Cost of Owning
Utilities, HOA fees, maintenance and the real monthly cost of a home.
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HOA Fees Explained: Dues, Reserves and Special Assessments
What HOA and condo dues pay for, how reserves and special assessments work, how dues affect your mortgage approval, and which documents to read first.
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How Much to Budget for Home Maintenance Each Year
The 1% rule, the 2% rule and the square-footage rule, where each falls short, and how to build a repair fund around your home's actual systems.
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How a Mortgage Escrow Account Works (and Why Your Payment Changes)
Why your mortgage payment can rise on a fixed-rate loan, how the yearly escrow analysis works, and what to do about a shortage or a surplus.
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Rent vs. Buy: How to Compare the Real Costs
Compare the net cost of buying a home with renting over the years you expect to stay, with a free calculator and a worked $400,000 example.
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The True Monthly Cost of Owning a Home (Beyond the Mortgage)
Mortgage ads quote principal and interest. Here is everything else a homeowner pays each month, with a worked $400,000 example and a calculator.