Economy

Many mortgage companies are hoping to operate remotely through year-end and are asking regulators for relief to that end.

Both the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Federal Housing Administration are extending relief for homeowners and renters due to the pandemic crisis.

The California Assembly is considering a bill that would require local governments to permit duplexes on parcels now largely restricted to one house, in effect eliminating single-family zoning that dominates in most suburban residential neighborhoods.

The mortgage giants were criticized earlier this month for a plan to charge an "adverse market fee" to protect against losses resulting from the pandemic.

The housing market reaped the rewards of new construction increasing before the coronavirus took effect, netting a boost in July sales, according to Redfin.

There is a shortage of notaries and that is being made worse by those lenders that don't offer remote online notarization.

The Federal Reserve could ease capital rules, foster the creation of special-purpose banks and take other steps to strengthen minority communities and businesses without legislation being sought in Congress — if it has the will to do so, experts say.

If Trump is reelected, his administration would likely move forward with privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and relaxing key rules, while a Joe Biden presidency would likely try to expand homeownership access and borrower protections.

Five months of remote work, bedroom-to-desk commutes and child-populated home offices have failed to ignite a great Bay Area exodus, but over in Lake Tahoe, July home sales more than doubled over last year.

Meanwhile, July saw a record surge in existing-home sales, while mortgages in serious delinquency were on the rise