Couldn't agree more. I considered an ARM too, but I'm way too cautious (or paranoid?) to trust that rates would play nice when I needed them to. Fixed...

One thing that's worked well for me is rounding up my monthly mortgage payment. It sounds minor, but consistently paying even just $50 or $100 extra e...

Went the gently-used route once with a washer/dryer combo—got lucky with a transferable warranty. Saved a decent chunk upfront, and when the dryer bel...

I get your point, but sometimes pushing back politely can actually pay off. I had a similar experience where the lender asked for something that seeme...

This is exactly what I've found most effective as well. Tags seemed promising at first, but without strict discipline, they quickly became overwhelmin...

I get your point about being proactive and having a good broker, but honestly, even with preparation, the mortgage process can still throw curveballs....