If you’re expecting to inherit a home in California, you might need to find a “for sale” sign. That’s because Proposition 19 has made it much harder to keep that house.

Before the proposition narrowly passed in 2020, parents could pass down their home and their very low property tax rate to their children. But Proposition 19 changed that. Now, the property’s value gets reassessed at the time of transfer, and the property taxes could rise along with it. It’s confusing for some who can’t decide whether they should sell or keep their newly inherited property.

For many people in California, inheriting a home their parents bought decades earlier — when the cost of housing was much more affordable concerning average salaries — is the only way they’ll be able to own a home. If you’re in this situation, keep reading for some factors to consider:

Do you plan to live in the house you inherit?

There are some benefits for people who choose to make an inherited property their primary residence. If you plan to live in the inherited home, you can apply to have up to $1 million excluded from the tax reassessment as long as you move into the home within a year of the transfer.

Despite those benefits, there are some downsides, said Alicia Gamez, an attorney specializing in California taxation law, estate planning, trust and probate law. If a family’s home is a multi-unit building, where the parents live in one unit while their children live in other units, only the parents’ unit will qualify for a reassessment exemption. The other units, where the children live, would get reassessed.

“I have seen circumstances where the property tax reassessment really threatens a family’s ability to stay in their neighborhood,” Gamez said.

Gamez said situations can differ based on the circumstances of families. If the home requires repairs, those can add up, and deciding to live in the home is even more expensive and complicated. If siblings are involved, selling and splitting the money may be easier than having one sibling buy out the others.

If the children already own a home, they might not want to move. In that case, they can choose to sell the inherited property or rent it out.

Do you plan to rent out the inherited house?

Rather than selling the inherited property, many inheritors chose to rent out the home and collect a passive income. Before Proposition 19 passed, the inheritors could keep the low property tax rate.

Some people called this the “Lebowski loophole” because the law allowed people like actor Jeff Bridges and his siblings to pay $5,700 in annual property taxes on the Malibu beach house his parents bought in the 1950s while renting it out for $15,995 a month.

Gamez said Proposition 19 also aimed to fix some of the “market anomalies” created by decades of unusually low tax rates.

“There were people in San Francisco who had real estate that was vacant, and it only cost them $600 a year in property taxes,” she said. “They chose not to sell it because it was an appreciating asset with very low overhead.”

With Proposition 19, she said, “It’s going to cost them tens of thousands of dollars to just hold it.”

Why was Proposition 19 passed in the first place?

Proposition 19, officially called the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act, aimed to help people 55 years and older downsize from larger, single-family homes into smaller houses.

The California Association of Realtors lobbied in favor of the proposition and promised it would “open up tens of thousands of housing opportunities,” making the homes “more readily available for first-time homeowners, families and Californians throughout the state.”

Thanks to Proposition 19, people looking to downsize into a smaller home or condo can keep their low tax rate if they purchase a home of equal or lesser value.

Of the money generated through the increased property taxes this new law is expected to generate, 80% funds fire suppression efforts for local special districts and the rest goes to the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Is there a chance Proposition 19 will be overturned?

Some property owners across the state want to repeal Proposition 19 and bring the issue in front of voters, but the movement is still small.

Kern Singh, an attorney who specializes in estate law, said some of his clients considered transferring their property to their children immediately, rather than waiting for the property to increase in value, as a way to maintain a lower tax rate. But he said he’s urging those clients to wait and see what happens with Proposition 19.

“I’m a real estate investor myself, and I haven’t taken any drastic measures,” he said. “I’m waiting to see how this pans out in the long run.”

Gamez is a bit more skeptical about any repeal effort, especially as more people purchase homes in California and pay steep property taxes, often for older properties.

“I think that for every person who has a super low property tax basis, they have several neighbors who do not,” she said. “Are those neighbors going to vote to let their neighbor keep their 1979 property tax basis? I think there are a lot of people who feel significant resentment towards having not been born here in the first place.”

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Southern California home prices dipped from November to December, the second consecutive monthly decline after a period of rising values.

The average home price in the six-county region clocked in at $825,621 in December, down 0.3% from the prior month, according to data from Zillow.

All counties saw home prices drop except Riverside and San Bernardino; values in both Inland Empire counties were essentially flat, up less than 0.1%.

Nicole Bachaud, a senior economist with Zillow, said the small price declines across much of Southern California over the last two months can be attributed to two things: Fall and winter are typically a slower time of the year for home sales, and buyers are struggling with high prices and high mortgage rates.

