Honestly, I’ve seen way too many folks get burned thinking the VA appraisal is a substitute for a real inspection. It’s not even close. The appraisal ...

Had a client last year who got tripped up by this exact thing. She was moving money between her checking and savings every couple weeks, just to keep ...

That’s a big one. I had a client once who was all set to lock in what looked like a great rate, but the prepayment clause would’ve cost him thousands ...

I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not sure I’d just focus on the bottom line. Those little charges can add up fast—one of my clients once saved ...

That’s honestly the key—sometimes it’s about minimizing losses instead of chasing every possible win. I’ve seen folks get so caught up in fighting ove...

Completely agree about the automated valuations being hit-or-miss. Had a client once whose automated estimate was way off because the system didn't fa...

Had a client in a similar spot last year—she was debating whether to hold off refinancing for a few months to boost her credit. She wasn't too far fro...

You make a fair point about timing—it's definitely a tricky balancing act. I remember back in 2017, I was helping a couple who were super cautious abo...

I totally get the temptation to jump on a dream home without all the formalities, but honestly, skipping inspections or going in without pre-approval ...

I hear you on the escrow worries. A few years back, I had a client who went through a pretty stressful situation with their escrow company. They'd bee...

We looked into something similar when we got our rural loan a few years back. From what I saw, most of those rural loan perks are geared strictly towa...

Your point about topping up the emergency fund monthly is solid advice—wish I'd learned that earlier myself. A couple years back, I had a client who d...

I get what you're saying about escrow—it can definitely throw a wrench in things. But honestly, I've found that budgeting monthly isn't as tricky if y...