Property law Part of the common law series Acquisition Gift  Adverse possession  Deed Conquest  Discovery  Accession Lost mislaid and abandoned property Treasure trove   Bailment  License Alienation Estates in land Allodial title  Fee simple  Fee tail Life estate  Defeasible estate Future interest  Concurrent estate Leasehold estate  Condominiums Conveyancing Bona fide purchaser Torrens title  Strata title Estoppel by deed  Quitclaim deed Mortgage  Equitable conversion Action to quiet title  Escheat Future use control Restraint on alienation Rule against perpetuities Rule in Shelley's Case Doctrine of worthier title Nonpossessory interest Easement  Profit Covenant Equitable servitude Related topics Fixtures  Waste  Partition Riparian water rights Prior-appropriation water rights Lateral and subjacent support Assignment  Nemo dat Property and conflict of laws Other common law areas Contract law  Tort law Wills trusts and estates Criminal law  Evidence v d e

Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom Canada Australia USA Dubai Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas) that encompasses land along with improvements to the land such as buildings fences wells and other site improvements that are fixed in locationimmovable.1 Real estate law is the body of regulations and legal codes which pertain to such matters under a particular jurisdiction and include things such as commercial and residential real property transactions. Real estate is often considered synonymous with real property (sometimes called realty) in contrast with personal property (sometimes called chattel or personalty under chattel law or personal property law).

However in some situations the term "real estate" refers to the land and fixtures together as distinguished from "real property" referring to ownership of land and appurtenances including anything of a permanent nature such as structures trees minerals and the interest benefits and inherent rights thereof. Real property is typically considered to be immovable property.2 The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Real estate terminology and practice outside the United States (around the world) 2.1 Real estate as "real property" in the U.K. 2.2 Real estate in Mexico and Central America 3 Business sector 4 Residential real estate 5 Market sector value 6 Mortgages in real estate 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Etymology

In law the word real means relating to a thing (res/rei thing from O.Fr. reel from L.L. realis "actual" from Latin. res "matter thing")3 as distinguished from a person. Thus the law broadly distinguishes between "real" property (land and anything affixed to it) and "personal" property (everything else e.g. clothing furniture money). The conceptual difference was between immovable property which would transfer title along with the land and movable property which a person would retain title to. The oldest use of the term "Real Estate" that has been preserved in historical records was in 1666.3 This use of "real" also reflects the ancient and feudal preference for land and the ownership (and owners) thereof.

Some people have claimed that the word real in this sense is descended (like French royal and Spanish real) from the Latin word for 'king'. In the feudal system (which has left many traces in the common law) the king was the owner of all land and everyone who occupied land paid him rent directly or indirectly (through lords who in turn paid the king) in cash goods or services (including military service). Property tax paid to the state can be seen as a relic of that system as is the term fee simple. However this derivation of real is a misconception.4 Real estate terminology and practice outside the United States (around the world) Real estate as "real property" in the U.K.

In British usage "real property" often shortened to just "property" generally refers to land and fixtures while the term "real estate" is used mostly in the context of probate law and means all interests in land held by a deceased person at death excluding interests in money arising under a trust for sale of or charged on land.5

See Real property for a definition and Estate agent for a description of the practice in the UK. Real estate in Mexico and Central America This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

The real estate businesses in MexicoCanadaGuam and Central America are different from the way that they are conducted in the United States.

Some similarities include a variety of legal formalities (with professionals such as real estate agents generally employed to assist the buyer); taxes need to be paid (but typically less than those in U.S.); legal paperwork will ensure title; and a neutral party such as a title company will handle documentation and money to make the smooth exchange between the parties. Increasingly U.S. title companies are doing work for U.S. buyers in Mexico and Central America.

