03/13/2026
Mortgage terms can feel like a foreign language, so here’s a quick breakdown in normal human terms:
🏡 Escrow = a “homeowner piggy bank” for taxes + insurance
📄 Underwriting = the final approval process (the deep dive)
💳 DTI = how much debt you have compared to your income
📉 APR = the cost of the loan beyond just the interest rate
🔑 Closing costs = fees needed to finalize the purchase
No one is born knowing this stuff. Asking questions doesn’t make you “unprepared”… it makes you smart.