Digital Risk Calls For New Industry Standards Taskforce To Oversee Mortgage Risk Due Diligence

NEW YORK, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Risk LLC, the nation's largest provider of mortgage risk, compliance and transaction management solutions, today at the MBA National Secondary Market Conference called for the creation of a due diligence industry standard task force to develop standards and requirements in mortgage risk due diligence.  The company calls for ratings agencies, due diligence firms, deal sponsors, originators and investors to come together and agree on standard practices to improve transparency and confidence in underwriting, fraud and regulatory compliance, particularly RESPA reform.  Without such diligence standards, private capital will continue to ebb from the RMBS market, and furthermore, the industry may face additional government regulation.

A consortium that includes a cross section of top mortgage due diligence firms, rating agencies, deal sponsors, originators and investors would bring together the industry expertise and broad representation needed to create a uniform set of due diligence standards that include actionable and reliable methodologies and analytics.  Clarity in standards reduces the cost to originate, which reduces cost to the consumer.  By joining together, industry participants can close the loop on the mistakes that contributed to the mortgage crisis, such as poor quality data and overly aggressive underwriting guidelines. 

The traditional underwriting guidelines used to evaluate a borrower's willingness and ability to pay have limited lenders origination capacity.  This current phenomenon is unsustainable, resulting in an unmet demand to loosen lending standards.  The markets are struggling to accurately value loans because of the volatility in real property values, so capital is on the sidelines until uncertainty dissipates.  A common set of best practices is sorely needed to raise market confidence and free up mortgage lending.

Ratings agencies such as Moody's, DBRS, Fitch, Kroll and S&P will play a pivotal role in this industry consortium as they must understand the capabilities of due diligence firms as well as utilize the review results to adjust inputs to their models and overall ratings.

Due diligence firms also have an important perspective to contribute.  These companies have made efforts to learn from the past and innovate approaches to risk management.  For example, over the past 7 years, Digital Risk has built better predictive models in lending based on the review of millions of loans.  As a result, Digital Risk has developed a patent-pending analytics platform that uses a heuristic, machine-learning algorithm to analyze over 73 billion data elements.  This industry-specific platform provides a far more reliable and meaningful understanding of systemic and operational risk and the propensity of default than legacy systems that are still in use today.  However, broad participation is needed to create comprehensive systems recommendations and quality oversight. 

The efficacy of due diligence for investors depends on standardizing the sample sizes, review scope and reporting.  "While there is market pressure to loosen lending standards, without a true understanding of risk elements, the certainty lenders require cannot be achieved and mortgage capital will remain limited," says Peter Kassabov, Digital Risk's Chief Executive Officer. "A standards body would not only restore confidence in underwriting procedures, it will help the mortgage lending industry feel more confident that it has actionable, reliable data to make quality lending decisions.  As an industry, we need to proactively act to develop reliable and stringent standards that will provide full transparency and improve underwriting protocols without government intervention."

Digital Risk, in conjunction with money center banks, rating agencies and other industry organizations, is spearheading an exploratory committee, which hopes to have its initial meeting in the coming weeks.  The group will convene to begin setting new standards and to create an ongoing process to monitor progress, including regular and periodic review meetings.

About Digital Risk, LLC

Digital Risk is the largest provider of mortgage risk and compliance management solutions. The company provides buyers and sellers of mortgages and mortgage backed securities the analytical, technological and risk management services they need to achieve their goals. The Digital Risk platform delivers transparency at the loan level and precise risk assessment throughout the entire mortgage value chain. With over 1,400 U.S. based professionals, the company is privileged to serve the nation's leading servicers, originators, aggregators and investors.  Digital Risk is independent and not affiliated with an originator, issuer, servicer or investor. Headquartered in Orlando, Digital Risk has additional operations in New York, Dallas, Denver, Boca Raton and Jacksonville.

Contact: Brandie Young
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510-599-2785

SOURCE Digital Risk, LLC