Totally get where you're coming from on the fine print stuff—been there myself. A few years back, I considered a grant option for my first house and n...

Totally agree with your points, especially about leaving yourself some breathing room. A few extra thoughts from my own experience: - Older homes, es...

- Definitely worth shopping around—I've seen closing costs vary by hundreds just by comparing lenders. - Negotiating can help, especially with things ...

Good points all around. I've also found lenders aren't always transparent about the PMI removal criteria upfront, so you're left guessing until you ac...

Good points—it's interesting to think about how much we've come to rely on formalities. From what I've read, ancient societies often used: - Witnesse...

Been there... learned the hard way. A quick tip: scan everything important and keep digital backups. Saves a ton of stress later, especially when lend...