A change in federal rules on mortgage loans could soon give a lift to the housing market.

Regulators have agreed to drop a proposed requirement that borrowers make a 20% down payment to qualify for a low-interest, high-quality mortgage. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are also announcing plans to guarantee some loans with a low down payment.

"I think that will help tremendously," said Kathy Fettke of the real estate firm Real Wealth Network. "There have been so many borrowers who were really qualified but still just couldn't get a loan."

Fettke's comments echo those of other real estate executives and consumer advocates.

"Banks went from far too loose to far too strict and if they can come back to somewhere in the middle that would be excellent for the housing market and for the U.S. economy in general," Fettke added.

Wall Street has come roaring back after last week's sharp losses. The Dow Jones Index is now in positive territory for this year. The S&P 500 rose 2% on Tuesday, the strongest one-day gain this year. Stock averages have up for three straight days.

The strong start to the corporate earnings season helped lift the stock market. A huge windfall from Alibaba's recent IPO has sent Yahoo's earnings soaring. The Internet company earned $6.8 billion in the third quarter, compared with $297 million last year. While Alibaba accounted for most of the difference, Yahoo's revenue also rose slightly, after posting quarterly declines for most of the past five years. The increase included more than $200 million in revenue from mobile devices.

Global property and casualty insurer Ace Ltd. said it may exclude Ebola coverage from some of its general liability policies. The Swiss company says it's making the decision on a "case by case" basis for new and renewal policies for U.S.-based companies and organizations that travel or have operations outside the U.S. Ace said it's evaluating the risk for clients that might be present in select African countries with higher exposure to the Ebola virus.

The four major U.S. pro sports leagues and the NCAA have made another court filing in their efforts to stop New Jersey from allowing legalized sports betting. The NFL, the NBA, the NHL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA want a judge to temporarily prevent New Jersey's casinos and racetracks from taking sports wagers.