NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our Company

We were incorporated in Maryland on October 20, 1997 and commenced operations on March 17, 1998. Our principal business is to invest in, finance, and manage a leveraged portfolio of residential mortgage-backed securities, or MBS, and residential mortgage loans, which presently include the following types of investments:

Agency mortgage-backed securities, or Agency MBS, which include residential mortgage pass-through certificates and collateralized mortgage obligations, or CMOs, which are securities representing interests in pools of mortgage loans secured by residential property in which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a government-sponsored enterprise, or GSE, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac;

Non-agency mortgage-backed securities, or Non-Agency MBS, which are securities issued by companies that are not guaranteed by federally sponsored enterprises and that are secured primarily by first-lien residential mortgage loans; and

Residential mortgage loans. We acquire Non-QM residential mortgage loans (which are described further on page 47) from independent loan originators with the intent of holding these loans for securitization. These loans are financed by warehouse lines of credit until securitization. We also hold residential mortgage loans through consolidated securitization trusts. We finance these loans through asset-backed securities, or ABS, issued by the consolidated securitization trusts. The ABS, which are held by unaffiliated third parties, are non-recourse financing. The difference in the amount of the loans in the trusts and the amount of the ABS represents our retained net interest in the securitization trusts.

Our principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders primarily based upon the spread between the interest income on our mortgage assets and our borrowing costs to finance our acquisition of those assets.

We have elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. As long as we retain our REIT status, we generally will not be subject to federal or state income taxes to the extent that we distribute our taxable net income to our stockholders, and we routinely distribute to our stockholders substantially all of the taxable net income generated from our operations. In order to qualify as a REIT, we must meet various ongoing requirements under the tax law, including requirements relating to the composition of our assets, the nature of our gross income, minimum distribution requirements, and requirements relating to the ownership of our stock.

Our Manager

We are externally managed and advised by Anworth Management LLC, or our Manager. Effective as of December 31, 2011, we entered into a management agreement, or the Management Agreement, with our Manager, which effected the externalization of our management function, or the Externalization. Since the effective date of the Externalization, our day-to-day operations are being conducted by our Manager through the authority delegated to it under the Management Agreement and pursuant to the policies established by our board of directors, or our Board.

Our Manager is supervised by our Board and is responsible for administering our day-to-day operations. In addition, our Manager is responsible for (i) the selection, purchase, and sale of our investment portfolio; (ii) our financing and hedging activities; and (iii) providing us with portfolio management, administrative, and other services and activities relating to our assets and operations as may be appropriate.

Our Manager will also perform such other services and activities as described in the Management Agreement relating to our assets and operations as may be appropriate. In exchange for these services, our Manager receives a management fee, paid monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to one-twelfth of 1.20% of our Equity (as defined in the Management Agreement).

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND CONSOLIDATION

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles utilized in the United States of America, or GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Material estimates that are susceptible to change relate to the determination of the fair value of investments and derivatives, cash flow projections for and credit performance of Non-Agency MBS and residential mortgage loans, amortization of security and loan premiums, accretion of security and loan discounts, and accounting for derivative activities. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all subsidiaries. Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The interim financial information in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Our consolidated financial statements also include the consolidation of certain securitization trusts that meet the definition of a variable interest entity, or VIEs, because the Company has been deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the securitization trusts. These securitization trusts hold pools of residential mortgage loans and issue series of ABS payable from the cash flows generated by the underlying pools of residential mortgage loans. These securitizations are non-recourse financing for the residential mortgage loans held-for-investment. Generally, a portion of the ABS issued by the securitization trusts are sold to unaffiliated third parties and the balance is purchased by the Company. We classify the underlying residential mortgage loans owned by the securitization trusts as residential mortgage loans held-for-investment through consolidated securitization trusts in our consolidated balance sheets. The ABS issued to third parties are recorded as liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company records interest income on the residential mortgage loans held-for-investment and interest expense on the ABS issued to third parties in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company records the initial underlying assets and liabilities of the consolidated securitization trusts at their fair value upon consolidation into the Company and, as such, no gain or loss is recorded upon consolidation. See Note 5, “Variable Interest Entities,” for additional information regarding the impact of consolidation of securitization trusts.

