NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

The partnership’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the partnership, its wholly-owned subsidiaries (consisting of single-member limited liability companies representing ownership in a single real property asset), and, in 2015, its 72.5%-owned subsidiary (a single-asset limited liability company which is owned with affiliates and whose single asset was a development property in San Francisco County). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Management estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Such estimates relate principally to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, including, when applicable, the valuation of impaired loans (which itself requires determining the fair value of the collateral), and the valuation of real estate held for sale and held as investment, at acquisition and subsequently. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates.

Fair value estimates

GAAP defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. An orderly transaction is a transaction that assumes exposure to the market for a period prior to the measurement date to allow for marketing activities that are usual and customary for transactions involving such assets and liabilities; it is not a forced transaction. Market participants are buyers and sellers in the principal market that are (i) independent, (ii) knowledgeable, (iii) able to transact and (iv) willing to transact.

Fair values of assets and liabilities are determined based on the fair value hierarchy established in GAAP. The hierarchy is comprised of three levels of inputs to be used.

Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the partnership has the ability to access at the measurement date. An active market is a market in which transactions occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, in active markets and quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities that are not active, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable or inputs derived from or corroborated by market data.

Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. Unobservable inputs reflect the partnership’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk). Unobservable inputs are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances and may include the partnership’s own data.

Collateral fair values are reviewed quarterly and the protective equity for each loan is computed. As used herein, “protective equity” is the arithmetic difference between the fair value of the collateral, net of any senior liens, and the loan balance, where “loan balance” is the sum of the unpaid principal, advances and the recorded interest thereon. This computation is done for each loan (whether impaired or performing), and while loans secured by collateral of similar property type are grouped, there is enough distinction and variation in the collateral that a loan-by-loan, collateral-by-collateral analysis is appropriate.

The fair value of the collateral is determined by exercise of judgment based on management’s experience informed by appraisals (by licensed appraisers), brokers’ opinion of values, and publicly available information on in-market transactions. Appraisals of commercial real property generally present three approaches to estimating value: 1) market comparables or sales approach; 2) cost to replace; and 3) capitalized cash flows or investment approach. These approaches may or may not result in a common, single value. The market-comparables approach may yield several different values depending on certain basic assumptions, such as, determining highest and best use (which may or may not be the current use); determining the condition (e.g. as-is, when-completed, or for land when-entitled); and determining the unit of value (e.g. as a series of individual unit sales or as a bulk disposition).

Management has the requisite familiarity with the markets it lends in generally and of the properties lent on specifically to analyze sales-comparables and assess their suitability and/or applicability. Management is acquainted with market participants – investors, developers, brokers, lenders – that are useful, relevant secondary sources of data and information regarding valuation and valuation variability. These secondary sources may have familiarity with and perspectives on pending transactions, successful strategies to optimize value, and the history and details of specific properties – on and off the market – that enhance the process and analysis that is particularly and principally germane to establishing value in distressed markets and/or property types.

Cash, in banks

The partnership considers all highly liquid financial instruments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. At June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, certain partnership cash balances in banks may at times exceed federally insured limits.

Loans and interest income

Loans generally are stated at the unpaid principal balance (principal). Management has discretion to pay amounts (advances) to third parties on behalf of borrowers to protect the partnership’s interest in the loan. Advances include, but are not limited to, the payment of interest and principal on a senior lien to prevent foreclosure by the senior lien holder, property taxes, insurance premiums, and attorney fees. Advances generally are stated at the amounts paid out on the borrower’s behalf and any accrued interest on amounts paid out, until repaid by the borrower.

The partnership may fund a specific loan origination net of an interest reserve to insure timely interest payments at the inception (one to two years) of the loan. As monthly interest payments become due, the partnership funds the payments into the affiliated trust account.

If based upon current information and events, it is probable the partnership will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement, then a loan may be designated as impaired. Impaired loans are included in management’s periodic analysis of recoverability. If a valuation allowance has been established on an impaired loan, any subsequent payments on impaired loans are applied to late fees and then to reduce first the accrued interest, then advances, and then unpaid principal.

From time to time, the partnership negotiates and enters into loan modifications with borrowers whose loans are delinquent. In the normal course of the partnership’s operations, loans that mature may be renewed at then current market rates and terms for new loans. Such renewals are not designated as impaired, unless the renewed loan was previously designated as impaired.

Interest is accrued daily based on the unpaid principal balance of the loans. An impaired loan continues to accrue as long as the loan is in the process of collection and is considered to be well-secured. Loans are placed on non-accrual status at the earlier of management’s determination that the primary source of repayment will come from the foreclosure and subsequent sale of the collateral securing the loan (which usually occurs when a notice of sale is filed) or when the loan is no longer considered well-secured. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, the accrual of interest is discontinued; however, previously recorded interest is not reversed. A loan may return to accrual status when all delinquent interest and principal payments become current in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement.

