As the fastest-growing segment of the population, Hispanic Americans will play an important role in the future of the housing market. Since the recession, homeownership has declined faster among Hispanics than among the overall population, dropping from 64 percent in 2012 to 46 percent today. Despite the decline, Hispanics are even more likely to view homeownership favorably than the general population, Fannie Mae reports.

Many in the real estate industry believe there is a listing shortage, but a close look at the numbers suggests buyers in most markets are purchasing homes in increasingly larger volumes--even if some of those sales involve off-market homes not yet listed. Buyers and their real estate brokers are getting creative in buying off-market inventory in a number of ways.

Collateral Analytics, appointed James R. Follain, Ph.D. as its SVP of research and development. Dr. Follain is an economist with over 35 years' experience in the analysis of housing and mortgage markets, including tenures with Freddie Mac and the Federal Reserve. Much of his work involved the measurement and management of the risks associated with lending and investing as well as public policies.

The monitor overseeing fulfillment of the National Mortgage Settlement issued a report on the servicers' progress satisfying their consumer relief obligations. Ally Financial reported in February it completed all of its oblilgations, which was confirmed by the settlement monitor. Since last filing progress reports in February, Bank of America, Citi, Chase, and Wells Fargo have all subsequently asserted that they too have fulfilled their obligations.

On the heels of the announcement that the federal government would resume daily operations, Fannie Mae released its October forecasts for the economy and the housing industry. The outlook cited fiscal threats and the government shutdown as dampers on the economy and cause for some uncertainty. Washington's recent fiscal policy issues, however, have had only ""minimal effect"" on the housing market to date, the GSE noted.

DebtX has partnered with SEBA Professional Services to will sell a $5 billion portfolio of non-performing residential loans for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The loan sale consists of two parts: One part is a national offering of approximately 24,000, single family loans totaling $4 billion in unpaid principal balance (UPB), which will bid October 30 and December 10, 2013.

Even with concerns elevated over the government shutdown, sentiment among contacts of the Federal Reserve Districts remained ""cautiously optimistic"" about the nation's economic future, according to the Fed's Beige Book released this week. Reports on regional housing activity were generally positive, with most markets growing or at least not faltering. The Philadelphia District was the one exception.

Mortgage rates broke their streak of declines this week. Analysts say while the potential drag from the government shutdown and looming debt ceiling deadline had pulled rates lower in recent weeks, hopes that a promising deal was in the works served to ease those concerns and push rates higher. Freddie Mac reports the 30-year rate rose from 4.23 percent to 4.28 percent over the last week.

Real estate investors made an average gross profit of $54,927 on single-family home flips in the third quarter, RealtyTrac reported Thursday. The tracking company's data indicates investors' Q3 profit was up 12 percent from the average gross return a year earlier, driven in part by an increase in high-end flips of homes that were sold for $750,000 or more and concentrated in California and New York.

Fannie Mae priced its first risk-sharing transaction under the Connecticut Avenue Securities series (C-deals). The $675 million note offering is scheduled to settle on October 24 and is similar in structure to the STACR risk-sharing transaction from Freddie Mac this summer. Likewise, Fannie Mae's C-deal is intended to attract private capital to the housing market and reduce taxpayer risk.