Had a similar experience myself recently: - Went with a smaller lender initially because they were willing to look beyond the standard checklist (self...

Interesting take, but I'd push back a bit on the monthly check-ins. For me, waiting a whole month between peeks at my balance feels too hands-off. Sur...

Had a similar thing happen last year—updated our kitchen thinking it'd bump the appraisal enough to ditch PMI. Nope, barely moved the needle. Appraise...

Good points, especially on hidden fees—those can sneak up on you. A couple things I'd add: - Check if there's a balloon payment at the end. I've seen...

Negotiations really can go sideways fast, can't they? I've seen DIY deals that went smooth as butter and others that completely crashed over the small...