United Western Bancorp sells MBS for less than a penny on the dollar

United Western receives $378,000 for $47.3 million of mortgage-backed securities, backed primarily by option ARM loans:

United Western Bancorp, Inc., a Denver-based holding company whose principal subsidiary, United Western Bank® (the “Bank”), is a community bank focused on expansion across Colorado’s Front Range market and selected mountain communities, today announced that the Bank sold mortgage-backed securities with an unpaid principal balance of $47.3 million of lower tranche mortgage backed securities secured primarily by “option-adjustable-rate” mortgage loans (the “Option ARM Securities”) to an unaffiliated third party. Total consideration received for the Option ARM Securities was $378,000. As a result of the disposition, the Company expects to record a pretax loss on sale of $47 million, or approximately $29.8 million net of tax.