Façade
A façade is one part of the exterior of a building, usually a side that faces a street or a courtyard.  A building´s façade is an architecturally important design element that sets the tone for the architectural style of the rest of the building.  A façade may be simple or ornate, and may be of many different types, such as contemporary or historic.  Local zoning regulations for a given area or regulations imposed by a community homeowners´ association may restrict the type of façade that is acceptable for a particular area.  In the case of historic facades, certain laws may restrict or forbid their alteration in the name of preservation.

Fair Credit Billing Act
The Fair Credit Billing Act, or FCBA, is a federal law that governs credit and charge card billing errors.  The Act is designed to protect consumers from errors that can result in debt and unjustifiably diminished quality of an individual´s credit score.  The Act states that if a credit or charge card company violates any of the Act´s provisions, consumers can sue the company to recover damages.  Errors regarding which a consumer may sue under the Act including charges not made by the consumer, charges in the wrong amount, calculation errors, or refusal to clarify or prove charges as requested by the consumer.
Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, is a federal law that regulates the activity of credit bureaus.  Passed in 1971, the FCRA is designed to prevent inaccurate or obsolete information from staying in a consumer's credit file.  The Act also requires credit bureaus to have in place reasonable and accurate procedures for gathering, maintaining, and disseminating credit information. Pursuant to the Act, credit bureaus must show a consumer their credit file upon request if the consumer presents proper identification; the consumer is entitled to one free credit report per year, although the bureau reserves the right to charge a fee for subsequent reports.

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is a federal law passed in 1977 which prohibits creditors from engaging in debtor harassment and other types of unacceptable collection practices. The Act regulates the actions of collection agencies, creditors with a separate office or division in place for the purposes of debt collection, and lawyers who are hired by creditors to help collect overdue debts. An original creditor is not covered by the Act, but similar actions by the original creditor may be prohibited and engagement in them monitored and enforced by similar state laws.

Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act, or FHA, is a federal law passed in 1965 making it illegal to deny rent or refuse to sell property to anyone based on the potential tenant´s or purchaser´s race, color, religion, sex or national origin. An amendment to the Act, passed in 1988, extended protections of the Act to include family status and disability.  The Act is designed to protect renters and purchasers of property by allowing lawsuits to be filed by them or on their behalf in response to discriminatory practices.  The Act was considered a landmark law at its passage, a major milestone in the civil rights movement.

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae is the name given to the Federal National Mortgage Association, which is a congressionally chartered, shareholder-owned financial services company that deals in mortgages.  Fannie Mae buys mortgages from lending institutions and resells them as securities on the secondary mortgage market.  Fannie Mae does not make home loans to borrowers directly, but instead facilitates the process by which lenders offer mortgages.  Fannie Mae also works with local, state, and federal housing authorities to help finance affordable housing and community development projects.

Farmer's Home Administration

The Farmer´s Home Administration, or FmHA, is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture that provides credit to farmers and rural residents.  Money is allocated by the federal government to local offices in rural areas nationwide to be distributed as a subsidy to farmers and rural residents pursuant to very specific eligibility guidelines.  Turnaround time between application for a loan and issuance of the credit varies by jurisdiction, but is often quite fast.  Currently, the name of the Farmer´s Home Association is in the process of being phased out, having been replaced by the title of Rural Economic and Community Development.

Fascia

Fascia is a board that connects the ends of the rafters of a roof, and that provides a surface to support gutters.  When properly constructed, the roof of a home should extend beyond the fascia board so that any runoff from the roof drains into the gutters; if the roof does not hang over the fascia far enough, water and debris may make their way into the space behind gutters, which can result in rot infesting the roof and the fascia, staining of a home´s siding, and potentially interior flooding or soil erosion.  A drip cap, a drip edge made of sheet metal, can alleviate this problem.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Freddie Mac, is a financial services company similar to Fannie Mae (the Federal National Mortgage Association).  Freddie Mac buys mortgages from lending institutions, pools them with other loans it has purchased, and then sells shares of the total pool of funds to investors.  The company assists the public with home ownership by reducing the cost of home financing, as well as participating in community development projects and donating funds to develop and expand housing opportunities for low-income home purchasers.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

The Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, is a federal  government agency that operates a variety of home-loan programs. The most popular and most regularly utilized service offered by the FHA is the Sec. 203(b), program, which provides low-rate mortgages to buyers who are only able to make a minimal down payment, as small as 3 percent.  The FHA also provides mortgage insurance on loans issued by lending institutions that the Agency has approved, insuring mortgages on single family homes, multifamily residences, manufactured homes, and even hospitals.

Federal National Mortgage Association

The Federal National Mortgage Association is the company now officially known as Fannie Mae.  The chartered, shareholder-owned financial services company buys mortgages from lending institutions and resells them as securities on the secondary mortgage market.  Fannie Mae does not make home loans to borrowers directly, but instead facilitates the process by which lenders offer mortgages.  Fannie Mae also works with local, state, and federal housing authorities to help finance affordable housing and community development projects.

Federal Reserve Board

The Federal Reserve Board is a group of economists and other financial experts who set the  monetary policy of the United States.  The main goal of the Board is to control inflation, and the chief tool the Board has at its disposal to accomplish this goal is the power to control interest rates.  Commonly referred to as "the Fed," the Board consists of 7 directors, appointed by the President, who serve 14-year terms.  The Board helps to oversee the 12 national Federal Reserve Banks, regional banks that are operating arms of the national banking system.

Federal style

Federal style is the all-American home architecture style that evolved in the years following the nation´s Revolutionary War, in the late 1700s and early 1800s.  The federal style of architecture was influenced in part by what is known as Georgian Neoclassical style, but was, and continues to be, characterized by much plainer surfaces. Details of the federal style typically include large windows and a front doorway surrounded by glass and often topped with an arched window.  Other common details associated with the federal style are American eagle motifs and elliptical shapes.

Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, is a government agency that is responsible for the oversight and regulation of a variety of companies and industries, including credit bureaus, collection agencies, timeshare operators, certain types of creditors, and many others.  The independent agency was established in 1914, and its stated principal mission is to promote consumer protection against deceptive business practices, and to eliminate and prevent business practices that are or have the potential to be anticompetitive, which ensures consumers retain a choice of providers of goods and services and benefit from competitive prices.

Fee simple

Fee simple is a type of property ownership.  Fee simple ownership is ownership that represents the absolute maximum interest a person can have in a parcel of real estate. Fee simple ownership entitles the owner in fee simple to use the property in any manner he or she sees fit, limited only by the condition that such use be in accordance with state and local laws.  Fee simple rights can only be "defeated," or taken away, very rarely: through taxation or the government powers of eminent domain, police power, or escheat.  An owner of property in fee simple owns full title to the property during his or her life, and usually decides what person or entity will receive the property at his or her death.

Fee simple defeasible

Fee simple defeasible is a type of property ownership.  In fee simple defeasible ownership, the owner of a parcel of real property holds a fee simple title to the property (the most complete type of set of ownership rights available) contingent upon certain conditions.  A fee simple defeasible may be one of two types: fee simple determinable and fee simple subject to condition subsequent.  Conditions may be such that the owner´s ownership becomes unencumbered fee simple upon the occurrence of a specific event, or that the fee simple is bestowed up until such time when a specified event comes to pass.

Feng shui

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese belief that the physical characteristics of a house, including the positioning of the home and the arrangement of fixtures, furniture, and other objects within and around the home, will affect the fortunes of the home owner.  The feng shui belief system involves a combination of ideas, including notions based in geography, religion, philosophy, mathematics, aesthetics, and astrology.  A home that is considered to have a positive or "good" feng shui is thought to be in harmony with nature, while one that has a negative or "bad" feng shui is considered to be detrimental to the fortunes of the owner or resident.

