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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003

For the Transition Period From                      to                     

Commission File Number 001-13533

NOVASTAR FINANCIAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (816) 237-7000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x    No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes x    No ¨

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of February 29, 2004 was approximately $1,310,178,823 as reported by the New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions on such date.

The number of shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on February 29, 2004 was 24,790,517.

Documents incorporated by reference

Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III are incorporated by reference to the NovaStar Financial, Inc. definitive proxy statement to shareholders, which will be filed with the Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2003.

Table of Contents

NOVASTAR FINANCIAL, INC.

FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

We are a Maryland corporation formed on September 13, 1996 as a specialty finance company that originates, invests in and services residential nonconforming loans. We operate through three separate but inter-related units—mortgage lending and loan servicing, mortgage portfolio management and branch operations. We offer a wide range of mortgage loan products to borrowers, commonly referred to as “nonconforming borrowers,” who generally do not satisfy the credit, collateral, documentation or other underwriting standards prescribed by conventional mortgage lenders and loan buyers, including government-sponsored entities such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. We retain significant interests in the nonconforming loans we originate through our mortgage securities investment portfolio. Through our servicing platform, we then service all of the loans we retain interests in, in order to better manage the credit performance of those loans.

We have elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Management believes the tax-advantaged structure of a REIT maximizes the after-tax returns from mortgage assets. We must meet numerous rules established by the Internal Revenue Service to retain our status as a REIT. In summary, they require us to:

As long as we maintain our REIT status, distributions to stockholders will generally be deductible by us for income tax purposes. This deduction effectively eliminates corporate level income taxes. Management believes it has and will continue to meet the requirements to maintain our REIT status.

Mortgage Portfolio Management

Earnings from our portfolio of mortgage loans and securities generate a substantial portion of our earnings. Gross interest income was $170.4 million, $107.1 million and $57.9 million in the three years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. Net interest income from the portfolio was $130.1 million, $79.4 million and $30.5 million in the three years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. See our discussion of interest income under the heading “Results of Operations” and “Net Interest Income”.

A significant risk to our operations, relating to our portfolio management, is the risk that interest rates on our assets will not adjust at the same times or amounts that rates on our liabilities adjust. Many of the loans in our portfolio have fixed rates of interest for a period of time ranging from 2 to 30 years. Our funding costs are generally not constant or fixed. We use derivative instruments to mitigate the risk of our cost of funding increasing or decreasing at a faster rate than the interest on the loans (both those on the balance sheet and those that serve as collateral for mortgage securities).

In certain circumstances, because we enter into interest rate agreements that do not meet the hedging criteria set forth in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, we are required to record the change in the value of derivatives as a component of earnings even though they may reduce our interest rate risk. In times where short-term rates drop significantly, the value of our agreements will decrease. As a result, we recognized losses on these derivatives of $30.8 million, $36.8 million and $4.0 million in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

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Mortgage Lending and Loan Servicing

The mortgage lending operation is significant to our financial results as it produces the loans that ultimately collateralize the mortgage securities that we hold in our portfolio. During 2003, we originated $5.3 billion in nonconforming mortgage loans, the majority of which were retained in our servicing portfolio and serve as collateral for our securities. The loans we originate are sold, either in securitization transactions or in outright sales to third parties. We recognized gains on sales of mortgage assets totaling $144.0 million, $53.3 million and $37.3 million during the three years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. In securitization transactions accounted for as sales, we retain interest-only, prepayment penalty, overcollateralization and other subordinated securities, along with the right to service the loans.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, NovaStar Mortgage, Inc., or NovaStar Mortgage, originates primarily nonconforming, single-family residential mortgage loans. In our nonconforming lending operations, we lend to individuals who generally do not qualify for agency/conventional lending programs because of a lack of available documentation or previous credit difficulties. These types of borrowers are generally willing to pay higher mortgage loan origination fees and interest rates than those charged by conventional lending sources. Because these borrowers typically use the proceeds of the mortgage loans to consolidate debt and to finance home improvements, education and other consumer needs, loan volume is generally less dependent on general levels of interest rates or home sales and therefore less cyclical than conventional mortgage lending.

We have developed a nationwide network of wholesale loan brokers and mortgage lenders who submit mortgage loans to us. Except for NovaStar Home Mortgage brokers described below, these brokers and mortgage lenders are independent from any of the NovaStar entities. Our sales force, which includes 281 account executives in 39 states, develops and maintains relationships with this network of independent retail brokers. As of December 31, 2003, approximately 5,800 brokers are active customers and approximately 13,000 are approved customers.

We underwrite, process, fund and service the nonconforming mortgage loans sourced through our broker network in centralized facilities. Further details regarding the loan originations are discussed under the “Mortgage Loans” section of “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

A significant risk to our mortgage lending operations is liquidity risk – the risk that we will not have financing facilities and cash available to fund and hold loans prior to their sale or securitization. We maintain committed lending facilities with large banking and investment institutions to reduce this risk. On a short-term basis, we finance mortgage loans using warehouse lines of credit and repurchase agreements. In addition, we have access to facilities secured by our mortgage securities. Details regarding available financing arrangements and amounts outstanding under those arrangements are included in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements.

For long-term financing, we fund our mortgage loans using asset-backed bonds (ABB). Primary bonds – AAA through BBB rated – are issued to the public. We retain the interest only, prepayment penalty, overcollateralization and other subordinated bonds. We also retain the right to service the loans. Prior to 1999, our ABB transactions were executed and designed to meet accounting rules that resulted in securitizations being treated as financing transactions. The mortgage loans and related debt continue to be presented on our consolidated balance sheets, and no gain was recorded. Beginning in 1999, our securitization transactions have been structured to qualify as sales for accounting and income tax purposes. The loans and related bond liability are not recorded in our consolidated financial statements. We do, however, record the value of the securities and servicing rights we retain. Details regarding ABBs we issued can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in Notes 3 and 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Loan servicing remains a critical part of our business operation. In the opinion of management, maintaining contact with our borrowers is critical in managing credit risk and in borrower retention. Nonconforming borrowers are more prone to late payments and are more likely to default on their obligations than conventional borrowers. By servicing our loans, we strive to identify problems with borrowers early and take quick action to address problems. Borrowers may be motivated to refinance their mortgage loans either by improving their personal credit or due to a decrease in interest rates. By keeping in close touch with borrowers, we can provide them with information about company products to encourage them to refinance with us. Mortgage servicing yields fee income for us in the form of normal customer service and processing fees. We recognized $21.1 million, $10.0 million and $4.9 million in loan servicing fee income from the securitization trusts during the three years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. See also “Mortgage Loan Servicing” under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for further discussion and analysis of the servicing operations.

