Real Estate Glossary W

Browse the list alphabetically . The topical list groups terms by steps in the home buying process.

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	wainscoting Wood paneling, tongue-and-groove boards, or similar material installed between a baseboard and a chair rail.
	waiver A voluntary relinquishing of certain rights or claims.
	walk-out basement A feature that allows a door to open onto ground level.
	walk-through A buyer's final inspection of the home to determine if conditions in the purchase agreement have been satisfied.
	wallboard Sheets of compacted gypsum with a paper exterior. Also known as dry wall, sheetrock, gypsum board, and plaster board.
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	warehouse fee A closing-cost fee representing the lender's cost of holding a borrower's loan temporarily before it is sold on the secondary mortgage market.
	warranty A legally binding promise to do something in the future.
	water table The level at which the ground is saturated with water.
	watt The unit used to measure the rate at which a device consumes electricity.
	weather stripping Individual lengths of rubber or plastic used to plug air leaks around doors and window frames.
	weep holes Spaces or small openings left in a masonry wall to allow water to drain from behind the wall.
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	Western style A cabinetry term referring to a style of cabinet with a face frame around the front opening.
	wetlands Watery areas such as swamps, marshes and floodplains.
	wild deed An improperly recorded deed.
	will A legal document outlining the disposition of a person's estate in the event of his or her death.
	window light An individual pane of glass.
	window seat A bench built under an interior window.
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	window well A curved, corrugated steel insert used to isolate basement windows from moisture if they're below the soil line.
	window well covers Curved plastic covers designed to be installed on top of a window well to cover the opening.
	wraparound mortgage A loan given to a buyer for the remaining balance on a seller's first mortgage and an additional amount requested by the seller. Payments on both amounts are made to the lender who holds the wraparound loan.