KBRA Identifies $684M in Oil-Exposed CMBS Loans of Concern

After 18 months of falling oil prices, the downturn’s ripple effect spilled over into energy-related commercial mortgage-backed securities loans, said Kroll Bond Rating Agency, New York.

RealtyTrac: Property Vacancy Rate Drops 9.3%

RealtyTrac, Irvine, Calif., reported a 9.3 percent drop in vacant residential properties since the third quarter, which could cause upward pressure on home prices and rents.

HOPE NOW: 99K Mortgage Modifications in November

HOPE NOW reported nearly 100,000 mortgage assistance actions for homeowners in November, saying foreclosure alternatives outnumbered completed foreclosure sales by a four-to-one margin.

RealtyTrac: Underwater Properties Down by 600,000+ in 2015

RealtyTrac, Irvine, Calif., reported 6.4 million U.S. properties in negative equity at the end of 2015, representing 11.5 percent of all properties with a mortgage, a drop of 616,000 from a year ago.

CMBS Contrasts Emerge

Falling delinquencies and slowing special servicing loan transfers year-over-year contributed to improved performance metrics for commercial mortgage-backed securities, but leverage now approaches the pre-crisis peak, analysts said.

MBA: Commercial/Multifamily Maturing Mortgage Volume Up 51%

ORLANDO–11 percent, or $183.3 billion out of $1.7 trillion in outstanding commercial and multifamily mortgages held by non-bank lenders and investors, will mature in 2016, a 51 percent increase from $121.0 billion that matured in 2015, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.