FHA loans

FHA loans are mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA's 203(b) loan program provides low-rate mortgages to buyers who make a minimal down payment, as small as 3 percent, making the program a good option for low-income loan applicants or those with poor credit histories. The FHA also operates loan plans for investors and purchasers of rural property.  The FHA provides mortgage insurance on loans issued by lending institutions that the Agency has approved, insuring mortgages on single family homes, multifamily residences, manufactured homes, and even hospitals.

Fiduciary duty
Fiduciary duty is the obligation established by a relationship of trust between buyers or sellers of real property and their respective real estate agents.  Fiduciary duty is the duty expected by buyers and sellers from a real estate agent to act prudently, efficiently, and legally in the best interest of the party to the real estate transaction which the agent represents.  A fiduciary (the person or entity who owes the fiduciary duty, such as a real estate agent) can be liable for damages suffered by the party represented if he or she violates the fiduciary duty, as in situations where there is a conflict of duty, a conflict of interest, or when the fiduciary takes advantage of his or her fiduciary position.

Field changes

Field changes are modifications that are made on a construction site that do not match the blueprints provided for the particular construction project.  Field changes may be made pursuant to the demands of the home owner or his or her agreement to changes that reflect necessary aspects of construction that were not revealed in the planning and blueprint stages.  Field changes that are made without the knowledge or approval of the owner of the property can subject construction employees who institute such changes to liability for any damages incurred by the property owner as a result of those unauthorized changes.

Fill dirt

Fill dirt is soil brought to a construction site from another location in order to solidify a finished foundation.  Fill dirt is usually composed of sub-soil, which is soil found in the level beneath the topsoil level, and the constitution of which includes little organic matter or biological activity.  Fill dirt may also contain rocks, stones, and debris.  Fill dirt is normally brought in from a location where excavation or leveling is taking place for a different construction project.  Fill dirt is rarely available for free, but cost depends on the total quantity required for a particular project, the source form which the dirt is taken, and the going rate for fill dirt in the relevant geographical area.

Filled land

Filled land refers to any area where the ground has been raised above its natural level by the addition of some fill material, such as dirt or gravel.  Filled land may be found at low lying construction sites, where the foundation of a building must be raised above the natural level of the property in order to reduce the potential for problems such as flooding.  Filled land is also commonly found at the shoulders of highways, where fill material is used to raise the ground on either side of the   pavement to the same level as the pavement itself and to provide sufficient width to the shoulders to accommodate a vehicle should it be necessary for one to pull of the road.

Finder's fee

A finder´s fee is some amount that is paid to the person or entity that brings together a seller of real property, a willing buyer for that property, and sometimes a lending institution that will finance or help to finance the buyer´s purchase of the property.  The finder´s fee, which is typically calculated as some percentage of the ultimate mutually agreed-upon purchase price, is generally determined ahead of time and recorded in a written document, signed by the person responsible for paying the fee.  Examples of finder´s fees include referral fees that are sometimes collected by real estate agents or mortgage brokers.

Finish grade

Finish grade refers to a finish that prepares a parcel of real property for landscaping.  Once construction on a property has been completed, the ground is smoothed out to prepare it for the installation of a loan; this smoothed out and ready state is called the finish grade.  The finish grade of a property is usually created from topsoil, which is the uppermost layer of soil, characterized by high levels of organic matter and microorganisms, making it an excellent breeding ground for vegetation.  Once the finish grade is in place on a property, seed or sod may planted for grass, followed by planting of trees, shrubs, or flowers.

Fire wall

A fire wall is a physical barrier placed in a structure that is composed of fire-resistant material and that acts as a buffer in the event of a fire.  Fire walls are usually constructed of concrete slabs or concrete blocks, which are highly resistant to heat and flame.  In addition to preventing the spread of fire, fire walls are designed to prevent the collapse of a structure in the event that its structural integrity is compromised as a result of a fire or other event.  Different building codes have different requirements with respect to fire walls in the construction of properties in various jurisdictions.

