Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

v3.7.0.1
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fair Value Summary Table

The following table summarizes the carrying values and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments at March 31, 2017
 
Carrying
Value
 
Estimated
Fair Value
 
Fair Value Method (A)
Assets
 

 
 

 
 
Real estate securities, available-for-sale
$
2,032

 
$
2,032

 
Pricing models
Real estate securities, available-for-sale - pledged as collateral
326,878

 
326,878

 
Broker/counterparty quotations, pricing services
Real estate related and other loans, held-for-sale, net
59,043

 
64,575

 
Pricing models
Residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net (B)
228

 
259

 
Broker/counterparty quotations, pricing models
Cash and cash equivalents
126,970

 
126,970

 
 
Restricted cash
7,213

 
7,213

 
 
Non-hedge derivative assets (C)
364

 
364

 
Counterparty quotations, pricing services
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liabilities
 
 
 
 
 
Repurchase agreements
310,630

 
310,630

 
Counterparty quotations, market comparables
Credit facilities and obligations under capital leases
114,851

 
117,872

 
Pricing models
Junior subordinated notes payable
51,214

 
26,714

 
Pricing models
Non-hedge derivative liabilities (C)
2,010

 
2,010

 
Counterparty quotations, pricing services

(A)
Methods are listed in order of priority. In the case of real estate securities and real estate related and other loans, broker quotations are obtained if available and practicable, otherwise counterparty quotations or pricing service valuations are obtained or, finally, internal pricing models are used. Internal pricing models are only used for (i) securities and loans that are not traded in an active market, and, therefore, have little or no price transparency, and for which significant unobservable inputs must be used in estimating fair value, or (ii) loans or debt obligations which are private and untraded.
(B)
Residential mortgage loans held-for-sale, net is recorded in receivables and other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(C)
Represents derivative assets and liabilities, including an interest rate cap and TBA forward contracts (Note 9).

Fair Value Measurements

Valuation Hierarchy
The fair value of financial instruments is categorized based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique and categorized into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The Company follows this hierarchy for its financial instruments measured at fair value.

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments.
Level 2 - Valuations based principally on observable market parameters, including
quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets,
inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (such as interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals, implied volatilities and credit spreads), and
market corroborated inputs (derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data).
Level 3 - Valuations determined using unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity, and that are significant to the overall fair value measurement. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using non-binding market quotations, pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques where significant inputs are unobservable, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

Fair value may be based upon broker quotations, counterparty quotations or pricing services quotations, which provide valuation estimates based upon reasonable market order indications or management’s good faith estimate, and are subject to significant variability based on market conditions, such as interest rates, credit spreads and market liquidity. A significant portion of the Company’s loans, securities and debt obligations are currently not traded in active markets and therefore have little or no price transparency. As a result, the Company has estimated the fair value of these illiquid instruments based on internal pricing models or quotations subject to the Company’s controls described below.

The Company has various processes and controls in place to ensure that fair value measurements are reasonably estimated. With respect to broker and pricing service quotations, and in order to ensure these quotes represent a reasonable estimate of fair value, The Company’s quarterly procedures include a comparison of such quotations to quotations from different sources, outputs generated from its internal pricing models and transactions completed, as well as on its knowledge and experience of these markets. With respect to fair value estimates generated based on the Company’s internal pricing models, the Company’s management validates the inputs and outputs of the internal pricing models by comparing them to available independent third-party market parameters and models, where available, for reasonableness. The Company believes its valuation methods and the assumptions used are appropriate and consistent with other market participants.
Fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 are sensitive to changes in the assumptions or methodology used to determine fair value and such changes could result in a significant increase or decrease in the fair value. For the Company’s investments in real estate securities, real estate related and other loans and residential mortgage loans categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, the significant unobservable inputs include the discount rates, assumptions relating to prepayments, default rates and loss severities. Significant increases (decreases) in any of the discount rates, default rates or loss severities in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. The impact of changes in prepayment speeds would have differing impacts on fair value, depending on the seniority of the investment. Generally, a change in the default assumption is accompanied by directionally similar changes in the assumptions used for the loss severity and the prepayment speed.
Recurring Fair Value Measurements - Real Estate Securities and Derivatives

The following table summarizes financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2017:
 
 
 
Fair Value
 
Carrying Value
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
 
 
 
Market Quotations (Observable)
 
Market Quotations (Unobservable)
 
Internal Pricing Models
 
 
Assets
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

Real estate securities, available-for-sale:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

ABS - Non-Agency RMBS
$
2,032

 
$

 
$

 
$
2,032

 
$
2,032

Real estate securities, available-for-sale total
$
2,032

 
$

 
$

 
$
2,032

 
$
2,032

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Real estate securities, available-for-sale - pledged as collateral:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FNMA/FHLMC
$
326,878

 
$
326,878

 
$

 
$

 
$
326,878

Real estate securities, available-for-sale - pledged as collateral total
$
326,878

 
$
326,878

 
$

 
$

 
$
326,878

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivative assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate cap, not treated as hedge
$
364

 
$
364

 
$

 
$

 
$
364

Derivative assets total
$
364

 
$
364

 
$

 
$

 
$
364

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liabilities
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

