Financial Instruments and Fair Value Disclosure

12 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2021

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Disclosure

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Disclosures

The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of financial instruments held by the Company at November 30, 2021 and 2020, using available market information and what the Company believes to be appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop the estimates of fair value. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies might have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts. The table excludes cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables, net, and accounts payable, all of which had fair values approximating their carrying amounts due to the short maturities and liquidity of these instruments.


		November 30,
		2021			2020
	Fair Value	Carrying		Fair	Carrying	Fair
(In thousands)	Hierarchy	Amount		Value	Amount	Value
ASSETS

Financial Services:
Loans held-for-investment, net	Level 3	$	44,582	44,594	72,626	70,808
Investments held-to-maturity	Level 3	157,808		184,495	164,230	196,047




LIABILITIES
Homebuilding senior notes and other debts payable, net	Level 2	$	4,652,338	5,046,721	5,955,758	6,581,798
Financial Services notes and other debts payable, net	Level 2	1,726,026		1,726,860	1,463,919	1,464,850

Lennar Other notes and other debts payable, net	Level 2	—		—	1,906	1,906

The following methods and assumptions are used by the Company in estimating fair values:

Financial Services—The fair values above are based on quoted market prices, if available. The fair values for instruments that do not have quoted market prices are estimated by the Company on the basis of discounted cash flows or other financial information. For notes and other debts payable, the fair values approximate their carrying value due to variable interest pricing terms and the short-term nature of the majority of the borrowings.

Homebuilding—For senior notes and other debts payable, the fair value of fixed-rate borrowings is primarily based on quoted market prices and the fair value of variable-rate borrowings is based on expected future cash flows calculated using current market forward rates.

Lennar Other—The fair value for notes payable approximate their carrying value due to variable interest pricing terms and the short-term nature of the borrowings.

Fair Value Measurements

GAAP provides a framework for measuring fair value, expands disclosures about fair value measurements and establishes a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value summarized as follows:

Level 1: Fair value determined based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

Level 2: Fair value determined using significant other observable inputs.

Level 3: Fair value determined using significant unobservable inputs.

The Company’s financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:


		Fair Value at November 30,
(In thousands)	Fair Value Hierarchy	2021		2020
Financial Services Assets:
Residential loans held-for-sale	Level 2	$	1,636,283	1,296,517
LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale	Level 3	68		193,588
Mortgage servicing rights	Level 3	2,492		2,113
Lennar Other:
Investments in equity securities	Level 1	906,539		—
Investments available-for-sale	Level 3	41,654		53,497

Residential and LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale in the table above include:


	November 30,
	2021		2020
(In thousands)	Aggregate Principal Balance		Change in Fair Value	Aggregate Principal Balance	Change in Fair Value





Residential loans held-for-sale	$	1,586,764	49,519	1,232,548	63,969
LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale	—		68	194,362	(774)

The estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments have been determined by using available market information and what the Company believes to be appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop the estimates of fair value. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies might have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts. The following methods and assumptions are used by the Company in estimating fair values:

Financial Services residential loans held-for-sale— Fair value is based on independent quoted market prices, where available, or the prices for other mortgage whole loans with similar characteristics. The Company recognizes the fair value of its rights to service a mortgage loan as revenue upon entering into an interest rate lock loan commitment with a borrower. The fair value of these are included in Financial Services’ loans held-for-sale as of November 30, 2021 and 2020. Fair value of servicing rights is determined based on actual sales of servicing rights on loans with similar characteristics.

LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale— The fair value of loans held-for-sale is calculated from model-based techniques that use discounted cash flow assumptions and the Company’s own estimates of CMBS spreads, market interest rate movements and the underlying loan credit quality. Loan values are calculated by allocating the change in value of an assumed CMBS capital structure to each loan. The value of an assumed CMBS capital structure is calculated, generally, by discounting the cash flows associated with each CMBS class at market interest rates and at the Company’s own estimate of CMBS spreads. The Company estimates CMBS spreads by observing the pricing of recent CMBS offerings, secondary CMBS markets, changes in the CMBX index, and general capital and commercial real estate market conditions. Considerations in estimating CMBS spreads include comparing the Company’s current loan portfolio with comparable CMBS offerings containing loans with similar duration, credit quality and collateral composition. These methods use unobservable inputs in estimating a discount rate that is used to assign a value to each loan. While the cash payments on the loans are contractual, the discount rate used and assumptions regarding the relative size of each class in the CMBS capital structure can significantly impact the valuation. Therefore, the estimates used could differ materially from the fair value determined when the loans are sold to a securitization trust.