Firm commitment

A firm commitment is a promise made by a lending institution to a loan applicant when it agrees to loan money to the applicant for the purchase of property.  The firm commitment is a written, signed document, that establishes that the lender will make a loan to a borrower according to specific terms for a specified period of time.  Terms of a firm commitment may include, in addition to the length of time over which the loan must be repaid, the frequency and amount of payments, the interest rate imposed, and any fees or penalties that the borrower may be subject to if he or she fails to adhere to the specified terms of the commitment.

First mortgage

A first mortgage is the primary mortgage on a parcel of real property that has priority over all other voluntary liens in the hierarchy of the borrower´s debts and liabilities.  A first mortgage is the first loan registered with a city or county registry.  If a borrower goes into default on money owed on loans on his or her property, the first mortgage is the first that is required to be paid off, before second or subsequent mortgages.  A first mortgage, therefore, has a lower interest rate than a second or subsequent mortgage, since it carries less risk of no being repaid in the event of default.

Fixed installment

A fixed installment is the monthly payment due to the lending institution on a home loan.  Fixed installments must be paid by a certain, specified regular date to the holder of the mortgage on a home; most loan agreements insist on the payment of a late fee if the fixed installment is not paid by the agreed date.  A fixed installment payment is a combination of some part of the principal due on the loan and a portion of the interest that applies to the given loan.  While a fixed installment payment may be constant in amount from month to month, its composition may change with regard to how much represents payment on the principal and how much represents interest, depending on the loan.

Fixed time

Fixed time refers to the specific weeks in a year that an owner of a timeshare arrangement has access to timeshare accommodations.  Timeshares work so that two or more investors pay for a particular property, including maintenance and upkeep for those times when they are not present on the property, at a rate proportionate to the time per year they spend using the accommodations.  Time utilizing the property is split because investors do not have a desire or need to use the property year-round; this is often the case with vacation properties.  As a result, each investor pays for a specific block of time when he or she is entitle to exclusive use of the property, a fixed time determined upon entering into a mutually agreed-upon timeshare contract.

Fixed-rate mortgage

A fixed-rate mortgage is a home loan that has an interest rate that is guaranteed to remain at a specific rate for the entire term of the loan.  Approximately three-fourths of all home mortgages have fixed rates.  Others have variable rates, which change over time at regular intervals up to a maximum "cap" amount, and interest rates for variable-rate loans can either be advantageous, as when market interest rates are low, or disadvantageous when interest rates rise.  A fixed-rate mortgage interest rate may be higher at times than other available interest rates on the market, but is guaranteed not to increase over the life of the loan.

Fixer-upper

A fixer-upper is a house that needs refurbishment or remodeling, and which demands more work by a purchaser than a newer home or one that is in better shape.  Fixer-upper homes usually sell as-is, meaning that the seller of the property is unwilling to make the necessary repairs or remodels prior to selling the home; in exchange, a fixer-upper home usually sells at a price that is below the market price for a similar home that is in better condition.  Fixer-uppers are a good housing choice for buyers who have limited financial resources, but who are willing to put in physical work to make improvements to a fixer-upper, or to buyers who like a particular home that happens to be a fixer-upper or the community in which the home is located enough to commit to refurbishing or remodeling themselves once the home has been purchased.

Fixture

A fixture is any personal property that is permanently attached to a house.  Fixtures are sold as part of the real property in a real estate transaction, and usually cannot, as other personal property, be removed and taken with the seller once ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer.  Fixtures include drapery rods, toilets, built-in bookcases, and furnaces.  Some appliances are considered fixtures and some are not; for example, a refrigerator and washing and drying machines are not usually fixtures and are thus presumed not to be included in the purchase price of a home, although buyers can negotiate for the seller of a property to include them.  Stoves and dishwashers are fixtures, and are sold as part of the real property, with the purchase price reflecting their inclusion.

