HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES INC - Quarter Report: 2018 July (Form 10-Q)

 

 

Table of Contents

 

UNITED STATES

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

  

(Mark One)

[X ]	Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended JULY 31, 2018

OR

 

[    ]

Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Commission file number 1-8551

 

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

 

22-1851059 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

90 Matawan Road, 5^th Floor, Matawan, NJ 07747 (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

732-747-7800 (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

N/A  (Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes [ X ]    No [   ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes [ X ]  No [    ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large Accelerated Filer [   ]  Accelerated Filer  [ X ]

Non-Accelerated Filer  [   ]   Smaller Reporting Company [   ]     Emerging Growth Company [   ]

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  [   ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes [    ]  No [ X ]

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. 132,834,798 shares of Class A Common Stock and 15,551,023 shares of Class B Common Stock were outstanding as of September 4, 2018.

 

 

 

HOVNANIAN ENTERPRISES, INC.  

    

FORM 10-Q  

 

INDEX	PAGE NUMBER
PART I.  Financial Information
Item l.  Financial Statements:
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017	3
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017	4
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity (unaudited) for the nine months ended July 31, 2018	5
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017	6
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)	8
Item 2.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	32
Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	54
Item 4.  Controls and Procedures	54
PART II.  Other Information
Item 1.  Legal Proceedings	54
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	54
Item 6.  Exhibits	55
Signatures	57

  

  

 

		July 31, 2018			October 31, 2017
		(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Homebuilding:
Cash and cash equivalents		$216,707			$463,697
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		25,345			2,077
Inventories:
Sold and unsold homes and lots under development		913,469			744,119
Land and land options held for future development or sale		98,585			140,924
Consolidated inventory not owned		96,989			124,784
Total inventories		1,109,043			1,009,827
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		104,752			115,090
Receivables, deposits and notes, net		37,911			58,149
Property, plant and equipment, net		20,138			52,919
Prepaid expenses and other assets		41,470			37,026
Total homebuilding		1,555,366			1,738,785
Financial services cash and cash equivalents		5,232			5,623
Financial services other assets		107,890			156,490
Total assets		$1,668,488			$1,900,898
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Homebuilding:
Nonrecourse mortgages secured by inventory, net of debt issuance costs		$95,368			$64,512
Accounts payable and other liabilities		311,230			335,057
Customers’ deposits		38,052			33,772
Nonrecourse mortgages secured by operating properties		-			13,012
Liabilities from inventory not owned, net of debt issuance costs		72,416			91,101
Revolving and term loan credit facilities, net of debt issuance costs		301,460			124,987
Notes payable (net of discount, premium and debt issuance costs) and accrued interest		1,255,158			1,554,687
Total homebuilding		2,073,684			2,217,128
Financial services		93,195			141,914
Income taxes payable		2,240			2,227
Total liabilities		2,169,119			2,361,269
Stockholders’ equity deficit:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value - authorized 100,000 shares; issued and outstanding 5,600 shares with a liquidation preference of $140,000 at July 31, 2018 and at October 31, 2017		135,299			135,299
Common stock, Class A, $0.01 par value - authorized 400,000,000 shares; issued 144,523,768 shares at July 31, 2018 and 144,046,073 shares at October 31, 2017		1,445			1,440
Common stock, Class B, $0.01 par value (convertible to Class A at time of sale) - authorized 60,000,000 shares; issued 16,243,454 shares at July 31, 2018 and 15,999,355 shares at October 31, 2017		162			160
Paid in capital - common stock		707,857			706,466
Accumulated deficit		(1,230,034	)		(1,188,376	)
Treasury stock - at cost – 11,760,763 shares of Class A common stock and 691,748 shares of Class B common stock at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017		(115,360	)		(115,360	)
Total stockholders’ equity deficit		(500,631	)		(460,371	)
Total liabilities and equity		$1,668,488			$1,900,898

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		Three Months Ended July 31,						Nine Months Ended July 31,
		2018			2017			2018			2017
Revenues:
Homebuilding:
Sale of homes		$442,859			$574,282			$1,312,553			$1,673,250
Land sales and other revenues		844			2,760			26,918			14,393
Total homebuilding		443,703			577,042			1,339,471			1,687,643
Financial services		13,009			14,993			36,951			42,336
Total revenues		456,712			592,035			1,376,422			1,729,979
Expenses:
Homebuilding:
Cost of sales, excluding interest		361,303			478,886			1,083,842			1,399,353
Cost of sales interest		13,424			19,371			45,080			58,030
Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs		96			4,197			3,183			9,334
Total cost of sales		374,823			502,454			1,132,105			1,466,717
Selling, general and administrative		37,544			45,517			126,319			135,392
Total homebuilding expenses		412,367			547,971			1,258,424			1,602,109
Financial services		8,986			8,867			26,125			23,082
Corporate general and administrative		16,393			15,698			51,672			47,425
Other interest		24,859			23,559			80,078			68,483
Other operations		495			(26	)		1,287			1,466
Total expenses		463,100			596,069			1,417,586			1,742,565
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(4,266	)		(42,258	)		(5,706	)		(34,854	)
Income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures		10,732			(3,881	)		6,899			(10,109	)
Income (loss) before income taxes		78			(50,173	)		(39,971	)		(57,549	)
State and federal income tax provision:
State		1,104			8,523			1,687			10,797
Federal		-			278,513			-			275,688
Total income taxes		1,104			287,036			1,687			286,485
Net (loss)		$(1,026	)		$(337,209	)		$(41,658	)		$(344,034	)
Per share data:
Basic:
Net (loss) per common share		$(0.01	)		$(2.28	)		$(0.28	)		$(2.33	)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		148,669			147,748			148,377			147,628
Assuming dilution:
Net (loss) per common share		$(0.01	)		$(2.28	)		$(0.28	)		$(2.33	)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding		148,669			147,748			148,377			147,628

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		A Common Stock						B Common Stock						Preferred Stock
		Shares Issued and Outstanding			Amount			Shares Issued and Outstanding			Amount			Shares Issued and Outstanding			Amount			Paid-In Capital			Accumulated Deficit			Treasury Stock			Total
Balance, October 31, 2017		132,285,310			$1,440			15,307,607			$160			5,600			$135,299			$706,466			$(1,188,376	)		$(115,360	)		$(460,371	)
Stock options, amortization and issuances		30,250																		1,169									1,169
Restricted stock amortization, issuances and forfeitures		445,704			5			245,840			2									222									229
Conversion of Class B to class A common stock		1,741						(1,741	)																				-
Net (loss)																							(41,658	)					(41,658	)
Balance, July 31, 2018		132,763,005			$1,445			15,551,706			$162			5,600			$135,299			$707,857			$(1,230,034	)		$(115,360	)		$(500,631	)

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		Nine Months Ended
		July 31,
		2018			2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss)		$(41,658	)		$(344,034	)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Depreciation		2,320			3,212
Compensation from stock options and awards		2,706			1,606
Amortization of bond discounts, premiums and deferred financing costs		5,900			11,385
Gain on sale and retirement of property and assets		(3,620	)		(123	)
(Income) loss from unconsolidated joint ventures		(6,899	)		10,109
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated joint ventures		-			1,260
Loss on extinguishment of debt		5,706			34,854
Inventory impairment and land option write-offs		3,183			9,334
Deferred income tax provision		-			285,579
(Increase) decrease in assets:
Origination of mortgage loans		(716,954	)		(743,467	)
Sale of mortgage loans		766,925			831,079
Restricted cash, receivables, prepaids, deposits and other assets		14,558			14,235
Inventories		(89,361	)		84,901
Increase (decrease) in liabilities:
State income tax payable		13			(149	)
Customers’ deposits		4,280			424
Accounts payable, accrued interest and other accrued liabilities		(44,670	)		(54,753	)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		(97,571	)		145,452
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of property and assets		38,302			209
Purchase of property, equipment and other fixed assets and acquisitions		(4,211	)		(5,034	)
Decrease in restricted cash related to mortgage company		139			1,686
Increase in restricted cash related to letters of credit and bonds		(23,553	)		(2	)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		(24,337	)		(33,403	)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures		28,536			13,976
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		14,876			(22,568	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from mortgages and notes		129,411			153,517
Payments related to mortgages and notes		(110,570	)		(165,935	)
Proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs		22,244			10,177
Payments related to model sale leaseback financing programs		(26,835	)		(17,544	)
Proceeds from land bank financing programs		16,957			10,663
Payments related to land bank financing programs		(30,577	)		(56,683	)
Net payments related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit		(49,758	)		(83,525	)
Payments related to unsecured revolving credit facility		(26,000	)		-
Proceeds from senior unsecured term loan facility		202,547			-
Proceeds from senior secured notes		-			840,000
Payments related to senior secured, senior, senior amortizing and senior exchangeable notes		(285,095	)		(861,976	)
Deferred financing costs from land bank financing programs and note issuances		(7,010	)		(12,611	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(164,686	)		(183,917	)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(247,381	)		(61,033	)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period		469,320			346,765
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period		$221,939			$285,732

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		Nine Months Ended
		July 31,
		2018			2017
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow:
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest, net of capitalized interest (see Note 3 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements)		$105,854			$88,914
Income taxes		$1,674			$1,055

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1.	Basis of Presentation

 

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (“HEI”) conducts all of its homebuilding and financial services operations through its subsidiaries (references herein to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to HEI and its consolidated subsidiaries and should be understood to reflect the consolidated business of HEI’s subsidiaries). HEI has reportable segments consisting of six Homebuilding segments (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest and West) and the Financial Services segment (see Note 16).

 

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include HEI's accounts and those of all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries after elimination of all of its significant intercompany balances and transactions. 

 

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017. In the opinion of management, all adjustments for interim periods presented have been made, which include normal recurring accruals and deferrals necessary for a fair presentation of our condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The preparation of Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and these differences could have a significant impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results which might be expected for a full year. 

 

Reclassifications - In fiscal 2018, we reclassified our Senior Secured Term Loan due 2019 on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets from the line item “Notes payable (net of discount, premium and debt issuance costs) and accrued interest” to “Revolving and term loan credit facilities, net of debt issuance costs”, resulting in a reclassification of the October 31, 2017 balance of $73.0 million.

  

 

2.	Stock Compensation

 

The Company’s total stock-based compensation expense was $0.6 million and $2.7 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, and $0.1 million and $1.6 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively. Included in this total stock-based compensation expense was the vesting of stock options of $0.9 million and $1.1 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, and $0.2 million and $0.4 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively.

 

 

3.

Interest

 

Interest costs incurred, expensed and capitalized were:

 

 

(1)	Data does not include interest incurred by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries.

(2)

Other interest expensed includes interest that does not qualify for interest capitalization because our assets that qualify for interest capitalization (inventory under development) do not exceed our debt, which amounted to $20.2 million and $17.2 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $59.7 million and $46.5 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Other interest also includes interest on completed homes, land in planning and fully developed lots without homes under construction, which does not qualify for capitalization, and therefore, is expensed. This component of other interest was $4.6 million and $6.4 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $20.4 million and $22.0 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

 

 

(3)	Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest, is the sum of other interest expensed, as defined above, and interest paid by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries adjusted for the change in accrued interest on notes payable, which is calculated as follows:

 

 

(4)	Capitalized interest amounts are shown gross before allocating any portion of impairments, if any, to capitalized interest.

