FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C.
20549
FORM
10-K
x
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ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For
the Fiscal Year Ended October 31,
2007
o
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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Commission
File No. 2-27018
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
TRUST OF NEW JERSEY
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(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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New
Jersey
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22-1697095
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(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
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(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
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505
Main Street, Hackensack,
New Jersey
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07601
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(Address
of principal executive offices)
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(Zip
Code)
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201-488-6400
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each
Class
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Name
of each exchange
on which registered
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None
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Not
Applicable
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Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Shares
of
Beneficial Interest
(Title of class)
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined
in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No x
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant
to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x
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 o
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 a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Large
Accelerated Filer o
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Accelerated
Filer x
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Non-Accelerated
Filer o
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x
The
aggregate market value of the registrant’s shares of beneficial interest held by
non-affiliates was approximately $128 million. Computation is based on the
closing sales price of such shares as quoted on the over-the-counter-market
on
April 30, 2007, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently
completed second quarter.
As
of
January 10, 2008, the number of shares of beneficial interest outstanding
was
6,760,652.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY
REFERENCE: Portions
of the Proxy
Statement for the Registrant’s 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on
April 9, 2008 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual
Report.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
FORM
10-K
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FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Certain
information included in this Annual Report contains or may contain
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The registrant
cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including, without limitation,
those relating to the registrant’s investment policies and objectives; the
financial performance of the registrant; the ability of the registrant to
service its debt; the competitive conditions which affect the registrant’s
business; the ability of the registrant to obtain the necessary governmental
approvals for the development, expansion or renovation of its properties,
the
impact of environmental conditions affecting the registrant’s properties, and
the registrant’s liquidity and capital resources, are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from
those
described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety
of
risks and factors, including, without limitation, the registrant’s future
financial performance; the availability of capital; general market conditions;
national and local economic conditions, particularly long-term interest rates;
federal, state and local governmental regulations that affect the registrant;
and the competitive environment in which the registrant operates, including,
the
availability of retail space and residential apartment units in the areas
where
the registrant’s properties are located. In addition, the registrant’s continued
qualification as a real estate investment trust involves the application
of
highly technical and complex rules of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as
amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). The forward-looking statements are made
as of the date of this Annual Report and the registrant assumes no obligation
to
update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons actual results
could differ from those projected in such forward-looking
statements.
PART
I
ITEM
1
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BUSINESS
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(a)
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General
Business
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First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (“FREIT”) is an equity real estate
investment trust (“REIT”) organized in New Jersey in 1961. FREIT acquires,
develops, constructs and holds real estate properties for long-term investment
and not for resale.
FREIT’s
long-range investment policy is to review and evaluate potential real estate
investment opportunities for acquisition that it believes will (i) complement
its existing investment portfolio, (ii) generate increased income and
distributions to its shareholders, and (iii) increase the overall value of
FREIT’s portfolio. FREIT’s investments may take the form of wholly-owned fee
interests, or if the circumstances warrant diversification of risk, ownership
on
a joint venture basis with other parties, including employees and affiliates
of
Hekemian & Co., Inc. (“Hekemian”) (See “Management Agreement”), provided
FREIT is able to maintain management control over the property. While our
general investment policy is to hold and maintain properties long-term, we
may,
from time-to-time, sell or trade certain properties in order to (i) obtain
capital to be used to purchase, develop or renovate other properties which
we
believe will provide a higher rate of return and increase the value of our
investment portfolio, and (ii) divest properties which we have determined
or
determine are no longer compatible with our growth strategies and investment
objectives for our real estate portfolio.
Fiscal
Year 2007
Developments
(i)
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FINANCING
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(a)
On
April 2, 2007, FREIT repaid the outstanding principal balance with respect
to
its $19.2 million, 8.31% mortgage note which was due on July 1, 2007, and
which
was secured by its Westridge Square commercial property. The outstanding
principal balance of $15.8 million was repaid using funds available on hand
and
borrowings from FREIT’s credit line. The decision to retire the debt early was
made in order to take advantage of lower long-term interest rates relative
to
the outstanding note. No prepayment penalty was incurred as a result of the
early retirement of this debt. On April 25, 2007, FREIT refinanced
the above mentioned mortgage debt with the placement of a $22 million 5.55%
mortgage note due in May 2017, also secured by FREIT’s Westridge Square
commercial property. This new mortgage note will be “interest only” through the
maturity date. It is FREIT’s intent to use the additional proceeds to fund
existing capital projects.
(b)
During August 2006, construction of The Boulders in Rockaway Township, NJ
(FREIT’s 129 garden apartment project in Rockaway, NJ) was completed.
Construction costs were funded from draws against a construction loan. As
of
October 31, 2006 FREIT had drawn down construction advances of approximately
$14,369,000 and had no plans to request any additional construction draws
since
it has used funds from its own reserves to complete the construction of the
project. The maturity date for the construction loan was January 1, 2007,
and
under certain circumstances, this date could be extended to February 1, 2007.
On
January 10, 2007, FREIT converted the construction loan to a permanent loan
with
additional funding to bring the permanent loan balance up to $20.7 million.
The
permanent loan bears a fixed interest rate of 5.37%, and requires fixed monthly
interest and principal payments totaling $115,850. The final payment of unpaid
principal will be due on January 10, 2022. It is FREIT’s intention to use the
additional proceeds to fund existing capital projects.
(c)
During August 2007, Damascus Centre, LLC, a 70% owned affiliate of FREIT,
received a commitment from a financial institution to provide the construction
financing at the Damascus Center Shopping Center, Damascus, MD (See Construction
below). The loan amount will be for $27.3 million, will bear interest on
outstanding draws at LIBOR plus 1.35%, and will have a term of forty-eight
(48)
months, with an option to extend for an additional twelve (12) months. The
loan
is collateralized by the shopping center and is guaranteed by
FREIT.
(ii)
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ACQUISITIONS
&
DISPOSITIONS
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(a) On
June 26, 2007, FREIT closed on its contract for the sale of the Lakewood
Apartments in Lakewood, New Jersey. The sales price for the property was
$4
million. The property was acquired in 1962 for approximately $407,000. A
portion
of the proceeds from the Lakewood sale (approximately $1.6 million) was used
to
acquire comparable real estate during the 4th
quarter of Fiscal
2007. (See (ii) (b) below for more details on this transaction.) This real
estate purchase was structured in a manner that qualified the $1.6 million
of
the Lakewood proceeds as a like-kind exchange pursuant to Section 1031 of
the
Internal Revenue Code, and as such resulted in a deferral for income tax
purposes of a portion of the gain recognized on the Lakewood sale. (See Note
3
for more details on this transaction.)
(b) On
September 28, 2007, FREIT acquired three (3) parcels of land in Rochelle
Park,
NJ. The Rochelle Park sites total approximately one acre. The acquisition
cost
was approximately $2.5 million, of which $1.6 million relates to the land
and
$0.9 million relates to an advance to the Pascack Community Bank, the lessee
of
the property, for construction of a bank branch on the site. A portion of
the
funds (approximately $1.6 million) used to acquire the Rochelle Park land
qualified as a “1031 exchange” under current Internal Revenue Code
regulations.
(iii)
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CONSTRUCTION
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A
modernization and expansion is underway at our Damascus Center in Damascus,
MD
(owned by our 70% owned affiliate, Damascus Centre, LLC). Total construction
costs are estimated to be approximately $21.9
million. Building plans for Phase I have been approved and
construction on Phase I began in June 2007 with completion of Phase I expected
no later than February 2008. Phase I construction costs will approximate
$4
million of which $2.5 million has already been expended. Construction financing
for approximately $27.3 million has been committed that will be available
to
fund future and already expended construction costs, and will be drawn upon
as
needed. Because of this expansion leases for certain tenants have
been allowed to expire and not renewed. This has caused occupancy to decline,
on
a temporary basis, during the construction phase.
FREIT
recently completed the re-configuration and renovation of the space formerly
occupied by a movie theater at its Westridge Square Shopping Center in
Frederick, MD at a cost approximating $1 million. The former movie
theater operator, as part of its lease termination fee, supplied the funds
for
this re-configuration.
(b)
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Financial
Information about
Segments
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FREIT
has
two reportable segments: Commercial Properties and Residential Properties.
These
reportable segments have different types of tenants and are managed separately
because each requires different operating strategies and management expertise.
Segment information for the two years ended October 31, 2007 is incorporated
by
reference to Note 12, “Segment Information.”
(c)
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Narrative
Description of
Business
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FREIT
was
founded and organized for the principal purpose of acquiring, developing,
and
owning a portfolio of diverse income producing real estate properties. FREIT’s
developed properties include residential apartment communities and commercial
properties that consist of multi and single tenanted properties. Our properties
are located in New Jersey, Maryland and on Long Island. We also currently
own
approximately 40.37 acres of unimproved land in New Jersey. See “Item 2 Properties - Portfolio
of
Investments.”
FREIT
elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. FREIT operates
in
such a manner as to qualify for taxation as a REIT in order to take advantage
of
certain favorable tax aspects of the REIT structure. Generally, a REIT will
not
be subject to federal income taxes on that portion of its ordinary income
or
capital gain that is currently distributed to its equity holders.
As
an
equity REIT, we generally acquire interests in income producing properties
to be
held as long-term investments. FREIT’s return on such investments is based on
the income generated by such properties mainly in the form of
rents.
From
time
to time, FREIT has sold, and may sell again in the future, certain of its
properties in order to (i) obtain capital used or to be used to purchase,
develop or renovate other properties which we believe will provide a higher
rate
of return and increase the value of our investment portfolio, and (ii) divest
properties which FREIT has determined or determines are no longer compatible
with our growth strategies and investment objectives for our real estate
portfolio.
We
do not
hold any patents, trademarks, or licenses.
Portfolio
of Real Estate
Investments
At
October 31, 2007, FREIT’s real estate holdings included (i) nine (9) apartment
buildings or complexes containing 1,075 rentable units, (ii) ten (10) commercial
properties (retail and office) containing approximately 1,265,000 square
feet of
leasable space, including one (1) single tenant store, two (2) separate one
acre
parcels subject to ground leases, and (iii) four (4) parcels of undeveloped
land
consisting of approximately 40.37 acres. FREIT and its subsidiaries own all
such properties in fee simple. See “Item 2 Properties - Portfolio
of Investments” of this Annual Report for a description of FREIT’s
separate investment properties and certain other pertinent information with
respect to such properties that is relevant to FREIT’s business.
Investment
in Subsidiaries
The
consolidated financial statements (See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial
Statements included in this Form 10-K) include the accounts of the following
subsidiaries not wholly owned by FREIT:
Westwood
Hills, LLC (“Westwood Hills”): FREIT owns a 40% membership interest in Westwood
Hills, which owns and operates a 210-unit residential apartment complex in
Westwood, NJ.
Wayne
PSC, LLC (“WaynePSC”): FREIT owns a 40% membership interest in Wayne PSC, which
owns a 322,000 sq. ft. community center in Wayne, NJ.
S
And A
Commercial Associates Limited Partnership (“S And A”): FREIT owns a 65%
partnership interest in S And A which owns a 269-unit residential apartment
complex in Hackensack, NJ.
Grande
Rotunda, LLC (“Grande”): FREIT owns a 60% membership interest in Grande which
owns a 217,000 square foot mixed use property in Baltimore, MD.
Damascus
Centre, LLC (“Damascus”): FREIT owns a 70% membership interest in Damascus, that
owns a 140,000 square foot shopping center in Damascus, MD.
WestFREIT
Corp: FREIT owns a 100% membership interest in WestFREIT, which owns a 257,000
square foot shopping center in Frederick, MD.
WestFredic
LLC: FREIT owns a 100% membership interest in WestFredic, which assumed a
$22
million mortgage loan that is secured by the Westridge Square Shopping Center
in
Frederick, MD.
Employees
On
October 31, 2007 FREIT and its subsidiaries had twenty-five (25) full-time
employees and six (6) part-time employees who work solely at the properties
owned by FREIT or its subsidiaries. The number of part-time employees varies
seasonally.
Mr.
Robert S. Hekemian, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Mr.
Donald W. Barney, President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, and Mr.
John
A. Aiello, Esq., Secretary and Executive Secretary, are the executive officers
of FREIT. Mr. Hekemian devotes approximately fifty to sixty percent (50%
- 60%)
of his business activities to FREIT, Mr. Barney devotes
approximately fifteen percent (15%) of his business activities to FREIT,
and Mr. Aiello devotes approximately eight percent (8%) of his business
activities to FREIT. Refer to “Item 10 – Directors, Executive Officers and
Corporate Governance.” Hekemian & Co., Inc. (“Hekemian”) has been retained
by FREIT to manage FREIT’s properties and is responsible for recruiting, on
behalf of FREIT, the personnel required to perform all services related to
the
operation of FREIT’s properties. See “Management
Agreement.”
Management
Agreement
On
April
10, 2002, FREIT and Hekemian executed a Management Agreement whereby Hekemian
would continue as Managing Agent for FREIT. The term of the Management Agreement
currently runs until October 31, 2009 and shall be automatically renewed
for
periods of two years unless either party gives not less than six (6) months
prior notice to the other of non-renewal. The salient provisions of the
Management Agreement are as follows: FREIT continues to retain the Managing
Agent as the exclusive management and leasing agent for properties which
FREIT
owned as of April 2002 and for the Preakness Shopping Center acquired on
November 1, 2002 by WaynePSC. However, FREIT may retain other managing agents
to
manage certain other properties acquired after April 10, 2002 and to perform
various other duties such as sales, acquisitions, and development with respect
to any or all properties. The Managing Agent is no longer the exclusive advisor
for FREIT to locate and recommend to FREIT investments, which the Managing
Agent
deems suitable for FREIT, and is no longer required to offer potential
acquisition properties exclusively to FREIT before acquiring those properties
for its own account. The Management Agreement includes a detailed schedule
of
fees for those services, which the Managing Agent may be called upon to perform.
The Management Agreement provides for a termination fee in the event of a
termination or non-renewal of the Management Agreement under certain
circumstances.
Pursuant
to the terms of the new Management Agreement, FREIT pays Hekemian certain
fees
and commissions as compensation for its services. From time to time, FREIT
engages Hekemian to provide certain additional services, such as consulting
services related to development and financing activities of FREIT. Separate
fee
arrangements are negotiated between Hekemian and FREIT with respect to such
additional services. During the 4th
quarter of Fiscal
2007, FREIT’s board of directors approved development fee arrangements for The
Rotunda and Damascus Center redevelopment projects, as well as the South
Brunswick development project. These development fees payable to Hekemian,
or an
affiliate of Hekemian, in connection with these projects are as follows:
The
Rotunda, owned by Grande Rotunda, LLC, a 60% owned subsidiary of FREIT, 6.375%
of development costs of up $136,000,000 as may be modified; Damascus, owned
by
Damascus Centre, LLC, a 70% owned subsidiary of FREIT, 7% of development
costs
of up to $17,328,000 as may be modified; and South Brunswick, 7% of development
costs of up to $21,000,000 as may be modified. These arrangements are subject
to
the execution of definitive contracts, which have not yet been finalized
and
approved. See “First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements - Note 8.”
Mr.
Robert S. Hekemian, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a
Trustee
of FREIT, is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Hekemian.
Mr. Hekemian owns approximately 0.2% of all of the issued and outstanding
shares
of Hekemian. Mr. Robert S. Hekemian, Jr, a Trustee of FREIT, is the
President of Hekemian, and owns approximately 33.3% of all of the issued
and
outstanding shares of Hekemian.
Real
Estate
Financing
FREIT
funds acquisition opportunities and the development of its real estate
properties largely through debt financing, including mortgage loans against
certain of its properties. At October 31, 2007, FREIT’s aggregate outstanding
mortgage debt was $189.4 million with an average interest cost on a weighted
average basis of 5.79%. FREIT has mortgage loans against certain properties,
which serve as collateral for such loans. See the tables in “Item 2 Properties
- Portfolio of Investments” for the outstanding mortgage balances at
October 31, 2007 with respect to each of these properties.
FREIT
is
currently highly leveraged and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
This increased level of indebtedness also presents an increased risk of default
on the obligations of FREIT and an increase in debt service requirements
that
could adversely affect the financial condition and results of operations
of
FREIT. A number of FREIT’s mortgage loans are being amortized over a period that
is greater than the terms of such loans; thereby requiring balloon payments
at
the expiration of the terms of such loans. FREIT has not established a cash
reserve sinking fund with respect to such obligations and at this time does
not
expect to have sufficient funds from operations to make such balloon payments
when due under the terms of such loans. See “Liquidity and Capital
Resources” under Item 7.
FREIT
is
subject to the normal risks associated with debt financing, including the
risk
that FREIT’s cash flow will be insufficient to meet required payments of
principal and interest; the risk that indebtedness on its properties will
not be
able to be renewed, repaid or refinanced when due; or that the terms of any
renewal or refinancing will not be as favorable as the terms of the indebtedness
being replaced. If FREIT were unable to refinance its indebtedness
on acceptable terms, or at all, FREIT might be forced to dispose of one or
more of its properties on disadvantageous terms which might result in losses
to
FREIT. These losses could have a material adverse effect on FREIT and its
ability to make distributions to shareholders and to pay amounts due on its
debt. If a property is mortgaged to secure payment of indebtedness and FREIT
is
unable to meet mortgage payments, the mortgagee could foreclose upon the
property, appoint a receiver and receive an assignment of rents and leases
or
pursue other remedies, all with a consequent loss of revenues and asset value
to
FREIT. Further, payment obligations on FREIT’s mortgage loans will not be
reduced if there is a decline in the economic performance of any of FREIT’s
properties. If any such decline in economic performance occurs, FREIT’s
revenues, earnings, and funds available for distribution to shareholders
would
be adversely affected.
Neither
FREIT’s Declaration
of
Trust nor any policy statement formally adopted by FREIT’s Board
of
Trustees limits either the total amount of indebtedness or the specified
percentage of indebtedness (based on the total capitalization of FREIT),
which
may be incurred by FREIT. Accordingly, FREIT may incur in the future additional
secured or unsecured indebtedness in furtherance of its business activities,
including, if or when necessary, to refinance its existing debt. Future
debt incurred by FREIT could bear interest at rates, which are higher than
the
rates on FREIT’s existing
debt. Future debt incurred by FREIT could also bear interest at a variable
rate. Increases in interest rates would increase FREIT’s variable
interest costs (to the extent that the related indebtedness was not protected
by
interest rate protection arrangements), which could have a material adverse
effect on FREIT and its ability to make distributions to shareholders and
to pay
amounts due on its debt or cause FREIT to be in default under its debt. Further,
in the future, FREIT may not be able to, or may determine that it is not
able to, obtain financing for property acquisitions or for capital expenditures
to develop or improve its properties on terms, which are acceptable
to FREIT. In such event, FREIT might elect to defer certain projects unless
alternative sources of capital were available, such as through an equity
or debt
offering by FREIT.
Competitive
Conditions
FREIT
is
subject to normal competition with other investors to acquire real property
and
to profitably manage such property. Numerous other REITs, banks, insurance
companies and pension funds, as well as corporate and individual developers
and
owners of real estate, compete with FREIT in seeking properties for acquisition
and for tenants. Many of these competitors have significantly greater financial
resources than FREIT.
In
addition, retailers at FREIT's commercial properties face increasing competition
from discount shopping centers, outlet malls, sales through catalogue offerings,
discount shopping clubs, marketing and shopping through cable and computer
sources, particularly over the internet, and telemarketing. In many markets,
the
trade areas of FREIT's commercial properties overlap with the trade areas
of
other shopping centers. Renovations and expansions at those competing shopping
centers and malls could negatively affect FREIT's commercial properties by
encouraging shoppers to make their purchases at such new, expanded or renovated
shopping centers and malls. Increased competition through these various sources
could adversely affect the viability of FREIT's tenants, and any new commercial
real estate competition developed in the future could potentially have an
adverse effect on the revenues of and earnings from FREIT's commercial
properties.
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(A)
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General
Factors Affecting
Investment in Commercial and Apartment Properties; Effect on Economic
and
Real Estate Conditions
|
The
revenues and value of FREIT’s commercial and residential apartment properties
may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including, without limitation,
the national economic climate; the regional economic climate (which may be
adversely affected by plant closings, industry slow downs and other local
business factors); local real estate conditions (such as an oversupply of
retail
space or apartment units); perceptions by retailers or shoppers of the security,
safety, convenience and attractiveness of a shopping center; perception by
residential tenants of the safety, convenience and attractiveness of an
apartment building or complex; the proximity and the number of competing
shopping centers and apartment complexes; the availability of recreational
and
other amenities and the willingness and ability of the owner to provide capable
management and adequate maintenance. In addition, other factors may adversely
affect the fair market value of a commercial property or apartment building
or
complex without necessarily affecting the revenues, including changes in
government regulations (such as limitations on development or on hours of
operation) changes in tax laws or rates, and potential environmental or other
legal liabilities.
