📚 Education Center

Understand Your Home.
Make Smarter Decisions.

Free tools, videos, and guides to help California homeowners navigate refinancing, home equity, and more.

🧮 Calculators 🎬 Videos 📖 Guides
Free Tools

Mortgage Calculators

Run the numbers in seconds. No sign-up, no credit pull.

🏡 Home Equity Calculator

See how much equity you can access through a HELOC or cash-out refinance

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↑ Enter your home value and balance to see your estimate
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📊 Mortgage Payment Calculator

Estimate your monthly payment for a new purchase or refinance

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From Payton

Educational Videos

Short, practical videos from your MyRateAdvisor home & lifestyle advisor.

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Coming Saturday
🌱 Home & Lifestyle
Spring Home Checklist: 5 Things to Do This Weekend
Clocks spring forward Saturday. Here are 5 quick tasks every homeowner should tackle to protect their home this season.
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Coming Soon
🏡 Home Equity
What Is a HELOC and How Does It Work?
A home equity line of credit lets you tap your equity without touching your first mortgage rate. Here's how it works in plain English.
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Coming Soon
📊 Refinancing
Should I Refinance in 2026?
Rates are moving. Here's the simple framework to know if refinancing makes sense for your situation right now.
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Coming Soon
💡 Home Equity
How to Access Your Equity Without Refinancing
Keep your low rate and still get cash out. We'll show you exactly how California homeowners are doing it in 2026.
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Coming Soon
💼 Employee Benefits
Your Employer Mortgage Benefit Explained
Many California employees have access to exclusive discounted mortgage rates through their employer — and most never use them.
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Coming Soon
🔑 Home Buying
First-Time Homebuyer Guide for California
Down payments, rates, loan types, and programs available in California. Everything you need to know before you start looking.
Homeowner Guides

Learn at Your Own Pace

In-depth articles to help you make confident decisions about your home and mortgage.

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Home & Lifestyle
Spring Home Checklist: 5 Things to Do This Weekend
Quick tasks that protect your home and save money all season long.
Read guide →
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Home Equity
How to Access Your Home Equity in California
HELOC vs. cash-out refinance — which one is right for you?
Read guide →
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Employee Benefits
Kaiser Employee Mortgage Benefit Explained
Most Kaiser employees never claim this benefit. Here's how it works.
Read guide →
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Employee Benefits
Amazon Employee Mortgage Benefit in California
Save 0.5–0.75% off standard rates. Available to all W-2 employees.
Read guide →
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Employee Benefits
CalPERS Member Mortgage Benefit
State employees and retirees have access to exclusive rate programs.
Read guide →
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Refinancing
When Does Refinancing Make Sense in 2026?
The break-even formula every homeowner should know before refinancing.
Get a free rate check →

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