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Branch Operations

In 1999, we opened our retail mortgage broker business operating under the name NovaStar Home Mortgage, Inc., or NovaStar Home Mortgage. Branch offices offer conforming and nonconforming loans to potential borrowers. Loans are brokered for approved investors, including NovaStar Mortgage. The branches must adhere to a strict set of established policies regarding their operations. Net income of the branch is returned to the branch “owner/manager.” We provide administrative functions, including accounting, payroll and human resources, loan investor management and license management services for each branch under separate contractual agreements and we receive a fee for providing these services. As of December 31, 2003 we had 432 active branches in 39 states as compared to 216 active branches in 35 states as of December 31, 2002.

The branch business provides an additional source for mortgage loan originations that, in most cases, we will eventually sell, either in securitizations or in outright sales to third parties. During 2003 and 2002, our branches brokered $6.4 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, in loans, of which we funded $1.2 billion and $376 million, respectively, in nonconforming loans. While the branches are not required to use NovaStar Mortgage as their nonconforming lender, they more often choose NovaStar Mortgage over external lenders. We believe the branch personnel will use NovaStar Mortgage so long as NovaStar Mortgage offers a competitive loan product and quality customer service. NovaStar Mortgage is the lender for a significantly higher percent of nonconforming loans initially brokered by the branches as compared to loans brokered by independent retailers.

Following is a diagram of the nonconforming industry in which we operate and our loan production during 2003 (in thousands).

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Market in Which NovaStar Operates and Competes

We face intense competition in the business of originating, purchasing, selling and securitizing mortgage loans. The number of market participants is believed to be well in excess of 100 companies who originate nonconforming loans. No single participant holds a dominant share of the lending market. We compete for borrowers with consumer finance companies, conventional mortgage bankers, commercial banks, credit unions, thrift institutions and other independent wholesale mortgage lenders. Our principal competition in the business of holding mortgage loans and mortgage securities are life insurance companies, institutional investors such as mutual funds and pension funds, other well-capitalized publicly-owned mortgage lenders and certain other mortgage acquisition companies structured as REITs. Many of these competitors are substantially larger than we are and have considerably greater financial resources than we do.

Competition among industry participants can take many forms, including convenience in obtaining a loan, amount and term of the loan, customer service, marketing/distribution channels, loan origination fees and interest rates. To the extent any competitor significantly expands their activities in the nonconforming and subprime market, we could be materially adversely affected.

One of our key competitive strengths is our employees and the level of service they are able to provide our borrowers. We service our nonconforming loans and, in doing so, we are able to stay in close contact with our borrowers and identify potential problems early.

Another key competitive strength is our branch operation. While the branches are free to broker loans for any approved investor, frequently NovaStar Mortgage is the lender for the branch loans. During 2003, the branches brokered $6.4 billion in residential mortgage loans.

We also believe we compete successfully due to our:

Risk Management

Management recognizes the following primary risks associated with the business and industry in which it operates.

Interest Rate/Market Risk

Our investment policy sets the following general goals:

Loan Price Volatility. Under our current mode of operation, we depend heavily on the market for wholesale nonconforming mortgage loans. To conserve capital, we may sell loans we originate. Financial results will depend, in part, on the ability to find purchasers for the loans at prices that cover origination expenses. Exposure to loan price volatility is reduced as we acquire and retain mortgage loans.

Interest Rate Risk. When interest rates on our assets do not adjust at the same rates as our liabilities or when the assets have fixed rates and the liabilities are adjusting, future earnings potential is affected. We express this interest rate risk as the risk that the market value of assets will increase or decrease at different rates than that of the liabilities. Expressed another way, this is the risk that net asset value will experience an adverse change when interest rates change. We assess the risk based on the change in market values given increases and decreases in interest rates. We also assess the risk based on the impact to net income in changing interest rate environments.

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Management primarily uses financing sources where the interest rate resets frequently. As of December 31, 2003, borrowings under all financing arrangements adjust daily or monthly. On the other hand, very few of the mortgage assets we own adjust on a monthly or daily basis. Most of the mortgage loans contain features where their rates are fixed for some period of time and then adjust frequently thereafter. For example, one of our loan products is the “2/28” loan. This loan is fixed for its first two years and then adjusts every six months thereafter.

While short-term borrowing rates are low and long-term asset rates are high, this portfolio structure produces good results. However, if short-term interest rates rise rapidly, earning potential is significantly affected, as the asset rate resets would lag the borrowing rate resets.

Interest Rate Sensitivity Analysis. To assess interest sensitivity as an indication of exposure to interest rate risk, management relies on models of financial information in a variety of interest rate scenarios. Using these models, the fair value and interest rate sensitivity of each financial instrument, or groups of similar instruments is estimated, and then aggregated to form a comprehensive picture of the risk characteristics of the balance sheet. The risks are analyzed on both an income and market value basis. The following are summaries of the analysis.

Interest Rate Sensitivity - Income

(dollars in thousands)

Interest Rate Sensitivity - Market Value

(dollars in thousands)

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The values under the headings “100”, “200”, “(100)” and “(200)” are management’s estimates of the income and change in market value of those same assets, liabilities and interest rate agreements assuming that interest rates were 100 and 200 basis points, or 1 and 2 percent higher and lower. The cumulative change in income or market value represents the change in income or market value of assets, net of the change in income or market value of liabilities and interest rate agreements.

Hedging. In order to address a mismatch of assets and liabilities, the hedging section of the investment policy is followed, as approved by the Board. Specifically, the interest rate risk management program is formulated with the intent to offset the potential adverse effects resulting from rate adjustment limitations on mortgage assets and the differences between interest rate adjustment indices and interest rate adjustment periods of adjustable-rate mortgage loans and related borrowings.

We use interest rate cap and swap contracts to mitigate the risk of the cost of variable rate liabilities increasing at a faster rate than the earnings on assets during a period of rising rates. In this way, management intends generally to hedge as much of the interest rate risk as determined to be in our best interest, given the cost of hedging transactions and the need to maintain REIT status.

We seek to build a balance sheet and undertake an interest rate risk management program that is likely, in management’s view, to enable us to maintain an equity liquidation value sufficient to maintain operations given a variety of potentially adverse circumstances. Accordingly, the hedging program addresses both income preservation, as discussed in the first part of this section, and capital preservation concerns.

