Comings and Goings

This regular update has become quite irregular, but there has been somewhat of a lull in action now that "everything is better and prices can only go up" again...

-Aegon said it will start contributing loans to BAML deal.

-Barclays is updating the Lehman Agg with a CMBS 2.0 group of indices meant to reflect the post-crash CMBS issuance.

-Are things better or worse? It depends on who you ask:

1. Ratings Downgrades slowed at the end of 2010 (S&P) - they include RMBS in the report too.
   
2. Moody's downgrades Billions of CMBS. (However, the author of this one also describes the downgraded transactions as "structures where the bookrunner is passing through mortgage payments to investors")
   

-Trepp had some comments out last week regarding the risk surrounding front-pays now that they are mostly trading above par while at the same time loans are being worked out more quickly resulting in some unexpectedly fast pay-downs, and losses to investors. They highlight the CSFB 2005-C2 WAMU Irvine Campus loan (Maguire) that was recently modified with a 45% write down, wiping out classes up into the G class. That same deal also has a $142mm Tri-County Mall Loan that is expected to further wipe out classes up into the C class. They go on to highlight the Springfield Mall ($156.9mm), which is expected to get sold at just $42mm (to its current owner, Vornado. It appraised in January 2010 at $31mm). Springfield Mall was split equally between CMAT 1999-C1 and NASC 1998-D6.

-Freddie Mac is reportedly planning to double it's K series issuance to more than $10 billion in 2011. K10 is expected in the first quarter, expected average size to be $1.2billion, 50-80 mortgages, include a B class. (source: Real Estate Finance & Investment; no link)