Measuring its current data on active mortgages throughout the United States, analysts at Black Knight estimate 7.4 million American borrowers with 30-year mortgage loans could benefit by refinancing into a lower interest rate. As of the end of October, the average 30-year fixed rate was 3.98 percent, according to Freddie Mac, just up from a 16-month low recorded earlier in the month.

Auction.com's Rob Friedman has a new award for the mantle: The Internet Marketing Association (IMA) named the real estate marketplace's chairman and co-founder Internet Person of the Year.

As the U.S. homeownership rate continues to dwell near its lowest level in two decades, a new study from Zillow suggests more than five million additional households are waiting in the wings to step into the market as the economic recovery trudges forward.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment climbed to 86.9 in its final October reading, up from 84.6 in September and 73.2 last year. October's index was the highest since July 2007, the group conducting the survey reported.

Freddie Mac's board of directors gained a new member, with mortgage banking and finance veteran Thomas M. Goldstein elected to the role.

The California Association of Realtors (CAR) reported a 2.6 percent increase in its Pending Home Sales Index, putting it a reading of 102.4 from 99.8 in August. The increase compares to a 0.3 percent uptick in the National Association of Realtors' national index, which measured 105 in the group's latest reading.

According to a snapshot of mortgage trends released this week by Guaranteed Rate, purchase loans accounted for 73 percent of all mortgage volumes last quarter, up from 63 percent a year prior. The increase came as refinancing numbers dropped off by more than a third annually—"indicative of the fact that the third quarter of 2013 was when the mortgage market began to account for higher interest rates," Guaranteed Rate said.

With less than one year left before the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) disclosure rule goes live, a new survey finds more lenders are battling with increased loan costs as quality control becomes the top concern.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) was 3.98 percent (0.5 point) for the week ending October 30. Frank Nothaft, VP and chief economist at Freddie Mac, attributed the climb in interest rates to fair news in the housing market, pointing to new home sales and ongoing increases in the S&P Case-Shiller price indices.

A new estimator of existing-home sales landed on Thursday, and it's calling for a slight pickup in transactions for October. Based on data collected for this month, Auction.com predicts existing-home sales will fall between seasonally adjusted annual averages of 4.97 and 5.38 million units, with a targeted prediction of 5.19 million.