Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

Commission file number 001-39134

BROADMARK REALTY CAPITAL INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (206) 971-0800

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).   Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $1.2 billion, based on the closing sales price of our common stock on such date as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of February 25, 2021, there were 132,559,639 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2021 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2021 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

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Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

Introductory Note

On November 14, 2019 (the “Closing Date”), Broadmark Realty Capital Inc., a Maryland corporation (formerly named Trinity Sub Inc.) (“Broadmark Realty " or the "Company”), consummated the business combination (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 9, 2019 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Broadmark Realty, Trinity Merger Corp. (“Trinity”), Trinity Merger Sub I, Inc. (“Merger Sub I”), Trinity Merger Sub II, LLC (“Merger Sub II” and together with Trinity, and Merger Sub I, the “Trinity Parties”), PBRELF I, LLC (“PBRELF”), BRELF II, LLC (“BRELF II”), BRELF III, LLC (“BRELF III”), BRELF IV, LLC (“BRELF IV” and, together with PBRELF, BRELF II and BRELF III, the “Predecessor Companies” and each a “Predecessor Company”), Pyatt Broadmark Management, LLC (“MgCo I”), Broadmark Real Estate Management II, LLC (“MgCo II”), Broadmark Real Estate Management III, LLC (“MgCo III”), and Broadmark Real Estate Management IV, LLC (“MgCo IV” and, together with MgCo I, MgCo II and MgCo III, the “Predecessor Management Companies” and each a “Predecessor Management Company,” and the Predecessor Management Companies, together with the Predecessor Companies and their subsidiaries, the “Predecessor Company Group”). Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, (i) Merger Sub I merged with and into Trinity, with Trinity being the surviving entity of such merger (the “Trinity Merger”), (ii) immediately following the Trinity Merger, each of the Predecessor Companies merged with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II being the surviving entity of such merger (the “Company Merger”), and (iii) immediately following the Company Merger, each of the Predecessor Management Companies merged with and into Trinity, with Trinity being the surviving entity of such merger (the “Management Company Merger” and, together with the Trinity Merger and the Company Merger, the “Mergers”). As a result, Merger Sub II and Trinity became wholly owned subsidiaries of Broadmark Realty.

From November 15, 2019, Broadmark Realty’s consolidated financial statements reflect BRELF II, one of the Predecessor Companies, as the accounting acquirer and successor entity, acquiring the other three Predecessor Companies, the four Predecessor Management Companies, and Trinity in the successor period. The Business Combination transaction reflects a change in accounting basis for the Predecessor Company Group (other than BRELF II). As Trinity was a special purpose acquisition company, its acquisition is reflected as the issuance of shares for cash. For periods prior to November 15, 2019, in lieu of presenting separate financial statements of each of the Predecessor Companies and Predecessor Management Companies, the Predecessor Company Group presents consolidated financial statements, as these entities were under common management. Broadmark Realty was a shell company prior to November 15, 2019, with no assets or operations.

Unless the context otherwise requires references to “Broadmark Realty,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our,” refer to Broadmark Realty and its consolidated subsidiaries after the Business Combination and refer to the Predecessor Company Group for periods prior to the Business Combination.

As a result of the Mergers and by operation of Rule 12g-3(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act, Broadmark Realty is the successor issuer to Trinity.

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Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD -LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Annual Report, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations of future operations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to, among other things, capital resources, portfolio performance and projected results of operations. Likewise, the Company’s statements regarding anticipated growth in its operations, anticipated market conditions, demographics and results of operations are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of terminology such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words or phrases.

The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based on the Company’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those that it has anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ include, but are not limited to:

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Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

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PART I.

ITEM 1.               BUSINESS

Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (“Broadmark Realty” or the “Company”), a Maryland corporation, is an internally managed commercial real estate finance company that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based in Seattle, Washington, we specialize in underwriting, funding, servicing and managing a portfolio of short-term, first deed of trust loans to fund the construction and development of, or investment in, residential or commercial properties. We operate in select states that we believe to have favorable demographic trends and that provide more efficient and quicker access to collateral in the event of borrower default. In March 2020, we launched a private real estate investment trust (the “Private REIT”) offered to qualified purchasers that is managed by our subsidiary and that participates in our loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2020, our portfolio of 204 active loans had approximately $1.2 billion of total commitments and $860.1 million of principal outstanding, of which approximately $82.4 million and $37.7 million, respectively, were sold to the Private REIT. Our active loans are made across 145 borrowers in 12 states and the District of Columbia. We refer to loans that have outstanding commitments or principal balances that have not been repaid or retired, including loans in foreclosure, as “active loans.” Total commitments refer to the aggregate sum of outstanding principal balances, construction holdbacks and committed amounts for future draws and interest reserves on our loans. To date our loan portfolio has been 100% equity funded, and as of December 31, 2020, we have no outstanding debt. As a public company, we plan to opportunistically raise capital in the public market from time to time based on market conditions and to execute on cash management tools to fund the business and produce attractive returns for our stockholders. On February 19, 2021, we closed on a $135.0 million revolving credit facility, which we expect will enable us to use a larger percentage of our cash balances for lending activities without planning to incur debt in the ordinary course of business.

Properties securing our loans are generally classified as residential properties, commercial properties or undeveloped land, and are typically not income producing. Each loan is secured by a first deed of trust lien on real estate. Our lending policy limits the committed amount of each loan to a maximum loan-to-value (“LTV”) ratio of up to 65% of the “as-complete” appraised value of the underlying collateral as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of the loan origination. Our lending policy also limits the initial outstanding principal balance of each loan to a maximum LTV of up to 65% of the “as-is” appraised value of the underlying collateral as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of the loan origination. At the time of origination, the difference between the initial outstanding principal and the total commitment is the amount held back for future release subject to property inspections, progress reports and other conditions in accordance with the loan documents. Unless otherwise indicated, LTV is measured by the total commitment amount of the loan at origination divided by the “as-complete” appraisal. LTVs do not reflect interim activity such as construction draws or interest payments capitalized to loans, or partial repayments of the loan. As of December 31, 2020, the weighted average LTV was 59.4% across our active loan portfolio based on the total commitment of the loan and “as-complete” appraisals. In addition, each loan is also personally guaranteed on a recourse basis by the principals of the borrower, and/or others at our discretion to provide further credit support for the loan. The personal guarantee may be collaterally secured by a pledge of the guarantor’s interest in the borrower or other real estate or assets owned by the guarantor.

Our loans typically range from $0.1 to $40 million in total commitment at origination, generally bear interest at a fixed annual rate of 10% to 13% and have initial terms typically ranging from five to 18 months in duration based on the size of the project and expected timeline for completion of construction, which we often elect to extend for several months based on our evaluation of the project. As of December 31, 2020, the average total commitment of our active loans was $6.1 million and the weighted average remaining term to contractual maturity of our active loans was approximately seven months. We usually receive loan origination fees, or “points,” typically ranging from 4% to 5% of the total commitment at origination, along with loan amendment and extension fees, each of which varies in amount based upon the term of the loan and the quality of the borrower and the underlying collateral. In addition, we charge fees on past due receivables and receive reimbursements from borrowers for costs associated with services provided by us, such as closing costs, collection costs on defaulted loans and construction draw inspection fees.

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Our typical borrowers include real estate investors, developers and other commercial borrowers. We do not lend to owner-occupants of residential real estate. Loan proceeds are generally used to fund the vertical construction, horizontal development, investment, land acquisition and refinancing of residential properties and to a lesser extent commercial properties. We also make loans to fund the renovation and rehabilitation of residential and commercial properties. Our loans are generally structured with partial funding at closing and additional loan installments disbursed to the borrower upon satisfactory completion of previously agreed stages of construction.

A principal source of new transactions has been repeat business from our customers and their referral of new business. We also receive leads for new business from real estate brokers and mortgage brokers, a limited amount of advertising, and through our website.

We seek to minimize risk of loss through our disciplined underwriting standards. We originate and fund loans secured by first deed of trust liens on residential and commercial real estate located in states that we believe have favorable demographic trends and that provide more efficient and quicker access to collateral in the event of borrower default. We believe that the demand/supply imbalance for residential construction-related real estate loans presents significant opportunities for us to selectively originate high-quality first deed of trust loans on attractive terms.

We built our business on a deep knowledge of the residential and commercial real estate market combined with a risk management approach that is designed to protect and preserve capital. We believe our flexibility and ability to structure loans that address the needs of our borrowers without compromising our standards on risk, our expertise in the loan market and our focus on newly originated first deed of trust loans have been the basis for our success.

In addition to the natural seasonality inherent in our business whereby winter months are typically less favorable to construction, restrictions related to the Business Combination decreased the amount of our loan originations for the second half of 2019 and early 2020. The pending Business Combination required us to essentially pause our ability to raise capital and in turn originate new loans for most of the second half of 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, we focused on rebuilding our pipeline and began to strategically deploy the proceeds from the Business Combination; these rebuilding efforts began to slow in March due to the uncertainty associated with the impacts of COVID-19. In March 2020, we launched the Private REIT to provide access to an additional source of capital and fund participations in loans originated by Broadmark Realty. We believe the Private REIT enhances our ability to increase originations and grow our asset base, subject to market conditions. As of December 31, 2020, the Private REIT’s participation in the total principal balance funded and outstanding was approximately $37.7 million.

The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly affecting, and can be expected to continue to impact, the capital markets and the construction lending market, at least in the near term. While we have implemented a variety of business continuity initiatives, restrictions imposed in connection with COVID-19 or the impact on key employees, could create significant challenges for our operations. We have experienced an adverse impact on our loan portfolio primarily in the form of a significant increase in defaulted loans, a slow-down in construction progress and an expected reduction in demand for and the value of commercial and residential real estate properties. For example, delays in local government permitting and inspections arising from measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 have delayed some projects, adversely affecting the ability of borrowers to complete the projects in accordance with the terms of the loans. Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures have contributed to, among other things, adverse impacts on demand for and the value of commercial and residential real estate that our borrowers have developed that make it less likely that a borrower can sell or lease the property it is developing in an amount sufficient to repay the borrower’s loan, or that a developer, who would be our borrower, will elect to go forward with a new project. As a result, during the first half of 2020, we saw an increase in delinquencies and requests for extensions or forbearance, which declined during the second half of 2020. In addition, market conditions, and in some cases moratoriums on the foreclosure process have increased the timeline to resolve non-performing loans. Delays in repayment of our outstanding loans or sales of foreclosed properties reduce the capital available for future loan originations. If the pandemic is prolonged, it could increase the adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

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Markets

At December 31, 2020, we have active loans in 12 states and the District of Columbia with the majority of loans located in Washington, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Idaho. We strategically focus on these states as they have exhibited strong population growth. At December 31, 2020, more than 90% of our portfolio was secured by properties located in states ranked in the top ten for migration between 2010 and 2019 according to the Census Bureau, including Washington, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Idaho. Additionally, each of Washington, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Idaho are non-judicial foreclosure states, which we believe encourages borrowers to comply with the loan terms and provides us the option to take control of the collateral more quickly in the event of borrower default. We continue to increase our national presence, and in this regard, began operating in the Southeast region in 2018 and the Mid-Atlantic region in 2019 and expect further expansion into states that meet our preferred criteria.

Industry and Market Opportunity

Real estate investment is a capital-intensive business that typically relies heavily on debt capital to acquire, develop, improve, construct, renovate and maintain properties. We focus on providing construction, development and investment loans for the U.S. housing and real estate industries. Due to structural changes in banking, regulation and monetary policies over the last decade, there has been a reduction in the number of lenders servicing this segment. We believe there is a significant market opportunity to originate real estate loans secured by the underlying real estate as collateral. Our management team further believes that the demand for relatively small real estate loans to construct, develop or invest in residential or, to a lesser extent commercial real estate, located in states with favorable demographic trends presents a compelling opportunity to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns.

Historically, regional and community banks were the primary providers of construction financing to smaller, private builders. Over the past several decades, there has been significant consolidation within the commercial banking industry, with the number of commercial and savings institutions having decreased by 61% and 72%, respectively, between 1992 and 2019, as reported by the FDIC. In addition, many traditional real estate lenders that competed for loan origination within our target markets have been faced with tighter capital constraints due to changing banking regulations following the 2008 financial crisis.

While the number of traditional banks and construction loans offered by them has steadily declined, private residential construction spending and housing starts have continued to recover from the lows following the recession of 2007 through 2009. Housing starts and completions in December 2020 were at seasonally adjusted annual rates of 1.6 and 1.4 million, respectively, an approximate five and eight percent increase from 2019. The U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development chart below illustrates historical housing permits, starts and completions from 2015 to 2020:

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While the increases are positive, housing starts and completions still remain below long term historical averages. In a February 2020 report, Freddie Mac estimated that there were 29 states that had a housing deficit, and that approximately 3.3 million units in the aggregate were needed to make up this deficit. The map below shows the housing deficit as a percentage of the housing supply by state as set forth in the report.

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Estimate of Housing Stock Deficit as Proportion of State Housing Stock

Source: Freddie Mac

We operate in seven of the ten states with the largest housing deficits. The ten states with the largest housing deficits have significant overlap with the states with the highest net migration rates between 2010 and 2019 according to the Census Bureau.

As a result of limited residential housing supply, net migration trends and the current low interest rate environment for home buyers, we believe the longer-term outlook for new housing demand in our markets remains strong.

Business and Growth Strategy

Our objective is to preserve and protect stockholder capital while producing attractive risk-adjusted returns primarily through dividends generated from current income from our loan portfolio. Our business strategy is to directly originate, fund, manage, and service short-term loans secured by first mortgage liens on real property to enable us to generate attractive returns. We believe our ability to react quickly to the needs of borrowers, flexibility in terms of structuring loans to meet the needs of borrowers, consistency and expediency in funding future construction draws, intimate knowledge of the relevant markets in which we operate, and focus on newly originated first deed of trust loans positions us to generate attractive returns.

Our strategy to achieve our objective of continuing to generate attractive returns and grow our business includes the following:

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Loan Portfolio

The following tables highlight certain information regarding our real estate lending activities for the periods indicated:

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The following table sets forth aggregate number of loans and the total original commitment amounts at origination during each of the calendar years set forth below:

We categorize our loans into three distinct purposes:

The following table sets forth the number of total loans and commitment amount of mortgage loans based on the intended loan purpose, and the percentage of the total commitment by purpose as compared to the total portfolio, in each case at December 31, 2020.

We categorize our loans into five property types:

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The following table sets forth the number of total loans and commitment amount of mortgage loans based on the types of properties securing our mortgage loans, and the percentage of the total commitment by property security of the loan as compared to the total portfolio at December 31, 2020:

The following table sets forth the number of total loans and total committed amounts of mortgage loans by state, and the percentage of the total committed amount by state as compared to the total portfolio at December 31, 2020:

Operations Overview

Loan Origination and Due Diligence

We are experienced in secured lending, with significant combined real estate and financial services experience of our senior management team. Our senior management team spends a significant portion of its time on borrower development as well as on underwriting and structuring the loans in our portfolio. A principal source of our new transactions has been repeat business from existing and former customers and their referral of new business. We are a collateral based lender and when underwriting a loan, the primary focus of our analysis is the value of a property and the borrower’s equity in the project. Prior to making a final decision on a loan application, we conduct extensive due diligence of the property as well as of the borrower and its principals.

The mortgage loans that we originate generally meet the following criteria:

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Upon receipt of a potential borrower’s executed loan application, we will commence the underwriting process. Before approving and funding a loan, we undertake extensive due diligence of the borrower, its principals, the guarantor and the property that will be mortgaged to secure the loan. Such due diligence generally includes:

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Loan Servicing

We service all of our loans internally, and manage loan payments, draw requests, and loan accounting records. The loan draw process in particular is an important part of our business as it provides borrowers with quick access to capital in order to keep their projects moving and allows us to inspect the quality and pace of the borrower’s work. Once a borrower has submitted a draw request, we will have the property physically inspected by an approved third-party to ensure that the work for which funding is being requested has been completed, in a manner satisfactory to us. In addition, any required county and city inspections are completed and a date-down endorsement of the title policy is provided by the title company indicating no liens have been placed on the property since its original issuance of the title insurance policy before funds are disbursed. If the request is made for the final draw of a project, a certificate of occupancy or sign-off by the city is required prior to disbursement. Although the process is thorough, we make a point of responding to draw requests as quickly as possible as timing is of paramount importance to a project’s success.

In addition, we conduct periodic testing, process loan payoff requests, and collect past due and delinquent payments. In the case of a contractual loan default, we have broad authority to take such actions as we believe best in working out the defaulted loan, including selling the defaulted loan or foreclosing on the real property serving as collateral for the loan.

Loan Funding

Historically, our ability to grow our business was primarily constrained by our ability to raise capital to fund additional real estate loans. Prior to the Business Combination, we funded loans primarily through the use of private capital. Going forward, we intend to fund our growth through issuance of common stock, use of cash management tools such as our revolving credit facility, and the sale of participation interests in loans to the Private REIT (as described below).

Private REIT

The Private REIT primarily participates in short-term, first deed of trust loans secured by real estate to fund the construction and development of, or investment in, residential or commercial properties located in the United States that are originated, underwritten and serviced by a subsidiary of Broadmark Realty. The Private REIT is managed by Broadmark Private REIT Management, LLC (the “Private REIT Manager”), a subsidiary of Broadmark Realty. Similar to Broadmark Realty, the Private REIT’s investment objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns primarily through fees and interest income primarily generated from investing in participation interests in Broadmark Realty’s real estate portfolio. The Private REIT began investing in March 2020 and expects to elect to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes at such point in time as the Private REIT satisfies the requirements for making such election and certain other conditions are met. The Private REIT will be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes until such election is made, should the Private REIT not make the election to be taxed as a REIT effective as of its initial tax year.

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Broadmark Realty and the Private REIT entered into a Master Loan Participation Agreement (the “Participation Agreement”) pursuant to which a subsidiary of Broadmark Realty expects to sell to the Private REIT participation interests in loans that it originates. Broadmark Realty retains sole authority with respect to whether to permit the Private REIT to participate in any particular loan. Broadmark Realty also retains sole authority with respect to the participation percentage of each loan that the Private REIT will receive. The Private REIT’s participations in Broadmark Realty’s loans will be limited by the amount of the Private REIT’s “Cash Available to Lend,” as defined in its governing documents. “Cash Available to Lend” is generally defined as cash in excess of the Private REIT’s obligations under existing mortgages or participations therein, including contributions of cash from the admission of new investors and repayments of mortgages or sales of assets, but excluding cash distributable to investors, existing or accrued liabilities, reserves for estimated construction draws and anticipated redemption payments, or write-downs of defaulted mortgages. In the event that the Private REIT has Cash Available to Lend in excess of the loan participation interests offered to it by Broadmark Realty, the Private REIT may originate its own mortgages or purchase mortgages from third parties that are comparable to those originated by Broadmark Realty.

Through a market-based arrangement, the Private REIT Manager is compensated with respect to the mortgages initiated by the Private REIT or participations in Broadmark Realty’s mortgages through the Private REIT Manager’s receipt of 80% of all fee-based income (generally borrower loan fees, including origination points, late fees and extension fees) from such loans and/or participations and 20% of all cash distributable to Private REIT investors in excess of the monthly 0.5% preferred return to investors.

The Private REIT is continuously offering its preferred units to qualified investors in a private placement pursuant to Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. The initial sale of Private REIT preferred units occurred in March 2020, and at December 31, 2020, the Private REIT’s participation in the total principal balance funded and outstanding was approximately $37.7 million.

Competition

Real estate lending is a competitive business. We compete for lending opportunities with a variety of institutional lenders and investors, including other “hard money” lenders, mortgage REITs, specialty finance companies, savings and loan associations, banks, mortgage banks, credit unions, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, private equity real estate funds, hedge funds, institutional investors, investment banking firms, non-bank financial institutions, governmental bodies, family offices, and high net worth individuals. New parties continue to enter the market resulting in increased competition and pricing pressure.

We primarily compete on the basis of borrower relationships, product offerings, loan structure, terms, and service rather than on price. Our success depends on our ability to maintain and capitalize on relationships with borrowers and their representatives, offer creative structures and attractive loan terms and, most importantly, provide superior service.

Seasonality

While we typically originate loans year-round, incremental loan disbursements are made with greater frequency during the spring, summer and fall, when weather is generally more favorable for construction, and borrowers complete previously agreed stages of construction, allowing developers to draw down on additional amounts of capital available under their loan agreements. As a result of these more frequent disbursements, we generally maintain greater amounts of cash on hand to fund disbursements during these seasons. 

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Human Capital

Our culture is defined by our core values of integrity, collaboration, diversity, accountability, reliability and community. Our employees represent our greatest asset. We value our employees by investing in a healthy work-life balance, competitive compensation and benefit packages and a vibrant, team-oriented environment centered on open and compassionate communication. We strive to build and maintain a high-performing culture by creating a work environment that attracts and retains outstanding, engaged employees who embody our company mission of “Empowering real estate developers and investors to improve places and spaces in our communities.” The most significant human capital measures or objectives that we focus on in managing our business and our related human capital initiatives include the following:

Regulation and Compliance

Our operations are subject, in certain circumstances, to supervision and regulation by state and U.S. federal government authorities and may be subject to various laws and judicial and administrative decisions imposing various requirements and restrictions. In addition, Broadmark Realty and our subsidiaries may rely on exemptions from various requirements of the Securities Act, the Investment Company Act, and the Investment Advisers Act. These exemptions are sometimes highly complex and may, in certain circumstances, depend on compliance by third parties who we do not control.

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Regulation of Commercial Real Estate Lending Activities

In general, commercial real estate lending is a highly regulated industry in the United States. Certain states have adopted laws or regulations that may, among other requirements, require licensing of lenders and financiers, prescribe disclosures of certain contractual terms, impose limitations on interest rates and other charges, and limit or prohibit certain collection practices and creditor remedies. We are required to comply with the applicable laws and regulations in the states in which we do business. We are also required to comply with, among other statutes and regulations, certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act that are applicable to commercial loans, the USA Patriot Act, and regulations promulgated by the Office of Foreign Asset Control.

Exemptions from Investment Company Act

Although we reserve the right to modify our business methods at any time, we believe that none of the Company, our subsidiary that issues and holds the mortgages (the “Mortgage Subsidiary”) or the Private REIT is currently required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. However, our business strategies may evolve over time.

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Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act defines an investment company as any issuer that is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act defines an investment company as any issuer that is engaged or proposes to engage in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities, and owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of such issuer’s total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Excluded from the term “investment securities” are, among other things, securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exclusion from the definition of “investment company” set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.

The Company believes it will not be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because it will not engage primarily, or propose to engage primarily, or hold itself out as being engaged primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, the Company is primarily engaged in the non-investment company business of its wholly owned subsidiaries.

The Company believes that it will not be considered an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act. The Company is a holding company that conducts its operations and holds assets primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the Mortgage Subsidiary. The Mortgage Subsidiary is excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, which provides an exclusion for companies engaged primarily in investment in mortgages and other liens on or interests in real estate. In order to qualify for this exclusion, the Mortgage Subsidiary must maintain, on the basis of positions taken by the SEC’s Division of Investment Management in interpretive and no-action letters, a minimum of 55% of the value of its total assets in mortgage loans and other related assets that are considered “mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate” (“Qualifying Interests”), and a minimum of 80% in Qualifying Interests and real estate-related assets. In the absence of SEC guidance that supports the treatment of other investments as Qualifying Interests, the Mortgage Subsidiary will treat those other investments appropriately as real estate-related assets or miscellaneous assets depending on the circumstances. With respect to the Company’s other subsidiaries that maintain this exclusion or another exclusion or exception under the Investment Company Act (other than Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) thereof), or otherwise do not meet the definition of “investment company,” the Company’s interests in these subsidiaries do not and will not constitute “investment securities.”

The Private REIT is not registered, and does not intend to register, as an investment company under the Investment Company Act in reliance upon an exclusion from the definition of investment company provided in Section 3(c)(7) or Section (c)(1) of the Investment Company Act.

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Exemption from Investment Advisers Act

Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is required to register under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), or under any state securities laws, based on their current activities. The Private REIT Manager relies on the exemption from registration under the Advisers Act registration for certain private fund advisers set forth in Section 203(m)(1) of the Advisers Act and Rule 203(m)-1 promulgated thereunder. 

The Private REIT Manager will be required to register with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act after its assets under management reach $150 million or more, unless another exemption is available. If required to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, the Private REIT Manager will become subject to substantial regulation under such act, including compliance policies and procedures requirements, books and record keeping obligations, and obligations to receive client consent to certain transactions, including any change in control of the Private REIT Manager. 

Exemption from Securities Act of 1933

The Private REIT continuously offers its preferred units to qualified investors in a private placement pursuant to Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.

Compliance with Broker-Dealer Regulations

The Private REIT has engaged a registered broker-dealer to act as placement agent, and the Private REIT Manager voluntarily has agreed to pay the placement agent’s annual fee for the first year without reimbursement from the Private REIT. Certain of the Private REIT Manager’s personnel are registered representatives of the placement agent who market the Private REIT preferred units to eligible investors. Although neither the placement agent nor its registered representatives receive any sales commission with respect to the Private REIT preferred units, the Private REIT Manager’s personnel are eligible to receive a bonus from the Company based on multiple factors, including the growth of the Private REIT Manager. The Private REIT and the Private REIT Manager have engaged third party broker-dealers to refer investors. The Private REIT Manager typically pays an initial referral fee to third-party broker-dealers equal to 1.0% of a subscriber’s accepted capital contribution to the Private REIT, and, after the first anniversary thereof, an annual fee of 0.50% of the accepted contribution, payable quarterly in arrears for so long as such subscriber continues to hold Private REIT preferred units.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000, Seattle, Washington 98101, and our telephone number is (206) 971-0800. We maintain a website on the Internet at http://www.broadmark.com. The information contained on the website is not incorporated by reference into this Report. Broadmark Realty makes available on or through its website certain reports and amendments to those reports that it files with or furnishes to the Commission in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These include Broadmark Realty’s annual reports on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Broadmark Realty makes this information available on its website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after it electronically files the information with, or furnish it to, the Commission.

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ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

Summary of Risk Factors

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The risk factors summarized and detailed below could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, the market price of our common stock, and our ability to, among other things, satisfy our debt service obligations and to make distributions to our stockholders, which in turn could cause our stockholders to lose all or a part of their investment. These are not all of the risks we face and other factors not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also affect our business if they occur. Material risks that may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations include, but are not necessarily limited to, those relating to:

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Risks Related to our Business

Risks Related to our Loan Portfolio

Risks Related to Our REIT Qualification and Investment Management Regulation

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Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities

Risks Related to Taxes and the Business Combination

Risks Related to our Business

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures implemented to contain the spread of the virus have had, and are expected to continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting containment measures have caused economic and financial disruptions that have materially adversely affected, and are expected to continue to materially adversely affect, our business and results of operations. The extent to which the pandemic will continue to materially adversely affect our business and results of operations will depend on numerous evolving factors and future developments that we are not able to predict, including the duration, spread and severity of the pandemic; the nature, extent and effectiveness of containment measures; the extent and duration of the effect on the economy, unemployment, construction and housing prices; and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume.

The COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures have contributed to, among other things:

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To the extent these impacts continue or intensify, or return to the extent they have diminished, we expect our business and results of operations to be adversely affected.

We experienced an increase in the amount of loans in contractual default and have increased our provision for credit losses in 2020. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations–Key Indicators of Financial Condition and Operating Performance-Credit Quality of our Loan Portfolio” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The pandemic and containment measures have caused us to modify our strategic plans and business practices, including the amount of capital deployed and the property types that we lend on.

If the impact from the pandemic is prolonged, it could increase the negative impacts to our business and may also heighten many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section. We do not yet know the full extent of how COVID-19 and the containment measures will affect our business and results of operations, however, the continuing effects are expected to have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Our loan origination activities, revenues and profits are limited by available funds. If we do not increase our working capital, we will not be able to grow our business.

As a commercial real estate finance company, our revenue and net income is limited to interest and fees received or accrued on our loan portfolio. Our ability to originate real estate loans is limited by the funds at our disposal. We intend to use the proceeds from the repayment of outstanding loans and any additional capital, raised publicly, privately, or in the Private REIT to originate real estate loans. We cannot assure you that such funds will be available in sufficient amounts to enable us to expand our business.

Our inability to manage future growth effectively could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to implement our business strategy and grow our business depends upon our ability to identify and originate additional mortgage loans that meet our underwriting criteria, which may include making loans in additional geographic areas where we have little experience and understanding of the market. Additionally, we may not be able to hire and train sufficient personnel or develop management, information and operating systems suitable for our growth. Any failure to effectively manage our future growth could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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In the future, we may modify our underwriting standards and methods of obtaining financing to make mortgage loans without stockholder approval, which may increase the level of risk in an investment in our securities.

While we have no current intention of modifying the historical loan initiation standards in any material manner, we may do so in the future if we believe it would be favorable to our business. For example, the criteria necessary for a borrower to qualify for a loan may be made less stringent, which could result in an increased amount of loan defaults. We may also determine in the future to issue preferred stock and may incur indebtedness to fund an increase of our loan portfolio or for other working capital purposes. Any such actions may be taken without stockholder approval. Issuing preferred stock or incurring indebtedness may reduce the amount of capital that will be available for distribution to stockholders and the amount available to make new loans if the funds are necessary to make required payments under such instruments. Any such changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

We depend on our senior management team based upon their long-standing business relationships, the loss of any of whom could threaten our ability to operate our business successfully.

Our future success depends, to a significant extent, upon the continued services of our management team. The mortgage lending experience of our senior management team and the extent and nature of relationships they have developed with developers and owners of residential and commercial properties are critical to our success. We cannot assure their continued employment. For example, Adam J. Fountain resigned as our Executive Vice President as of March 31, 2020. The loss of services of one or more members of our management team could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may not be able to hire and retain qualified loan originators or grow and maintain our relationships with key loan brokers, and if we are unable to do so, our ability to implement our business and growth strategies could be limited.

We depend on our loan originators to generate borrower clients by, among other things, developing relationships with commercial property owners, real estate agents and brokers, developers and others, which we believe leads to repeat and referral business. Accordingly, we must be able to attract, motivate and retain skilled loan originators. The market for loan originators is highly competitive and may lead to increased costs to hire and retain them. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to attract or retain qualified loan originators. If we cannot attract, motivate or retain a sufficient number of skilled loan originators, at a reasonable cost or at all, our business could be materially and adversely affected. We also depend on our network of loan brokers, who generate a significant portion of our loan originations. While we strive to cultivate long-standing relationships that generate repeat business for us, brokers are free to transact business with other lenders and have done so in the past and will do so in the future. Our competitors also have relationships with some of our brokers and actively compete with us in bidding on loans shopped by these brokers. We also cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain or develop new relationships with additional brokers.

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Covenants in our credit agreement restrict our activities and could adversely affect our business.

Our credit agreement contains customary covenants that limit our incurrence of indebtedness, liens, asset dispositions, dividends and distributions to our stockholders, loans, advances and investments, payments to affiliates, optional prepayments and other modifications of certain other indebtedness, amendments, terminations and waivers of certain material agreements, and acquisitions, mergers and consolidations. We are also required to comply with a tangible net worth requirement and a total debt to equity ratio requirement. These covenants limit our operational flexibility and could prevent us from taking advantage of business opportunities as they arise, growing our business or competing effectively. Among other things, the credit agreement provides that we may not pay cash dividends that would result in non-compliance with the financial covenants under the credit agreement or during an event of default under the credit agreement, except in the case of defaults other than payment defaults, for dividends in amounts necessary to maintain our REIT status. Our ability to meet these requirements may be affected by events beyond our control and, if we fail to meet the requirements, we may be unable to obtain waivers from the lenders or amend the covenants. To the extent borrowings are outstanding under our credit agreement at the maturity thereof, we may be unable to refinance such borrowings or extend the maturity thereof. In such event, our cash flow may not be sufficient to make distributions to our stockholders and repay our maturing debt and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

We may not be able to obtain or maintain required licenses and authorizations to conduct our business and may fail to comply with various state and U.S. federal laws and regulations applicable to our business.

In general, lending is a highly regulated industry in the United States and we are required to comply with, among other statutes and regulations, certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act that are applicable to commercial loans, the USA Patriot Act, regulations promulgated by the Office of Foreign Asset Control, and U.S. federal and state securities laws and regulations. In addition, certain states have adopted laws or regulations that may, among other requirements, require licensing of lenders and financiers, prescribe disclosures of certain contractual terms, impose limitations on interest rates and other charges, and limit or prohibit certain collection practices and creditor remedies.

There is no guarantee that we will be able to obtain, maintain or renew any required licenses or authorizations to conduct our business or that we would not experience significant delays in obtaining these licenses and authorizations. As a result, we could be delayed in conducting certain business if we were first required to obtain certain licenses or authorizations or if renewals thereof were delayed. Furthermore, once licenses are issued and authorizations are obtained, we are required to comply with various information reporting and other regulatory requirements to maintain those licenses and authorizations, and there is no assurance that we will be able to satisfy those requirements or other regulatory requirements applicable to our business on an ongoing basis, which may restrict our business and could expose us to penalties or other claims.

Any failure to obtain, maintain or renew required licenses and authorizations or failure to comply with regulatory requirements that are applicable to our business could result in material fines and disruption to our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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The accuracy of our financial statements may be materially affected if our estimates, including allowance for credit losses, prove to be inaccurate.

Financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or “GAAP,” require the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts. Different estimates, judgments and assumptions reasonably could be used that would have a material effect on the financial statements, and changes in these estimates, judgments and assumptions are likely to occur from period to period in the future. Significant areas of accounting requiring the application of management’s judgment include but are not limited to assessing the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses and assessing impairments on real estate held for use or held for sale. These estimates, judgments and assumptions are inherently uncertain, especially in turbulent economic times, and, if they prove to be wrong, then we face the risk that charges to income will be required, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

In addition, in June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326),” which replaces the current “incurred loss” model for recognizing credit losses with an “expected loss” model referred to as the Current Expected Credit Loss model, or CECL. Under the CECL model, which we adopted in the fourth quarter of 2020 for the annual period as of and ending December 31, 2020 with an adoption date of January 1, 2020, the measurement of expected credit losses is to be based on information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This differs significantly from the “incurred loss” model previously required under GAAP, which delayed recognition until it was probable a loss had been incurred. The adoption of CECL may result in a greater impact on our allowance for credit losses than currently anticipated and is likely to result in greater variability in our allowance for credit losses from period to period.

We may be subject to “lender liability” litigation.

A number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. From time to time, borrowers or other participants in projects we have financed have threatened lender liability claims against us and may do so in the future. We cannot assure you that such claims will not arise or that we will not be subject to significant liability if a claim of this type were to arise.

Several members of our senior management team do not have prior experience in operating a public company.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Credit Officer did not have experience in managing a publicly traded company prior to the Business Combination. As such, our management team may encounter difficulties in successfully or effectively complying with our reporting and other obligations under U.S. federal securities laws and other regulations and in connection with operating as a public company. Our management team has been and may continue to be required to devote significant time to these activities, which could result in less time being devoted to our management and growth.

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If members or former members of our management engage in business activities of the types conducted by us, we may be materially adversely affected.

Certain members and former members of our management and their affiliates have in the past provided management services to other real estate lending companies that originate and acquire mortgages. In prior years, such persons invested in second deed of trust liens for their own accounts or for the accounts of others, where we have made a first deed of trust lien, or in the equity of a borrower or the developer that owns the secured property. Certain members and former members of our management have entered into restrictive covenant agreements with non-competition provisions. If these agreements are not effective in preventing these parties from engaging in business activities that are competitive with us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Market Risks Related to Real Estate Loans

A prolonged economic slowdown, a lengthy or severe recession or declining real estate values could impair our loans and harm our operations.

A prolonged economic slowdown, a recession or declining real estate values could impair the performance of our loans and harm our financial condition and results of operations and limit our ability to raise capital. As a result, we believe the risks associated with our business will be more severe during periods of economic slowdown or recession because these periods are likely to be accompanied by declining real estate values and declining demand for new mortgage loan originations. Declining real estate values are likely to have one or more of the following adverse consequences:

Any sustained period of increased payment delinquencies, foreclosures or losses could adversely affect both our interest income from loans in our portfolio as well as our ability to originate new loans, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

In addition, public health crises, pandemics and epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has broadly impacted the economy, could have a material adverse effect on economic activity, including our business by reducing the demand for commercial or residential real estate that our borrowers might have developed or increasing the time and expense of such development projects.

An increase in interest rates could adversely affect our ability to generate income and pay dividends.

Rising interest rates generally reduce the demand for mortgage loans due to the higher cost of borrowing. The rising cost of borrowing may cause reduced demand for real estate, possibly resulting in declining real estate values. Declining real estate values significantly increase the likelihood that we will incur losses on our loans in the event of default. In addition, rising interest rates may also cause loans that we originated prior to an interest rate increase to provide yields that are below prevailing market interest rates. These factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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We operate in a highly competitive market and competition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive market and we believe these conditions will persist for the foreseeable future as the financial services industry continues to consolidate, producing larger, better capitalized and more geographically diverse companies with broad product and service offerings, and new entrants come into the real estate lending market. As a result, our profitability depends, in large part, on our ability to compete effectively.

Our existing and potential future competitors include “hard money” lenders, mortgage REITs, specialty finance companies, savings and loan associations, banks, mortgage banks, credit unions, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, private equity funds, hedge funds, institutional investors, investment banking firms, non-bank financial institutions, governmental bodies, family offices and high net worth individuals. We may also compete with companies that partner with and/or receive financing from the U.S. government. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do. In addition, larger and more established competitors may enjoy significant competitive advantages, including enhanced operating efficiencies, more extensive referral networks, greater and more favorable access to investment capital and more desirable lending opportunities. Several of these competitors, including mortgage REITs, have recently raised or are expected to raise significant amounts of capital, which enables them to make larger loans or a greater number of loans. Some competitors may also have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that may not be available to us, such as funding from various governmental agencies or under various governmental programs for which we are not eligible. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of possible loan transactions or to offer more favorable financing terms than we could. For example, we may find that the pool of potential qualified borrowers available to us is limited. Finally, as a REIT and because we operate in a manner intended to be exempt from the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), we may face further restrictions to which some of our competitors may not be subject. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders. As a result of these competitive factors, we may not in the future be able to originate and fund mortgage loans on favorable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Prepayment rates are difficult to predict and may result in excess capital; the inability to redeploy this capital at comparable yields or risk could result in lower income.

The frequency at which prepayments (including both voluntary prepayments by the borrowers and liquidations due to defaults and foreclosures) occur on our mortgage loans is difficult to predict and is affected by a variety of factors, including the prevailing level of interest rates, economic, demographic, tax, social, legal, legislative and other factors. To the extent that faster prepayment rates occur, the principal payments received from prepayments may be reinvested in lower-yielding mortgage loans, which may reduce our income in the long run. Therefore, if actual prepayment rates differ from anticipated prepayment rates, then there could be an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Risks Related to Our Loan Portfolio

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We may be adversely affected by the economies and other conditions of the markets in which we operate, and in particular, that of certain states in which we have a high concentration of loans.

The geographic distribution of our loan portfolio exposes us to risks associated with the real estate and commercial lending industry in general, and to a greater extent within the states and regions in which we have concentrated our loans. These risks include, without limitation:

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At December 31, 2020, our mortgage loans were most concentrated in the following six states:

While we make loans in additional markets, we remain particularly subject to the general economic and market conditions in the six states identified above. The occurrence of any one or more of the above enumerated conditions in such states could cause a decline in the value of properties securing our loans which would reduce the value of the collateral and the potential proceeds available to borrowers to repay their loans. For example, COVID-19 may negatively impact the commercial and residential real estate markets, which could reduce demand and the value for properties and make it less likely that a borrower can sell or lease the property they are developing in an amount sufficient to repay the borrower’s loan, or that a developer, who would be our borrower, will elect to go forward with a new project.

In the event that we should foreclose on a property, we may be unable to sell it at a value that would allow us to recoup the proceeds of the loan. Any such events that would increase volatility of values of residential and commercial properties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Additionally, other neighboring states may become more attractive for investors, developers, builders and other commercial borrowers based on favorable costs and other conditions to construct or improve or renovate real estate properties. Changes in other markets may result in increased development and demand for loans in those markets and result in a corresponding decrease in development and demand for loans in the markets in which we concentrate our loan activity. Any adverse economic or real estate developments or any adverse changes in the local business climate in any such states could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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Borrowers that incur mortgage loans from us may not qualify for conventional bank financing or would be regarded as higher risk borrowers, and on such basis, may be more likely to default on repayment of their loans.

Borrowers who are obligated under the mortgage loans that we issue are sometimes persons who do not qualify for conventional bank financing or who could be regarded to be higher risk borrowers. Consequently, these borrowers are more likely to default on the repayment of their obligations. In the event of any default under a mortgage loan issued by us, we will bear a risk of loss to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the outstanding principal and accrued interest of the mortgage loan, and any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

In addition, we extend mortgage loans to borrowers who are not organized as single purpose entities. A single purpose entity structure can allow a lender to better isolate the borrower and its assets from consolidation into a bankruptcy case filed on behalf of its affiliates. Because we extend mortgage loans to borrowers not organized as single purpose entities, there could be an increased risk that we may not be able to maintain our security interest in the mortgage collateral, thereby decreasing recovery in the event of a default in a mortgage loan.

Short-term loans may involve a greater risk of loss than traditional mortgage loans.

Borrowers usually use the proceeds of a long-term mortgage loan or sale to repay a short-term loan. Typically, we issue short-term mortgage loans with initial terms less than 18 months, subject to extension at our option. We may therefore depend on a borrower’s ability to obtain permanent financing or sell the property to repay our loan, which could depend on market conditions and other factors. In a period of rising interest rates or tightening credit markets, it may be more difficult for borrowers to obtain long-term financing, which increases the risk of non-payment. Short-term loans are also subject to risks of borrower defaults, bankruptcies, fraud, losses and special hazard losses that are not covered by standard hazard insurance. In the event of a default, we bear the risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest and fees to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the mortgage collateral and the principal amount and unpaid interest of the loan. To the extent we suffer any such losses with respect to our mortgage loans, such losses could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

We make construction loans, which are subject to additional risks as compared to loans secured by existing structures or land.

Substantially all of our loans are construction loans, which are subject to additional risks that may not be applicable to loans secured by existing structures and land. Construction budgets may be unrealistic or unforeseen variables may arise, prolonging the development and increasing the costs of the construction project, which may delay the borrower’s ability to sell or rent the finished property, which could adversely affect repayment of the loan. While we believe we have reasonable procedures in place to manage construction funding loans, there can be no certainty that we will not suffer losses on construction loans. In addition, if a builder fails to complete a project, we may be required to complete the project. Any such default could result in a substantial increase in costs in excess of the original budget and delays in completion of the project.

Furthermore, construction loans are subject to risks of cost overruns and non-completion for construction, renovation, refurbishment or expansion by a borrower of a mortgaged property. Costs of construction or renovation to bring a property up to market standards for the intended use of that property may exceed original estimates, possibly making a project uneconomical. Other risks may include environmental risks, permitting risks, other construction risks, and subsequent leasing of the property not being completed on schedule or at projected rental rates. If such construction or renovation is not completed in a timely manner, or if it costs more than expected, the borrower may experience a prolonged reduction of net operating income and may be unable to make payments of interest or principal to us, which could materially and adversely affect us.

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Additionally, we may make construction loans without having all the funds on hand that will ultimately be required for final funding of the loan. In the event that we suffer substantial borrower defaults, overestimate the pace of repayments of loans or are unable to obtain or raise additional capital, we may be unable to fund all of our construction loan commitments. In the event that we suffer substantial borrower defaults, or are unable to raise additional capital, we may be unable to fund a performing construction loan.

Any default on a construction loan by a borrower, or our default in funding a construction loan as called for in the loan agreement, could have a material adverse effect to our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Loans secured by first deed of trust liens on real estate are subject to increased risk.

None of our loans secured by real property are guaranteed by the U.S. government or any government sponsored enterprise. Therefore, the value of mortgages on such loans is significantly impacted by the value of the underlying property, the creditworthiness and financial position of the borrower and the enforceability of the lien. In the event of a foreclosure, we may assume direct ownership of the underlying collateral. The liquidation proceeds upon sale of such real estate may not be sufficient to recover our cost basis in the loan, and any costs or delays involved in the foreclosure or liquidation process may increase losses.

Further, mortgage loans are also subject to “special hazard” risk (property damage caused by hazards, such as earthquakes or environmental hazards, not covered by standard property insurance policies), and to bankruptcy risk (reduction in a borrower’s mortgage debt by a bankruptcy court). In addition, claims may be assessed against us on account of our position as a mortgage holder or property owner, including assignee liability, responsibility for tax payments, environmental hazards and other liabilities. In some cases, these liabilities may be “recourse liabilities” or may otherwise lead to losses in excess of the purchase price of the related mortgage or property, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders. In addition, our loans are or will be illiquid, and if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our investments.

Most of our loans include a balloon payment at maturity, which payment commonly represents the full amount due under the loan. Failure by borrowers to make the balloon payments when due could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition.

Our loan payment terms customarily require a balloon payment at maturity. Given the fact that many of the properties securing our loans are not income producing, and most of the borrowers are entities with no assets other than the single property that is the subject of the loan, borrowers may have considerable difficulty making the balloon payment at maturity. Borrowers’ inability to repay loans at maturity, together with all the accrued interest thereon, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Many of the properties securing our mortgage loans are not income producing, thus increasing the risks of delinquency and foreclosure.

Most of our loans are secured by properties, whether residential or commercial, that are under development, construction or renovation and are not income producing. The risks of delinquency and foreclosure on these properties may be greater than similar risks associated with loans made on the security of income producing properties. In the case of income producing properties, the ability of a borrower to repay the loan typically depends primarily upon the successful operation of such property. If the net operating income of the subject property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan, or our ability to receive adequate returns on its loans, may be impaired.

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In the case of non-income producing properties, the expectation is that our loans will be repaid out of sale or refinancing proceeds. Thus, the borrower’s ability to repay our mortgage loans will depend, to a great extent, on the value of the property at the maturity date of the loan. In the event of any default under a mortgage loan issued by us, we will bear a risk of loss to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the outstanding principal and accrued interest of the mortgage loan, and any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

In the event of the bankruptcy of a mortgage loan borrower, the mortgage loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the mortgage loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law. Foreclosure of a mortgage loan may be an expensive and lengthy process, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

To the extent that our loan documentation or files contain defects, inaccuracies or inconsistencies, or our loan due diligence processes prove to be inadequate, we could experience decreased recoveries in the event of foreclosure and thereby potentially reduce the amount of distributions to our common stockholders.

While we endeavor to maintain accurate and complete loan documentation and loan files, from time to time, our loan documentation and files may contain defects, inaccuracies or inconsistencies, or information that is incorrect or out of date. To the extent this occurs, or our loan due diligence processes prove to be inadequate, there is a risk that, in the event of a default, we will not be able to enforce our rights to foreclose upon the collateral securing such defaulted loans. If this were to occur, the amount available to our common stockholders for distributions could potentially be reduced.

Liability relating to environmental matters may impact the value of properties that we may acquire or the properties underlying our loans.

Liability relating to environmental matters may decrease the value of the underlying properties securing our loans and may adversely affect the ability of a person to sell or rent such property or borrow using such property as collateral. Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal of certain hazardous substances released on, about, under or in its property. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances. We do not always conduct a Phase I environmental survey as part of our underwriting process. To the extent that an owner of an underlying property becomes liable for removal costs, testing, monitoring, remediation, bodily injury or property damage, the ability of the owner to make debt payments may be reduced, which in turn may adversely affect the value of the relevant mortgage asset related to such property. If we acquire any properties by foreclosure or otherwise, the presence of hazardous substances on a property may adversely affect the property’s value and our ability to sell the property. Additionally, we may incur substantial remediation costs, thereby harming our financial condition. The discovery of environmental liabilities attached to such properties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders. Moreover, some U.S. federal, state and local laws provide that, in certain situations, a secured lender, such as ourselves, may be liable as an “owner” or “operator” of the real property, regardless of whether the borrower or previous owner caused the environmental damage. Therefore, the presence of hazardous substances on certain property could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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Declining real estate valuations could result in impairment charges, the determination of which involves a significant amount of judgment on our part. Any impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on us.

We review our loan portfolio for impairment on a quarterly and annual basis and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Indicators of impairment include, but are not limited to, a sustained significant decrease in the value of the collateral securing the loan, including the value of the real estate and other assets pledged to secure the loan as well as personal guarantees by the principals of the borrower, or a borrower’s inability to stay current with respect to its obligations under the terms of the loan. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining the presence of an indicator of impairment. If we determine that the value of the collateral is less than the amount outstanding on the loan or the amount that may become due upon the maturity of the loan, a loss must be recognized for the difference between the fair value of the property and the carrying value of the loan. The evaluation of the market value of the underlying collateral requires a significant amount of judgment on our part. Any impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Our reserves for credit losses may prove inadequate, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We evaluate our loans, and we will evaluate the adequacy of any future reserves for credit losses we are required to recognize, on a quarterly basis. In the future, we may maintain varying levels of credit loss reserves. Our determination of asset-specific credit loss reserves may rely on material estimates regarding the fair value of any loan collateral. The estimation of ultimate credit losses, provision expenses and loss reserves is a complex and subjective process. As such, there can be no assurance that our judgment will prove to be correct and that any future credit loss reserves will be adequate over time to protect against losses inherent in our portfolio at any given time. Any such losses could be caused by various factors, including, but not limited to, unanticipated adverse changes in the economy or events adversely affecting specific assets, borrowers, industries in which our borrowers operate or markets in which our borrowers or their properties are located. If our future reserves for credit losses prove inadequate, we may suffer losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Our due diligence may not reveal all of the risks associated with a mortgage loan or the property that will be mortgaged to secure the loan, which could lead to losses.

Despite our efforts to manage credit risk, there are many aspects of credit risk that we cannot control. Our credit policies and procedures may not be successful in limiting future delinquencies, defaults and losses, or they may not be cost effective. Our underwriting reviews and due diligence procedures may not be effective in identifying all potential credit risks. Borrower and guarantor circumstances could change during the term of the loan. The value of the properties collateralizing or underlying the loans may decline. The frequency of default and the loss severity on loans upon default may be greater than we anticipate. If properties securing our mortgage loans become real estate owned as a result of foreclosure, we bear the risk of not being able to sell the property and recover our investment and of being exposed to the risks attendant to the ownership of real property.

Before approving and funding a mortgage loan, we undertake due diligence of the borrower, its principals (if the borrower is not an individual) and the property that will be mortgaged to secure the loan. Such due diligence includes review of (i) the credit history of the borrower if an individual, and to the extent available and considered materially significant, a business entity, if applicable, (ii) the borrower and guarantor or guarantors’ financial statements and tax returns, (iii) the independently appraised value of the property, (iv) legal and lien searches against the borrower, the guarantors and the property, (v) where deemed appropriate, a certificate or insurance binder of hazard insurance, (vi) a review of the documentation related to the property, including title information and (vii) other reviews and/or assessments that we may deem appropriate to conduct. There can be no assurance that we will conduct any specific level of due diligence, or that, among other things, the due diligence process will uncover all relevant facts, which could result in losses on the loan in question, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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Third-party diligence reports are made as of a point in time and are therefore limited in scope.

Appraisals, engineering, and environmental reports, as well as a variety of other third-party reports, are generally obtained with respect to each of the mortgaged properties underlying our loans at or about the time of origination. Appraisals are not guarantees of present or future value. One appraiser may reach a different conclusion than the conclusion that would be reached if a different appraiser were appraising that property. Moreover, the values of the properties may fluctuate significantly after the date that appraisals are performed. In addition, any third-party report, including any engineering report, environmental report, site inspection or appraisal represents only the analysis of the individual consultant, engineer or inspector preparing such report at the time of such report, and may not reveal all necessary or desirable repairs, maintenance, remediation and capital improvement items. Any missing or incomplete information in the appraisal and engineering and environmental reports prepared by third parties may affect our loan underwriting, and if foreclosure on the property became necessary, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

If casualty insurance is prohibitively expensive or unavailable for certain events, or the borrower were to allow its casualty insurance to lapse, then, in the event a casualty were to occur, our loan may not be adequately secured.

Our policy is to require fire and/or casualty insurance on property improvements that would be sufficient, together with the value of the underlying land, to pay off all obligations, including the subject mortgage. There are certain disasters, however, for which no insurance is available or for which insurance may be deemed to be too expensive (examples would include flood and earthquake insurance). Furthermore, we have no control over the borrower’s actions or the state of the property that might reduce available coverage, call for economically prohibitive premiums, or otherwise render the subject real property uninsurable. In addition, should insurance coverage lapse due to premiums not paid by the borrower, or should a policy be cancelled for other reasons, we may not be protected unless substitute or new insurance is in force. In this event, we may be required to pay the premiums to maintain such insurance, to the extent available, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

Risks Related to Our REIT Qualification and Investment Management Regulation

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We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully manage our business as a REIT.

The Predecessor Company Group had limited experience operating as a REIT. The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), are complex, and any failure to comply with those provisions in a timely manner could prevent us from qualifying as a REIT or could force us to pay unexpected taxes and penalties. Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject us to income taxation (including interest and possibly penalties for prior periods in which we failed to qualify as a REIT) as a regular “C” corporation, which would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

Qualifying as a REIT involves highly technical and complex provisions of the Code and therefore, in certain circumstances, may be subject to uncertainty.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy a number of requirements, including requirements regarding the composition of our assets, the sources of our income and the diversity of our stock ownership. Also, we generally must make distributions to our stockholders aggregating annually at least 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain). Compliance with these requirements and all other requirements for qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations. Even a technical or inadvertent mistake could jeopardize our REIT status. In addition, the determination of various factual matters and circumstances relevant to REIT qualification is not entirely within our control and may affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.

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If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we will be subject to tax as a regular “C” corporation and could face a substantial tax liability, which would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

We believe that we have been organized and have operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for our taxable period ending December 31, 2020, and that our current and proposed method of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for subsequent taxable years. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our ability to meet, on an ongoing basis, various complex requirements concerning, among other things, the ownership of our outstanding stock, the nature of our assets, the sources of our income, and the amount of our distributions to our stockholders. Our ability to satisfy the asset tests depends upon our analysis of the characterization and fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination, and for which we will not obtain independent appraisals. Our compliance with the annual REIT income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to successfully manage the composition of our income and assets on an ongoing basis.

If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year, and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates, and distributions to our stockholders would not be deductible by us in determining our taxable income. In such a case, we might need to borrow money or sell assets in order to pay our taxes. Our payment of income tax would decrease our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

Furthermore, if we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our taxable income to our stockholders. In addition, unless we were eligible for certain statutory relief provisions, we could not re-elect to qualify as a REIT until the fifth calendar year following the year in which we failed to qualify. We would also fail to qualify as a REIT in the event we were treated under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations as a successor to another REIT whose qualification as a REIT was previously terminated or revoked. If a Predecessor Company failed to qualify as a REIT prior to the Business Combination, it is possible that we would be treated as a successor REIT under the foregoing rules and thus be unable to qualify as a REIT.

Our ownership of and relationship with taxable REIT subsidiaries is limited, and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT qualification, and our transactions with our taxable REIT subsidiaries may result in the application of a 100% excise tax if such transactions are not conducted on arm’s-length terms.

A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”). A TRS may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by a REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock and securities of one or more TRSs. A domestic TRS will pay U.S. federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the TRS rules impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

Our wholly owned subsidiary that provides certain investment management services with respect to our assets as well as to third parties has elected to be treated as a TRS. We may elect for certain other of our subsidiaries to be treated as TRSs. Our TRSs will pay U.S. federal, state and local income tax on their taxable income, and their after-tax income will be available for distribution to us but will not be required to be distributed to us. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with the TRS limitations or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification or create additional tax liability for us.

To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding the composition of our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments for any reason, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory, other than foreclosure property.

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Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to some taxes that will reduce our cash flow.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income, taxes on income from some activities conducted or sales made as a result of a foreclosure, excise taxes, and state or local income, property and transfer taxes, such as mortgage recording taxes, and other taxes. Moreover, in order to meet the REIT qualification requirements, prevent the recognition of certain types of non-cash income, or to avert the imposition of a 100% tax that applies to certain gains derived by a REIT from dealer property or inventory (other than foreclosure property), we may hold some of our assets through a TRS or other subsidiary corporation that will be subject to corporate level income tax at regular corporate rates. In addition, if a TRS borrows funds either from us or a third party, such TRS may be unable to deduct all or a portion of the interest paid, resulting in a higher corporate tax liability. Furthermore, the Code imposes a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and a REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s length basis. We intend to structure any transaction with a TRS on terms that we believe are arm’s length to avoid incurring this 100% excise tax. There can be no assurances, however, that we will be able to avoid application of the 100% excise tax. The payment of any of these taxes would reduce our cash flow.

Rapid changes in the values of our assets may make it more difficult for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

If the fair market value or income potential of our qualifying assets for purposes of our qualification as a REIT declines as a result of increased interest rates, changes in prepayment rates, general market conditions, government actions or other factors, or the fair market value of or income from non-qualifying assets increases, we may need to increase our qualifying real estate assets and income or liquidate our non-qualifying assets to maintain our REIT qualification. If the change in real estate asset values or income occurs quickly, this may be especially difficult to accomplish. This difficulty may be exacerbated by the illiquid nature of any non-qualifying assets we may own. We may have to sell or acquire assets or make other decisions that we otherwise would not make absent our REIT election.

The REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and may force us to incur debt or sell assets during unfavorable market conditions to make such distributions.

To qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain) each year, and we will be subject to regular corporate income taxes to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our “REIT taxable income” each year. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions paid by us in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the REIT distribution requirements.

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Our taxable income may substantially differ from our net income based on U.S. GAAP, and differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash may occur. For example, we may recognize interest or other income on a mortgage loan for U.S. federal income tax purposes before we receive any payments of interest on such mortgage. We may also hold or acquire distressed debt investments that are subsequently modified by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt are “significant modifications” under the applicable Treasury regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us at a gain in a debt-for-debt exchange with the borrower, with gain recognized by us to the extent that the principal amount of the modified debt exceeds our cost of purchasing it prior to modification. Moreover, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the “TCJA,” we are generally required to take certain amounts into income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on certain financial statements. Although the precise application of this rule is unclear at this time, it may require the accrual of income by us earlier than would be the case prior law. However, recently promulgated Treasury regulations, which are effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, generally would exclude, among other items, original issue discount and market discount income from the applicability of this rule. To the extent that this rule requires the accrual of income earlier than under prior law, it could increase our “phantom income.” In addition, the TCJA limits the deduction for business interest expense to 30% of “adjusted taxable income,” which could result in the deduction allowable in the computation of taxable income to be less than the amount of interest payments actually made during the tax year. Additionally, we may also be required under the terms of indebtedness that we incur to use cash received from interest payments to make principal payments on that indebtedness.

As a result, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and find it difficult or impossible in certain circumstances to make distributions sufficient to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. In such circumstances, we may be forced to incur debt on unfavorable terms, sell assets at disadvantageous prices, distribute amounts that would otherwise have been invested in future loans, or make a taxable distribution of shares of our common stock, as part of a distribution in which stockholders may elect to receive shares (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution).

We may be required to report taxable income from certain investments in excess of the economic income we ultimately realize from them.

We may acquire debt instruments in the secondary market for less than their face amount. The discount at which such debt instruments are acquired may reflect doubts about their ultimate collectability rather than current market interest rates. The amount of such discount will nevertheless generally be treated as “market discount” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accrued market discount is generally reported as income when, and to the extent that, any payment of principal of the debt instrument is made or the debt instrument is disposed of or retired. If we collect less on the debt instrument than our purchase price plus the market discount we had previously reported as income, we may not be able to benefit from any offsetting loss deductions. In addition, we may hold or acquire distressed debt investments that are subsequently modified by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt are “significant modifications” under applicable Treasury regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us at a gain in a debt-for-debt exchange with the borrower. In that event, we may be required to recognize taxable gain to the extent the principal amount of the modified debt exceeds our adjusted tax basis in the unmodified debt, even if the value of the debt or the payment expectations have not changed. Moreover, debt instruments that we originate or acquire may be issued with original issue discount. We will be required to report such original issue discount based on a constant yield method and will be taxed based on the assumption that all future projected payments due on such debt instruments will be made. If any such debt instrument turns out not to be fully collectable, an offsetting loss deduction will become available only in the later year that uncollectability is provable.

Additionally, as described above, under the TCJA, we are generally required to take certain amounts into income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on certain financial statements, although recently promulgated Treasury regulations provide that this rule does not apply to original discount or market discount income. To the extent that this rule requires the accrual of income earlier than under the previously applicable general tax rules, it could increase our “phantom income.”

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Finally, in the event that any debt instruments held or acquired by us are delinquent as to mandatory principal and interest payments, or in the event payments with respect to a particular debt instrument are not made when due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income as it accrues, despite doubt as to its ultimate collectability. In each case, while we would in general ultimately have an offsetting loss deduction available to us when such interest was determined to be uncollectable, the utility of that deduction could depend on whether such loss is ordinary or capital and on us having taxable income, in that later year or thereafter.

Our investments in construction loans will require us to make estimates about the fair value of land improvements that may be challenged by the IRS.

We expect to invest in construction loans, the interest from which will be qualifying income for purposes of the REIT income tests, provided that the loan value of the real property securing the construction loan is equal to or greater than the highest outstanding principal amount of the construction loan during any taxable year. For purposes of construction loans, the loan value of the real property is the fair value of the land plus the reasonably estimated cost of the improvements or developments (other than personal property) that will secure the loan and that are to be constructed from the proceeds of the loan. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) would not challenge our estimate of the loan value of the real property.

If any subsidiary REIT failed to qualify as a REIT, we could be directly or indirectly subject to higher taxes and could fail to remain qualified as a REIT.

We may directly or indirectly (through disregarded subsidiaries, pass-through entities or a TRS) own shares of a subsidiary that has elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any such subsidiary REIT would be subject to the various REIT qualification requirements and other limitations described herein that are applicable to us. If any such subsidiary REIT were to fail to qualify as a REIT, then (i) such subsidiary REIT would become subject to U.S. federal income tax and applicable state and local taxes on its taxable income at regular corporate rates and (ii) our ownership of shares in such subsidiary REIT would cease to be a qualifying asset for purposes of the asset tests applicable to REITs. If any such subsidiary REIT not held indirectly through BRMK Management, Corp. or another TRS were to fail to qualify as a REIT, it is possible that we would fail certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs, in which event we would fail to qualify as a REIT unless we could avail ourselves of certain relief provisions.

We could have potential deferred and contingent tax liabilities as a result of acquiring assets in the Business Combination that were previously owned by non-REIT “C” corporations.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax at the highest regular rate (currently 21%) on all or a portion of the gain recognized from the disposition of any asset acquired from BRELF III in the Business Combination occurring within the five-year period following BRELF III’s REIT conversion on January 1, 2019. In other words, if during the five-year period beginning on January 1, 2019, we recognize gain on the disposition of any asset BRELF III owned on January 1, 2019, then, to the extent of the excess of (i) the fair market value of such asset as of January 1, 2019, over (ii) BRELF III’s adjusted income tax basis in such asset as of January 1, 2019, we will be required to pay U.S. federal corporate income tax on this gain at the highest regular rate applicable to corporations. The same treatment would apply, for a period of as long as five years beginning on the date of the closing of the Business Combination, to any assets acquired in the Business Combination by us from a Predecessor Company that failed to qualify as a REIT in a taxable year ended on or prior to the Business Combination. These requirements could limit, delay or impede future sales of certain assets. We currently do not expect to sell any asset if the sale would result in the imposition of a material tax liability. We cannot, however, assure you that we will not change our plans in this regard.

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We have not established a minimum distribution payment level and we cannot assure you of our ability to pay distributions in the future.

To maintain our qualification as a REIT and generally not be subject to U.S. federal income and excise tax, we would generally be required to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income each year, which requirement we currently intend to satisfy through regular cash distributions to our stockholders out of legally available funds therefor. We have not, however, established a minimum distribution payment level and our ability to pay distributions may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including the risk factors described in our filings with the SEC. All distributions will be made at the discretion of our board and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our REIT qualification, restrictions on making distributions under Maryland law and such other factors as our board may deem relevant from time to time. We may not be able to make distributions in the future and our board may change our distribution policy in the future. We believe that a change in any one of the following factors, among others, could adversely affect our results of operations and impair our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders: the profitability of the assets we hold or acquire; the allocation of assets between our REIT-qualified and non-REIT qualified subsidiaries; our ability to make profitable investments and to realize profits therefrom; and defaults in our asset portfolio or decreases in the value of our portfolio. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will achieve results that will allow us to make required cash distributions for any year.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends, which could depress the market price of our stock if it is perceived as a less attractive investment.

The maximum tax rate applicable to income from “qualified dividends” payable by non-REIT “C” corporations to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates generally is 20% (which rate does not include the 3.8% net investment income tax). Dividends payable by a REIT, however, generally are not eligible for the current reduced rate, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met and the REIT’s dividends are attributable to dividends received by such REIT from taxable corporations (such as a TRS), to income that was subject to tax at the REIT/corporate level, or to dividends properly designated by the REIT as “capital gains dividends.” Effective for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, non-corporate U.S. stockholders generally may deduct 20% of their dividends from REITs (excluding “qualified dividend” income and “capital gains dividends”). To qualify for this deduction, the U.S. stockholder receiving such dividend must hold the dividend-paying REIT shares for at least 46 days (taking into account certain special holding period rules) of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and cannot be under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. For those U.S. stockholders in the top marginal tax bracket of 37%, the deduction for applicable REIT dividends yields an effective income tax rate of approximately 30% on such REIT dividends, which is higher than the 20% tax rate on “qualified dividend” income paid by non-REIT “C” corporations. Although the reduced rates applicable to dividend income from non-REIT “C” corporations do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, it could cause investors who are non-corporate taxpayers to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stock of non-REIT “C” corporations that pay qualified dividends, which could depress the market price of investments in REITs, including our stock.

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Complying with the REIT requirements may cause us to liquidate or forgo otherwise attractive investment opportunities.

To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that, at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and “real estate assets” (as defined in the Code), including certain mortgage loans and securities (the “75% asset test”). The remainder of our investments (other than securities includable in the 75% asset test) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. Additionally, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our total assets (other than securities includable in the 75% asset test) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs, and debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs, to the extent not secured by real property or interests in real property, cannot exceed 25% of the value of our total assets. If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences. As a result, we may be required to liquidate or forgo otherwise attractive investment opportunities. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution by us to our stockholders and the income and amounts available to service our indebtedness, if any.

In addition to the asset tests set forth above, to qualify as a REIT, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our stock. We may be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution, and we may be unable to pursue investment opportunities that would be otherwise advantageous to us in order to satisfy the source-of-income or asset-diversification requirements for us to qualify as a REIT. In addition, in certain cases, the modification of a debt instrument could result in the conversion of the instrument from a qualifying real estate asset to a wholly or partially non-qualifying asset. Compliance with the source-of-income requirements may also limit our ability to acquire debt instruments at a discount from their face amount. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to make, or in certain cases, maintain ownership of, certain attractive investments and, thus, reduce our income and amounts available for distribution or to service our indebtedness, if any.

We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could reduce the market price of our stock.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs may be modified, possibly with retroactive effect, by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time, which could affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state, and local taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and other taxing authorities. Changes to the tax laws, with or without retroactive application, could have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders. We cannot predict how changes in the tax laws might affect us or our stockholders. New legislation, Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly and negatively affect our ability to remain qualified as a REIT or the tax consequences of such qualification.

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If we or the Private REIT were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would be materially and adversely affected. The Private REIT Manager, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, may become subject to registration under the Advisers Act in the future, subjecting it to substantial regulations.

If it were established that either the Company or the Private REIT was an unregistered investment company, such entity could be subject to monetary penalties and injunctive relief in an action brought by the SEC. An unregistered investment company could be unable to enforce contracts with third parties, and third parties might seek rescission of transactions undertaken during the period that it was established that the Company or the Private REIT was an unregistered investment company. In the event that the Company or the Private REIT were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, such entity would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to its capital structure, management, operations, restrictions on transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including possible constraints on holding illiquid assets, diversification and industry concentration and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our and/or the Private REIT’s respective abilities to conduct business and would require any affected entity to significantly restructure its real estate finance business and its lending and/or loan participation strategies.

The Private REIT Manager will be required to register with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act if after the Private REIT Manager’s gross assets under management reach $150 million or more, unless another exemption to registration is available. If required to register as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, the Private REIT Manager will become subject to substantial regulation under such act, including the Advisers Act’s compliance policies and procedures requirements, books and record keeping obligations, and obligation to receive client consent to certain transactions, including any change in control of the Private REIT Manager.

Risks Related to Taxes and the Business Combination

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If the IRS were to determine that the merger of any of the Predecessor Companies in connection with the Business Combination did not qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to a Predecessor Company, we may be subject to significant tax liabilities.

If the IRS were to determine that the merger of any of the Predecessor Companies in connection with the Business Combination failed to qualify as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code with respect to a Predecessor Company, so long as such Predecessor Company qualified as a REIT at the time of the merger, such Predecessor Company generally would not have incurred a U.S. federal income tax liability so long as such Predecessor Company made distributions (which would have been deemed to include for this purpose the fair market value of the shares of our common stock issued pursuant to the applicable merger) to such Predecessor Company’s members in an amount at least equal to the net income or gain recognized on the deemed sale of such Predecessor Company’s assets to us. In the event that such distributions were not sufficient to eliminate all of such Predecessor Company’s tax liability as a result of the deemed sale of its assets to us, we would be liable for any remaining tax owed by such Predecessor Company as a result of such merger.

If the IRS were to determine that the merger of any of the Predecessor Companies in connection with the Business Combination failed to qualify as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code with respect to a Predecessor Company and such Predecessor Company did not qualify as a REIT at the time of such merger, such Predecessor Company would generally have recognized gain or loss on the deemed transfer of its assets to us, and we would be liable for any tax imposed on such Predecessor Company, which tax could be significant.

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We may be subject to adverse tax consequences if the IRS were to determine that one or more Predecessor Companies failed to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If the IRS were to determine that any Predecessor Company failed to qualify as a REIT through the consummation of the Business Combination, we may have inherited significant tax liabilities and could fail to qualify as a REIT. Even if we retain our REIT qualification, if any Predecessor Company did not qualify as a REIT or lost its REIT qualification for a taxable year ended on or with the Business Combination, we will face serious tax consequences that could substantially reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders because:

As a result of these factors, any failure by one or more Predecessor Companies to have qualified as a REIT for any taxable year ended on or before the consummation of the Business Combination could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital and could materially adversely affect the value of our common stock.

We have succeeded to certain of the Predecessor Companies’ tax liabilities.

We generally will take a carryover basis and holding period in the assets transferred in connection with the mergers of the Predecessor Companies in connection with the Business Combination. As the successor by merger, we generally are responsible for all of the Predecessor Companies’ liabilities including any unpaid taxes (and penalties and interest, if any), whether as a result of a failure by any Predecessor Company to have distributed all of its taxable income in any tax period, including the short taxable period ending on the date of the Business Combination, or taxes that might otherwise have been due and payable by such Predecessor Company. In addition to us inheriting such tax liabilities, if one or more Predecessor Companies failed to qualify as a REIT for any period ending on or prior to the Business Combination, the amount of the applicable Predecessor Companies’ tax liabilities inherited by us as a result of the Business Combination could be substantial.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities

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Our management team has broad discretion in the use of proceeds of securities offerings and, despite our efforts, we may invest or spend the proceeds of offerings in ways with which you may not agree or in ways which may not yield a significant return.

Our management team has broad discretion in the use of proceeds of securities offerings and, despite our efforts, we may invest or spend the proceeds of offerings in ways with which you may not agree or in ways which may not yield a significant return. We intend to use net proceeds from offerings for general corporate purposes, including to fund our lending activities. Our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. As a result, the net proceeds from offerings may be used for lending activities or other general business purposes that do not increase our operating results or enhance the value of our common stock.

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Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and is important in helping to prevent mistakes in and restatements of our financial statements and financial fraud. A failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting may adversely affect the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, we may be unable to prevent fraud, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, and the price of our securities may decline as a result. In addition, we may be subject to lawsuits or regulatory discipline if we fail to establish and maintain effective internal control over our financial reporting.

We may issue additional shares of common stock upon the exercise of Warrants or for other purposes, which would dilute your ownership interests and may depress the market price of our common stock.

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We currently have warrants outstanding to purchase approximately 15.6 million shares of common stock in the aggregate at an aggregate purchase price of $11.50 per share. Further, there were approximately 4 million shares of common stock remaining available for issuance pursuant to equity awards under the Broadmark Realty 2019 Stock Incentive Plan at December 31, 2020. We may also issue additional shares of common stock or other equity securities in the future in connection with, among other things, future capital raising and transactions and future acquisitions, without stockholder approval in many circumstances.

Our issuance of additional shares of common stock or other equity securities would have the following effects:

Our stockholders have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders will face.

Our board determines our major policies, including our policies regarding financing, growth and debt capitalization. Our board may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of our stockholders. The broad discretion of our board in setting policies and the inability of our stockholders to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks such stockholders will face. In addition, our board may change its investment objectives without seeking stockholder approval. Although our board has duties to us under Maryland law and intends only to change its investment objectives when our board determines that a change is in our best interest, a change in our investment objectives could cause a decline in the value of the stockholders’ investment in us.

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Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our directors and officers are limited, which could reduce your and our recovery against them if they negligently cause us to incur losses.

Maryland law provides that a director will not have any liability as a director so long as he or she performs his or her duties in accordance with the applicable standard of conduct. In addition, Maryland law and our charter provide that no director or officer shall be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages unless the director or officer (i) actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) was actively and deliberately dishonest as established by a final judgment, which was material to the cause of action. Moreover, (i) our charter requires us to indemnify our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law and (ii) we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers that provide for indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, except as expressly limited by the indemnification agreements. As a result, we may have more limited rights against our directors or officers than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce your and our recovery from these persons.

Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes of control, which may discourage third parties from conducting a tender offer or seeking other change of control transactions that could involve a premium price for our common stock or that our stockholders otherwise believe to be in their best interests.

Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including:

By resolution of our board, we have opted out of the business combination provisions of the MGCL, which means that any business combination between us and any other person is exempt from the business combination provisions of the MGCL, provided that the business combination is first approved by a majority of our directors (including a majority of directors who are not affiliates or associates of such persons). In addition, pursuant to a provision in our bylaws, we have opted out of the control share provisions of the MGCL. However, our board may by resolution elect to opt into the business combination provisions of the MGCL and we may, by amendment to our bylaws, opt into the control share provisions of the MGCL in the future. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an alteration or repeal of the board resolutions exempting such business combinations will not have any effect on any business combinations that have been consummated or upon any agreements existing at the time of such modification or repeal.

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Our charter contains certain provisions restricting the ownership and transfer of our capital stock that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control transaction that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or that our stockholders otherwise believe to be in their best interests.

Our charter contains certain ownership limits with respect to our capital stock. Our charter, among other restrictions, prohibits the beneficial or constructive ownership by any person of more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our capital stock (including our common stock), excluding any shares that are not treated as outstanding for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our board, in its sole and absolute discretion, may exempt a person, prospectively or retroactively, from this ownership limit if certain conditions are satisfied. This ownership limit as well as other restrictions on ownership and transfer in our charter may:

We could increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of stock, classify and reclassify unissued stock and issue stock without stockholder approval.

A majority of our entire board, without stockholder approval, has the power under our charter to amend the charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we are authorized to issue, to authorize us to issue authorized but unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock and to set the terms of such newly classified or reclassified shares. As a result, we may issue one or more classes or series of common stock or preferred stock with preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption that are senior to, or otherwise conflict with, the rights of our common stockholders. Although our board has no such intention at the present time, it could establish a class or series of common stock or preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of such class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Our bylaws designate the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit their ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the MGCL, (b) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf (other than actions arising under U.S. federal securities laws), (c) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or to our stockholders, (d) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws or (e) any other action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This provision does not cover claims made by stockholders pursuant to the securities laws of the United States, or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder. We adopted this provision because we believe it makes it less likely that we will be forced to incur the expense of defending duplicative actions in multiple forums and less likely that plaintiffs’ attorneys will be able to employ such litigation to coerce us into otherwise unjustified settlements.

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We are a holding company and our only material asset is our interest in our subsidiaries, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions made by our subsidiaries to make payments, pay dividends and pay taxes.

We are a holding company with no material assets other than our ownership of our subsidiaries. As a result, we have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow. Our ability to make payments, pay dividends and pay taxes will depend on the financial results and cash flows of our subsidiaries and the distributions we receive from our subsidiaries. Additionally, to the extent that we need funds and any of our subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of any financing arrangements, or any of our subsidiaries is otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.

The ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may be subject to various limitations and restrictions including, but not limited to, restrictions on distributions that would either violate any contract or agreement to which such subsidiary is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering such subsidiary insolvent. If our cash resources are insufficient to fund our obligations, we may be required to incur indebtedness to provide the liquidity needed to make such payments, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and subject us to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders.

General Risk Factors

Litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are, from time to time, subject to legal proceedings and regulatory requirements applicable to our business and industry. Litigation can be lengthy, expensive and disruptive to our operations and results cannot be predicted with certainty. There may also be adverse publicity associated with litigation, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found not liable. As a result, litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

There can be no assurance that our corporate insurance policies will mitigate all insurable losses, costs or damages to our business.

Based on the history of the Predecessor Company Group and our type of business, we believe that we maintain adequate insurance coverage to cover probable and reasonably estimable liabilities should they arise. However, there can be no assurance that these estimates will prove to be sufficient, nor can there be any assurance that the ultimate outcome of any claim or event will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions to our equity holders.

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Cybersecurity threats and other security breaches and disruptions could compromise sensitive information belonging to us or our employees, borrowers and other counterparties and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.

In the ordinary course of business, we may acquire and store sensitive data on our network, such as our proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our prospective and current borrowers, loan guarantors and our employees. The secure processing and maintenance of this information is critical to our business strategy. Cybersecurity incidents and cyber-attacks have been occurring globally at a more frequent and severe level and will likely continue to increase in frequency in the future. Our information and technology systems as well as those of other related parties, such as service providers, may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from cybersecurity breaches, computer viruses or other malicious code, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and other security breaches, usage errors by their respective professionals or service providers, power, communications or other service outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Cyberattacks and other security threats could originate from a wide variety of sources, including cyber criminals, nation state hackers, hacktivists and other outside parties. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the cyber and security threats we face, with attacks ranging from those common to businesses generally to those that are more advanced and persistent, which may target us because we hold a significant amount of confidential and sensitive information about our investors, borrowers and potential investments. As a result, we may face a heightened risk of a security breach or disruption with respect to this information. If successful, these types of attacks on our network or other systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our equity holders, due to, among other things, the loss of investor or proprietary data, interruptions or delays in the operation of our business and damage to our reputation. There can be no assurance that measures that we take to ensure the integrity of our systems will provide protection, especially because cyberattack techniques change frequently or are not recognized until successful.

Our business and operations could be negatively affected if we become subject to any securities litigation or stockholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of business and growth strategy and impact our stock price.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Stockholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing recently. Volatility in the price of our common stock or other reasons may in the future cause us to become the target of securities litigation or stockholder activism. Securities litigation and stockholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our board’s attention and resources from our business. Additionally, such securities litigation and stockholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with employees and other service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. It could also negatively impact our ability to generate new loans. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation and activist stockholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation and stockholder activism.

Any projections, forecasts or estimates that we have issued or may issue in the future are subject to significant inherent uncertainties and may not be realized.

Any financial and other projections and forecasts or estimates that we have issued or may issue from time to time in the future are necessarily based on numerous assumptions, expectations and other inputs. As a result, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies and other significant risks, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results can differ from our expectations, and those differences can be material. Any projections, forecasts or estimates should not be regarded as a representation by us as to the financial or other matters addressed by such projections, forecasts or estimates, as there can be no assurance that any of these projections, forecasts or estimates will be realized. In light of the foregoing, you should not place undue reliance on any projections, forecasts or estimates, which constitute forward-looking statements and are inherently subject to numerous significant risks and uncertainties.

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The market price and trading volume of our securities may be volatile and could decline significantly.

The public trading markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. The market price of our securities may be volatile and could decline significantly. In addition, the trading volume in our securities may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our securities declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your securities at or above the price you purchased it at, or otherwise at a favorable price. We cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not fluctuate widely or decline significantly in the future in response to a number of factors, including, among others, the following:

In the past, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research, publish inaccurate or unfavorable research or cease publishing research about us, the trading price and trading volume of our securities could decline significantly.

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The market for our securities may be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. Securities and industry analysts may not continue to publish research on us. If no securities or industry analysts maintain coverage of us, the market price and liquidity for our securities could be negatively impacted. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade their opinions about our securities, publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, or cease publishing about us regularly, demand for securities could decrease, which might cause the trading price and trading volume to decline significantly.

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Future issuances of debt securities and equity securities may adversely affect us, including the market price of our securities and may be dilutive to existing stockholders.

While we presently have not issued debt securities to finance our business, there is no assurance that we may not issue debt securities or issue equity ranking senior to our stock. Those securities will generally have priority upon liquidation. Such securities also may be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue debt or equity in the future will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, nature or success of our future capital raising efforts. As a result, future capital raising efforts may reduce the market price of our common stock and be dilutive to existing stockholders.

If our common stock becomes subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC, the trading market in our common stock may become significantly more limited, which would make transactions in our common stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our common stock.

Our common stock could be considered a “penny stock” if it trades below $5.00. Under Rule 15g-9 of the Exchange Act, broker-dealers who recommend low-priced securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors must satisfy special sales practice requirements. Such broker-dealer must make an individualized written suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written consent prior to the transaction.

Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules. This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of shares of our common stock.

Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and about the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks. Other risks associated with trading in penny stocks could also be price fluctuations and the lack of a liquid market.

There can be no guarantee that we will make distributions or generate yields comparable to our current or historic levels.

Past distributions and yields are no guarantee of our future performance. Our distributions of dividends are not guaranteed and will be paid only to the extent earned by us and authorized by our board. Multiple factors could adversely impact our ability to generate income and pay dividends, such as those set forth under “— Market Risks Related to Real Estate Loans,” and “— Risks Related to Our Loan Portfolio.” The timing and amount of dividends will be determined by our board. There is no guarantee that we will achieve results that will allow us to pay a specified level of cash dividends or to increase the level of such dividends in the future.

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ITEM 1B.            UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

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ITEM 2.               PROPERTIES

Our principal office is located in leased space at 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000, Seattle, Washington 98101.

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ITEM 3.               LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are involved in legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. We believe that the outcome of such matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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ITEM 4.               MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5.               MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BRMK.” As of February 17, 2020, we had 315 registered holders of our common stock. The 315 holders of record include CEDE & Co., which holds shares as nominee for The Depository Trust Company, which itself holds shares on behalf of the beneficial owners of our common stock. Such information was obtained through our registrar and transfer agent, based on the results of a broker search.

We did not purchase any shares of our common stock during the quarter ended December 31, 2020.

Stockholder Return Performance

The following stock performance graph is a comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return on shares of our common stock, the Standard & Poor's 500 (the “S&P 500 Index”), and the FTSE NAREIT Mortgage REITs index (“FTSE NAREIT Index”), a published industry index, from November 15, 2019 (the date on which our common stock became publicly traded) through December 31, 2020. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on November 15, 2019 in our common stock, the S&P 500 and the FTSE NAREIT Index and that all dividends were reinvested without the payment of any commissions. There can be no assurance that the performance of our shares will continue in line with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph below.

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ITEM 6.               SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Part II, Item 6 is no longer required as the Company has adopted certain provisions within the amendments to Regulation S-K that eliminate Item 301.

ITEM 7.               MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the “Business” section, as well as the consolidated financial statements and related notes in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should read this discussion and analysis together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report for the Company and Predecessor Company Group. In this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” references to the “Predecessor Company Group,” or the “Predecessor,” refers to the Predecessor Companies and the Predecessor Management Companies and their respective subsidiaries on a combined basis.

Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (“Broadmark Realty” or the “Company”), a Maryland corporation, is an internally managed commercial real estate finance company that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based in Seattle, Washington, we specialize in underwriting, funding, servicing and managing a portfolio of short-term, first deed of trust loans to fund the construction and development of, or investment in, residential or commercial properties. We operate in select states that we believe to have favorable demographic trends and that provide more efficient and quicker access to collateral in the event of borrower default. In March 2020, we launched a private real estate investment trust (the “Private REIT”) offered to qualified purchasers that is managed by our subsidiary and that participates in our loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2020, our portfolio of 204 active loans had approximately $1.2 billion of total commitments and $860.1 million of principal outstanding across 145 borrowers in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which $82.4 million and $37.7 million, respectively, were sold to the Private REIT. We refer to loans that have outstanding commitments or principal balances that have not been repaid or retired, including by foreclosure, as “active loans.” Total commitments refer to the aggregate sum of outstanding principal balances, construction holdbacks and committed amounts for future draws and interest reserves on our loans. To date our loan portfolio has been 100% equity funded, and as of December 31, 2020, we have no outstanding debt. As a public company, we plan to opportunistically raise capital in the public market from time to time based on market conditions and to execute on cash management tools to fund the business and produce attractive returns for our stockholders. On February 19, 2021, we closed on a $135.0 million revolving credit facility, which we expect will enable us to use a larger percentage of our cash balances for lending activities without planning to incur debt in the ordinary course of business.

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Properties securing our loans are generally classified as residential properties, commercial properties or undeveloped land, and are typically not income producing. Each loan is secured by a first deed of trust lien on real estate. Our lending policy limits the committed amount of each loan to a maximum loan-to-value (“LTV”) ratio of up to 65% of the “as-complete” appraised value of the underlying collateral as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of the loan origination. Our lending policy also limits the initial outstanding principal balance of each loan to a maximum LTV of up to 65% of the “as-is” appraised value of the underlying collateral as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of the loan origination. At the time of origination, the difference between the initial outstanding principal and the total commitment is the amount held back for future release subject to property inspections, progress reports and other conditions in accordance with the loan documents. Unless otherwise indicated, LTV is measured by the total commitment amount of the loan at origination divided by the “as-complete” appraisal. LTVs do not reflect interim activity such as construction draws or interest payments capitalized to loans, or partial repayments of the loan. As of December 31, 2020, the weighted average LTV was 59.4% across our active loan portfolio based on the total commitment of the loan and “as-complete” appraisals. In addition, each loan is also personally guaranteed on a recourse basis by the principals of the borrower, and/or others at our discretion to provide further credit support for the loan. The personal guarantee may be collaterally secured by a pledge of the guarantor’s interest in the borrower or other real estate or assets owned by the guarantor.

Our loans typically range from $0.1 to $40 million in total commitment at origination, generally bear interest at a fixed annual rate of 10% to 13% and have initial terms typically ranging from five to 18 months in duration based on the size of the project and expected timeline for completion of construction, which we often elect to extend for several months based on our evaluation of the project. As of December 31, 2020, the average total commitment of our active loans was $6.1 million and the weighted average remaining term to contractual maturity of our active loans was approximately seven months. We usually receive loan origination fees, or “points,” typically ranging from 4% to 5% of the total commitment at origination, along with loan amendment and extension fees, each of which varies in amount based upon the term of the loan and the quality of the borrower and the underlying collateral. In addition, we charge fees on past due receivables and receive reimbursements from borrowers for costs associated with services provided by us, such as closing costs, collection costs on defaulted loans and construction draw inspection fees.

In addition to the natural seasonality inherent in our business whereby winter months are typically less favorable to construction, restrictions related to the Business Combination decreased the amount of our loan originations for the second half of 2019 and early 2020. The pending Business Combination required us to essentially pause our ability to raise capital and in turn originate new loans for most of the second half of 2019. In the first quarter of 2020, we focused on rebuilding our pipeline and began to strategically deploy the proceeds from the Business Combination; these rebuilding efforts began to slow in March due to the uncertainty associated with the impacts of COVID-19. In March 2020, we launched the Private REIT to provide access to an additional source of capital and fund participations in loans originated by Broadmark Realty. We believe the Private REIT enhances our ability to increase originations and grow our asset base, subject to market conditions. As of December 31, 2020, the Private REIT’s participation in the total principal balance funded and outstanding was approximately $37.7 million.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly affecting, and can be expected to continue to impact, the capital markets and the construction lending market, at least in the near term. While we have implemented a variety of business continuity initiatives, restrictions imposed in connection with COVID-19 or the impact on key employees, could create significant challenges for our operations. We have experienced an adverse impact on our loan portfolio primarily in the form of a significant increase in defaulted loans, a slow-down in construction progress and an expected reduction in demand for and the value of commercial and residential real estate properties. For example, delays in local government permitting and inspections arising from measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 have delayed some projects, adversely affecting the ability of borrowers to complete the projects in accordance with the terms of the loans. Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures have contributed to, among other things, adverse impacts on demand for and the value of commercial and residential real estate that our borrowers have developed that make it less likely that a borrower can sell or lease the property it is developing in an amount sufficient to repay the borrower’s loan, or that a developer, who would be our borrower, will elect to go forward with a new project. As a result, during the first half of 2020, we saw an increase in delinquencies and requests for extensions or forbearance, which declined during the second half of 2020. In addition, market conditions, and in some cases moratoriums on the foreclosure process have increased the timeline to resolve non-performing loans. Delays in repayment of our outstanding loans or sales of foreclosed properties reduce the capital available for future loan originations. If the pandemic is prolonged, it could increase the adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Key Indicators of Financial Condition and Operating Performance

In assessing the performance of our business, we consider a variety of financial and operating metrics, which include both GAAP and non-GAAP metrics, including the following:

Interest income earned on our loans. A primary source of our revenue is interest income earned on our loan portfolio. Our loans typically bear interest at a fixed annual rate of 10% to 13%, paid monthly, primarily from interest reserves and, to a lesser extent, cash payments. As we have historically had no debt outstanding, we have had no borrowing costs and accordingly our gross interest income earned on our loans has been equivalent to net interest income.

Fees and other revenue recognized from originating and servicing our loans. Fee income is comprised of loan origination fees, loan renewal fees and inspection fees. The majority of fee income is comprised of loan origination fees, or “points,” which typically range from 4% to 5%, on an annualized basis, of the total commitment at origination. In addition to origination fees, we earn loan extension fees when maturing loans are renewed or extended and amendment fees when loan terms are modified, such as increases in interest reserves and construction holdbacks in line with our underwriting criteria or upon modification of a loan for the transition from horizontal development to vertical construction. Loans are generally only renewed or extended if the loan is not in default and satisfies our underwriting criteria, including our maximum LTV ratio of up to 65% of the appraised value as determined by an independent appraiser at the time of loan origination, or based on an updated appraisal if required.

Loan originations. Our operating performance is heavily dependent upon our ability to originate new loans to invest new capital and re-invest returning capital from the repayment of loans. The dollar amounts of loan originations reflect the total commitment at origination and loan repayments reflect the total commitment at payoff. Given the short-term nature of our loans, loan principal is generally repaid on a faster basis than to other types of lenders, making redeployment of capital through our originations process an important factor in our success.

The following tables contains the total amount of our loan originations and repayments for the periods indicated:

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Credit quality of our loan portfolio. All of our loans are construction loans secured by residential or commercial real estate and, in assessing estimated credit losses, we evaluate various metrics, including, but not limited to, construction type, collateral type, LTV, market conditions of property location and borrower experience and financial strength.

The following tables allocate the carrying value of our loan portfolio based on our internal credit quality indicators used in assessing estimated credit losses and vintage of origination at the dates indicated:

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