M/I HOMES, INC. - Quarter Report: 2008 March (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
For
the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2008
|
||
or
|
||
o
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
Commission
File Number 1-12434
|
||
M/I
HOMES, INC.
|
||
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its
charter)
|
Ohio
|
31-1210837
|
|||
(State
or other jurisdiction
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
|
|||
of
incorporation or organization)
|
Identification No.)
|
3
Easton Oval, Suite 500, Columbus, Ohio 43219
|
(Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip
Code)
|
(614)
418-8000
|
(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)
|
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 is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated
filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer
|
Accelerated
filer
|
X
|
||
Non-accelerated
filer
|
Smaller
reporting company
|
|||
(Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
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.
Common
shares, par value $.01 per share: 14,018,489 shares outstanding as of April 30,
2008
M/I
HOMES, INC.
|
|||
FORM
10-Q
|
|||
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
|||
PART
1.
|
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1.
|
M/I
Homes, Inc. and Subsidiaries Unaudited Condensed
Consolidated
|
||
Financial
Statements
|
|||
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets March 31, 2008 (Unaudited) and
|
|||
December
31, 2007
|
3
|
||
Unaudited
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the
|
|||
Three
Months Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
|
4
|
||
Unaudited
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity
|
|||
for
the Three Months Ended March 31, 2008
|
5
|
||
Unaudited
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the
|
|||
Three
Months Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
|
6
|
||
Notes
to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
|
7
|
||
Item
2.
|
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
|
||
Results
of Operations
|
20
|
||
Item
3.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
|
40
|
|
Item
4.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
42
|
|
PART
II.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
42
|
|
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
42
|
|
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
44
|
|
Item
3.
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
44
|
|
Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
44
|
|
Item
5.
|
Other
Information
|
44
|
|
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
45
|
|
Signatures
|
46
|
||
Exhibit
Index
|
47
|
2
M/I
HOMES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
|
March 31,
|
December 31,
|
||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except par values)
|
(Unaudited)
|
|||||
ASSETS:
|
||||||
Cash
|
$
|
1,615 |
$
|
1,506 | ||
Cash
held in escrow
|
11,607 | 21,239 | ||||
Mortgage
loans held for sale
|
29,923 | 54,127 | ||||
Inventories
|
747,850 | 797,329 | ||||
Property
and equipment - net
|
30,806 | 35,699 | ||||
Investment
in unconsolidated limited liability companies
|
34,087 | 40,343 | ||||
Income
tax receivable
|
20,241 | 53,667 | ||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
57,456 | 67,867 | ||||
Other
assets
|
25,076 | 31,270 | ||||
Assets
of discontinued operation
|
3,232 | 14,598 | ||||
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
$
|
961,893 |
$
|
1,117,645 | ||
LIABILITIES
AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
||||||
LIABILITIES:
|
||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
53,175 |
$
|
66,242 | ||
Accrued
compensation
|
2,905 | 9,509 | ||||
Customer
deposits
|
6,660 | 6,932 | ||||
Other
liabilities
|
54,405 | 58,473 | ||||
Community
development district obligations
|
12,276 | 12,410 | ||||
Obligation
for consolidated inventory not owned
|
7,413 | 7,433 | ||||
Liabilities
of discontinued operation
|
6,661 | 14,286 | ||||
Notes
payable banks - homebuilding operations
|
42,000 | 115,000 | ||||
Note
payable bank - financial services operations
|
11,200 | 40,400 | ||||
Mortgage
notes payable
|
6,640 | 6,703 | ||||
Senior
notes – net of discount of $1,024 and $1,088, respectively, at March 31,
2008
|
||||||
and
December 31, 2007
|
198,976 | 198,912 | ||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES
|
402,311 | 536,300 | ||||
Commitments
and contingencies
|
- | - | ||||
SHAREHOLDERS’
EQUITY:
|
||||||
Preferred
shares - $.01 par value; authorized 2,000,000 shares; issued 4,000
shares
|
96,325 | 96,325 | ||||
Common
shares - $.01 par value; authorized 38,000,000 shares; issued 17,626,123
shares
|
176 | 176 | ||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
79,967 | 79,428 | ||||
Retained
earnings
|
454,778 | 477,339 | ||||
Treasury
shares – at cost – 3,608,279 and 3,621,333 shares, respectively, at March
31, 2008
|
||||||
and
December 31, 2007
|
(71,664 | ) | (71,923 | ) | ||
TOTAL
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
559,582 | 581,345 | ||||
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
$
|
961,893 |
$
|
1,117,645 |
See Notes
to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
3
M/I
HOMES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||
March
31,
|
||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
(In
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
||||
Revenue
|
$
|
156,085 |
$
|
216,569 | ||
Costs,
expenses and other income:
|
||||||
Land
and housing
|
131,568 | 170,181 | ||||
Impairment
of inventory and investment in unconsolidated LLCs
|
21,107 | 1,145 | ||||
General
and administrative
|
17,558 | 20,741 | ||||
Selling
|
13,726 | 17,131 | ||||
Interest
|
4,439 | 4,028 | ||||
Other
Income
|
(5,555 | ) | - | |||
Total
costs, expenses and other income
|
182,843 | 213,226 | ||||
(Loss)
income before income taxes
|
(26,758 | ) | 3,343 | |||
(Benefit)
provision for income taxes
|
(6,608 | ) | 1,272 | |||
(Loss)
income from continuing operations
|
(20,150 | ) | 2,071 | |||
Discontinued
operation, net of tax
|
380 | 158 | ||||
Net
(loss) income
|
(19,770 | ) | 2,229 | |||
Preferred
dividends
|
2,437 | - | ||||
Net
(loss) income to common shareholders
|
$
|
(22,207 | ) |
$
|
2,229 | |
Earnings
per common share:
|
||||||
Basic:
|
||||||
(Loss)
earnings from continuing operations
|
$
|
(1.61 |
)
|
$
|
0.15 | |
Earnings
from discontinued operation
|
$
|
0.03 |
$
|
0.01 | ||
Basic
(loss) earnings
|
$
|
(1.58 | ) |
$
|
0.16 | |
Diluted:
|
||||||
(Loss)
earnings from continuing operations
|
$
|
(1.61 | ) |
$
|
0.15 | |
Earnings
from discontinued operation
|
$
|
0.03 |
$
|
0.01 | ||
Diluted
(loss) earnings
|
$
|
(1.58 | ) |
$
|
0.16 | |
Weighted
average shares outstanding:
|
||||||
Basic
|
14,007 | 13,943 | ||||
Diluted
|
14,007 | 14,120 | ||||
Dividends
per common share
|
$
|
0.10 |
$
|
0.10 |
See Notes
to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
4
M/I
HOMES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Three
Months Ended March 31, 2008
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Preferred
Shares
|
Common
Shares
|
Additional
|
Total
|
||||||||||||||||||
Shares
|
Shares
|
Paid-in
|
Retained
|
Treasury
|
Shareholders’
|
||||||||||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except per share amounts)
|
Outstanding
|
Amount
|
Outstanding
|
Amount
|
Capital
|
Earnings
|
Shares
|
Equity
|
|||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2007
|
4,000
|
$
|
96,325 | 14,004,790 |
$
|
176
|
$
|
79,428 |
$
|
477,339 |
$
|
(71,923 | ) |
$
|
581,345 | ||||||
Net
loss
|
(19,770 | ) | (19,770 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Dividends
on preferred shares, $609.375 per
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
share
|
(2,437 | ) | (2,437 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Dividends
on commons shares, $0.10 per
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
common
shares
|
(354 | ) | (354 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Income
tax benefit from stock options and
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
deferred
compensation distributions
|
(92 | ) | (92 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Stock
options exercised
|
900 | (10 | ) | 18 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
825 | 825 | |||||||||||||||||||
Deferral
of executive and director
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
compensation
|
57 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||
Executive
and director deferred compensation
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
distributions
|
12,154 | (241 | ) | 241 | - | ||||||||||||||||
Balance
at March 31, 2008
|
4,000
|
$
|
96,325 | 14,017,844 |
$
|
176
|
$
|
79,967 |
$
|
454,778 |
$
|
(71,664 | ) |
$
|
559,582 | ||||||
See Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
5
M/I
HOMES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||
March
31,
|
||||||
2008
|
2007
|
|||||
(In
thousands)
|
(Unaudited)
|
(Unaudited)
|
||||
OPERATING
ACTIVITIES:
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
(19,770 | ) |
$
|
2,229 | |
Adjustments
to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||
Inventory
valuation adjustments and abandoned land transaction
write-offs
|
18,563 | 2,200 | ||||
Impairment
of investment in unconsolidated limited liability
companies
|
3,748 | - | ||||
Mortgage
loan originations
|
(84,122 | ) | (118,385 | ) | ||
Proceeds
from the sale of mortgage loans
|
113,046 | 146,804 | ||||
Fair
value adjustment of mortgage loans held for sale
|
(1,355 | ) | (286 | ) | ||
Net
(gain) loss from property disposals
|
(5,532 | ) | 82 | |||
Depreciation
|
1,323 | 1,225 | ||||
Amortization
of intangibles, debt discount and debt issue costs
|
398 | 700 | ||||
Stock-based
compensation expense
|
825 | 976 | ||||
Deferred
income tax expense
|
10,411 | 2,319 | ||||
Income
tax receivable
|
33,426 | - | ||||
Excess
tax benefits from stock-based payment arrangements
|
92 | (101 | ) | |||
Equity
in undistributed loss of limited liability companies
|
13 | 81 | ||||
Write-off
of unamortized debt discount and financing costs
|
1,059 | - | ||||
Change
in assets and liabilities:
|
||||||
Cash
held in escrow
|
9,637 | 41,934 | ||||
Inventories
|
42,840 | 6,349 | ||||
Other
assets
|
5,798 | (5,567 | ) | |||
Accounts
payable
|
(14,280 | ) | 574 | |||
Customer
deposits
|
(1,455 | ) | (891 | ) | ||
Accrued
compensation
|
(6,751 | ) | (17,325 | ) | ||
Other
liabilities
|
(9,162 | ) | (9,722 | ) | ||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
98,752 | 53,196 | ||||
INVESTING
ACTIVITIES:
|
||||||
Purchase
of property and equipment
|
(3 | ) | (1,017 | ) | ||
Proceeds
from the sale of property
|
9,454 | - | ||||
Investment
in unconsolidated limited liability companies
|
(2,074 | ) | (1,252 | ) | ||
Return
of investment from unconsolidated limited liability
companies
|
357 | 35 | ||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
7,734 | (2,234 | ) | |||
FINANCING
ACTIVITIES:
|
||||||
Repayments
of bank borrowings - net
|
(102,200 | ) | (154,700 | ) | ||
Principal
repayments of mortgage notes payable and community
|
||||||
development
district bond obligations
|
(134 | ) | (130 | ) | ||
Proceeds
from preferred shares issuance – net of issuance costs of
$3,675
|
- | 96,325 | ||||
Debt
issue costs
|
(922 | ) | (38 | ) | ||
Payments
on capital lease obligations
|
(246 | ) | (194 | ) | ||
Dividends
paid
|
(2,791 | ) | (351 | ) | ||
Proceeds
from exercise of stock options
|
8 | 744 | ||||
Excess
tax benefits from stock-based payment arrangements
|
(92 | ) | 101 | |||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(106,377 | ) | (58,243 | ) | ||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash
|
109 | (7,281 | ) | |||
Cash
balance at beginning of period
|
1,506 | 11,516 | ||||
Cash
balance at end of period
|
$
|
1,615 |
$
|
4,235 | ||
SUPPLEMENTAL
DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
|
||||||
Cash
paid during the year for:
|
||||||
Interest
– net of amount capitalized
|
$
|
(573 | ) |
$
|
1,149 | |
Income
taxes
|
$
|
304 |
$
|
10,011 | ||
NON-CASH
TRANSACTIONS DURING THE YEAR:
|
||||||
Community
development district infrastructure
|
$
|
(63 | ) |
$
|
(142 | ) |
Consolidated
inventory not owned
|
$
|
(20 | ) |
$
|
76 | |
Capital
lease obligations
|
$
|
- |
$
|
1,030 | ||
Distribution
of single-family lots from unconsolidated limited liability
companies
|
$
|
4,609 |
$
|
169 | ||
Non-monetary
exchange of fixed assets
|
$
|
13,000 |
$
|
- | ||
Deferral
of executive and director compensation
|
$
|
57 |
$
|
584 | ||
Executive
and director deferred compensation distributions
|
$
|
241 |
$
|
417 | ||
See Notes
to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
6
M/I
HOMES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE
1. Basis of Presentation
The
accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (the
“financial statements”) of M/I Homes, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”)
and notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim
financial information. The financial statements include the accounts
of M/I Homes, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany
transactions have been eliminated. Results for the interim period are
not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. In the opinion
of management, the accompanying financial statements reflect all adjustments
(all of which are normal and recurring in nature) necessary for a fair
presentation of financial results for the interim periods
presented. These financial statements should be read in conjunction
with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 (“2007
Form 10-K”).
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
during that period. Actual results could differ from these estimates
and have a significant impact on the financial condition and results of
operations and cash flows. With regard to the Company, estimates and
assumptions are inherent in calculations relating to valuation of inventory and
investment in unconsolidated limited liability companies (“LLCs”), property and
equipment depreciation, valuation of derivative financial instruments, accounts
payable on inventory, accruals for costs to complete, accruals for warranty
claims, accruals for self-insured general liability claims, litigation, accruals
for health care and workers’ compensation, accruals for guaranteed or
indemnified loans, stock-based compensation expense, income taxes and
contingencies. Items that could have a significant impact on these
estimates and assumptions include the risks and uncertainties listed in “Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations – Risk Factors” in Part I of this report, in “Item 1A. Risk Factors”
in Part II of this report and in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I of our 2007
Form 10-K.
NOTE
2. Impact of Accounting Standards
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value
Measurements” (“SFAS 157”). SFAS 157 defines fair value by clarifying
the exchange price notion presented in earlier definitions and providing a
framework for measuring fair value. SFAS 157 also expands disclosures
about fair value measurements. SFAS 157 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007 and interim
periods within those years. The FASB deferred the provisions of SFAS
157 relating to non-financial assets and liabilities that are not measured on a
recurring basis, and is now effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning after November 15, 2008 and interim periods within those
years. The Company is still in the process of determining the impact,
if any, the adoption of SFAS 157 for non-financial assets and liabilities will
have on its financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“SFAS 159”). SFAS 159
allows companies to measure many financial instruments and certain other items
at fair value that are not currently required to be measured at fair
value. SFAS 159 also provides presentation and disclosure
requirements that will enable users to compare similar types of assets and
liabilities of different entities that have different measurement
attributes. The Company adopted SFAS 159 on January 1, 2008, and the
adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial
statements.
In
November 2007, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin
(“SAB”) No. 109, “Written Loan Commitments Recorded at Fair Value
Through Earnings” (“SAB 109”). SAB 109, which revises and rescinds
portions of SAB 105, “Application of Accounting Principles to Loan Commitments,”
specifically states that the expected net future cash flows related to the
associated servicing of a loan should be included in the measurements of all
written loan commitments that are accounted for at fair value through
earnings. The provisions of SAB 109 are applicable to written loan
commitments issued or modified in fiscal quarters beginning after
December 15, 2007. The Company adopted SAB 109 on January 1,
2008, and the adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated
financial statements.