 

 

4.	Reduction of Inventory to Fair Value

 

We record impairment losses on inventories related to communities under development and held for future development when events and circumstances indicate that they may be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than their related carrying amounts. If the expected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, then the community is written down to its fair value. We estimate the fair value of each impaired community by determining the present value of the estimated future cash flows at a discount rate commensurate with the risk of the respective community. For the nine months ended July 31, 2018, our discount rate used for the impairments recorded ranged from 16.8% to 19.8%. For the nine months ended July 31, 2017, our discount rate used for the impairments recorded ranged from 18.3% to 19.8%. Should the estimates or expectations used in determining cash flows or fair value decrease or differ from current estimates in the future, we may need to recognize additional impairments. 

 

During the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, we evaluated inventories of all 405 and 380 communities under development and held for future development or sale, respectively, for impairment indicators through preparation and review of detailed budgets or other market indicators of impairment. We performed detailed impairment calculations during the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017 for five and ten of those communities (i.e., those with a projected operating loss or other impairment indicators), respectively, with an aggregate carrying value of $11.2 million and $82.7 million, respectively. As a result of our impairment analysis, we recorded aggregate impairment losses of $2.1 million for all five communities that we tested for impairment (which had an aggregate pre-impairment value of $11.2 million) for the nine months ended July 31, 2018. We did not record impairment losses for the three months ended July 31, 2018. We also recorded aggregate impairment losses of $3.2 million and $7.4 million, in one and seven communities, respectively, (which had aggregate pre-impairment values of $15.9 million and $37.0 million, respectively) for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively. These impairment losses are included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations on the line entitled “Homebuilding: Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs” and deducted from inventory. The pre-impairment value represents the carrying value, net of prior period impairments, if any, at the time of recording the impairment. Of those communities tested for impairment during the nine months ended July 31, 2017, three communities with an aggregate carrying value of $45.8 million had undiscounted future cash flows that exceeded the carrying amount by less than 20%. 

 

The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations line entitled “Homebuilding: Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs” also includes write-offs of options and approval, engineering and capitalized interest costs that we record when we redesign communities and/or abandon certain engineering costs and we do not exercise options in various locations because the communities' pro forma profitability is not projected to produce adequate returns on investment commensurate with the risk. Total aggregate write-offs related to these items were $0.1 million and $1.0 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $1.1 million and $1.9 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Occasionally, these write-offs are offset by recovered deposits (sometimes through legal action) that had been written off in a prior period as walk-away costs. Historically, these recoveries have not been significant in comparison to the total costs written off. The number of lots walked away from during the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017 were 76 and 1,200, respectively, and 1,417 and 2,739 during the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

  

We decide to mothball (or stop development on) certain communities when we determine that the current performance does not justify further investment at the time. When we decide to mothball a community, the inventory is reclassified on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets from “Sold and unsold homes and lots under development” to “Land and land options held for future development or sale.” During the first three quarters of fiscal 2018, we did not mothball any additional communities, but we sold two previously mothballed communities and re-activated one previously mothballed community. As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, the net book value associated with our 19 and 22 total mothballed communities was $24.5 million and $36.7 million, respectively, which was net of impairment charges recorded in prior periods of $186.1 million and $214.1 million, respectively.

 

 

From time to time we enter into option agreements that include specific performance requirements, whereby we are required to purchase a minimum number of lots. Because of our obligation to purchase these lots, for accounting purposes in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360-20-40-38, we are required to record this inventory on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, we had no specific performance options.

 

We sell and lease back certain of our model homes with the right to participate in the potential profit when each home is sold to a third party at the end of the respective lease. As a result of our continued involvement, for accounting purposes in accordance with ASC 360-20-40-38, these sale and leaseback transactions are considered a financing rather than a sale. Therefore, for purposes of our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, inventory of $53.3 million and $58.5 million, respectively, was recorded to “Consolidated inventory not owned,” with a corresponding amount of $46.5 million and $51.8 million (net of debt issuance costs), respectively, recorded to “Liabilities from inventory not owned” for the amount of net cash received from the transactions.

 

We have land banking arrangements, whereby we sell our land parcels to the land bankers and they provide us an option to purchase back finished lots on a predetermined schedule. Because of our options to repurchase these parcels, for accounting purposes, in accordance with ASC 360-20-40-38, these transactions are considered a financing rather than a sale. For purposes of our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, inventory of $43.7 million and $66.3 million, respectively, was recorded as “Consolidated inventory not owned,” with a corresponding amount of $25.9 million and $39.3 million (net of debt issuance costs), respectively, recorded to “Liabilities from inventory not owned” for the amount of net cash received from the transactions.

 

 

5.	Variable Interest Entities

 

The Company enters into land and lot option purchase contracts to procure land or lots for the construction of homes. Under these contracts, the Company will fund a stated deposit in consideration for the right, but not the obligation, to purchase land or lots at a future point in time with predetermined terms. Under the terms of the option purchase contracts, many of the option deposits are not refundable at the Company's discretion. Under the requirements of ASC 810, certain option purchase contracts may result in the creation of a variable interest in the entity (“VIE”) that owns the land parcel under option.

 

In compliance with ASC 810, the Company analyzes its option purchase contracts to determine whether the corresponding land sellers are VIEs and, if so, whether the Company is the primary beneficiary. Although the Company does not have legal title to the underlying land, ASC 810 requires the Company to consolidate a VIE if the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary. In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary, the Company considers, among other things, whether it has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance. Such activities would include, among other things, determining or limiting the scope or purpose of the VIE, selling or transferring property owned or controlled by the VIE, or arranging financing for the VIE. The Company also considers whether it has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE. As a result of its analyses, the Company determined that as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, it was not the primary beneficiary of any VIEs from which it is purchasing land under option purchase contracts.

  

We will continue to secure land and lots using options, some of which are with VIEs. Including deposits on our unconsolidated VIEs, at July 31, 2018, we had total cash deposits amounting to $57.3 million to purchase land and lots with a total purchase price of $1.2 billion. The maximum exposure to loss with respect to our land and lot options is limited to the deposits plus any pre-development costs invested in the property, although some deposits are refundable at our request or refundable if certain conditions are not met.

 

 

6.	Warranty Costs

 

General liability insurance for homebuilding companies and their suppliers and subcontractors is very difficult to obtain. The availability of general liability insurance is limited due to a decreased number of insurance companies willing to underwrite for the industry. In addition, those few insurers willing to underwrite liability insurance have significantly increased the premium costs. To date, we have been able to obtain general liability insurance but at higher premium costs with higher deductibles. Our subcontractors and suppliers have advised us that they have also had difficulty obtaining insurance that also provides us coverage. As a result, we have an owner controlled insurance program for certain of our subcontractors whereby the subcontractors pay us an insurance premium (through a reduction of amounts we would otherwise owe such subcontractors for their work on our homes) based on the risk type of the trade. We absorb the liability associated with their work on our homes as part of our overall general liability insurance at no additional cost to us because our existing general liability and construction defect insurance policy and related reserves for amounts under our deductible covers construction defects regardless of whether we or our subcontractors are responsible for the defect. For the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, we received $1.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, we received $3.3 million and $3.0 million, respectively, from subcontractors related to the owner controlled insurance program, which we accounted for as reductions to inventory.

 

 

We accrue for warranty costs that are covered under our existing general liability and construction defect policy as part of our general liability insurance deductible. This accrual is expensed as selling, general and administrative costs. For homes delivered in fiscal 2018 and 2017, our deductible under our general liability insurance is a $20 million aggregate for construction defect and warranty claims. For bodily injury claims, our deductible per occurrence in fiscal 2018 and 2017 is $0.25 million, up to a $5 million limit. Our aggregate retention for construction defect, warranty and bodily injury claims is $20 million for fiscal 2018 and $21 million for fiscal 2017. In addition, we establish a warranty accrual for lower cost related issues to cover home repairs, community amenities and land development infrastructure that are not covered under our general liability and construction defect policy. We accrue an estimate for these warranty costs as part of cost of sales at the time each home is closed and title and possession have been transferred to the homebuyer. Additions and charges in the warranty reserve and general liability reserve for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:

 

  

Warranty accruals are based upon historical experience. We engage a third-party actuary that uses our historical warranty and construction defect data to assist our management in estimating our unpaid claims, claim adjustment expenses and incurred but not reported claims reserves for the risks that we are assuming under the general liability and construction defect programs. The estimates include provisions for inflation, claims handling and legal fees. The charges incurred during the first nine months of fiscal 2018 are higher than those for the first nine months of 2017 due to the payment for construction defect reserves related to the settlement of a litigation matter in the second quarter of fiscal 2018.

 

Insurance claims paid by our insurance carriers, excluding insurance deductibles paid, for prior year deliveries were less than $0.1 million and $0.5 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $0.1 million and $0.7 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

 

 

7.	Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

 

We are involved in litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, none of which is expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows, and we are subject to extensive and complex laws and regulations that affect the development of land and home building, sales and customer financing processes, including zoning, density, building standards and mortgage financing. These laws and regulations often provide broad discretion to the administering governmental authorities. This can delay or increase the cost of development or homebuilding. Our estimated losses from litigation matters, if any, are included in our legal or construction defect reserves.

 

We also are subject to a variety of local, state, federal and foreign laws and regulations concerning protection of health and the environment, including those regulating the emission or discharge of materials into the environment, the management of storm water runoff at construction sites, the handling, use, storage and disposal of hazardous substances, impacts to wetlands and other sensitive environments, and the remediation of contamination at properties that we have owned or developed or currently own or are developing (“environmental laws”). The particular environmental laws that apply to a site may vary greatly according to the community site, for example, due to the community, the environmental conditions at or near the site, and the present and former uses of the site. These environmental laws may result in delays, may cause us to incur substantial compliance, remediation and/or other costs, and can prohibit or severely restrict development and homebuilding activity. In addition, noncompliance with these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, obligations to remediate, permit revocations or other sanctions; and contamination or other environmental conditions at or in the vicinity of our developments may result in claims against us for personal injury, property damage or other losses.

  

 

 

We anticipate that increasingly stringent requirements will be imposed on developers and homebuilders in the future. For example, for a number of years, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been engaged in rulemakings to clarify the scope of federally regulated wetlands, which included a June 2015 rule many affected businesses contend impermissibly expanded the scope of such wetlands that was challenged in court, stayed, and remains in litigation; a proposal in June 2017 to formally rescind the June 2015 rule and reinstate the rule scheme previously in place while the agencies initiate a new substantive rulemaking on the issue; and a February 2018 rule delaying the effective date of the June 2015 rule until February 2020, which was enjoined nationwide in August 2018 by a federal district court in South Carolina in response to a lawsuit by a coalition of environmental advocacy groups (the result of which, according to some commentators, is that the June 2015 rule applies in 26 states and the pre-June 2015 regime applies in the rest). It is unclear how these and related developments, including at the state or local level, ultimately may affect the scope of regulated wetlands where we operate. Although we cannot reliably predict the extent of any effect these developments regarding wetlands, or any other requirements that may take effect may have on us, they could result in time-consuming and expensive compliance programs and in substantial expenditures, which could cause delays and increase our cost of operations. In addition, our ability to obtain or renew permits or approvals and the continued effectiveness of permits already granted or approvals already obtained is dependent upon many factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as changes in policies, rules and regulations and their interpretations and application.

