banking collapse

A Senate hearing on recent bank failures turned into a prickly confrontation between bank executives and lawmakers. Former leadership for Silicon Valley, Signature, and First Republic Banks were hammered by lawmakers about why their banks collapsed. And there wasn’t a lot of agreement on the cause. Bank executives blamed the government and the media, while lawmakers blamed mismanagement and greed.

 

Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.

 

Silicon Valley Bank made the biggest splash as the first bank to fall with about $210 billion in assets. Signature bank had about $110 billion when it was seized by regulators. They were the third and fourth largest banks in the U.S. so their failures raised huge concerns about the impact on the entire financial system. First Republic went south and teetered for a few months after it lost billions in deposits, and was largely taken over by JPMorgan.

 

 

In a joint session before the Senate Banking Committee, former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker pointed a finger at the federal government, saying the bank’s failure was the result of a series of “unprecedented events.” He testified that: “With near zero-percent interest rates and the largest government sponsored economic stimulus in history, more than $5 trillion in new deposits flooded into commercial banks. By the end of 2020, SBV had grown 63 percent over the prior year, and in 2021, SVB’s assets grew another 83 percent to $212 billion.” (1)

 

He also pointed out that during the pandemic, when inflation started to become an issue, the Federal Reserve insisted that inflation was “transitory” and that interest rates would remain low.

 

 

The bank’s collapse largely happened after a decision to invest more than half of the bank’s loan portfolio into fixed-income Treasury securities, when interest rates were low. They are considered “low risk” but they are also impacted by interest rate hikes. When interest rates blew up to fight inflation, the value of SVB’s portfolio shrank and that forced the bank to sell at a $2 billion loss. When news spread about the bank’s situation, depositors became concerned about accessing their funds and the bank experienced a massive bank run. 

 

 

Becker also blamed the media for comparing the March 8th failure of Silvergate Bank to Silicon Valley Bank. He told lawmakers that the two banks had completely different business models, and said: “Rumors and misconceptions quickly spread online, culminating on March 9th with the first-ever social media bank run leading to more than $42 billion in deposits being withdrawn from SVB in 10 hours, or $1 million every second.”

 

 

Former Signature Bank Chairman Scott Shay was miffed that his bank was seized by New York State regulators on March 12th. He insisted that the bank would have survived that bank run. He argued: “We were at all times solvent and well-capitalized, and even with the sale of our available-for-sale securities, we still would have remained well capitalized.”

 

Former First Republic CEO Mike Roffler also blamed social media and news stories for inciting panic among depositors along with technology that allows for fast-paced digital withdrawals. Roffler told lawmakers: “The contagion spread very quickly and panic is very hard to control.” (2)

 

 

But lawmakers also took the conversation in a different direction, criticizing bank leaders for millions of dollars in bonuses and personal stock sales ahead of the failures. Senator Sherrod Brown ripped into Becker saying: “Workers face consequences, executives ride off into the sunset. Only in corporate boardrooms can you run your business into the ground, take the whole economy along with you and come out ahead. We can’t let that happen again.”

 

Some lawmakers said that bank executives could have reduced the risk by hedging their portfolios, but that they, instead, placed profits ahead of safety. As explained in a Washington Post article, Silicon Valley Bank had financed short-term liabilities with long-term debt. It seemed like a no-brainer when interest rates were low, and to be fair, there was a lot of talk about interest rates remaining low for a very long time. But when the Fed started hiking rates, the value of those Treasurys went down. Lawmakers say the bank could have swapped those longer-term notes for one with shorter-terms that match the duration of the bank’s liabilities. But they say the banks didn’t do that because it would have been more expensive. (3)

 

 

The session became downright nasty at times. Senator John Kenney of Louisiana had sharp words for what he called SVB’s “stupidity.” He told Becker: “You made a really stupid bet that went bad, didn’t ya? And the taxpayers of America had to pick up the tab for your stupidity, didn’t they?” (4)

 

He continued saying: “No, this wasn’t unprecedented. This was bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid. You put all your eggs in one basket and unless you lived on the International Space Station you could see that interest rates were rising and that you weren’t hedged.”

 

Let’s hope we’ve seen the last of this kind of banking madness. You can read more about this by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. 

 

I always encourage listeners to hedge their own financial empire with real estate. You can learn how to invest in rental properties at RealWealth. Becoming a member is free and will give you access to all our educational material as well as our investor portal with valuable data on rental markets, sample properties, and help from our investment counselors who can answer your questions. Just hit the “Join for Free” button.

 

And please remember to subscribe to this podcast! 

 

Thanks for listening!

Kathy Fettke

 

If you’re a RealWealth member, just sign into the portal and look for DealCheck under the Resources tab. If you aren’t a member, it’s free and easy to sign up. And, please remember to subscribe to this podcast!