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(B)
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Commercial
Shopping Center
Properties' Dependence on Anchor Stores and Satellite
Tenants
|
FREIT
believes that its revenues and earnings; its ability to meet its debt
obligations; and its funds available for distribution to shareholders would
be
adversely affected if space in FREIT's multi-store shopping center properties
could not be leased or if anchor store tenants or satellite tenants failed
to
meet their lease obligations.
The
success of FREIT's investment in its shopping center properties is largely
dependent upon the success of its tenants. Unfavorable economic, demographic,
or
competitive conditions may adversely affect the financial condition of tenants
and consequently the lease revenues from and the value of FREIT's investments
in
its shopping center properties. If the sales of stores operating in FREIT's
shopping center properties were to decline due to deteriorating economic
conditions, the tenants may be unable to pay their base rents or meet other
lease charges and fees due to FREIT. In addition, any lease provisions providing
for additional rent based on a percentage of sales could be rendered moot.
In
the event of default by a tenant, FREIT could suffer a loss of rent and
experience extraordinary delays while incurring additional costs in enforcing
its rights under the lease, which may or may not be recaptured by FREIT.
As at
October 31, 2007 the following table lists the ten (10) largest commercial
tenants, which account for approximately 51.6% of FREIT’s commercial rental
space and 34.2% of fixed commercial rents.
Tenant
|
Center
|
Sq.
Ft.
|
Burlington
Coat Factory
|
Westridge
Square
|
85,992
|
Kmart
Corporation
|
Westwood
Plaza
|
84,254
|
Macy's
Federated Department Stores, Inc.
|
Preakness
|
81,160
|
Pathmark
Stores Inc.
|
Patchogue
|
63,932
|
Stop
& Shop Supermarket Co.
|
Preakness
|
61,020
|
Giant
of Maryland LLC
|
Westridge
Square
|
55,330
|
Stop
& Shop Supermarket Co.
|
Franklin
Crossing
|
48,673
|
Safeway
Stores Inc.
|
Damascus
Center
|
45,189
|
Giant
of Maryland LLC
|
The
Rotunda
|
35,152
|
TJMAXX
|
Westwood
Plaza
|
28,480
|
|
(C)
|
Renewal
of Leases and Reletting
of Space
|
There
is
no assurance that we will be able to retain tenants at our commercial properties
upon expiration of their leases. Upon expiration or termination of leases
for
space located in FREIT's commercial properties, the premises may not be relet
or
the terms of reletting (including the cost of concessions to tenants) may
not be
as favorable as lease terms for the terminated lease. If FREIT were unable
to
promptly relet all or a substantial portion of this space or if the rental
rates
upon such reletting were significantly lower than current or expected rates,
FREIT's revenues and earnings, FREIT’s ability to service its debt, and FREIT’s
ability to make expected distributions to its shareholders, could be adversely
affected. During Fiscal 2006, one lease, which we consider material, for
approximately 18,954 sq. ft. at our Damascus shopping center, was allowed
to
expire without attempting renewal in order to allow FREIT to redevelop and
expand the center. During Fiscal 2007 there were no material lease expirations,
and there are no material lease expirations expected during Fiscal 2008 and
2009.
|
(D)
|
Illiquidity
of Real Estate
Investments; Possibility that Value of FREIT's Interests may be
less than
its Investment
|
Equity
real estate investments are relatively illiquid. Accordingly, the ability
of
FREIT to vary its portfolio in response to changing economic, market or other
conditions is limited. Also, FREIT's interests in its partially owned
subsidiaries are subject to transfer constraints imposed by the operating
agreements which govern FREIT’s investment in these partially owned
subsidiaries. Even without such restrictions on the transfer of its interests,
FREIT believes that there would be a limited market for its interests in
these
partially owned subsidiaries.
If
FREIT
had to liquidate all or substantially all of its real estate holdings, the
value
of such assets would likely be diminished if a sale was required to be completed
in a limited time frame. The proceeds to FREIT from any such sale of the
assets
in FREIT’s real estate portfolio might be less than the fair market value of
those assets.
Impact
of Governmental Laws and
Regulations on Registrant's Business
FREIT’s
properties are subject to various federal, state and local laws, ordinances
and
regulations, including those relating to the environment and local rent control
and zoning ordinances.
|
(A)
|
Environmental
Matters
|
Both
federal and state governments are concerned with the impact of real estate
construction and development programs upon the environment. Environmental
legislation affects the cost of selling real estate, the cost to develop
real
estate, and the risks associated with purchasing real estate.
Under
various federal, state and local environmental laws, statutes, ordinances,
rules
and regulations, an owner of real property may be liable for the costs of
removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances at, on, in
or
under such property, as well as certain other potential costs relating to
hazardous or toxic substances (including government fines and penalties and
damages for injuries to persons and adjacent property). Such laws often impose
such liability without regard to whether the owners knew of, or were responsible
for, the presence or disposal of such substances. Such liability may be imposed
on the owner in connection with the activities of any operator of, or tenant
at
the property. The cost of any required remediation, removal, fines or personal
or property damages and the owner's liability therefore could exceed the
value
of the property and/or the aggregate assets of the owner. In addition, the
presence of such substances, or the failure to properly dispose of or remediate
such substances, may adversely affect the owner's ability to sell or rent
such
property or to borrow using such property as collateral. If FREIT incurred
any
such liability, it could reduce FREIT's revenues and ability to make
distributions to its shareholders.
A
property can also be negatively impacted by either physical contamination
or by
virtue of an adverse effect upon value attributable to the migration of
hazardous or toxic substances, or other contaminants that have or may have
emanated from other properties.
At
this
time, FREIT is aware of the following environmental matters affecting its
properties:
|
(i)
|
Westwood
Plaza Shopping Center,
Westwood, NJ
|
This
property is in a HUD Flood Hazard Zone and serves as a local flood retention
basin for part of Westwood, New Jersey. FREIT maintains flood insurance in
the
amount of $500,000 for the subject property, which is the maximum available
under the HUD Flood Program for the property. Any reconstruction of that
portion
of the property situated in the flood hazard zone is subject to regulations
promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ("NJDEP"),
which could require extraordinary construction methods.
|
(ii)
|
Franklin
Crossing, Franklin
Lakes, NJ
|
The
redeveloped Franklin Crossing shopping center was completed during the summer
of
1997. Also in 1997, a historical discharge of hazardous materials was discovered
at Franklin Crossing. The discharge was reported to the NJDEP in accordance
with
applicable regulations. FREIT completed the remediation required by the
NJDEP.
In
November 1999, FREIT received a No Further Action Letter from the NJDEP
concerning the contaminated soil at Franklin Crossing. Monitoring of the
groundwater will continue pursuant to a memorandum of agreement filed with
the
NJDEP.
|
(iii)
|
Preakness
Shopping Center,
Wayne, NJ
|
Prior
to
its purchase by WaynePSC, a Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessment
of the
Preakness shopping center revealed soil and ground water contamination with
Percloroethylene (Dry Cleaning Fluid) caused by the mishandling of this chemical
by a former Dry Cleaner tenant.
The
seller of the center to WaynePSC is in the process of performing
the remedial work in accordance with the requirements of the NJDEP.
Additionally, the seller has escrowed the estimated cost of the remediation
and has purchased a cap-cost insurance policy covering any expenses
over
and above the estimated cost.
In
performing the remedial work, possible contamination of this property
by groundwater migrating from an offsite source was discovered. The NJDEP
has
not made any determination with respect to responsibility for remediation
of
this possible condition, and it is not possible to determine whether or to
what
extent Wayne PSC will have potential liability with respect to this condition
or
whether or to what extent insurance coverage may be available.
|
(iv)
|
Other
|
a)
The
State of New Jersey has adopted an underground fuel storage tank law and
various
regulations with respect to underground storage tanks.
FREIT
no
longer has underground storage tanks on any of its properties.
FREIT
has
conducted environmental audits for all of its properties except for its
undeveloped land; retail properties in Franklin Lakes (Franklin Crossing)
and
Glen Rock, New Jersey; and residential apartment properties located in Palisades
Park and Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Except as noted in subparagraph (iii)
above, the environmental reports secured by FREIT have not revealed any
environmental conditions on its properties, which require remediation pursuant
to any applicable Federal or state law or regulation.
b)
FREIT
has determined that several of its properties contain lead based paint (“LBP”).
FREIT complies with all Federal, state and local requirements as they pertain
to
LBP.
FREIT
does not believe that the environmental conditions described in subparagraphs
(i) - (iv) above will have a materially adverse effect upon the capital
expenditures, revenues, earnings, financial condition or competitive position
of
FREIT.
|
(B)
|
Rent
Control
Ordinances
|
Each
of
the apartment buildings or complexes owned by FREIT is subject to some form
of
rent control ordinance which limits the amount by which FREIT can increase
the
rent for renewed leases, and in some cases, limits the amount of rent which
FREIT can charge for vacated units, except for Westwood Hills and The Boulders
at Rockaway which are not subject to any rent control law or
regulation.
|
(C)
|
Zoning
Ordinances
|
Local
zoning ordinances may prevent FREIT from renovating, expanding or converting
its
existing properties, for their highest and best use as determined by FREIT’s
Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is not aware of any such zoning
impediments to the development of the South Brunswick property described
herein.
|
(D)
|
Financial
Information about
Foreign and Domestic Operations and Export
Sale
|
FREIT
does not engage in operations in foreign countries and it does not derive
any
portion of its revenues from customers in foreign countries.
ITEM
1
A
|
RISK
FACTORS
|
See
discussion under Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations.
ITEM
1
B
|
UNRESOLVED
STAFF
COMMENTS
|
None.
ITEM
2
|
PROPERTIES
|
Portfolio
of Investments: The
following tables set forth certain information relating to each of FREIT's
real
estate investments in addition to the specific mortgages encumbering the
properties.
Residential
Apartment
Properties as of
October 31, 2007: |
|||||||||||||||||
Depreciated
Cost
of
|
|||||||||||||||||
Average
Annual
|
Mortgage
Balance
|
Buildings
&
|
|||||||||||||||
Property
and
Location
|
Year
Acquired
|
No.
of
Units
|
Occupancy
Rate
|
$(000)
|
Equipment($000)
|
||||||||||||
Palisades
Manor
|
1962
|
12
|
96.8 | % |
None
(1)
|
$
|
39
|
||||||||||
Palisades
Park, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Grandview
Apts.
|
1964
|
20
|
97.7 | % |
None
(1)
|
$
|
136
|
||||||||||
Hasbrouck
Heights, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Heights
Manor
|
1971
|
79
|
95.0 | % |
$
|
3,231
|
$
|
531
|
|||||||||
Spring
Lake Heights, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Hammel
Gardens
|
1972
|
80
|
98.3 | % |
$
|
4,705
|
$
|
757
|
|||||||||
Maywood,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Steuben
Arms
|
1975
|
100
|
97.1 | % |
$
|
6,524
|
$
|
1,270
|
|||||||||
River
Edge, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Berdan
Court
|
1965
|
176
|
96.8 | % |
$
|
12,885
|
$
|
1,446
|
|||||||||
Wayne,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Pierre
Towers (3)
|
2004
|
269
|
93.6 | % |
$
|
34,125
|
$
|
44,835
|
|||||||||
Hackensack,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Westwood
Hills (2)
|
1994
|
210
|
97.3 | % |
$
|
16,589
|
$
|
12,280
|
|||||||||
Westwood
, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Boulders
(4)
|
2006
|
129
|
88.0 | % |
$
|
20,487
|
$
|
17,986
|
|||||||||
Rockaway,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
(1)
|
Security
for draws against
FREIT's Credit Line.
|
(2)
|
FREIT
owns a 40% equity
interest in Westwood Hills. See Investment in
Affiliates.
|
(3)
|
Pierre
Towers is 100% owned by
S And A Commercial Associates LP, which is 65% owned by
FREIT.
|
(4)
|
Construction
completed in
August 2006 on land acquired in 1963 / 1964.
|
Commercial
Properties as of
October 31, 2007:
Leaseable
Space-
|
Depreciated
Cost
of
|
||||||||||||||||
Approximate
|
Average
Annual
|
Mortgage
Balance
|
Buildings
&
|
||||||||||||||
Property
and
Location
|
Year
Acquired
|
Sq.
Ft.
|
Occupancy
Rate
|
$(000)
|
Equipment
($000)
|
||||||||||||
Franklin
Crossing
|
1966
(2)
|
87,041
|
97.8 | % |
None
(1)
|
$
|
8,850
|
||||||||||
Franklin
Lakes, NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Westwood
Plaza
|
1988
|
173,854
|
99.2 | % |
$
|
9,226
|
$
|
10,591
|
|||||||||
Westwood,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Westridge
Square (6)
|
1992
|
256,620
|
89.3 | % |
$
|
22,000
|
$
|
20,328
|
|||||||||
Frederick,
MD
|
|||||||||||||||||
Pathmark
Super Store
|
1997
|
63,962
|
100 | % |
$
|
5,929
|
$
|
8,718
|
|||||||||
Patchogue,
NY
|
|||||||||||||||||
Glen
Rock, NJ
|
1962
|
4,800
|
100 | % |
None
(1)
|
$
|
137
|
||||||||||
Preakness
Center (3)
|
2002
|
322,136
|
98.5 | % |
$
|
31,188
|
$
|
31,568
|
|||||||||
Wayne,
NJ
|
|||||||||||||||||
Damascus
Center (4)
|
2003
|
139,878
|
55.9 | % |
None
|
$
|
11,971
|
||||||||||
Damascus.
MD
|
|||||||||||||||||
Rochelle
Park, NJ
|
2007
|
1
Acre
|
N/A
|
None
|
$
|
2,542
|
|||||||||||
|
Landlease
|
||||||||||||||||
Rockaway,
NJ
|
1964/1963
|
1
Acre
|
100 | % |
None
|
$
|
169
|
||||||||||
|
Landlease
|
|
|||||||||||||||
The
Rotunda (5)
|
2005
|
216,645
|
88.2 | % |
$
|
22,500
|
$
|
33,503
|
|||||||||
Baltimore,
MD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
Security
for draws against
FREIT's Credit Line.
|
||||||||||||||||
(2)
|
The
original 33,000 sq. ft.
shopping center was replaced with a new 87,041 sq. ft. center that
opened
in October 1997.
|
||||||||||||||||
(3)
|
FREIT
owns a 40% equity
interest in WaynePSC that owns the center.
|
||||||||||||||||
(4)
|
FREIT
owns a 70% equity
interest in Damascus Centre, LLC that owns the
center.
|
||||||||||||||||
(5)
|
FREIT
owns a 60% equity
interest in Grande Rotunda, LLC that owns the
center.
|
||||||||||||||||
(6)
|
FREIT
owns a 100% interest in
WestFREIT Corp that owns the
center.
|
Land
Under Development and
Vacant Land as of October 31, 2007:
Permitted
Use
per
|
Acreage
Per
|
|||
Location
(1)
|
Acquired
|
Current
Use
|
Local
Zoning
Laws
|
Parcel
|
Vacant
Land:
|
||||
Franklin
Lakes, NJ
|
1966
|
None
|
Residential
|
4.27
|
Wayne,
NJ
|
2002
|
None
|
Commercial
|
2.1
|
Rockaway,
NJ
|
1964
|
None
|
Residential
|
1.0
|
So.
Brunswick, NJ (2)
|
1964
|
Principally
leased
as
farmland
qualifying
for state
farmland
assessment
tax
treatment
|
Industrial
|
33.0
|
(1)
All
of the
above land is unencumbered, except as noted.
|
||||
(2)
Site
plan
approval received for the construction of a 563,000 square foot
industrial
building.
|
FREIT
believes that it has a diversified portfolio of residential and commercial
properties. FREIT’s business is not materially dependent upon any single tenant
or any one of its properties.
The
following table lists FREIT’s properties that have contributed approximately 15%
or more of FREIT’s total revenue in one (1) or more of the last three (3) fiscal
years.
|
Fiscal
Year Ended October 31,
|
|||||||||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||||||
Preakness
Center
|
14.4 | % | 14.8 | % | 16.2 | % | ||||||
Pierre
Towers
|
14.4 | % | 14.9 | % | 16.3 | % |
Although
FREIT’s general investment policy is to hold properties as long-term
investments, FREIT could selectively sell certain properties if it determines
that any such sale is in FREIT’s and its shareholders’ best interests. With
respect to FREIT’s future acquisition and development activities, FREIT will
evaluate various real estate opportunities, which FREIT believes would increase
FREIT’s revenues and earnings, as well as compliment and increase the overall
value of FREIT’s existing investment portfolio.
Except
for the Pathmark supermarket super store located in Patchogue, Long Island,
the
Commerce Bank branch located in Rockaway, NJ and the Pascack Community Bank
branch to be constructed on our land in Rochelle Park, NJ, all of FREIT’s and
its subsidiaries commercial properties have multiple tenants.
FREIT
and
its subsidiaries’ commercial properties have seventeen (17) anchor / major
tenants, that account for approximately 59% of the space leased. The balance
of
the space is leased to one hundred and eighty eight (188) satellite and office
tenants. The following table lists the anchor / major tenants at each center
and
the number of satellite tenants:
Commercial
Property
Shopping
Center (SC)
Office Building (O) |
Net
Leaseable
Space
|
Anchor/Major
Tenants
|
No.
Of
Satellite Tenants |
|||
Westridge
Square
|
256,620
(SC)
|
Giant
Food
|
27
|
|||
Frederick,
MD
|
|
Burlington
Coat Factory
|
||||
Franklin
Crossing
|
87,041
(SC)
|
Stop
& Shop
|
19
|
|||
Franklin,
Lakes, NJ
|
|
|
||||
Westwood
Plaza
|
173,854
(SC)
|
Kmart
Corp
|
20
|
|||
Westwood,
NJ
|
|
TJMaxx
|
||||
Preakness
Center (1)
|
322,136
(SC)
|
Stop
& Shop
|
40
|
|||
Wayne,
NJ
|
|
Macy's
|
||||
|
|
CVS
|
||||
|
|
Annie
Sez
|
||||
|
|
ClearView
Theaters
|
||||
Damascus
Center (2)
|
139,878
(SC)
|
Safeway
Stores
|
11
|
|||
Damascus,
MD
|
|
|
||||
The
Rotunda (3)
|
138,276
(O)
|
Clear
Channel Broadcasting
|
63
|
|||
Baltimore,
MD
|
|
US
Social Security Office
|
||||
|
|
Janus
Associates
|
||||
|
78,369
(SC)
|
Giant
Food
|
8
|
|||
|
|
Rite
Aid Corporation
|
||||
|
|
Bank
of America
|
(1)
|
FREIT
has a 40% interest in
this property.
|
|
(2)
|
FREIT
has a 70% interest in
this property.
|
|
(3)
|
FREIT
has a 60% interest in
this property.
|
With
respect to most of FREIT’s commercial properties, lease terms range from five
(5) years to twenty-five (25) years with options, which if exercised would
extend the terms of such leases. The lease agreements generally provide for
reimbursement of real estate taxes, maintenance, insurance and certain other
operating expenses of the properties. During the last three (3) completed
fiscal
years, FREIT’s commercial properties (excluding The Rotunda, which was acquired
in July 2005) averaged a 91.6% occupancy rate with respect to FREIT’s available
leasable space
Leases
for FREIT’s apartment buildings and complexes are usually one (1) year in
duration. Even though the residential units are leased on a short-term basis,
FREIT has averaged, during the last three (3) completed fiscal years, a 94.7%
occupancy rate with respect to FREIT’s available apartment units.
FREIT
does not believe that any seasonal factors materially affect FREIT’s business
operations and the leasing of its commercial and apartment
properties.
FREIT
believes that its properties are covered by adequate fire and property insurance
provided by reputable companies and with commercially reasonable deductibles
and
limits.
ITEM
3
|
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
|
There
are
no material pending legal proceedings to which FREIT is a party, or of which
any
of its properties is the subject. There is, however, ordinary and routine
litigation involving FREIT's business including various tenancy and related
matters. Notwithstanding the environmental conditions disclosed in “Item 1(c)
Narrative Description of Business - Impact of Governmental Laws and Regulations
on Registrant’s Business; Environmental Matters,” there are no legal proceedings
concerning environmental issues with respect to any property owned by
FREIT.
ITEM
4
|
SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE
OF SECURITY HOLDERS
|
There
were no matters submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth
quarter of FREIT's 2007 fiscal year.
PART
II
ITEM
5
|
MARKET
FOR FREIT'S COMMON
EQUITY, RELATED SECURITY HOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF
EQUITY
SECURITIES
|
Shares
of Beneficial
Interest
Beneficial
interests in FREIT are represented by shares without par value (the “Shares”).