The consolidated securitization trusts are VIEs because the securitization trusts do not have equity that meets the definition of GAAP equity at risk. In determining if a securitization trust should be consolidated, the Company evaluates (in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, 810‑10) whether it has both (i) the power to direct the activities of the securitization trust that most significantly impact its economic performance and (ii) the right to receive benefits from the securitization trust or the obligation to absorb losses of the securitization trust that could be significant. The Company determined that it is the primary beneficiary of certain securitization trusts because it has certain delinquency and default oversight rights on residential mortgage loans. In addition, the Company owns the most subordinated class of ABS issued by the securitization trusts and has the obligation to absorb losses and right to receive benefits from the securitization trusts that could potentially be significant to the securitization trusts. The Company assesses modifications, if any, to VIEs on an ongoing basis to determine if a significant reconsideration event has occurred that would change the Company’s initial consolidation assessment.

Change in Basis of Presentation

In accordance with ASU 2016-2, “Leases,” we have recorded on our unaudited consolidated balance sheets a “Right to Use Asset-Operating Lease,” and the related “Long-Term Lease Obligation.” All prior period information is presented in the same manner for conformity.

The following is a summary of our significant accounting policies:

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. The carrying amount of cash equivalents approximates their fair value. Restricted cash includes cash pledged as collateral to counterparties on various derivative transactions.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

We use securities purchased under agreements to resell, or reverse repurchase agreements, as a means of investing excess cash. Although legally structured as a purchase and subsequent resale, reverse repurchase agreements are treated as financing transactions under which the counterparty pledges securities (principally U.S. treasury securities) and accrued interest as collateral to secure a loan. The difference between the purchase price that we pay and the resale price that we receive represents interest paid to us and is included in “Other interest income” on our consolidated statements of operations. It is our policy to generally take possession of securities purchased under reverse repurchase agreements at the time such agreements are made.

Mortgage-Backed Securities

Agency MBS are securities that are obligations (including principal and interest) guaranteed by the U.S. government, such as Ginnie Mae, or guaranteed by federally sponsored enterprises, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Our investment-grade Agency MBS portfolio is invested primarily in fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage-backed pass-through certificates and hybrid adjustable-rate MBS. Hybrid adjustable-rate MBS have an initial interest rate that is fixed for a certain period, typically one to ten years, and then adjusts annually for the remainder of the term of the asset. We structure our investment portfolio to be diversified with a variety of prepayment characteristics, investing in mortgage assets with prepayment penalties, investing in certain mortgage security structures that have prepayment protections and purchasing mortgage assets at a premium and at a discount. A portion of our portfolio consists of Non-Agency MBS. Our principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders primarily based upon the spread between the interest income on our mortgage assets and our borrowing costs to finance our acquisition of those assets.

We classify our MBS as either trading investments, available-for-sale investments, or held-to-maturity investments. Our management determines the appropriate classification of the securities at the time they are acquired and evaluates the appropriateness of such classifications at each balance sheet date. We currently classify most of our MBS as available-for-sale. We have also designated a portion of our MBS as trading investments. All assets that are classified as available-for-sale are carried at fair value and unrealized gains or losses are generally included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” as a component of stockholders’ equity. Losses that are credit-related on securities classified as available-for-sale, which are determined by management to be other-than-temporary in nature, are reclassified from “Other comprehensive income (loss)” on our consolidated balance sheets to income (loss) on our consolidated statements of operations. Assets classified as trading investments are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in our consolidated statements of operations.

The most significant source of our revenue is derived from our investments in MBS. Interest income on Agency MBS is accrued based on the actual coupon rate and the outstanding principal amount of the underlying mortgages. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income over the estimated lives of the securities using the effective interest yield method, adjusted for the effects of actual and estimated prepayments based on ASC 320‑10. Our policy for estimating prepayment speeds for calculating the effective yield is to evaluate historical performance, street consensus prepayment speeds, and current market conditions. If our estimate of prepayments is materially incorrect as compared to the aforementioned references, we may be required to make an adjustment to the amortization or accretion of premiums and discounts that would have an impact on future income, which could be material and adverse.

A majority of our Non-Agency MBS are accounted for under “Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Credit Deterioration” (ASC 310‑30). A debt security accounted for under ASC 310‑30 is initially recorded at its purchase price (fair value). The amount of expected cash flows that exceed the initial investment represents the market yield adjustment (accretable yield), which is recognized as interest income on a level yield basis over the life of the security. The excess of total contractual cash flows over the cash flows expected at its origination is considered to be the non-accretable difference. We must periodically reassess the expected cash flows of loans accounted for under ASC 310‑30 along with the cash flows received. A significant increase in expected cash flows must be accounted for as an increase in the rate of accretion over the remaining life of the security. Conversely, if expected cash flows decrease, an other-than-temporary impairment must be recognized as a charge to earnings. Adjustments to the fair value of Non-Agency MBS, which are accounted for as available-for-sale securities, are recorded in “Accumulated other comprehensive income,” or AOCI. The determination as to whether impairment and accretable yield exists is based on cash flow projections related to the securities. As a result, the timing and amount of impairment and accretable yield constitutes a material estimate that is susceptible to significant change.

Interest income on the Non-Agency MBS that were purchased at a discount to par value, and were rated below AA at the time of purchase, is recognized based on the security’s effective interest rate. The effective interest rate on these securities is based on the projected cash flows from each security, which are estimated based on our observation of current information and events, and include assumptions related to interest rates, prepayment rates, and the timing and amount of credit losses. On at least a quarterly basis, we review and, if appropriate, make adjustments to our cash flow projections based on input and analysis received from external sources, internal models, and our judgment about interest rates, prepayment rates, the timing and amount of credit losses, and other factors. Changes in cash flows from those originally projected, or from those estimated at the last evaluation, may result in a prospective change in the yield/interest income recognized on such securities. Actual maturities of the available-for-sale securities are affected by the contractual lives of the associated mortgage collateral, periodic payments of principal, and prepayments of principal. Therefore, actual maturities of available-for-sale securities are generally shorter than stated contractual maturities. Stated contractual maturities are generally greater than ten years. There can be no assurance that our assumptions used to estimate future cash flows or the current period’s yield for each asset would not change in the near term, and the change could be material.

Based on the projected cash flows from our Non-Agency MBS purchased at a discount to par value, a portion of the purchase discount may be designated as a non-accretable difference and, therefore, not accreted into interest income. The amount designated as a non-accretable difference may be adjusted over time, based on the actual performance of the security, its underlying collateral, actual and projected cash flow from such collateral, economic conditions, and other factors. If the performance of a security with a non-accretable difference is more favorable than forecasted, a portion of the amount designated as a non-accretable difference may be accreted into interest income prospectively. Conversely, if the performance of a security with a non-accretable difference is less favorable than forecasted, an impairment charge and write-down of such security to a new cost basis results.

Securities transactions are recorded on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Realized gains or losses from securities transactions are determined based on the specific identified cost of the securities.

Residential Mortgage Loans Held-for-Securitization

Residential mortgage loans held-for-securitization are held at our wholly-owned subsidiary, Anworth Mortgage Loans, Inc., in connection with our intent to sponsor our own securitizations. Loans purchased with the intent to securitize are recorded on the trade date. Any fees associated with acquiring the loans held-for-securitization, as well as any premium paid to acquire the loans, are deferred. These are included in the loan balance and amortized using the effective interest yield method. Interest income is recorded as revenue when earned and deemed collectible or until a loan becomes more than 90 days past due, at which point the loan is placed on non-accrual status. When a non-accrual loan has been cured, meaning when all delinquent principal and interest have been remitted by the borrower, the loan is placed back on accrual status. Alternatively, nonaccrual loans may be placed back on accrual status after the loan is considered re-performing, generally when the loan has been current for 6 months.

The residential mortgage loans held-for-securitization are financed by a warehouse line of credit. The payment and performance of the obligations by Anworth Mortgage Loans under the warehouse line is guaranteed by Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation. We may be required to remove a loan from a warehouse line of credit. We do not maintain a loan repurchase reserve, as any risk of loss due to loan repurchase would normally be covered by recourse to the companies from which we acquired the loans. Debt issuances costs incurred in connection with this line of credit (such as facility fees and legal costs) are deducted from the debt’s carrying amount and amortized ratably to interest expense over the term of the debt.

Residential Mortgage Loans Held-for-Investment Through Consolidated Securitization Trusts

Residential mortgage loans held-for-investment through consolidated securitization trusts are carried at unpaid principal balances net of any premiums or discounts and allowance for loan losses. We expect that we will be required to continue to consolidate the securitization trusts that hold the residential mortgage loans.

We establish an allowance for residential loan losses based on our estimate of credit losses. These estimates for the allowance for loan losses require consideration of various observable inputs including, but not limited to, historical loss experience, delinquency status, borrower credit scores, geographic concentrations and loan-to-value ratios, and are adjusted for current economic conditions as deemed necessary by our management. Many of these factors are subjective and cannot be reduced to a mathematical formula. In addition, since we have not incurred any significant direct losses on our portfolio, we review national historical credit performance information from external sources to assist in our analysis. Changes in our estimates can significantly impact the allowance for loan losses and provision expense. The allowance reflects management’s best estimate of the credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. It is also possible that we will experience credit losses that are different from our current estimates or that the timing of those losses may differ from our estimates.

We recognize interest income from residential mortgage loans on an accrual basis. Any related premium or discount is amortized into interest income using the effective interest method over the estimated life of these loans. Coupon interest is recognized as revenue when earned and deemed collectable or until a loan becomes more than 90 days past due, at which point the loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest previously accrued for loans that have been placed on non-accrual status is reversed against interest income in the period the loan is placed in non-accrual status. Residential loans delinquent more than 90 days or in foreclosure are characterized as delinquent. Cash principal and interest that are advanced from servicers after a loan becomes greater than 90 days past due are recorded as a liability due to the servicer. When a delinquent loan previously placed on non-accrual status has been cured, meaning when all delinquent principal and interest have been remitted by the borrower, the loan is placed back on accrual status. Alternatively, non-accrual loans may be placed back on accrual status after the loan is considered re-performing. A restructured loan is considered re-performing when the loan has been current for at least 6 months.

Residential Properties

Residential properties are stated at cost and consist of land, buildings, and improvements, including other costs incurred during their acquisition, possession, and renovation. Residential properties purchased that are not subject to an existing lease are treated as asset acquisitions and, as such, are recorded at their purchase price, including acquisition and renovation costs, all of which are allocated to land and building based upon their relative fair values at the date of acquisition.

Building depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. We generally use a 27.5 year estimated life with no salvage value. We incur costs to prepare our acquired properties to be leased. These costs are capitalized and allocated to building costs. Costs related to the restoration, renovation, or improvement of our properties that improve and extend their useful lives are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Expenditures for ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred by us to lease the properties are capitalized and amortized over the life of the lease. Escrow deposits include refundable and non-refundable cash and earnest money on deposit with independent third parties for property purchases.

Repurchase Agreements

We finance the acquisition of MBS primarily through the use of repurchase agreements. Under these repurchase agreements, we sell securities to a lender and agree to repurchase the same securities in the future for a price that is higher than the original sales price. The difference between the sale price that we receive and the repurchase price that we pay represents interest paid to the lender. Although structured as a sale and repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement operates as a financing under which we pledge our securities and accrued interest as collateral to secure a loan which is equal in value to a specified percentage of the estimated fair value of the pledged collateral. We retain beneficial ownership of the pledged collateral. Upon the maturity of a repurchase agreement, we are required to repay the loan and concurrently receive back our pledged collateral from the lender or, with the consent of the lender, we may renew such agreement at the then-prevailing financing rate. These repurchase agreements may require us to pledge additional assets to the lender in the event the estimated fair value of the existing pledged collateral declines.

Asset-Backed Securities Issued by Securitization Trusts

Asset-backed securities issued by the securitization trusts are recorded at principal balances net of unamortized premiums or discounts. This long-term debt is collateralized only by the assets held in the trusts and is otherwise non-recourse to the Company.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Risk Management

We primarily use short-term (less than or equal to 12 months) repurchase agreements to finance the purchase of MBS. These obligations expose us to variability in interest payments due to changes in interest rates. We continuously monitor changes in interest rate exposures and evaluate various opportunities to mitigate this risk. Our objective is to limit the impact of interest rate changes on our earnings and cash flows. The principal instruments we use to achieve this are interest rate swap agreements, or interest rate swaps, which effectively convert a percentage of our repurchase agreements to fixed-rate obligations over a period of up to ten years. Under interest rate swaps, we agree to pay an amount equal to a specified fixed rate of interest times a notional principal amount and we receive in return an amount equal to a specified variable-rate of interest times a notional amount, generally based on the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR. The notional amounts are not exchanged. We do not issue or hold the interest rate swaps for speculative purposes.

We also enter into To-Be-Announced, or TBA, Agency MBS as either a means of investing in and financing Agency MBS or as a means of disposing of or reducing our exposure to agency securities. Pursuant to TBA contracts, we agree to purchase or sell for future delivery Agency MBS with certain principal and interest terms and certain types of collateral, but the particular Agency MBS to be delivered are not identified until shortly before the TBA settlement date. We also may choose, prior to settlement, to move the settlement of these MBS out to a later date by entering into an offsetting short or long position (referred to as a “pair off”), net settling the paired off positions for cash and simultaneously purchasing a similar TBA contract for a later settlement date. This transaction is commonly referred to as a “dollar roll.” The Agency MBS purchased or sold for a forward settlement date are typically priced at a discount to agency securities for settlement in the current month. This difference (or discount) is referred to as the “price drop.” The price drop represents compensation to us for foregoing net interest margin (interest income less repurchase agreement financing cost). TBA Agency MBS are accounted for as derivative instruments since they do not meet the exemption allowed for a “regular way” security trade under ASC 815, as either the TBA contracts do not settle in the shortest period of time possible or we cannot assess that it is probable at inception that we will take physical delivery of the security or that we will not settle on a net basis.

Accounting for Derivative and Hedging Activities

We account for derivative instruments in accordance with ASC 815, which requires recognition of all derivatives as either assets or liabilities and measurement of those instruments at fair value, which is typically based on values obtained from large financial institutions who are market makers for these types of instruments. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivative instruments depends on whether the instruments are designated and qualify as hedges in accordance with ASC 815. Changes in fair value related to derivatives not designated as hedges are recorded in our consolidated statements of operations as “Gain (loss) on derivatives” and specifically identified as either relating to interest rate swaps or TBA Agency MBS. For a derivative to qualify for hedge accounting, we must anticipate that the hedge will be highly “effective” as defined by ASC 815‑10. A hedge of the variability of cash flows that are to be received or paid in connection with a recognized asset or liability is known as a “cash flow” hedge. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and that is designated as a cash flow hedge, to the extent the hedge is effective, are recorded in AOCI and reclassified to income when the forecasted transaction affects income (e.g. when periodic settlement interest payments are due on repurchase agreements). Hedge ineffectiveness, if any, is recorded in current period income. Fair value hedges protect against exposures to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset. ASC 815 requires companies to recognize in income, in the period that the changes in fair value occur, any gains or losses from any ineffectiveness in the hedging relationship.

When we discontinue hedge accounting, the gain or loss on the derivative remains in AOCI and is reclassified into income when the forecasted transaction affects income. In all situations where hedge accounting is discontinued and the derivative remains outstanding, we carry the derivative at its fair value on our consolidated balance sheets, recognizing changes in fair value in current period income. All of our interest rate swaps had historically been accounted for as cash flow hedges under ASC 815. After August 22, 2014, none of our interest rate swaps were designated for hedge accounting. As a result of discontinuing hedge accounting for our interest rate swaps, changes in the fair value of these interest rate swaps are recorded in “(Loss) gain on derivatives, net” in our consolidated statements of operations rather than in AOCI. Also, net interest paid or received on these interest rate swaps, which was previously recognized in interest expense, is instead recognized in “(Loss) gain on derivatives, net.” These continue to be reported as assets or liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets at their fair value.

As long as the forecasted transactions that were being hedged (i.e. rollovers of our repurchase agreement borrowings) are still expected to occur, the balance in AOCI from the activity in these interest rate swaps through the dates of de-designation will remain in AOCI and be recognized in our consolidated statements of operations as “interest expense” over the remaining term of these interest rate swaps.

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, cash flows hedges were classified with the cash flows from the hedged item. Cash flows from derivatives that are not hedges are classified according to the underlying nature or purpose of the derivative transaction.

For more details on the amounts and other qualitative information on all our derivative transactions, see Note 15, “Derivative Instruments.” For more information on the fair value of our derivative instruments, see Note 9, “Fair Values of Financial Instruments.”

Credit Risk

As of March 31, 2019, we had attempted to limit our exposure to credit losses on our Agency MBS by purchasing securities primarily through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The payment of principal and interest on MBS issued by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae MBS are guaranteed by those respective enterprises. In September 2008, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were placed in the conservatorship of the U.S. government. While it is the intent that the conservatorship will help stabilize Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s overall financial position, there can be no assurance that it will succeed or that, if necessary, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be able to satisfy their guarantees of Agency MBS. There have also been concerns as to what the U.S. government will do regarding winding-down the operations of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. There have also been concerns over the past several years regarding the credit standing of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and U.S. sovereign debt. We do not know what effect any future ratings of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and U.S. sovereign debt may ultimately have on the U.S. economy, the value of our securities, or the ability of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to satisfy its guarantees of Agency MBS, if necessary.

Our adjustable-rate MBS are subject to periodic and lifetime interest rate caps. Periodic caps can limit the amount an interest rate can increase during any given period. Some adjustable-rate MBS that are subject to periodic payment caps may result in a portion of the interest being deferred and added to the principal outstanding.

We also invest in Non-Agency MBS, which are securities that are secured by pools of residential mortgages that are not issued by government-sponsored enterprises and are not guaranteed by any agency of the U.S. government or any federally chartered corporation. Such investments carry a risk that the borrower on the underlying mortgage may default on their obligation to make full and timely payments of principal and interest.

