Mortgages

Most successful appeals rest on record errors or comparable sales. Here is how assessment math works, how to find your deadline and what a win is worth.

Rules of thumb ignore the age of your roof and furnace. A component sinking fund shows what to save each month, and why an aging home may need far more.

Home-secured loans cost less per year but can cost more in total and put your house at risk. See how a $40,000 kitchen plays out under three ways to borrow.

Lenders count a student loan payment even when you pay $0, and each program uses a different rule. See how deferment and income-driven plans change your DTI.

FHA loans accept scores down to 500 and 3.5% down at 580, but mortgage insurance often lasts the life of the loan. Here are the rules and the cost next to a conventional loan.

Fix report errors, time your card paydowns and avoid new credit. Here is a month-by-month plan and what a better score can save on a mortgage.

Buying wins only if you stay long enough. A worked example with today’s mortgage rates finds the break-even year and shows how appreciation and time change it.

A rate lock guarantees your rate and points until a set date. Here is how to time it with your Loan Estimate, choose a lock length, and weigh extension costs against a quarter-point rate move.

A HELOC is a revolving credit line secured by your home, with a variable rate tied to prime. See how payments jump after the draw period, how it compares with a home equity loan or cash-out refi, and how to apply.

Use the Loan Estimate’s Sections A-H to estimate closing costs on a $350,000 loan, see which fees can change at closing, and learn how points, lender credits and seller concessions affect what you pay.