ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

           Some of the following risk factors relate to a discussion of our assets. For additional information on our asset categories refer to Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," as well as the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Risks Related To Our Businesses

Our long-term success is primarily dependent on our ability to increase our mortgage origination volumes and profits and to a lesser extent maintain our real estate services profits and realize cash flows from our long-term mortgage portfolio.

           We believe that a key driver of growth of our profitability will be increasing our mortgage origination volumes. Our success is dependent on many factors, some of which we can control and others we cannot, such as the successful implementation of our new loan origination system and documentation and data capture technology, increasing our loan origination operational capacities, attracting qualified employees, ability to maintain our approvals with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and other investors, ability to increase our mortgage servicing portfolio, the ability to obtain adequate warehouse borrowing capacity, the ability to adequately maintain loan quality and manage the risk of losses from repurchases, and the changing regulatory environment for mortgage lending.

           The ability to generate revenues in the real estate services segment is based on our ability to continue to provide services to the long-term mortgage portfolio, and seek opportunities to provide services to unrelated third parties.

           Realizing cash flows from our mortgage portfolio is dependent on the performance of the underlying mortgage loans and the performance of the servicers. At December 31, 2013, our debt obligations, consisting of our trust preferred securities, junior subordinated notes, bank loans and the convertible notes, were an aggregate of approximately $93.8 million in outstanding net principal balance. If we are unable to generate net income from our mortgage lending operations and real estate services and cash flows from our mortgage portfolio, we may be unable to satisfy our future operating costs and liabilities, including repayment of our debt obligations.

The Company, through its subsidiaries, has entered into financing facility agreements to fund loans for the mortgage lending operations that contain certain financial covenants.

           Our warehouse facilities contain covenants, including requirements to maintain a certain minimum net worth, liquidity, litigation judgment thresholds, debt ratios, profitability levels and other customary debt covenants. A breach of the covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lender to pursue certain remedies, which may constitute a cross default under other agreements. If we are unable to meet or maintain the necessary covenant requirements or satisfy, or obtain waivers from, the continuing covenants, this could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to access financing sources on favorable terms, or at all, which could adversely affect our ability to implement and operate our business as planned.

           Future financing sources may include borrowings in the form of bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), repurchase agreements, warehouse facilities, structured financing arrangements, public and private equity and debt issuances and derivative instruments, in addition to transactions or asset specific funding arrangements. Our access to sources of financing depends upon a number of factors some of which we have little or no control, including general market conditions, resources and policies or lenders. Under current market conditions, many forms of structured financing

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arrangements are generally unavailable, which also in the past has limited our ability to borrow under short term warehouse and repurchase agreements that are intended to be refinanced by such financings. In addition, if regulatory capital requirements imposed on our private lenders change, they may be required to limit, or increase the cost of, financing they provide to us. In general, this could potentially increase our financing costs and reduce our liquidity. Consequently, the expansion of our mortgage lending operations may be dictated by the cost and availability of financing, specifically warehouse facilities. Depending on market conditions at the relevant time, we may have to rely more heavily on additional equity issuances, which may be dilutive to our shareholders, or on less efficient forms of debt financing that require a larger portion of our cash flow from operations, thereby reducing funds available for our operations and future business opportunities. We cannot assure you that we will have access to such equity or debt capital on favorable terms (including, without limitation, cost and term) at the desired times, or at all, which could negatively affect our results of operations. Furthermore, we have recently entered into the warehouse lending business making use of funds from our warehouse facility to lend to other mortgage bankers. If our access to such funds are restricted or are on terms that are materially changed, we may not be able to continue those operations which may affect our income and loan origination volumes.

Mortgage market conditions have had and may continue to have a material adverse effect on our earnings and financial condition.

           Our results of operations are materially affected by conditions in the mortgage and real estate markets, the financial markets and the economy generally. Beginning in 2007, the mortgage industry and the single-family residential housing markets, and to a lesser extent multifamily residential housing markets, were adversely affected as home prices declined and delinquencies and defaults significantly increased. Borrowers found it difficult to refinance due to home price depreciation and lenders tightened their underwriting guidelines, which led to further increases in defaults and credit losses. During 2013, although housing prices rebounded in parts of the U.S, the Company continued to be significantly and negatively affected by the weak economic environment. As a result, non-conforming mortgage loans have not performed up to historical expectations, and the fair value of non-conforming mortgage loans has deteriorated. This, in turn, has resulted in declining revenues and increased expenses associated with the long-term mortgage portfolio, including increases in loan losses and impairment charges, losses sustained in the operation of real estate properties acquired in foreclosure proceedings and foreclosure related professional fees. These factors have led to deterioration in the quality of the Company's long-term mortgage portfolio, as evidenced by the delinquencies, foreclosures and credit losses.

