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Amortization The gradual repayment of a mortgage by installments. As you pay back the loan, an increasing amount of each payment is applied to principal and a lesser amount is applied to interest. Amortization is also a process of spreading a cost that is incurred upfront over the term of the loan or life of the asset. | |
Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) A tax-paying corporation created by Congress to support the secondary market in mortgages on residential properties. FNMA sells residential mortgages to lenders (Conventional, FHA insured, and VA guaranteed). FNMA also purchases pools of mortgages from lenders with securities, also know as Fannie Mae, the largest single holder of home mortgages in the United States. | |
Graduated Payment Mortgage (GPM) A type of flexible-payment mortgage where the payments increase for a specified period of time and then level off. This type of mortgage has negative amortization built into it. | |
Revolving Loan A loan with a maximum credit limit that provides the borrower with the ability to disburse funds up to the maximum credit line as needed. The line of credit can be accessed repeatedly as the balance is paid down. A revolving loan functions similar to a credit card and may be accessed by writing a check or a using a debit card. | |