- a convertible mortgage offering a discounted interest rate at the beginning of the loan that gradually increases to an agreed-upon fixed-rate over the first few years of the loan. It provides lower initial payments and a stable final monthly rate, but the final rate may be somewhat higher than on a standard fixed-rate mortgage.

- the fee charged by a lender to prepare all the documents associated with your mortgage.

- the relationship between the amount of the mortgage loan and the appraised value of the property expressed as a percentage.

- an insurance policy the borrower buys to protect the lender from non-payment of the loan. Private mortgage insurance policies are usually required if you make a down payment that is below 20% of the appraised value of the home.

- the four components that (for most homeowners) are included in the monthly mortgage payment. Principal and interest are the portions of the payment assigned to repay the mortgage itself; taxes and insurance are paid by your lender into a special escrow account to pay for homeowners insurance and property taxes.

- prepaid interest on a mortgage that is usually paid at the time of closing. Each point is equal to one percent of the total amount of a mortgage (one point on an $80,000 mortgage is $800, or 1 percent of 80,000). Most lenders offer mortgages with several combinations of points and interest rates; generally, the lower the interest rate, the more points you will pay at settlement.

- the amount of debt, not including interest, left on a loan; also the face amount of the mortgage.