Summary of significant accounting policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of significant accounting policies	Summary of significant accounting policies Consolidation and basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation for the annual period of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. Use of estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates. Valuation of financial instruments The fair value of the financial instruments that the Company records at fair value is determined by the Manager, subject to oversight of the Company’s Board of Directors, and in accordance with the provisions of ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures." When possible, the Company determines fair value using third-party data sources. ASC 820 establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques giving the highest priority to readily available unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements) when market prices are not readily available or reliable. The three levels of the hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below: •Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. •Level 2 – Prices determined using other significant observable inputs. These may include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets. •Level 3 – Prices determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable (for example, when there is little or no market activity for an investment at the end of the period), unobservable inputs may be used. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the factors that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available. Transfers between levels are assumed to occur at the beginning of the reporting period. Accounting for loans Investments in loans are recorded in accordance with ASC 310-10, "Receivables." The Company has chosen to make a fair value election pursuant to ASC 825 for its loan portfolio. Electing the fair value option allows the Company to record changes in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management's view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all loan activities will be recorded in a similar manner. As such, loans are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and any periodic change in fair value is recorded in current period earnings on the consolidated statement of operations as a component of "Net unrealized gain/(loss)." The Company recognizes upfront costs and fees relating to loans for which the fair value option has been elected in current period earnings as incurred and does not defer those costs, which is in accordance with ASC 825-10-25. Purchases and sales of loans are recorded on the settlement date, concurrent with the completion of due diligence and the removal of any contingencies. At purchase, the Company may aggregate its residential mortgage loans into pools based on common risk characteristics. Once a pool of loans is assembled, its composition is maintained. Accounting for real estate securities Investments in real estate securities are recorded in accordance with ASC 320-10, "Investments – Debt and Equity Securities" or ASC 325-40, "Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets." The Company has chosen to make a fair value election pursuant to ASC 825, "Financial Instruments" for its real estate securities portfolio. Electing the fair value option allows the Company to record changes in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management’s view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all securities activities will be recorded in a similar manner. Real estate securities are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and the periodic change in fair value is recorded in current period earnings on the consolidated statement of operations as a component of "Net unrealized gain/(loss)." Purchases and sales of real estate securities are recorded on the trade date. Investments in debt and equity of affiliates The Company’s unconsolidated ownership interests in affiliates are accounted for using the equity method in accordance with ASC 323, "Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures." Substantially all of the Company’s investments held through affiliated entities are comprised of real estate securities, loans and its interest in AG Arc LLC ("AG Arc"). Certain entities have chosen to make a fair value election on their financial instruments pursuant to ASC 825; as such, the Company will treat these financial instruments consistently with this election. Income or losses, net of income taxes, recognized by the Company from its investments in debt and equity of affiliates are recorded in the "Equity in earnings/(loss) from affiliates" line item on the Company's consolidated statement of operations. Arc Home From time to time, the Company acquires newly originated residential mortgage loans from Arc Home. In connection with the sale of loans from Arc Home to the Company, gains or losses recorded by Arc Home are consolidated into AG Arc LLC ("AG Arc"). In accordance with ASC 323-10, for loans acquired from Arc Home that remain on the Company's consolidated balance sheet at year end, the Company eliminates any profits or losses typically recognized through the "Equity in earnings/(loss) from affiliates" line item on the Company's consolidated statement of operations and adjusts the cost basis of the underlying loans resulting in unrealized gains or losses recorded within the "Net unrealized gain/(loss)" line item on the consolidated statement of operations. Additionally, the Company enters into forward purchase commitments with Arc Home whereby the Company commits to purchase residential mortgage loans from Arc Home at a particular price on a best-efforts basis. See the "Accounting for derivative financial instruments - Forward purchase commitments" policy below and Note 10 for additional detail. Investment consolidation When the Company has a variable interest in an entity, it is required to determine whether the entity is a variable interest entity ("VIE") or a voting interest entity ("VOE"), the classification of which will determine the consolidation model that the Company is required to follow when determining whether it should consolidate the entity. When an entity does not possess the characteristics of a VIE, the Company will determine whether it has a controlling financial interest and meets the criteria for consolidation under the voting interest entity model. An entity is a VIE if the equity investors (i) do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, (ii) are unable to direct the entity’s activities or (iii) are not exposed to the entity’s losses or entitled to its residual returns. VIEs within the scope of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 810-10, "Consolidation" are required to be consolidated by their primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is determined to be the party that has both the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. This determination can sometimes involve complex and subjective analyses. Further, ASC 810-10 also requires ongoing assessments of whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. In accordance with ASC 810-10, all transferees, including variable interest entities, must be evaluated for consolidation. If the Company determines that consolidation is not required, it will then assess whether the transfer of the underlying assets would qualify as a sale, should be accounted for as secured financings under GAAP, or should be accounted for as an equity method investment, depending on the circumstances. A Special Purpose Entity ("SPE") is an entity designed to fulfill a specific limited need of the company that organized it. SPEs are often used to facilitate transactions that involve securitizing financial assets. The objective of such transactions may include obtaining non-recourse financing, obtaining liquidity or refinancing the underlying securitized financial assets on improved terms. Securitization involves transferring assets to an SPE to convert all or a portion of those assets into cash before they would have been realized in the normal course of business through the SPE’s issuance of debt or equity instruments. Investors in an SPE usually have recourse only to the assets in the SPE and depending on the overall structure of the transaction, may benefit from various forms of credit enhancement, such as over-collateralization in the form of excess assets in the SPE, priority with respect to receipt of cash flows relative to holders of other debt or equity instruments issued by the SPE, or a line of credit or other form of liquidity agreement that is designed with the objective of ensuring that investors receive principal and/or interest cash flow on the investment in accordance with the terms of their investment agreement. The Company enters into securitization transactions collateralized by its Non-Agency Loans/Agency-Eligible Loans, Home Equity Loans, and re- and non-performing loans (the trusts in which these loans are deposited are referred to as "Non-Agency VIEs", "Home Equity VIEs", and "RPL/NPL VIEs", respectively), which may result