The Shares represent FREIT’s only authorized, issued and outstanding class of
equity. As of January 10, 2008, there were approximately 500 holders of record
of the Shares.
The
Shares are traded in the over-the-counter market through use of the OTC Bulletin
Board Service (the “OTC Bulletin Board”) provided by NASD, Inc. FREIT does not
believe that an active United States public trading market exists for the
Shares
since historically only small volumes of the Shares are traded on a sporadic
basis. The following table sets forth, at the end of the periods indicated,
the
Bid and Asked quotations for the Shares on the OTC Bulletin Board.
|
Bid
|
Asked
|
||||||
Fiscal
Year Ended
October 31, 2007
|
|
|
||||||
First
Quarter
|
$ |
24.85
|
$ |
25.08
|
||||
Second
Quarter
|
$ |
24.21
|
$ |
24.28
|
||||
Third
Quarter
|
$ |
26.17
|
$ |
26.22
|
||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$ |
23.81
|
$ |
23.93
|
|
Bid
|
Asked
|
||||||
Fiscal
Year Ended
October 31, 2006
|
|
|
||||||
First
Quarter
|
$ |
32.00
|
$ |
33.00
|
||||
Second
Quarter
|
$ |
33.37
|
$ |
35.00
|
||||
Third
Quarter
|
$ |
25.15
|
$ |
25.15
|
||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$ |
23.50
|
$ |
23.60
|
The
bid
quotations set forth above for the Shares reflect inter-dealer prices, without
retail mark-up, markdown or commission and may not necessarily represent
actual
transactions. The source of the bid and asked quotations is Janney Montgomery
Scott, LLC., members of the New York Stock Exchange and other national
securities exchanges.
FREIT
did
not repurchase any shares of beneficial interest during the period covered
by
this report.
Dividends
The
holders of Shares are entitled to receive distributions as may be declared
by
FREIT’s Board of Trustees. Dividends may be declared from time to time by the
Board of Trustees and may be paid in cash, property, or Shares. The Board
of
Trustees’ present policy is to distribute annually at least ninety percent (90%)
of FREIT’s REIT taxable income as dividends to the holders of Shares in order to
qualify as a REIT for Federal income tax purposes. Distributions are made
on a
quarterly basis. In Fiscal 2007 and Fiscal 2006, FREIT paid or declared
aggregate total dividends of $1.30 and $1.25 per share, respectively, to
the
holders of shares. See “Item 7
- Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations - Distributions to Shareholders.”
Securities
Authorized for Issuance
Under Equity Compensation Plans
Refer
to
“Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and
Related Stockholder Matters.”
ITEM
6
|
SELECTED
FINANCIAL
DATA
|
The
selected consolidated financial data for FREIT for each of the five (5) fiscal
years in the period ended October 31, 2007 are derived from financial statements
herein or previously filed financial statements. This data should be read
in
conjunction with “Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” of this Annual Report and with FREIT’s
consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Annual
Report.
BALANCE
SHEET DATA:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
As
At October 31,
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
|||||||||||||||
|
(In
thousands of
dollars)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Total
Assets
|
$ |
242,755
|
$ |
234,786
|
$ |
214,998
|
$ |
190,575
|
$ |
155,764
|
||||||||||
Mortgage
Loans
|
$ |
189,389
|
$ |
180,679
|
$ |
166,874
|
$ |
148,244
|
$ |
126,767
|
||||||||||
Shareholders'
Equity
|
$ |
25,130
|
$ |
24,972
|
$ |
26,115
|
$ |
28,671
|
$ |
19,783
|
||||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,753
|
6,574
|
6,440
|
6,378
|
6,268
|
|||||||||||||||
Diluted
|
6,916
|
6,816
|
6,774
|
6,658
|
6,522
|
INCOME
STATEMENT DATA:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Year
Ended October 31,
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
|||||||||||||||
|
(In
thousands of dollars,
except per share amounts)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Revenue
from real estate operations
|
$ |
40,738
|
$ |
37,893
|
$ |
33,268
|
$ |
29,952
|
$ |
25,005
|
||||||||||
Expenses:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Real
estate operations
|
16,673
|
15,658
|
13,414
|
11,235
|
8,925
|
|||||||||||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
1,543
|
1,212
|
1,001
|
689
|
592
|
|||||||||||||||
Depreciation
|
5,311
|
4,726
|
4,252
|
3,663
|
2,826
|
|||||||||||||||
Totals
|
23,527
|
21,596
|
18,667
|
15,587
|
12,343
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
income
|
17,211
|
16,297
|
14,601
|
14,365
|
12,662
|
|||||||||||||||
Investment
income
|
634
|
232
|
229
|
183
|
201
|
|||||||||||||||
Interest
expense including amortization of deferred financing costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | (10,039 | ) | (9,046 | ) | (7,838 | ) | ||||||||||
Minority
interest
|
(776 | ) | (407 | ) | (426 | ) | (555 | ) | (2,254 | ) | ||||||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
4,365
|
4,947
|
2,771
|
|||||||||||||||
Discontinued
operations:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations, net of Minority Interests *
|
3,771
|
163
|
129
|
10,124
|
914
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
$ |
15,071
|
$ |
3,685
|
*
Includes gain on disposal of $3,680 and $12,681 in fiscal years 2007 and
2004
respectively.
Basic
earnings per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.68
|
$ |
0.77
|
$ |
0.44
|
||||||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
0.56
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
1.59
|
0.15
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.32
|
$ |
0.78
|
$ |
0.70
|
$ |
2.36
|
$ |
0.59
|
||||||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.74
|
$ |
0.73
|
$ |
0.64
|
$ |
0.74
|
$ |
0.42
|
||||||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
0.55
|
0.03
|
0.02
|
1.53
|
0.14
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.29
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.66
|
$ |
2.27
|
$ |
0.56
|
||||||||||
Cash
Dividends Declared Per Common Share
|
$ |
1.30
|
$ |
1.25
|
$ |
1.20
|
$ |
1.10
|
$ |
0.90
|
ITEM
7
|
MANAGEMENT'S
DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
Cautionary
Statement Identifying Important Factors That Could Cause FREIT’s Actual
Results to Differ From Those Projected in Forward Looking
Statements.
Readers
of this discussion are advised that the discussion should be read
in
conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of FREIT
(including
related notes thereto) appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Certain
statements in this discussion may constitute “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements reflect FREIT’s current expectations
regarding future results of operations, economic performance, financial
condition and achievements of FREIT, and do not relate strictly
to
historical or current facts. FREIT has tried, wherever possible,
to
identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as
“believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend, “ “plan,” “ estimate,” or
words of similar meaning.
Although
FREIT believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based
on
reasonable assumptions, such statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties, which may cause the actual results to differ materially
from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited
to the
following: general economic and business conditions, which will,
among
other things, affect demand for rental space, the availability
of
prospective tenants, lease rents and the availability of financing;
adverse changes in FREIT’s real estate markets, including, among other
things, competition with other real estate owners, governmental
actions
and initiatives; environmental/safety requirements; and risks of
real
estate development and acquisitions. The risks with respect to
the
development of real estate include: increased construction costs,
inability to obtain construction financing, and unforeseen
construction delays.
|
Overview
FREIT
is
an equity real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns a portfolio of
residential apartment and retail properties. Our revenues consist primarily
of
fixed rental income from our residential and retail properties and additional
rent in the form of expense reimbursements derived from our income producing
retail properties. Our properties are primarily located in northern New Jersey
and Maryland. We acquire existing properties for investment, and we acquire
properties, which we feel have redevelopment potential, and develop and
construct properties on our vacant land. Our policy is to acquire and develop
real property for long-term investment.
Almost
all of FREIT’s income and cash flow is derived from the net rental income
(revenues after expenses) from our properties. FREIT’s business and financial
results are affected by the following fundamental factors:
|
·
|
the
national and regional economic
climate;
|
|
·
|
occupancy
rates at the properties;
|
|
·
|
tenant
turn-over rates;
|
|
·
|
rental
rates;
|
|
·
|
operating
expenses;
|
|
·
|
tenant
improvement and leasing costs;
|
|
·
|
cost
of and availability of capital;
|
|
·
|
new
acquisitions and development projects;
and
|
|
·
|
governmental
regulations.
|
A
negative quality change in the above factors could potentially cause a
detrimental effect in FREIT’s revenue, earnings and cash flow.
Effects
of recent accounting pronouncements:
In
December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No.123 (R) "Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation." SFAS 123 (R) establishes standards for the accounting for
transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods
or
services. This Statement focuses primarily on accounting for transactions
in
which an entity obtains employee services in share-based payment transactions.
SFAS 123 (R) requires that the fair value of such equity instruments be
recognized as an expense in the historical financial statements as services
are
performed. Prior to SFAS 123 (R), only certain pro forma disclosures of fair
value were required. SFAS 123 (R) was effective for FREIT as of November 1,
2005. The adoption of this new accounting pronouncement did not have any
impact
on FREIT's consolidated financial statements.
SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Pursuant
to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") disclosure guidance for
"Critical Accounting Policies," the SEC defines Critical Accounting Policies
as
those that require the application of Management's most difficult, subjective,
or complex judgments, often because of the need to make estimates about the
effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent
periods.
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based upon our consolidated financial statements, the preparation of which
takes
into account estimates based on judgments and assumptions that affect certain
amounts and disclosures. Accordingly, actual results could differ from these
estimates. The accounting policies and estimates used, which are outlined
in
Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements which is presented elsewhere
in
this Form 10-K, have been applied consistently as at October 31, 2007 and
2006,
and for the years ended October 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005. We believe that
the
following accounting policies or estimates require the application of
Management's most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments:
Revenue
Recognition: Base rents, additional rents based on tenants' sales volume
and
reimbursement of the tenants' share of certain operating expenses are generally
recognized when due from tenants. The straight-line basis is used to recognize
base rents under leases if they provide for varying rents over the lease
terms.
Straight-line rents represent unbilled rents receivable to the extent
straight-line rents exceed current rents billed in accordance with lease
agreements. Before FREIT can recognize revenue, it is required to assess,
among
other things, its collectibility. If we incorrectly determine the collectibility
of revenue, our net income and assets could be overstated.
Valuation
of Long-Lived Assets: We periodically assess the carrying value of long-lived
assets whenever we determine that events or changes in circumstances indicate
that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. When FREIT determines
that
the carrying value of long-lived assets may be impaired, the measurement
of any
impairment is based on a projected discounted cash flow method determined
by
FREIT's management. While we believe that our discounted cash flow methods
are
reasonable, different assumptions regarding such cash flows may significantly
affect the measurement of impairment.
In
October 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 144, "Accounting
for
the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets." SFAS No. 144 requires the
reporting of discontinued operations to include components of an entity that
have either been disposed of or are classified as held for sale. FREIT has
adopted SFAS No. 144. During 2004 and 2007, FREIT sold its Olney, MD and
its
Lakewood, NJ properties, respectively. FREIT has reclassified the net income
(loss) from the operation of these properties as Discontinued Operations
for all
periods presented. The adoption of SFAS No. 144 did not have an impact on
net
income, but only impacted the presentation of these properties within the
consolidated statements of income. The results of this reclassification can
be
seen in "Item 6 Selected Financial Data" above and in the Consolidated Financial
Statements of FREIT (including related notes thereto) appearing elsewhere
in
this Form 10-K.
Since
we consider net income from
continuing operations to be the most significant element of net income, all
references and
comparisons
refer to this item
unless otherwise stated. All references to per share amounts are on a diluted
basis (unless
otherwise
indicated), and refer to
earnings per share from continuing operations and have been adjusted to reflect
the one-
for-one
share dividends paid in
October 2001 and March 2004.
Results
of
Operations:
Fiscal
Years Ended October 31, 2007
and 2006
Summary
revenues and net income for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2007 (“Fiscal
2007”) and October 31, 2006 (“Fiscal 2006”) are as follows:
For
the Year Ended
|
||||||||||||
October
31,
|
||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
||||||||||||
Commercial
revenues:
|
||||||||||||
Same
properties (1)
|
$ |
22,088
|
$ |
21,926
|
$ |
162
|
||||||
New
properties
|
24
|
-
|
24
|
|||||||||
22,112
|
21,926
|
186
|
||||||||||
Residential
revenues:
|
||||||||||||
Same
properties (1)
|
16,274
|
15,583
|
691
|
|||||||||
New
properties
|
2,352
|
384
|
1,968
|
|||||||||
18,626
|
15,967
|
2,659
|
||||||||||
Total
Real Estate Revenues
|
40,738
|
37,893
|
2,845
|
|||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||||||
Real
estate operations
|
16,673
|
15,658
|
1,015
|
|||||||||
General
and administrative
|
1,543
|
1,212
|
331
|
|||||||||
Depreciation
|
5,311
|
4,726
|
585
|
|||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
23,527
|
21,596
|
1,931
|
|||||||||
Operating
Income
|
17,211
|
16,297
|
914
|
|||||||||
Investment
income
|
634
|
232
|
402
|
|||||||||
Financing
costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | (770 | ) | ||||||
Minority
interest in earnings of subsidiaries
|
(626 | ) | (257 | ) | (369 | ) | ||||||
Distribution
to certain minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (150 | ) |
-
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
177
|
|||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
3,771
|
163
|
3,608
|
|||||||||
Net
Income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
3,785
|
||||||
Basic
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.76
|
-
|
|||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.56
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ |
0.54
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.32
|
$ |
0.78
|
$ |
0.54
|
||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.74
|
$ |
0.73
|
$ |
0.01
|
||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.55
|
$ |
0.03
|
$ |
0.52
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.29
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.53
|
||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,753
|
6,574
|
||||||||||
Diluted
|
6,916
|
6,816
|
||||||||||
(1)
Properties operated since the beginning of Fiscal 2006.
|
Revenue
for Fiscal 2007 increased 7.5% to $40,738,000 compared to $37,893,000 for
Fiscal
2006. The increase in real estate revenues was principally attributable to
FREIT’s residential operations, primarily at The Boulders in Rockaway Township,
NJ, which accounted for 69.2% of the increase in revenues.
During
the 3rd
quarter of Fiscal
2007, FREIT sold its Lakewood Apartments in Lakewood, New Jersey. In compliance
with current accounting guidance, the gain on the sale, as well as the current
and prior year’s earnings of the Lakewood operation are classified as “Income
from discontinued operations”, which is included within “Net Income” after
“Income from continuing operations”. (See Note 3 for a further discussion of the
sale.) Net income for Fiscal 2007 was $8,943,000 ($1.29 diluted) compared
to
$5,158,000 ($0.76 diluted) for the prior year. Income from continuing operations
for Fiscal 2007 was $5,172,000 ($0.74 diluted) compared to $4,995,000 ($0.73
diluted) for the prior year. The schedule below provides a detailed analysis
of
the major changes that impacted revenue and net income for Fiscal 2007 and
2006:
NET
INCOME
COMPONENTS
|
||||||||||||
Year
Ended October 31,
|
||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||
Commercial
Properties
|
||||||||||||
Same
Properties
(1)
|
$ |
13,085
|
$ |
12,710
|
$ |
375
|
||||||
Damascus
Center - undergoing renovation
|
406
|
752
|
(346 | ) | ||||||||
Total
Commercial Properties
|
13,491
|
13,462
|
29
|
|||||||||
Residential
Properties
|
||||||||||||
Same
Properties
(1)
|
9,177
|
8,541
|
636
|
|||||||||
Boulders
at Rockaway
|
1,397
|
232
|
1,165
|
|||||||||
Total
Residential Properties
|
10,574
|
8,773
|
1,801
|
|||||||||
Total
income from real estate operations
|
24,065
|
22,235
|
1,830
|
|||||||||
Financing
costs:
|
||||||||||||
Fixed
rate mortgages
|
||||||||||||
Same
Properties
(1)
|
(8,858 | ) | (9,374 | ) |
516
|
|||||||
Boulders
at Rockaway
|
(1,108 | ) |
-
|
(1,108 | ) | |||||||
Floating
Rate - Rotunda
|
(1,638 | ) | (1,509 | ) | (129 | ) | ||||||
Corporate
interest - Line / Floating
|
(293 | ) | (244 | ) | (49 | ) | ||||||
Total
financing costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | (770 | ) | ||||||
Investment
income
|
634
|
232
|
402
|
|||||||||
Corporate
expenses
|
(816 | ) | (800 | ) | (16 | ) | ||||||
Accounting
|
(727 | ) | (412 | ) | (315 | ) | ||||||
Minority
interest in earnings of subsidiaries
|
(626 | ) | (257 | ) | (369 | ) | ||||||
Distribution
to Westwood Hills minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (150 | ) |
-
|
|||||||
Depreciation:
|
||||||||||||
Same
Properties
(1)
|
(4,786 | ) | (4,601 | ) | (185 | ) | ||||||
Boulders
at Rockaway
|
(525 | ) | (125 | ) | (400 | ) | ||||||
Total
depreciation
|
(5,311 | ) | (4,726 | ) | (585 | ) | ||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
177
|
|||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
3,771
|
163
|
3,608
|
|||||||||
Net
Income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
3,785
|
||||||
(1)
Properties operated since the beginning of Fiscal 2006.
|
SEGMENT
INFORMATION
The
following table sets forth comparative operating data for FREIT’s real estate
segments:
Commercial
|
Residential
|
Combined
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oct
31,
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Oct
31,
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Oct
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
$
|
%
|
2007
|
2006*
|
$
|
%
|
2007
|
2006*
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rental
income
|
$ |
16,692
|
$ |
16,264
|
$ |
428
|
2.6 | % | $ |
18,333
|
$ |
15,777
|
$ |
2,556
|
16.2 | % | $ |
35,025
|
$ |
32,041
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Reimbursements
|
4,639
|
4,669
|
(30 | ) | -0.6 | % |
-
|
4,639
|
4,669
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other
|
182
|
161
|
21
|
13.0 | % |
293
|
190
|
103
|
54.2 | % |
475
|
351
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Revenue
|
21,513
|
21,094
|
419
|
2.0 | % |
18,626
|
15,967
|
2,659
|
16.7 | % |
40,139
|
37,061
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
8,621
|
8,464
|
157
|
1.9 | % |
8,052
|
7,194
|
858
|
11.9 | % |
16,673
|
15,658
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
operating
income
|
$ |
12,892
|
$ |
12,630
|
$ |
262
|
2.1 | % | $ |
10,574
|
$ |
8,773
|
$ |
1,801
|
20.5 | % |
23,466
|
21,403
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Average
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupancy
%
|
90.3 | % | 90.3 | % | 0.0 | % | 95.0 | % | 95.6 | % | -0.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reconciliation
to consolidated net income:
|
|||||||
Deferred
rents - straight lining
|
298
|
342
|
|||||
Amortization
of acquired leases
|
301
|
490
|
|||||
Net
investment income
|
634
|
232
|
|||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(1,543 | ) | (1,212 | ) | |||
Depreciation
|
(5,311 | ) | (4,726 | ) | |||
Financing
costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | |||
Distributions
to certain minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (150 | ) | |||
Minority
interest
|
(626 | ) | (257 | ) | |||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
3,771
|
163
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
*
Reclassified to reflect discontinued operations (See Notes 1
& 3 to
the consolidated financial statements for more details.)
|
The
above
table details the comparative net operating income (“NOI”) for FREIT’s
Commercial and Residential Segments, and reconciles the combined NOI to
consolidated Net Income. NOI is based on operating revenue and expenses directly
associated with the operations of the real estate properties, but excludes
deferred rents (straight lining), lease amortization, depreciation and financing
costs. FREIT assesses and measures segment operating results based on NOI.
NOI
is not a measure of operating results or cash flow as measured by generally
accepted accounting principles, and is not necessarily indicative of cash
available to fund cash needs and should not be considered an alternative
to cash
flows as a measure of liquidity.
COMMERCIAL
SEGMENT
The
commercial segment contained ten (10) separate properties during Fiscal 2007
and
nine (9) separate properties during Fiscal 2006. Seven are multi-tenanted
retail
or office centers, and one is a single tenanted store. In addition, FREIT
owns
land in Rockaway, NJ and Rochelle Park, NJ from which it receives monthly
rental
income. The Rockaway land is leased to a tenant who has built and operates
a
bank branch on the land. In Rochelle Park, FREIT leases the land to a tenant
who
plans to build and operate a bank branch on the land.
