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Description of Business
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Description of Business  
Description of Business

Note 1—Description of Business

Arbor is a Maryland corporation formed in 2003. We are a nationwide REIT and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare and other diverse commercial real estate assets.  We operate through two business segments: our Structured Business and our Agency Business.

Through our Structured Business, we invest in a diversified portfolio of structured finance assets in the multifamily, single-family rental and commercial real estate markets, primarily consisting of bridge and mezzanine loans, including junior participating interests in first mortgages, preferred and direct equity. We may also directly acquire real property and invest in real estate-related notes and certain mortgage-related securities.

Through our Agency Business, we originate, sell and service a range of multifamily finance products through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, FHA and HUD. We retain the servicing rights and asset management responsibilities on substantially all loans we originate and sell under the GSE and HUD programs. We are an approved Fannie Mae DUS lender nationally, a Freddie Mac Multifamily Conventional Loan lender, seller/servicer, in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a Freddie Mac affordable, manufactured housing, senior housing and SBL lender, seller/servicer, nationally and a HUD MAP and LEAN senior housing/healthcare lender nationally. We also originate and sell finance products through CMBS programs and during the second half of 2019, we began to originate and service permanent financing loans underwritten using the guidelines of our existing agency loans sold to the GSEs, which we refer to as "Private Label" loans. We intend to pool and securitize the Private Label loans and sell certain securities in the securitizations to third-party investors, while retaining the highest risk bottom tranche bond referred to as the "B Piece."

In July 2016, we acquired the Agency platform of ACM and, in May 2017, we terminated our existing management agreement with ACM and internalized our management team. Substantially all of our operations are conducted through our operating partnership, ARLP, for which we serve as the general partner, and ARLP's subsidiaries.