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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Note 3 -Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Cash

Cash includes cash on deposit with financial institutions. We may maintain deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. However, management believes we are not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position and creditworthiness of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held.

Cash Collateral Posted To/By Counterparties

Cash collateral posted to/by counterparties represents cash posted by us to counterparties or posted by counterparties to us as collateral. Cash collateral posted to/by counterparties may include collateral for interest rate swap contracts (including swaptions and basis swap contracts), Eurodollar Futures Contracts (“Futures Contracts”) and repurchase agreements on our MBS and our Agency Securities purchased or sold on a to-be-announced basis (“TBA Agency Securities”).
MBS, at Fair Value

We generally intend to hold most of our MBS for extended periods of time. We may, from time to time, sell any of our MBS as part of the overall management of our MBS portfolio. Management determines the appropriate classifications of the securities at the time they are acquired and evaluates the appropriateness of such classifications at each balance sheet date. Purchases and sales of our MBS are recorded on the trade date.

Agency Securities, Available For Sale - At December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, all of our Agency Securities were classified as available for sale securities. Agency Securities classified as available for sale are reported at their estimated fair values with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as part of the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).

Credit Risk and Non-Agency Securities, Trading - At December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, all of our Credit Risk and Non-Agency Securities were classified as trading securities. Credit Risk and Non-Agency Securities classified as trading are reported at their estimated fair values with unrealized gains and losses included in Other Income (Loss) as a component of the consolidated statements of operations.

Interest-only Securities, Trading - At December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, all of our Interest-only Securities were classified as trading securities. Interest-only Securities represent the right to receive a specified proportion of the contractual interest flows of specific Agency MBS. Interest-only Securities classified as trading are reported at their estimated fair values with unrealized gains and losses included in Other Income (Loss) as a component of the consolidated statements of operations.

Receivables and Payables for Unsettled Sales and Purchases

We account for purchases and sales of securities on the trade date, including purchases and sales for forward settlement. Receivables and payables for unsettled trades represent the agreed trade price multiplied by the outstanding balance of the securities at the balance sheet date.

Accrued Interest Receivable and Payable

Accrued interest receivable includes interest accrued between payment dates on MBS. Accrued interest payable includes interest payable on our repurchase agreements and may, at certain times, contain interest payable on U.S. Treasury Securities sold short.

Repurchase Agreements

We finance the acquisition of our MBS through the use of repurchase agreements. Our repurchase agreements are secured by our MBS and bear interest rates that have historically moved in close relationship to the Federal Funds Rate and the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Under these repurchase agreements, we sell MBS to a lender and agree to repurchase the same MBS in the future for a price that is higher than the original sales price. The difference between the sales price that we receive and the repurchase price that we pay represents interest paid to the lender. A repurchase agreement operates as a financing arrangement under which we pledge our MBS 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. At 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 interest rate. The 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.

In addition to the repurchase agreement financing discussed above, at certain times we have entered into reverse repurchase agreements with certain of our repurchase agreement counterparties. Under a typical reverse repurchase agreement, we purchase U.S. Treasury Securities from a borrower in exchange for cash and agree to sell the same securities in the future in exchange for a price that is higher than the original purchase price. The difference between the purchase price originally paid and the sale price represents interest received from the borrower. Reverse repurchase agreement receivables and repurchase agreement liabilities are presented net when they meet certain criteria, including being with the same counterparty, being governed by the same master repurchase agreement (“MRA”), settlement through the same brokerage or clearing account and maturing on the same day. We did not have any reverse repurchase agreements outstanding at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.
 
Obligations to Return Securities Received as Collateral, at Fair Value
 
At certain times, we also sell to third parties the U.S. Treasury Securities received as collateral for reverse repurchase agreements and recognize the resulting obligation to return said U.S. Treasury Securities as a liability on our consolidated balance sheets. Interest is recorded on the repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements and U.S. Treasury Securities sold short on an accrual basis and presented as interest expense. Both parties to the transaction have the right to make daily margin calls based on changes in the fair value of the collateral received and/or pledged. We did not have any obligations to return securities received as collateral at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

Derivatives, at Fair Value

We recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets. All changes in the fair values of our derivatives are reflected in our consolidated statements of operations. We designate derivatives as hedges for tax purposes and any unrealized derivative gains or losses would not affect our distributable net taxable income. These transactions include interest rate swap contracts, interest rate swaptions and basis swap contracts. We also may utilize forward contracts for the purchase or sale of TBA Agency Securities. We account for TBA Agency Securities as derivative instruments if it is reasonably possible that we will not take or make physical delivery of the Agency Security upon settlement of the contract. We account for TBA dollar roll transactions as a series of derivative transactions.

We may also purchase and sell TBA Agency Securities as a means of investing in and financing Agency Securities (thereby increasing our “at risk” leverage) or as a means of disposing of or reducing our exposure to Agency Securities (thereby reducing our “at risk” leverage). Pursuant to TBA Agency Securities, we agree to purchase or sell, for future delivery, Agency Securities with certain principal and interest terms and certain types of collateral, but the particular Agency Securities to be delivered are not identified until shortly before the TBA settlement date. We 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, and simultaneously purchasing or selling a similar TBA Agency Security for a later settlement date. This transaction is commonly referred to as a “dollar roll.” When it is reasonably possible that we will pair off a TBA Agency Security, we account for that contract as a derivative.

Revenue Recognition
 
Agency Securities, Available For Sale - Interest income is earned and recognized on Agency Securities based on their unpaid principal amounts and their contractual terms. Recognition of interest income commences on the settlement date of the purchase transaction and continues through the settlement date of the sale transaction. Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of Multi-Family MBS, which are generally not subject to prepayment, are amortized or accreted into interest income over the contractual lives of the securities using a level yield method. Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of other Agency Securities are amortized or accreted into interest income over the actual lives of the securities, reflecting actual prepayments as they occur.

Fair Value of Agency Securities: We invest in Agency Securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of fixed rate, hybrid adjustable rate and adjustable rate mortgage loans. GAAP requires us to classify our investments as either trading, available for sale or held to maturity securities. Management determines the appropriate classifications of the securities at the time they are acquired and evaluates the appropriateness of such classifications at each balance sheet date. We currently classify all of our Agency Securities as available for sale. Agency Securities classified as available for sale are reported at their estimated fair values with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as part of the statements of comprehensive income (loss).

Security purchase and sale transactions, including purchase of TBA Agency Securities, are recorded on the trade date to the extent it is probable that we will take or make timely physical delivery of the related securities. Gains or losses realized from the sale of securities are included in income and are determined using the specific identification method.

Impairment of Assets: We evaluate Agency Securities for other than temporary impairment at least on a quarterly basis and more frequently when economic or market concerns warrant such evaluation. We consider an impairment to be other than temporary if we (1) have the intent to sell the Agency Securities, (2) believe it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the securities before recovery (for example, because of liquidity requirements or contractual obligations) or (3) a credit loss exists. Impairment losses recognized establish a new cost basis for the related Agency Securities.

Credit Risk and Non-Agency Securities and Interest-Only Securities, Trading - Interest income on Credit Risk and Non-Agency Securities and Interest-only Securities is recognized using the effective yield method over the life of the securities based on the future cash flows expected to be received. Future cash flow projections and related effective yields are determined for each security and updated quarterly. Other than temporary impairments, which establish a new cost basis in the security for purposes of calculating effective yields, are recognized when the fair value of a security is less than its cost basis and there has been an adverse change in the future cash flows expected to be received. Other changes in future cash flows expected to be received are recognized prospectively over the remaining life of the security.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) refers to changes in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. It includes all changes in equity during a period, except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.