Most people calculate their mortgage payment and think that's the number. It's not even close. Derek and Kelly break down every cost of homeownership that nobody warned you about — from the obvious stuff like utilities and lawn care, to the things that will blindside you at 10pm on a Sunday night. Kelly shares her two basement flooding stories (yes, two), Derek explains the 1% maintenance rule (and why it's probably wrong), and they go through 38 responses from real homeowners on the hidden costs that surprised them most.

Topics covered:

The actual cost of utilities (heating, water, trash — yes, trash)

Regular maintenance: lawn care, snow removal, dryer vents, septic pumping, radon systems

The "OOP fund" — the stuff you budget for vs. the stuff that just breaks

How property taxes and homeowner's insurance quietly creep up every year

Ice dams: what they are and why you can't predict them

Why the mortgage pre-approval number and what you should actually spend are two very different things

If you're buying a home soon, already own one, or just want to know what you're getting into — this one's for you.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – Intro / It's raining (again)

01:00 – Why the cost of homeownership conversation matters

03:00 – The 1% maintenance rule (and why $8,800/year is more accurate)

07:40 – Two cost buckets: expected maintenance vs. the unexpected

09:00 – Transitioning from renting to owning — the size shock

11:00 – Utilities deep dive: heating, water, electricity

16:20 – Cable/internet trap ($383/month to Starlink story)

19:15 – Regular home maintenance: lawn, snow removal, landscaping

24:15 – Annualized costs: septic, furnace, radon, HVAC

28:30 – The "OOP fund" — what breaks and what it actually costs

33:55 – Community responses: 38 hidden costs people didn't see coming

37:00 – Trees, wildlife, dryer vents, faucets (seriously, faucets)

41:30 – Property taxes and homeowner's insurance: why they always go up

43:15 – Ice dams explained

44:30 – Closing thoughts: eyes wide open

Reach out to Kelly Turner at kturner@totalmortgage.com and Derek Mazzarella at dmazzarella@mygfpartner.com

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