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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Friday it's granting more time for the industry to implement new mortgage disclosures required under Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Protection Act. The extension was provided ""in order to allow a more seamless integration with other mortgage disclosures that have been proposed by the Bureau,"" the CFPB said in a statement.

In October, home prices and sales increased compared to 2011 levels, while inventory remained a concern, RE/MAX revealed in a recent report. The median sales price in October 2012 stood at $158,900, a 3.7 percent decrease from September but a 2.1 percent increase from October 2011. Home sales managed to post increases both yearly and monthly in October, which RE/MAX says is ""an impressive performance since seasonal patterns typically see a slight drop from September to October.""

Despite the recent declines in homeownership, the cost burden of owning a home decreased in 2011 and has ""fallen substantially for young owners during the last four years,"" Fannie Mae stated in a recent report. When measuring housing cost burden, analysts often look for households paying more than 30 percent of their gross income in housing costs, which analysts define as rental or mortgage payments combined with utility spending. In 2011, the percentage of homeowners who fell into this category decreased by about one percentage point. In contrast, the number of renters in this category grew.

Agents who sell HomeSteps homes, or Freddie Mac-owned residences, are eligible for winter bonuses. Freddie Mac announced it will pay a $1,000 bonus to a selling agent and $500 to listing agents as part of a winter promotion. The promotion lasts until February 28, 2013 and is applicable in 20 states. HomeSteps.com is the official site for GSE’s REOs.

Since the IRS will soon allow electronic signatures on Form 4506-T, Equifax announced it has enhanced proprietary verifications services in anticipation of the change.

Based on the stronger performance of the consumer distress index, CredAbility said the ""stage of strong holiday spending"" may be set. With a score below 70 indicating a state of financial distress, the distress index sat higher at 70.5 out of 100 in the third quarter. In the second quarter, the index was also above 70 at 71.3. For the first time since early 2008, the credit counseling agency says consumers have managed to stay out of financial distress for two consecutive quarters.

In the third quarter of this year, negative equity slipped further and now represents less than 30 percent of homeowners with a mortgage, Zillow revealed Thursday. According to a negative equity report, 28.2 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage remain underwater, a decrease from 30.9 percent in the second quarter. The 28.2 percent translates into about 14 million U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their home's value.

Fixed mortgage rates dropped to all-time record lows amid indicators of higher consumer confidence and lower wholesale prices, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. According to the survey, the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.34 percent (0.7 point) for the week ending November 15. The previous low record for the 30-year fixed was 3.36 percent, set the week of October 4 this year. The 15-year fixed average also fell to a new low, dipping to 2.65 percent (0.7 point) from 2.69 percent the week before.

The foreclosure inventory rate fell to 4.07 percent in Q3 to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2009, according to the latest delinquency survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In addition, the national delinquency declined to 7.40 percent, and the serious delinquency rate fell to 7.03 percent. In a commentary, Capital Economics suggested the combination of fewer homes in foreclosure and seriously delinquent loans points to a decline in shadow inventory.

Two weeks after tearing up the East Coast, Hurricane Sandy rocked first-time claims for unemployment insurance. In the first full week after the storm, initial claims shot up 78,000 to 439,000, the highest level since April 2011 for the week ended November 10, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected 376,000 initial claims filings.