Two major Wall Street firms are in detailed discussions to create and sell the world’s first bond backed by home-rental payments, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Blackstone Group LP is in negotiations to bundle monthly rental payments on about 1,500 to 1,700 of its homes. The private-equity giant is among the firms that have spent billions buying homes out of foreclosure, an investment strategy that has helped to bolster demand and strengthen the U.S. housing market. The bond comprised of the Blackstone homes would be structured and marketed to investors by Deutsche Bank AG. Some investors and analysts have said that they are wary of a bond backed by rental payments, citing the dearth of long-term data on how often tenants living in previously foreclosed homes pay their rent on time. Also, some investors and analysts have raised concerns about how quickly firms have purchased thousands of homes, and whether they have the management track record and expertise to oversee the maintenance of properties scattered across the country.
