Blog
Financial Crisis: Retrospective
The financial crisis is far from over. Evidence of monetary policy response and regulatory reform abounds, including QE3, ongoing Dodd-Frank rulemaking, and daily developments at the ECB and the EFSF.
But for anyone shifting to a historical perspective of the crisis and culling through recent financial history, the following timelines of the crisis provide an excellent starting point: the most comprehensive by The St. Louis Fed; two from the New York Fed., one domestic and one international; another focused on the EU by the ECB; and one from the CreditWriteDowns blog.
REO to Rental & Securitization
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the latest progress toward the securitization of single-family rental homes here. The WSJ has tracked this market development throughout the year, noting the birth of new investment firms and funds and explaining the investment strategy. The Federal Reserve’s January White Paper–covering current housing market data and a proposed government-supported Real-Estate-Owned to rental program–is a must read. The White Paper suggests that scale (gathering enough rental units) and financing (attracting loans from wary lenders) have dogged the rental securitization strategy, but the WSJ’s recent reports suggest that investors will quickly surmount those barriers.
It should come as no surprise that the market moves much faster than regulators, rating agencies, or commentators. A variety of firms now seek to capitalize on this new investment opportunity, with some giving nod to corporate social responsibility. This development should not be written off as Chapter Two of the mortgage-backed security bubble and bust. The academic and regulatory community should dig into the unique features of the single-family rental market and produce sound critique of this new securitization front.
SJC Call for Amicus Briefs on Home Refinancing Case
The Massachusetts SJC is soliciting amicus briefs on a home refinancing case. On its website the Court indicates that the case arises from the plaintiff’s refinancing of a home mortgage and presents the question “whether securitizers and assignees of the borrowers’ note and mortgage loan can be held liable under the provisions of the Massachusetts Predatory Home Loan Practices Act, G. L. c. 183C, and the Massachusetts Borrower’s Interest Act.”
Briefs are generally due in late November. Visit the SJC site for additional details.