Interest rate cap agreements are legal contracts between us and a third party firm or “counterparty”. The counterparty agrees to make payments to us in the future should the one- or three-month LIBOR interest rate rise above the strike rate specified in the contract. We make either quarterly premium payments or have chosen to pay the premiums at the beginning to the counterparties under contract. Each contract has either a fixed or amortizing notional face amount on which the interest is computed, and a set term to maturity. When the referenced LIBOR interest rate rises above the contractual strike rate, we earn cap income. Payments on an annualized basis equal the contractual notional face amount times the difference between actual LIBOR and the strike rate. Interest rate swaps have similar characteristics. However, interest rate swap agreements allow us to pay a fixed rate of interest while receiving a rate that adjusts with one-month LIBOR.

The following table summarizes the key contractual terms associated with our interest rate risk management contracts. Substantially all of the pay-fixed swaps and interest rate caps are indexed to one-month and three-month LIBOR.

We have determined the following estimated net fair value amounts by using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies as of December 31, 2003.

Interest Rate Risk Management Contracts

(dollars in thousands)

Liquidity/Funding Risk

See the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of liquidity risks and resources available to us.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk that we will not fully collect the principal we have invested in mortgage loans or securities. Nonconforming mortgage loans comprise substantially our entire mortgage loan portfolio and serve as

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collateral for our mortgage securities. Our nonconforming borrowers include individuals who do not qualify for agency/conventional lending programs because of a lack of conventional documentation or previous credit difficulties, but have considerable equity in their homes. Often, they are individuals or families who have built up high-rate consumer debt and are attempting to use the equity in their home to consolidate debt and reduce the amount of money it takes to service their monthly debt obligations. Our underwriting guidelines are intended to evaluate the credit history of the potential borrower, the capacity and willingness of the borrower to repay the loan, and the adequacy of the collateral securing the loan.

Underwriting staff work under the credit policies established by our Chief Credit Officer. Underwriters are given approval authority only after their work has been reviewed for a period of at least two weeks. Thereafter, the Chief Credit Officer re-evaluates the authority levels of all underwriting personnel on an ongoing basis. All loans in excess of $350,000 currently require the approval of an underwriting supervisor. Our Chief Credit Officer or our President must approve loans in excess of $500,000.

The underwriting guidelines take into consideration the number of times the potential borrower has recently been late on a mortgage payment and whether that payment was 30, 60 or 90 days past due. Factors such as FICO score, bankruptcy and foreclosure fillings, debt-to-income ratio, and loan-to-value ratio are also considered. The credit grade that is assigned to the borrower is a reflection of the borrower’s historical credit and the loan-to-value determined by the amount of documentation the borrower could produce to support income. Maximum loan-to-value ratios for each credit grade depend on the level of income documentation provided by the potential borrower. In some instances, when the borrower exhibits strong compensating factors, exceptions to the underwriting guidelines may be approved.

Key to our successful underwriting process is the use of NovaStarIS^®. NovaStarIS^® is the second generation of our proprietary automated underwriting system. IS provides more consistency in underwriting loans and allows underwriting personnel to focus more of their time on loans that are not initially accepted by the IS system.

Our mortgage loan portfolio by credit grade, all of which are nonconforming can be accessed via our website at www.novastarmortgage.com.

A tool for managing credit risk is to diversify the markets in which we originate and own mortgage loans. Presented via our website at www.novastarmortgage.com is a breakdown of the geographic diversification of our loans. Detail regarding loans charged off are disclosed in Note 2 to the “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.

We have purchased mortgage insurance on many of the loans that are held in our portfolio – on the balance sheet and those that serve as collateral for our mortgage securities. Our mortgage insurance provides for coverage to a loan-to-value of 50-55%, which serves to substantially limit our exposure to credit risk. The use of mortgage insurance is discussed under “Premiums for Mortgage Loan Insurance” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

Prepayment Risk

Generally speaking, when market interest rates decline, borrowers are more likely to refinance their mortgages. The higher the interest rate a borrower currently has on his or her mortgage the more incentive he or she has to refinance the mortgage when rates decline. In addition, the higher the credit grade, the more incentive there is to refinance when credit ratings improve. When a borrower has a low loan-to-value ratio, he or she is more likely to do a “cash-out” refinance. Each of these factors increases the chance for higher prepayment speeds during the term of the loan.

The majority of our securities are “interest-only” in nature. These securities represent the net cash flow – interest income – on the underlying loans in excess of the cost to finance the loans. When borrowers repay the principal on their mortgage loans early, the effect is to shorten the period over which interest is earned, and therefore, reduce the cash flow and yield on our securities.

We mitigate prepayment risk by originating loans that are originated with a penalty if the borrower repays the loan in the early months of the loan’s life. For the majority of our loans, a prepayment penalty is charged equal to 80% of six months interest on the principal balance that is to be paid in full. As of December 31, 2003, 65% of our loans had a prepayment penalty. Of the loans that serve as collateral for our mortgage securities, 74% had prepayment penalties as of December 31, 2003. During 2003, 77% of the loans we originated had prepayment penalties.

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Other Risk Factors

Although management considers the risk components set forth above to be its primary business risks, the following are other risks that should be considered by our investors. Further information regarding these risks is included in our registration statements filed with the Commission.

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Federal Income Tax Consequences

General. We believe we have complied, and intend to comply in the future, with the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code. To the extent that we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the amount of income or gain that is distributed to shareholders. However, origination and broker operations are conducted through NovaStar Mortgage and NovaStar Home Mortgage, which are owned by NFI Holding – a taxable REIT subsidiary (TRS). Consequently, all of the taxable income of NFI Holding is subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. In general, a TRS may hold assets that a REIT cannot hold directly and generally may engage in any real estate or non-real estate related business. However, special rules do apply to certain activities between a REIT and its TRS. For example, a TRS

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will be subject to earnings stripping limitations on the deductibility of interest paid to its REIT. In addition, a REIT will be subject to a 100% excise tax on certain excess amounts to ensure that (i) tenants who pay a TRS for services are charged an arm’s-length amount by the TRS, (ii) fees paid to a REIT by its TRS are reflected at fair market value and (iii) interest paid by a TRS to its REIT is commercially reasonable.

The REIT rules generally require that a REIT invest primarily in real estate related assets, its activities be passive rather than active and it distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income. We could be subject to a number of taxes if we failed to satisfy those rules or if we acquired certain types of income-producing real property through foreclosure. Although no complete assurance can be given, we do not expect that we will be subject to material amounts of such taxes.

Failure to satisfy certain Code requirements could cause loss of REIT status. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for any taxable year, we would be subject to federal income tax (including any applicable minimum tax) at regular corporate rates and would not receive deductions for dividends paid to shareholders. As a result, the amount of after-tax earnings available for distribution to shareholders would decrease substantially. While we intend to operate in a manner that will enable it to qualify as a REIT in future taxable years, there can be no certainty that such intention will be realized. Loss of REIT status would reduce the amount of any distributions by taxes due, but the character of such distributions for tax purposes should be unaffected.

Qualification as a REIT. Qualification as a REIT requires that we satisfy a variety of tests relating to income, assets, distributions and ownership. The significant tests are summarized below. We will make available more detailed information regarding our compliance with the REIT rules upon request.

Sources of Income. We must satisfy two tests with respect to the sources of income: the 75% income test, and the 95% income test. The 75% income test requires that we derive at least 75% of gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, from certain real estate-related sources. In order to satisfy the 95% income test, at least an additional 20% of gross income for the taxable year must consist either of income that qualifies under the 75% income test or dividends and interest. Management believes that income qualified for both of the income tests during 2003.

Nature and Diversification of Assets. As of the last day of each calendar quarter, we must meet four asset tests. Under the 75% of assets test, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must represent cash or cash items (including receivables), government securities or real estate assets. Securities of the TRS do constitute non-real estate assets for purposes of the 75% test. Under the 10% asset test, we may not own more than 10% of the outstanding securities of any single non-governmental issuer, if these securities do not qualify under the 75% asset test. There is an exception for electing corporations of which we own at least 35% of the outstanding securities. We intend to make this election. Under the 5% asset test, ownership of any stocks or securities that do not qualify under the 75% asset test must be limited, in respect of any single non-governmental issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of our total assets. Under the 20% asset test, no more than 20% of our total assets can consist of securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. The definition of security for this purpose includes financial contracts and instruments that we acquire in the normal course of business.

If we inadvertently fail to satisfy one or more of the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, such failure would not cause us to lose our REIT status. We still could avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which the discrepancy arose. Management believes that we complied with the asset tests for all quarters during 2003.

Ownership of Common Stock. Our capital stock must be held by a minimum of 100 persons for at least 335 days of each year. In addition, at all times during the second half of each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of our capital stock may be owned directly or indirectly by 5 or fewer individuals. We use the calendar year as our taxable year for income tax purposes. The Code requires us to send annual information questionnaires to specified shareholders in order to assure compliance with the ownership tests. Management believes that we have complied with these stock ownership tests for 2003.

Distributions. We must distribute at least 90% of our taxable income and any after-tax net income from certain types of foreclosure property less any non-cash income. No distributions are required in periods in which there is no income.

Taxable Income. We use the calendar year for both tax and financial reporting purposes. However, there may be differences between taxable income and income computed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). These differences primarily arise from timing and character differences in the recognition of revenue and expense and gains and losses for tax and GAAP purposes. Additionally, taxable income does not include the taxable income of our taxable subsidiary, although the subsidiary’s operating results are included in our GAAP results.

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Personnel

As of December 31, 2003, we employed 1,476 people. Of these, 1,363 were employed in our mortgage lending and servicing operations and the remainder in our portfolio management and branch administrative functions. Our branches employed 3,122 people as of December 31, 2003.

Item 2. Properties

Our executive, administrative and loan servicing offices are located in Kansas City, Missouri, and consist of approximately 129,000 square feet of leased office space. The lease agreements on the premises expire in February 2009. The current annual rent for these offices is approximately $2.6 million.

We lease office space for our mortgage lending operations in Orange County, California, Independence, Ohio, Troy, Michigan, Columbia, Maryland and Vienna, Virginia. Currently, these offices consist of approximately 189,000 square feet. The leases on the premises expire from April 2005 through September 2010, and the current annual rent is approximately $2.8 million.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

We occasionally become involved in litigation arising in the normal course of business. Management believes that any liability with respect to such legal actions, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position or results of operations.

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

None

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

a. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

The common stock of NovaStar Financial is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “NFI”. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low sales prices per share of common stock on the NYSE and the cash dividends paid or payable per share of capital stock.

As of February 29, 2004, approximately 22,000 stockholders held our 24,790,517 shares of common stock as provided by third party brokers and transfer agent reports.

We intend to make distributions to stockholders of all or substantially all of taxable income in each year, subject to certain adjustments, so as to qualify for the tax benefits accorded to a REIT under the Code. All distributions will be made at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on earnings, financial condition, maintenance of REIT status and other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant.

b. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

c. Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer

None.

d. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission

A copy of the filings we have made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may be obtained on our website (www.novastarmortgage.com), through the website of the SEC (www.sec.gov) or by contacting us directly. Our investor relations contact information follows.

Investor Relations

8140 Ward Parkway, Suite 300

Kansas City, MO 64114

816.237.7000

Email: ir@novastar1.com

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated financial data is derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the periods presented and should be read in conjunction with the more detailed information therein and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this annual report. Operating results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data

(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of NovaStar Financial and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this report.

Safe Harbor Statement

“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this discussion regarding NovaStar Financial, Inc. and its business, which are not historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. Certain matters discussed in this report may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that inherently include certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the time of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, fluctuations in interest rates, fluctuations in prepayment speeds, fluctuations in losses due to defaults on mortgage loans, the availability of nonconforming residential mortgage loans, the availability and access to financing and liquidity resources, and other risk factors previously outlined in this annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003. Other factors not presently identified may also cause actual results to differ. Management continuously updates and revises these estimates and assumptions based on actual conditions experienced. It is not practicable to publish all revisions and, as a result, no one should assume that results projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements will continue to be accurate in the future.

Overview of Performance

During 2003, we reported net income of $112.0 million, or $4.91 per diluted share, as compared to $48.8 million, or $2.25 per diluted share in 2002. Our earnings were driven largely by the income generated by our mortgage securities portfolio, which increased from $178.9 million as of December 31, 2002 to $382.3 million as of December 31, 2003. These securities are retained in securitizations of the mortgage loans we originate. We securitized $5.3 billion of mortgage loans in 2003 as compared to $1.6 billion in 2002. The increased volume of mortgage loans we securitized is directly attributable to the increase in our loan origination volume. During 2003 and 2002, we originated $5.3 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively, in nonconforming, residential mortgage loans. We increased our loan production through adding sales personnel and branch offices primarily in new and underserved markets.

