Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block] | 4. Fair Value Fair Value Measurement Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets Mortgage loans held for investment $ $ $ 406,139,379 $ 406,139,379 Mortgage loans held for sale 104,785,025 104,785,025 Non-Agency RMBS 131,389,756 131,389,756 Other Investment Securities 12,368,030 12,368,030 MSRs 42,692,180 42,692,180 Derivative assets 259,687 2,245,420 2,505,107 Total $ $ 105,044,712 $ 594,834,765 $ 699,879,477 Liabilities Derivative liabilities $ $ 1,109,454 $ 62,797 $ 1,172,251 Total $ $ 1,109,454 $ 62,797 $ 1,172,251 The following table sets forth the Company's financial instruments that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2014, by level within the fair value hierarchy: Assets and Liabilities at Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Assets Mortgage loans held for investment $ $ $ 415,959,838 $ 415,959,838 Mortgage loans held for sale 97,690,960 97,690,960 Non-Agency RMBS 148,585,733 148,585,733 Other Investment Securities 2,040,532 2,040,532 MSRs 33,378,978 33,378,978 Derivative assets 2,485,100 2,485,100 Total $ $ 97,690,960 $ 602,450,181 $ 700,141,141 Liabilities Derivative liabilities $ $ 2,585,184 $ $ 2,585,184 Total $ $ 2,585,184 $ $ 2,585,184 The following tables present additional information about the Company's financial instruments which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis for which the Company has utilized Level 3 inputs to determine fair value: Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 Six Months Ended June 30, 2014 Mortgage Mortgage Loans Other Loans Non- Other Held for Non-Agency Investment Held for Agency Investment Investment RMBS Securities Investment RMBS Securities Beginning balance $ 415,959,838 $ 148,585,733 $ 2,040,532 $ 331,785,542 $ 226,155,221 $ Originations/acquisitions 2,879,919 1,989,345 12,420,044 84,795,975 11,830,958 10,676,953 Proceeds from sales (10,486,280) (2,241,387) (2,072,198) Amortization of premiums (934) Net accretion of discounts 3,909,133 2,323,969 43,674 3,423,653 2,603,804 80,424 Proceeds from principal repayments (16,135,377) (8,955,597) (9,509,379) (15,582,121) Conversion of mortgage loans to REO (1,137,292) Total losses (realized/unrealized) included in earnings (14,896,740) (2,950,921) (161,564) (4,302,177) (468,061) Total gains (realized/unrealized) included in earnings 15,560,832 883,507 266,731 27,360,106 4,825,933 1,276,626 Ending balance $ 406,139,379 $ 131,389,756 $ 12,368,030 $ 433,553,720 $ 227,293,536 $ 12,034,003 The amount of total gains or (losses) for the period included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets or liabilities still held at the reporting date $ (5,994) $ (2,108,636) $ (83,166) $ 22,695,371 $ 4,316,518 $ 1,276,626 Derivative Instruments Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 June 30, 2014 Loan Interest Rate Loan Interest Rate Purchase Lock Purchase Lock Commitments Commitments Commitments Commitments Beginning balance $ 4,037 $ 2,481,063 $ $ Change in unrealized gain or loss (66,834) (235,643) Ending balance $ (62,797) $ 2,245,420 $ $ The amount of total gains or (losses) for the period included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets or liabilities still held at the reporting date $ (66,834) $ (235,643) $ $ MSR Six Months Six Months Ended Ended June 30, 2015 June 30, 2014 The amount of total gains or (losses) for the period included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to assets or liabilities still held at the reporting date $ 1,691,115 $ See Note 8 “Mortgage Servicing Rights, at fair value” for additional information about the Company’s MSRs. There were no financial assets or liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at June 30, 2015 or December 31, 2014. During the six months ended June 30, 2015 mortgage loans held for investment were transferred out of Level 3 when the properties were foreclosed and were classified as real estate owned. There were no mortgage loans held for investment transferred out of Level 3 during the six months ended June 30, 2014. There were no other transfers into or out of Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 during the six months ended June 30, 2015 or six months ended June 30, 2014. The following tables present quantitative information about the Company's assets which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis for which the Company has utilized Level 3 inputs to determine fair value: Fair Value at Valuation Unobservable Weighted June 30, 2015 Technique(s) Input Min/Max Average Mortgage loans held for investment $ 406,139,379 Discounted cash flow model Constant voluntary prepayment 1.8 % 4.9 % 3.2 % Constant default rate 0.8 % 4.3 % 3.0 % Loss severity 6.9 % 40.7 % 23.7 % Delinquency 4.7 % 12.8 % 10.7 % Non-Agency RMBS (1) Alternative A $ 47,124,278 Broker quotes/comparable trades Constant voluntary prepayment 2.3 % 21.4 % 13.4 % Constant default rate 0.1 % 7.9 % 3.1 % Loss severity 0.0 % 99.3 % 22.3 % Delinquency 1.1 % 24.3 % 10.2 % Pay option adjustable rate 43,208,622 Broker quotes/comparable trades Constant voluntary prepayment 2.0 % 13.7 % 7.2 % Constant default rate 1.5 % 15.9 % 3.9 % Loss severity 0.0 % 81.2 % 42.4 % Delinquency 6.0 % 26.4 % 13.4 % Prime 36,333,903 Broker quotes/comparable trades Constant voluntary prepayment 2.9 % 18.9 % 8.4 % Constant default rate 0.7 % 11.5 % 4.0 % Loss severity 0.0 % 86.7 % 30.5 % Delinquency 3.4 % 24.8 % 12.8 % Subprime 4,722,953 Broker quotes/comparable trades Constant voluntary prepayment 2.7 % 7.4 % 4.4 % Constant default rate 3.2 % 8.0 % 6.9 % Loss severity 13.4 % 106.3 % 78.7 % Delinquency 19.0 % 27.5 % 22.6 % Total Non-Agency RMBS $ 131,389,756 Other Investment Securities (1) $ 12,368,030 Broker quotes/comparable trades Constant voluntary prepayment 3.6 % 7.5 % 5.6 % MSRs $ 42,692,180 Discounted cash flow model Constant voluntary prepayment 8.40 % 9.90 % 8.96 % Cost of servicing $ 78 $ 107 $ 90 Discount rate 9.00 % 10.00 % 9.36 % (1) The Company uses third-party dealer quotes to estimate fair value of some of its financial assets. The Company verifies selected prices by using a variety of methods, including comparing prices to internally estimated prices and corroborating the prices by reference to other independent market data, such as relevant benchmark indices and prices of similar instruments. Where the Company has disclosed unobservable inputs for broker quotes or comparable trades, those inputs are based on the Company's validations performed at the security level. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company estimates the fair value of interest rate lock commitments (“IRLC”) based on quoted Agency MBS prices, its estimate of the fair value of the MSRs it expects to receive in the sale of the loans and the probability that the mortgage loan will be purchased as a percentage of the commitments it has made (the "pull-through rate"). The Company categorizes IRLCs as a "Level 3" financial statement item. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company's IRLCs are the pull-through rate and the MSR component of the Company's estimate of the value of the mortgage loans it has committed to purchase. Significant changes in the pull-through rate and the MSR component of the IRLCs, in isolation, may result in a significant change in fair value. The financial effects of changes in these assumptions are generally inversely correlated as increasing interest rates have a positive effect on the fair value of the MSR component of IRLC value, but increase the pull-through rate for loans that have decreased in fair value. Pull-through rate Range 68.2% - 100.0 % Weighted average 85.5 % MSR value expressed as: Servicing fee multiple Range 0.3% - 5.6 % Weighted average 3.8 % Percentage of unpaid principal balance Range 0.1% - 1.9 % Weighted average 1.0 % 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 real estate market. Significant changes in any of those inputs in isolation may result in significantly higher or lower fair value measurements. Generally, an increase in the probability of default and loss severity in the event of default would result in a lower fair value measurement. A decrease in these assumptions would have the opposite effect. Conversely, an