Mortgage fraud risk is being lowered by changes in residential origination practices and new regulation. According to a Fitch Ratings report released Tuesday, since the financial crisis, risk of fraud and misrepresentation has declined. "A key driver behind the poor performance ...
Read More »Mid-Tier Banks View Dodd-Frank Stress Test Process as More Important than Results
Fitch Ratings examined the Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test process and results, finding that steps taken to gather the data for mid-tier regional banks ($10 billion-$50 billion in assets) are a positive development.
Read More »Housing Demand Shifting Toward Central Parts of Cities
According to Fitch, home prices have grown 50 percent faster in urban centers than in the larger metro statistical areas (MSAs) since 2000. City centers are expected to continue to experience growth due to the shift in demand, even in regions lacking significant fundamental support, and are currently considered overvalued.
Read More »RoundPoint’s Rating Outlook Adjusted From ‘Stable’ to ‘Negative’
RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation's residential mortgage servicer ratings have been adjusted, Fitch Ratings confirmed. Fitch determined that RoundPoint's U.S. residential primary servicer rating for subprime product is 'RPS3+' and the U.S. residential special servicer rating is 'RSS3+'. In addition, the rating outlooks have been revised to 'negative' from 'stable.'
Read More »Rating Criteria Published For State Housing Finance Agency MBS Pass-Through Bonds
For the government-sponsored enterprise guaranty rating, Fitch notes that the GSEs as a whole are the primary drivers of this rating’s unconditional guarantee of full and timely payment on the MBS that secures the bonds. Additionally, the performance of the underlying loans or MBS servicer is not factored into the rating on the bonds.
Read More »Ratings Company Says Conservatorship Will Continue With No ‘Clear Exit Path’
Fitch Ratings affirmed that while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintained a "Stable Rating Outlook" in April due to direct financial support from the U.S. government, the ratings company said it expected the controversial FHFA's conservatorship of the two Enterprises would continue indefinitely.
Read More »Ratings Agency Publishes Report on Freddie Mac Loan Loss Data
Fitch Ratings has published a special report providing insights into Freddie Mac's loan loss data comparing observed loss performance for Agency loans to both non-Agency loans and the fixed loss severity schedules the Enterprise uses in risk-sharing transactions, according to announcement from Fitch Ratings.
Read More »Ocwen CEO Expects Company’s Earnings To Take Q4 Hit After Ratings Downgrade
Weeks ahead of the anticipated release of Ocwen's fourth-quarter earnings report, CEO Ron Faris has issued a notice that the company expects to see a loss based on mounting regulatory pressures, expenses, and a recent ratings downgrade by a major credit ratings agency.
Read More »Report Predicts Big Year for Housing in 2015 Based on Recent Government Actions
In a report released Monday morning, Fitch outlined five big events—all of which have taken place in the past few months—that, taken together, "could have a relatively meaningful impact on home buyer psychology, pent-up demand and housing trends in 2015 and beyond," the company says.
Read More »Report: Mortgage Regulations Have Had Positive Impact on RMBS Sector
While the onslaught of new mortgage regulations in the last year has created headaches for lenders, it's had a clear positive impact in one area, Fitch Ratings says in a new report: the residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) sector. In its latest look at the RMBS segment, the company says that while the market still has some rebuilding left to do, it "has seen some rather substantial improvements of late," owing in large part to improved loan underwriting standards in recent years.
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