NOTE
3. Fair Value Measurements
Effective
January 1, 2008, the Company adopted and implemented SFAS 159 for its mortgage
loans held for sale, and adopted SAB 109 for both mortgage loans held for sale
and interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”). Electing
fair
7
value
allows a better offset of the changes in fair values of the loans and the
derivative instruments used to economically hedge them.
In the
normal course of business, our financial services segment enters into
contractual commitments to extend credit to buyers of single-family homes with
fixed expiration dates. The commitments become effective when the
borrowers “lock-in” a specified interest rate within established time
frames. Market risk arises if interest rates move adversely between
the time of the “lock-in” of rates by the borrower and the sale date of the loan
to an investor. To mitigate the effect of the interest rate risk inherent
in providing rate lock commitments to borrowers, the Company enters into
optional or mandatory delivery forward sale contracts to sell whole loans and
mortgage-backed securities to broker/dealers. The forward sale contracts
lock in an interest rate and price for the sale of loans similar to the specific
rate lock commitments. The Company does not engage in speculative or
trading derivative activities. Both the rate lock commitments to borrowers
and the forward sale contracts to broker/dealers or investors are undesignated
derivatives pursuant to the requirements of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting For Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 133”), and accordingly, are marked to
fair value through earnings. Fair value is determined pursuant to SFAS
157 and SAB 109, both of which the Company adopted on a prospective basis
as of the beginning of 2008. Fair value measurements are included in
earnings on the accompanying statements of operations. For the
quarter ended March 31, 2008, the Company recognized a $1.4 million fair value
adjustment as the result of including the servicing release premiums in the fair
value calculation as required by SAB 109.
SFAS 157
(a) establishes a common definition for fair value to be applied to assets and
liabilities; (b) establishes a framework for measuring fair value; and (c)
expands disclosures concerning fair value measurements. SFAS 157
gives us three measurement input levels for determining fair value, which are
Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Fair values determined by Level 1
inputs utilize quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Fair values
determined by Level 2 inputs utilize inputs other than quoted prices included in
Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or
indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets
and liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are
observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves
that are observable at commonly quoted intervals. Level 3 inputs are
unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, and include situations where
there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or
liability.
The fair
value is based on published prices for mortgage-backed securities with similar
characteristics and the buyup fees received or buydown fees to be paid upon
securitization of the loan. The buyup and buydown fees are calculated pursuant
to contractual terms with investors. To calculate the effects of interest
rate movements, the Company utilizes applicable published mortgage-backed
security prices, and multiplies the price movement between the rate lock date
and the balance sheet date by the notional loan commitment amount. The
Company sells all of its loans on a servicing released basis, and receives a
servicing release premium upon sale. Thus, the value of the servicing
rights included in the fair value measurement is based upon contractual terms
with investors and depends on the loan type. The Company applies a fallout rate
to IRLCs when measuring the fair value of rate lock commitments. Fallout
is defined as locked loan commitments for which the Company does not close a
mortgage loan and is based on management’s judgment and experience.
The fair
value of the Company’s forward sales contracts to broker/dealers solely
considers the market price movement of the same type of security between the
trade date and the balance sheet date. The market price changes are
multiplied by the notional amount of the forward sales contracts to measure the
fair value.
Mortgage
loans held for sale are closed at cost, which includes all fair value
measurement in accordance with SFAS 133.
Loan Commitments:
IRLCs are extended to home-buying customers who have applied for
mortgages and who meet certain defined credit and underwriting
criteria. Typically, the IRLCs will have a duration of less than nine
months; however, in certain markets, the duration could extend to twelve
months.
Some
IRLCs are committed to a specific third-party investor through the use of
best-efforts whole loan delivery commitments matching the exact terms of the
IRLC loan. For the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we
recognized $0.2 million and less than $0.1 million of expense, respectively,
relating to marking these committed IRLCs and the related best-efforts contracts
to market.
Uncommitted
IRLCs are considered derivative instruments under SFAS 133 and are fair value
adjusted, with the resulting gain or loss recorded in current
earnings. For the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we
recognized income of $0.8 million and expense of $0.1 million, respectively,
relating to marking the uncommitted IRLCs to market.
8
Forward sales of
mortgage-backed securities (“FMBSs”) are used to protect uncommitted IRLC
loans against the risk of changes in interest rates between the lock date and
the funding date. FMBSs related to uncommitted IRLCs are classified
and accounted for as non-designated derivative instruments, with gains and
losses recorded in current earnings. For the three months ended March
31, 2008 and 2007, we recognized $0.2 million and $0.1 million of expense,
respectively, relating to marking these FMBSs to market.
Mortgage Loans
Held for Sale:
During the intervening period between when a loan is closed and when it
is sold to an investor, the interest rate risk is covered through the use of a
best-efforts contract or by FMBSs. For the three months ended March
31, 2008, we recognized expense of $0.2 million relating to marking these
best-efforts contracts and the related mortgage loans held for sale to
market. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, we recognized
income of $0.4 million relating to marking these FMBSs to market.
Description
of Financial Instrument (In
Thousands)
|
Fair
Value Measurements March 31, 2008
|
Quoted
Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
(Level
1)
|
Significant
Other Observable Inputs
(Level
2)
|
Significant
Unobservable Inputs
(Level
3)
|
|||||||
Mortgage
loans held for sale
|
$
|
424 |
$
|
-
|
$
|
424 |
$
|
- | |||
Mortgage-backed
securities
|
(419 | ) | - | (419 | ) | - | |||||
Interest
rate lock commitments
|
1,029 | - | 1,029 | - | |||||||
Best
efforts contracts
|
(267 | ) | - | (267 | ) | - | |||||
Total
|
$
|
767 |
$
|
- |
$
|
767 |
$
|
- |
NOTE
4. Discontinued Operation
In
December 2007, the Company sold substantially all of its West Palm Beach,
Florida division to a private builder and announced it would exit this
market. As of March 31, 2008, the Company had 12 units of backlog
with a sales value of $3.7 million that will be completed and delivered through
approximately June 2008.
In
accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of
Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”), results of our West Palm Beach division have
been classified as a discontinued operation, and prior periods have been
restated to be consistent with the March 31, 2008 presentation. The
Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect the assets and
liabilities of the discontinued operation as separate line items, and the
operations of its West Palm Beach division for the current and prior periods are
reported in discontinued operation on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of
Operations. Discontinued operation includes revenues from our West
Palm Beach division of $9.4 million and $7.9 million for the three months ended
March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, and pre-tax income of $0.6 million and
$0.3 million for those same periods.
NOTE
5. Stock-Based Compensation
On
February 12, 2008, the Company awarded 408,500 stock options under the Company’s
1993 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Stock Incentive Plan”) that vest 20% annually
over five years. These equity awards were granted at a price of
$17.66, which represents the closing price of the Company’s common shares on the
date of the grant. The grant date fair value of the stock options was
determined at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing
model. The grant date fair value of the stock options vesting 20%
annually over five years was $7.61. The Company expenses awards over
the vesting period, with those awards having only service conditions on a
straight-line basis, and those awards having both performance and service
conditions on an accelerated basis, in accordance with the provisions of SFAS
123(R), “Share Based Payment.” For the awards having performance
conditions, the expense recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2008 was
determined based on the number of awards that are currently estimated to be
earned by each participant based on his or her respective 2008 performance
conditions.
Total
recorded compensation expense relating to the Stock Incentive Plan was
approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31,
2008. As of March 31, 2008, there was a total of $8.4 million, $0.3
million and less than $0.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related
to unvested stock option awards that will be recognized as compensation expense
as the awards vest over a weighted average period of 2.2 years, 1.3 years and
1.5 years for the service awards, bonus awards and performance-based awards,
respectively.
9
NOTE
6. Inventory
A summary
of the Company’s inventory as of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 is as
follows:
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||
Single-family
lots, land and land development costs
|
$
|
464,541 |
$
|
489,953 | |
Land
held for sale
|
3,559 | 8,523 | |||
Homes
under construction
|
248,103 | 264,912 | |||
Model
homes and furnishings - at cost (less accumulated
depreciation: March 31, 2008 - $977;
|
|||||
December
31, 2007 - $1,236)
|
10,938 | 11,750 | |||
Community
development district infrastructure (Note 13)
|
11,562 | 11,625 | |||
Land
purchase deposits
|
3,041 | 4,431 | |||
Consolidated
inventory not owned (Note 14)
|
6,106 | 6,135 | |||
Total
inventory
|
$
|
747,850 |
$
|
797,329 |
Single-family
lots, land and land development costs include raw land that the Company has
purchased to develop into lots, costs incurred to develop the raw land into
lots, and lots for which development has been completed but have not yet been
used to start construction of a home.
Land held
for sale includes land that meets all of the following criteria, as defined in
SFAS 144: (1) management, having the authority to approve the action,
commits to a plan to sell the asset; (2) the asset is available for immediate
sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary
for sales of such assets; (3) an active program to locate a buyer and other
actions required to complete the plan to sell the asset have been initiated; (4)
the sale of the asset is probable, and transfer of the asset is expected to
qualify for recognition as a completed sale, within one year; (5) the asset is
being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to
its current fair value; and (6) actions required to complete the plan indicate
that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that
the plan will be withdrawn. In accordance with SFAS 144, the Company
records land held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less
costs to sell.
Homes
under construction include homes that are finished and ready for delivery and
homes in various stages of construction. As of March 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, we had 571 homes (valued at $99.3 million) and 632 homes
(valued at $117.7 million), respectively, included in homes under construction
that were not subject to a sales contract.
Model
homes and furnishings include homes that are under construction or have been
completed and are being used as sales models. The amount also
includes the net book value of furnishings included in our model
homes. Depreciation on model home furnishings is recorded using an
accelerated method over the estimated useful life of the assets, typically three
years.
The
Company assesses inventories for recoverability in accordance with the
provisions of SFAS 144, which requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for
impairment whenever events or changes in local or national economic conditions
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. Refer to Note 7 for additional details relating to our
procedures for evaluating our inventories for impairment.
Land
purchase deposits include both refundable and non-refundable amounts paid to
third party sellers relating to the purchase of land. On an ongoing
basis, the Company evaluates the land option agreements relating to the land
purchase deposits. In the period during which the Company makes the
decision not to proceed with the purchase of land under an agreement, the
Company writes off any deposits and accumulated pre-acquisition costs relating
to such agreement. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the
Company wrote off $1.2 million in option deposits and pre-acquisition
costs. Refer to Note 7 for additional details relating to write-offs
of land option deposits and pre-acquisition costs.
NOTE
7. Valuation Adjustments and Write-offs
The
Company assesses inventories for recoverability in accordance with the
provisions of SFAS 144, which requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for
impairment whenever events or changes in local or national economic conditions
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable.
Operating
communities. For existing operating communities which may have
impairment indicators, the recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the
carrying amount of the assets to future undiscounted cash flows expected to be
generated by the assets based on home sales. These estimated cash
flows are developed based primarily on management’s assumptions relating to the
specific community. The significant assumptions used to evaluate the
recoverability of assets include the timing of development and/or marketing
phases, projected sales price and sales pace of each existing or planned
community; the estimated land development and home construction and selling
costs of the community; overall market supply and demand; the local market; and
competitive conditions.
10
Future
communities. For raw land or land under development that
management anticipates will be utilized for future homebuilding activities, the
recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the
assets to future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets
based on home sales, consistent with the evaluations performed for operating
communities discussed above.
For raw
land, land under development or lots that management intends to market for sale
to a third party, but that do not meet all of the criteria to be classified as
land held for sale as discussed above in Note 6, the recoverability of the
assets is determined based on either the estimated net sales proceeds expected
to be realized on the sale of the assets, or the estimated fair value determined
using cash flow valuation techniques.
If the
Company has not yet determined whether raw land or land under development will
be utilized for future homebuilding activities or marketed for sale to a third
party, the Company assesses the recoverability of the inventory using a
probability-weighted approach, in accordance with SFAS 144.
Land held for
sale. Land held for sale includes land that meets the six
criteria defined in SFAS 144, as further discussed above in Note
6. In accordance with SFAS 144, the Company records land held for
sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less costs to
sell. Fair value is determined based on the expected third party sale
proceeds.
Investments in
unconsolidated limited liability companies. The Company
assesses investments in unconsolidated LLCs for impairment in accordance with
Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of
Investments In Common Stock” (“APB 18”), and SEC SAB Topic 5.M, “Other Than
Temporary Impairment of Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities” (“SAB
Topic 5M”). When evaluating the LLCs, if the fair value of the
investment is less than the investment carrying value, and the Company
determines the decline in value is other than temporary, the Company would write
down the investment to fair value. The Company’s LLCs engage in land
acquisition and development activities for the purpose of selling or
distributing (in the form of a capital distribution) developed lots to the
Company and its partners in the entity, as further discussed in Note
10.
As
discussed in Note 10, during the first quarter of 2008, one of the Company’s
unconsolidated limited liability companies was in default of its loan agreement
and agreeable terms were not reached for the Company to continue its interest in
this LLC. During the three months ended March 31, 2008, the Company wrote
off its remaining investment of $3.7 million.
A summary
of the Company’s valuation adjustments and write-offs for the three months ended
March 31, 2008 and 2007 is as follows:
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
||||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Impairment
of operating communities:
|
||||||
Midwest
|
$
|
2,519 |
$
|
(240 | ) | |
Florida
|
3,130 | 307 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
|
94 | 1,078 | ||||
Total
impairment of operating communities (a)
|
$
|
5,743 |
$
|
1,145 | ||
Impairment
of future communities:
|
||||||
Midwest
|
$
|
- |
$
|
- | ||
Florida
|
4,380 | - | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
|
- | - | ||||
Total
impairment of future communities (a)
|
$
|
4,380 |
$
|
- | ||
Impairment
of land held for sale:
|
||||||
Midwest
|
$
|
- |
$
|
- | ||
Florida
|
7,235 | - | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
|
- | - | ||||
Total
impairment of land held for sale (a)
|
$
|
7,235 |
$
|
- | ||
Option
deposits and pre-acquisition costs write-offs:
|
||||||
Midwest
|
$
|
24 |
|
$
|
22 | |
Florida
|
131 | 1,003 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
|
1,049 | 30 | ||||
Total
option deposits and pre-acquisition costs write-offs (b)
|
$
|
1,204 |
$
|
1,055 | ||
Impairment
of investments in unconsolidated LLCs:
|
||||||
Midwest
|
$
|
- |
$
|
- | ||
Florida
|
3,749 | - | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
|
- | - | ||||
Total
impairment of investments in unconsolidated LLCs (a)
|
$
|
3,749 |
$
|
- | ||
|
||||||
Total
impairments and write-offs of option deposits and
|
||||||
pre-acquisition
costs
|
$
|
22,311 |
$
|
2,200 |
(a)
Amounts are recorded within Impairment of Inventory and Investment in
Unconsolidated Limited Liability Companies in the Company’s Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(b)
Amounts are recorded within General and Administrative Expense in the Company’s
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
11
The
carrying value of the communities included in operating communities, future
communities and land held for sale that were impaired during the three month
period ending March 31, 2008, net of impairment charges and write-offs of $18.6
million, was $45.0 million at March 31, 2008.
