The combination of 4 speaking engagements and working on 4 new (or revived) lending products buried me during the last several months. Fortunately, I’ve navigated the course, and it is a new year. It is time to take a look back at 2012, and step out with some comments on 2013. New commercial real estate… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Articles
Subscribe to Articles RSS FeedProposed Rules Could Change Penalty Box for Life Company Lenders
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, MEAFAs commercial real estate lenders, life insurance companies have a unique approach on dealing with potential losses or loan loss reserves in their mortgage loans holdings. Unlike bank mortgage lenders, who apply their risk based capital requirements on a loan level basis, life insurance companies use an approach that applies at the portfolio level (called… Continue Reading
Email Killing You? Survival Tips for Managing Email
Posted in Articles, Technology (including Green Buildings), TrainingEmail is killing us all. At our desks. Following us. 24/7. To survive, I try to manage myself and my e-mail with this approach: watch the clock use folders automatically keep copies of sent e-mail in correct folder when typing is talking . . . talk Each of us needs to improve our use of… Continue Reading
List & Links to “HOTTEST” Topics on L360 Point To: new lending, bad loans & iPad tips
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Technology (including Green Buildings), Tough Times for LendersMy latest resolution is to be better at giving lists of the “hottest” or top topics on L360 – as selected by you. It gives me a rough sense of the direction we’re heading. The summer 2012 list now has several topics on “positive” lending issues, which reflects the general up-tick that I’m seeing in… Continue Reading
Credit Availability Increasing? . . . “Yes” for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (part 2)
Posted in Articles, Good Times for LendersCredit availability seems to be improving in the commercial markets. One common (and obvious) test for new commercial lending is “how will the borrower fare in the tough times, or a stress test?” Generally, loans to employee stock ownership plans (called an”ESOP”) do well. So, loans to ESOPs will have access to credit. Starting about… Continue Reading
Fed’s New “Market Risk” Rule on Regulatory Capital for Banks Expected Soon: how will it impact liquidity for commercial real estate?
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Market TrendsAnswer: badly. The Federal Reserve’s new rule on regulatory capital requirements for banks will be announced in the next couple of days. It probably will mean less money for commercial real estate. The scope of this new rule will help the banks (by requiring them to hold more in reserve) but it could hurt the… Continue Reading
Using Your iPad at Work? Looking for Guidance? Try These 3 Books
Posted in Articles, Technology (including Green Buildings)In several weeks, I’ll be giving a presentation on using an iPad at work. The audience will be leadership and most active members of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. (Yes, I’ll be buying Jake a dinner.) I’ll give a brief overview of “how ” to use the iPad, accessories, initial steps and then jump… Continue Reading
Complimentary Webcast – “Rethinking Arbitration” by Brian Vanderwoude
Posted in ArticlesOk, I know that occasionally you get tired of reading…so let’s try some listening. Meet Brian Vanderwoude who is one of Winstead’s go-to litigators. And he is adventurous enough to join us here at Lenders 360 on a topic that at first seems like an attractive altenative to litigation. Overview: What are the advantages to… Continue Reading
MBA Report Shows Good Trends in Bad Numbers; BUT Judicial Foreclosure is a DRAG (I have questions)
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Market Trends, Remedies, Tough Times for LendersRecently, the Mortgage Bankers Association published its “National Delinquency Survey” for the fourth quarter of 2011. The report covers the delinquency and foreclosures rates on first-lien mortgage loans, and includes @ 88% of all single family homes in the US. Although the survey does NOT cover commercial mortgages, the data gives us important incite on trends AND information on the… Continue Reading
2012 MBA-CREF Convention (Day Two) – “Play It Again” is the Forecast
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Market TrendsThe MBA does a great job in planning sessions, and in selecting a location where lenders and their mortgage bankers can meet. The convention takes place at the beginning of the year, so that the lenders can articulate their goals, which allows immediate feedback from the mortgage bankers; and gives the mortgage bankers direction in… Continue Reading
1st Q Review: List of Your “Hot” TT4L Topics & Downloads
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Market Trends, Tough Times for Lenders, Workout IssuesSo what were the – "hottest" topics read here on TT4L during the first Q of 2011? the items most popular "downloads" of materials available for download on TT4L? The list (and links) below are the most widely read blog posts from ToughTimesForLenders (TT4L) from 1st Q of 2011. During Q1, we focused on a wide… Continue Reading
Calming Uncertain Waters: FDIC Board Issues a Transitional “Safe Harbor” For Sale Treatment Covering Participations and Securitizations
Posted in Articles, Tough Times for LendersAt the end of last week, the FDIC’s Board of Directors adopted an interim final ruling amending 12 CFR Section 360.6 and provided a transitional "safe harbor," effective immediately for all participations and securitizations in compliance with that rule as originally adopted in 2000. This action confirms that, notwithstanding proposed changes to "true sale" treatment… Continue Reading
Protecting the Interest of Bondholders as the “Controlling Class” in CMBS Investment Pools
Posted in Articles, Tough Times for LendersAs most of you are aware, The Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA) is the operative document in defining the rights and obligations of the trustee, master servicer, special servicer, and classes of bondholders. As an overall matter the PSA defines the relationships between the parties to the securitization. It is an agreement that is hundreds… Continue Reading
Is the CMBS Rally Really Here to Stay?
Posted in Articles, Good Times for LendersInvestors recently took down 2.3 billion dollars in TALF loans under the August Federal Reserve’s Legacy CMBS Term ABS Loan Facility, representing an impressive increase from the modest July subscriptions of 668 million. Over the past few months, we have seen CMBS AAA spreads tighten, although at this writing this trend seems to have abated,… Continue Reading
Loan Defaults – Monetary vs. Non-Monetary
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Tough Times for LendersSo, you can readily see that your collateral is headed south. Your job is to jump on it and come up with some solutions. Before you jump into action, it would be wise to take a breath and consider what the default situation is and why you have the right to start taking action –… Continue Reading
Pre-Judgment Tools to Reduce Need for Repairs Later
Posted in Articles, Tough Times for LendersWith the rise in real estate defaults, and constant news of borrowers facing foreclosures taking out their anger and frustration on their houses and other property collateralizing the lenders’ loans, an increasing need exists for lenders to take pre-emptive steps to protect their collateral pending foreclosure or entry of a final judgment. While the laws… Continue Reading
Covered Bonds – A Little Heat for the Frozen Credit Markets?
Posted in Articles, Good Times for Lenders, Market TrendsIn an attempt to breathe life into the credit markets, the last few months have been full of activity designed to encourage the development of a market for "covered bonds" ala the European model. "Covered bonds" are merely borrowings by financial institutions (especially banks) that ultimately are supported as bank obligations, but are first repaid… Continue Reading