DBRS Finalizes Provisional Ratings on Classic RMBS Trust, Series 2019-1

DBRS Limited (DBRS) finalized the provisional ratings on the Mortgage Pass-Through Notes, Series 2019-1 issued by Classic RMBS Trust (the Issuer) as follows:

-- AAA (sf) on the Class A Mortgage Pass-Through Notes, Series 2019-1 (the Class A Notes)
-- AA (sf) on the Class B Mortgage Pass-Through Notes, Series 2019-1 (the Class B Notes; together with the Class A Notes, the Rated Notes)

The rating assigned to the Class A Notes represents the timely payment of interest to the holders thereof and the ultimate payment of principal by the Scheduled Final Distribution Date. The rating assigned to the Class B Notes represents the timely payment of interest to the holders thereof after the Class A Notes are fully repaid and the Class B Notes become the most senior class of notes outstanding and the ultimate payment of all interest and principal by the Scheduled Final Distribution Date.

The Class Z Mortgage Pass-Through Notes, Series 2019-1 are not rated by DBRS.

The ratings incorporate the following considerations:

(1) The high level of credit enhancement provided by subordination (15% and 5% initial subordination for the Class A Notes and Class B Notes, respectively).

(2) A bankruptcy-remote structure that provides increasing enhancement to the Rated Notes as principal is repaid sequentially. Additional protections include a Servicing Reserve Account and excess collections that are directed toward repayment of the Rated Notes upon the occurrence of a Trigger Event.

(3) The collateral comprises a pool of approximately $500.0 million first-lien fixed-rate uninsured Canadian residential mortgages with a weighted-average loan-to-value ratio of 69.4% and a weighted-average credit score of 741 (the Mortgage Pool), in each case, as of the Cut-Off Date. The Mortgage Pool also benefits from 37 months of seasoning since initial origination and excludes defaulted or delinquent mortgages. All of the loans in the Mortgage Pool are originated and serviced by Home Trust Company (Home Trust).

(4) The mortgages are underwritten manually with verified income and full appraisal, are in compliance with Home Trust's underwriting guidelines and Residential Mortgage Underwriting Policy, as in effect at the time of origination, and in accordance with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions’ Guideline B-20, as in effect at the time of origination.

(5) An independent third-party due diligence firm conducted credit, renewal, payment history, data integrity and property valuation reviews, as applicable, on 20.6% of the loans in the pool (by loan count as of the Cut-Off Date). The results of the reviews were satisfactory.

DBRS uses the Canadian residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) model that calculates estimated default frequency (more than 90 days in arrears), loss severity and expected loss on a loan-level basis. The RMBS model output does not include the risk of mortgage default at maturity (i.e., balloon risk). Balloon risk is considered to be low in this transaction due to strong asset quality, proven refinancing liquidity during the financial crisis and structural features for loans that are not renewed at maturity. If a loan has not been renewed within the Mortgage Pool or renewed or refinanced with Home Trust or any other lender prior to its maturity date and remains unpaid on its maturity date, the Servicer (or a Replacement Servicer) will extend the maturity date of the mortgage up to six months at a rate equal to the greater of the mortgage rate as of the Cut-Off Date or the Seller’s prevailing posted mortgage rate at the time of the extension, in order to prevent the mortgage from becoming delinquent or defaulted at maturity. To assess balloon risk, DBRS nevertheless considers the probability of no lender liquidity at the end of the loan tenure and a hypothetical percentage of loan defaults as a result of non-renewal. The balloon risk is in addition to the credit risk estimated by the RMBS model. When determining the loss severity of loans that default as a result of non-renewal, since such borrowers have been current on their mortgage payments and the timing of default is known, DBRS considers scheduled mortgage payments and a certain level of house price appreciation during the mortgage term. After taking the balloon risk into account, DBRS analysis indicates that the 15% initial credit enhancement available to the Class A Notes provides substantial protection compared with the total expected loss under a AAA (sf) stress.

With the RMBS model results and adjustment for balloon risk, DBRS runs a proprietary cash flow engine that incorporates the transaction structure and assumptions for timing of default, interest rates and prepayments. The result was that the Rated Notes, with the proposed structure, could withstand each stress scenario with no loss. The Issuer’s ability to repay interest and principal of the Rated Notes is consistent with the respective ratings.

The Seller and Servicer, Home Trust, is rated BB and R-4 with Positive trends by DBRS as of March 15, 2019, and is a federally regulated trust company with $22.9 billion of loans under administration as at June 2019.

Notes:
All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

The principal methodology is Rating Canadian Residential Mortgages, Home Equity Lines of Credit and Reverse Mortgages (November 2018), which can be found on dbrs.com under Methodologies & Criteria.

The related regulatory disclosures pursuant to the National Instrument 25-101 Designated Rating Organizations are hereby incorporated by reference and can be found by clicking on the link under Related Documents or by contacting us at info@dbrs.com.

The rated entity or its related entities did participate in the rating process for this rating action. DBRS had access to the accounts and other relevant internal documents of the rated entity or its related entities in connection with this rating action.

Please see the related appendix for additional information regarding the sensitivity of assumptions used in the rating process.

The full report providing additional analytical detail is available by clicking on the link under Related Documents below or by contacting us at info@dbrs.com.

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrs.com or contact us at info@dbrs.com.

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