An agreement in which a lienholder agrees their claim will rank behind another lien in priority.
Why Subordination matters on the exam
This term belongs to Financing. The questions below are real items from Freehold's bank that use it - each one cites its source.
Exam questions using Subordination
Every Freehold question shows why the right answer is right — and cites its source.
A broker deposits a client's earnest money into the brokerage's operating account. This violation is called:
Conversion to personal use
Commingling
Novation
Subordination
Show answer & explanation
Commingling — Commingling is mixing client trust funds with the brokerage's own operating funds. It is a license-law violation even if no client money is ever spent, because it puts trust funds at risk.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline — Broker Supplement
A seller who pays discount points at closing to reduce the buyer's interest rate is using a strategy commonly known as a:
Buydown
Wraparound
Subordination
Novation
Show answer & explanation
Buydown — Paying discount points to lower the interest rate, whether by the seller or buyer, is called a buydown; each point generally lowers the rate by a fraction of a percent.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline §4 Financing
A subordination clause in a mortgage or lease:
Cancels the underlying lien as soon as it is recorded
Automatically raises the lien to first priority ahead of previously recorded liens
Allows a lien or interest to be given lower priority than a later-recorded lien
Prevents the owner from ever refinancing the property again at any point in the future
Show answer & explanation
Allows a lien or interest to be given lower priority than a later-recorded lien — A subordination clause or agreement lets a party voluntarily lower the priority of its existing lien or interest, allowing a later lien, such as a new first mortgage, to take priority instead.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline §4 Financing
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