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ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Hunt Companies Finance Trust, Inc. (the "Company"), is a Maryland corporation that focuses primarily on investing in, financing and managing transitional multi-family and other commercial real estate loans. The Company is externally managed by Hunt Investment Management, LLC (the "Manager"), an affiliate of Hunt Companies, Inc. ("Hunt"). The Company's common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "HCFT."

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 is 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, liabilities, income and expenses 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, liabilities, income and expenses 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 having determined it is no longer the primary beneficiary of the trust, no longer consolidates the assets, liabilities, income and expenses of the FREMF 2011-K13 Trust. In the first quarter of 2019, the first-loss tranche of the Re-REMIC related to the FREMF 2012-KF01 Trust was paid-in full, and as a result having determined it is no longer the primary beneficiary of that trust, no longer consolidates the assets, liabilities, income and expense of the FREMF 2012-KF01 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, liabilities, income and expenses 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,liabilities, income and expenses 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 March 31, 2019, 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 March 31, 2019, 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. As of March 31, 2019, this subsidiary has no assets or liabilities.

On January 18, 2018, the Company announced a new strategic direction, and the entry into a new external management agreement with the Manager and the concurrent mutual termination of the prior management agreement with Oak Circle Capital Partners, LLC ("Oak Circle"). Following the change in management, the Company has substantially completed the reallocation of capital into investment opportunities focused in the commercial real estate mortgage space taking advantage of 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 has eliminated the need for complex interest-rate hedging. The new management agreement better aligns 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.

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 Company 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 the Company's 2017 10-K/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission filed on November 13, 2018 and in the Company's 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 as 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 aggregate purchase price of approximately $68 million, which was comprised of commercial mortgage loans financed through a collateralized loan obligation ("Hunt CRE 2017-FL1, Ltd."), a licensed commercial mortgage lender ("Hunt CMT Finance, LLC) and eight loan participations from a Hunt affiliate. The assets of Hunt CRE 2017-FL1, Ltd. 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, liabilities, income and expenses into the Company's financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

On August 20, 2018, the Company closed Hunt CRE 2018-FL2, Ltd., a $285 million commercial real estate Collateralized Loan Obligation, which financed 20 first lien floating-rate commercial real estate mortgage assets acquired from Hunt Finance Company, LLC, an affiliate of the Company's Manager. The assets of the Hunt CRE 2018-FL2, Ltd. were comprised of performing floating-rate commercial mortgage loans with a portfolio balance of $225.3 million at execution date and $59.7 million in cash available for reinvestment. The securitization pool was financed by investment-grade notes with a notional principal balance of $219.4 million and a net carrying value of $215.4 million after accounting for deferred financing costs. The Company determined Hunt CRE 2018-FL2, Ltd. was a VIE and the Company was the primary beneficiary of the issuing entity, and accordingly consolidated its assets, liabilities, income and expenses into the Company's financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

On January 15, 2019, the Company, together with its FOAC and Hunt CMT Equity subsidiaries (together with the Company, the “Credit Parties”), entered into a delayed draw facility (the “Delayed Draw Facility”) with the lenders party thereto and Cortland Capital Market Services, LLC, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Agent”), providing for a term facility (the “Credit Agreement”) to be drawn in an aggregate principal amount of $40.25 million with a maturity of 6 years.
 
The borrowings under the Delayed Draw Facility are joint and several obligations of the Credit Parties. In addition, the Credit Parties’ obligations under the Delayed Draw Facility are secured by substantially all the assets of the Credit Parties through pledge and security documentation. Amounts advanced under the Delayed Draw Facility are subject to compliance with a borrowing base comprised of assets of the Credit Parties and certain of their subsidiaries, and includes senior and subordinated commercial real estate mortgage loans, preferred equity in a commercial real estate asset (directly or indirectly), commercial real estate construction mortgage loans and certain types of equity interests (the “Eligible Assets”). Borrowings under the Delayed Draw Facility bear interest at a fixed rate of 7.25% for the five year period following the initial draw-down, which is subject toa step up by 0.25% for the first four months after the fifth anniversary of the borrowing of the Senior Secured Term Loan, then by 0.375% for the following four months, then by 0.50% for the last four months until the maturity.

On February 14, 2019, the Company drew on the Delayed Draw Facility in the aggregate principal amount of $40.25 million and used the net proceeds of $39.3 million and working capital of $1.1 million to redeem all 1,610,000 shares of its outstanding 8.75% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock at its $25 per share liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends.

On March 18, 2019, the Company entered into a support agreement with its Manager, pursuant to which, its Manager agreed to reduce the reimbursement cap by 25% per annum (subject to such reduction not exceeding $568,000 per annum) until such time as the aggregate support provided thereunder equaled approximately $1.96 million.