RMBS

Over 80% of 'Aaa'-rated European RMBS and ABS have maintained their ratings throughout the crisis, spanning from May 2007 to May 2011, according to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service.

Republican leaders on the House Financial Services Committee are coming under strong criticism for taking a piecemeal approach to winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while ignoring several comprehensive GSE reform bills that address the future of the housing finance system.

The largest single-family mortgage REIT, Annaly Capital Management Inc., was the most actively traded stock on the NYSE Tuesday morning, the day after it announced the pricing of a secondary stock offering of about 120 million shares.

Roughly $25 billion of Freddie Mac servicing rights that once belonged to the now defunct Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. (TBW) could hit the market by summer’s end, according to officials close to the matter.

When Bank of America Corp. said it would unload the servicing of its most troubled Countrywide mortgages as part of a proposed settlement with bondholders, the surprise wasn't that they doubted the bank could do the job.

The long expected boom in banks unloading their REO and nonperforming loans may finally be afoot.

Despite a recent uptick in national home prices, Clear Capital reported that home values are down 3.2% for the first six months of this year, and the real estate data firm is projecting another 2.4% decline through the second half of 2011.

The price of being a good neighbor can be steep for banks foreclosing on condominiums and homes in planned communities.

Some experts suggest that in disputes between investors and banks involving securitized residential mortgage product, investors have found it challenging to force banks to repurchase loans — a factor that could influence whether a huge settlement in this area pending at press time goes through.

While some bankers are secretly gleeful the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) does not yet have a director, they are the ones likely to pay a heavy price as a result.