Section 01
How to use the glossary
Filter by subject or search for a term. Each entry gives a short definition and, where the atlas treats the idea at length, a link to that record. The definitions are deliberately general because their purpose is to let you read a document or a listing description without misinterpreting it.
Where a term is regulated — representation arrangements, condominium governance, title registrations, building requirements — the entry explains the general idea only and directs the specific question to the authority or professional who can answer it.
Section 02
The words that describe value
Assessed value, asking price, sold price, aggregate market figure and planning estimate answer five different questions, and the glossary keeps them apart. Most confusion in residential property conversations can be traced to one of these standing in for another.
When you encounter a figure anywhere, ask which of the five it is, who produced it, for what area and over what period. If those questions cannot be answered, the figure is not evidence.
Section 03
The words that describe process
Approvals, inspections, conditions, compliance and warranty describe steps in a process, each with a defined scope. A term that sounds like assurance usually has a narrow technical meaning, and the narrowness is where risk sits.
The glossary states the boundary of each of these terms explicitly, because a buyer who knows what an inspection does not cover is far better protected than one who believes it covers everything.
Section 04
The words that describe land and setting
Top of bank, setback, reserve, easement and covenant describe how land is defined and constrained. On valley and ravine properties these terms are the difference between a view and a buildable site.
Each of them refers to something recorded or mapped by an authority. None of them can be established by looking at a property, which is why the glossary points to the record in every case.
Section 05
The limits of a glossary
A definition is a starting point, not an interpretation of your document. The same term can operate differently depending on the instrument it appears in, the date it was registered and the jurisdiction governing it.
Nothing here is legal, tax, planning or valuation advice. Where a definition matters to a decision, read the actual instrument and take advice on it.
Terms are explained generally. Regulated concepts are not interpreted for any specific property or transaction.