SOUTH CAROLINA REAL ESTATE
PRINCIPLES | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS, CORRECT
ANSWERS AND EXAM PREP
| GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep
,Accretion The increase or addition of land by the deposit of sand or soil washed up naturally from a
river, lake, or sea.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Annexation Process of converting personal property into real property.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Chattel Personal Property; do not fit the definition of real property; moveable objects.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Acre A measure of land equal to 43,560 square feet, 4,8640 square yards, 4,047 square
meters, 160 rods, or 0.4047
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Appurtenance A right, privilege, or improvement belonging to, and passing with, the land.
Clustering The grouping of home sites within subdivisions on smaller lots than normal, with the
remaining land used as common areas.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Air Lot a designated airspace over a piece of land. An air lot, like a surface property, may be
transferred.
Avulsion A sudden tearing away of land, as by earthquake, flood, volcanic action or the sudden
change in the course of a stream.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Condemnation A judicial or administrative proceeding to exercise the power of eminent domain, through
which a government agency takes private property for public use and compensates the
owner.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Air Rights The right to use the open space above a property, usually allowing the surface to be
used for another purpose.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
,Benchmark A permanent reference mark or point established for use by surveyors in measuring
differences in elevation.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Datum A horizontal plane from which heights and depths are measured.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Developer One who attempts to put land to its most profitable use through the construction of
improvements
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Emblements Growing crops, such as grapes and corn that are produced annually through labor and
industry; also called fructus industrials
Eminent Domain The right of the government or municipal quasi-public body to acquire property for
public use through a court action called condemnation, in which the court decided that
the use is a public and determines the compensation to be paid to the owner.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Enabling Acts State legislation that confers zoning powers on municipal governments.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Erosion The gradual wearing away of land by water, wind, and general water conditions, the
diminishing of property by the elements.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Eshcheat The reversion of property to the state or county, as provided by state law in cases where
decedent dies intestate without heirs.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Fixture An item of personal property that has been converted to real property by being
permanently affixed to the realty.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Front Footage The measurement of parcel of land by the number of feet of street or road frontage.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
, Improvement (1) Any structure, usually privately owned, erected on a site to enhance the value of the
property—for example, building a fence or driveway. (2) A publicly owned structure
added to or benefiting land, such as a curb, sidewalk, street, or sewer.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Inverse Condemnation An action brought by a property owner seeking just compensation for land taken for
public use when the taker of the property does not intend to bring eminent domain
proceedings. Property is condemned because its use and value have been diminished
due to an adjacent property's public use (highway off-ramp)
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Land The earth's surface, extending downward to the center of the earth and upward infinitely
into space, including things permanently attached by nature, such as trees and water.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Legal Description A description of a specific parcel of real estate complete enough for an independent
surveyor to locate and identify.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Littoral Rights (1) A Landowner's claim to use water in large navigable lakes and oceans adjacent to his
or her property. (2) The ownership rights to land bordering these bodies of water up to
the high-water mark.
Chapter 1:
Lot-and-Block (recorded plat) system A method of describing real property that identifies a parcel of land by reference to lot
and block numbers within a subdivision, as specified on a recorded subdivision plat.
Chapter 1:
Market A place where goods can be bought and sold and a price established.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Meridian One of a set of imaginary lines running north and south and crossing a base line at a
definite point, used in the rectangular (government) surveys system of property
description.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
PRINCIPLES | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS, CORRECT
ANSWERS AND EXAM PREP
| GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep
,Accretion The increase or addition of land by the deposit of sand or soil washed up naturally from a
river, lake, or sea.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Annexation Process of converting personal property into real property.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Chattel Personal Property; do not fit the definition of real property; moveable objects.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Acre A measure of land equal to 43,560 square feet, 4,8640 square yards, 4,047 square
meters, 160 rods, or 0.4047
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Appurtenance A right, privilege, or improvement belonging to, and passing with, the land.
Clustering The grouping of home sites within subdivisions on smaller lots than normal, with the
remaining land used as common areas.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Air Lot a designated airspace over a piece of land. An air lot, like a surface property, may be
transferred.
Avulsion A sudden tearing away of land, as by earthquake, flood, volcanic action or the sudden
change in the course of a stream.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Condemnation A judicial or administrative proceeding to exercise the power of eminent domain, through
which a government agency takes private property for public use and compensates the
owner.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Air Rights The right to use the open space above a property, usually allowing the surface to be
used for another purpose.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
,Benchmark A permanent reference mark or point established for use by surveyors in measuring
differences in elevation.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Datum A horizontal plane from which heights and depths are measured.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Developer One who attempts to put land to its most profitable use through the construction of
improvements
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Emblements Growing crops, such as grapes and corn that are produced annually through labor and
industry; also called fructus industrials
Eminent Domain The right of the government or municipal quasi-public body to acquire property for
public use through a court action called condemnation, in which the court decided that
the use is a public and determines the compensation to be paid to the owner.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Enabling Acts State legislation that confers zoning powers on municipal governments.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Erosion The gradual wearing away of land by water, wind, and general water conditions, the
diminishing of property by the elements.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Eshcheat The reversion of property to the state or county, as provided by state law in cases where
decedent dies intestate without heirs.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Fixture An item of personal property that has been converted to real property by being
permanently affixed to the realty.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Front Footage The measurement of parcel of land by the number of feet of street or road frontage.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
, Improvement (1) Any structure, usually privately owned, erected on a site to enhance the value of the
property—for example, building a fence or driveway. (2) A publicly owned structure
added to or benefiting land, such as a curb, sidewalk, street, or sewer.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Inverse Condemnation An action brought by a property owner seeking just compensation for land taken for
public use when the taker of the property does not intend to bring eminent domain
proceedings. Property is condemned because its use and value have been diminished
due to an adjacent property's public use (highway off-ramp)
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Land The earth's surface, extending downward to the center of the earth and upward infinitely
into space, including things permanently attached by nature, such as trees and water.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Legal Description A description of a specific parcel of real estate complete enough for an independent
surveyor to locate and identify.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Littoral Rights (1) A Landowner's claim to use water in large navigable lakes and oceans adjacent to his
or her property. (2) The ownership rights to land bordering these bodies of water up to
the high-water mark.
Chapter 1:
Lot-and-Block (recorded plat) system A method of describing real property that identifies a parcel of land by reference to lot
and block numbers within a subdivision, as specified on a recorded subdivision plat.
Chapter 1:
Market A place where goods can be bought and sold and a price established.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
Meridian One of a set of imaginary lines running north and south and crossing a base line at a
definite point, used in the rectangular (government) surveys system of property
description.
Chapter 1: Real Estate Law
