Evictions and Foreclosures: Likely to Be One Less Thing to Worry About

As you are likely aware, California has been placed on a month-long “safer at home” lockdown. Most people will not be able to go to work, and will be relegated to work from home; those who work in occupations that don’t allow for telework may be forced to go without an income for a month. This may be cause for alarm for many families, as an uncomfortably large number of people don’t have much in the way of savings. One thing you should not worry about, however, is being kicked out of your home. 
On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order, which grants local governments the power to put a stop to unlawful detainer actions (eviction) and foreclosures. While this is not a state-wide moratorium yet, it is a safe bet that it will be (today, 8 lawmakers sent a letter asking for more forceful action); Gov. Newsom stated, “Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices – but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians.” While this order, which is in effect through the end of May, does not absolve your responsibility to pay rent at some point, it does provide shelter to those who will suffer the most harm from the California lockdown. 
Given that you are likely to receive some respite from fears of losing your home, these trying times might be an opportunity to improve the value of your home; when life gives the world Coronavirus, grab a lime and try to relax. Over the next few weeks, we will be writing about DIY home projects that will either increase your home’s value directly, increase your home’s value vis-à-vis curbside appeal, or just make your home more aesthetically pleasing since you’ll be spending a lot of time there. 
The reality is nobody really knows how long this is going to last, and nobody really knows what things will look like when we come out of this; we do know things will be significantly better for everyone if we all bite the bullet and do our part to stop the spread of this virus. When duty calls, you answer – that doesn’t mean we can’t work to benefit ourselves in the interim. 
At the Chernov Team we understand that knowledge is power, but we also understand that being there for our fellow man (and woman) is more powerful. The market is scary right now, the world is scary right now, but we will get through this together.