Real Estate Insurance Terms - H

A l B l C l D l E l F l G l H l I l J l K l L l M l N l O l P l Q l R l S l T l U l V l W l X l Y l Z

HABENDUM - The clause in a deed, following the granting clause, which defines the extent of the estate of the grantee.

HABITABLE ROOM - A room used for living area, such as a kitchen, bedroom, dining room, etc., as opposed to bathrooms, closets, hallways and similar spaces. Generally habitable rooms are the only ones counted in the number of rooms in a house; bathrooms are counted separately.

HABITANCY - A legal term meaning the place which a person inhabits (lives). The layman's meaning of a place where someone "lives" is probably the closest definition.

HALF-TIMBERED - Residential construction exposing the timber frame of the interior walls, the space between being lath and plaster. In simulated half-timbering, the attaching of boards (or plastic which is treated to resemble a timber surface) to the surface of an interior wall. In simulated half-timbering, the boards are strictly decorative, and not load-bearing.

HALL - Originally, a large building used as a meeting place, such as a town hall. The term has also become synonymous with "hallway", the latter being a relatively narrow passageway between rooms.

HAMLET - A small village or town.

HAND - A lineal measure equal to four inches, the approximate width of a man's hand. Most commonly used to measure the height of a horse.

HARBOR -A natural or man made sheltered area for ships to anchor. May or may not have docks and other port facilities.

HARD FINISH - A smooth outer coat of varnish, plaster or similar finish material.

HARD MONEY MORTGAGE - A mortgage given in return for cash, rather than to secure a portion of the purchase price, as with a purchase money mortgage.

HARDPAN - A compacted lay of soil, usually containing clay, through which it is difficult to drain or dig.

HARDWOOD - Wood used for interior finish, such as oak, maple and walnut. Although the term originally referred to the type of tree and not the hardness of the wood, modern usage usually refers to the hardness of the wood.

HATCHWAY - Usually describes a door in the deck of a boat. A door in the ceiling or floor of a building, giving access to the attic or cellar.

HAZARD INSURANCE - Real estate insurance protecting against loss caused by fire, some natural causes, vandalism, etc., depending upon the terms of the policy.

H-BEAM - A beam, the cross-section of which is the shape of a capital H.

HEAD - (1) The upper framing member of a door or window. Also called a header. (2) The beginning of a river or stream.

HEADER (LINTEL) - A horizontal beam over a wall opening, such as a doorway, fireplace, etc. The header is attached to vertical framing members and spreads the weight from above to these members.

HEAD OF A FAMILY (HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD) - A term used in homestead exemptions to designate the person in charge of managing and supporting a family. It need not be a parent.

HEARTH - (1) The fireside. (2) The fireplace floor, of stone, brick, tile, etc.

HEARTWOOD - A dead portion of a tree, no longer producing sap. The wood from the center of the tree (pith) to the wood which produces sap (sapwood).

HEATER - Connotes a device working by itself to heat a small area (space heater), rather than a heating system, composed of a central source of heat (furnace) and pipes and ducts which heat several spaces.

HEATING SYSTEM - A general term encompassing any system designed to heat a structure in its entirety, as opposed to a space heater.

HEAT PUMP - A pump used in either heating or cooling.

HECTARE - A French unit of measurement, equaling 10,000 square meters (2,471 acres).

HEEL - That part of a vertical framing member which rests closest to the floor.

HEIGHT DENSITY - A zoning term referring to the regulation of maximum building heights for structures in given areas.

HEIR - One who by law, rather than by will, receives the estate of a deceased person.

HEIRS AND ASSIGNS - Words usually found in a deed, showing the interest the grantee is receiving. A deed to "A, his heirs and assigns" would grant the property to A, with the right to assign said property or have is descent to A's heirs upon A's death. This would be considered a fee interest (estate). This would differ from, for example, a life estate granted to A, which would terminate upon A's death and could not be inherited by A's heirs.

HIGH-RISE APARTMENT BUILDING - An apartment building considered "high" in the area where it is built. There is no national height standard.

HIGH WATER LINE - The line on the shore to which high tide rises under normal weather conditions.

