take the same scenario we used in the straight-line example: The
total replacement cost of a dwelling is $190,000, and the home is five
years old. It has an estimated economic life of 50 years. This time,
factor in the buildings effective age of seven.
118
[7 (effective age) 50 (economic life)] = .14 (age-life accrued

depreciation) $190,000 (replacement cost) = $26,600 (accrued
depreciation)
PUT YOUR AGE-LIFE DEPRECIATION CALCULATION SKILLS

TO WORK
3. Now lets take that same 12-year-old beach house: Replacement cost is
$625,000; its estimated economic life is 62 years, and its effective age is 10.
What is the accrued depreciation?
Using Percentages in Depreciation Problems

To express the annual rate of depreciation as a percentage, use the formula:
annual depreciation rate = 100% years of economic life
The years of economic life can be determined with the formula:
years of economic life = 100% annual depreciation rate
Depreciation Percentage Examples:

Use the earlier example:
$190,000 (replacement cost new) 50 (years of economic life) =
$3,800 (depreciation per year) 5 (age of structure) = $19,000
(accrued depreciation)
To determine the rate of accrued depreciation in this example:
x = 100% 50
x = 2% rate of accrued depreciation
Similarly, you can derive the economic life of a property, if you
know the rate of accrued depreciation.
years of economic life 2% = 100%
100% 2% = 50 years of economic life
PUT YOUR DEPRECIATION PERCENTAGE CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
4. If a building has an annual depreciation rate of 3.2%, what is its

economic life?
5. If the building in question 4 is five years old, what is its rate of accrued
depreciation?
119
6. If a dwellings economic life is 60 years, what is its annual accrued depre-

ciation rate?
7. If the replacement value of the dwelling in question 6 is $132,500 and the

dwelling is seven years old, what is its accrued depreciation expressed in
dollars?
Land Value
Land value is what the property would sell for if it were vacant. The easiest way
to obtain the value is through recent sales of comparable vacant lots. If no vacant
lots are available, an appraiser can determine the value by:
obtaining selling prices of houses in the same neighborhood on similarly

sized lots with similar characteristics
estimating the replacement cost of the improvements
deducting depreciation from the replacement cost
deducting the depreciated cost of the improvements from the selling price
of the property. The difference is the approximate value of the land.
The formula for arriving at the value of the comparable property is:
replacement cost accrued depreciation = depreciated value of
building
selling price depreciated value of building = selling price of
comparable vacant land lot size = price per square foot lot
size of subject property = value of actual propertys land
Land Value Example:

The comparable property is on a 6,000-square-foot lot and sold for
$83,000. The replacement value of the building is estimated at
$61,000; the accrued depreciation is estimated at $20,000. The actual
property is on a 6,500-square-foot lot.
$61,000 (replacement cost) $20,000 (accrued depreciation) =
$41,000 (depreciated value of building)
$83,000 (selling price) $41,000 (depreciated value of building)
= $42,000
$42,000 (selling price of vacant land) 6,000 sq. ft. (lot size) =
$7.00/sq. ft. (value of land/sq. ft.)
$7 (price/sq. ft.) 6,500 sq. ft. (lot size of actual property) =
$45,500 (value of subject propertys land)
120
Tip
The most accurate appraisal would be an actual plot plan with lot dimensions
and improvements drawn to scale together with pictures of the site, as well
as neighboring street and lot improvements.
PUT YOUR LAND VALUE CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
8. The comparable property is on two acres and sold for $2.25 million. The esti-
mated replacement value of the building is $1.75 million; the accrued depre-
ciation is estimated at $200,000. The actual property is on a 3.5-acre lot.
CALCULATING MARKET VALUE USING SALES COMPARISON

APPROACH
As weve seen in looking at land value, the sales comparison approach is based on
the price of similar propertiescomparablesideally those that have sold
recently. The properties chosen are as similar as possible to the one being
appraised, and adjustments are made to account for differences. If there are a suf-
ficient number of comparable sales, the sales comparison approach is quite reli-
able in getting to the real value of the subject property in a given market.
In addition to selling price, square footage, extra bathrooms, hardwood
floors, fireplaces, views, and curb appeal (among other factors) affect the price of
a property and are considered when determining an accurate appraisal of a prop-
ertys value. In addition to examining the dwelling and the property itself, apprais-
ers familiarize themselves with the value of certain features and use this
information to determine value. These calculations can cause the appraisal price
of the subject property to increase or decrease.
The math involved in assessing comparables is simple arithmeticadding and
subtracting to adjust for differences among properties, multiplying to determine such
things as square footage, lot size, etc., and dividing to determine average prices.
Comparable Example:
Assume that the subject property is a 15-year-old, four-bedroom,
312-bath, 2,750-square-foot, two-story colonial on a quiet cul-de-
sac in a residential neighborhood. It has an attached two-car
garage. A comparable property has a nicely finished walk-out base-
ment with a bedroom, its own bath, and a patio. The comparable
121
property is on a corner lot of a busy thoroughfare. The comparable

property sold a month earlier for $527,500.
Differences between the two properties:
Comparable Property Subject Property +/ Value
Patio No patio $2,500
Finished walk-out basement No basement $79,000
Three bathrooms Two bathrooms $5,000
Corner lot, busy thoroughfare Quiet cul-de-sac + $2,500
Selling price comparable Selling price subject $84,000
To derive the estimated market value, adjust for the differences

between the two houses, and add or subtract from the selling price
of the comparable to determine the value of the subject property.
$527,500 $84,000 = $443,500
122
PUT YOUR SALES COMPARISON CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

Property Property
none Oversized wooden $7,500

deck with planters
Landscaped pool none ($22,000)

and stone barbecue
none Large new $20,000

master bathroom
3,000 square feet 2,700 square feet ($30,000)
Powder room (12 bath) None ($2,500)
Total +/
Selling price $331,750 Selling price subject

comparable
9. Using the above table, calculate the +/ value of the subject home and esti-
mated market value.
10. Assume that three comparable properties have sold for $127,500;
$139,800; and $131,750. There is no discernible difference in the prop-
erties. What is the estimated market value of the subject property?
123
ANSWERS
1. 17' 15' = 255 sq. ft. $150 = $38,250

25' 60' = 1,500 sq. ft. $95 = $142,500
20' 22' = 440 sq. ft. $45 = $19,800
10' 50' = 500 sq. ft. $22.50 = $11,250
$38,250 + $142,500 + $19,800 + $11,250 = $211,800 replacement cost
2. $625,000 (replacement cost new) 62 (years of economic life) =

$10,080.65 (depreciation per year) $10,080.65 12 (age of structure) =
$120,967.74 accrued depreciation
3. [10 (effective age) 62 (economic life)] = .1613 (age-life accrued depre-

ciation $625,000 (replacement cost) = $100,806.45 accrued depreciation
4. 100% 3.2% (annual depreciation rate) = 31.25 years of economic life
5. 5 years 3.2% = 16% accrued depreciation
6. 100% 60 (years of economic life) = 1.6667% (rounded) annual accrued

depreciation rate
7. 1.67% (annual depreciation rate) 7 years = 11.67% accrued depreciation

$132,500 11.67% = $15,458.33 accrued depreciation
8. $1,750,000 (replacement cost) $200,000 (accrued depreciation) =

$1,550,000 (depreciated value of building)
$2,250,000 (selling price) $1,550,000 (depreciated value of building)
= $700,000
$700,000 (selling price of vacant land) 2 acres (size of comparable
property) = value of land per acre
$350,000 (price per acre) 3.5 acres (size of actual property) = $1,225,000
value of actual propertys land
9. $331,750 (selling price/comparable) ($22,000 + $2,500) + ($7,500 +

$20,000 $30,000)
$331,750 $24,500 $2,500 = $304,750 selling price subject
10. ($127,500 + $139,800 + $131,750) 3 = $399,050 3 = $133,017
124
CHAPTER
8 MARKET VALUE OF
INVESTMENT
PROPERTIES
hree main methods are used to calculate the

T value of investment properties: direct or income capitalization, discounted
cash flow, and gross income multiplier. A commercial appraisal typically values a
property based on income, replacement cost, and sales comparison.
CALCULATING MARKET VALUE USING INCOME (DIRECT)

CAPITALIZATION APPROACH
Using this approach, the amount of income a property produces is used to pro-
ject the current value of those revenues into the future. This method requires divid-
ing the annual net operating income (NOI) by the appropriate capitalization
(CAP) rate, also known as overall rate of return.
NOI CAP rate = estimated market value
125
Net Operating Income

To calculate NOI:
Step 1: Start by figuring out what the propertys effective gross income (EGI)
is by using the formula:
potential gross income (PGI) vacancy and collection loss (VCL)
= EGI
PGI is the income from property if fully rented and all rents are collected.
The formula is:
# units annual rent per unit = PGI
VCL is the total of uncollected rents either resulting from bad debts or
unrented units.
Step 2: Add up the operating expenses (OE)for example, management,
legal, and accounting fees, insurance, maintenance, supplies, taxes, utilities,
garbage, etc.
Step 3: Subtract the operating expenses from the EGI to arrive at the net
operating income:
EGI OE = NOI
Or, consolidate the steps, using the following equation:
PGI VCL OE = NOI
Net Operating Income Example:

To determine the NOI of a property where PGI = $102,000, VCL =
$27,500 and OE = $33,000:
$102,000 (PGI) $27,500 (VCL) $33,000 (OE) = $41,500 (NOI)
If you know any three parts of this equation, you can calculate the
fourth. For example, you can determine the PGI if you know that the
NOI is $163,560, VCL is $37,618, and OE is $29,800. The formula is:
NOI + VCL + OE = PGI
$163,560 + $37,618 + $29,800 = $230,978
You can also calculate the percentage of any part. Using the previous
example, what percentage of PGI is NOI?
$163,560 $230,978 = .708 = 71%
126
MARKET VALUE OF INVESTMENT PROPERTIES
PUT YOUR NET OPERATING INCOME CALCULATION SKILLS

TO WORK
1. The projected gross income of a building is $83,046. The property has a

vacancy, and the collection rate is 15%. Calculate the effective gross
income. The operating expense is $22,330.
2. What is the net operating income?
3. The NOI of an office building is $1,236,792. If the effective gross income

is $1,650,000, how much are the operating expenses?
4. What percentage of EGI does OE represent?
Capitalization
The capitalization rate is determined using the comparable approach and apply-
ing it to income-producing properties. To determine comparables, find proper-
ties similar to the subject property, determine their NOI and their sales price, and
divide.
CAP rate = NOI sales price
Tip
If there is more than one comparable, average the NOIs and sales prices, and
then divide.
CAP Rate Example:

If the comparable sold for $756,000 and its NOI was $82,720, its
CAP rate would be:
$82,720 (NOI) $756,000 (sales price) = .109 (CAP rate)
PUT YOUR CAPITALIZATION RATE CALCULATION SKILLS TO

WORK
5. Calculate the CAP rate if the comparable sold for $123,000 and its NOI
is $27,302.
127
Market Value
The hard work is done. As we said at the start:
NOI CAP rate = estimated market value
Market Value Example:

We wont redo the preliminaries here, but will just assume an NOI of
$16,300 and a CAP rate of .107.
$16,300 10.7% = $152,336.45
PUT YOUR MARKET VALUE CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
6. Determine the estimated value of a property with an NOI of $27,000 and

a CAP rate of 11.3%.
7. Assume two comparables, the first with a selling price of $232,900 and
NOI of $29,125, and the second with a selling price of $263,700 and NOI
of $31,725. All things being equal, what is the estimated market value of
the subject property around the corner if it has an NOI of $33,622?
CALCULATING MARKET VALUE USING GROSS RENT AND

INCOME MULTIPLIER APPROACH
The gross rent multiplier (GRM) is determined by dividing the selling price of a
property by the annual rental income, assuming full rental or anticipated rent. The
gross income multiplier (GIM) is essentially the same, except it will include other
income, if any, generated from the propertyfor example, income from a con-
cession in addition to rental income.
The formulas are:
GRM = selling price monthly or annual full/anticipated rent
GIM = selling price (monthly or annual full/anticipated rent +
full/anticipated other income)
Similarly, the formulas for estimated market value are:
estimated market value = monthly or annual full/anticipated rent
GRM
estimated market value = (monthly or annual full/anticipated
rent + annual/anticipated other income) GIM
This method is far rougher than the direct capitalization method, but can
provide a quick analysis. It becomes somewhat more accurate when used in con-
junction with comparable sales.
128
Tip
Neither calculation accounts for operating expenses, depreciation, and con-

dition of the property.
Gross Rent/Income Multiplier Example:

If the selling price of a small apartment building with annual gross
rents of $48,000 per year is $425,000, the GRM is:
$425,000 $48,000 = 8.85
Taking the same building and adding annual gross additional
income of $7,500, the GIM would be:
$425,000 ($48,000 + $7,500) =
$425,000 $55,500 = 7.658
To get the estimated market value of a property, where an average of
comparable GRMs is 8.25 and the anticipated rent of $72,000 is
based on comparables, perform the following calculation:
$72,000 8.25 = $594,000
PUT YOUR GROSS RENT/INCOME MULTIPLIER CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
8. On a property selling for $475,000, the gross income is $5,000 per month
and additional income is $575 per month. Calculate the monthly GRM
and the annual GIM.
9. If the comparables are:
Selling Price Annual Rental Annual GRM
$625,796 $69,445
$639,900 $79,000
$652,800 $83,000
Average GRM
Figure 8.1
determine the GRM for each and then calculate the average GRM.
10. Based on the GRM in the previous exercise, what should be the estimated
selling price of a subject property with an annual rent roll of $82,575?
129
CALCULATING MARKET VALUE USING DISCOUNTED CASH

FLOW APPROACH
Multiple years of NOI can be valued using a discounted cash flow analysis (DCF)
model. Probably the most difficult thing to understand about DCF is the idea of
discounted value or present value. Essentially, it means what tomorrows money
is worth in todays dollars. If you invest in a property today, how much would you
have to earn for that investment to be worthwhile?
Discounted Cash Flow Example:

Lets assume you received an income of $10,000 per year on your
investment. At the end of five years, assuming a discount rate of 5%,
you would have earned $43,294.87 in todays dollars.
End of Cash Flow by Discount Discounted

Year (1.05 1.05 for Value
each year)
1 $10,000 1.0500 $9,523.81
2 $10,000 1.1025 $9,070.29
3 $10,000 1.1576 $8,638.56
4 $10,000 1.2155 $8,227.07
5 $10,000 1.2763 $7,835.15
Total $43,294.88
Figure 8.2
To keep the numbers simple, lets assume you invested in a property

today, and at the end of five years, you not only received $10,000 per
year, but also realized a gain of $100,000.