Revenue
and NOI from FREIT’s commercial segment for Fiscal 2007 increased $419,000
(2.0%) and $262,000 (2.1%), respectively, over Fiscal 2006. The primary reasons
for the increase in revenue and NOI, not including Damascus, were higher
occupancy levels and a decrease in operating expense over last year,
specifically leasing commissions at The Rotunda. The increase in revenue
and NOI
was tempered slightly by the adverse effect of the anticipated planned
renovation at our Damascus Shopping Center (the “Damascus Center”), which caused
a temporary decline in occupancy levels (see discussion below). Average
occupancy rates for FREIT’s commercial segment for Fiscal 2007 was at 94.6%,
exclusive of the Damascus Center, compared to 93.0% for Fiscal 2006. Occupancy
rates for the Damascus Center decreased to 55.9% for Fiscal 2007 from 68.6%
for
Fiscal 2006.
The
impact of this renovation on the year-to-date results of the commercial segment
is reflected in the following table:
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
October
31, 2007
|
October
31, 2006
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Commercial
Combined
|
Damascus
|
Same
Properties
|
Commercial
Combined
|
Damascus
|
Same
Properties
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenues
|
$ |
21,513
|
$ |
816
|
$ |
20,697
|
$ |
21,094
|
$ |
1,178
|
$ |
19,916
|
||||||||||||
Expenses
|
8,621
|
410
|
8,211
|
8,464
|
426
|
8,038
|
||||||||||||||||||
NOI
|
$ |
12,892
|
$ |
406
|
$ |
12,486
|
$ |
12,630
|
$ |
752
|
$ |
11,878
|
Revenues
and NOI for same properties increased 4% and 5% respectively for Fiscal 2007
over Fiscal 2006.
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES
A
modernization and expansion is underway at our Damascus Center in Damascus,
MD
(owned by our 70% owned affiliate, Damascus Centre, LLC). Total construction
costs are expected to approximate $21.9 million. Building
plans for Phase I have been approved and construction on Phase I began in
June
2007 with completion expected no later than February 2008. Phase I construction
costs will approximate $4 million of which $2.5 million has already been
expended. Construction financing for approximately $27.3 million has been
committed that will be available to fund future and already expended
construction costs, and will be drawn upon as needed. Because of this
expansion leases for certain tenants have been allowed to expire and not
renewed. This has caused occupancy to decline, on a temporary basis, during
the
construction phase.
Development
plans and studies for the expansion and renovation of our Rotunda property
in
Baltimore, MD (owned by our 60% owned affiliate Grande Rotunda, LLC) continued
during Fiscal 2007. The Rotunda property, on an 11.5-acre site, currently
consists of an office building containing 138,000 sq. ft. of office space
and
78,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the lower floor of the main building. The
building plans incorporate an expansion of approximately 180,500 sq ft. of
retail space, approximately 302 residential rental apartments, 56 condominium
units and 120 hotel rooms, and structured parking. These development costs
are
expected to approximate $145 million. City Planning Board approval has been
received, and construction is expected to start during calendar
2008.
FREIT
recently completed the re-configuration and renovation of the space formerly
occupied by a movie theater at its Westridge Square Shopping Center in
Frederick, MD at a cost approximating $1 million. The former movie
theater operator, as part of its lease termination fee, supplied the funds
for
this re-configuration.
RESIDENTIAL
SEGMENT
On
June 26, 2007, FREIT sold the
Lakewood Apartments in Lakewood, New Jersey for $4 million. For financial
reporting purposes, FREIT recognized a gain of approximately $3.7 million
from
the sale. In compliance with current accounting guidance, the gain on the
sale
and the earnings of the Lakewood operation are classified as discontinued
operations. (See Note 3 for a further discussion of the sale.)DuringFiscal
2007, FREIT operated nine (9)
multi-family apartment communities totaling 1,075 apartment units, not including
the Lakewood property. During the latter part of June 2006, tenants began
taking
occupancy at completed buildings at FREIT’s 129-unit Rockaway, NJ project, The
Boulders, which had been under construction. (See discussion below.)
Fiscal 2007 was the first full year of operation for The Boulders. As of
December 31, 2007 occupancy was in excess of 93%.
During
Fiscal 2007 revenues increased $2,659,000 (16.7%) to $18,626,000 and NOI
increased $1,801,000 (20.5%) to $10,574,000 over Fiscal 2006. The favorable
results at FREIT’s residential segment for Fiscal 2007 were primarily
attributable to the contribution made by The Boulders, in addition to
a combination of higher occupancy levels and higher rents. As a result of
the continuing firming of the apartment rental markets in FREIT’s operating
areas, we expect continued favorable operating results at our residential
segment during Fiscal 2008.
The
contribution made by The Boulders, to revenues and NOI during Fiscal 2007
and
2006 is reflected in the following table:
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
October
31, 2007
|
October
31, 2006
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Residential
Combined
|
Boulders
|
Same
Properties
|
Residential
Combined
|
Boulders
|
Same
Properties
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenues
|
$ |
18,626
|
$ |
2,352
|
$ |
16,274
|
$ |
15,967
|
$ |
384
|
$ |
15,583
|
||||||||||||
Expenses
|
8,052
|
955
|
7,097
|
7,194
|
152
|
7,042
|
||||||||||||||||||
NOI
|
$ |
10,574
|
$ |
1,397
|
$ |
9,177
|
$ |
8,773
|
$ |
232
|
$ |
8,541
|
Our
residential revenue is principally composed of monthly apartment rental income.
Total rental income is a factor of occupancy and monthly apartment rents.
A 1%
decline in annual average occupancy, or a 1% decline in average rents from
current levels, results in an annual revenue decline of approximately $197,000
and $187,000 respectively.
Capital
expenditures: During Fiscal 2007 we expended $460,000 ($679 per apartment
unit)
excluding The Pierre and the newly constructed Boulders. Since our apartment
communities were constructed more than 25 years ago, we tend to spend more
in
any given year on maintenance and capital improvements than may be spent
on
newer properties.
At
The
Pierre, a major renovation program is ongoing. We intend to modernize, where
required, all apartments and to modernize some of the building’s mechanical
services. This renovation is expected to cost approximately $3 - $4 million
and
apartments are to be renovated as they become temporarily vacant, over the
next
several years. These costs will be financed from operating cash flow and
cash
reserves. Through October 31, 2007, we expended approximately $2.7 million
in
capital improvements at The Pierre, including approximately $794,000 during
Fiscal 2007.
The
Boulders, Rockaway Township, NJ
Construction,
which had begun in July 2005, was completed in August 2006 on 129 garden
apartment units on FREIT’s property in Rockaway, NJ. Development costs estimated
at $17.7 million were financed from construction financing and funds available
from our cash and cash equivalents. Certificates of Occupancy for the buildings
have been received, and tenants started taking occupancy during June 2006.
As of
December 31, 2007 occupancy was in excess of 93%.
NET
INVESTMENT INCOME
Net
investment income increased 173% to $634,000 during Fiscal 2007 from $232,000
in
Fiscal 2006. Net investment income is principally derived from interest earned
from cash on deposit in institutional money market funds and interest earned
from secured loans receivable (loans made to Hekemian employees, including
certain members of the immediate family of Robert S. Hekemian, FREIT CEO
and
Chairman of the Board, for their equity investment in Grande Rotunda, LLC,
a
limited liability company, in which FREIT owns a 60% equity interest and
Damascus Center, LLC, a limited liability company, in which FREIT owns a
70%
equity interest). The increase in net investment income for the current year
was
primarily attributable to higher interest income for the current year due
to
higher interest rates on the Company’s investments, coupled with interest income
relative to the secured loans made to Hekemian employees in connection with
the
sale of an equity interest in the Damascus Center, effective October 31,
2006.
FINANCING
COSTS
Financing
costs are summarized as
follows:
Year
Ended
|
||||||||
October
31,
|
||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||
Fixed
rate mortgages
|
||||||||
1st
mortgages
|
||||||||
Existing
|
$ |
6,503
|
$ |
9,242
|
||||
New
(1)
|
1,728
|
-
|
||||||
2nd
mortgages
|
||||||||
Existing
|
1,774
|
540
|
||||||
Variable
rate mortgages:
|
||||||||
Acquisition
loan - Rotunda
|
1,580
|
1,460
|
||||||
Credit
line
|
185
|
86
|
||||||
Other
|
84
|
134
|
||||||
11,854
|
11,462
|
|||||||
Amortization
of mortgage costs
|
277
|
246
|
||||||
Less
construction period interest capitalized
|
(234 | ) | (581 | ) | ||||
Financing
costs expensed
|
$ |
11,897
|
$ |
11,127
|
||||
(1)
Mortgages not in place at beginning of Fiscal 2006.
|
Financing
costs for Fiscal 2007 increased by $770,000 (6.9%) compared to Fiscal 2006.
The
principal reasons for the increase were due to increased financing levels
at The
Boulders (construction and permanent loans) resulting in an increase in
financing costs of $1,108,000 for Fiscal 2007, coupled with higher interest
rates relative to The Rotunda acquisition loan of $22.5 million, which bears
a
floating interest rate. Higher interest rates over the course of the last
year
raised the level of interest expense for The Rotunda by $120,000, to $1,580,000
for Fiscal 2007.
GENERAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Our
general and administrative expenses increased $331,000 (27.3%) to $1,543,000
for
Fiscal 2007 from $1,212,000 for Fiscal 2006. The increases for Fiscal 2007
were
primarily attributable to increases in accounting and auditing fees of
$315,000.
DEPRECIATION
Depreciation
expense in Fiscal 2007 increased $585,000 (12.4%) to $5,311,000 from $4,726,000
for Fiscal 2006. The increase was primarily attributable to depreciation
related
to The Boulders property, completed in August 2006.
Results
of
Operations:
Fiscal
Years Ended October 31, 2006
and 2005
Revenues
for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2006 (“Fiscal 2006”) increased $3,755,000
or 20.7% over revenues for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2005 (“Fiscal
2005”). The components of the increase are summarized in this
table:
For
the Year Ended
|
||||||||||||
October
31,
|
||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
||||||||||||
Commercial
revenues:
|
||||||||||||
Same
properties (1)
|
$ |
17,835
|
$ |
17,184
|
$ |
651
|
||||||
New
properties
|
4,091
|
987
|
3,104
|
|||||||||
21,926
|
18,171
|
3,755
|
||||||||||
Residential
revenues:
|
||||||||||||
Same
properties (1)
|
15,583
|
15,097
|
486
|
|||||||||
New
properties
|
384
|
-
|
384
|
|||||||||
15,967
|
15,097
|
870
|
||||||||||
Total
Real Estate Revenues
|
37,893
|
33,268
|
4,625
|
|||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||||||
Real
estate operations
|
15,658
|
13,414
|
2,244
|
|||||||||
General
and administrative
|
1,212
|
1,001
|
211
|
|||||||||
Depreciation
|
4,726
|
4,252
|
474
|
|||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
21,596
|
18,667
|
2,929
|
|||||||||
Operating
Income
|
16,297
|
14,601
|
1,696
|
|||||||||
Investment
income
|
232
|
229
|
3
|
|||||||||
Financing
costs
|
(11,127 | ) | (10,039 | ) | (1,088 | ) | ||||||
Minority
interest in earnings of subsidiaries
|
(257 | ) | (246 | ) | (11 | ) | ||||||
Distribution
to certain minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (180 | ) |
30
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
4,995
|
4,365
|
630
|
|||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
163
|
129
|
34
|
|||||||||
Net
Income
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
$ |
664
|
||||||
Basic
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.68
|
$ |
0.08
|
||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ |
0.02
|
-
|
|||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.78
|
$ |
0.70
|
$ |
0.08
|
||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.73
|
$ |
0.64
|
$ |
0.09
|
||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.03
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ |
0.01
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.66
|
$ |
0.10
|
||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,574
|
6,440
|
||||||||||
Diluted
|
6,816
|
6,774
|
||||||||||
(1)
Properties operated since the beginning of Fiscal 2005.
|
In
compliance with current
accounting guidance, the prior years’ results have been reclassified to reflect
the earnings of the Lakewood operation as “Income from discontinued operations”,
which is included within “Net Income” after “Income from continuing operations”.
(See Note 3 for a further discussion of this reclassification.)
Revenue
for Fiscal 2006 increased 13.9% to $37,893,000 compared to $33,268,000 for
Fiscal 2005. FREIT’s acquisition of The Rotunda in July 2005 (see Note 3 for
further discussion of The Rotunda acquisition), and revenue generated from
FREIT’s newly constructed property (The Boulders) in Rockaway, NJ accounted for
10% of the increase in revenues.
Income
from continuing operations was $4,995,000 in Fiscal 2006 compared to $4,365,000
in Fiscal 2005, an increase of 14.4%. This increase was primarily attributable
to improved operating results at FREIT’s Same Properties.
SEGMENT
INFORMATION
The
following table sets forth comparative operating data for FREIT’s real estate
segments:
Commercial
|
Residential
|
Combined
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
Year
Ended
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oct
31,
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Oct
31,
|
Increase
(Decrease)
|
Oct
31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
$
|
%
|
2006
|
2005*
|
$
|
%
|
2006
|
2005*
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rental
income
|
$ |
16,264
|
$ |
13,651
|
$ |
2,613
|
19.1 | % | $ |
15,777
|
$ |
15,027
|
$ |
750
|
5.0 | % | $ |
32,041
|
$ |
28,678
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Reimbursements
|
4,669
|
4,063
|
606
|
14.9 | % |
4,669
|
4,063
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other
|
161
|
128
|
33
|
25.8 | % |
190
|
70
|
120
|
171.4 | % |
351
|
198
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total
Revenue
|
21,094
|
17,842
|
3,252
|
18.2 | % |
15,967
|
15,097
|
870
|
5.8 | % |
37,061
|
32,939
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
8,464
|
6,615
|
1,849
|
28.0 | % |
7,194
|
6,799
|
395
|
5.8 | % |
15,658
|
13,414
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net
operating
income
|
$ |
12,630
|
$ |
11,227
|
$ |
1,403
|
12.5 | % | $ |
8,773
|
$ |
8,298
|
$ |
475
|
5.7 | % |
21,403
|
19,525
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Average
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupancy
%
|
90.3 | % | 91.1 | % | -0.8 | % | 95.6 | % | 93.4 | % | 2.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reconciliation
to consolidated net income:
|
|||||||
Deferred
rents - straight lining
|
342
|
329
|
|||||
Amortization
of acquired leases
|
490
|
-
|
|||||
Net
investment income
|
232
|
229
|
|||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(1,212 | ) | (1,001 | ) | |||
Depreciation
|
(4,726 | ) | (4,252 | ) | |||
Financing
costs
|
(11,127 | ) | (10,039 | ) | |||
Distributions
to certain minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (180 | ) | |||
Minority
interest
|
(257 | ) | (246 | ) | |||
Income
from continuing operations
|
4,995
|
4,365
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
163
|
129
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
*
Reclassified to reflect discontinued operations (See Notes 1
& 3 to
the consolidated financial statements for more
details.)
|
The
above
table details the comparative net operating income (“NOI”) for FREIT’s
Commercial and Residential Segments, and reconciles the combined NOI to
consolidated Net Income. NOI is based on operating revenue and expenses directly
associated with the operations of the real estate properties, but excludes
deferred rents (straight lining), depreciation and financing costs. FREIT
assesses and measures segment operating results based on NOI. NOI is not
a
measure of operating results or cash flow as measured by generally accepted
accounting principles, and is not necessarily indicative of cash available
to
fund cash needs and should not be considered an alternative to cash flows
as a
measure of liquidity.
COMMERCIAL
SEGMENT
During
Fiscal 2006 revenues and NOI increased $3,252,000 (18.2%) and $1,403,000
(12.5%), respectively over Fiscal 2005. The increase in revenue and NOI is
primarily attributable to the operations at The Rotunda, as reflected in
the
following table:
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
October
31, 2006
|
October
31, 2005
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Commercial
Combined
|
Rotunda
|
Same
Properties
|
Commercial
Combined
|
Rotunda
|
Same
Properties
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenues
|
$ |
21,094
|
$ |
3,535
|
$ |
17,559
|
$ |
17,842
|
$ |
969
|
$ |
16,873
|
||||||||||||
Expenses
|
8,464
|
2,507
|
5,957
|
6,615
|
585
|
6,030
|
||||||||||||||||||
NOI
|
$ |
12,630
|
$ |
1,028
|
$ |
11,602
|
$ |
11,227
|
$ |
384
|
$ |
10,843
|
Revenues
and NOI for the Same Properties increased 4.1% and 7.0%, respectively for
Fiscal
2006 over Fiscal 2005.
RESIDENTIAL
SEGMENT
During
most of Fiscal 2006 FREIT operated nine (9) multi-family apartment communities
totaling 986 apartment units. During the later part of June 2006, tenants
began
taking occupancy at completed buildings at FREIT’s 129-unit Rockaway, NJ
project, The Boulders that had been under construction. Since operations
at The
Boulders during Fiscal 2006 were immaterial, the NOI discussion below concerns
FREIT’s same residential properties.
During
Fiscal 2006 revenues increased $870,000 (5.8%) to $15,967,000 and NOI increased
$475,000 (5.7%) to $8,773,000 over Fiscal 2005. The favorable results
at FREIT’s residential segment for Fiscal 2006 was a combination of higher
occupancy levels and higher rents, as a result of the continuing firming
of the
apartment rental markets in FREIT’s operating areas.
Our
residential revenue is principally composed of monthly apartment rental
income. Total rental income is a factor of occupancy and monthly
apartment rents. A 1% decline in annual average occupancy, or a 1% decline
in
average rents from current levels, results in an annual revenue decline of
approximately $185,000 and $173,000 respectively.
Capital
expenditures: During Fiscal 2006 we expended $368,000 ($513 per apartment
unit)
excluding The Pierre and the newly constructed Boulders. Since our apartment
communities were constructed more than 25 years ago, we tend to spend more
in
any given year on maintenance and capital improvements than may be spent
on
newer properties.
NET
INVESTMENT INCOME
Net
investment income increased slightly to $232,000 during Fiscal 2006 from
$229,000 in Fiscal 2005. Net investment income is principally derived from
interest earned from our cash on deposit in institutional money market funds,
and interest earned from our secured loans receivable (loans made to Hekemian
employees for their equity investment in Grande Rotunda). The amount of earnings
is dependent on prevailing interest rates in effect from
time-to-time.
FINANCING
COSTS
Financing
costs are summarized as follows:
Year
Ended
|
||||||||
October
31,
|
||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
|||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||
Fixed
rate mortgages
|
||||||||
1st
mortgages
|
||||||||
Existing
|
$ |
8,661
|
$ |
8,869
|
||||
New
(1)
|
581
|
-
|
||||||
2nd
mortgages
|
||||||||
Existing
|
540
|
540
|
||||||
Variable
rate mortgages:
|
||||||||
Acquisition
loan - Rotunda
|
1,460
|
340 | ||||||
Credit
line
|
86
|
-
|
||||||
Other
|
134
|
94
|
||||||
11,462
|
9,843
|
|||||||
Amortization
of mortgage costs
|
246
|
196
|
||||||
Less
construction period interest capitalized
|
(581 | ) |
-
|
|||||
Financing
costs expensed
|
$ |
11,127
|
$ |
10,039
|
||||
(1)
Mortgages not in place at beginning of Fiscal 2005.
|
Financing
costs for Fiscal 2006 increased by $1,088,000 (10.8%) compared to Fiscal
2005.
The principal reason for the increase was the mortgage loan on FREIT’s
acquisition of The Rotunda in Fiscal 2005. The decrease in financing costs
from
existing mortgages is principally attributable to reduced interest costs
resulting from lower mortgage balances from normal loan amortization and
from
the pre-payment of the $2.3 million loan on the Damascus property in January
2005.
GENERAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Our
General and Administrative expenses increased $211,000 (21.1%) to $1,212,000
for
Fiscal 2006 from $1,001,000 for Fiscal 2005. The principal reasons for the
increase were the Sarbanes-Oxley Act accounting compliance costs and Trustees’
compensation.
DEPRECIATION
Depreciation
expense in Fiscal 2006 increased $474,000 (11.1%) to $4,726,000 from $4,252,000
for Fiscal 2005. The principal reasons for the increase were the acquisition
of
The Rotunda during July of Fiscal 2005, and the completion and coming into
service of the Boulders property in Rockaway, NJ.
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL
RESOURCES
Our
financial condition remains strong. Net cash provided by operating activities
was $11.1 million for Fiscal 2007 compared to $12.1 million for Fiscal 2006.
We
expect that cash provided by operating activities will be adequate to cover
mandatory debt service payments, recurring capital improvements and dividends
necessary to retain qualification as a REIT (90% of taxable
income).
As
at
October 31, 2007, we had cash and marketable securities totaling $12.7 million
compared to $9.6 million at October 31, 2006.
We
are
planning an expansion and redevelopment of The Rotunda in Baltimore, MD and
have
begun the rebuilding of the Damascus Shopping Center, in Damascus, MD. The
total
capital required for these projects is estimated at $145 million, and $21.9
million, respectively. Financing for these projects will be, in part, from
construction and mortgage financing and, in part, from funds available in
our
institutional money market investment. We expect these development projects
to
add to revenues, income, cash flow, and shareholder value.
