Top Tips for Working from Home?

By Debbie Wysocki

Debbies

When you’re used to driving to the office every day, sitting through long meetings, and sharing a community microwave, working from home can sound pretty darn good.

It’s a nice option to have, but working from home takes a special kind of discipline and flexibility. This is especially true if your spouse is also working from home or if your kids are out of school. If you’re new to home-office life, here are a few tips to help it go smoothly.

  • Eat and drink—the right stuff at the right time

    It’s easy to get caught up in work and forget to eat or stay hydrated during the day. It’s also easy to take too many trips to the kitchen for snacks and overdo it on the potato chips. Try to stick to your usual mealtimes, and stock up on healthy food to resist the temptation to snack all day.

  • Build in exercise

    Working from home means you’re out of your regular routine. You’re not moving around your office or stopping at the gym on your way home. Make exercise a part of your new routine. Schedule it on your calendar or set a reminder on your phone. There are tons of ways to get in a workout from home—especially now, since a number of gyms and fitness experts have put their workouts online for free.

  • Be one with the mute button

    It might be cute to hear the dog or kids in the background of a call—once, but don’t make a habit of it. Even small noises, like ruffling papers, can be amplified over a cell phone. Get used to hitting mute when you’re on calls from home to eliminate the background noise and embarrassing interruptions.

    I have been working from home now for 26 years — when kids came into the picture, I had to train them — because they think it’s always play time! Go ahead and set 2 or 3 regular 20 to 30 minute break times with them — and then the rule I set is — no interruptions UNLESS YOU ARE GUSHING BLOOD.

    My daughter still teases me to this day about it. It’s so funny because in high school (just last year), she worked in the school’s after care program, and the things she said to the kids and how she treated them — well let’s just say it was like listening to a ‘mini me.’

    When I mentioned it, she said well of course, your trained me right! Kids can’t run wild.

  • Make a schedule

    “Set a schedule, and stick to it…most of the time,” said PCMag. “Clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain work-life balance. That said, one of the benefits of remote work is flexibility, and sometimes you need to extend your day or start early to accommodate someone else’s time zone. When you do, be sure to wrap up earlier than usual or sleep in a bit the next morning to make up for it.”

  • Be social

    Working from home can feel isolating, especially if you get energy from your regular workspace and colleagues. “One undeniable loss is the social, casual ‘water cooler’ conversation that connects us to people,” said NPR. “To fill the gap, some co-workers are scheduling online social time to have conversations with no agenda.” Use chat and video apps if you miss real-time interaction.

  • Loan Differences

    Loans amounts at or under these limits qualify as conforming loans. They “conform” to guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Conforming loans make up the majority of residential loans funded. Loan amounts that are above these limits are referred to as jumbo loans. With a conforming loan, lenders are able to sell the mortgage in the secondary market, replenishing their credit lines in order to make more loans. Jumbo loans have no such robust secondary market. When a lender approves a jumbo loan, it assumes the risk should the loan ever go into default.

    Naturally, this makes it more difficult to qualify for a jumbo loan. The minimum credit score for most conforming loans ranges from 580 to 620. Jumbo minimums range from 720 to 740. Some jumbo loans can require a lower score, but the rates and terms are much more stringent.

    Down payment requirements for jumbo loans are also much higher. A buyer can secure a conforming loan with a down payment of just 5% (or even 3% for special first-time programs) with the help of private mortgage insurance. Jumbo loans have no such insurance policies available and require a minimum down payment of 20% of the sale price of the home. Providing a down payment of 25% or more will make it easier to qualify.

    Wondering if a jumbo loan is the right move? Reach out! I can help you find the right loan for your next move or investment.

“Mattress Money” and Mortgages

While it might not literally be stashed under your mattress, “mattress money” is a catchall term to describe money saved without a documented paper trail. The money could come from selling a car, a small inheritance, or an outright gift. One might assume that cash is cash, but when it comes to real estate transactions, it’s important to understand that the way you save your money is nearly as important as having it in the first place.

One of the most important things lenders look at when evaluating a home loan application is how much money is available for the transaction. You need to be able to prove you’ll be able to cover the down payment, closing costs, and cash reserve requirement. This verification is done by reviewing recent copies of bank statements, and if your savings account is short by $5,000, you can’t simply deposit your mattress money into your bank account right then to cover the gap.

Lenders must be able to verify the source of the money you’re using for the transaction, as they’re on the lookout for money laundering and illegal activity. If you’ve been saving cash at home and you plan to use those funds to buy real estate in the future, move the cash out of the vault (or mattress) and into your bank account ahead of time. This will let the funds “season,” i.e., sit in your bank account for a couple months, and the lender will not question where the funds came from. While there’s no universal guideline, funds generally should be “sourced and seasoned” for at least 60 days or two bank statement cycles.