Government

In its latest Beige Book, released Wednesday, the Federal Reserve noted economic activity has expanded in recent months, with the pace of growth "characterized as moderate in the Boston, New York, Richmond, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, and San Francisco Districts, and modest in the remaining regions."

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has sued the Federal Housing Finance Agency and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, alleging the companies' refusal to engage in foreclosure buyback programs is "unfairly and illegally causing Massachusetts families to lose their homes."

Fannie Mae's book of business shrank again in April, continuing an uninterrupted streak of declines that started at the end of 2013. According to the enterprise's volume summary report, the book's total value contracted in April at a compound negative growth rate of 2.7 percent. The latest drop brings the book's average year-to-date growth rate to -2.3 percent.

The FDIC announced the closure of another bank, noting that Slavie Federal Savings Bank of Bel Air, Maryland has been closed. The FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Bay Bank, FSB of Lutherville, Maryland to assume all the deposits of the recently shuttered Slavie Federal Savings Bank.

As the housing market continues to mend, bringing hope to many formerly underwater homeowners or others who simply hoped for a good return on their investments, at least one group of young Americans has seen no relief in the improving market. HUD released a report this week chronicling the challenges young adults aging out of foster care face in finding safe, affordable housing.

Fannie Mae announced the expansion of the HomePath for Short Sales website. The website serves as a communication tool to help real estate professionals complete short sales and resolve challenges with Fannie Mae.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered RealtySouth to pay a civil penalty of $500,000 for inadequate disclosures. The largest real estate firm in Alabama was charged with leaving consumers unaware of their rights to choose service providers during the home-buying process.

Despite disappointing home sales in the first quarter of the year as winter storms took their toll, home prices increased 1.3 percent over the first three months of the year on a seasonally-adjusted basis for the purchase-only market, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released its latest Refinance Report, looking at data from the first quarter of 2014. The government agency reported that in Q1 2014, approximately 77,000 refinances were completed through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), bringing the total refinances through HARP to 3.1 million since the program's inception.

The White House has made it official: President Obama has nominated San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Castro had been the rumored frontrunner for the position, but wasn't officially announced and hadn't accepted the nomination until recently.