Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations

v3.22.4
Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations
3. Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations
The Company determined that the SPEs created in connection with its securitizations are VIEs. A VIE is an entity that has either a total equity investment that is insufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or whose equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. A VIE is consolidated by its primary beneficiary, which is the entity that, through its variable interests, has both the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and the obligations to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.
Consolidated VIEs
FAR
FAR securitizes certain of its interests in nonperforming reverse mortgages and non-agency reverse mortgage loans. The transactions provide investors with the ability to invest in a pool of reverse mortgage loans secured by one-to-four-family residential properties. The transactions provide FAR with access to liquidity for these assets, ongoing servicing fees, and potential residual returns. The principal and interest on the outstanding certificates are paid using the cash flows from the underlying reverse mortgage loans, which serve as collateral for the debt. The securitizations are callable at or following the optional redemption date as defined in the respective indenture agreements.
In February 2022 and August 2022, FAR executed its optional redemption of outstanding securitized notes related to outstanding nonperforming HECM securitizations. As part of the optional redemptions, FAR paid off notes with outstanding principal balances of $488.2 million and $337.4 million, respectively. The notes were paid off at par. As a result of the optional redemptions, FAR is no longer required to consolidate these securitization trusts, and the outstanding loans with unpaid principal balances of $506.6 million and $363.0 million, respectively, were recognized in loans held for investment, at fair value, in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
FAM
FAM (prior to January 1, 2022, through FACo) securitizes certain of its interests in fix & flip mortgages. The transactions provide debt security holders the ability to invest in a pool of loans secured by an investment in real estate. The transactions provide the Company with access to liquidity for the loans and ongoing management fees. The principal and interest on the outstanding debt securities are paid using the cash flows from the underlying loans, which serve as collateral for the debt.
Servicing-Securitized Loans
In their capacity as servicer of the securitized loans, FAM (prior to January 1, 2022, through FACo) and FAR retain the power to direct the VIE's activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance. FAM (prior to January 1, 2022, through FACo) and FAR also retain certain beneficial interests in these trusts which provide exposure to potential gains and losses based on the performance of the trust. As FAM (prior to January 1, 2022, through FACo) and FAR have both the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and the obligations to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE, the definition of primary beneficiary is met and the trusts are consolidated by the Company through its FAM (prior to January 1, 2022, through FACo) and FAR subsidiaries.
Certain obligations may arise from the agreements associated with transfers of loans. Under these agreements, the Company may be obligated to repurchase the loans, or otherwise indemnify or reimburse the investor for losses incurred due to material breach of contractual representations and warranties. There were no charge-offs associated with these transferred mortgage loans related to the standard securitization representations and warranties obligations for the year ended December 31, 2022, the Successor nine months ended December 31, 2021 or the Predecessor three months ended March 31, 2021. There were $2.5 million realized losses associated with these transferred mortgage loans for the Predecessor year ended December 31, 2020.
The following table presents the assets and liabilities of the Company's consolidated VIEs, which are included in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, and excludes intercompany balances, except for retained bonds and beneficial interests (in thousands):
December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021
ASSETS
Restricted cash $ 173,714  $ 311,652 
Loans held for investment, subject to nonrecourse debt, at fair value 7,340,528  6,099,607 
Other assets, net 75,977  67,593 
TOTAL ASSETS $ 7,590,219  $ 6,478,852 
LIABILITIES
Nonrecourse debt, at fair value $ 7,479,918  $ 6,088,298 
Payables and other liabilities 757  428 
TOTAL VIE LIABILITIES 7,480,675  6,088,726 
Retained bonds and beneficial interests eliminated in consolidation (304,061) (231,229)
TOTAL CONSOLIDATED LIABILITIES $ 7,176,614  $ 5,857,497 
Unconsolidated VIEs
FAM
Hundred Acre Wood Trust
FAM securitizes certain of its interests in agency-eligible residential mortgage loans. The transactions provide investors with the ability to invest in a pool of mortgage loans secured by one-to-four-family residential properties and provide FAM with access to liquidity for these assets and ongoing servicing fees. The principal and interest on the outstanding certificates are paid using the cash flows from the underlying mortgage loans, which serve as collateral for the debt. In 2021, FAM executed certain securitizations where FAM's beneficial interest in the securitization is limited to its U.S. Risk Retention Certificates, a 5% eligible vertical interest in the trust. The Company determined that the securitization structures meet the definition of a VIE and concluded that the Company does not hold a significant variable interest in the securitizations and that the contractual role as servicer is not a variable interest. The transfer of the loans to the VIEs was determined to be a sale. The Company derecognized the mortgage loans and did not consolidate the trusts.
FAM’s continuing involvement with and exposure to loss from the VIE includes the carrying value of the retained bond, the servicing asset recognized in the sale of the loans, servicing advances in the role as servicer, and obligations under representations and warranties contained in the loan sale agreements. Creditors of the VIE have no
recourse to FAM’s assets or general credit. The underlying performance of the mortgage loans transferred has a direct impact on the fair values and cash flows of the beneficial interests held and the servicing asset recognized.
FAR
In December 2022, FAR securitized its interest in certain non-agency reverse mortgage loans where its beneficial interest in the securitization is limited to a 5% eligible vertical interest in the trust. The Company determined that the securitization structures meet the definition of a VIE and concluded that the Company does not hold a significant variable interest in the securitization and that the contractual role as servicer is not a variable interest. The transfer of the loans to the VIE was determined to be a sale. The Company derecognized the reverse mortgage loans and did not consolidate the trust.
The Company has outstanding collateral and certificate UPB for securitization trusts for which it was the transferor and that were not consolidated of $1.1 million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, there were $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively, of mortgage loans transferred by the Company to unconsolidated securitization trusts that are 90 days or more past due.
Cavatica Asset Participation Trust ("CAPT")
In December 2021, CAPT was established for the purpose of securitizing agricultural loans where its beneficial interest in the securitization is limited to its Issuer Residual Interest Certificates, a 5% eligible vertical interest in the trust. The Company determined that the securitization structure meets the definition of a VIE and concluded that the Company does not hold a significant variable interest in the securitizations and the Company does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the VIEs. However, the transfer of the loans to the VIEs was determined not to be a sale. As such, the Company continues to recognize and consolidate the loans and the related nonrecourse liability, with the retained bonds being eliminated against the nonrecourse liability in consolidation. The Company’s continuing involvement with and exposure to loss from the VIE includes the carrying value of the retained bond, the retained loans, debt servicing of the related nonrecourse liability, servicing advances in the role as servicer, and obligations under representations and warranties contained in the loan sale agreements. Creditors of the VIE have no recourse to the Company’s assets or general credit. The underlying performance of the mortgage loans held has a direct impact on the fair values and cash flows of the beneficial interests held.
As of December 31, 2022, the consolidated balance of the agricultural loans transferred to the VIE and the related nonrecourse liability had a fair value of $114.1 million and $106.8 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, the consolidated balance of the agricultural loans transferred to the VIE and the related nonrecourse liability had a fair value of $118.6 million and $111.7 million, respectively.