When housing affordability deteriorates, most people expect the cause to be obvious.
Home prices must be rising.
That seems logical. If houses become more expensive while...
For years, homebuyers have been taught to begin their search with a few familiar numbers.
The purchase price.
The down payment.
The mortgage rate.
And the estimated monthly...
The U.S. housing market is becoming more buyer friendly in several important ways.
There are more homes available than there were a year ago. Properties...
For years, Home Equity Lines of Credit better known as HELOCs occupied a relatively specific place in personal finance.
Homeowners often used them for major...
For many homeowners, the biggest financial focus has traditionally been the mortgage.
But increasingly, another cost is changing the economics of homeownership:
Insurance.
Property insurance premiums have...
For years, homeowners were encouraged to optimize everything.
Refinance aggressively.Pay down mortgages early.Maximize equity.Leverage low rates.
The logic was straightforward:
The more efficiently you structure your housing...
On paper, it looks like an obvious opportunity.
Home values have risen.Equity levels are historically high.Access tools like HELOCs and cash out refinancing still exist.
So...
