The 2013 numbers on housing and the economy look eerily similar to 2005, the year before the housing bubble burst brought the economy down with it. While some of the 2013 numbers look better than 2005, other coincidental indicators are reason for concern. The falloff at furniture and appliance stores suggests homeowners may be stretched to make monthly mortgage payments--even in an era, until recently, of low mortgage rates.

EverBank came to an agreement with federal regulators to provide $37 million in relief payments to certain borrowers, leading to an end to the Independent Foreclosure Review process for the bank, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) said Friday. The payment should cover 32,000 eligible mortgage customers whose homes were in any stage of foreclosure in 2009 and 2010, and checks should range from $1,050 to $125,000.

Homes are selling quickly with multiple offers and favorable prices, according to the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey released Friday. The survey tracked time on market, number of offers, and sales-to-list-price ratio for non-distressed sales in July. California performed exceptionally well in all three categories, while parts of the Midwest underperformed. The average number of weeks a home spent on the market in the three-month period ending in July was 8.6 weeks, down from 9.2 weeks in May.

Elmore County become the second county in Alabama since 2011 to allow electronic recording for land documents, according to a release. The probate office in the county partnered with e-recording provider Simplifle to offer the service.

Earlier this year, reports surfaced of short sales that were erroneously reported as foreclosures on consumer credit reports. According to reports, the standardized computer software the credit industry was relying on lacked a specific code for short sales. In an updated notice, Fannie Mae addressed the reporting issue, stating it ""has been made aware that there are often inconsistencies in the credit data"" for short sales and deeds-in-lieu.

Tight lending standards may be keeping some prospective borrowers out of the market, but according to LendingTree, consumers overall are increasing their likelihood of getting approved for a home loan with higher credit scores and lower loan-to-value (LTV) ratios. Over the last year, average credit scores for prospective borrowers rose by more than 10 points, LendingTree revealed in a Q2 borrower health report. At the same time, average LTVs improved, falling 1.6 percent. According to the report, prospective borrowers in Washington D.C. have the strongest profile when it comes to qualifying for a home loan.

Despite improving builder confidence, sales of new single-family homes dropped to their lowest level since last October, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Friday. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales dropped a stunning 13.4 percent to 394,000 in July. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected June sales to drop to 487,000 from June's originally reported 497,000. June sales were revised to 455,000.

Mortgage lender Norcome Mortgage announced the opening of a new branch in Fairfield, Connecticut. Manny Gomes was selected to manage the recently opened location.

A new Illinois law will protect renters from getting forced out of a foreclosed property with short notice. Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill Wednesday that requires buyers of foreclosed residences to honor existing leases or give tenants at least 90 days to find new housing.

Matt Martin Real Estate Management, a provider of real property services to the public and private sector, ranked No. 80 on the Inc. 500/5000 list, up from 116 in 2012.