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Your Dishwasher Is Under Both a Manufacturer Warranty and a Home Warranty. Which One Do You Call First?
When an appliance is covered by both a manufacturer warranty and a home warranty, the order you call matters. Call…
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Your AC Is 12 Years Old and Straining Through This Heat Wave. Repair Again or Replace Now?
A 12-year-old central AC struggling in a heat wave forces a fast decision. Here is how to tell if it…
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Paying Extra on Your Mortgage This Year? Check for a Prepayment Penalty Clause First
Most conventional loans no longer carry a prepayment penalty, but some still do. Before you send a lump sum or…
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Your Home Isn’t in a FEMA Flood Zone. Do You Still Need Flood Insurance?
Your lender doesn’t require flood insurance because your home sits outside the mapped flood zone. Here is why that map…
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Starter Home Now or Wait to Save a Bigger Down Payment? The Math First-Time Buyers Get Backward
You could buy a starter home now with 5% down, or wait two years and put down 15%. Here is…
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Your Rate Lock Is About to Expire Before Closing. Is Paying the Extension Fee Worth It?
Your closing slipped and the lender wants $700 to extend your rate lock. Here is when paying that fee beats…
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Finished Basement vs. Room Addition: Which Adds More Value Per Dollar?
A finished basement or a room addition? One is cheaper and recoups more, the other actually grows your home’s official…
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Does a Home Security System Actually Lower Your Insurance Bill? The Real Discount Math
That security-system insurance discount your agent mentioned is real, but it probably will not cover your monitoring bill. We break…
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Can You Take Over a Seller’s 3% Mortgage? How Assumable Loans Actually Work
Inheriting a seller’s sub-4% loan sounds like free money. It can be, but only if you can cover their equity…
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Home Warranty or Your Own Repair Fund? On a 15-Year-Old House, the $650-a-Year Question Has a Clear Winner
A warranty’s payout caps can turn an $8,000 AC into a $1,300 reimbursement. Here is when banking the premium yourself…