 

In March 2013, we received a letter from the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) requesting information about our involvement in a housing redevelopment project in Newark, New Jersey that a Company entity undertook during the 1990s. We understand that the development is in the vicinity of a former lead smelter and that tests on soil samples from properties within the development conducted by the EPA showed elevated levels of lead. We also understand that the smelter ceased operations many years before the Company entity involved acquired the properties in the area and carried out the re-development project. We responded to the EPA’s request. In August 2013, we were notified that the EPA considers us a potentially responsible party (or “PRP”) with respect to the site, that the EPA will clean up the site, and that the EPA is proposing that we fund and/or contribute towards the cleanup of the contamination at the site. We began preliminary discussions with the EPA concerning a possible resolution but do not know the scope or extent of the Company’s obligations, if any, that may arise from the site and therefore cannot provide any assurance that this matter will not have a material impact on the Company. The EPA requested additional information in April 2014 and again in March 2017 and the Company responded to the information requests. On May 2, 2018 the EPA sent a letter to the Company entity demanding reimbursement for 100% of the EPA’s costs to clean-up the site in the amount of $2.7 million. The Company responded to the EPA’s demand letter on June 15, 2018 setting forth the Company’s defenses and expressing its willingness to enter into settlement negotiations. We believe that we have adequate reserves for this matter.

  

The Grandview at Riverwalk Port Imperial Condominium Association, Inc. (the “Grandview Plaintiff”) filed a construction defect lawsuit against Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. and several of its affiliates, including K. Hovnanian at Port Imperial Urban Renewal II, LLC, K. Hovnanian Construction Management, Inc., K. Hovnanian Companies, LLC, K. Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., K. Hovnanian North East, Inc. aka and/or dba K. Hovnanian Companies North East, Inc., K. Hovnanian Construction II, Inc., K. Hovnanian Cooperative, Inc., K. Hovnanian Developments of New Jersey, Inc., and K. Hovnanian Holdings NJ, LLC, as well as the project architect, the geotechnical engineers and various construction contractors for the project alleging various construction defects, design defects and geotechnical issues totaling approximately $41.3 million. The lawsuit included claims against the geotechnical engineers for differential soil settlement under the building, against the architects for failing to design the correct type of structure allowable under the New Jersey Building Code, and against the Hovnanian-affiliated developer entity (K. Hovnanian at Port Imperial Urban Renewal II, LLC ) alleging that it: (1) had knowledge of and failed to disclose the improper building classification to unit purchasers and was therefore liable for treble damages under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act; and (2) breached an express warranty set forth in the Public Offering Statements that the common elements at the building were fit for their intended purpose. The Grandview Plaintiff further alleged that Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., K. Hovnanian Holdings NJ, LLC, K. Hovnanian Developments of New Jersey, Inc., and K. Hovnanian Developments of New Jersey II, Inc. were jointly liable for any damages owed by the Hovnanian development entity under a veil piercing theory.

 

 

 

After the parties reached a pre-trial settlement on the construction defect issues, trial commenced on April 17, 2017 in Hudson County, New Jersey. The Hovnanian-affiliated defendants resolved the geotechnical claims mid-trial for an amount immaterial to the Company, but the balance of the case continued to be tried before the jury. On June 1, 2017, the jury rendered a verdict against K. Hovnanian at Port Imperial Urban Renewal II, LLC on the breach of warranty and New Jersey Consumer Fraud claims in the total amount of $3 million, which resulted in a total verdict of $9 million against that entity due to statutory trebling, plus a portion of Grandview Plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees and costs. The Court subsequently awarded $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. The jury also found in favor of Grandview Plaintiff on its veil piercing theory. After the Court denied the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants’ filed post-trial motions, including a motion for contractual indemnification against the project architect, the Court entered final judgment in the amount of approximately $10.4 million on January 12, 2018. 

 

On January 24, 2018, the relevant Hovnanian-affiliated defendants appealed all aspects of the verdict against them. On February 16, 2018, the Court entered an order staying execution of the judgment provided that the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants post a bond in the amount of approximately $11.1 million. On March 9, 2018, the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants filed the Court-approved bond. On July 30, 2018, during the pendency of the appeal, the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants settled the Grandview Plaintiff's claims for an amount less than the bond, which amount is scheduled to be paid in September 2018.  As part of the settlement, all appeals are to be dismissed other than the appeal of the Court’s denial of the Hovnanian-affiliated defendant’s contractual indemnification claim against the project architect. As of October 31, 2017, the Company had reserved in excess of the settlement amount. Therefore, during the three months ended July 31, 2018, the reserve was reduced to the agreed settlement amount.

  

On December 21, 2016, the members of the Company’s Board were named as defendants in a derivative and class action lawsuit filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery by Plaintiff Joseph Hong (“Plaintiff Hong”). Plaintiff Hong had previously made a demand for inspection of the books and records of the Company pursuant to Delaware law. The Company had provided certain company documents in response to Plaintiff Hong’s demand. The complaint related to the Board of Directors’ decisions to grant Ara K. Hovnanian equity awards in the form of Class B Common Stock, alleging that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders; that the equity awards granted in Class B Common Stock amounted to corporate waste; and that Ara. K Hovnanian was unjustly enriched by equity awards granted to him in Class B Common Stock. The complaint sought a declaration that the equity awards granted to Ara K. Hovnanian in Class B Common Stock between June 13, 2014 and June 10, 2016 were ultra vires, invalidation or rescission of those awards, injunctive relief, and unspecified damages. 

 

On December 18, 2017, the parties finalized a settlement agreement to resolve the litigation. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the Company submitted for stockholder approval a resolution to amend the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to affirm that in the event of a merger, consolidation, acquisition, tender offer, recapitalization, reorganization or other business combination, the same consideration will be provided for shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock unless different treatment of the shares of each such class is approved separately by a majority of each class. The amendment was approved by the Company's shareholders at its Annual Meeting held on March 13, 2018. The Company has also agreed to implement certain operational and corporate governance measures regarding the granting of equity awards in Class B Common Stock. The Court approved the settlement on May 4, 2018 and the Company paid the Plaintiff’s attorney fees in the amount of $275,000 on May 10, 2018.

 

On January 11, 2018, Solus Alternative Asset Management LP (“Solus”) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against GSO Capital Partners L.P., Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (“Hovnanian”), K. Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (“K. Hovnanian”), K. Hovnanian at Sunrise Trail III, LLC (“Sunrise Trail”), Ara K. Hovnanian and J. Larry Sorsby. The complaint related to K. Hovnanian’s offer to exchange up to $185.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 8.0% Senior Notes due 2019 for a combination of (i) cash, (ii) K. Hovnanian’s newly issued 13.5% Senior Notes due 2026 and (iii) K. Hovnanian’s newly issued 5.0% Senior Notes due 2040 and related transactions that were previously disclosed in Hovnanian’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 28, 2017. The complaint alleged, among other things, inadequate disclosure in the exchange offer documents, improper and fraudulent structuring of the transactions to impact the credit default swap market, violations of Sections 10(b), 14(e) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage. Solus sought, among other things, additional disclosures regarding the transactions, compensatory and punitive damages, and a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop the transactions from going forward. On January 29, 2018, the court denied the motion for preliminary injunction, finding that Solus failed to show that it would be irreparably harmed in the absence of an injunction. 

 

 

Solus filed an amended complaint on February 1, 2018, against the same defendants. The defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint on March 2, 2018. On May 30, 2018, the parties signed a stipulation of dismissal of all claims with prejudice. As part of the case resolution, on May 30, 2018, K. Hovnanian paid the overdue interest on the 8.0% Senior Notes due 2019 held by Sunrise Trail that was originally due on May 1, 2018. The case resolution does not involve any settlement payment or admission of wrongdoing by any of the Hovnanian-related parties. On May 31, 2018, the Court so-ordered the stipulation and closed the case.

 

Hovnanian received insurance coverage, less the deductible, for the litigation costs related to the Solus claims.

 

In 2015, the condominium association of the Four Seasons at Great Notch condominium community (the “Great Notch Plaintiff”) filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Passaic County (the “Court”) alleging various construction defects, design defects, and geotechnical issues relating to the community. The operative complaint (“Complaint”) asserts claims against Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. and several of its affiliates, including K. Hovnanian at Great Notch, LLC, K. Hovnanian Construction Management, Inc., and K. Hovnanian Companies, LLC. The Complaint also asserts claims against various other design professionals and contractors. The Great Notch Plaintiff has also filed a motion, which remains pending, to permit it to pursue a claim to pierce the corporate veil of K. Hovnanian at Great Notch, LLC to hold its alleged parent entities liable for any damages awarded against it. To date, the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants have reached a partial settlement with the Great Notch Plaintiff as to a portion of the Great Notch Plaintiff’s claims against them for an amount immaterial to the Company. On its remaining claims against the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants, the Great Notch Plaintiff recently asserted damages of approximately $119.5 million, which amount is potentially subject to treble damages pursuant to the Great Notch Plaintiff’s claim under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. On August 17, 2018, the Hovnanian-affiliated defendants filed a motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of all of the Great Notch Plaintiff’s remaining claims against them, which has a return date of September 14, 2018. Trial is currently scheduled for October 15, 2018. The Hovnanian-affiliated defendants intend to defend these claims vigorously. 

   

 

8.	Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents and Customer’s Deposits

 

Cash represents cash deposited in checking accounts. Cash equivalents include certificates of deposit, Treasury bills and government money–market funds with maturities of 90 days or less when purchased. Our cash balances are held at a few financial institutions and may, at times, exceed insurable amounts. We believe we help to mitigate this risk by depositing our cash in major financial institutions. At July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, $11.1 million and $13.3 million, respectively, of the total cash and cash equivalents was in cash equivalents, the book value of which approximates fair value.

 

Homebuilding - Restricted cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets totaled $25.3 million and $2.1 million as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively, which included cash collateralizing our letter of credit agreements and facilities as discussed in Note 11. Also included in these balances were homebuilding customers’ deposits of $0.1 million and $0.4 million at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively, which are subject to restrictions on our use. The July 31, 2018 balance also included cash collateral of $11.1 million for a bond related to the Grandview litigation as discussed in Note 7.

 

Financial services restricted cash and cash equivalents, which are included in Financial services other assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, totaled $23.5 million and $22.3 million as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively. Included in these balances were (1) financial services customers’ deposits of $21.5 million at July 31, 2018 and $20.0 million as of October 31, 2017, which are subject to restrictions on our use, and (2) $2.0 million at July 31, 2018 and $2.3 million at October 31, 2017, respectively, of restricted cash under the terms of our mortgage warehouse lines of credit.

