diff --git a/lib/file-ext.js b/lib/file-ext.js
index 679f04e..d575fa6 100644
--- a/lib/file-ext.js
+++ b/lib/file-ext.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-var fs = require('fs')
+var constants = require('constants')
+  , fs = require('fs')
   , ArrayExt = require('./array-ext').ArrayExt
   , LineEmitter = require('./line-emitter').LineEmitter
   , ext = require('./ext')
+  , ENOENT = constants.ENOENT
   ;
 
 exports.extend = function(obj) {
@@ -24,6 +26,16 @@ var FileExt = exports.FileExt = {
             le.on('end', function() { options.end(); });
     }
 
+  , exists: function(f) {
+        try {
+            fs.statSync(f)
+            return true
+        } catch (e) {
+            if (e.errno === ENOENT) return false
+            throw e
+        }
+    }
+
   , grep: function(regex, f, callback) {
         if (!callback) throw new Error('grep requires a callback');
         var results = [];
@@ -34,6 +46,11 @@ var FileExt = exports.FileExt = {
     }
 
   , home: function(user, callback) {
+        // user is optional so the first param may be a callback
+        if (typeof user === 'function') {
+            callback = user;
+            user = null;
+        }
         if (user && callback && user !== process.env['USER']) {
             FileExt.grep(new RegExp('^' + user + ':'), '/etc/passwd', function(line) {
                 callback(line && line.split(':')[4]);
@@ -55,3 +72,19 @@ var FileExt = exports.FileExt = {
     }
 
 };
+
+// isDirectory, isFile, isSymbolicLink, etc.
+var s = fs.statSync(__dirname);
+Object.keys(Object.getPrototypeOf(s)).forEach(function(k) {
+    if (k.match(/^is/) && typeof s[k] === 'function') {
+        FileExt[k] = function(f, cb) {
+            if (cb) {
+                fs.stat(f, function(err, stat) {
+                    cb(err, err ? null : stat[k]());
+                });
+            } else {
+                return fs.statSync(f)[k]();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+});