RISK FACTORS

         An investment in shares of our common stock involves various risks. You should consider carefully the following risk factors in conjunction with the other information included in this prospectus before purchasing shares of our common stock. If any of the risks discussed in this prospectus actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. This could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Lending and Investment Activities

Difficult conditions in the commercial mortgage and real estate market, the financial markets and the economy generally may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

        Our results of operations will be materially affected by conditions in the commercial mortgage and real estate markets, the financial markets and the economy generally. Any deterioration of real estate fundamentals generally, and in the United States in particular, and changes in general economic conditions could negatively impact our performance or the value of underlying real estate collateral relating to our investments, increase the default risk applicable to borrowers, and make it relatively more difficult for us to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns.

        We cannot predict the degree to which economic conditions generally, and the conditions for real estate debt investing in particular, will improve or decline. Any stagnation in or deterioration of the commercial mortgage or real estate markets may limit our ability to acquire our target investments on attractive terms or cause us to experience losses related to our assets. Declines in the market values of our investments may adversely affect our results of operations and credit availability and cost, which may reduce earnings and, in turn, cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

We operate in a competitive market for investment opportunities and competition may limit our ability to originate or acquire our target investments and could also affect the pricing of these securities.

        A number of entities will compete with us to make the types of loans and investments we will seek to originate or acquire. Our profitability will depend, in large part, on our ability to originate or acquire target investments on attractive terms. In originating target investments, we will compete with a variety of institutional lenders and investors, including other REITs, specialty finance companies, public and private funds (including funds that our Manager or its affiliates may in the future sponsor, advise and/or manage), commercial and investment banks, commercial finance and insurance companies and other financial institutions. Several other REITs have raised, or are expected to raise, significant amounts of capital, and some have investment objectives that overlap with ours, which may create additional competition for lending and investment opportunities. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us, such as the U.S. government. Many of our competitors are not subject to the operating constraints associated with REIT rule compliance or maintenance of an exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of loans and investments, offer more attractive pricing or other terms and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, competition for originations of and investments in our target investments may lead to the yields of such assets decreasing, which may further limit our ability to generate satisfactory returns.

        In addition, changes in the financial regulatory regime that could be proposed by the current administration could decrease the current restrictions on banks and other financial institutions and allow them to compete with us for investment opportunities that were previously not available to them. See "Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Company—Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations and any failure

32

Table of Contents

by us to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our business practices, negatively impact our operations, cash flow or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, subject us to increased competition or otherwise adversely affect our business."

        As a result of this competition, desirable loans and investments in our target investments may be limited in the future and we may not be able to take advantage of attractive lending and investment opportunities from time to time. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to identify and originate loans or make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that any current relationships with such parties will continue (whether on currently applicable terms or otherwise) or that we will be able to establish relationships with other such persons in the future if desired and on terms favorable to us.

An increase in interest rates may cause a decrease in the availability of certain of our target investments, which could adversely affect our ability to acquire target investments that satisfy our investment objectives and to generate income and pay dividends.

        Rising interest rates generally reduce the demand for commercial mortgage loans due to the higher cost of borrowing. A reduction in the volume of commercial mortgage loans originated may affect the volume of certain target investments available to us, which could adversely affect our ability to acquire investments that satisfy our investment and business objectives. If rising interest rates cause us to be unable to originate or acquire a sufficient volume of our target investments with a yield that is above our borrowing cost, our ability to satisfy our investment objectives and to generate income and pay dividends may be materially and adversely affected.

We may not have control over certain of our loans and investments.

        Our ability to manage our portfolio of loans and investments may be limited by the form in which they are made. In certain situations, we may:

•

acquire investments subject to rights of senior classes, special servicers or collateral managers under intercreditor, servicing agreements or securitization documents;



•

pledge our investments as collateral for financing arrangements;



•

acquire only a minority and/or a non-controlling participation in an underlying investment;



•

co-invest with others through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities, thereby acquiring non-controlling interests; or



•

rely on independent third-party management or servicing with respect to the management of an asset.

        Therefore, we may not be able to exercise control over all aspects of our loans or investments. Such financial assets may involve risks not present in investments where senior creditors, junior creditors, servicers or third parties controlling investors are not involved. Our rights to control the process following a borrower default may be subject to the rights of senior or junior creditors or servicers whose interests may not be aligned with ours. A partner or co-venturer may have financial difficulties resulting in a negative impact on such asset, may have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with ours, or may be in a position to take action contrary to our investment objectives. In addition, we may, in certain circumstances, be liable for the actions of our partners or co-venturers.

33

Table of Contents

Most commercial real estate loans are nonrecourse loans and the assets securing these loans may not be sufficient to protect us from a partial or complete loss if a borrower defaults on a loan, which could materially and adversely affect us.

        Except for customary nonrecourse carve-outs for certain "bad acts" and environmental liability, most commercial real estate loans are nonrecourse obligations of the borrower, meaning that there is no recourse against the assets of the borrower other than the underlying collateral. In the event of any default under a commercial real estate loan, we will bear the risk of loss to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal of and accrued interest on the mortgage loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Even if a commercial real estate loan is recourse to the borrower (or if a nonrecourse carve-out to the borrower applies), in many cases, the borrower's assets are limited primarily to its interest in the related mortgaged property. Further, although a commercial real estate loan may provide for limited recourse to a principal or affiliate of a borrower, there is no assurance that any recovery from such principal or affiliate will be made or that such principal's or affiliate's assets would be sufficient to pay any otherwise recoverable claim. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law.

We may be subject to additional risks associated with commercial real estate loan participations.

        Some of our commercial real estate loans may be held in the form of participation interests or co-lender arrangements in which we share the loan rights, obligations and benefits with other lenders. With respect to such participation interests, we may require the consent of these parties to exercise our rights under such loans, including rights with respect to amendment of loan documentation, enforcement proceedings upon a default and the institution of, and control over, foreclosure proceedings. In circumstances where we hold a minority interest, it may be become bound to actions of the majority to which it otherwise would object. We may be adversely affected by this lack of control with respect to these interests.

Our portfolio of investments is concentrated in terms of geography and asset types and may become concentrated in terms of sponsors, which could subject us to increased risk of loss.

        Our investment guidelines do not require us to observe specific diversification criteria. Therefore, our investments may at times be concentrated in certain property types that may be subject to higher risk of default or foreclosure, or secured by properties concentrated in a limited number of geographic locations. As of March 31, 2017, approximately 38% of the investments in our Initial Portfolio consisted of loans secured by properties in the Northeast United States and approximately 51% of our loans were for office use space.

        Asset concentration may cause even modest changes in the value of the underlying real estate assets to significantly impact on the value of our investments. As a result of any high levels of concentration, any adverse economic, political or other conditions that disproportionately affects those geographic areas or asset classes could have a magnified adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, and the value of our stockholders' investments could vary more widely than if we invested in a more diverse portfolio of loans.

34

Table of Contents

The lack of liquidity of our investments may adversely affect our business, including our ability to value, finance and sell our investments.

        The illiquidity of some or all of investments we intend to make may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need or desire arises. Investments such as senior commercial mortgages, B-notes, mezzanine and other loans (including participations) and preferred equity, in particular, are relatively illiquid due to their short life, their potential unsuitability for securitization and the greater difficulty of recovery in the event of a borrower's default. In addition, certain of our investments may become less liquid after investment as a result of periods of delinquencies, defaults or turbulent market conditions, which may make it more difficult for us to dispose of such assets at advantageous times or in a timely manner. Moreover, many of these investments will not be registered under the relevant securities laws, resulting in prohibitions against their transfer, sale, pledge or their disposition, except in transactions that are exempt from registration requirements or are otherwise in accordance with such laws.

        Consequently, even if we identify a buyer for certain of our senior commercial real estate loans, other debt and debt-like investments there is no assurance that we would be able to sell such investments in a timely manner if the need or desire arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may be forced to sell our investments at a price that is significantly less than the value at which we previously attributed to such investments.

        Further, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment to the extent that we or our Manager has or could be attributed as having material, non-public information regarding such business entity. As a result, our ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions may be relatively limited, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The due diligence process that our Manager will undertake in regard to investment opportunities may not reveal all facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment and if our Manager incorrectly evaluates the risks of our investments, we may experience losses.

        Before making investments for us, our Manager will conduct due diligence that it deems reasonable and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances relevant to each potential investment. When conducting due diligence, our Manager may be required to evaluate important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants and investment banks may be involved in the due diligence process in varying degrees depending on the type of potential investment. Relying on the resources available to it, our Manager will evaluate our potential investments based on criteria it deems appropriate for the relevant investment. Our Manager's loss estimates may not prove accurate, as actual results may vary from estimates. If our Manager underestimates the asset-level losses relative to the price we pay for a particular investment, we may experience losses with respect to such investment.

        Moreover, investment analyses and decisions by our Manager may frequently be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to our Manager at the time of making an investment decision may be limited, and they may not have access to detailed information regarding such investment. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our Manager will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect such investment.

35

Table of Contents

Mezzanine loans, B-notes, preferred equity and other investments that are subordinated or otherwise junior in an issuer's capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures will expose us to greater risk of loss.

        In addition to our senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans, our Initial Portfolio will contain mezzanine loans, a CMBS investment and a B-Note, and in the future, we may invest in CMBS, B-notes and preferred equity investments and other investments that are subordinated or otherwise junior in an issuer's capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures. Any investments in subordinated debt and mezzanine tranches of a borrower's capital structure and our remedies with respect thereto, including the ability to foreclose on any collateral securing such investments, will be subject to the rights of any senior creditors and, to the extent applicable, contractual intercreditor and/or participation agreement provisions. Significant losses related to such loans or investments could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

        Investments in subordinated debt involve greater credit risk of default than the senior classes of the issue or series. As a result, with respect to any investments in CMBS, B-notes, mezzanine loans and other subordinated debt, we would potentially receive payments or interest distributions after, and must bear the effects of losses or defaults on the senior debt (including underlying senior mortgage loans, class A-Notes, senior mezzanine loans, preferred equity or senior CMBS bonds, as applicable) before the holders of other more senior tranches of debt instruments with respect to such issuer. As the terms of such loans and investments are subject to contractual relationships among lenders, co-lending agents and others, they can vary significantly in their structural characteristics and other risks.

        Mezzanine loans are by their nature structurally subordinated to more senior property-level financings. If a borrower defaults on a mezzanine loan or on debt senior to that loan, or if the borrower is in bankruptcy, the mezzanine loan will be satisfied only after the property-level debt and other senior debt is paid in full. As a result, a partial loss in the value of the underlying collateral can result in a total loss of the value of the mezzanine loan. In addition, even if we are able to foreclose on the underlying collateral following a default on a mezzanine loan, we would be substituted for the defaulting borrower and, to the extent income generated on the underlying property is insufficient to meet outstanding debt obligations on the property, may need to commit substantial additional capital and/or deliver a replacement guarantee by a creditworthy entity, which could include us, to stabilize the property and prevent additional defaults to lenders with existing liens on the property.

        Our Initial Portfolio contains one B-Note, and we may also originate or acquire commercial real estate B-notes in the future, which are mortgage loans that are typically secured by a first mortgage on a single commercial property or group of related properties, but subordinated to an A-note secured by the same first mortgage on the same collateral. As a result, if a borrower defaults, there may not be sufficient funds remaining for B-note holders after payment to the A-note holders. Because each transaction is privately negotiated, B-notes can vary in their structural characteristics and risks. For example, the rights of holders of B-notes to control the process following a borrower default may vary from transaction to transaction. Further, B-notes typically are secured by a single property and accordingly reflect the risks associated with significant concentration. Losses related to our B-notes could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

        Investments in preferred equity involve a greater risk of loss than conventional debt financing due to a variety of factors, including their non-collateralized nature and subordinated ranking to other loans and liabilities of the entity in which such preferred equity is held. Accordingly, if the issuer defaults on our preferred equity investment, we would only be able to proceed against such entity in accordance with the terms of the preferred equity, and not against any property owned by such entity. Furthermore, in the event of bankruptcy or foreclosure, we would only be able to recoup our investment after all lenders to, and other creditors of, such entity are paid in full. As a result, we may lose all or a significant part of any such investment, which could result in significant losses.

36

Table of Contents

        In addition, our investments in senior mortgage loans may be effectively subordinated to the extent we borrow under a warehouse loan (which can be in the form of a repurchase agreement) or similar facility and pledge the senior mortgage loan as collateral. Under these arrangements, the lender has a right to repayment of the borrowed amount before we can collect on the value of the senior mortgage loan, and therefore if the value of the pledged senior mortgage loan decreases below the amount we have borrowed, we would experience a loss.

Our risk management policies and procedures may not be effective.

        We will establish and maintain risk management policies and procedures designed to identify, monitor and mitigate financial risks, such as credit risk, interest rate risk, prepayment risk and liquidity risk, as well as operational risks related to our business, assets and liabilities. These policies and procedures may not sufficiently identify all of the risks to which we are or may become exposed or mitigate the risks we have identified. Any expansion of our business activities may result in our being exposed to risks to which we have not previously been exposed or may increase our exposure to certain types of risks. Any failure to effectively identify and mitigate the risks to which we are exposed could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Difficulty or delays in redeploying the proceeds from repayments of our existing loans and investments may cause our financial performance and returns to investors to suffer.

        In light of our anticipated investment strategy and the need to be able to deploy capital quickly to capitalize on potential investment opportunities, we may from time to time maintain cash pending deployment into investments, which may at times be significant. Such cash may be held in an account of ours for the benefit of stockholders or may be invested in money market accounts or other similar temporary investments. While the expected duration of such holding period is expected to be relatively short, in the event we are unable to find suitable investments, such cash positions may be maintained for longer periods. It is not anticipated that the temporary investment of such cash into money market accounts or other similar temporary investments pending deployment into investments will generate significant interest, and such low interest payments on the temporarily invested cash may adversely affect our financial performance and returns to investors.

We may be subject to lender liability claims, and if we are held liable under such claims, we could be subject to losses.

        In recent years, a number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed "lender liability." Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. We cannot assure prospective stockholders that such claims will not arise or that we will not be subject to significant liability if a claim of this type did arise.

Liability relating to environmental matters may impact the value of properties that we may acquire upon foreclosure of the properties underlying our investments.

        To the extent we foreclose on properties with respect to which we have extended mortgage loans, we may be subject to environmental liabilities arising from such foreclosed properties. Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal of certain hazardous substances released on its property. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances.

37

Table of Contents

        The presence of hazardous substances may adversely affect an owner's ability to sell real estate or borrow using real estate as collateral. To the extent an owner of a property underlying one of our debt investments becomes liable for removal costs, the ability of the owner to make payments to us may be reduced, which in turn may adversely affect the value of the relevant mortgage asset held by us and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

        If we foreclose on any properties underlying our investments, the presence of hazardous substances on a property may adversely affect our ability to sell the property and we may incur substantial remediation costs, thus harming our financial condition. The discovery of material environmental liabilities attached to such properties could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

The properties underlying our commercial real estate loans may be subject to other unknown liabilities that could adversely affect the value of these properties, and as a result, our investments.

        Properties underlying our commercial real estate loans may be subject to other unknown or unquantifiable liabilities that may adversely affect the value of our investments. Such defects or deficiencies may include title defects, title disputes, liens or other encumbrances on the mortgaged properties. The discovery of such unknown defects, deficiencies and liabilities could affect the ability of our borrowers to make payments to us or could affect our ability to foreclose and sell the underlying properties, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The commercial real estate debt investments in which we will invest are subject to the property manager's ability to generate net income from the property, and if net income from the property is insufficient to satisfy debt servce, then these investments may be subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, which may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

        We will invest in the commercial real estate debt market, with a focus on originating senior commercial mortgage loans, and we may invest in other secondary target investments, including mezzanine loans, B-notes, CMBS and preferred equity investments. Such investments are subject to risks of delinquency, foreclosure and loss. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of the property, as opposed to the borrower's independent income or assets. If the net operating income of the property is reduce borrower's ability to repay the loan may be impaired. The net operating income of an income-producing property can be affected by numerous factors, including:

•

tenant mix;



•

success of tenant businesses;



•

property management decisions, including decisions on capital improvements;



•

property location and condition;



•

competition from similar properties;



•

changes in national, regional or local economic conditions;



•

changes in regional or local real estate values;



•

changes in regional or local rental or occupancy rates;



•

changes in interest rates and in the state of the debt and equity capital markets, including the availability of debt financing for commercial real estate;



•

changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including real estate taxes, environmental legislation and zoning laws;



•

environmental contamination;



•

fraudulent acts or theft on the part of the property owner, sponsor and/or manager; and

38

Table of Contents

•

acts of God, terrorism, social unrest and civil disturbances, which may result in property damage, decrease the availability of or increase the cost of insurance or otherwise result in uninsured losses.

        In the event any of the properties or entities underlying or collateralizing our commercial real estate loans or investments is adversely impacted by any of the foregoing events or occurrences, the value of, and return on, such investments could be reduced, which in turn would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Loans on properties in transition will involve a greater risk of loss than conventional mortgage loans.

        We may invest in transitional loans to borrowers who are typically seeking short-term capital to be used in an acquisition or rehabilitation of a property. The typical borrower under a transitional loan has usually identified an asset it believes is an undervalued asset that has been under-managed and/or is located in a recovering market. If the market in which the asset is located fails to improve according to the borrower's projections, or if the borrower fails to improve the quality of the asset's management and/or the value of the asset or stabilize the property, the borrower may not be able to satisfy the transitional loan through a sale of the property or conventional financing, and we bear the risk that we may not recover some or all of our investment.

        Borrowers usually use the proceeds of a conventional mortgage to repay a transitional loan. Transitional loans therefore are subject to risks of a borrower's inability to obtain permanent financing to repay the transitional loan. In the event of any default under transitional loans that may be held by us, we bear the risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest and fees to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the mortgage collateral and the principal amount and unpaid interest of the transitional loan. To the extent we suffer such losses with respect to these transitional loans, it could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

CMBS investments may pose additional risks, including the risks arising from the securitization process and the risk that the special servicer may take actions that could adversely affect our interests.

        Upon completion of the Formation Transaction, our Initial Portfolio will contain an investment in CMBS and we may invest in additional CMBS assets in the future. In general, losses on a mortgaged property securing a mortgage loan included in a securitization will be borne first by the equity holder of the property, then by a cash reserve fund or letter of credit, if any, then by the holder of a mezzanine loan or B-Note, if any, then by the "first loss" subordinated security holder (generally, the "B-Piece" buyer) and then by the holder of a higher-rated security. In the event of default and the exhaustion of any equity support, reserve fund, letter of credit, mezzanine loans or B-Notes, and any classes of securities junior to those in which we invest, we will not be able to recover all of our investment in the securities we purchase. In addition, if the underlying mortgage portfolio has been overvalued by the originator, or if the values subsequently decline and, as a result, less collateral value is available to satisfy interest and principal payments due on the related mortgage-backed securities. The prices of lower credit quality securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than more highly rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual issuer developments.

        With respect to the CMBS assets, overall control over the special servicing of the related underlying mortgage loans will be held by a "directing certificate holder" or a "controlling class representative," which is appointed by the holders of the most subordinated class of CMBS in such series. Because we may acquire classes of existing series of CMBS, we will not have the right to appoint the directing certificate holder. In connection with the servicing of the specially serviced mortgage loans, the related special servicer may, at the direction of the directing certificate holder, take actions with respect to the specially serviced mortgage loans that could adversely affect our interests.

39

Table of Contents

Declines in the market values of any available-for-sale investments may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

        We anticipate most of our investments to be valued at cost, however, we will value available-for-sale investments quarterly at fair value, as determined in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures , or ASC 820, which may include unobservable inputs. Because such valuations are subjective, the fair value of certain of our investments may fluctuate over short periods of time and our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these investments existed. The value of our common stock could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal.

        Changes in the market values of available-for-sale investments will be directly charged or credited to stockholders' equity. As a result, a decline in values of available-for-sale investments may result in connection with factors that are out of our control and adversely affect our book value. Moreover, if the decline in value of an available-for-sale investment is other than temporary, such decline will reduce our earnings.

Any warehouse facilities that we may obtain in the future may limit our ability to originate or acquire assets, and we may incur losses if the collateral is liquidated.

        We may utilize, if available, warehouse facilities pursuant to which we would accumulate loans in anticipation of a securitization or other financing, which assets would be pledged as collateral for such facilities until the securitization or other transaction is consummated. In order to borrow funds to originate or acquire assets under any future warehouse facilities, we expect that our lenders thereunder would have the right to review the potential assets for which we are seeking financing. We may be unable to obtain the consent of a lender to originate or acquire assets that we believe would be beneficial to us and we may be unable to obtain alternate financing for such assets.

        In addition, no assurance can be given that a securitization or other financing would be consummated with respect to the assets being warehoused. If the securitization or other financing is not consummated, the lender could demand repayment of the facility, and in the event that we were unable to timely repay, could liquidate the warehoused collateral and we would then have to pay any amount by which the original purchase price of the collateral assets exceeds its sale price, subject to negotiated caps, if any, on our exposure. In addition, regardless of whether the securitization or other financing is consummated, if any of the warehoused collateral is sold before the completion, we would have to bear any resulting loss on the sale.

The foreclosure process with respect to any loan may be difficult, lengthy and costly, and the liquidation proceeds we receive upon sale of the underlying real estate may not be sufficient to cover our cost basis in the loan.

        We may find it necessary or desirable to foreclose on certain of the loans we originate or acquire, and the foreclosure process may be lengthy and expensive. Whether or not we have participated in the negotiation of the terms of any such loans, we cannot assure you as to the adequacy of the protection of the terms of the applicable loan, including the validity or enforceability of the loan and the maintenance of the anticipated priority and perfection of the applicable security interests. Furthermore, claims may be asserted by lenders or borrowers that might interfere with enforcement of our rights. Borrowers may resist foreclosure actions by asserting numerous claims, counterclaims and defenses against us, including, without limitation, lender liability claims and defenses, even when the assertions may have no basis in fact, in an effort to prolong the foreclosure action and seek to force the lender into a modification of the loan or a favorable buy-out of the borrower's position in the loan. In some states, foreclosure actions can take several years or more to litigate. At any time prior to or during the

40

Table of Contents

foreclosure proceedings, the borrower may file for bankruptcy, which would have the effect of staying the foreclosure actions and further delaying the foreclosure process and potentially results in a reduction or discharge of a borrower's debt. Foreclosure may create a negative public perception of the related property, resulting in a diminution of its value.

        Even if we are successful in foreclosing on a loan, the liquidation proceeds upon sale of the underlying real estate may not be sufficient to recover our cost basis in the loan, resulting in a loss. Furthermore, any costs or delays involved in the foreclosure of the loan or a liquidation of the underlying property will further reduce the net proceeds and, thus, increase any such loss to us.

Any credit ratings assigned to our investments will be subject to ongoing evaluations and revisions and we cannot assure you that those ratings will not be downgraded.

        Some of our future investments may be rated by rating agencies such as Moody's Investors Service, Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poors, DBRS, Inc. or Realpoint LLC. Any credit ratings on our investments are subject to ongoing evaluation by credit rating agencies, and we cannot assure you that any such ratings will not be changed or withdrawn by a rating agency in the future if, in its judgment, circumstances warrant. If rating agencies assign a lower-than-expected rating or reduce or withdraw, or indicate that they may reduce or withdraw, their ratings of our investments in the future, the value of our investments could significantly decline, which would adversely affect the value of our investment portfolio and could result in losses upon disposition or the failure of borrowers to satisfy their debt service obligations to us.

Investments in nonconforming and non-investment grade rated commercial real estate loans or securities involve increased risk of loss.

        Certain commercial real estate debt investments may not conform to conventional loan standards applied by traditional lenders and either will not be rated or will be rated as non-investment grade by the rating agencies. The non-investment grade ratings for these assets typically result from the overall leverage of the loans, the lack of a strong operating history for the properties underlying the loans, the borrowers' credit history, the underlying properties' cash flow or other factors. As a result, these investments should be expected to have a higher risk of default and loss than investment grade rated assets. Losses related to our non-investment grade loans or securities would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Insurance on commercial real estate loans may not cover all losses.

        Our commercial real estate loans may be subject to certain types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, terrorism or acts of war, which may be uninsurable or not economically insurable. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also might result in insurance proceeds insufficient to repair or replace a property if it is damaged or destroyed. Under these circumstances, the insurance proceeds received with respect to a property relating to one of our investments might not be adequate to restore our economic position with respect to our investment. Any uninsured loss could result in the corresponding nonperformance of or loss on our investment related to such property.

We will depend on third-party service providers, including mortgage loan servicers, for a variety of services related to our business. We will be, therefore, subject to the risks associated with third-party service providers.

        We will depend on a variety of services provided by third-party service providers related to our investments in commercial real estate debt investments as well as for general operating purposes. For example, we will rely on the mortgage servicers who service the mortgage loans we originate, the mortgage loans underlying our CMBS and other commercial real estate debt investments to, among

41

Table of Contents

other things, collect principal and interest payments on such mortgage loans and perform loss mitigation services in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Mortgage servicers and other service providers, such as trustees, bond insurance providers, due diligence vendors and document custodians, may fail to perform or otherwise not perform in a manner that promotes our interests. This may include systems failures and security breaches that could significantly disrupt our business.

Risks Related to Our Financing and Hedging

Upon completion of the Formation Transaction, we will have significant debt and may incur additional debt, which will subject us to increased risk of loss and may reduce cash available for distributions to our stockholders.

        Upon the closing of the Formation Transaction, we will have substantial debt in an amount of approximately $1.1 billion. Subject to market conditions and availability, we may incur a significant amount of additional debt through bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), repurchase agreements, warehouse facilities and structured financing arrangements, public and private debt issuances and derivative instruments, in addition to transaction or asset specific funding arrangements. We may also issue additional debt or equity securities to fund our growth. The percentage of leverage we employ will vary depending on our available capital, our ability to obtain and access financing arrangements with lenders, the type of asset we are funding, whether the financing is recourse or non-recourse, debt restrictions contained in those financing arrangements and the lenders' and rating agencies' estimate of the stability of our investment portfolio's cash flow. We may significantly increase the amount of leverage we utilize at any time without approval of our board of directors. In addition, we may leverage individual assets at substantially higher levels. Our substantial debt could subject us to many risks that, if realized, would materially and adversely affect us, including the risk that:

•

our cash flow from operations may be insufficient to make required payments of principal of and interest on our debt, which is likely to result in (a) acceleration of such debt (and any other debt containing a cross-default or cross-acceleration provision), which we then may be unable to repay from internal funds or to refinance on favorable terms, or at all, (b) our inability to borrow undrawn amounts under our financing arrangements, even if we are current in payments on borrowings under those arrangements, which would result in a decrease in our liquidity, and/or (c) the loss of some or all of our collateral assets to foreclosure or sale;



•

our debt may increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions with no assurance that investment yields will increase in an amount sufficient to offset the higher financing costs;



•

we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing funds available for operations, future business opportunities, stockholder distributions or other purposes; and



•

we may not be able to refinance any debt that matures prior to the maturity (or realization) of an underlying investment it was used to finance on favorable terms or at all.

        There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful and may subject us to increased risk of loss and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We may not be able to raise the capital required to finance our assets and grow our business.

        The operation of our business will require access to debt and equity capital that may or may not be available on favorable terms or at the desired times, or at all. In addition, we may invest in certain investments, for which financing has historically been difficult or costly to obtain. Any limitation on our ability to obtain financing for our target investments could require us to seek equity or debt capital that

42

Table of Contents

may be more costly or unavailable to us. We cannot assure you that we will have access to any debt or equity capital on favorable terms or at the desired times, or at all. Our inability to raise such capital or obtain financing on favorable terms could materially adversely impact our business, operations, financial condition, liquidity, and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

We will depend on repurchase agreements and other credit facilities to execute our business plan and any limitation on our ability to access funding through these sources could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and business.

        Our ability to purchase and hold assets will be affected by our ability to secure repurchase agreements and other credit facilities on acceptable terms. Subsidiaries of our Predecessor currently have repurchase agreements and other credit facilities in place with several counterparties that we expect will be in place at the closing of this offering. In the future, we may enter into additional or increase commitment amounts under the existing repurchase agreements and credit facilities. In each instance, we cannot give assurance that lenders will be willing or able to provide us with sufficient financing through the repurchase markets or otherwise or that we would be able to obtain such financing on favorable terms or at all.

        In addition, because repurchase agreements and similar credit facilities are generally short-term commitments of capital, changes in conditions in the financing markets may make it more difficult for us to secure continued financing during times of market stress. During certain periods of a credit cycle, lenders may lose their ability or curtail their willingness to provide financing. If we are not able to arrange for replacement financing on acceptable terms, or if we default on any covenants or are otherwise unable to access funds under any of our repurchase agreements and credit facilities, we may have to curtail our asset acquisition activities and/or dispose of investments.

        Our ability to efficiently access any repurchase agreements may be adversely impacted by counterparty requirements regarding the type of assets that may be sold and the timing and process for such sales. In order for us to borrow funds under any repurchase agreements, counterparties must first review the assets for which we are seeking financing and approve such assets in their sole discretion. This review and approval process may delay the timing in which funding may be provided, or preclude funding altogether. In addition, the review and sale process can be more time consuming with respect to certain asset classes, such as certain commercial real estate debt investments.

        It is possible that the lenders that provide us with financing could experience changes in their ability to advance funds to us, independent of our creditworthiness or the value of our assets. For example, the Basel III regulatory capital reform rules or other regulatory changes, may have the effect of significantly changing or eliminating the sources of financing that are customarily available to us. If regulatory requirements imposed on our lenders change, they may be required to significantly increase the cost of the financing that they provide to us or eliminate it altogether. Our lenders also may revise their eligibility requirements for the types of assets they are willing to finance or the terms of such financings, based on, among other factors, the regulatory environment and their management of perceived risk.

        Changes in the financing markets could adversely affect the marketability of the assets in which we invest, and this could negatively affect the value of our assets. If our lenders are unwilling or unable to provide us with financing, or if the financing is only available on terms that are uneconomical or otherwise not satisfactory to us, we could be forced to sell assets when prices are depressed. The amount of financing we receive under our repurchase agreements or other credit facilities will be directly related to the lenders' valuation of the assets that secure the outstanding borrowings. Typically, repurchase agreements and similar lending arrangements grant the respective lender the right to reevaluate the market value of the assets that secure outstanding borrowings at any time. If a lender determines that the value of the assets has decreased, it has the right to initiate a margin call, requiring

43

Table of Contents

us to transfer additional assets to such lender or repay a portion of the outstanding borrowings. Any such margin call could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, business, liquidity and ability to make distributions to stockholders, and could cause the value of our common stock to decline. We may be forced to sell assets at significantly depressed prices to meet margin calls and to maintain adequate liquidity, which could cause us to incur losses. Moreover, to the extent that we are forced to sell assets because of availability of financing or changes in market conditions, other market participants may face similar pressures, which could exacerbate a difficult market environment and result in significantly greater losses on the sale of such assets. In an extreme case of market duress, a market may not exist for certain of our assets at any price.

        Although we plan to seek to reduce our exposure to lender concentration-related risk by entering into repurchase agreements and other credit facilities with multiple counterparties, we are not required to observe specific diversification criteria, except as may be set forth in the investment guidelines adopted by our board of directors. To the extent that the number of or net exposure under our lending arrangements may become concentrated with one or more lenders, the adverse impacts of defaults or terminations by such lenders may be significantly greater.

Our inability to meet certain financial covenants related to any repurchase agreements or other credit facilities we have or enter into, could require us to provide additional collateral or pay down debt, or could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

        In connection with the repurchase agreements that will be in place at the closing of this offering and any repurchase agreements and other credit facilities that we may enter into in the future, we will be required to comply with certain financial covenants. Compliance with these financial covenants will depend on market factors and the strength of our business and operating results. Various risks, uncertainties and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with the financial covenants. Failure to comply with our financial covenants could result in an event of default, termination of the lending facility, acceleration of all amounts owing under the lending facility, and gives the counterparty the right to exercise certain other remedies under the lending agreement, including without limitation the sale of the asset subject to repurchase at the time of default, unless we were able to negotiate a waiver. Any such waiver could be conditioned on an amendment to the lending agreement and any related guaranty agreement on terms that may be unfavorable to us. If we are unable to negotiate a covenant waiver or replace or refinance our assets under a new lending facility on favorable terms or at all, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Our rights under any repurchase agreements are subject to the effects of bankruptcy laws in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of us or our lenders under the repurchase agreements.

        In the event of our insolvency or bankruptcy, certain repurchase agreements may qualify for special treatment under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the effect of which, among other things, would be to allow the lender under the applicable repurchase agreement to avoid the automatic stay provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and to foreclose on the collateral agreement without delay. In the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a lender during the term of a repurchase agreement, the lender may be permitted, under applicable insolvency laws, to repudiate the contract, and our claim against the lender for damages may be treated simply as an unsecured creditor. In addition, if the lender is a broker or dealer subject to the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, or an insured depository institution subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, our ability to exercise our rights to recover our assets under a repurchase agreement or to be compensated for any damages resulting from the lender's insolvency may be further limited by those statutes. These claims would be subject to significant delay and, if and when received, may be substantially less than the damages we actually incur.

44

Table of Contents

If a counterparty to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to resell the underlying security back to us at the end of the purchase agreement term, or if the value of the underlying asset has declined as of the end of that term, or if we default on our obligations under the repurchase agreement, we may incur losses.

        Under the repurchase agreements that will be in place at the closing of this offering, and under any repurchase agreements we enter into in the future, we will sell the assets to lenders ( i.e. , repurchase agreement counterparties) and receive cash from the lenders. The lenders are obligated to resell the same assets back to us at the end of the term of the repurchase agreement. Because the cash that we receive from the lender when we initially sell the assets to the lender is less than the value of those assets (the difference being the "haircut"), if the lender defaults on its obligation to resell the same assets back to us, we would incur a loss on the repurchase agreement equal to the amount of the haircut (assuming there was no change in the value of the securities). We would also incur losses on a repurchase agreement if the value of the underlying assets has declined as of the end of the repurchase agreement term, because we would have to repurchase the assets for their initial value but would receive assets worth less than that amount. Further, if we default on our obligations under a repurchase agreement, the lender will be able to terminate the repurchase agreement and cease entering into any other repurchase agreements with us. In the future, our repurchase agreements and any new repurchase agreements we may enter into are likely to contain cross-default provisions, so that if a default occurs under any repurchase agreement, the lender can also declare a default with respect to all other repurchase agreements they have with us. If a default occurs under any of our repurchase agreements and a lender terminates one or more of its repurchase agreements, we may need to enter into replacement repurchase agreements with different lenders. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in entering into such replacement repurchase agreements on the same terms as the repurchase agreements that were terminated or at all. Any losses that we incur on our repurchase agreements could adversely affect our earnings and thus our cash available for distribution to stockholders.

An increase in our borrowing costs relative to the interest that we receive on our leveraged assets may adversely affect our profitability and our cash available for distribution to stockholders.

        As repurchase agreements and other short-term borrowings mature, we must enter into new borrowings, find other sources of liquidity or sell assets. An increase in short-term interest rates at the time that we seek to enter into new borrowings would reduce the spread between the returns on our assets and the cost of our borrowings. This would adversely affect the returns on our assets, which might reduce earnings and, in turn, cash available for distribution to stockholders.

        A portion of our Initial Portfolio are financed by a note payable from our Predecessor to TH Insurance Holdings Company LLC, or TH Insurance, a captive insurance company of Two Harbors and a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, or the FHLB. Currently, TH Insurance lends to our Predecessor under a note payable pursuant to which our Predecessor pledges eligible investments to the FHLB as collateral for TH Insurance's FHLB advances. We expect this note payable will remain in effect for a limited transition period after the closing of this offering to assist with cash management and operational processes as our investments in our Initial Portfolio currently pledged to FHLB are released and transitioned to our repurchase facilities. The note payable to TH Insurance reflects terms consistent with TH Insurance's FHLB advances. As of March 31, 2017, TH Commercial's weighted average borrowing rate for the note payable was 1.04%. However, subsequent to this offering and limited transition period (which shall be no longer than the period until Two Harbors distributes its shares of our common stock to its shareholders and no longer consolidates Granite Point on its financial statements in accordance with GAAP), we will no longer have the benefit of the FHLB advances and our average borrowing rates will increase from those that were historically available under this arrangement. This may impact our access to funding sources and our cost of borrowing is expected to increase, which may have a material impact on our business.

45

Table of Contents

We may enter into hedging transactions that expose us to contingent liabilities in the future, which may adversely affect our financial results or cash available for distribution to stockholders.

        In the future, we may engage in transactions intended to hedge against various risks to our portfolio, including the exposure to changes in interest rates. The extent of our hedging activity will vary in scope based on, among other things, the level and volatility of interest rates, the type of assets held and other market conditions. Although these transactions are intended to reduce our exposure to various risks, hedging may fail to adequately protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:

•

hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of volatile or rapidly changing interest rates;



•

available hedges may not correspond directly with the risks for which protection is sought;



•

the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability;



•

the amount of income that a REIT may earn from certain hedging transactions (other than through our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs) is limited by U.S. federal income tax provisions;



•

the credit quality of a hedging counterparty may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction; and



•

the hedging counterparty may default on its obligations.

        Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT and satisfying the criteria for no-action relief from the CFTC's Commodity Pool Operator, or CPO, registration rules, there are no current limitations on the hedging transactions that we may undertake. Our hedging transactions could require us to fund large cash payments in certain circumstances ( e.g. , the early termination of the hedging instrument caused by an event of default or other early termination event, or a demand by a counterparty that we make increased margin payments).

        Our ability to fund these obligations will depend on the liquidity of our assets and our access to capital at the time. The need to fund these obligations could adversely affect our financial condition. Further, hedging transactions, which are intended to limit losses, may actually result in losses, which would adversely affect our earnings and could in turn reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.

        The Dodd-Frank Act regulates derivative transactions, including certain hedging instruments we may use in our risk management activities. Rules implemented by the CFTC pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act require, among other things, that certain derivatives be cleared through a registered clearing facility and traded on a designated exchange or swap execution facility. These regulations could increase the operational and transactional cost of derivatives contracts and affect the number and/or creditworthiness of available counterparties. Furthermore, the enforceability of agreements underlying hedging transactions may depend on compliance with applicable statutory and commodity and other regulatory requirements and, depending on the identity of the counterparty, applicable international requirements. The business failure of a hedging counterparty will most likely result in its default. Default by a hedging counterparty may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force us to cover our commitments, if any, at the then current market price. Although generally we will seek to reserve the right to terminate our hedging positions, it may not always be possible to dispose of or close out a hedging position without the consent of the hedging counterparty and we may not be able to enter into an offsetting contract in order to cover our risk. We cannot assure you that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments purchased or sold, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses.

46

Table of Contents

Risks Related to Our Relationship with Our Manager

Our success depends on our Manager and its key personnel. We may not find a suitable replacement if we or our Manager terminates the management agreement.

        We will not have any employees and will be externally managed and advised by our Manager. Our Manager will have significant discretion as to the implementation of our investment and operating policies and strategies. Accordingly, our success will depend on the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the officers and key personnel of our Manager and its affiliates. Our CRE team will evaluate, negotiate, execute and monitor our loans and investments and advise us regarding maintenance of our qualification as a REIT and exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act; therefore, our success will depend on their skill and management expertise and continued service with our Manager and its affiliates. Furthermore, there is strong competition among financial sponsors, investment banks and other real estate debt investors for hiring and retaining qualified investment professionals and there can be no assurance that such professionals will continue to be associated with us, our Manager or its affiliates or that any replacements will perform well. The departure of any of the officers or key personnel of our Manager and its affiliates could have a material adverse effect on our performance.

        In addition, we can offer no assurance that our Manager will remain our investment manager or that we will continue to have access to our Manager's officers and key personnel. The current term of the management agreement is for a three-year period and will be automatically renewed for additional one-year terms thereafter, subject to the right of either party to elect not to renew the agreement; provided, however, that our Manager may terminate the management agreement after the initial term or after any automatic renewal term upon 180 days' prior notice. If the management agreement is terminated and no suitable replacement is found to manage us, we may not be able to execute our business plan.

Other than any dedicated or partially dedicated chief financial officer that our Manager may elect to provide to us, the personnel provided to us by our Manager, as our external manager, are not required to dedicate a specific portion of their time to the management of our business.

        Neither our Manager nor any of its affiliates is obligated to dedicate any specific personnel exclusively to us nor are they or their personnel obligated to dedicate any specific portion of their time to the management of our business. Although our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel are expected to spend a substantial portion of their time on our affairs, key personnel, including these individuals, provided to us by our Manager may become unavailable to us as a result of their departure from PRCM or for any other reason. As a result, we cannot provide any assurances regarding the amount of time our Manager or its affiliates will dedicate to the management of our business and our Manager and its affiliates may have conflicts in allocating their time, resources and services among our business and any other funds they may manage, and such conflicts may not be resolved in our favor. Each of our executive officers is an employee of an affiliate of PRCM, who has now or may be expected to have significant responsibilities for funds managed by PRCM or its affiliates in the future. Consequently, we may not receive the level of support and assistance that we otherwise might receive if we were internally managed.

47

Table of Contents

There are various conflicts of interest in our relationship with our Manager and its affiliates, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders. For example, the terms of the management agreement, including fees payable, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party.

        We are subject to conflicts of interest arising out of our relationship with our Manager and its affiliates. Each of our executive officers is an employee of Pine River Domestic Management L.P., a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Manager. As a result, the management agreement with our Manager will be negotiated between related parties, and its terms, including fees payable to our Manager, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our rights under the management agreement because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with our Manager.

        Our Manager and its affiliates may engage in additional management or investment opportunities that have overlapping objectives with ours, and thus will face conflicts in the allocation of resources between us, any other funds they manage and for their own accounts. Additionally, the ability of our Manager, and the officers and employees providing services to us under the management agreement, to engage in other business activities may reduce the time our Manager spends managing us. For example, our Manager and its affiliates, including certain of our officers and directors, may also serve as officers, directors or partners of other private investment vehicles, including new affiliated potential pooled investment vehicles or managed accounts not yet established, whether managed or sponsored by our Manager's affiliates or our Manager. Under the management agreement, none of our officers will be required to devote a specific amount of time to our affairs. Accordingly, we will compete with the existing funds of our Manager, its investment vehicles, other ventures and possibly other entities in the future for the time and attention of these officers and other personnel.

        We may enter into additional transactions with our Manager or its affiliates. In particular, we may purchase assets from our Manager or its affiliates or make co-purchases alongside our Manager or its affiliates. These transactions may not be the result of arm's length negotiations and may involve conflicts between our interests and the interests of our Manager and/or its affiliates. There can be no assurance that any procedural protections will be sufficient to assure that these transactions will be made on terms that will be at least as favorable to us as those that would have been obtained in an arm's length transaction.

Our board of directors will approve very broad investment guidelines for us and will not review or approve each investment decision made by our Manager.

        Our board of directors will periodically review and update our investment guidelines and will also review our investment portfolio, but will not review or approve specific investments. Our Manager will have great latitude within the broad parameters of the investment guidelines to be set by our board of directors in determining our investments and investment strategies, which could result in investment returns that are substantially below expectations or that result in material losses.

Our Manager's fee structure may not create proper incentives or may cause our Manager to select investments in more risky assets to increase its incentive compensation.

        We will pay our Manager base management fees regardless of the performance of our portfolio. Our Manager's entitlement to base management fees, which are not based upon performance metrics or goals, might reduce its incentive to devote its time and effort to seeking loans and investments that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns for our portfolio. Because the base management fees will also be based on our outstanding equity, our Manager may also be incentivized to advance strategies that increase our equity, and there may be circumstances where increasing our equity will not optimize the returns for our stockholders. Consequently, we will be required to pay our Manager base management

48

Table of Contents

fees in a particular period despite experiencing a net loss or a decline in the value of our portfolio during that period.

        In addition, our Manager will have the ability to earn incentive fees each quarter based on our earnings, which may create an incentive for our Manager to invest in assets with higher yield potential, which are generally riskier or more speculative, or sell an asset prematurely for a gain, in an effort to increase our short-term net income and thereby increase the incentive fees to which it is entitled. If our interests and those of our Manager are not aligned, the execution of our business plan and our results of operations could be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Termination of the management agreement may be difficult and costly, which may adversely affect our inclination to end our relationship with our Manager.

        Termination of the management agreement without cause would be difficult and costly. The management agreement may be amended, supplemented or modified by agreement between us and our Manager. Following the initial -year term, the management agreement may be terminated annually upon the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of our independent directors or upon a determination by the holders of a majority of outstanding shares of common stock, based upon (i) unsatisfactory performance by our Manager that is materially detrimental to us taken as a whole or (ii) our determination that the management fee and incentive fee payable to our Manager are not fair, subject to our Manager's right to prevent any termination due to unfair fees by accepting a reduction of management and/or incentive fees agreed to by at least two-thirds of our independent directors. We must provide 180 days' prior notice of any such termination. Unless terminated for cause, our Manager will be paid a termination fee equal to three times the sum of (i) the average annual base management fee and (ii) average annual incentive compensation, in each case earned by our Manager during the 24-month period immediately preceding the most recently completed calendar quarter prior to the termination date. These provisions increase the cost to us of terminating the management agreement and adversely affect our ability to terminate the management agreement without cause.

The liability of our Manager will be limited under the management agreement, and we will agree to indemnify our Manager and its affiliates and advisers against certain liabilities. As a result, we could experience poor performance or losses for which our Manager would not be liable.

        Pursuant to the management agreement, our Manager will not assume any responsibility other than to render the services under the management agreement in good faith. It will not be responsible for any action of our board of directors in following or declining to follow any advice or recommendations of our Manager, including as set forth in our investment guidelines. Our Manager and its affiliates, and any of their members, stockholders, managers, partners, personnel, officers, directors, employees, consultants and any person providing sub-advisory services to our Manager, will not be liable to us, our board of directors or our stockholders, partners or members for any acts or omissions (including errors that may result from ordinary negligence, such as errors in the investment decision making process or in the trade process) performed in accordance with the management agreement, except by reason of acts or omission constituting bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of their respective duties under the management agreement, as determined by a final non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

        We will agree to indemnify our Manager, its affiliates and any of their officers, stockholders, members, partners, managers, directors, personnel, employees, consultants and any person providing sub-advisory services to our Manager with respect to all expenses, losses, damages, liabilities, demands, charges and claims arising from acts of our Manager not constituting bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties, arising from acts or omissions performed in good faith

49

Table of Contents

in accordance with and pursuant to the management agreement. As a result, if we experience poor performance or losses, our Manager would not be liable.

Risks Related to Our Company and Structure

We have no operating history as a standalone company and may not be able to operate our business successfully or generate sufficient revenue to make or sustain distributions to our stockholders.

        We were organized in April 2017 to continue the commercial real estate business carried out by our Predecessor which commenced in the first quarter of 2015, and therefore have limited operating history. Prior to the Formation Transaction, we benefited from our Predecessor's experience and infrastructure. As a subsidiary of Two Harbors, our Predecessor benefited from Two Harbor's success and brand, strong capital base and financial strength, and established relationships with lenders. We may not be as successful in establishing and expanding our brand, relationships operations and infrastructure to enable us to operate as a standalone public company, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to operate our business successfully or implement our operating policies and strategies as described in this prospectus. The results of our operations depend on several factors, including the availability of opportunities for the origination or acquisition of target investments, the level and volatility of interest rates, the availability of adequate short and long-term financing, conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions.

        In addition, our future operating results and financial data may vary materially from the historical operating results and financial data as well as the pro forma operating results and financial data contained in this prospectus because of a number of factors, including costs and expenses associated with the management agreement and being a public company. Consequently, the historical and pro forma financial statements contained in this prospectus may not be useful in assessing our likely future performance.

We may change any of our strategies, policies or procedures without stockholder consent.

