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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
    
Definitions – The following defines certain of the commonly used terms in these financial statements: 

“RMBS” refers to residential mortgage-backed securities backed by adjustable-rate, hybrid adjustable-rate, or fixed-rate residential loans;
“Agency RMBS” refers to RMBS representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of residential loans guaranteed by a government sponsored enterprise (“GSE”), such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), or an agency of the U.S. government, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”);
“non-Agency RMBS” refers to RMBS that are not guaranteed by any agency of the U.S. Government or GSE;
“IOs” refers collectively to interest only and inverse interest only mortgage-backed securities that represent the right to the interest component of the cash flow from a pool of mortgage loans;
“POs” refers to mortgage-backed securities that represent the right to the principal component of the cash flow from a pool of mortgage loans;
“ARMs” refers to adjustable-rate residential loans;
“Agency ARMs” refers to Agency RMBS comprised of adjustable-rate and hybrid adjustable-rate RMBS;
“Agency fixed-rate RMBS” refers to Agency RMBS comprised of fixed-rate RMBS;
“TBAs” refers to to-be-announced securities;
“ABS” refers to debt and/or equity tranches of securitizations backed by various asset classes including, but not limited to, automobiles, aircraft, credit cards, equipment, franchises, recreational vehicles and student loans;
“CMBS” refers to commercial mortgage-backed securities comprised of commercial mortgage pass-through securities issued by a GSE, as well as PO, IO or mezzanine securities that represent the right to a specific component of the cash flow from a pool of commercial mortgage loans;
“CDO” refers to collateralized debt obligation and includes debt that permanently finances the residential loans held in Consolidated SLST, the Company's residential loans held in securitization trusts and a non-Agency RMBS re-securitization that we consolidate, or consolidated, in our financial statements in accordance with GAAP;
“business purpose loans” refers to (i) short-term loans that are collateralized by residential properties and are made to investors who intend to rehabilitate and sell the residential property for a profit or (ii) loans that finance (or refinance) non-owner occupied residential properties that are rented to one or more tenants;
“Consolidated Real Estate VIEs” refers to Consolidated VIEs that own multi-family properties;
“Consolidated SLST” refers to Freddie Mac-sponsored residential loan securitizations, comprised of seasoned re-performing and non-performing residential loans, of which we own the first loss subordinated securities and certain IOs, that we consolidate in our financial statements in accordance with GAAP;
“Consolidated VIEs” refers to VIEs where the Company is the primary beneficiary, as it 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 and that we consolidate in our financial statements in accordance with GAAP;
“MSRs” refers to mortgage servicing rights that represent the contractual right to service residential loans;
“SOFR” refers to Secured Overnight Funding Rate; and
“Variable Interest Entity” or “VIE” refers to 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.
Basis of Presentation – The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024 has been derived from audited financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2025, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 and the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 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, 2024, 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, 2024. Provided in this section is a summary of additional accounting policies that are significant to, or newly adopted by, the Company for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 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 financial instruments reported at fair value, real estate held by Consolidated VIEs and redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests in Consolidated VIEs. 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.
    
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 – 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 VIE where the Company is the primary beneficiary. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation (see Note 7).

A VIE is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. The Company consolidates a VIE in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation ("ASC 810") 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.

The Company evaluates the initial consolidation of each Consolidated VIE, which includes a determination of whether the VIE constitutes the definition of a business in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations ("ASC 805"), by considering if substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets within the VIE are concentrated in either a single identifiable asset or group of single identifiable assets. Upon consolidation, the Company recognizes the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any third-party ownership of membership interests as non-controlling interest as of the consolidation or acquisition date, measured at their relative fair values (see Note 7). Non-controlling interest in Consolidated VIEs is adjusted prospectively for its share of the allocation of income or loss and equity contributions and distributions from each respective Consolidated VIE. The third-party owners of certain of the non-controlling interests in Consolidated VIEs have the ability to sell their ownership interests to the Company, at their election, subject to certain conditions. The Company has classified these third-party ownership interests as redeemable non-controlling interest in Consolidated VIEs in mezzanine equity on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Business Combinations – The Company accounts for business combinations by applying the acquisition method in accordance with ASC 805. Transaction costs related to acquisition of a business are expensed as incurred and excluded from the fair value of consideration transferred. The identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and non-controlling interests, if any, in an acquired entity are recognized and measured at their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of consideration transferred over the fair values of identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and non-controlling interests, if any, in an acquired entity, net of fair value of any previously held interest in the acquired entity, is recorded as goodwill. Such valuations require management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets and liabilities.