 

Total Homebuilding Customers’ deposits are shown as a liability on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These liabilities are significantly more than the applicable periods’ restricted cash balances because in some states the deposits are not restricted from use and, in other states, we are able to release the majority of these customer deposits to cash by pledging letters of credit and surety bonds.

 

 

9.	Mortgage Loans Held for Sale

 

Our wholly owned mortgage banking subsidiary, K. Hovnanian American Mortgage, LLC (“K. Hovnanian Mortgage”) originates mortgage loans, primarily from the sale of our homes. Such mortgage loans are sold in the secondary mortgage market within a short period of time of origination. Mortgage loans held for sale consist primarily of single-family residential loans collateralized by the underlying property. We have elected the fair value option to record loans held for sale and therefore these loans are recorded at fair value with the changes in the value recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations in “Revenues: Financial services.” We currently use forward sales of mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), interest rate commitments from borrowers and mandatory and/or best efforts forward commitments to sell loans to third-party purchasers to protect us from interest rate fluctuations. These short-term instruments, which do not require any payments to be made to the counterparty or purchaser in connection with the execution of the commitments, are recorded at fair value. Gains and losses on changes in the fair value are recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations in “Revenues: Financial services.”

 

 

At July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, $66.5 million and $119.6 million, respectively, of mortgages held for sale were pledged against our mortgage warehouse lines of credit (see Note 10). We may incur losses with respect to mortgages that were previously sold that are delinquent and which had underwriting defects, but only to the extent the losses are not covered by mortgage insurance or resale value of the home. The reserves for these estimated losses are included in the “Financial services” liability balances on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of July 31, 2018 and 2017, we had reserves specifically for 45 and 94 identified mortgage loans, respectively, as well as reserves for an estimate for future losses on mortgages sold but not yet identified to us. In fiscal 2017, the adjustment to pre-existing provisions for losses from changes in estimates was primarily due to the settlement of a dispute for significantly less than the amount that had been previously reserved.

   

The activity in our loan origination reserves during the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017 was as follows:

 

   

 

10.

Mortgages

  

We have nonrecourse mortgage loans for certain communities totaling $95.4 million and $64.5 million (net of debt issuance costs) at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively, which are secured by the related real property, including any improvements, with an aggregate book value of $218.1 million and $157.8 million, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on these obligations was 6.4% and 5.3% at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively, and the mortgage loan payments on each community primarily correspond to home deliveries. We also had nonrecourse mortgage loans on our former corporate headquarters totaling $13.0 million at October 31, 2017. On November 1, 2017, these loans were paid in full in connection with the sale of this corporate headquarters building.

    

K. Hovnanian Mortgage originates mortgage loans primarily from the sale of our homes. Such mortgage loans and related servicing rights are sold in the secondary mortgage market within a short period of time. In certain instances, we retain the servicing rights for a small amount of loans. K. Hovnanian Mortgage finances the origination of mortgage loans through various master repurchase agreements, which are recorded in financial services liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

Our secured Master Repurchase Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“Chase Master Repurchase Agreement”), which was amended on July 31, 2018, is a short-term borrowing facility that provides up to $50.0 million through its maturity on July 31, 2019. The loan is secured by the mortgages held for sale and is repaid when we sell the underlying mortgage loans to permanent investors. Interest is payable monthly on outstanding advances at an adjusted LIBOR rate, which was 2.08% at July 31, 2018, plus the applicable margin of 2.5% or 2.63% based upon type of loan. As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, the aggregate principal amount of all borrowings outstanding under the Chase Master Repurchase Agreement was $26.1 million and $41.5 million, respectively.

   

K. Hovnanian Mortgage has another secured Master Repurchase Agreement with Customers Bank (“Customers Master Repurchase Agreement”) which is a short-term borrowing facility that provides up to $50.0 million through its maturity on February 15, 2019. The loan is secured by the mortgages held for sale and is repaid when we sell the underlying mortgage loans to permanent investors. Interest is payable daily or as loans are sold to permanent investors on outstanding advances at the current LIBOR rate, plus the applicable margin ranging from 2.38% to 5.13% based on the type of loan and the number of days outstanding on the warehouse line. As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, the aggregate principal amount of all borrowings outstanding under the Customers Master Repurchase Agreement was $26.4 million and $40.7 million, respectively.

 

K. Hovnanian Mortgage also has a secured Master Repurchase Agreement with Comerica Bank (“Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement”), which was amended on July 3, 2018. The Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement is a short-term borrowing facility that provides up to $50.0 million through June 10, 2019. The loan is secured by the mortgages held for sale and is repaid when we sell the underlying mortgage loans to permanent investors. Interest is payable monthly at the current LIBOR rate, subject to a floor of 0.25%, plus the applicable margin of 2.25% or 3.25% based upon the type of loan. As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, the aggregate principal amount of all borrowings outstanding under the Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement was $12.3 million and $32.4 million, respectively.

 

 

The Chase Master Repurchase Agreement, Customers Master Repurchase Agreement and Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement (together, the “Master Repurchase Agreements”) require K. Hovnanian Mortgage to satisfy and maintain specified financial ratios and other financial condition tests. Because of the extremely short period of time mortgages are held by K. Hovnanian Mortgage before the mortgages are sold to investors (generally a period of a few weeks), the immateriality to us on a consolidated basis of the size of the Master Repurchase Agreements, the levels required by these financial covenants, our ability based on our immediately available resources to contribute sufficient capital to cure any default, were such conditions to occur, and our right to cure any conditions of default based on the terms of the applicable agreement, we do not consider any of these covenants to be substantive or material. As of July 31, 2018, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants under the Master Repurchase Agreements.

 

 

11.	Senior Notes and Credit Facilities

 

Senior notes and credit facilities balances as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, were as follows:

 

 

(1) “Notes payable” on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017 consists of the total senior secured, senior and senior amortizing and senior exchangeable notes shown above, as well as accrued interest of $17.9 million and $41.8 million, respectively.

 

(2) Unamortized debt issuance costs at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017 were $15.3 million and $16.1 million, respectively.

 

(3) $26.0 million of 8.0% Senior Notes due 2019 are owned by a wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary of HEI. Therefore, in accordance with GAAP, such notes are not reflected on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets of HEI.

 

General

 

Except for K. Hovnanian, the issuer of the notes and borrower under our credit facilities, our home mortgage subsidiaries, joint ventures and subsidiaries holding interests in our joint ventures and certain of our title insurance subsidiaries, we and each of our subsidiaries are guarantors of the Secured Term Loan Facility (as defined below), the Unsecured Term Loan Facility (as defined below), the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below) and the senior secured notes and senior notes outstanding at July 31, 2018 (collectively, the “Notes Guarantors”). In addition to the Notes Guarantors, the 5.0% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (the “5.0% 2021 Notes”), the 2.0% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (the “2.0% 2021 Notes” and together with the 5.0% 2021 Notes, the “2021 Notes”) and the 9.5% 2020 Notes (defined below) collectively with the 2021 Notes, the “JV Holdings Secured Group Notes”) are guaranteed by K. Hovnanian JV Holdings, L.L.C. and its subsidiaries, except for certain joint ventures and joint venture holding companies (collectively, the “JV Holdings Secured Group”). Members of the JV Holdings Secured Group do not guarantee K. Hovnanian's other indebtedness.

 

 

The credit agreements governing the Secured Term Loan Facility, the Unsecured Term Loan Facility, the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (collectively, the “credit facilities”) and the indentures governing the notes outstanding at July 31, 2018 do not contain any financial maintenance covenants, but do contain restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the Company’s ability and that of certain of its subsidiaries, including K. Hovnanian, to incur additional indebtedness (other than nonrecourse indebtedness, certain permitted indebtedness and refinancing indebtedness (under the Secured Term Loans (as defined below) and the 9.5% 2020 Notes, any new or refinancing indebtedness may not be scheduled to mature earlier than January 15, 2021 (so long as no member of the JV Holdings Secured Group is an obligor thereon), or February 15, 2021 (if otherwise), and under the 10.0% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the “10.0% 2022 Notes”), any refinancing indebtedness of the 7.0% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “7.0% Notes”) (which includes the Unsecured Term Loans (as defined below)) and 8.0% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “8.0% Notes” and together with the 7.0% Notes, the “2019 Notes”) (which includes the New Notes (as defined below) and the Unsecured Term Loans) may not be scheduled to mature earlier than July 16, 2024 (such restrictive covenant in respect of the 10.5% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the “10.5% 2024 Notes”) was eliminated as described below under “—Fiscal 2018”)), pay dividends and make distributions on common and preferred stock, repurchase subordinated indebtedness (with respect to the credit facilities and certain of the senior secured and senior notes) and common and preferred stock, make other restricted payments, including investments, sell certain assets (including in certain land banking transactions), incur liens, consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all assets, enter into certain transactions with affiliates and make cash repayments of the 2019 Notes and refinancing indebtedness in respect thereof  (with respect to the 10.0% 2022 Notes). The credit agreements governing the Secured Term Loan Facility, the Unsecured Term Loan Facility and the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility and the indentures governing the notes also contain events of default which would permit the lenders/holders thereof to exercise remedies with respect to the collateral (as applicable), declare the loans made under the Secured Term Loan Facility (the “Secured Term Loans”), loans made under the Unsecured Term Loan Facility (the “Unsecured Term Loans”) and loans made under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (the “Unsecured Loans”)/notes to be immediately due and payable if not cured within applicable grace periods, including the failure to make timely payments on the Secured Term Loans, the Unsecured Term Loans or Unsecured Loans/notes or other material indebtedness, cross default to other material indebtedness, the failure to comply with agreements and covenants and specified events of bankruptcy and insolvency, with respect to the Secured Term Loans, the Unsecured Term Loans and the Unsecured Loans, material inaccuracy of representations and warranties and with respect to the Secured Term Loans and the Unsecured Term Loans, a change of control, and, with respect to the Secured Term Loans and senior secured notes, the failure of the documents granting security for the Secured Term Loans and senior secured notes to be in full force and effect, and the failure of the liens on any material portion of the collateral securing the Secured Term Loans and senior secured notes to be valid and perfected. As of July 31, 2018, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants of the credit facilities and the indentures governing our outstanding notes.

 

If our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined in the agreements governing our debt instruments, is less than 2.0 to 1.0, we are restricted from making certain payments, including dividends, and from incurring indebtedness other than certain permitted indebtedness, refinancing indebtedness and nonrecourse indebtedness. As a result of this ratio restriction, we are currently restricted from paying dividends, which are not cumulative, on our 7.625% Series A Preferred Stock. We anticipate that we will continue to be restricted from paying dividends for the foreseeable future. Our inability to pay dividends is in accordance with covenant restrictions and will not result in a default under our debt instruments or otherwise affect compliance with any of the covenants contained in our debt instruments.

 

Under the terms of our debt agreements, we have the right to make certain redemptions and prepayments and, depending on market conditions and covenant restrictions, may do so from time to time. We also continue to evaluate our capital structure and may also continue to make debt purchases and/or exchanges for debt or equity from time to time through tender offers, open market purchases, private transactions, or otherwise, or seek to raise additional debt or equity capital, depending on market conditions and covenant restrictions.