As
at
October 31, 2007, FREIT’s aggregate outstanding mortgage debt was $189.4
million. This debt bears a fixed weighted average interest rate of 5.794%.
The
fixed rate mortgages, which have an average life of approximately 6.07 years,
are subject to repayment (amortization) schedules that are longer than the
term
of the mortgages. As such, balloon payments for all mortgage debt will be
required as follows:
Year
|
$
Millions
|
|||
2008
|
$
|
28.4
|
||
2010
|
$
|
12.2
|
||
2013
|
$
|
8.0
|
||
2014
|
$
|
25.9
|
||
2016
|
$
|
24.5
|
||
2017
|
$
|
22.0
|
||
2019
|
$
|
28.1
|
||
2022
|
$
|
14.4
|
The
following table shows the estimated
fair value and carrying value of our long-term debt at October 31, 2007 and
2006:
(In
Millions)
|
October
31,
2007
|
October
31,
2006
|
||||||
Fair
Value
|
$ |
188.7
|
$ |
184.4
|
||||
Carrying
Value
|
$ |
189.4
|
$ |
180.7
|
Fair
values are estimated based on market interest rates at the end of each fiscal
year and on discounted cash flow analysis. Changes in assumptions or estimation
methods may significantly affect these fair value estimates.
FREIT
expects to re-finance the individual mortgages with new mortgages when their
terms expire. To this extent we have exposure to interest rate risk on our
fixed
rate debt obligations. If interest rates, at the time any individual mortgage
note is due, are higher than the current fixed interest rate, higher debt
service may be required, and/or re-financing proceeds may be less than the
amount of mortgage debt being retired. For example, a 1% interest rate
increase would reduce the fair value of our debt by $9.4 million, and a 1%
decrease would increase the fair value by $10.2 million.
We
believe that the values of our properties will be adequate to command
re-financing proceeds equal to, or higher than, the mortgage debt to be
re-financed. We continually review our debt levels to determine if additional
debt can prudently be utilized for property acquisition additions to our
real
estate portfolio that will increase income and cash flow to
shareholders.
Credit
Line: FREIT has an $18 million line of credit provided by the Provident Bank.
The line of credit is for three years but can be cancelled by the bank, at
its
will, at each anniversary date. Draws against the credit line can be used
for
general corporate purposes, for property acquisitions, construction activities,
and letters of credit. Draws against the credit line are secured by mortgages
on
FREIT’s Franklin Crossing Shopping Center, Franklin Lakes, NJ, retail space in
Glen Rock, NJ, Palisades Manor Apartments, Palisades Park, NJ, and Grandview
Apartments, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. .Interest
rates on
draws will be set at the time of each draw for 30, 60, or 90-day periods,
based
on our choice of the prime rate or at 175 basis points over the 30, 60, or
90-day LIBOR rates at the time of the draws.
In
connection with its construction activities in Rockaway, NJ, FREIT had drawn
down $1.5 million and further utilized the credit line for the issuance of
a $2
million Letter of Credit (“LoC”). The $1.5 million was repaid during the current
year’s first quarter and the $2 million LoC was retired on May 16,
2007.
During
the current year’s second
quarter, FREIT utilized $15.8 million of its credit line to repay currently
maturing mortgage debt secured by Westridge Square. The $15.8 million utilized
under the credit line was subsequently repaid on April 25, 2007, using proceeds
from the refinancing of the Westridge Square debt. $18 million is currently
available under the line of credit.
Interest
rate swap contract: To reduce interest rate volatility, FREIT uses “pay fixed,
receive floating” interest rate swaps to convert floating interest rates to
fixed interest rates over the terms of certain loans. We enter into these
swap
contracts with a counterparty that is usually a high-quality commercial
bank.
In
essence, we agree to pay our counterparty a fixed rate of interest on a dollar
amount of notional principal (which corresponds to our mortgage debt) over
a
term equal to the terms of the mortgage note. Our counterparty, in return,
agrees to pay us a short-term rate of interest - generally LIBOR - on that
same
notional amount over the same term as our mortgage note.
FASB
133
requires us to mark-to-market fixed pay interest rate swaps. As the floating
interest rate varies from time-to-time over the term of the contract, the
value
of the contract will change upward or downward. If the floating rate is higher
than the fixed rate, the value of the contract goes up and there is a gain
and
an asset. If the floating rate is less than the fixed rate, there is a loss
and
a liability. These gains or losses will not affect our income statement.
Changes
in the fair value of these swap contracts will be reported in other
comprehensive income and appear in the equity section of our balance sheet.
This
gain or loss represents the economic consequence of liquidating our fixed
rate
swap contracts and replacing them with like-duration funding at current market
rates, something we would likely never do.
FREIT
had
a variable interest rate mortgage securing its Patchogue, NY property. To
reduce
interest rate fluctuations FREIT entered into an interest rate swap contract.
This rate swap contract effectively converted variable interest rate payments
to
fixed interest rate payments. The contract was initially based on a notional
amount of approximately $6,769,000 ($5,929,000 at October 31, 2007). FREIT
has
the following derivative-related risks with its swap contract: 1) early
termination risk, and 2) counterparty credit risk.
Early
Termination Risk: If FREIT wants to terminate its swap contract before maturity,
it would be bought out or terminated at market value; i.e., the difference
in
the present value of the anticipated net cash flows from each of the swap’s
parties. If current variable interest rates are significantly below FREIT’s
fixed interest rate payments, this could be costly. Conversely, if interest
rates rise above FREIT’s fixed interest payments and FREIT elected early
termination, FREIT would realize a gain on termination. At October 31, 2007,
FREIT’s swap contract was in-the-money. If FREIT had terminated its contract at
that date it would have realized a gain of about $14,000. This amount has
been
included as an asset in FREIT’s balance sheet as at October 31, 2007, and the
change (gain or loss) between reporting periods included in comprehensive
income.
Counterparty
Credit Risk: Each party to a swap contract bears the risk that its Counterparty
will default on its obligation to make a periodic payment. FREIT reduces
this
risk by entering swap contracts only with major financial institutions that
are
experienced market makers in the derivatives market.
FREIT’s
total capital commitments
represent obligations under its mortgage loan and construction contracts
as
follows:
CAPITAL
COMMITMENTS
|
||||||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands of
dollars)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Within
|
2
- 3
|
4
- 5
|
After
5
|
|||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations
|
Total
|
One
Year
|
Years
|
Years
|
Years
|
|||||||||||||||
Long-Term
Debt
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Annual
Amortization
|
$ |
25,829
|
$ |
2,167
|
$ |
5,067
|
$ |
5,583
|
$ |
13,012
|
||||||||||
Balloon
Payments
|
163,560
|
28,394
|
12,216
|
-
|
122,950
|
|||||||||||||||
Total
Long-Term
Debt
|
189,389
|
30,561
|
17,283
|
5,583
|
135,962
|
|||||||||||||||
Construction
Contracts
(a)
|
1,678
|
1,678
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||
Total
Capital
Commitments
|
$ |
191,067
|
$ |
32,239
|
$ |
17,283
|
$ |
5,583
|
$ |
135,962
|
||||||||||
(a)
Represents construction contracts related to Damascus Center
redevelopment
project.
|
Funds
From Operations
(“FFO”)
Many
consider FFO as the standard measurement of a REIT’s performance. We compute FFO
as follows:
Funds
From
Operations
|
Year
Ended
|
|||||||||||
October
31,
|
||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||
(In
thousands, except per
share amounts)
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
||||||
Depreciation
|
5,311
|
4,726
|
4,252
|
|||||||||
Amortization
of deferred mortgage costs
|
277
|
246
|
196
|
|||||||||
Deferred
rents (Straight lining)
|
(298 | ) | (342 | ) | (329 | ) | ||||||
Amortization
of acquired leases
|
(301 | ) | (490 | ) |
-
|
|||||||
Capital
Improvements - Apartments
|
(460 | ) | (368 | ) | (626 | ) | ||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
(3,771 | ) | (163 | ) | (129 | ) | ||||||
Minority
interests:
|
||||||||||||
Equity
in earnings of subsidiaries
|
776
|
407
|
426
|
|||||||||
Distributions
to minority interests
|
(998 | ) | (780 | ) | (728 | ) | ||||||
FFO
|
$ |
9,479
|
$ |
8,394
|
$ |
7,556
|
||||||
Per
Share -
Basic
|
$ |
1.40
|
$ |
1.28
|
$ |
1.17
|
||||||
Per
Share -
Diluted
|
$ |
1.37
|
$ |
1.23
|
$ |
1.12
|
||||||
Weighted
Average Shares
Outstanding:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,753
|
6,574
|
6,440
|
|||||||||
Diluted
|
6,916
|
6,816
|
6,774
|
FFO
does
not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America,
and
therefore should not be considered a substitute for net income as a measure
of
results of operations or for cash flow from operations as a measure of
liquidity. Additionally, the application and calculation of FFO by certain
other
REITs may vary materially from that of FREIT’s, and therefore FREIT’s FFO and
the FFO of other REITs may not be directly comparable.
Distributions
to
Shareholders
Since
its
inception in 1961, FREIT has elected to be treated as a REIT for Federal
income
tax purposes. In order to qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy a number of
highly
technical and complex operational requirements including that we must distribute
to our shareholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income. We anticipate
making distributions to shareholders from operating cash flows, which are
expected to increase from future growth in rental revenues. Although cash
used
to make distributions reduces amounts available for capital investment, we
generally intend to distribute not less than the minimum of REIT taxable
income
necessary to satisfy the applicable REIT requirement as set forth in the
Internal Revenue Code. With respect to the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2003, the reduction of the tax rate on dividends does
not
apply to FREIT dividends. Since it is FREIT’s policy to pass on at least 90% of
its taxable income to shareholders, FREIT’s taxable income is untaxed at the
trust level. As a result, FREIT’s dividends will be taxed as ordinary
income.
It
has
been our policy to pay fixed quarterly dividends for the first three quarters
of
each fiscal year, and a final fourth quarter dividend based on the fiscal
year’s
net income and taxable income. The following tables list the quarterly dividends
paid or declared for the three most recent fiscal years and the percent the
dividends were of taxable income.
Fiscal
Year ended October 31,
|
||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||
First
Quarter
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.25
|
||||||
Second
Quarter
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.25
|
||||||
Third
Quarter
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.25
|
||||||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$ |
0.40
|
$ |
0.50
|
$ |
0.45
|
||||||
Total
For
Year
|
$ |
1.30
|
$ |
1.25
|
$ |
1.20
|
(in
thousands of dollars)
|
Dividends
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Fiscal
|
Per
|
Total
|
Ordinary
|
Capital
Gain
|
Taxable
|
as
a % of
|
||||||||||||||||||
Year
|
Share
|
Dividends
|
Income
|
Income
|
Income
|
Taxable
Income
|
||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
$ |
1.30
|
$ |
8,787
|
$ |
5,353
|
$ |
2,040
|
$ |
7,393
|
118.9 | % | ||||||||||||
2006
|
$ |
1.25
|
$ |
8,313
|
$ |
5,250
|
$ |
-
|
$ |
5,250
|
158.3 | % | ||||||||||||
2005
|
$ |
1.20
|
$ |
7,740
|
$ |
4,778
|
$ |
-
|
$ |
4,778
|
162.0 | % | ||||||||||||
INFLATION
Inflation
can impact the financial performance of FREIT in various ways.
Our commercial tenant leases normally provide that the tenants bear all or
a portion of most operating expenses, which can reduce the impact of
inflationary increases on FREIT. Apartment leases are normally for a one-year
term, which may allow us to seek increased rents as leases renew or when new
tenants are obtained.
*
*
*
ITEM
7A
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE
DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
|
See
“Liquidity
and Capital Resources”
and “Commercial and Residential Segment” above.
ITEM
8
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AND
SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
|
The
consolidated financial statements and supplementary data of FREIT are submitted
as a separate section of this Form 10-K. See "Index to Consolidated Financial
Statements" on page 32 of this Form 10-K.
ITEM
9
|
CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS
WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
|
Effective
September 13, 2006, FREIT changed its independent registered public accounting
firm from J.H. Cohn LLP to Eisner LLP, as reported in FREIT’s Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 13, 2006. The
decision to change FREIT’s independent registered public accounting firm was
made by the Audit Committee of FREIT’s board of directors and ratified by
FREIT’s board of directors. In connection with the audits of FREIT’s financial
statements for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2005, and in the subsequent
interim period from November 1, 2005 through and including September 8, 2006,
there were no disagreements between FREIT and its auditors, J.H. Cohn, on any
matters of accounting principles or practices, consolidated financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope and procedures, which if not resolved to the
satisfaction of J.H. Cohn, would have caused J.H. Cohn to make reference to
the
matter in their reports on the financial statements for such years.
ITEM
9A
|
CONTROLS
AND
PROCEDURES
|
At
the
end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the design and operation of FREIT’s disclosure controls and
procedures. This evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with
participation of FREIT’s management, including FREIT’s Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, who concluded that FREIT’s
disclosure controls and procedures are effective. There have been no significant
changes in FREIT’s internal controls or in other factors, which could
significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date we carried out
our
evaluation.
Disclosure
controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed
to
ensure that information required to be disclosed in FREIT’s reports filed or
submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and
reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and
procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in
FREIT’s reports filed under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to
management, including FREIT’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
Management’s
Report on Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting — FREIT’s management, under the
supervision of FREIT’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is
responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) under the
Exchange Act). Management evaluated the effectiveness of FREIT’s internal
control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, management has concluded that
FREIT’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October
31, 2007.
Management’s
assessment of the effectiveness of FREIT’s internal control over financial
reporting as of October 31, 2007, has been audited by Eisner LLP, an independent
registered public accounting firm, as stated in their Report of Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm included in “Item 8 — Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Changes
in Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting — FREIT’s management, with the participation of
FREIT’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated
whether any change in FREIT’s internal control over financial reporting occurred
during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2007. Based on that evaluation, management
concluded that there has been no change in FREIT’s internal control over
financial reporting during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, FREIT’s internal control
over financial reporting.
ITEM
9B OTHER INFORMATION
None.
Report
of Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm
To
the
Trustees and Shareholders
First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
We
have
audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying “Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting”, that First Real Estate
Investment Trust of New Jersey and Subsidiaries (“FREIT”) maintained effective
internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2007, based on
criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). FREIT’s
management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on
management’s assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of FREIT’s internal
control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control
over
financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating
the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing
such
other procedures as we consider necessary in the circumstances. We believe
that
our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A
company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
A
company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and
procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable
detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of
the
assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of
America, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only
in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company;
and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection
of
unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could
have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may
not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In
our
opinion, management’s assessment that FREIT maintained effective internal
control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2007, is fairly stated,
in
all material respects, based on the COSO criteria. Also in our opinion, FREIT
maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of October 31, 2007, based on the COSO criteria.
We
also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of FREIT as
of
October 31, 2007 and 2006 and the related consolidated statements of income,
comprehensive income and undistributed earnings and cash flows for the
years then ended, and our report dated January 10, 2008 expressed an
unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/
Eisner LLP
New
York,
NY
January
10, 2008
PART
III
Certain
information required by Part III is incorporated by reference to FREIT's
definitive proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement") to be filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of
FREIT's fiscal year covered by this Annual Report. Only those sections of the
Proxy Statement that specifically address the items set forth in this Annual
Report are incorporated by reference from the Proxy Statement into this Annual
Report.
ITEM
10
|
DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
|
The
information concerning FREIT's trustees required by this item is incorporated
herein by reference to the sections titled "Election of Trustees" and
"Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act" in FREIT's Proxy
Statement for its Annual Meeting to be held in April 2008.
ITEM
11
|
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
|
The
information pertaining to executive compensation required by this item is
incorporated herein by reference to the section titled "Election of Trustees
-
Executive Compensation" in FREIT's Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting to
be
held in April 2008.
ITEM
12
|
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN
BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS
|
The
information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the
section titled "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management"
in FREIT's Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting to be held in April
2008.
ITEM
13
|
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND
RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE
|
The
information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the
section titled "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions" in FREIT's
Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting to be held in April 2008.
ITEM
14
|
PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND
SERVICES
|
The
information required in response to this item is incorporated by reference
to
the sections titled “Audit Fees,” “Audit-Related Fees,” “ Tax Fees” and “All
Other Fees” contained in FREIT’s Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting to be
held in April 2008.
PART
IV
ITEM
15:
|
EXHIBITS,
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND SCHEDULES
|
Page
|
|
|
|
34/35
|
|
|
|
36
|
|
|
|
37
|
|
|
|
38
|
|
|
|
39
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
52/53
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, FREIT has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dated:
January 14, 2008
|
|
By:
/s/ Robert S.
Hekemian
|
|
|
|
Robert
S. Hekemian, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
/s/ Donald W.
Barney
|
|
|
|
President,
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
To
the
Trustees and Shareholders
First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of First Real Estate
Investment Trust of New Jersey and Subsidiaries (“FREIT”) as of October 31, 2007
and 2006 and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income
and undistributed earnings and cash flows for the years then ended. Our audit
also included the Financial Statement Schedule XI listed in the index at item
15(c). These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of FREIT's
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements and schedule based on our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining,
on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used
and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In
our
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the consolidated financial position of FREIT as of October
31, 2007 and 2006 and the consolidated results of its operations
and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our
opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation
to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all
material respects the information set forth therein.
We
also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of FREIT’s internal control
over financial reporting as of October 31, 2007, based on criteria established
in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO) and our report dated January
10, 2008 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/
Eisner LLP
New
York,
NY
January
10, 2008
Report
of Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm
To
the
Trustees and Shareholders
First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated statements of income, comprehensive
income and undistributed earnings and cash flows of First Real Estate
Investment Trust of New Jersey and Subsidiaries (“FREIT”) for the year ended
October 31, 2005. These financial statements are the responsibility of FREIT's
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining,
on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used
and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In
our
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, FREIT’s
consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the year ended
October 31, 2005, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted
in
the United States of America.
As discussed
in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements, FREIT has restated its
consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended October 31,
2005.
Our
audit
referred to above included the information in Schedule XI for the year ended
October 31, 2005, which presents fairly, when read in conjunction with the
consolidated financial statements, the information required to be set forth
therein.
/s/
J.H.
Cohn LLP
Roseland,
New Jersey
January
10, 2006, except for Note 15, as to which the date is January 30,
2007.