Year (1.05 1.05 for Value
each year)
1 $10,000 1.0500 $9,523.81
2 $10,000 1.1025 $9,070.29
3 $10,000 1.1576 $8,638.56
4 $10,000 1.2155 $8,227.07
5 $110,000 1.2763 $86,186.63
Total $121,646.36
Figure 8.3
130
If the initial investment in the property was $75,000 and had been
put into T-bills at 5% (a very safe investment), compounded, the
money would have been worth $95,721.12 after five years.
End of Year Cash Compound Interest Value
1 $ 75,000 5% $78,750.00
2 $ 10,000 5% $82,687.50
3 $ 10,000 5% $86,821.88
4 $ 10,000 5% $91,162.97
5 $110,000 5% $95,721.12
Figure 8.4
Assuming there were no other costs associated with the property, the
profit in todays dollars could be calculated as:
current value cost
cost = rate of return
$121,646.35 $95,721.12 $25,925.23
$95,721.12 =
$95,721.12 = .271 or 27%
Tip
None of the valuation methods covered takes into account the condition of
the property and future expenses or the condition of comparables. For a gen-
eral discussion of depreciation and economic life of a property, see Chapter
7. For a discussion of the tax consequences, see Chapter 10.
131
Now, lets turn it around and assume an investor is calculating what

to pay for a property. The required rate of return is 9.5%, the CAP
rate is projected to be 9.7%, and the NOI for each year is projected as:
Year NOI + Discount Present

Reversion (Sale) Value
at End of Fifth at 9.5%
Year
1
1 $133,000 = .913242 $121,461.19
1.095
1
2 $135,625 2 = .834028 $113,115.05
(1.095)
1
3 $138,750 3 = .761672 $105,681.99
(1.095)
1
4 $142,500 4 = .695574 $99,119.30
(1.095)
1

5 $145,600 (1.0
95) 5 = .635227 $92,489.05
1

Reversion $1,501,030 (1.0
95) 5 = .635227 $953,494.78
value (year 5)
Total $1,485,361.36
In the fifth year, NOI is $145,600 and outgoing CAP rate is 9.7%.
Use the formula:
NOI CAP rate = reversion value
$145,600 .097 = $1,501,030.93 = $1,501,031 (rounded)
Based on these calculations, the present value of the property to the
investor would be $2,363,082.50.
Tip
Two methods for calculating discount were used; some differences will result
from rounding.
132
PUT YOUR DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW CALCULATION SKILLS

TO WORK
11. Assume an investor sold a property after three years for $125,000. If the
discount rate is 7.5%, how much would the investor have had to pay to
break even on the investment in present dollars?
Year (1.075 1.075 Value
for each year)
1 $125,000 1.075 $116,279.06
2 $125,000 1.156 $108,131.48
3 $125,000 1.242 $100,644.12
12. Lets say the investor had invested the amount derived in question 11, and
then sold the property for $175,000. Assuming no additional income or
costs, how much did the investor net in present dollars?
133
ANSWERS
1. $83,046 (PGI) 15% (VCL) = $12,456.90 (VCL in $)

$83,046 $12,456.90 = $70,589.10 EGI
2. $70,589.10 (EGI) $22,330 (OE) = $48,259.10 NOI
3. $1,650,000 (EGI) $1,236,792 (NOI) = $413,208 OE
4. $413,208 $1,650,000 = 25% GOI
5. $27,302 (NOI) $123,000 (selling price) = .222 CAP rate or (22.2%)
6. $27,000 .113 = $238,938.05 estimated property value
7. ($232,900 + $263,700) 2 = $248,300 (average selling price)

($29,125 + 31,725) 2 = $30,425 (average NOI)
$30,425 $248,300 = .1225 (CAP rate)
$33,622 .1225 = $274,465.31 estimated market value
8. $475,000 (selling price) $5,000 (monthly rent + other income) =

monthly GRM
$475,000 $5,000 = 95 monthly GRM
$475,000 ($5,575 12) (annual rent + annual other income) = annual GIM
$475,000 $66,900 = 7.1 annual GIM
9. Selling Price Annual Rate Annual GRM
$652,800 $69,495 9.00
$639,900 $79,000 8.10
$652,800 $83,000 7.86
Average GRM 8.32
9.00 + 8.10 + 7.86 = 24.96 3 = 8.32
134
10. $82,575 8.32 = $687,024 estimated selling price

Year Cash Flow Discount Discounted Value
1 $125,000 1.075 $116,279.06
2 $125,000 1.156 $108,038.02
3 $125,000 1.213 $103,050.28
11. $103,050.28
12. $175,000 (selling price) 1.213 (discount after three years) = $144,270.40
(present value)
$144,270.40 $103,050 = $41,220.40 profit
135
PART
IV INVESTING IN
REAL ESTATE
137
CHAPTER
9 EVALUATING
INVESTMENT
PROPERTY: INCOME
CALCULATING RENTS
There are several types of leases, and the calculations vary a bit.
percentage lease or retail lease: Property owner receives a percentage of gross

sales in excess of some negotiated amount plus a monthly minimum rent.
index lease: Rent escalates at specified timesfor example, every year or
every two years at a stipulated rate, or it may be tied to an index like the con-
sumer price index. This type of lease is often used in residential real estate.
Rents may be either:

gross rent: Landlord pays operating expenses, for example, heat and
electric.
net rent: Tenant pays expenses; the landlord nets a predictable amount each
month.
139
INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE
Tip
Annual office and warehouse rent is typically quoted in price per square foot.
Rent Example:
A retail lease calls for a monthly rent of $525 per month plus 2.5%
of gross sales over $240,000 per year. Gross sales were $325,000. To
calculate the total rent that year:
$525 (monthly rent) 12 months + .025($325,000 $240,000) =
annual rent
$6,300 + .025($85,000) =
$6,300 + $2,125 = $8,425 annual rent
To calculate the increase on a variable lease where the current
monthly rent is $1,750 and the rent is tied to an index that went
from 1.3 to 1.55, first determine the rate of increase.
1.55 1.3 = .25
.25 1.3 = .1923 or 19.23%
To get the new rent, multiply:
$1,750 .1923 = $336.53
$1,750 + $336.53 = $2,086.53
An easier way to derive this number is to multiply the original rent
by 119.23% (or 1.1923):
$1,750 1.1923 = $2,086.53
PUT YOUR RENT CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. An office rents for $15.75 per square foot; increases are tied to an index
that has increased from 1.75 to 1.95. The office space is 25,000 square feet.
What is the monthly rent?
2. Rents on apartments increase 7% each year. Assuming all rents increase

as of January 1, what is the total rental income after two years if the cur-
rent rents are three apartments at $975 per month, eight apartments at
$1,145 per month, and 12 apartments at $1,250 per month?
140
EVALUATING INVESTMENT PROPERTY: INCOME
CALCULATING PRETAX CASH FLOW

In appraising and valuing investment property in Chapter 8, you learned about
potential gross income (PGI), operating expenses (OE), and net operating income
(NOI). Effective gross income (EGI) is the income produced after vacancy and col-
lection losses (VCL) are subtracted and any other income is added. The formula is:
PGI VCL + other income = EGI
EGI OE = NOI
Pretax cash flow (PTCF) is the result of subtracting mortgage payments
(principal + interest) from NOI, or:
NOI mortgage payments = PTCF
Pretax Cash Flow Example:

Assume an investment of $505,505 representing 80% of the pur-
chase price in a residential building with 22 apartments. The mort-
gage is for 30 years at 6.95%; monthly payments are $3,342.84. The
building has 22 apartments: eight studios that each rent for $575 per
month, 8 one-bedroom apartments that each rent for $725 per
month, 4 two-bedroom apartments that each rent for $900 per
month, and 2 three-bedroom apartments that each rent for $1,225
per month. Collection losses are 7.5%, and operating expenses are
estimated at 42.5% of EGI.
S TEP 1: Compute PGI.
($575 8) + ($725 8) + ($900 4) + ($1,225 2) =
$4,600 + $5,800 + $3,600 + $2,450 = $16,450
$16,450 12 = $197,400
Step 2: Calculate VCL.
$197,400 .075 = $14,805
Step 3: EGI
$197,400 $14,805 = $182,595
Step 4: OE
$182,595 .425 = $77,602.88
Step 5: NOI
$182,595 $77,602.88 = $104,992.13
Step 6: Annual mortgage payment
$3,342.84 12 = $40,114.08
Step 7: PTCF
$104,992.13 $40,114.08 = $64,878.05
141
PUT YOUR PRETAX CASH FLOW CALCULATION SKILLS TO

WORK
Assume an investment of $522,600 in a residential building with ten apartments.
There is an 80% ($435,000), 30-year mortgage at 7.2% and monthly payments of
$2,952.73. The 12 apartments include four studios that each rent for $425 per
month, four 1-bedroom apartments that each rent for $600 per month, and four
2-bedroom apartments that each rent for $775 per month. Collection losses are
9%, and operating expenses are estimated at 40% of EGI.
3. What is the PGI?
4. What is the VCL?
5. What is the EGI?
6. What is the OE?
7. What is the NOI?
8. What is the annual mortgage payment?
9. What is the PTCF?
CALCULATING RATES OF RETURN

There are many measures investors use to evaluate an investment. Among the most
common are return on investment (ROI), return on equity (ROE) (also called the
equity dividend rate), debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), and operating expense
ratio (OER).
Note: Throughout this section, well be referring to the PTCF example to cal-
culate rates of return.
Return on Investment
This is a calculation of how much the investor earns on the total investment.
NOI purchase price = ROI
The higher the number, the better the investment is.
142
ROI Example:
The purchase price was:
$119,671.87 $505,505 = .23674 = 23.7%
Return on Equity/Cash-on-Cash Return

Equity is the amount of actual money the investor has in the property. The for-
mula is:
PTCF equity = ROE
ROE Example:
Well assume here that the investor is evaluating the property in the
earlier example; therefore, the equity is the down payment and the
PTCF is for the projected first year.
The property is selling for $505,505, and the mortgage will be 80%;
therefore, the investors equity is:
$505,505 .20 = $101,101
PCTF was $79,557.79; therefore, to determine ROE:
$79,557.79 $101,101 = .78691 = 79%
Debt Service Coverage Ratio

The debt service coverage ratio is the correlation of the NOI to the sum of its
annual mortgage payments (annual debt service):
NOI annual mortgage payment = DSCR
Debt Service Coverage Ratio Example:

The annual mortgage payment was $40,114.08, and the NOI was
$119,671.87.
$119,671.87 $40,114.08 = 2.9833 = 298%
Operating Expense
This, of course, measures cost against the property. The formula here is:
OE EGI = operating expense ratio
Unlike the other ratios, the lower the number, the better the investment is.
Operating Expense Example:

The OE in our example is $88,453.13, and the EGI is $208,125.
$88,453.13 $208,125 = .425 = 42.5%
143
All of the ratios were extremely good. Before investing in this property, the
investor should probably do some digging to determine whether there is some
underlying problem that will require a large investment, or whether there is some
other reason for the price being so low in light of the income and level expenses
shown. Of course, just maybe, the investor really did find a bargain!
PUT YOUR RATES OF RETURN CALCULATION SKILLS TO

WORK
Using the answers to questions 2 through 9 (reminder: selling price was
$435,000 with an 80% mortgage, and monthly payments of $2,952.73), calcu-
late the following:
10. ROI
11. ROE
12. DSCR
13. OER
144
ANSWERS
1. 1.95 1.75 = .2
.2 1.75 = .1143 (rounded) or 11.43%
$15.75 1.1143 = $17.55
$17.55 25,000 sq. ft. = $438,750 12 = $36,562.50 monthly rent
2. (3 $975) + (8 $1,145) + (12 $1,250) =

$2,925 + $9,160 + $15,000 = $27,085 (annual rent all apartments)
$27,085 1.07 = $28,980.95 first year
$28,981 1.07 = $31,009.67 second year
3. [($425 4) + ($600 4) + ($775 4)] 12 =

($1,700 + $2,400 + $3,100) 12 =
$7,200 12 = $86,400 PGI
4. $86,400 .09 = $7,776 VCL
5. $86,400 $7,776 = $78,624 EGI
6. $78,624 .40 = $31,449.60 (rounded) OE
7. $78,624 $31,449.60 = $47,174.40 NOI
8. $2,952.73 12 = $35,432.76 annual mortgage payment
9. $47,174.40 $35,432.76 = $11,741.64 PTCF
10. $47,174.40 (NOI) $435,000 = .10845 = 10.8% ROI
11. $435,000 .20 = $87,000 (down payment/equity)

$11,741.40 (PTCF) $87,000 = .1350 = 13.5% ROE
12. $47,174.40 (NOI) $35,432.76 = 1.3314 = 133% DSCR
13. $31,449.60 $78,624 = .4 = 40% OER
145
CHAPTER
10 EVALUATING
INVESTMENT
PROPERTY:
APPRECIATION AND
DEPRECIATION
CALCULATING DEPRECIATION
Depreciation is the accounting and tax method for considering the cost of wear-
and-tear on an asset. Only investment properties qualify for depreciation deduc-
tions. Although the property may be increasing in value, IRS requires owners to
systematically depreciate the property over its projected useful life span. Real
estate depreciation also applies to capital improvements to the building, land-
scaping, pavements, and so on; however, land may not be depreciated. Neither may
everyday repairs and operating costs.
The amount of depreciation depends on the investors capital investment,
with some portion, if necessary, deducted for the value of the land, which is not
depreciable. In addition, all other capital investments may also be depreciated.
Depreciable improvements are any work that contributes to the propertys value
or extends the propertys useful life.
147
According to IRS rules, real estate depreciation starts when the property goes
into servicethat is, it must be available for occupancy or tenancy; it does not have
to be occupied for depreciation to begin. In addition, depreciation does not nec-
essarily begin when the property is purchased; for example, an individual investor
may own a home, decide to move to another state, and instead of selling the home,
decide to rent it. The property would then be depreciable.
Investment real estate that the taxpayer has purchased and placed into ser-
vice after January 1, 1987, uses the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System
(MACRS) to calculate depreciation. This system is used in this book to illustrate
depreciation.
Residential real estate includes apartment buildings, condominium units,
cooperative units, and houses rented as residences for tenants, but not hotels,
resorts, etc. Residential real estate is depreciated over 27.5 years using the straight-
line method (see Chapter 7). All other real estate is depreciated using the straight-
line method over 39 years, and the formula is:
depreciable basis (capital investment land) 27.5 or 39 years =
annual depreciation allowance
Tip
Mixed-use propertiesthat is, properties in which the owner resides (nor-

mally nondepreciable) or that contain business or rental portions
(depreciable)may be depreciated based on the prorated value of the busi-
ness or rental portions. To qualify for the more beneficial residential category,
the mixed-use building must receive at least 80% of its gross rental income
from the residential dwelling units.
Depreciation Example:
First, determine the portion of the purchase price that can be allo-
cated to the land; in this example, lets say 15% of the $445,000 pur-
chase price was for purchase of land.
$445,000 .85 = $378,250 depreciable basis
If the property is residential, the calculation is:
$378,250 27.5 = $13,754.55 annual depreciation
If the property is commercial, the calculation is:
$378,250 39 = $9,698.72 annual depreciation
148
EVALUATING INVESTMENT PROPERTY: APPRECIATION AND DEPRECIATION
Tip
In actually determining depreciation for tax purposes, the month the prop-
erty was put into use affects the amount of taxes an investor will pay, as do
other regulations. The IRS provides tables for determining depreciation
deductions on investment real estate at its website, www.irs.gov. In all of the
examples in this book, a January date of use and ownership of the property
for more than one year are assumed.
PUT YOUR DEPRECIATION CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK
1. What is the depreciation allowance for a commercial property purchased

for $975,000 if the land is valued at $102,500?
2. An owner resides in 20% of an apartment building purchased for $619,900;

the land is valued at $82,500. What is the owners depreciable basis?
Depreciation and Taxable Income

The annual depreciation is deductible from the net income on the property and,
therefore, works to reduce other taxesfor example, federal, state, and local taxes.
Tip
In addition to depreciation, an investor will usually claim the interest por-

tion of the monthly mortgage payment as a tax deduction.
Depreciation and Taxable Income Example:

Assume:
net operating income $65,000.00
interest ($28,368.75)
depreciation ($9,698.72)
taxable income $26,932.53
149
PUT YOUR DEPRECIATION AND TAX CALCULATION SKILLS

TO WORK
3. If a residential building is purchased for $833,333 exclusive of land,

annual interest payments are $40,800, and net operating income is
$109,025, how much is the taxable income?
CALCULATING AFTER-TAX INCOME FROM SALE

In the previous examples, the amount of money received on reversion or sale of
the property after some projected period is included in our calculations. Not
included are any allowance for taxes, selling expenses, and so on that may be due.
Two types of taxes are owed if an investor makes money on the sale of
property; the first is a tax on the capital gain, and the second is a tax on any gain
that may have resulted from excess depreciationgain is greater than the accu-
mulated tax depreciation previously deducted from tax payments. The current
capital gains tax rate is 15%, and on recapture of depreciation it is 25%.
To calculate capital gains, the formula is:
original purchase price depreciation taken = adjusted basis
sale price adjusted basis selling expenses (commissions, transfer
taxes, etc.) = capital gain
This is taxed by IRS and may be subject to state and local taxes as well.
To determine excess gain, the formula is:
capital gain (selling price purchase price) = excess gain
Tip
Internal Revenue Code 1031: No gain or loss shall be recognized on the

exchange of property held for productive use in a trade or business or for
investment if such property is exchanged solely for property of like-kind
which is to be held either for productive use in a trade or business or for
investment.
How well did the investor do after taxes? For that, deduct the remaining
mortgage balance, selling expenses, and the taxes owed from the selling price. (In
this chapter, because state and local taxes vary, only federal taxes are used to illus-
trate the examples and exercises.) The formula is:
selling price mortgage balance selling expenses taxes owed =
after-tax income
150
EVALUATING INVESTMENT PROPERTY: APPRECIATION AND DEPRECIATION
After-Tax Income from Sale Example:

An investor purchases an office building for $838,000. The land is
valued at $167,000. After seven years, the property sold for
$1,675,000. The selling expenses were $83,750, and the mortgage
balance is $601,784.52
STEP 1: Calculate depreciation for seven years on a commercial
building.
$838,000 $167,000 39 =
$671,000 39 7 =
$17,205.13 7 = $120,435.91 depreciation taken
STEP 2: Calculate adjusted basis.
$838,000 $120,435.91 = $717,564.09 adjusted basis
STEP 3: Calculate capital gain.
$1,675,000 $717,564.09 $83,750 = $873,686 capital gain
$873,686 .15 = $131,052.90 capital gains taxes owed
STEP 4: Calculate excess gain.
$873,686 ($1,675,000 $838,000) =
$873,000 $837,000 = $36,000 excess gain
$36,000 .25 = $9,000
STEP 5: Calculate after-tax cash income.
$1,675,000 $601,784.52 $83,750 $140,052.90 = $849,412.58
after-tax income
PUT YOUR AFTER-TAX INCOME FROM SALE CALCULATION

SKILLS TO WORK
A residential building was purchased for $612,000 five years ago. The land was eval-
uated at $122,400 at time of purchase. The property just sold for $744,591.56. Sell-
ing expenses are $44,675.49, and the balance owed on the mortgage is $467,275.49.
151
ANSWERS
1. $975,000 (purchase price) $102,500 (cost of land) = $872,500 (depre-

ciable basis)
$872,500 39 = $22,371.79 annual depreciation
2. $619,900 (purchase price) $82,500 = $537,400

$537,400 80% = $429,920 (depreciable basis)
$429,920 27.5 = $15,633.45 depreciable basis
3. $833,333 (depreciable basis; price did not include land) 27.5 =

$30,303.02 (depreciation)
$109,025 (net operating income) $40,800 (interest) $30,303.02 =
$37,921.98 taxable income
4. [$612,000 (purchase price) $122,400 (value of land)] 27.5 =

$489,600 27.5 5 = $89,018.18 depreciation taken
5. $612,000 (original purchase price) $124,625.48 (depreciation taken) =

$487,374.52 adjusted basis
6. $744,591.56 (selling price) $487,374.52 (adjusted basis) $44,675.49

(selling expense) = $212,541.55 (capital gain)
$212,541.55 .15 = $31,881.23 capital gains tax
7. $212,541.55 (capital gain) [$744,591.56 (selling price) $612,000 (pur-

chase price)]
$212,541.55 $132,591,56 = $79,949.99 excess gain
$79,949.99 .25 = $19,987.50 excess gain tax
8. $744,591.56 (selling price) $467,275.49 (mortgage balance) $44,675.49

(selling expenses) $31,881.23 $19,987.48 (taxes owed) = $180,771.87
after-tax income
152
PART
V CLOSING
THE SALE
153
CHAPTER
11 CALCULATING
CLOSING COSTS
he closing statement is, in effect, a balance

T sheet for the sale of the property. It summarizes all the amounts credited
and debited to the buyer and seller. The list of items on a closing statement seems
to go on forever. Here is a summary of the most common:
attorney (lawyer) fees, paid by either or both parties

transfer taxes paid by either or both parties
survey fee paid by either party
brokers commissions, usually paid by the seller, may be paid by the buyer.
Commissions may be split between two brokers if the listing agent and
the selling agent are from different real estate companies.
mortgage application fees, paid by the buyer to the lender to cover the costs
of processing their loan application. These fees may have been paid prior to
the closing.
points, paid by either the buyer or the seller to the lender
155
CLOSING THE SALE
appraisal fees, paid by the buyer or the seller, depending on the market
inspection fees, usually paid by the buyer
home warranties, negotiable
title and escrow fees, paid by either party, or both, according to the contract
prepaid property insurance, paid by the buyer
Settlement statements may vary, but in general they look something like and
contain information similar to Figure 11.1. Weve discussed in earlier chapters how
to calculate most of these charges. In this chapter, well examine how to calculate
pro rata charges, commissions, and title charges.
Figure 11.1
156
CALCULATING CLOSING COSTS
Figure 11.1 (continued)
157
CLOSING THE SALE
Figure 11.1 (continued)
CALCULATING PRO RATA CHARGES AND CREDITS

At closing, there are a number of costs that are generally shared between buyer and
seller on a pro rata basis; among them are:
Property taxes: Most (but not all) jurisdictions assess taxes on real property,
which are usually payable at specified dates annually, biannually, or
quarterly.
Homeowners association dues, if applicable. Dues assessed against each
property owner are prorated at closing.
Interest on the monthly mortgage payment is calculated and payable on a
specified day each month.
Rental income received by the seller is prorated as of the close of the escrow
date for the remaining portion of the rental period, usually a month.
Tip
As a rule, property taxes are paid in arrears; that is, they are paid at the end
of the tax period rather than at the beginning. Therefore, the seller must reim-
burse the buyer for the period the seller owned the property.
158
Tip
Mortgage payments are generally made monthly and, as a rule, are paid at the
first of the month. If the sellers mortgage is being assumed by the buyer, the
seller must reimburse the buyer for the time the seller had use of the prop-
erty. More often than not, the mortgage is not being assumed, and therefore,
the buyer will have to pay the lender any interest owed to the closing date. This
is in addition to repaying the unpaid balance due on the mortgage.
Security deposits are transferred in full to the new owner.
Oil, gas, and water bills:

No matter what the charge is for, before you begin the calculation, ask:
How many months has the seller paid for?
How many months has the seller used?
How many months should the seller be reimbursed for?
How many months will the buyer use?
How many months has the buyer paid for?
How many months should the buyer reimburse the seller for?
Tip
Rent is usually paid in advance; as of the date of closing, the remaining por-
tion of the rental income belongs to the buyer.
365-Day Approach
Identify the number of calendar days covered by the bill, and divide the cost by
the number of days to get the daily amount. Then, multiply the daily amount by
the number of days up to and including the day of closing.
Tip
Add a day in February if it is a leap year.
159
CLOSING THE SALE
This is done using the formula:

total $ amount 365 = daily $ amount
daily $ amount number of days = prorated $ amount
which can be combined as follows:
(number of days 365) yearly $ amount =
365-Day Example:
For example, assume the estimated property taxes on a home are
$3,200, and that the taxes are paid annually on January 1 for the pre-
ceding year. The closing is on August 18, and the seller will be
responsible for the taxes through August 17. To determine how
much the seller will have to reimburse the buyer:
$3,200 365 =
$8.7671233 229 days (January 1August 17) = $2,007.67
(rounded)
Using the combined method, the equation would look like
(229 365) $3,200 = .06273972 $3,200 = $2,007.67
(rounded)
Tip
Taxes are generally paid in arrears, and custom varies as to how money is pro-
rated when the bill is only an estimate.
PUT YOUR 365-DAY CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

Assuming the closing is on June 17, property taxes paid in arrears annually are
$8,237. The closing date is the buyers responsibility.
1. For how many days does the seller owe the buyer?
4. Using the previous 365-day example (taxes = $3,200, closing date May 17,
seller responsible through May 16), assume that payment is made in two
equal installments on March 15 for the period November 1 (of the pre-
ceding year)April 30 and September 15 for the period May 1October
31. How much is the sellers share?
160
5. Assume there is a building with a rent roll of $27,650 per month, collected
on the 1st. Closing is on July 12. The seller retains the income for day of
closing. How much does the seller have to reimburse the buyer?
6. Water bills are averaging $250 per quarter and are paid in advance: Jan-
uary 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The closing is November 23rd. How
much will the buyer need to reimburse the seller? The seller will pay for
the day of closing.
30-Day Month Method

This method is less accurate, but simpler to use. The assumption is that each
month has 30 days, including February. Using this method, the formula becomes:
total $ amount 30 = daily $ amount
daily $ amount number of days = prorated $ amount
When determining an annual rate, substitute 360 (number of days in year)
to get the daily rate.
30-Day Example:
Assume a building with a rent roll of $2,765 per month collected on
the 1st. Closing is on July 12. The seller retains the income for the day
of closing. How much does the seller have to reimburse the buyer?
($2,765 30) 18 =
$92.166666 18 = $1,659
PUT YOUR 30-DAY CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

Assuming the closing is on June 17, property taxes paid in arrears annually are
$8,237. The closing date is the buyers responsibility.
7. For how many days does the seller owe the buyer?
10. Yearly taxes are $17,225 on a small office building. They are paid in
arrears quarterly on the last day of the month. The closing date is Febru-
ary 28. This is a leap year. Using the 30-day method, how much does the
seller owe the buyer if the seller is responsible for the closing date?
161
CLOSING THE SALE
Calculating Commissions
Of these, the only one that requires calculation is the brokers commission. Bro-
kers commissions vary from market to market and deal to deal. Sometimes com-
missions must be dividedusually 5050 between listing and selling offices,
which often are different firms; then they are further divided to pay the sales asso-
ciate(s). These formulas are straightforward.
selling price commission rate = total commission paid
total commission sales associates commission rate = sales associ-
ates commission
Tip
If two or more firms split the commission, after calculating the total com-
mission, determine the brokerage firms commission rate.
Total commission paid divided by brokerage firms commission rate
equals brokerage firms commission, and then calculate the sales associates
commission based on each firms receipts.
Things get more complicated whenas is commonthe sales associates

commission is based on achieving certain total sales plateaus; such as 50% on the
first $400,000, 55% from $400,001$600,000, and so on. Sometimes, brokers will
agree to a graduated commission structure depending on the price at which the
property is soldfor example, 5% on the first 500,000, 6% on the next $100,000,
and 7% on everything over $601,000.
To calculate, these graduated payments the formula is:
selling price 5% (first increment) + 6% of (second increment)
= total of first increment + 7% (balance) = total commission
Commission Example:
The brokers commission is 6% of the selling price, $363,500; the
sales associates commission is at 52.5%.
$363,500 .06 = $21,810 total commission
$21,810 .525 = $11,450.25 sales associates commission
If the commission had been split with another firm 5050:
$21,810 .5 = $10,905 shared commission
$10,905 .525 = $5,725.13 (rounded) sales associates
commission
Assume an office building sold for $1,000,000. The commission
structure, based on the selling price, is 5% up to $500,000, 6% on
162
the next $250,000, and 7% on the remainder. Because the building

sold for $1,000,000, the first step is to determine how much is paid
at each rate.
$1,000,000 sales price $500,000 @ 5% $250,000 @ 6% =
$250,000 remainder @ 7%
Therefore, the formula would look like this:
($500,000 .05) + ($250,000 .06) + ($250,000 .07) = total
commission
$25,000 + $15,000 + $17,500 = $57,500
PUT YOUR COMMISSION CALCULATION SKILLS TO WORK

A home is listed at $495,000 and sells for $472,500. Calculate:
11. the total commission at 6%
12. the commission for each brokerage if split 5050% between two broker-
age agencies
13. the listing sales associates commission at 50%
14. the selling sales associates commission at 53.5%
15. A seller wants to net $75,000 after commission. The mortgage balance is
$200,000. The agents commission is 6%. Assuming no other costs, how
much would the property have to sell for to achieve this goal?
163
CLOSING THE SALE
CALCULATING OTHER SETTLEMENT CHARGES

Many fees vary from state to state. In some states, the fees are set by law; in oth-
ers, they are not. In many states, each title company sets its own rates, which are
filed with the state insurance commissioner, and must be followed. In other
states, there is a promulgated rate, which is the minimum amount the title com-
pany is allowed to charge.
According to Quicken Loans (http://www.quickenloans.com/mortgage-news/
article/630.html) as of June 2007, the following is a rough estimate of average costs:
appraisal: up to $450
credit report: up to $30
closing fee: up to $400
title company title search or exam fee: varies greatly
survey fee: up to $400
flood determination or life of loan coverage: up to $20
courier fee: up to $30
lenders policy title insurance: up to $875
owners policy title insurance: up to $875
homeowners insurance: $300 and up
buyers attorney fee (not required in all states): $400 and up
lenders attorney fee (not required in all states): $150 and up
escrow deposit for property taxes and mortgage insurance: varies widely
transfer taxes: varies widely by state and municipality
recording fees: varies widely depending on municipality
processing fee: up to $1,000
underwriting fee: up to $795
164
ANSWERS
1. 31 (January) + 28 (February) + 31 (March) + 30 (April) + 31 (May) + 16

(June) = 167 days
3. $22.567123 167 = $3,768.71 owed to buyer (rounded)
4. $8.7671232 75 days (August 17October 31) = $657.53 (rounded)
5. ($27,650 31) = $891.93 19 days = $16,946.67 reimbursed to buyer
6. ($250 92) 54 = 2.7173913 54 = $146.74 reimbursed to seller (rounded)
7. 5 months at 30 days + 16 days in June = 166 days
8. $8,237 360 = $22.880556 average cost to per day
9. $3,798.17 owed to buyer (rounded)
10. $17,225 360 = $47.847222

30 (January) + 30 (February) = 60 days
$47.847222 60 = $2,870.83 owed to buyer (rounded)
11. $472,500 .06 = $28,350 total commission
12. $28,350 .5 = $14,175 commission if split 5050
13. $14,175 .5 = $7,087.50 first sales associates commission
14. $14,175 .535 = $7,583.63 (rounded) the second sales associates com-
mission at 53.5%

$200,000 (mortgage balance) + $75,000 (to seller) = $275,000
$275,000 .94 = $292,553.19
165
POSTTEST
This test follows the same format as the

pretest you took at the beginning of this book.
Again, read each question carefully before
you answer it (use scratch paper for your cal-
culations). The answers, including how the
problem was calculated, appear at the end of
the chapter. If you still have difficulty with a
particular type of problem, review the chap-
ter in which that topic is covered.
167
POSTTEST
1. In dollars, what is the maximum PITI someone with an income of $85,000

and long-term debt of $7,500 could qualify for if applying for a conven-
tional mortgage?
2. The buyer is putting 15% down, the PMI is .0075%, and the selling price
of the house is $247,500. Calculate the amount of cash the buyer will need.
3. On a $132,000 loan, if the interest rate is 7.8%, what are the annual
payments?
4. Lets assume you have a fixed-rate 15-year mortgage and your interest rate
is 7.75%. In the first six months of the year, you paid $6,200 interest. How
5. Find the term of a $450,000 loan where the rate of interest was 8.75% and
$42,000 has been paid.
6. If an FHA lender will lend a borrower $230,000 for a rate of 6.8% on a 30-
year fixed-rate mortgage, the conventional rate is 7.75%. How many
points must the conventional lender charge to meet the FHA rate?
7. AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE:
84 $971.80 6.5 $ 138,796.17
85
The monthly payment on the mortgage is $971.80. At the end of seven

years, the balance due is $138,796.17. Calculate the balance due after
payment 85.
8. Find the monthly payment on a $399,000, 25-year mortgage, where the

loan constant is .0070208.
9. Calculate the down payment of a home if the purchase price is $372,500

and the LTV is 77.3.
168
POSTTEST
10. The taxes on a farm in Montgomery Township are 23 mills per $1 of

assessed valuation for the town and 9 mills for the school district. Assessed
valuation is $99,950. Calculate the total taxes due.
11. The state offers a homeowners exemption of $17,500; the homes assessed
value is $243,250. The total tax rate is 12.5 mills. Calculate the total prop-
erty tax.

mortgage. Calculate the monthly charge for PMI. Assuming no hazard
insurance is required, what is the monthly payment?
13. A 3,400-square-foot condo is listed at $1,450,000. How much per square

foot is it selling for?
14. A corner property is shaped like a triangle. The base measures 350 yards,
the sides measure 200 yards each. Calculate the square footage and con-
vert it into acres.
15. Replacement costs on a home are estimated as follows: kitchen and bath-
rooms, 20' 12' at $125/square foot; remaining living space, 37' 82' at
$85/square foot; an attached garage, 19' 21' at $37.50/square foot; and
finished walkout basement, 27' 62' at $55/square foot. Calculate the total
replacement cost.
16. If a building has an annual depreciation rate of 2.75%, what is its economic
life?
17. If the building in question 16 is 22 years old, what is its accrued rate of
depreciation?
18. If a dwellings economic life is 110 years, what is its annual accrued depre-
ciation rate?
19. If the replacement value of the dwelling in question 18 is $633,500, and

it is 13 years old, what is its accrued depreciation expressed in dollars?
20. The NOI of an apartment complex is $2,362,000. If the gross operating

income is $3,000,000, how much are the operating expenses?
169
POSTTEST
21. What percentage of GOI does that represent?
22. Determine the property value of a property with an NOI of $108,000 and
a CAP rate of .119.
23. Assume two comparables, the first with a selling price of $673,050 and
NOI of $72,100, and the second with a selling price of $663,700 and NOI
of $68,725. All things being equal, what is the estimated market value of
the property next door if it has an NOI of $69,900?
24. Selling Price Annual Rental Annual GRM
$697,500 $74,035
$702,300 $85,750
$687,600 $71,690
Average GRM
Using these comparables, determine the GRM for each and then calcu-
late the average GRM.
25. Based on the GRM in question 24, what should the estimated selling price
of a subject property with a rent roll of $78,975 be?
26. Rents on apartments increase 6.5% each year. Assuming all rents increase
as of January 1, what is the total rental income after two years if the cur-
rent rents are three apartments at $800 per month, eight apartments at
$1,150 per month, and 12 apartments at $1,325 per month?
Assume an investment of $1,435,000 in a residential building with ten apartments.