According to the California Assn. of Realtors, only 11% of households in Los Angeles and Orange counties could afford the median-priced house during the third quarter, compared with 19% of households in Riverside County and 25% in San Bernardino County.

When mortgage rates first surged in 2022, home prices fell in response as buyers pulled away and inventory swelled. But prices started rising again last year as homeowners increasingly chose not to sell, unwilling to give up their rock-bottom mortgage rates on loans taken out before and during the pandemic.

In most counties, home prices are near their all-time peak despite the small declines in November and December.

Prospective buyers have received a sliver of good news in recent weeks. Mortgage interest rates have fallen from a high of 7.79% to the mid-6% range, giving them a bit more buying power.

But experts don’t expect a significant improvement in affordability. In large part, that’s because as mortgage rates decline, more buyers are expected to jump into the market. While sellers appear to be more willing to list their homes as the era of 3% mortgage rates fades, Bachaud said there’s unlikely to be enough new listings to offset the increase in demand.

The recent drop in mortgage interest rates caused Zillow to predict price increases this year in areas it previously called for values to be flat or down slightly. Overall, Zillow now expects home prices to rise by 3.1% in the Inland Empire counties of Riverside and San Bernardino in 2024. Across Los Angeles and Orange counties, prices are predicted to climb 1.4%.

If the Federal Reserve’s actions to tame inflation push the economy into recession, home values could see a sustained drop as people default on their loans. However, there’s growing optimism that the country will avoid an economic downturn.

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The number of young kids, especially toddlers, who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats rose sharply over five years as pot became legal in more places in the U.S., according to a study published Tuesday.

More than 7,000 confirmed cases of kids younger than 6 eating marijuana edibles were reported to the nation’s poison control centers between 2017 and 2021, climbing from about 200 to more than 3,000 per year.

Nearly a quarter of the children wound up hospitalized, some seriously ill, according to a new analysis in the journal Pediatrics.

And those are just the reported cases, said Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, who led the study.

Cases of kids eating pot products such as candies, chocolate and cookies have coincided with more states allowing medical and recreational cannabis use. Currently 37 U.S. states permit use of marijuana for medical purposes and 21 states regulate adult recreational use.

Tweet called for greater vigilance by parents and for more laws like those adopted by several states to make pot products — often packaged to look like kids’ candies and snacks — less appealing and accessible to children.

“When it’s in a candy form or cookies, people don’t think of it in the same way as household chemicals or other things a child could get into,” she said. “But people should really be thinking of it as a medication.”

Tweet and her colleagues analyzed reports to the National Poison Data System, which includes the nation’s 55 regional poison control centers. More than half of the children were toddlers, ages 2 and 3, the study showed. More than 90% got the edibles at home.

“They’re the ones starting to explore and to get up and move around,” she said.

Of more than 7,000 reports, researchers were able to track the outcomes of nearly 5,000 cases. They found that nearly 600 kids, or about 8%, were admitted to critical care units, most often with depressed breathing or even coma. Nearly 15% were admitted to non-critical care units and more than a third were seen in emergency rooms. Drowsiness, breathing problems, fast heart rate and vomiting were the most common symptoms.

The results are not surprising, said Dr. Brian Schultz, a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. He previously worked at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he and his colleagues treated kids who had eaten pot edibles “almost on a daily basis,” he said.

Reports and hospitalizations rose during the last two years of the study, during the COVID-19 pandemic. More children were at home, with more opportunities to find pot treats, Tweet said. With marijuana more widely legal, parents may have felt less stigma seeking help from poison centers and health care providers, she added.

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It’s an exciting time when you start the process of buying or building a new home, but all the unfamiliar lingo can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Fear not! We’ve rounded up a list of 12 terms you should know to help you feel confident along your journey.

Home Financing terms

Pre-qualification

When you pre-qualify for a home loan, you’re getting a ballpark estimate of what you might be able to borrow, based on information you provide to your lender about your finances. Pre-qualification is a great time to ask questions and learn about all the different mortgage options.

Pre-approval

A pre-approval means a lender has verified your information, checked your credit and pre-approved you for a specific loan amount for up to 90 days. A pre-approval letter from your lender tells the seller you’re a serious buyer and have undergone a more rigorous assessment by the lender compared with pre-qualification.

Get pre-approved

This is when a lender commits to a loan before the borrower finds a property to buy.

