In his State of the Union address, President Obama acknowledged the progress that has been made in the housing market with rising prices, increasing home purchases, and an uptick on construction. However, "even with mortgage rates near a 50-year low, too many families with solid credit who want to buy a home are being rejected," he said. Obama also proclaimed his support for expanding access to refinancing, calling on Congress to pass a refinance bill currently in the pipeline.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently finalized several rules for the mortgage industry, including the ability-to-repay rule and new mortgage servicing guidelines. As the Bureau prepares for the rules to take effect in January 2014, it aims to take several actions to educate and prepare both the industry and consumers on the new regulations.

RentRange, LLC, a Westminster, Colorado-based data and analytics provider for the single-family rental market observed changes in rent prices for three-bedroom, single-family homes located in cities with at least 25,000 residents. The data firm found the greatest growth in La Quinta, California, where rents increased 35.75 percent from December 2011 to December 2012.

About 60 percent of loans written today would be unacceptable under the finalized rules for a QM and the anticipated rules for a QRM, according to CoreLogic.

While some take it as a good sign that housing starts are again on the rise and construction is making a small comeback, some might cautiously wonder if the market is ready to handle an increase in construction and if we aren't headed for a repeat of the overbuilding that contributed to the past housing boom and bust. The Census Bureau reports new home sales have risen 9 percent over the past year, while housing starts have risen by a much higher 37 percent. However, Capital Economics insists the imbalance is actually not unusual.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods released its predictions of what actions the government is and is not likely to take to further assist the housing market.

The House Financial Services Committee assembled to hear from experts on the the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) current financial situation.

Homeowners who refinanced their mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2012 reduced their interest rates by an average of 33 percent.

Measuring the prices of loans sold through its platform, Boston-based DebtX? found commercial real estate (CRE) loan prices rose over the year in 2012 but ended the year with little change in December.

Following the Super Bowl, many builders begin analyzing the traffic in their sales offices, seeking signs of future market growth, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. However, the consulting firm asserts homebuyers primarily search for homes online, and homebuilders must adjust their strategies to attract clientele.