There is an 80%, 30-year mortgage at 7.2% and monthly payments of $9,740.61.
The annual PGI is $442,400; VCL is $55,300; EGI is $387,100; OE is $154,840; NOI
is $232,260; yearly mortgage is $116,887.32; BCTF is $115,372.68.
27. Calculate ROI.
28. Calculate ROE.
170
POSTTEST
29. Calculate DSC.
30. Calculate OER.
31. What is the depreciation allowance for a commercial property purchased

for $625,000 if the land is valued at $85,500?
32. If a residential building is purchased for $977,779 exclusive of land,

annual interest payments are $63,715, and net operating income is
$163,025, how much is the taxable income?
A commercial building was purchased for $4,300,000 sixteen years ago. The land
was evaluated at $125,000 at time of purchase. The property just sold for
$53,000,000. Selling expenses are $4,225,000 and the balance owed on the mort-
gage is $3,017,634.27.
A closing is held on September 17, and property taxes paid in arrears annually are
$27,420. The closing date is the buyers responsibility. Using the 365-day method,
calculate:
38. How many days does the seller owe the buyer?
171
POSTTEST
Using the 365-day method, assume annual taxes of $4,325. Payment is made in
quarterly installments on March 15 for the period November 1 (of the preceding
year)January 31; June 15 for February 1April 30; September 15, for May 1July
31; and September 15 for August 1October 31. Closing date is July 24, and the
seller is responsible through July 23.
41. How many days does the seller owe the buyer?
44. An apartment building with a rent roll of $62,650 per month, collected
on the 1st, is closing on January 18. The seller retains the income for day
of closing. How much does the seller have to reimburse the buyer?
45. Water and sewer bills are averaging $327 per quarter and are paid in
advance on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The closing is April
6. How much will the buyer need to reimburse the seller? The buyer will
pay for the day of closing.
A home sells for $1,637,500. Calculate the following:
46. the total commission, if the first $500,000 is at 5.5%, the second $500,000
is at 6%, and the balance is 6.5%
47. the commission, if split 5050 between two brokerage agencies
48. the first sales associates commission, at 50% on the first $25,000 and
52.5% on the balance
49. the second sales associates commission at 52.5%
50. the total amount due to seller
172
POSTTEST
ANSWERS
1. $85,000 (annual income) 12 = $7,083.33 (monthly income)

$7,500 (annual long-term debt) 12 = $625 (monthly debt)
$7,083.33 .28 = $1,983.33
($7,083.33 .36) $625 =
$2,550 $625 = $1,925 (the lower of the two qualifiers)
2. $247,500 (selling price) .15 = $37,125 (down payment)

$247,500 $37,125 = $210,375 (mortgage)
$210,375 .0075 = $1,578 (PMI)
$1,578 + $37,125 = $38,703 cash
3. I = P ($132,000) R (7.8%) T (1 year)

$132,000 7.8% 1 =
$132,000 .078 1 =
$10,296 annual payments
I ($6,200)
4. P =
R (7.75%) T (6 months)
6,200
=
7.75% .5
= $6,200 (.0775 .5)

= $6,200 .03875
= $160,000 borrowed
I ($42,000)
5. T =
P ($450,000) R (8.75%)
$42,000
=
$450,000 .0875
= $42,000 ($450,000 .0875)

= $42,000 $39,375 = 1.067
= 1 year 24 days (365 .06)
6. 7.75% 6.8% = .95%

= .95 discount points = 1 point
173
POSTTEST
7. $138,796.17 .065 12 = $751.81 (interest)

$971.80 $751.81= $219.99 (toward principal)
$138,796.17 $219.99= $138,576.18 balance due
8. $399,000 .0070208 = $2,801.299 = $2,801.30 monthly payment (rounded)
9. $372,500 (purchase price) 77.3% (LTV) = (down payment)

$372,500 .773 = $481,888.74 down payment
10. 23 mills = .023

9 mills = .009
.023 + .009 = .032
$99,950 (assessed value) .032 = $3,198.40 taxes due
11. $243,250 (assessed value) $17,500 (homestead exemption) = $225,750

(taxable value)
12.5 mills = .0125
$225,750 .0125 = $2,821.88 property tax (rounded)
12. 226,000 (total mortgage) .005 (annual PMI) = $113.00 (annual PMI)
$1,130 (PMI) 12 = $94.17 (monthly PMI)
13. $1,450,000 3,400 square feet = $426.47 per square foot
14. (350 yards 200 yards) 2 = 35,000 square yards

35,000 square yards 9 = 315,000 square feet
315,000 square feet 43,560 = 7.23 acres
15. 20' 12' = 240 square feet $125 = $30,000

37' 82' = 3,034 square feet $85 = $257,890
19' 21' = 399 square feet $37.50 = $14,962.50
27' 62' = 1,674 square feet $55 = $92,070
$30,000 + $257,890 + $14,962.50 + $92,070 = $394,922.50 replacement cost
16. 100% 2.75% annual depreciation rate = 36.36 years of economic life
17. 22 years 2.75% = 60.5% accrued depreciation
174
POSTTEST
18. 100% 110 (years of economic life) = 0.9% annual depreciation rate
19. 0.9% annual depreciation rate 13 years = 11.7% accrued depreciation

$633,000 11.7% = $74,061 accrued depreciation
20. $3,000,000 (EGI) $2,362,000 (NOI) = $638,000 OE
21. $638,000 $3,000,000 = 21.3% GOI
22. $108,000 .119 = $907,563.03 estimated property value
23. ($673,050 + $663,700) 2 = $668,375 (average selling price)

($72,100 + 68,725) 2 = $70,412.50 (average NOI)
$70,412.50 $668,375 = .105 (CAP rate)
$69,900 .105 = $665,714.28 estimated market value
24. Selling Price Annual Rental = Annual GRM
$697,500 $74,035 9.42
$702,300 $85,750 8.19
$687,600 $71,690 9.59
Average GRM 9.06
(9.42 + 8.19 + 9.59) 3 = 9.07 annual GRM
25. $78,975 9.06 = $715,513.50 estimated selling price
26. (3 $800) + (8 $1,150) + (12 $1,325) =

$2,400 + $9,200 + $15,900 = $27,500 (annual rent for all apartments)
$27,500 .065 = $1,787.50 (1st year)
$1,787.50 + $27,500 = $29,287.50
$29,287.50 .065 = $1,903.69
$1,903.69 + $29,287.50 = $31,191.19 total rental income after two years
27. $232,260 (NOI) $1,435,000 = .16185 = 16.2% ROI
28. $1,435,000 .20 = $287,000 (down payment/equity)

$115,372.68 (BTCF) $287,000 = .40200 = 40.2% ROE
175
POSTTEST
29. $232,260 (NOI) $116,887.32= 1.9870 = 199% DSC
30. $154,840 $387,100 = .4 = 40% OER
31. $625,000 (purchase price) $85,500 (cost of land) = $539,500 (depre-

ciable basis)
$539,500 39 = $13,833 annual depreciation
32. $977,779 (depreciable basis; price did not include land) 27.5 =
$35,555.60 (depreciation)
$163,025 (net operating income) $63,715 (interest) $35,555.60 =
$63,754.40 taxable income
33. $4,300,000 (purchase price) $125,000 (value of land) 39 =

$4,175,000 39 16 = $107,051.28
$107,051.28 16 = $1,712,820.40 depreciation taken
34. $4,300,000 (original purchase price) $1,712,820.40 (depreciation taken)

= $2,587,179.60 adjusted basis
35. $53,000,000 (selling price) $2,587,179.60 (adjusted basis) $4,225,000

(selling expense) = $46,187,820.40 (capital gain)
$46,187,820.40 .15 = $6,928,173.06 capital gains tax
36. $46,187,821 (capital gain) [$53,000,000 (selling price) $4,300,000

(purchase price)] =
$46,187,820.40 $48,700,000 = $4,300,000 (excess gain)
$4,300,000 .25 = $1,075,000 excess gains tax
37. $53,000,000 (selling price) $3,017,634.27 (mortgage balance)

$4,225,000 (selling expenses) $6,928,173.10 1,075,000 (taxes owed) =
$37,754,192.63 after-tax income
38. 31 (January) + 28 (February) + 31 (March) + 30 (April) + 31 (May) + 30

(June) + 31 (July) + 31 (August) + 16 (September) = 259 days
40. $75.830135 259 = $19,640 owed to buyer
176
POSTTEST
41. 31 (May) + 30 (June) + 23 (July) = 84 days
42. $4,325 365 = $11.85 cost per day
43. 11.849315 84 = $995.34 owed to buyer
44. $62,650 31 = $2,020.9677

$2,020.9677 18 = $36,377.42 owed to buyer
45. ($327 91) 6 =

3.5934066 6 = $21.56
46. $500,000 .055 = $27,500

$500,000 .06 = $30,000
$637,500 0.065 = $41,437.50
$27,500 + $30,000 + $41,437.50 = $98,937.50 total commission
47. $98,937.50 2 = $49,468.75 5050 split commission
48. $49,468.75 $25,000 = $24,468.75

$25,000 .5 = $12,500
$24,468.75 .525 =$12,846.09
$12,500 + $12,846.09 = $25,346.09 commission
49. $49,468.75 .525 = $25,971.09 commission

$502,750 (mortgage balance) + $1,000,000 (to seller) = $1,502,750
$1,502,750 .94 = $1,598,670.21 due to seller
177
REAL ESTATE
GLOSSARY
ne of the most basic components in preparing

O for your real estate exam is making sure you know all the terminology.
This glossary provides a list of the most commonly used real estate terms and their
definitions.
These terms will help you not only as you study for your real estate exam,
but also after you pass your exam and are practicing in the field. The terms are
listed in alphabetical order for easy reference.
A
abandonment the voluntary surrender of a right, claim, or interest in a
piece of property without naming a successor as owner or tenant.
abstract of title a certified summary of the history of a title to a partic-
ular parcel of real estate that includes the original grant and all subsequent
transfers, encumbrances, and releases.
179
GLOSSARY
abutting sharing a common boundary; adjoining.

accelerated depreciation a way to write off depreciation faster
than the traditional straight-line method, in order to lessen tax burden.
acceleration clause a clause in a note, mortgage, or deed of trust that
permits the lender to declare the entire amount of principal and accrued inter-
est due and payable immediately in the event of default.
acceptance the indication by a party receiving an offer that they agree to
the terms of the offer. In most states, the offer and acceptance must be reduced
to writing when real property is involved.
accretion the increase or addition of land resulting from the natural deposit
of sand or soil by streams, lakes, or rivers.
accrued depreciation (1) the amount of depreciation, or loss in
value, that has accumulated since initial construction; (2) the difference between
the current appraised value and the cost to replace the building new.
accrued expense money spent but not yet paidfor example, a repair.
accrued items a list of expenses that have been incurred but have not yet
been paid, such as interest on a mortgage loan, that are included on a closing
statement.
acknowledgment a formal declaration before a public official, usually
a notary public, by a person who has signed a deed, contract, or other docu-
ment that the execution was a voluntary act.
acquisition cost the price of a piece of property after adjusting for such
things as closing costs.
acre a measure of land equal to 43,560 square feet or 4,840 square yards.
actual age chronological age (as opposed to estimated age).
actual eviction the result of legal action brought by a landlord against a
defaulted tenant, whereby the tenant is physically removed from rented or leased
property by a court order.
actual notice the actual knowledge that a person has of a particular fact.
addendum any provision added to a contract, or an addition to a contract
that expands, modifies, or enhances the clarity of the agreement. To be a part
of the contract and legally enforceable, an addendum must be referenced
within the contract.
adjacent lying near to but not necessarily in actual contact with.
adjoining contiguous or attached; in actual contact with.
adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) a mortgage in which the
interest changes periodically, according to corresponding fluctuations in an
index. All ARMs are tied to indexes. For example, a seven-year, adjustable-rate
180
GLOSSARY
mortgage is a loan in which the rate remains fixed for the first seven years, then
fluctuates according to the index to which it is tied.
adjusted basis the original cost of a property, plus acquisition costs, plus
the value of added improvements to the property, minus accrued depreciation.
adjusted gross income the amount of money earned from all
sources reduced by such things as alimony, contributions to retirement, med-
ical savings accounts, and the like.
adjusted purchase price the sales price plus commissions and
other closing costs.
adjusted sales price the sales price less commissions and other clos-
ing costs.
adjustment date the date the interest rate changes on an adjustable-rate
mortgage.
adjustment interval the amount of time between changes in the inter-
est rate and/or monthly payment on an adjustable rate mortgage.
administrator a person appointed by a court to settle the estate of a per-
son who has died without leaving a will.
ad valorem tax tax in proportion to the value of a property.
adverse possession a method of acquiring title to another persons
property through court action after taking actual, open, hostile, and continu-
ous possession for a statutory period of time; may require payment of prop-
erty taxes during the period of possession.
affidavit a written statement made under oath and signed before a licensed
public official, usually a notary public.
after-tax cash flow net income plus amortization, depreciation, and
other noncash charges.
age-life accrued depreciation method a way to estimate
accrued depreciation by dividing a buildings effective age by its economic life;
an approach used to obtain the replacement cost.
agency the legal relationship between principal and agent that arises out of
a contract wherein an agent is employed to do certain acts on behalf of the prin-
cipal who has retained the agent to deal with a third party.
agent one who has been granted the authority to act on behalf of another.
agreement of sale a written agreement between a seller and a purchaser
whereby the purchaser agrees to buy a certain piece of property from the seller
for a specified price.
air rights the right to use the open space above a particular property.
alienation the transfer of ownership of a property to another, either vol-
untarily or involuntarily.
181
GLOSSARY
alienation clause the clause in a mortgage or deed of trust that permits

