I've noticed that having a clear "why" behind your plan helps a lot. When we refinanced to clear debt, I wrote down exactly why we did it—kept me grou...

Exactly this. I refinanced a few years ago to lower my monthly payments after we had our second kid. At first, I wasn't thrilled about extending the t...

Couldn't agree more with this. Have you found that lenders tend to ease up once they see you've done your homework? In my experience, showing you're p...

Good point—local agents usually know the quirks insurers won't openly share. Ever had an insurer suddenly flag a property for something totally random...

Yeah, lenders definitely look beyond just the property's numbers. Did they also dig into your credit history? I've seen lenders get really particular ...

I totally get what you're saying about the thermostat. I've had mine for a couple years now, and while it's handy, I find myself overriding it pretty ...

Totally agree about directly asking upfront—it's surprising how many people skip that step. Another thing to consider: have you checked if refinancing...

Good call on checking hardship programs—sometimes lenders have options they don't exactly advertise openly. Also, have you taken a peek at FHA streaml...