NOTE
8. Capitalized Interest
The Company capitalizes interest during
land development and home construction. Capitalized interest is
charged to cost of sales as the related inventory is delivered to a third
party. A summary of capitalized interest is as
follows:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||
March
31,
|
||||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Capitalized
interest, beginning of period
|
$
|
29,212 |
$
|
29,492 | ||
Interest
capitalized to inventory
|
2,529 | 5,051 | ||||
Capitalized
interest charged to cost of sales
|
(3,219 | ) | (3,345 | ) | ||
Capitalized
interest, end of period
|
$
|
28,522 |
$
|
31,198 | ||
Interest
incurred
|
$
|
6,968 |
$
|
10,075 |
NOTE
9. Property and Equipment
The
Company records property and equipment at cost and subsequently depreciates the
assets using both straight-line and accelerated methods. Following is
a summary of the major classes of depreciable assets and their estimated useful
lives as of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007:
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
|||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Land,
building and improvements
|
$
|
11,823 |
$
|
11,823 | ||
Office
furnishings, leasehold improvements, computer equipment and computer
software
|
18,125 | 18,153 | ||||
Transportation
and construction equipment
|
13,391 | 22,528 | ||||
Property
and equipment
|
43,339 | 52,504 | ||||
Accumulated
depreciation
|
(12,533 | ) | (16,805 | ) | ||
Property
and equipment, net
|
$
|
30,806 |
$
|
35,699 |
Estimated
Useful
Lives
|
||
Building
and improvements
|
35
years
|
|
Office
furnishings, leasehold improvements, computer equipment and computer
software
|
3-7
years
|
|
Transportation
and construction equipment
|
5-20
years
|
Depreciation
expense (excluding expense relating to model furnishings classified in
Inventory) was approximately $1.0 million for both the three month periods ended
March 31, 2008 and 2007.
During
the quarter ended March 31, 2008, the Company exchanged its airplane for an
airplane of lesser value plus $9.5 million of cash consideration. The
transaction was with an unrelated party. The transaction was
accounted for as a like-kind exchange under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue
Code. In accordance with APB Opinion No. 29, as amended, “Nonmonetary
Transactions,” and Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) Issue 01-2,
“Interpretation of APB Opinion No. 29,” a gain was recorded in Other Income on
the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of
Operations.
NOTE
10. Investment in Unconsolidated Limited Liability
Companies
At March
31, 2008, the Company had interests ranging from 33% to 50% in limited liability
companies that do not meet the criteria of variable interest entities because
each of the entities had sufficient equity at risk to permit the entity to
finance its activities without additional subordinated support from the equity
investors, and three of these LLCs have outside financing that is not guaranteed
by the Company. These LLCs engage in land acquisition and development
activities for the purpose of selling or distributing (in the form of a capital
distribution) developed lots to the Company and its partners in the
entity. In certain of these LLCs, the Company and its partner in the
entity have provided the lenders with environmental indemnifications and
guarantees of the completion of land development and minimum net worth levels of
certain of the Company’s subsidiaries as more fully described in Note 11
below. These entities have assets totaling $118.0 million and
liabilities totaling $48.1 million, including third party debt of $41.2 million,
as of March 31, 2008. The Company’s maximum exposure related to its
investment in these entities as of March 31, 2007 is the amount invested of
$34.1 million plus letters of credit totaling $8.9 million and the possible
future obligation of $22.4 million under the guarantees and indemnifications
discussed in Note 11 below. Included in the Company’s investment in
LLCs at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 are $0.8 million and $2.0 million,
respectively, of
12
capitalized
interest and other costs. The Company does not have a controlling
interest in these LLCs; therefore, they are recorded using the equity method of
accounting.
In the
first quarter of 2008, the Company wrote-off its remaining investment of $3.7
million in on of its unconsolidated limited liability companies. The
unconsolidated limited company has received notice of default of its obligations
under third party financing to the unconsolidated limited liability
company. The Company does not believe that it has significant financial
exposure to matters pertaining to the unconsolidated limited liability company
or its financing. The assets and liabilities of this limited liability
company at March 31, 2008 were $47.4 million and $34.8 million (including third
party debt of $34.4 million) respectively.
In
accordance with APB 18 and SAB Topic 5M, the Company evaluates its
investment in unconsolidated LLCs for potential impairment. If the
fair value of the investment is less than the investment carrying value, and the
Company determines the decline in value was other than temporary, the Company
would write down the investment to fair value.
NOTE
11. Guarantees and Indemnifications
Warranty
In 2007,
the Company implemented a new limited warranty program (“Home Builder’s Limited
Warranty”) in conjunction with its thirty-year transferable structural limited
warranty, on homes closed after the implementation date. The Home
Builder’s Limited Warranty covers construction defects and certain damage
resulting from construction defects for a statutory period based on geographic
market and state law (currently ranging from five to ten years for the states in
which the Company operates) and includes a mandatory arbitration
clause. Prior to this new warranty program, the Company provided up
to a two-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship and a twenty-year
(for homes closed between 1989 and 1998) and a thirty-year (for homes closed
during or after 1998) transferable limited warranty against major structural
defects. The Company does not believe that this change in warranty
program will significantly impact its warranty expense.
Warranty
expense is accrued as the home sale is recognized and is intended to cover
estimated material and outside labor costs to be incurred during the warranty
period. The accrual amounts are based upon historical experience and
geographic location. A summary of warranty activity for the three
months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is as follows:
Three
Months Ended
|
||||||
March
31,
|
||||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Warranty
accrual, beginning of period
|
$
|
12,006 |
$
|
14,095 | ||
Warranty
expense on homes delivered during the period
|
1,118 | 1,611 | ||||
Changes
in estimates for pre-existing warranties
|
(389 | ) | (214 | ) | ||
Settlements
made during the period
|
(1,756 | ) | (2,107 | ) | ||
Warranty
accrual, end of period
|
$
|
10,979 |
$
|
13,385 |
Guarantees
and Indemnities
In the
ordinary course of business, M/I Financial Corp., our wholly-owned subsidiary
(“M/I Financial”), enters into agreements that guarantee certain purchasers of
its mortgage loans that M/I Financial will repurchase a loan if certain
conditions occur, primarily if the mortgagor does not meet those conditions of
the loan within the first six months after the sale of the
loan. Loans totaling approximately $117.9 million and $174.8 million
were covered under the above guarantees as of March 31, 2008 and December 31,
2007, respectively. A portion of the revenue paid to M/I Financial
for providing the guarantees on the above loans was deferred at March 31, 2008,
and will be recognized in income as M/I Financial is released from its
obligation under the guarantees. M/I Financial has not repurchased
any loans under the above agreements in 2008 or 2007, but has provided
indemnifications to third party investors in lieu of repurchasing certain
loans. The total of these indemnified loans was approximately $2.8
million and $2.4 million at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007,
respectively. The risk associated with the guarantees and indemnities
above is offset by the value of the underlying assets. The Company
has accrued management’s best estimate of the probable loss on the above
loans.
M/I
Financial has also guaranteed the collectability of certain loans to third-party
insurers of those loans for periods ranging from five to thirty
years. The maximum potential amount of future payments is equal to
the outstanding loan value less the value of the underlying asset plus
administrative costs incurred related to foreclosure on the loans, should this
event occur. The total of these costs are estimated to be $1.9
million as of both March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, and would be offset by
the value of the underlying assets. The Company has accrued
management’s best estimate of the probable loss on the above loans.
13
The
Company has also provided certain other guarantees and
indemnifications. The Company has provided an environmental
indemnification to an unrelated third party seller of land in connection with
the Company’s purchase of that land. In addition, the Company has
provided environmental indemnifications, guarantees for the completion of land
development, a loan maintenance and limited payment guaranty and minimum net
worth guarantees of certain of the Company’s subsidiaries in connection with
outside financing provided by lenders to certain of our 50% owned
LLCs. Under the environmental indemnifications, the Company and its
partner in the applicable LLC are jointly and severally liable for any
environmental claims relating to the property that are brought against the
lender. Under the land development completion guarantees, the Company
and its partner in the applicable LLC are jointly and severally liable to incur
any and all costs necessary to complete the development of the land in the event
that the LLC fails to complete the project. The maximum amount that
the Company could be required to pay under the land development completion
guarantees was approximately $10.2 million and $12.9 million as of March 31,
2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively. The risk associated with
these guarantees is offset by the value of the underlying
assets. Under the loan maintenance and limited payment guaranty, the
Company and the applicable LLC partner have jointly and severally agreed to the
third party lender to fund any shortfall in the event the ratio of the loan
balance to the current fair market value of the property under development by
the LLC is below a certain threshold. As of March 31, 2008, the total
maximum amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under
the loan maintenance and limited payment guaranty was approximately $12.2
million. Under the above guarantees and indemnifications, the LLC
operating agreements provide recourse against our LLC partners for 50% of any
actual liability associated with the environmental indemnifications, land
development completion guarantees and loan maintenance and limited payment
guaranty. Under the minimum net worth guarantees, the Company is
required to maintain total net worth of $400 million less the deferred tax asset
valuation allowance of up to $65 million, and two of our subsidiaries are also
required to maintain minimum levels of net worth that are substantially lower
than the total Company requirement.
The
Company has recorded a liability relating to the guarantees and indemnities
described above totaling $2.4 million and $2.3 million at March 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively, which is management’s best estimate of the fair
value of the Company’s liability.
The
Company has also provided a guarantee of the performance and payment obligations
of its wholly-owned subsidiary, M/I Financial, up to an aggregate principle
amount of $13.0 million. The guarantee was provided to a
government-sponsored enterprise to which M/I Financial delivers
loans.
NOTE
12. Commitments and Contingencies
At March
31, 2008, the Company had sales agreements outstanding, some of which have
contingencies for financing approval, to deliver 828 homes, with an aggregate
sales price of approximately $246.5 million. Based on our current
housing gross margin of 13.4%, plus variable selling costs of (4.2)% of revenue,
less payments to date on homes in backlog of $119.5 million, we estimate
payments totaling approximately $104.4 million to be made in 2008 relating to
those homes. At March 31, 2008, the Company also had options and
contingent purchase agreements to acquire land and developed lots with an
aggregate purchase price of approximately $97.2 million. Purchase of
such properties is contingent upon satisfaction of certain requirements by the
Company and the sellers.
At March
31, 2008, the Company had outstanding approximately $113.2 million of completion
bonds and standby letters of credit, some of which were issued to various local
governmental entities that expire at various times through December
2015. Included in this total are: (1) $68.6 million of performance
bonds and $25.8 million of performance letters of credit that serve as
completion bonds for land development work in progress (including the Company’s
$4.3 million share of our LLCs’ letters of credit and bonds); (2) $12.8 million
of financial letters of credit, of which $1.0 million represent deposits on land
and lot purchase agreements; and (3) $6.0 million of financial
bonds.
At March
31, 2008, the Company had outstanding $1.5 million of corporate promissory
notes. These notes are due and payable in full upon default of the
Company under agreements to purchase land or lots from third
parties. No interest or principal is due until the time of
default. In the event that the Company performs under these purchase
agreements without default, the notes will become null and void and no payment
will be required.
At March
31, 2008, the Company had $0.2 million of certificates of deposit included in
Other Assets that have been pledged as collateral for mortgage loans sold to
third parties and, therefore, are restricted from general use.
The
Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named as defendants in various
claims, complaints and other legal actions incidental to the Company’s
business. Certain of the liabilities resulting from these actions are
covered by insurance. While management currently believes that the
ultimate resolution of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will
not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or
overall trends in results of operations, such matters are subject to inherent
uncertainties. The Company has recorded a liability to provide for
the anticipated costs, including legal defense costs, associated with the
resolution of these matters. However, there exists
14
the
possibility that the costs to resolve these matters could differ from the
recorded estimates and, therefore, have a material adverse impact on the
Company’s net income for the periods in which the matters are
resolved.
NOTE
13. Community Development District Infrastructure and Related
Obligations
A
Community Development District and/or Community Development Authority (“CDD”) is
a unit of local government created under various state and/or local statutes to
encourage planned community development and to allow for the construction and
maintenance of long-term infrastructure through alternative financing sources,
including the tax-exempt markets. A CDD is generally created through
the approval of the local city or county in which the CDD is located and is
controlled by a Board of Supervisors representing the landowners within the
CDD. CDDs may utilize bond financing to fund construction or
acquisition of certain on-site and off-site infrastructure improvements near or
within these communities. CDDs are also granted the power to levy
special assessments to impose ad valorem taxes, rates, fees and other charges
for the use of the CDD project. An allocated share of the principal
and interest on the bonds issued by the CDD is assigned to and constitutes a
lien on each parcel within the community evidenced by an assessment
(“Assessment”). The owner of each such parcel is responsible for the
payment of the Assessment on that parcel. If the owner of the parcel
fails to pay the Assessment, the CDD may foreclose on the lien pursuant to
powers conferred to the CDD under applicable state laws and/or foreclosure
procedures. In connection with the development of certain of the
Company’s communities, CDDs have been established and bonds have been issued to
finance a portion of the related infrastructure. Following are
details relating to the CDD bond obligations issued and outstanding as of March
31, 2008:
Issue
Date
|
Maturity
Date
|
Interest
Rate
|
Principal
Amount
(in
thousands)
|
5/1/2004
|
5/1/2035
|
6.00%
|
$ 9,275
|
7/15/2004
|
12/1/2022
|
6.00%
|
4,755
|
7/15/2004
|
12/1/2036
|
6.25%
|
10,060
|
3/15/2007
|
5/1/2037
|
5.20%
|
7,105
|
Total
CDD bond obligations issued and outstanding as of March 31,
2008
|
$31,195
|
In
accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force Issue 91-10, “Accounting for Special
Assessments and Tax Increment Financing,” the Company records a liability for
the estimated developer obligations that are fixed and determinable and user
fees that are required to be paid or transferred at the time the parcel or unit
is sold to an end user. The Company reduces this liability by the
corresponding Assessment assumed by property purchasers and the amounts paid by
the Company at the time of closing and the transfer of the
property. The Company has recorded an $11.6 million liability related
to these CDD bond obligations as of March 31, 2008, along with the related
inventory infrastructure.
In
addition, at March 31, 2008, the Company had outstanding a $0.7 million CDD bond
obligation in connection with the purchase of land. This obligation
bears interest at a rate of 5.5% and matures November 1, 2010. As
lots are closed to third parties, the Company will repay the CDD bond obligation
associated with each lot.
NOTE
14. Consolidated Inventory Not Owned and Related
Obligation
In the
ordinary course of business, the Company enters into land option contracts in
order to secure land for the construction of homes in the
future. Pursuant to these land option contracts, the Company will
provide a deposit to the seller as consideration for the right to purchase land
at different times in the future, usually at predetermined
prices. Under FASB Interpretation No. 46R, “Consolidation of Variable
Interest Entities” (“FIN 46R”), if the entity holding the land under the option
contract is a variable interest entity, the Company’s deposit (including letters
of credit) represents a variable interest in the entity. The Company
does not guarantee the obligations or performance of the variable interest
entity.