the lender to declare all unpaid principal and accrued interest due and payable
if the borrower transfers title to the property.
allocated expenses costs that have been apportioned in situations
where it is difficult to determine in advance how much to charge for each use
of a shared supply or service. A portion may be regularly allocated to expenses
such as depreciation and amortization and may be seen as a fixed cost per
period, or the entire amount may be considered upfront fixed costs.
allodial system in the United States, a system of land ownership in
which land is held free and clear of any rent or services due to the government;
commonly contrasted with the feudal system, in which ownership is held by a
monarch.
amenities features or benefits of a particular property that enhance the prop-
ertys desirability and value, such as a scenic view or a pool.
amortization the method of repaying a loan or debt by making periodic
installment payments composed of both principal and interest. When all prin-
cipal has been repaid, it is considered fully amortized.
amortization schedule a table that shows how much of each loan pay-
ment will be applied toward principal and how much toward interest over the
lifespan of the loan. It also shows the gradual decrease of the outstanding loan
balance until it reaches zero.
amortize to repay a loan through regular payments that consist of principal
and interest.
amortized mortgage a standard mortgage, or home loan, on which
interest is calculated monthly.
annual compounding the amount of interest charged on the principal
and on accumulated past interest; the formula is P (1 + r) = annual
compounding.
annualization a rate based on an entire year.
annual percentage rate (APR) the total or effective amount of
interest charged on a loan, expressed as a percentage, on a yearly basis. This value
is created according to a government formula intended to reflect the true annual
cost of borrowing.
anti-deficiency law laws used in some states to limit the claim of a lender
on default on payment of a purchase money mortgage on owner-occupied res-
idential property to the value of the collateral.
anti-trust laws laws designed to protect free enterprise and the open
marketplace by prohibiting certain business practices that restrict competition.
182
GLOSSARY
In reference to real estate, these laws would prevent such practices as price fix-
ing or agreements by brokers to limit their areas of trade.
apportionments adjustment of income, expenses, or carrying charges
related to real estate, usually computed to the date of closing so that the seller pays
all expenses to date, then the buyer pays all expenses beginning on the closing date.
appraisal an estimate or opinion of the value of an adequately described
property, as of a specific date.
appraised value an opinion of a propertys fair market value, based on
an appraisers knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property, and based on
comparable sales.
appraiser an individual qualified by education, training, and experience to
estimate the value of real property. Appraisers may work directly for mortgage
lenders, or they may be independent contractors.
appreciation an increase in the market value of a property.
appurtenance something that transfers with the title to land even if not
an actual part of the property, such as an easement.
arbitration the process of settling a dispute in which the parties submit
their differences to an impartial third party, on whose decision on the matter
is binding.
area the surface size of a piece of property.
ARELLO the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials.
arrears an overdue debt.
assessed value the value of a property used to calculate real estate taxes.
assessment the process of assigning value on property for taxation
purposes.
assessment ratio the relationship between assessed value and market
value; used in determining taxes.
assessor a public official who establishes the value of a property for taxa-
tion purposes.
asset items of value owned by an individual. Assets that can be quickly con-
verted into cash are considered liquid assets, such as bank accounts and stock
portfolios. Other assets include real estate, personal property, and debts owed.
assignment the transfer of rights or interest from one person to another.
assumption of mortgage the act of acquiring the title to a prop-
erty that has an existing mortgage and agreeing to be liable for the payment
of any debt still existing on that mortgage. However, the lender must accept
the transfer of liability for the original borrower to be relieved of the debt.
attachment the process whereby a court takes custody of a debtors
property until the creditors debt is satisfied.
183
GLOSSARY
attest to bear witness by providing a signature.

attorney-in-fact a person who is authorized under a power of attorney
to act on behalf of another.
automated valuation model (AVM) computer-generated
appraisals.
avulsion the removal of land from one owner to another when a stream or
other body of water suddenly changes its channel.
B
balloon mortgage a loan in which the periodic payments do not fully
amortize the loan, so that a final payment (a balloon payment) is substantially
larger than the amount of the periodic payments that must be made to satisfy
the debt.
balloon payment the final, lump-sum payment that is due at the termi-
nation of a balloon mortgage.
bankruptcy an individual or individuals can restructure or relieve them-
selves of debts and liabilities by filing in federal bankruptcy court. Of the many
types of bankruptcies, the most common for an individual is Chapter 7 No
Asset, which relieves the borrower of most types of debts.
bargain and sale deed a deed that conveys title but does not neces-
sarily carry warranties against liens or encumbrances.
baseline one of the imaginary east-west lines used as a reference point
when describing property with the rectangular or government survey method
of property description.
basis starting point used by IRS to determine annual depreciation, amortiza-
tion, and gain or loss on the sale of property.
benchmark a permanently marked point with a known elevation, used as
a reference by surveyors to measure elevations.
beneficiary (1) one who benefits from the acts of another; (2) the lender
in a deed of trust.
bequest personal property given by provision of a will.
betterment an improvement to property that increases its value.
bilateral contract a contract in which each party promises to perform
an act in exchange for the other partys promise also to perform an act.
bill of sale a written instrument that transfers ownership of personal prop-
erty. A bill of sale cannot be used to transfer ownership of real property, which
is passed by deed.
184
GLOSSARY
binder an agreement, accompanied by an earnest money deposit, for the pur-

chase of a piece of real estate to show the purchasers good faith intent to
complete a transaction.
biweekly mortgage a mortgage in which payments are made every two
weeks instead of once a month. Therefore, instead of making 12 monthly pay-
ments during the year, the borrower makes the equivalent of 13 monthly pay-
ments. The extra payment reduces the principal, thereby reducing the time it
takes to pay off a 30-year mortgage.
blanket mortgage a mortgage in which more than one parcel of real
estate is pledged to cover a single debt.
blockbusting the illegal and discriminatory practice of inducing home-
owners to sell their properties by suggesting or implying the introduction of
members of a protected class into the neighborhood.
bona fide in good faith, honest.
bond evidence of personal debt secured by a mortgage or other lien on real estate.
boot money or property provided to make up a difference in value or equity
between two properties in an exchange.
branch office a place of business secondary to a principal office. The
branch office is a satellite office generally run by a licensed broker, for the ben-
efit of the broker running the principal office, as well as the associate brokers
convenience.
breach of contract violation of any conditions or terms in a contract
without legal excuse.
breakeven occupancy the number of rentals required to cover all
expenses on the property; thus, revenues and costs are equal and there is no
profit or loss.
broker in real estate terms, it is the owner-manager of a business who brings
together the parties to a real estate transaction for a fee. The roles of brokers and
brokers associates are defined by state law. In the mortgage industry, broker usu-
ally refers to a company or individual who does not lend the money for the loans
directly, but who brokers loans to larger lenders or investors.
brokerage the business of bringing together buyers and sellers or other par-
ticipants in a real estate transaction.
brokers price opinion (BPO) a brokers opinion of value based
on a comparative market analysis rather than a certified appraisal.
building code local regulations that control construction, design, and
materials used in construction that are based on health and safety regulations.
building line the distance from the front, rear, or sides of a building lot
beyond which no structures may extend.
185
GLOSSARY
building restrictions limitations listed in zoning ordinances or deed

restrictions on the size and type of improvements allowed on a property.
bundle of rights the concept that ownership of a property includes cer-
tain rights regarding the property, such as possession, enjoyment, control of use,
and disposition.
buydown usually refers to a fixed-rate mortgage where the interest rate is
bought down for a temporary period, usually one to three years. After that
time and for the remainder of the term, the borrowers payment is calculated
at the note rate. In order to buy down the initial rate for the temporary payment,
a lump sum is paid and held in an account used to supplement the borrowers
monthly payment. These funds usually come from the seller as a financial
incentive to induce someone to buy his or her property.
buyers broker real estate broker retained by a prospective buyer; this
buyer becomes the brokers client to whom fiduciary duties are owed.
bylaws rules and regulations adopted by an associationfor example, a
condominium.
C
cancellation clause a provision in a lease that confers on one or all
parties to the lease the right to terminate the parties obligations, should the
occurrence of the condition or contingency set forth in the clause happen.
canvassing the practice of searching for prospective clients by making
unsolicited phone calls and/or visiting homes door to door.
cap the limit on fluctuation rates regarding adjustable rate mortgages. Caps,
or limitations, may apply to how much the loan may adjust over a six-month
period, an annual period, and over the life of the loan. There is also a limit on
how much that payment can change each year.
capital money used to create income, or the net worth of a business as rep-
resented by the amount by which its assets exceed its liabilities.
capital expenditure the cost of a betterment to a property.
capital gain the positive difference between the purchase and sales price of
a property.
capital gains tax a tax charged on the profit gained from the sale of a
capital asset.
capital improvement a permanent addition to a property, structure,
or other asset that adds to the propertys value.
186
GLOSSARY
capitalization the process of estimating the present value of an income-

producing piece of property by dividing anticipated future income by a capi-
talization rate.
capitalization rate the rate of return a property will generate on an
owners investment.
capital loss the negative difference between the purchase and sales price
of a property.
cash flow the net income produced by an investment property, calculated
by deducting operating and fixed expenses from gross income.
cash flow projection an estimate of the amount of cash that is antic-
ipated to be generated or expended over a given period of time.
caveat emptor a phrase meaning let the buyer beware.
CC&R covenants, conditions, and restrictions of a cooperative or condo-
minium development.
certificate of discharge a document used when the security instru-
ment is a mortgage.
certificate of eligibility a document issued by the Veterans Admin-
istration that certifies a veterans eligibility for a VA loan.
certificate of reasonable value (CRV) once the appraisal has
been performed on a property being bought with a VA loan, the Veterans
Administration issues a CRV.
certificate of sale the document given to a purchaser of real estate that
is sold at a tax foreclosure sale.
certificate of title a report stating an opinion on the status of a title,
based on the examination of public records.
chain of title the recorded history of conveyances and encumbrances that
affect the title to a parcel of land.
chattel personal property, as opposed to real property.
chattel mortgage a loan in which personal property is pledged to
secure the debt.
city a large municipality governed under a charter and granted by the state.
clear title a title that is free of liens and legal questions as to ownership of
a property that is a requirement for the sale of real estate; sometimes referred
to as just title, good title, or free and clear.
closing the point in a real estate transaction when the purchase price is paid to
the seller and the deed to the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer.
closing costs there are two kinds: (1) nonrecurring closing costs and
(2) prepaid items. Nonrecurring closing costs are any items paid once as a
result of buying the property or obtaining a loan. Prepaid items are items that
187
GLOSSARY
recur over time, such as property taxes and homeowners insurance. A lender
makes an attempt to estimate the amount of nonrecurring closing costs and
prepaid items on the good faith estimate, which is issued to the borrower
within three days of receiving a home loan application.
closing date the date on which the buyer takes over the property.
closing statement a written account of funds received and disbursed
during a real estate transaction. The buyer and seller receive separate closing
statements.
cloud on the title an outstanding claim or encumbrance that can affect
or impair the owners title.
clustering the grouping of home sites within a subdivision on smaller lots
than normal, with the remaining land slated for use as common areas.
codicil a supplement or addition to a will that modifies the original
instrument.
coinsurance clause a clause in an insurance policy that requires the
insured to pay a portion of any loss experienced.
collateral something of value hypothecated (real property) or pledged
(personal property) by a borrower as security for a debt.
collection when a borrower falls behind, the lender contacts the borrower
in an effort to bring the loan current. The loan goes to collection.
color of title an instrument that gives evidence of title, but may not be
legally adequate to actually convey title.
commercial property property used to produce income, such as an
office building or a restaurant.
commingling the illegal act of an agent mixing a clients monies, which
should be held in a separate escrow account, with the agents personal monies;
in some states, it means placing funds that are separate property in an account
containing funds that are community property.
commission the fee paid to a broker for services rendered in a real estate
transaction.
commitment letter a pledge in writing affirming an agreement.
common areas portions of a building, land, and amenities owned (or
managed) by a planned unit development or condominium projects home-
owners association or a cooperative projects cooperative corporation. These
areas are used by all of the unit owners, who share in the common expenses
of their operation and maintenance. Common areas may include swimming
pools, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities, as well as common cor-
ridors of buildings, parking areas, and lobbies.
188
GLOSSARY
common denominator a number that all of the bottom numbers in a

group of fractions may be divided evenly; allows for the addition and sub-
traction of fractions.
common law the body of laws derived from local custom and judicial
precedent.
community property a system of property ownership in which each
spouse has equal interest in property acquired during the marriage; recog-
nized in nine states.
comparable sales recent sales of similar properties in nearby areas
that are used to help estimate the current market value of a property.
comparative market analysis (CMA) an analysis of market value
used to determine a probable selling price using recently sold properties most like
the subject property.
competent parties people who are legally qualified to enter a con-
tract, usually meaning that they are of legal age, of sound mind, and not under
the influence of drugs or other mind-altering substances.
competitive market analysis (CMA) an analysis of market value
used to assist a seller in determining an asking price, using currently active listings,
expired listings, and sold properties comparable to the subject property.
compound growth rate year-over-year growth rate of an investment
over a specified period of time.
compound interest money on principal plus any interest reinvested.
condemnation the judicial process by which the government exercises
its power of eminent domain.
condominium a form of ownership in which an individual owns a spe-
cific unit in a multiunit building and shares ownership of common areas with
other unit owners.
condominium conversion changing the ownership of an existing
building (usually a multi-dwelling rental unit) from single ownership to
condominium ownership.
conformity an appraisal principle that asserts that property achieves its
maximum value when a neighborhood is homogeneous in its use of land; the
basis for zoning ordinances.
consideration something of value that induces parties to enter into a
contract, such as money or services.
construction mortgage a short-term loan used to finance the
building of improvements to real estate.
189
GLOSSARY
constructive eviction action or inaction by a landlord that renders

a property uninhabitable, forcing a tenant to move out with no further lia-
bility for rent.
constructive notice notice of a fact given by making the fact part of
the public record. All persons are responsible for knowing the information,
whether or not they have actually seen the record.
contingency a condition that must be met before a contract is legally
binding. A satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified home inspec-
tor is an example of a common type of contingency.
contract an agreement between two or more legally competent parties to
do or to refrain from doing some legal act in exchange for a consideration.
contract for deed a contract for the sale of a parcel of real estate in
which the buyer makes periodic payments to the seller and receives the title
to the property only after all, or a substantial part, of the purchase price has
been paid, or regular payments have been made for one year or longer.
contract rate the interest rate specified in the loan agreement.
conventional loan a loan that is neither insured nor guaranteed by an
agency of government.
conversion option an option in an adjustable-rate mortgage to con-
vert it to a fixed-rate mortgage.
convertible ARM an adjustable-rate mortgage that allows the bor-
rower to change the ARM to a fixed-rate mortgage at a specific time.
conveyance the transfer of title from the grantor to the grantee.
cooperative a form of property ownership in which a corporation owns
a multiunit building and stockholders of the corporation may lease and
occupy individual units of the building through a proprietary lease.
corporation a legal entity with potentially perpetual existence that is cre-
ated and owned by shareholders who appoint a board of directors to direct
the business affairs of the corporation.
cost approach an appraisal method whereby the value of a property
is calculated by estimating the cost of constructing a comparable building,
subtracting depreciation, and adding land value.
cost method an accounting method whereby the value of a group of assets
or expenses is assumed to be equal to the average cost of the assets or expenses
in the group.
counteroffer an offer submitted in response to an offer. It has the effect
of overriding the original offer.
covenant an agreement or promise between parties to do or not do spe-
cific acts.
190
GLOSSARY
covenant of seisin the seller of real estate promises he or she has

rightful title and is delivering that title to the buyer.
credit an agreement in which a borrower receives something of value in
exchange for a promise to repay the lender.
credit history a record of an individuals repayment of debt.
cul-de-sac a dead-end street that widens at the end, creating a circular
turnaround area.
curtesy the statutory or common law right of a husband to all or part of
real estate owned by his deceased wife, regardless of will provisions, recog-
nized in some states.
curtilage area of land occupied by a building, its outbuildings, and yard,
either actually enclosed or considered enclosed.
D
damages the amount of money recoverable by a person who has been
injured by the actions of another.
datum a specific point used in surveying.
DBA the abbreviation for doing business as.
debt an amount owed to another.
debt coverage ratio (DCR) a measure of an income-producing
propertys ability to cover the monthly mortgage payments.
debt service the amount of money needed to make payments of princi-
pal and interest on a loan.
decedent a person who dies.
decimal equivalence the concept that a number in decimal form
equals a number in fraction form.
declining balance depreciation a common depreciation-
calculation system that expenses the asset at a constant rate, which results in
declining depreciation charges each successive period.
dedication the donation of private property by its owner to a governmen-
tal body for public use.
deed a written document that, when properly signed and delivered, conveys
title to real property from the grantor to the grantee.
deed-in-lieu a foreclosure instrument used to convey title to the lender
when the borrower is in default and wants to avoid foreclosure.
deed of trust (trust deed) a deed in which the title to property is
transferred to a third-party trustee to secure repayment of a loan; three-party
mortgage arrangement.
191
GLOSSARY
deed restriction an imposed restriction for the purpose of limiting the

