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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation – The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 has been derived from audited financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 and the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 are unaudited. In our opinion, all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been made. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation S-X and the instructions to Form 10-Q. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, significant accounting policies and other disclosures have been omitted since such items are disclosed in Note 2 in the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Provided in this section is a summary of additional accounting policies that are significant to, or newly adopted by, the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management has made significant estimates in several areas, including fair valuation of its residential loans, multi-family loans, certain equity investments and Consolidated SLST CDOs. Although the Company’s estimates contemplate current conditions and how it expects those conditions to change in the future, it is reasonably possible that actual conditions could be different than anticipated in those estimates, which could materially impact the Company’s results of operations and its financial condition. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting emergency measures have led (and may continue to lead) to significant disruptions in the global supply chain, global capital markets, the economy of the U.S. and the economies of other countries impacted by COVID-19. The rapid development and fluidity of this situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19 on economic and market conditions. The Company believes the estimates and assumptions underlying our condensed consolidated financial statements are reasonable and supportable based on the information available as of March 31, 2021; however, uncertainty over the ultimate impact COVID-19 will have on the global economy generally, and our business in particular, makes any estimates and assumptions as of March 31, 2021 inherently less certain than they would be absent the current and potential impacts of COVID-19. Accordingly, it is reasonably possible that actual conditions could be different than anticipated in those estimates, which could materially impact the Company’s results of operations and its financial condition.
Reclassifications Reclassifications – Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements to conform to current period presentation.
Principles of Consolidation and Variable Interest Entities
Principles of Consolidation and Variable Interest Entities – The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of all its subsidiaries which are majority-owned, controlled by the Company or a variable interest entity (“VIE”) where the Company is the primary beneficiary. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The Company consolidates a VIE when it is the primary beneficiary of such VIE, herein referred to as a "Consolidated VIE". As primary beneficiary, the Company has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and a right to receive benefits or absorb losses of the entity that could be potentially significant to the VIE. The Company is required to reconsider its evaluation of whether to consolidate a VIE each reporting period, based upon changes in the facts and circumstances pertaining to the VIE.
Goodwill
Goodwill – Goodwill is not amortized but is evaluated for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist, by initially performing a qualitative screen and, if necessary, then comparing fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value (in an amount not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit) is recognized.

In the first quarter of 2020, financial, credit and mortgage-related asset markets experienced significant volatility as a result of the spread of COVID-19, which in turn put significant pressure on the mortgage REIT industry, including financing operations, mortgage asset pricing and liquidity demands. In response to these conditions and the Company's intention to improve its liquidity, in March 2020, the Company sold, among other things, its entire portfolio of first loss POs issued by the Consolidated K-Series, certain senior and mezzanine securities issued by the Consolidated K-Series, Agency CMBS and CMBS that were held by its multi-family investment reporting unit. As a result of the sales, the Company re-evaluated its goodwill balance associated with the multi-family investment reporting unit for impairment. The Company considered qualitative indicators such as macroeconomic conditions, disruptions in equity and credit markets, REIT-specific market considerations, and changes in the net assets in the multi-family investment reporting unit to determine that a quantitative assessment of the fair value of the reporting unit was necessary. The Company performed its quantitative analysis by updating its discounted cash flow projection for the multi-family investment reporting unit for the reduced investment portfolio. This analysis yielded an impairment of the entire goodwill balance related to the Company's multi-family investment reporting unit reported as a $25.2 million impairment of goodwill on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Other Assets Other Assets – Other assets as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 include restricted cash held by third parties, including cash held by the Company's securitization trusts, of $29.7 million and $11.3 million, respectively. Operating real estate held in Consolidated VIEs in the amounts of $82.1 million and $50.5 million are also included in other assets as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Other assets includes collections receivable from loan servicers, recoverable advances and interest receivable on residential loans totaling $65.5 million and $63.6 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Also included in other assets are operating lease right of use assets of $9.9 million and $10.1 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively (with corresponding operating lease liabilities of $10.3 million and $10.6 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets)
Summary of Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Summary of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting ("ASU 2020-04"). ASU 2020-04 provides optional expedients and exceptions to GAAP requirements for modifications to debt agreements, leases, derivatives and other contracts, related to the expected market transition from LIBOR, and certain other floating rate benchmark indices, or collectively, IBORs, to alternative reference rates. ASU 2020-04 generally considers contract modifications related to reference rate reform to be an event that does not require contract remeasurement at the modification date nor a reassessment of a previous accounting determination. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope ("ASU 2021-01"). ASU 2021-01 clarifies that certain optional expedients and exceptions in Topic 848 for contract modifications and hedge accounting apply to derivatives that are affected by the "discounting transition" (i.e., changes in the interest rates used for margining, discounting, or contract price alignment for derivative instruments that are being implemented as part of the market-wide transition to new reference rates). The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time, through December 31, 2022, as reference rate reform activities occur. Once ASU 2020-04 is elected, the guidance must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications. The amendments in ASU 2021-01 are effective immediately and may be applied on a full retrospective basis as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020 or on a prospective basis for eligible contract modifications through December 31, 2022. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of ASU 2020-04 and ASU 2021-01 and may apply elections, as applicable, as the expected market transition from IBORs to alternative reference rates continues to develop.

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity ("ASU 2020-06"). ASU 2020-06 simplifies an issuer's accounting for convertible instruments, enhances disclosure requirements for convertible instruments and modifies how particular convertible instruments and certain instruments that may be settled in cash or shares impact the diluted earnings per share computation. Entities may adopt the guidance through either a modified retrospective method of transition or a fully retrospective method of transition. The amendments are effective for public entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2021. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company does not anticipate that the implementation of ASU 2020-06 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.