I'm still new to this whole homeownership adventure, but your point about flexibility hits home for me:
"unexpected medical bills hit, and flexibility became priceless."
I've started choosing lower payments and throwing in extra principal whenever I can—feels safer for when life inevitably gets "interesting"...
Yeah, flexibility is key—no argument there. But have you thought about how disciplined you'll be with those extra payments? Easy to skip when things feel tight... speaking from experience here, haha.
Fair point about discipline—it can definitely slip when life throws curveballs. But honestly, locking into a shorter term kinda forces that discipline automatically. You don't get the option to skip, which might sound restrictive, but it's actually a built-in safeguard. Seen plenty of folks who intended to make extra payments but never did... sometimes structure beats flexibility, especially if self-control isn't your strongest suit (and that's most of us, haha).
"sometimes structure beats flexibility, especially if self-control isn't your strongest suit (and that's most of us, haha)."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've seen it countless times—clients start off with great intentions to pay extra each month, but life inevitably happens. Car repairs, medical bills, or even just a tempting vacation can derail those plans pretty quickly. Locking into a shorter term mortgage does feel restrictive at first, but honestly, it's a smart way to keep yourself accountable without having to constantly rely on willpower. It's like having guardrails built into your financial plan. Sure, flexibility sounds appealing, but structure often gets you to your goal faster and with fewer detours. Good insight here.
Totally get where you're coming from. I've seen people try both paths, and honestly, the shorter-term mortgage usually works better for most folks. It's less about discipline and more about setting yourself up to succeed without having to constantly make tough choices. Like you said, life throws curveballs...a structured plan just keeps things simpler and more predictable. Nice take on this one—I think you're spot on.
