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Nearly one-third--29.3 percent, or 20.6 million--of homeowners own their homes free and clear of mortgage debt, according to a recent analysis from Zillow. Zillow also revealed what factors might influence the percentage of homeowners who own their home outright in certain areas. For one, metro areas with lower home values tended to have a higher rate of mortgage-free homeowners since smaller loan amounts can be paid off more quickly. Age and credit rating were also contributing factors.

Four years after inheriting an economy on the brink, Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner is stepping down. The nominee to replace him: Jack Lew, former director of the Office of Management and Budget during both the Clinton and Obama administrations and current White House Chief of Staff.

According to commentary from Daniel Dektar, chief investment officer at Smith Breeden Associates, all the fundamentals are in place for a housing upturn - if pent-up demand can actually translate into buyer interest.

CoreLogic is expanding its presence in Florida, recently announcing that the company has established technology partnerships with four of the state's real estate organizations. The Realtor groups will tap into CoreLogic's MLS Data Co-op to launch a multiple listing service (MLS) data sharing initiative.

Mortgage rates took a jump this week as markets await the fiscal drama to unfold in the next few months. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) was 3.40 (0.7 point) percent for the week ending January 10, up somewhat significantly from 3.34 percent in 2013's first survey. Bankrate reported similar results in its weekly survey, with the 30-year fixed average soaring to 3.67 percent--its highest level since September.

The number of construction job openings dropped 6,000 in November, and there were 11.5 available workers for each open construction job, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

After many long months of waiting, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has finally issued its finalized "qualified mortgage" (QM) rule designed to protect both consumers and responsible lenders. One of the biggest provisions of the QM rule is the newly set Ability-to-Repay rule, which does away with so-called "no doc" and "low doc" mortgages. In addition, the CFPB explained there are two kinds of QMs that have different protective features for consumers and legal consequences for lenders.

First time claims for unemployment insurance rose 4,000 to 371,000 for the week ended January 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected claims to drop to 362,000 from the prior week [IMAGE] The previous week├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós report was revised downward to 367,000 from the originally reported 372,000, the first time since April and advance report of claims was revised lower.

In November, the National Association of Realtors' Housing Affordability Index reached 198.2, up 1.5 points from a year ago. The association projects the index will achieve a record high of 194 for 2012. However, record high affordability doesn't necessarily translate into more homeowners, as "excessively tight underwriting precluded many would-be homebuyers from locking-in generational low interest rates," explained chief economist Lawrence Yun.

After announcing Monday the sale of nearly $306 billion in mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) on 2 million loans, Bank of America might be looking to unload a little more. Reuters first reported Tuesday that the bank is planning to sell rights on at least another $100 billion of mortgages. BofA is likely to announce more MSR sales in the next several weeks, according to two unnamed sources who spoke to Reuters. Sales of servicing rights have become more prevalent as costs rise and servicers fall to bankruptcy, leaving hungry institutions to purchase their MSRs.