In
applying the provisions of FIN 46R, the Company evaluated all land option
contracts and determined that the Company was subject to a majority of the
expected losses or entitled to receive a majority of the expected residual
returns under one of its contracts. As the primary beneficiary under
this contract, the Company is required to consolidate the fair value of the
variable interest entity.
As of
March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the Company had recorded $4.0 million
within Inventory on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, representing the
fair value of land under a land option contract. The corresponding
liability has been classified as Obligation for Consolidated Inventory Not Owned
on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
As of
March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the Company also had recorded within
Inventory on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets $2.1 million of land for
which the Company does not have title because the land was sold to a third party
with the Company retaining an option to repurchase developed lots. In
accordance with SFAS No. 66, “Accounting for Sales of Real Estate,” the Company
has continuing involvement in the land as a result of the
15
repurchase
option, and therefore is not permitted to recognize the sale of the
land. The corresponding liability has been classified as Obligation
for Consolidated Inventory Not Owned on the Condensed Consolidated Balance
Sheets.
NOTE
15. Notes Payable Banks
On March
27, 2008, we entered into the Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the
Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 6, 2006 (the “Credit
Facility”). Among other things, the Second Amendment amends the
Credit Facility by: (1) reducing the Aggregate Commitment (as defined
therein) from $500 million to $250 million; (2) changing the interest coverage
ratio covenant which is consolidated EBITDA (as defined therein), to
consolidated interest incurred (the “Interest Coverage Ratio” or “ICR”) when it
is below 1.5X. to a Minimum Liquidity covenant, which is defined as either
Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations (as defined therein) of 1.5X or the
maintenance of $25 million of unrestricted cash; (3) redefining Consolidated
Minimum Tangible Net Worth (“CTNW”) as $400 million less the Deferred Tax Asset
Valuation allowance up to $65 million; (4) increasing pricing provisions; and
(5) reducing permitted secured indebtedness to $25 million.
On April
18, 2008, the M/I Financial First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit
Agreement (the “MIF Credit Facility”) was amended to extend the term to May 30,
2008. All terms and conditions of the MIF Credit Facility remain
unchanged from December 31, 2007. This extension was signed in
anticipation of the Company entering into an agreement prior to May 30, 2008 for
a secured warehouse line of credit to fund the activities of M/I
Financial.
NOTE
16. Senior Notes
As of
March 31, 2008, there were $200 million of senior notes outstanding. The Second
Amendment to the Credit Facility discussed above in Note 15 prohibits the early
repurchase of such senior notes.
NOTE
17. Earnings Per Share
(Loss)
earnings per share (“EPS”) is calculated based on the weighted average number of
common shares outstanding during each period. The difference between
basic and diluted shares outstanding is due to the effect of dilutive stock
options and deferred compensation. There are no adjustments to net
(loss) income necessary in the calculation of basic or diluted earnings per
share. The table below presents information regarding basic and
diluted (loss) earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and
2007.
Three
Months Ended
|
|||||||||||||||
March
31,
|
|||||||||||||||
(In
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||||||||
Loss
|
Shares
|
EPS
|
Income
|
Shares
|
EPS
|
||||||||||
Basic
(loss) earnings from continuing operations
|
$
|
(20,150 | ) |
$
|
2,071 | ||||||||||
Less:
preferred stock dividends
|
2,437 | - | |||||||||||||
(Loss)
income to common
|
|||||||||||||||
shareholders
from continuing operations
|
$
|
(22,587 | ) | 14,007 |
$
|
(1.61 | ) |
$
|
2,071 | 13,943 |
$
|
0.15 | |||
Effect
of dilutive securities:
|
|||||||||||||||
Stock
option awards
|
- | 54 | |||||||||||||
Deferred
compensation awards
|
- | 123 | |||||||||||||
Diluted
(loss) earnings to common shareholders from
|
|||||||||||||||
continuing
operations
|
$
|
(22,587 | ) | 14,007 |
$
|
(1.61 | ) |
$
|
2,071 | 14,120 |
$
|
0.15 | |||
Anti-dilutive
stock equivalent awards not included in the
|
|||||||||||||||
calculation of diluted (loss) earings pers share | 1,326 | 851 |
NOTE
18. Income Taxes
As of
March 31, 2008, the Company estimated that the total amount of unrecognized tax
benefits could decrease by approximately $0.8 million within the next twelve
months, which in turn would increase income tax benefits if recognized,
resulting from the closing of certain tax years. These unrecognized
tax benefits relate primarily to the deductibility of certain intercompany
charges. The Company continues to record interest and penalties as a
component of the Provision for Income Taxes on the Unaudited Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations and as a component of the unrecognized tax
benefits recorded within Other Liabilities on the Unaudited Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of March 31, 2008, the Company’s
federal income tax returns for 2004 through 2006 are open years. The
Company files income tax returns in various state and local jurisdictions, with
varying statutes of limitations. Ohio and Florida are both major tax
jurisdictions. As of March 31, 2008, both Ohio and Florida have open
tax years of 2004 through 2006.
SFAS No.
109, “Accounting for Income
Taxes,” (“SFAS 109”), requires a reduction of the carrying amounts of deferred
tax assets by a valuation allowance, if based on the available evidence, it is
more likely than not that such
16
assets
will not be realized. Accordingly, the need to establish valuation allowances
for deferred tax assets is assessed periodically based on the SFAS 109
more-likely-than-not realization threshold criterion. In the assessment
for a valuation allowance, appropriate consideration is given to all positive
and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax
assets. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature,
frequency, and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future
profitability, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, the Company’s
experience with loss carryforwards not expiring unused, and tax planning
alternatives.
The
Company’s analysis of the need for a valuation allowance recognizes that while
the Company has not incurred a cumulative loss over its evaluation period, a
substantial loss was incurred in 2007 and an additional loss was incurred in the
first quarter of 2008. However, a substantial portion of these losses was as a
result of the current challenging market conditions that led to the impairments
of certain tangible assets as well as goodwill. Consideration has also been
given to the lengthy period over which these net deferred tax assets can be
realized, and the Company’s history of not having loss carryforwards expire
unused. The amount of taxable income from 2006 that remains available for
net operating loss offset is approximately $120 million. The amount
of taxable income that needs to be generated by the Company in order to realize
our deferred tax assets, taking into account net operating loss carrybacks, is
$120 million.
If future
events change the outcome of the Company’s projected return to profitability, a
substantial valuation allowance may be required to reduce the deferred tax
assets. There was no valuation allowance at March 31,
2008. Management believes that the Company will have sufficient
available carry-backs and future taxable income to realize the benefits of the
remaining deferred net tax assets. At March 31, 2008, the Company had
a Federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carry-back of approximately $48.3 million,
which the Company believes will be fully utilized. The Company also
had state NOLs of $44.9 million. These state operating loss
carryforwards will begin to expire in 2022.
Based on
our history of profitable operations and the expectation of future
profitability, the Company expects to fully utilize these
NOLs. Management believes that the Company will have sufficient
available carrybacks and future taxable income to realize the benefits of the
remaining deferred net tax assets. However, the Company’s future
realization of its deferred tax assets ultimately depends on the existence of
sufficient taxable income in the carryforward periods under the tax laws. The
Company will continue analyzing, in subsequent reporting periods, the positive
and negative evidence in determining the expected realization of its deferred
tax assets.
NOTE
19. Purchase of Treasury Shares
On
November 8, 2005, the Company obtained authorization from the Board of Directors
to repurchase up to $25 million of its outstanding common shares. The
repurchase program expires on November 8, 2010 and was publicly announced on
November 10, 2005. The repurchases may occur in the open market
and/or in privately negotiated transactions as market conditions
warrant. During the three month period ended March 31, 2008, the
Company did not repurchase any shares. As of March 31, 2008, the
Company had approximately $6.7 million available to repurchase outstanding
common shares under the Board approved repurchase program.
NOTE
20. Dividends on Common Shares
On April 18, 2008, the Company paid to
shareholders of record of its common shares on April 1, 2008 a cash dividend of
$0.025 per share. Total dividends paid on common shares in 2008
through April 18th were approximately $0.7 million.
NOTE
21. Preferred Shares
The Company’s Articles of Incorporation
authorize the issuance of up to 2,000,000 preferred shares, par value $.01 per
share. On March 15, 2007, the Company issued 4,000,000 depositary
shares, each representing 1/1000th of a 9.75% Series A Preferred Share, or 4,000
preferred shares in the aggregate. As of March 31, 2008, total
dividends paid on preferred shares in 2008 were approximately $2.4
million.
NOTE
22. Universal Shelf Registration
As of
March 31, 2008, $50 million remains available for future offerings under a $150
million universal shelf registration filed by the Company with the SEC in April
2002. Pursuant to the filing, the Company may, from time to time over
an extended period, offer new debt, preferred stock and/or other equity
securities. Of the equity shares, up to 1 million common shares may
be sold by certain shareholders who are considered selling
shareholders. The Company intends to terminate its universal shelf
registration during the second quarter of 2008.
17
NOTE
23. Business Segments
In
conformity with SFAS No. 131, “Disclosure about Segments of an Enterprise and
Related Information” (“SFAS 131”), the Company’s segment information is
presented on the basis that the chief operating decision makers use in
evaluating segment performance. The Company’s chief operating
decision makers evaluate the Company’s performance in various ways, including:
(1) the results of our ten individual homebuilding operating segments and the
results of the financial services operation; (2) our three homebuilding regions;
and (3) our consolidated financial results. We have determined our
reportable segments in accordance with SFAS 131 as follows: Midwest
homebuilding, Florida homebuilding, Mid-Atlantic homebuilding and financial
services operations. The homebuilding operating segments that are
included within each reportable segment have similar operations and exhibit
similar economic characteristics, and therefore meet the aggregation criteria in
SFAS 131. Our homebuilding operations include the acquisition and
development of land, the sale and construction of single-family attached and
detached homes and the occasional sale of lots to third parties. The
homebuilding operating segments that comprise each of our reportable segments
are as follows:
Midwest
|
Florida (2)
|
Mid-Atlantic
|
Columbus,
Ohio
|
Tampa,
Florida
|
Maryland
|
Cincinnati,
Ohio
|
Orlando,
Florida
|
Virginia
|
Indianapolis,
Indiana
|
Charlotte,
North Carolina
|
|
Chicago,
Illinois (1)
|
Raleigh,
North Carolina
|
(1)
|
The
Company announced its entry into the Chicago market during the second
quarter of 2007, and has not purchased any land or sold or closed any
homes in this market as of March 31,
2008.
|
(2)
|
In
December 2007, we sold substantially all of our assets in our West Palm
Beach, Florida market and announced our exit from this
market. The results of operations for this segment for all
periods presented have been reclassified as discontinued operation in
accordance with SFAS 144.
|
The
financial services operations include the origination and sale of mortgage loans
and title and insurance agency services primarily for purchasers of the
Company’s homes.
The chief
operating decision makers utilize operating income (loss), defined as income
(loss) before interest expense and income taxes, as a performance
measure. Selected financial information for our reportable segments
for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is presented
below.
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
||||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Revenue:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding
|
$
|
49,307 |
$
|
71,649 | ||
Florida
homebuilding
|
50,532 | 77,765 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding
|
43,871 | 61,019 | ||||
Other
homebuilding - unallocated (a)
|
6,965 | 784 | ||||
Financial
services
|
5,410 | 5,352 | ||||
Total
revenue
|
$
|
156,085 |
$
|
216,569 | ||
Operating
(loss) income:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding (b)
|
$
|
(5,342 | ) |
$
|
(433 | ) |
Florida
homebuilding (b)
|
(18,162 | ) | 11,875 | |||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding (b)
|
(2,206 | ) | (3 | ) | ||
Other
homebuilding - unallocated (a)
|
501 | 203 | ||||
Financial
services
|
3,479 | 2,731 | ||||
Less:
Corporate selling, general and administrative expense (c)
|
(6,144 | ) | (7,002 | ) | ||
Total
operating (loss) income
|
$
|
(27,874 | ) |
$
|
7,371 | |
Interest
expense:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding
|
$
|
1,782 |
$
|
1,359 | ||
Florida
homebuilding
|
1,222 | 1,584 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding
|
1,293 | 1,003 | ||||
Financial
services
|
142 | 82 | ||||
|
||||||
Total
interest expense
|
$
|
4,439 |
$
|
4,028 | ||
|
||||||
Other
income (d)
|
5,555 | - | ||||
|
||||||
(Loss)
income from continuing operations before income taxes
|
$
|
(26,758 | ) |
$
|
3,343 |
(a) Other
homebuilding – unallocated consists of the net impact in the period due to
timing of homes delivered with low down-payment loans (buyers put less than 5%
down) funded by the Company’s financial services operations not yet sold to a
third party. In accordance with applicable accounting rules,
recognition of such revenue must be deferred until the related loan is sold to a
third party. Refer to the Revenue Recognition policy described in
our
Application of Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies in Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for
further discussion.
18
(b) At
March 31, 2008 and March 31, 2007, the impact of charges relating to the
impairment of inventory and investment in unconsolidated LLCs and the write-off
of land deposits and pre-acquisition costs were $22.3 million and $2.2 million,
respectively. These charges reduced operating income by $2.6 million
and $(0.2) million in the Midwest region and $18.6 million and $1.3 million
in the Florida region for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. Operating income was reduced by $1.1 million due to
these changes for both the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 in the
Mid-Atlantic region.
(c) The
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 include the impact of severance
charges of $1.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively.
(d) Other
income is comprised of the gain recognized on the exchange of the Company’s
airplane.
NOTE
24. Subsequent Events
On May 6,
2008, the Board of Directors approved the following dividends: (1) a $0.025 per
share cash dividend payable on July 15, 2008 to shareholders of record of its
common shares on July 1, 2008 and (2) a $0.609375 per depositary share cash
dividend payable on June 16, 2008 to shareholders of record of its Preferred
Shares on June 2, 2007. The Preferred Share dividends will result in
a reduction in net income available to our common shareholders.
19
ITEM
2: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
M/I
Homes, Inc. (the “Company” or “we”) is one of the nation’s leading builders of
single-family homes, having delivered over 71,000 homes since we commenced
homebuilding in 1976. The Company’s homes are marketed and sold under
the trade names M/I Homes and Showcase Homes. The Company has
homebuilding operations in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana;
Tampa and Orlando, Florida; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; and the
Virginia and Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. In 2006, the latest
year for which information is available, we were the 21st largest
U.S. single-family homebuilder (based on homes delivered) as ranked by Builder
Magazine.
Included
in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations are the following topics relevant to the Company’s performance and
financial condition:
●
|
Information
Relating to Forward-Looking Statements
|
●
|
Our
Application of Critical Accounting Estimates and
Policies
|
●
|
Our
Results of Operations
|
●
|
Discussion
of Our Liquidity and Capital Resources
|
●
|
Update
of Our Contractual Obligations
|
●
|
Discussion
of Our Utilization of Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
|
●
|
Impact
of Interest Rates and Inflation
|
●
|
Discussion
of Risk Factors
|
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Certain information
included in this report or in other materials we have filed or will file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (as well as information
included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by
us) contains or may contain forward-looking statements, including, but
not limited to, statements regarding our future financial performance and
financial condition. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,”
“targets,” “goals,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,”
“estimates,” variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements. These statements involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statements
that we make herein and in future reports and statements are not guarantees of
future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those in such
forward-looking statements as a result of various factors relating to the
economic environment, interest rates, availability of resources, competition,
market concentration, land development activities and various governmental rules
and regulations, as more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations and as set forth in Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors. Any
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date made. Except as
required by applicable law or the rules and regulations of the SEC, we undertake
no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or risk factors,
whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise. However, any further disclosures made on related subjects
in our subsequent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K should be
consulted. This discussion is provided as permitted by the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and all of our forward-looking
statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary
statements contained or referenced in this section.
APPLICATION OF CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND POLICIES
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Management bases its estimates
and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that are
believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the
basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities
that are not readily apparent from other sources. On an ongoing
basis, management evaluates such estimates and judgments and makes adjustments
as deemed necessary. Actual results could differ from these estimates
using different estimates and assumptions, or if conditions are significantly
different in the future. Listed below are those estimates that we
believe are critical and require the use of complex judgment in their
application.
Revenue
Recognition. Revenue from the sale of a home is recognized
when the closing has occurred, title has passed, and an adequate initial and
continuing investment by the homebuyer is received, in accordance with Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 66, “Accounting for Sales of Real
Estate,” or when the loan has been
20
sold to a
third party investor. Revenue for homes that close to the buyer
having a deposit of 5% or greater, home closings financed by third parties and
all home closings insured under FHA or VA government-insured programs are
recorded in the financial statements on the date of closing.
Revenue
related to all other home closings initially funded by our wholly-owned
subsidiary, M/I Financial Corp. (“M/I Financial”), is recorded on the date that
M/I Financial sells the loan to a third party investor, because the receivable
from the third party investor is not subject to future subordination and the
Company has transferred to this investor the usual risks and rewards of
ownership that is in substance a sale and does not have a substantial continuing
involvement with the home, in accordance with SFAS No. 140, “Accounting for
Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of
Liabilities.”
All
associated homebuilding costs are charged to cost of sales in the period when
the revenues from home closings are recognized. Homebuilding costs
include land and land development costs, home construction costs (including an
estimate of the costs to complete construction), previously capitalized
interest, real estate taxes, indirect costs, and estimated warranty
costs. All other costs are expensed as incurred. Sales
incentives, including pricing discounts and financing costs paid by the Company,
are recorded as a reduction of Revenue in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated
Statements of Operations. Sales incentives in the form of options or
upgrades are recorded in homebuilding costs in accordance with Emerging Issues
Task Force No. 01-09, “Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a
Customer (Including a Reseller of a Vendor’s Products).”
We
recognize the majority of the revenue associated with our mortgage loan
operations when the mortgage loans and related servicing rights are sold to
third party investors. We defer the associated gains or losses on the
sale of the loans when the loans are sold to third party investors in accordance
with SFAS No. 91, “Accounting for Nonrefundable Fees and Costs Associated with
Originating or Acquiring Loans.” The revenue recognized is reduced by
the fair value of the related guarantee provided to the investor. The
fair value of the guarantee is recognized in revenue when the Company is
released from its obligation under the guarantee. Generally, all of
the financial services mortgage loans and related servicing rights are sold to
third party investors within two weeks of origination. We recognize
financial services revenue associated with our title operations as homes are
closed, closing services are rendered, and title policies are issued, all of
which generally occur simultaneously as each home is closed. All of
the underwriting risk associated with title insurance policies is transferred to
third party insurers.
Inventories. We
use the specific identification method for the purpose of accumulating costs
associated with land acquisition and development, and home
construction. Inventories are recorded at cost, unless events and
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the land may be
impaired. In addition to the costs of direct land acquisition, land
development and related costs (both incurred and estimated to be incurred) and
home construction costs, inventories include capitalized interest, real estate
taxes, and certain indirect costs incurred during land development and home
construction. Such costs are charged to cost of sales simultaneously
with revenue recognition, as discussed above. When a home is closed,
we typically have not yet paid all incurred costs necessary to complete the
home. As homes close, we compare the home construction budget to
actual recorded costs to date to estimate the additional costs to be incurred
from our subcontractors related to the home. We record a liability
and a corresponding charge to cost of sales for the amount we estimate will
ultimately be paid related to that home. We monitor the accuracy of
such estimate by comparing actual costs incurred in subsequent months to the
estimate. Although actual costs to complete in the future could
differ from the estimate, our method has historically produced consistently
accurate estimates of actual costs to complete closed homes.
The
Company assesses inventories for recoverability in accordance with the
provisions of SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of
Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”), which requires that long-lived assets be
reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in local or national economic
conditions indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. In conducting our quarterly review for indicators of
impairment on a community level, we evaluate, among other things, the margins on
homes that have been delivered, margins on sales contracts in backlog, projected
margins with regard to future home sales over the life of the community,
projected margins with regard to future land sales, and the value of the land
itself. We pay particular attention to communities in which inventory
is moving at a slower than anticipated absorption pace and communities whose
average sales price and/or margins are trending downward and are anticipated to
continue to trend downward. From this review, we identify communities
whose carrying values may exceed their undiscounted cash flows.
Operating
communities. For existing operating communities, the
recoverability of assets is measured on a quarterly basis by comparing the
carrying amount of the assets to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to
be generated by the assets based on home sales. These estimated cash flows
are developed based primarily on management’s assumptions relating to the
specific community. The significant assumptions used to evaluate the
recoverability of assets include the timing of development and/or marketing
phases; projected sales price and sales pace of each existing or planned
community; the estimated land development, home construction and selling costs
of the community; overall
21
market
supply and demand; the local market; and competitive
conditions. Management reviews these assumptions on a quarterly
basis. While we consider available information to determine what we
believe to be our best estimates as of the end of a reporting period, these
estimates are subject to change in future reporting periods as facts and
circumstances change.
Future
communities. For raw land or land under development that
management anticipates will be utilized for future homebuilding activities, the
recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the
assets to future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets
based on home sales, consistent with the evaluations performed for operating
communities discussed above.
For raw
land, land under development or lots that management intends to market for sale
to a third party, but that do not meet all of the criteria to be classified as
land held for sale as discussed below, the recoverability of the assets is
determined based on either the estimated net sales proceeds expected to be
realized on the sale of the assets or the estimated fair value determined using
cash flow valuation techniques.
If the
Company has not yet determined whether raw land or land under development will
be utilized for future homebuilding activities or marketed for sale to a third
party, the Company assesses the recoverability of the inventory using a
probability-weighted approach, in accordance with SFAS 144.
Land held for
sale. Land held for sale includes land that meets all of the
following six criteria, as defined in SFAS 144: (1) management,
having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the asset;
(2) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject
only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such assets; (3) an
active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan
to sell the asset have been initiated; (4) the sale of the asset is probable,
and transfer of the asset is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed
sale, within one year; (5) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a
price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and (6) actions
required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant
changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be
withdrawn. In accordance with SFAS 144, the Company records land held
for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less costs to
sell. In performing impairment evaluation for land held for sale,
management considers, among other things, prices for land in recent comparable
sales transactions, market analysis and recent bona fide offers received from
outside third parties, as well as actual contracts. If the estimated
fair value less the costs to sell an asset is less than the current carrying
value, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value less costs to
sell.
For all
of the above categories, the key assumptions relating to the valuations are
dependent on project-specific local market and/or community conditions and are
inherently uncertain. Local market-specific factors that may impact our project
assumptions include:
●
|
historical
project results such as average sales price and sales rates, if closings
have occurred in the project;
|
●
|
competitors’
local market and/or community presence and their competitive
actions;
|
●
|
project-specific
attributes such as location desirability and uniqueness of product
offering;
|
●
|
potential
for alternative product offerings to respond to local market conditions;
and
|
●
|
current
local market economic and demographic conditions and related trends and
forecasts.
|
These and
other local market-specific conditions that may be present are considered by
personnel in our homebuilding divisions as they prepare or update the forecasted
assumptions for each community. Quantitative and qualitative factors other than
home sales prices could significantly impact the potential for future
impairments. The sales objectives can differ between communities,
even within a given sub-market. For example, facts and circumstances
in a given community may lead us to price our homes with the objective of
yielding a higher sales absorption pace, while facts and circumstances in
another community may lead us to price our homes to minimize deterioration in
our gross margins, although it may result in a slower sales absorption
pace. Furthermore, the key assumptions included in our estimated
future undiscounted cash flows may be interrelated. For example, a
decrease in estimated base sales price or an increase in home sales incentives
may result in a corresponding increase in sales absorption
pace. Additionally, a decrease in the average sales price of homes to
be sold and closed in future reporting periods for one community that has not
been generating what management believes to be an adequate sales absorption pace
may impact the estimated cash flow assumptions of a nearby
community. Changes in our key assumptions, including estimated
construction and development costs, absorption pace, selling strategies, or
discount rates, could materially impact future cash flow and fair value
estimates. Due to the number of possible scenarios that would result
from various changes in these factors, we do not believe it is possible to
develop a sensitivity analysis with a level of precision that would be
meaningful.
As of
March 31, 2008, our projections generally assume a gradual improvement in market
conditions over time, along with a gradual increase in costs. These
assumed gradual increases begin in either 2009 or 2010, depending on the market
and community. If communities are not recoverable based on
undiscounted cash flows, the impairment to be
22
recognized
is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the
fair value of the assets. The fair value of a community is determined
by discounting management’s cash flow projections using an appropriate
risk-adjusted interest rate. As of March 31, 2008, we utilized
discount rates ranging from 12% to 15% in the above valuations. The
discount rate used in determining each asset’s fair value depends on the
community’s projected life, development stage, and the inherent risks associated
with the related estimated cash flow stream. For example,
construction in progress inventory, which is closer to completion, will
generally require a lower discount rate than land under development in
communities consisting of multiple phases spanning several years of
development. We believe our assumptions on discount rates are
critical because the selection of a discount rate affects the estimated fair
value of the homesites within a community. A higher discount rate reduces the
estimated fair value of the homesites within the community, while a lower
discount rate increases the estimated fair value of the homesites within a
community.
Our
quarterly assessments reflect management’s estimates. However, if
homebuilding market conditions and our operating results change, or if the
current challenging market conditions continue for an extended period, future
results could differ materially from management’s judgments and
estimates.
Consolidated
Inventory Not Owned We enter into land option agreements in the ordinary
course of business in order to secure land for the construction of homes in the
future. Pursuant to these land option agreements, we typically
provide a deposit to the seller as consideration for the right to purchase land
at different times in the future, usually at pre-determined
prices. If the entity holding the land under option is a variable
interest entity, the Company’s deposit (including letters of credit) represents
a variable interest in the entity, and we must use our judgment to determine if
we are the primary beneficiary of the entity. Factors considered in
determining whether we are the primary beneficiary include the amount of the
deposit in relation to the fair value of the land, the expected timing of our
purchase of the land, and assumptions about projected cash flows. We
consider our accounting policies with respect to determining whether we are the
primary beneficiary to be critical accounting policies due to the judgment
required.
We also
periodically enter into lot option arrangements with third-parties to whom we
have sold our raw land inventory. We evaluate these transactions in
accordance with SFAS No. 49, “Accounting for Product Financing Arrangements,” to
determine if we should record an asset and liability at the time we sell the
land and enter into the lot option contract.
Investment in
Unconsolidated Limited Liability Companies. We invest in
entities that acquire and develop land for distribution to us in connection with
our homebuilding operations. In our judgment, we have determined that
these entities generally do not meet the criteria of variable interest entities
because they have sufficient equity to finance their operations. We
must use our judgment to determine if we have substantive control over these
entities. If we were to determine that we have substantive control
over an entity, we would be required to consolidate the
entity. Factors considered in determining whether we have substantive
control or exercise significant influence over an entity include risk and reward
sharing, experience and financial condition of the other partners, voting
rights, involvement in day-to-day capital and operating decisions, and
continuing involvement. In the event an entity does not have
sufficient equity to finance its operations, we would be required to use
judgment to determine if we were the primary beneficiary of the variable
interest entity. We consider our accounting policies with respect to
determining whether we are the primary beneficiary or have substantive control
or exercise significant influence over an entity to be critical accounting
policies due to the judgment required. Based on the application of
our accounting policies, these entities are accounted for by the equity method
of accounting.
In
accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method
of Investments In Common Stock,” and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) Topic
5.M, “Other Than Temporary Impairment of Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities,” the Company evaluates its investment in unconsolidated limited
liability companies (“LLCs”) for potential impairment on a quarterly
basis. If the fair value of the investment is less than the
investment’s carrying value and the Company has determined that the decline in
value is other than temporary, the Company would write down the value of the
investment to fair value. The determination of whether an
investment’s fair value is less than the carrying value requires management to
make certain assumptions regarding the amount and timing of future contributions
to the limited liability company, the timing of distribution of lots to the
Company from the limited liability company, the projected fair value of the lots
at the time of distribution to the Company, and the estimated proceeds from, and
timing of, the sale of land or lots to third parties. In determining
the fair value of investments in unconsolidated LLCs, the Company evaluates the
projected cash flows associated with the LLC using a probability-weighted
approach based on the likelihood of different outcomes. As of March
31, 2008, the Company used a discount rate of 15% in determining the fair value
of investments in unconsolidated LLCs. In addition to the assumptions
management must make to determine if the investment’s fair value is less than
the carrying value, management must also use judgment in determining whether the
impairment is other than temporary. The factors management considers
are: (1) the length of time and the extent to which the market value has been
less than cost; (2) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the
Company; and (3) the intent and ability of the Company to retain its investment
in the limited liability company for a period of time sufficient to allow for
any anticipated recovery in market value. In situations where the
investments are 100% equity financed by the partners, and the joint
venture
23
simply
distributes lots to its partners, the Company evaluates “other than temporary”
by preparing an undiscounted cash flow model as described in inventories above
for operating communities. If such model results in positive value
versus carrying value, the Company determines that the impairment is temporary;
otherwise, the Company determines that the impairment is other than temporary
and impairs the investment. Because of the high degree of judgment
involved in developing these assumptions, it is possible that the Company may
determine the investment is not impaired in the current period but, due to
passage of time or change in market conditions leading to changes in
assumptions, impairment could occur.
Guarantees and
Indemnities. Guarantee and indemnity liabilities are
established by charging the applicable income statement or balance sheet line,
depending on the nature of the guarantee or indemnity, and crediting a
liability. M/I Financial provides a limited-life guarantee on loans
sold to certain third parties and estimates its actual liability related to the
guarantee and any indemnities subsequently provided to the purchaser of the
loans in lieu of loan repurchase based on historical loss
experience. Actual future costs associated with loans guaranteed or
indemnified could differ materially from our current estimated
amounts. The Company has also provided certain other guarantees and
indemnifications in connection with the purchase and development of land,
including environmental indemnifications, guarantees of the completion of land
development, a loan maintenance and limited payment guaranty, and minimum net
worth guarantees of certain subsidiaries. The Company estimates these
liabilities based on the estimated cost of insurance coverage or estimated cost
of acquiring a bond in the amount of the exposure. Actual future
costs associated with these guarantees and indemnifications could differ
materially from our current estimated amounts.
