The NexStep blog
Notes on mortgages, home-buying trade-offs, and getting the numbers right — plain explanations of the things the calculator models, and how to think about them.
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Are Mortgage Points Worth It? The Math Most Calculators Skip
Walk a real $400k example with the breakeven math most discount points calculators quietly skip over.
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PMI: When It Disappears, and How to Make It Disappear Sooner
How to remove PMI and when it goes away: the 80% and 78% LTV thresholds, and how to cancel it sooner.
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ARM vs. Fixed: What Actually Happens to Your Payment After Year 5
The real 5/1 ARM payment increase after the fixed period, in dollars — plus a worst-case lifetime-cap scenario.
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Why Two Buyers With the Same Loan Amount Can Have Wildly Different Payments
Why one mortgage payment is higher than another on the same loan amount — the cost drivers, lever by lever.
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The Mortgage Interest Deduction: How Much Do You Really Save? (2026 Calculator)
A built-in calculator using 2026 brackets and your state — see the interest you pay each year and what the deduction actually saves.
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The $200/Month Question: How Extra Payments Actually Shrink Your Mortgage
How an extra $100, $200, or $300 a month cuts total interest and payoff time on a 30-year loan.
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How Much House Extra Payments Actually Buy You: Turning Interest Savings Into Years
Reframe extra payments as years bought back — how much they save, and how to shorten your loan term.