MORTGAGE LOANS

Mortgage Loans

The Company invests a portion of its investment portfolio in commercial mortgage loans. As of December 31, 2018, the Company’s mortgage loan holdings were approximately $7.7 billion. The Company has specialized in making loans on credit-oriented commercial properties, credit-anchored strip shopping centers, senior living facilities, and apartments. The Company’s underwriting procedures relative to its commercial loan portfolio are based, in the Company’s view, on a conservative and disciplined approach. The Company concentrates on a small number of commercial real estate asset types associated with the necessities of life (retail, multi-family, senior living, professional office buildings, and warehouses). The Company believes that these asset types tend to weather economic downturns better than other commercial asset classes in which it has chosen not to participate. The Company believes this disciplined approach has helped to maintain a relatively low delinquency and foreclosure rate throughout its history. The majority of the Company’s mortgage loans portfolio was underwritten by the Company. From time to time, the Company may acquire loans in conjunction with an acquisition.

The Company’s commercial mortgage loans are stated at unpaid principal balance, adjusted for any unamortized premium or discount, and net of an allowance for loan losses. Interest income is accrued on the principal amount of the loan based on the loan’s contractual interest rate. Amortization of premiums and discounts is recorded using the effective yield method. Interest income, amortization of premiums and discounts and prepayment fees are reported in net investment income.

The following table includes a breakdown of the Company’s commercial mortgage loan portfolio by property type as of December 31, 2018:



Type	Percentage of Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Retail	45.0	%
Office Buildings	13.2
Apartments	10.2
Warehouses	11.3
Senior housing	15.8
Other	4.5
	100.0	%

The Company specializes in originating mortgage loans on either credit-oriented or credit-anchored commercial properties. No single tenant’s exposure represents more than 1.2% of mortgage loans. Approximately 62.5% of the mortgage loans are on properties located in the following states:



State	Percentage of Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
Florida	8.8	%
Alabama	8.6
Texas	7.5
Georgia	7.3
California	7.2
Michigan	4.8
Tennessee	4.7
Utah	4.7
Ohio	4.5
North Carolina	4.4
	62.5	%

During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company funded approximately $1.5 billion of new loans, with an average loan size of $9.1 million. The average size mortgage loan in the portfolio as of December 31, 2018, was $4.4 million and the weighted-average interest rate was 4.6%. The largest single mortgage loan at December 31, 2018 was $48.8 million.

Certain of the mortgage loans have call options that occur within the next 10 years. However, if interest rates were to significantly increase, we may be unable to exercise the call options on our existing mortgage loans commensurate with the significantly increased market rates. Assuming the loans are called at their next call dates, approximately $109.8 million would become due in 2019, $819.4 million in 2020 through 2024, and $61.2 million in 2025 through 2029.

The Company offers a type of commercial mortgage loan under which the Company will permit a loan-to-value ratio of up to 85% in exchange for a participating interest in the cash flows from the underlying real estate. As of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, approximately $700.6 million and $669.3 million, respectively, of the Company’s mortgage loans have this participation feature. Cash flows received as a result of this participation feature are recorded as interest income when received. During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, the Company recognized $29.4 million, $37.2 million, and $16.7 million of participating mortgage loan income, respectively.

As of December 31, 2018, approximately $3.0 million of invested assets consisted of nonperforming mortgage loans, restructured mortgage loans, or mortgage loans that were foreclosed and were converted to real estate properties. The Company does not expect these investments to adversely affect its liquidity or ability to maintain proper matching of assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2018, certain mortgage loan transactions occurred that were accounted for as troubled debt restructurings. For all mortgage loans, the impact of troubled debt restructurings is generally reflected in our investment balance and in the allowance for mortgage loan credit losses. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized one troubled debt restructuring transaction as a result of the Company granting a concession to a borrower which included loan terms unavailable from other lenders. This concession was the result of an agreement between the creditor and the debtor. The Company did not identify any loans whose principal was permanently impaired during the year ended December 31, 2018.

As of December 31, 2017, approximately $6.5 million of invested assets consisted of nonperforming, restructured, or mortgage loans that were foreclosed and were converted to real estate properties. The Company does not expect these investments to adversely affect its liquidity or ability to maintain proper matching of assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2017, certain mortgage loan transactions occurred that were accounted for as troubled debt restructurings. For all mortgage loans, the impact of troubled debt restructurings is generally reflected in our investment balance and in the allowance for mortgage loan credit losses. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized two troubled debt restructurings as a result of the Company granting concessions to borrowers which included loans terms unavailable from other lenders. These concessions were the result of agreements between the creditor and the debtor. The Company did not identify any loans whose principal was permanently impaired during the year ended December 31, 2017.

