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Are lemons sold first? Dynamic signaling in the mortgage market

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  • Adelino, Manuel
  • Gerardi, Kristopher
  • Hartman-Glaser, Barney

Abstract

A central result in the theory of adverse selection in asset markets is that informed sellers can signal quality and obtain higher prices by delaying trade. This paper provides some of the first evidence of a signaling mechanism through trade delays using the residential mortgage market as a laboratory. We find a strong relationship between mortgage performance and time to sale for privately securitized mortgages. Additionally, deals made up of more seasoned mortgages are sold at lower yields. These effects are strongest in the “Alt-A” segment of the market, where mortgages are often sold with incomplete hard information, and in cases where the originator and the issuer of mortgage-backed securities are not affiliated.

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  • Adelino, Manuel & Gerardi, Kristopher & Hartman-Glaser, Barney, 2019. "Are lemons sold first? Dynamic signaling in the mortgage market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(1), pages 1-25.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:132:y:2019:i:1:p:1-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2018.09.005
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    2. Kristopher Gerardi & Paul S. Willen & David Hao Zhang, 2020. "Mortgage Prepayment, Race, and Monetary Policy," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2020-22, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    3. Salomón García, 2022. "Mortgage securitization and information frictions in general equilibrium," Working Papers 2221, Banco de España.
    4. Asriyan, Vladimir & Fuchs, William & Green, Brett, 2021. "Aggregation and design of information in asset markets with adverse selection," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    5. Elizabeth C. Klee & Chaehee Shin, 2020. "Post-crisis Signals in Securitization: Evidence from Auto ABS," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-042, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    6. Aiello, Darren J., 2022. "Financially constrained mortgage servicers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 590-610.
    7. Yesol Huh & You Suk Kim, 2021. "Cheapest-to-Deliver Pricing, Optimal MBS Securitization, and Market Quality," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2021-031, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Brendan Daley & Brett Green & Victoria Vanasco, 2020. "Securitization, Ratings, and Credit Supply," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(2), pages 1037-1082, April.
    9. Lewis, Brittany Almquist, 2023. "Creditor rights, collateral reuse, and credit supply," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(3), pages 451-472.
    10. Gerardi, Kristopher & Willen, Paul S. & Zhang, David Hao, 2023. "Mortgage prepayment, race, and monetary policy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(3), pages 498-524.
    11. Paul E. Carrillo & William M. Doerner & William D. Larson, 2023. "House Price Markups and Mortgage Defaults," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 55(4), pages 747-782, June.
    12. Bin Wei & Feng Zhao, 2022. "Racial Disparities in Mortgage Lending: New Evidence Based on Processing Time," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2022-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    13. Olivier Darmouni, 2020. "Informational Frictions and the Credit Crunch," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 2055-2094, August.
    14. Jordan Martel & Kenneth Mirkin & Brian Waters, 2022. "Learning by Owning in a Lemons Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(3), pages 1737-1785, June.
    15. Lewellen, Stefan & Williams, Emily, 2021. "Did technology contribute to the housing boom? Evidence from MERS," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(3), pages 1244-1261.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortgage markets; Asymmetric information; Signaling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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