Section
Mortgages
Buying, refinancing and home equity — the largest number most people will ever sign.
Comparisons
What’s in this section
Purchase mortgages
A purchase mortgage is a loan used to buy a home, with the property itself serving as collateral. Most buyers…
Refinancing
Refinancing a mortgage means replacing an existing home loan with a new one, usually to change the interest…
Home equity & HELOCs
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) lets you borrow against the equity you have built up in your home, using…
Reading on mortgages
How to Budget for a Smart Home Hub and Sensor Kit
Set up your automation system without breaking the bank by waiting for the right bundle deals and pacing out the cost.
How to Budget for a Tankless Water Heater
Swap out your old unit before the winter freeze and spread the cost over a year and a half.
How to Budget for a Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat
A luxury bidet seat upgrades your daily routine fast, and timing your buy lets you spread the cost with zero interest.
How to Budget for Custom Built-in Bookshelves
Upgrade your living space with a custom install while managing the $3500 cost over an 18-month timeline.
How to Budget for a Smart Garage Door Opener
Upgrade your garage access with a plan that breaks the cost into manageable monthly payments.
How to Budget for Carpet Cleaning
Get your carpets deep cleaned this spring without dropping three hundred bucks all at once.
Also in audio and video
Covered on the show
Making a Whole-Home Paint Job Affordable
We talk about how to manage the cost of repainting your house without emptying your bank account. We also look at how to use…
PODCAST · EP 79How to Pay for a Roof Replacement
Replacing a roof is a major project, but timing it right and comparing quotes line-by-line can save you a fortune. We break down…
PODCAST · EP 78Smart Ways to Pay for Home Solar Panels
Spring is the best time to install solar panels before the summer rush hits. We walk through how to compare wildly different…
PODCAST · EP 72How to Afford an ADU in Your Backyard
We are looking at how to build a backyard cottage without draining your emergency fund. We cover the real costs and how to use…
PODCAST · EP 68Will a New Roof Increase Your Home Value?
We break down whether a new roof actually pays off at resale, how buyers view the upgrade, and the common financing traps to…
PODCAST · EP 67Buying a Second Home by the Beach
We are breaking down the reality of buying a coastal property in the off-season. It is not a simple investment, so we look at the…
PODCAST · EP 64When Your Fridge Gives Up
Your fridge is the heart of your kitchen, but replacing it is a major expense. We walk through the best times to buy and how to…
PODCAST · EP 56How to Pay for New Windows
New windows make your house quieter and warmer, but they cost a lot. We look at what you can expect to pay, how to get bids, and…
PODCAST · EP 55How to Buy Land Without Wiping Out Your Savings
Buying land to build a house involves more than just picking out a lot. We break down the realities of winter shopping…
PODCAST · EP 53Your First Condo Without The Down Payment Stress
Buying your first condo comes with a lot of perks, but the down payment is always the heavy lift. We are breaking down how to…
PODCAST · EP 48Buying a New Build at the End of the Quarter
We look at why timing your new-build home purchase for the end of the quarter gives you leverage. We also cover how to use an…
PODCAST · EP 41Buying a Multi-Family With an FHA Loan
We are looking at how to buy a two to four unit property using an FHA loan and a low down payment. You will hear how to run the…
PODCAST · EP 37Paying for a new furnace or AC unit
Replacing your HVAC system is a big expense, but timing it right can save you money. We walk through how to navigate the costs…
PODCAST · EP 34Buying a Fixer-Upper With a Renovation Loan
We look at how to spot a deal on an unloved house and use a renovation loan to bundle the purchase price and repairs into one…
PODCAST · EP 29Buying a Duplex to Live In and Rent Out
We look at how buying a duplex lets a tenant help cover your housing costs. We also cover why spring is the best time to shop and…
PODCAST · EP 24How to Budget for a New Mattress Without Getting Burned
A mattress shapes every morning and every night, so it's worth thinking about before you swipe the card. We walk through the two…
PODCAST · EP 13How to pay for your kitchen remodel
Updating your kitchen is a big project that costs money and time. We are breaking down how to manage the costs and find the right…
PODCAST · EP 7Average Mortgage Debt, Explained Without the Jargon
A quick guide to what 'average mortgage debt' actually means, why national numbers can mislead, and what to look at on your own…
PODCAST · EP 5What Is a HELOC and How Does It Work?
This episode breaks down how home equity lines of credit work, from draw and repayment structures to variable interest rate…