HIGHWAY - Technically, any public road, regardless of size. Most commonly, a paved road which carries traffic at high speeds.

HIP - The convex angle at the exterior meeting of the sides of a hip roof.

HIP RAFTER - The rafter which forms the intersection of a convex roof angle.

HOGWALLOWS - Small depressions formed by heavy rains, resembling the depression left after the wallowing of hogs.

HOLDBACK - Portion of a loan held back by the lender until a contingency is met. In the sale of a home insured by V.A. or F.H.A., funds may be held back to make necessary improvements to bring the property to V.A. or F.H.A. standards. The money to make "these" repairs may not be available until closing. One and one half to double the estimated amount necessary is held back. If repairs are not made in the time allowed, these funds are used to make the repairs. In construction financing, funds are held back until, for example, a certain percentage of a subdivision has been sold, or a certain portion of a building has been completed.

HOLDING ESCROW - An open escrow for the life of a land contract, under which the escrow holder may be empowered to collect the payments due under the contract and pay underlying encumbrances, and record a deed and purchase money mortgage, which are executed at the time of the inception of the land contract and held in the escrow, in the event of default by the vendee. A cumbersome and costly method not used in all states, and in states where used, rapidly being replaced by the security (installment) land contract.

HOME FINANCING - A banking term for loans to construct property of no more than 4 units.

HOME OWNERS' ASSOCIATION - (1) An association of people who own homes in a given area, formed for the purpose of improving or maintaining the quality of the area. (2) An association formed by the builder of condominiums or planned developments and required by statute in some states. The builder's participation as well as the duties of the association are controlled by statute.

HOMESTEAD - The dwelling (house and contiguous land) of the head of a family. Some states grant statutory exemptions, protecting homestead property (usually to a set maximum amount) against the rights of creditors. Property tax exemptions (for all or part of the tax) are also available in some states. Statutory requirements to establish a homestead may include a formal declaration to be recorded.

HOME WARRANTY INSURANCE - Private insurance insuring a buyer against defects (usually in plumbing, heating and electrical) in the home he has purchased. The period of insurance varies and both new and used homes may be insured.

HOOD - A protecting canopy, as over a door or window. Any covering serving the protective purpose of a clothing hood.

HOPPER -A device used on the sides of hospital windows to prevent drafts.

HOSPITAL WINDOW-A window that opens inwardly from bottom hinges and has hoppers (draft preventers) on its sides.

HOTEL - Originally, any place for travelers to spend the night. Any hotel built today would be a multi-storied structure having sleeping rooms with private bathrooms, suites, telephones in each rentable room , at least one restaurant and many other amenities.

HOT WATER HEATER - A tank, usually glass lined, in which water is heated for household, commercial, or industrial use.

HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEM - A heating system using circulating hot water from a boiler through a series of pipes to the areas to be heated and back to the boiler.

HOUR-INCH - A flow of one miner's inch for one hour. The value of a miner's inch is not standard, being 1/40th of a cubic foot per second in some areas and 1/50th of a cubic foot per second in others.

HOUSE - Any building used as a residence. When in the phrase "the house of", it is used to describe a commercial business for the French "chez".

HOUSE SEWER - The sewage system from the public sewer in the street to and in the house it serves.

HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD), DEPARTMENT OF - The federal department responsible for the major housing programs in the United States, such as F.H.A.

HOUSING STARTS - Number of houses on which construction has begun. The figures are used to determine the availability of housing need for real estate loans, need for labor and material, etc.

HUMIDIFIER - A unit, usually part of a heating system, which raises the relative humidity in a room or building by the emission of water vapor into the air.

HUMMOCKS-Low mounds or conical knolls rising above the ground.

HUMUS - The organic portion of soil, formed by partially decomposed animal and vegetable matter.

HUNDRED PERCENT LOCATION - An appraisal term referring either to land of the highest value in an area, or land best suited to a specific use.

HYDRAULIC CEMENT - A cement which resists moisture.

HYDROGRAPH - A device which records or charts the depth of water, as in a well, or flow, as in a stream.

HYPOTHECATE - To mortgage or pledge without delivery of the security to the lender.