use of land, such as the size or type of improvements to be allowed. Also called
a restrictive covenant.
default the failure to perform a contractual duty.
defeasance clause a clause in a mortgage that renders the mortgage
void where all obligations have been fulfilled.
deficiency judgment a personal claim against a borrower when mort-
gaged property is foreclosed and sale of the property does not produce suffi-
cient funds to pay off the mortgage. Deficiency judgments may be prohibited
in some circumstances by anti-deficiency protection.
delinquency failure to make mortgage or loan payments when payments
are due.
density zoning a zoning ordinance that restricts the number of houses or
dwelling units that can be built per acre in a particular area, such as a
subdivision.
depreciation a loss in value because of physical deterioration or func-
tional or external obsolescence.
descent the transfer of property to an owners heirs when the owner dies
intestate.
devise the transfer of title to real estate by will.
devisee one who receives a bequest of real estate by will.
devisor one who grants real estate by will.
directional growth the direction toward which certain residential sec-
tions of a city are expected to grow.
discount a decrease in the amount of a loan.
discounted cash flow (DCF) the estimated present value of future
cash.
discount point one percent of the loan amount charged by a lender at
closing to increase a loans effective yield and lower the fare rate to the
borrower.
discount rate the rate that lenders pay for mortgage fundsa higher rate
is passed on to the borrower.
dispossess to remove a tenant from property by legal process.
documentary stamp tax notes the transfer tax that some states
levy on mortgages; a revenue stamp is affixed to documents transferring title
to real property.
dominant estate (tenement) property that includes the right to
use an easement on adjoining property.
192
GLOSSARY
dower the right of a widow in the property of her husband upon his death
in noncommunity property states.
down payment the part of the purchase price that the buyer pays in cash
and is not financed with a mortgage or loan.
dual agency an agent who represents both parties in a transaction.
due-on-sale clause a provision in a mortgage that allows the lender
to demand repayment in full if the borrower sells the property that serves as
security for the mortgage.
duress the use of unlawful means to force a person to act or to refrain from
an action against his or her will.
E
earnest money down payment made by a buyer of real estate as evidence
of good faith.
easement the right of one party to use the land of another for a particular
purpose, such as to lay utility lines.
easement by necessity an easement, granted by law and requiring
court action that is deemed necessary for the full enjoyment of a parcel of land.
An example would be an easement allowing access from landlocked property
to a road.
easement by prescription a means of acquiring an easement by
continued, open, and hostile use of someone elses property for a statutorily
defined period of time.
easement in gross a personal right granted by an owner with no
requirement that the easement holder own adjoining land.
economic life the period of time over which an improved property will
generate sufficient income to justify its continued existence.
economic rent a return above the opportunity cost of an asset or service.
effective age an appraisers estimate of the physical condition of a build-
ing. The actual age of a building may be different than its effective age.
effective gross income in relation to income-producing property,
gross income minus a vacancy allowance and collection loss plus miscellaneous
income equals effective gross income.
effective interest rate the yield on debt, such as a mortgage, based
on the purchase price.
effective tax rate the amount of tax paid divided by the net taxable
income.
emblements cultivated crops; generally considered to be personal property.
193
GLOSSARY
eminent domain the right of a government to take private property for

public use upon payment of its fair market value. Eminent domain is the basis
for condemnation proceedings.
encroachment a trespass caused when a structure, such as a wall or
fence, invades another persons land or airspace.
encumbrance anything that affects or limits the title to a property, such
as easements, leases, mortgages, or restrictions.
equation a mathematical statement that demonstrates the equality of two
expressions that are separated into left and right sides by an equal sign.
equitable title the interest in a piece of real estate held by a buyer who has
agreed to purchase the property, but has not yet completed the transaction; the
interest of a buyer under a contract for deed.
equity the difference between the current market value of a property and the
outstanding indebtedness due on it.
equity of redemption the right of a borrower to stop the foreclosure
process.
equity-to-value ratio the amount of principal paid in relation to the
present value of the property; the amount received when the property is sold.
erosion the gradual wearing away of land by wind, water, and other natural
processes.
escalation clause a clause in a lease allowing the lessor to charge more
rent based on an increase in costs; sometimes called a pass-through clause.
escheat the claim to property by the state when the owner dies intestate and
no heirs can be found.
escrow the deposit of funds and/or documents with a disinterested third party
for safekeeping until the terms of the escrow agreement have been met.
escrow account a trust account established to hold escrow funds for safe-
keeping until disbursement.
escrow analysis annual report to disclose escrow receipts, payments, and
current balances.
escrow disbursements money paid from an escrow account.
estate an interest in real property. The sum total of all the real property and
personal property owned by an individual.
estate for years a leasehold estate granting possession for a definite
period of time.
estate tax federal tax levied on property transferred upon death.
estoppel certificate a document that certifies the outstanding amount
owed on a mortgage loan, as well as the rate of interest.
et al. abbreviation for the Latin phrase et alius, meaning and another.
194
GLOSSARY
et ux. abbreviation for Latin term et uxor, meaning and wife.

et vir Latin term meaning and husband.
eviction the lawful expulsion of an occupant from real property.
evidence of title a document that identifies ownership of property.
examination of title a review of an abstract to determine current con-
dition of title.
exchange a transaction in which property is traded for another property,
rather than sold for money or other consideration.
exclusive agency listing a contract between a property owner and
one broker that only gives the broker the right to sell the property for a fee
within a specified period of time but does not obligate the owner to pay the bro-
ker a fee if the owner produces his or her own buyer without the brokers assis-
tance. The owner is barred only from appointing another broker within this
time period.
exclusive right to sell a contract between a property owner and a bro-
ker that gives the broker the right to collect a commission regardless of who sells
the property during the specified period of time of the agreement.
exculpatory clause a statement that absolves or waives a right or
obligation.
execution the signing of a contract.
executor/executrix a person named in a will to administer an estate.
The court will appoint an administrator if no executor is named. Executrix is the
feminine form.
executory contract a contract in which one or more of the obligations
have yet to be performed.
executed contract a contract in which all obligations have been fully
performed.
expected return an estimate of the value of an investment, based on the
average of a probability distribution of possible returns.
express contract an oral or written contract in which the terms are
expressed in words.
extension agreement an agreement between mortgagor and mort-
gagee to extend the maturity date of the mortgage after it is due.
external obsolescence a loss in value of a property because of fac-
tors outside the property, such as a change in surrounding land use.
195
GLOSSARY
F
fair housing law a term used to refer to federal and state laws prohibit-
ing discrimination in the sale or rental of residential property.
fair market value the highest price that a buyer, willing but not com-
pelled to buy, would pay, and the lowest a seller, willing but not compelled to
sell, would accept.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) an agency within the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that insures
mortgage loans by FHA-approved lenders to make loans available to buyers with
limited cash.
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie
Mae) a privately owned corporation that buys existing government-backed
and conventional mortgages.
Federal Reserve System the central banking system of the United
States that controls the monetary policy and, therefore, the money supply, inter-
est rates, and availability of credit.
fee simple the most complete form of ownership of real estate.
FHA-insured loan a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
fiduciary relationship a legal relationship with an obligation of trust,
as that of agent and principal.
financial calculator a device or computer program that performs
mathematical functions relating to finance.
finders fee a fee or commission paid to a mortgage broker for finding a
mortgage loan for a prospective borrower.
first mortgage a mortgage that has priority to be satisfied over all other
mortgages.
fixed-rate loan a loan with an interest rate that does not change during
the entire term of the loan.
fixture an article of personal property that has been permanently attached to
the real estate so as to become an integral part of the real estate.
floor see interest rate floor.
foreclosure the legal process by which a borrower in default of a mortgage
is deprived of interest in the mortgaged property. Usually, this involves a forced
sale of the property at public auction, where the proceeds of the sale are applied
to the mortgage debt.
forfeiture the loss of money, property, rights, or privileges because of a
breach of legal obligation.
forward rate the price of an asset at some point in the future.
196
GLOSSARY
fraction an expression of the relationship between two numbers; the numer-

ator indicates the number of equal parts, and the denominator names the
total number of parts in the whole.
franchise in real estate, an organization that lends a standardized trade
name, operating procedures, referral services, and supplies to member
brokerages.
fraud a deliberate misstatement of material fact or an act or omission made
with deliberate intent to deceive (active fraud) or gross disregard for the truth
(constructive fraud).
freehold estate an estate of ownership in real property.
front foot a measurement of property taken by measuring the frontage of
the property along the street line.
functional obsolescence a loss in value of a property due to causes
within the property, such as faulty design, outdated structural style, or inade-
quacy to function properly.
future interest ownership interest in property that cannot be enjoyed
until the occurrence of some event; sometimes referred to as a household or
equitable interest.
future value (FV) a measure of what an amount of money would be worth
at a specified time in the future assuming a certain interest rate, without adjust-
ment for inflation or other factors that may affect the moneys value.
G
general agent an agent who is authorized to act for and obligate a prin-
cipal in a specific range of matters, as specified by their mutual agreement.
general lien a claim on all property, real and personal, owned by a debtor.
general warranty deed an instrument in which the grantor guar-
antees the grantee that the title being conveyed is good and free of other claims
or encumbrances.
government-backed mortgage a mortgage that is insured by the
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or guaranteed by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Rural Housing Service (RHS). Mortgages that are
not government loans are identified as conventional loans.
Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie
Mae) a government-owned corporation within the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD). Ginnie Mae manages and liquidates government-
backed loans and assists HUD in special lending projects.
197
GLOSSARY
government survey system a method of land description in which

meridians (lines of longitude) and baselines (lines of latitude) are used to divide land
into townships and sections.
graduated lease a lease that calls for periodic, stated changes in rent dur-
ing the term of the lease.
grant the transfer of title to real property by deed.
grant deed a deed that includes three warranties: (1) that the owner has the
right to convey title to the property, (2) that there are no encumbrances other
than those noted specifically in the deed, and (3) that the owner will convey any
future interest that he or she may acquire in the property.
grantee one who receives title to real property.
grantor one who conveys title to real property; the present owner.
gross income the total income received from a property before deducting
expenses.
gross income multiplier a rough method of estimating the market
value of an income property by multiplying its gross annual rent by a multiplier
discovered by dividing the sales price of comparable properties by their annual
gross rent.
gross lease a lease in which a tenant pays only a fixed amount for rental
and the landlord pays all operating expenses and taxes.
gross operating income (GOI) gross potential operating income
(if fully rented and rent is paid in full) less vacancy and credit loss.
gross rent multiplier similar to gross income multiplier, except that it
looks at the relationship between sales price and monthly gross rent.
ground lease a lease of land only, on which a tenant already owns a build-
ing or will construct improvements.
growth rate the compounded annualized rate at which money increases.
guaranteed sale plan an agreement between a broker and a seller that
the broker will buy the sellers property if it does not sell within a specified period
of time.
guardian one who is legally responsible for the care of another persons
rights and/or property.
H
habendum clause the clause in a deed, beginning with the words to
have and to hold, that defines or limits the exact interest in the estate granted
by the deed.
198
GLOSSARY
half-year convention the assumption when calculating depreciation

for non-real estate property that the property began to be used in mid-year.
hamlet a small village.
heir one who is legally entitled to receive property when the owner dies
intestate.
hereditament any type of inheritable property both real and personal.
highest and best use the legally permitted use of a parcel of land that
will yield the greatest return to the owner in terms of money or amenities.
holding period the length of time an asset is held; affects whether a gain
or loss is long or short term.
holdover tenancy a tenancy where a lessee retains possession of the
property after the lease has expired, and the landlord, by continuing to accept
rent, agrees to the tenants continued occupancy.
holographic will a will that is entirely handwritten, dated, and signed by
the testator.
home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) often called
a reverse-annuity mortgage; instead of making payments to a lender, the lender
makes payments to you. It enables older homeowners to convert the equity they
have in their homes into cash, usually in the form of monthly payments.
Unlike traditional home equity loans, a borrower does not qualify on the basis
of income but on the value of his or her home. In addition, the loan does not
have to be repaid until the borrower no longer occupies the property.
home equity line of credit a mortgage loan that allows the borrower
to obtain cash drawn against the equity of his or her home, up to a predeter-
mined amount.
home inspection a thorough inspection by a professional that evaluates
the structural and mechanical condition of a property. A satisfactory home
inspection is often included as a contingency by the purchaser.
homeowners insurance an insurance policy specifically designed to
protect residential property owners against financial loss from common risks
such as fire, theft, and liability.
homeowners warranty an insurance policy that protects purchasers
of newly constructed or pre-owned homes against certain structural and
mechanical defects.
homestead the parcel of land and improvements legally qualifying as the
owners principal residence.
homestead exemption where available, a means to reduce the assessed
value of a primary residence for the purposes of calculating property tax.
199
GLOSSARY
HUD an acronym for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a

federal agency that enforces federal fair housing laws and oversees agencies such
as FHA and GNMA.
hypothecate the act of pledging property as collateral for a loan without
giving up possession of the pledged property.
I
illiquidity an asset that is difficult to convert into cash.
implied contract a contract whereby the agreement of the parties is cre-
ated by their conduct.
improvement human-made addition to real estate.
income capitalization approach a method of estimating the
value of income-producing property by dividing its expected annual net oper-
ating income of the property by a capitalization rate.
income method an approach used to appraise income properties in order
to calculate the propertys current value; based on the net income generated by
the property.
income property real estate developed or improved to produce income.
income rate value (IRV) income divided by rate equals value, known
as a CAP rate, the amount of money an investor has to earn in order to invest
in a property.
incorporeal right intangible, non-possessory rights in real estate, such
as an easement or right of way.
indemnify to hold harmless and to reimburse or compensate someone for
a loss.
independent contractor one who is retained by another to perform
a certain task and is not subject to the control and direction of the hiring per-
son with regard to the end result of the task. Individual contractors receive a
fee for their services but pay their own expenses and taxes and receive no
employee benefits.
index a number used to compute the interest rate for an adjustable-rate mort-
gage (ARM). The index is a published number or percentage, such as the aver-
age yield on Treasury bills. A margin is added to the index to determine the
interest rate to be charged on the ARM. This interest rate is subject to any caps
that are associated with the mortgage.
industrial property buildings and land used for the manufacture and
distribution of goods, such as a factory.
200
GLOSSARY
inflation an increase in the amount of money or credit available in relation

to the amount of goods or services available, which causes an increase in the
general price level of goods and services.
initial interest rate the beginning interest rate of the mortgage at the
time of closing. This rate changes for an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM).
installment the regular, periodic payment that a borrower agrees to make
to a lender, usually related to a loan.
installment contract see contract for deed.
installment loan borrowed money that is repaid in periodic payments,
known as installments.
installment sale a transaction in which the sales price is paid to the seller
in two or more installments over more than one calendar year.
insurance a contract that provides indemnification from specific losses in
exchange for a periodic payment. The individual contract is known as an
insurance policy, and the periodic payment is known as an insurance premium.
insurance binder a document that states that temporary insurance is in
effect until a permanent insurance policy is issued.
insured mortgage a mortgage that is protected by the Federal Housing
Administration (FHA) or by private mortgage insurance (PMI). If the borrower
defaults on the loan, the insurer must pay the lender the insured amount.
intangible tax a one-time tax imposed on personal property, in some
states on a mortgage.
interest a fee charged by a lender for the use of the money loaned; or a share
of ownership in real estate.
interest accrual rate the percentage rate at which interest accrues on
the mortgage.
interest rate the rent or rate charged to use funds belonging to another.
interest rate buydown plan an arrangement in which the prop-
erty seller (or any other party) deposits money into an account so that it can
be released each month to reduce the mortgagors monthly payments during
the early years of a mortgage. During the specified period, the mortgagors effec-
tive interest rate is bought down below the actual interest rate.
interest rate ceiling the maximum interest rate that may be charged
for an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), as specified in the mortgage note.
interest rate floor the minimum interest rate for an adjustable-rate
mortgage (ARM), as specified in the mortgage note.
interest rate risk the risk that changes in market rates will adversely
affect profitability and capital.
201
GLOSSARY
interim financing a short-term loan made during the building phase of