Net cash paid to acquire a business is classified as investing activities on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Amounts held back from cash consideration, if any, are recorded as liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

On July 15, 2025, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired the outstanding 50% ownership interests in Constructive that were not previously owned by the Company through the consummation of a membership interest purchase agreement, thereby increasing the Company's ownership of Constructive to 100% (see Note 24). The transaction was accounted for by applying the acquisition method for business acquisitions under ASC 805.

Goodwill – Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of consideration transferred in a business combination over the fair values of identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and non-controlling interests, if any, in an acquired entity, net of fair value of any previously held interest in the acquired entity. 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 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.

Intangible Assets – Intangible assets consisting of acquired trade name, acquired customer relationships, acquired technology and acquired in-place leases with estimated useful lives ranging from 5 months to 11 years are included in other assets on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Intangible assets with estimable useful lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their respective estimated useful lives and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The useful lives of intangible assets are evaluated on an annual basis to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining useful life.

Derivative Financial Instruments – The Company enters into various types of derivative financial instruments in connection with its risk management activities which are recorded on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as assets or liabilities at fair value in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Changes in fair value are accounted for depending on the use of the derivative financial instruments and whether they qualify for hedge accounting treatment. The Company elected not to apply hedge accounting for its derivative financial instruments; accordingly, all changes in fair value are reported on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations as gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net.

The Company is subject to interest rate risk exposure in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives. Primarily to help mitigate interest rate risk, the Company may enter into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are contractual agreements whereby one party pays a floating interest rate, based on SOFR, on a notional principal amount and receives a fixed-rate payment on the same notional principal, or vice versa, for a fixed period of time. The variable rate the Company pays or receives under its swap agreements has the effect of offsetting the repricing characteristics and cash flows of the Company's financing arrangements. Interest rate swaps change in value with movements in interest rates.
The Company has TBAs that are forward contracts for the purchase (“long position”) or sale (“short position”) of Agency fixed-rate RMBS at a predetermined price, face amount, issuer, coupon, and stated maturity on an agreed-upon future date. The specific Agency RMBS delivered into or received from the contract upon settlement date, published each month by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, are not known at the time of the transaction. The Company may also choose, prior to settlement, to move the settlement of these securities out to a later date by entering into an offsetting short or long position (referred to as a “pair off”), net settling the paired off positions for cash and simultaneously purchasing or selling a similar TBA contract for a later settlement date. This transaction is commonly referred to as a “dollar roll”. The Agency RMBS purchased or sold for a forward settlement date are typically priced at a discount to Agency RMBS for settlement in the current month. This difference, or discount, is referred to as the “price drop”. The price drop represents the economic equivalent of net interest income on the underlying Agency RMBS over the roll period (interest income less implied financing cost) and is commonly referred to as “dollar roll income/(loss)”. Consequently, forward purchases of Agency RMBS and dollar roll transactions represent a form of off-balance sheet financing. The Company accounts for TBAs (whether net long or net short positions, or collectively “TBA dollar roll positions”) as derivative instruments because it cannot assert that it is probable at inception and throughout the term of an individual TBA transaction that its settlement will result in physical delivery of the underlying Agency RMBS, or that the individual TBA transaction will settle in the shortest period possible. Dollar roll income is recognized in gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The Company has U.S. Treasury future contracts that obligate the Company to sell or buy U.S. Treasury securities for future delivery. Additionally, the Company has gold future contracts that obligate the Company to sell or buy a specific quantity of gold at predetermined price for future delivery. The Company has purchased credit default swap index contracts under which a counterparty, in exchange for a premium, agrees to compensate the Company for the financial loss associated with the occurrence of a credit event in relation to a notional value of an index. The Company may purchase equity index put options that give the Company the right to sell or buy the underlying index at a specified strike price. The Company may also purchase credit default swap index options that allow the Company to enter into a fixed rate payor position in the underlying credit default swap index at the agreed-upon strike level.

