The delinquency rate on non-qualified mortgages in mortgage-backed securities remains low, as issuers are largely avoiding risk-layering. As of the end of 2017, the average current-to-delinquent roll rate for non-QMs in MBS seasoned for one year was 0.4 percent, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Only three non-QM loans tracked by CoreLogic have liquidated so far, and none realized a loss. Non-QM MBS have thicker credit enhancement than ... [Includes one data chart]

A new expanded-prime mortgage-backed security from Redwood Trust is nearly 40.0 percent larger than the prior deal from the real estate investment trust. Redwood is set to issue the $444.29 million Sequoia Mortgage Trust 2018-CH-1, following a similar $320.30 million deal in November and a $307.64 million deal in September, the first from Redwood to focus on loans from the firm’s Choice program. Choice mortgages have slightly wider underwriting standards than ...

Flagstar Bank is set to issue its third jumbo mortgage-backed security in as many quarters, according to presale reports published this week. The bank plans to issue a $487.66 million deal, which follows a $576.44 million deal from October and a $443.79 million issuance in July. Underwriting characteristics across the three MBS are largely similar. The new issuance includes mortgages with an average credit score of 761, an average combined loan-to-value ratio of 67.4 percent and ...

A bill introduced in the Senate last week with some bipartisan support would allow real estate investment trusts to regain access to funding from Federal Home Loan Banks. The bill would overturn a 2016 rule from the Federal Housing Finance Agency that restricted captive insurance companies from being FHLBank members. Before the FHFA rule took effect, a number of REITs established captive insurers to gain access to FHLBank advances, which come with better terms than ...

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae issued $102.48 billion of single-family MBS in January, a modest 6.9 percent downturn from the previous month, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS ranking and analysis.

A bank owned by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America is preparing to issue a $381.5 million jumbo MBS, according to presale reports published this week. Only two other banks are actively issuing jumbo MBS: JPMorgan Chase and Flagstar Bank.

Braddock Financial, a modest investment fund based in Denver, sees plentiful opportunities as a credit investor in a structured-finance market that officials think is still in the early stages of recovery.

Citadel Servicing’s foray into securitizing home loans that don’t meet the qualified-mortgage test is now slated for some time in March, after multiple delays, according to sources familiar with the company’s operations. The nonbank’s first nonprime deal is expected to be roughly $150 million.

A subsidiary of Tesla issued its first ABS backed by auto leases this week and the electric car manufacturer plans to issue more deals going forward. The $608.1 million deal received AAA ratings from Moody’s Investors Service even though concerns were raised about various issues involving the transaction.

The Federal Home Loan Banks may be required to jointly establish at least one entity to aggregate conventional mortgages and use a new government program to issue guaranteed MBS under draft legislation from Sen. Bob Corker, R-TN.