Warranty. Warranty
accruals are established by charging cost of sales and crediting a warranty
accrual for each home closed. The amounts charged are estimated by
management to be adequate to cover expected warranty-related costs for materials
and outside labor required under the Company’s warranty programs. Accruals
are recorded for warranties under the following warranty programs:
●
|
Home
Builder’s Limited Warranty – warranty program which became effective for
homes closed starting with the third quarter of 2007;
|
●
|
30-year
transferable structural warranty – effective for homes closed after April
25, 1998;
|
●
|
two-year
limited warranty program – effective prior to the implementation of the
Home Builder’s Limited Warranty; and
|
●
|
20-year
transferable structural warranty – effective for homes closed between
September 1, 1989 and April 24,
1998.
|
The
warranty accruals for the Home Builder’s Limited Warranty and two-year limited
warranty program are established as a percentage of average sales price, and the
structural warranty accruals are established on a per unit basis. Our
warranty accruals are based upon historical experience by geographic area and
recent trends. Factors that are given consideration in determining
the accruals include: (1) the historical range of amounts paid per average sales
price on a home; (2) type and mix of amenity packages added to the home; (3) any
warranty expenditures included in the above not considered to be normal and
recurring; (4) timing of payments; (5) improvements in quality of construction
expected to impact future warranty expenditures; (6) actuarial estimates, which
reflect both Company and industry data; and (7) conditions that may affect
certain projects and require a different percentage of average sales price for
those specific projects.
Changes
in estimates for warranties occur due to changes in the historical payment
experience and differences between the actual payment pattern experienced during
the period and the historical payment pattern used in our evaluation of the
warranty accrual balance at the end of each quarter. Actual future
warranty costs could differ from our current estimated amount.
Self-insurance. Self-insurance
accruals are made for estimated liabilities associated with employee health
care, Ohio workers’ compensation and general liability insurance. Our
self-insurance limit for employee health care is $250,000 per claim per year for
fiscal 2008, with stop loss insurance covering amounts in excess of $250,000 up
to $2,000,000 per claim per year. Our self-insurance limit for
workers’ compensation is $400,000 per claim, with stop loss insurance covering
all amounts in excess of this limit. The accruals related to employee
health care and workers’ compensation are based on historical experience and
open cases. Our general liability claims are insured by a third
party; the Company generally has a $7.5 million deductible per occurrence and an
$18.25 million deductible in the aggregate, with lower deductibles for certain
types of claims. The Company records a general liability accrual for
claims falling below the Company’s deductible. The general liability
accrual estimate is based on an actuarial evaluation of our past history of
claims and other industry specific factors. The Company has recorded
expenses totaling $0.1 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for all
self-insured and general liability claims during the three months ended March
31, 2008 and 2007. Because of the high degree of judgment required in
determining these estimated accrual amounts, actual future costs could differ
from our current estimated amounts.
24
Stock-Based
Compensation. We account for stock-based compensation in
accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123(R), “Share Based Payment,” which
requires that companies measure and recognize compensation expense at an amount
equal to the fair value of share-based payments granted under compensation
arrangements. We calculate the fair value of stock options using the
Black-Scholes option pricing model. Determining the fair value of
share-based awards at the grant date requires judgment in developing
assumptions, which involve a number of variables. These variables
include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the
term of the awards, the expected dividend yield, and the expected term of the
option. In addition, we also use judgment in estimating the number of
share-based awards that are expected to be forfeited.
Derivative
Financial Instruments. To meet financing needs of our
home-buying customers, M/I Financial is party to interest rate lock commitments
(“IRLCs”), which are extended to customers who have applied for a mortgage loan
and meet certain defined credit and underwriting criteria. These IRLCs are
considered derivative financial instruments under SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 133”). M/I
Financial manages interest rate risk related to its IRLCs and mortgage loans
held for sale through the use of forward sales of mortgage-backed securities
(“FMBSs”), use of best-efforts whole loan delivery commitments and the
occasional purchase of options on FMBSs in accordance with Company
policy. These FMBSs, options on FMBSs and IRLCs covered by FMBSs are
considered non-designated derivatives. The Company adopted SFAS No.
159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”
(“SFAS 159”) and Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 109, “Written Loan
Commitments Recorded at Fair Value Through Earnings” (“SAB 109”) for IRLCs
entered into in 2008. In determining fair value of IRLCs, M/I
Financial considers the value of the resulting loan if sold in the secondary
market. The fair value includes the price that the loan is expected
to be sold for along with the value of servicing release
premiums. Those entered into in 2007 exclude the value of the
servicing release premium in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance
at that time. This determines the initial fair value, which is
indexed to zero at inception. Subsequent to inception, M/I Financial
estimates an updated fair value which is compared to the initial fair
value. In addition, M/I Financial uses fallout estimates which
fluctuate based on the rate of the IRLC in relation to current
rates. In accordance with SFAS 133 and related Derivatives
Implementation Group conclusions, gains or losses are recorded in financial
services revenue. Certain IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are
committed to third party investors through the use of best-efforts whole loan
delivery commitments. In accordance with SFAS 133, the IRLCs and
related best-efforts whole loan delivery commitments, which generally are highly
effective from an economic standpoint, are considered non-designated derivatives
and are accounted for at fair value with gains or losses recorded in financial
services revenue. Under the terms of these best-efforts whole loan
delivery commitments covering mortgage loans held for sale, the specific
committed mortgage loans held for sale are identified and matched to specific
delivery commitments on a loan-by-loan basis. The delivery
commitments are designated as fair value hedges of the mortgage loans held for
sale, and both the delivery commitments and loans held for sale are recorded at
fair value, with changes in fair value recorded in financial services
revenue.
Income
Taxes—Valuation Allowance. In accordance
with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“SFAS 109”), a valuation
allowance is recorded against a deferred tax asset if, based on the weight of
available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not (a likelihood of more than 50%)
that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized. The
realization of a deferred tax asset ultimately depends on the existence of
sufficient taxable income in either the carryback or carryforward periods under
tax law. The four sources of taxable income to be considered in determining
whether a valuation allowance is required include:
●
|
future
reversals of existing taxable temporary differences (i.e., offset gross
deferred tax assets against gross deferred tax
liabilities);
|
●
|
taxable
income in prior carryback years;
|
●
|
tax
planning strategies; and
|
●
●
|
future
taxable income, exclusive of reversing temporary differences and
carryforwards.
|
Determining
whether a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is necessary requires an
analysis of both positive and negative evidence regarding realization of the
deferred tax assets. Examples of positive evidence may include:
●
|
a
strong earnings history exclusive of the loss that created the deductible
temporary differences, coupled with evidence indicating that the loss is
the result of an aberration rather than a continuing
condition;
|
●
|
an
excess of appreciated asset value over the tax basis of a company’s net
assets in an amount sufficient to realize the deferred tax asset;
and
|
●
|
existing
backlog that will produce more than enough taxable income to realize the
deferred tax asset based on existing sales prices and cost
structures.
|
25
Examples
of negative evidence may include:
●
|
the
existence of “cumulative losses” (defined as a pre-tax cumulative loss for
the business cycle – in our case four years);
|
●
|
an
expectation of being in a cumulative loss position in a future reporting
period;
|
●
|
a
carryback or carryforward period that is so brief that it would limit the
realization of tax benefits;
|
●
|
a
history of operating loss or tax credit carryforwards expiring unused;
and
|
●
|
unsettled
circumstances that, if unfavorably resolved, would adversely affect future
operations and profit levels on a continuing
basis.
|
The
weight given to the potential effect of negative and positive evidence should be
commensurate with the extent to which it can be objectively verified. A company
must use judgment in considering the relative impact of positive and negative
evidence. At March 31, 2008, after considering a number of factors, most
notably our strong earnings history, we did not establish a valuation
allowance.
Future
adjustments to our deferred tax asset valuation allowance will be determined
based upon changes in the expected realization of our net deferred tax
assets. For example, the valuation allowance could change
significantly if the $57.5 million of net deferred tax assets remaining at
March 31, 2008 is not realized during fiscal 2008 through federal or
state carryback or reversals of existing taxable temporary
differences. This could occur if actual levels of home closings
and/or land sales during 2008 are less than currently
projected. Additionally, our determination with respect to recording
a valuation allowance may be further impacted by, among other
things:
●
|
additional inventory impairments; |
●
|
additional pre-tax operating losses; or |
●
|
the utilization of tax planning strategies that could accelerate the realization for certain deferred tax assets. |
Because a
valuation allowance can be impacted by any one or a combination of the foregoing
factors, we do not believe it is possible to develop a meaningful sensitivity
analysis associated with potential adjustments to the valuation allowance on our
deferred tax assets. Additionally, due to the considerable estimates
utilized in establishing a valuation allowance and the potential for changes in
facts and circumstances in future reporting periods, it is reasonably possible
that we will be required to either increase or decrease our valuation allowance
in future reporting periods.
Income
Taxes—FIN 48. The Company
evaluates tax positions that have been taken or are expected to be taken in tax
returns, and records the associated tax benefit or liability in accordance with
Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”). Tax positions are recognized
when it is more-likely-than-not that the tax position would be sustained upon
examination. The tax position is measured at the largest amount of
benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon
settlement. Interest and penalties for all uncertain tax positions
are recorded within (Benefit) Provision for Income Taxes in the Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations.
RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
In
conformity with SFAS No. 131, “Disclosure about Segments of an Enterprise and
Related Information” (“SFAS 131”), the Company’s segment information is
presented on the basis that the chief operating decision makers use in
evaluating segment performance. The Company’s chief operating
decision makers evaluate the Company’s performance in various ways, including:
(1) the results of our ten individual homebuilding operating segments and the
results of the financial services operation; (2) the results of our three
homebuilding regions; and (3) our consolidated financial results. We
have determined our reportable segments in accordance with SFAS 131 as follows:
Midwest homebuilding, Florida homebuilding, Mid-Atlantic homebuilding and
financial services operations. The homebuilding operating segments
that are included within each reportable segment have similar operations and
exhibit similar economic characteristics, and therefore meet the aggregation
criteria in SFAS 131. Our homebuilding operations include the
acquisition and development of land, the sale and construction of single-family
attached and detached homes, and the occasional sale of lots and land to third
parties. The homebuilding operating segments that comprise each of
our reportable segments are as follows:
Midwest
|
Florida
(2)
|
Mid-Atlantic
|
Columbus,
Ohio
|
Tampa,
Florida
|
Maryland
|
Cincinnati,
Ohio
|
Orlando,
Florida
|
Virginia
|
Indianapolis,
Indiana
|
Charlotte,
North Carolina
|
|
Chicago,
Illinois (1)
|
Raleigh,
North Carolina
|
|
(1)
The Company announced its entry into the Chicago market during the second
quarter of 2007, and has not purchased any land or sold or closed any
homes in this market as of March 31,
2008.
|
26
|
(2) In
December 2007, we sold substantially all of our assets in our West Palm
Beach, Florida market and announced our exit from this
market. The results of operations for this segment for all
periods presented have been reclassified as discontinued operation in
accordance with SFAS 144 are not included in this
segment.
|
The
financial services operations include the origination and sale of mortgage loans
and title and insurance agency services primarily for purchasers of the
Company’s homes.
Highlights
and Trends for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2008
●
|
For
the quarter ended March 31, 2008, homes delivered decreased 34%, from 686
in the first quarter of 2007 to 450 in the first quarter of
2008. The average sales price of homes delivered also
decreased, going from $301,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 to
$291,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Total revenue
decreased $60.5 million over 2007, to $156.1 million. This
decrease is largely made up of a decrease of $75.1 million in housing
revenue, from $206.1 million in 2007 to $130.9 million in 2008, which was
partially offset by an increase in revenue from the outside sale of land
to third parties, which increased from $4.4 million in 2007 to $12.8
million in 2008. For the first quarter of 2008, our financial
services revenue remained unchanged at $5.4 million, compared to the first
quarter of 2007. There was one-time increase in revenue of $1.4
million due to the inclusion of the servicing release premiums in our fair
value calculation with the adoption of SAB 109 and SFAS 159, which was
offset by 25% fewer loan originations.
|
●
|
Income
before taxes declined from income of $3.3 million in the first quarter of
2007 to a loss of $26.8 million for the quarter ended March 31,
2008. During the first quarter of 2008, the Company incurred
charges totaling $22.3 million related to impairment of inventory,
investment in unconsolidated LLCs and abandoned land transaction
costs. Excluding the impact of the above-mentioned charges, the
Company had a pre-tax loss of $4.5 million, which represents a $10.0
million decrease from 2007’s pre-impairment income of $5.5
million. The decrease was driven by the decrease in housing
revenue discussed above due to persistent weak market conditions, along
with lower gross margins, which declined from 21.4 in 2007’s first quarter
(excluding 2007’s impairment charges) to 15.7% in 2008’s first quarter
(excluding 2008’s impairment charges). General and
administrative expenses decreased $3.1 million from $20.7 million in the
first quarter of 2007 to $17.6 million in 2008’s first
quarter. This decrease was driven by (1) a decrease of $1.4
million in payroll and incentive expenses; (2) a decrease of $0.5 million
in rent expense; (3) a decrease of $0.2 million in professional fees; and
(4) a decrease in real estate taxes of $0.7 million. Selling
expenses decreased by $3.4 million (20%) for the quarter ended March 31,
2008 when compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2007 primarily due to a
$2.0 million decrease in variable selling expenses, a $0.4 million
decrease in advertising expenses and a $1.0 million decrease in model home
expenses. Partially offsetting those decreases in selling
expenses was an increase of $0.1 million in payroll
expenses. In the first quarter of 2008 we also had other income
of $5.6 million resulting from the gain on exchange of our company’s
airplane.
|
●
|
New
contracts for the first quarter of 2008 were 554, down 40% compared to 931
in 2007’s first quarter. The overall cancellation rate was 23%
for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 compared to 25% for the quarter ended
March 31, 2007. The cancellation rate in our Midwest region
increased approximately 8% while the cancellation rate in our Florida
region decreased approximately 31% in the first quarter of 2008 compared
to the first quarter of 2007.
|
●
|
Our
mortgage company’s capture rate increased from 73% for the first quarter
of 2007 to approximately 81% for the first quarter of
2008. As a result of lower refinance volume for outside lenders
and increased competition, during 2008 we continue to expect to experience
pressure on our capture rate.
|
●
|
We
continue to deal with very weak and ever-changing market conditions that
require us to constantly monitor the value of our inventories and
investments in unconsolidated LLCs in those markets in which we operate,
in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. During the three months ended March 31, 2008, we
recorded $22.3 million of charges relating to the impairment of inventory
and investment in unconsolidated LLCs and write-off of abandoned land
transaction costs. We generally believe that we will see a
gradual improvement in market conditions over the long
term. During 2008, we will continue to update our evaluation of
the value of our inventories and investments in unconsolidated LLCs for
impairment, and could be required to record additional impairment charges,
which would negatively impact earnings should market conditions
deteriorate further or results differ from management’s original
assumptions.
