RMBS

PHH Corp. could have to write down the value of its mortgage servicing rights by between $150 million and $200 million in the second quarter of 2010, according to an analyst's report from FBR Capital Markets.

CIT Group announced a package of refinancings and asset sales on Thursday, a step that CEO John Thain billed as a sign of its more stable footing.

While passing a bill that would create a consumer protection agency has proved challenging enough, that task may pale in comparison to actually setting up the new regulator.

Sen. Maria Cantwell announced late Thursday that she intends to support regulatory reform, giving a boost to the bill's prospects in the Senate, which plans to take up the legislation later this month when Congress returns from a Fourth of July recess.

The delinquency rate for commercial real estate loans backing CMBS deals showed signs of moderating in June, according to the latest report from Trepp.

For 1H10, public ABS issuance reached $26.41 billion, according to the updated numbers from the ASR Scorecards database. This figure dropped from $50.7 billion for 1H09.

The ASR Scorecards database has ranked law firms based on the securitized deals they served as legal advisors on in the first half of 2010.

Fortress Investment Group, New York, has agreed to acquire CW Financial Services, a servicer, special servicer and originator of commercial and multifamily real estate loans, from majority shareholder Otera U.S. Holding.

After experiencing a barrage of criticism for their tardy downgrades, the top three ratings agencies are seeking to regain credibility by tailoring their research efforts to better meet the needs of investors.

The defining characteristic of the economic downturn of the last few years has been the collapse in real estate prices from their 2006 peak. The losses have impacted the economy in a variety of ways. Aside from devaluing many families' single largest asset, declining home prices removed the equity extraction that had been juicing consumption for years. The housing crash has also impacted the labor markets by both destroying many high-paying jobs in the construction trades and impairing the mobility of workers saddled with negative equity.