in the Company consolidating the respective VIEs that are created to facilitate these securitizations. Based on the evaluations of each VIE, the Company may conclude that the VIEs should be consolidated and, as a result, transferred assets of these VIEs would be determined to be secured borrowings. Upon consolidation, the Company elected the fair value option pursuant to ASC 825 for the assets and liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs. Electing the fair value option allows the Company to record changes in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management's view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all activities will be recorded in a similar manner. The Company applied the guidance under ASC 810-10 (Measuring the Financial Assets and the Financial Liabilities of a Consolidated Collateralized Financing Entity) whereby the Company determines whether the fair value of the assets or liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs are more observable as a basis for measuring the less observable financial instruments. The Company has determined that the fair value of the liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs are more observable since the prices for these liabilities are more easily determined as similar instruments trade more frequently on a relative basis than the individual assets of the VIEs. See Note 3 for more detail regarding the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs. Transfers of financial assets The Company may periodically enter into transactions in which it transfers assets to a third-party. Upon a transfer of financial assets, the Company will sometimes retain or acquire senior or subordinated interests in the related assets. Pursuant to ASC 860-10, "Transfers and Servicing" a determination must be made as to whether a transferor has surrendered control over transferred financial assets. That determination must consider the transferor’s continuing involvement in the transferred financial asset, including all arrangements or agreements made contemporaneously with, or in contemplation of, the transfer, even if they were not entered into at the time of the transfer. The financial components approach under ASC 860-10 limits the circumstances in which a financial asset, or portion of a financial asset, should be derecognized when the transferor has not transferred the entire original financial asset to an entity that is not consolidated with the transferor in the financial statements being presented and/or when the transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred financial asset. It defines the term "participating interest" to establish specific conditions for reporting a transfer of a portion of a financial asset as a sale. Under ASC 860-10, after a transfer of financial assets that meets the criteria for treatment as a sale—legal isolation, ability of transferee to pledge or exchange the transferred assets without constraint and transferred control—an entity recognizes the financial and servicing assets it acquired or retained and the liabilities it has incurred, derecognizes financial assets it has sold and derecognizes liabilities when extinguished. The transferor would then determine the gain or loss on sale of financial assets by allocating the carrying value of the underlying mortgage between securities or loans sold and the interests retained based on their fair value. The gain or loss on sale is the difference between the cash proceeds from the sale and the amount allocated to the securities or loans sold. When a transfer of financial assets does not qualify for sale accounting, ASC 860-10 requires the transfer to be accounted for as a secured borrowing with a pledge of collateral. From time to time, the Company may securitize mortgage loans it holds if such financing is available. These transactions will be recorded in accordance with ASC 860-10 and will be accounted for as either a "sale" and the loans will be removed from the consolidated balance sheets or as a "financing" and will be classified as "Securitized residential mortgage loans, at fair value" on the consolidated balance sheets, depending upon the structure of the securitization transaction. ASC 860-10 is a standard that may require the Company to exercise significant judgment in determining whether a transaction should be recorded as a "sale" or a "financing." Cash and cash equivalents Cash is comprised of cash on deposit with financial institutions. The Company classifies highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents may include cash invested in money market funds. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. As of December 31, 2025 the Company held $57.8 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $56.0 million were cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2024, the Company held $118.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $118.0 million were cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high credit quality institutions to minimize credit risk exposure. Cash pledged to the Company as collateral is unrestricted in use and, accordingly, is included as a component of "Cash and cash equivalents" on the consolidated balance sheets. Any cash held by the Company as collateral is included in the "Other liabilities" line item on the consolidated balance sheets. "Other liabilities" does not include variation margin received on centrally cleared derivatives. Refer to the "Accounting for derivative financial instruments" policy below for additional detail. Restricted cash Restricted cash includes cash pledged as collateral for clearing and executing trades, derivatives, and financing arrangements, as well as restricted cash deposited into accounts held at certain consolidated trusts. Restricted cash is not available to the Company for general corporate purposes. Restricted cash may be returned to the Company when the related collateral requirements are exceeded or at the maturity of the derivative or financing arrangement. Restricted cash is carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Restricted cash also includes variation margin pledged on centrally cleared derivatives. Refer to the "Accounting for derivative financial instruments" policy below for additional detail. Accounting for real estate owned Real Estate Owned ("REO") represents real estate property acquired by the Company through foreclosure and classified as held for sale. Upon completion of a foreclosure, the Company initially records an REO at fair value less estimated costs to sell the property. In subsequent periods, REO is reported at the lower of the current carrying amount or fair value less estimated selling costs. REO is included in the "Other assets" line item on the consolidated balance sheets. Any gains or losses recognized on foreclosure as well as realized gains or losses on the disposition of REO are reported by the Company in the "Net realized gain/(loss)" line item on the consolidated statements of operations. Financing arrangements The Company finances the acquisition of certain assets within its portfolio through the use of financing arrangements. Financing arrangements primarily include repurchase agreements and facilities used to finance residential mortgage loans. Financing arrangements are carried at their contractual amounts as specified in the respective agreements. The carrying amount of the Company’s repurchase agreements and residential mortgage loan facilities approximates fair value. The Company pledges certain loans or securities as collateral under financing arrangements with financial institutions, the terms and conditions of which are negotiated on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The amounts available to be borrowed under repurchase agreements and residential mortgage loan facilities are dependent upon the fair value of the loans or securities pledged as collateral, which can fluctuate with changes in interest rates, type of security and liquidity conditions within the banking, mortgage finance, and real estate industries. If the fair value of pledged assets declines due to changes in market conditions, lenders typically would require the Company to post additional securities as collateral, pay down borrowings, or establish cash margin accounts with the counterparties in order to re-establish the agreed-upon collateral requirements, referred to as margin calls. The Company maintains a level of liquidity in order to meet these obligations. The fair value of financial instruments pledged as collateral on the Company’s financing arrangements represents the Company’s fair value of such instruments which may differ from the fair value assigned to the collateral by its counterparties. If the fair value of pledged assets increases due to changes in market conditions, counterparties may be required to return collateral to the Company in the form of securities or cash or post additional collateral to the Company. Financings pursuant to repurchase agreements and revolving facilities are generally recourse to the Company. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had met all margin call requirements. Accounting for senior unsecured notes and debt issuance costs Senior unsecured notes are carried at amortized cost on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Interest on the notes is payable quarterly until such time as the notes mature. Debt issuance costs are costs incurred by the Company in connection with the issuance of senior unsecured notes or other financing where the fair value option has not been elected. These costs may include underwriting commissions, rating agency, legal, accounting, and other fees. Debt issuance costs are included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as a direct reduction from the related financing liability. These costs are deferred and amortized over the life of the related financing as an adjustment to interest expense using the effective interest method. Accounting for derivative financial instruments Derivative contracts The Company enters into derivative contracts as a means of mitigating interest rate risk rather than to enhance returns. The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments in accordance with ASC 815-10, "Derivatives and Hedging." ASC 815-10 requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet and to measure those instruments at fair value with corresponding changes in fair value recognized in the "Net unrealized gain/loss" line item in consolidated statement of operations. The Company records derivative asset and liability positions on a gross basis with respect to its counterparties. During the period in which the Company unwinds a derivative, it records a realized gain or loss in the "Net realized gain/(loss)" line item in the consolidated statement of operations. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not have any interest rate derivatives designated as hedges for accounting purposes. Interest rate swaps The Company uses interest rate swaps to mitigate its exposure to potential interest rate mismatches between the interest earned on its investments and its borrowing costs on financing arrangements caused by fluctuations in short-term interest rates. Interest rate swaps generally involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the interest rate swap without exchange of the underlying notional amount. Variation margin The Company may exchange cash "variation margin" with the counterparties to its derivative instruments on a daily basis based upon changes in the fair value of such derivative instruments as measured by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME") and the London Clearing House, the central clearinghouses ("CCPs") through which those derivatives are cleared. In addition, the CCPs require market participants to deposit and maintain an "initial margin" amount which is determined by the CCPs and is generally intended to be set at a level sufficient to protect the CCPs from the maximum estimated single-day price movement in that market participant’s contracts. The initial margin posted in respect of derivative instruments is recorded as restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets. The daily exchange of variation margin associated with a CCP instrument is legally characterized as the daily settlement of the derivative instrument itself, as opposed to a pledge of collateral. Accordingly, the Company accounts for the daily receipt or payment of variation margin associated with its centrally cleared derivative instruments as a direct reduction to the carrying value of the derivative asset or liability, respectively. The daily receipt or payment is included as a settlement of the derivative in cash flows from investing activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows. The carrying amount of centrally cleared derivative instruments reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets approximates the unsettled fair value of such instruments. As variation margin is exchanged on a one-day lag, the unsettled fair value of such instruments represents the change in fair value that occurred on the last day of the reporting period. To-be-announced securities A to-be-announced security ("TBA") is a forward contract for the purchase or sale of Agency 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 the 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, 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 is the economic equivalent of net interest carry 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. Dollar roll income is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations in the "Net unrealized gain/(loss)" or "Net realized gain/(loss)" line items. Forward purchase commitments The Company may enter into forward purchase commitments with counterparties whereby the Company commits to purchasing residential mortgage loans at a particular price. Actual loan purchases are contingent upon successful loan closings. The counterparties deliver the committed loans on either a mandatory basis or best-efforts basis. These commitments to purchase mortgage loans may be classified as derivatives and would be recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, with corresponding changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of operations. Derivatives with a positive fair value to the Company are reported as assets and derivatives with a negative fair value to the Company are reported as liabilities. Earnings/(Loss) per share In accordance with ASC 260, "Earnings per Share," the Company calculates basic income/(loss) per share by dividing net income/(loss) available to common stockholders for the period by weighted-average shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding for that period. Diluted income per share takes into account the effect of dilutive instruments, such as stock options, warrants, unvested restricted stock and unvested restricted stock units using the average share price for the period in determining the number of incremental shares that are to be added to the weighted-average number of shares outstanding. Potential dilutive shares are excluded from the calculation if they have an anti-dilutive effect in the period. Interest income recognition Interest income on the Company’s loan and securities portfolio is accrued based on the actual coupon rate and the outstanding principal balance of such loans or securities. The Company has elected to record interest in accordance with ASC 835-30-35-2, "Imputation of Interest," using the effective interest method for all loans and securities accounted for under the fair value option in accordance with ASC 825, "Financial Instruments." As such, premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income over the lives of the loans or securities in accordance with ASC 310-20, "Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs," ASC 320-10 or ASC 325-40, as applicable. Total interest income is recorded in the "Interest income" line item on the consolidated statement of operations. For Agency RMBS, exclusive of interest-only securities, prepayments of the underlying collateral are estimated on a quarterly basis, which directly affect the speed at which the Company amortizes premiums on its securities. If actual and anticipated cash flows differ from previous estimates, the Company records an adjustment in the current period to the amortization of premiums for the impact of the cumulative change in the effective yield retrospectively through the reporting date. Similarly, the Company also reassesses cash flows on at least a quarterly basis for the remaining loans and real estate securities recorded on its consolidated balance sheets. In estimating these cash flows, there are a number of assumptions made that are uncertain and subject to judgments and assumptions based on subjective and objective factors and contingencies. These include the rate and timing of principal and interest receipts (including assumptions of prepayments, repurchases, defaults and liquidations), the pass-through or coupon rate and interest rate fluctuations. In addition, interest payment shortfalls due to delinquencies on the underlying mortgage loans have to be estimated. Differences between previously estimated cash flows and current actual and anticipated cash flows are recognized prospectively through an adjustment of the yield over the remaining life of the security based on the current amortized cost of the investment. Loans are typically moved to non-accrual status and income recognition is suspended if the loan becomes 90 days or more delinquent. Additionally, when management concludes that full recovery of all interest and principal on a loan or real estate security is doubtful, the Company may stop accruing interest or place the asset on cost recovery status. For assets where the cost recovery method is applied, the receipt of principal or coupon interest is recorded as a reduction to the amortized cost until collection of all contractual components are reasonably assured. Realized gains and losses Realized gains or losses on sales of loans, securities, and derivatives are included in the "Net realized gain/(loss)" line item on the consolidated statement of operations. The cost of loans, securities, and derivatives sold is calculated using a first in, first out ("FIFO") basis. Realized gains and losses are recorded in earnings at the time of disposition. Manager compensation The management agreement, as amended, provides for payment to the Manager of a management fee, an incentive fee, and reimbursements of certain expenses incurred by the Manager or its affiliates on behalf of the Company. The management fee, incentive fee, and reimbursements are accrued and expensed during the period for which they are earned or for which the expenses are incurred, respectively. The management fee is included in the "Management fee to affiliate" line item and the reimbursements are included in the "Non-investment related expenses," "Investment related expenses," and "Transaction related expenses" line items on the consolidated statement of operations. For a more detailed discussion on the fees payable under the management agreement, see Note 10. Transaction related expenses The Company incurs transaction related expenses when acquiring or disposing of its investments and prior to or at the time of executing securitizations. In accordance with ASC 825 "Financial Instruments," nonrefundable fees and costs associated with originating or acquiring loans that are carried at fair value shall be recognized in earnings as incurred. Transaction related expenses are accrued and expensed during the period in which they are incurred and are included in the "Transaction related expenses" line item on the consolidated statement of operations. Income taxes The Company conducts its operations to qualify and be taxed as a REIT. Accordingly, the Company generally will not be subject to federal or state corporate income tax to the extent that the Company makes qualifying distributions to its stockholders, and provided that it satisfies on a continuing basis, through actual investment and operating results, the REIT requirements including certain asset, income, distribution and stock ownership tests. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT, and does not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, it will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes and may be precluded from qualifying as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which the Company fails to qualify as a REIT. The dividends paid deduction of a REIT for qualifying dividends to its stockholders is computed using the Company’s taxable income/(loss) as opposed to net income/(loss) reported on the Company’s GAAP financial statements. Taxable income/(loss), generally, will differ from net income/(loss) reported on the financial statements because the determination of taxable income/(loss) is based on tax principles and not financial accounting principles. Cash distributions declared by the Company that do not exceed its current or accumulated earnings and profits will be considered ordinary income to stockholders for income tax purposes unless all or a portion of a distribution is designated by the Company as a capital gain dividend. Distributions in excess of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be characterized as return of capital or capital gains. As a REIT, if the Company fails to distribute in any calendar year (subject to specific timing rules for certain dividends paid in January) at least the sum of (i) 85% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of its capital gain net income for such year, and (iii) any undistributed taxable income from the prior year, the Company would be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (i) the amounts actually distributed and (ii) the amounts of income retained and on which the Company has paid corporate income tax. The Company elected to treat certain domestic subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs") and may elect to treat other subsidiaries as TRSs. In general, a TRS is utilized to hold assets and engage in activities that the Company cannot hold or engage in directly. Generally, a TRS may engage in any real estate or non-real estate-related business. A domestic TRS may declare dividends to the Company which will be included in the Company’s taxable income/(loss) which may necessitate a distribution to stockholders. Conversely, if the Company retains earnings at the domestic TRS level, no distribution is required and the Company can increase book equity of the consolidated entity. A domestic TRS is subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income taxes. The Company’s financial results are generally not expected to reflect provisions for current or deferred income taxes, except for any activities conducted through one or more TRSs that are subject to corporate income taxation. The Company believes that it will operate in a manner that will allow it to qualify for taxation as a REIT. As a result of the Company’s expected REIT qualification, it does not generally expect to pay federal or state corporate income tax. Many of the REIT requirements, however, are highly technical and complex. The Company evaluates uncertain income tax positions, if any, in accordance with ASC 740, "Income Taxes." The Company classifies interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of provision for income taxes. Dividends on Preferred Stock Holders of the Company’s 8.25% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series A Preferred Stock") and 8.00% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series B Preferred Stock") are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 8.25% and 8.00%, respectively, of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference for each series. From and including the date of original issue to, but not including, September 17, 2024, holders of the Company's 8.000% Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series C Preferred Stock") were entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 8.000% of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference. On and after September 17, 2024, holders of the Company's Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a percentage of the $25.00 liquidation preference equal to an annual floating rate of the three-month CME Term SOFR (plus a tenor spread adjustment of 0.26161%) plus a spread of 6.476%. If the Company’s Board of Directors does not declare a dividend in a given period, an accrual is not recorded on the balance sheet. However, undeclared preferred stock dividends are reflected in earnings per share as discussed in ASC 260-10-45-11. Preferred stock dividends that are not declared accumulate and are added to the liquidation preference as of the scheduled payment date for the respective series of the preferred stock. The undeclared and unpaid dividends on the Company’s preferred stock accrue without interest, and if dividends on the Company's preferred stock are in arrears, the Company cannot pay cash dividends with respect to its common stock. Stock-based compensation The Company applies the provisions of ASC 718, "Compensation—Stock Compensation" with regard to its equity incentive plans. ASC 718 covers a wide range of share-based compensation arrangements including stock options, restricted stock plans, performance-based awards, stock appreciation rights and employee stock purchase plans. ASC 718 requires that compensation cost relating to stock-based payment transactions be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Compensation cost related to restricted common stock and restricted stock units issued by the Company are measured at its estimated fair value at the grant date, and is amortized and expensed over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. Recent accounting pronouncements Income taxes In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (Topic 740)", which focuses on income tax disclosures around effective tax rates and cash income taxes paid. This standard requires entities to provide additional information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and reconciling items in the rate reconciliation table, and to disclose further disaggregation of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) by federal (national), state and foreign taxes by jurisdiction. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The guidance should be applied prospectively, but entities have the option to apply it retrospectively for each period presented. The Company adopted ASU 2023-09 on a prospective basis during the year ended December 31, 2025. The adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Expense disaggregation In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, "Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220- 40)", and in January 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-01, "Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Clarifying the Effective Date". This standard requires public companies to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements at interim and annual reporting periods. The new standard, as clarified by ASU 2025-01, is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact upon adoption, but does not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation for the annual period of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature.

