ABSTRACT OF JUDGMENT >> A summary of the essential provisions of a court judgment which, when recorded in the county recorder’s office, creates a lien upon the property of the debtor in that county, both presently owned or after acquired.

ABSTRACT OF TITLE >> A history of a property’s title record used in some states to prepare the Preliminary or Title Commitment report. An Abstract of Title lists anyone who’s ever had a claim to the property, past and present. Some states require mortgage lenders to obtain a complete Abstract of Title. However, most states condense the abstract into a document called either the Preliminary or Title Commitment which lists only current claims to the property.

ACCEPTED FEE APPRAISER PANEL >> Panel of authorized fee appraisers that complete property appraisals for Ameriquest Mortgage Company loans.

ACCRUED INTEREST >> Interest on a note, bond, etc., which has been earned but not yet paid.

ADDENDUM >> An attachment to a contract, deed or other document that incorporates additional terms of information to the original.

ADJUSTABLE-RATE MORTGAGE (ARM) >> A mortgage loan where the interest rate is not fixed for the entire term of the loan, and can change during the life of the loan in line with movements of an index rate.

ADJUSTABLE-RATE RIDER >> A rider is an addition to a security instrument. The adjustable-rate rider outlines terms and conditions specific to an adjustable-rate loan. It must be recorded along with the security instrument at the county recorder’s office.