XML 33 R24.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.1.u1
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been included. Our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or any other future period.

We consolidate all entities that are controlled either through majority ownership or voting rights. We also identify entities for which control is achieved through means other than through voting rights (a variable interest entity or “VIE”) using the analysis as set forth in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, and determine when and which variable interest holder, if any, should consolidate the VIE. We do not have any consolidated variable interest entities as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates that are particularly susceptible to our judgment include, but are not limited to, the adequacy of the current expected credit loss reserve and the impairment of certain assets.

Risks and Uncertainties

Risks and Uncertainties

In the normal course of business, we primarily encounter two significant types of economic risk: credit and market. Credit risk is the risk of default on our loans receivable that results from a borrower’s or counterparty’s inability or unwillingness to make contractually required payments. Market risk reflects changes in the value of the loans receivable due to changes in interest rates, spreads or other market factors, including risks that impact the value of the collateral underlying our loans. We believe that the carrying values of our loans receivable are reasonable taking into consideration these risks.

Current Expected Credit Losses

Current Expected Credit Losses

The current expected credit loss (“CECL”) reserve required under ASU 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses – Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326)” (“ASU 2016-13”), reflects our current estimate of potential credit losses related to our loan portfolio. Changes to the CECL reserve are recognized through a provision for or reversal of current expected credit loss reserve on our consolidated statements of operations. ASU 2016-13 specifies the reserve should be based on relevant information about past events, including historical loss experience, current loan portfolio, market conditions and reasonable and supportable macroeconomic forecasts for the duration of each loan.

General CECL Reserve

Our loans are typically collateralized by real estate, or in the case of mezzanine loans, by an equity interest in an entity that owns real estate. We consider key credit quality indicators in underwriting loans and estimating credit losses, including: the capitalization of borrowers and sponsors; the expertise of the borrowers and sponsors in a particular real estate sector and geographic market; collateral type; geographic region; use and occupancy of the property; property market value; loan-to-value (“LTV”) ratio; loan amount and lien position; our risk rating for the same and similar loans; and prior experience with the borrower/sponsor. This information is used to assess the financial and operating capability, experience and profitability of the borrower/sponsor. Ultimate repayment of our loans is sensitive to interest rate changes, general economic conditions, liquidity, LTV ratio, existence of a liquid investment sales market for commercial properties, and availability of replacement financing.

We regularly evaluate on a loan-by-loan basis, the extent and impact of any credit deterioration associated with the performance and/or value of the underlying collateral property, the financial and operating capability of the borrower/sponsor, the financial strength of loan guarantors, if any, and the overall economic environment, real estate sector, and geographic sub-market in which the borrower operates. Such analyses are completed and reviewed by asset management personnel and evaluated by senior management on at least a quarterly basis, utilizing various data sources, including, to the extent available, (i) periodic financial data such as property occupancy, tenant profile, rental rates, operating expenses, the borrower’s exit plan, and capitalization and discount rates, (ii) site inspections, (iii) sales and financing comparables, (iv) current credit spreads for refinancing and (v) other relevant market data.

We arrive at our general CECL reserve using the Weighted Average Remaining Maturity, or WARM method, which is considered an acceptable loss-rate method for estimating CECL reserves by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). The application of the WARM method to estimate a general CECL reserve requires judgment, including the appropriate historical loan loss reference data, the expected timing and amount of future loan fundings and repayments, the current credit quality of our portfolio, and our expectations of performance and market conditions over the relevant time period.

The WARM method requires us to reference historical loan loss data from a comparable data set and apply such loss rate to each of our loans over their expected remaining term, taking into consideration expected economic conditions over the forecasted timeframe. Our general CECL reserve reflects our forecast of the current and future macroeconomic conditions that may impact the performance of the commercial real estate assets securing our loans and the borrower’s ultimate ability to repay. These estimates include unemployment rates, price indices for commercial properties, and market liquidity, all of which may influence the likelihood and magnitude of potential credit losses for our loans during their expected remaining term. Additionally, further adjustments may be made based upon loan positions senior to ours, the risk rating of a loan, whether a loan is a construction loan, whether the loan’s initial maturity is near-term, or the economic conditions specific to the property type of a loan’s underlying collateral.

To estimate an annual historical loss rate, we obtained historical loss rate data for loans most comparable to our loan portfolio from a commercial mortgage-backed securities database licensed by a third party, Trepp, LLC, which contains historical loss data from January 1, 1999 through March 31, 2024. We believe this CMBS data is the most relevant, available, and comparable dataset to our portfolio.

When evaluating the current and future macroeconomic environment, we consider the aforementioned macroeconomic factors. Historical data for each metric is compared to historical commercial real estate credit losses in order to determine the relationship between the two variables. We use projections of each macroeconomic factor, obtained from a third party, to approximate the impact the macroeconomic outlook may have on our loss rate. Selections of these economic forecasts require judgment about future events that, while based on the information available to us as of the balance sheet date, are ultimately subjective and uncertain, and the actual economic conditions could vary significantly from the estimates we made. Following a reasonable and supportable forecast period, we use a straight-line method of reverting to the historical loss rate. Additionally, we assess the obligation to extend credit through our unfunded loan commitments through their expected remaining term, adjusted for projected fundings from interest reserves, if applicable, which is considered in the estimate of the general CECL reserve. For both the funded and unfunded portions of our loans, we consider our internal risk rating of each loan as the primary credit quality indicator underlying our assessment.

We evaluate the credit quality of each of our loans receivable on an individual basis and assign a risk rating at least quarterly. We have developed a loan grading system for all of our outstanding loans receivable that are collateralized directly or indirectly by real estate. Grading criteria include, but are not limited to, as-is or as-stabilized debt yield, term of loan, property type, property or collateral

location, loan type and other more subjective variables that include, but are not limited to, as-is or as-stabilized collateral value, market conditions, industry conditions and sponsor’s financial stability. While evaluating the credit quality of each loan within our portfolio, we assess these quantitative and qualitative factors as a whole and with no pre-prescribed weight on their impact to our determination of a loan’s risk rating. However, based upon the facts and circumstances for each loan and the overall market conditions, we may consider certain previously mentioned factors more or less relevant than others. We utilize the grading system to determine each loan’s risk of loss and to provide a determination as to whether an individual loan is impaired and whether a specific CECL reserve is necessary. Based on a 5-point scale, the loans are graded “1” through “5,” from less risk to greater risk, which gradings are defined as follows:

1.
Very Low Risk
2.
Low Risk
3.
Medium Risk
4.
High Risk/Potential for Loss: A loan that has a risk of realizing a principal loss
5.
Impaired/Loss Likely: A loan that has a very high risk of realizing a principal loss or has otherwise incurred a principal loss

Specific CECL Reserve

In certain circumstances we may determine that a loan is no longer suited for the WARM method due to its unique risk characteristics or where we have deemed the borrower/sponsor to be experiencing financial difficulty and the repayment of the loan’s principal is collateral-dependent. We may instead elect to employ different methods to estimate credit losses that also conform to ASU 2016-13 and related guidance. For such loans, we would separately measure the specific reserve for each loan by using the estimated fair value of the loan’s collateral. If the estimated fair value of the collateral is less than the carrying value of the loan, an asset-specific reserve is created as a component of our overall current expected credit loss reserve. Specific reserves are equal to the excess of a loan’s carrying value to the estimated fair value of the collateral, less estimated costs to sell, if recovery of our investment is expected from the sale of the collateral and such costs will reduce amounts recovered by us.

If we have determined that a loan or a portion of a loan is uncollectible, we will write off such portion of the loan through an adjustment to our current expected credit loss reserve. Significant judgment is required in determining impairment and in estimating the resulting credit loss reserve, and actual losses, if any, could materially differ from those estimates.

See Note 3 - “Loan Portfolio - Current Expected Credit Losses” for further detail.

Recent Accounting Guidance

Recent Accounting Guidance

The FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“ASU 2023-09”). The standard provides improvements to income tax disclosure requiring disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2023-09 is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.