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Freddie Mac has made available a Spanish version of CreditSmart, the company's free online tutorial designed to educate families on building savings and personal credit, making wise financial choices, and becoming successful homeowners.

Homebuyer interest picked up slightly in September, but the number of customers willing to pull the trigger on purchasing declined substantially, Redfin reported in its latest Real-Time Demand Pulse. The number of buyers requesting home tours from Redfin agents rose 0.2 percent from August, turning up from a steady downward spiral that started in May. Meanwhile, the number of homebuyers submitting offers fell 11.8 percent, the largest monthly drop Redfin has recorded all year.

Robert Shiller--the man who lends his name to the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices--has been awarded the 2013 Nobel prize in economics.

A recent Trulia study suggests those looking to live comfortably in their homes should consider moving to Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, or Alabama, where incomes are lower, but housing costs are even lower.

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment declined to a nine-month low in its preliminary October reading, but analysts say the drop wasn't as bad as it could have been. The index plunged to 75.2 in the mid-month report, down from 77.5 at the end of September. The fall in the headline index was due entirely to a drop in consumer expectations. The Surveys of Consumers' Index of Consumer Expectations fell to a 2013 low of 63.9 from September's 67.8.

While many analysts cite varying reasons for the tepid, start-stop nature of this recovery, we attribute much of the lethargy to the heightened level of uncertainty that has gripped consumers.

Mortgage Returns, a provider of customer relationship management (CRM) technology and automated marketing solutions, has launched its new Storefront marketing solution, an enhanced feature of the company's CRM system.

JPMorgan Chase will soon welcome Dana Deasy as its new CIO. He brings more than 27 years of experience to his new role.

The frenzy that has characterized the 2013 housing market has officially come to a close, Redfin says in its latest Real-Time Price Tracker. The tech-powered brokerage reported a seasonal drop in home sales, prices, and inventory in September, though the recovery's strength is still evident in year-over-year gains. Current trends point to continued declines in the months ahead--an expected turn as demand from homebuyers starts to slow down in fall and winter.

Fixed mortgage rates held more or less steady this week as Capitol Hill remained locked in debate over budgetary concerns. According to data in Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.23 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending October 10, just up from 4.22 percent last week. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.39 percent. Meanwhile, Bankrate.com recorded a fifth consecutive week of declines for fixed rates in its weekly national survey.