As of December 31, 2016, approximately $1.5 million of invested assets consisted of nonperforming, restructured, or mortgage loans that were foreclosed and were converted to real estate properties. The Company does not expect these investments to adversely affect its liquidity or ability to maintain proper matching of assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2016, certain mortgage loan transactions occurred that were accounted for as troubled debt restructurings. For all mortgage loans, the impact of troubled debt restructurings is generally reflected in our investment balance and in the allowance for mortgage loan credit losses. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recognized a troubled debt restructuring as a result of the Company granting a concession to a borrower which included loan terms unavailable from other lenders and reduced the expected cash flows on the loan. This concession was the result of an agreement between the creditor and the debtor. The Company did not identify any loans whose principal was permanently impaired during the year ended December 31, 2016.

As of December 31, 2018, there was an allowance for mortgage loan credit losses of $1.3 million and as of December 31, 2017 there were no allowances for mortgage loan credit losses. Due to the Company’s loss experience and nature of the loan portfolio, the Company believes that a collectively evaluated allowance would be inappropriate. The Company believes an allowance calculated through an analysis of specific loans that are believed to have a higher risk of credit impairment provides a more accurate presentation of expected losses in the portfolio and is consistent with the applicable guidance for loan impairments in ASC Subtopic 310. Since the Company uses the specific identification method for calculating the allowance, it is necessary to review the economic situation of each borrower to determine those that have higher risk of credit impairment. The Company has a team of professionals that monitors borrower conditions such as payment practices, borrower credit, operating performance, and property conditions, as well as ensuring the timely payment of property taxes and insurance. Through this monitoring process, the Company assesses the risk of each loan. When issues are identified, the severity of the issues are assessed and reviewed for possible credit impairment. If a loss is probable, an expected loss calculation is performed and an allowance is established for that loan based on the expected loss. The expected loss is calculated as the excess carrying value of a loan over either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s original effective interest rate, or the current estimated fair value of the loan’s underlying collateral. A loan may be subsequently charged off at such point that the Company no longer expects to receive cash payments, the present value of future expected payments of the renegotiated loan is less than the current principal balance, or at such time that the Company is party to foreclosure or bankruptcy proceedings associated with the borrower and does not expect to recover the principal balance of the loan.

A charge off is recorded by eliminating the allowance against the mortgage loan and recording the renegotiated loan or the collateral property related to the loan as investment real estate on the balance sheet, which is carried at the lower of the appraised fair value of the property or the unpaid principal balance of the loan, less estimated selling costs associated with the property.



	As of December 31,
	2018			2017
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Beginning balance	$	—		$	724
Charge offs	—			(6,708		)
Recoveries	(209		)	(731		)
Provision	1,505			6,715
Ending balance	$	1,296		$	—

It is the Company’s policy to cease accruing interest on loans that are over 90 days delinquent. For loans less than 90 days delinquent, interest is accrued unless it is determined that the accrued interest is not collectible. If a loan becomes over 90 days delinquent, it is the Company’s general policy to initiate foreclosure proceedings unless a workout arrangement to bring the loan current is in place. For loans subject to a pooling and servicing agreement, there are certain additional restrictions and/or requirements related to workout proceedings, and as such, these loans may have different attributes and/or circumstances affecting the status of delinquency or categorization of those in nonperforming status. An analysis of the delinquent loans is shown in the following chart:



	30 - 59 Days Delinquent		60 - 89 Days Delinquent		Greater than 90 Days Delinquent		Total Delinquent
	(Dollars In Thousands)
As of December 31, 2018
Commercial mortgage loans	$	1,044	$	—	$	1,234	$	2,278
Number of delinquent commercial mortgage loans	4		—		1		5
As of December 31, 2017
Commercial mortgage loans	$	1,817	$	—	$	—	$	1,817
Number of delinquent commercial mortgage loans	2		—		—		2

The Company’s commercial mortgage loan portfolio consists of mortgage loans that are collateralized by real estate. Due to the collateralized nature of the loans, any assessment of impairment and ultimate loss given a default on the loans is based upon a consideration of the estimated fair value of the real estate. The Company limits accrued interest income on impaired loans to ninety days of interest. Once accrued interest on the impaired loan is received, interest income is recognized on a cash basis. For information regarding impaired loans, please refer to the following chart:



	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Related Allowance		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized		Cash Basis Interest Income
	(Dollars In Thousands)
As of December 31, 2018
Commercial mortgage loans:
With no related allowance recorded	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
With an allowance recorded	5,684		5,309		1,296		1,895		267		293
As of December 31, 2017
Commercial mortgage loans:
With no related allowance recorded	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
With an allowance recorded	—		—		—		—		—		—

Mortgage loans that were modified in a troubled debt restructuring as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were as follows:



	Number of Contracts	Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment
	(Dollars In Thousands)
As of December 31, 2018
Troubled debt restructuring:
Commercial mortgage loans	1	$	2,688	$	1,742
As of December 31, 2017
Troubled debt restructuring:
Commercial mortgage loans	1	$	418	$	418