MBS backed by multifamily mortgage loans would be exempt from a proposed rule that would establish margining requirements for multifamily agency finance. Had it been implemented as originally proposed, the rule would have amended the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Rule 4210 to establish margin requirements in the single-family “to-be-announced” (TBA) market. At the same time, it would have also scoped in the multifamily housing programs of Fannie Mae and FHA/Ginnie Mae, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. FINRA filed...

The first security backed by proceeds from properties that have “rent-to-own” agreements has caused some divergence among rating services. Home Partners of America is preparing to issue a $508.88 million deal, which received preliminary AAA ratings from two firms. Moody’s Investors Service and Morningstar Credit Ratings issued presale reports on Home Partners of America 2016-1 last week. Kroll Bond Rating Agency followed with a warning that rent-to-own deals present more risks than single-family rental securitizations. The collateral for the security is...

The servicing auction market experienced a flurry of deals at yearend 2015, but investors for the most part have been more cautious about what they’re willing to pay for mortgage servicing rights, given some of the large markdowns that damaged second- and third-quarter earnings. “A lot of investors got hurt by buying during the first half of last year,” said one MSR investor who spoke under the condition his name not be used. “A few of them aren’t bidding anymore.” During the first half of 2015, MSR buyers were willing...

New issuance of non-agency MBS rose smartly in 2015, nearly matching the highest annual production volume since the financial market meltdown back in 2007. Some $61.60 billion of non-agency MBS came to market last year, a solid 13.9 percent increase from 2014, according to Inside MBS & ABS. This figure does not include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit risk-transfer deals – which attract traditional non-agency MBS credit investors but are ... [Includes three data charts]

The Internal Revenue Service recently provided guidance to an MBS trustee and master servicer confirming that a settlement with investors was compliant with requirements for real estate mortgage investment conduits. While Private Letter Ruling 201601005 applies only to the unidentified parties that sought the guidance from the IRS, industry attorneys suggest that the letter could be useful when structuring settlements with MBS investors. The letter was released ...

When the Federal Reserve hiked short-term rates back in mid-December, mortgage rates were expected to increase as well and keep heading north in the new year. But thanks to deep concerns about economic growth in China – not to mention plunging oil prices – all bets are now off. This past week, the price on the benchmark Fannie Mae 3.5 percent security increased by 44 basis points, according to figures compiled by MBS Quoteline. As Inside MBS & ABS went to press ...

Industry analysts project that the volume of collateralized loan obligations issued this year will decline compared with 2015 because of regulatory and other factors. Among projections for various MBS and ABS asset types by Standard & Poor’s, CLOs are the only securities expected to see a decline in volume in 2016 compared with last year. CLOs differ from many other structured finance products in that they involve a special purpose issuer that acquires a portfolio of commercial loans ...

Entities growing their purchase mortgage and MBS portfolios may be affected by a new accounting model for recognizing credit impairment, the second leg of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s long-term financial instruments project. The Mortgage Bankers Association expects a release date either towards the end of the first quarter of 2016 or in the second quarter, barring unforeseen changes. “I have not seen transition rules exposed yet, but I suspect that there will be ...

Interest in the single-family rental market has increased since being introduced as a viable asset classes several years ago, but some say further growth may depend on the sector’s ability to significantly improve operating efficiencies. There have been 27 single-family rental securitizations to date. In 2015, issuance of single-family rental deals was $6.72 billion, up from $6.61 billion a year earlier, according to Morningstar Credit Ratings. Although capital expenses were higher than ...

A new statutory exemption for private resales of ABS and MBS imposes certain requirements that issuers may find difficult to meet, according to securities compliance experts. The provision is part of the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” (FAST Act), which President Obama signed on Dec. 4, 2015. Although aimed primarily at authorizing spending on highway and transit projects, the new law includes several provisions intended, among other things, to facilitate ...