As used in this article, the term:

(1) "Affiliate" or "person affiliated with" means, when used with reference to a specified person, a person who directly, indirectly, or through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the person specified. Any beneficial owner of 20 percent or more of the combined voting power of all classes of voting securities of a person or any executive officer, director, trustee, joint venturer, or general partner of a person is an affiliate of such person unless the shareholder, executive officer, director, trustee, joint venturer, or general partner shall prove that he or she in fact does not control, is not controlled by, or is not under common control with such person.

(2) "Audited financial statement" means the product of the examination of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards by an independent certified public accountant or by an independent Georgia registered public accountant considered acceptable by the department, which product consists of an opinion on the financial statements indicating their conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.

(3) "Commitment" or "commitment agreement" means a statement by a lender required to be licensed or registered under this article that sets forth the terms and conditions upon which the lender is willing to make a particular mortgage loan to a particular borrower.

(4) "Control," including "controlling," "controlled by," and "under common control with," means the direct or indirect possession of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

(5) "Executive officer" means the chief executive officer, the president, the principal financial officer, the principal operating officer, each vice president with responsibility involving policy-making functions for a significant aspect of a person's business, the secretary, the treasurer, or any other person performing similar managerial or supervisory functions with respect to any organization whether incorporated or unincorporated.

(6) "Extortionate means" means the use or the threat of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to the person, reputation of the person, or property of the person.

(6.1) "Georgia Residential Mortgage Act" means this article.

(7) "License" means a license issued by the department under this article to act as a mortgage lender or mortgage broker.

(8) "Lock-in agreement" means a written agreement whereby a lender or a broker required to be licensed or registered under this article guarantees for a specified number of days or until a specified date the availability of a specified rate of interest for a mortgage loan, a specified formula by which the rate of interest will be determined, or a specific number of discount points if the mortgage loan is approved and closed within the stated period of time.

(9) "Makes a mortgage loan" means to advance funds, offer to advance funds, or make a commitment to advance funds to an applicant for a mortgage loan.

(10) "Misrepresent" means to make a false statement of a substantive fact or to engage in, with the intent to deceive or mislead, any conduct which leads to a false belief which is material to the transaction.

(11) "Mortgage broker" means any person who directly or indirectly solicits, processes, places, or negotiates mortgage loans for others, or offers to solicit, process, place, or negotiate mortgage loans for others or who closes mortgage loans which may be in the mortgage broker's own name with funds provided by others and which loans are assigned within 24 hours of the funding of the loans to the mortgage lenders providing the funding of such loans.

(12) "Mortgage lender" means any person who directly or indirectly makes, originates, or purchases mortgage loans or who services mortgage loans.

(13) "Mortgage loan" means a loan or agreement to extend credit made to a natural person, which loan is secured by a deed to secure debt, security deed, mortgage, security instrument, deed of trust, or other document representing a security interest or lien upon any interest in one-to-four family residential property located in Georgia, regardless of where made, including the renewal or refinancing of any such loan.

(14) "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, or any other group of individuals, however organized.

(15) "Registrant" means any person required to register pursuant to Code Sections 7-1-1001 and 7-1-1003.2.

(16) "Residential property" means improved real property used or occupied, or intended to be used or occupied, as the principal residence of a natural person. Such term does not include rental property or second homes.

(17) "Service a mortgage loan" means the collection or remittance for another or the right to collect or remit for another of payments of principal, interest, trust items such as insurance and taxes, and any other payments pursuant to a mortgage loan.

(18) "Ultimate equitable owner" means a natural person who, directly or indirectly, owns or controls an ownership interest in a corporation or any other form of business organization, regardless of whether such natural person owns or controls such ownership interest through one or more natural persons or one or more proxies, powers of attorney, nominees, corporations, associations, limited liability companies, partnerships, trusts, joint-stock companies, other entities or devices, or any combination thereof.