Orange County California COVID-19 Testing
Orange County California COVID-19 Testing
Residential Real Estate Listed as an Essential Service
Residential Real Estate Listed as an Essential Service
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) updated its list of essential services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and expressly included residential real estate. Since Governor Newsom’s March 4, 2020 order incorporates this list, the order now includes residential and commercial real estate, including settlement services, as essential services in California. However, if a city or county has an order with a more restrictive standard regarding what qualifies as an essential service, or more restrictions on activities, those guidelines will still govern the activities of a licensee. You can read the full CISA memorandum here.
California Association of Realtors, March 30, 2020
Notwithstanding this new development, all real estate licensees must take into account the health and safety of their clients and fellow licensees, and follow the existing protocols for protecting against the spread of COVID-19. If such health safeguards and protocols are not followed, the rule for the state could easily change to stop or restrict all real estate activity. To that end, in conformity with current health guidelines, real estate licensees should follow all CDC and local health mandates.
No open houses should be held.
Showings should be done virtually, if at all possible.
REALTORS® must follow these Best Practices Guidelines in adherence to the stay-at-home order.
Updated March 30 to include Best Practices Guidelines.
Coronavirus Economic Relief Package and Your Mortgage Payment
Coronavirus Economic Relief Package and Your Mortgage Payment
March 27, 2020 Congress passed a $2 trillion COVID-19 Economic Relief Package. This is an 880 page relief package. The National Association of Realtors® has broken it down into a comprehensive guide. Below, you will see what this means for homeowners and their mortgage payments.
Source:
National Association of Realtors® – Comprehensive Guide – Housing
Housing– Provides for:
Mortgage Forbearance
National Association of Realtors® , March 27, 2020, News Release
Borrowers of government-backed mortgages ((Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, VA and USDA) can request up to 360-day payment forbearance without proof of hardship. No additional fees, interest, or penalties can be assessed for the forbearance. Except for abandoned or vacant property, there may be no foreclosure actions for 60 days from 3/18/2020.
Owners of multifamily properties who were current on their mortgage payments as of February 1, 2020, and have federally insured, assisted, or supplemented loan (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA or any loans backed or assisted by any branch of the federal government, including LIHTC) may request forbearance for 30 days due to financial hardship, with extensions of up to a total of 90 days. Borrowers receiving the forbearance may not evict or charge late fees to tenants for the duration of the forbearance period.
Moratorium on eviction filings, or fees or penalties for tenants for nonpayment of rent for 120 days on properties insured, guaranteed, supplemented, protected, or assisted in any way by HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the rural housing voucher program, covered by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
See link below to read how the Economic Security Act provides for:
- Credit Reporting & Student Loans
- Small Business Administration Provisions
- Infrastructure
- Tax
- Unemployment Benefits for Self-Employed
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Amendments
The National Association of Realtors®
Orange County COVID-19 Info Toll Free Hotline
Orange County COVID-19 Info Toll Free Hotline
Orange County COVID-19 Info Toll Free Hotline
Dana Point Farmers Market
Dana Point Farmers Market
In light of Governor Newson’s Executive Order, listing Farmers Markets as being an Essential Function, the Dana Point Farmers Market remains open.
As of March 26, 2020 – In order to comply with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, Dana Point City, working with the Orange County Health Care Agency, has amended Dana Point Farmers Market permit to include the following:
- Limit sales to whole, uncut produce and packaged food items
- No other retail booths, food preparation food booths, or sampling of unpackaged food
- Post signs reminding customers to wash all produce before consumption
- Customers are to be reminded to stay home if sick, even with mild symptoms
- Market Manager responsible to ensure crowds are staggered to provide for social distancing of customers
- Allow for space between produce stands
- Provide hand-washing stations
- Operations must comply with the most recent guidance and recommendations of the Orange County Health Officer.
For up-to-date information, please visit:
City of Dana Point COVID-19 Updates
For hours and directions visit : DanaPointFarmersMarket.com
Orange County COVID-19 Park Closures
Orange County COVID-19 Park Closures
As of March 25, 2020:
OC Parks Park Closures
Parking lots at all:
County beaches
Regional Parks
Wilderness parks
Parking spaces at all:
Trailheads
Parking along Black Star Canyon Road
Pedestrian access points at Thousand Steps, Table Rock, West, Camel Point and Treasure Island beaches (Laguna Beach)
Playgrounds
Exercise equipment
Shelters
Trailheads
Passive walk-through pedestrian, cycling, and equestrian activity is permitted
- Irvine Lake closed.
- All events, programs and activities canceled.
- All scheduled volunteer programs and activities canceled.
- OC Zoo closed.
- OC Parks Headquarters closed.
- Park Offices at Carbon Canyon, Clark, Craig, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, Mason, Mile Square, Santiago Oaks and Yorba regional parks closed.
- The Nix Nature Center at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park closed.
- The Muth Interpretive Center at Upper Newport Bay closed.
- The Interpretive Center at Clark Regional Park closed.
- All nature centers at regional parks closed.
- Arden: Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens closed.
- Heritage Hill Historical Park closed.
- Irvine Ranch Historic Park closed except for Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Farmers Market.
- Old Orange County Courthouse closed.
- Campsites at O’Neill Regional Park and Caspers Wilderness Park closed.
- Suspending new reservations (including camping reservations), permit requests and annual pass sales.
Contact information for all our parks can be found by visiting the OC Parks website at ocparks.com.
More information about COVID-19 can be found at the Health Care Agency website www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.
Governor Newsom Issues Stay at Home Order for California
Orange County Issues Amended Health Order and Guidance
Orange County Issues Amended Health Order and Guidance
March 18, 2020 16:40 Hours
Read and or Download Below
Amended Health Order and Guidance
Feds Cut Benchmark Rate to Zero
Feds Cut Benchmark Rate to Zero
Information below was gathered from Realtor Magazine article:
Yun: Fed’s Rate Cut to Zero Is ‘the Right Policy’
follow link for full article
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate to zero. This is their second response to the economic reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Fed also said it would buy $700 billion in Treasury and mortgage bonds.
Realtor Magazine, March 16, 2020
The Fed’s benchmark rate is not directly tied to mortgage rates, even though it can influence them. Mortgage rates are more directly tied to the 10-year Treasury note which has recently fluctuated. Economists say that mortgage rates don’t always necessarily respond in unison to the Fed’s rate adjustment. There are other influences in play, such as lender backlog.
“The monetary policy change is the same one applied a decade ago during the Great Recession—the lowest rates combined with quantitative easing,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of REALTORS®. “This is an all-out measure to prevent a recession and fight the fear that is blanketing the country. It is the right policy, since the policy can easily be reversed should a vaccine be discovered or the virus goes away.” Yun also said that during the last recession, real estate was on “wobbly ground with loose lending and too much supply. Today, there is no subprime lending and too little supply. The real estate market will hold on much better.”
Fed officials reassured Americans that the U.S. economy has the ability to remain resilient against the slowdown caused by the coronavirus although some economists have warned that a recession could be on the horizon.
City of Laguna Beach Delcares Local Emergency
City of Laguna Beach Delcares Local Emergency
City of Laguna Beach Declares Local Emergency in Response to COVID-19
