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ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Hunt Companies Finance Trust, Inc. (the "Company"), formerly Five Oaks Investment Corp., is a Maryland corporation that focuses primarily on investing in, financing and managing transitional multi-family and other commercial real estate loans. Historically, the Company primarily invested in, financed and managed residential mortgage-backed securities ("RMBS"), multi-family mortgage backed securities ("Multi-Family MBS", and together with RMBS, "MBS"), mortgage servicing rights and other mortgage-related investments. As of January 18, 2018, the Company is externally managed by Hunt Investment Management, LLC (the "Manager"), an affiliate of Hunt Companies, Inc. On May 29, 2018, the Company changed it's name from Five Oaks Investment Corp. to Hunt Companies Finance Trust, Inc., its common stock began trading on the NYSE under the symbol "HCFT" and its Series A Preferred Stock began trading on the NYSE under the symbol "HCFT PR A." Previously, the Company's common stock was listed on the NYSE under the symbol "OAKS" and its Series A Preferred Stock was listed on the NYSE under the symbol "OAKS_PRA."

The Company was incorporated on March 28, 2012 and commenced operations on May 16, 2012. The Company began trading as a publicly traded company on March 22, 2013.

The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") and to comply with Sections 856 through 859 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the ("Code"). Accordingly, the Company generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to stockholders and as long as certain asset, income and share ownership tests are met. The Company has historically invested in Agency RMBS, which are RMBS for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a U.S. Government agency such as the Government National Mortgage Association or a U.S. Government-sponsored entity such as the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. The Company has also historically invested in Non-Agency RMBS, which are RMBS that are not guaranteed by a U.S. Government agency or a U.S. Government-sponsored entity. Additionally, the Company invests in Multi-Family MBS, which are MBS for which the principal and interest may be sponsored by a U.S. Government agency such as the Government National Mortgage Association or a U.S. Government-sponsored entity such as the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or may not be sponsored by a U.S. Government agency or a U.S. Government-sponsored entity. The Company also invests in mortgage servicing rights, may also invest in other mortgage-related investments and historically has invested in residential mortgage loans. Following the Company's previously announced new strategic direction through the reallocation of capital into investment opportunities in the commercial mortgage space, the Company is now focused primarily on investing in transitional multifamily and other commercial real estate loans, which are floating rate first mortgage whole loans secured by multifamily and other commercial real estate properties that are not guaranteed by a U.S. government-sponsored entity.
 
On June 10, 2013, the Company established Five Oaks Acquisition Corp. ("FOAC") as a wholly owned taxable REIT subsidiary ("TRS"), for the acquisition and disposition of residential mortgage loans and certain other loan-related activities. The Company consolidates this subsidiary under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP").
 
In September 2014, and October 2014, respectively, the Company acquired first loss tranches issued or backed by two Freddie Mac-sponsored Multi-Family MBS K series securitizations (the "FREMF 2011-K13 Trust" and the "FREMF 2012-KF01 Trust"). The Company determined that each of the trusts was a variable interest entity ("VIE") and that in each case the Company was the primary beneficiary, and accordingly consolidated the assets and liabilities of the trusts into the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP. On April 21, 2016, and April 26, 2016, respectively, the Company completed two re-securitization transactions (the "Re-REMIC transactions"). The Company previously consolidated the assets and liabilities of the newly established trusts, in each case based upon the Company’s purchase of first-loss securities of the Re-REMIC transactions. During the second quarter of 2018, the Company sold the first-loss tranche of the Re-REMIC related to the FREMF 2011-K13 Trust, and as a result, no longer consolidates the assets and liabilities of that trust. The Company has determined that it remains the primary beneficiary of the FREMF 2012-KF01 Trust, and accordingly continues to consolidate the assets and liabilities of this underlying trust.
 
In December 2014, the Company acquired first loss and subordinated tranches issued by a residential mortgage-backed securitization (the "CSMC 2014-OAK1 Trust"). The Company determined this trust was a VIE and that the Company was the primary beneficiary, and accordingly consolidated the assets and liabilities of the trust into the Company's financial statements in accordance with GAAP. During the second quarter of 2018, the Company sold the first loss and subordinated tranches issued by the CSMC 2014-OAK1 Trust, and as a result, having determined it is no longer the primary beneficiary of the trust, no longer consolidates the assets and liabilities of the underlying trust.
 
