Pre-Approval

A mortgage “pre-approval” is a lender’s conditional determination that a borrower qualifies for a home loan up to a specified amount, based on a detailed review of the borrower’s financial information and creditworthiness. During the pre-approval process, the lender...

Pre-Qualification

A mortgage “pre-qualification” is an initial evaluation by a lender of a prospective borrower’s financial profile to estimate how much the borrower may be eligible to borrow for a home purchase or refinance. The process is generally informal and is often based on...

Soft Pull (on credit)

A “soft pull” (also called a soft inquiry) on a credit report occurs when a person or organization reviews credit information without it being tied to a formal application for new credit. In the mortgage industry, soft pulls are commonly used during the...

Hard Pull (on credit)

A “hard pull” (also called a hard inquiry) on a credit report occurs when a lender reviews a borrower’s credit history as part of a formal application for credit, such as a mortgage loan. In the mortgage context, the lender obtains the borrower’s credit report from...

Patent

In real estate law, a patent is the original conveyance of title to land from the government to a private individual or entity. It represents the first transfer of ownership from public to private hands. A land patent establishes the foundation of title for property...

Blended Interest Rate

A blended interest rate is the weighted average rate applied when a borrower has multiple loans or financing components secured by the same property. It reflects the combined cost of borrowing across different interest rates, loan balances, and terms. The calculation...