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Emily Starbuck Crone

Emily is a former NerdWallet writer covering mortgages and homeownership. She's been writing about personal finance since 2007, with work published in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Consumers Digest, The Christian Science Monitor and Business Insider.

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Posts by Emily Starbuck Crone:

The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: 2020

Hal M. Bundrick, CFP & Emily Starbuck Crone
March 4, 2020

Looking for the first-time home buyer tax credit? You may be thinking of the federal program implemented under the Obama administration. We hate to be the bearer of bad news,…

Read More
best-mortgage-lenders-for-jumbo-loans

Jumbo Loans: When a Regular Mortgage Isn’t Enough

Emily Starbuck Crone & Beth Buczynski
Dec. 15, 2020

What is a jumbo loan? A jumbo loan is a mortgage used to finance properties that are too expensive for a conventional conforming loan. The maximum amount for a conforming…

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5 Online Legal Tools to Help You Start a Business for Less

Online Legal Services: Small Business Money-Savers

Emily Starbuck Crone
Jan. 2, 2018

When starting or growing a business, it’s tempting to cut costs by tackling projects yourself. When it comes to legal matters, a DIY approach works sometimes, but it can be…

Read More

10 Steps to Opening Your Own Hair Salon

Emily Starbuck Crone
April 21, 2020

Hair salons can be significantly profitable — stylist Ted Gibson charged a cool $1,200 for a cut in his now-closed New York City salon. Few salon owners reach celebrity status…

Read More
home-buyer-down-payment-dilemma

The Down Payment Reality Report

Emily Starbuck Crone
Sept. 28, 2017

As more millennials reach the ages when they’re considering buying their first homes, the dire predictions that they would be too burdened by student loans or are too fond of…

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How I Turned My Credit Score Around and Bought a House

How 3 People Conquered Credit Trouble and Bought Homes

Emily Starbuck Crone
Sept. 11, 2017

Unless you’ve built a stockpile of savings or lucked into a windfall, you’ll probably need a mortgage to buy a home. Qualifying for one requires adequate income and a solid…

Read More
How to Recast Your Mortgage

Why You Should Consider a Mortgage Recast

Emily Starbuck Crone
Aug. 23, 2017

Mortgage recasting is one way to reduce your monthly mortgage payments. It’s less common than refinancing or modifying a loan, and it’s rarely advertised, but it decreases mortgage payments for…

Read More
mortgage-rates-thursday-august-17

Mortgage Rates Thursday, Aug. 17: Steady Following Fed Comments

Emily Starbuck Crone
Aug. 17, 2017

Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans ticked up slightly, while 15-year fixed and 5/1 ARMs remained unchanged, according to a NerdWallet survey of daily mortgage rates published by national lenders…

Read More
fha mortgage insurance

FHA Mortgage Insurance: What You Need to Know

Emily Starbuck Crone
Aug. 9, 2017

When deciding between an FHA mortgage and a conventional mortgage, the most important difference is arguably the mortgage insurance that the Federal Housing Administration requires. This insurance typically can’t be canceled…

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should-you-make-biweekly-mortgage-payments

Should You Make Biweekly Mortgage Payments?

Emily Starbuck Crone
Aug. 8, 2017

When you buy a home with a mortgage, your payments are due monthly by default. In an effort to pay off their mortgages faster and pay less in interest over…

Read More

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