This is an important step - it marks the change from house hunting to home owning. You've found your dream home, made an offer, and gone through closing. Now it's your home - all you have to do is move in. Easy, right?

Most homeowners do some type of remodeling. Remodeling projects also vary greatly from small - painting a room, medium-updating the cabinets in your kitchen - to very large, like building a new room or finishing the basement.

Refinancing means getting a new mortgage and using some or all of the proceeds to pay off the old mortgage. Homeowners may refinance for several reasons: