Housing & Renting
Fixed Rate vs Adjustable Rate Mortgages and ARM Caps
An adjustable loan starts cheaper and can reset higher. How the index, margin and caps set the worst case, and the holding period where it wins.
7 min read
Tag
Homeowners
19 posts
Housing & Renting
Fifteen Year vs Thirty Year Mortgage Costs Compared
The shorter loan saves a lot of interest and locks in a higher payment. When that trade wins, and the middle path that keeps your flexibility.
6 min read
Housing & Renting
Mortgage Points and the Break Even Month for Buying Down
A point costs one percent of the loan and buys a lower rate. The break even month says whether it pays, and most buyers move or refinance before it.
6 min read
Housing & Renting
Private Mortgage Insurance and the Fastest Way to Drop It
Mortgage insurance protects the lender, and federal law says when it must end. The two thresholds, the earlier request and what an appraisal can do.
6 min read
Housing & RentingGuide
How Much House Can You Afford Using Your Real Budget
Lenders approve on ratios that ignore childcare, retirement saving and the rest of your life. How to size the payment from your spending plan instead.
7 min read
Housing & RentingGuide
What a Mortgage Really Costs Each Month Beyond the Rate
The advertised rate is one line of the monthly bill. Principal, interest, taxes, insurance and upkeep, and how each moves over the life of the loan.
11 min read
Editor's pick
Housing & RentingGuide
Rent vs Buy and the Assumptions Every Calculator Hides
Every rent versus buy answer rests on five assumptions most calculators bury. What they are, how each tips the result and the ratio that frames it first.
11 min read