 

Any liquidity-enhancing transaction will depend on identifying counterparties, negotiation of documentation and applicable closing conditions and any required approvals. Due to covenant restrictions in our debt instruments, we are currently limited in the amount of debt we can incur that does not qualify as refinancing indebtedness with certain maturity requirements as discussed above (a limitation that we expect to continue for the foreseeable future), even if market conditions would otherwise be favorable, which could also impact our ability to grow our business.

 

Fiscal 2018

 

On December 1, 2017, our 6.0% Senior Exchangeable Note Units were paid in full, which units consisted of $53.9 million principal amount of our Senior Exchangeable Notes that matured and the final installment payment of $2.1 million on our 11.0% Senior Amortizing Notes.

 

On December 28, 2017, the Company and K. Hovnanian announced that they had entered into a commitment letter (the “Commitment Letter”) in respect of certain financing transactions with GSO Capital Partners LP on its own behalf and on behalf of one or more funds managed, advised or sub-advised by GSO (collectively, the “GSO Entities”), and had commenced a private offer to exchange with respect to the 8.0% Notes (the “Exchange Offer”).

 

 

Pursuant to the Commitment Letter, the GSO Entities agreed to, among other things, provide the principal amount of the following: (i) a senior unsecured term loan credit facility (the “Unsecured Term Loan Facility”) to be borrowed by K. Hovnanian and guaranteed by the Company and the Notes Guarantors, pursuant to which the GSO Entities committed to lend K. Hovnanian Unsecured Term Loans consisting of $132.5 million of initial term loans (the “Initial Term Loans”) on the settlement date of the Exchange Offer for purposes of refinancing K. Hovnanian’s 7.0% Notes, and up to $80.0 million of delayed draw term loans (the “Delayed Draw Term Loans”) for purposes of refinancing certain of K. Hovnanian’s 8.0% Notes, in each case, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, and (ii) a senior secured first lien credit facility (the “New Secured Credit Facility” and together with the Unsecured Term Loan Facility, the “New Credit Facilities”) to be borrowed by K. Hovnanian and guaranteed by the Notes Guarantors, pursuant to which the GSO Entities have committed to lend to K. Hovnanian up to $125.0 million of senior secured first priority loans (the “New Secured Loans”) to fund the repayment of K. Hovnanian’s Secured Term Loans (K. Hovnanian may voluntarily repay the Secured Term Loans at any time from and after September 8, 2018) and for general corporate purposes, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein. In addition, pursuant to the Commitment Letter, the GSO Entities have committed to purchase, and K. Hovnanian has agreed to issue and sell, on January 15, 2019 (or such later date within five business days as mutually agreed by the parties working in good faith), $25.0 million in aggregate principal amount of additional 10.5% 2024 Notes (the “Additional 10.5% 2024 Notes”) at a purchase price, for each $1,000 principal amount of Additional 10.5% 2024 Notes, that would imply a yield equal to (a) the volume weighted average yield to maturity (calculated based on the yield to maturity during the 30 calendar day period ending on one business day prior to January 15, 2019) for the 10.5% 2024 Notes, minus (b) 0.50%, upon the terms and subject to conditions set forth therein.

 

On January 29, 2018, K. Hovnanian, the Notes Guarantors, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as administrative agent, and the GSO Entities entered into the Unsecured Term Loan Facility. K. Hovnanian borrowed the Initial Term Loans on February 1, 2018 to fund, together with cash on hand, the redemption on February 1, 2018 of all $132.5 million aggregate principal amount of 7.0% Notes, which resulted in a loss on extinguishment of debt of $0.5 million. On May 29, 2018, K. Hovnanian completed the redemption of $65.7 million aggregate principal amount of the 8.0% Notes (representing all of the outstanding 8.0% Notes, excluding the $26 million of 8% Notes held by the Subsidiary Purchaser (as defined below)) with approximately $70.0 million in borrowings on the Delayed Draw Term Loans under the Unsecured Term Loan Facility (with the completion of this redemption, the remaining committed amounts under the Delayed Draw Term Loans may not be borrowed). This transaction resulted in a loss on extinguishment of debt of $4.3 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018. The Unsecured Term Loans bear interest at a rate equal to 5.0% per annum and interest will be payable in arrears, on the last business day of each fiscal quarter. The Unsecured Term Loans will mature on February 1, 2027, which is the ninth anniversary of the first closing date of the Unsecured Term Loan Facility.

  

On January 29, 2018, K. Hovnanian, the Notes Guarantors, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as administrative agent (the “Secured Administrative Agent”), and the GSO Entities entered into the New Secured Credit Facility. Availability under the New Secured Credit Facility will terminate on December 28, 2019 and any outstanding New Secured Loans on such date shall convert to secured term loans maturing on December 28, 2022. When drawn, the New Secured Loans and the guarantees thereof will be secured by substantially all of the assets owned by K. Hovnanian and the Notes Guarantors, subject to permitted liens and certain exceptions, on a first lien basis relative to the liens securing K. Hovnanian’s 10.0% 2022 Notes and 10.5% 2024 Notes pursuant to an existing intercreditor agreement to which the collateral agent for the New Secured Credit Facility shall become a party.

 

 The Secured Loans will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the lesser of (a) 10.0% per annum and (b) (i) the volume weighted average yield (calculated based on the yield to maturity during the 30 calendar day period ending on the business day before the closing date of the first borrowings under the New Secured Credit Facility (the “Applicable Period”)) of the 10.5% 2024 Notes, if available, or if such rate is not available for the 10.5% 2024 Notes, such rate in respect of K. Hovnanian’s secured debt securities having the largest traded volume during the Applicable Period (the “VWAY Rate”), minus (ii) 0.50%, and interest will be payable in arrears, on the last business day of each fiscal quarter. If adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the VWAY Rate as set forth in the preceding sentence, it shall instead be the rate calculated using the average of three quotations for the 10.5% 2024 Notes provided by three brokers of recognized standing.

 

The New Secured Credit Facility contains representations and warranties, with the accuracy of certain specified representations and warranties being a condition to the funding of the New Secured Loans on each date of funding, and affirmative and restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, and in each case subject to certain exceptions, the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, including K. Hovnanian, to incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends and make distributions on common and preferred stock, repurchase subordinated indebtedness and common and preferred stock, make other restricted payments, including investments, sell certain assets, incur liens, consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets and enter into certain transactions with affiliates. The New Secured Credit Facility also contains customary events of default which would permit the Secured Administrative Agent thereunder to exercise remedies with respect to the collateral securing the New Secured Loans and declare New Secured Loans to be immediately due and payable if not cured within applicable grace periods, including the failure to make timely payments on the New Secured Loans, including any interest and fees due in connection therewith, or other material indebtedness, the failure to satisfy covenants, the material inaccuracy of representations or warranties made, cross acceleration to other material indebtedness, and specified events of bankruptcy and insolvency.

 

The terms and covenants of the New Secured Credit Facility are effective as of January 29, 2018, the date of execution of the New Secured Credit Facility. However, the obligations of the lenders thereunder to make New Secured Loans under the New Secured Credit Facility on the applicable borrowing dates are subject to the satisfaction of certain terms and conditions precedent set forth therein, including requiring K. Hovnanian to use the net cash proceeds therefrom to repay K. Hovnanian’s Secured Term Loan Facility.

 

 

On February 1, 2018, K. Hovnanian accepted all of the $170.2 million aggregate principal amount of 8.0% Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Exchange Offer (representing 72.14% of the aggregate principal amount of 8.0% Notes outstanding prior to the Exchange Offer), and in connection therewith, K. Hovnanian issued $90.6 million aggregate principal amount of its 13.5% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “New 2026 Notes”) and $90.1 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.0% Senior Notes due 2040 (the “New 2040 Notes” and together with the New 2026 Notes, the “New Notes”) under a new indenture. Also, as part of the Exchange Offer, K. Hovnanian at Sunrise Trail III, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Subsidiary Purchaser”), purchased for $26.5 million in cash an aggregate of $26.0 million in principal amount of the 8.0% Notes (the “Purchased 8.0% Notes”). The New Notes are issued by K. Hovnanian and guaranteed by the Notes Guarantors, except the Subsidiary Purchaser, which does not guarantee the New Notes. The New 2026 Notes bear interest at 13.5% per annum and mature on February 1, 2026. The New 2040 Notes bear interest at 5.0% per annum and mature on February 1, 2040. Interest on the New Notes is payable semi-annually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on August 1, 2018, to holders of record at the close of business on January 15 or July 15, as the case may be, immediately preceding each such interest payment date. The Exchange Offer was treated as a substantial modification of debt. The New Notes were recorded at fair value (based on management's estimate using available trades for similar debt instruments) on the date of the issuance of the New Notes, which equaled $103.0 million for the New 2026 Notes and $44.0 million for the New 2040 Notes, resulting in a premium on the New 2026 Notes and a discount on the New 2040 Notes, and a loss on extinguishment of debt of $0.9 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018.

 

On May 30, 2018, K. Hovnanian, the Notes Guarantors and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, executed the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 30, 2018 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), to the Indenture governing the New Notes.  The Supplemental Indenture eliminated the covenant restricting certain actions with respect to the Purchased 8.0% Notes, which covenant had included requirements that (A) K. Hovnanian and the guarantors of the New Notes would not, (i) prior to June 6, 2018, redeem, cancel or otherwise retire, purchase or acquire any Purchased 8.0% Notes or (ii) make any interest payments on the Purchased 8.0% Notes prior to their stated maturity, and (B) K. Hovnanian and the guarantors of the New Notes would not, and would not permit any of their subsidiaries to (i) sell, transfer, convey, lease or otherwise dispose of any Purchased 8.0% Notes other than to any subsidiary of the Company that is not K. Hovnanian or a guarantor of the New Notes or (ii) amend, supplement or otherwise modify the Purchased 8.0% Notes or the indenture under which they were issued with respect to the Purchased 8.0% Notes, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, the Supplemental Indenture eliminated events of default related to the eliminated covenant.  On May 30, 2018, K. Hovnanian paid the overdue interest on the Purchased 8.0% Notes that was originally due on May 1, 2018 and as a result of such payment, the “Default” under the Indenture governing the 8.0% Notes was cured.

 

On January 16, 2018, K. Hovnanian, Notes Guarantors and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee and Collateral Agent, executed the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2018, to the indenture governing the 10.0% 2022 Notes and 10.5% 2024 Notes, dated as of July 27, 2017 (as supplemented, amended or otherwise modified), among K. Hovnanian, the Notes Guarantors and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee and Collateral Agent, giving effect to the proposed amendments to such indenture solely with respect to the 10.5% 2024 Notes, which were obtained in a consent solicitation of the holders of the 10.5% 2024 Notes, and which eliminated the restrictions on K. Hovnanian’s ability to purchase, repurchase, redeem, acquire or retire for value the 2019 Notes and refinancing or replacement indebtedness in respect thereof.

 

Secured Obligations

 

Our $75.0 million Secured Term Loan Facility (the “Secured Term Loan Facility”) has a maturity of August 1, 2019 and bears interest at a rate equal to LIBOR plus an applicable margin of 7.0% or, at K. Hovnanian’s option, a base rate plus an applicable margin of 6.0%, payable monthly. At any time from and after September 8, 2018, K. Hovnanian may voluntarily repay outstanding Secured Term Loans, provided that voluntary prepayments of Eurodollar loans made on a date other than the last day of an interest period applicable thereto are subject to customary breakage costs and voluntary prepayments made prior to February 1, 2019 are subject to a premium equal to 1.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the Secured Term Loans so prepaid (any prepayment of the Secured Term Loans made on or after February 1, 2019 are without any prepayment premium).

 

The 10.0% 2022 Notes have a maturity of July 15, 2022 and bear interest at a rate of 10.0% per annum payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 of each year, to holders of record at the close of business on January 1 and July 1, as the case may be, immediately preceding such interest payment dates. The 10.0% 2022 Notes are redeemable in whole or in part at our option at any time prior to July 15, 2019 at 100.0% of their principal amount plus an applicable “Make-Whole Amount.” K. Hovnanian may also redeem some or all of the 10.0% 2022 Notes at 105.0% of principal commencing July 15, 2019, at 102.50% of principal commencing July 15, 2020 and at 100.0% of principal commencing July 15, 2021. In addition, K. Hovnanian may also redeem up to 35.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the 10.0% 2022 Notes prior to July 15, 2019 with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings at 110.0% of principal.

 

 

The 10.5% 2024 Notes have a maturity of July 15, 2024 and bear interest at a rate of 10.5% per annum payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 of each year, to holders of record at the close of business on January 1 and July 1, as the case may be, immediately preceding such interest payment dates. The 10.5% 2024 Notes are redeemable in whole or in part at our option at any time prior to July 15, 2020 at 100.0% of their principal amount plus an applicable “Make-Whole Amount.” K. Hovnanian may also redeem some or all of the 10.5% 2024 Notes at 105.25% of principal commencing July 15, 2020, at 102.625% of principal commencing July 15, 2021 and at 100.0% of principal commencing July 15, 2022. In addition, K. Hovnanian may also redeem up to 35.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the 10.5% 2024 Notes prior to July 15, 2020 with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings at 110.50% of principal.

 

All of K. Hovnanian’s obligations under the Secured Term Loan Facility are guaranteed by the Notes Guarantors. The Secured Term Loan Facility and the guarantees thereof are secured in accordance with the terms of the Secured Term Loan Facility and security documents relating thereto by liens on substantially all of the assets owned by K. Hovnanian and the Notes Guarantors, subject to permitted liens and certain exceptions, on a first lien priority basis relative to the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes (and on a first lien super priority basis relative to future first lien indebtedness). At July 31, 2018, the aggregate book value of the real property that constituted collateral securing the Secured Term Loans was $456.7 million, which does not include the impact of inventory investments, home deliveries or impairments thereafter and which may differ from the value if it were appraised. Cash and cash equivalents collateral that secured the Secured Term Loans was $155.4 million as of July 31, 2018, which included $24.4 million of restricted cash collateralizing a bond and certain letters of credit. Subsequent to such date, fluctuations as a result of cash uses include general business operations and real estate and other investments along with cash inflow primarily from deliveries. In addition, collateral securing the Secured Term Loans includes equity interest in K Hovnanian and the subsidiary Notes Guarantors.

 

All of K. Hovnanian’s obligations under the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes are guaranteed by the Notes Guarantors. In addition to pledges of the equity interests in K. Hovnanian and the subsidiary Notes Guarantors which secure the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes, the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes and the guarantees thereof are also secured in accordance with the terms of the indenture governing such Notes and security documents related thereto by pari passu liens on substantially all of the assets owned by K. Hovnanian and the Notes Guarantors, in each case subject to permitted liens and certain exceptions (the collateral securing the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes is the same as that securing the Secured Term Loans). The liens securing the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes rank junior to the liens securing the Secured Term Loans and any other future secured obligations that are senior in priority with respect to the assets securing the 10.0% 2022 Notes and the 10.5% 2024 Notes.

 

Our 9.5% Senior Secured Notes (the “9.5% 2020 Notes”) have a maturity of November 15, 2020, and bear interest at a rate of 9.5% per annum, payable semi-annually on  February 15 and  August 15 of each year, to holders of record at the close of business on  February 1 and August 1, as the case may be, immediately preceding such interest payment dates. The 9.5% 2020 Notes are redeemable in whole or in part at our option at any time prior to November 15, 2018 at 100% of their principal amount plus an applicable “Make-Whole Amount.” At any time and from time to time on or after November 15, 2018, K. Hovnanian may also redeem some or all of the 9.5% 2020 Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount. In addition, we may also redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 9.5% 2020 Notes prior to November 15, 2018 with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings at 109.5% of principal.

 

The 5.0% 2021 Notes and the 2.0% 2021 Notes were issued as separate series under an indenture, but have substantially the same terms other than with respect to interest rate and related redemption provisions, and vote together as a single class. The 5.0% 2021 Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.0% per annum and mature on November 1, 2021 and the 2.0% 2021 Notes bear interest at a rate of 2.0% per annum and mature on November 1, 2021. Interest on the 2021 Notes is payable semi-annually on May 1 and November 1 of each year, to holders of record at the close of business on April 15 and October 15, as the case may be, immediately preceding such interest payment dates. The 2021 Notes are redeemable in whole or in part at our option at any time, at 100.0% of the principal amount plus the greater of 1% of the principal amount and an applicable “Make-Whole Amount.”

 

The 9.5% 2020 Notes and the 2021 Notes are guaranteed by the Notes Guarantors and the members of the JV Holdings Secured Group. The guarantees of the JV Holdings Secured Group with respect to the 2021 Notes and the 9.50% 2020 Notes are secured, subject to permitted liens and certain exceptions, by a first-priority lien on substantially all of the assets of the members of the JV Holdings Secured Group. As of July 31, 2018, the collateral securing the guarantees included (1) $86.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, which included $0.8 million of restricted cash collateralizing certain letters of credit (subsequent to such date, fluctuations as a result of cash uses include general business operations and real estate and other investments along with cash inflow primarily from deliveries); (2) $164.2 million aggregate book value of real property of the JV Holdings Secured Group, which does not include the impact of inventory investments, home deliveries or impairments thereafter and which may differ from the value if it were appraised; and (3) equity interests owned by guarantors that are members of the JV Holdings Secured Group. Members of the JV Holdings Secured Group also own equity in joint ventures, either directly or indirectly through ownership of joint venture holding companies, with a book value of $96.0 million as of July 31, 2018; this equity is not pledged to secure, and is not collateral for, the 2021 Notes. Members of the JV Holdings Secured Group are “unrestricted subsidiaries” under K. Hovnanian's other senior secured notes and senior notes, the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility, the Unsecured Term Loan Facility and the Secured Term Loan Facility, and thus have not guaranteed such indebtedness. 

 

 

Senior Notes

 

On February 1, 2018, K. Hovnanian borrowed the Initial Term Loans in the amount of $132.5 million under the Unsecured Term Loan Facility, and proceeds of such Initial Term Loans, together with cash on hand, were used to redeem all of its outstanding $132.5 million aggregate principal amount of 7.0% Notes (upon redemption, all 7.0% Notes were cancelled).  

 

As discussed above, the 8.0% Notes were the subject of the Exchange Offer that closed on February 1, 2018 and, on May 29, 2018, K. Hovnanian completed the redemption of $65.7 million aggregate principal amount of the 8.0% Notes, which was funded with borrowings of the Delayed Draw Term Loans under the Unsecured Term Loan Facility (upon redemption, such redeemed 8.0% Notes were cancelled).

 

Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility

 

In June 2013, K. Hovnanian, as borrower, and we and certain of our subsidiaries, as guarantors, entered into a five-year, $75.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility”) with Citicorp USA, Inc., as administrative agent and issuing bank, and Citibank, N.A., as a lender. The Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility, which facility size was reduced to $26.0 million in June 2018, is available for both letters of credit and general corporate purposes. Outstanding borrowings under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility accrue interest at an annual rate equal to either, as selected by K. Hovnanian, (i) the alternate base rate plus the applicable spread determined on the date of such borrowing or (ii) an adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) rate plus the applicable spread determined as of the date two business days prior to the first day of the interest period for such borrowing. As of July 31, 2018, there were $26.0 million of borrowings and $3.8 million of letters of credit outstanding, which were collateralized by $3.9 million of cash, under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. As of October 31, 2017, there were $52.0 million of borrowings and $14.6 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. As of July 31, 2018, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. This facility has a final maturity date in September 2018.

 

In addition to the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility, we have certain stand–alone cash collateralized letter of credit agreements and facilities under which there was a total of $10.0 million and $1.7 million letters of credit outstanding at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively. These agreements and facilities require us to maintain specified amounts of cash as collateral in segregated accounts to support the letters of credit issued thereunder, which will affect the amount of cash we have available for other uses. At July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, the amount of cash collateral in these segregated accounts was $10.3 million and $1.7 million, respectively, which is reflected in “Restricted cash and cash equivalents” on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

 

12.	Per Share Calculation

 

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) (the “numerator”) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, adjusted for nonvested shares of restricted stock (the “denominator”) for the period. Computing diluted earnings per share is similar to computing basic earnings per share, except that the denominator is increased to include the dilutive effects of options and nonvested shares of restricted stock, and, for the first nine months of fiscal 2017, common shares issuable upon exchange of our Senior Exchangeable Notes issued as part of our 6.0% Exchangeable Note Units. Any options that have an exercise price greater than the average market price are considered to be anti-dilutive and are excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation.   

  

All outstanding nonvested shares that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents that participate in undistributed earnings with common stock are considered participating securities and are included in computing earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating securities according to dividends or dividend equivalents and participation rights in undistributed earnings in periods when we have net income. The Company’s restricted common stock (“nonvested shares”) are considered participating securities.

 

Incremental shares attributed to nonvested stock and outstanding options to purchase common stock of 2.8 million and 3.0 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, and 4.3 million and 3.4 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively, were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because we had a net loss for the periods. Also, 1.1 million shares for the nine months ended July 31, 2018, and 10.0 million and 10.1 million shares for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively, of common stock issuable upon the exchange of our senior exchangeable notes (which were issued in fiscal 2012) were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the Company had a net loss for the periods.

 

 

In addition, shares related to out-of-the money stock options that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share were 6.4 million and 5.3 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, and 4.5 million and 4.6 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively, because to do so would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented.

  

 

13.	Preferred Stock

 

On July 12, 2005, we issued 5,600 shares of 7.625% Series A Preferred Stock, with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock are not cumulative and are payable at an annual rate of 7.625%. The Series A Preferred Stock is not convertible into the Company’s common stock and is redeemable in whole or in part at our option at the liquidation preference of the shares. The Series A Preferred Stock is traded as depositary shares, with each depositary share representing 1/1000th of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. The depositary shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HOVNP.” During the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, we did not pay any dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock due to covenant restrictions in our debt instruments. We anticipate that we will continue to be restricted from paying dividends, which are not cumulative, for the foreseeable future.