Summary of Operations and Key Performance Measurements

Virtually all of our net income is generated from our mortgage securities portfolio, which is generated from the securitization of nonconforming loans we have originated. These mortgage securities represent the right to receive the net future cash flows from a pool of nonconforming loans. Generally speaking, the more nonconforming loans we originate, the larger our securities portfolio and, therefore, the greater earnings potential. As a result, earnings are largely dependent on the volume of nonconforming loans and related performance factors for those loans, including their average coupon, borrower default and borrower prepayment. Information regarding our lending volume is presented under the heading “Mortgage Loans.”

The primary function of our mortgage lending operations is to generate nonconforming loans, the majority of which will serve as collateral for our mortgage securities. While our mortgage lending operations generate sizable revenues in the form of gains on sales of mortgage loans and fee income from borrowers, the revenue serves largely to offset the related costs.

We also service the mortgage loans we originate and that serve as collateral for our mortgage securities. The servicing function is critical to the management of credit risk (risk of borrower default and the related economic loss) within in our mortgage portfolio. Again, while this operation generates significant fee revenue, its revenue serves largely to offset the cost of this function.

The key performance measures for management are:

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, along with other portions of this report, are designed to provide information regarding our performance and these key performance measures.

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Known Material Trends

Over the last ten years, the nonconforming lending market has grown by approximately $265 billion to a market of approximately $290 billion in 2003 as estimated by the National Mortgage News. A significant portion of these loans are made to borrowers who are using equity in their primary residence to consolidate low-balance, installment or consumer debt. Additionally, this market has been very stable and growing through all interest rate environments, meaning that while interest rates have increased and decreased dramatically over that period, the base market for nonconforming loans has not increased or decreased in relationship to interest rates. Management estimates that NovaStar has a 2-3% market share. While management cannot predict consumer spending and borrowing habits, historical trends indicate that the market in which we operate is relatively stable and growing.

We depend on the capital markets to finance the mortgage loans we originate. The primary bonds we issue in our loan securitizations are sold to large, institutional investors. In the short-term, we finance our mortgage loans using “warehouse” lines of credit provided by commercial and investment banks. The equity marketplace provides capital to operate our business. The trend has been favorable in the capital markets for the types of securitization transactions we execute. Investor appetite for the bonds created has been strong. Additionally, commercial and investment banks have provided significant liquidity to finance our mortgage lending operations through warehouse facilities. While management cannot predict the future liquidity environment, we are unaware of any material reason to prevent continued liquidity support in the capital markets for our business. See the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for further discussion of liquidity risks and resources available to us.

Within the past year, the mortgage REIT industry has seen a significant increase in the desire for raising public capital. Additionally, there have been several new entrants to the mortgage REIT business and other mortgage lender conversions (or proposed conversions) to REIT status. This increased activity may impact the pricing and underwriting guidelines within the nonconforming marketplace. We have not changed our guidelines or pricing in response to this activity nor do we have any plans to make such changes.

The net interest margin between the coupon on the mortgage loans and the cost of funding, largely tied to one-month LIBOR, provides the cash flow and yield on our mortgage securities. Generally, when short-term rates fall, our cash flow and yield is higher. During 2001 and 2002, short-term rates fell dramatically, which correspondingly increased our cash flow and yield. As mortgage interest rates leveled-off in 2003, the spread on our mortgage securities has returned to expected or normal levels. Additionally, in 2002 we began transferring interest rate agreements, at the time of securitization, into the securitization trusts to help reduce interest rate risk. While the interest rate agreements served to decrease the yield in 2003, they are expected to decrease the volatility of the future cash flows on our mortgage securities. As a result, future interest income on our mortgage securities is expected to be less volatile. We expect the cash flow and yield to continue to be at these normalized levels. On the other hand, the increased loan origination, leading to a larger securities portfolio, will compensate for the decreased yield. See “Net Interest Income” under the “Results of Operations” section for further discussion and analysis of our mortgage asset yields.

State and local governing bodies are focused on the nonconforming lending business and the fees borrowers incur in obtaining a mortgage loan – generally termed “predatory lending” within the mortgage industry. In several instances, states or local governing bodies have imposed strict laws on lenders to curb predatory lending. To date, these laws have had an insignificant impact on our business. We have capped fee structures consistent with those adopted by federal mortgage agencies and have implemented rigid processes to ensure that our lending practices are not predatory in nature.

Significance of Estimates and Critical Accounting Policies

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and, therefore, are required to make estimates regarding the values of our assets and liabilities and in recording income and expenses. These estimates are based, in part, on our judgment and assumptions regarding various economic conditions that we believe are reasonable based on facts and circumstances existing at the time of reporting. The results of these estimates affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities and accumulated other comprehensive income at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of income, expenses and other comprehensive income during the periods presented. The following summarizes the components of our consolidated financial statements where understanding accounting policies is critical to understanding and evaluating our reported financial results, especially given the significant estimates used in applying the policies. The discussion is intended to demonstrate the significance of estimates to our financial statements and the related accounting policies. Detailed accounting policies are provided in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements. Our critical accounting estimates impact only two of our three reportable segments; our mortgage portfolio management and mortgage lending and loan servicing segments. Management has

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discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting estimates with the audit committee of our board of directors and the audit committee has reviewed our disclosure.

Transfers of Assets (Loan and Mortgage Security Securitizations) and Related Gains. In a loan securitization, we combine the mortgage loans we originate in pools to serve as collateral for asset-backed bonds that are issued to the public. In a mortgage security securitization (also known as a “Resecuritization”), we combine mortgage securities retained in previous loan securitization transactions to serve as collateral for asset-backed bonds that are issued to the public. The loans or mortgage securities are transferred to a trust designed to serve only for the purpose of holding the collateral. The trust is considered a qualifying special purpose entity as defined by SFAS No. 140, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities – a replacement of FASB Statement No. 125. The owners of the asset-backed bonds have no recourse to us in the event the collateral does not perform as planned.

In order for us to determine proper accounting treatment for each securitization or resecuritization, we evaluate whether or not we have retained or surrendered control over the transferred assets by reference to the conditions set forth in SFAS No. 140. All terms of these transactions are evaluated against the conditions set forth in these statements. Some of the questions that must be considered include:

Generally, we intend to structure our securitizations so that control over the collateral is transferred and the transfer is accounted for as a sale. For resecuritizations, we intend to structure these transactions to be accounted for as secured borrowings.

When these transfers are executed in a manner such that we have surrendered control over the collateral, the transfer is accounted for as a sale. In accordance with SFAS No. 140, a gain or loss on the sale is recognized based on the carrying amount of the financial assets involved in the transfer, allocated between the assets transferred and the retained interests based on their relative fair value at the date of transfer. In a loan securitization, we do retain the right to service the underlying mortgage loans and we also retain certain mortgage securities issued by the trust (see Mortgage Securities below). In a resecuritization, we retain an interest in a subordinated security that represents the right to receive the cash flows on the underlying mortgage security collateral after the senior bonds have been satisfied. As previously discussed, the gain recognized upon securitization (or resecuritization) depends on, among other things, the estimated fair value of the components of the securitization (or resecuritization) – the loans or mortgage securities transferred, the securities retained and the mortgage servicing rights. The estimated fair value of the securitization (or resecuritization) components is considered a “critical accounting estimate” as 1) these gains or losses represent a significant portion of our operating results and 2) the valuation assumptions used regarding economic conditions and the make-up of the collateral, including interest rates, principal payments, prepayments and loan defaults are highly uncertain and require a large degree of judgment.

We believe the best estimate of the initial value of the securities we retain in a whole loan securitization is derived from the market value of the pooled loans. The initial value of the loans is estimated based on the expected open market sales price of a similar pool. We occasionally accept bids on our whole loans in order to test the market price. In open market transactions, the purchaser has the right to reject loans at its discretion. In a loan securitization, loans cannot generally be rejected. As a result, we adjust the market price for the loans to compensate for the estimated value of rejected loans. The market price of the securities retained is derived by deducting the percent of net proceeds received in the securitization (i.e. the economic value of the loans transferred) from the estimated adjusted market price for the entire pool of the loans.

An implied yield (discount rate) is calculated based on the initial value derived above and using projected cash flows generated using assumptions for prepayments, expected credit losses and interest rates. We ensure the resulting implied yield is commensurate with current market conditions. Additionally, this yield serves as the initial accretable yield used to recognize income on the securities.

For purposes of valuing our mortgage securities, it is important to know that in recent securitization transactions we not only have transferred loans to the trust, but we have also transferred interest rate agreements to the trust with the objective of reducing interest rate risk within the trust. During the period before loans are transferred in a securitization transaction, as discussed under “Net Interest Income”, “Interest Rate/Market Risk” and “Hedging”, we enter into interest rate swap or cap agreements to reduce interest rate risk. We use interest rate cap and swap contracts to mitigate the risk of the cost of variable rate liabilities increasing at a faster rate than the earnings on assets during a period of rising rates. Certain interest rate agreements are then transferred into the trust at the time of securitization. The trust assumes the interest rate agreements and, therefore, the trust assumes the obligation to make payments and obtains the right to receive payments under these agreements.

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In valuing our mortgage securities it is also important to understand what portion of the underlying mortgage loan collateral is covered by mortgage insurance. The cost of the insurance is paid by the trust from proceeds the trust receives from the underlying collateral. The trust legally assumes the responsibility to pay the mortgage insurance premiums and the rights to receive claims for credit losses. Therefore, we have no obligation to pay these insurance premiums. This information is significant for valuation as the mortgage insurance significantly reduces the credit losses born by the owner of the loan. We discuss mortgage insurance premiums under the heading “Premiums for Mortgage Loan Insurance”.

The weighted average whole loan market price used in the initial valuation of our retained securities was 103.71 and 103.49 during 2003 and 2002, respectively. The weighted average implied discount rate for the twelve months ended December 31, 2003 and 2002 was 22% and 21%, respectively. If the whole loan market price used in the initial valuation of our mortgage securities in 2003 had been increased or decreased by 50 basis points, the initial value of our mortgage securities and the gain we recognized would have increased or decreased by $26.6 million.

Information regarding the assumptions we used is discussed under “Mortgage Securities” in the following discussion.

When we do have the ability to exert control over the transferred collateral, the assets remain on our financial records and a liability is recorded for the related asset-backed bonds.

Mortgage Securities. Our mortgage securities represent beneficial interests we retain in securitization transactions. The beneficial interests we retain in securitization transactions primarily consist of the right to receive the future cash flows from a pool of securitized mortgage loans which include:

The beneficial interests we retain in resecuritization transactions represent the right to receive the remaining cash flows from the underlying mortgage security collateral after the obligations to outside bondholders have been satisfied.

The cash flows we receive are highly dependent upon the interest rate environment. The cost of financing for the securitized loans is indexed to short-term interest rates, while the loan coupons are less interest sensitive. As a result, as rates rise and fall, our cash flows will fall and rise, which in turn will decrease or increase the value of our mortgage securities. Additionally, the cash flows we receive are dependent on the default and prepayment experience of the borrowers in underlying mortgage security collateral. Increasing or decreasing cash flows will increase or decrease the yield on our securities.

We believe the accounting estimates related to the valuation of our mortgage securities and establishing the rate of income recognition on mortgage securities are “critical accounting estimates” because they can materially affect net income and stockholders’ equity and require us to forecast interest rates, mortgage principal payments, prepayments and loan default assumptions which are highly uncertain and require a large degree of judgment. The rate used to discount the projected cash flows is also critical in the valuation of our mortgage securities. We use internal, historical collateral performance data and published forward yield curves when modeling future expected cash flows and establishing the rate of income recognized on mortgage securities. We believe the value of our mortgage securities is fair, but can provide no assurance that future prepayment and loss experience or changes in their required market discount rate will not require write-downs of the residual assets. Write-downs would reduce income of future periods.

We estimate fair value for the securities we retain in a resecuritization transaction based on the present value of future expected cash flows estimated using management’s best estimate of the key assumptions, including credit losses, prepayment speeds, forward yield curves, and discount rates commensurate with the risks involved.

As payments are received they are applied to the cost basis of the mortgage related security. Each period, the accretable yield for each mortgage security is evaluated and, to the extent there has been a change in the estimated cash flows, it is adjusted and applied prospectively. The estimated cash flows change as management’s assumptions for credit losses, borrower prepayments and interest rates are updated. The assumptions are established using internally developed models. We prepare analyses of the yield for each security using a range of these assumptions. The accretable yield used in recording interest income is generally set within a range of base assumptions. The accretable yield is recorded as interest income with a corresponding increase to the cost basis of the mortgage security.

At each reporting period subsequent to the initial valuation of the retained securities, the fair value of mortgage securities is estimated based on the present value of future expected cash flows to be received. Management’s best estimate of key assumptions, including credit losses, prepayment speeds, the market discount rates and forward yield curves commensurate with the risks involved, are used in estimating future cash flows. To the extent that the cost basis of mortgage securities exceeds the fair value and the unrealized loss is considered to be other than temporary, an impairment charge is recognized and the amount recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss is reclassified to earnings as a realized loss.

