Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk.

(dollars in thousands)

Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market prices and interest rates. Our market risk arises from interest rate risk inherent in our financial instruments and debt obligations. Interest rate risk results from the possibility that changes in interest rates will cause unfavorable changes in net income or in the value of interest rate-sensitive assets, liabilities and commitments. Lower interest rates tend to increase demand for mortgage loans for home purchasers, while higher interest rates make it more difficult for potential borrowers to purchase residential properties and to qualify for mortgage loans. We have no market rate sensitive instruments held for speculative or trading purposes.

Our homebuilding segment is exposed to interest rate risk as it relates to its debt obligations. In September 2012, we issued $600,000 of Senior Notes. The Senior Notes mature on September 15, 2022 and bear interest at 3.95%, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15. Changes to interest rates generally affect the fair value of fixed-rate debt instruments, but not earnings or cash flows. We generally have no obligation to prepay the Senior Notes prior to maturity, and therefore, interest rate fluctuations should not have a significant impact on our fixed-rate debt.

In July 2016, we entered into a Credit Agreement which provides for aggregate revolving loan commitments of $200,000. Under the Credit Agreement, we may request increases of up to $300,000 to the Facility in the form of revolving loan commitments or term loans to the extent that new or existing lenders agree to provide additional revolving loan or term loan commitments. The Credit Agreement provides for a $100,000 sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit of which there was approximately $7,300 outstanding at December 31, 2017, and a $25,000 sublimit for a swing line commitment. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement generally bear interest for Base Rate Loans at a Base Rate equal to the highest of (i) a Federal Funds Rate plus one-half of one percent, (ii) Bank of America’s publicly announced “prime rate,” and (iii) the Eurodollar Rate plus one percent, plus the Applicable Rate which is based on our debt rating, or for Eurodollar Rate Loans, at the Eurodollar Rate equal to LIBOR plus the Applicable Rate. At December 31, 2017, there was no debt outstanding under the Facility.

Our mortgage banking segment is exposed to interest rate risk as it relates to its lending activities. The mortgage banking segment originates mortgage loans, which are sold through either optional or mandatory forward delivery contracts into the secondary markets. All of the mortgage banking segment’s loan portfolio is held for sale and subject to forward sale commitments. NVRM also sells all of its mortgages held for sale on a servicing released basis.

NVRM has available a mortgage Repurchase Agreement, which as of December 31, 2017 provided for loan repurchases up to $150,000 with an incremental commitment pursuant to which NVRM may from time to time request increases in the total commitment available under the agreement by up to $50,000 in the aggregate. The Repurchase Agreement is used to fund NVRM’s mortgage origination activities. Advances under the Repurchase Agreement carry a Pricing Rate based on the LIBOR Rate plus the LIBOR Margin, as determined under the Repurchase Agreement, provided that the Pricing Rate shall not be less than 2.125%. At December 31, 2017, there was no debt outstanding under the Repurchase Agreement.

The following table represents the contractual balances of our on-balance sheet financial instruments at the expected maturity dates, as well as the fair values of those on-balance sheet financial instruments at December 31, 2017. The expected maturity categories take into consideration the actual and anticipated amortization of principal and do not take into consideration the reinvestment of cash or the refinancing of existing indebtedness. Because we sell all of the mortgage loans we originate into the secondary markets, we have made the assumption that the portfolio of mortgage loans held for sale will mature in the first year.