Had something similar happen when we bought our place a few years back. They questioned a recurring payment labeled "Pizza Fund"—literally just our we...

Good points all around. I've definitely learned the hard way that cosmetic stuff doesn't move the needle much on appraisals. A few years back, we redi...

I've noticed insurance companies tightening up too, especially lately. A few thoughts from my experience: - Had to submit extra photos and receipts f...

I've had similar experiences, but honestly, I think timing still plays a bigger role than you're giving it credit for. A few years back, I tried negot...

Totally get that psychological boost you're talking about. For me, it was similar: - PMI wasn't a huge chunk each month, but seeing it vanish felt li...

From my experience, the 20% equity mark is usually tossed around as the magic number for ditching mortgage insurance, but honestly, it's not always th...