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Even with the seasonal slowdown in full effect, shifting market conditions continued to boost October home sales and prices over last year, Redfin reported Wednesday in its monthly Real-Time Price Tracker. The broker recorded 74,363 total home sales across its 19 tracked markets in October, a 1.0 percent decline from September but a 0.6 percent gain over October 2012. Though historically low mortgage rates and reduced competition have helped keep numbers up, Redfin says the situation is liable to change at any time.

Pacific Union's CEO, Mark A. McLaughlin, was named as the recipient of the 2013 RISMedia Real Estate Leadership Award, a national award recognizing members of the real estate community who embrace innovation and blaze new trails.

In a recently released white paper, Equifax delves into undisclosed debt and offers recommendations for how to deal with a potentially difficult hazard.

According to the results of Freddie Mac's latest quarterly refinance analysis, the average interest rate reduction among those who refinanced in Q3 was about 1.8 percentage points, representing a savings of about 30 percent ($3,500 over 12 months on a $200,000 loan). For borrowers who refinanced last quarter, the estimated interest savings over the next year will be about $6 billion. For those who refinanced through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), the average rate reduction in Q3 was 1.9 percent points.

A comparison of four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes in more than 1,900 markets shows Malibu is the most expensive city in the country. According to Coldwell Banker Real Estate, a sample home in the beachside city lists for $2.15 million. On the other hand, a comparable dwelling in Cleveland, Ohio, runs about $63,729, making it the most affordable market in Coldwell's report. According to the firm's findings, there are 20 markets where a four-bed/two-bath residence lists for more than $1 million and eight where they go for less than $100,000.

Though the slow rate of household formation among millenials has been cause for alarm among some economists, analysts at Moody's Investors Service say reports of a "lost generation" are overblown.

Speaking at the 2013 Realtors Conference & Expo Friday, National Association of Realtors (NAR) chief economist Lawrence Yun predicted steadiness in existing-home sales over the next year as prices continue to ascend. Looking over the past year, Yun said he expects existing-home sales to be up about 10 percent in 2013 to 5.13 million. Sales in 2014 are expected to hold fairly even at about 5.12 million. Reviewing price movements, he said the median existing-home price should end 2013 about 11 percent higher than 2012.

The University of Michigan's preliminary Index of Consumer Sentiment report shows a drop in confidence for November--and Capital Economics' Amna Asaf is at a loss to explain why.

With reports showing home prices reaching five-year highs coming out on a near-monthly basis, home sellers this year have been aggressive in pricing their listings on the market. However, new data from technology-powered broker Redfin shows more and more sellers have had to dial back their expectations. Only about one in seven sellers had to resort to reducing their listing price in order to move their property, Redfin reported. However, that number has steadily risen to one in four as of September.

Despite the partial government shutdown threatening growth, the nation's economy added 204,000 jobs in October, with prior months seeing major upward revisions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed Friday in its Employment Situation Report. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg put out a median forecast of 120,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs.