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In a post on the company's blog site, CoreLogic estimated that cash transactions accounted for 35.5 percent of total home sales in October 2014, down from 38.7 percent the year prior. The decline continued a downward trend started in January 2013, making October the 22nd straight month to see cash sales decline on an annual basis.

As FHFA Director Mel Watt revealed in his first public speech as the agency's chief, the companies' new direction revolves around three main objectives: maintain, reduce, and build. "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made significant progress toward achieving the goals in FHFA's Strategic Plan for the Conservatorships last year and we look forward to building on that progress in 2015," Watt said Wednesday.

In the latest Beige Book report released on Wednesday, the Fed said that contacts in most of its 12 districts expect faster growth in the year ahead, though some in the Dallas district are worried about a slowdown as the oil market suffers.

Based on fundamentals, including prices-to-income, prices-to-rents, and historical data, Trulia Chief Economist Jed Kolko estimated in a post on Wednesday that home prices at the national level were still 2 percent undervalued in the fourth quarter of 2014.

December saw home values decline for the first time in 10 months, with all four major U.S. regions experiencing a small month-over-month backslide, according to a report released ...

Using data drawn from tens of thousands of appraisals nationwide, Quicken Loans reported a 0.74 percent month-over-month drop in its Home Value Index (HVI) last month. Bob Walters, chief economist for Quicken Loans, said it would be a mistake to put too much emphasis on a slight monthly decline.

Looking at the shopping behaviors of mortgage borrowers in 2013, the bureau found that 47 percent of buyers don't take the time to shop around and compare lenders, resulting in potentially higher costs. Furthermore, 77 percent end up applying with only one lender or broker rather than filling out multiple applications to see who will offer the best deal.

Citing concerns about the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) low capital reserve ratio and its 2013 bailout, senators Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) are calling on the Obama administration to reconsider its plan to cut FHA's annual mortgage insurance premium by half a percentage point.

With 2015 less than two weeks underway, Fitch Ratings is the latest forecaster predicting great things for housing in the coming year. However, unlike other commentators, whose projections were based on encouraging market trends, the ratings agency says it's a combination of recent government actions that reinforces its view.

Taking data from its monthly home price tracker, Black Knight Financial Services found in its latest report that while high-value properties in the country's hardest-hit states have made solid strides in recovering to their pre-crisis peaks, low-value homes are still struggling to make progress.