Lease: A contract you sign to rent a house or apartment, telling you the rules and how long you can stay

Tenant: A person who rents a place to live in.

Landlord: The owner of the property you're renting.

Security Deposit: Money you give your landlord when you move in, which you might get back when you move out if everything's in good shape.

Rent-to-Own: When you rent a home but can choose to buy it later.

Subletting: When you rent your place to someone else for a while, like if you're going away.

Homeowners Association (HOA): A group that makes rules for a neighborhood or building. If you live there, you have to follow their rules.

Credit Score: A score that tells banks and landlords how good you are at paying back money you borrow.

Credit Bureau: A company that keeps your credit score based on your history of borrowing and paying back money.

Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI): A way to measure if you have too much debt compared to how much money you make.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage: A home loan with a payment that doesn't change.

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM): A home loan where your payments can go up or down.

Mortgage Insurance: Insurance you buy to make the bank feel safe lending you money for a house.

Down Payment: A big payment you make at the beginning when you buy a house.

Closing Costs: All the extra fees you pay when you finally buy a house.

Escrow: A safe place where your money stays until all the paperwork is finished and you officially buy or sell a house.

Appraisal: A professional guess of how much a house is worth.

Pre-Approval: When a bank says they'll probably lend you money before you decide on a house.

Interest Rate: The extra money you pay to borrow money.

Equity: How much of your house you truly own versus how much you still owe on it.

Foreclosure: When the bank takes back a house because the owner didn't pay the loan.

Condominium (Condo): A type of home where you own your apartment but share other areas like the pool.

Title Insurance: Insurance that protects you if there's a problem proving you own your house.

Co-signer: Someone who promises to pay your loan if you can't.

Fair Market Value: The price that something, like a house, would sell for under normal conditions.