Mortgage learning hub

Practical, math-first explainers. No fluff, no “contact a partner lender” nudges.

• core

  15-year vs 30-year mortgage: which actually saves you more?

  A side-by-side comparison of 15- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with full math, opportunity-cost analysis, and a decision framework.

  8 min · 2026-05-06

• rates

  ARM vs fixed-rate mortgage: which is the better bet?

  A clear-eyed look at adjustable-rate mortgages — when their initial discount is worth the rate-reset risk and when it is a trap.

  7 min · 2026-05-06

• buying

  Closing costs explained: every line item and how to negotiate them

  A complete walkthrough of mortgage closing costs — what each fee is for, which are negotiable, and what is typical in 2026.

  8 min · 2026-05-06

• buying

  Conventional vs FHA vs VA loans: how to pick the right mortgage

  Plain-English comparison of conventional, FHA, and VA mortgage programs — eligibility, down payment, mortgage insurance, and total cost.

  8 min · 2026-05-06

• prepay

  Do extra mortgage payments really pay off?

  A quantitative look at extra principal payments — bi-weekly, monthly extras, and lump sums — with the only metric that lets you compare them honestly.

  7 min · 2026-05-06

• rates

  Mortgage points: are they ever worth buying?

  How discount points work, when buying them is rational, and a clean break-even formula you can run in your head.

  6 min · 2026-05-06

• core

  How mortgage payments are calculated (the math)

  A plain-English derivation of the standard US mortgage formula, plus how PITI, PMI and escrow change what you actually pay each month.

  9 min · 2026-05-06

• rates

  PMI explained: when it costs you and when to drop it

  How private mortgage insurance is calculated, when it auto-cancels under federal law, and the three ways to drop it sooner.

  6 min · 2026-05-06

• tax-insurance

  Property tax and escrow: how lenders collect and pay your tax bill

  How escrow accounts work, why your monthly payment can change without your interest rate changing, and how to spot an escrow shortage before it surprises you.

  7 min · 2026-05-06

• refinance

  Refinance break-even: when refinancing is worth the closing costs

  How to compute the exact month a refinance pays back its closing costs, plus when the simple break-even math is misleading.

  7 min · 2026-05-06