v3.22.2.2
Fair Value Measurements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]  
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]
There are three measurement input levels for determining fair value: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability.
Assets Measured on a Recurring Basis
The Company measures both mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) at fair value. Fair value measurement results in a better presentation of the changes in fair values of the loans and the derivative instruments used to economically hedge them.
In the normal course of business, our financial services segment enters into contractual commitments to extend credit to buyers of single-family homes with fixed expiration dates.  The commitments become effective when the borrowers “lock-in” a specified interest rate within established time frames.  Market risk arises if interest rates move adversely between the time of the “lock-in” of rates by the borrower and the sale date of the loan to an investor.  To mitigate the effect of the interest rate risk inherent in providing rate lock commitments to borrowers, the Company enters into optional or mandatory delivery forward sale contracts to sell whole loans and mortgage-backed securities to broker/dealers.  The forward sale contracts lock in an interest rate and price for the sale of loans similar to the specific rate lock commitments.  The Company does not engage in speculative trading or derivative activities.  Both the rate lock commitments to borrowers and the forward sale contracts to broker/dealers or investors are undesignated derivatives, and accordingly, are marked to fair value through earnings.  Changes in fair value measurements are included in earnings in the accompanying statements of income.
The fair value of mortgage loans held for sale is estimated based primarily on published prices for mortgage-backed securities with similar characteristics.  To calculate the effects of interest rate movements, the Company utilizes applicable published mortgage-backed security prices, and multiplies the price movement between the rate lock date and the balance sheet date by the notional loan commitment amount.  The Company applies a fallout rate to IRLCs when measuring the fair value of rate lock commitments.  Fallout is defined as locked loan commitments for which the Company does not close a mortgage loan and is based on management’s judgment and company experience.
The Company sells loans on a servicing released or servicing retained basis and receives servicing compensation.  Thus, the value of the servicing rights included in the fair value measurement is based upon contractual terms with investors and depends on the loan type. Mortgage servicing rights (Level 3 financial instruments as they are measured using significant unobservable inputs such as mortgage prepayment rates, discount rates and delinquency rates) are periodically evaluated for impairment. The amount of impairment is the amount by which the mortgage servicing rights, net of accumulated amortization, exceed their fair value, which is calculated using third-party valuations. Impairment, if any, is recognized through a valuation allowance and a reduction of revenue. Both the carrying value and fair value of our mortgage servicing rights were $14.5 million at September 30, 2022. At December 31, 2021, both the carrying value and fair value of our mortgage servicing rights were $8.4 million.
The fair value of the Company’s forward sales contracts to broker/dealers solely considers the market price movement of the same type of security between the trade date and the balance sheet date.  The market price changes are multiplied by the notional amount of the forward sales contracts to measure the fair value.
Interest Rate Lock Commitments. IRLCs are extended to certain homebuying customers who have applied for a mortgage loan and meet certain defined credit and underwriting criteria. Typically, the IRLCs will have a term of less than six months; however, in certain markets, the term could extend to nine months.
Some IRLCs are committed to a specific third-party investor through the use of whole loan delivery commitments matching the exact terms of the IRLC loan. Uncommitted IRLCs are considered derivative instruments and are fair value adjusted, with the resulting gain or loss recorded in current earnings.
Forward Sales of Mortgage-Backed Securities. Forward sales of mortgage-backed securities (“FMBSs”) are used to protect uncommitted IRLC loans against the risk of changes in interest rates between the lock date and the funding date. FMBSs related to uncommitted IRLCs and FMBSs related to mortgage loans held for sale are classified and accounted for as non-designated derivative instruments and are recorded at fair value, with gains and losses recorded in current earnings.

Mortgage Loans Held for Sale. Mortgage loans held for sale consists primarily of single-family residential loans collateralized by the underlying property.  Generally, all of the mortgage loans and related servicing rights are sold to third-party investors shortly after origination.  During the period between when a loan is closed and when it is sold to an investor, the interest rate risk is covered through the use of a whole loan contract or by FMBSs.
The table below shows the notional amounts of our financial instruments at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
Description of Financial Instrument (in thousands)September 30, 2022December 31, 2021
Whole loan contracts and related committed IRLCs$4,169 $782 
Uncommitted IRLCs477,065 228,831 
FMBSs related to uncommitted IRLCs476,000 223,000 
Whole loan contracts and related mortgage loans held for sale18,648 3,785 
FMBSs related to mortgage loans held for sale174,000 251,000 
Mortgage loans held for sale covered by FMBSs172,151 263,088 

The following table sets forth the amount of gain (loss) recognized, within our revenue in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, on assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021:
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
Description (in thousands)2022202120222021
Mortgage loans held for sale$(4,396)$(1,704)$(7,271)$(1,962)
Forward sales of mortgage-backed securities24,952 3,877 22,199 4,893 
Interest rate lock commitments(13,015)(1,440)(15,708)(940)
Whole loan contracts(209)49 (97)413 
Total gain (loss) recognized$7,332 $782 $(877)$2,404 
The following tables set forth the fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments and their location within the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the periods indicated (except for mortgage loans held for sale which are disclosed as a separate line item):
Asset DerivativesLiability Derivatives
September 30, 2022September 30, 2022
Description of DerivativesBalance Sheet
Location
Fair Value
(in thousands)
Balance Sheet LocationFair Value
(in thousands)
Forward sales of mortgage-backed securitiesOther assets$26,676 Other liabilities$ 
Interest rate lock commitmentsOther assets Other liabilities16,173 
Whole loan contractsOther assets Other liabilities181 
Total fair value measurements$26,676 $16,354 