Allowance for loan losses

Loans and the related accrued interest and advances are analyzed on a periodic basis for ultimate recoverability. Delinquencies are identified and followed as part of the loan system. Delinquencies are determined based upon contractual terms. For impaired loans, a provision is made for loan losses to adjust the allowance for loan losses to an amount considered by management to be adequate, with due consideration to collateral values, such that the net carrying amount (unpaid principal balance, plus advances, plus accrued interest less the specific allowance) is reduced to the present value of future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, or, if a loan is collateral dependent, to the estimated fair value of the related collateral, net of any senior loans, and net of any costs to sell in arriving at net realizable value if planned disposition of the asset securing a loan is by way of sale.

The fair value estimates of the related collateral are derived from information available in the real estate markets including similar property, and may require the experience and judgment of third parties such as commercial real estate appraisers and brokers.

Loans determined not to be individually impaired are grouped by the property type of the underlying collateral, and for each loan and for the total by property type, the amount of protective equity or amount of exposure to loss is computed.

Based on its knowledge of the borrowers and their historical (and expected) performance, and the exposure to loss as indicated in the analysis, management estimates an appropriate reserve by property type for probable credit losses in the portfolio. Because the partnership is an asset-based lender, except as to owner-occupied residences, and because specific regions, neighborhoods and even properties within the same neighborhoods, vary significantly as to real estate values and transaction activity, general market trends, which may be indicative of a change in the risk of a loss, and a borrower’s creditworthiness are secondary to the condition of the property, the property type and the neighborhood/region in which the property is located, and do not enter substantially into the determination of the amount of the non-specific (i.e. general) reserves.

The partnership charges off uncollectible loans and related receivables directly to the allowance account once it is determined the full amount is not collectible.

Real estate owned (REO)

Real estate owned (REO) is property acquired in full or partial settlement of loan obligations generally through foreclosure, and is recorded at acquisition at the lower of the amount owed on the loan (legal basis), plus any senior indebtedness, or at the property’s net realizable value, which is the fair value less estimated costs to sell, as applicable. The fair value estimates are derived from information available in the real estate markets, including similar property, and often require the experience and judgment of third parties such as commercial real estate appraisers and brokers. The estimates figure materially in calculating the value of the property at acquisition, the level of charge to the allowance for loan losses and any subsequent valuation reserves. After acquisition, costs incurred relating to the development and improvement of property are capitalized to the extent they do not cause the recorded value to exceed the net realizable value, whereas costs relating to holding and disposition of the property are expensed as incurred. After acquisition, REO is analyzed periodically for changes in fair values and any subsequent write down is charged to operations expense. Any recovery in the fair value subsequent to such a write down is recorded, not to exceed the value recorded at acquisition. Recognition of gains on the sale of real estate is dependent upon the transaction meeting certain criteria related to the nature of the property and the terms of the sale, including potential seller financing.

Rental income/depreciation

Rental income is recognized when earned in accordance with the lease agreement. For commercial leases, the costs associated with originating the lease are amortized over the lease term. Residential lease terms generally range from month-to-month to one-year, and the expenses of originating the lease are expensed as incurred. Real estate owned that is designated held for sale is not depreciated. Real estate that was designated held for investment, and rented was depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the property.

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

On June 16, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 (ASU 2016-13) Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326), which introduces new guidance for the accounting for credit losses on instruments within its scope.

ASU 2016-13 introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including loans. It also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale (AFS) debt securities and provides for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. ASU 2016-13’s approach, referred to as the current expected credit losses (CECL) model, applies to: (1) financial assets subject to credit losses and measured at amortized cost, and (2) certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. This includes loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, loan commitments, financial guarantees, and net investments in leases, as well as reinsurance and trade receivables. Upon initial recognition of the exposure, the CECL model requires an entity to estimate the credit losses expected over the life of an exposure (or pool of exposures). The estimate of expected credit losses (ECL) should consider historical information, current information, and reasonable and supportable forecasts, including estimates of prepayments. ASU 2016-13 does not prescribe a specific method to make the estimate so its application will require significant judgment

Generally, the initial estimate of the ECL and subsequent changes in the estimate will be reported in current earnings. The ECL will be recorded through an allowance for loan losses (ALL) in the statement of financial position.

ASU 2016-13 will be effective for SEC filers in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as of fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 including interim periods within those fiscal years.

The partnership is evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 on the credit analytics and other process used in establishing the ALL. The initial – and preliminary conclusion – is that, because RMI VIII is a real estate based lender, relying primarily on low LTV’s/significant protective equity in making the lending decision, the impact on reported financial position and results of operations will not be material to the financial position or results from operations of the partnership.