Rate Lock

A rate lock protects you from rate increases for a specified period of time during the buying process. It guarantees you are “locked in” for a specific period of time, even if interest rates rise during that period. This can be helpful when the economy fluctuates, and rates change.

Down Payment

The portion of the purchase price that you pay at closing. According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors, the average down payment in 2021 was 7% for first-time buyers and 17% for repeat buyers, but there are loans that allow for lower down payments. When choosing the percentage, it all depends on what type of mortgage you choose and what your budget is.

Closing Costs

These costs may include loan origination fees, discount points, appraisal fees, title searches, title insurance, surveys, taxes, deed recording fees, and credit report charges. They typically make up about 3% to 6% of the loan amount and are due when you sign your final loan documents. Anticipate paying these costs in addition to your down payment.

Homeowners Insurance

A form of property insurance that covers losses and damages to an individual’s residence, along with furnishings and other assets in the home. Homeowners insurance also provides liability coverage against accidents in the home or on the property. If you get a mortgage, your lender will require you to have homeowners’ insurance before your closing date.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

PMI is a type of mortgage insurance that may be required by your lender if you obtain a conventional loan and make a down payment of less than 20% of the home’s purchase price. PMI is what protects the lender if you stop making payments on the loan. This isn’t a permanent monthly payment, so once you’ve paid off 20% of your principal or mortgage balance then you can have your lender remove it.

Homebuilding Terms

Home Automation

The integration of different Wi-Fi-enabled smart devices that allow you to automate and remotely control various aspects of your home (and make everyday life a breeze!). A few popular features from the M.Connected Home™ Automation Suite include an advanced thermostat and a smart home hub to control all the smart features from one place.

Home Energy Rating System (HERS)

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. The lower the HERS score, the more energy efficient the home is, and the less you’ll pay in energy bills.

Spray Foam Insulation

Spray polyurethane foam is widely used to insulate buildings and seal cracks and gaps, making a building more energy-efficient and comfortable. This type of insulation is known to resist heat transfer extremely well, and it offers a highly effective solution in reducing unwanted air infiltration through cracks, seams, and joints.

Interior Design Finishes

One of the best parts of moving into a new home is choosing the design finishes for tile, cabinets, light fixtures and more. There are various companies that offers beautiful, designer-curated finishes for a simplified way to create your dream home.

Homeowner Orientation

Before you take the keys and move in, you should plan to attend a homeowner orientation where you can ask any remaining questions and we finalize details.

Now that you’ve got the basics down, level up your knowledge with our extended homebuyer glossary. Or you can always reach out to our team of Meritage Homes if you have questions.

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VA will add 58 medical foster homes and 70 Veteran-directed care programs to VAMCs  across the nation and add 75 home-based primary care teams to areas with the highest unmet need.  

“These evidence-based programs allow Veterans to age-in-place, avoid or delay nursing home placement and choose the care environment that aligns most with their care needs, preferences and goals,” said Executive Director of VA Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care Scotte Hartronft, M.D. “Veterans using these programs have experienced fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits, reduced hospital and nursing home days and fewer nursing home readmissions and inpatient complications.”

According to VA’s Policy Analysis and Forecasting Office, the number of Veterans of all ages who are eligible for nursing home care is estimated to expand from approximately 2 million Veterans in 2019 to more than 4 million by 2039. As this population grows, VA remains steadfast in providing the highest levels of care to Veterans in the least-restrictive settings.  

These programs provide an in-home or smaller care setting than traditional institutionalized long-term care. This smaller setting of care supports less risk of transmission of COVID and other infectious diseases. Many Veterans have chosen these programs instead of institutionalized care during the pandemic for more flexibility in care preferences and less risk of COVID transmission.

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I broke a molar at one point but was unable to be seen by a dentist; we were constantly on the move and never near a clinic. Ultimately, I needed a root canal and crown. My father had been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, which was deemed small enough to leave alone but monitor closely. Bouncing from place to place made that hard to do, though he made a valiant effort to show up for doctors’ appointments. By the time we were finally housed, his aneurysm had grown and he was rushed into major surgery. I had to juggle the responsibilities of a new job along with his care.

The memories of that time are fresh in my mind with the end of the Centers for Disease Control eviction moratorium, a strategy intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. Federal, state and local protections prevented 2.45 million evictions since March 2020, according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. But now, roughly 11 million people — one in seven adult renters — are behind on rent, putting them at risk of losing their homes. In the week ending September 18, the Eviction Lab counted 7,413 eviction filings in the six states and 31 cities it tracks, up from 4,580 the previous week.