        We may change any of our strategies, policies or procedures with respect to investments, asset allocation, growth, operations, indebtedness, financing strategy and distributions at any time without the consent of stockholders, which could result in our making investments that are different from, and possibly riskier than, the types of investments described in this prospectus. Changes in strategy could also result in the elimination of certain investments and business activities that we no longer view as attractive or in alignment with our business model. Shifts in strategy may increase our exposure to credit risk, interest rate risk, financing risk, default risk, regulatory risk and real estate market fluctuations. We also cannot assure you that we will be able to effectively execute or to realize the potential benefits of changes in strategy. Any such changes could adversely affect our financial condition, risk profile, results of operations, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

Maintaining our exemptions from registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act imposes limits on our operations. Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

        We currently conduct, and intend to continue to conduct, our operations so that we are not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We believe we are not an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because we do not engage primarily, or hold ourselves out as being engaged primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, through our wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, we are primarily engaged in non-investment company businesses related to real estate. In addition, we intend to conduct our operations so that we do not come within the definition of an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act because less than 40% of our total

50

Table of Contents

assets on an unconsolidated basis will consist of "investment securities" (the "40% test"). Excluded from the term "investment securities" (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) are securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are themselves not investment companies and are not relying on the exclusion from the definition of investment company set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.

        To maintain our status as a non-investment company, the securities issued to us by any wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries that we may form in the future that are excluded from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act, together with any other investment securities we may own, may not have a value in excess of 40% of the value of our total assets on an unconsolidated basis. We will monitor our holdings to ensure ongoing compliance with this test, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain an exclusion or exemption from registration. The 40% test limits the types of businesses in which we may engage through our subsidiaries. In addition, the assets we and our subsidiaries may originate or acquire are limited by the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which may adversely affect our business.

        We hold our assets primarily through direct or indirect wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, certain of which are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. To qualify for the exclusion pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C), each such subsidiary generally is required to hold at least (i) 55% of its assets in "qualifying" real estate assets and (ii) at least 80% of its assets in "qualifying" real estate assets and real estate-related assets. For our subsidiaries that maintain the exclusion under Section 3(c)(5)(C) or another exclusion or exception under the Investment Company Act (other than Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) thereof), our interests in these subsidiaries do not and will not constitute "investment securities."

        As a consequence of our seeking to maintain avoid the need to register from the Investment Company Act on an ongoing basis, we and/or our subsidiaries may be restricted from making certain investments or may structure investments in a manner that would be less advantageous to us than would be the case in the absence of such requirements. In particular, a change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act and cause the need for a restructuring of our investment portfolio. For example, these restrictions may limit our and our subsidiaries' ability to invest directly in mortgage-backed securities that represent less than the entire ownership in a pool of senior mortgage loans, debt and equity tranches of securitizations and certain asset-backed securities, non-controlling equity interests in real estate companies or in assets not related to real estate, however, we and our subsidiaries may invest in such securities to a certain extent. In addition, seeking to maintain our exclusion from the Investment Company Act may cause us and/or our subsidiaries to acquire or hold additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or held or dispose of investments that we and/or our subsidiaries might not have otherwise disposed of, which could result in higher costs or lower proceeds to us than we would have paid or received if we were not seeking to comply with such requirements. Thus, compliance with the exclusion from the Investment Company Act may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

        We will determine whether an entity is a majority-owned subsidiary of our company. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat entities in which we own at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We have not requested that the SEC or its staff approve our treatment of any entity as a majority-owned subsidiary, and neither has done so. If

51

Table of Contents

the SEC or its staff were to disagree with our treatment of one or more subsidiary entities as majority-owned subsidiaries, we may need to adjust our strategy and our assets in order to continue to pass the 40% test. Any adjustment in our strategy or assets could have a material adverse effect on us.

        We will classify our assets for purposes of certain of our subsidiaries' Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion from the Investment Company Act based upon no-action positions taken by the SEC staff and interpretive guidance provided by the SEC and its staff. Based on such guidance, to qualify for the exclusion pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C), each such subsidiary generally is required to hold at least (i) 55% of its assets in "qualifying" real estate assets and (ii) 80% of its assets in "qualifying" real estate assets and real estate-related assets. "Qualifying" real estate assets for this purpose include mortgage loans, certain B-Notes and certain mezzanine loans that satisfy various conditions as set forth in SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and other assets that the SEC staff in various no-action letters and other guidance has determined are the functional equivalent of senior mortgage loans for the purposes of the Investment Company Act. We treat as real estate-related assets, CMBS, B-Notes and mezzanine loans that do not satisfy the conditions set forth in the relevant SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and debt and equity securities of companies primarily engaged in real estate businesses. We note that the SEC staff's prior no-action positions are based on specific factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we and our subsidiaries may face, and a number of these no-action positions were issued more than twenty years ago. There may be no guidance from the SEC staff that applies directly to our factual situations and as a result we may have to apply SEC staff guidance that relates to other factual situations by analogy. No assurance can be given that the SEC or its staff will concur with our classification of our assets. In addition, the SEC or its staff may, in the future, issue further guidance that may require us to re-classify our assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act, including for purposes of our subsidiaries' compliance with the exclusion provided in Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. There is no guarantee that we will be able to adjust our assets in the manner required to maintain our exclusion from the Investment Company Act and any adjustment in our strategy or assets could have a material adverse effect on us.

        To the extent that the SEC or its staff provide more specific guidance regarding any of the matters bearing upon the definition of investment company and the exemptions to that definition, we may be required to adjust our strategy accordingly. On August 31, 2011, the SEC issued a concept release and request for comments regarding the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion (Release No. IC-29778) in which it contemplated the possibility of issuing new rules or providing new interpretations of the exemption that might, among other things, define the phrase "liens on and other interests in real estate" or consider sources of income in determining a company's "primary business." Any additional guidance from the SEC or its staff could provide additional flexibility to us, or it could further inhibit our ability to pursue the strategies we have chosen.

        There can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will be able to successfully avoid operating as an investment company. If it were established that we were an unregistered investment company, there would be a risk that we would be subject to monetary penalties and injunctive relief in an action brought by the SEC, that we would be unable to enforce contracts with third parties, that third parties could seek to obtain rescission of transactions undertaken during the period it was established that we were an unregistered investment company, and that we would be subject to limitations on corporate leverage that would have an adverse impact on our investment returns.

        If we were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan, which could materially adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

52

Table of Contents

Rapid changes in the values of our assets may make it more difficult for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT or our exemption from the Investment Company Act.

        If the market value or income potential of our assets declines as a result of increased interest rates, prepayment rates, general market conditions, government actions or other factors, we may need to increase our real estate assets and income or liquidate our non-qualifying assets in order to maintain our REIT qualification or our exemption from the Investment Company Act. If the decline in real estate asset values or income occurs quickly, this may be especially difficult to accomplish. This difficulty may be exacerbated by the illiquid nature of any non-real estate assets we may own. We may have to make decisions that we otherwise would not make absent the REIT and Investment Company Act considerations.

State licensing requirements will cause us to incur expenses and our failure to be properly licensed may have a material adverse effect on us and our operations.

        Nonbank companies are generally required to hold licenses in a number of U.S. states to conduct lending activities. State licensing statutes vary from state to state and prescribe or impose various recordkeeping requirements; restrictions on loan origination and servicing practices, including limits on finance charges and the type, amount and manner of charging fees; disclosure requirements; requirements that licensees submit to periodic examination; surety bond and minimum specified net worth requirements; periodic financial reporting requirements; notification requirements for changes in principal officers, stock ownership or corporate control; restrictions on advertising; and requirements that loan forms be submitted for review. Obtaining and maintaining licenses will cause us to incur expenses and failure to be properly licensed under state law or otherwise may have a material adverse effect on us and our operations.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations (including laws and regulations having the effect of exempting REITs from the Investment Company Act) and any failure by us to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our business practices, negatively impact our operations, cash flow or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or otherwise adversely affect our business.

        We are subject to regulation by laws and regulations at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, and new laws and regulations may be enacted. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations, changes in their interpretation, or newly enacted laws or regulations and any failure by us to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our business practices, negatively impact our operations, cash flow or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or otherwise adversely affect our business. Furthermore, 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 or require us to sell assets at an inopportune time or price.

We are highly dependent on information technology and security breaches or systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends.

        Our business is highly dependent on information technology. In the ordinary course of our business, we may store sensitive data, including our proprietary business information and that of our business partners on our networks. The secure maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could

53

Table of Contents

be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations, disrupt our trading activities, or damage our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends to stockholders.

        The resources required to protect our information technology and infrastructure, and to comply with the laws and regulations related to data and privacy protection, are subject to uncertainty. Even in circumstances where we are able to successfully protect such technology and infrastructure from attacks, we may incur significant expenses in connection with our responses to such attacks. In addition, recent well-publicized security breaches have led to enhanced government and regulatory scrutiny of the measures taken by companies to protect against cyber-security attacks, and may in the future result in heightened cyber-security requirements and/or additional regulatory oversight. As cyber-security threats and government and regulatory oversight of associated risks continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to enhance or expand upon the security measures we currently maintain. Any such actions may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

We are an "emerging growth company," and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

        We are an "emerging growth company" as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. We may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues as of the end of our fiscal year, we have more than $700.0 million in market value of our stock held by non-affiliates as of the end of our second fiscal quarter or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our per share trading price may be adversely affected and more volatile.

Risks Related to our REIT Status and Certain Other Tax Items

If we do not maintain our qualification as a REIT, we will be subject to tax as a regular corporation and could face a substantial tax liability.

