(Courtesy of Bloomberg News): The private-equity firm is now planning to sell bonds backed by lease payments, the latest step in turning a small business into a mature industry.  Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) may start marketing almost $500 million of the securities as soon as this week, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction. The debt will include a portion with the highest investment grade from at least one ratings company, according to another person. Both asked not to be identified because the deal isn't public.The person with knowledge of the transaction wouldn't specify which rating company has assigned its top rating to the bonds. That grade is higher than Standard & Poor's rating of U.S. government debt. The Financial Times reported earlier today that the deal would get a AAA grade.Blackstone, which started its Invitation Homes division in April 2012 to buy and renovate properties to lease, is double the size of American Homes 4 Rent (AMH), the second-largest single-family home landlord. MORE

(Courtesy of NHC): JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest bank, has reached a tentative deal with the Justice Department to pay approximately $13 billion to resolve allegations that the bank knowingly sold faulty mortgage securities that contributed to the financial crisis. The settlement does not absolve the bank of any criminal wrongdoing, which the Justice Department could still pursue in the future.  New York Times   Bloomberg

(Courtesy of NHC): A recently released white paper by the Coalition for Sensible Housing Policy, titled "Updated QRM Proposal Strikes Balance: Preserves Access While Safeguarding Consumers and Market," explains why regulators have struck the right balance by proposing a rule to align the qualified residential mortgage (QRM) rule with the qualified mortgage (QM) rule. The product standards in QM ensure borrowers have access to safe, sustainable mortgages, and those same standards can also protect investors by applying risk retention requirements to loans outside of the QM standard. Aligning the two standards also brings much-needed clarity for mortgage markets, which will help lower costs for consumers.  MORE

(Courtesy of NHC): Four short fact sheets released by the housing finance team at the Center for American's Progress on October 23 explain some of these technical discussions and why mortgage finance reform has broad and lasting implications for "our economy, housing market, and the opportunities for millions of families." As these fact sheets explain, key questions include the government's role in the system, how to support the development of affordable housing, and ensure access to credit for all communities and creditworthy borrowers. MORE

(Courtesy of Housing Matters and Chicago Tribune): Chicago's nonprofit Metropolitan Tenants Organization is launching Squared Away Chicago, a Web-based mobile phone app that is designed to help renters and landlords stay in touch, document problems within apartments and create a virtual paper trail if a complaint goes unresolved and an outside party needs to step in to resolve the dispute.  MORE

In a speech to the National Asian American Coalition, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry discussed the important role housing counselors play in providing prospective home buyers with the knowledge they need to make sound financial decisions in purchasing and maintaining a home. MORE