Asset DerivativesLiability Derivatives
December 31, 2021December 31, 2021
Description of DerivativesBalance Sheet
Location
Fair Value
(in thousands)
Balance Sheet LocationFair Value
(in thousands)
Forward sales of mortgage-backed securitiesOther assets$4,477 Other liabilities$— 
Interest rate lock commitmentsOther assets— Other liabilities487 
Whole loan contractsOther assets— Other liabilities62 
Total fair value measurements$4,477 $549 
Assets Measured on a Non-Recurring Basis
Inventory. The Company assesses inventory for recoverability on a quarterly basis based on the difference in the carrying value of the inventory and its fair value at the time of the evaluation. Determining the fair value of a community’s inventory involves a number of variables, estimates and projections, which are Level 3 measurement inputs. See Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Inventory” in the 2021 Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Company’s methodology for determining fair value.
The Company uses significant assumptions to evaluate the recoverability of its inventory, such as estimated average selling price, construction and development costs, absorption rate (reflecting any product mix change strategies implemented or to be implemented), selling strategies, alternative land uses (including disposition of all or a portion of the land owned), or discount rates. Changes in these assumptions could materially impact future cash flow and fair value estimates and may lead the Company to incur additional impairment charges in the future. Our analysis is conducted only if indicators of a decline in value of our inventory exist, which include, among other things, declines in gross margin on sales contracts in backlog or homes that have been delivered, slower than anticipated absorption pace, declines in average sales price or high incentive offers by management to improve absorptions, declines in margins regarding future land sales, or declines in the value of the land itself as a result of third party appraisals. If communities are not recoverable based on the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not record any impairment charges on its inventory.
Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures.  We evaluate our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures for impairment on a quarterly basis based on the difference in the investment’s carrying value and its fair value at the time of the evaluation. If the Company has determined that the decline in value is other than temporary, the Company would write down the value of the investment to its estimated fair value. Determining the fair value of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures involves a number of variables, estimates and assumptions, which are Level 3 measurement inputs. See Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures,” in the 2021 Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Company’s methodology for determining fair value. Because of the high degree of judgment involved in developing these assumptions, it is possible that changes in these assumptions could materially impact future cash flow and fair value estimates of the investments which may lead the Company to incur additional impairment charges in the future. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not record any impairment charges on its investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Financial Instruments
Counterparty Credit Risk. To reduce the risk associated with losses that would be recognized if counterparties failed to perform as contracted, the Company limits the entities with whom management can enter into commitments. This risk of
accounting loss is the difference between the market rate at the time of non-performance by the counterparty and the rate to which the Company committed.
The following table presents the carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The objective of the fair value measurement is to estimate the price at which an orderly transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability would take place between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions.
September 30, 2022December 31, 2021
(In thousands)Fair Value HierarchyCarrying AmountFair ValueCarrying AmountFair Value
Assets:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cashLevel 1$67,761 $67,761 $236,368 $236,368 
Mortgage loans held for saleLevel 2183,327 183,327 275,655 275,655 
Forward sales of mortgage-backed securitiesLevel 226,676 26,676 4,477 4,477 
Liabilities:
Notes payable - homebuilding operationsLevel 2  — — 
Notes payable - financial services operationsLevel 2189,371 189,371 266,160 266,160 
Notes payable - otherLevel 2429 423 4,549 5,015 
Senior notes due 2028 (a)
Level 2400,000 330,500 400,000 414,000 
Senior notes due 2030 (a)
Level 2300,000 217,875 300,000 294,375 
Interest rate lock commitmentsLevel 216,173 16,173 487 487 
Whole loan contracts for committed IRLCs and mortgage loans held for saleLevel 2181 181 62 62 
(a)Our senior notes are stated at the principal amount outstanding which does not include the impact of premiums, discounts, and debt issuance costs that are amortized to interest cost over the respective terms of the notes.
The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating its fair value disclosures of financial instruments at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash. The carrying amounts of these items approximate fair value because they are short-term by nature.
Mortgage Loans Held for Sale, Forward Sales of Mortgage-Backed Securities, Interest Rate Lock Commitments, Whole Loan Contracts for Committed IRLCs and Mortgage Loans Held for Sale, Senior Notes due 2028 and Senior Notes due 2030. The fair value of these financial instruments was determined based upon market quotes at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The market quotes used were quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities along with inputs taken from observable market data by correlation. The inputs were adjusted to account for the condition of the asset or liability.
Notes Payable - Homebuilding Operations. The interest rate available to the Company during the quarter ended September 30, 2022 under the Company’s $550 million unsecured revolving credit facility, dated July 18, 2013, as amended (the “Credit Facility”), fluctuated daily with the one-month LIBOR rate plus a margin of 175 basis points, and thus the carrying value is a reasonable estimate of fair value. See Note 8 to our financial statements for additional information regarding the Credit Facility.
Notes Payable - Financial Services Operations. M/I Financial, LLC, a 100%-owned subsidiary of M/I Homes, Inc. (“M/I Financial”), is a party to two credit agreements: (1) a $200 million secured mortgage warehousing agreement, dated May 27, 2022 (the “MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement”); and (2) the MIF Mortgage Repurchase Facility. For each of these credit facilities, the interest rate is based on a variable rate index, and thus their carrying value is a reasonable estimate of fair value. The interest rate available to M/I Financial during the third quarter of 2022 fluctuated with LIBOR or BSBY, as applicable. See Note 8 to our financial statements for additional information regarding the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement and the MIF Mortgage Repurchase Facility.

Notes Payable - Other. The estimated fair value was determined by calculating the present value of the future cash flows using the Company’s current incremental borrowing rate.