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The Great Neck, New York-based Golden First agreed to pay $36 million to settle a complaint originally filed by the United States in April 2013 and amended in August 2013. In the complaint, the government accuses Golden First of violating the False Claims Act through years of misconduct relating to the mortgage company's participation in the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)'s Direct Endorsement Lender Program.

Reports from economists at CoreLogic and Wells Fargo released in December indicated they believe housing will rebound in 2015 after a disappointing 2014, and they cited improvements in the U.S. labor market as a main reason why.

From the start of QM to the end of quantitative easing, the past year saw plenty of big news in the mortgage and financial markets. As the new year rolls in, MReport is taking a look at some of the biggest secondary market headlines of 2014.

Employment grew at a rate higher than the national average (3 percent, as opposed to 2 percent) for the 25 to 29 age group, which is good news for housing, because this age group is the key first-time homebuyer segment. Steadily falling oil prices, which are down 45 percent since June, provide more economic growth tailwind going into next year. The drop in oil prices reduces energy-related expenses not just for driving, but for residential real estate also, according to Khater.

In response to a recent announcement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have introduced loan options for down payments as low as 3 percent, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) announced the launch of a new product offering conventional financing for up to 97 percent loan-to-value (LTV).

Matt Martin Real Estate Management (MMREM), a diversified real estate services firm headquartered in North Texas, announced it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire online real estate auction company RealtyBid.com.

From the start of QM to the end of quantitative easing, the past year saw plenty of big news in the mortgage and financial markets. As the new year rolls in, MReport is taking a look at some of the biggest servicing headlines of 2014.

November's reading had been a disappointment for the Consumer Confidence Index following a post-recession high of 94.5 for October. The Present Situation Index jumped up to 98.6 in the latest reading from its November level of 93.7, while the Expectations Index fell slightly from 89.3 down to 88.5.

Mortgage interest rates nationwide experienced declines from October to November, according to an index released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The average interest rate for all mortgage loans in the U.S. was 4.01 percent in November, a decline of 10 basis points from 4.11 percent in October; for conventional, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages of $417,000 or less, the average interest rate of 4.24 percent for November represented a decline of eight basis points from 4.32 in October.

Home prices in the U.S. increased at a slower pace in October than in September, although eight cities experienced growth at a faster rate, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index released by S&P/Dow Jones Indices on Tuesday.