Katie Kelton

Choosing a mortgage lender is one of the biggest financial decisions, and your real estate agent can help you make it.

Three homeowners refinanced their mortgages six times combined — and learned some lessons the hard way.

You can save money with a refi by crunching the numbers.

Crystin Liboma refinanced into a lower-rate, shorter-term mortgage to rescue her finances.

Buying a home is as much about life as it is about math. Recent Bankrate research shows Americans overpay on mortgages by $65 billion a year. But three homebuyers — Maameefua Koomson, Sean Stoyanowski and Garrett Duyck — each scored lower mortgage rates with one simple move: they compared more than one lender before signing.

Your mortgage rate matters, but life changes don't wait for the housing market.

When a lender tells you how much you can borrow, it feels like permission to spend. But eligibility and affordability are completely different things. First-time buyer Khyrunnessa Rabbini learned this early: she rejected a $250,000 prequalification to borrow half. That one decision gave her the financial footing to build a six-property real estate portfolio.

The Lupos built a real estate portfolio using these 5 strategies.

Breaking into the Los Angeles housing market, 32-year-old Benny To found a creative path to homeownership by buying a multifamily probate property. Despite being told the sale would be easy, a family dispute forced him into a nine-month court battle. Ultimately, his perseverance paid off, securing an income-generating asset that cushions rising living costs.

Chandra Hawkins repaid $10K in credit card debt, improved her credit score and bought a house.

Ryan Katherine's mortgage rate is higher than the market average, but she's not sure when to refinance.

When the Javiers agreed to be on the show "This First House," they had to buy a house fast — and with only $350K.

The path to homeownership is growing longer, with the median first-time buyer age now reaching a record high of 40. For Asia Ore, a 28-year-old widow and new mother, the journey requires a disciplined approach to stability.

Blake Johnson wants to buy a home in Seattle, but might have to build one outside the city instead.

At 24, Jocelyn Becerra ditched the rental grind for a mortgage in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Philadelphia housekeeper Ayesha Garnett is defying the housing market's grim math.

Jessica Lee felt pressured into borrowing from her builder's preferred lender.

Kayla Palmer's new home ended up with a slew of maintenance issues.

How to avoid impulse shopping and stick to a budget during the holidays.

From $2 bills to billionaire dreams, here’s what you couldn’t stop reading in 2025.