Flashing

Flashing refers to metal strips placed around chimneys, skylights, vents, windows, doors, beneath shingles, and along seams in the roof of a home in order to prevent water seepage.  Flashing acts as a waterproofing shield anywhere that something protrudes away from a building or is able to open (such as a door or window) into or out of a home.  Flashing deflects water away from seams.  It is usually made of metal, but some more modern flashing is composed of rubber or other waterproof synthetic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (commonly known as PVD) or polyurethane.
Flat fee

A flat fee is a set fee charged by a real estate agent or broker instead of a commission.  Unlike a commission, which is based on a percentage of the ultimate sale price of a property by a seller to a buyer, and which is split between the seller´s and buyer´s respective real estate representatives, a flat fee is determined at the outset of representation and recorded in a contract signed by the client.   A flat fee is a guaranteed payment, which protects the real estate agent in the event that a sale does not ultimately occur, but it may also be less than a commission-based payment if the purchase price agreed upon by the parties to the transaction is high.

Flat roof

A flat roof is any roof with a level surface. Flat roofs are horizontal, or nearly so, with no slope as traditional roofs exhibit.  Therefore, it is more difficult for water to run freely off of a completely flat roof; flat roofs often exhibit at least a very slight incline at their perimeter to allow water runoff, or are constructed of materials that facilitate runoff.  Flat roofs were once commonly composed of tar and gravel.  Today, most flat roofs are composed of a membrane covering that is applied as a continuous sheet and which is designed to prevent pooling of water on the roof and attendant water damage.  Other flat roof options include metal materials, most commonly copper or tin.

Float floor drain

A float floor drain is a drain that diverts water from the basement to a collection area. Water is removed from the collection area with a sump pump and is carried out of and away from a home.  Float floor drains are installed even with or below the level of the basement floor; usually, the float is in the center of the collection area, which is commonly located in a slight dip below the rest of the basement level.  The drain will discharge to some approved drainage ditch or into a storm system.  Float floor drains are imperative to the removal of basement water in order to prevent flooding and less obvious moisture-related problems such as mildew and mold.

Floating wall

A floating wall is a wall that is built to withstand movement in the basement floor.  Floating walls are usually recommended on property where the soil is particularly expansive, which could result in subsidence of any structure built thereon.  A floating wall prevents any movement as a result of an unstable soil from being translated into the framing of the house above.  Doors in float walls are installed in the same way as with any wall, but a gap is left in the bottom to allow a door to be trimmed in the event that a basement slab moves.  Items are usually affixed either to a floating wall or to the basement slab, but not to both.

Flood insurance

Flood insurance is hazard insurance coverage that is required in designated flood areas, and may be opted for by some homeowners who, although their property is not located in a designated flood area, are concerned about the potential damage that could result from flooding.  Premiums are paid to the insurance company by the property owner and if damage is sustained by the property from flooding, the insured home owner is entitled to payment by the insurance company for damages to the extent specified in the insurance agreement.  The flood insurance business thrives in areas that are low-lying and near water sources.

Flood plain

A flood plain is a flat, flood-prone area that is located along a waterway.  Flood plains are often normally dry areas that are low lying and thus in danger of being flooded if excessive rains cause an adjacent waterway to expand beyond its natural border.  Historically, flood plains were popular places for establishment of settlements, as they provided easy, fast access to water bodies; however, this choice of location for many settlements has led to numerous flood-related disasters.  The most recent, most tragic example of a flood plain disaster in the United States is the flooding of New Orleans, Louisiana, and other parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Floor area ratio

A floor area ratio is the calculation of the floor area of any home or building in a project. The floor area ratio is used in the planning and development of a project site.  Also referred to as a floor space index, the floor area ratio is the ratio of the total floor area of all buildings planned for a particular construction site to the total size of the land of that location.  The floor area ratio is frequently used in zoning to limit how many buildings or how much square footage worth of construction is permissible to be built on a given site.  In most cases, zoning restrictions will require that any addition of additional levels of a building to a standard single-story construction result in a decreased footprint, or square footage, of the floor area at a single level.