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND
SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
|
||||||||
OCTOBER
31, 2007 AND 2006
|
||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
|
||||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Real
estate, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation
|
$ |
204,732
|
$ |
204,313
|
||||
Construction
in progress
|
7,331
|
2,995
|
||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
12,740
|
9,616
|
||||||
Tenants'
security accounts
|
2,369
|
2,161
|
||||||
Sundry
receivables
|
4,833
|
3,320
|
||||||
Secured
loans receivable
|
3,326
|
3,109
|
||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other assets
|
2,852
|
4,201
|
||||||
Acquired
over market leases and in-place lease costs
|
1,104
|
1,395
|
||||||
Deferred
charges, net
|
3,454
|
3,589
|
||||||
Interest
rate swap contract
|
14
|
87
|
||||||
Totals
|
$ |
242,755
|
$ |
234,786
|
||||
LIABILITIES
AND
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
||||||||
Liabilities:
|
||||||||
Mortgages
payable
|
$ |
189,389
|
$ |
180,679
|
||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
5,193
|
6,097
|
||||||
Dividends
payable
|
2,704
|
3,375
|
||||||
Tenants'
security deposits
|
3,124
|
2,823
|
||||||
Acquired
below market value leases and deferred revenue
|
3,911
|
3,945
|
||||||
Total
liabilities
|
204,321
|
196,919
|
||||||
Minority
interest
|
13,304
|
12,895
|
||||||
Commitments
and contingencies
|
||||||||
Shareholders'
equity:
|
||||||||
Shares
of beneficial interest without par value:
|
||||||||
8,000,000
shares authorized;
|
||||||||
6,760,652
and 6,750,652 shares issued and outstanding
|
23,225
|
23,150
|
||||||
Undistributed earnings
|
1,891
|
1,735
|
||||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income
|
14
|
87
|
||||||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
25,130
|
24,972
|
||||||
Totals
|
$ |
242,755
|
$ |
234,786
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
|
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME, COMPREHENSIVE
INCOME
|
||||||||||||
AND
UNDISTRIBUTED EARNINGS
|
||||||||||||
YEARS
ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2007, 2006 AND 2005
|
||||||||||||
INCOME
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||||||
(In
Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)
|
||||||||||||
Revenue:
|
||||||||||||
Rental
income
|
$ |
35,624
|
$ |
32,873
|
$ |
29,007
|
||||||
Reimbursements
|
4,639
|
4,669
|
4,063
|
|||||||||
Sundry
income
|
475
|
351
|
198
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
40,738
|
37,893
|
33,268
|
|||||||||
Expenses:
|
||||||||||||
Operating
expenses
|
10,742
|
9,848
|
7,996
|
|||||||||
Management
fees
|
1,775
|
1,687
|
1,505
|
|||||||||
Real
estate taxes
|
5,699
|
5,335
|
4,914
|
|||||||||
Depreciation
|
5,311
|
4,726
|
4,252
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
23,527
|
21,596
|
18,667
|
|||||||||
Operating
income
|
17,211
|
16,297
|
14,601
|
|||||||||
Investment
income
|
634
|
232
|
229
|
|||||||||
Interest
expense, including amortization
|
||||||||||||
of
deferred financing costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | (10,039 | ) | ||||||
Minority
interest
|
(626 | ) | (257 | ) | (246 | ) | ||||||
Distribution
to certain minority interests
|
(150 | ) | (150 | ) | (180 | ) | ||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
4,365
|
|||||||||
Discontinued
operations:
|
||||||||||||
Earnings
from discontinued operations
|
91
|
163
|
129
|
|||||||||
Gain
on sale
|
3,680
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
3,771
|
163
|
129
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
||||||
Basic
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.68
|
||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.56
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ |
0.02
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.32
|
$ |
0.78
|
$ |
0.70
|
||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.74
|
$ |
0.73
|
$ |
0.64
|
||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
$ |
0.55
|
$ |
0.03
|
$ |
0.02
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1.29
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.66
|
||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||||||||
Basic
|
6,753
|
6,574
|
6,440
|
|||||||||
Diluted
|
6,916
|
6,816
|
6,774
|
|||||||||
COMPREHENSIVE
INCOME
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
||||||
Other
comprehensive income (loss):
|
||||||||||||
Unrealized
gain (loss) on interest
|
||||||||||||
rate
swap contract
|
(73 | ) | (9 | ) |
256
|
|||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$ |
8,870
|
$ |
5,149
|
$ |
4,750
|
||||||
UNDISTRIBUTED
EARNINGS
|
||||||||||||
Balance,
beginning of period
|
$ |
1,735
|
$ |
4,890
|
$ |
8,136
|
||||||
Net
income
|
8,943
|
5,158
|
4,494
|
|||||||||
Less
dividends declared
|
(8,787 | ) | (8,313 | ) | (7,740 | ) | ||||||
Balance,
end of period
|
$ |
1,891
|
$ |
1,735
|
$ |
4,890
|
||||||
Dividends
declared per share
|
$ |
1.30
|
$ |
1.25
|
$ |
1.20
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
|
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND
SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
|||||||||||||
YEARS
ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2007, 2006 AND 2005
|
|||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||||||||
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
|
|||||||||||||
Operating
activities:
|
|||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
|||||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by
|
|||||||||||||
operating
activities (including discontinued operations):
|
|||||||||||||
Depreciation
|
5,319
|
4,739
|
4,265
|
||||||||||
Amortization
|
763
|
757
|
413
|
||||||||||
Net
amortization of acquired leases
|
(301 | ) | (490 | ) |
-
|
||||||||
Deferred
revenue
|
420
|
66
|
27
|
||||||||||
Minority
interest
|
776
|
407
|
426
|
||||||||||
Gain
on sale of discontinued operations
|
(3,680 | ) |
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|||||||||||||
Tenants'
security accounts
|
(208 | ) | (253 | ) | (131 | ) | |||||||
Sundry
receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets
|
(795 | ) |
1,137
|
(3,293 | ) | ||||||||
Accounts
payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities
|
(394 | ) |
234
|
3,220
|
|||||||||
Tenants'
security deposits
|
301
|
336
|
277
|
||||||||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
11,144
|
12,091
|
9,698
|
||||||||||
Investing
activities:
|
|||||||||||||
Capital
improvements - existing properties
|
(2,038 | ) | (2,351 | ) | (2,047 | ) | |||||||
Proceeds
from sale of discontinued operations
|
3,796
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Construction
and pre development costs
|
(6,043 | ) | (14,463 | ) | (4,157 | ) | |||||||
Additions
to leasing costs
|
-
|
(298 | ) |
-
|
|||||||||
Acquisition
of real estate
|
(2,545 | ) |
-
|
(8,390 | ) |
(a)
|
|||||||
Sale
of minority interest in subsidiary
|
-
|
3,224
|
|||||||||||
Secured
loans to minority interest
|
-
|
(1,451 | ) | (1,658 | ) | ||||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(6,830 | ) | (15,339 | ) | (16,252 | ) | |||||||
Financing
activities:
|
|||||||||||||
Repayment
of mortgages
|
(19,621 | ) | (1,989 | ) | (3,945 | ) | |||||||
Proceeds
from mortgages and construction loans
|
28,331
|
15,794
|
75
|
||||||||||
Proceeds
from exercise of stock options
|
75
|
2,021
|
435
|
||||||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(9,458 | ) | (7,854 | ) | (8,036 | ) | |||||||
Distribution
to minority interest
|
(998 | ) | (780 | ) | (728 | ) | |||||||
Contributions
by minority interest
|
481
|
-
|
5,582
|
||||||||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by financing activities
|
(1,190 | ) |
7,192
|
(6,617 | ) | ||||||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
3,124
|
3,944
|
(13,171 | ) | |||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of year
|
9,616
|
5,672
|
18,843
|
||||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of year
|
$ |
12,740
|
$ |
9,616
|
$ |
5,672
|
|||||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow data:
|
|||||||||||||
Interest
paid, including capitalized construction period interest
|
|||||||||||||
of
$234 and $581 in fiscal 2007 and 2006, respectively.
|
$ |
11,669
|
$ |
11,462
|
$ |
9,844
|
|||||||
Income
taxes paid
|
$ |
20
|
$ |
19
|
$ |
36
|
|||||||
Supplemental
schedule of non cash financing activities:
|
|||||||||||||
Accrued
capital expenditures, construction costs and pre-development
costs
|
$ |
1,910
|
$ |
2,445
|
$ |
-
|
|||||||
Dividends
declared but not paid
|
$ |
2,704
|
$ |
3,375
|
$ |
2,916
|
(a)
In July 2005, Grande Rotunda, LLC, a 60% owned affiliate of FREIT,
completed the acquisition of The Rotunda, a 217,000 sq. ft. office
and
retail building in Baltimore, MD. The acquisition cost of approximately
$30,890,000 was paid in part with the pro
|
|||||||||||||
See
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
|
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note
1 -
Organization and significant accounting policies:
Organization:
First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey ("FREIT") was organized November
1,
1961 as a New Jersey Business Trust. FREIT is engaged in owning residential
and
commercial income producing properties located primarily in New Jersey, Maryland
and New York.
FREIT
has
elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust under the provisions
of
Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Accordingly, FREIT
does not pay Federal income tax on income whenever income distributed to
shareholders is equal to at least 90% of real estate investment trust taxable
income. Further, FREIT pays no Federal income tax on capital gains distributed
to shareholders.
FREIT
is
subject to Federal income tax on undistributed taxable income and capital gains.
FREIT may make an annual election under Section 858 of the Internal Revenue
Code
to apply part of the regular dividends paid in each respective subsequent year
as a distribution for the immediately preceding year.
Principles
of consolidation:
In
December 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued revised
FIN 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an Interpretation of
Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51.” (“FIN 46R”). FIN 46R requires the
consolidation of certain entities in which an enterprise absorbs a
majority of the entity’s expected losses, receives a majority of the entity’s
expected residual returns, or both, as a result of ownership, contractual or
other financial interests in the entity (variable interest entities, or “VIEs”).
Entities are generally consolidated by an enterprise when it has a controlling
financial interest through ownership of a majority voting interest in the
entity. FIN 46R is applicable for financial statements of public entities that
have interests in VIEs or potential VIEs referred to as special-purpose entities
for periods ending after December 31, 2003.
In
accordance with the definition of related parties as defined in paragraph 16
of
FIN 46R and the guidance in paragraph 4h, it is the belief of the management
of
FREIT that FIN 46R is applicable to Westwood Hills, LLC and Wayne Preakness,
LLC, both 40% owned by FREIT. Because of this determination, FREIT has
consolidated these two entities in its consolidated financial
statements.
Accordingly,
the consolidated financial statements include the accounts of FREIT and its
following significant subsidiaries:
Subsidiary
|
|
Owning
Entity
|
|
%
Ownership
|
|
Year
Acquired/Organized
|
|
||
S
and A Commercial Associates Limited Partnership ("S and
A")
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
65%
|
|
2000
|
|
Westwood
Hills, LLC
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
40%
|
|
1994
|
|
Damascus
Centre, LLC ("Damascus")
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
70%
|
|
2003
|
|
Wayne
Preakness, LLC
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
40%
|
|
2002
|
|
Pierre
Towers, LLC
|
|
|
S
and A
|
|
|
100%
|
|
2004
|
|
Grande
Rotunda, LLC
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
60%
|
|
2005
|
|
WestFREIT
Corp
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
100%
|
|
2007
|
|
WestFredic
LLC
|
|
|
FREIT
|
|
|
100%
|
|
2007
|
The
consolidated financial statements include 100% of each subsidiary’s assets,
liabilities, operations and cash flows with the interests not owned by FREIT
reflected as "minority interest”. All significant inter-company accounts and
transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use
of
estimates:
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures.
Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
and
cash equivalents:
Financial
instruments that potentially subject FREIT to concentrations of credit risk
consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. FREIT considers all highly
liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be
cash
equivalents. FREIT maintains its cash and cash equivalents in bank and other
accounts, the balances of which, at times, may exceed Federally insured limits.
At October 31, 2007 and 2006, such cash and cash equivalent balances exceeded
Federally insured limits by approximately $10.5 million and $6.4 million,
respectively. Exposure to credit risk is reduced by placing such deposits with
high credit quality financial institutions.
Depreciation:
Real
estate and equipment are depreciated on the straight-line method by annual
charges to operations calculated to absorb costs of assets over their estimated
useful lives.
Impairment
of long-lived assets:
Impairment
losses on long-lived assets, such as real estate and equipment, are recognized
when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the undiscounted cash
flows estimated to be generated by such assets are less than their carrying
value and, accordingly, all or a portion of such carrying value may not be
recoverable. Impairment losses are then measured by comparing the fair value
of
assets to their carrying amounts.
Deferred
charges:
Deferred
charges consist of mortgage costs and leasing commissions. Deferred mortgage
costs are amortized on the straight-line method by annual charges to operations
over the terms of the mortgages. Amortization of such costs is included in
interest expense and approximated $277,000, $246,000 and $196,000 in 2007,
2006
and 2005, respectively. Deferred leasing commissions are amortized on the
straight-line method over the terms of the applicable leases.
Revenue
recognition:
Income
from leases is recognized on a straight-line basis regardless of when payment
is
due. Lease agreements between FREIT and commercial tenants generally provide
for
additional rentals based on such factors as percentage of tenants' sales in
excess of specified volumes, increases in real estate taxes, Consumer Price
Indices and common area maintenance charges. These additional rentals are
generally included in income when reported to FREIT, when billed to tenants,
or
ratably over the appropriate period.
Interest
rate swap contract:
FREIT
utilizes derivative financial instruments to reduce interest rate risk. FREIT
does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.
FREIT recognizes all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the
consolidated balance sheet and measures those instruments at fair value. Changes
in fair value of those instruments are reported in earnings or other
comprehensive income depending on the use of the derivative and whether it
qualifies for hedge accounting. The accounting for gains and losses associated
with changes in the fair value of the derivative and the effect on the
consolidated financial statements depends on its hedge designation and whether
the hedge is highly effective in achieving offsetting changes in the fair value
of cash flows or the assets or liabilities hedged.
Advertising:
FREIT
expenses the cost of advertising and promotions as incurred. Advertising costs
charged to operations amounted to approximately $109,000, $115,000 and $151,000
in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Stock-based
compensation:
At
October 31, 2007, FREIT has a stock-based employee compensation plan that was
approved on September 10, 1998 by the Board of Trustees, which is described
more
fully in Note 10. Prior to November 1, 2005, FREIT accounted for this plan
under
the recognition and measurement provisions of APB opinion No. 25 “Accounting for
Stock Issued to Employees”, (“APB 25”) and related interpretations, as permitted
by FASB Statement No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation” (SFAS
123”). In December 2004, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 123 (R) “Share Based
Payment” (“SFAS 123 (R)”) which superseded APB 25 and replaced SFAS 123. SFAS
123 (R) requires that all share-based payments to employees, including grants
of
employee stock options, be recognized in the income statement as compensation
expense, based on their fair values, over the employee’s service period, which
will normally be the vesting period of the option. Effective November 1, 2005,
FREIT adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS 123 (R), using
the
modified-prospective-transition method. Under that transition method,
compensation cost includes a cost for all share-based payments granted
prior to, but not vested as of November 1, 2005, based on the grant date fair
value estimated
in accordance with the original provisions of Statement 123, and compensation
cost for all share-based payments granted subsequent to November 1, 2005, based
on the grant-date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of
SFAS
123 (R).
As
all
outstanding stock options were vested prior to November 1, 2005 and no stock
options were granted during Fiscal 2006, the adoption of Statement 123 (R)
had
no effect on FREIT’s results of operations for the year ended October 31,
2006.
In
accordance with the provisions of APB 25, prior to November 1, 2005, FREIT
recognized compensation cost as a result of the issuance of stock options to
employees, including directors, based on the excess, if any, of the fair value
of the underlying shares at the date of grant or award (or at an appropriate
subsequent measurement date) over the amount the employees must pay to acquire
the shares (the “intrinsic value method”). However, FREIT did not recognize
compensation cost as a result of any grants to employees at an exercise
price that was equal to or greater than fair value. FREIT made proforma
disclosures, as required by FASB Statement No. 123 and SFAS 148, of net income
or loss as if a fair value based method of accounting for stock options had
been
applied if such amounts differed materially from the historical
amounts.
All
issuances of shares of beneficial interest, options or other equity instruments
to nonemployees as the consideration for goods or services received by FREIT
are
accounted for based on the fair value of the equity instruments issued (unless
the fair value of the consideration received can be more reliably measured).
The
fair value of any options or similar equity instruments issued is estimated
based on option pricing models and the assumption that all of the options
or other equity instruments will ultimately vest. Such fair value is measured
as
of an appropriate date pursuant to EITF Issue 96-18 (generally, the earlier
of
the date the other party becomes committed to provide the goods or services
or
the date performance by the other party is complete) and capitalized or expensed
as if FREIT had paid cash for the goods or services.
Recent
accounting pronouncements:
In
June
2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FASB
Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes - an
interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (“FIN 48”), which prescribes a
recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement
recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken
in a
tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification,
interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and
transition. FIN 48 is effective for our fiscal year beginning November 1, 2007.
The adoption of FIN 48 is not anticipated to have a material impact on our
financial statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No.
157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”), which defines fair value,
establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted
accounting principles (“GAAP”), and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. This new standard does not require fair values to be used in
any
situations not already covered by GAAP; however, for some entities, the
application of this standard will change current practice. SFAS 157 is effective
for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15,
2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of SFAS 157
is
not anticipated to have a material impact on our financial
statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No.
159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities –
Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115” (“SFAS 159”). This new
standard allows companies to measure certain financial assets and liabilities
at
fair value, rather than at historic cost. The objective of SFAS 159 is to
improve financial reporting by providing entities with the opportunity to
mitigate volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets
and
liabilities differently without having to apply complex hedge accounting
provisions. Once the fair value option is elected, the decision is irrevocable.
This statement is effective as of the beginning of an entity’s first fiscal year
that begins after November 15, 2007. The adoption of SFAS 159 is not anticipated
to have a material impact on our financial statements.
On
December 4, 2007, the FASB issued two new accounting standards, Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 141R, “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”),
and No. 160, “Non-Controlling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements –
an amendment of ARB No. 51” (“SFAS 160”). The standards are effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2008 and earlier adoption is
prohibited.
|
·
|
The
objective of SFAS 141R is to improve the relevance, representational
faithfulness, and comparability of the information that a reporting
entity
provides in its financial reports about a business combination and
its
effects. To accomplish that, this Statement establishes principles
and
requirements for how the acquirer:
|
|
(a)
|
Recognizes
and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets
acquired,
the liabilities assumed, and any non-controlling interest in the
acquiree;
|
|
(b)
|
Recognizes
and measures the goodwill acquired in the business combination or
a gain
from a bargain purchase;
|
|
(c)
|
Determines
what information to disclose to enable users of the financial statements
to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business
combination.
|
|
·
|
The
objective of SFAS 160 is to improve the relevance, comparability
and
transparency of financial information provided to investors by: (i)
Requiring all entities to report non-controlling interests (minority
interests) as equity in the consolidated financial statements and
separate
from the parent’s equity; (ii) Requiring that the amount of net income
attributable to the parent and non-controlling interest be clearly
identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement
of
income; and (iii) Expanding the disclosure requirements with respect
to
the parent and its non-controlling
interests.
|
FREIT
is
currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of SFAS 141R and SFAS 160
will
have on its financial statements.
Reclassifications:
Certain
accounts in the 2006 and 2005 consolidated financial statements have been
reclassified to conform to the current presentation. (See Note 13.)
Note
2 -
Minority Interests:
FREIT’s
40% owned subsidiary, Westwood Hills, LLC (“LLC”) had a capital deficit
resulting from distributions to members, including proceeds received on
refinancing the mortgage on the residential building owned by LLC. Prior to
June
1, 2007, minority members were under no legal obligation to restore their share
of the capital deficit, and as a result cash distributions made to minority
members of LLC were charged to expense.
Effective
June 1, 2007, the Operating Agreement of LLC was amended by a majority of the
Members of LLC to require the Members to restore their negative capital accounts
caused by any future losses, distributions from operations or net refinancing
proceeds from the effective date of this amendment forward. As a result of
this
amendment, future minority interest distributions by LLC will be recorded as
a
receivable from minority members and no longer impact FREIT’s net
income.
Note
3 – Dispositions and Acquisitions:
On
July
19, 2005, FREIT’s 60% owned affiliate, Grande Rotunda, LLC, completed the
acquisition of The Rotunda, a mixed-use property in Baltimore, Maryland. The
Rotunda site is approximately 11.5 acres and is in close proximity to Johns
Hopkins University. Its current configuration contains about 138,000 sq. ft.
of
office space, primarily in the four-story main building, and 78,000 sq. ft.
of
retail space on the lower level of the main building. A Giant Supermarket
anchors the retail space.
The
acquisition cost was approximately $31 million (inclusive of transaction costs),
which was financed in part from an acquisition loan in the amount of $22.5
million, and the balance in cash. The acquisition mortgage loan bears interest
at 150 basis points over LIBOR and has an initial term of three (3) years,
which
makes the loan repayment date July 19, 2008. FREIT contributed 60% of the cash
required, with the balance contributed by its joint venture partner, Rotunda
100, LLC, whose equity investors are principally employees of Hekemian &
Co., Inc. (“Hekemian”). Hekemian is the managing agent for FREIT’s other
properties. In order to incentivize the employees of Hekemian to identify and
provide real estate investment opportunities for FREIT, FREIT agreed to advance,
only to the employees of Hekemian, up to 50% of the amount of the equity capital
required to be contributed by them to Rotunda 100, LLC, for this transaction.
FREIT has advanced $1.9 million to the Hekemian employees (certain of whom
are
members of the family of FREIT’s Chairman of the Board), and these loans bear a
floating rate of interest payable quarterly and are secured by the Hekemian
employees’ membership equity interest in Rotunda 100, LLC.
It
is
FREIT’s policy that initial valuations are finalized, in accordance with the
guidelines outlined in SFAS No. 141, “Business
Combinations”, no
later
than six months from the acquisition date. Accordingly, as of January 31, 2006,
based on the above independent appraisal and FREIT’s evaluation of the acquired
in-place leases, the purchase price was re-allocated as follows: approximately
$15.8 million allocated to the building, $16.6 million to the land, $0.9 million
to leases in place, $0.9 million to leases at above market rents, and
approximately $3.3 million to leases at below market rents which was recorded
as
a liability.
The
capitalized above-market lease values, classified as other assets, are being
amortized as a reduction of base rental revenue over the remaining term of
the
leases, and the capitalized below-market lease values are being amortized as
an
increase to base rental revenue over the remaining terms of the leases,
including renewal options. The value ascribed to leases in place, also
classified as other assets, is being amortized over the weighted average
remaining lease terms as calculated above. This reallocation did not have a
material effect on FREIT’s net income for the year ended October 31,
2005.
The
following unaudited pro forma information shows the results of operations for
fiscal year ended October 31, 2005 for FREIT and Subsidiaries as though The
Rotunda had been acquired at the beginning of Fiscal 2005:
Year
Ended
October 31, |
||||
2005
|
||||
(In
thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
|
||||
Revenues
|
$ |
35,999
|
||
Net
expenses
|
(31,589 | ) | ||
Minority
Interest
|
(274 | ) | ||
Income
before discontinued operations
|
4,136
|
|||
Discontinued
Operations
|
129
|
|||
Net
Income
|
$ |
4,265
|
||
Basic
Earnings Per Share:
|
||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.64
|
||
Discontinued
operations
|
0.02
|
|||
Net
Income
|
$ |
0.66
|
||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||
Continuing
operations
|
$ |
0.61
|
||
Discontinued
operations
|
0.02
|
|||
Net
Income
|
$ |
0.63
|
The
unaudited pro forma results include adjustments for depreciation based on the
purchase price and increased interest expense based on the mortgage placed
on
the property at acquisition date and reduced net investment income related
to
assets utilized to make the acquisition and obligations incurred to complete
the
transaction.
The
unaudited pro forma results of operations set forth above are not necessarily
indicative of the results that would have occurred had the acquisition been
made
at the beginning of fiscal 2005, or of future results of operations of FREIT's
combined properties.
On
June
26, 2007, FREIT closed on its contract for the sale of the Lakewood Apartments
in Lakewood, NJ. The sales price for the property was $4 million. The property
was acquired in 1962 for approximately $407,000. For financial reporting
purposes, FREIT recognized a gain of approximately $3.7 million from the sale.
(See Note 13.)
On
September 28, 2007, FREIT acquired three parcels of land in Rochelle Park,
NJ
totaling approximately one acre. The acquisition cost was approximately $2.5
million, of which $1.6 million relates to the land and $0.9 million relates
to
an advance to the Pascack Community Bank, the lessee, for construction of a
bank
branch on the site.
FREIT
structured the Lakewood sale and the subsequent purchase of the land in Rochelle
Park in a manner that would qualify as a like-kind exchange of real estate
pursuant to Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, which resulted in a
deferral for income tax purposes of $1.6 million of the gain on the Lakewood
sale. Since it is the intention of FREIT to continue to qualify as a real estate
investment trust, deferred tax would be minimal.
Note
4 -
Real estate and equipment:
Real
estate and equipment consists of the following:
Range
of
|
|||||||||
Estimated
|
|||||||||
Useful
Lives
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||
(In
thousands of dollars)
|
|||||||||
Land
|
$ |
70,455
|
$ |
68,849
|
|||||
Unimproved
land
|
729
|
728
|
|||||||
Apartment
buildings
|
7-40
years
|
79,279
|
77,470
|
||||||
Commercial
buildings/shopping centers
|
15-50
years
|
94,326
|
92,644
|
||||||
Equipment
|
3-15
years
|
2,408
|
2,465
|
||||||
247,197
|
242,156
|
||||||||
Less
accumulated depreciation
|
42,465
|
37,843
|
|||||||
Totals
|
$ |
204,732
|
$ |
204,313
|
Note
5 -
Mortgages and notes payable:
Mortgages
and notes payable consist of the following:
2007
|
2006
|
|||||||
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
|
||||||||
Northern
Life Insurance Cos. - Frederick, MD (A)
|
$ |
-
|
$ |
15,968
|
||||
Nationwide
Life Insurance Cos. - Frederick, MD (B)
|
22,000
|
-
|
||||||
State
Farm Bank - Rockaway, NJ (C)
|
20,487
|
-
|
||||||
National
Realty Funding L.C - Westwood, NJ (D)
|
9,226
|
9,416
|
||||||
Centerline
Capital Group - Spring Lake, NJ (E)
|
3,231
|
3,298
|
||||||
Bank
Of America - Patchogue, NY (F)
|
5,929
|
6,139
|
||||||
Centerline
Capital Group - Wayne, NJ (G):
|
||||||||
First
mortgage
|
9,624
|
9,827
|
||||||
Second
mortgage
|
3,261
|
3,349
|
||||||
Centerline
Capital Group - River Edge, NJ (H):
|
||||||||
First
mortgage
|
4,698
|
4,796
|
||||||
Second
mortgage
|
1,826
|
1,871
|
||||||
Centerline
Capital Group - Maywood, NJ (I):
|
||||||||
First
mortgage
|
3,409
|
3,480
|
||||||
Second
mortgage
|
1,296
|
1,328
|
||||||
Centerline
Capital Group - Westwood, NJ (J):
|
||||||||
First
mortgage
|
13,556
|
13,838
|
||||||
Second
mortgage
|
3,033
|
3,107
|
||||||
MetLife
- Wayne, NJ (K)
|
31,188
|
31,768
|
||||||
State
Farm Life Insurance Co. - Hackensack, NJ (L)
|
34,125
|
34,125
|
||||||
Total
fixed rate mortgage loans
|
166,889
|
142,310
|
||||||
Bank
Of America - Baltimore, MD (M)
|
22,500
|
22,500
|
||||||
State
Farm Bank, F.S.B. - Rockaway, NJ (N)
|
||||||||
Construction
Loan
|
-
|
14,369
|
||||||
The
Provident Bank (O)
|
||||||||
Line
of Credit
|
-
|
1,500
|
||||||
Total
mortgages and notes payable
|
$ |
189,389
|
$ |
180,679
|
|
(A)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of $152,153 including interest at 8.31% through
June 2007 at which time the outstanding balance was paid. The mortgage
was
secured by a retail building in Frederick, Maryland having a net
book
value of approximately $20,328,000.
|
|
(B)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of interest only computed over the actual
number
of days in the elapsed monthly interest period at the rate of 5.55%
through May 2017 at which time the outstanding balance is due. The
mortgage is secured by a retail building in Frederick, Maryland having
a
net book value of approximately $20,328,000.
|
(C)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of $115,850 including interest at 5.37% through
February 2022 at which time the outstanding balance is due. The mortgage
is secured by a residential building in Rockaway, New Jersey having
a net
book value of approximately $20,603,000.
|
|
(D)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of $73,248 including interest at 7.38% through
February 2013 at which time the outstanding balance is due. The mortgage
is secured by a retail building in Westwood, New Jersey having a
net book
value of approximately $10,591,000.
|
|
|
(E)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of $23,875 including interest at 6.70% through
December 2013 at which time the outstanding balance is due. The mortgage
is secured by an apartment building in Spring Lake, New Jersey having
a
net book value of approximately $531,000.
|
|
(F)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of $17,500 plus interest at the thirty-day
LIBOR
rate plus 200 basis points through March 2008 at which time the
outstanding balance is due. The mortgage is secured by a retail building
in Patchogue, New York having a net book value of approximately
$8,718,000.
|
|
(G)
|
The
first mortgage is payable in monthly installments of $76,023 including
interest at 7.29% through July 2010 at which time the outstanding
balance
is due. The second mortgage is payable in monthly installments of
$20,878
including interest at 4.92% through July 2010 at which time the
outstanding balance is due. The mortgages are secured by an apartment
building in Wayne, New Jersey having a net book value of approximately
$1,446,000.
|
|
(H)
|
The
first mortgage is payable in monthly installments of $34,862 including
interest at 6.75% through December 2013 at which time the outstanding
balance is due. The second mortgage is payable in monthly installments
of
$12,318 including interest at 5.53% through December 2013 at which
time
the outstanding balance is due. The mortgages are secured by an apartment
building in River Edge, New Jersey having a net book value of
approximately $1,270,000.
|
|
(I)
|
The
first mortgage is payable in monthly installments of $25,295 including
interest at 6.75% through December 2013 at which time the outstanding
balance is due. The second mortgage is payable in monthly installments
of
$8,739 including interest at 5.53% through December 2013 at which
time the
outstanding balance is due. The mortgages are secured by an apartment
building in Maywood, New Jersey having a net book value of approximately
$757,000.
|
|
(J)
|
The
first mortgage is payable in monthly installments of $99,946 including
interest at 6.693% through December 2013 at which time the outstanding
balance is due. The second mortgage is payable in monthly installments
of
$21,954 including interest at 6.18% through December 2013 at which
time
the outstanding balance is due. The mortgages are secured by an apartment
building in Westwood, New Jersey having a net book value of approximately
$12,280,000.
|
|
(K)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of interest only of $161,067 at the rate
of 6.04%
through June 2006, thereafter payable in monthly installments of
$206,960
including interest until June 2016 at which time the unpaid balance
is
due. The mortgage is secured by a shopping center in Wayne, NJ having
a
net book value of approximately $31,568,000.
|
|
(L)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of interest only of $152,994 at the rate
of 5.38%
through May 2009, thereafter payable in monthly installments of $191,197
including interest until May 2019 at which time the unpaid balance
is due.
The mortgage is secured by an apartment building in Hackensack, NJ
having
a net book value of approximately $44,835,000.
|
|
(M)
|
Payable
in monthly installments of interest only at the rate of 150 basis
points
over LIBOR, in effect from time-to-time. The loan is due on July
19, 2008,
but may be extended, under certain circumstances, for an additional
one
year. The loan is secured by a mixed-use property in Baltimore, MD
having
a net book value of approximately $33,503,000.
|
|
(N)
|
This
construction loan bears interest on the outstanding principal balance,
which is payable monthly at the rate of 140 basis points over LIBOR
in
effect from time-to-time. Funding under the construction loan is
based on
draw requests for work in progress and can total up to $20,700,000.
When
construction was completed in August 2006, the construction loan
was
converted to a permanent mortgage loan for $20,700,000.
|
|
(O)
|
On
February 4, 2005, FREIT replaced its expired $14 million line of
credit
with an $18 million line of credit. The line of credit is for three
years
but can be cancelled by the bank, at its will, at each anniversary
date.
Draws against the credit line can be used for general corporate purposes,
for property acquisitions, construction activities, and letters of
credit.
Draws against the credit line are secured by mortgages on FREIT’s Franklin
Crossing Shopping Center, Franklin Lakes, NJ, retail space in Glen
Rock,
NJ, Lakewood Apartments, Lakewood, NJ, Palisades Manor Apartments,
Palisades Park, NJ, and Grandview Apartments, Hasbrouck Heights,
NJ. In
the aggregate, these properties have a net book value of approximately
$9,497,000 at October 31, 2006. Interest rates on draws will be set
at the
time of each draw for 30, 60, or 90-day periods, based on our choice
of
the prime rate or at 175 basis points over the 30, 60, or 90-day
LIBOR
rates at the time of the draws.
|
The
fair
value of FREIT's long-term debt, which approximates $188.7 million and $184.4
million at October 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, is estimated based on the
current rates offered to FREIT for debt of the similar remaining
maturities.
Principal
amounts (in thousands of dollars) due under the above obligations in each of
the
five years subsequent to October 31, 2007 are as follows:
Year
Ending
October
31,
|
Amount
|
|||
2008
|
$
|
30,560
|
||
2009
|
$
|
2,463
|
||
2010
|
$ |
14,820
|
||
2011
|
$ |
2,707
|
||
2012
|
$ |
2,877
|
Note
6 - Interest rate
swap contract:
During
November 2002, FREIT entered into an interest rate swap contract to reduce
the
impact of interest rate fluctuations on its variable rate mortgage secured
by
its Patchogue, NY property. At October 31, 2007, the derivative financial
instrument has a notional amount of approximately $5,929,000 and a current
maturity date of March 2008. The contract effectively converted the variable
rate to a fixed rate of 5.95%. In accordance with SFAS 133, “Accounting for
Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities”, FREIT
marks to
market its fixed pay interest rate swaps, taking into account present interest
rates compared to the contracted fixed rate over the life of the contract.
As of
October 31, 2007 and 2006, FREIT recorded the fair value of the swap, an asset
of $14,000 and $87,000, respectively. Comprehensive income includes losses
related to the swap of $73,000 and $9,000 in 2007 and 2006, respectively, and
a
gain of $256,000 in 2005 related to the swap, which has been designated as
a
cash flow hedge.
Note
7 -
Commitments and contingencies:
Leases:
Commercial tenants:
FREIT
leases commercial space having a net book value of approximately $129.6 million
at October 31, 2007 to tenants for periods of up to twenty-five years. Most
of
the leases contain clauses for reimbursement of real estate taxes, maintenance,
insurance and certain other operating expenses of the properties. Minimum rental
income (in thousands of dollars) to be received from non-cancelable operating
leases in years subsequent to October 31, 2007 is as follows:
Year
Ending
October
31,
|
Amount
|
|||
2008
|
$
|
14,846
|
||
2009
|
13,729
|
|||
2010
|
12,185
|
|||
2011
|
11,113
|
|||
2012
|
8,348
|
|||
Thereafter
|
49,930
|
|||
Total
|
$
|
110,151
|
The
above
amounts assume that all leases which expire are not renewed and, accordingly,
neither minimal rentals nor rentals from replacement tenants are
included.
Minimum
future rentals do not include contingent rentals, which may be received under
certain leases on the basis of percentage of reported tenants' sales volume
or
increases in Consumer Price Indices. Rental income that is contingent on future
events is not included in income until the contingency is resolved. Contingent
rentals included in income for each of the three years for the period ended
October 31, 2007 were not material.
Residential
tenants:
Lease
terms for residential tenants are usually one year or less.
Environmental
concerns:
In
accordance with applicable regulations, FREIT reported to the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection ("NJDEP") that a historical discharge
of
hazardous material was discovered in 1997 at the renovated Franklin Lakes
shopping center (the "Center").
In
November 1999, FREIT received a no further action letter from the NJDEP
concerning the historical discharge at the Center. However, FREIT is required
to
continue monitoring such discharge, the cost of which will not be
material.
Construction
activities:
A
modernization and expansion is
underway at our Damascus Center in Damascus, MD (owned by our 70% owned
affiliate, Damascus Centre, LLC). FREIT has issued a bond of approximately
$1
million to guaranty completion of off-site improvements when construction and
renovation starts at its Damascus, MD shopping center site. Total construction
costs will be approximately $21.9 million. Construction on Phase I began in
June
2007. Phase I construction costs will approximate $4 million of which $2.5
million has already been expended. Construction financing for
approximately $27.3 million has been committed that will be available to fund
future and already expended construction costs, and will be drawn upon as
needed.
Note
8 -
Management agreement, fees and transactions with related party:
Hekemian
& Co., Inc. (“Hekemian”) currently manages all the properties owned by
FREIT, except for The Rotunda, which is managed by an independent third party
management company. The management agreement with Hekemian, effective November
1, 2001, requires the payment of management fees equal to a percentage of rents
collected. Such fees were approximately $1,656,000, $1,577,000 and $1,524,000
in
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, inclusive of $13,000, $21,000 and $19,000
in
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, included in discontinued operations in the
accompanying consolidated statements of income. Total Hekemian management fees
that were unpaid at October 31, 2007 and October 31, 2006 were $155,000 and
$142,000, respectively. The agreement expires on October 31, 2009, and is
automatically renewed for periods of two years unless either party gives notice
of non-renewal. From time to time, FREIT engages Hekemian to provide certain
additional services, such as consulting services related to development and
financing activities of FREIT. Separate fee arrangements are negotiated between
Hekemian and FREIT with respect to such additional services. During
the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2007, FREIT’s board of directors approved
development fee arrangements for The Rotunda and Damascus Center redevelopment
projects, as well as the South Brunswick development project. These development
fees payable to Hekemian, or an affiliate of Hekemian, in connection with these
projects are as follows: The Rotunda, owned by Grande Rotunda, LLC, a 60% owned
subsidiary of FREIT, 6.375% of development costs of up $136,000,000 as may
be
modified; Damascus, owned by Damascus Centre, LLC, a 70% owned subsidiary of
FREIT, 7% of development costs of up to $17,328,000 as may be modified; and
South Brunswick, 7% of development costs of up to $21,000,000 as may be
modified. These arrangements are subject to the execution of definitive
contracts, which have not yet been finalized and approved. FREIT’s development
and acquisition fees and commissions charged by Hekemian in connection with
the
sale of the Lakewood Apartments during fiscal 2007; the development and
construction of The Boulders, Rockaway, NJ, during fiscal 2006; the acquisition
of The Rotunda during fiscal 2005; and various mortgage refinancing and lease
acquisition fees, amounted to approximately $1,016,000, $721,000 and $961,000
in
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
During
fiscal 2005, FREIT’s Board of Trustees, to incentivize employees of Hekemian,
authorized an investor group, comprised principally of Hekemian employees,
including certain members of the immediate family of Robert S. Hekemian, FREIT
CEO and Chairman of the Board, to acquire a 30% equity interest in Damascus
Centre, LLC that owns the Damascus Shopping Center in Damascus, Maryland. The
sale price, based on the fair market value of the shopping
center, reduced FREIT’s equity interest to 70%. FREIT has agreed to advance,
only to employees of Hekemian, up to 50% of the amount of the equity purchase
price required by them. These advances are in the form of secured loans that
bear interest that will float at 225 basis points over LIBOR, in effect from
time-to-time. The sale was completed on October 31, 2006, at a sales price
of
$3,224,000, of which FREIT financed approximately $1,451,000. The sale price
was
equivalent to the book value of the interest sold.
Note
9-
Dividends and earnings per share:
FREIT
declared dividends of $8,787,000 ($1.30 per share), $8,313,000 ($1.25 per
share) and $7,740,000 ($1.20 per share) to shareholders of record during
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Basic
earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average
number of shares outstanding during each period. The calculation of diluted
earnings per share is similar to that of basic earnings per share, except that
the denominator is increased to include the number of additional shares that
would have been outstanding if all potentially dilutive shares, such as those
issuable upon the exercise of stock options and warrants, were issued during
the
period.
In
computing diluted earnings per share for each of the three years in the period
ended October 31, 2007, the assumed exercise of all of FREIT's outstanding
stock
options, adjusted for application of the treasury stock method, would have
increased the weighted average number of shares outstanding as shown in the
table below:
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||
Basic
weighted average shares outstanding
|
6,753,282
|
6,573,752
|
6,439,952
|
|||||||||
Shares
arising from assumed exercise of stock options
|
163,189
|
242,722
|
334,145
|
|||||||||
Dilutive
weighted average shares outstanding
|
6,916,471
|
6,816,474
|
6,774,097
|
Note
10-
Equity incentive plan:
On
September 10, 1998, the Board of Trustees approved FREIT's Equity Incentive
Plan
(the "Plan") which was ratified by FREIT's shareholders on April 7, 1999,
whereby up to 920,000 of FREIT's shares of beneficial interest (adjusted for
stock splits) may be granted to key personnel in the form of stock options,
restricted share awards and other share-based awards. In connection therewith,
the Board of Trustees approved an increase of 920,000 shares in FREIT's number
of authorized shares of beneficial interest. Key personnel eligible for these
awards include trustees, executive officers and other persons or entities
including, without limitation, employees, consultants and employees of
consultants, who are in a position to make significant contributions to the
success of FREIT. Under the Plan, the exercise price of all options will be
the
fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. The consideration to
be
paid for restricted share and other share-based awards shall be determined
by
the Board of Trustees, with the amount not to exceed the fair market value
of
the shares on the date of grant. The maximum term of any award granted may
not
exceed ten years. The Board of Trustees will determine the actual terms of
each
award.
Upon
ratification of the Plan on April 7, 1999, FREIT issued 754,000 stock options
(adjusted for stock splits), which it had previously granted to key personnel
on
September 10, 1998. The fair value of the options on the date of grant was
$7.50
per share.
On
April
4, 2007, FREIT shareholders approved amendments to FREIT’s Equity Incentive Plan
as follows: (a) reserving an additional 300,000 shares for issuance under the
Plan; and (b) extending the term of the Plan until September 10,
2018.
In
the
opinion of management, if compensation cost for the stock options granted in
1999 had been determined based on the fair value of the options at the grant
date under the provisions of SFAS 123 or SFAS 148 using the Black-Scholes option
pricing model and assuming a risk-free interest rate of 4.27%, expected option
lives of ten years, expected volatility of 1.65% and expected dividends of
8.59%, FREIT's pro forma 2005 net income and pro forma net income per share
arising from such computation would not have differed materially from the
corresponding historical amounts.
