3) Loans Held For Sale

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

3) Loans Held for Sale

Fair Value Option Election

ASC No. 825, “Financial Instruments”, allows for the option to report certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value initially and at subsequent measurement dates with changes in fair value included in earnings. The option may be applied instrument by instrument, but it is irrevocable. The Company elected the fair value option for loans held for sale originated after July 1, 2017. The Company believes the fair value option most closely aligns the timing of the recognition of gains and costs. These loans are intended for sale and the Company believes that the fair value is the best indicator of the resolution of these loans. Electing fair value also reduces certain timing differences and better matches changes in the fair value of these assets with changes in the fair value of the related derivatives used for these assets.

Interest income is recorded based on the contractual terms of the loan and in accordance with the Company’s policy on mortgage loans held for investment and is included in mortgage fee income on the consolidated statement of earnings. None of these loans are 90 or more days past due nor on nonaccrual status as of December 31, 2017. See Note 17 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional disclosures regarding loans held for sale.

The following is a summary of the aggregate fair value and the aggregate unpaid principal balance of loans held for sale for the periods presented:

	As of December 31 2017

Aggregate fair value	$ 133,414,188
Unpaid principal balance	129,233,411
Unrealized gain	4,180,777

Mortgage Fee Income

Mortgage fee income consists of origination fees, processing fees, interest income and certain other income related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans held for sale.

Major categories of mortgage fee income for loans held for sale for the years ended December 31, are as follows:

	2017	2016
Loan fees	$ 40,434,686	$ 44,341,501
Interest income	7,089,025	8,004,952
Secondary gains	108,756,613	140,651,103
Change in fair value of loan commitments	(4,812,743)	(862,163)
Change in fair value of loans held for sale	4,180,777	-
Provision for loan loss reserve	(1,851,187)	(2,988,754)
Mortgage fee income	$ 153,797,171	$ 189,146,639

Loan Loss Reserve

When a repurchase demand corresponding to a mortgage loan previously held for sale and sold to a third-party investor is received from a third-party investor, the relevant data is reviewed and captured so that an estimated future loss can be calculated. The key factors that are used in the estimated loss calculation are as follows: (i) lien position, (ii) payment status, (iii) claim type, (iv) unpaid principal balance, (v) interest rate, and (vi) validity of the demand. Other data is captured and is useful for management purposes; the actual estimated loss is generally based on these key factors. The Company conducts its own review upon the receipt of a repurchase demand. In

many instances, the Company is able to resolve the issues relating to the repurchase demand by the third-party investor without having to make any payments to the investor.

The following is a summary of the loan loss reserve which is included in other liabilities and accrued expenses:

	December 31
	2017	2016
Balance, beginning of period	$ 627,733	$ 2,805,900
Provision for current loan originations (1)	1,851,187	2,988,754
Additional provision for loan loss reserve	-	1,700,000
Charge-offs, net of recaptured amounts	92,604	(6,866,921)
Balance, at December 31	$ 2,571,524	$ 627,733

(1) Included in Mortgage fee income on the consolidated statements of earnings.

The Company believes the loan loss reserve represents probable loan losses incurred as of the balance sheet date. Actual loan loss experience could change, in the near-term, from the established reserve based upon claims that could be asserted by third-party investors. The Company believes there is potential to resolve any alleged claims by third-party investors on acceptable terms. If the Company is unable to resolve such claims on acceptable terms, legal action may ensue. In the event of legal action by any third-party investor, the Company believes it has significant defenses to any such action and intends to vigorously defend itself against such action.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for a company's election to apply the fair value option for measurement and reporting of eligible financial assets and liabilities (as defined), as well as certain other eligible items (as defined) included in the statement of financial position, whether such option is elected for a single eligible item or a group of similar eligible items and is in addition to other disclosures concerning fair value which the company may be required to provide. Such disclosure might be expected to include: (1) for items included in the statement of financial position: (a) the reasons for electing a fair value option for each eligible item or group of similar eligible items; (b) if the fair value option is elected for some but not all eligible items within a group of similar eligible items: (i) a description of those similar items and the reasons for partial election and (ii) information of how the group of similar items relates to individual balance sheet line items; (c) for each line item in the statement of financial position that includes an item or items for which the fair value option has been elected: (i) information of how each line item in the statement of financial position relates to major categories of assets and liabilities presented in accordance with other fair value disclosures and (ii) the aggregate carrying amount of ineligible items included in each line item in the balance sheet, if any; (d) the difference between the aggregate fair value and the aggregate unpaid principal balance (assuming contractual principal amounts and fair value option elected) of: (i) loans and long-term receivables (other than securities otherwise reported at fair value) and (ii) long-term debt instruments; (e) for loans held as assets for which the fair value option has been elected: (i) the aggregate fair value of loans that are 90 days or more past due, (ii) if the policy is to recognize interest income separately from other changes in fair value, the aggregate fair value of loans in nonaccrual status, and (iii) the difference between the aggregate fair value and the aggregate unpaid principal balance for loans that are 90 days or more past due, in nonaccrual status, or both; (f) for investments that would have been accounted for under the equity method if the entity had not chosen to apply the fair value option, the information required for such investments, if material either individually or in the aggregate; (2) for items included in the income statement: (a) the amounts of gains and losses from fair value changes included in earnings and in which line in the income statement those gains and losses are reported whether or not combined with gains and losses from items required to be accounted for at fair value; (b) a description of how interest and dividends are measured and where they are reported in the income statement; (c) for loans and other receivables held as assets: (i) the estimated amount of gains or losses included in earnings attributable to changes in instrument-specific credit risk and (ii) how the gains or losses attributable to changes in instrument-specific credit risk were determined; (d) for liabilities with fair values that have been significantly affected during the reporting period by changes in the instrument-specific credit risk: (i) the estimated amount of gains and losses from fair value changes included in earnings that are attributable to changes in the instrument-specific credit risk, (ii) qualitative information about the reasons for those changes, and (iii) how the gains and losses attributable to changes in instrument-specific credit risk were determined; and (3) certain other disclosures as required or determined to be provided.

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