 

Thanks for listening!

Kathy 

 

 

1 - https://commercialobserver.com/2023/05/svb-signature-ceos-blame-federal-govt-media-bank-failures/

 

2 - https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/05/17/lawmaker-blasts-first-republic-chief-you-were-one-of-3-worst-run-banks-in-us/?sh=256ad3e18d07

 

3 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/03/15/svb-s-fateful-mistake-could-be-lurking-in-your-401-k/0f139944-c31b-11ed-82a7-6a87555c1878_story.html

4 - https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/17/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html

The Fed followed through on another rate hike despite the banking turmoil. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee raised the Federal Funds rate another quarter point on March 22nd. That brings the short term rate to a range of 4.75% to 5%. 

 

Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.

 

Fed Chief Jerome Powell said the collapse of two banks, and the near-collapse of a third, did force Fed officials to consider a pause in rate hikes. But he says they were persuaded to hike rates again because of stubbornly high inflation and a strong job market with strong wage growth. But Powell offered assurances that the central bank is prepared to protect the banking system. He also still believes there’s a path to a soft landing. (1)

 

Powell says he expects the need for one more rate hike this year, while seven of the 18 Fed officials are forecasting two hikes. If the short-term rate is raised another quarter point, the end range would be 5% to 5.25%. 

 

 

The Fed previously thought Personal Consumption Expenditure index, or PCE, would end the year at 3.1%. It’s now projecting a higher 3.3%, which is moving in the wrong direction from the central bank’s 2% target. 

 

In the meantime, the Fed also needs to make sure the financial system remains stable. There’s fear that nervous depositors could pull more money out of regional banks, which are already under stress. Federal regulators took control of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and are making sure depositors get all their money back despite the FDIC limit of $250,000. The Fed also worked with the FDIC, and the U.S. Treasury in the creation of a fund for banks that need to borrow money to cover deposits. As reported by Bisnow, banks withdrew a total of $300 billion during the first week.

 

 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also says the government is prepared to protect small banks from failures, but much of this stability depends on the confidence of depositors. Archie brown of Cincinnati-based First Financial Bank told Bisnow: “The main thing is to make sure that the Fed is instilling confidence in the deposit base. As long as we do that, I think everything else will manage itself.”

 

The San Francisco-based First Republic had teetered toward failure with a $70 billion run on deposits, which is about half of its total. The bank received an infusion of cash from eleven large banks and the federal government to keep it from toppling. But the experts are still worried about smaller regional banks which is where a lot of commercial real estate investors get their loans. According to an article in Axios, small and mid-sized banks hold 67% of commercial real estate loans, and 37% of residential real estate loans. (3)

 

 

Brad Kraus of the CRE financial consulting first Ascension said in an email to Bisnow: “If banks do end up struggling, the first thing we see here on the front lines is a reduction in their real estate exposure.” He said: “If things get worse, they simply start quoting rates which guarantee profitability, thus effectively pricing themselves out of the market.” (4)

 

Higher rates will push commercial real estate values lower. Keiran says: “Those looking to sell anytime soon, especially those owners that are facing loan maturities, will have to offer their deals at higher cap rates to attract buyers.” According to the Wall Street Journal, as much as $270 billion in commercial mortgages will mature this year. 

 

As these loans mature Keiran expects to see a “major value adjustment” for commercial properties especially if we sink into a recession. Banks are also likely to cut back on lending as a way to preserve capital, especially if they expect the Fed to keep hiking rates.

 

That’s it for now. You’ll find links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com Please remember to join RealWealth. It’s free to join and gives you an all-area pass to our website. That includes our investor portal, our market data, and our experienced investment counselors. You can also find out more about our mastermind events, and our real estate tours in markets that are popular among single-family rental investors.

 

Please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and leave us a review!

 

Thanks for listening,

Kathy

Links:

 

1 - https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/22/live-updates-fed-rate-march.html

 

2 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-hikes-interest-rates-again-pencils-in-only-one-more-increase-ac42c84e?mod=home-page

 

3 - https://www.axios.com/2023/03/21/small-bank-struggles-could-hit-the-real-estate-market-har

 

4 - https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/capital-markets/banking-crisis-will-have-profound-effect-on-regional-bank-cre-lending-118190

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 18th, 2023… the latest reports on inflation, why homebuilders blame the media for skittish homebuyers, and what international buyers think about the U.S. real estate market.

 

Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.