The
following table summarizes stock
option activities:
Years
Ended October 31,
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
No.
of
Options Outstanding |
Average
Exercise Price |
No.
of
Options Outstanding |
Average
Exercise Price |
No.
of
Options Outstanding |
Average
Exercise Price |
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance
beginning of period
|
242,500
|
$ |
7.50
|
512,000
|
$ |
7.50
|
570,000
|
$ |
7.50
|
|||||||||||||||
Grants
during period
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Options
exercised
|
(10,000 | ) | $ |
7.50
|
(269,500 | ) | $ |
7.50
|
(58,000 | ) | $ |
7.50
|
||||||||||||
Options
cancelled
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at end of period
|
232,500
|
$ |
7.50
|
242,500
|
$ |
7.50
|
512,000
|
$ |
7.50
|
The
impact on FREIT's consolidated shareholders' equity for the options that were
exercised during fiscal 2007, 2006 and 2005 was to increase the number of shares
outstanding by the amount of options exercised and values of beneficial interest
outstanding by $75,000, $2,021,000 and $435,000, respectively, for those fiscal
years. The options outstanding at October 31, 2007 are exercisable and expire
in
September 2008.
The
total
intrinsic value of options exercised during Fiscal 2007 and 2006 was $173,000
and $4,868,000, respectively and the aggregate intrinsic value of options
outstanding at October 31, 2007 and 2006 was $3,511,000 and $3,900,000,
respectively.
Note
11-
Deferred fee plan:
During
fiscal 2001, the Board of Trustees adopted a deferred fee plan (the "Plan")
for
its officers and trustees. Pursuant to the Plan, any officer or trustee may
elect to defer receipt of any fees that would be due them. FREIT has agreed
to
pay any participant (the "Participant") in the Plan interest on any deferred
fee
at 9% per annum, compounded quarterly. Any such deferred fee is to be paid
to
the Participants at the later of: (i) the retirement age specified in the
deferral election; (ii) actual retirement; or (iii) upon cessation of a
Participant's duties as an officer or trustee. The Plan provides that any such
deferral fee will be paid in a lump sum or in annual installments over a period
not to exceed 10 years, at the election of the Participant. As of October 31,
2007 and 2006, approximately $1,924,000 and $1,478,000, respectively, of fees
have been deferred together with accrued interest of approximately $520,000
and
$335,000, respectively. The deferred amounts for fiscal 2007 and 2006 are
included in accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance
sheets.
Note
12-
Segment information:
SFAS
No.
131, "Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information,"
established standards for reporting financial information about operating
segments in interim and annual financial reports and provides for a "management
approach" in identifying the reportable segments.
FREIT
has
determined that it has two reportable segments: commercial properties and
residential properties. These reportable segments offer different types of
space, have different types of tenants and are managed separately because each
requires different operating strategies and management expertise.
The
commercial and residential segments contained the following number of properties
during the three fiscal years ended October 31, 2007:
|
October
31,
|
||
|
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
Commercial
segment
|
10
(a)
|
9
|
9
(b)
|
|
|
|
|
Residential
segment
|
9
(c)
|
10
(d)
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
(a)
Rochelle Park land acquired September 2007.
|
|||
(b)
Rotunda property acquired July 2005.
|
|||
(c)
Lakewood Apartments sold in June 2007.
|
|||
(d)
Rockaway property, under construction since Fiscal 2005, started
coming on
line during June 2006.
|
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in
Note
1.
The
chief
operating decision-making group of FREIT's commercial segment, residential
segment and corporate/other is comprised of FREIT's Board of
Trustees.
FREIT
assesses and measures segment operating results based on net operating income
("NOI"). NOI is based on operating revenue and expenses directly associated
with
the operations of the real estate properties, but excludes deferred rents
(straight lining), depreciation, financing costs and amortization of acquired
lease values. NOI is not a measure of operating results or cash flows from
operating activities as measured by accounting principles generally accepted
in
the United States of America, and is not necessarily indicative of cash
available to fund cash needs and should not be considered an alternative to
cash
flows as a measure of liquidity.
Continuing
real estate rental revenue, operating expenses, NOI and recurring capital
improvements for the reportable segments are summarized below and reconciled
to
consolidated net income for each of the three years in the period ended October
31, 2007. Asset information is not reported since FREIT does not use this
measure to assess performance.
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||
Real
estate rental revenue:
|
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
|
|||||||||||
Commercial
|
$ |
21,513
|
$ |
21,094
|
$ |
17,842
|
||||||
Residential
|
18,626
|
15,967
|
15,097
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
40,139
|
37,061
|
32,939
|
|||||||||
Real
estate operating expenses:
|
||||||||||||
Commercial
|
8,621
|
8,464
|
6,615
|
|||||||||
Residential
|
8,052
|
7,194
|
6,799
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
16,673
|
15,658
|
13,414
|
|||||||||
Net
operating income:
|
||||||||||||
Commercial
|
12,892
|
12,630
|
11,227
|
|||||||||
Residential
|
10,574
|
8,773
|
8,298
|
|||||||||
Totals
|
$ |
23,466
|
$ |
21,403
|
19,525
|
|||||||
Recurring
capital improvements- residential
|
$ |
460
|
$ |
368
|
$ |
626
|
||||||
Reconciliation
to consolidated net income:
|
||||||||||||
Segment
NOI
|
$ |
23,466
|
$ |
21,403
|
$ |
19,525
|
||||||
Deferred
rents - straight lining
|
298
|
342
|
329
|
|||||||||
Amortization
of acquired leases
|
301
|
490
|
-
|
|||||||||
Net
investment income
|
634
|
232
|
229
|
|||||||||
Minority
interest in earnings of subsidiaries
|
(776 | ) | (407 | ) | (426 | ) | ||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
(1,543 | ) | (1,212 | ) | (1,001 | ) | ||||||
Depreciation
|
(5,311 | ) | (4,726 | ) | (4,252 | ) | ||||||
Financing
costs
|
(11,897 | ) | (11,127 | ) | (10,039 | ) | ||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
5,172
|
4,995
|
4,365
|
|||||||||
Discontinued
operations
|
3,771
|
163
|
129
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
8,943
|
$ |
5,158
|
$ |
4,494
|
Note
13-
Discontinued operations:
On
June
26, 2007, FREIT closed on its contract for the sale of the Lakewood Apartments
in Lakewood, New Jersey and recognized a gain of approximately $3.7 million
from
the sale. In compliance with current accounting guidance (SFAS No. 144 –
“Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”), the gain on
the sale, as well as earnings of the Lakewood operation are classified as
discontinued operations in the accompanying income statements, and prior
periods’ income statements have been reclassified. Revenue attributable to
discontinued operations was $268,000, $412,000 and $399,000 for Fiscal 2007,
2006 and 2005, respectively.
Note
14-
Quarterly data (unaudited):
The
following summary represents the results of operations for each quarter for
the
years ended October 31, 2007 and 2006 (in thousands, except per share
amounts):
Quarter
Ended
|
||||||||||||||||
Jan
31,
|
Apr
30,
|
Jul
31,
|
Oct
31,
|
|||||||||||||
2007:
|
||||||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$ |
10,193
|
$ |
10,087
|
$ |
10,598
|
$ |
10,494
|
||||||||
Expenses
|
9,389
|
8,990
|
9,050
|
8,771
|
||||||||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
804
|
1,097
|
1,548
|
1,723
|
||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
42
|
34
|
3,695
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
846
|
$ |
1,131
|
$ |
5,243
|
$ |
1,723
|
||||||||
Basic
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Continuing
|
$ |
0.12
|
$ |
0.16
|
$ |
0.23
|
$ |
0.26
|
||||||||
Discontinued
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
0.55
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.13
|
$ |
0.17
|
$ |
0.78
|
$ |
0.26
|
||||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Continuing
|
$ |
0.11
|
$ |
0.16
|
$ |
0.22
|
$ |
0.25
|
||||||||
Discontinued
|
0.01
|
-
|
0.54
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.12
|
$ |
0.16
|
$ |
0.76
|
$ |
0.25
|
||||||||
Dividends
declared per share
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.30
|
$ |
0.40
|
Quarter
Ended
|
||||||||||||||||
2006:
|
Jan
31,
|
Apr
30,
|
Jul
31,
|
Oct
31,
|
||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$ |
9,478
|
$ |
9,198
|
$ |
9,613
|
$ |
9,836
|
||||||||
Expenses
|
8,222
|
8,199
|
8,037
|
8,672
|
||||||||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
1,256
|
999
|
1,576
|
1,164
|
||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
32
|
36
|
53
|
42
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
1,288
|
$ |
1,035
|
$ |
1,629
|
$ |
1,206
|
||||||||
Basic
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Continuing
|
$ |
0.20
|
$ |
0.15
|
$ |
0.24
|
$ |
0.17
|
||||||||
Discontinued
|
-
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.20
|
$ |
0.16
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.18
|
||||||||
Diluted
earnings per share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Continuing
|
$ |
0.19
|
$ |
0.14
|
$ |
0.23
|
$ |
0.16
|
||||||||
Discontinued
|
-
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$ |
0.19
|
$ |
0.15
|
$ |
0.24
|
$ |
0.17
|
||||||||
Dividends
declared per share
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.25
|
$ |
0.50
|
Note:
Due
to rounding, total of quarterly per share amounts may not agree to amounts
reported for the full fiscal year.
Note
15-Restatement:
Effective
with the consolidation for the year ended October 31, 2004 of
FREIT’s 40%
owned subsidiary, Westwood Hills, LLC (“LLC”)
(see Note 1), FREIT on
its consolidated balance sheet reflected as minority interest the minority
members’
share of LLC’s capital
deficit.
Such deficit resulted from distributions to the minority members, including
proceeds received on refinancing the mortgage on the residential building
owned
by LLC. Inasmuch as the minority members are under no legal obligation to
restore their share of the capital deficit, such deficit under accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”),
should have been
accounted for as a reduction of undistributed earnings. Accordingly FREIT’s
2005 financial statements included in its Form 10-K for the year ended
October 31, 2006 were restated by reducing undistributed earnings as of
October 31, 2004 as previously reported by $2,497,000, representing the minority
members’ capital deficit at such date. In addition, net income for the year
ended October 31, 2005 was increased by $38,000 ($.01 per share) from the
amounts previously reported to reflect minority interest expense attributable
to
LLC's equivalent to cash distributions made to minority members during such
years. The effects of such adjustments on net income and undistributed earnings
originally reported for the year ended October 31, 2005 are shown in the
table
below:
2005
|
||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||
Net
income previously
reported
|
$ | 4,456 | ||
Deduction
in expense
representing
|
||||
minority
share of
earnings of subsidiary
|
38 | |||
Restated
net
income
|
$ | 4,494 | ||
Undistributed
earnings, beginning
of year
|
||||
as
previously
reported
|
$ | 10,633 | ||
Adjustments
to prior fiscal year's
ending
|
||||
undistributed
earnings
|
(2,497 | ) | ||
Restated
net
income
|
4,494 | |||
Dividends
|
(7,740 | ) | ||
Restated
undistributed earnings
end of year
|
$ | 4,890 |
*
*
*
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND
SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SCHEDULE
XI - REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED
DEPRECIATION
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October
31, 2007
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Column
A
|
Column
B
|
Column
C
|
Column
D
|
Column
E
|
Column
F
|
Column
G
|
Column
H
|
Column
I
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Initial
Cost
|
Costs
Capitalized
|
Gross
Amount at Which
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
to
Company
|
Subsequent
to Acquisition
|
Carried
at Close of Period
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Life
on
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buildings
|
Buildings
|
Which
De-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Encum-
|
and
|
Improve-
|
Carrying
|
and
|
Accumulated
|
Date
of
|
Date
|
preciation
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description
|
brances
|
Land
|
Improvements
|
Land
|
ments
|
Costs
|
Land
|
Improvements
|
Total
(1)
|
Depreciation
|
Construction
|
Acquired
|
is
Computed
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Residential
Properties:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grandview
Apts., Hasbrouck
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heights,
NJ
|
$ |
22
|
$ |
180
|
$ |
-
|
$ |
316
|
$ |
22
|
$ |
496
|
$ |
518
|
$ |
383
|
1925
|
1964
|
7-40
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lakewood
Apts.
(Sold June 2007) |
11
|
396
|
(11 | ) | (396 | ) |
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1960
|
1962
|
7-40
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hammel
Gardens, Maywood, NJ
|
$ |
4,705
|
312
|
728
|
-
|
927
|
312
|
1,655
|
1,967
|
1,210
|
1949
|
1972
|
7-40
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Palisades
Manor, Palisades
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Park,
NJ
|
12
|
81
|
-
|
107
|
12
|
188
|
200
|
161
|
1935/70
|
1962
|
7-40
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steuben
Arms, River Edge, NJ
|
6,524
|
364
|
1,773
|
-
|
1,124
|
364
|
2,897
|
3,261
|
1,991
|
1966
|
1975
|
7-40
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heights
Manor, Spring Lake
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heights,
NJ
|
3,231
|
109
|
974
|
-
|
766
|
109
|
1,740
|
1,849
|
1,318
|
1967
|
1971
|
7-40
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Berdan
Court, Wayne, NJ
|
12,885
|
250
|
2,206
|
-
|
2,957
|
250
|
5,163
|
5,413
|
3,968
|
1964
|
1965
|
7-40
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Westwood
Hills, Westwood, NJ
|
16,589
|
3,849
|
11,546
|
-
|
1,666
|
3,849
|
13,212
|
17,061
|
4,781
|
1965-70
|
1994
|
7-40
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pierre
Towers, Hackensack, NJ
|
34,125
|
8,390
|
37,486
|
19
|
2,679
|
8,409
|
40,165
|
48,574
|
3,739
|
1970
|
2004
|
7-40
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boulders
- Rockaway, NJ
|
20,487
|
5,019
|
-
|
16,234
|
5,019
|
16,234
|
21,253
|
650
|
2005-2006
|
1963/1964
|
7-40
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retail
Properties:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Damascus
Shopping Center,
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Damascus,
MD
|
-
|
2,950
|
6,987
|
-
|
3,839
|
2,950
|
10,826
|
13,776
|
752
|
1960's
|
2003
|
15-39
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Franklin
Crossing,
Franklin Lakes, NJ |
29
|
3,382
|
7,539
|
3,411
|
7,539
|
10,950
|
2,100
|
1963/75/97
|
1966
|
10-50
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Glen
Rock, NJ
|
12
|
36
|
-
|
204
|
12
|
240
|
252
|
115
|
1940
|
1962
|
10-31.5
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pathmark
Super Center,
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patchogue,
NY
|
5,929
|
2,128
|
8,818
|
-
|
(20 | ) |
2,128
|
8,798
|
10,926
|
2,207
|
1997
|
1997
|
39
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Westridge
Square S/C, Frederick, MD
|
22,000
|
9,135
|
19,159
|
37
|
1,804
|
9,172 | * |
20,963
|
30,135
|
9,771
|
1986
|
1992
|
15-31.5
years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Westwood
Plaza,
Westwood, NJ |
9,226
|
6,889
|
6,416
|
-
|
2,288
|
6,889
|
8,704
|
15,593
|
5,002
|
1981
|
1988
|
15-31.5
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preakness
S/C, Wayne, NJ
|
31,188
|
9,280
|
24,217
|
-
|
1,182
|
9,280
|
25,399
|
34,679
|
3,381
|
1955/89/00
|
2002
|
15-31.5
years
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The
Rotunda, Baltimore, MD
|
22,500
|
16,263
|
14,634
|
232
|
3,393
|
|
16,495
|
18,027
|
34,522
|
934
|
1920
|
2005
|
40
Years
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Land
Leased:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rockaway,
NJ
|
114
|
55
|
-
|
169
|
169
|
-
|
1963/1964
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rochelle
Park, NJ
|
1,640
|
905
|
-
|
-
|
1,640
|
905
|
2,545
|
2
|
2007
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vacant
Land:
|
`
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Franklin
Lakes, NJ
|
224
|
(156 | ) |
-
|
68
|
68
|
-
|
1966/93
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wayne,
NJ
|
286
|
-
|
286
|
286
|
-
|
2004
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South
Brunswick, NJ
|
80
|
451
|
-
|
531
|
*
|
531
|
-
|
1964
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ |
189,389
|
$ |
67,368
|
$ |
136,542
|
$ |
4,009
|
$ |
46,609
|
$ |
-
|
$ |
71,377
|
$ |
183,151
|
$ |
254,528
|
$ |
42,465
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*
Included in land balances are improvements classified under
construction
in progress.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1)
Total cost for each property is the same for Federal income
tax purposes,
with the exception of Pierre Towers, Preakness S/C and The
Rotunda,
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
whose
cost for Federal income tax purposes is approximately $31.6
million. $28.4
million and $31.8 million, respectively.
|
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY AND SUBSIDIARIES
SCHEDULE
XI - REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
(In
Thousands of Dollars)
Reconciliation
of Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation:
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||||
Real
estate:
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance,
Beginning of year
|
$ |
245,151
|
$ |
226,281
|
$ |
189,189
|
||||||||||
Additions:
|
||||||||||||||||
Buildings
and improvements
|
10,072
|
17,424
|
37,094
|
|||||||||||||
Adjustments/Deletions
- buildings & improvements
|
(695 | ) |
(a)
|
1,446
|
(2 | ) | ||||||||||
Balance,
end of year
|
$ |
254,528
|
# | $ |
245,151
|
$ |
226,281
|
|||||||||
Accumulated
depreciation:
|
||||||||||||||||
Balance,
beginning of year
|
$ |
37,843
|
$ |
33,095
|
$ |
28,832
|
||||||||||
Additions
- Charged to operating expenses
|
5,311
|
4,739
|
4,265
|
|||||||||||||
Adjustments/Deletions
|
(689 | ) |
(b)
|
9
|
(2 | ) | ||||||||||
Balance,
end of year
|
$ |
42,465
|
$ |
37,843
|
$ |
33,095
|
||||||||||
(a) Relates
to the sale of the Lakewood property assets in June 2007
|
||||||||||||||||
(b)
Includes $594 of accumulated depreciation related to the sale of
the
Lakewood property in June 2007.
|
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
KNOW
ALL
MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Robert S. Hekemian his true and lawful attorney-in-fact
and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and
in
his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments to this Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power
and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully as he might or could
do
in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by
virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the following
persons on behalf of the Registrant, in the capacities, and on the dates
indicated have signed this report below:
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
Date
|
/s/
Robert S.
Hekemian
|
|
|||
Robert
S. Hekemian
|
|
Chairman
of the Board and
Chief
Executive Officer and
Trustee
(Principal Executive
Officer)
|
|
January
14, 2008
|
/s/Donald
W.
Barney
|
|
|||
Donald
W. Barney
|
|
President,
Treasurer,
Chief
Financial Officer and Trustee
(Principal
Financial /
Accounting
Officer)
|
|
January
14, 2008
|
/s/
Herbert C.
Klein
|
|
|||
Herbert
C. Klein
|
|
Trustee
|
January
14, 2008
|
|
/s/
Ronald J.
Artinian
|
|
|||
Ronald
J. Artinian
|
|
Trustee
|
|
January
14, 2008
|
/s/
Alan L.
Aufzien
|
|
|||
Alan
L.
Aufzien
|
Trustee
|
January
14, 2008
|
||
/s/
Robert S. Hekemian,
Jr
|
|
|||
Robert
S. Hekemian, Jr
|
|
Trustee
|
January
14, 2008
|
|
/s/
David F.
McBride
|
|
|||
David
F. McBride
|
|
Trustee
|
January
14, 2008
|
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY (“FREIT”)
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
No.
|
|
|
3
|
|
Amended
and Restated Declaration of Trust of FREIT, as further amended on
January
21, 2004 and May 15, 2007. (a)
|
4
|
|
Form
of Specimen Share Certificate, Beneficial Interest in FREIT.
(b)
|
10.1
|
|
Management
Agreement dated April 10, 2002, by and between FREIT and Hekemian
&
Co., Inc. (c)
|
10.2
|
|
Wayne
PSC, L.L.C. Operating Agreement dated March 25, 2002 between FREIT
and
H-TPKE, LLC ( c)
|
10.3
|
|
Line
of Credit Note in the principal amount of $14 million executed by
FREIT as
Borrower, and delivered to The Provident Bank, as Lender, in connection
with the Credit Facility provided by The Provident Bank to FREIT.
(d)
|
|
Subsidiaries
of FREIT
|
|
|
Consent
of J.H. Cohn LLP
|
|
|
Consent
of Eisner LLP
|
|
24
|
|
Power
of Attorney (filed with signature pages).
|
|
Rule
13a-14(a) - Certification of Chief Executive Officer.
|
|
|
Rule
13a-14(a) - Certification of Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
Section
1350 Certification of Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
Section
1350 Certification of Chief Financial
Officer.
|
The
following filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by
reference:
|
|||
Footnote
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
Exhibit
No. 3.1 to FREIT’s
Form 10-Q
filed on June 11, 2007.
|
||
(b)
|
FREIT’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31,
1998.
|
||
(c)
|
FREIT’s
Form 8-K filed on April 29, 2002.
|
||
(d)
|
Exhibit
10 to FREIT’s Form 10-Q filed on September 13, 2002.
|
55