And COVID-19 is not the only crisis tearing people from their homes. Wildfires and huge storms have destroyed countless dwellings this year. What will happen to so many displaced people?

The prognosis is not good.

An eviction — or even the mere threat of one — can affect physical and mental health across generations. The threat of eviction is associated with higher risk of premature birth and low birth weight. The stress of a pending eviction can lead to job loss, further miring someone in poverty.

An NYU School of Law study found that an eviction significantly raises the probability of landing in the emergency room and being hospitalized for a mental health diagnosis in the year or two after the filing. Evictions also are associated with shorter life spans and higher death rates. A Swedish study found that people who were evicted were one and a half times more likely to die from any cause within three years of the experience, compared with people from similar demographic and economic backgrounds who hadn’t been evicted.

Evictions and the health consequences hit people of color hardest.

Women, especially mothers, are prone to depression in the years after being displaced. I don’t have children but this was absolutely the case for me — a plunge into deep sorrow combined with anger at myself for being unable to appreciate that the worst was over. It always felt like another shoe was about to drop. As a result, I was afraid much of the time.

When my father and I were living in coastal campgrounds we would buy and share a daily paper. I remember reading about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the people displaced from New Orleans, and wondering where we would all end up. The two of us landed in a seedy trailer park that rarely felt safe but was significantly better than nothing.

To this day, the ordeal still casts a shadow that complicates my everyday existence. After my dad’s death, I moved four times in five years, finally settling into a cramped studio. I’m reluctant to furnish it after having to give away and repurchase household items so many times.

Permanence is no longer something I can believe in.

My landlord is a good man but judgmental of the homeless. He has commented more than once on my “frugality.” I truly believe he means no harm, but it cuts to the bone and makes the past bitingly present.

The dominoes fell very quickly for us: 60 days to find a new place, when we had no savings to speak of (meaning no ability to pay a rental deposit), and a combined income that did not add up to three times the rent pretty much anywhere (a cushion landlords generally require). If a deadly virus was spreading unchecked through the country at that time, I can only imagine how much harder it would have been to rebuild a sense of stability.

The end of the CDC moratorium has magnified housing insecurity and the stress and anguish it brings. Without a radical effort to keep people housed, what follows may be a health crisis to rival the pandemic.

Heather Seggel | Columnist

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May, National Electrical Safety Month, is a good time to brush up on potential electrical hazards and learn more about Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) circuit breaker technology, an important life and fire safety device for any new or newly-renovated home — and a National Electrical Code requirement.

“Ensuring your home is outfitted with life-saving technology like Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters is critical,” says Ashley Bryant, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Low Voltage Distribution Equipment AFCI Task Force co-chair. “AFCIs are smart devices proven to detect dangerous arcing in damaged wiring behind walls, as well as in damaged electrical cords under furniture or connected to unsafe appliances, preventing deadly electrical fires from occurring.”

According to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), some of the top things to look for in a home are: insufficient electrical service, inadequate overcurrent protection, and dangerous, damaged or noncompliant wiring and wiring connections. To help you ensure the home you’re buying or building is protected from future electrical problems, consider these additional tips:

• Hire a certified and licensed home inspector. A professional home inspector can tell you a lot about the safety of a home’s electrical system and what may need to be repaired and updated. To ensure you’re hiring someone qualified, visit the NACHI website at nachi.org/certified-inspectors.

• Meet National Electrical Code requirements. Make sure your home’s electrical system meets National Electrical Code requirements, including AFCI circuit breaker installation, which offers key areas of the home protection from electrical fires. While there’s a common misconception that this technology is unaffordable and hard to find, the average cost to protect a new 2,000 square foot, four-bedroom home is only $300, and AFCI circuit breakers are available at electrical supply houses, home improvement stores and online, according to NEMA.

Rooms where water is present, like kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and outdoor areas, should be equipped with Dual Function AFCI/GFCI circuit breakers. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters and work with AFCI technology to help prevent possible shock and electrocution. If the home doesn’t have this protection, be prepared to ask the owner or builder to make updates in accordance with your state electrical and building codes, or be ready to hire a licensed electrical professional to install these life- and property-saving devices once you move in. A great resource for more information is www.afcisafety.org.