|
●
|
Our
overall income tax rate is 25% for the first quarter ending March 31,
2008, compared to 38% for the same period in 2007. The rate for
the quarter reflects changes in estimates related to prior years as well
as a greater percentage impact from permanent
items.
|
27
The
following table shows, by segment, revenue, operating (loss) income, interest
expense and other income for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, as
well as the Company’s total (loss) income before taxes for such
periods:
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
||||||
(In
thousands)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Revenue:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding
|
$
|
49,307 |
$
|
71,649 | ||
Florida
homebuilding
|
50,532 | 77,765 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding
|
43,871 | 61,019 | ||||
Other
homebuilding - unallocated (a)
|
6,965 | 784 | ||||
Financial
services
|
5,410 | 5,352 | ||||
Total
revenue
|
$
|
156,085 |
$
|
216,569 | ||
Operating
(loss) income:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding (b)
|
$
|
(5,342 | ) |
$
|
(433 | ) |
Florida
homebuilding (b)
|
(18,162 | ) | 11,875 | |||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding (b)
|
(2,206 | ) | (3 | ) | ||
Other
homebuilding - unallocated (a)
|
501 | 203 | ||||
Financial
services
|
3,479 | 2,731 | ||||
Less:
Corporate selling, general and administrative expense (c)
|
(6,144 | ) | (7,002 | ) | ||
Total
operating (loss) income
|
$
|
(27,874 | ) |
$
|
7,371 | |
Interest
expense:
|
||||||
Midwest
homebuilding
|
$
|
1,782 |
$
|
1,359 | ||
Florida
homebuilding
|
1,222 | 1,584 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
homebuilding
|
1,293 | 1,003 | ||||
Financial
services
|
142 | 82 | ||||
|
||||||
Total
interest expense
|
$
|
4,439 |
$
|
4,028 | ||
|
||||||
Other
income (d)
|
5,555 | - | ||||
|
||||||
(Loss)
income from continuing operations before income taxes
|
$
|
(26,758 | ) |
$
|
3,343 |
(a) Other
homebuilding – unallocated consists of the net impact in the period due to
timing of homes delivered with low down-payment loans (buyers put less than 5%
down) funded by the Company’s financial services operations not yet sold to a
third party. In accordance with applicable accounting rules,
recognition of such revenue must be deferred until the related loan is sold to a
third party. Refer to the Revenue Recognition policy described in our
Application of Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies above for further
discussion.
(b) At
March 31, 2008 and March 31, 2007, the impact of charges relating to the
impairment of inventory and investment in unconsolidated LLCs and the write-off
of land deposits and pre-acquisition costs were $22.3 million and $2.2 million,
respectively. These charges reduced operating income by $2.6 million
and $(0.2) million in the Midwest region and $18.6 million and $1.3 million in
the Florida region for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. Operating income was reduced by $1.1 million due to
these changes for both the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 in the
Mid-Atlantic region.
(c) The
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 include the impact of severance
charges of $1.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively.
(d) Other
income is comprised of the gain recognized on the exchange of the Company’s
airplane.
Seasonality
Our
homebuilding operations experience significant seasonality and
quarter-to-quarter variability in homebuilding activity levels. In
general, homes delivered increase substantially in the second half of the
year. We believe that this seasonality reflects the tendency of
homebuyers to shop for a new home in the spring with the goal of closing in the
fall or winter, as well as the scheduling of construction to accommodate
seasonal weather conditions. Our financial services operations also
experience seasonality because loan originations correspond with the delivery of
homes in our homebuilding operations.
28
Reportable
Segments
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
||||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except as otherwise noted)
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Midwest
Region
|
||||||
Homes
delivered
|
189 | 296 | ||||
Average
sales price per home delivered
|
$ | 261 | $ | 239 | ||
Revenue
homes
|
$ | 49,307 | $ | 70,838 | ||
Revenue
third party land sales
|
$ | - | $ | 811 | ||
Operating
(loss) homes (a)
|
$ | (5,319 | ) | $ | (496 | ) |
Operating
(loss) income land (a)
|
$ | (23 | ) | $ | 63 | |
New
contracts, net
|
240 | 475 | ||||
Backlog
at end of period
|
442 | 811 | ||||
Average
sales price of homes in backlog
|
$ | 267 | $ | 262 | ||
Aggregate
sales value of homes in backlog (in millions)
|
$ | 118 | $ | 212 | ||
Number
of active communities
|
78 | 81 | ||||
Florida
Region
|
||||||
Homes
delivered
|
140 | 224 | ||||
Average
sales price per home delivered
|
$ | 270 | $ | 333 | ||
Revenue
homes
|
$ | 37,758 | $ | 74,210 | ||
Revenue
third party land sales
|
$ | 12,774 | $ | 3,555 | ||
Operating
(loss) income homes (a)
|
$ | (11,275 | ) | $ | 10,996 | |
Operating
(loss) income land (a)
|
$ | (6,887 | ) | $ | 879 | |
New
contracts, net
|
149 | 163 | ||||
Backlog
at end of period
|
130 | 432 | ||||
Average
sales price of homes in backlog
|
$ | 294 | $ | 353 | ||
Aggregate
sales value of homes in backlog (in millions)
|
$ | 38 | $ | 153 | ||
Number
of active communities
|
32 | 41 | ||||
Mid-Atlantic
Region
|
||||||
Homes
delivered
|
121 | 166 | ||||
Average
sales price per home delivered
|
$ | 363 | $ | 368 | ||
Revenue
homes
|
$ | 43,871 | $ | 61,019 | ||
Revenue
third party land sales
|
$ | - | $ | - | ||
Operating
(loss) homes (a)
|
$ | (2,206 | ) | $ | (3 | ) |
Operating
income (loss) land (a)
|
$ | - | $ | - | ||
New
contracts, net
|
165 | 293 | ||||
Backlog
at end of period
|
244 | 435 | ||||
Average
sales price of homes in backlog
|
$ | 355 | $ | 409 | ||
Aggregate
sales value of homes in backlog (in millions)
|
$ | 87 | $ | 178 | ||
Number
of active communities
|
38 | 34 | ||||
Total
Homebuilding Regions
|
||||||
Homes
delivered
|
450 | 686 | ||||
Average
sales price per home delivered
|
$ | 291 | $ | 301 | ||
Revenue
homes
|
$ | 130,936 | $ | 206,067 | ||
Revenue
third party land sales
|
$ | 12,774 | $ | 4,366 | ||
Operating
(loss) income homes (a)
|
$ | (18,800 | ) | $ | 10,497 | |
Operating
(loss) income land (a)
|
$ | (6,910 | ) | $ | 942 | |
New
contracts, net
|
554 | 931 | ||||
Backlog
at end of period
|
816 | 1,678 | ||||
Average
sales price of homes in backlog
|
$ | 297 | $ | 323 | ||
Aggregate
sales value of homes in backlog (in millions)
|
$ | 243 | $ | 543 | ||
Number
of active communities
|
148 | 156 | ||||
Financial
Services
|
||||||
Number
of loans originated
|
347 | 464 | ||||
Value
of loans originated
|
$ | 84,122 | $ | 118,385 | ||
Revenue
|
$ | 5,410 | $ | 5,352 | ||
Selling,
general and administrative expenses
|
$ | 1,931 | $ | 2,621 | ||
Interest
expense
|
$ | 142 | $ | 82 | ||
Income
before income taxes
|
$ | 3,337 | $ | 2,649 |
(a) Amount
includes impairment charges and write-off of land deposits and pre-acquisition
costs for 2008 and 2007 as follows:
29
March
31,
|
||||||
(In thousands) |
2008
|
2007
|
||||
Midwest:
|
||||||
Homes
|
$ | 2,543 | $ | (218 | ) | |
Land
|
- | - | ||||
Florida:
|
||||||
Homes
|
11,520 | 1,310 | ||||
Land
|
7,105 | - | ||||
Mid-Atlantic:
|
||||||
Homes
|
1,143 | 1,108 | ||||
Land
|
- | - | ||||
Total
|
||||||
Homes
|
$ | 15,206 | $ | 2,200 | ||
Land
|
$ | 7,105 | $ | - |
A home is
included in “new contracts” when our standard sales contract is
executed. “Homes delivered” represents homes for which the closing of
the sale has occurred. “Backlog” represents homes for which the
standard sales contract has been executed, but which are not included in homes
delivered because closings for these homes have not yet occurred as of the end
of the period specified.
Three Months Ended March 31,
2008 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2007
Midwest
Region. For the quarter ended March 31, 2008, the Midwest
homebuilding revenue was $49.3 million, a 31% decrease compared to the first
quarter of 2007. The revenue decrease was primarily due to the 36%
decrease in the number of homes delivered, partially offset by a 9% increase in
the average sales price of homes delivered from $239,000 in the first quarter of
2007 to $261,000 in the first quarter of 2008. For the quarter ended
March 31, 2008, loss before taxes increased significantly as the result of fewer
homes delivered and a reduction in profit due to sales incentives offered to
customers. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the Midwest
region new contracts declined 49% compared to the three months ended March 31,
2007 due to weak market conditions in the Midwest. Quarter-end
backlog declined 45% in units and 44% in total sales value, with an average
sales price in backlog of $267,000 at March 31, 2008 compared to $262,000 at
March 31, 2007.
Florida
Region. For
the quarter ended March 31, 2008, Florida housing revenue decreased by $36.5
million (49%) compared to the same period in 2007. The decrease in
revenue is primarily due to a 38% decrease in the number of homes delivered in
2008 compared to 2007. Partially offsetting the decrease in housing
revenue was the increase in revenue from outside land sales of $9.2 million in
the first quarter of 2008 when compared to 2007. Operating loss
decreased $30.0 million, from income of $11.9 million in 2007 to a loss of $18.2
million for the three months ended March 31, 2008, primarily due to impairment
and abandonment charges of $18.6 million and lower gross margins resulting from
competitive pressures. For the first quarter of 2008, our Florida
region new contracts decreased 9%, from 163 in 2007 to 149 in
2008. Management anticipates challenging conditions in our Florida
markets to continue in 2008 based on the decrease in backlog units from 432 at
March 31, 2007 to 130 at March 31, 2008 along with the decrease in the average
sales price of homes in backlog from $353,000 in 2007 to $294,000 in
2008.
Mid-Atlantic
Region. In
our Mid-Atlantic region, homebuilding revenue decreased $17.1 million (28%) for
the quarter ended March 31, 2008 compared to the same period in
2007. This decrease is primarily due to the decrease in homes
delivered from 166 in 2007 to 121 in 2008. New contracts decreased
44%, from 293 in the first quarter of 2007 to 165 for the first quarter of 2008,
and backlog units also decreased, from 435 in the first quarter of 2007 to 244
in 2008. For the quarter ended March 31, 2008, our operating loss
decreased approximately $2.2 million, which was primarily due to $1.1 million of
impairment and abandonment charges recorded in the first quarter of 2008 and the
decline in homes delivered.
Financial
Services. For the quarter ended March 31, 2008, revenue from
our mortgage and title operations was $5.4 million, which was unchanged from the
first quarter of 2007. For the first quarter of 2008, there was a 25%
decrease in loan originations compared to the same period in 2007; offsetting
that decrease was the inclusion of the servicing release premiums in revenue due
to the adoption of SAB No.109 and SFAS 159 in the first quarter of 2008,
resulting in a one-time increase in revenue of $1.4 million. At March
31, 2008, M/I Financial had mortgage operations in all of our markets except
Chicago. Approximately 81% of our homes delivered during the first
quarter of 2008 that were financed were through M/I Financial, compared to 73%
in 2007’s first quarter. As a result of lower refinance volume for
outside lenders, resulting in increased competition for the Company’s
homebuyers, throughout 2008 we expect to experience continued pressure on our
capture rate and margins, which could continue to negatively affect
earnings.
Corporate
Selling, General and Administrative Expense. Corporate
selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $0.9 million (13%), from
$7.0 million in 2007 to $6.1 million in 2008. There was a decrease
of
30
approximately
$0.8 million in payroll and incentive expenses due to workforce reductions we
have made and lower incentive compensation due to expected lower net income
levels in 2008 and a $0.1 million decrease in computer and information systems
expenses.
Interest. Interest
expense for the Company increased $0.4 million (10%) from $4.0 million for the
quarter ended March 31, 2007 to $4.4 million for the quarter ended March 31,
2008. This increase was primarily due to the decrease in interest
capitalized from $5.8 million in the first quarter of 2007 to $2.5 million in
the first quarter of 2008 due primarily to a significant reduction in land
development activities. In addition, we wrote-off $1.1 million
of deferred financing fees related to the 50% reduction in the size of our
credit facility. There was also an increase in our weighted average
borrowing rate from 7.32% in 2007 to 7.75% in 2008. These increases
were partially offset by a decrease in our weighted average borrowings from
$560.1 million in 2007 to $307.2 million in 2008.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL
RESOURCES
Operating
Cash Flow Activities
During
the quarter ended March 31, 2008, we generated $98.8 million of cash from our
operating activities, as compared to $53.2 million of cash in such activities
during 2007. The net cash generated during the first quarter was
primarily a result of a $49 million tax refund, $42.8 million net
conversion of inventory into cash as a result of home closings as well as land
sales, which generated $19.7 million of cash during 2008 (including the
collection of a $6.0 million receivable) versus $4.4 million in 2007, along with
the $27.6 million net reduction in mortgage loans held for sale due to proceeds
from the sale of mortgage loans being in excess of new loan
originations. Partially offsetting these increases was a net decrease
due to other operating activities, including $14.3 million in accounts payable
and $6.8 million in accrued compensation.
The
principal reason for the increase in the generation of cash from operations
during the first quarter of 2008 compared to the first quarter of 2007 was our
defensive strategy to reduce our land purchases to better match our forecasted
number of home sales driven by challenging market conditions. We are
actively trying to reduce our inventory levels further and maintain positive
cash flow throughout 2008.
Investing
Cash Flow Activities
For the
three months ended March 31, 2008, we generated $7.7 million of cash, primarily
due to the proceeds of $9.5 million from the exchange of our airplane, which was
partially offset by $2.1 million used for additional investments in certain of
our unconsolidated LLCs.
Financing
Cash Flow Activities
For the
three months ended March 31, 2008, we used $106.4 million of
cash. Using the $49 million tax refund that we received in the first
quarter, along with cash generated from operations, we repaid $102.2 million
under our revolving credit facilities. During the three months ended
March 31, 2008, we paid a total of $2.8 million in dividends, which includes
$2.4 million in dividends paid on the preferred shares.