Florida rooms

Florida rooms are enclosed porches that are built on the side or back of a home.  Florida rooms are similar to screened porches or sunrooms, but are called Florida rooms because of their frequent occurrence in homes in Florida, where residents take advantage of warm and fair weather and sunshine.  Florida rooms range from simple, enclosed seating areas, to more involved rooms that may include game tables, wet bars, and air conditioning.  Florida rooms may be three-season rooms, meaning they are enclosed by a screen and thus not useful in cold or rainy weather, or four-season rooms, meaning completely enclosed to protect against environmental elements.

Footings

Footings are concrete foundations that support a structure, such as a house or other building.  Footings, when properly installed, should offer maximum support to the structure, and should prevent excessive settlement due to, for example, low soil density.  The type of footing required for a particular construction project is generally specified in a local building code, depending on the density and support capability of the soil on the property in question and on the weight of the structure to be built.  Commonly used types of footings include spot footings, continuous spread footings, and grade beam footings. 

For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

For Sale By Owner, or FSBO, indicates a property listing in which the owner of the property acts as his or her own agent, usually in an effort to avoid paying a sales commission to a professional real estate broker.  For Sale By Owner sellers will incur some expense to advertise their property, and selling a property on one´s own requires significant time and effort.  FSBO properties, because they are not listed by realtors on the MLS database, usually attract fewer potential buyers, because buyers are less likely to be aware that the property in question is available for purchase.

Forbearance

Forbearance is a course of action which a lender may pursue to delay foreclosure or legal action against a delinquent borrower.  During forbearance, a borrower of money is able to suspend loan payments or reduce them for a specified period of time under certain conditions.  A lender may pursue forbearance for a borrower in order to allow the borrower to make up for missed payments on his or her loan.  A lender may prefer to work with a borrower, through forbearance, as an alternative to the borrower´s potential bankruptcy, in which case the lender may not receive repayment in full or at all.

Foreclosure

Foreclosure refers to the legal process reserved by a lending institution in which the lender may terminate a borrower's interest due on a parcel of real property after the borrower has defaulted on a loan on the property issued by the lender.  When the process of foreclosure is completed, the lender may sell the real property on the market and keep the proceeds to satisfy the amount outstanding due on the mortgage principal by the borrower, as well as any legal costs. Any excess proceeds after the balance of the mortgage and legal costs have been paid off may be used to satisfy other liens or be returned to the borrower.

Forfeiture

Forfeiture refers to the relinquishing of property rights by a delinquent borrower.  In forfeiture, a borrower loses money, real or personal property, or other rights or privileges due to his or her breach of a legal obligation to pay any amount owed on a loan to a lender; the loss to the borrower serves as compensation for the delinquency.  Typically, forfeiture results in a forfeiture sale, which is an auction at which the delinquent borrower´s forfeited property is sold; the proceeds from a forfeiture auction are then used to satisfy the outstanding debts that the borrower owes to a lender.

Foundation

A foundation of a house or other building is the support structure of the building.  A foundation serves to provide a flat, level surface for a home, preventing direct contact with the ground on which the house stands in order to protect against moisture and related problems, and supports the weight of the house to prevent subsidence that could result in uneven flooring.  The most commonly used material for a foundation is concrete block or poured concrete, due to concrete´s outstanding resistance and strength, but other foundation materials may also be used, including stone, brick, or treated lumber.

Foyer

A foyer is a space that serves as an entrance hall or entry room into a home or other building.  Foyers are intended to create a type of buffer space between a home´s exterior and its interior living space, and commonly include a coat closet or coat rack, as well as sometimes an umbrella stand, key hook, mirror, hat stand, or other furniture and home accents that are related to the transition between living in a home and leaving the home.  Foyers may be of any size; a popular modern trend is two-story foyers, offering added space and an open, airy feel to a home´s entry. 