• Practice safety at home. A few simple steps can be taken around the house that will help protect your home from electrical fires and keep your family safe. Check to see that light bulbs are the correct wattage and tight in the socket. Make sure no furniture is placed on appliance cords or up against plugged-in receptacles. Protect valuable electronics by installing surge-protective devices and prevent circuit breaker tripping by not overloading any circuit.

• Ask the right questions. Ask the seller if they made any updates to the home’s electrical system. Be sure to find out if this was a DIY project or if a licensed electrician did the work under a permit.

“During the often overwhelming process of buying or building a home, understanding a bit about electrical safety can help ensure you’re making a sound investment and offer you greater peace of mind,” says Bryant.

StatePoint • Contributed

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I have been looking to buy a home these last few months, but am getting more and more worried about how to do so safely in the middle of a pandemic. Whenever I see a new place, I have to sign forms about COVID-19, such as if I have traveled anywhere, tested positive recently or know anyone who has.

But my question — are there any responsibilities or rules Realtors must follow? What happens if a real-estate agent I meet tests positive for the virus… will he or she have to tell me? Do they have any timeframe until they must return to the workplace and start showing homes again? I’m sure there are policies around sanitizing and protective gear, and I have seen Realtors wearing masks and wiping down countertops, but I’d appreciate any guidance you have on how to best proceed in these unprecedented times.

Sincerely,

A worried but hopeful homebuyer

Dear worried,

Buying a home can be a stressful and strenuous process even before you factor in the concerns related to the ongoing pandemic. The good news is that the housing industry has digitized much of the home-buying process, in an effort to keep people safe.

For starters, it’s important to know that real-estate agents must abide by local and state ordinances. Some areas have deemed real estate to be an essential service, allowing open houses, home tours and in-person signings to proceed even while stay-at-home orders are in place.

But even then, many real-estate agents are taking even more precautions to keep people safe. The National Association of Realtors recently put out a guide to its members, giving advice about how brokers should handle real-estate showings moving forward. The trade group has urged its members to use virtual showings and to limit in-person activities whenever possible, even when local lawmakers allow for things like open houses.

Many agents are now using 3D technology such as Matterport to picture what a home looks like, which people can use to tour homes and get a feel for them without going in person. Other agents are doing initial consultations over Zoom or FaceTime to limit the amount of in-person interaction they have. Some are even requiring buyers to be pre-qualified for a mortgage before touring a home to make sure they are serious and cut down on casual tours.

“If a buyer is not willing or able to go look at a house I have done a lot of FaceTime-ing of properties to give them an additional perspective, so that if they want to open a particular door or just to ask questions on the ground, I can be able to do that through FaceTime,” said Maggie Wells, a Realtor with Keller Williams based in Lexington, Ky. Indeed, some people have opted to buy homes having only toured them virtually, though understandably that may not be for everyone.

When in-person showings do happen, Realtors should be requiring everyone to wear masks and sanitize any surfaces that may be touched in advance, such as door handles, counter tops and light switches.

Once an offer is made, many agencies can handle much of the closing process digitally as well, though that can vary based on where e-signings are allowed. In cases where an electronic signing is not possible, many agents are coordinating drive-by signings where the process is done in the car rather than by people going into an office.

As for cases where an agent comes into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 or tested positive themselves, those policies can vary from brokerage to brokerage and based on where their practice is located. “Everyone is relying upon the honesty of other people to help mitigate the spread and protect people,” said Dan Galloway, Redfin’s RDFN, +1.35% market manager for the District of Columbia.

The National Association of Realtors has put out a sample plan for firms to use to guide their COVID safety practices. Let’s say the seller has found out they’ve caught COVID-19. If an agent has a confirmed case of COVID-19 (either they tested positive or a client did), the National Association of Realtors first suggests they contact their head of human resources immediately.

The agent in question should self-isolate for the time period recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the brokerage should determine whether other staff should do so as well.

The agent is then advised to get the seller’s consent to disclose to any other agent who toured the property within the last 14 days that someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 resides at the property.

They should also immediately inform their clients of this. However, real-estate professionals need to be mindful of people’s privacy. If the seller didn’t consent to having their identity shared, the agent may not be able to identify the specific property or person involved. And even when they do consent, agents need to be sensitive to their privacy.

