An agreement made between two or more owners of the same property, defining their rights and responsibilities (e.g. recommended in the case of married owners of property). See Equity sharing.
Joint tenancy, or Tenants by the entirety
Ownership of real estate by two or more parties held jointly for life; if one of the owners dies, the survivor(s) inherit the property without reference to the deceased's will.
Joist
The horizontal framing members of the floor or ceiling system of a house.
Judgment
A decision or decree made by a court of law.
Judgment lien
A claim against the real property of a debtor, as decreed by the court.
Jumbo loan, or Non-conforming loan
A loan amount that exceeds the limits set by the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation; because such loan cannot be funded by these two agencies, it carries a higher interest rate.
Junior mortgage, or Secondary mortgage
A mortgage whose claim to repayment is of lesser priority than another, previously recorded mortgage.