The fair value of the financial instruments that the Company records at fair value is determined by the Manager, subject to oversight of the Company’s Board of Directors, and in accordance with the provisions of ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures." When possible, the Company determines fair value using third-party data sources. ASC 820 establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques giving the highest priority to readily available unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements) when market prices are not readily available or reliable.

•Level 3 – Prices determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable (for example, when there is little or no market activity for an investment at the end of the period), unobservable inputs may be used. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the factors that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available.

in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management's view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all loan activities will be recorded in a similar manner. As such, loans are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and any periodic change in fair value is recorded in current period earnings on the consolidated statement of operations as a component of "Net unrealized gain/(loss)." The Company recognizes upfront costs and fees relating to loans for which the fair value option has been elected in current period earnings as incurred and does not defer those costs, which is in accordance with ASC 825-10-25.

Investments in real estate securities are recorded in accordance with ASC 320-10, "Investments – Debt and Equity Securities" or ASC 325-40, "Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets." The Company has chosen to make a fair value election pursuant to ASC 825, "Financial Instruments" for its real estate securities portfolio. Electing the fair value option allows the Company to record changes in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management’s view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all securities activities will be recorded in a similar manner. Real estate securities are recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets and the periodic change in fair value is recorded in current period earnings on the consolidated statement of operations as a component of "Net unrealized gain/(loss)." Purchases and sales of real estate securities are recorded on the trade date.

The Company’s unconsolidated ownership interests in affiliates are accounted for using the equity method in accordance with ASC 323, "Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures." Substantially all of the Company’s investments held through affiliated entities are comprised of real estate securities, loans and its interest in AG Arc LLC ("AG Arc"). Certain entities have chosen to make a fair value election on their financial instruments pursuant to ASC 825; as such, the Company will treat these financial instruments consistently with this election. Income or losses, net of income taxes, recognized by the Company from its investments in debt and equity of affiliates are recorded in the "Equity in earnings/(loss) from affiliates" line item on the Company's consolidated statement of operations.

From time to time, the Company acquires newly originated residential mortgage loans from Arc Home. In connection with the sale of loans from Arc Home to the Company, gains or losses recorded by Arc Home are consolidated into AG Arc LLC ("AG Arc"). In accordance with ASC 323-10, for loans acquired from Arc Home that remain on the Company's consolidated balance sheet at year end, the Company eliminates any profits or losses typically recognized through the "Equity in earnings/(loss) from affiliates" line item on the Company's consolidated statement of operations and adjusts the cost basis of the underlying loans resulting in unrealized gains or losses recorded within the "Net unrealized gain/(loss)" line item on the consolidated statement of operations.

When the Company has a variable interest in an entity, it is required to determine whether the entity is a variable interest entity ("VIE") or a voting interest entity ("VOE"), the classification of which will determine the consolidation model that the Company is required to follow when determining whether it should consolidate the entity. When an entity does not possess the characteristics of a VIE, the Company will determine whether it has a controlling financial interest and meets the criteria for consolidation under the voting interest entity model.

An entity is a VIE if the equity investors (i) do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, (ii) are unable to direct the entity’s activities or (iii) are not exposed to the entity’s losses or entitled to its residual returns. VIEs within the scope of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 810-10, "Consolidation" are required to be consolidated by their primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is determined to be the party that has both the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic

performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. This determination can sometimes involve complex and subjective analyses. Further, ASC 810-10 also requires ongoing assessments of whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. In accordance with ASC 810-10, all transferees, including variable interest entities, must be evaluated for consolidation. If the Company determines that consolidation is not required, it will then assess whether the transfer of the underlying assets would qualify as a sale, should be accounted for as secured financings under GAAP, or should be accounted for as an equity method investment, depending on the circumstances.

A Special Purpose Entity ("SPE") is an entity designed to fulfill a specific limited need of the company that organized it. SPEs are often used to facilitate transactions that involve securitizing financial assets. The objective of such transactions may include obtaining non-recourse financing, obtaining liquidity or refinancing the underlying securitized financial assets on improved terms. Securitization involves transferring assets to an SPE to convert all or a portion of those assets into cash before they would have been realized in the normal course of business through the SPE’s issuance of debt or equity instruments. Investors in an SPE usually have recourse only to the assets in the SPE and depending on the overall structure of the transaction, may benefit from various forms of credit enhancement, such as over-collateralization in the form of excess assets in the SPE, priority with respect to receipt of cash flows relative to holders of other debt or equity instruments issued by the SPE, or a line of credit or other form of liquidity agreement that is designed with the objective of ensuring that investors receive principal and/or interest cash flow on the investment in accordance with the terms of their investment agreement.

