Mortgage Market Update

Build Wealth Like Celebrities

Despite million-dollar incomes, many of your favorite actors, professional athletes, and musicians opt to take out a mortgage on their home. Why do celebrities willingly pay interest when they can make an all-cash offer? To free up more money to invest. The expected returns on many types of investments can be much greater than the interest paid on a mortgage, especially with current mortgage rates. Talk to your financial advisor to see if this strategy is right for you.3

Tips to 'Hygge' Your Home

Hygge, pronounced 'hue-gah,' is a Danish cultural concept that roughly translates to 'togetherness' or 'coziness.' Often associated with winter, achieve hygge year-round with décor that creates a peaceful and serene space free of clutter. Choose a neutral color palette that puts the senses at ease, and have comfortable seating or nooks complete with lots of fluffy blankets and pillows in an array of inviting textures. For ambient lighting, use candles, the fireplace, or twinkling lights. You do not have to limit hygge just to your living area either -make your bathroom into a spa-like destination where you can go to rest and feel rejuvenated.4

Give Your Garage a Makeover

No matter how many square feet a house has, storage always feels like it is at a premium. The garage tends to become a catch-all repository for both indoor and outdoor items. To make the space more functional, purge anything you no longer use. Then, sort the remaining items into grouped bins based on their use. Consider using clear, stackable containers - ones that make it easy to organize because you can see the contents. Capitalize on wall space by hanging tools or bikes. Use overhead or loft space to store seasonal items that you do not need to access frequently, such as holiday décor.5

Sources: 3Yahoo! Finance, 4FTD, 5Zillow