RANGE
A measurement, used in the government survey system, consisting of a strip of land six miles wide, running in a north-south direction.
RATE OF RETURN
The relationship (expressed as a percentage) between the annual net income generated by a business and the invested capital, or the appraised value, or the gross income, etc., of the business.
RAW LAND
Unimproved land; land in its unused natural state prior to the construction of improvements such as streets, lighting, sewers, and the like.
REAL ESTATE
The physical land and appurtenances, including any structures; for all practical purposes synonymous with real property.
REAL PROPERTY
All land and appurtenances to land, including buildings, structures, fixtures, fences, and improvements erected upon or affixed to the same; excluding, however, growing crops.
REALTOR
A registered word which may only be used by an active real estate broker who is a member of the state and local real estate board affiliated with the National Association of Realtors. The use of the name REALTOR and the distinctive seal in advertising is strictly governed by the rules and regulations of the National Association.
REALTY
Land and everything permanently affixed thereto.
REBATE
A reduction or kickback of a stipulated charge.
RECAPTURE
A charge paid by some new developments to reimburse the Municipality, or previous developers for their installation of public improvements that were beyond an immediate need and of benefit to later development.
RECAPTURE CLAUSE
A clause usually found in percentage leases, especially in shopping center leases, giving the landlord the right to terminate the lease (and thus «recapture» the premises)if the tenant does not maintain a specified minimum amount of business.
RECEIVER
An independent party appointed by a court to impartially receive, preserve and manage property which is involved in litigation, pending final disposition of the matter before the court.
RECORDING
The act of entering into the book of public records the written instruments affecting the title to real property, such as deeds, mortgages, contracts of sale, options, assignments, and the like. Proper recordation imparts constructive notice to all the world of the existence of the recorded document and its contents.
REDEMPTION, EQUITABLE RIGHT OF
The right of a mortgagor who has defaulted on the mortgage note to redeem or get back his title to the property by paying off the entire mortgage note prior to the foreclosure sale.
REDUCTION CERTIFICATE
An instrument which shows the amount of the unpaid balance of a mortgage, the rate of interest and the date of maturity.
REFINANCE
The act of obtaining a new loan to pay off an existing loan; the process of paying off one loan with the proceeds from another.
REFORMATION
A legal action to correct or modify a contract or deed which has not accurately reflected the intentions of the parties due to some mechanical error, such as a typo graphical error in the legal description.
RELEASE
The discharge or relinquishment of a right, claim or privilege. Releases involving real property transactions should be acknowledged and recorded.
RELEASE CLAUSE
A provision found in many blanket mortgages enabling the mortgagor to obtain partial releases of specific parcels from the mortgage upon the payment of, typically, a larger-than-pro-rata portion of the loan.
REMAINDER ESTATE
A future interest in real estate created at the same time and by the same instrument as another estate, and limited to arise immediately upon the termination of the prior estate.
RENEWAL OPTION
A covenant in some leases which gives the lessee the right to extend the lease term for a certain period, on specified terms.
RENT
Fixed periodic payment made by a tenant or occupant of property to the owner for the possession and use thereof, usually by prior agreement of the parties.
RENT CONTROL
Regulation by state or local governmental agencies restricting the amount of rent landlords can charge their tenants; such regulation is a valid exercise of the state’s police power.
RENTAL AGREEMENT
An agreement, written or oral, which establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, rules, regulations, or any other provisions concerning the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit and premises; a lease on residential property.
RENTAL POOL
A rental arrangement whereby participating owners of rental apartments agree to have their apartment units available for rental as determined by the rental agent, and then share in the profits and losses of all the rental apartments in the pool according to an agreed formula.
REPRODUCTION COST
The cost, on the basis of current prices, of reproducing a new replica property with the same or fairly similar material.
RESCISSION
The legal remedy of canceling, terminating or annulling a contract and restoring the parties to their original positions; a return to the status quo.
RESERVE FUND
Monies set aside as a cushion of capital for future payment of items such as taxes, insurance, furniture replacement, deferred maintenance, etc.; sometimes referred to as an impound account.
RESIDUAL PROCESS
An appraisal process used in the income approach to estimate the value of the land and/or the building, as indicated by the capitalization of the residual net income attributable to it.
RESTRICTIONS
Limitations on the use of property. Private restrictions are created by means of restrictive covenants written into real property instruments, such as deeds and leases.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANT
A private agreement, usually contained in a deed, which restricts the use and occupancy of real property.
RETALIATORY EVICTION
An act whereby a landlord evicts the tenant in response to some complaint made by the tenant.
REVERSION
A future estate in real property created by operation of law when a grantor conveys a lesser estate than he has. The residue left in the grantor is called a reversion which commences in possession in the future upon the end of a particular estate granted or devised, whether it be freehold or less-than-freehold.
RIGHT OF SURVIVORSHIP
The distinctive characteristic of a joint tenancy (also tenancy by entirety) by which the surviving joint tenant(s) succeeds to all right, title and interest of the deceased joint tenant without the need for probate proceedings.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
The right or privilege, acquired through accepted usage or by contract, to pass over a designated portion of the property of another.
RIPARIAN
Those rights and obligations which are incidental to ownership of land adjacent to or abutting on watercourses such as streams and lakes.
RISK OF LOSS
Responsibility for damages caused to improvements. The risk of loss passes to the vendee when either title or possession passes, and he should protect himself by securing proper insurance.
RUNNING WITH THE LAND
Rights or covenants which bind or benefit successive owners of a property are said to run with the land, such as restrictive building covenants in a recorded deed which would affect all future owners of the property.