NOTE 3 - VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

The Company has evaluated its loans, investments in unconsolidated entities, liabilities to subsidiary trusts issuing preferred securities (consisting of unsecured junior subordinated notes), securitizations, guarantees and other financial contracts in order to determine if they are variable interests in variable interest entities ("VIEs"). The Company regularly monitors these legal interests and contracts and, to the extent it has determined that it has a variable interest, analyzes the related entity for potential consolidation.

Consolidated VIEs (the Company is the primary beneficiary)

Based on management’s analysis, the Company was the primary beneficiary of two VIEs at December 31, 2024 (collectively, the "Consolidated VIEs"). In March 2025, the Company exercised the optional redemption on both VIEs.

The Consolidated VIEs are CRE securitizations that were formed on behalf of the Company to invest in CRE whole loans that were financed by the issuance of debt securities. By financing these assets with long-term borrowings through the issuance of debt securities, the Company seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted equity returns and to match the term of its assets and liabilities. The primary beneficiary determination for each of these VIEs was made at each VIE’s inception and is continually assessed. The Consolidated VIEs are accounted for as secured borrowings in accordance with GAAP.

The Company has exposure to losses on its securitizations to the extent of its investments in the subordinated debt and preferred equity of each securitization. The Company is entitled to receive payments of principal and interest on the debt securities it holds and, to the extent revenues exceed debt service requirements and other expenses of the securitizations, distributions with respect to its preferred equity interests. As a result of consolidation, the debt and equity interests the Company holds in these securitizations have been eliminated; and the Company’s consolidated balance sheets reflect the assets held, debt issued by the securitizations to third parties and any accrued payables to third parties. The Company’s operating results and cash flows include the gross amounts related to the securitizations’ assets and liabilities as opposed to the Company’s net economic interests in the securitizations. Assets and liabilities related to the securitizations are disclosed, in the aggregate, on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. For a discussion of the debt issued through the securitizations, see Note 10.

Creditors of the Company’s Consolidated VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of the Company, nor to each other. During the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not provide any financial support to either of its Consolidated VIEs nor does it have any requirement to do so, although it may choose to do so in the future to maximize future cash flows on such investments by the Company. There are no explicit arrangements that obligate the Company to provide financial support to either of its Consolidated VIEs.

Charles Street-ACRES FSU Student Venture, LLC

In April 2022, the Company contributed an initial investment of $13.0 million for a 72.1% interest in Charles Street-ACRES FSU Student Venture, LLC (the "FSU Student Venture"). The FSU Student Venture, a joint venture between the Company and two unrelated third parties, was formed for the purpose of developing a student housing project. The FSU Student Venture was determined not to be a VIE as there was sufficient equity at risk, it does not have disproportionate voting rights and its members all have the following characteristics: (1) the power to direct activities, (2) the obligation to absorb losses and (3) the right to receive residual returns. However, the Company consolidated the FSU Student Venture due to its 72.1% interest that provides the Company with control over all major decisions of the joint venture. The portion of the joint venture that the Company does not own is presented as non-controlling interest at and for the periods presented in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities (the Company is not the primary beneficiary, but has a variable interest)

Based on management’s analysis, the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the VIEs discussed below since it does not have both (i) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIEs' economic performance and (ii) the obligation to absorb the losses of the VIEs or the right to receive the benefits from the VIEs, which could be significant to the VIEs. Accordingly, the following VIEs are not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. The Company continuously reassesses whether it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of its unconsolidated VIEs. The Company’s maximum exposure to risk for each of these unconsolidated VIEs is set forth in the "Maximum Exposure to Loss" column in the table below.

Unsecured Junior Subordinated Debentures

The Company has a 100% interest in the common shares of both Resource Capital Trust I ("RCT I") and RCC Trust II ("RCT II"), with a value of $1.5 million in the aggregate, or 3.0% of each trust, at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. RCT I and RCT II were formed for the purposes of providing debt financing to the Company. The Company completed a qualitative analysis to determine whether it is the primary beneficiary of each of the trusts and determined that it was not the primary beneficiary of either trust because it does not have the power to direct the activities most significant to the trusts, which include the collection of principal and interest through servicing rights. Accordingly, neither trust is consolidated into the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

The Company records its investments in RCT I and RCT II’s common shares of $774,000 each as investments in unconsolidated entities using the cost method, recording dividend income when declared by RCT I and RCT II. The trusts each hold subordinated debentures for which the Company is the obligor in the amount of $25.8 million for each of RCT I and RCT II. The debentures were funded by the issuance of trust preferred securities of RCT I and RCT II.

65 E. Wacker Joint Venture, LLC

In March 2024, the Company contributed its interest in an East North Central office property to form a joint venture (the "Wacker JV") with an unrelated third-party (the "Wacker Managing Member") for the purpose of converting the office property to multifamily units. At the date of contribution, the office property had a fair value of $20.3 million. The Wacker Managing Member is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Wacker JV, but the Company and the Wacker Managing Member must each approve all major decisions related to the operations, financing or disposition of the Wacker JV before any major decision can be taken. The Company accounts for its investment in the Wacker JV as an equity method investment within investments in unconsolidated entities in its consolidated financial statements.

7720 McCallum JV, LLC

In September 2024, the Company contributed $574,000 as well as its net interest in a multifamily unit property located in the Southwest region to form a joint venture (the "McCallum JV") with an unrelated third-party (the "McCallum Managing Member"). The McCallum Managing Member is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the McCallum JV. The Company determined the McCallum JV to be a VIE for which it was not the primary beneficiary because it did not have the power to direct the activities most significant to the McCallum JV, as the Company does not have unilateral kick-out rights or substantive participating rights. The Company accounts for its investment in the McCallum JV as an equity method investment within investments in unconsolidated entities in its consolidated financial statements.

Upon formation of the McCallum JV, the McCallum JV took ownership of the multifamily property subject to a related CRE loan payable to the Company which was novated to allow the McCallum JV to replace the original obligor who was experiencing financial difficulty. The $31.5 million CRE loan has an initial maturity date of September 5, 2027 and bears interest at a rate of one-month Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("Term SOFR") and a spread of 2.75%. There were no other changes to the terms of the loan. The McCallum JV also entered into a $1.5 million mezzanine loan commitment with the Company, of which $475,000 was funded at June 30, 2025.

Pacmulti Affiliates, LLC

In March 2025, the Company contributed $200,000 as well as its net interest in a multifamily unit property located in the Mid-Atlantic region to form a joint venture (the "Pacmulti JV") with an unrelated third-party (the "Pacmulti Managing Member"). The

Pacmulti Managing Member is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Pacmulti JV. The Company determined the Pacmulti JV to be a VIE for which it was not the primary beneficiary because it did not have the power to direct the activities most significant to the Pacmulti JV, as the Company does not have unilateral kick-out rights or substantive participating rights. The Company accounts for its investment in the Pacmulti JV as an equity method investment within investments in unconsolidated entities in its consolidated financial statements.

Upon formation of the Pacmulti JV, the Pacmulti JV took ownership of the multifamily property subject to a related CRE loan payable to the Company which was novated to allow the Pacmulti JV to replace the original obligor who was experiencing financial difficulty. The $70.8 million CRE loan has an initial maturity date of May 5, 2030 and bears interest at a rate of one-month Term SOFR and a spread of 3.41%. There were no other changes to the terms of the loan. The Pacmulti JV also entered into a $13.5 million mezzanine loan commitment with the Company, of which $7.3 million was funded at June 30, 2025.