Commercial mortgage banking

OMHHF is engaged in the business of originating and servicing FHA insured multifamily and healthcare facility loans and securitizing these loans into GNMA mortgage backed securities. OMHHF also offers mortgage services to developers of commercial properties including apartments, elderly housing and nursing homes that satisfy FHA criteria. OMHHF maintains a mortgage servicing portfolio for which it provides a full array of services, including the collection of mortgage payments from mortgagors which are passed on to the mortgage holders, construction loan management and asset management.

The Company owns an 83.68% controlling interest in OMHHF. The 16.32% non-controlling interest belongs to one related third party who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of OMHHF.

Loan Origination Fees

OMHHF recognizes origination fees and other direct origination costs when it enters into a rate lock commitment with the borrower. These costs are accounted for in the derivative value for the interest rate lock commitment. In accordance with Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") guidelines, OMHHF will, with HUD's approval and for certain loan programs, apply the premium income towards the payment of prepayment costs that customers will incur on their prior mortgage. These costs are netted with revenues from premium income that are otherwise earned from these loan refinancings or modifications. Prepayment costs recorded as contra-revenue against premium income were $9.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 ($14.5 million in 2013 and $7.4 million in 2012).

Funding Commitments

OMHHF provides its clients with commitments to fund FHA-insured permanent or constructions loans. Upon providing these commitments to fund, OMHHF enters into TBA sale contracts directly or indirectly through its affiliate, Oppenheimer, with counterparties to offset its exposures related to these funding commitments. See Note 5, Financial Instruments, for more information.

Loans Held For Sale

OMHHF advances funds from its own cash reserves in addition to obtaining financing through warehouse facilities in order to fund initial loan closing and subsequent construction loan draws. Prior to the GNMA securitization of a loan, a loan held for sale is recorded on the consolidated balance sheet. Loans held for sale are recorded at fair value through earnings.

Escrows Held in Trust

Custodial escrow accounts relating to loans serviced by OMHHF totaled $285.5 million at December 31, 2014 ($251.4 million at December 31, 2013). These amounts are not included on the consolidated statements of financial condition as such amounts are not OMHHF’s assets. Certain cash deposits at financial institutions exceeded the FDIC insured limits. The combined uninsured balance with relation to escrow accounts at December 31, 2014 was approximately $165.0 million. OMHHF places these deposits with major financial institutions where they believe the risk is minimal and that meet or exceed GNMA required credit ratings.

The total unpaid principal balance of loans the Company was servicing for various institutional investors was as follows at December 31, 2014 and 2013:



(Expressed in thousands)
	2014		2013
Unpaid principal balance of loans	$	4,134,894	$	3,885,437

Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSRs”)

OMHHF purchases commitments or originates mortgage loans that are sold and securitized into GNMA mortgage backed securities. OMHHF retains the servicing responsibilities for the loans securitized and recognizes either a MSR asset or a MSR liability for that servicing contract. OMHHF receives monthly servicing fees equal to a percentage of the outstanding principal balance of the loans being serviced.

OMHHF estimates the initial fair value of the servicing rights based on the present value of future net servicing income, adjusted for factors such as discount rate and prepayment. OMHHF uses the amortization method for subsequent measurement, subject to annual impairment. See Note 5, Financial Instruments, for more information.

The fair value of the servicing rights on the loan portfolio was $42.3 million and $40.1 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively (carrying value of $30.1 million and $28.9 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively). The following tables summarize the changes in carrying value of MSRs for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:



(Expressed in thousands)
	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013
Balance at beginning of year	$	28,879		$	26,983
Originations ⁽¹⁾	5,956			7,351
Purchases	345			1,344
Disposals ⁽¹⁾	(2,221		)	(4,918		)
Amortization expense	(2,819		)	(1,881		)
Balance at end of year	$	30,140		$	28,879


(1)	Includes refinancings.

Servicing rights are amortized using the straight-line method over 10 years. Estimated amortization expense for the next five years and thereafter is as follows:



(Expressed in thousands)
	Originated MSRs		Purchased MSRs		Total MSRs
2015	$	2,954	$	1,285	$	4,240
2016	2,953		1,285		4,238
2017	2,947		1,283		4,230
2018	2,921		1,272		4,193
2019	2,819		1,207		4,026
Thereafter	7,181		2,032		9,213
	$	21,775	$	8,364	$	30,140

The Company receives fees during the course of servicing the mortgage loans. The amount of these fees for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:



(Expressed in thousands)
	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Servicing fees	$	5,552	$	5,049	$	4,177
Ancillary fees	328		528		537
Total MSR fees	$	5,880	$	5,577	$	4,714