Thinking of buying, selling, or both this year and wondering what's ahead for the US housing market? As you may recall, mortgage rates dropped below four percent this past year in the US, opening the door for many people to refinance current loans. The solid economy and strong employment numbers also fueled sales of new homes. In 2020, expectations are that the boom in refinancing will fade out and home sales will increase, but high construction costs will keep housing affordability at bay for many, according to experts. Read more about housing projections in this detailed article from Knowledge@Wharton.

It used to be that you bought clothes, hung them in your closet and wore them a number of times (or didn’t). Eventually they either got donated to a charity or thrown in the trash. But things are changing quickly, as fashion re-commerce — renting, reselling, thrifting — becomes a bigger part of the retail industry. And the fashion resale market has been expanding a breathtaking 21 times faster than traditional retail over the past three years, Fortune reports. This fascinating article from Knowledge@Wharton provides all the details.

Over the course of the 20th century, phones grew smaller, easier to use, and therefore less mystical and remarkable in their household presence. The shared phone was a space of spontaneous connection for the entire household, and the loss of the landline is changing family life in significant ways. This fascinating article from The Atlantic shares details and asserts "Even as the family phone recedes into history a century and a half later, we can preserve the togetherness it promoted in other ways. "

Can kindness, love and a strong sense of community actually make you healthier and happier? Research says that it does. This latest podcast interview from Knowledge@Wharton explores the benefits of kindness and shares ideas from the book "The Rabbit Effect" with author Kelli Harding, MD, MPH.

A recent article in the Washington Post boldly states "It’s time to get serious about a major redesign of life. Thirty years were added to average life expectancy in the 20th century, and rather than imagine the scores of ways we could use these years to improve quality of life, we tacked them all on at the end. Only old age got longer." This can create anxiety, as people wonder how to make their money and good health last for life that may last over a century. The article goes on to detail the fascinating work being done by the Stanford Center on Longevity and their initiative called “The New Map of Life.”

According to this detailed article from Forbes, "It took a long time, but estate planning laws have almost caught up to technology. Now, your estate plan is incomplete if it doesn’t have arrangements for your digital life, including accounts, files, transactions, and more." Read their advice so you know how to plan.