           The adverse market conditions have affected our mortgage loan delinquencies and REO in the long-term mortgage portfolio. At December 31, 2013, the Company's long-term mortgage portfolio had 22.4% or $1.7 billion of loans that were 60 days or more delinquent, included in continuing and discontinued operations, compared to 22.8% or $2.0 billion at December 31, 2012. REO decreased 16% to $18.9 million at December 31, 2013 as compared to $22.5 million at December 31, 2012. Losses from the sale of REO are within the nonrecourse securitization trusts but could result in reduced cash flows from the Company's residual interests in respective securitizations. These conditions, which increase the cost and reduce the availability of debt, may continue or worsen in the future.

           The disruption in the capital markets and secondary mortgage markets has also reduced liquidity and investor demand for mortgage loans and mortgage backed securities, while yield requirements for these products have increased. Continuing concerns about the declining real estate market, as well as inflation, energy costs, geopolitical issues and the availability and cost of credit, have contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and markets going forward. The mortgage market has been severely affected by changes in the lending landscape and there is no assurance that these conditions have stabilized or that they will not worsen. These unprecedented

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disruptions and deterioration of the mortgage market have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and financial condition.

           As a result of an unprecedented immediate spike in interest rates in 2013, tightening of credit guidelines in the overall mortgage market, a decline in financed real estate transactions, increasing interest rates, current economic conditions, the extremely difficult and complex mortgage and credit regulatory environment and other factors it is projected by some mortgage organizations that mortgage originations during 2014 may be at historic low volumes since the early 2000's. As a result we may experience reduced volumes and thereby reduced income unless we are able to garner a greater market share of originations or sufficiently reduce costs.

Our hedging strategies recently implemented by our mortgage lending operations may not be successful in mitigating our risks associated with the market movement of interest rates.

           We use various derivative financial instruments to provide a level of protection against interest rate risks in our mortgage lending operations, but no hedging strategy can protect us completely. When rates change, we expect to record a gain or loss on derivatives which would be offset by an inverse change in the value of mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments. We cannot assure you, however, that our use of derivatives will offset the risks related to changes in interest rates. There have been periods, and it is likely that there will be periods in the future, during which we will not have offsetting gains or losses in mortgage loan and interest rate lock commitment values after accounting for our derivative financial instruments. The derivative financial instruments we select may not have the effect of reducing our interest rate risk. In addition, the nature and timing of hedging transactions may influence the effectiveness of these strategies. Poorly designed strategies, improperly executed and recorded transactions or inaccurate assumptions could actually increase our risk and losses. In addition, hedging strategies involve transaction and other costs. We cannot assure you that our hedging strategy and the derivatives that we use will adequately offset the risk of interest rate volatility or that our hedging transactions will not result in losses.

Representations and warranties made by us in our loan sales and securitizations may subject us to liability.

           In connection with our loan sales to third parties and our prior securitizations, we transferred mortgages acquired and originated by us to third parties or into a trust in exchange for cash and, in the case of a securitized mortgage, residual certificates issued by the trust. The trustee, purchaser, bondholder, guarantor or other entities involved in the issuance of the securities (which may include bond insurers) may have recourse to us with respect to the breach of the representations, and warranties made by us at the time such mortgages are transferred or when the securities are sold. Those representations and warranties may include, but are not limited to, issues such as the validity of the lien, the absence of liens or delinquent taxes, the validity of the appraisal obtained in conjunction with the loan, the truthfulness of information used in the loan approval process, the loans compliance with all local, state and federal laws, the delivery of all documents required to perfect title to the lien, the loan meeting all underwriting criteria and the selection process used to include the loans in any particular transaction. Also, we engage in bulk whole loan sales pursuant to agreements that generally provide for recourse by the purchaser against us in the event of a breach of one of our representations or warranties, any fraud or misrepresentation during the mortgage origination process, or upon early default on such mortgage. We attempt to limit the potential recourse from such purchasers by seeking remedies from correspondent sellers and wholesale brokers who originated the mortgages if we did not originate the loan. However, many of the entities we acquired loans from in the past are no longer in business. In some cases, we may not be able to seek remedies from others whom have sold mortgage loans to us. Furthermore, if we discover, prior to the sale or transfer of a loan, that there is any fraud or misrepresentation with respect to the mortgage and the originator fails to repurchase the mortgage, then

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we may not be able to sell the mortgage or we may have to sell the mortgage at a discount. Changes in the timing, processes and procedures of our primary investors review loans which they purchase from us may affect the number of loans that are rejected, the timing of our loan sales, or the frequency of repurchase demands issued to us. Also, similar changes by mortgage insurers agree to insure loans may also affect the frequency and timing of our loan sales. As a result, the effectiveness of our loan sales, our repurchase reserves and our profitability may be affected as we may have to sell loans at a discount.

Competition in the residential mortgage industry and real estate services business is intense and may adversely affect our business operations and financial performance; the dominance of a limited number of companies may affect our ability to operate and compete effectively.

           Competition in the residential mortgage industry and real estate services business is intense. Plus, the mortgage business has experienced substantial consolidation. Our competitors include banks, thrifts, credit unions, real estate brokerage firms, mortgage brokers, asset management companies, and mortgage banking companies. Several of our competitors enjoy advantages, including greater financial resources and access to capital, a wider geographic presence, more accessible branch office locations, more aggressive marketing campaigns, better brand recognition, the ability to offer a wider array of services or more favorable pricing alternatives, as well as lower origination and operating costs. To compete effectively, we must have a very high level of operational, technological, and managerial expertise, as well as access to capital at a competitive cost. As a result of reduced access to capital, general housing trends, rising delinquencies and defaults and other factors, many mortgage and real estate services firms have recently experienced severe financial difficulty, with some exiting the business or filing for bankruptcy protection, resulting in a consolidation of companies in such industries. The dominance of a limited number of companies have made it difficult to compete effectively, as such it may adversely affect our business operations and financial performance.

New regulatory laws affecting our operations may affect our ability to expand our mortgage lending operations.

           Changes to the laws, regulations or regulatory policies can affect whether and to what extent we may be able to expand our mortgage lending activities. Many states and local governments and the Federal government have enacted, or may enact laws, or regulations that restrict or prohibit some provisions in some programs or businesses that we currently participate in or plan to participate in the future. As such, we cannot be sure that in the future we will be able to engage in activities that were similar to those we engaged or participated in the past thereby limiting our ability to commence new operations. As a result, we might be at a competitive disadvantage which would affect our operations and profitability.

           The recently effective changes in loan originator compensation, qualified mortgages requirements and other regulatory restrictions may put us at a competitive disadvantage to our competitors. As a result of the nature of our operations, our capital, costs, source of funds and other similar factors may affect our ability to maintain and grow lending.

           For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently finalized its rulemaking implementing strict residential mortgage loan underwriting standards enacted under the Dodd-Frank Act. The Act and that rulemaking impose significant liability for violation of those underwriting standards, and offer certain protection from that liability only for loans that comply with tight limitations on upfront fees and that do not contain certain alternative features (like balloon payments). Those requirements, which become effective in 2014, may affect our ability to originate residential mortgage loans or the profitability of those operations.

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           In addition to new rules and regulations involving areas such as loan officer compensation, servicing requirements, origination disclosures and various federal, state and local laws and regulations could pose substantial hardship on our ability to maintain our lending volumes and our compliance with such requirements could expose us to fines, penalties or licensing restrictions that could affect our operations. Additionally expensive and time consuming audits and reviews by state and federal regulators could interfere with our operations and could negatively affect our ability to continue our operations in the same manner.

Our performance may be adversely affected by the performance of parties who service or sub-service our mortgage loans.

           We contract with third parties for the servicing of our mortgage loans in our long-term mortgage portfolio, for which we are the master servicer, and the servicing portfolio in our mortgage lending operations. Our operations, performance and liabilities are subject to risks associated with inadequate or untimely servicing. If a servicer defaults or fails to perform to certain standards then this can be deemed to be a default or failure by us to perform those duties or functions. If we, or our sub-servicers, commit a material breach of our obligations as a servicer or master servicer, we may be subject to damages or termination if the breach is not cured within a specified period of time following notice, causing us to lose servicing income. In addition, we may be required to indemnify the investor or securitization trustee against losses from any failure by us, as master servicer or on behalf of the sub-servicer, to perform the servicing obligations properly. If, as a result of a servicer or sub-servicer's failure to perform adequately, we were terminated as servicer by an investor or master servicer of a securitization, the value of any servicing or master servicing rights held by us could be adversely affected. Also, this could affect the cash flow generated by our servicing rights portfolio.

           Poor performance by a sub-servicer may result in greater than expected delinquencies and foreclosures and losses on our mortgage loans or, in the case of our long-term mortgage portfolio, in our resulting exposure to investors, bond holders, bond insurers or others to whom we are responsible for the performance of our loan sub-servicers. A substantial increase in our delinquency or foreclosure rate could adversely affect our ability to access the capital and secondary markets for our financing needs. With respect to our long-term mortgage portfolio, greater delinquencies would adversely affect the value of our residual interests, if any, we hold in connection with that securitization.

           One of the primary servicers of our long-term mortgage portfolio recently considered transferring the servicing rights and obligations to a third party. It is not unusual that whenever servicing is transferred, delinquencies increase often due to the borrower misunderstanding of the transfer and delays caused by payments being sent to the wrong servicer. This could increase delinquencies and as such adversely affect the performance of our securities and the value of our residual interests.

           Mortgage servicing rights are a material asset on our consolidated balance sheets. The value of these rights are dependent upon various factors, including, but not limited to, the adequate performance of the servicing function by our sub-servicer, the responsibilities imposed on us by the investors of our loans for which we hold the servicing rights, interest rates, the cost of our sub-servicers, loan prepayments and delinquencies. As these factors and others vary, the value of our mortgage servicing rights may fluctuate which may affect our ability to meet financial covenants, maintain credit facilities, expand our operations and generate income from our operations.

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Our loss of approvals with, or the potential limitation or wind-down of, the role Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play in the residential mortgage-backed security (MBS) market may adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition.

           We originate loans eligible for sale to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and government insured or guaranteed loans, such as FHA, VA and USDA loans, and loans eligible for Ginnie Mae securities issuance. We also service loans sold to the GSEs. We believe that having the ability to both sell loans directly to these agencies and issue Ginnie Mae securities gives us an advantage in the overall mortgage origination market. In 2008, the GSEs were placed in a conservatorship by the U.S. government. The Obama Administration has delivered a report to Congress regarding proposals to reform the housing finance market in the United States. The report, among other things, outlined various potential proposals to wind down Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and reduce or eliminate over time the role of the GSEs in guaranteeing mortgages and purchasing mortgage loans, as well as proposals to implement reforms relating to borrowers, lenders, and investors in the mortgage market, including reducing the maximum size of a loan that the GSEs can purchase, phasing-in a minimum down payment requirement for borrowers, improving underwriting standards, and increasing accountability and transparency in the securitization process. During 2011, the Treasury issued a White Paper titled "Reforming America's Housing Finance Market" (or the White Paper) that lays out, among other things, proposals to limit or potentially wind down the role that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play in the mortgage market. There have also been discussions concerning the ability or right of the GSEs to limit the amount of loans a company can sell to them based upon the company's net worth. This could negatively impact our growth. Most recently, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will create a new business entity to create a single securitization platform as they plan for a future, which may include a future where the two companies may no longer exist. Any such proposals, if enacted, may have broad adverse implications for the MBS market and our business, operations and financial condition.

           We also service loans on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as loans that have been delivered into securitization programs sponsored by Ginnie Mae in connection with the issuance of agency guaranteed mortgage-backed securities. These entities establish the base service fee to compensate us for servicing loans as well as the assessment of fines and penalties that may be imposed upon us for failing to meet servicing standards.

           The extent and timing of any regulatory reform regarding the GSEs and the home mortgage market, as well as any effect on Impac's business operations and financial results, are uncertain. We expect such proposals to be the subject of significant discussion and it is not yet possible to determine whether such proposals will be enacted and, if so, when, what form any final legislation or policies might take or how proposals, legislation or policies may impact the MBS market and our business, operations and financial condition. Our inability to make the necessary changes to respond to these changing market conditions or loss of our approved seller/servicer status with the GSEs would have a material adverse effect on our mortgage lending operations and our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If those agencies cease to exist, wind down, or otherwise significantly change their business operations or if we lost approvals with those agencies, our ability to profitably sell the loans could be affected and our profitability, business, operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

Growth may place significant demands on our management and our infrastructure.

           For our operations to continue to grow in size, scope and complexity, we will need to improve and upgrade our systems and infrastructure to meet the demands and maintain efficiency of our business. Growth could strain our ability to maintain reliable service levels, develop and improve our operational, financial and management controls, enhance our reporting systems and procedures and recruit, train and retain highly skilled personnel. Managing our growth will require significant expenditures and

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allocation of valuable management resources. If we fail to achieve the necessary level of efficiency in our organization as it grows, our business would be harmed.

We may become, and in some cases are, a defendant in lawsuits, some of which may be class action matters, and we may not prevail in these matters.

           Individual and class action lawsuits and regulatory actions alleging improper marketing practices, abusive loan terms and fees, disclosure violations and other matters are risks faced by all mortgage originators. We are a defendant in purported class actions pending in different states and could be named in other matters. Some of the actions allege generally that the loan originator (whether or not Impac) improperly charged fees in violation of various state lending or consumer protection laws in connection with mortgages that we acquired while others allege that our lending practice was a statutory violation, an unlawful business practice, an unfair business practice or a breach of a contract. They generally seek unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and expenses and rescission of the mortgages, as well as a return of any improperly collected fees. We are also subject to a purported class action lawsuit relating to the tender of our preferred stock that is seeking cumulative dividends and the election of two directors by the preferred holders. We will incur defense costs and other expenses in connection with the lawsuits, and we cannot assure you that the ultimate outcome of these or other actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition to the expense and burden incurred in defending any of these actions and any damages that we may suffer, our management's efforts and attention may be diverted from the ordinary business operations in order to address these claims. Plus, we may be deemed in default of our warehouse lines if a judgment for money that exceeds specified thresholds is rendered against us. If the final resolution of this litigation is unfavorable to us in any of these actions, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows might be materially adversely affected.

Litigation in the mortgage industry related to securitizations against issuers, sellers, originators, underwriters and others may adversely affect our business operations.

           As defaults, delinquencies, foreclosures, and losses in the real estate market continue, there have been lawsuits by various investors, insurers, underwriters and others against various participants in securitizations, such as sponsors, depositors, underwriters, and loan sellers. Some lawsuits have alleged that the mortgage loans had origination defects, that there were misrepresentations made about the mortgage loans and the parties failed to properly disclose the quality of the mortgage loans or repurchase defective loans or that there were other misrepresentations or lack of representations. There have been claims related to our securitizations contending errors or misrepresentations in the securitization documents or process itself. Recently a court made a ruling in three such circumstances and as a result we may be subject to claims by third parties. Historically, we both securitized and sold mortgage loans to third parties that may have been deposited or included in pools for securitizations. We have received notices of claims for indemnification relating to mortgage-backed security bond issues, originated or sold by the Company from Countrywide, UBS, Wilmington Trust, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch. The claims seek indemnification from claims asserted against them in various actions in which we are not parties. The notices each seek indemnification for all losses, liabilities, damages and legal fees and costs incurred in those actions. We also received a demand to cover losses on the purchase of mortgage-backed securities. In connection with these potential claims, we may become subject to litigation related to the securitizations. As a result, we may incur significant legal and other expenses in defending against claims and litigation and we may be required to pay settlement costs, damages, penalties or other charges which could adversely affect our financial results.

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Our share prices have been and may continue to be volatile and the trading of our shares may be limited.

           The market price of our securities has been volatile. We cannot guarantee that a consistently active trading market for our securities will continue. In addition, there can be no assurances that such markets will continue or that any shares which may be purchased may be sold without incurring a loss. Any such market price of our shares may not necessarily bear any relationship to our book value, assets, past operating results, financial condition or any other established criteria of value, and may not be indicative of the market price for the shares in the future. The market price of our securities is likely to continue to be highly volatile and could be significantly affected by factors including:

•

unanticipated fluctuations in our operating results;



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general market and mortgage industry conditions;



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mortgage and real estate fees;



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delinquencies and defaults on outstanding mortgages;



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loss severities on loans and REO;



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prepayments on mortgages;



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the regulatory environment and results of our mortgage originations;



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mark to market adjustments related to the fair value of loans held-for-sale, mortgage servicing rights, long-term debt and derivatives;



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interest rates; and



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litigation.

           During 2013, our common stock reached an intra-day high sales price of $15.39 on February 27th, and an intra-day low sales price of $4.66 on December 5th. As of March 13, 2014, our stock price closed at $6.61 per share. In addition, significant price and volume fluctuations in the stock market have particularly affected the market prices for the securities of mortgage companies such as ours. Furthermore, general conditions in the mortgage industry may adversely affect the market price of our securities. These broad market fluctuations have adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect the market price of our securities. If our results of operations fail to meet the expectations of security analysts or investors in a future quarter, the market price of our securities could also be materially adversely affected and we may experience difficulty in raising capital.

If we fail to maintain effective systems of internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or prevent fraud, which could cause current and potential stockholders to lose confidence in our financial reporting, adversely affect the trading price of our securities or harm our operating results.

           Effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud and operate successfully as a public company. Any failure to develop or maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could harm our reputation or operating results, or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. We cannot be certain that our efforts to improve or maintain our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures will be successful or that we will be able to maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and

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reporting in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or difficulties encountered in their implementation or other effective improvement of our internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could harm our operating results, or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. If we are unable to adequately establish or maintain our internal control over financial reporting, our external auditors will not be able to issue an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In the past, we have reported, and may discover in the future, material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

           Ineffective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities or affect our ability to access the capital markets and could result in regulatory proceedings against us by, among others, the SEC. In addition, a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, which may lead to deficiencies in the preparation of financial statements, could lead to litigation claims against us. The defense of any such claims may cause the diversion of management's attention and resources, and we may be required to pay damages if any such claims or proceedings are not resolved in our favor. Any litigation, even if resolved in our favor, could cause us to incur significant legal and other expenses or cause delays in our public reporting. Such events could harm our business, affect our ability to raise capital and adversely affect the trading price of our securities.

Violation of various federal, state and local laws may result in financial losses.

           We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations related to the mortgage industry that generally regulate interest rates and other charges, require certain disclosure, and require applicable licensing. In addition, other state and local laws, public policy and general principles of equity relating to the protection of consumers, unfair and deceptive practices and debt collection practices may apply to the origination, servicing and collection of our loans. Violations of certain provisions of these federal and state laws and regulations may limit our ability to collect all or part of the principal of or interest on the loans and in addition could subject us to damages, could result in the mortgagors rescinding the loans whether held by us or subsequent holders of the loans, or could cause us to repurchase the loan and thereby suffer a loss on the transaction. In addition, such violations could cause us to be in default under our credit and repurchase lines and could result in the loss of licenses held by us.

           Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act contains the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act ("Mortgage Act"), which imposes a number of additional requirements on lenders and servicers of residential mortgage loans, including Impac, by amending certain existing provisions and adding new sections to TILA, RESPA, and other federal laws. It also broadly prohibits unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices, and knowingly or recklessly providing substantial assistance to a covered person in violation of that prohibition. The penalties for noncompliance with these laws are also significantly increased by the Mortgage Act, which could lead to an increase in lawsuits against mortgage lenders and servicers.

Issuances of additional shares of our common stock may adversely affect its market price and significantly dilute stockholders.

           In order to support our business objectives, we may raise capital through the sale of equity or convertible securities. We may also issue shares of common stock to settle outstanding obligations and liabilities. The issuance or sale, or the proposed sale, of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market could materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock or other outstanding securities. We do not know the actual or perceived effect of these issuances, the timing of any offerings or issuances of securities, the potential dilution of the book value or earnings per share of our securities then outstanding and the effect on the market price of our securities then outstanding.

