Good points, especially about the equity build-up—seen a few folks get caught off guard by that. One thing I've been curious about lately: has anyone ...

HELOCs definitely have their place, but I'm curious—has anyone compared the long-term impact on estate value when using home equity versus traditional...

Another useful angle is tracking your spending closely for a few months—tedious but eye-opening. Helped me spot small leaks in my budget that added up...