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mortgages

adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)

Adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is a type of mortgage where the interest rate changes over time. In contrast, fixed rate mortgages made for 15, 20, or 30 years, have a set amount of interest on the loan that does not change. ARMs come in many different forms. The typical ARM has a fixed interest rate for a specific amount of time.

adjustment date

Adjustment date is the date on which a financial term of a contract or transaction is set to change. In real estate, it usually refers to the date on which the interest rate of an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) changes. An ARM’s interest rate is usually fixed at a discount rate for an initial period before it is reset (or adjusted), according to the parties’ agreement, on a scheduled adjustment date to reflect current market interest rates.

appraiser

An appraiser is an expert hired to examine an object or piece of property to determine its value. This determination is called an appraisal, and is commonly required for the purchase, sale, or refinancing of real estate or to gain insurance on property or make a claim if insured property is lost or stolen.

appreciation

Appreciation is an increase in an asset’s value, usually due to inflation or other external economic factors (the opposite of depreciation). 

In more common parlance, appreciation may also be recognition or understanding of the value or significance of a person or thing. 

[Last reviewed in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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