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Our principal stockholders beneficially own a large portion of our stock, and accordingly, may have control over stockholder matters and sales may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

           As of March 13, 2014, Todd M. Pickup and Richard H. Pickup and their respective affiliates beneficially owned approximately, in the aggregate, 32.5% of our outstanding common stock, which includes 898,851 shares and 524,138 shares of the Company's common stock that Todd Pickup and Richard Pickup, respectively, has the right to acquire at any time by converting the outstanding principal balance of Convertible Notes Due 2018, at the initial conversion price of $10.875 per share. These stockholders together possess significant influence over our company. Such ownership may have the effect of control over substantially all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors. Furthermore, such ownership and control may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our Company, impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving our Company or discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our Company. We do not expect that these stockholders will vote together as a group. In addition, sales of significant amounts of shares held by these stockholders, or the prospect of these sales, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Increases in LIBOR rates could significantly reduce the future cash flows we receive from the retained interests in securitization trusts.

           The cash flows from residual interests in certain securitization trusts are contingent upon various factors including the interest income collected on the loans in the trusts in excess of the interest expense paid to respective bondholders. These cash flows are distributed to the residual interest holder after the required interest and principal payments are made to the bondholders. Interest rates on the bonds usually adjust monthly with changes primarily in one-month London Inter-bank Offering Rate (also known as LIBOR). Derivatives instruments (primarily interest rate swap agreements) inside the securitization trusts initially entered into were designed to offset the risk of movements in LIBOR that created the adverse effect of the interest income collected on the loans being less than interest expense paid to the respective bondholders. However, many of these derivatives agreements have maturities less than the maturities of the loans. Therefore, increases in LIBOR rates could significantly reduce the future cash flows we receive from the retained interests in these securitization trusts. The amount of the remaining derivatives instruments is not sufficient to fully protect the residual cash flows from increases in LIBOR. The Company does not have the ability to change the derivatives instruments inside the trusts and does not currently hedge this interest rate risk with derivatives instruments outside the securitization trusts. As a result of not fully hedging interest rate risks, the Company's future residual cash flows could be significantly affected by rising LIBOR rates.

The geographic concentration of our mortgages increases our exposure to risks in those areas.

           We do not set limitations on the percentage of mortgages composed of properties located in any one area (whether by state, zip code or other geographic measure). Concentration in any one area increases our exposure to the economic and natural hazard risks associated with that area. A majority of our mortgage acquisitions and originations and mortgages held in our long-term mortgage portfolio are secured by properties in California and, to a lesser extent, Florida, Washington and Oregon. These states have experienced, and may experience in the future, an economic downturn and California and Florida have also suffered the effects of certain natural hazards. As a result of the economic downturn, real estate values in California and Florida have decreased drastically and may continue to decrease in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, Florida is among several states with higher than average costs for investors in circumstances of mortgage default and foreclosure, since the foreclosure process takes significantly longer than average.

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Accordingly, to the extent the mortgages we originate or are held in our long-term mortgage portfolio experience defaults or foreclosures in that area, we may be exposed to higher losses.

           Furthermore, if borrowers are not insured for natural disasters, which are typically not covered by standard hazard insurance policies, then they may not be able to repair the property or may stop paying their mortgages if the property is damaged. This would cause increased foreclosures and decrease our ability to recover losses on properties affected by such disasters. This would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

Loss of our current executive officers or other key management could significantly harm our business.

           We depend on the diligence, skill and experience of our senior executives, including our chief executive officer and president. We believe that our future results will also depend in part upon our attracting and retaining highly skilled and qualified management. We seek to compensate our executive officers, as well as other employees, through competitive salaries, bonuses and other incentive plans, but there can be no assurance that these programs will allow us to retain key management executives or hire new key employees. The loss of our chief executive officer, president, or other senior executive officers and key management could have a material adverse effect on our operations because other officers may not have the experience and expertise to readily replace these individuals. Competition for such personnel is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will be successful in attracting or retaining such personnel. Furthermore, in light of our present financial condition, no assurance can be given that we will retain these and other executive officers and key management personnel. To the extent that one or more of our top executives or other key management personnel are no longer employed by us, our operations and business prospects may be adversely affected. The loss of, and changes in, key personnel and their responsibilities may be disruptive to our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Non-conforming mortgage loans in the long-term mortgage portfolio may expose us to a higher risk of delinquencies, foreclosures and losses adversely affecting our earnings and financial condition.

