OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has affirmed the following Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC (Ocwen) small balance commercial (SBC) servicer ratings:

--Small Balance Primary servicer rating at 'SBPS2-'; Outlook revised to Stable from Negative;
--Small Balance Special servicer rating at 'SBSS2-'; Outlook revised to Stable from Negative.

The rating affirmations reflect Ocwen's highly integrated technology environment, robust investor and borrower websites, strong management team, and experienced SBC servicing staff. The revision of the Rating Outlook reflects recent progress made by Ocwen in its corporate governance and operational control framework. In addition, the ratings and Outlook revision incorporate the company's financial condition. In June 2015, Fitch affirmed the Long-term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) for Ocwen Financial Corporation and its wholly-owned primary operating subsidiary, Ocwen at 'B-' and revised the Rating Outlook for the IDR to Stable from Negative.

Fitch has also rated Ocwen 'RPS4' as a residential mortgage servicer for primary servicing of prime, Alt-A, subprime, HELOC, and closed-end 2nd lien products, and 'RSS4' for special servicing. The Outlook for the residential servicer ratings was revised to Positive from Stable in June 2015.

Ocwen's SBC servicing operation shares senior management with the company's commercial mortgage servicing operation, and continues to leverage both the company's residential and commercial mortgage servicing operations.

Loan administration functions including new loan set-up, cash processing, and investor reporting are performed by the residential servicing operation utilizing the REALServicing system, global servicing sites, and borrower and investor websites. Fitch has observed that these aspects within the residential servicing operation are effectively managed and functioning well.

Ocwen's commercial servicing operation provides support to SBC servicing with special servicing, valuations, and default services teams in located in West Palm Beach, FL; and back office operations located in India that reconciles the annual business operating statements, orders property valuations, collects and analyzes financial information on REO properties, and processes work orders for REO property management. Ocwen stated that all collections and asset management functions for SBC servicing are performed on-shore.

As of March 31, 2015, Ocwen serviced a SBC portfolio of 5,048 loans totaling $2.06 billion. This included primary servicing 4,348 loans totaling $1.8 billion and special servicing 700 loans totaling $306 million. The collateral for the SBC loans was comprised of approximately 16% retail, 16% industrial, 15% multifamily, 14% mixed-use, 12% office, and 27% classified as other based on unpaid principal balance. In December 2014, Ocwen initiated a new SBC loan origination flow agreement and boarded an initial transfer of approximately 53 loans totaling $41.6 million. In May 2015, Ocwen executed a new SBC flow servicing agreement with a start-up loan originator based in California.