Other-than-temporary losses on our available-for-sale MBS, as measured by the amount of decline in estimated fair value attributable to credit losses that are considered to be other-than-temporary, are charged against income, resulting in an adjustment of the cost basis of such securities. Based on the criteria in ASC 320‑10, the determination of whether a security is other-than-temporarily impaired, or OTTI, involves judgments and assumptions based on both subjective and objective factors. When a security is impaired, an OTTI is considered to have occurred if (i) we intend to sell the security, (ii) it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, or (iii) we do not expect to recover its amortized cost basis (i.e., there is a credit-related loss). The following are among, but not all of, the factors considered in determining whether and to what extent an OTTI exists and the portion that is related to credit loss: (i) the expected cash flow from the investment; (ii) whether there has been an other-than-temporary deterioration of the credit quality of the underlying mortgages; (iii) the credit protection available to the related mortgage pool for MBS; (iv) any other market information available, including analysts’ assessments and statements and public statements and filings made by the debtor or counterparty; (v) management’s internal analysis of the security, considering all known relevant information at the time of assessment; and (vi) the magnitude and duration of historical decline in market prices. Because management’s assessments are based on factual information as well as subjective information available at the time of assessment, the determination as to whether an other-than-temporary decline exists and, if so, the amount considered impaired, is also subjective, and therefore constitutes material estimates that are susceptible to significant change.

We also own residential mortgage loans held-for-investment through consolidated securitization trusts. As the majority of these loans (the senior tranches of the securitization trusts) are collateral for the asset-backed securities issued by the trusts, our potential credit risk is on the subordinated tranches that we own, as these tranches would be the first ones to absorb any losses resulting from defaults by the borrowers on the underlying mortgage loans.

For all interest rate swaps entered into on or after September 9, 2013, all swaps participants are required by rules of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission under the authority granted to it pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, to clear interest rate swaps through a registered derivatives clearing organization, or “swap execution facility,” through standardized documents under which each swap counterparty transfers its position to another entity, whereby a central clearinghouse effectively becomes the counterparty on each side of the swap. It is the intent of the Dodd-Frank Act that the clearing of interest rate swaps in this manner is designed to avoid concentration of risk in any single entity by spreading and centralizing the risk in the clearinghouse and its members.

Credit Risk Related to Residential Mortgage Loans Held-for-Securitization

Our strategy of acquiring, accumulating, and securitizing residential mortgage loans involves credit risk. We bear the risk of loss on these loans while they are being financed through warehouse lines of credit. These loans are secured by real property. Credit losses on real estate loans can occur for many reasons, including poor origination practices; fraud; poor underwriting; poor servicing practices; weak economic conditions; increases in payments required to be made by the borrowers; declines in the value of real estate; natural disasters (such as fires or earthquake), severe weather (such as flooding, hurricanes, drought, and tornadoes) and other acts of God; uninsured property loss; over-leveraging of the borrower; costs of remediation of environmental conditions; acts of war or terrorism; changes in legal protections for lenders and other changes in law or regulation (including lending disclosures and privacy); and personal events affecting borrowers, such as reduction in income, changes in employment status (such as job loss), divorce, or health problems. In addition, if the U.S. economy or the housing market were to weaken (and that weakening was in excess of what we anticipated), credit losses could increase beyond levels that we have anticipated. In the event of a default on any of our loans, we would bear the loss equal to the difference between the realizable value of the mortgaged property, after expenses, and the outstanding indebtedness, as well as the loss of interest.

Income Taxes

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT and to comply with the provisions of the Code with respect thereto. Accordingly, we will not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that our distributions to our stockholders satisfy the REIT requirements and that certain asset, income, and stock ownership tests are met.

We have no unrecognized tax benefits and do not anticipate any increase in unrecognized benefits during 2019 relative to any tax positions taken prior to January 1, 2019. Should the accrual of any interest or penalties relative to unrecognized tax benefits be necessary, it is our policy to record such accruals in our income taxes accounts, and no such accruals existed at March 31, 2019. We file REIT U.S. federal and California income tax returns. These returns are generally open to examination by the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board for all years after 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock

We classify our Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series B Preferred Stock, on our consolidated balance sheets using the guidance in ASC 480‑10‑S99. Our Series B Preferred Stock contains certain fundamental change provisions that allow the holder to redeem the preferred stock for cash only if certain events occur, such as a change in control. As redemption under these circumstances is not solely within our control, we have classified our Series B Preferred Stock as temporary equity.

