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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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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kristopher S. 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.
    2. Elizabeth C. Klee & Chae Hee 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.).
    3. Olivier Darmouni, 2020. "Informational Frictions and the Credit Crunch," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(4), pages 2055-2094, August.

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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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