True, but honestly, even with larger lenders, backups don't always solve the problem. I've seen big banks shuffle paperwork endlessly due to internal ...

Seems that way. When I refinanced recently, they questioned a small Venmo payment from a friend splitting dinner—seriously, $25. Brokers can help stre...

We went the informal route once too, and while it mostly worked out, there were definitely moments when clarity would've helped. For instance, we had ...

Haha, I feel you on the peace of mind thing. When we had our appraisal last year, I went into full-on "home improvement" mode too—repainted a couple r...

Haha, that's a good one—reminds me of when I first bought my place and realized just how little equity I actually had. It definitely motivated me to c...

Good points about flooring, especially carpets. I've personally seen how replacing old carpet with something neutral can really brighten up a space an...