Fitch Downgrades and Withdraws IndyMac Mortgage Services' U.S. RMBS Servicer Ratings

NEW YORK--()--Fitch Ratings has downgraded the U.S. residential servicer ratings for IndyMac Mortgage Services, a division of OneWest Bank N.A. (IndyMac) to 'RPS3-' from 'RPS3'; and removed all ratings from Rating Watch Negative.

--U.S. Residential primary servicer rating for prime product to 'RPS3-' from 'RPS3'/Rating Watch Negative;

--U.S. Residential primary servicer rating for Alt-A product to 'RPS3-'from 'RPS3'/Rating Watch Negative;

--U.S. Residential primary servicer rating for subprime product to 'RPS3-' from 'RPS3'/Rating Watch Negative;

--U.S. Residential special servicer rating to 'RSS3-' from 'RSS3'/Rating Watch Negative.

Fitch has also withdrawn its servicer ratings of IndyMac.

The ratings downgrade reflects changes to IndyMac's focus as it has aligned its activities with the servicing of the owned mortgage loan portfolio for its parent OneWest Bank N.A. while moving away from non-agency RMBS servicing. The servicer has transferred the majority of its non-agency RMBS portfolio to Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC and to a lesser extent, Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC.

Fitch has also withdrawn the servicer ratings as IndyMac has chosen to stop participating in the rating process subsequent to its exit from most non-agency RMBS activities. Therefore, Fitch will no longer have sufficient information to maintain the servicer ratings. Accordingly, Fitch will no longer provide ratings or analytical coverage for IndyMac's servicing operation.

The IndyMac platform has been servicing residential loans for over 20 years. IndyMac maintains three servicing sites in Pasadena, CA, Austin, TX, and Kalamazoo, MI. OneWest Bank N.A. is a wholly owned subsidiary of IMB HoldCo LLC.

Fitch rates residential mortgage primary, master, and special servicers on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest rating. Within some of these rating levels, Fitch further differentiates ratings by plus (+) and minus (-) as well as the flat rating. For more information on Fitch's residential servicer rating program, please see Fitch's report 'Rating U.S. Residential and Small Balance Commercial Mortgage Servicer Rating Criteria', dated Jan. 30, 2014 which is available on the Fitch Ratings web site at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

--'U.S. Residential and Small Balance Commercial Mortgage Servicer Rating Criteria' (Jan. 30, 2014).

Applicable Criteria and Related Research:

Rating Criteria for US Residential and Small Balance Commercial Mortgage Servicers

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=731747

Additional Disclosure

Solicitation Status

http://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=907354

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Contacts

Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst:
Natasha Aikins, +1-212-908-0272
Director
33 Whitehall Street
New York, NY 10004
or
Committee Chairperson:
Grant Bailey, +1-212-908-0544
Managing Director
or
Media Relations:
Sandro Scenga, New York, +1 212-908-0278
sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com

Contacts

Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst:
Natasha Aikins, +1-212-908-0272
Director
33 Whitehall Street
New York, NY 10004
or
Committee Chairperson:
Grant Bailey, +1-212-908-0544
Managing Director
or
Media Relations:
Sandro Scenga, New York, +1 212-908-0278
sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com