Financial Services mortgage servicing rights — Financial Services records mortgage servicing rights when it sells loans on a servicing-retained basis or through the acquisition or assumption of the right to service a financial asset. The fair value of the mortgage servicing rights is calculated using third-party valuations. The key assumptions, which are generally unobservable inputs, used in the valuation of the mortgage servicing rights include mortgage prepayment rates, discount rates and delinquency rates and are noted below:


	November 30, 2021
Unobservable inputs
Mortgage prepayment rate	13	%
Discount rate	13	%
Delinquency rate	4	%

Lennar Other investments in equity securities - The fair value of investments in equity securities was calculated based on independent quoted market prices. The Company’s investments in equity securities were recorded at fair value with all changes in fair value recorded to Lennar Other unrealized gain of the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Lennar Other investments available-for-sale - The fair value of investments available-for-sale is calculated from model-based techniques that use discounted cash flow assumptions and the Company’s own estimates of CMBS spreads, market interest rate movements and the underlying loan credit quality. Loan values are calculated by allocating the change in value of an assumed CMBS capital structure to each loan. The value of an assumed CMBS capital structure is calculated, generally, by discounting the cash flows associated with each CMBS class at market interest rates and at the Company’s own estimate of CMBS spreads.

The changes in fair values for Level 1 and Level 2 financial instruments measured on a recurring basis are shown below by financial instrument and financial statement line item:


	Years Ended November 30,
(In thousands)	2021		2020	2019
Changes in fair value included in Financial Services revenues:
Loans held-for-sale	$	(14,449)	21,765	4,891
Mortgage loan commitments	(8,302)		12,774	(85)
Forward contracts	11,513		(9,805)	6,504





Changes in fair value included in Lennar Other realized and unrealized gains:
Investments in equity securities	$	510,802	—	—
Changes in fair value included in other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Lennar Other investments available-for-sale	$	(536)	(805)	—
Financial Services investments available-for-sale	—		(46)	1,040

Interest on Financial Services loans held-for-sale and LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale measured at fair value is calculated based on the interest rate of the loans and recorded as revenues in the Financial Services’ statement of operations.

The following table represents the reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for the Level 3 recurring fair value measurements:


	Years Ended November 30,
	2021		2020

(In thousands)	Mortgage servicing rights		LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale	Mortgage servicing rights	LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale
Beginning of year	$	2,113	193,588	24,679	197,224
Purchases/loan originations	584		774,905	2,378	703,777
Sales/loan originations sold, including those not settled	—		(931,023)	—	(705,089)
Disposals/settlements (1)	(1,365)		(35,837)	(10,322)	—
Changes in fair value (2)	1,160		(388)	(14,622)	(25)
Interest and principal paydowns	—		(1,177)	—	(2,299)
End of year	$	2,492	68	2,113	193,588

(1)The year ended November 30, 2021 includes $28.5 million of loans sold/paid outside of LMF Commercial’s six securitizations and $7.3 million of loans converted to loans held-for-investment. The year ended November 30, 2020 includes $7.5 million related to the sale of a servicing portfolio.

(2)Changes in fair value for LMF Commercial loans held-for-sale and Financial Services mortgage servicing rights are included in Financial Services' revenues.

The Company’s assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis are those assets for which the Company has recorded valuation adjustments and write-offs. The fair values included in the tables below represent only those assets whose carrying values were adjusted to fair value during the respective periods disclosed. The assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis are summarized below:


	Years Ended November 30,
		2021				2020			2019
(In thousands)	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Value		Fair Value	Total Losses, Net (1)	Carrying Value	Fair Value	Total Losses, Net (1)	Carrying Value	Fair Value	Total Losses, Net (1)




Non-financial assets
Homebuilding:
Finished homes and construction in progress (2)	Level 3	$	32,364	16,342	(16,022)	176,637	148,684	(27,953)	218,942	205,201	(13,741)
Land and land under development (2)	Level 3	35,775		26,841	(8,934)	182,137	92,355	(89,782)	121,564	82,816	(38,748)
Other assets (2)	Level 3	12,764		12,024	(740)	—	—	—	60,363	56,727	(3,636)

(1)Represents losses due to valuation adjustments, write-offs, gains (losses) from transfers or acquisitions of real estate through foreclosure and REO impairments recorded during the year.

(2)Valuation adjustments for finished homes, construction in progress and land and land under development were included in Homebuilding costs and expenses and valuation adjustments for other assets were included in homebuilding other income (expense), net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations for the years ended November 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

See Note 1 for a detailed description of the Company’s process for identifying and recording valuation adjustments related to Homebuilding inventory.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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