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In a live-streamed "fireside chat" with Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries, HUD Secretary Julian Castro reiterated that 2015 will be a "year of housing opportunity," reusing a phrase he coined in a National Press Club appearance earlier this month.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, President Barack Obama did not make any substantial announcements regarding the housing market, government mortgage-backed securities, or the GSEs. However, "lower mortgage premiums" were mentioned, alongside "child care and sick leave and equal pay" as "ideas [that] will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families."

Researchers at the American Enterprise Institute's (AEI) International Center on Housing Risk estimate that Americans buying their first home made up about 50 percent of December's purchase mortgage market, up slightly from November.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index dropped to 57 in January, NAHB reported Tuesday morning. December's index was revised upward to 58, reflecting no change from the month before.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro will answer questions about a variety of housing topics in a fireside-chat style event on the morning after President Obama's State of the Union speech on Wednesday at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Castro is expected to discuss such topics as the Obama administration's most recent housing initiatives, responsible homeownership, making the decision to buy or rent, and resources available to first-time homebuyers.

Monthly data released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac together reported 134,582 refinances in November 2014, down from nearly 139,000 in October. As overall refinancing fell, so too did the number of mortgages refinanced under the Obama administration's Home Affordable Refinance Program.

Shares of Altisource Portfolio Solutions picked up on Friday as the company's leadership assured shareholders about its near-term future after a year of setbacks.

Three of the five indicators in Trulia's quarterly housing barometer—existing-home sales, excluding distressed sales; home price level; and delinquency plus foreclosure rate—are all more than three-quarters of the way "back to normal" as of the end of 2014, according to the company.

Both institutions had a rough year in 2014 on the regulatory side of things. In July, Citigroup settled with the Department of Justice for $7 billion over the sale of toxic mortgage-backed securities. A month later, Bank of America settled with the DOJ for a record $16.65 billion over similar matters. The money paid out in penalties and consumer relief in 2014 took a toll on year-end net incomes for both institutions.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Thursday that applications for new home purchases fell 0.4 percent month-over-month in December. Despite the drop in applications, MBA estimates that new home sales in December came to an unadjusted 28,000, flat from November, while the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate moved up 2 percent to 409,000.