The Company enters into securitization transactions collateralized by its Non-Agency Loans/Agency-Eligible Loans, Home Equity Loans, and re- and non-performing loans (the trusts in which these loans are deposited are referred to as "Non-Agency VIEs", "Home Equity VIEs", and "RPL/NPL VIEs", respectively), which may result in the Company consolidating the respective VIEs that are created to facilitate these securitizations. Based on the evaluations of each VIE, the Company may conclude that the VIEs should be consolidated and, as a result, transferred assets of these VIEs would be determined to be secured borrowings. Upon consolidation, the Company elected the fair value option pursuant to ASC 825 for the assets and liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs. Electing the fair value option allows the Company to record changes in fair value in the consolidated statement of operations, which, in management's view, more appropriately reflects the results of operations for a particular reporting period as all activities will be recorded in a similar manner. The Company applied the guidance under ASC 810-10 (Measuring the Financial Assets and the Financial Liabilities of a Consolidated Collateralized Financing Entity) whereby the Company determines whether the fair value of the assets or liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs are more observable as a basis for measuring the less observable financial instruments. The Company has determined that the fair value of the liabilities of the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs are more observable since the prices for these liabilities are more easily determined as similar instruments trade more frequently on a relative basis than the individual assets of the VIEs. See Note 3 for more detail regarding the Non-Agency VIEs, Home Equity VIEs, and RPL/NPL VIEs.

The Company may periodically enter into transactions in which it transfers assets to a third-party. Upon a transfer of financial assets, the Company will sometimes retain or acquire senior or subordinated interests in the related assets. Pursuant to ASC 860-10, "Transfers and Servicing" a determination must be made as to whether a transferor has surrendered control over transferred financial assets. That determination must consider the transferor’s continuing involvement in the transferred financial asset, including all arrangements or agreements made contemporaneously with, or in contemplation of, the transfer, even if they were not entered into at the time of the transfer. The financial components approach under ASC 860-10 limits the circumstances in which a financial asset, or portion of a financial asset, should be derecognized when the transferor has not transferred the entire original financial asset to an entity that is not consolidated with the transferor in the financial statements being presented and/or when the transferor has continuing involvement with the transferred financial asset. It defines the term "participating interest" to establish specific conditions for reporting a transfer of a portion of a financial asset as a sale.

Under ASC 860-10, after a transfer of financial assets that meets the criteria for treatment as a sale—legal isolation, ability of transferee to pledge or exchange the transferred assets without constraint and transferred control—an entity recognizes the financial and servicing assets it acquired or retained and the liabilities it has incurred, derecognizes financial assets it has sold and derecognizes liabilities when extinguished. The transferor would then determine the gain or loss on sale of financial assets by allocating the carrying value of the underlying mortgage between securities or loans sold and the interests retained based on their fair value. The gain or loss on sale is the difference between the cash proceeds from the sale and the amount allocated to the securities or loans sold. When a transfer of financial assets does not qualify for sale accounting, ASC 860-10 requires the transfer to be accounted for as a secured borrowing with a pledge of collateral.

From time to time, the Company may securitize mortgage loans it holds if such financing is available. These transactions will be recorded in accordance with ASC 860-10 and will be accounted for as either a "sale" and the loans will be removed from the consolidated balance sheets or as a "financing" and will be classified as "Securitized residential mortgage loans, at fair value" on the consolidated balance sheets, depending upon the structure of the securitization transaction. ASC 860-10 is a standard that may require the Company to exercise significant judgment in determining whether a transaction should be recorded as a "sale" or a "financing."

Cash is comprised of cash on deposit with financial institutions. The Company classifies highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents may include cash invested in money market funds. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. As of December 31, 2025 the Company held $57.8 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $56.0 million were cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2024, the Company held $118.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $118.0 million were cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high credit quality institutions to minimize credit risk exposure. Cash pledged to the Company as collateral is unrestricted in use and, accordingly, is included as a component of "Cash and cash equivalents" on the consolidated balance sheets. Any cash held by the Company as collateral is included in the "Other liabilities" line item on the consolidated balance sheets. "Other liabilities" does not include variation margin received on centrally cleared derivatives. Refer to the "Accounting for derivative financial instruments" policy below for additional detail.

Restricted cash includes cash pledged as collateral for clearing and executing trades, derivatives, and financing arrangements, as well as restricted cash deposited into accounts held at certain consolidated trusts. Restricted cash is not available to the Company for general corporate purposes. Restricted cash may be returned to the Company when the related collateral requirements are exceeded or at the maturity of the derivative or financing arrangement. Restricted cash is carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Restricted cash also includes variation margin pledged on centrally cleared derivatives. Refer to the "Accounting for derivative financial instruments" policy below for additional detail.

Real Estate Owned ("REO") represents real estate property acquired by the Company through foreclosure and classified as held for sale. Upon completion of a foreclosure, the Company initially records an REO at fair value less estimated costs to sell the property. In subsequent periods, REO is reported at the lower of the current carrying amount or fair value less estimated selling costs. REO is included in the "Other assets" line item on the consolidated balance sheets. Any gains or losses recognized on foreclosure as well as realized gains or losses on the disposition of REO are reported by the Company in the "Net realized gain/(loss)" line item on the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company finances the acquisition of certain assets within its portfolio through the use of financing arrangements. Financing arrangements primarily include repurchase agreements and facilities used to finance residential mortgage loans. Financing arrangements are carried at their contractual amounts as specified in the respective agreements. The carrying amount of the Company’s repurchase agreements and residential mortgage loan facilities approximates fair value.