  

 

14.	Common Stock

 

Each share of Class A Common Stock entitles its holder to one vote per share, and each share of Class B Common Stock generally entitles its holder to ten votes per share. The amount of any regular cash dividend payable on a share of Class A Common Stock will be an amount equal to 110% of the corresponding regular cash dividend payable on a share of Class B Common Stock. If a shareholder desires to sell shares of Class B Common Stock, such stock must be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock at a one to one conversion rate.

  

On August 4, 2008, our Board of Directors adopted a shareholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”), which was amended on January 11, 2018, designed to preserve shareholder value and the value of certain tax assets primarily associated with net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards and built-in losses under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our ability to use NOLs and built-in losses would be limited if there was an “ownership change” under Section 382. This would occur if shareholders owning (or deemed under Section 382 to own) 5% or more of our stock increase their collective ownership of the aggregate amount of our outstanding shares by more than 50 percentage points over a defined period of time. The Rights Plan was adopted to reduce the likelihood of an “ownership change” occurring as defined by Section 382. Under the Rights Plan, one right was distributed for each share of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock outstanding as of the close of business on August 15, 2008. Effective August 15, 2008, if any person or group acquires 4.9% or more of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock without the approval of the Board of Directors, there would be a triggering event causing significant dilution in the voting power of such person or group. However, existing stockholders who owned, at the time of the Rights Plan’s initial adoption on August 4, 2008, 4.9% or more of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock will trigger a dilutive event only if they acquire additional shares. The approval of the Board of Directors’ decision to adopt the Rights Plan may be terminated by the Board of Directors at any time, prior to the Rights being triggered. The Rights Plan will continue in effect until August 14, 2021, unless it expires earlier in accordance with its terms. The approval of the Board of Directors’ decision to initially adopt the Rights Plan was approved by shareholders at a special meeting of stockholders held on December 5, 2008 and the amendment to the Rights Plan adopted by the Board on January 11, 2018 was approved by shareholders at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders held on March 13, 2018. Also at the special meeting on December 5, 2008, our stockholders approved an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to restrict certain transfers of Class A Common Stock in order to preserve the tax treatment of our NOLs and built-in losses under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Subject to certain exceptions pertaining to pre-existing 5% stockholders and Class B stockholders, the transfer restrictions in the amended Certificate of Incorporation generally restrict any direct or indirect transfer (such as transfers of our stock that result from the transfer of interests in other entities that own our stock) if the effect would be to (i) increase the direct or indirect ownership of our stock by any person (or public group) from less than 5% to 5% or more of our common stock; (ii) increase the percentage of our common stock owned directly or indirectly by a person (or public group) owning or deemed to own 5% or more of our common stock; or (iii) create a new public group. Transfers included under the transfer restrictions include sales to persons (or public groups) whose resulting percentage ownership (direct or indirect) of common stock would exceed the 5% thresholds discussed above, or to persons whose direct or indirect ownership of common stock would by attribution cause another person (or public group) to exceed such threshold.

 

On July 3, 2001, our Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program to purchase up to 4 million shares of Class A Common Stock. There were no shares purchased during the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018. As of July 31, 2018, the maximum number of shares of Class A Common Stock that may yet be purchased under this program is 0.5 million.

  

 

15.	Income Taxes

  

The total income tax expense of $1.1 million and $1.7 million recognized for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, was primarily related to state tax expense from income generated that was not offset by tax benefits in states where we fully reserve the tax benefit from net operating losses.

 

 

 The total income tax expense of $287.0 million and $286.5 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively, was primarily due to increasing our valuation allowance to fully reserve against our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”). In addition, income tax for the same periods were impacted by state tax expense from income generated in certain states, which was not offset by tax benefits in other states that had losses (for which we fully reserve the tax benefit from net operating losses).

 

Our federal net operating losses of $1.6 billion expire between 2028 and 2037. Our state NOLs of $2.6 billion expire between 2018 and 2037. Of the total state amount, $247.1 million will expire between 2018 through 2022; $463.1 million will expire between 2023 through 2027; $1.5 billion will expire between 2028 through 2032; and $348.6 million will expire between 2033 through 2037.

 

On December 22, 2017, the President of the United States signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Act”). Effective January 1, 2018, the comprehensive U.S. tax reform package, among other things, lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Under the accounting rules, companies are required to recognize the effects of changes in tax laws and tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities in the period in which the new legislation is enacted. The effects of the Act on the Company include one major category which is the remeasurement of deferred taxes. Our accounting for the U.S. federal corporate tax rate is complete. Consequently, we have recorded a decrease related to deferred tax assets and liabilities of $298.5 million and $12.2 million, respectively, with a corresponding net adjustment to the valuation allowance in fiscal 2018, therefore there was no income tax expense or benefit as a result of the tax law changes. We will continue to evaluate the impact of the tax reform as additional regulatory guidance is obtained. The ultimate impact of tax reform may differ from our interpretations and assumptions due to additional regulatory guidance that may be issued.

 

Deferred federal and state income tax assets (“DTAs”) primarily represent the deferred tax benefits arising from NOL carryforwards and temporary differences between book and tax income which will be recognized in future years as an offset against future taxable income. If the combination of future years’ income (or loss) and the reversal of the timing differences results in a loss, such losses can be carried forward to future years. In accordance with ASC 740, we evaluate our DTAs quarterly to determine if valuation allowances are required. ASC 740 requires that companies assess whether valuation allowances should be established based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more likely than not” standard.  

 

As of July 31, 2018, we considered all available positive and negative evidence to determine whether, based on the weight of that evidence, our valuation allowance for our DTAs was appropriate in accordance with ASC 740. Listed below, in order of the weighting of each factor, is the available positive and negative evidence that we considered in determining that it is more likely than not that all of our DTAs will not be realized. In analyzing these factors, overall the negative evidence, both objective and subjective, outweighed the positive evidence. Based on this analysis, we determined that the current valuation allowance for deferred taxes of $659.9 million as of July 31, 2018, which fully reserves for our DTAs, is appropriate.

 

1.

Fiscal 2017 financial results, especially the $50.2 million pre-tax loss in the third quarter of 2017 primarily from the $42.3 million loss on extinguishment of debt during the quarter, that put us in a cumulative three-year loss position as of July 31, 2017. We are still in a cumulative three-year loss position as of July 31, 2018. Per ASC 740, cumulative losses are one of the most objectively verifiable forms of negative evidence. (Negative Objective Evidence)

2.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2017 and second and third quarters of fiscal 2018, we completed debt refinancing/restructuring transactions which, by extending our debt maturities, will enable us to allocate cash to invest in new communities and grow our community count to get back to sustained profitability. (Positive Objective Evidence)

3.

The refinancing in the third quarter of fiscal 2017 discussed in item 2 above will increase our interest incurred in fiscal 2018 and future years (based on our longer term modeling) by $23.4 million per year. (Negative Objective Evidence)

4.

Recent financial results of $40.0 million pre-tax loss for the first nine months of 2018. (Negative Objective Evidence)

5.

We incurred pre-tax losses during the housing market decline and the slower than expected housing market recovery. (Negative Objective Evidence)

6.

We exited two geographic markets in fiscal 2016, one in fiscal 2017, and completed the wind down of operations in one other market in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, that have historically had losses. By exiting these underperforming markets, the Company will be able to redeploy capital to better performing markets, which over time should improve our profitability. (Positive Subjective Evidence)

7.

Evidence of a sustained recovery in the housing markets in which we operate, supported by economic data showing housing starts, homebuilding volume and prices all increasing and forecasted to continue to increase. (Positive Subjective Evidence)

8.

The historical cyclicality of the U.S. housing market, a more restrictive mortgage lending environment compared to before the housing downturn, the uncertainty of the overall US economy and government policies and consumer confidence, all or any of which could continue to hamper a faster, stronger recovery of the housing market. (Negative Subjective Evidence)

 

 

 

16.	Operating and Reporting Segments

 

HEI’s operating segments are components of the Company’s business for which discrete financial information is available and reviewed regularly by the chief operating decision maker, our Chief Executive Officer, to evaluate performance and make operating decisions. Based on this criteria, each of the Company's communities qualifies as an operating segment, and therefore, it is impractical to provide segment disclosures for this many segments. As such, HEI has aggregated the homebuilding operating segments into six reportable segments.

 

HEI’s homebuilding operating segments are aggregated into reportable segments based primarily upon geographic proximity, similar regulatory environments, land acquisition characteristics and similar methods used to construct and sell homes. HEI’s reportable segments consist of the following six homebuilding segments and a financial services segment noted below.

 

Homebuilding:

	(1)	Northeast (New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
	(2)	Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia)
	(3)	Midwest (Illinois and Ohio)
	(4)	Southeast (Florida, Georgia and South Carolina)
	(5)	Southwest (Arizona and Texas)
	(6)	West (California)

  

Financial Services

 

Operations of the Homebuilding segments primarily include the sale and construction of single-family attached and detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill and active lifestyle homes in planned residential developments. In addition, from time to time, operations of the homebuilding segments include sales of land. Operations of the Financial Services segment include mortgage banking and title services provided to the homebuilding operations’ customers. Our financial services subsidiaries do not typically retain or service mortgages that we originate but rather sell the mortgages and related servicing rights to investors. 

 

Corporate and unallocated primarily represents operations at our headquarters in New Jersey. This includes our executive offices, information services, human resources, corporate accounting, training, treasury, process redesign, internal audit, construction services, and administration of insurance, quality and safety. It also includes interest income and interest expense resulting from interest incurred that cannot be capitalized in inventory in the Homebuilding segments, as well as the gains or losses on extinguishment of debt from any debt repurchases or exchanges.  

 

Evaluation of segment performance is based primarily on operating earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes (“Income (loss) before income taxes”). Income (loss) before income taxes for the Homebuilding segments consist of revenues generated from the sales of homes and land, income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, management fees and other income, less the cost of homes and land sold, selling, general and administrative expenses and interest expense. Income (loss) before income taxes for the Financial Services segment consist of revenues generated from mortgage financing, title insurance and closing services, less the cost of such services and selling, general and administrative expenses incurred by the Financial Services segment. 

 

Operational results of each segment are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have occurred had the segment been an independent stand-alone entity during the periods presented.  

 

 

Financial information relating to HEI’s segment operations was as follows:

  

 

(1)  Corporate and unallocated for the three months ended July 31, 2018 included corporate general and administrative costs of $16.4 million, interest expense of $20.2 million (a component of Other interest on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations), loss on extinguishment of debt of $4.3 million and $(2.3) million of other income and expenses primarily related to an adjustment to our insurance reserves, resulting from the recent Grandview legal settlement discussed in Note 7. Corporate and unallocated for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 included corporate general and administrative costs of $51.7 million, interest expense of $59.7 million (a component of Other interest on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations), loss on extinguishment of debt of $5.7 million and $(6.4) million of other income and expenses primarily related to interest income and gain on the sale of our former corporate headquarters building, along with the adjustment to our insurance reserves, discussed above. Corporate and unallocated for the three months ended July 31, 2017 included corporate general and administrative costs of $15.7 million, interest expense of $17.2 million (a component of Other interest on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations), loss on extinguishment of debt of $42.3 million and $0.9 million of other income and expenses primarily related to interest income, rental income and stock compensation. Corporate and unallocated for the nine months ended July 31, 2017 included corporate general and administrative costs of $47.4 million, interest expense of $46.5 million (a component of Other interest on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations), loss on extinguishment of debt of $34.9 million and $0.1 million of other income and expenses primarily related to interest income, rental income, bond amortization and stock compensation.  

