FAIR VALUES OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fair Value Hierarchy

ASC 820-10 establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The topic describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:


•	Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the entity has the ability to access as of the measurement date.


•	Level 2: Significant observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.


•	Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs that reflect a reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

Categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis

Securities Available-for-Sale: The fair values of securities available-for-sale are generally determined by quoted market prices in active markets, if available (Level 1). If quoted market prices are not available, the Company employs an independent pricing service that utilizes matrix pricing to calculate fair value. Such fair value measurements consider observable data such as dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, yield curves, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information, and respective terms and conditions for debt instruments. The Company employs procedures to monitor the pricing service's assumptions and establishes processes to challenge the pricing service's valuations that appear unusual or unexpected. Level 2 securities include SBA loan pool securities, U.S. GSE and agency securities, private label residential MBS, agency residential MBS, non-agency commercial MBS, collateralized loan obligations, and non-agency corporate bonds. When a market is illiquid or there is a lack of transparency around the inputs to valuation, the securities are classified as Level 3 and reliance is placed upon internally developed models, and management judgment and evaluation for valuation. The Company had no securities available-for-sale classified as Level 3 at December 31, 2015 and 2014.

Loans Held-for-Sale, Carried at Fair Value: The fair value of loans held-for-sale is based on commitments outstanding from investors as well as what secondary markets are currently offering for portfolios with similar characteristics, except for loans that are repurchased out of Ginnie Mae loan pools that become severely delinquent which are valued based on an internal model that estimates the expected loss the Company will incur on these loans. Therefore, loans held-for-sale subjected to recurring fair value adjustments are classified as Level 2 or, in the case of loans repurchased out of Ginnie Mae loan pools, Level 3. The fair value includes the servicing value of the loans as well as any accrued interest.

Derivative Assets and Liabilities:

Derivative Instruments Related to Mortgage Banking Activities. The Company enters into interest rate lock commitments (IRLCs) with prospective residential mortgage borrowers. These commitments are carried at fair value based on the fair value of the underlying mortgage loans which are based on observable market data. The Company adjusts the outstanding IRLCs with prospective borrowers based on an expectation that it will be exercised and the loan will be funded. These commitments are classified as Level 2 in the fair value disclosures, as the valuations are based on market observable inputs. The Company hedges the risk of the overall change in the fair value of loan commitments to borrowers by selling forward contracts on securities of GSEs. These forward settling contracts are classified as Level 2, as valuations are based on market observable inputs.

Interest Rate Swaps and Caps. The Company has entered into pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap contracts with institutional counterparties to hedge against variability in cash flows attributable to interest rate risk caused by changes in the LIBOR benchmark interest rate on the Company’s ongoing LIBOR-based variable rate deposits and other borrowings. The Company also offers interest rate swaps and caps products to certain loan customers to allow them to hedge the risk of rising interest rates on their variable rate loans. The Company originates a variable rate loan and enters into a variable-to-fixed interest rate swap with the customer. The Company also enters into an identical offsetting swap with a correspondent bank. These back-to-back agreements are intended to offset each other and allow the Company to originate a variable rate loan, while providing a contract for fixed interest payments for the customer. The net cash flow for the Company is equal to the interest income received from a variable rate loan originated with the customer. The fair value of these derivatives is based on a discounted cash flow approach. Due to the observable nature of the inputs used in deriving the fair value of these derivative contracts, the valuation of interest rate swaps is classified as Level 2.

Mortgage Servicing Rights: The Company retains servicing on some of its mortgage loans sold and elected the fair value option for valuation of these mortgage servicing rights (MSRs). The value is based on a third party provider that calculates the present value of the expected net servicing income from the portfolio based on key factors that include interest rates, prepayment assumptions, discount rate and estimated cash flows. Because of the significance of unobservable inputs, these servicing rights are classified as Level 3. At December 31, 2014, $5.9 million of the mortgage servicing rights were valued based on a market bid that settled subsequent to that date, which was included as Level 3.

The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of the dates indicated:



			Fair Value Measurement Level
	Carrying Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
	(In thousands)
December 31, 2015
Assets
Available-for-sale securities:
SBA loan pools securities	$	1,504	$	—	$	1,504	$	—
Private label residential mortgage-backed securities	1,768		—		1,768		—
Corporate bonds	26,152		—		26,152		—
Collateralized loan obligation	111,468		—		111,468		—
Agency mortgage-backed securities	692,704		—		692,704		—
Loans held-for-sale, carried at fair value	379,155		—		360,864		18,291
Derivative assets ⁽¹⁾	9,042		—		9,042		—
Mortgage servicing rights ⁽²⁾	49,939		—		—		49,939
Liabilities
Derivative liabilities ⁽³⁾	1,067		—		1,067		—
December 31, 2014
Assets
Available-for-sale securities:
SBA loan pools securities	$	1,715	$	—	$	1,715	$	—
U.S. government-sponsored entities and agency securities	1,982		—		1,982		—
Private label residential mortgage-backed securities	3,168		—		3,168		—
Agency mortgage-backed securities	338,830		—		338,830		—
Loans held-for-sale, carried at fair value	278,749		—		278,749		—
Derivative assets ⁽¹⁾	6,379		—		6,379		—
Mortgage servicing rights ⁽²⁾	19,082		—		—		19,082
Liabilities
Derivative liabilities ⁽³⁾	3,235		—		3,235		—


(1)	Included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition


(2)	Included in Servicing Rights, Net and Servicing Rights Held-For-Sale on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition


(3)	Included in Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition

The following table presents a reconciliation of assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the periods indicated:



	Private Label Residential Mortgage Backed Securities			Mortgage Servicing Rights			Loans Repurchased from Ginnie Mae Loan Pools			Total
	(In thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2012	$	2,214		$	1,739		$	—		$	3,953
Transfers in (out of) Level 3 ⁽¹⁾	—			—			—			—
Total gains or losses (realized/unrealized):
Included in earnings-fair value adjustment	—			1,360			—			1,360
Additions	—			11,463			—			11,463
Sales and settlements	(2,214		)	(1,027		)	—			(3,241		)
Balance at December 31, 2013	$	—		$	13,535		$	—		$	13,535
Transfers in (out of) Level 3 ⁽¹⁾	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Total gains or losses (realized/unrealized):
Included in earnings-fair value adjustment	—			(233		)	—			(233		)
Additions	—			26,399			—			26,399
Sales and settlements	—			(20,619		)	—			(20,619		)
Balance at December 31, 2014	$	—		$	19,082		$	—		$	19,082
Transfers in (out of) Level 3 ⁽¹⁾	$	—		$	—		$	1,088		$	1,088
Total gains or losses (realized/unrealized):
Included in earnings-fair value adjustment	—			(3,568		)	—			(3,568		)
Additions	—			45,263			18,555			63,818
Sales and settlements	—			(10,838		)	(1,352		)	(12,190		)
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	—		$	49,939		$	18,291		$	68,230


(1)	The Company’s policy is to recognize transfers in and transfers out as of the actual date of the event or change in circumstances that causes the transfer.

The following table presents, as of the dates indicated, quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurements on a recurring basis, other than the mortgage servicing rights that were valued based on a market bid that settled subsequent to that date and loans that become severely delinquent and are repurchased out of Ginnie Mae loan pools that were valued based on an estimate of the expected loss the Company will incur on these loans, which was included as Level 3 at December 31, 2014 and 2015:



	Fair Value (In thousands)		Valuation Technique(s)	Unobservable Input(s)	Range (Weighted Average)
December 31, 2015
Mortgage servicing rights	$	49,939	Discounted cash flow	Discount rate	9.00% to 18.00% (9.75%)
				Prepayment rate	6.07% to 35.01% (11.81%)
December 31, 2014
Mortgage servicing rights	$	13,135	Discounted cash flow	Discount rate	9.00% to 19.50% (10.09%)
				Prepayment rate	4.59% to 31.02% (13.22%)
December 31, 2013
Mortgage servicing rights	$	13,535	Discounted cash flow	Discount rate	10.00% to 17.94% (10.26%)
				Prepayment rate	4.19% to 34.54% (9.85%)

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s servicing rights include the discount rate and prepayment rate. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company's loans repurchased from Ginnie Mae pools at December 31, 2015 included an expected loss rate of 1.85 percent. There may be inherent weaknesses in any calculation technique, and changes in the underlying assumptions used, including discount rates and estimates of future cash flows, could significantly affect the results.

Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Non-Recurring Basis

Securities Held-to-Maturity: Investment securities that the Company has the ability and the intent to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity. Investment securities classified as held-to-maturity are carried at cost. The fair values of securities held-to-maturity are generally determined by quoted market prices in active markets, if available (Level 1). If quoted market prices are not available, the Company employs an independent pricing service that utilizes matrix pricing to calculate fair value. Such fair value measurements consider observable data such as dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, yield curves, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information, and respective terms and conditions for debt instruments (Level 2). The Company employs procedures to monitor the pricing service's assumptions and establishes processes to challenge the pricing service's valuations that appear unusual or unexpected. When a market is illiquid or there is a lack of transparency around the inputs to valuation, the securities are classified as Level 3 and reliance is placed upon internally developed models, and management judgment and evaluation for valuation. Only securities held-to-maturity with other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) are considered to be carried at fair value. The Company did not have any OTTI on securities held-to-maturity at December 31, 2015.

Impaired Loans and Leases: The fair value of impaired loans and leases with specific allocations of the allowance for loan and lease losses based on collateral values is generally based on recent real estate appraisals. These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including comparable sales and the income approach. Adjustments are routinely made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to adjust for differences between the comparable sales and income data available. Such adjustments are typically significant and result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value.

Loans Held-for-Sale, Carried at Lower of Cost or Fair Value: The Company records non-conforming jumbo mortgage loans held-for-sale at the lower of cost or fair value, on an aggregate basis. The Company obtains fair values from a third party independent valuation service provider. Loans held-for-sale accounted for at the lower of cost or fair value are considered to be recognized at fair value when they are recorded at below cost, on an aggregate basis, and are classified as Level 2.

SBA Servicing Assets: SBA servicing assets represent the value associated with servicing SBA loans that have been sold. The fair value for SBA servicing assets is determined through discounted cash flow analysis and utilizes discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions as inputs. All of these assumptions require a significant degree of management estimation and judgment. The fair market valuation is performed on a quarterly basis for SBA servicing assets. SBA servicing assets are accounted for at the lower of cost or market value and considered to be recognized at fair value when they are recorded at below cost and are classified as Level 3.

Other Real Estate Owned Assets: Other real estate owned assets (OREO) are recorded at the fair value less estimated costs to sell at the time of foreclosure. The fair value of other real estate owned assets is generally based on recent real estate appraisals adjusted for estimated selling costs. These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including comparable sales and the income approach. Adjustments are routinely made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to adjust for differences between the comparable sales and income data available. Such adjustments may be significant and result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. Only OREO with a valuation allowance are considered to be carried at fair value. The Company recorded valuation allowance expense for OREO of $38 thousand, $32 thousand and $97 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Alternative Investments (Affordable Housing Fund Investment, SBIC, and Other Investment): The Company generally accounts for its percentage ownership of alternative investment funds at cost, subject to impairment testing. These are non-public investments that cannot be redeemed since the Company’s investment is distributed as the underlying investments are liquidated, which generally takes 10 years. There are currently no plans to sell any of these investments prior to their liquidation. The alternative investments carried at cost are considered to be measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis when there is impairment. The Company had unfunded commitments of $439 thousand, $13.2 million, and $2.0 million for Affordable House Fund Investment, SBIC, and Other Investments at December 31, 2015, respectively. The Company recorded no impairment on these investments.

The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of the dates indicated:



			Fair Value Measurement Level
	Carrying Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
	(In thousands)
December 31, 2015
Assets
Impaired loans:
Single family residential mortgage	$	3,585	$	—	$	—	$	3,585
Commercial and industrial	1,073		—		—		1,073
Other real estate owned:
Single family residential	1,097		—		—		1,097
December 31, 2014
Assets
Impaired loans:
Single family residential mortgage	$	6,206	$	—	$	—	$	6,206
Commercial real estate	4,313		—		—		4,313
SBA servicing rights	484		—		—		484
Other real estate owned:
Single family residential	423		—		—		423

