Category Archives: conflicts of interest
$8.5 Billion BofA Settlement of Countrywide Trusts Raises Questions for Investors on Sidelines
As more details emerge about Bank of America’s proposed $8.5 billion settlement with Kathy Patrick’s bondholder group and Bank of New York Mellon (“BoNY”) as Trustee, the deal looks even worse for Countrywide RMBS investors. Now, it is apparent that … Continue reading
FDIC Sues LPS and CoreLogic Over Appraisal Fraud; Shows Investors Leaving Money on the Table
In another sign that the Federal Government is turning its focus towards prosecuting the securitization players who may have contributed to the Mortgage Crisis, the FDIC filed separate lawsuits against LSI Appraisal (available here) and CoreLogic (available here) earlier this … Continue reading
Midwinter Conference Sparks Lively Discourse, Focuses on Servicing Deficiencies
I just returned from my first Midwinter Housing Finance Conference in Park City, Utah. Though the conference, organized by Brian Hershkowitz, has been an annual favorite of snow-loving housing professionals for decades, it tends to receive far less publicity than … Continue reading
Federal Short Sale Programs Will Face Same Shortcoming As Workouts: Too Much Carrot, Not Enough Stick
With government-backed loan modification programs showing abysmal results, Washington has turned to short sales as the flavor of the week to ameliorate the foreclosure crisis. Pursuant to the Treasury Department’s Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) initiative, effective April 5, loan … Continue reading
BlackRock Puts Pressure On Banks To Absorb Losses
BlackRock, a major asset management firm and one of the largest investors in U.S. mortgage bonds, announced last week that banks would have to absorb the losses on their holdings in second-lien mortgages before it would resume purchasing “private-label” mortgage … Continue reading
