Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations

v3.22.0.1
Variable Interest Entities and Securitizations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
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 2021, FAR executed its optional redemption of outstanding securitized notes related to outstanding nonperforming HECM securitizations. As part of the optional redemption, FAR paid off notes with an outstanding principal balance of $294.2 million. The notes were paid off at par.
In April 2021, FAR executed its optional redemption of outstanding securitized notes related to outstanding
non-agency
reverse mortgage securitizations. As part of the optional redemption, FAR paid off notes with an outstanding principal balance of $239.8 million, accrued interest of $6.3 million and discount of $3.7 million.
FACo
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 FACo 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.
In April 2021
, FACo executed its optional redemption of outstanding securitized notes related to the 2018
, 2019
, and 2020
(“ANTLR”)securitizations. As part of the optional redemption, FACo paid off notes with an outstanding principal balance of $175.3 million. The notes were paid off at par.
Servicing Securitized Loans
In their capacity as servicer of the securitized loans, FACo and FAR retain the power to direct the VIE’s activities that most significantly impact the VIEs economic performance. 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 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 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 Successor period from April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, or the Predecessor period from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. There were $2.5 million and $0 realized losses associated with these transferred mortgage loans for the Predecessor years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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, 2021
   
December 31, 2020
 
    
Successor
   
Predecessor
 
ASSETS
      
 
       
Restricted cash
  
$
311,652
 
  $ 293,580  
Loans held for investment, subject to nonrecourse debt, at fair value
  
 
6,099,607
 
    5,396,167  
Other assets, net
  
 
67,593
 
    79,528  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
TOTAL ASSETS
  
$
6,478,852
 
  $ 5,769,275  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
LIABILITIES
                
Nonrecourse debt, at fair value
  
$
6,088,298
 
  $ 5,459,941  
Payables and other liabilities
  
 
428
 
    291  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
TOTAL VIE LIABILITIES
  
 
6,088,726
 
    5,460,232  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Retained bonds and beneficial interests eliminated in consolidation
  
 
(231,229
    (202,187
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
TOTAL CONSOLIDATED LIABILITIES
  
$
5,857,497
 
  $ 5,258,045  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Unconsolidated VIEs
FACo
In December 2021
, FACo established the Cavatica Asset Participation Trust (“CAPT”) for the purpose of securitizing agricultural loans. In 2021
, FACo executed CAPT-2021
, where FACo’s 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 structures 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.FACo’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 FACo’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
, 2021
(Successor), the interests retained upon execution of the transaction consisted of an interest in the Issuer Residual Interest Certificates issued by the VIE and had an initial fair value of $9.3 million. The agricultural loans transferred to the VIE and the nonrecourse debt related to the transfer had an initial fair
value of $166.1 million. Cash proceeds from the securitizations were $31.2 million. The Company did not record any gain or loss, as the transfer of loans to the VIE was determined not to be a sale.
As of December 31, 2021 (Successor), the consolidated balance of the agricultural loans and the related nonrecourse liability transferred to the VIE had a fair value of $118.6
 
million
and $111.7
 
million
, respectively.
FAM
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 May 2021, FAM established the Hundred Acre Wood Trust (“HAWT” or “Trust”) for the sole purpose of acquiring mortgage loans for securitization. In 2021, FAM executed the HAWT 2021-INV1, HAWT 2021-INV2 and HAWT 2021-INV3 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 meets 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.
As of December 31, 2021 (Successor), the interests retained upon transfer of the mortgage loans consisted of an interest in each class of securities issued by the VIE and had an initial fair value of $58.1 million. The servicing
 
asset recognized upon sale of the mortgage loans to the VIE had an initial fair value of $4.4 million. Cash proceeds from the securitizations were $1,117.0 
million and cash proceeds from retained bonds were $1.6 million. The
Company recorded a gain on sale on the securitizations of $40.4 million.
The following table presents a summary of the outstanding collateral and certificate balances for securitization trusts for which the Company was the transferor and that were not consolidated by the Company (in thousands):

 
  
December 31, 2021
 
 
December 31, 2020
 
 
  
Successor
 
 
Predecessor
 
Unconsolidated securitization trusts:
  
   
 
 
     
Total collateral balances — UPB
 
$
1,085,340
 
 
$     —
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total certificate balances
 
$
1,085,340
 
 
$
    —
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As of December 31
, 2021
(Successor), there were $0.4 million of mortgage loans transferred by the Company to unconsolidated securitization trusts that are 90
days or more past due. As of December 31
, 2020
, there were no unconsolidated securitization trusts.