OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings assigns a rating of 'AAA' with a Stable Outlook to the Agency-Enhanced Affordable Housing Trust Class A floating certificates series 2012-63, 2012-64 and 2012-65 (tax-exempt) and series 2012-7T, 2012-8T and 2012-9T (taxable).

KEY RATING DRIVERS:

The Class A Floating Certificates relate to separate trusts into which custodial receipts will be deposited. The long-term 'AAA'/Stable Outlook rating is based on the rating assigned by Fitch to the credit enhancement provided by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac, 'AAA/F1+'/Stable Outlook) securing the custodial receipts deposited in the trusts. As the ratings of Freddie Mac are currently linked to the U.S. sovereign rating, any rating action on the U.S. sovereign rating will directly affect the rating on the certificates. Should Fitch's view of the strength of government support for Freddie Mac be reduced or downgraded, the rating of Freddie Mac may be delinked from the U.S. sovereign rating and may result in negative pressure on the rating of the certificates.

The custodial receipts deposited in the Agency-Enhanced Affordable Housing Trusts represent an ownership interest in assets deposited pursuant to a Custody Agreement with the Custodian, U.S. Bank Trust National Association (Custodial Asset), and a right to receive payments of scheduled principal and interest pursuant to a Standby Credit Enhancement Agreement provided by Freddie Mac. In the event that on any bond interest payment date the Custodian receives an amount less than the amount of interest and/or principal then due on the Custodial Asset, then the amount of any such deficiency shall be made up from a demand, by the Custodian, on the Standby Credit Enhancement Agreement provided by Freddie Mac.

The Custodial Receipts are subject to mandatory tender: (1) the earlier of the fifth business day prior to Feb. 23, 2021, unless such date is extended, or the bond maturity date for the applicable series of Custodial Receipts (2) the fifth business day following receipt by the Custodian from Freddie Mac of an Event of Default by the Sponsor, Merrill Lynch Capital Services, Inc, under a reimbursement arrangement; (3) the fifth Business Day following receipt by the Custodian from Freddie Mac an Event of Default on the Custodial Asset; and (4) the fifth Business Day following receipt by the Custodian from Freddie Mac of the occurrence of certain events of default. The payment of the tender price for each mandatory tender shall be made from a demand, by the Custodian, on the Standby Credit Enhancement Agreement provided by Freddie Mac.

The credit enhancement is scheduled to expire upon the first to occur of (a) Feb. 23, 2021, (b) the date the Custodial Receipts of the applicable series shall have been paid in full, (c) the effective date of any substitute credit enhancement, and (d) the date on which all of the bonds of the applicable series have been released or withdrawn from the Custody Agreement.

RATING SENSITIVITIES
The long-term rating assigned to the Class A floating certificates is tied to the long-term rating that Fitch maintains on Freddie Mac. As the ratings of Freddie Mac are currently linked to the U.S. sovereign rating, any rating action on the U.S. sovereign rating will directly affect the rating on the certificates. Should Fitch's view of the strength of government support for Freddie Mac be reduced or downgraded, the rating of Freddie Mac may be delinked from the U.S. sovereign rating and may result in negative pressure on the rating of the certificates.