Oply

10/20/2026

Do you have $10,000 saved for when something in your house breaks? 🏠

In a survey of people who bought a home in the last two years, 72% spent over $10,000 on surprise repairs, and most never budgeted for it. A house can look move-in ready while the roof, the AC or the water heater is close to the end of its life.

How to get ahead of it:
If you’re still shopping, ask the seller how old the roof, the AC and the water heater are before you make an offer.Once you own, set aside about 1% of your home’s value every year. On a $350,000 house, that’s about $290 a month. Put it in a separate savings account so it doesn’t get spent.Get your heating and air tuned up once a year. It catches small problems before they turn into big bills.

🔥 State Farm homeowners: in most states you can get a free plug-in sensor that watches your home’s wiring for fire hazards, plus up to $1,000 toward fixing anything it finds. You’ll need Wi-Fi and a smartphone. Call your agent and ask about the Ting sensor. (Not available in Alaska, Delaware or Wyoming.)

📍 Nashville, these are running right now:
Lee Company: $1,000 off a new heating and air conditioning system
Mr. Electric of Franklin: 15% off electrical work for new customers
Safe-Dry Carpet Cleaning: 3 rooms of carpet cleaned for $88 (up to 300 sq ft total, extra for heavy stains or pet treatment)

Deals are for a limited time, so check with each pro before you book. I found all of these in Oply, and more cities are coming soon. Drop your city in the comments 👇

Know more, spend less.

nashville nashvillehomes moneytips homeownertips

10/15/2026

$200 a month is $2,400 a year. That’s a weekend getaway, a new grill for the backyard, or date night every single month. 💸

And a lot of homeowners are spending it on insurance and they don’t even know about it.

🏠 What is PMI?
Put less than 20% down? Your lender probably added private mortgage insurance (PMI) to your payment. It protects your LENDER if you stop paying, not you. It usually runs $30 to $70 a month per $100,000 borrowed, so up to about $200 a month on a $300,000 loan.

✅ How to get rid of it:
Check your mortgage statement for “mortgage insurance” or “PMI.”Find the PMI disclosure from closing. It shows the first date you can ask to cancel.Once you owe less than 80% of what you paid, send your lender a written request. You’ll need to be current with a good payment history.Extra principal payments get you to 80% faster.Home value went up? Ask if a new appraisal can drop PMI early. Appraisals cost money, so ask about the rules first.PMI should come off automatically at 78%. Make sure it does!
FHA and VA loans have different rules, so call your loan servicer.

❄️ Bonus: get ready for the first cold snap

A cold front could bring the first frost to parts of the South this weekend.

🔦 Flashlight test: shine a flashlight around a closed door from outside. If someone inside sees light, add weatherstripping. Self-stick foam tape is easy.

🚪 Door sweep: see daylight under the door? A sweep blocks it.

🪟 Caulk around window frames. About half a tube covers one big window.

🔌 Foam outlet gaskets go behind outlet and switch covers on outside walls. Just a screwdriver.

Sealing and insulating can save you about 15% on heating and cooling. More money for that grill. 😉

Know more, spend less. Follow for your daily 60-Second Homeowner Rundown.

savemoney personalfinance winterprep homemaintenance mortgage

10/14/2026

Do you have $20,000 just sitting around? 👀 After Hurricane Isaias, some Florida homeowners are learning their hurricane deductible is way higher than they thought.

In 19 states, your homeowners insurance deductible for hurricanes or windstorms is a percent of your home’s insured value, not a flat $1,000. On a $400,000 house, a 5% deductible means you pay $20,000 before insurance pays anything.

How to check yours: open your insurance policy, find the declarations page, and look for “hurricane” or “windstorm” deductible. If it says a percent, call your insurance agent and ask what it costs to lower it.

Also: run generators outside, at least 20 feet from your house, and put a carbon monoxide detector next to every smoke detector. And if you have kids, anchor your dressers. About 12,000 were just recalled on Amazon for tipping over.

What’s your hurricane deductible? Tell me your state 👇

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

Would you split a house with your best friend? 👀

More people are saying yes than you’d think. If you’re thinking about co-buying a home, the agreement matters more than the house. Decide up front who pays what, who gets what if you sell, and what happens if one of you wants out.

Also on the radar this month: the Federal Reserve meets October 27 to 28. If you have a home equity line of credit (HELOC), that’s the date to watch. And if you pay your own property taxes, now’s a good time to look up your county’s due date.

Watch for the full rundown. New homeowner news every weekday.

10/09/2026

The 60-Second Homeowner Rundown for Friday, Oct 9:

🔥 Winter heating forecast: natural gas down about 9%, electric up about 4%, heating oil up about 21%. Turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees while you sleep or work can save up to 10% a year.

🏠 Mortgage rates hit 7.4%, up 7 weeks in a row. But 1 in 5 homes for sale cut their price in September. If you’re buying, negotiate.

💰 Deal of the week, Denver: One Hour Heating & Air furnace safety check for $89 (normally $149) through Oct 31. What city should we hit next Friday? Drop it in the comments

👇 New rundown every weekday. Follow so you don’t miss Monday’s.

homeownertips firsttimehomebuyer Denver One Hour Heating & Air

10/02/2026

Oply users now get 15% off on all your HVAC filters! Download or open Oply and get your discount!

09/30/2026

Sometimes you have to DIY…follow along as we save as much money as possible while still creating a great looking backyard!

07/14/2026

DIY Garage Storage loft. A couple hundred bucks and a weekend. We gained almost 100 square foot of storage!