Learn at your own pace

Mortgage guides

Written by me and updated over time, these guides explain homebuying and mortgage questions in plain language.

• Your first mortgage conversation: what to prepare

  No documents or chosen loan program needed for our first conversation. Share your plans and questions, and we can discuss the next step.

• What is mortgage preapproval, and do you need it?

  Learn how mortgage preapproval supports your offer, what the process involves, which documents to prepare and what to watch for afterward.

• Why does my mortgage balance fall so slowly at first? | Mortgage 101

  No calculations needed: see why less debt means less interest and more of the same payment goes toward principal.

• Why can housing costs change with a fixed mortgage rate? | Mortgage 101

  Compare the fixed principal-and-interest payment with housing costs that can change.

• Where does your monthly housing money go? | Mortgage 101

  See the main parts of total monthly housing expenses, from principal and interest to taxes and insurance.

• Mortgage interest rate vs. APR: What is the difference, and how is APR calculated?

  See how the mortgage payment equation relates interest rates to APR, which fees count, and how to compare borrowing costs.

• Homeowners insurance and mortgage insurance: who is protected? | Mortgage 101

  Compare what homeowners insurance covers with whom mortgage insurance protects.

• Chapter 1: How your monthly principal-and-interest payment is calculated | For curious minds

  Start with practical takeaways, then explore how present value and geometric series lead to the principal-and-interest payment formula.

• Chapter 2: How to calculate your monthly principal-and-interest payment budget | For curious minds

  Use monthly income, housing and debt limits, and housing costs to estimate your monthly principal-and-interest payment budget.

• Chapter 3: How your monthly principal-and-interest payment budget determines your loan amount | For curious minds

  Use the monthly principal-and-interest payment budget from chapter two, then reverse chapter one's principal-and-interest payment formula to estimate a loan amount.

• Mortgage terminology guide

  Simple definitions of 24 common mortgage terms, from principal and interest to loan disclosures and housing costs.