"there were a few months early on where things felt pretty tight"
Been there myself—when we refinanced to a 15-year, the first year was definitely an adjustment. But honestly, after seeing how quickly our equity built up, it felt worth the temporary pinch. Still, everyone’s comfort level is different...
Refinancing to a shorter term can definitely feel tight at first—been there myself. Curious, did you run the numbers on how much interest you'd save overall? Sometimes seeing that big-picture savings can make the initial squeeze feel more manageable. But yeah, comfort level matters a lot...no point stressing yourself out just to shave off a few years. Maybe crunch some numbers and see what feels right?
I get the appeal of shorter terms, but have you thought about what happens if your situation changes down the line? I refinanced to a 15-year a while back, and yeah, the savings looked great on paper. But when one of my projects stalled unexpectedly, those higher payments felt pretty uncomfortable for a bit. Maybe worth considering how much flexibility you'll need if things don't go exactly as planned...?
That's a valid point. Refinancing to shorter terms can certainly boost savings, but it does come with less wiggle room if things go sideways. I've seen clients in similar situations—everything looks great initially, but life happens, and suddenly those higher payments become stressful. It's always wise to balance ambition with practicality, maybe even building a slightly larger emergency fund beforehand to cushion unexpected bumps. Good on you for sharing your experience; it's helpful for others weighing the same decision.
Yeah, I feel this. When I bought my place, I thought I'd be all responsible and go shorter term—then my car decided it needed a new transmission. Lesson learned: life's got jokes, build that cushion first.
