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Thursday, October 20, 2011

MBA - multifamily lending up

MBA - multifamily lending up




In 2010, 2,548 different multifamily lenders provided a total of

$68.8 billion in mortgage financing for apartment buildings with

five or more units, according to a report from the Mortgage

Bankers Association (MBA). The 2010 dollar volume represents a

31% increase from 2009 levels. Just one% of the lenders accounted

for 51% of the dollar volume, while three-quarters of the lenders

made five or fewer loans over the course of the year. In terms

of total dollar volume, the top five multifamily lenders in 2010

were Wells Fargo Bank N.A., CBRE Capital Markets, Inc., Berkadia

Commercial Mortgage LLC, PNC Real Estate and Prudential Mortgage

Capital Company. “The multifamily lending market grew 31% in

2010, with credit extended by a broad range of lenders to a broad

range of properties,” said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s Vice

President of Commercial Real Estate Research.



The report is based on data from the MBA 2010 Commercial

Multifamily Annual Origination Volume Rankings and the Home

Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The MBA survey targets

specialized commercial/multifamily originators and covered $119

billion in commercial and multifamily loans in 2010. The HMDA

data adds multifamily loans from banks, thrifts and other

institutions that meet certain single-family origination

thresholds. When combined, the two datasets provide the most

comprehensive assessment of the multifamily mortgage market

available.

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Jobless claims slightly down



Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 6,000 to a

seasonally adjusted 403,000, the Labor Department said, from an

upwardly revised 409,000 the prior week. Economists polled by

Reuters had forecast claims falling to 400,000 from the

previously reported 404,000. The claims data covered the survey

week for the government's closely watched nonfarm payrolls count

for October. First-time applications for jobless aid fell 25,000

between the September and October survey periods, suggesting a

step-up in nonfarm employment after payrolls increased 103,000

last month.



Olick - rising rates threaten refis



"One weekly report does not a trend make, but today's mortgage

application survey should serve up a good dose of reality to all

of those state attorneys general and Obama administration

officials touting a grand new refinance program for underwater

borrowers. Rates dropped to record lows a month ago, and while

more borrowers went to refinance, the volumes were still very

low. Then, more recently, we see basically a quarter point rise,

and refinances fall off a cliff. The goal of the refinance

proposals (which I discussed in yesterday's blog) is to get the

allegedly 3/4 of underwater borrowers with above-market mortgage

rates (about 8.9 million according to CoreLogic) a break on their

monthly payments. This would supposedly lessen the threat of

default as well as add much-needed spending power back into the

economy. But with mortgage rates rising again, how much of a

bang for the buck will banks and the administration get out of

these refi programs?

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Well let's look at what's pushing rates up: 'First, Europe’s

alleged debt bomb solution is pulling dollars out of Treasuries

resulting in rising Treasury rates .. and mortgage rates,' says

Dr. Anthony Sanders, Professor of Finance at George Mason

University. 'Second, FHFA [Fannie and Freddie's regulator] is

increasing Guarantee Fees for Fannie and Freddie loan

purchases/insurance which adds to the mortgage rate. Third,

mortgage rates have a risk premium component that follows the VIX

(CBOE Volatility Index on the S&P500). And under just recently,

the VIX has been rising.' That basically means that any benefit

of these so-called 'streamlined' refis by Fannie and Freddie or

by a bank/AG settlement, 'will have small impact and less

desirability for the consumer,' adds Sanders. That is if those

borrowers can actually qualify. On the other hand, Guy Cecala of

Inside Mortgage Finance, argues that the bulk of the borrowers

targeted by these refi plans have interest rates between 6 and 7%

now. 'I think the idea is that the group of borrowers the

administration/AGs are looking at haven’t been able to refi for

several years and would greatly benefit even if they 'only' got a

FRM at 5%. So relatively small changes in rates don’t impact

the overall goal.'



