Marilyn Lewis

Marilyn is a former NerdWallet writer focusing on mortgages and homeownership. Her writing has been featured by MSN, The Mercury News and The Providence Journal. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington.

The latest from Marilyn

Curb Appeal Ideas to Attract Home Buyers

Before selling your home, boost its curb appeal with a little elbow grease. Each of these curb appeal ideas costs less than $100.

Pros and Cons of a 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage

A longer repayment period qualifies buyers for lower payments or a pricier home. But the rate will be higher and you'll pay more interest over the life of the loan.

How Home Buyers Who Aren’t Citizens Can Get a Mortgage

How to Get Rid of PMI

You can wait for PMI to cancel automatically, request early cancellation, get a reappraisal or refinance the mortgage to get rid of it.

7 Ways To Reduce Your Closing Costs

You can reduce closing costs by shopping for the lowest lender fees, asking the seller to contribute and closing near the end of the month.