Prices are often much cheaper than most areas of the U.S. but in many locations prices of houses and lots are as expensive as the U.S. one example being Mexico City. U.S. banks have begun to give home loans for properties in Mexico but so far not for other Latin American countries. One important difference from the United States is that each country has rules regarding where foreigners can buy. For example in Mexico foreigners cannot buy land or homes within 50 km (31 mi) of the coast or 100 km (62 mi) from a border unless they hold title in a Mexican Corporation or a Fideicomiso (a Mexican trust).6 In Honduras however they may buy beach front property directly in their name. There are different rules regarding certain types of property: ejidal land  communally held farm property  can only be sold after a lengthy entitlement process but that does not prevent them from being offered for sale. In Costa Rica real estate agents do not need a license to operate but the transfer of property requires a lawyer. In Mexico real estate agents do not need a license to operate but the transfer of property requires a notary public. Business sector This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009) With the development of private property ownership real estate has become a major area of business commonly referred to as commercial real estate. Purchasing real estate requires a significant investment and each parcel of land has unique characteristics so the real estate industry has evolved into several distinct fields. Specialists are often called on to valuate real estate and facilitate transactions. Some kinds of real estate businesses include: Appraisal: Professional valuation services Brokerages: A mediator who charges a fee to facilitate a real estate transaction between the two parties. Development: Improving land for use by adding or replacing buildings Net leasing7 Property management: Managing a property for its owner(s) Real estate marketing: Managing the sales side of the property business Real estate investing: Managing the investment of real estate Relocation services: Relocating people or business to a different country Corporate Real Estate: Managing the real estate held by a corporation to support its core businessunlike managing the real estate held by an investor to generate income Within each field a business may specialize in a particular type of real estate such as residential commercial or industrial property. In addition almost all construction business effectively has a connection to real estate. Professional university-level education in real estate is primarily focused at the graduate level. Focus in towards the commercial real estate sector primarily real estate development or investment rather than residential real estate sales conducted by a REALTOR. See also graduate real estate education for a discussion and list of university-level real estate programs. "Internet real estate" is a term coined by the internet investment community relating to ownership of domain names and the similarities between high quality internet domain names and real-world prime real estate. Residential real estate The legal arrangement for the right to occupy a dwelling in some countries is known as the housing tenure. Types of housing tenure include owner occupancy Tenancy housing cooperative condominiums (individually parceled properties in a single building) public housing squatting and cohousing. The occupants of a residence constitute a household. Residences can be classified by if and how they are connected to neighboring residences and land. Different types of housing tenure can be used for the same physical type. For example connected residents might be owned by a single entity and leased out or owned separately with an agreement covering the relationship between units and common areas and concerns. 'Single-family detached home' Major categories in North America and Europe Attached / multi-unit dwellings Apartment - An individual unit in a multi-unit building. The boundaries of the apartment are generally defined by a perimeter of locked or lockable doors. Often seen in multi-story apartment buildings. Multi-family house - Often seen in multi-story detached buildings where each floor is a separate apartment or unit. Terraced house (a.k.a. townhouse or rowhouse) - A number of single or multi-unit buildings in a continuous row with shared walls and no intervening space. Condominium - Building or complex similar to apartments owned by individuals. Common grounds and common areas within the complex are owned and shared jointly. There are townhouse or rowhouse style condominiums as well. Cooperative (a.k.a. "co-op) - A type of multiple ownership in which the residents of a multi-unit housing complex own shares in the cooperative corporation that owns the property giving each resident the right to occupy a specific apartment or unit. Semi-detached dwellings Duplex - Two units with one shared wall. Single-family detached home Portable dwellings Mobile homes - Potentially a full-time residence which can be (might not in practice be) movable on wheels. Houseboats - A floating home Tents - Usually very temporary with roof and walls consisting only of fabric-like material. The size of an apartment or house can be described in square feet or meters. In the United States this includes the area of "living space" excluding the garage and other non-living spaces. The "square meters" figure of a house in Europe may report the total area of the walls enclosing the home thus including any attached garage and non-living spaces which makes it important to inquire what kind of surface definition has been used. It can be described more roughly by the number of rooms. A studio apartment has a single bedroom with no living room (possibly a separate kitchen). A one-bedroom apartment has a living or dining room separate from the bedroom. Two bedroom three bedroom and larger units are common. (A bedroom is defined as a room with a closet for clothes storage.) Major categories in India and the Asian Subcontinent Housing Societies (CGHS) Condominiums Builder flats Chawls Havelis Lal Dora - Where people carry out commercial and residential activities both. The size is measured in Gaz (square yards) Quila Marla Beegha and acre. See List of house types for a complete listing of housing types and layouts real estate trends for shifts in the market and house or home for more general information. Market sector value This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009) According to The Economist "developed economies'" assets at the end of 2002 were the following: Residential property: $48 trillion; Commercial property: $14 trillion; Equities: $20 trillion; Government bonds: $20 trillion; Corporate bonds: $13 trillion; Total: $115 trillion. That makes real estate assets 54% and financial assets 46% of total stocks bonds and real estate assets. Assets not counted here are bank deposits insurance "reserve" assets natural resources and human assets. It is not clear if all debt and equity investments are counted in the categories equities and bond. Mortgages in real estate In recent years many economists have recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investment in many developing countries. In most societies rich and poor a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. In most advanced economies the main source of capital used by individuals and small companies to purchase and improve land and buildings is mortgage loans (or other instruments). These are loans for which the real property itself constitutes collateral. Banks are willing to make such loans at favorable rates in large part because if the borrower does not make payments the lender can foreclose by filing a court action which allows them to take back the property and sell it to get their money back. For investors profitability can be enhanced by using an off plan or pre-construction strategy to purchase at a lower price which is often the case in the pre-construction phase of development.citation needed But in many developing countries there is no effective means by which a lender could foreclose so the mortgage loan industry as such either does not exist at all or is only available to members of privileged social classes. See also 1031 exchange Buyer brokerage (in the USA) Buying agent (in the UK) Estate (house) Estate agent (in the UK) Real estate broker (in the USA) Housing bubble International real estate Investment Rating for Real Estate List of real estate topics Mortgage loan Net lease Private Equity Real Estate Property rights Real estate broker (in the USA) Estate agent (in the UK) Real estate appraisal Real estate broker Real estate economics Real estate developer Real estate investment trust Real estate pricing Real estate transaction Real estate transfer tax Real estate trends Real property Realtor Short sale (real estate) Specialized investment fund Subprime mortgage crisis Real estate owned Real estate in the People's Republic of China Guaranteed home sale References "Real estate" The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company 2004. Dictionary.com Retrieved July 12 2008 "Real Estate and Mortgage Glossary / Definitions - terms beginning with "R"" Real Estate ABC - Information on Buying and Selling A Home. Web. 10 Aug. 2009. http://www.realestateabc.com/glossary/glossaryR.htm. a b "Real"  Online Etymological Dictionary Retrieved July 12 2008 "Real"   The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company 2004. Dictionary.com Retrieved July 12 2008 Oxford Dictionary of Law (4th edition) New York: Oxford University Press 1997; See also Estate in land Mexico and Direct Foreign Ownership of Coastal Property MexiData.info (April 12 2010) http://www.mexidata.info/id2615.html Hipp Jonathan W. (2008-11-28). "What You Need to Know to Invest in Single-tenant Net-leased Properties". Calkain Companies Inc.. http://www.calkain.com/nnn-net-lease-101.php.  External links Look up real estate in Wiktionary the free dictionary. FRB: Z.1 Release- Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States.