Nationstar to acquire $63 billion of Aurora MSRs

By Andrew Scoggin
• March 6, 2012 • 3:15pm

Nationstar Mortgage agreed to acquire $63 billion in mortgage servicing rights from Aurora Bank, according to a news release.

The Texas-based servicer said Tuesday it would also acquire other assets from Aurora, though a spokesman for Nationstar declined to comment on further details. Aurora Bank did not respond to a request for comment.

Nationstar will pay $268 million for the mortgage servicing rights and $210 million for servicer advances, according to a release.

Newcastle Investment Corp. ($5.39 -0.29%) will fund about $170 million of the purchase price and receive 65% of excess mortgage servicing rights. Both Newcastle and Nationstar are affiliated with Fortress Investment Group ($7.05 -0.21%)

Nationstar expects the deal, subject to regulatory approval, to close by June 30. The servicer also expects to launch its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange soon.

Aurora Bank, formerly known as Lehman Brothers Bank, plans to close its correspondent lending unit in April, according to the St. Louis Business Journal. The bank filed notice recently that it plans to lay off 146 employees in its Chesterfield, Mo., office by April 30.

Aurora serviced roughly $75 billion in outstanding mortgages as of Dec. 31, 2010.

ascoggin@housingwire.com

@AScoggin

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