REITs

The Federal Reserve's most recent economic-stimulus effort could reduce disparities between a rally in Treasurys and a relative slump in mortgage-backed securities that contributed to higher average home-lending rates last week.

An effort by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to examine membership rules for the Federal Home Loan Bank System is reigniting an argument over whether to allow more nonbanks in or impose tougher barriers.

The agency plans to conduct a review of how it regulates the 11 Federal Home Loan banks amid concerns that some companies are inappropriately seeking a back door into the Home Loan Bank System.

Simon Property Group agreed to buy rival shopping-mall operator Taubman Centers for about $3.6 billion, a combination that comes as e-commerce continues to roil brick-and-mortar retail.

OBX 2019-INV2 is a private-label RMBS pool of 1,087 of agency-eligible investor-property loans.

PIMCO Mortgage Income Trust tabled plans to launch an initial public offering this week following a steep stock market decline Monday.

The trio of malls collateralizing the new mortgage include two well-performing mall as well as a troubled Florida super-regional shopping center.

The fate of U.S. office markets is intertwined with that of the biggest technology companies, Starwood Capital Group Chairman Barry Sternlicht said.

If mortgage rates fall below 4%, it could more than double the dollar volume of agency mortgages exposed to refinancing incentive, analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods found.

Two Harbors Investment Corp., which grew its servicing portfolio by 22% in the fourth quarter, priced a common stock offering to raise funds to buy more rights as well as mortgage-backed securities.

Continued diversification of its business lines and better margins in its securitization activities helped Redwood Trust overcome steep mortgage origination declines and post nearly 14% annual growth in net income during the third quarter.

The unique approach Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are each taking with their credit-risk transfer products is quickly becoming a key point of differentiation that's rekindling competition between the government-sponsored enterprises.

Laurel Davis, VP, credit risk transfer at Fannie Mae, explains why the switch to a REMIC structure for CAS is important, and why it took so long.

The structure reduces counterparty risk in the GSE's benchmark Connecticut Avenue Securities program; it also expands the investor base.

New York developer Silverstein Properties Inc. built a $4 billion pipeline of real estate deals just weeks after starting. None of the money was for buildings it will own.

A former Federal Home Loan bank president argues that the system should limit its exposure to risky nonbanks.

Annaly Capital Management will be able to proceed with a delayed exchange offer needed for its acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp. because it has been able to satisfy incomplete deal conditions.

The expiration of Annaly Capital Management's offer to purchase MTGE Investment Corp. was delayed until Sept. 7 so the two real estate investment trusts have more time to satisfy deal conditions.

Blackstone Group has made its first bet on manufactured housing by buying a portfolio of communities sold by Tricon Capital Group.

Blackstone Group is doubling down on industrial real estate by buying Gramercy Property Trust, the second multibillion-dollar takeover of a warehouse company in as many weeks with the growth in e-commerce raising demand.