Working from home is causing workers nationwide to feel the pressure to be constantly available. The responsibilities of everyday life (paying your mortgage, cleaning the house, etc.) remaining constant and the addition of homeschooling and caring for the sick or elderly are weighing heavy on Americans during this trying time. Being able to balance working from home and the ever-growing home life responsibilities has many people feeling burnt-out.

In order to feel happier and more energetic with all these restrictions on us, its important to designate time during the day and space within your home for yourself. Not every room and every hour of the day should be associated with work, but instead time needs to be taken to relax and recharge. In addition it’s important to take care of yourself through hydrating, eating well, exercising, and engaging with other people unrelated to work. When the work day is over it’s important to unplug and not have your mind in a constant state of worrying about work. Staying happy and healthy during this pandemic will help us all get through!

The United States Census considers households that spend at least 35% of their monthly income on housing costs (mortgage, utilities, taxes, and other homeownership costs) to be “cost-burdened”. A decade ago, this figure accounted for 29% of homeowners in the United States. Today this number is much lower, falling to 21%. Compare this to the number of cost-burdened renters (40.6%) and the difference is nearly 19%. Many people believe that renting is the more affordable option in today’s market, but this simply isn’t the case as these numbers show.

The typical rent payment across the country has risen sharply, while the average mortgage payment has gone down making it more affordable to own your home than it is to rent. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing your own home, this could be the perfect time to make the move. Historically low interest rates combined with rising rent payments make this a logical time to purchase a home.

With mortgage rates at a three-year low, now could be a good time to refinance. The high occurrence of refinances is due directly to the low interest rates on mortgages across the country and more importantly in local markets. More than 11,000,000 homeowners nationwide stand to save an average of $268 per month if they were to refinance today. Below are the main things to consider before making the decision to refinance:

• How long do you plan on staying in your home? You want to be able to keep your loan long enough to ensure the monthly savings will exceed the closing costs.
• How much will you save? The rule of thumb is that your new interest rates needs to be 50-100 basis points (.5%-1%) lower than your current one.
• Are you paying mortgage insurance? Refinancing with 20% equity or more will give you the best deal because you avoid paying mortgage insurance.
• Is your financial house in order? Make sure you have your financials in order. One out of four refinance applications are denied because of high debt-to-income ratios or poor credit.

Depending on your personal answers to these four questions, a refinance may be the perfect move for you to be able to save some money.

A year-end report on 2019 found that foreclosure filings were down 21% from 2018 and down 83% from its peak in 2010. In the same period, bank repossessions are down 86%. Lender repossessions are down 37% and 86% from 2018 and 2010 respectively. These low numbers are likely due to the strong economy allowing borrowers to make their mortgage payments without lapse.

After the Dodd-Frank Act was passed in 2010, lending standards were at an all time high. In the years since 2010, the rules and regulations have slightly laxed leading to what would be believed to be a higher percentage of foreclosures. In reality foreclosure rates are at a recent historic low.

With the decline in foreclosure inventory and interest in the amount of inventory going up, now remains a good time for sellers with less than ideal property to find a buyer. Low mortgage rates allow more first time home buyers to enter their local markets and compete for the already low inventory causing some distressed elements to be overlooked.

It’s well known that good credit can save you money and help you get a lower mortgage rate. But just how much money can you save?

It’s estimated that over the life of a mortgage loan the average interest paid for a borrower with fair credit is $260,000. It’s also estimated that those with a very good credit score will pay closer to $220,000 over the life of a loan. That nearly $40,000 difference is a direct result of having a higher credit score and inversely, a lower mortgage rate. Monitoring your credit can help you secure a low mortgage rate and save tens of thousands when buying your home!