Variable Interest Entities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The Company is involved with VIEs through its loan securitization activities and affordable housing investments that qualify for the low-income housing tax credit (“LIHTC”). The Company has determined that its interests in these entities meet the definition of variable interests.

As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company determined it was not the primary beneficiary of the VIEs and did not consolidate its interests in VIEs. The following table provides a summary of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition and maximum exposure to loss as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 that relate to variable interests in non-consolidated VIEs.


	June 30, 2022						December 31, 2021
(Dollars in thousands)	Maximum Loss		Assets		Liabilities		Maximum Loss		Assets		Liabilities
Multifamily loan securitization:
Investment securities (1)	$	66,496	$	66,496	$	—	$	81,103	$	81,103	$	—
Reimbursement obligation (2)	50,901		—		338		50,901		—		338
Affordable housing partnership:
Other investments (3)	62,702		79,468		—		68,765		85,994		—
Unfunded equity commitments (2)	—		—		16,766		—		—		17,229

Total	$	180,099	$	145,964	$	17,104	$	200,769	$	167,097	$	17,567

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(1) Included in investment securities AFS on the consolidated statement of financial condition.

(2) Included in accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated statement of financial condition.

(3) Included in other assets on the consolidated statement of financial condition.

Multifamily loan securitization

With respect to the securitization transaction with Freddie Mac discussed in Note 5 – Loans Held for Investment, the Company’s variable interests reside with the underlying Freddie Mac-issued guaranteed, structured pass-through certificates that were held as investment securities AFS at fair value as of June 30, 2022. Additionally, the Company has variable interests through a reimbursement agreement executed by Freddie Mac that obligates the Company to reimburse Freddie Mac for any defaulted contractual principal and interest payments identified after the ultimate resolution of the defaulted loans. Such reimbursement obligations are not to exceed 10% of the original principal amount of the loans comprising the securitization pool.

As part of the securitization transaction, the Company released all servicing obligations and rights to Freddie Mac who was designated as the Master Servicer. In its capacity as Master Servicer, Freddie Mac can terminate the Company’s role as sub-servicer and direct such responsibilities accordingly. In evaluating our variable interests and continuing involvement in the VIE, we determined that we do not have the power to make significant decisions or direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE’s assets and liabilities. As sub-servicer of the loans, the Company does not have the authority to make significant decisions that influence the value of the VIE’s net assets and, therefore, the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE. As a result, we determined that the VIE associated with the multifamily securitization should not be included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

We believe that our maximum exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with the VIE associated with the securitization is the carrying value of the investment securities issued by Freddie Mac and purchased by the Company. Additionally, our maximum exposure to loss under the reimbursement agreement executed with Freddie Mac is 10% of the original principal amount of the loans comprising the securitization pool, or $50.9 million. Based upon our analysis of quantitative and qualitative data over the underlying loans included in the securitization pool, as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, our reserve for estimated losses with respect to the reimbursement obligation was $338,000.

Investments in qualified affordable housing partnerships

The Company has variable interests through its affordable housing partnership investments. These investments are fundamentally designed to provide a return through the generation of income tax credits. The Company has evaluated its involvement with the low-income housing projects and determined it does not have significant influence or decision-making capabilities to manage the projects, and therefore, is not the primary beneficiary, and does not consolidate these interests.

The Company’s maximum exposure to loss, exclusive of any potential realization of tax credits, is equal to the commitments invested, adjusted for amortization. The amount of unfunded commitments was included in the investments recognized as assets with a corresponding liability. The table above summarizes the amount of tax credit investments held as assets, the amount of unfunded commitments held as liabilities, and the maximum exposure to loss as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.