Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Mortgages Receivable, net

v3.24.1
Mortgages Receivable, net
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Mortgages Receivable, net  
Mortgages Receivable, net

4. Mortgages Receivable, net

The Company offers secured, non-bank loans to real estate owners and investors (also known as “hard money” loans) to fund their acquisition, renovation, development, rehabilitation or improvement of properties located primarily in Connecticut, New York and Florida. The Company’s lending standards typically require that the original principal amount of all mortgage receivable notes be secured by first mortgage liens on one or more properties owned by the borrower or related parties and that the maximum LTV be no greater than 70% of the appraised value of the underlying collateral, as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of the loan origination. The Company considers the maximum LTV as an indicator for the credit quality of a mortgage note receivable. In the case of properties undergoing renovation, the loan-to-value ratio is calculated based on the estimated fair market value of the property after the renovations have been completed. However, the Company makes exceptions to this guideline if the facts and circumstances support the incremental risk. These factors include the additional collateral provided by the borrower, the credit profile of the

borrower, the Company’s previous relationship, if any, with the borrower, the nature of the property, the geographic market in which the property is located and any other information the Company deems appropriate.

The loans are generally for a term of one to three years. The loans are initially recorded and carried thereafter, in the financial statements, at cost. Most of the loans provide for monthly payments of interest only (in arrears) during the term of the loan and a “balloon” payment of the principal on the maturity date.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, loans on nonaccrual status had an outstanding principal balance of $84,592,411 and $55,691,857, respectively. The nonaccrual loans are inclusive of loans pending foreclosure. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, $598,109 and $350,861 of interest income was recorded on nonaccrual loans due to payments received, respectively.

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the aggregate amounts of loans funded by the Company were $204,884,592 and $300,277,303, respectively, offset by principal repayments of $167,036,071 and $131,840,244, respectively.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s mortgage loan portfolio includes loans ranging in size up to approximately $37.4 million with stated interest rates ranging from 5.0% to 15.0%. The default interest rate is generally 18% but could be more or less depending on state usury laws and other considerations deemed relevant by the Company.

As of December 31, 2023 the Company had one borrower representing 10.1% of the outstanding mortgage loan portfolio, or approximately $50.4 million. As of December 31, 2022, no such borrower represented more than 10% of the outstanding loan portfolio.

The Company may agree to extend the term of a loan if, at the time of the extension, the loan and the borrower meet all the Company’s underwriting requirements. The Company treats a loan extension as a new loan. If an interest reserve is established at the time a loan is funded, accrued interest is paid out of the interest reserve and recognized as interest income at the end of each month. If no reserve is established, the borrower is required to pay the interest monthly from its own funds. The deferred origination, loan servicing and amendment fee income represents amounts that will be recognized over the contractual life of the underlying mortgage notes receivable.

Allowance for credit loss

Allowance for credit losses (“CECL Allowance”) are charged to income in amounts sufficient to maintain an allowance for credit losses inherent in the loans that are established systematically by management as of the reporting date. Management’s estimate of expected credit losses is based on an evaluation of relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the future collectability of the reported amounts. The Company uses static pool modeling techniques to determine the allowance for loan losses expected over the remaining life of the loans, which is supplemented by management’s judgment. Expected losses are estimated for groups of accounts aggregated by geographical location.

The Company’s estimate of expected credit losses includes a reasonable and supportable forecast period equal to the contractual term of the loan plus any applicable short-term extensions that are reasonably expected for construction loans. The Company reviews charge-off experience factors, contractual delinquency, historical collection rates, the value of underlying collateral and other information to make the necessary judgments as to credit losses expected in the portfolio as of the reporting date. While management utilizes the best information available to make its evaluations, changes in macroeconomic conditions, interest rate environments, or both, may significantly impact the assumptions and inputs used in determining the allowance for credit losses. The Company’s charge-off policy is determined by a review of each delinquent loans. The Company has an accounting policy to not place loans on nonaccrual status unless they are more than 90 days delinquent. Accrual of interest income is generally resumed when the

delinquent contractual principal and interest is paid in full or when a portion of the delinquent contractually payments are made and the ongoing required contractual payments have been made for an appropriate period.

In assessing the CECL Allowance, the Company considers historical loss experience, current conditions, and a reasonable and supportable forecast of the macroeconomic environment. The Company derived an annual historical loss rate based on its historical loss experience in its portfolio, adjusted to incorporate the risks of construction lending and to reflect the Company’s expectations of the macroeconomic environment.

The following table summarizes the activity in the Mortgages receivable allowance for credit losses from adoption on January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023:

Allowance for credit losses

    

Allowance for credit losses

as of

Provision for credit losses

Provision

as of

December 31,

Adoption of ASU

related to

for

December 31,

(dollars in thousands)

    

2022(1)(1)

    

2016-13

    

loans pending foreclosure

    

credit losses

    

2023

Geographical Location

New England

$

105

$

1,302

$

4,069

$

288

$

5,764

West

7

(7)

South

402

97

(64)

435

Mid-Atlantic

210

892

222

1,324

Total

$

105

$

1,921

$

5,058

$

439

$

7,523

(1) As of December 31, 2022, amounts represent probable loan loss provisions recorded before the adoption of the ASU 2016-13.

Presented below is the Company’s loan portfolio by geographical location:

    

December 31, 2023

    

December 31, 2022

(dollars in thousands)

Carrying Value

% of Portfolio

Carrying Value

% of Portfolio

 

Geographical Location

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

New England

$

232,437

 

46.6

%  

$

225,603

 

49.0

%

West

 

4,101

 

0.8

%  

 

3,150

 

0.7

%

South

 

163,409

 

32.7

%  

 

135,857

 

29.5

%

Mid-Atlantic

 

99,288

 

19.9

%  

 

96,128

 

20.8

%

Total

 

499,235

 

100.0

%  

 

460,738

 

100.0

%

Less, Allowance for credit losses

 

(7,523)

 

 

(105)

 

  

Carrying value, net

$

491,712

$

460,633

 

  

Presented below are the carrying values by property type:

    

December 31, 2023

    

  

December 31, 2022

 

Outstanding

Outstanding

 

(dollars in thousands)

Principal

% of Portfolio

Principal

% of Portfolio

 

Property Type

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Residential

$

246,520

 

49.4

%  

$

229,944

 

49.9

%

Commercial

 

186,524

 

37.4

%  

 

154,929

 

33.6

%

Pre-Development Land

 

35,920

 

7.2

%  

 

46,499

 

10.1

%

Mixed use

 

30,271

 

6.0

%  

 

29,366

 

6.4

%

Total

 

499,235

 

100.0

%  

 

460,738

 

100.0

%

Less, Allowance for credit losses

 

(7,523)

 

 

(105)

 

  

Carrying value, net

$

491,712

$

460,633

 

  

The following tables allocate the carrying value of the Company’s loan portfolio based on internal credit quality indicators in assessing estimated credit losses and vintage of origination at the dates indicated:

    

December 31, 2023

    

  

Year Originated(1)

Carrying

% of

  

  

  

  

  

FICO Score (2) (dollars in thousands)

Value

Portfolio

2023

2022

2021

2020

Prior

Under 500

$

6,664

 

1.3

%  

$

216

$

4,900

$

$

$

1,548

501-550

 

6,555

 

1.3

%  

 

2,331

 

1,440

 

1,864

 

 

920

551-600

 

33,723

 

6.8

%  

 

15,019

 

9,839

 

6,854

 

1,127

 

884

601-650

 

103,601

 

20.8

%  

 

16,053

 

26,981

 

52,073

 

3,988

 

4,506

651-700

 

97,284

 

19.5

%  

 

17,862

 

40,318

 

30,203

 

3,662

 

5,239

701-750

 

167,977

 

33.6

%  

 

19,935

 

51,276

 

83,946

 

7,411

 

5,409

751-800

 

59,413

 

11.9

%  

 

14,461

 

15,906

 

27,027

 

592

 

1,427

801-850

 

24,018

 

4.8

%  

 

865

 

23,096

 

 

 

57

Total

 

499,235

 

100.0

%  

$

86,742

$

173,756

$

201,967

$

16,780

$

19,990

Less, Allowance for credit losses

 

(7,523)

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Carrying value, net

$

491,712

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

(1)Represents the year of origination or amendment where the loan was subject to a full re-underwriting.

