Other safety measures taken to protect settlement agents and consumers include drive-up closings and overnight mail.

Ohio's homeownership rate rose in the first quarter of this year to the highest level since 2011, suggesting a robust housing market and growing economic stability.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency clarified that borrowers with Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages who have entered into forbearance plans can be eligible for a refi or new purchase once they are considered “current” on their mortgage.

Home construction starts plunged in April by the most in records back to 1959, as the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus hammered the housing market and broader economy.

The agency has freed companies from reporting requirements and provided flexibility on exams to help them deal with COVID-19 fallout. It has also finished other regulatory relief efforts that were in the pipeline before the pandemic hit.

Total forbearance driven by the coronavirus rose by 25 basis points, which suggests it is still growing but at a slowing pace, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With the coronavirus impact in full effect, a four-month streak of growth ended in April, according to Remax.

Pent-up demand is already pushing buyers to a gradual return to the market, the report asserts.

Ginnie Mae is offering temporary relief related to its acceptable delinquency-rate threshold in response to issuers' need to fulfill the forbearance requirements in the coronavirus rescue package.

Homebuilder sentiment rose in May by more than forecast following a record slump a month earlier as a pickup in sales and demand expectations pointed to stabilization in the real estate market.