Securitization

The five-year legal odyssey of former Jefferies Group managing director Jesse Litvak, the first person charged in a federal crackdown on questionable bond-trading tactics, came to an end as prosecutors said they don't intend to try him a third time.

Just 5.1% of the $91 million of liens backing the transaction are vacant, down from 9.2% of the prior deal; this allowed the sponsor to borrower more heavily against the value of hte collateral.

As regulators move forward with policy changes designed to curb so-called refinance churning of Department of Veterans Affairs-insured mortgages, concerns have surfaced about the fate of loans originated during the transition period.

Redwood Trust has priced a new stock offering that is aimed at increasing funding to new initiatives like investments in the single-family rental and multifamily sectors as well as routine business.

Nonbank mortgage-backed securities servicers increase their exposure to agency loans as the housing market distances itself from last decade's crash, according to Fitch Ratings.

American Mortgage Consultants has acquired the right to hire 50 employees from The Barrent Group and will add 150 more in response to increased private-label securitization.

Angel Oak Companies' affiliates increased their production of loans made outside the boundaries of the Qualified Mortgage definition by 90% year-over-year during the second quarter, when most lenders' volume fell.

Oaktown Re II is National Mortgage Insurance's first rated transaction, according to Morningstar; it reinsures $5.47 billion of policies on mortgages with a total balance of $30.12 billion.

As property values continue appreciating, Caliber Home Loans added a jumbo loan product to its portfolio lending suite to support borrower needs in a climate of higher home prices.

Unusually for a debut transaction, the $329.7 million M360 2018-CRE1 will be actively managed: For the first 12 months after the closing date, funds from repaid principal can be used to purchase new loans, subject to eligibility criteria.

The collateral includes both QM and non-QM loans; however, certain loans are designated as QM even though the borrower’s DTI may be above 43%, due to a temporary exemption for GSE-eligible loans.

The $109.3 million CLEAN 2018-1 is also the first deal to be marketed as a Rule 144A transaction under securities regulation making it available to wide base of institutional investors.

A Fannie Mae test to handle the private mortgage insurance process for lenders may raise concerns that it's going outside the scope of its secondary market mission. But the effort reflects its mandate to explore new credit-risk transfer alternatives, a company executive said.

The Royal Bank of Scotland is paying $20 million to settle an investigation by the Illinois attorney general related to the bank's marketing and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

With better-than-expected performance of the underlying mortgages, Fitch Ratings cut its loss projections for seasoned government-sponsored enterprise credit risk transfer deals.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enjoy considerable advantages because of their lower cost of capital and significant government subsidies. But with some conforming loans, the private market is finding a way to compete.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding grew $44.3 billion during the first three months of 2018, the largest first-quarter gain since before the Great Recession, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Lauren Hedvat, Angel Oak's managing director of capital markets, said that the rising non-qualified mortgage volume in the market has expanded the number of third-party origination loan packages for purchase.

Impac Mortgage Holdings will sell up to $600 million of non-qualified mortgage loans to Starwood Property Trust over the next 12 months that will be securitized.

An appeals court has rejected claims by a Washington state housing finance agency that the National Homebuyers Fund is limited to operating in California.