(2)The FICO Scores are calculated at the inception of the loan and are updated if the loan is modified or on an as needed basis.

    

December 31, 2022

    

  

Year Originated(1)

Carrying

% of

FICO Score (2) (dollars in thousands)

Value

Portfolio

2022

2021

2020

2019

Prior

Under 500

$

629

 

0.1

%  

$

$

$

185

$

235

$

209

501-550

 

4,786

 

1.0

%  

 

 

1,779

 

87

 

803

 

2,117

551-600

 

15,977

 

3.5

%  

 

3,061

 

8,256

 

1,836

 

1,357

 

1,467

601-650

 

40,349

 

8.8

%  

 

21,382

 

7,474

 

6,273

 

1,547

 

3,673

651-700

 

84,085

 

18.3

%  

 

33,832

 

31,342

 

7,398

 

5,269

 

6,244

701-750

 

174,347

 

37.8

%  

 

65,190

 

90,524

 

11,892

 

5,527

 

1,214

751-800

 

125,347

 

27.2

%  

 

68,826

 

45,038

 

9,470

 

1,640

 

373

801-850

 

15,218

 

3.3

%  

 

14,554

 

 

399

 

 

265

Total

 

460,738

 

100.0

%  

$

206,845

$

184,413

$

37,540

$

16,378

$

16,562

Less, Allowance for credit losses

 

(105)

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Carrying value, net

$

460,633

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

(1)Represents the year of origination or amendment where the loan was subject to a full re-underwriting.

(2)The FICO Scores are calculated at the inception of a loan and are updated if the loan is modified or on an as needed basis.

The following is the maturities of mortgages receivable as of December 31,2023:

Years Ending December 31, (Dollars in thousands)

Amount

2023 and prior

$

123,769

2024

288,534

2025

86,836

Thereafter

96

Total

499,235

Less, Allowance for credit losses

(7,523)

Total

$

491,712

At December 31, 2023, of the 311 mortgage loans in the Company’s portfolio, 56 were the subject of foreclosure proceedings. The aggregate outstanding principal balance of these loans and the accrued but unpaid interest and borrower charges, as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $68.1 million. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company has taken an allowance against loans subject to foreclosure proceedings of approximately $6.2 million and $-0-, respectively.

At December 31, 2022, of the 444 mortgage loans in the Company’s portfolio, 40 were the subject of foreclosure proceedings. The aggregate outstanding principal balance of these loans and the accrued but unpaid interest and borrower charges as of December 31, 2022 was approximately $24.0 million. In the case of each of these loans, the Company believed the value of the collateral exceeded the outstanding balance on the loan.

Loan modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty

In certain situations, the Company may provide loan modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. These modifications may include term extensions, and adding unpaid interest, charges and taxes to the principal balance intended to minimize the Company’s economic loss and to avoid foreclosure or repossession of collateral. The Company generally receives additional collateral as part of extending the terms of the loan for loans experiencing financial difficulty.

The table below presents loan modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty:

    

Year Ended December 31, 2023

    

% of Total

    

Carrying Value of

(in thousands)

Carrying Value

Loans, net

Financial Effect

Loans modified during the period ended

  

  

  

Term extension

$

71,988

 

14.6

%  

A weighted average of 17.1 months were added to the life of the loans

Other

$

25,492

 

5.17

%  

Unpaid interest/taxes/charges added to principal balance

The Company monitors the performance of loans modified to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The table below presents the performance of loans that have been modified in the last 12 months to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The Company considers loans that are 90 days past due to be in payment default.

    

Year Ended December 31, 2023

(in thousands)

     

Current

     

90-119 days past due

     

120+ days past due

     

Total

Loans modified during the period ended

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Term extension

$

71,988

$

$

$

71,988

Other

$

25,492

$

$

$

25,492

The Company has committed to lend additional amounts totaling approximately $18.7 million to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty.