Ready Capital Corp - Quarter Report: 2013 March (Form 10-Q)

Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may ultimately differ from those estimates.

Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership, and six wholly owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership. The Company, which serves as the sole general partner of and conducts substantially all of its business through the Operating Partnership, holds approximately 89.6% of the OP units in the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership in turn holds all of the equity interests in six other subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities
A variable interest entity (“VIE”) is an entity that lacks one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. The Company evaluates each of its investments to determine if each is a VIE based on: (1) the sufficiency of the entity’s equity investment at risk to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by any parties, including the equity holders; (2) whether as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk have (a) the power, through voting rights or similar rights, to direct the activities of a legal entity that most significantly impacts the entity’s economic performance, (b) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the legal entity and (c) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the legal entity; and (3) whether the voting rights of these investors are proportional to their obligations to absorb the expected losses of the entity, their rights to receive the expected returns of their equity, or both, and whether substantially all of the entity’s activities involve or are conducted on behalf of an investor that has disproportionately fewer voting rights. An investment that lacks one or more of the above three characteristics is considered to be a VIE. The Company reassesses its initial evaluation of an entity as a VIE upon the occurrence of certain reconsideration events.

A VIE is subject to consolidation if the equity investors either do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, are unable to direct the entity’s activities, or are not exposed to the entity’s losses or entitled to its residual returns. VIEs are required to be consolidated by their primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is determined to be the party that has both the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. This determination can sometimes involve complex and subjective analyses.

The Company has evaluated its real estate securities investments to determine if each represents a variable interest in a VIE. The Company monitors these investments and analyzes them for potential consolidation. The Company’s real estate securities investments represent variable interests in VIEs. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, no VIEs required consolidation as the Company was not the primary beneficiary of any of these VIEs. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the maximum exposure of the Company to VIEs is limited to the fair value of its investments in real estate securities as disclosed in the consolidated balance sheets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers highly liquid short-term interest bearing instruments with original maturities of three months or less and other instruments readily convertible into cash to be cash and cash equivalents. The Company’s deposits with financial institutions may exceed federally insurable limits of $250,000 per institution. The Company mitigates this risk by depositing funds with major financial institutions. At March 31, 2013, the Company’s cash was held with two custodians.

Restricted Cash
Restricted cash represents the Company’s cash held by counterparties as collateral against the Company’s derivatives and/or repurchase agreements. Cash held by counterparties as collateral is not available to the Company for general corporate purposes, but may be applied against amounts due to derivative or repurchase agreement counterparties or returned to the Company when the collateral requirements are exceeded or, at the maturity of the derivatives or repurchase agreements.

Real Estate Securities and Mortgage Loans - Fair Value Election
U.S. GAAP permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The Company has elected the fair value option for each of its real estate securities and each of its mortgage loans, at the date of purchase, including those contributed in connection with the Company’s initial formation transaction. The fair value option election permits the Company to measure these securities and mortgage loans at estimated fair value with the change in estimated fair value included as changes in unrealized gain/loss on real estate securities and mortgage loans in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company believes that the election of the fair value option for its real estate securities and mortgage loans more appropriately reflects the results of the Company’s operations.

Determination of Fair Value Measurement
The “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” Topic of the FASB ASC defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and requires certain disclosures about fair value measurements under U.S. GAAP. Specifically, this guidance defines fair value based on exit price, or the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or the transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

Fair value under U.S. GAAP represents an exit price in the normal course of business, not a forced liquidation price. If the Company was forced to sell assets in a short period to meet liquidity needs, the prices it receives could be substantially less than their recorded fair values. Furthermore, the analysis of whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell securities in an unrealized loss position prior to an expected recovery in fair value (if any), the amount of such expected required sales, and the projected identification of which securities would be sold is also subject to significant judgment.

Any proposed changes to the valuation methodology will be reviewed by the Advisor to ensure changes are consistent with the applicable accounting guidance and approved as appropriate. The fair value methodology may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Company anticipates that the Advisor’s valuation methods will be appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies, or assumptions by other market participants, to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date.

The Company categorizes its financial instruments in accordance with U.S. GAAP, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation, into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1		Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.
Level 2		Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on the following:
		Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.   Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in nonactive markets.

		Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.    Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3		Prices or valuation techniques based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

The Company may use valuation techniques consistent with the market and income approaches to measure the fair value of its assets and liabilities. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future projected cash flows to a single discounted present value amount. When applying either approach, the Company maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires significant judgment and considers factors specific to the investment. The Company utilizes proprietary modeling analysis to support the independent third party broker quotes selected to determine the fair value of investments and derivative instruments.

The following is a description of the valuation techniques used to measure fair value and the general classification of these instruments pursuant to the fair value hierarchy.

Real Estate Securities
The fair value of the Company’s real estate securities considers the underlying characteristics of each security including coupon, maturity date and collateral. The Company estimates the fair value of its Agency RMBS and non-Agency RMBS based upon a combination of observable prices in active markets, multiple indicative quotes from brokers, and executable bids. In evaluating broker quotes the Company also considers additional observable market data points including recent observed trading activity for identical and similar securities, back-testing, broker challenges and other interactions with market participants, as well as yield levels generated by model-based valuation techniques. In the absence of observable quotes, the Company utilizes model-based valuation techniques that may contain unobservable valuation inputs.

When available, the fair value of real estate securities is based on quoted prices in active markets. If quoted prices are not available, fair values are obtained from either broker quotes, observed traded levels or model-based valuation techniques using observable inputs such as benchmark yields or issuer spreads.

The Company’s Agency RMBS are valued using the market data described above, which includes inputs determined to be observable or whose significant fair value drivers are observable. Accordingly, Agency RMBS securities are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

While the Company’s non-Agency RMBS are valued using the same process with similar inputs as the Agency RMBS, a significant amount of inputs are unobservable due to relativity low levels of market activity. The fair value of these securities is typically based on broker quotes or the Company’s model-based valuation. Accordingly, the Company’s non-Agency RMBS are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Model-based valuation consists primarily of discounted cash flow and yield analyses. Significant model inputs and assumptions include constant voluntary prepayment rates, constant default rates, delinquency rates, loss severity, market-implied discount rates, default rates, expected loss severity, weighted average life, collateral composition, borrower characteristics and prepayment rates, and may also include general economic conditions, including home price index forecasts, servicing data and other relevant information. Where possible, collateral-related assumptions are determined on an individual loan level basis.

Mortgage Loans
The fair value of the Company’s mortgage loans considers data such as loan origination and additional updated borrower and loan servicing data as available, forward interest rates, general economic conditions, home price index forecasts and valuations of the underlying properties. The variables considered most significant to the determination of the fair value of the Company’s mortgage loans include market-implied discount rates, and projections of default rates, delinquency rates, loss severity and prepayment rates. The Company uses loan level data, macro-economic inputs and forward interest rates to generate loss adjusted cash flows and other information in determining the fair value. Because of the inherent uncertainty of such valuation, the fair values established for these holdings may differ from the values that would have been established if a ready market for these holdings existed. Accordingly, mortgage loans are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Derivative Instruments
Interest Rate Swap Agreements
Interest rate swap agreements are valued using counterparty valuations. These valuations are generally based on models with market observable inputs such as interest rates and contractual cash flows, and as such are classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company reviews these valuations, including consideration of counterparty risk and collateral provisions. The Company’s swap contracts are governed by International Swap and Derivative Association trading agreements, which are separately negotiated agreements with dealer counterparties. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, no credit valuation adjustment was made in determining the fair value of derivatives.

To-Be-Announced (“TBA”) Securities
The Company estimates the fair value of TBA securities based on similar methods used to value its Agency RMBS securities. Accordingly, TBAs are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Interest Income Recognition and Impairment – Real Estate Securities
Interest income on Agency RMBS is accrued based on the effective yield method on the outstanding principal balance and their contractual terms. Premiums and discounts associated with Agency RMBS at the time of purchase are amortized into interest income over the life of such securities using the effective yield method and adjusted for actual prepayments in accordance with ASC 310-20 “Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs” or ASC 325-40 “Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets,” as applicable. Total interest income is recorded as Interest income-real estate securities in the consolidated statements of operations.

Interest income on the non-Agency RMBS that were purchased at a discount to par value and/or were rated below AA at the time of purchase is recognized based on the effective yield method in accordance with ASC 325-40 “Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets”. The effective yield on these securities is based on the projected cash flows from each security, which are estimated based on the Company’s observation of current information and events and include assumptions related to interest rates, prepayment rates and the timing and amount of credit losses. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company reviews and, if appropriate, makes adjustments to its cash flow projections based on input and analysis received from external sources, internal models, and its judgment about interest rates, prepayment rates, the timing and amount of credit losses, and other factors. Changes in cash flows from those originally projected, or from those estimated at the last evaluation, may result in a prospective change in the yield/interest income recognized on such securities. Actual maturities of the securities are affected by the contractual lives of the associated mortgage collateral, periodic payments of principal, and prepayments of principal. Therefore, actual maturities of the securities are generally shorter than stated contractual maturities.

Based on the projected cash flows from the Company’s non-Agency RMBS purchased at a discount to par value, a portion of the purchase discount may be designated as credit protection against future credit losses and, therefore, not accreted into interest income. The amount designated as credit discount is determined, and may be adjusted over time, based on the actual performance of the security, its underlying collateral, actual and projected cash flow from such collateral, economic conditions and other factors. If the performance of a security with a credit discount is more favorable than forecasted, a portion of the amount designated as credit discount may be accreted into interest income prospectively.

Real estate securities are periodically evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”). A security where the fair value is less than amortized cost is considered impaired. Impairment of a security is considered to be other-than-temporary when: (i) the holder has the intent to sell the impaired security; (ii) it is more likely than not the holder will be required to sell the security; or (iii) the holder does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. When a security has been deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired, the amount of OTTI is bifurcated into: (i) the amount related to expected credit losses; and (ii) the amount related to fair value adjustments in excess of expected credit losses. The portion of OTTI related to expected credit losses is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations as a realized loss. The remaining OTTI related to the valuation adjustment is recognized as a component of change in unrealized gain/loss in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company did not recognize any OTTI for the three months ended March 31, 2013. The Company recognized $128,287 in OTTI for the three months ended March 31, 2012. Realized gains and losses on sale of real estate securities are determined using the specific identification method. Real estate securities transactions are recorded on the trade date.

Interest Income Recognition - Mortgage Loans
For mortgage loans purchased that show evidence of a deterioration in credit quality since origination where it is probable the Company will not collect all contractual cash flows and for which the fair value option of accounting has been elected, the Company will apply the guidance which addresses accounting for differences between contractual cash flows and cash flows expected to be collected from its initial investment. The yield that may be accreted (accretable yield) will be determined by the excess of the Company’s initial estimate of undiscounted expected principal, interest, and other cash flows (cash flows expected at acquisition to be collected) over the Company’s initial investment in the loan. Interest income will be recognized using the accretable yield on a level-yield basis over the life of the loan as long as cash flows can be reasonably estimated. On a quarterly basis, the Company updates its estimate of the cash flows expected to be collected. The excess of contractual cash flows over cash flows expected to be collected (nonaccretable difference) will not be recognized as an adjustment of yield but will be recognized prospectively through adjustment of the loan’s accretable yield over its remaining life. The amount of interest income to be recognized cannot result in a carrying amount that exceeds the payoff amount of the loan.

Expense Recognition
Expenses are recognized when incurred. Expenses include, but are not limited to, professional fees for legal, accounting and consulting services, and general and administrative expenses such as insurance, custodial and miscellaneous fees.

Offering Costs
Offering costs are accounted for as a reduction of additional paid-in capital. Offering costs in connection with the Company’s IPO were paid out of the proceeds of the IPO. Costs incurred to organize the Company were expensed as incurred. The Company’s obligation to pay for organization and offering expenses directly related to the IPO was capped at $1,200,000 and the Advisor will pay for such expenses incurred above the cap.

Repurchase Agreements
The Company finances a portion of its investment portfolio through the use of repurchase agreements entered into under master repurchase agreements with three financial institutions. Repurchase agreements are treated as collateralized financing transactions and are carried at their contractual amounts, including accrued interest, as specified in the respective agreements. Repurchase agreements are recorded on trade date at the contract amount.

The Company pledges cash and certain of its securities as collateral under these repurchase agreements. The amounts available to be borrowed are dependent upon the fair value of the securities pledged as collateral, which fluctuates with changes in interest rates, type of security and liquidity conditions within the banking, mortgage finance and real estate industries. In response to declines in fair value of pledged securities, the lenders may require the Company to post additional collateral or pay down borrowings to re-establish agreed upon collateral requirements, referred to as margin calls. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company has met all margin call requirements.

Derivatives and Hedging Activities
The Company accounts for its derivative financial instruments in accordance with derivative accounting guidance, which requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheets and to measure those instruments at fair value. The Company has not designated any of its derivative contracts as hedging instruments for accounting purposes. As a result, changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded through current period earnings.

Interest Rate Swap Agreements
The Company’s interest rate derivative contracts contain legally enforceable provisions that allow for netting or setting off of all individual interest rate swap receivables and payables with the counterparty and, therefore, the fair value of those interest rate swap contracts are netted. The credit support annex provisions of the Company’s interest rate swap contracts allow the parties to mitigate their credit risk by requiring the party which is out of the money to post collateral. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, all collateral provided under these contracts consisted of cash collateral.

TBA Securities
A TBA security is a forward contract for the purchase of Agency RMBS at a predetermined price with a stated face amount, coupon and stated maturity at an agreed-upon future date. The specific Agency RMBS delivered into the contract upon the settlement date, published each month by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”), are not known at the time of the transaction. The Company enters into TBA contracts as a means of acquiring exposure to Agency RMBS and may from time to time utilize TBA dollar roll transactions to finance Agency RMBS purchases. The Company may also enter into TBA contracts as a means of hedging against short-term changes in interest rates. The Company may choose, prior to settlement, to move the settlement of these securities out to a later date by entering into an offsetting position (referred to as a “pair off”), settling the paired off positions against each other for cash, and simultaneously entering into a similar TBA contract for a later settlement date, which is commonly collectively referred to as a “dollar roll” transaction.

Counterparty Risk and Concentration
Counterparty risk is the risk that counterparties may fail to fulfill their obligations or that pledged collateral value becomes inadequate. The Company attempts to manage its exposure to counterparty risk through diversification, use of financial instruments and monitoring the creditworthiness of counterparties.

As explained in the footnotes above, while the Company engages in repurchase financing activities with several financial institutions, the Company maintains its custody account with two custodians. There is no guarantee that these custodians will not become insolvent. While there are certain regulations that seek to protect customer property in the event of a failure, insolvency or liquidation of a broker-dealer, there is no certainty that the Company would not incur losses due to its assets being unavailable for a period of time in the event of a failure of a broker-dealer that has custody of the Company’s assets. Although management monitors the credit worthiness of its custodians, such losses could be significant and could materially impair the ability of the Company to achieve its investment objective.

Income Taxes
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2011. The Company has been organized and has operated and intends to continue to operate in a manner that will enable it to qualify to be taxed as a REIT. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s annual REIT taxable income to its stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP). As a REIT, the Company will not be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income that it distributes to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service grants the Company relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially adversely affect the Company’s net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, the Company intends to continue to and operate in a manner that will enable it to qualify for treatment as a REIT.

The Company evaluates uncertain income tax positions when applicable. Based upon its analysis of income tax positions, the Company concluded that it does not have any uncertain tax positions that meet the recognition or measurement criteria as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11: Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU 2011-11”) which requires new disclosures about balance sheet offsetting and related arrangements. For derivatives and financial assets and liabilities, the amendment requires disclosure of gross asset and liability amounts, amounts offset on the balance sheet, and amounts subject to the offsetting requirements but not offset on the balance sheet. In addition, in January 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-01: Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Topic 210), Balance Sheet. The update addresses implementation issues about ASU 2011-11 and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. This guidance is to be applied retrospectively for all comparative periods presented and does not amend the circumstances in which the Company offsets its derivative positions. This guidance does not have a material effect on the Company's financial statements. However, this guidance expands the disclosure requirements to which the Company is subject, which are presented in Note 12.

The fair value measurements of these assets are sensitive to changes in assumptions regarding prepayment, probability of default, loss severity in the event of default, forecasts of home prices, and significant activity or developments in the non-Agency securities market. Significant changes in any of those inputs in isolation may result in significantly higher or lower fair value measurements. A change in the assumption used for forecasts of home price changes is accompanied by directionally opposite changes in the assumptions used for probability of default and loss severity. Significant increases (decreases) in any of these inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement.

The fair value of the mortgage loans is based on the March 22, 2013 purchase price without any adjustments as the Company believes this to be the most reasonable presentation of fair value at March 31, 2013. For the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company purchased mortgage loans having an unpaid principal balance of $17.7 million for $10.8 million. The Company determined the accretable yield on this portfolio to be $14.2 million as of March 31, 2013.

Fair Value Option
Changes in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the fair value election is made are recognized in income as they occur. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis at initial recognition of an asset or liability or upon an event that gives rise to a new basis of accounting for that instrument.

The following table presents the difference between the fair value and the aggregate unpaid principal amount of assets for which the fair value option was elected:

		March 31, 2013										December 31, 2012
					Amount										Amount
					Due Upon										Due Upon
		Fair Value			Maturity			Difference				Fair Value			Maturity			Difference
Financial instruments, at fair value
Assets
Real estate securities
Agency RMBS
30-year adjustable rate mortgage		$	3,078,408		$	2,939,138		$	139,270			$	3,240,330		$	3,083,892		$	156,438
30-year fixed rate mortgage			179,210,281			170,322,090			8,888,191				66,519,702			61,034,333			5,485,369
Non-Agency RMBS			273,639,784			319,366,757			(45,726,973	)			100,911,651			109,197,632			(8,285,981	)
Total RMBS			455,928,473			492,627,985			(36,699,512	)			170,671,683			173,315,857			(2,644,174	)
Mortgage loans			10,839,809			17,693,990			(6,854,181	)			-			-			-
Total financial instruments, at fair value		$	466,768,282		$	510,321,975		$	(43,553,693	)		$	170,671,683		$	173,315,857		$	(2,644,174	)

Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments
In addition to the above disclosures regarding assets or liabilities which are recorded at fair value, U.S. GAAP requires disclosure about the fair value of all other financial instruments. Estimated fair value of financial instruments was determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and develop estimated fair values. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on estimated fair value.