Craig Johnson

To the RS blog, Craig brings years of experience researching, writing, and speaking on the topics of mortgages, homebuying, and renovations.

📍 Los Angeles

Buying a Home

What Is a Buyer's Agent and What Do They Do?

You might want to rely on the experience and expertise of a buyer's agent when shopping for property.

Fundamentals

7 Expert Tips on Home Staging to Sell Faster

Help your home stand out with this proven advice for attracting more potential buyers and selling faster.

Equity & Value

Four Proven Ways to Build Home Equity Quickly

Owning more and owing less is the heart of home equity, and here are proven ways to tilt the seesaw in your favor faster.

Refinancing

How Often Can You Refinance Your Home?

Watch for these four signs to know when another home refinance might be worthwhile.

Buying a Home

People Share the Bad Real Estate Advice They've Heard

What dubious tips have led some people astray in buying or selling a home? Hear the worst real estate advice going around.

Refinancing

Refi or Personal Loan to Vanquish Credit Card Debt?

Two popular strategies for escaping credit card debt are to refinance a mortgage or take out a personal loan.

Refinancing

Refi Breakeven Point: How to Calculate Yours

A mortgage refinance takes money in the form of closing costs, so when does the saving start?

Refinancing

More Good Uses for a Cash-Out Refi (and One Bad Use)

The cash from a cash-out refinance can put you on stable footing to make smart moves with your money.

Buying a Home

How You Can Avoid Paying PMI

Putting 20% down is the surefire way to avoid PMI, but here are three other ways.

Refinancing

How to Speed Up Your Refi

Avoid having to wait several weeks for your lower payment to start by removing hurdles in the process.

News & Views

Criminals Are Hijacking Mortgage Closings

Beware! Scammers hiding inside compromised email accounts can steal your down payment.

News & Views

Reversing 6-Year Shrink, Homes Get Bigger

New single-family homes are growing again, but how are we using the extra space?

Refinancing

3 Good Uses of a Cash-Out Refi

A cash-out refi can supercharge your mortgage with a new low interest rate and line your pockets too, but this is not mad money.

Buying a Home

How Much Should You Save for a Down Payment?

We all know money talks. Here's what your down payment says to lenders.

Fundamentals

Learning Center: Popular Loan Products at a Glance

Learn about the major choices because one kind of mortgage is the best fit for you.

Fundamentals

Learning Center: Pros and Cons of 15- and 30-Year Mortgages

No one has a crystal ball to see 15 years ahead, much less 30, but if you can swing a higher payment, a shorter term will save you a lot of money.

Fundamentals

Learning Center: Interest and APR—What's the Difference?

You see two rates when you shop for a loan, and we explain why.