The Mother of All RFPs
Politics and the CMBS industry have become sudden (and strange) bedfellows, but recent developments may help bring open transparency to both parties.
The Department of the Treasury recently issued an RFP titled “Notice to Financial Institutions Interested in Providing Whole Loan Asset Management Services for a Portfolio of Troubles Mortgage-Related Assets.”
This is a huge opportunity.
From the RFP:
“In furtherance of its mission to ensure the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system, and to implement the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Act), the Treasury is establishing a program to purchase a variety of troubled assets. Accordingly, the Treasury seeks one or more Financial Institutions to provide asset management services for a portfolio of dollar-denominated mortgage whole loans that the Treasury will acquire from Financial Institutions.”
The submission deadline was 5 p.m. ET today, and we proposed that the government name Backshop as the CMBS reporting standard.
From our cover letter:
“While the CMBS market represents only 15% to 20% of the securitized “problem,” Backshop and CMBS.com are uniquely positioned to help solve this part of the problem. We provide the software and the data required to power a common underwriting platform that provides needed transparency into the value of the underlying assets. …”
After all, we believe the appointed asset managers should report to the DOT — and the taxpayers — in an open and transparent way.
Transparent CMBS Standards Today!
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Jim Flaherty is CEO of CMBS.com and the creator of the Backshop loan origination system. He is a trained credit professional with experience installing enterprise underwriting systems for commercial real estate lenders, rating agencies and investors.
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