CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 36,991	$ 38,596	$ 30,432
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Amortization of deferred financing costs	6,569	5,720	7,608
Accretion of deferred loan origination fees and costs	(7,013)	(6,949)	(6,578)
Stock-based compensation	1,880	1,102	581
Depreciation of real estate owned	667	0	0
Early extinguishment of debt costs	0	0	768
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Other assets	(6,435)	198	(2,530)
Due to affiliate	(402)	535	(71)
Other liabilities	195	16	1,066
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	32,452	39,218	31,276
Investing activities:
Issuance of and fundings on loans held for investment	(673,160)	(543,077)	(900,289)
Principal repayment of loans held for investment	492,884	695,183	411,298
Proceeds from sale of mortgage loans held for sale	0	0	73,900
Receipt of origination fees	7,536	5,818	9,323
Purchases of capitalized additions to real estate owned	(1,686)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(174,426)	157,924	(405,768)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from secured funding agreements	793,801	642,241	923,882
Repayments of secured funding agreements	(843,186)	(822,227)	(746,635)
Proceeds from notes payable	56,155	0	0
Payment of secured funding costs	(5,731)	(2,322)	(8,405)
Proceeds from issuance of debt of consolidated VIEs	172,673	0	272,927
Repayments of secured term loan	0	0	(45,000)
Dividends paid	(37,487)	(32,088)	(30,531)
Payment of offering costs	(84)	0	0
Contributions from non-controlling interests	0	0	12
Distributions to non-controlling interests	0	0	(10,681)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	136,141	(214,396)	355,569
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(5,833)	(17,254)	(18,923)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	11,468	28,722	47,645
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	5,635	11,468	28,722
Supplemental Information:
Interest paid during the period	54,595	56,719	41,891
Income taxes paid during the period	668	360	240
Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:
Dividends declared, but not yet paid	9,546	8,914	7,722
Other receivables related to consolidated VIEs	$ 41,104	$ 51,582	$ 0