The Company pledges certain loans or securities as collateral under financing arrangements with financial institutions, the terms and conditions of which are negotiated on a transaction-by-transaction basis. The amounts available to be borrowed under repurchase agreements and residential mortgage loan facilities are dependent upon the fair value of the loans or securities pledged as collateral, which can fluctuate with changes in interest rates, type of security and liquidity conditions within the banking, mortgage finance, and real estate industries. If the fair value of pledged assets declines due to changes in market conditions, lenders typically would require the Company to post additional securities as collateral, pay down borrowings, or establish cash margin accounts with the counterparties in order to re-establish the agreed-upon collateral requirements, referred to as margin calls. The Company maintains a level of liquidity in order to meet these obligations. The fair value of financial instruments pledged as collateral on the Company’s financing arrangements represents the Company’s fair value of such instruments which may differ from the fair value assigned to the collateral by its counterparties. If the fair value of pledged assets increases due to changes in market conditions, counterparties may be required to return collateral to the Company in the form of securities or cash or post additional collateral to the Company. Financings pursuant to repurchase agreements and revolving facilities are generally recourse to the Company. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had met all margin call requirements.

Senior unsecured notes are carried at amortized cost on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Interest on the notes is payable quarterly until such time as the notes mature. Debt issuance costs are costs incurred by the Company in connection with the issuance of senior unsecured notes or other financing where the fair value option has not been elected. These costs may include underwriting commissions, rating agency, legal, accounting, and other fees. Debt issuance costs are included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as a direct reduction from the related financing liability. These costs are deferred and amortized over the life of the related financing as an adjustment to interest expense using the effective interest method.

The Company enters into derivative contracts as a means of mitigating interest rate risk rather than to enhance returns. The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments in accordance with ASC 815-10, "Derivatives and Hedging." ASC 815-10 requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet and to measure those instruments at fair value with corresponding changes in fair value recognized in the "Net unrealized gain/loss" line item in consolidated statement of operations. The Company records derivative asset and liability positions on a gross basis with respect to its counterparties. During the period in which the Company unwinds a derivative, it records a realized gain or loss in the "Net realized gain/(loss)" line item in the consolidated statement of operations. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not have any interest rate derivatives designated as hedges for accounting purposes.

The Company uses interest rate swaps to mitigate its exposure to potential interest rate mismatches between the interest earned on its investments and its borrowing costs on financing arrangements caused by fluctuations in short-term interest rates. Interest rate swaps generally involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the interest rate swap without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

The Company may exchange cash "variation margin" with the counterparties to its derivative instruments on a daily basis based upon changes in the fair value of such derivative instruments as measured by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME") and the London Clearing House, the central clearinghouses ("CCPs") through which those derivatives are cleared. In addition, the CCPs require market participants to deposit and maintain an "initial margin" amount which is determined by the CCPs and is generally intended to be set at a level sufficient to protect the CCPs from the maximum estimated single-day price movement in that market participant’s contracts.

The initial margin posted in respect of derivative instruments is recorded as restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets. The daily exchange of variation margin associated with a CCP instrument is legally characterized as the daily settlement of the derivative instrument itself, as opposed to a pledge of collateral. Accordingly, the Company accounts for the daily receipt or payment of variation margin associated with its centrally cleared derivative instruments as a direct reduction to the carrying value of the derivative asset or liability, respectively. The daily receipt or payment is included as a settlement of the derivative in cash flows from investing activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows. The carrying amount of centrally cleared derivative instruments reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets approximates the unsettled fair value of such instruments. As variation margin is exchanged on a one-day lag, the unsettled fair value of such instruments represents the change in fair value that occurred on the last day of the reporting period.

A to-be-announced security ("TBA") is a forward contract for the purchase or sale of Agency 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 the 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, 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 is the economic equivalent of net interest carry 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. Dollar roll income is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations in the "Net unrealized gain/(loss)" or "Net realized gain/(loss)" line items.

The Company may enter into forward purchase commitments with counterparties whereby the Company commits to purchasing residential mortgage loans at a particular price. Actual loan purchases are contingent upon successful loan closings. The counterparties deliver the committed loans on either a mandatory basis or best-efforts basis. These commitments to purchase mortgage loans may be classified as derivatives and would be recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, with corresponding changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of operations. Derivatives with a positive fair value to the Company are reported as assets and derivatives with a negative fair value to the Company are reported as liabilities.

In accordance with ASC 260, "Earnings per Share," the Company calculates basic income/(loss) per share by dividing net income/(loss) available to common stockholders for the period by weighted-average shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding for that period. Diluted income per share takes into account the effect of dilutive instruments, such as stock options, warrants, unvested restricted stock and unvested restricted stock units using the average share price for the period in determining the number of incremental shares that are to be added to the weighted-average number of shares outstanding. Potential dilutive shares are excluded from the calculation if they have an anti-dilutive effect in the period.

Interest income on the Company’s loan and securities portfolio is accrued based on the actual coupon rate and the outstanding principal balance of such loans or securities. The Company has elected to record interest in accordance with ASC 835-30-35-2, "Imputation of Interest," using the effective interest method for all loans and securities accounted for under the fair value option in accordance with ASC 825, "Financial Instruments." As such, premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income over the lives of the loans or securities in accordance with ASC 310-20, "Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs," ASC 320-10 or ASC 325-40, as applicable. Total interest income is recorded in the "Interest income" line item on the consolidated statement of operations.

For Agency RMBS, exclusive of interest-only securities, prepayments of the underlying collateral are estimated on a quarterly basis, which directly affect the speed at which the Company amortizes premiums on its securities. If actual and anticipated cash flows differ from previous estimates, the Company records an adjustment in the current period to the amortization of premiums for the impact of the cumulative change in the effective yield retrospectively through the reporting date.

