Advice4Homeownership — Straight Answers on Buying, Selling and Owning a Home

Giving Up a Low Mortgage Rate to Move: How to Decide Whether Selling Still Makes Sense

This weekHousing on the Ballot. What the Midterm Votes Mean for Your Property Taxes and Housing Costs

Featured Advice

Should You Offer a Home Warranty When You Sell? What It Costs and When It Helps

A seller home warranty can address buyer worries about older systems, but it has limits. What it is, what affects the cost, how it fits the contract and what it won't replace.

You’ll learnWhat a seller home warranty is, and how it differs from homeowners insurance

Selling a Home With a Septic System or Private Well: What Buyers, Inspectors and Lenders Will Ask For

A septic system or private well adds a few steps to a sale. What records to gather, which inspections and tests buyers often ask for, and how local rules and loan programs can come into play.

You’ll learnWhich septic and well records to gather before you list, and where to find missing ones

Condo, Townhome or Single-Family House: Which Fits Your Budget and Plans?

Condos, townhomes and single-family houses differ in what you own, who maintains it, how it's insured and how it can be financed. Here's how to compare them side by side.

You’ll learnWhy "condo" describes ownership while "townhome" usually describes a style, and how to tell what you'd own

Homeowners Insurance When You're Buying: When to Shop, What Your Lender Needs, and Avoiding Closing Delays

Homeowners insurance can hold up a closing if a problem turns up late. Here's when to start shopping, what can affect insurability and what your lender typically needs.

You’ll learnWhy the inspection or due diligence period is a practical time to start shopping for insurance

This Week's News

Housing News, Week of Nov. 9, 2026: Housing on the Ballot. What the Midterm Votes Mean for Your Property Taxes and Housing Costs

Which states had housing on the ballot, and what voters decided, as reported

Buying a Home

Condo, Townhome or Single-Family House: Which Fits Your Budget and Plans?

Why "condo" describes ownership while "townhome" usually describes a style, and how to tell what you'd own

Homeowners Insurance When You're Buying: When to Shop, What Your Lender Needs, and Avoiding Closing Delays

Why the inspection or due diligence period is a practical time to start shopping for insurance

How Much Do You Really Need to Put Down? Minimum Down Payments by Loan Type

How published minimum down payments generally compare for conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and jumbo loans

Home Ownership

See also: Insurance · Home Maintenance

Homeowner Tax Deductions: Mortgage Interest, Property Taxes and the SALT Cap

Why homeowner tax deductions only help if itemizing beats the standard deduction

How Your Credit Affects Your Home Insurance Rate

What a credit-based insurance score is and how it differs from a credit score

Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early? Extra Payments, Recasting and When to Leave It Alone

How extra principal payments reduce interest and why they usually don't lower your required payment

Selling a Home

Giving Up a Low Mortgage Rate to Move: How to Decide Whether Selling Still Makes Sense

Why starting with your reason for moving, need or want, shapes the rest of the decision

Should You Offer a Home Warranty When You Sell? What It Costs and When It Helps

What a seller home warranty is, and how it differs from homeowners insurance

Selling a Home With a Septic System or Private Well: What Buyers, Inspectors and Lenders Will Ask For

Which septic and well records to gather before you list, and where to find missing ones

Southern Coastal NC

Living in Wilmington, NC: What Buyers Should Know Before Moving

Why Wilmington, the three beach towns, and the unincorporated county are separate jurisdictions, and why that changes taxes, rules, and utilities

Buying an Investment Property on Oak Island, NC: What to Check Before You Buy

Calabash, NC: What Buyers Should Know

Why Calabash is a creek and waterway town built around a working seafood waterfront rather than an oceanfront beach town

The Benefits of Living in Southport, NC Year-Round: Why Full-Time Residents Get the Best of the Town

What the roughly October-to-April off-season gives Southport residents: a calm waterfront, open restaurant tables, and downtown returned to locals