Banks Face Competition From Bonds on Landlord Financing

RECAP: Gary Beasley, one of the earliest to build a corporate rental-home business amid the U.S. foreclosure crisis, said the birth of a bond market backed by the properties is compelling banks to lend more cheaply to firms like his. “It’s nice to have the competition of securitization to make the banks want to keep their credit lines competitive,” said Beasley, co-chief executive officer of Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust. Beasley’s company owns more than 9,000 homes and is planning to sell its first bonds this year, joining firms such as Blackstone Group LP and American Homes 4 Rent in issuing securities tied to rental payments. They’re seeking to recoup cash and earn higher returns with cheaper financing after a homebuying spree by institutional investors created a new industry of single-family landlords.)