a project; also known as a construction loan.
intestate to die without having authored a valid will.
invalid not legally binding or enforceable.
inventory the number of months it would take to sell the total number of
homes available for sale at any given time at the current sales pace.
investment property a property not occupied by the owner.
investment risk the potential difference between forecasted future value;
can also be associated with other variables such as rent, vacancy, operating
expenses, etc.
J
joint tenancy co-ownership that gives each tenant equal interest and
equal rights in the property, including the right of survivorship.
joint venture an agreement between two or more parties to engage in a spe-
cific business enterprise.
judgment a decision rendered by court determining the rights and obliga-
tions of parties to an action or lawsuit.
judgment lien a lien on the property of a debtor resulting from a court
judgment.
judicial foreclosure a proceeding that is handled as a civil lawsuit and
conducted through court; used in some states.
jumbo loan a loan that exceeds Fannie Maes mortgage amount limits. Also
called a non-conforming loan.
junior mortgage any mortgage that is inferior to a first lien and that will
be satisfied only after the first mortgage; also called a secondary mortgage.
L
laches a doctrine used by a court to bar the assertion of a legal claim or right,
based on the failure to assert the claim in a timely manner.
land the earth from its surface to its center, and the airspace above it.
landlocked property surrounded on all sides by property belonging to
another.
lease a contract between a landlord and a tenant wherein the landlord grants
the tenant possession and use of the property for a specified period of time and
for a consideration.
leased fee the landlords interest in a parcel of leased property.
202
GLOSSARY
lease option a financing option that allows homebuyers to lease a home

with an option to buy. Each months rent payment may consist of rent, plus an
additional amount that can be applied toward the down payment on an already
specified price.
leasehold a tenants right to occupy a parcel of real estate for the term of a
lease.
legal description a description of a parcel of real estate specific and com-
plete enough for an independent surveyor to locate and identify it.
lessee the one who receives that right to use and occupy the property dur-
ing the term of the leasehold estate.
lessor the owner of the property who grants the right of possession to the
lessee.
leverage the use of borrowed funds to purchase an asset.
levy to assess or collect a tax.
license (1) a revocable authorization to perform a particular act on anothers
property; (2) authorization granted by a state to act as a real estate broker or
salesperson.
lien a legal claim against a property to secure payment of a financial obligation.
life estate a freehold estate in real property limited in duration to the life-
time of the holder of the life estate or another specified person.
life tenant one who holds a life estate.
like-kind exchange (1031 exchange) a way to structure the
sale of property so that the tax on the profit is deferred; the property that is sold
is replaced with another like kind property.
liquidity the ability to convert an asset into cash.
lis pendens a Latin phrase meaning suit pending; a public notice that a
lawsuit has been filed that may affect the title to a particular piece of property.
listing agreement a contract between the owner and a licensed real
estate broker wherein the broker is employed to sell real estate on the owners
terms within a given time, for which service the owner agrees to pay the bro-
ker an agreed-upon fee.
listing broker a broker who contracts with a property owner to sell or lease
the described property; the listing agreement typically may provide for the bro-
ker to make property available through a multiple-listing system.
littoral rights landowners claim to use water in large, navigable lakes and
oceans adjacent to property; ownership rights to land-bordering bodies of
water up to the high-water mark.
loan a sum of borrowed money, or principal, that is generally repaid with
interest.
203
GLOSSARY
loan officer also known as a lender; serves several functions and has var-
ious responsibilities, such as soliciting loans; a loan officer both represents the
lending institution and represents the borrower to the lending institution.
loan-to-value ratio the value of your property compared to the amount
of a loan; calculated by dividing the loan amount by the value of the property
or the selling/purchase price, whichever is lower.
lock in an agreement in which the lender guarantees a specified interest rate
for a certain amount of time.
lock-in period the time period during which the lender has guaranteed
an interest rate to a borrower.
lot and block description a method of describing a particular
property by referring to a lot and block number within a subdivision recorded
in the public record.
lot size the dimensions, or area, of a piece of property.
M
management agreement a contract between the owner of an
income property and a firm or individual who agrees to manage the property.
margin the difference between the interest rate and the index on an adjustable-
rate mortgage. The margin remains stable over the life of the loan, while the
index fluctuates.
margin of profit a measure of profitability calculated by dividing net
income by net sales revenue, expressed as a percentage.
market data approach a method of estimating the value of a prop-
erty by comparing it to similar properties recently sold and making
monetary adjustments for the differences between the subject property and the
comparable property.
market risk the chance that the value of an investment will decrease because
of changes in market factors that affect the entire asset class.
market value the amount that a seller may expect to obtain for mer-
chandise, services, or securities in the open market.
marketable title title to property that is free from encumbrances and rea-
sonable doubts and that a court would compel a buyer to accept.
measurements and boundaries see metes and bounds.
mechanics lien a statutory lien created to secure payment for those who
supply labor or materials for the construction of an improvement to land.
metes and bounds a method of describing a parcel of land using direc-
tion and distance.
204
GLOSSARY
mid-month convention the assumption when calculating depreciation

for residential real estate that the property began to be used in the middle of
the month.
mill one-tenth of one cent; used by some states to express or calculate property
tax rates.
minor a person who has not attained the legal age of majority.
misrepresentation a misstatement of fact, either deliberate or
unintentional.
mixed number a combination of a whole number followed by a proper
fraction.
modification the act of changing any of the terms of the mortgage.
Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System
(MACRS) a system used to calculate depreciation on properties after 1987.
money judgment a court order to settle a claim with a monetary payment,
rather than specific performance.
monthly compounding the interest paid both on the original princi-
pal and on the accumulated past interest.
month-to-month tenancy tenancy in which the tenant rents for only
one month at a time.
monument a fixed, visible marker used to establish boundaries for a survey.
mortgage a written instrument that pledges property to secure payment of
a debt obligation as evidenced by a promissory note. When duly recorded in the
public record, a mortgage creates a lien against the title to a property.
mortgage banker an entity that originates, funds, and services loans to
be sold into the secondary money market.
mortgage broker an entity that, for a fee, brings borrowers together with
lenders.
mortgage lien an encumbrance created by recording a mortgage.
mortgagee the lender who benefits from the mortgage.
mortgage registration tax a transfer tax; an amount paid for
recording a mortgage.
mortgagor the borrower who pledges the property as collateral.
multi-dwelling units properties that provide separate housing units for
more than one family that secure only a single mortgage. Apartment buildings
are also considered multi-dwelling units.
multiple-listing system (MLSalso multiple-listing
service) the method of marketing a property listing to all participants in
the MLS.
205
GLOSSARY
mutual rescission an agreement by all parties to a contract to release one

another from the obligations of the contract.
N
negative amortization occurs when an adjustable rate mortgage is
allowed to fluctuate independently of a required minimum payment. A grad-
ual increase in mortgage debt happens when the monthly payment is not large
enough to cover the entire principal and interest due. The amount of the
shortfall is added to the remaining balance to create negative amortization.
negative cash flow a situation in which more cash is being spent than
is being earned.
net breakeven point the occupancy level needed to pay for operating
expenses and debt service, but leaving no cash flow.
net income the income produced by a property, calculated by deducting
operating expenses from gross income.
net lease a lease that requires the tenant to pay maintenance and operat-
ing expenses, as well as rent.
net listing a listing in which the brokers fee is established as anything
above a specified amount to be received by the seller from the sale of the
property.
net operating income (NOI) gross income minus all operating
expenses except income taxes and financing expenses.
net present value (NPV) current value of cash inflows minus the cur-
rent value of cash outflows; used to analyze the profitability of an investment
or project.
net proceeds the amount of money received from a sale minus transac-
tion costs.
net worth the value of all of a persons assets.
no cash-out refinance a refinance transaction in which the new
mortgage amount is limited to the sum of the remaining balance of the exist-
ing first mortgage.
nominal rate an annual rate that equals the interest rate per compound-
ing period multiplied by the number of compounding periods.
non-conforming use a use of land that is permitted to continue, or
grandfathered, even after a zoning ordinance is passed that prohibits the use.
nonliquid asset an asset that cannot easily be converted into cash.
notarize to attest or certify by a notary public.
206
GLOSSARY
notary public a person who is authorized to administer oaths and take

acknowledgments.
note a written instrument acknowledging a debt, with a promise to repay,
including an outline of the terms of repayment.
note rate the interest rate on a promissory note.
notice of default a formal written notice to a borrower that a default has
occurred on a loan and that legal action may be taken.
novation the substitution of a new contract for an existing one; the new con-
tract must reference the first and indicate that the first is being replaced and no
longer has any force and effect.
O
obligee a person on whose favor an obligation is entered.
obligor a person who is bound to another by an obligation.
obsolescence a loss in the value of a property because of functional or
external factors.
occupancy rate the percentage of currently occupied units.
offer to propose as payment; to bid on property.
offer and acceptance two necessary elements for the creation of a
contract.
open-end mortgage a loan containing a clause that allows the mort-
gagor to borrow additional funds from the lender, up to a specified amount,
without rewriting the mortgage.
open listing a listing contract given to one or more brokers in which a com-
mission is paid only to the broker who procures a sale. If the owner sells the
house without the assistance of one of the brokers, no commission is due.
operating cash flow earnings before interest and taxes plus deprecia-
tion minus taxes; the amount of cash generated from the revenues a company
brings in, excluding costs associated with long-term investment on capital
items or investment in securities.
operating expense a normal business expense.
operating expense ratio a relationship showing operating expenses
divided by potential gross income.
opinion of title an opinion, usually given by an attorney, regarding the sta-
tus of a title to property.
option an agreement that gives a prospective buyer the right to purchase a
sellers property within a specified period of time for a specified price.
optionee one who receives or holds an option.
207
GLOSSARY
optionor one who grants an option; the property owner.

ordinance a municipal regulation.
original principal balance the total amount of principal owed on
a loan before any payments are made; the amount borrowed.
origination fee the amount charged by a lender to cover the cost of
assembling the loan package and originating the loan.
owner financing a real estate transaction in which the property seller
provides all or part of the financing.
ownership the exclusive right to use, possess, control, and dispose of
property.
P
package mortgage a mortgage that pledges both real and personal
property as collateral to secure repayment of a loan.
parcel a lot or specific portion of a large tract of real estate.
participation mortgage a type of mortgage in which the lender
receives a certain percentage of the income or resale proceeds from a property,
as well as interest on the loan.
partition the division of property held by co-owners into individual shares.
partnership an agreement between two parties to conduct business for
profit. In a partnership, property is owned by the partnership, not the individual
partners, so partners cannot sell their interest in the property without the
consent of the other partners.
party wall a common wall used to separate two adjoining properties.
payee one who receives payment from another.
payment cap on an adjustable rate mortgage, a limit on the maximum
monthly payment that can be charged during the life of the mortgage; does not
affect interest and, therefore, negatively affects amortization.
payment to amortize an additional amount paid each month to be
applied to the principal balance.
payor one who makes payment to another.
percent/percentage one part out of 100.
percentage lease a lease in which the rental rate is based on a percentage
of the tenants gross sales. This type of lease is most often used for retail space.
percentage rent a lease that provides the tenant with lower base rent in
return for paying the landlord a higher percentage of sales.
per front foot a measurement along the front property.
perimeter the sum of the lengths of all sides of an object.
208
GLOSSARY
periodic estate tenancy that automatically renews itself until either the
landlord or tenant gives notice to terminate it.
personal property (hereditaments) all items that are not
permanently attached to real estate; also known as chattels.
physical deterioration a loss in the value of a property because of
impairment of its physical condition.
PITI principal, interest, taxes, and insurancethe components of a regular
mortgage payment.
planned unit development (PUD) a type of zoning that provides
for residential and commercial uses within a specified area.
plat a map of subdivided land showing the boundaries of individual parcels
or lots.
plat book a group of maps located in the public record showing the division
of land into subdivisions, blocks, and individual parcels or lots.
plat number a number that identifies a parcel of real estate for which a plat
has been recorded in the public record.
plottage combining two or more parcels of real estate resulting in increased
usage and value.
PMI private mortgage insurance.
point a point is one percent of the loan.
point of beginning the starting point for a survey using the metes and
bounds method of description.
police power the right of the government to enact laws, ordinances, and
regulations to protect the public health, safety, welfare, and morals.
positive cash flow a situation in which the long-term cash coming in
exceeds the long-term cash going out; the formula is that the loan-to-value ratio
multiplied by the annual constant must be lower than the CAP rate to get pos-
itive cash flow.
potential gross income (PGI) the amount of income that could
be produced by a real property, assuming no vacancies or collection losses.
power of attorney a legal document that authorizes someone to act on
anothers behalf. A power of attorney can grant complete authority or can be
limited to certain acts and/or certain periods of time.
preapproval condition where a borrower has completed a loan application
and provided debt, income, and savings documentation that an underwriter has
reviewed and approved. A preapproval is usually done at a certain loan amount,
making assumptions about what the interest rate will actually be at the time the
loan is actually made, as well as estimates for the amount that will be paid for
property taxes, insurance, and so on.
209
GLOSSARY
prepaid expense an asset on a balance sheet as a result of paying in

advance for goods and services to be received in the near future.
prepaid interest the money paid at closing to cover the period from the
time the mortgage is funded to the date the first payment is due.
prepayment amount paid to reduce the outstanding principal balance of
a loan before the due date.
prepayment penalty a fee charged to a borrower by a lender for pay-
ing off a debt before the term of the loan expires.
prequalification a lenders opinion on the ability of a borrower to qual-
ify for a loan, based on furnished information regarding debt, income, and avail-
able capital for down payment, closing costs, and prepaids. Prequalification is
less formal than preapproval.
prescription a method of acquiring an easement to property by pro-
longed, unauthorized use.
present value (PV) the amount that a future sum of money is worth
today given a specified rate of return.
pretax cash flow earnings before amortization and depreciation and tax
payments; also known as before-tax cash flow.
primary mortgage market the financial market in which loans are
originated, funded, and serviced.
prime rate the short-term interest rate that banks charge to their preferred
customers. Changes in prime rate are used as the indexes in some adjustable-rate
mortgages, such as home equity lines of credit.
principal (1) one who authorizes another to act on his or her behalf; (2) one
of the contracting parties to a transaction; (3) the amount of money borrowed
in a loan, separate from the interest charged on it.
principal balance the balance of principal on a mortgage, exclusive of
interest or other charges.
principal meridian one of the 36 longitudinal lines used in the rectan-
gular survey system method of land description.
principal plus interest (P + I ) the ratio of net revenues to the debt
service requirements.
probate the judicial procedure of proving the validity of a will.
procuring cause the action that brings about the desired result. For
example, if a broker takes actions that result in a sale, the broker is the procur-
ing cause of the sale.
profitability the rate of profit on an investment; similar to the rate of
return on an investment.
210
GLOSSARY
promissory note a document that details the terms of the loan and is the
debt instrument.
property management the operating of an income property for
another.
property tax a tax levied by the government on property, real or personal.
prorate to divide ongoing property costs such as taxes or maintenance fees
proportionately between buyer and seller at closing.
pur autre vie a phrase meaning for the life of another. In a life estate pur
autre vie, the term of the estate is measured by the life of a person other than
the person who holds the life estate.
purchase agreement a written contract signed by the buyer and
seller stating the terms and conditions under which a property will be sold.
purchase money mortgage a mortgage given by a buyer to a seller
to secure repayment of any loan used to pay part or all of the purchase price.
purchase price the monetary amount a buyer pays for a property.
Q
qualifying ratios calculations to determine whether a borrower can
qualify for a mortgage. There are two ratios. The top ratio is a calculation of
the borrowers monthly housing costs (principle, taxes, insurance, mortgage
insurance, homeowners association fees) as a percentage of monthly income.
The bottom ratio includes housing costs as well as all other monthly debt.
quitclaim deed a conveyance whereby the grantor transfers without war-
ranty or obligations whatever interest or title he or she may have.
R
range an area of land six miles wide, numbered east or west from a principal
meridian in the rectangular survey system.
rate of interest a rate charged or paid for the use of money; calculated
by dividing the amount of interest by the amount of principal.
ready, willing, and able description of someone who is able to pay
the asking price for a property and is prepared to complete the transaction.
real estate land, the earth below it, the air above it, and anything perma-
nently attached to it.
real estate agent a real estate broker who has been appointed to mar-
ket a property for and represent the property owner (listing agent); or a broker
who has been appointed to represent the interest of the buyer (buyers agent).
211
GLOSSARY
real estate board an organization whose members consist primarily