On March 23, 2015, the Company established Oaks Funding LLC as a wholly owned subsidiary of FOAC, to fulfill certain functions as depositor in respect of residential mortgage loan securitization transactions. The Company consolidates this subsidiary under GAAP. As of June 30, 2018, this subsidiary has no assets or liabilities.
 
On April 20, 2016, the Company established Oaks Funding II LLC as a wholly owned subsidiary of FOAC, to fulfill certain functions as depositor in respect of certain Re-REMIC transactions. The Company consolidates this subsidiary under GAAP. As of June 30, 2018, this subsidiary has no assets or liabilities.
 
On April 20, 2016, the Company established Oaks Holding I LLC as a wholly owned subsidiary to hold certain investment securities. The Company consolidates this subsidiary under GAAP.

On January 18, 2018, the Company announced a new strategic direction, and the entry into a new external management agreement with HIM, an affiliate of the Hunt Companies, Inc. ("Hunt") and the concurrent mutual termination of the prior management agreement with Oak Circle. Management by Hunt is expected to provide the Company with a new strategic direction through the reallocation of capital into new investment opportunities focused in the commercial real estate mortgage space and direct access to Hunt's pipeline of transitional floating-rate multi-family and commercial real estate loans. Hunt and its affiliates are experienced in the origination, servicing, risk management and financing of this asset class and the floating-rate nature of the loans should reduce or eliminate the need for complex interest-rate hedging. The new management agreement is expected to better align the Company's interests with those of its new manager through an incentive fee arrangement and agreed upon limitations on manager expense reimbursements from the Company, as further described below. Pursuant to the terms of the termination agreement between the Company and Oak Circle, the termination of the prior management agreement did not trigger, and Oak Circle was not paid, a termination fee by the Company. Hunt separately agreed to pay Oak Circle a negotiated payment in connection with the termination agreement.

In connection with the aforementioned transaction, an affiliate of Hunt purchased 1,539,406 shares of the Company's common stock in a private placement, at a purchase price of $4.77 per share resulting in an aggregate capital raise of $7,342,967. In addition, such Hunt affiliate also purchased 710,495 of the Company's shares from the Company's largest shareholder, XL Investments Ltd. ("XL Investments"), for the same price per share. The purchase price per share represented a 56.9% premium over the Company's common stock price as of the closing on January 17, 2018. In connection with the acquisition of shares from XL Investments, XL Investments agreed to terminate all of its previously held Five Oaks warrants. After completion of these share purchases, Hunt and its affiliates own approximately 9.5% of the Company's outstanding common shares. Also in connection with the transaction, and as further described in Section 10 of our 2017 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission filed on March 16, 2018 and in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 18, 2018, David Carroll resigned as a director, Chairman and CEO of the Company and the Company's board appointed James C. ("Chris") Hunt as a director and Chairman of the board and named James P. Flynn as CEO of the Company and Michael P. Larsen President of the Company.

On April 30, 2018, as more particularly described in our current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 30, 2018, the Company acquired Hunt CMT Equity LLC for an aggregated purchase price of approximately $68 million, which comprised of commercial mortgage loans financed through a collateralized loan obligation ("Hunt CRE 2017-FL1, Ltd."), a licensed commercial mortgage lender and eight loan participations from a Hunt affiliate. The assets of the CLO were comprised of performing floating-rate commercial mortgage loans with a portfolio balance of $339.4 million at acquisition date and $9.8 million in cash available for reinvestment. The securitization pool was financed by investment-grade notes with a notional principal balance of $290.7 million and a net carrying value of $287.6 million after accounting for unamortized discount. Additionally the Company paid $0.1 million for the assets acquired with the licensed lender and $6.2 million for the loan participations. The Company determined Hunt CRE 2017-FL1, Ltd. was a VIE and that the Company was the primary beneficiary of the issuing entity, and accordingly consolidated its assets and liabilities into the Company's financial statements in accordance with GAAP.