Acceleration Clause
Definition of "Acceleration Clause"
Acceleration Clause is a contractual provision inserted in a mortgage, a bond, a deed of trust or other credit vehicles, that gives the lender the right to demand repayment of the entire loan balance. Usually, such a clause becomes operational when there has been a default in payments of interest or principal or both.
When the acceleration clause is activated, the entire principal sum is called in and becomes due and payable. This fact would precipitate a foreclosure in the case of real estate, or bankruptcy action if the monies were not paid at the time of the call.
Acceleration clauses are created to protect the lender from borrower default and other risks. It prevents/deals with payment delinquencies, but can, on rare occasions, be structured for other occurrences too.
Let's see an acceleration clause in effect scenario:
Home Seller Barbara makes a Land Contract with Home Buyer Paul. He started paying correctly and living in Barbara's former house. He has paid already $30,000 of its $100,000 contract. At the end of it, he'll be the owner of the house. BUT: he didn't pay for the last 3 months, so the acceleration clause kicked in, Barbara filed for a land contract forfeiture and now Paul has to pay the rest of the $70,000 with one swing if he wants to still be able to get the house. Or else, they're done.
Accelerate your home buying/home selling process: find a real estate agent
Popular Real Estate Terms
We know that the board of directors meaning defines a body of high executives who make significant daily decisions. But what is the definition of board of directors precisely? Typically, ...
What is a turnkey property? A turnkey property is a very popular type of investment property that real estate investors prefer because it starts bringing a return on investment quickly. ...
The amount of inherent risk for a mortgage in granting a mortgage. An operating principle in mortgage risk rating is that the mortgage cannot exceed 2.5 times the mortgagor's annual income, ...
An agreement by which a mortgage is made subject to a junior mortgage. For example, a loan on a vacant lot is made subject to a subsequent construction loan. ...
Those parts of a condominium that are owned by all the unit owners. ...
Across the globe, countries have comprehensive antitrust laws that protect customers and ensure the orderly conduct of businesses. Through antitrust laws, the playing field is balanced for ...
Real estate business owned by one person having all the rights and obligations. ...
As a legal term, abandonment defines a deliberate renunciation of rights to an asset or a business relationship. What does abandonment mean in real estate? In real estate, abandonment, ...
The label American Land Title Association, also known as ALTA, is a trade association that helps in managing the title insurance industry. Another focus of ALTA is the abstract of title of ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.