The flows into commercial MBS of loans backed by office properties, retail facilities, hotels, apartments and industrial properties were all down sharply from the fourth quarter, a victim of the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A FHFA spokesman told Inside Mortgage Finance the pricing approved by the agency is “fair and reasonable. He added: “We have heard these loans would sell for much lower prices (15-20% discounts) in private markets.”
The reaction from some trade group officials was swift. Scott Olson, Executive Director of the Community Home Lenders Association, called the new COVID-19-related guidelines “totally inadequate.”
Is the industry happy about today’s announcement? Some praised it but one veteran lobbyist quipped: “It’s better than nothing but it’s pretty thin gruel.”