The Company elects to net the fair value of its derivative contracts by counterparty when appropriate. These contracts contain legally enforceable provisions that allow for netting or setting off of all individual derivative receivables and payables with each counterparty and therefore, the fair values of those derivative contracts are reported net by counterparty. All of the Company’s interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, U.S. Treasury futures and gold futures are cleared through two central clearing houses, CME Group Inc. (“CME Clearing”), which is the parent company of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., or the Intercontinental Exchange (“ICE”). CME Clearing and ICE serve as the counterparty to every cleared transaction, becoming the buyer to each seller and the seller to each buyer, limiting the credit risk by guaranteeing the financial performance of both parties and netting down exposures. CME Clearing and ICE require that the Company post an initial margin amount determined by the respective central clearing house, which is generally intended to be set at a level sufficient to protect the exchange from the derivative financial instrument's maximum estimated single-day price movement. The Company also exchanges variation margin based upon daily changes in fair value, as measured by CME Clearing and ICE. The exchange of variation margin is treated as a legal settlement of the exposure under these contracts, as opposed to pledged collateral. Accordingly, the Company accounts for the receipt or payment of variation margin as a direct reduction of or increase in the carrying value of the related asset or liability.
The receipt or payment of initial margin is accounted for separate from the derivative asset or liability, classified within restricted cash and included in other assets on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Any additional amounts due from or due to counterparties in connection with the Company's derivatives, are included in other assets or other liabilities, respectively, on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
The Company and Consolidated Real Estate VIEs may be required by lenders on certain repurchase agreement financing and variable-rate mortgages payable on real estate to enter into interest rate cap contracts that limit the indexed portion of the interest rate on the respective related financing to a strike rate based upon various SOFR tenors.
Cash flow activity related to derivative instruments is reflected within the operating activities and investing activities sections of the Company's condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Realized gains or losses, if any, and unrealized gains or losses, if any, on the Company's derivative instruments are included in the gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net line item within the operating activities section of the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The remaining cash flow activity related to derivative instruments is reflected within the net payments received from (made on) derivative instruments and net variation margin received (paid) for derivative instruments line items within the investing activities section of the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

Derivative Financial Instruments Interest Rate Lock Commitments – Constructive may enter into certain interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) which represent a commitment to a particular interest rate provided the borrower is able to close the respective loan within a specified period. IRLCs are accounted for as derivatives at fair value and changes in fair value are included in Mortgage banking activities, net on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Mortgage Servicing Rights – The Company records MSRs, whether acquired or as a result of the sale of loans Constructive originates with servicing retained, at fair value upon initial recognition. The Company does not directly service residential loans. Rather, servicing activities are carried out by duly licensed third-party subservicers who perform substantially all servicing functions for the loans underlying MSRs.
The Company has elected the fair value option for all of its MSRs because the Company determined that such presentation provides users of its consolidated financial statements with relevant information regarding the effects of prepayment risk and other market factors on MSRs. Changes in the fair value of MSRs are recorded in current period earnings in unrealized gains (losses), net on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Servicing fee income is earned based upon a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal balance of the underlying residential loan and is recognized as revenue as the related loan payments are collected. Servicing fee income and other servicing-related income are included in other income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Corresponding costs to service (including subservicing fees) are charged to expense as incurred and included in portfolio operating expenses on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Repurchase Reserves for Origination Activity – Constructive routinely sells business purpose loans to secondary market investors. Under customary representations and warranties clauses in the business purpose loan sale agreements, Constructive may be required to repurchase business purpose loans sold or reimburse the investors for credit losses incurred on those loans if a breach of the contractual representations and warranties occurred. Constructive establishes a loan repurchase reserve liability in an amount equal to management’s estimate of losses on loans for which it could have a repurchase obligation or loss reimbursement. The estimated liability incorporates historical loss experience, identification of delinquencies, economic trends and market conditions and is included in other liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Provisions to the business purpose loan repurchase reserve reduce gains recognized on sales of loans.

Segment Reporting As of September 30, 2025, the Company operates in two reportable segments: (i) investment portfolio and (ii) Constructive. The accounting policies applied to the segments are the same as those described in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated herein, with the exception of allocations of certain corporate expenses not directly assigned or allocated to one of the Company's two reportable segments.

Summary of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2024, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2024-03, Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive Income — Expense Disaggregation Disclosures ("ASU 2024-03"). ASU 2024-03 requires a public business entity to disclose specific information about certain costs and expenses in the notes to financial statements. The effective date for ASU 2024-03, as amended by ASU 2025-01, Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive Income — Expense Disaggregation Disclosures: Clarifying the Effective Date, is for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. The Company expects that the adoption of ASU 2024-03 will result in additional disclosures in its notes to consolidated financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures ("ASU 2023-09"). ASU 2023-09 requires enhanced disclosures in connection with an entity's effective tax rate reconciliation and additional disclosures about income taxes paid. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company expects that the adoption of ASU 2023-09 will result in additional income tax disclosures in its notes to consolidated financial statements.