I realize that the weekly refinance applications numbers from the

Mortgage Bankers Association largely chart borrowers who are not

underwater on their current loans, and the refi programs target

those who are underwater. Still, rates have every reason to

climb, especially with new lower conforming loan limits and the

potential for more risk retention by lenders coming down the

pike. The resulting refis could end up offering savings of less

than $100 a month, given the likely loan sizes that will

qualify...which leads me back to my original premise: The

administration's refi proposal is more politics than substance,

and this latest AG/bank settlement proposal is just plain

baffling, because what does refinancing current borrowers have to

do with justice and restitution for borrowers whose foreclosure

paperwork was mishandled?"
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Misery index highest since 1983



The misery index — which is simply the sum of the country's

inflation and unemployment rates — rose to 13.0, pushed up by

higher price data the government reported yesterday. The data

underscores the extent that Americans continue to suffer even two

years after a deep recession ended, with a weak economic recovery

imperiling President Barack Obama's hopes of winning reelection

next year. With gasoline prices high, consumers have less to

spend on other things. Moreover, a rise in overall prices saps

economic growth, which is typically measured in

inflation-adjusted terms. The last time the misery index was at

current levels was in 1983. But in 1984 an improving economy

probably helped President Ronald Reagan win reelection. This

year, the index has risen more than 2 points.



While the misery index rose in September, many economists expect

some respite in coming months, driven by softer inflation.

Wednesday's price data showed inflation outside food and energy

rose at the slowest pace in six months in September. Weakness in

the jobs markets also accounts for some factors that could push

inflation lower in coming months, economists say. "With

households facing weak wage growth and tight budgets, it is

difficult to see a sustained, broad-based increase in prices,"

said Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Neil Dutta. He said

Wednesday's data showed that businesses' ability to raise prices

on clothing, movies and toys was "hitting a wall." Weak incomes

also will make it harder for building owners to raise rents,

further dampening inflation, Dutta said.

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Indeed, inflation could slow to below 2% by mid-2012, said

Capital Economics economist Paul Ashworth. But a decline in the

misery index declines due to softer inflation might not help

Obama's reelection chances much. "Any lowering of inflation

isn't going to have much effect. People are just focused like a

laser on unemployment," said independent political analyst Stuart

Rothenberg. Analysts polled by Reuters last week saw the jobless

rate — currently stuck at 9.1% — barely ticking down to 8.9%

by the end of next year. With the election in November 2012, the

expected decline looks unlikely to help Obama's job prospects

much.



20,000 foreclosures took 4 years to sell



More than 23,200 foreclosures in 2006 sat unsold until the second

quarter of 2010 – more than four years later, according to a

study from the data analytics firm CoreLogic. Analysts studied

the destinations of more 355,000 properties that hit foreclosure

auctions in 2006. Investors bought about one-third of them at the

courthouse steps, and the remaining 233,000 went back onto

lenders' books as real estate owned. Of those, 90%, or 210,000

homes, sold as REO to third-party buyers. Of these, half took six

months to sell and 21% took more than one year to unload. But

23,200 sat unsold for four years, CoreLogic found. These are

properties that entered the foreclosure process before the system

surpassed its maximum capacity in many states. REO sales have yet

to peak, meaning the time banks and the US government will have

to hold these homes could go even longer.

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"It is well known that foreclosure and liquidation timelines have

risen dramatically over the last few years. What is less known is

how REO persistence, or REOs remaining unsold for extended

periods of time, has changed over time," CoreLogic said. What is

known is that the longer the property sits, the more cash buyers

end up with the property, often for steep discounts. For the 2006

REO that resold more the one year later, 55% went to cash

investors, compared to 40% for the entire foreclosure stock that

year. More than 11,000 of the REO sales were resold three times

over the next five years, and 70% were resold through cash

transactions. CoreLogic said the dominance of cash for these

so-called "churned" properties is consistent in later auctions.

For the 2006 REO sold to buyers who took out a mortgage, only 2%

fell back into REO in the five years since. "This indicates that

REO recidivism is not as significant a concern as previously

thought," CoreLogic said.

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Such stagnant pools of inventory have crippled any recovery in

home prices. Most analysts predict even more depreciation in

2012. Billions in government initiatives such as the Neighborhood

Stabilization Program and the Hardest Hit Fund went to help

states and nonprofits resell vacant and abandoned foreclosures

even as Republicans in the House moved to cut these programs.

But until the overall economy and employment improves, the

inventory overhang will only widen. "In 2006 and 2007, 10% of

properties that entered the REO stock at the foreclosure auction

were still in REO as of mid-2010," CoreLogic said. "In other

words, these properties have been in REO continuously since

2006."

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See you at the top!

Martin Crawford

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