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During 2003, our average security yield has decreased to 34.3% for the year ended December 31, 2003 from 42.7% for the same period of 2002. This decrease is a result in the decline in loan coupon rates of the underlying collateral of our newer securities compared with our older securities. Also contributing to the decrease in yield is the fact that in 2002 we began transferring interest rate agreements, at the time of securitization, into the securitization trusts to help reduce interest rate risk. While the interest rate agreements served to decrease the yield in 2003, they are expected to decrease the volatility of the future cash flows on our mortgage securities. As a result, future interest income on our mortgage securities is expected to be less volatile. Mortgage securities income has increased from $56.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2002 to $98.8 million for the same period of 2003 due to the increase in the average balance of our securities portfolio. If the rates used to accrue income on our mortgage securities during 2003 had been increased or decreased by 10%, net income during the twelve months ended 2003 would have increased by $19.5 million and decreased by $20.6 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, the weighted average discount rate used in valuing our mortgage securities was 22% and 21%, respectively. The weighted-average constant prepayment rate used in valuing our mortgage securities as of December 31, 2003 was 29 versus 46 as of December 31, 2002. If the discount rate used in valuing our mortgage securities as of December 31, 2003 had been increased by 500 basis points, the value of our mortgage securities would have decreased by $22.0 million. If we had decreased the discount rate used in valuing our mortgage securities by 500 basis points, the value of our mortgage securities would have increased by $25.0 million.

Mortgage Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses. Mortgage loans held-for-sale are recorded at the lower of cost or market determined on an aggregate basis. Mortgage loan origination fees and direct mortgage loan origination costs on mortgage loans held-for-sale are deferred until the related loans are sold. Mortgage loans held-in-portfolio are recorded at their cost, adjusted for the amortization of net deferred costs and for credit losses inherent in the portfolio. Mortgage loan origination fees and associated direct mortgage loan origination costs on mortgage loans held-in-portfolio are deferred and recognized over the life of the loan as an adjustment to yield using the level yield method. An allowance for credit losses is maintained for mortgage loans held-in-portfolio.

The allowance for credit losses on mortgage loans held-in-portfolio, and therefore the related adjustment to income, is based on the assessment by management of various factors affecting our mortgage loan portfolio, including current economic conditions, the makeup of the portfolio based on credit grade, loan-to-value, delinquency status, mortgage insurance we purchase and other relevant factors. The allowance is maintained through ongoing adjustments to operating income. The assumptions used by management regarding key economic indicators are highly uncertain and involve a great deal of judgment.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. Our objective and strategy for using derivative instruments is to mitigate the risk of increased costs on our variable rate liabilities during a period of rising rates (i.e. interest rate risk). Our primary goals for managing interest rate risk are to maintain the net interest margin between our assets and liabilities and diminish the effect of changes in general interest rate levels on the market value of the Company. We primarily enter into interest rate swap agreements and interest rate cap agreements to manage our sensitivity to changes in market interest rates. The interest rate agreements we use have an active secondary market, and none are obtained for a speculative nature, for instance, trading. These interest rate agreements are intended to provide income and cash flows to offset potential reduced net interest income and cash flows under certain interest rate environments. The determination of effectiveness is the primary assumption and estimate used in hedging. At trade date, these instruments and their hedging relationship are identified, designated and documented.

SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (as amended), standardizes the accounting for derivative instruments, including certain instruments embedded in other contracts, by requiring that an entity recognize those items as assets or liabilities in the balance sheet and measure them at fair value. If certain conditions are met, an entity may elect to designate a derivative instrument either as a cash flow hedge, a fair value hedge or a hedge of foreign currency exposure. SFAS No. 133 requires derivative instruments to be recorded at their fair value with hedge ineffectiveness recognized in earnings.

All of our derivative instruments that meet the hedge accounting criteria of SFAS No. 133 are considered cash flow hedges. We also have derivative instruments that do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting. However, these instruments also contribute to our overall risk management strategy by serving to reduce interest rate risk on average short-term borrowings used to fund loans held-for-sale.

The fair value of our derivative instruments along with any margin accounts associated with the contracts are included in other assets. Any changes in fair value of derivative instruments related to hedge effectiveness are reported in accumulated other comprehensive income. Changes in fair value of derivative instruments related to hedge ineffectiveness and non-hedge activity are recorded as adjustments to earnings. For those derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting, changes in the fair value of the instruments are recorded as adjustments to earnings.

Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR). Originated MSR are recorded at allocated cost based upon the relative fair values of the transferred loans and the servicing rights. MSR are amortized in proportion to the projected net

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servicing revenue over the expected life of the related mortgage loans. Periodically, we evaluate the carrying value of originated MSR based on their estimated fair value. If the estimated fair value, using a discounted cash flow methodology, is less than the carrying amount of the mortgage servicing rights, the mortgage servicing rights are written down to the amount of the estimated fair value. For purposes of evaluating and measuring impairment of MSR we stratify the mortgage servicing rights based on their predominant risk characteristics. The significant risk characteristic considered is period of origination. The mortgage loans underlying the MSR are pools of homogenous, nonconforming residential loans.

The fair value of MSR is highly sensitive to changes in assumptions. Changes in prepayment speed assumptions have the most significant impact on the fair value of MSR. Generally, as interest rates decline, prepayments accelerate due to increased refinance activity, which results in a decrease in the fair value of MSR. As interest rates rise, prepayments slow down, which generally results in an increase in the fair value of MSR. All assumptions are reviewed for reasonableness on a quarterly basis and adjusted as necessary to reflect current and anticipated market conditions. Thus, any measurement of the fair value of MSR is limited by the existing conditions and the assumptions utilized as of a particular point in time. Those same assumptions may not be appropriate if applied at a different point in time.

Stock-Based Compensation Prior to 2003, we accounted for our stock-based compensation plan using the recognition and measurement principles of Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees and related interpretations. We accounted for stock options based on the specific terms of the options granted. Options with variable terms, including those options for which the strike price has been adjusted and options issued by us with attached dividend equivalent rights, resulted in adjustments to compensation expense to the extent the market price of the common stock changed. No expense was recognized for options with fixed terms.

During the fourth quarter of 2003, we adopted the fair value recognition provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. SFAS No. 123 requires that all options be valued at the date of grant and expensed over their vesting period. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value options granted.

