AcreNexaACADEMY / GLOSSARY
Clear language.
Stronger understanding.
A starting point for the terms you will encounter in property research. Legal meanings and effects depend on context.
- APN / parcel ID
- An identifier used by a local assessment or parcel system. Format and meaning vary by jurisdiction.
- Assessed value
- A value used in a tax-assessment process; it is not necessarily a market price.
- Deed
- A document used to convey an interest in real property, subject to applicable requirements.
- Legal description
- The description used to identify land in legal documents; it can differ from a street address.
- Lien
- A claim or interest associated with an obligation that may affect property. Its effect needs legal review.
- Easement
- A right concerning use of another person’s land for a particular purpose, subject to its terms.
- Title
- The legal ownership interests and rights associated with property.
- Due diligence
- The work of investigating facts, documents and risks before a decision or transaction.
- Tax delinquency
- A tax payment status that must be checked with the responsible taxing authority.
- Foreclosure indicator
- A signal that requires review of the underlying notice, court record or other source.
- Absentee owner
- A research classification often based on mailing and property addresses; it does not establish vacancy or intent.
- Provenance
- The source, date and context of a piece of information.
- Geocoding
- Matching an address to approximate coordinates or geographic areas. It is not a boundary survey.
- Adverse possession
- A legal doctrine with jurisdiction-specific requirements; vacancy alone does not establish a claim.