INVESTMENT IN REAL ESTATE LOANS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Investment in real estate loans, net is as follows (in thousands):



	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019
Real estate loans	$	32,870		$	32,831
Unamortized discount	(1,382		)	(1,895		)
Allowance for credit losses	(2,530		)	—
	$	28,958		$	30,936

The amortized cost bases of our Investment in real estate loans, net approximate their fair value. The amortized cost bases and fair value of our Investment in real estate loans, net at March 31, 2020, by contractual maturity are as follows: $27.0 million in 2020 and $2.0 million in 2021.

Real Estate Development Loans

We provided mezzanine loans on three real estate development projects to fund up to an aggregate of $29.6 million for the development of three hotel properties. The three real estate development loans closed in the fourth quarter of 2017 and each has a stated interest rate of 8% and an initial term of approximately three years. Interest income on the mezzanine loans will be recorded in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations as it is earned. As of March 31, 2020, we have funded the full amount of $29.6 million. We have separate options related to each loan (each the "Initial Option") to purchase a 90% interest in each joint venture that owns the respective hotel upon completion of construction. We also have the right to purchase the remaining interests in each joint venture at future dates, generally five years after we exercise our Initial Option. We have recorded the original aggregate estimated fair value of each Initial Option totaling $6.1 million in Other assets and as a discount to the related real estate loans. The discount will be amortized as a component of non-cash interest income over the initial term of the real estate loans using the straight-line method, which approximates the interest method. We recorded amortization of the discount of $0.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, we recorded a Loss on impairment of assets of $0.8 million related to one of the purchase options. See "Note 9 - Fair Value Measurement" for further information.

We provided a mezzanine loan to fund up to $28.9 million for a mixed-use development project that includes a hotel property, retail space, and parking. The loan closed in the third quarter of 2019 and has a stated interest rate of 9% and an initial term of 30 months. The loan is secured by a second mortgage on the development project and a pledge of the equity in the project owner. As of March 31, 2020, we have funded $9.5 million of the loan commitment. Upon completion of construction, we have an option to purchase a 90% interest in the hotel (the “Initial Purchase Option”). We also have the right to purchase the remaining interest in the hotel five years after the completion of construction. We have issued a $10.0 million letter of credit under our senior unsecured credit facility to secure the exercise of the Initial Purchase Option. As such, we have classified the loan as Investment in hotel properties, net in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2020. Interest income on the mezzanine loan will be recorded in our Consolidated Statement of Operations as it is earned. We have recorded the aggregate estimated fair value of the Initial Purchase Option totaling $2.8 million in Other assets and as a contra-asset to Investment in hotel properties, net. The contra-asset will be amortized as a component of non-cash interest income over the term of the real estate development loan using the straight-line method, which approximates the interest method. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, we amortized $0.3 million as non-cash interest income.

Seller-Financing Loans

On June 29, 2018 we sold the Holiday Inn in Duluth, GA and the Hilton Garden Inn in Duluth, GA for an aggregate selling price of $24.9 million. We provided seller financing totaling $3.6 million on the sale of these properties under two, 3.5-year notes with a blended interest rate of 7.38% secured by a $3.0 million second mortgage. As of March 31, 2020, there was $2.6 million outstanding on the seller-financing loans.

Current Estimate of Credit Losses

We evaluated our notes receivable for potential credit losses by estimating the fair value of the collateral supporting each note receivable at March 31, 2020 based on assumptions related to the expected future performance of the collateral assets and the resulting anticipated net selling value of the assets at capitalization rates that are common for the asset class. Our current estimate of credit losses of $2.5 million is recorded as an allowance for credit losses at March 31, 2020 as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.