assumption that the home prices will increase would result in a higher fair value measurement. A decrease in the assumption for home prices would have the opposite effect. Fair Value Option Changes in fair value for assets and liabilities for which the fair value option was elected are recognized in earnings 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. June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Unpaid Principal Unpaid Principal and/or Notional and/or Notional Fair Value Balance (1) Difference Fair Value Balance (1) Difference Financial instruments, at fair value Mortgage loans held for investment (2) $ 406,139,379 $ 449,420,921 $ (43,281,542) $ 415,959,838 $ 464,877,028 $ (48,917,190) Mortgage loans held for sale 104,785,025 100,495,440 4,289,585 97,690,960 92,917,659 4,773,301 Non-Agency RMBS 131,389,756 197,460,434 (66,070,678) 148,585,733 226,501,915 (77,916,182) Other Investment Securities 12,368,030 12,732,000 (363,970) 2,040,532 2,250,000 (209,468) MSRs 42,692,180 3,608,003,517 (3,565,311,337) 33,378,978 3,078,974,342 (3,045,595,364) (1) Non-Agency RMBS includes an IO with a notional balance of $39.3 million and $48.6 million at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. (2) Balance comprised of loans that are (i) distressed and re-performing at the time of purchase and (ii) newly originated at the time of purchase. 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 values. June 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 Fair Value Carrying Value Fair Value Carrying Value Other financial instruments Assets Cash $ 28,635,539 $ 28,635,539 $ 33,791,013 $ 33,791,013 Restricted cash 2,281,129 2,281,129 7,143,078 7,143,078 Mortgage loans held for investment, at cost 878,853 925,109 1,310,544 1,338,935 Liabilities Warehouse lines of credit $ 96,092,944 $ 96,092,944 $ 89,417,564 $ 89,417,564 Loan repurchase facilities 296,150,716 296,150,716 300,092,293 300,092,293 Securities repurchase agreements 86,192,540 86,192,540 103,014,105 103,014,105 Exchangeable Senior Notes 59,141,625 55,978,929 59,933,400 55,474,741 Contingent consideration 12,279,645 12,279,645 11,430,413 11,430,413 Cash includes cash on hand for which fair value equals carrying value (a Level 1 measurement). Restricted cash represents the Company's cash held by counterparties as collateral against the Company's derivatives, loan repurchase facilities and securities repurchase agreements. Due to the short-term nature of the restrictions, fair value approximates carrying value (a Level 1 measurement). The fair value of the mortgage loans held for investment is determined, where possible using secondary-market prices. If no such quoted price exists, the fair value of a loan is determined using quoted prices for a similar asset or assets, adjusted for the specific attributes of that loan. Accordingly, mortgage loans held for investment are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the Company's warehouse lines of credit and repurchase agreements related to the GMFS origination platform, Loan Repurchase Facilities and securities repurchase agreements is based on an expected present value technique using observable market interest rates. As such, the Company considers the estimated fair value to be a Level 2 measurement. This method discounts future estimated cash flows using rates the Company determined best reflect current market interest rates that would be offered for loans with similar characteristics and credit quality. The fair value of the Exchangeable Senior Notes (see Note 12) is based on observable market prices (a Level 2 measurement). The fair value of the contingent consideration represents the estimated present value of future earn-out payments related to the GMFS acquisition. The estimated present value is determined based on future earnings projections and market discount rates (a Level 3 measurement). The differences reflected in the table for mortgage loans held for investment are not necessarily indicative of cumulative gains or losses related to loans because it does not take into account the fair value of the loans at the date of acquisition. |