We have analyzed whether the conversion features in our Series B Preferred Stock should be bifurcated under the guidance in ASC 815‑10 and have determined that bifurcation is not necessary.

Stock-Based Expense

In accordance with ASC 718‑10, any expense relating to share-based payment transactions is recognized in the unaudited consolidated financial statements. Restricted stock is expensed over the vesting period (see Note 14, “Equity Compensation Plan,” for more information).

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share, or EPS, is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS assumes the conversion, exercise or issuance of all potential common stock equivalents (which includes stock options and convertible preferred stock) and the adding back of the Series B Preferred Stock dividends unless the effect is to reduce a loss or increase the income per share.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In accordance with ASC 220‑10‑55‑2, total comprehensive income is comprised of net income or net loss and other comprehensive income, which includes unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities classified as available-for-sale, and unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments. In accordance with ASU 2013‑02, we have identified, in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income, items that are reclassified and included in our consolidated statements of operations.

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016‑2, “Leases” (Topic 842), which is intended to improve financial reporting for lease transactions. This ASU requires organizations that lease assets, such as real estate, airplanes, and manufacturing equipment, to recognize on their balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights to use those assets for the lease term and obligations to make lease payments created by those leases that have terms of greater than 12 months. The recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily depends on its classification as a finance or operating lease. This ASU also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount and timing of cash flows arising from leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements, providing additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. This ASU became effective for public entities beginning with the quarter ended March 31, 2019, and we have adopted it. The Company has elected the practical expedients allowed under this ASU. This ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, as we do not have any finance leases and our only operating lease is for the sublease of our headquarters. Also, with respect to the small portion of our business in which we are a lessor of rental properties, this ASU is not applicable to this portion of our business, as all of our leases are for less than one year.

On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016‑13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” This ASU is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loan receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, and reinsurance receivables. It also applies to off-balance sheet credit exposures not accounted for as insurance (loan commitments, standby letters of credit, financial guarantees, and other similar instruments) and net investments in leases recognized by a lessor. The scope excludes financial assets measured at fair value through net income, available-for-sale securities, loans made to participants by defined contribution employee benefit plans, policy loan receivables of an insurance company, pledge receivables of a not-for-profit entity, and receivables between entities under common control. This ASU will require entities to immediately record the full amount of credit losses that are expected in their loan portfolios and to re-evaluate at each reporting period. The income statement will reflect the credit loss provision (or expense) necessary to adjust the allowance estimate since the previous reporting date. The expected credit loss estimate should consider available information relevant to assessing the collectability of contractual cash flows including information about past events (i.e. historical loss experience), current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This ASU will become effective for public entities beginning with the quarter ending March 31, 2020. Although, at this time, we are not able to measure the impact that this ASU will have on our consolidated financial statements, we believe that when implemented, while not having a significant impact on the losses incurred over the life of the loans, it is likely that credit losses will be recognized through the allowance account sooner than previously required.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, “Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” This ASU expands the scope of Topic 718, which currently only includes share-based payments issued to employees, to also include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods and services. Currently, nonemployee awards are measured at the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever can be more reliably measured. Under ASU 2018-07, equity-classified nonemployee awards within the scope of Topic 718 will be measured at grant-date fair value. This ASU became effective for public companies beginning with the quarter ended March 31, 2019. We have adopted this ASU and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) – Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” The following disclosure requirements were removed: (1) The amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; (2) The policy for timing of transfers between levels; and (3) The valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. The following disclosure requirement was modified: The amendments clarify that the measurement uncertainty disclosure is to communicate information about the uncertainty in measurement as of the reporting date. The following disclosure requirements were added: (i) The changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period; and (ii) The range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. For certain unobservable inputs, an entity may disclose other quantitative information in lieu of the weighted average if the entity determines that the other quantitative information would be a more reasonable and rational method to reflect the distribution of unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. This ASU will become effective for all entities beginning with the quarter ending March 31, 2020. We do not believe that this ASU will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.