I actually ran into a bit of pushback when I tried to put less down after my bankruptcy. The lender didn’t outright say no, but they kept circling bac...

One thing I'd add—if you're close but not quite there, sometimes making a targeted extra payment toward principal can push you over that 20% line fast...

Totally understand the anxiety around small purchases during closing, but honestly, lenders aren't usually sweating your Netflix subscription or groce...

You make a good point about refinancing, but I'd argue it's not always a negative for building equity. Sure, refinancing resets your amortization sche...

That's exactly the mindset to have. Lending money can get messy fast...been there myself. Good on you for handling it thoughtfully and keeping your fi...

Had a similar experience when I refinanced last year. They flagged a random $200 Venmo payment from two years prior—turned out it was just splitting A...

Haha, exactly. I've been there myself—bankruptcy hit me pretty hard about six years ago, and I totally get the frustration of renting when you're eage...