Similarly, the Company also reassesses cash flows on at least a quarterly basis for the remaining loans and real estate securities recorded on its consolidated balance sheets. In estimating these cash flows, there are a number of assumptions made that are uncertain and subject to judgments and assumptions based on subjective and objective factors and contingencies. These include the rate and timing of principal and interest receipts (including assumptions of prepayments, repurchases, defaults and liquidations), the pass-through or coupon rate and interest rate fluctuations. In addition, interest payment shortfalls due to delinquencies on the underlying mortgage loans have to be estimated. Differences between previously estimated cash flows and current actual and anticipated cash flows are recognized prospectively through an adjustment of the yield over the remaining life of the security based on the current amortized cost of the investment.

Loans are typically moved to non-accrual status and income recognition is suspended if the loan becomes 90 days or more delinquent. Additionally, when management concludes that full recovery of all interest and principal on a loan or real estate security is doubtful, the Company may stop accruing interest or place the asset on cost recovery status. For assets where the cost recovery method is applied, the receipt of principal or coupon interest is recorded as a reduction to the amortized cost until collection of all contractual components are reasonably assured.

The management agreement, as amended, provides for payment to the Manager of a management fee, an incentive fee, and reimbursements of certain expenses incurred by the Manager or its affiliates on behalf of the Company. The management fee, incentive fee, and reimbursements are accrued and expensed during the period for which they are earned or for which the expenses are incurred, respectively. The management fee is included in the "Management fee to affiliate" line item and the reimbursements are included in the "Non-investment related expenses," "Investment related expenses," and "Transaction related expenses" line items on the consolidated statement of operations. For a more detailed discussion on the fees payable under the management agreement, see Note 10.

The Company incurs transaction related expenses when acquiring or disposing of its investments and prior to or at the time of executing securitizations. In accordance with ASC 825 "Financial Instruments," nonrefundable fees and costs associated with originating or acquiring loans that are carried at fair value shall be recognized in earnings as incurred. Transaction related expenses are accrued and expensed during the period in which they are incurred and are included in the "Transaction related expenses" line item on the consolidated statement of operations.

The Company conducts its operations to qualify and be taxed as a REIT. Accordingly, the Company generally will not be subject to federal or state corporate income tax to the extent that the Company makes qualifying distributions to its stockholders, and provided that it satisfies on a continuing basis, through actual investment and operating results, the REIT requirements including certain asset, income, distribution and stock ownership tests. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT, and does not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, it will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes and may be precluded from qualifying as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which the Company fails to qualify as a REIT.

The dividends paid deduction of a REIT for qualifying dividends to its stockholders is computed using the Company’s taxable income/(loss) as opposed to net income/(loss) reported on the Company’s GAAP financial statements. Taxable income/(loss), generally, will differ from net income/(loss) reported on the financial statements because the determination of taxable income/(loss) is based on tax principles and not financial accounting principles.

Cash distributions declared by the Company that do not exceed its current or accumulated earnings and profits will be considered ordinary income to stockholders for income tax purposes unless all or a portion of a distribution is designated by the Company as a capital gain dividend. Distributions in excess of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be characterized as return of capital or capital gains.

As a REIT, if the Company fails to distribute in any calendar year (subject to specific timing rules for certain dividends paid in January) at least the sum of (i) 85% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of its capital gain net income for such year, and (iii) any undistributed taxable income from the prior year, the Company would be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (i) the amounts actually distributed and (ii) the amounts of income retained and on which the Company has paid corporate income tax.

A domestic TRS may declare dividends to the Company which will be included in the Company’s taxable income/(loss) which may necessitate a distribution to stockholders. Conversely, if the Company retains earnings at the domestic TRS level, no distribution is required and the Company can increase book equity of the consolidated entity. A domestic TRS is subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income taxes.

The Company’s financial results are generally not expected to reflect provisions for current or deferred income taxes, except for any activities conducted through one or more TRSs that are subject to corporate income taxation. The Company believes that it will operate in a manner that will allow it to qualify for taxation as a REIT. As a result of the Company’s expected REIT qualification, it does not generally expect to pay federal or state corporate income tax. Many of the REIT requirements, however, are highly technical and complex.

Holders of the Company’s 8.25% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series A Preferred Stock") and 8.00% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series B Preferred Stock") are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 8.25% and 8.00%, respectively, of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference for each series. From and including the date of original issue to, but not including, September 17, 2024, holders of the Company's 8.000% Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series C Preferred Stock") were entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 8.000% of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference. On and after September 17, 2024, holders of the Company's Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a percentage of the $25.00 liquidation preference equal to an annual floating rate of the three-month CME Term SOFR (plus a tenor spread adjustment of 0.26161%) plus a spread of 6.476%. If the Company’s Board of Directors does not declare a dividend in a given period, an accrual is not recorded on the balance sheet. However, undeclared preferred stock dividends are reflected in earnings per share as discussed in ASC 260-10-45-11. Preferred stock dividends that are not declared accumulate and are added to the liquidation preference as of the scheduled payment date for the respective series of the preferred stock. The undeclared and unpaid dividends on the Company’s preferred stock accrue without interest, and if dividends on the Company's preferred stock are in arrears, the Company cannot pay cash dividends with respect to its common stock.

The Company applies the provisions of ASC 718, "Compensation—Stock Compensation" with regard to its equity incentive plans. ASC 718 covers a wide range of share-based compensation arrangements including stock options, restricted stock plans, performance-based awards, stock appreciation rights and employee stock purchase plans. ASC 718 requires that compensation cost relating to stock-based payment transactions be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Compensation cost related to restricted common stock and restricted stock units issued by the Company are measured at its estimated fair value at the grant date, and is amortized and expensed over the vesting period on a straight-line basis.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (Topic 740)", which focuses on income tax disclosures around effective tax rates and cash income taxes paid. This standard requires entities to provide additional information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and reconciling items in the rate reconciliation table, and to disclose further disaggregation of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) by federal (national), state and foreign taxes by jurisdiction. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The guidance should be applied prospectively, but entities have the option to apply it retrospectively for each period presented. The Company adopted ASU 2023-09 on a prospective basis during the year ended December 31, 2025. The adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.