During a town hall meeting hosted by Zillow and the National Urban League Wednesday, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said progress is being made in regards to inequality in the housing market, but discrimination and inequality still persist. While these deeper issues must be addressed more broadly, Donovan said the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been "a life line" for minority home buyers, helping about half of African American and Latino buyers gain access to credit.

While the housing market is still far from normal, it is inching that way, according to a report released Thursday from Zillow. Last year's skyrocketing home price appreciation, frenzied demand from investors, and high tide of negative equity are all expected to subside somewhat this year, according to the real estate company. In fact, some of the markets that posted the highest price gains in 2013 are already slowing, a welcome sign for those that were at risk of crossing into "bubble territory."

Following a year of fast-paced appreciation, Fitch Ratings expects home price gains to slow to a more moderate pace in 2014 in the United States.

After loosening steadily for several months, credit standards for mortgage loans ended 2013 at their lowest level all year, according to the December Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae.

In a conversation Thursday hosted by the Brookings Institution, outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the Fed's easy money policies, dismissing concerns of out of control inflation and capital losses. He also eased worries about the long-term effects of the financial crisis--including the impact of unemployment on labor supply and productivity--saying that while they are a problem, none of issues are "truly permanent."

Loans originated last year are the best-performing mortgage loans on record, according to the November Mortgage Monitor released Tuesday by Black Knight Financial Services (formerly Lender Processing Services). The Monitor also found a significant increase in non-agency loans, a sign that the market might be ready for more risk. Non-agency, first-lien, prime, jumbo loans have increased 75 percent over the year in November, according to Black Knight.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray spoke to an audience in Phoenix, Arizona, to praise what he called the bureau's "back to basics" approach for the mortgage market.

Having fallen to 16.6 percent in August, investor share in the purchase market picked up to 18.8 percent (based on a three-month rolling average), according to the latest survey. Investors increased their purchases of non-distressed properties; although, they remained the biggest purchasers of distressed properties. HousingPulse reports investors contributed to 13.2 percent of non-distressed home sales in November, marking a seven-month high.

The markets that were worst hit in the housing crisis remain among the top performers in the recovery, according to Trulia.

More than 35 percent of the more than 350 metro markets tracked in the NAHB's Leading Markets Index are performing at 90 percent or higher of their pre-housing crisis norms.