Framing

Framing refers to the construction of the skeletal framework of a house.  A house is usually framed from either concrete or stainless steel to insure the most resilient structural support for a construction project.  Types of framing include I-Beam (in which framing beams have an H- or I-shaped cross-section), platform framing (using consistently spaced lumber), balloon framing (similar to platform framing, but with beams extending over more than one vertical level), and timber framing (with an exposed timber frame filled in by another material).  Framing is usually done by professionals called framers, and must be accomplished according to what is specified in the applicable building code.

Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac is the common name for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, a congressionally chartered institution that buys mortgages from lenders and resells them as securities on the secondary mortgage market.  After a closing on real property, the lending institution making the loan may hold the mortgage itself or may sell it on the secondary market; this secondary sale to Freddie Mac and similar organizations frees up money for the lender to issue mortgages to other loan applicants.  The mortgages purchased by Freddie Mac are pooled together and sold to investors as what are called mortgage-back securities.. 

Free-market lots

Free-market lots are lots of real property whose owners may hire any builder to construct their home, and are not limited by, for example, local zoning regulations or other laws or by community homeowners´ associations restrictions on acceptable builders.  A free-market lot is likely to be particularly attractive to a home buyer who intends to build a custom home, as the buyer will be able to select any builder he or she chooses to complete the work, thus ensuring that the buyer gets the best available builder to meet the buyer´s unique personal needs and a competitive price for his or her custom home.

French doors

French doors are a set of two adjoining doors that open from the middle, and that are most commonly inlaid with glass.  French doors may be constructed from a variety of materials, but are usually made of a lightweight wood that encases glass; the glass used is usually clear, beveled-edge, sandblasted, of frosted, although numerous other options exist.  French doors are often used as entrance and exit ways between a house and a garden, deck, or courtyard; they may also be found in the interior of a home as entrance doors to sunrooms or study/dens.  French doors are also sometimes called casement doors. 

Frontage

Frontage refers to the portion of a parcel of real property that borders a roadway or a body of water.  The type of frontage a particular property has may influence the value of that property and its desirability to potential purchasers.  For example, lake or forest frontage may increase the value of a home; on the other hand, frontage of a busy thoroughfare may decrease a property value because of the potential for traffic and noise.  Frontage also refers to the lineal extent of a property from boundary to boundary, or the distance of land between a property and a road, lake, or other feature.

Fully amortized adjustable-rate mortgage

A fully amortized adjustable-rate mortgage (or ARM) is a mortgage that amortizes, or pays down over time, the balance of a loan.  A fully amortized ARM is a payment option that allows the borrower of the loan to reduce the amount of principal he or she owes on the loan and to complete a full payoff on schedule.  The amount to be paid is calculated each month based on the interest rate due the previous month, the outstanding loan balance, and the amount of time remaining in the loan term.  A fully amortized ARM provides the borrower with increased flexibility and control over his or her payments.

Furnace

A furnace is an enclosed heating device that is used to heat a home or other building.  A furnace is usually powered by coal, oil, propane, or natural gas.  Most residential furnaces are combustion furnaces, which must vented to the outside of a home.  Historically, ventilation was accomplished through a chimney; modern high-efficiency furnaces do not require a chimney, but rather vent waste gas and heat through small tubes that protrude form the side or roof of a house.  A household furnace may be condensing or non-condensing, depending on its efficiency with respct to extracting heat from exhaust gases.

Fuse

A fuse is a device that allows power to be channeled into a home.  The word fuse is short for "fusible link," and the device protects a dangerous over-current from entering a house and creating a risk of fire or electrical short-circuit.  The critical component of a fuse is usually a metal wire or strip that melts when it is heated by an electric current; this allows the opening of the circuit of which the fuse is a part and protects the circuit from an over-current condition.  The maximum amount of current that can be allowed to pass through a circuit, and against an excess of which a fuse protects, is usually established by a local building code.