           Our long-term mortgage portfolio includes non-conforming single-family and multifamily mortgage loans. These are mortgages that generally did not qualify for purchase by government-sponsored agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The performance of the long-term mortgage portfolio has been negatively affected by the losses from these mortgages. Credit risks associated with these mortgages may be greater than those associated with conforming mortgages. Mortgages made to these borrowers generally entail a higher risk of delinquency and higher losses than mortgages made to borrowers who utilize conventional mortgage sources. Delinquency, foreclosures and losses generally increase during economic slowdowns or recessions. The actual risk of delinquencies, foreclosures and losses on mortgages made to these borrowers are higher under current economic conditions than those in the past. Additionally, the combination of different underwriting criteria and higher rates of interest leads to greater risk, including higher prepayment rates and higher delinquency rates and /or credit losses. The long-term mortgage portfolio also contains loans that are interest only. If there is a decline in real estate values, as recently seen, borrowers may default on these types of loans since they have not reduced their principal balances, which, therefore, could exceed the value of their property. In addition, a reduction in property values would also cause an increase in the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for that loan which could have the effect of reducing the value of the property collateralized by that loan, reducing the borrowers' equity in their homes to a level that would increase the risk of default.

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Losses from defaulted loans may be higher than anticipated because we did not obtain mortgage insurance or if the mortgage insurance company is insolvent.

           Certain securitization trusts in the long term mortgage portfolio do not have credit enhancements such as mortgage pool insurance for all of the mortgages and mortgage investments. Generally, the Company required mortgage insurance on any first mortgage with an LTV ratio greater than 80%. During the time we hold mortgages for investment, we are subject to risks of borrower defaults and bankruptcies and special hazard losses that are not covered by standard hazard insurance. If a borrower defaults on a mortgage that we hold, we bear the risk of loss of principal to the extent there is any deficiency between the value of the related mortgaged property and the amount owing on the mortgage loan and any insurance proceeds available to us through the mortgage insurer. Also, to the extent we have mortgage insurance coverage, we may bear the risk of the insurance carriers rescinding such insurance under the terms of the policy, or not being able to make the required payments which will increase losses on foreclosures.

A material difference between the assumptions used in the determination of the estimated fair value of our residual interests in our long-term mortgage portfolio and our actual experience could cause us to write down the value of these securities and could harm our liquidity and financial condition.

           We receive cash flows from the residual interests in the securitization trusts within our long-term mortgage portfolio. Investments in residual interests and subordinated securities are much riskier than investments in senior mortgage-backed securities because these subordinated securities bear credit losses prior to the related senior securities. The risk associated with holding residual interests and subordinated securities is greater than holding the underlying mortgage loans directly due to the concentration of losses attributed to the subordinated securities. The value of residual interests represents the present value of future cash flows expected to be received by us from the excess cash flows created in the securitization transaction. In general, future cash flows are estimated by taking the coupon rate of the loans underlying the transaction less the interest rate paid to the bond holders, less contractually specified servicing and trustee fees, and after giving effect to estimated prepayments, credit losses and over-collateralization requirements. We estimate future cash flows from these securities and value them utilizing assumptions based in part on projected interest rates, delinquency, mortgage loan prepayment speeds and credit losses. It is extremely difficult to validate the assumptions we use in valuing our residual interests. Even if the general accuracy of the valuation model is validated, valuations are highly dependent upon the reasonableness of our assumptions and the predictability of the relationships which drive the results of the model. Such assumptions are complex as we must make judgments about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. If our actual experience differs from our assumptions, we could be required to reduce the value of these residual interests and securities. Furthermore, if our actual experience differs materially from these assumptions, our cash flow, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity may be harmed.

A failure in or breach of our technology infrastructure, or the systems operated by our third-party service providers, to protect confidential information of borrowers could damage our reputation and substantially harm our business.

           We, or our third party service providers, maintain certain confidential information relating to our borrowers for mortgage loans. If the information is maintained electronically, we rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties to effect secure transmission of confidential information, including personal information and credit card numbers. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments may result in a compromise or breach of the technology used by us to protect customer transaction data. We may also

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be vulnerable to computer viruses, break-ins and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our computer systems, which could lead to loss of critical data or the unauthorized disclosure of confidential borrower data. The possession and use of personal information in conducting our business subject us to legislative and regulatory burdens that may require notification to customers of a security breach, restrict our use of personal information and hinder our ability to operate our mortgage lending business. A failure in or breach of the security of our information systems, or those of our service providers, could result in damage to our reputation and harm our business.

We are subject to risks of operational failure that are beyond our control.

           Substantially all of our operations are located in Irvine, California and, to a lesser extent, other areas within the U.S. Our systems and operations are vulnerable to damage and interruption from fire, flood, telecommunications failure, break-ins, earthquake and similar events. Our operations may also be interrupted by power disruptions. Furthermore, our security mechanisms may be inadequate to prevent security breaches to our computer systems, including from computer viruses, electronic break-ins and similar disruptions. Such security breaches or operational failures could expose us to liability, impair our operations, result in losses, and harm our reputation.

Our ability to utilize our net operating losses and certain other tax attributes may be limited.