 

 

 

 

17.	Investments in Unconsolidated Homebuilding and Land Development Joint Ventures

 

We enter into homebuilding and land development joint ventures from time to time as a means of accessing lot positions, expanding our market opportunities, establishing strategic alliances, managing our risk profile, leveraging our capital base and enhancing returns on capital. Our homebuilding joint ventures are generally entered into with third-party investors to develop land and construct homes that are sold directly to third-party home buyers. Our land development joint ventures include those entered into with developers and other homebuilders as well as financial investors to develop finished lots for sale to the joint venture’s members or other third parties.

 

In the first quarter of fiscal 2018, we acquired the remaining assets of one of our joint ventures, resulting in a $13.6 million reduction in our investment in the joint venture and a corresponding increase to inventory.

  

During the first quarter of fiscal 2017, we transferred one community we owned and our option to buy three communities to an existing joint venture, resulting in the receipt of $11.2 million of net cash.

 

The tables set forth below summarize the combined financial information related to our unconsolidated homebuilding and land development joint ventures that are accounted for under the equity method.

 

 

  

 

As of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, we had advances and a note receivable outstanding of $4.7 million and $22.4 million, respectively, to these unconsolidated joint ventures. These amounts were included in the “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” balances in the tables above. On our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, our “Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures” amounted to $104.8 million and $115.1 million at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively. In some cases our net investment in these joint ventures is less than our proportionate share of the equity reflected in the table above because of the differences between asset impairments recorded against our joint venture investments and any impairments recorded in the applicable joint venture. Impairments of joint venture investments are recorded at fair value while impairments recorded in the joint venture are recorded when undiscounted cash flows trigger the impairment. During the nine months ended July 31, 2018, we did not write-down any of our joint venture investments; however, one of our joint ventures in the Northeast recorded an asset impairment. We recorded our proportionate share of this impairment charge of $0.7 million as part of our share of the net loss of the venture.

      

 

 

 

 

“Income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures” is reflected as a separate line in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and reflects our proportionate share of the income or loss of these unconsolidated homebuilding and land development joint ventures. The difference between our share of the income or loss from these unconsolidated joint ventures in the tables above compared to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations is due primarily to the reclassification of the intercompany portion of management fee income from certain joint ventures and the deferral of income for lots purchased by us from certain joint ventures. To compensate us for the administrative services we provide as the manager of certain joint ventures we receive a management fee based on a percentage of the applicable joint venture’s revenues. These management fees, which totaled $7.2 million and $2.5 million for the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $12.1 million and $7.6 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, are recorded in “Homebuilding: Selling, general and administrative” on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

  

 

In determining whether or not we must consolidate joint ventures that we manage, we assess whether the other partners have specific rights to overcome the presumption of control by us as the manager of the joint venture. In most cases, the presumption is overcome because the joint venture agreements require that both partners agree on establishing the operations and capital decisions of the partnership, including budgets in the ordinary course of business.

 

Typically, our unconsolidated joint ventures obtain separate project specific mortgage financing. For some of our joint ventures, obtaining financing was challenging, therefore, some of our joint ventures are capitalized only with equity. The total debt to capitalization ratio of all our joint ventures is currently 55%. Any joint venture financing is on a nonrecourse basis, with guarantees from us limited only to performance and completion of development, environmental warranties and indemnification, standard indemnification for fraud, misrepresentation and other similar actions, including a voluntary bankruptcy filing. In some instances, the joint venture entity is considered a VIE under ASC 810-10 “Consolidation – Overall” due to the returns being capped to the equity holders; however, in these instances, we have determined that we are not the primary beneficiary, and therefore we do not consolidate these entities.

 

 

18.	Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (Topic 606), (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue that represents the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount equivalent to the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The following steps should be applied to determine this amount: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance in the Accounting Standards Codification. The FASB has also issued a number of updates to this standard. The standard is effective for us for annual and interim periods beginning November 1, 2018, and at that time, we expect to apply the modified retrospective method of adoption. We have been involved in industry-specific discussions with the FASB and within our industry on the treatment of certain items. Due to the nature of our operations, we expect to identify similar performance obligations in our contracts under ASU 2014-09 compared with the deliverables and separate units of account we have identified under existing accounting standards. As a result, we expect the timing of our recognition of revenues to remain generally the same. We do not expect significant changes to our business processes, systems, or internal controls as a result of adopting the standard. We also do not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to have a material impact on our financial statements. Nonetheless, we are still evaluating the impact of specific parts of this ASU, and expect our revenue-related disclosures to change upon its adoption.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”), which provides guidance for accounting for leases. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to classify leases as either finance or operating leases and to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term greater than 12 months regardless of the lease classification. The lease classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest rate method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease. Accounting for lessors remains largely unchanged from current GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company beginning November 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10 “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” (“ASU 2018-10”) and ASU No. 2018-11 “Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements” (“ASU 2018-11”). ASU 2018-10 provides certain amendments that affect narrow aspects of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-02. ASU 2018-11 allows all entities adopting ASU 2016-02 to choose an additional (and optional) transition method of adoption, under which an entity initially applies the new leases standard at the adoption date and recognizes a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. ASU 2018-11 also allows lessors to not separate nonlease components from the associated lease component if certain conditions are met. We are currently evaluating both the method and the impact of adopting this guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on how certain cash receipts and cash payments are to be presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash” (“ASU 2016-18”). ASU 2016-18 amends the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory” (“ASU 2016-16”). ASU 2016-16 provides guidance for the accounting of income taxes related to intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. ASU 2016-16 is effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning November 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, “Codification Improvements” (“ASU 2018-09”). ASU 2018-09 provides amendments to a wide variety of topics in the FASB’s Accounting Standards Codification, which applies to all reporting entities within the scope of the affected accounting guidance. The transition and effective date guidance are based on the facts and circumstances of each amendment. Some of the amendments in ASU 2018-09 do not require transition guidance and were effective upon issuance of ASU 2018-09. However, many of the amendments do have transition guidance with effective dates for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting the applicable guidance on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

  

 

 

19.	Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” provides a framework for measuring fair value, expands disclosures about fair-value measurements and establishes a fair-value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value summarized as follows:

 

Level 1:

Fair value determined based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

 

Level 2:

Fair value determined using significant other observable inputs.

 

Level 3:

Fair value determined using significant unobservable inputs.

   

Our financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:

 

 

 

(1)  The aggregate unpaid principal balance was $80.3 million and $128.4 million at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively.

 

We elected the fair value option for our loans held for sale for mortgage loans originated subsequent to October 31, 2008, in accordance with ASC 825, “Financial Instruments,” which permits us to measure financial instruments at fair value on a contract-by-contract basis. Management believes that the election of the fair value option for loans held for sale improves financial reporting by mitigating volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring the fair value of the loans and the derivative instruments used to economically hedge them without having to apply complex hedge accounting provisions. Fair value of loans held for sale is based on independent quoted market prices, where available, or the prices for other mortgage loans with similar characteristics.

 

The Financial Services segment had a pipeline of loan applications in process of $604.9 million at July 31, 2018. Loans in process for which interest rates were committed to the borrowers totaled $73.8 million as of July 31, 2018. Substantially all of these commitments were for periods of 60 days or less. Since a portion of these commitments is expected to expire without being exercised by the borrowers, the total commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

  

The Financial Services segment uses investor commitments and forward sales of mandatory MBS to hedge its mortgage-related interest rate exposure. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk. Credit risk is managed by entering into MBS forward commitments, option contracts with investment banks, federally regulated bank affiliates and loan sales transactions with permanent investors meeting the segment’s credit standards. The segment’s risk, in the event of default by the purchaser, is the difference between the contract price and fair value of the MBS forward commitments and option contracts. At July 31, 2018, the segment had open commitments amounting to $23.0 million to sell MBS with varying settlement dates through August 21, 2018.

 

The assets accounted for using the fair value option are initially measured at fair value. Gains and losses from initial measurement and subsequent changes in fair value are recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in “Revenues: Financial services.” The fair values that are included in income are shown, by financial instrument and financial statement line item, below: 

  

  

 

 

 

 

The Company’s assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis are those assets for which the Company has recorded valuation adjustments and write-offs during the three and nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017. The assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis are all within the Company’s Homebuilding operations and are summarized below:

 

Nonfinancial Assets

 

 

  

 

 

  

We record impairment losses on inventories related to communities under development and held for future development when events and circumstances indicate that they may be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than their related carrying amounts. If the expected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, then the community is written down to its fair value. We estimate the fair value of each impaired community by determining the present value of its estimated future cash flows at a discount rate commensurate with the risk of the respective community. Should the estimates or expectations used in determining cash flows or fair value decrease or differ from current estimates in the future, we may be required to recognize additional impairments. We recorded inventory impairments, which are included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as “Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs” and deducted from inventory of $2.1 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2018, and $3.2 million and $7.4 million for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, respectively. We did not record any inventory impairments for the three months ended July 31, 2018. See Note 4 for further detail of the communities evaluated for impairment.

 

The fair value of our cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents and customers' deposits approximates their carrying amount, based on Level 1 inputs.

 

The fair value of our borrowings under the revolving credit and term loan facilities approximates their carrying amount based on Level 2 inputs. The fair value of each series of the senior unsecured notes (other than the senior exchangeable notes and the senior amortizing notes outstanding at  October 31, 2017) was estimated based on recent trades or quoted market prices for the same issues or based on recent trades or quoted market prices for our debt of similar security and maturity to achieve comparable yields, which are Level 2 measurements. The fair value of the senior unsecured notes (all series in the aggregate), other than the senior exchangeable notes and senior amortizing notes outstanding at October 31, 2017, was estimated at $128.9 and $383.7 million as of July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, respectively.

  

The fair value of the senior secured notes (all series in the aggregate) at July 31, 2018 and October 31, 2017, and the senior amortizing notes and the senior exchangeable notes outstanding at October 31, 2017 are estimated based on third-party broker quotes or management’s estimate of the fair value based on available trades for similar debt instruments, which are Level 3 measurements. The fair value of the senior secured notes (all series in the aggregate) was estimated at $1.1 billion as of July 31, 2018. As of October 31, 2017, the fair value of the senior secured notes (all series in the aggregate), the senior amortizing notes and the senior exchangeable notes were estimated at $1.2 billion, $2.1 million and $54.2 million, respectively.

  

 

20.	Transactions with Related Parties

 

During both the three months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, an engineering firm owned by Tavit Najarian, a relative of Ara K. Hovnanian, our Chairman of the Board of Directors and our Chief Executive Officer, provided services to the Company totaling $0.2 million. During the nine months ended July 31, 2018 and 2017, the services provided by such engineering firm to the Company totaled $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively. Neither the Company nor Mr. Hovnanian has a financial interest in the relative’s company from whom the services were provided.

 

 

 

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