of real estate sales agents, brokers, and administrators.
real estate broker a licensed person, association, partnership, or cor-
poration who negotiates real estate transactions for others for a fee.
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) a
consumer protection law that requires lenders to give borrowers advance notice
of closing costs and prohibits certain abusive practices against buyers using fed-
erally related loans to purchase their homes.
real property the rights of ownership to land and its improvements.
real rate of return the annual percentage return on an investment,
adjusted for changes in prices because of inflation or deflation.
REALTOR a registered trademark for use by members of the National Asso-
ciation of REALTORS and affiliated state and local associations.
recapture a right, stipulated by the seller of an asset, to purchase back some
or all of the assets within a certain period of time.
reconciliation in appraisal, the method of considering various approaches
in order to determine the final estimate of the value of the property being
appraised.
recording entering documents, such as deeds and mortgages, into the pub-
lic record to give constructive notice.
recovery period the allowable length of time to depreciate residential
rental property for which 80% or more of the gross rental income for the tax
year is from dwelling units.
rectangular survey system a method of land description based
on principal meridians (lines of longitude) and baselines (lines of latitude). Also
called the government survey system.
redemption period the statutory period of time during which an
owner can reclaim foreclosed property by paying the debt owed plus court costs
and other charges established by statute.
redlining the illegal practice of lending institutions refusing to provide certain
financial services, such as mortgage loans, to property owners in certain areas.
refinance transaction the process of paying off one loan with the
proceeds from a new loan using the same property as security or collateral.
Regulation Z a Federal Reserve regulation that implements the federal
Truth-in-Lending Act.
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) a public company that
owns and often operates income-producing real estate. Some REITs also finance
real estate.
212
GLOSSARY
release clause a clause in a mortgage that releases a portion of the prop-

erty upon payment of a portion of the loan.
remainder estate a future interest in an estate that takes effect upon the
termination of a life estate.
remainderman a person entitled to take an estate in remainder. For exam-
ple, Louis grants a life estate to Marla that will pass to Shana upon Marlas death.
Shana is the remainderman.
remaining balance in a mortgage, the amount of principal that has not
yet been repaid.
remaining term the original amortization term minus the number of pay-
ments that have been applied to it.
rent a periodic payment paid by a lessee to a landlord for the use and posses-
sion of leased property.
replacement cost the estimated current cost to replace an asset similar
or equivalent to the one being appraised.
reproduction cost the cost of building an exact duplicate of a building
at current prices.
rescission canceling or terminating a contract by mutual consent or by the
action of one party on default by the other party.
restriction (restrict covenant) a limitation on the way a prop-
erty can be used.
return on equity (ROE) a measure of profitability relative to the
amount of money shareholders have invested; calculated as net income divided
by shareholders equity.
return on investment (ROI) the ratio of money gained or lost on an
investment relative to the amount of money invested; to calculate ROI, the
return is divided by the amount invested.
reversion the return of interest or title to the grantor of a life estate.
reversionary interest a person has a reversionary interest in land when
he or she has a right to take back property that he or she granted to another. For
example, a landlord has a reversionary interest in leased property to take back
possession at the termination of the lease. Heres another example: Gerry grants
a life estate to Jessika that will revert back to Gerry upon Jessikas death. The per-
son, Gerry in this case, is holding the reversionary right.
reverse annuity mortgage an agreement in which a homeowner
receives monthly checks or a lump sum with no repayment until the property
is sold; usually between a mortgagor and elderly homeowners.
revision a revised or new version, as in a contract.
213
GLOSSARY
right of egress (or ingress) the right to enter or leave designated

premises.
right of first refusal the right of a person to have the first opportunity
to purchase property before it is offered to anyone else.
right of redemption the statutory right to reclaim ownership of prop-
erty after a foreclosure sale.
right of survivorship in joint tenancy, the right of survivors to acquire
the interest of a deceased joint tenant.
riparian rights the rights of a landowner whose property is adjacent to a
flowing waterway, such as a river, to access and use the water.
S
safety clause a contract provision that provides a time period following
expiration of a listing agreement, during which the agent will be compensated
if there is a transaction with a buyer who was initially introduced to the prop-
erty by the agent.
sale-leaseback a transaction in which the owner sells improved prop-
erty and, as part of the same transaction, signs a long-term lease to remain in
possession of its premises, thus becoming the tenant of the new owner.
sales contract a contract between a buyer and a seller outlining the terms
of the sale.
salesperson one who is licensed to sell real estate in a given territory.
salvage value the value of a property at the end of its economic life.
satisfaction an instrument acknowledging that a debt has been paid in full.
second mortgage a mortgage that is in less than first lien position; see
junior mortgage.
section as used in the rectangular survey system, an area of land measuring
one square mile, or 640 acres.
secured loan a loan that is backed by property or collateral.
security property that is offered as collateral for a loan.
seisin the possession of a freehold estate in land by a person having the title.
seller carryback a means of owner financing whereby the owner lends
the buyer the moneyoften as a second mortgage in combination with an
assumed mortgage.
selling broker the broker who secures a buyer for a listed property; the
selling broker may be the listing agent, a subagent, or a buyers agent.
separate property property owned individually by a spouse, as
opposed to community property.
214
GLOSSARY
servient tenement a property on which an easement or right-of-way

for an adjacent (dominant) property passes.
setback the amount of space between the lot line and the building line, usu-
ally established by a local zoning ordinance or restrictive covenants; see deed
restrictions.
settlement statement (HUD-1) the form used to itemize all costs
related to closing of a residential transaction covered by RESPA regulations.
severalty the ownership of a property by only one legal entity.
shared appreciation mortgage (SAM) a fixed-rate, fixed-
term loan that offers a lower interest rate in exchange for giving up a portion
of the homes future value; can be up to 30-year mortgages.
sinking fund payment periodic payments that will accumulate by a
specific future date to a specified future value.
special assessment a tax levied against only the specific properties
that will benefit from a public improvement, such as a street or sewer; an
assessment by a homeowners association for a capital improvement to the com-
mon areas for which no budgeted funds are available.
special warranty deed a deed in which the grantor guarantees the
title only against the defects that may have occurred during the grantors own-
ership and not against any defects that occurred prior to that time.
specific lien a lien, such as a mortgage, that attaches to one defined par-
cel of real estate.
specific performance a legal action in which a court compels a
defaulted party to a contract to perform according to the terms of the contract,
rather than awarding damages.
spread the difference between the asking price and the bid or the actual sell-
ing price.
standard payment calculation the method used to calculate the
monthly payment required to repay the remaining balance of a mortgage in equal
installments over the remaining term of the mortgage at the current interest rate.
state deed tax a transfer tax imposed on the value of real property
transferred.
statute of frauds the state law that requires that certain contracts to be
in writing in order to be enforceable.
statute of limitations the state law that requires that certain actions
be brought to court within a specified period of time.
statutory lien a lien imposed on property by statute, such as a tax lien.
steering the illegal practice of directing prospective homebuyers to or away
from particular areas.
215
GLOSSARY
straight-line depreciation a method of computing depreciation by

decreasing value by an equal amount each year during the useful life of the
property.
subdivision a tract of land divided into lots as defined in a publicly recorded
plat that complies with state and local regulations.
sublet the act of a lessee transferring part or all of his or her lease to a third
party while maintaining responsibility for all duties and obligations of the lease
contract.
subject property a property for which a borrower is attempting to
secure financing or refinancing; the property being appraised.
subordinate to voluntarily accept a lien position of lower priority than one
to which one would normally be entitled.
substitution the principle in appraising that a buyer will be willing to pay
no more for the property being appraised than the cost of purchasing an
equally desirable property.
subrogation the substitution of one party into anothers legal role as the
creditor for a particular debt.
suit for possession a lawsuit filed by a landlord to evict a tenant who
has violated the terms of the lease or retained possession of the property after
the lease expired.
suit for specific performance a lawsuit filed for the purpose of
compelling a party to perform particular acts to settle a dispute, rather than pay
monetary damages.
survey a map that shows the exact legal boundaries of a property, the loca-
tion of easements, encroachments, improvements, rights of way, and other
physical features.
syndicate a group formed by a syndicator to combine funds for real estate
investment.
T
taxable value a percentage, after exemptions, of the assessors appraisal
according to a state-prescribed formula.
tax deed in some states, an instrument given to the purchaser at the time
of sale.
tax lien a charge against a property created by law or statue. Tax liens take pri-
ority over all other types of liens.
tax rate the rate applied to the assessed value of a property to determine the
property taxes.
216
GLOSSARY
tax sale the court-ordered sale of a property after the owner fails to pay ad
valorem taxes owed on the property.
teaser rate a very low, temporary rate on an adjustable rate mortgage.
tenancy at sufferance the tenancy of a party who unlawfully retains
possession of a landlords property after the term of the lease has expired.
tenancy at will an indefinite tenancy that can be terminated by either the
landlord or the tenant at any time by giving notice to the other party one rental
period in advance of the desired termination date.
tenancy by the entirety ownership by a married couple of property
acquired during the marriage with right of survivorship; not recognized by
community property states.
tenancy in common a form of co-ownership in which two or more per-
sons hold an undivided interest in property without the right of survivorship.
tenant one who holds or possesses the right of occupancy title.
tenement the space that may be occupied by a tenant under the terms of
a lease.
term the length of a mortgage.
testate to die having created a valid will directing the testators desires with
regard to the disposition of the estate.
time is of the essence phrase in a contract that requires strict
adherence to the dates listed in the contract as deadlines for the performance
of specific acts.
time on the market the amount of time it takes a property to sell.
time sharing undivided ownership of real estate for only an allotted por-
tion of a year.
time value of money the concept that money received now is worth
more than the same rate in the future, even after adjusting for inflation, because
money now can earn interest or other appreciation in that time.
title a legal document that demonstrates a persons right to, or ownership of,
a property. Note: Title is not an instrument. The instrument, such as a deed,
gives evidence of title or ownership.
title closing the transfer of ownership of property; the final step in a
home sale, at which documents are signed and recorded.
title insurance an insurance policy that protects the holder from defects
in a title, subject to the exceptions noted in the policy.
title search a check of public records to ensure that the seller is the legal
owner of the property and that there are no liens or other outstanding claims.
Torrens system a system of registering titles to land with a public
authority, who is usually called a registrar.
217
GLOSSARY
township a division of land, measuring 36 square miles, in the government

survey system.
trade fixtures an item of personal property installed by a commercial ten-
ant and removable upon expiration of the lease.
transfer tax a state or municipal tax payable when the conveyancing
instrument is recorded.
trust an arrangement in which title to property is transferred from a grantor
to a trustee, who holds title but not the right of possession for a third party, the
beneficiary.
trustee a person who holds title to property for another person designated
as the beneficiary.
Truth-in-Lending Law also known as Regulation Z; requires lenders to
make full disclosure regarding the terms of a loan.
turnover the rate at which apartments are vacated.
U
underwriting the process of evaluating a loan application to determine the
risk involved for the lender.
undivided interest the interest of co-owners to use of an entire prop-
erty despite the fractional interest owned.
unilateral contract a one-sided contract in which one party is oblig-
ated to perform a particular act completely, before the other party has any oblig-
ation to perform.
unsecured loan a loan that is not backed by collateral or security.
useful life the period of time a property is expected to have economic utility.
usury the practice of charging interest at a rate higher than that allowed by law.
V
VA-guaranteed loan a mortgage loan made to a qualified veteran that
is guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
vacancy and noncollection an estimated amount to be deducted
from potential gross income when preparing a budget.
vacancy rate a measurement of gross rental income loss because of
vacancy and noncollection of rent; expressed as total potential gross rental
income divided by lost rental income.
valid contract an agreement that is legally enforceable and binding on all
parties.
218
GLOSSARY
valuation estimated worth.

variance permission obtained from zoning authorities to build a structure
that is not in complete compliance with current zoning laws. A variance does
not permit a non-conforming use of a property.
vendee a buyer.
vendor a seller; the property owner.
village an incorporated minor municipality usually larger than a hamlet and
smaller than a town.
void contract a contract that is not legally enforceable; the absence of a
valid contract.
voidable contract a contract that appears to be valid but is subject to
cancellation by one or both of the parties.
W
waiver the surrender of a known right or claim.
warranty deed a deed in which the grantor fully warrants a good clear
title to the property.
waste the improper use of a property by a party with the right to possession,
such as the holder of a life estate.
will a written document that directs the distribution of a deceased persons prop-
erty, real and personal.
wraparound mortgage a mortgage that includes the remaining bal-
ance on an existing first mortgage plus an additional amount. Full payments
on both mortgages are made to the wraparound mortgagee who then forwards
the payments on the first mortgage to the first mortgagee.
writ of execution a court order to the sheriff or other officer to sell the
property of a debtor to satisfy a previously rendered judgment.
Y
yield a rate of return on an investment.
Z
zone an area reserved by authorities for specific use that is subject to certain
restrictions.
zoning ordinance the exercise of regulating and controlling the use of a
property in a municipality.
219

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REAL ESTATE MATH

REAL ESTATE MATH

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Real estate math.

Printed in the United States of America

For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at:

Why Real Estate Professionals Need Math vii

Part 1: Assessing Your Skills 1

Part 2: Selling Real Estate 45

Part 3: Appraising Real Estate 103

Part 4: Investing in Real Estate 137

Part 5: Closing the Sale 153

WHY REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS NEED MATH

calculate the mathematical pros and cons of comparables

WHAT YOULL FIND IN REAL ESTATE MATH

tips to remind you of a mathematical quirk or something to consider or

How to Get the Most from This Book

This test will help you determine your

1. A borrower wants to know if he qualifies for a $400,000 conventional

7. A borrower is charged 4 points to get a 6.2% $322,000 mortgage. How

9. A 25-year mortgage of $333,500 with an interest rate of 7.1% has monthly

15. How many acres are there in 612,000 square feet?

16. The replacement cost of a small, 25-year-old apartment building is

17. Regarding the 25-year-old apartment building in question 16: Replace-

Comparable +/ Value Subject +/ Value

none Bluestone patio $7,500

Landscaped pool $22,000 none

Marble master $25,000 none

Comparable +/ Value Subject +/ Value

Powder room $2,500

none Finished walk-out $100,000

Landscaping in poor ($15,000)

Selling price $575,000 Selling price

Use the following information to answer questions 2632.

Assume an investment of $1,435,000 in a residential building with 10 apart-

26. What is the PGI?

27. What is the VCL?

28. What is the EGI?

29. What is the OE?

30. What is the NOI?

31. What is the yearly mortgage payment?

32. What is the PCTF?

33. An owner resides in 20% of an apartment building purchased for

Use the following information to answer questions 3438.

34. Calculate depreciation.

35. Calculate adjusted basis.

36. Calculate capital gains tax.

37. Calculate excess gain tax.

38. Calculate after-tax income.

Use the following information to answer questions 3941.

A closing is on November 7; property taxes paid in arrears twice a year on July 1

40. What is the average cost per day?

41. How much does the seller owe the buyer?

Use the following information to answer questions 4244.

43. What is the average cost per day?

44. How much does the seller owe the buyer?

Use the following information to answer questions 4952.

49. the total commission at 6%

50. the commission if split 5050 between two brokerage agencies