 

 

We begin with the latest economic news from this past week, and what a week it’s been. The banking crisis continues to underscore the impact that interest rate hikes can have on the economy. Economists are now predicting that the Fed may only raise rates a quarter point when it meets in the coming week, instead of the previously anticipated half point rate hike. (1)

 

The latest inflation reports are also encouraging. The Consumer Price Index was up .4% in February. That’s after a .5% increase in January. The lower rate of inflation brings the annual rate down to 6% from 6.4%, which is still high, but receding. The CPI’s core rate was a bit higher. It was up .5% on a monthly basis with an annual rate that is now at 5.5%. The core rate doesn’t include prices for food or gas. (2)

 

The Producer Price Index was also down an unexpected .1% in February. Economists had expected a .3% gain. The decrease brought the annual rate down to 4.6% which is substantially below the January reading of 5.7%. Most of the decline was due to a steep drop in egg prices. They came down more than 36%. The Fed will be paying attention to both those reports at the upcoming meeting, along with the risk to banks that rate hikes are causing. (3)

 

The job market continues to show strength. Jobless claims tumbled to 192,000 last week. That’s down from 212,000 the week before. The report suggests that companies are not laying off many workers, despite the tough economy. (4)

 

The government also reported good news about home construction. Housing starts were up almost 10% in February. Economists had estimated a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million, but the report shows 1.45 million. It’s the first time in six months that new home construction is higher. Building permit applications also surged higher by almost 14% indicating more new homes are in the pipeline. They are now up to 1.52 million, while economists had forecast 1.34 million. (5)

 

Builders are also showing more confidence. The National Association of Home Builders reports that its home-builder confidence index is up for a third month in a row. The reading is now up to 44 which is still below the midway point of 50. It was at 79 last year at this time. The NAHB says that home buyers are still wrestling with high prices and a tight inventory while builders are dealing with tight credit and a dwindling number of buildable lots. (6)

 

 

After several weeks of slowly rising mortgage rates, they reversed course after the bank failures. That’s due to investors shifting money to safer assets such as Treasury notes and bonds. When that happens, Treasury yields fall along with mortgage rates which tend to follow those yields. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was down 13 basis points to 6.6%. The 15-year was down 5 points to 5.9%. (7)

 

In other news making headlines…

 

 

Homebuilders are blaming the media for headlines that are scaring off home buyers. The NAHB says that almost 80% of home builders believe this. Last year, it was only 55%.

 

The issue is that most reports about the real estate market provide information on the entire U.S. But the nation is made up of hundreds of smaller real estate markets, and while some are seeing a pullback, others are doing quite well. Also, many buyers may not understand that a recent dip in home sales is part of a return to normal after a pandemic-related home-buying frenzy while interest rates were still super low.

 

Last November, a Lending Tree survey showed that 41% of consumers believed we’re headed for a housing market crash within the next year. While many consumers are worried about a repeat of the 2008 housing market crash, economists have offered many reasons why that won’t happen in today’s environment. 

 

Chief economist for Nest Seekers International, Erin Sykes, says: “We’re now in a more balanced, health housing market.” And that’s the headline she’d like home buyers to pay attention to.

 

 

International buyers have a much healthier opinion about the U.S. housing market than domestic buyers. According to a survey by Global Luxury Coldwell Banker Real Estate, 80% of the participants call U.S. real estate a “safe investment.” The majority also rank U.S. real estate as either excellent or good. Contrast that with the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index which shows 79% of consumers saying it’s a bad time to buy a home. 

 

Liz Gehringer of Coldwell Banker Affiliate Business says for the international buyer, the dream of homeownership is alive and well, although she says that international buyers also tend to buy in cash. She says: “Affluent buyers are flocking to diverse U.S. locations to enhance their portfolio diversification, with many opportunities for growth, investment and building long-term wealth.”

 

The top international buyers are coming from China, Canada, India, and Mexico. Most are buying properties in Florida, California, and Texas. 

 

That’s it for today. You can find out how to diversify your portfolio by joining RealWealth at newsforinvestors.com. It’s free to join, and free to access all our data and resources. You can check the show notes for links and please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!

 

Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.

 

 

1 - https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/17/fed-poised-to-approve-quarter-point-rate-hike-next-week-despite-market-turmoil.html

 

​​2 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cpi-shows-slightly-cooler-u-s-inflation-but-pressure-still-on-fed-to-raise-rates-fe88e2f5?mod=economic-report

 

3 - https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/15/ppi-february-2023-.html

 

4 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-tumble-to-192-000-and-show-no-sign-of-rising-layoffs-a2a78aa2?mod=economy-politics

 

5 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-housing-starts-rise-by-9-8-in-february-led-by-a-surge-in-apartment-construction-aa4d395c?mod=economy-politics

 

6 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-builder-confidence-rises-for-third-consecutive-month-despite-high-mortgage-rates-and-construction-costs-fa26d3a?mod=home-page

 

7 - https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms

 

8 - https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/is-the-media-keeping-home-buyers-in-a-state-of-fear

 

9 - https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/rich-foreign-buyers-call-u-s-housing-market-excellent