The following table presents the gains and (losses) recognized on assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for the periods indicated:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2015			2014			2013
	(In thousands)
Impaired loans:
Single family residential mortgage	$	—		$	(375	)	$	(1,143	)
Commercial real estate	—			88			—
Multi-family	—			—			(465		)
SBA	4			—			—
Other consumer	—			(2		)	(2		)
SBA servicing assets	—			(42		)	—
Other real estate owned	(15		)	34			367

Estimated Fair Values of Financial Instruments

The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of financial assets and liabilities as of the dates indicated:



	Carrying		Fair Value Measurement Level
	Amount		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(In thousands)
December 31, 2015
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	156,124	$	156,124	$	—	$	—	$	156,124
Time deposits in financial institutions	1,500		1,500		—		—		1,500
Securities available-for-sale	833,596		—		833,596		—		833,596
Securities held-to-maturity	962,203		—		932,285		—		932,285
FHLB and other bank stock	59,069		—		59,069		—		59,069
Loans held-for-sale	668,841		—		654,559		18,291		672,850
Loans and leases receivable, net of allowance	5,148,861		—		—		5,244,251		5,244,251
Accrued interest receivable	22,800		22,800		—		—		22,800
Derivative assets	9,042		—		9,042		—		9,042
Financial liabilities
Deposits	6,303,085		—		—		6,010,606		6,010,606
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank	930,000		—		929,727		—		929,727
Long term debt	261,876		—		264,269		—		264,269
Derivative liabilities	1,067		—		1,067		—		1,067
Accrued interest payable	4,234		4,234		—		—		4,234
December 31, 2014
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	231,199	$	231,199	$	—	$	—	$	231,199
Time deposits in financial institutions	1,900		1,900		—		—		1,900
Securities available-for-sale	345,695		—		345,695		—		345,695
FHLB and other bank stock	42,241		—		42,241		—		42,241
Loans held-for-sale	1,187,090		—		1,195,834		—		1,195,834
Loans and leases receivable, net of allowance	3,919,642		—		—		4,045,465		4,045,465
Accrued interest receivable	15,113		15,113		—		—		15,113
Derivative assets	6,379		—		6,379		—		6,379
Financial liabilities
Deposits	4,671,831		—		—		4,575,264		4,575,264
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank	633,000		—		633,083		—		633,083
Long term debt	93,569		—		100,788		—		100,788
Derivative liabilities	3,235		—		3,235		—		3,235
Accrued interest payable	2,044		2,044		—		—		2,044

The methods and assumptions used to estimate fair value are described as follows:

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Time Deposits in Financial Institutions: The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents and time deposits in financial institutions approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments (Level 1).

FHLB and Other Bank Stock: FHLB and other bank stock is recorded at cost. Ownership of FHLB stock is restricted to member banks, and purchases and sales of these securities are at par value with the issuer (Level 2).

Securities Held-to-Maturity: The fair values of securities held to maturity are based on pricing received from an independent pricing service that utilizes matrix pricing to calculate fair value (Level 2).

Loans and Leases Receivable, Net of Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses: The fair value of loans and leases receivable is estimated based on the discounted cash flow approach. The discount rate was derived from the associated yield curve plus spreads and reflects the rates offered by the Bank for loans with similar financial characteristics. Yield curves are constructed by product and payment types. These rates could be different from what other financial institutions could offer for these loans. No adjustments have been made for changes in credit within the loan portfolio. Additionally, the fair value of our loans may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such loans and may differ materially from the values that we may ultimately realize (Level 3).

Accrued Interest Receivable: The carrying amount of accrued interest receivable approximates its fair value (Level 1).

Deposits: The fair value of deposits is estimated based on discounted cash flows. The cash flows for non-maturity deposits, including savings accounts and money market checking, are estimated based on their historical decaying experiences. The discount rate used for fair valuation is based on interest rates currently being offered by the Bank on comparable deposits as to amount and term (Level 3).

Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank: The fair values of advances from FHLB are estimated based on the discounted cash flows approach. The discount rate was derived from the current market rates for borrowings with similar remaining maturities (Level 2).

Long Term Debt: Fair value of long term debt is determined by observable data such as market spreads, cash flows, yield curves, credit information, and respective terms and conditions for debt instruments (Level 2).

Accrued Interest Payable: The carrying amount of accrued interest payable approximates its fair value (Level 1).