Debenture
Unsecured long-term debt which has no collateral to back it and is given only to a financially sound borrower with an excellent credit rating.

Debouch
1. Coming forth from a narrow place into open country.
2. Land coming forth from a valley onto a plain.

Debris
1. Rough, broken bits of stone, wood, glass, etc. after destruction.
2. A heap of rock fragments.

Debt
An amount owed from one to another.

Debt Financing
The raising of money by loans and borrowing directly from financial institutions, providing increased financial leverage. Interest may be tax deductible.

Debt-to-Income Ratio
Ratio of monthly debt payments to monthly gross income. Lenders use housing debt-to-income (DTI) ratio (housing payment divided by monthly income). And a total DTI ratio (total debt payment including the house payment divided by monthly income) to determine whether a borrower's income qualifies a buyer for a mortgage.

Debt Limit
Maximum amount of debt an individual or business can borrow.

Debtor
Individual or entity owing money.

Debt Service
The interest and principal paid on a loan.

Debug
1. To find and correct defects or errors.
2. To find and remove electronic listening devices from a room.

Decagon
A plane figure with ten sides and ten angles.

Decalcomania
1. The process of transferring to glass, wood, etc. decorative pictures or designs printed on specially prepared paper.
2. A picture or design made in this manner.

Decarbonization
Removal of carbon from a surface, such as steel. Also known as decarburization.

Decarburization
Removal of carbon from a surface, such as steel. Also known as decarbonization.

Decay
To lose strength. To rot or decompose.

Decedent
One who has died with a valid will in effect.

Decent
When an owner of real estate dies without a will (in testate), the property descends, by operation of law, to the owner's inheritors.

Decibel
Numeric expression of the loudness of sound.

Deciduous
Trees that shed their leaves in the fall. Widely used for furniture. They include pine, oak, maple, redwood and spruce. Pine is commonly used for building material.

Decimal
A fraction with an unwritten denominator of 10 or some power of 10, marked by a (decimal) point before the numerator.

Decimal Feet
Measurement of length in feet and decimal portions. For example 5.5 in decimal feet is also 5 feet 6 inches or 5 ½ feet.

Deck
The roofless, floored area adjoining a house, used for recreational purposes.

Deck Paint
Exterior paint that is very wear resistant. Decking Wide board, usually two inches thick, attached to flooring or roofing joists acting as the floor or roof of a structure. Alternately, light gauged ribbed metal sheets used for supporting a roof or floor.

Deck Roof
Open surface constructed on top of a flat roof with a railing on the sides.

Declaration
Legal record used in creating a condominium and includes a description of the property, common elements, ownership units and acceptable uses of the residence.

Declaration of Homestead
Statement filed with a government authority declaring the property a homestead for purpose of securing a homestead exemption and has no effect on the title and is not a conveyance.

Declaratory Judgment
A binding determination by the court as to whether there is a justiciable (allowable) action between the litigants. A subsequent trial determines any relief on the declared justiciable action.

Declination
1. A bending or sloping downward.
2. An oblique variation from some definite direction.
3. The angle formed by a magnetic needle with the line pointing to the true north. 4. A polite refusal.

Declining Market
Market condition in which there are more sellers than buyers, causing prices to fall.

Declivity
A downward slope or sloping, as a hill.

Decompression
A freedom from pressure.

Decontaminate
To rid of a polluting or harmful substance. Purifying.

Decorate
1. To add something to made more attractive. To adorn.
2. To plan and arrange colors, furnishings, etc. 3. To give a token of honor or medal.

Decorated Gypsum Wallboard
Decorative, factory applied, vinyl or paper coated wallboard panels.

Decorating Allowance
The amount of money supplies by the seller to be applied to decorating changes.

Decoration
1. Anything used for decorating. An ornament.
2. A medal or badge of honor.
3. To add designs to a surface.

Decorative Metal Fencing
Fencing made from sections of fence welded with shapes or pipes, etc. which are installed as units.

Decorative Panel
Plywood panel, on which the surface is designed with a pattern, to be used as paneling, accent walls, displays, etc.

Decoupling
Elements and components, of a structure, separated so that they don't interact.

Decrease
To become or cause to become gradually smaller. To reduce or diminish.

Decree
Decision rendered by a court of law.

Decrement
The process of decreasing in size; the total amount of decrease.

Dedication
Property given and accepted as a grant to the public.

Deed
Legal document transferring ownership of a piece of property.

Deed of Confirmation
Often referred to as a correction deed, it is used to rectify errors made in a previous deed.

Deed Covenant
Any of a number of types of covenants agreeing to do or not to do something that is attached to the title and passes from one owner to the next such as architectural style or type of material.

Deed Description
Property description contained in a deed.

Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure
Legal document conveying property to the lender after the borrower defaults on his/her mortgage payment.

Deed of Release
The deed, which releases property or a portion of it, upon satisfaction of a mortgage or other debt.

Deed Restrictions
Written statements in a deed which outline the limits of use of a property. Restrictions that are imposed against the race, sex, nationality, color or creed of a person are illegal.

Deed of Trust
Document giving the lender the right to foreclose on a piece of property if the borrower defaults on the loan.

Deed Recording Fee
Fee charged by the government to enter into the public record the deed and documents relative to the transfer of title to a piece of property.

Deep-cut Trim Plate
A convex electrical cover plate used for a slightly protruding electrical box.

Deep-seal Floor Drain
Drain used to dispose of basement water to a sewer line.