When you are searching for or reading through any mortgage, there are some terms that are vitally important to how you perceive the paperwork. If you aren't familiar with all of the terms, then you might misunderstand what the document is saying and agree to something that you might not mean to. Here are some of the basic terms that you should understand before you sign anything:

1. Creditor this is the party who is selling, or who holds the current deed to the property that you are buying. They legally own the property and have the legal right to sell it, or secure it by a mortgage. This is usually the mortgage company, bank, or other lending institution. The creditor is also listed as the mortgagee or lender in some cases.

2. Debtor this is the party who is buying the property. If you are looking to purchase the property, then the debtor is you. This party must ensure that they are able to repay the mortgage to the creditor before the creditor will sign the mortgage.

3. Conveyance this is the term for the legal exchange of the property from the creditor to the debtor.

4. Hypothecation this is just a fancy term for the debt that is incurred by the mortgage. This is what the debtor has when they sign the mortgage and turn over the money to the seller of the property.

5. Redemption this is when the mortgage, or debt, is paid in full.

6. Mortgage by demise this is when the creditor assumes ownership of the property until the debt is paid in full. This form of mortgage was widely used in the past, but is seldom used today, and is even outlawed in some countries.

7. Mortgage by legal charge this is the basic type of mortgage that is available to day. In this case, the debtor (or buyer) is legally the owner of the property, but the creditor retains enough rights over the property to ensure that they will be paid.

There are many more mortgage terms that you should be familiar with when searching for a mortgage. You should make sure that you are aware of other terms that you might need to know before you head into a mortgage broker's office to sign any paperwork. Hopefully these terms help to give you a little more of an idea of what you are signing when you do make it to that part in the process.