           At the end of our 2013 taxable year, we had net operating loss (NOL) carry-forwards of approximately $518.7 million for federal income tax purposes and approximately $437.0 million for state income tax purposes. Although, under existing tax rules, we are generally allowed to use those NOL carry-forwards to offset taxable income in subsequent taxable years, our ability to use those NOL carry-forwards to offset income may be severely limited to the extent that we experience an ownership change within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. These provisions could also limit our ability to deduct certain losses (built-in losses) we recognize after an ownership change with respect to assets we own at the time of the ownership change. In general, an ownership change, as defined by Section 382, results from transactions increasing ownership of certain stockholders or public groups in our stock by more than 50% over a three-year period. In addition, the generation of taxable income from cancellation of debt may further reduce the NOL. Any limitation on our NOL carry-forwards that could be used to offset taxable income would adversely affect our liquidity and cash flow, as and when we become profitable. We may not generate sufficient taxable income in future periods to be able to realize fully the tax benefits of our NOL carry- forwards. In 2013, the Company enacted a NOL rights plan, subject to stockholder approval, which is designed to mitigate the risk of losing net operating loss carry-forwards and certain other tax attributes from being limited in reducing future income taxes. An NOL rights plan does not prevent a change of control transaction but instead strongly discourages it.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future and we may be restricted in paying dividends on our common stock.

           We do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future and we intend to retain any future earnings for funding growth. We may also be restricted in paying dividends on our common stock. For example, our existing and any future warehouse facilities may contain covenants prohibiting dividend payments upon an occurrence of a default or otherwise. Furthermore, if we receive an adverse judgment on the purposed class action relating to our preferred stock and the Company is required to pay dividends on the preferred stock, we will be prohibited from paying dividends on our common stock until such preferred stock dividends are paid. As a result, you should not rely on an investment in our stock if you require dividend income. Capital appreciation, if any, of our stock may be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

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Our operations may be adversely affected if we are subject to the Investment Company Act.

           We intend to conduct our business at all times so as not to become regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act exempts entities that are primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate.

           In order to qualify for this exemption we must maintain at least 55% of our assets directly in mortgages, qualifying pass-through certificates and certain other qualifying interests in real estate. Our ownership of certain mortgage assets may be limited by the provisions of the Investment Company Act, should we ever be subject to the Act. If the SEC adopts a contrary interpretation with respect to these securities or otherwise believes we do not satisfy the above exception, we could be required to restructure our activities or sell certain of our assets. To insure that we continue to qualify for the exemption we may be required at times to adopt less efficient methods of financing certain of our mortgage assets and we may be precluded from acquiring certain types of higher-yielding mortgage assets. The net effect of these factors will be to lower our net interest income. If we fail to qualify for exemption from registration as an investment company, our ability to use leverage would be substantially reduced, and we would not be able to conduct our business as described. Our business will be materially and adversely affected if we fail to qualify for this exemption.

If we are forced to liquidate, we may have few unpledged assets for distribution to unsecured creditors or equity holders.

           In the event we are forced to liquidate, the majority of our assets is either collateral for specific borrowings or pledged as collateral for secured liabilities. We may have few remaining assets available for unsecured creditors and equity holders.

Provisions in our charter documents and Maryland law, as well as our NOL Rights Plan, impose limitations that may delay or prevent our acquisition by a third party.

           Our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us without the approval of our board of directors. These provisions include, among other things, advance notice for raising business issues or making nominations at meetings and blank check preferred stock that allows our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to designate and issue additional series of preferred stock with rights and terms as our board of directors may determine, including rights to dividends and proceeds in a liquidation that are senior to our common stock.

           We are also subject to certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, which could delay, prevent or deter a merger, acquisition, tender offer, proxy contest or other transaction that might otherwise result in our stockholders receiving a premium over the price for their common stock or may otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. This includes the "business combinations" statute that prohibits transactions between a Maryland corporation and "interested stockholders," which is any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our then-outstanding voting stock for a period of five years unless the board of directors approved the transaction prior to the party's becoming an interested stockholder. The five-year period runs from the most recent date on which the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder. The law also requires a super majority stockholder vote for such transactions after the end of the five-year period.

           Maryland law also provides that "control shares" of a Maryland corporation acquired in a "control share acquisition" have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the shares eligible to vote. The control share acquisition statute would not apply to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if we were a party to the transaction. The control share

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acquisition statute could have the effect of discouraging offers to acquire us and of increasing the difficulty of consummating any such offers, even if our acquisition would be in our stockholders' best interests.

           We have also adopted a Tax Benefits Preservations Rights Agreement, also known as an NOL rights plan, pursuant to which each share of common stock also has a "right" attached to it. Although the NOL rights plan was adopted to help preserve the value of certain deferred tax benefits, including those generated by net operating losses, it also has the effect of deterring or delaying an acquisition of the Company by a third party. The rights are not exercisable except upon the occurrence of certain takeover-related events—most importantly, the acquisition by a third party (the "Acquiring Person") of more than 4.99% of our outstanding voting shares. Once triggered, the rights entitle the stockholders, other than the Acquiring Person, to certain "flip-in", "flip-over" and exchange rights. The effect of triggering the rights is to expose the Acquiring Person to severe dilution of its ownership interest, as the shares of common stock of our Company (or any surviving corporation) are offered to all of the stockholders other than the Acquiring Person at a steep discount to their market value.