Housing11 min
Extra Mortgage Payments at 7.4%: Pay Down the Loan or Invest?
Mortgage rates hit 7.40%. What $100, $200 or $500 a month extra saves on a $400,000 loan, and when investing the money beats paying it down.
Oct 12, 2026Read
Housing & Mortgage Guides
What a home actually costs to buy and carry — the mortgage payment behind the asking price, the income a lender wants to see, and how that compares across countries.
6
Guides
59
Minutes
Tools these guides use
Housing10 min
Mortgage Rates Jumped to 7.28%: What the Spike Costs a Buyer
The 30-year went from 6.71% to 7.28% in four weeks: $153 a month and $55,110 of interest on $400,000, $28,000 less house — plus the ARM, points and wait math.
Oct 2, 2026Read
Housing11 min
HELOC vs Home Equity Loan After the Fed Hike: What $50k Costs
HELOC at 7.09% or a fixed home-equity loan at 7.42%? $50,000 priced both ways after the Fed hike: the break-even rate, the draw-period jump and borrowing room.
Oct 1, 2026Read
Housing10 min
Property Tax Bills 2026: What Your Home Owes and How to Appeal
What a $350k and $500k home owe in property tax in nine states, this fall's due dates, what a 10% appeal saves, and the Texas and Florida homestead changes.
Oct 1, 2026Read
Housing8 min
Should You Refinance Your Mortgage? The Break-Even Math
Refinancing is one division problem: closing costs divided by monthly saving. Work out your break-even point, and the trap that raises your total interest.
Aug 2, 2026Read
Housing9 min
What Salary Do You Need to Buy a Home? Six Countries Compared
We ran the same mortgage on official data from six countries. The US has the cheapest housing per square metre in the study — and one of the heaviest burdens.
Jul 28, 2026Read