Organization

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization

Organization

Redwood Trust, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is a specialty finance company focused on making credit-sensitive investments in single-family residential and multifamily mortgages and related assets and engaging in mortgage banking activities. Our goal is to provide attractive returns to shareholders through a stable and growing stream of earnings and dividends, as well as through capital appreciation. We operate our business in three segments: Residential Lending, Business Purpose Lending, and Third-Party Investments.

Our primary sources of income are net interest income from our investments and non-interest income from our mortgage banking activities. Net interest income consists of the interest income we earn on investments less the interest expense we incur on borrowed funds and other liabilities. Income from mortgage banking activities is generated through the origination and acquisition of loans, and their subsequent sale, securitization, or transfer to our investment portfolios.

Redwood Trust, Inc. has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), beginning with its taxable year ended December 31, 1994. We generally refer, collectively, to Redwood Trust, Inc. and those of its subsidiaries that are not subject to subsidiary-level corporate income tax as “the REIT” or “our REIT.” We generally refer to subsidiaries of Redwood Trust, Inc. that are subject to subsidiary-level corporate income tax as “our taxable REIT subsidiaries” or “TRS.”

Redwood was incorporated in the State of Maryland on April 11, 1994, and commenced operations on August 19, 1994. On March 1, 2019, Redwood completed the acquisition of 5 Arches, LLC ("5 Arches"), at which time 5 Arches became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Redwood. On October 15, 2019, Redwood acquired CoreVest American Finance Lender, LLC and certain affiliated entities ("CoreVest"), at which time CoreVest became wholly owned by Redwood. References herein to “Redwood,” the “company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” include Redwood Trust, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.