Should I Refinance My Mortgage? How to Know If It Actually Makes Sense

A friend named Lenny (and yes, his name has been changed to protect the innocent) refinanced his mortgage to lower his monthly payment. On paper it looked like a clear win. Lower rate, lower payment, why not. What his mortgage rep never explained was that the closing costs were getting rolled into t

How Does a HELOC Work and Should You Get One?

My wife and I are planning to buy before we sold and move into a bigger home. We have a second child on the way and we want more space. We also have investments we have been building for years, index funds purchased at prices from four or five years ago, and we did not want to liquidate them to cove

What Does It Actually Cost to Own a Home in Year One?

Most first-time buyers spend months focused on two numbers: the down payment and the monthly mortgage payment. They get those right and think they are prepared. Then they move in. And then they find out about everything else. In the fire service, we plan for the 90%, the calls we know are coming, th

Why I Hold Three Licenses Instead of One

I hold three licenses because the thing that costs people the most money is not inside any one of them. It is the nine years between buying a house and buying the next one, when your agent's job has ended, your lender's job has ended, and nobody's job description covers what happens in between. Once