        We expect to operate so as to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial or administrative interpretations exist. Our qualification as a REIT will depend on our continuing ability to meet various requirements concerning, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and value of our assets, our distribution levels and the diversity of ownership of our shares. Notwithstanding the availability of cure provisions in the Code, we could fail various compliance requirements, which could jeopardize our REIT status. Furthermore, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, then:

•

we would be taxed as a regular domestic corporation, which under current laws, among other things, means being unable to deduct distributions to stockholders in computing taxable income

54

Table of Contents

and being subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates;

•

any resulting tax liability could be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our book value;



•

unless we were entitled to relief under applicable statutory provisions, we would be required to pay taxes, and thus, our cash available for distribution to stockholders would be reduced for each of the years during which we did not qualify as a REIT and for which we had taxable income; and



•

we generally would not be eligible to requalify as a REIT for the subsequent four full taxable years.

A REIT, in certain circumstances, may incur tax liabilities that would reduce our cash available for distribution to you.

        Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may become subject to U.S. federal income taxes and related state and local taxes. For example, gain from the sale of properties that are "dealer" properties sold by a REIT (a "prohibited transaction" under the Code) will be subject to a 100% tax. Also, we may not make sufficient distributions to avoid excise taxes applicable to REITs. Similarly, if we were to fail an income test (and did not lose our REIT status because such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect) we would be subject to tax on the income that does not meet the income test requirements. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our investments and pay income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and seek a refund of such tax. We also may be subject to state and local taxes on our income or property, including franchise, payroll, mortgage recording and transfer taxes, either directly or at the level of the other companies through which we indirectly own our assets, such as our TRSs which are subject to full U.S. federal, state, local and foreign corporate-level income taxes. Any taxes we pay directly or indirectly will reduce our cash available for distribution to you.

Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forego otherwise attractive investment opportunities and limit our expansion opportunities.

        In order to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, our sources of income, the nature of our investments in real estate and related assets, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our stock. We may also be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times, such as when we do not have funds readily available for distribution or when we would like to use funds for attractive investment and expansion opportunities. Thus, compliance with REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

Complying with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate or restructure otherwise attractive investments.

        In order to qualify as a REIT, we must also ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and real estate assets. The remainder of our investments in securities cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer unless we and such issuer jointly elect for such issuer to be treated as a TRS under the Code. The total value of all of our investments in TRSs cannot exceed 25% (20% in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of our total assets. In addition, no more than 5% of

55

Table of Contents

the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer other than a TRS or a disregarded entity, and no more than 25% of our assets can consist of debt of "publicly offered" REITs ( i.e. , REITs that are required to file annual and periodic reports with the SEC under the Exchange Act) that is not secured by real property or interests in real property. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we must dispose of a portion of our assets or otherwise come into compliance within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in order to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.

        The REIT provisions of the Code substantially limit our ability to hedge our assets and liabilities. Any income from a hedging transaction we enter into to manage risk of interest rate or price changes with respect to borrowings made or to be made to acquire or carry real estate assets that is properly identified under applicable Treasury regulations, or to manage risk of currency fluctuations with respect to our REIT qualifying income, does not constitute "gross income" for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests that we must satisfy in order to maintain our qualification as a REIT. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both of the gross income tests. See "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Income Tests." As a result of these rules, we intend to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRS may be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear.

Complying with REIT requirements may force us to borrow to make distributions to stockholders.

        From time to time, our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders. If we do not have other funds available in these situations, we may be unable to distribute substantially all of our taxable income as required by the REIT provisions of the Code. Thus, we could be required to borrow funds, sell a portion of our assets at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative. These options could increase our costs or reduce the value of our equity.

Our charter provides that any individual (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) is prohibited from owning more than 9.8% of our common stock or of our capital stock, and attempts to acquire our common stock or any of our capital stock in excess of this 9.8% limit would not be effective without a prior exemption from those prohibitions by our board of directors.

        For us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) during the last half of a taxable year. For the purpose of preserving our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, among other purposes, our charter provides that beneficial or constructive ownership by any individual (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) of more than a certain percentage, currently 9.8%, by value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or 9.8% by value of our capital stock is prohibited, which we refer to as the "ownership limits." The constructive ownership rules under the Code and our charter are complex and may cause shares of our outstanding common stock owned by a group of related individuals or entities to be deemed to be constructively owned by one individual. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our capital stock by an individual or entity could cause an individual to own constructively in excess of 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our capital stock, respectively, and thus violate the ownership limit. Our board intends to adopt a resolution providing for the exemption of Two Harbors and certain of its affiliates from the ownership limits in connection with the Formation Transaction, which will allow them to own in the aggregate up to 85% of our stock. However, there can be no

56

Table of Contents

assurance that our board of directors, as permitted in our charter, will increase, or will not decrease, these ownership limits in the future. Our charter provides that any attempt to own or transfer shares of our common stock or capital stock in excess of the ownership limits without the consent of our board of directors either will result in the shares being transferred by operation of the charter to a charitable trust, and the person who attempted to acquire such excess shares will not have any rights in such excess shares, or in the transfer being void.

        The ownership limits may have the effect of precluding a change in control of us by a third party, even if such change in control would be in the best interests of our stockholders or would result in receipt of a premium to the price of our common stock (and even if such change in control would not reasonably jeopardize our REIT status). Any exemptions to the ownership limits that are granted by our board of directors may limit our board of directors' ability to grant further exemptions at a later date.

We may choose to make distributions in our own stock, in which case you may be required to pay income taxes without receiving any cash dividends.

        In connection with our qualification as a REIT, we are required to annually distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income, as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain. In order to satisfy this requirement, we may make distributions that are payable in cash and/or shares of our common stock (which could account for up to 90% of the aggregate amount of such distributions) at the election of each stockholder. Taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount of such distributions as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, U.S. stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash portion of the distribution received. Accordingly, U.S. stockholders receiving a distribution of our shares may be required to sell shares received in such distribution or may be required to sell other stock or assets owned by them, at a time that may be disadvantageous, in order to satisfy any tax imposed on such distribution. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock that it receives as part of the distribution in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount it must include in income with respect to the distribution, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to certain non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such distribution, including in respect of all or a portion of such distribution that is payable in stock, by withholding or disposing of part of the shares included in such distribution and using the proceeds of such disposition to satisfy the withholding tax imposed. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our common stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividend income, such sale may put downward pressure on the market price of our common stock.

        Various tax aspects of such a taxable cash/stock distribution are uncertain and have not yet been addressed definitively by the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS. No assurance can be given that the IRS will not impose requirements in the future with respect to taxable cash/stock distributions, including on a retroactive basis, or assert that the requirements for such taxable cash/stock distributions have not been satisfied in respect of any such distributions made by us.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends.

        The maximum tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income payable to certain non-corporate U.S. stockholders is 20% instead of a maximum tax rate of 39.6%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the reduced rates. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause certain non-corporate investors to perceive investments in

57

Table of Contents

REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including our common stock.

We will be dependent on external sources of capital to finance our growth.

        As with other REITs, but unlike corporations generally, our ability to finance our growth must largely be funded by external sources of capital because we generally will have to distribute to our stockholders 90% of our taxable income in order to qualify as a REIT. Our access to external capital will depend upon a number of factors, including general market conditions, the market's perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings, cash distributions and the market price of our common stock.

We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could increase our tax liability, reduce our operating flexibility and reduce the price of our common stock.

        In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made in the provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to investments similar to an investment in shares of our common stock. According to publicly released statements, a top legislative priority of the new Congress and administration may be to enact significant reform of the Code, including significant changes to taxation of business entities and the deductibility of interest expense and capital investment. There is a substantial lack of clarity around the likelihood, timing and details of any such tax reform and the impact of any potential tax reform on us or an investment in our common stock. Additional changes to the tax laws are likely to continue to occur, and we cannot assure you that any such changes will not adversely affect the taxation of us or our stockholders. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our assets. You are urged to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the impact of any legislation on your investment in our shares and the status of any legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares. Although REITs generally receive certain tax advantages compared to entities taxed as regular corporations, it is possible that future legislation would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could become more advantageous for a company that invests in real estate to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regular corporation. As a result, our charter provides our board of directors with the power, under certain circumstances, to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election and cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, without the vote of our stockholders. Our board of directors has duties to us and could only cause such changes in our tax treatment if it determines in good faith that such changes are in the best interest of our company.

We may recognize "phantom income" in respect of our investments.

        Our taxable income may substantially exceed our net income as determined based on GAAP, or differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash may occur. For example, we may acquire assets, including debt securities requiring us to accrue original issue discount, or OID, or recognize market discount income, that generate taxable income in excess of economic income or in advance of the corresponding cash flow from the assets, which is referred to as "phantom income." In addition, if a borrower with respect to a particular debt instrument encounters financial difficulty rendering it unable to pay stated interest as due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income, with the effect that we will recognize income but will not have a corresponding amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders. Finally, we may be required under the terms of indebtedness that we incur to use cash received from interest payments to make principal payments on that indebtedness, with the effect of recognizing income but not having a corresponding amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

58

Table of Contents

        As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and find it difficult or impossible to meet the REIT distribution requirements in certain circumstances. In such circumstances, we may be required to (a) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (b) borrow on unfavorable terms, (c) distribute amounts that would otherwise be used for future acquisitions or used to repay debt, or (d) make a taxable distribution of our shares of common stock as part of a distribution in which stockholders may elect to receive shares of our common stock or (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution) cash, in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements.

        Moreover, we may acquire distressed loans or other debt investments that require subsequent modification by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt are "significant modifications" under applicable Treasury regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us in a debt-for-debt taxable exchange with the borrower. In certain circumstances, this deemed reissuance may prevent the modified debt from qualifying as a good REIT asset if the underlying security has declined in value and could cause us to recognize income to the extent the principal amount of the modified debt exceeds our adjusted tax basis in the unmodified debt.

The "taxable mortgage pool" rules may increase the taxes that we or our stockholders may incur, and may limit the manner in which we effect future securitizations.

