The Lede

Forbes, July 8, 2019--Aly J. YaleFannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Mortgage Bankers Association all predict the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rate will finish out the year between 3.9% and 4.1%--lower than 2018's full-year average of 4.54%.

Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2019--Josh Barbanel, Will Parker (subscription)A longtime New York City practice that promoted homeownership, transformed neighborhoods and enriched thousands of middle-class renters is effectively over. It ended on June 14, when a New York state law to strengthen tenant protections went into effect.

National Mortgage Professional, July 8, 2019--Phil HallPresident Trump took to Twitter again to criticize the impact of the Federal Reserve on the U.S. economy.

Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2019--Patrick Fitzgerald (subscription)The parent of residential mortgage lender Stearns Lending LLC has filed for bankruptcy after agreeing with majority owner Blackstone Group LP to a debt-restructuring plan that will erase more than $180 million in bond debt from its balance sheet.

HousingWire, July 8, 2019--Ben LanePurplebricks announced Monday that it is shuttering its U.S. business, and will instead focus on growing its business in the U.K. and Canada. According to the company, it expanded "too quickly" in the U.S. and after undertaking a strategic review of its options, is choosing to exit the U.S. entirely.