Derivative liabilities:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

TBAs, not treated as hedges
$
2,010

 
$
2,010

 
$

 
$

 
$
2,010

Derivative liabilities total
$
2,010

 
$
2,010

 
$

 
$

 
$
2,010


 
Significant Unobservable Inputs

The following table provides quantitative information regarding the significant unobservable inputs used by the Company for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2017.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted Average Significant Input
Asset Type
 
Amortized Cost Basis
 
Fair Value
 
Discount
Rate
 
Prepayment
Speed
 
Cumulative Default Rate
 
Loss
Severity
ABS - Non-Agency RMBS
 
$
817

 
$
2,032

 
12.0
%
 
4.6
%
 
4.2
%
 
64.9
%
Total
 
$
817

 
$
2,032

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


All of the inputs used have some degree of market observability, based on the Company’s knowledge of the market, relationships with market participants, and use of common market data sources. Collateral prepayment, default and loss severity projections are in the form of “curves” or “vectors” that vary for each monthly collateral cash flow projection. Methods used to develop these projections vary by asset class (e.g., CMBS projections are developed differently than home equity ABS projections) but conform to industry conventions. The Company uses assumptions that generate its best estimate of future cash flows of each respective security.

The discount rates the Company uses are derived from a range of observable pricing on securities backed by similar collateral and offered in a live market. As the markets in which the Company transacts have become less liquid, the Company has had to rely on fewer data points in this analysis.

Default rates are determined from the current “pipeline” of loans that are more than 90 days delinquent, in foreclosure, or are REO. These significantly delinquent loans determine the first 24 months of the default vector. Beyond month 24, the default vector transitions to a steady-state value that is generally equal to or greater than that given by the widely published investment bank model.

The prepayment speed vector specifies the percentage of the collateral balance that is expected to voluntarily pay off at each point in the future. The prepayment speed vector is based on projections from a widely published investment bank model which considers factors such as collateral FICO score, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, and vintage on a loan-level basis. This vector is scaled up or down to match recent collateral-specific prepayment experience, as obtained from remittance reports and market data services.

Loss severities are based on recent collateral-specific experience with additional consideration given to collateral characteristics. Collateral age is taken into consideration because severities tend to initially increase with collateral age before eventually stabilizing. The Company typically uses projected severities that are higher than the historic experience for collateral that is relatively new to account for this effect. Collateral characteristics such as loan size, lien position, and location (state) also affect loss severity. The Company considers whether a collateral pool has experienced a significant change in its composition with respect to these factors when assigning severity projections.

The Company’s investments in instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 3 inputs changed during the three months ended March 31, 2017 as follows:
 
 
ABS - Non-Agency RMBS
Balance at December 31, 2016
 
$
1,950

Total gains (losses) (A)
 
 

Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
 
47

Amortization included in interest income
 
47

Purchases, sales and repayments (A)
 
 

Proceeds
 
(12
)
Balance at March 31, 2017
 
$
2,032


(A)
None of the gains (losses) recorded in earnings during the period is attributable to the change in unrealized gains (losses) relating to Level 3 assets still held at the reporting dates. There were no purchases or sales during the three months ended March 31, 2017. There were no transfers into or out of Level 3 during the three months ended March 31, 2017.
 
 

Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurements - Loans

Loans which the Company does not have the ability or intent to hold into the foreseeable future are classified as held-for-sale. Held-for-sale loans are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value and are therefore recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis. These loans were written down to fair value at the time of the impairment, based on broker quotations, pricing service quotations or internal pricing models. All the loans were within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. For real estate related and other loans, the most significant inputs used in the valuations are the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, market yields and the estimated collateral value of such loan investments. 

The following table summarizes certain information for real estate related and other loans as of March 31, 2017:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Significant Input
 
 
 
 
 
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
Loan Type
 
Carrying Value
 
Fair Value
 
Discount Rate
 
Loss Severity
 
Discount Rate
 
Loss Severity
Corporate Loans
 
59,043

 
64,575

 
0.0%-22.5%
 
0.0%-100.0%
 
22.5
%
 
48.0
%
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net (A)
 
$
59,043

 
$
64,575

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

(A)
Excludes $17.8 million face amount of mezzanine loans which have a zero carrying value.

Liabilities for Which Fair Value is Only Disclosed
 
The following table summarizes the level of the fair value hierarchy, valuation techniques and inputs used for estimating each class of liabilities not measured at fair value in the statement of financial position but for which fair value is disclosed:
Type of Liabilities Not Measured At Fair Value for Which Fair Value Is Disclosed
 
Fair Value Hierarchy
 
 
Valuation Techniques and Significant Inputs
Repurchase agreements
 
Level 2
 
Valuation technique is based on market comparables. Significant inputs include:
 
 
 
 
l
Amount and timing of expected future cash flows
 
 
 
 
l
Interest rates
 
 
 
 
l
Collateral funding spreads
 
 
 
 
 
 
Credit facilities
 
Level 3
 
Valuation technique is based on discounted cash flows. Significant inputs include:
 
 
 
 
l
Amount and timing of expected future cash flows
 
 
 
 
l
Interest rates
 
 
 
 
l
Market yields
 
 
 
 
 
 
Junior subordinated notes payable
 
Level 3
 
Valuation technique is based on discounted cash flows. Significant inputs include:
 
 
 
 
l
Amount and timing of expected future cash flows
 
 
 
 
l
Interest rates
 
 
 
 
l
Market yields and the credit spread of the Company