- Pre-approval is helpful, sure, but I've seen plenty of cases where sellers just want the simplest deal possible. - Had a neighbor once who skipped a...

Yep, totally agree. But I'd say expect at least two or three curveballs, honestly...there's always something. When we refinanced, the lender randomly ...

Good point about padding the budget, but honestly, I found it more helpful to set aside a separate emergency fund rather than inflating my monthly exp...