Additionally, we selected the modified prospective method of adoption described in SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation-Transition and Disclosure. Under this method, the change is retroactive to January 1, 2003 and compensation cost recognized in 2003 is the same as that which would have been recognized had the fair value method of SFAS No. 123 been applied from its original effective date. The pretax impact of adopting the provisions under the modified prospective method for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was a decrease to compensation expense of $7.1 million. In accordance with the modified prospective method of adoption, results for prior years have not been restated. SFAS No. 123 states that the adoption of the fair value based method is a change to a preferable method of accounting. We believe that use of the fair value based method to record stock-based compensation expense is consistent with the accounting for all other forms of compensation.

In accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123 and SFAS No. 148, $1.3 million was recorded for total stock-based compensation expense in 2003. In accordance with APB No. 25, total stock-based compensation expense was $2.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001.

Financial Condition as of December 31, 2003 and 2002

Mortgage Loans. We classify our mortgage loans into two categories: “held-for-sale” and “held-in-portfolio.” Loans we have originated, but have not yet sold or securitized, are classified as “held-for-sale.” We expect to sell these loans outright in third party transactions or in securitization transactions that will be, for tax and accounting purposes, recorded as sales. We use warehouse lines of credit and mortgage repurchase agreements to finance our held-for-sale loans. As such, the fluctuations in mortgage loans – held-for-sale and short-term borrowings between December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002 is dependent on loans we have originated during the period as well as loans we have sold outright or through securitization transactions.

The volume and cost of our loan production is critical to our financial results. The loans we produce serve as collateral for our mortgage securities and generate gains as they are sold or securitized. The cost of our production is also critical to our financial results as it is a significant factor in the gains we recognize. The following table summarizes our loan production for 2003 and 2002. We discuss our cost of production under “General and Administrative Expenses” under “Results of Operations”. Also, details regarding mortgage loans sold or securitized and the gains recognized during 2003 can be found in the “Gains on Sales of Mortgage Assets and Losses on Derivative Instruments” section of this document.

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Table 1 — Nonconforming Loan Originations

(dollars in thousands, except for average loan balance)

A portion of the mortgage loans on our balance sheet serve as collateral for asset-backed bonds we have issued and are classified as “held-in-portfolio.” The carrying value of “held-in-portfolio” mortgage loans as of December 31, 2003 was $94.7 million compared to $149.9 million as of December 31, 2002.

Premiums are paid on substantially all mortgage loans. Premiums on mortgage loans held-in-portfolio are amortized as a reduction of interest income over the estimated lives of the loans. For mortgage loans held-for-sale, premiums are deferred until the related loans are sold. To mitigate the effect of prepayments on interest income from mortgage loans, we generally strive to originate mortgage loans with prepayment penalties.

In periods of decreasing interest rates, borrowers are more likely to refinance their mortgages to obtain a better interest rate. Even in rising rate environments, borrowers tend to repay their mortgage principal balances earlier than is required by the terms of their mortgages. Nonconforming borrowers, as they update their credit rating, are more likely to refinance their mortgage loan to obtain a lower interest rate.

The operating performance of our mortgage loan portfolio, including net interest income, allowance for credit losses and effects of hedging, are discussed under “Results of Operations” and “Interest Rate/Market Risk.” Gains on the sales of mortgage loans, including impact of securitizations treated as sales, is also discussed under “Results of Operations.” Additional information relating to our loans held-in-portfolio and loans held-for-sale can be accessed via our website at www.novastarmortgage.com. Such information includes a summary of our loans held-in-portfolio and loans held-for-sale by FICO score and geographic concentration. For held-in-portfolio loans, loan performance characteristics such as credit quality and prepayment experience are also available.

Table 2 — Carrying Value of Mortgage Loans

(dollars in thousands)

Mortgage Securities – Available-for-Sale. Since 1998, we have pooled the majority of the loans we have originated to serve as collateral for asset-backed bonds in securitizations that are treated as sales for accounting and tax purposes. In these transactions, the loans are removed from our balance sheet. However, we retain excess interest, prepayment penalty and subordinated principal securities. Additionally, we service the loans sold in these securitizations (see “Mortgage Servicing Rights” under the header “Financial Condition as of December 31, 2003 and 2002”). As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, the fair value of our mortgage securities was $382.3 million and $178.9 million, respectively. During 2003 and 2002, we executed securitizations totaling $5.3 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively, in mortgage loans and retained mortgage securities with a value of $299.8 million and $92.9 million, respectively. See Table 3 for a summary of the activity in our mortgage securities portfolio.

The value of our securities represents the present value of the securities’ cash flows that we expect to receive over their lives, considering estimated prepayment speeds and credit losses of the underlying loans, discounted at an appropriate risk-adjusted market rate of return. The cash flows are realized over the life of the loan collateral as cash distributions are received from the trust that owns the collateral.

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In estimating the fair value of our mortgage securities, management must make assumptions regarding the future performance and cash flow of the mortgage loans collateralizing the securities. These estimates are based on management’s judgments about the nature of the loans. The cash flows we receive on our mortgage securities will be the net of the gross coupon and the bond cost less administrative costs (servicing and trustee fees) and the cost of mortgage insurance. Additionally, the trust is a party to interest rate agreements. Our cash flow will include (exclude) payments from (to) the interest rate agreement counterparty. Table 4 provides a summary of the critical assumptions used in estimating the cash flows of the collateral and the resulting estimated fair value of the mortgage securities.

During the past two years, interest expense on asset-backed bonds has been unexpectedly low. As a result, the spread between the coupon interest and the bond cost has been unusually high. As a result, our cost basis in many of our mortgage securities has been significantly reduced. For example, our cost basis in NMFT Series 2001-1 has been reduced to zero (see Table 4). When our cost basis in the retained securities (interest only, prepayment penalty and subordinated securities) reaches zero, the remaining future cash flows received on the securities are recognized entirely as income.

The operating performance of our mortgage securities portfolio, including net interest income and effects of hedging are discussed under “Results of Operations” and “Interest Rate/Market Risk.” Additional information relating to our loans collateralizing our mortgage securities can be accessed via our website at www.novastarmortgage.com. Such information includes a summary of our loans collateralizing our mortgage securities by FICO score and geographic concentration, as well as, loan performance characteristics such as credit quality and prepayment experience.

Table 3 — Rollforward of Mortgage Securities

(in thousands)

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Table 4 — Valuation of Individual Mortgage Securities and Assumptions

(dollars in thousands)