        We may enter into securitizations and other financing transactions that could result in the creation of taxable mortgage pools for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, so long as we own 100% of the equity interests in a taxable mortgage pool, we generally would not be adversely affected by the characterization of a financing transaction as a taxable mortgage pool. Certain categories of stockholders, however, such as foreign stockholders eligible for treaty or other benefits, stockholders with net operating losses, and certain tax-exempt stockholders that are subject to unrelated business income tax, could be subject to increased taxes on a portion of their dividend income from us that is attributable to a taxable mortgage pool. In addition, to the extent that our stock is owned by tax-exempt "disqualified organizations," such as certain government-related entities and charitable remainder trusts that are not subject to tax on unrelated business income, we may incur a corporate level tax on a portion of our income from a taxable mortgage pool. In that case, we may reduce the amount of our distributions to any disqualified organization whose stock ownership gave rise to the tax. Moreover, we would be precluded from selling equity interests in these securitizations to outside investors, or selling any debt securities issued in connection with these securitizations that might be considered to be equity interests for tax purposes. These limitations may prevent us from using certain techniques to maximize our returns from securitization transactions.

The failure of a mezzanine loan to qualify as a real estate asset could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.

        We may originate or acquire mezzanine loans, for which the IRS has provided a safe harbor but not rules of substantive law. Pursuant to the safe harbor, if a mezzanine loan meets certain requirements, it will be treated by the IRS as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests, and interest derived from the mezzanine loan will be treated as qualifying mortgage interest for purposes of the REIT 75% income test. Our mezzanine loans may not meet all of the requirements of this safe harbor. In the event we own a mezzanine loan that does not meet the safe harbor, the IRS could challenge such loan's treatment as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset and income tests and, if such a challenge were sustained, we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

59

Table of Contents

We may fail to qualify as a REIT if the IRS successfully challenges the treatment of our mezzanine loans as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes or successfully challenges the treatment of our preferred equity investments as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

        There is limited case law and administrative guidance addressing whether instruments such as mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments will be treated as equity or debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We expect that our mezzanine loans generally will be treated as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and our preferred equity investments generally will be treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but we typically do not anticipate obtaining private letter rulings from the IRS or opinions of counsel on the characterization of those investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a mezzanine loan is treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would be treated as owning the assets held by the partnership that issued the mezzanine loan and we would be treated as receiving our proportionate share of the income of that entity. If that partnership owned non-qualifying assets or earned non-qualifying income, we may not be able to satisfy all of the REIT income or asset tests. Alternatively, if the IRS successfully asserts a preferred equity investment is debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then that investment may be treated as a non-qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test and as producing non-qualifying income for 75% gross income test. In addition, such an investment may be subject to the 10% value test and the 5% asset test, and it is possible that a preferred equity investment that is treated as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes could cause us to fail one or more of the foregoing tests. Accordingly, we could fail to qualify as a REIT if the IRS does not respect our classification of our mezzanine loans or preferred equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes unless we are able to qualify for a statutory REIT "savings" provision, which may require us to pay a significant penalty tax to maintain our REIT qualification.

The tax on prohibited transactions will limit our ability to engage in transactions, including certain methods of securitizing or syndicating mortgage loans that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

        A REIT's net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax with no offset for losses. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, but including mortgage loans, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to this tax if we dispose of, securitize or syndicate loans in a manner that was treated as a sale of the loans, or if we frequently buy and sell securities in a manner that is treated as dealer activity with respect to such securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, in order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose to engage in certain sales of loans through a TRS and not at the REIT level, and may limit the structures we utilize for our securitization transactions, even though direct sales by us or those structures might otherwise be beneficial to us.

The failure of assets subject to repurchase agreements to qualify as real estate assets could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.

        We intend to enter into financing arrangements that are structured as sale and repurchase agreements pursuant to which we would nominally sell certain of our assets to a counterparty and simultaneously enter into an agreement to repurchase these assets at a later date in exchange for a purchase price. Economically, these agreements are borrowings which are secured by the assets sold pursuant thereto. We believe that we will be treated for REIT asset and income test purposes as the owner of the assets that are the subject of any such sale and repurchase agreement, notwithstanding that such agreements may transfer record ownership of the assets to the counterparty during the term of the agreement. It is possible, however, that the IRS could assert that we did not own the assets during the term of the sale and repurchase agreement, in which case we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

60

Table of Contents

Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.

        To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.

Our ownership of and relationship with our TRSs will be restricted, and a failure to comply with the restrictions would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.

        A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may earn income that would not be qualifying REIT income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 25% (20% in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of a REIT's assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. The value of our interests in and thus the amount of assets held in a TRS may also be restricted by our need to qualify for an exclusion from regulation as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

        Any domestic TRS we own will pay U.S. federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the TRS rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm's-length basis.

        We expect that the aggregate value of all TRS stock and securities owned by us should be less than 20% of the value of our total assets. Although we plan to monitor our investments in and transactions with TRSs, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the limitation on the value of our TRSs discussed above or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

Our qualification as a REIT may be dependent on the accuracy of legal opinions or advice rendered or given or statements by the issuers of assets that we acquire, and the inaccuracy of any such opinions, advice or statements may adversely affect our REIT qualification and result in significant corporate-level tax.

        When purchasing securities, we may rely on opinions or advice of counsel for the issuer of such securities, or statements made in related offering documents, for purposes of determining whether such securities represent debt or equity securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the value of such securities, and also to what extent those securities constitute qualified real estate assets for purposes of the REIT asset tests and produce income that qualifies under the 75% gross income test. The inaccuracy of any such opinions, advice or statements may adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT and result in significant corporate-level tax.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock and this Offering

Until Two Harbors distributes or otherwise disposes of shares of our common stock acquired as a result of the Formation Transaction, it will own approximately 76.5 percent of our outstanding common stock and will be able to exert control over all matters subject to approval by our stockholders.

        As of the closing of this offering, Two Harbors will beneficially own approximately 76.5% of our common stock on a fully diluted basis after giving effect to this offering and the Formation Transaction. Two Harbors may also acquire additional shares of our common stock in the open market under the 10b5-1 Plan it has agreed to adopt. Two Harbors is restricted from disposing of any shares of our common stock until the expiration of a 120-day lock-up period following the closing of this offering, after which Two Harbors currently expects to make a distribution of the shares of common stock issued

61

Table of Contents

to it in connection with the Formation Transaction by means of a special pro rata dividend to Two Harbors common stockholders. Until such distribution, Two Harbors will have the ability to exert control over all matters subject to a vote of our stockholders. For example, Two Harbors will be able to control elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that may be in the best interest of our stockholders. The interests of Two Harbors may not always coincide the interests of other stockholders and they may act in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of our other stockholders, including seeking a premium value for their common stock, and might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock. In addition, pursuant to the Director Designation Agreement we will enter into with Two Harbors, Two Harbors will be entitled to designate three individuals for nomination for election to our board of directors, to serve following closing of this offering and until our 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, each of whom must qualify as an independent director under the rules of the NYSE and SEC.

There is no public market for our common stock and a market may never develop, which could cause our common stock to trade at a discount and make it difficult for holders of our common stock to sell their shares.

        Our shares of common stock will be newly issued securities for which there is no established trading market. Our common stock has been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance, on the NYSE under the trading symbol "GPMT." However, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for our common stock will develop, or if one develops, be maintained. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the ability of our stockholders to sell their common stock or as to the price that our stockholders may obtain for their common stock.

Purchases of our common stock by Two Harbors under the 10b5-1 Plan may result in the price of our common stock being higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market without such purchases.

        Two Harbors has agreed to adopt the 10b5-1 Plan in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, under which Two Harbors will agree, subject to certain conditions, to buy in the open market up to $20 million in the aggregate of shares of our common stock during the period commencing four full calendar weeks after the completion of this offering and ending on the earlier of the date on which all the capital committed to the plan has been exhausted or the date preceding the ex-dividend date associate with Two Harbors' declaration of the pro rata distribution of our common stock to Two Harbors stockholders but no later than December 31, 2017. During such time, the 10b5-1 Plan will require Two Harbors to purchase shares of our common stock when the market price per share is below book value. Whether purchases will be made under the 10b5-1 Plan and how much will be purchased at any time is uncertain, dependent on prevailing market prices and trading volumes, all of which we cannot predict. These activities may have the effect of maintaining the market price of our common stock or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock, and, as a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. See "Related Party Transactions and Certain Relationships" for additional details regarding the 10b5-1 Plan.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

        The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance.

62

Table of Contents

        Some of the factors that could negatively affect the market price of our common stock include:

•

our actual or projected operating results, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity, or changes in business strategy or prospects;



•

actual or perceived conflicts of interest with our Manager and our executive officers;



•

equity issuances by us, or share resales by our stockholders, or the perception that such issuances or resales may occur;



•

loss of a major funding source;



•

actual or anticipated accounting problems;



•

publication of research reports about us or the real estate industry;



•

changes in market valuations of similar companies;



•

adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we incur in the future;



•

additions to or departures of our Manager's or our managements' key personnel;



•

speculation in the press or investment community;



•

increases in market interest rates, which may lead investors to demand a higher distribution yield for our common stock, if we have begun to make distributions to our stockholders, and would result in increased interest expenses on our debt;



•

failure to maintain our REIT qualification or exemption from the Investment Company Act;



•

price and volume fluctuations from time to time due to a variety of factors, including limited liquidity in our shares if Two Harbors continues to hold at least a majority of our common stock after the closing of this offering;



•

general market and economic conditions, and trends including inflationary concerns, the current state of the credit and capital markets;



•

significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of publicly traded REITs or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;



•

changes in law, regulatory policies or tax guidelines, or interpretations thereof, particularly with respect to REITs;



•

changes in the value of our portfolio;



•

any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;



•

operating performance of companies comparable to us;



•

short-selling pressure with respect to shares of our common stock or REITs generally; and



•

the strength of the commercial real estate market and the U.S. economy generally.