In these cases, this information may be communicated via the multiple-listings service so that other brokerages are aware of a positive case. “I have gotten exposure notifications from other brokers [through the multiple-listing services] so I know that many of them do have processes in place,” Galloway said. “And it’s often advertised in the multiple listing service what safety precautions you’re expected to take.”

Moving forward, I suggest you have an in-depth conversation upfront with any agent you’re considering working with to find out what their practices are, not just when touring homes but also at signing. Find out how they communicate COVID cases, both within their office and to their clients. If you are ever concerned that your agent is not taking enough precautions, don’t be afraid to contact their office or end your relationship with them.

Good luck with the rest of your home-buying journey. I hope that you and your family can safely find a new home to call your own soon.

Marketwatch • Contributed

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Add in streaming services, online shopping and an assortment of other digital activities and it’s easy to see why cybersecurity might become an afterthought. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what cybercriminals and hackers are counting on.

The FBI has reported a rise in the number of online fraud schemes related to the coronavirus with the intent to steal money, personal information or both. “The digital nature of everything we do makes it essential for all of us to understand the basics of cybersecurity and to put some simple practices in place to keep our families safe,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association.

According to cybersecurity experts at CompTIA, a good first step is to check how old your equipment is, whether it’s your own, rented or leased from an internet service provider. Routers, modems, switches, access points or any other device hooked up to the home network should be less than five years old. Anything older should be replaced because its built-in security protections are woefully outdated.

Strong passwords are critical throughout your home, starting with your Wi-Fi network. Don’t name your home network “try and hack me” or include personal information in the network name. You don’t want to call any attention to yourself via the network name. Be sure to check the encryption level for your home wireless network. At the very minimum you want the encryption option set to WPA2. Factory-installed default passwords and settings on digital equipment are an open invitation to hackers. This information is often found online, making it easy for hackers to access your network. If any of your home network equipment still relies on the password it had when installed, change the password.

Creating passwords is always a matter of balancing security and convenience. While simpler passwords are easier to remember, they’re less secure. On the other hand, you don’t want to make them so complicated you’ll have trouble remembering them. Set passwords to something that’s a little challenging, but that you’ll remember. Whenever you receive notification about a security patch or software update, make sure you install them right away.

Companies make these updates available when they discover bugs to fix or security holes to fill. It’s a good practice to have your router and other devices set to automatic updates so the latest security patches and software updates are installed soon after becoming available. To learn more of the basics of cybersecurity, visit The Future of Tech at futureoftech.org. With the widespread use of digital devices, it’s easy to lose track of everything that’s connected to your home network.

Take a regular inventory and if you see something that shouldn’t be there, block it or remove it from the network. Finally, review your security settings at least once a year. Take the time to look at all of the settings to make sure everything is in order. With the uptick of online fraud, beefing up your home cybersecurity measures is more important than ever.

-StatePoint

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During the holidays, you may be seeking comfort, whether that’s the comfort of home — or anywhere but home.

With travel precautions making possibilities somewhat limited this year, you may not be able to take the exact trip you’ve been dreaming about. However, whether or not you leave home this holiday season, you can find the comfort you’re seeking in the following ways:

• Revisit fond memories. If you can’t travel this holiday season, you can still take a trip down memory lane and safely relive your favorite trips and activities. Unearth your most prized travel mementos, such as pictures, ticket stubs and playbills, and make a scrapbook.

• Home is where the food is. Looking to conjure the aromas and flavors of your childhood? Connect with family members and ask them for recipes. Craving the cuisine of a dream destination? Plan a themed cooking night. If you need a little assistance in expanding your culinary repertoire, consider a virtual cooking class or meal kit. Or, simply venture out for a meal.

• Cultivate culture. Like never before, the world is at our fingertips, from virtual experiences offering never-before-seen access to museums and cultural meccas to classes in literally everything. Let your fingers do the walking and immerse yourself in the culture, language, sights and sounds of your favorite destinations.

• Plan your next trip. Yes, really. Recent data from trivago shows that consumers are already planning for next year’s holiday season, particularly during the week of Christmas. Planning now can make this holiday season seem a little brighter. And if you are not comfortable booking travel too far from home just yet, explore possibilities just a train ride or short drive from your home. Travel sites like trivago offer the ability to discover getaways that are still relatively close to home. To get inspired for your next trip, visit trivago.com.

While you’re thinking of that dream trip, you don’t have to stay put. There is a whole world out there – whether it’s down the block, a short road trip away or accessed online — that can be visited safely with proper planning and precautions.

-StatePoint

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