GLOSSARY
REAL ESTATE TERMS

Results for the letter G

Gable
A triangular wall enclosed by the sloping ends of a ridged roof or a triangular decorative feature.

Gable roof
A ridged roof forming a triangle at each end.

Gag rules
A provision in contracts signed by new buyers that prohibits the owners from publicizing complaints about the builder.

Gambrel roof
A roof with two slopes, often seen on barns.

General contractor
The person who hires all of the subcontractors and suppliers for a project.

General plan
A government's long-range land-use plan.

Geodesic dome
A structure constructed of lightweight bars forming a grid of polygons.

Georgian style
Popular throughout the 18th century, this type of architecture is distinguished by a symmetrical facade, prominent front entrance and quoins-decorative blocks of masonry or wood set in the corners of the house.

Gift
A cash gift a buyer receives from a relative or other source. Lenders usually require a "gift letter" stating that the money will not have to be repaid.

Gingerbread decoration
An intricate, almost lacy, wood trim.

Girders
Crossbeams that support floor joists.

Good-faith estimate
An estimate from an institutional lender that shows the costs a borrower will incur, including loan-processing charges and inspection fees.

Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
An agency that buys home loans from lenders, pools them with other loansand tsells shares to investors. Ginnie Mae differs from its cousins (Fannie Mae) (Freddie Mac) because it only purchases loans backed by the federal government.

Grace period
A specified amount of time to make a loan payment after its due date without penalty.

Grade
The elevation of land above level ground.

Grade level
The flat or sloping surface upon which a house is built.

Graduated-payment mortgage GPM)
A mortgage that requires a borrower to make larger monthly payments over the term of the loan. The payment is unusually low for the first few years but gradually rises until year three or fivethen remains fixed.

Granny flat
Slang term for a separate unit in a house or above the garage, which in the past may have been occupied by an elderly relative.

Grantee
A person conveyed an interest in a piece of property.

Grantor
The person who conveys an interest in a piece of property to another person.

Greek Revival style
A style introduced in the U.S. at the end of the 18th century. Its most prominent feature is a pillar-anchored pediment forming a portico in the front of the house.

Greenbelt
Any stretch of park, open space or other natural setting in a community.

Gross income
The total income of a household before taxes or expenses are subtracted.

Ground fault circuit interrupter
Devices that detect leakage of electrical current to the ground and prevent accidental shock.

Ground rent
The amount of money paid for the use of a piece of property when it is a leasehold estate.

Group home
A single-family residence used as a living space for unrelated developmentally disabled or mentally disabled people.

Growing-equity mortgage
A fixed rate mortgage that increases payments over a specific period of time. The extra funds are applied to the principal.

Guarantee mortgage
A loan guaranteed by a third party, such as a government institution.

Gutters
Horizontal channels installed at the edge of a roof to carry rainwater or melted snow away from the house.