Securitization

National home prices declined in January from December by 0.9%, reaching a level not seen since March 2003, according to Lender Processing Services (LPS).

After having gone through an enormous disruption characterized by unexpected deterioration and massive losses, investors in residential mortgage-backed securities have a number of reasons to feel unsettled. Regulatory uncertainty clouds the market's future and mortgage originations remain at historically low levels despite housing affordability reaching its highest level since the National Association of Realtors began keeping records in 1970.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has outlined rules that it is considering for residential mortgage servicers.

In prepared remarks today, Acting Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Edward DeMarco said his preliminary thoughts on using Treasury incentives to offer principal forgiveness to underwater borrowers.

Standard & Poor's will rate the new $473.01 million Springleaf Financial RMBS.

The Federal Reserve Board is opening the door for banks to rent REO properties in an effort to slow sales of distressed properties that are contributing to downward pressure on home prices.

RMBS and CMBS due diligence provider Clayton Holdings has been approved by DBRS as a third-party due diligence firm for RMBS deals.

The higher number of rehabilitated student loans in some recent FFELP ABS deals has increased near-term liquidity risk, Fitch Ratings said in a report released today.

Two years after the federal government largely took over the student loan market, the remaining banks in the industry are bracing for another shakeup.

Highland Capital Management claimed in court that Citigroup is trying to remove it as the portfolio manager of a $900 million CLO so the bank can book profits from its discounted purchase of CLO debt from its own clients and investors, according to a report by Courthouse News Service, a nationwide news service for lawyers and the media.

Credit cards and autos are filling up the ABS up the ABS pike this week. GE Capital is in the market with GE Capital Credit Card Master Note Trust Series 2012-. The offered notes on the deal are $457.7 million.

Wells Fargo, the successor to Wachovia Capital Markets, told a federal court in Wichita, Kan. Friday it should dismiss National Credit Union Administration's (NCUA) suit over MBS Wachovia sold via offering prospectuses.

Private-label student-loan ABS seems to be doing better, at least in terms of issuance. Volumes have hit $1.4 billion in the year-to-date, a figure equal to 70% of 2011’s overall number, according to researchers at Barclays Capital. But Sallie Mae has been the only primary-market issuer for twenty months now, and the bar was set low by last year’s number of deals — only three.

The consumer credit rise in February was mostly from auto loans, which is likely to support ABS issuance from the sector in the coming months, Standard & Poor's analysts stated in a report released today.

Thirty Democratic senators are urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to evaluate the use of principal reduction as a “targeted solution” for assisting underwater borrowers with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

There have not been very many weeks yet this year where the markets have not been roiled about something, and the last week was not one of them either.

Mayer Brown has hired Stephen Rooney for its New York office as a partner and co-leader of its insurance finance group.

Prepayment speeds were projected to increase 10%-15% on average in response to a higher number of collection days at 22 from 20; a pickup in refinancing activity in response to record low mortgage rates, and a rush by servicers to close conventional loans before a 10-basis-point increase in the guaranty fee went into effect on April 1.

Even though third-party due diligence has always been performed on whole loans, the providers of these services have more skin-in-the-game now that rating agencies have very stringent requirements.