3/24/09

Geithner’s Plan

If the government subjectively determines leverage ratios


for private parties to borrow from taxpayers to invest


are they not indirectly setting prices


given the loans are nonrecourse?


 


A…nonrecourse loan…is secured by a pledge of collateral


typically real property


but for which the borrower is not personally liable


 


If the borrower defaults, the lender/issuer can seize the collateral


but the lender's recovery is limited to the collateral


 


… non-recourse debt is typically limited to 80% or 90% loan-to-value ratios


so that the property itself provides "over-collateralization" of the loan


 


The purpose of non-recourse debt is to require lenders


to underwrite their loans on a sustainable and prudent basis


since the lender is in the first-loss position with these loans


not the borrower


 


Nonrecourse Debt


Wikipedia


If the PPIP creates artificial demand 


which would most likely be lower


if Treasury had offered half as much incentive


how could auction prices for debt not be intentionally inflated?

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