Our
homebuilding and financial services operations financing needs depend on
anticipated sales volume in the current year as well as future years, inventory
levels and related turnover, forecasted land and lot purchases, and other
Company plans. We fund these operations with cash flows from
operating activities, borrowings under our bank credit facilities, which are
primarily unsecured, and, from time to time, issuances of new debt and/or equity
securities, as management deems necessary. As we utilize our capital
resources and liquidity to fund our operations, we constantly focus on the
impact on our balance sheet. We have incurred substantial
indebtedness, and may incur substantial indebtedness in the future, to fund our
homebuilding activities. During the first quarter of 2008, we
purchased $8.2 million of land and lots. We have entered into land
option agreements in order to secure land for the construction of homes in the
future. Pursuant to these land option agreements, we have provided
deposits to land sellers totaling $6.4 million as of March 31, 2008 as
consideration for the right to purchase land and lots in the future, including
the right to purchase $97.2 million of land and lots during the years 2008
through 2018. We evaluate our future land purchases on an ongoing
basis, taking into consideration current and projected market conditions, and
negotiate terms with sellers, as necessary, based on market conditions and our
existing land supply by market. Based on our current financial
condition and credit relationships, we believe that our operations and borrowing
resources will provide for our current and long-term liquidity
requirements. However, we continue to evaluate the impact of market
conditions on our liquidity and may determine that modifications are necessary
if market conditions continue to deteriorate and extend beyond our
expectations. Please refer to our discussion of Forward-Looking
Statements on page 20 and Risk Factors beginning on page 35 of this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for further discussion of risk factors that could impact our
source of funds.
31
Included
in the table below is a summary of our available sources of cash as of March 31,
2008:
(In
thousands)
|
Expiration
Date
|
Outstanding
Balance
|
Available
Amount
|
Notes
payable banks – homebuilding
|
10/6/2010
|
$ 42,000
|
$135,931
|
Note
payable bank – financial services (a)
|
4/25/2008
|
$ 11,200
|
$ 16,799
|
Senior
notes
|
4/1/2012
|
$200,000
|
-
|
Universal
shelf registration (b)
|
-
|
-
|
$ 50,000
|
(a) The
MIF Credit Facility (as defined below) was amended on April 18, 2008 to extend
its term from April 26, 2008 to May 30, 2008. The Company is
currently in negotiations to enter into a secured credit facility for M/I
Financial that will be secured by certain mortgage loans held for
sale.
(b) This
shelf registration should allow us to expediently access capital markets in the
future. The Company intends to terminate its universal shelf
registration during the second quarter of 2008.
Notes Payable
Banks – Homebuilding. On March 27, 2008, we entered into the
Second Amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the Second Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement dated October 6, 2006 (the “Credit Facility”). Among
other things, the Second Amendment amends the Credit Facility by: (1)
reducing the Aggregate Commitment (as defined therein) from $500 million to $250
million; (2) changing the interest coverage ratio covenant, which is
consolidated EBITDA (as defined therein) to consolidated interest incurred (the
“Interest Coverage Ratio” or “ICR”) when it is below 1.5X. to a Minimum
Liquidity covenant, which is defined as either Adjusted Cash Flow from
Operations (as defined therein) of 1.5X or the maintenance of $25 million of
unrestricted cash; (3) redefining Consolidated Minimum Tangible Net Worth
(“CTNW”) as $400 million less the Deferred Tax Asset Valuation allowance up to
$65 million; (4) increasing pricing provisions; and (5) reducing permitted
secured indebtedness to $25 million.
At March
31, 2008, the Company’s homebuilding operations had borrowings totaling $42.0
million, financial letters of credit totaling $12.8 million and performance
letters of credit totaling $23.8 million outstanding under the Credit
Facility. The Credit Facility provides for a maximum borrowing amount
of $250 million. Under the terms of the Credit Facility, the $250
million capacity includes a maximum amount of $100 million in outstanding
letters of credit. Borrowing availability is determined based on the
lesser of: (1) Credit Facility loan capacity less Credit Facility borrowings
(including cash borrowings and letters of credit) or (2) the calculated maximum
asset based borrowing base capacity, less the actual borrowing base indebtedness
(including, but not limited to cash borrowings under the Credit Facility, senior
notes, financial letters of credit, 10% of surety bonds and performance letters
of credit, and the 10% commitment on the MIF Credit Facility (as defined
below)).
As of
March 31, 2008, borrowing availability was $135.9 million in accordance with the
borrowing base calculation. Borrowings under the Credit Facility are
unsecured and are at the Alternate Base Rate plus a margin of 37.5 basis points,
or at the Eurodollar Rate plus a margin ranging from 200 to 300 basis
points. The Alternate Base Rate is defined as the higher of the Prime
Rate, the Base CD Rate plus 100 basis points or the Federal Funds Rate plus 50
basis points.
The
Credit Facility also places limitations on the amount of additional indebtedness
that may be incurred by the Company, limitations on the investments that the
Company may make, including joint ventures and advances to officers and
employees, and limitations on the aggregate cost of certain types of inventory
that the Company can hold at any one time. The Company is required
under the Credit Facility to maintain a certain amount of tangible net worth
and, as of March 31, 2008, had approximately $155.6 million in excess of the
required tangible net worth that would be available for payment of
dividends. As of March 31, 2008, the Company was in compliance with all
restrictive covenants of the Credit Facility.
Note Payable Bank
– Financial Services. At March 31, 2008, we had $11.2 million
outstanding under the M/I Financial First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit
Agreement (the “MIF Credit Facility”). On April 18, 2008 the MIF
Credit Facility was amended to extend its term to May 30, 2008. M/I
Homes, Inc. and M/I Financial are co-borrowers under the MIF Credit
Facility. The MIF Credit Facility provides M/I Financial with $40.0
million maximum borrowing availability to finance mortgage loans initially
funded by M/I Financial for our customers. The maximum borrowing
availability is limited to 95% of eligible mortgage loans. In
determining eligible mortgage loans, the MIF Credit Facility provides limits on
certain types of loans. The borrowings under the MIF Credit Facility
are at the Prime Rate or LIBOR plus 135 basis points, with a commitment fee on
the unused portion of the MIF Credit Facility of 0.20%. Under the
terms of the MIF Credit Facility, M/I Financial is required to maintain tangible
net worth of $3.5 million and maintain certain financial ratios. As
of March 31, 2008, the borrowing base was $28.0 million with $16.8 million of
availability. As of March 31, 2008, the Company and M/I Financial
were in compliance with all restrictive covenants of the MIF Credit
Facility.
Prior to
May 30, 2008, M/I Financial intends to enter into a secured credit facility
agreement to replace the MIF Credit Facility. This new credit
facility will be secured by certain mortgage loans held for sale.
32
Senior
Notes. At March 31, 2008, there was $200 million of 6.875%
senior notes outstanding. The notes are due April
2012. The Second Amendment of the Credit Facility prohibits the early
repurchase of the senior notes. As of March 31, 2008, the Company was
in compliance with all restrictive covenants of the notes.
Weighted Average
Borrowings. For the three months ended March 31, 2008 and
2007, our weighted average borrowings outstanding were $307.2 million and $560.1
million, respectively, with a weighted average interest rate of 7.75% and 7.32%,
respectively. The decrease in borrowings was primarily the result of
the Company using cash generated from operations to pay down outstanding
debt. The increase in the weighted average interest rate was due to
the overall market increase in interest rates, which has impacted our variable
rate borrowings.
Preferred
Shares. In 2007, we issued 4,000,000 depositary shares, each
representing 1/1000th of a
9.75% Series A Preferred Share (the “Preferred Shares”), or 4,000 Preferred
Shares in the aggregate, for net proceeds of $96.3 million which were used for
the partial payment of the outstanding balance under the Company’s Credit
Facility. The Preferred Shares were offered pursuant to our existing
shelf registration statement. The Preferred Shares are non-cumulative
and have a liquidation preference equal to $25 per depositary
share. Dividends are payable quarterly in arrears, if declared by us,
on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. If there is a
change of control of the Company and if the Company’s corporate credit rating is
withdrawn or downgraded to a certain level (together constituting a “change of
control event”), the dividends on the Preferred Shares will increase to 10.75%
per year. We may not redeem the Preferred Shares prior to March 15,
2012, except following the occurrence of a change of control
event. On or after March 15, 2012, we have the option to redeem the
Preferred Shares in whole or in part at any time or from time to time, payable
in cash of $25 per depositary share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends
through the date of redemption for the then current quarterly dividend
period. The Preferred Shares have no stated maturity, are not subject
to any sinking fund provisions, are not convertible into any other securities
and will remain outstanding indefinitely unless redeemed by us. The
Preferred Shares have no voting rights, except as otherwise required by
applicable Ohio law; however, in the event we do not pay dividends for an
aggregate of six quarters (whether or not consecutive), the holders of the
Preferred Shares will be entitled to nominate two members to serve on our Board
of Directors. The Preferred Shares are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the trading symbol “MHO-PA.”
Universal Shelf
Registration. In April 2002, we filed a $150 million universal
shelf registration statement with the SEC. Pursuant to the filing, we
may, from time to time over an extended period, offer new debt, preferred stock
and/or other equity securities. Of the equity shares, up to 1 million
common shares may be sold by certain shareholders who are considered selling
shareholders. The Company intends to terminate its universal shelf
registration during the second quarter of 2008.
In 2007,
we issued $100 million of Preferred Shares, as further discussed above under
“Financing Cash Flow Activities – Preferred Shares,” which were offered pursuant
to the universal shelf registration. As of March 31, 2008, $50
million remains available under this universal shelf registration for future
offerings.
CONTRACTUAL
OBLIGATIONS
Refer to
the Contractual Obligations section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 for a summary of future payments
by period for our contractual obligations.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET
ARRANGEMENTS
Our
primary use of off-balance sheet arrangements is for the purpose of securing the
most desirable lots on which to build homes for our homebuyers in a manner that
we believe reduces the overall risk to the Company. Our off-balance
sheet arrangements relating to our homebuilding operations include
unconsolidated LLCs, land option agreements, guarantees and indemnifications
associated with acquiring and developing land and the issuance of letters of
credit and completion bonds. Additionally, in the ordinary course of
business, our financial services operation issues guarantees and indemnities
relating to the sale of loans to third parties.
Unconsolidated
Limited Liability Companies. In the ordinary course of
business, the Company periodically enters into arrangements with third parties
to acquire land and develop lots. These arrangements include the
creation by the Company of LLCs, with the Company’s interest in these entities
ranging from 33% to 50%. These entities engage in land development
activities for the purpose of distributing (in the form of a capital
distribution) or selling developed lots to the Company and its partners in the
entity. These entities generally do not meet the criteria of variable
interest entities (“VIEs”), because the equity at risk is sufficient to permit
the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated support
from the equity investors; however, we must evaluate each entity to determine
whether it is or is not a VIE. If an entity was determined to be a
VIE, we would then evaluate whether or not we are the primary
beneficiary. These evaluations are initially performed when each new
entity is created and upon any events that require reconsideration of the
entity.
33
We have
determined that none of the LLCs in which we have an interest are VIEs, and we
also have determined that we do not have substantive control over any of these
entities; therefore, our homebuilding LLCs are recorded using the equity method
of accounting. The Company believes its maximum exposure related to
any of these entities as of March 31, 2008 to be the amount invested of $34.1
million, plus letters of credit and bonds totaling $8.9 million that serve as
completion bonds for the development work in progress and our possible future
obligations under guarantees and indemnifications provided in connection with
these entities, as further discussed in Note 10 and Note 11 of our Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements.
Land Option
Agreements. In the ordinary course of business, the Company
enters into land option agreements in order to secure land for the construction
of homes in the future. Pursuant to these land option agreements, the
Company will provide a deposit to the seller as consideration for the right to
purchase land at different times in the future, usually at predetermined
prices. Because the entities holding the land under the option
agreement often meet the criteria for VIEs, the Company evaluates all land
option agreements to determine if it is necessary to consolidate any of these
entities. The Company currently believes that its maximum exposure as
of March 31, 2008 related to these agreements is equal to the amount of the
Company’s outstanding deposits, which totaled $6.4 million, including cash
deposits of $3.0 million, prepaid acquisition costs of $0.9 million, letters of
credit of $1.0 million and corporate promissory notes of $1.5
million. Further details relating to our land option agreements are
included in Note 14 of our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
Letters of Credit
and Completion Bonds. The Company provides standby letters of
credit and completion bonds for development work in progress, deposits on land
and lot purchase agreements and miscellaneous deposits. As of March
31, 2008, the Company has outstanding $113.2 million of completion bonds and
standby letters of credit, some of which were issued to various local
governmental entities, that expire at various times through December
2015. Included in this total are: (1) $68.6 million of performance
bonds and $25.8 million of performance letters of credit that serve as
completion bonds for land development work in progress (including the Company’s
$4.3 million share of our LLCs’ letters of credit and bonds); (2) $12.8 million
of financial letters of credit, of which $1.0 million represents deposits on
land and lot purchase agreements; and (3) $6.0 million of financial
bonds.
Guarantees and
Indemnities. In
the ordinary course of business, M/I Financial enters into agreements that
guarantee purchasers of its mortgage loans that M/I Financial will repurchase a
loan if certain conditions occur. M/I Financial has also provided
indemnifications to certain third party investors and insurers in lieu of
repurchasing certain loans. The risks associated with these
guarantees and indemnities are offset by the value of the underlying assets, and
the Company accrues its best estimate of the probable loss on these
loans. Additionally, the Company has provided certain other
guarantees and indemnities in connection with the acquisition and development of
land by our homebuilding operations. Refer to Note 11 of our
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details
relating to our guarantees and indemnities.
INTEREST RATES AND
INFLATION
Our
business is significantly affected by general economic conditions of the United
States of America and, particularly, by the impact of interest rates and
inflation. Higher interest rates may decrease our potential market by
making it more difficult for homebuyers to qualify for mortgages or to obtain
mortgages at interest rates that are acceptable to them. The impact of
increased rates can be offset, in part, by offering variable rate loans with
lower interest rates. In conjunction with our mortgage financing services,
hedging methods are used to reduce our exposure to interest rate fluctuations
between the commitment date of the loan and the time the loan
closes.
During
the past year, we have experienced some detrimental effect from inflation,
particularly the inflation in the cost of land that occurred over the past
several years. As a result of declines in market conditions in most
of our markets, in certain communities we have been unable to recover the cost
of these higher land prices, resulting in lower gross margins and significant
charges being recorded in our operating results due to the impairment of
inventory and investments in unconsolidated LLCs, and other write-offs relating
to deposits and pre-acquisition costs of abandoned land transactions. In
recent years, we have not experienced a detrimental effect from inflation in
relation to our home construction costs, and we have been successful in reducing
certain of these costs with our subcontractors. However, unanticipated
construction costs or a change in market conditions may occur during the period
between the date sales contracts are entered into with customers and the
delivery date of the related homes, resulting in lower gross profit
margins.
34
RISK
FACTORS
The
following cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possible inaccurate
assumptions relevant to our business includes factors we believe could cause our
actual results to differ materially from expected and historical
results. Other factors beyond those listed below, including factors
unknown to us and factors known to us which we have not currently determined to
be material, could also adversely affect us.
Homebuilding Market and
Economic Risks
The
homebuilding industry is in the midst of a significant downturn. A continuing
decline in demand for new homes coupled with an increase in the inventory of
available new homes and alternatives to new homes could adversely affect our
sales volume and pricing even more than has occurred to date.
The
homebuilding industry is in the midst of a significant downturn. As a
result, we have experienced a significant decline in demand for newly built
homes in almost all of our markets. Homebuilders’ inventories of unsold
new homes have increased as a result of increased cancellation rates on pending
contracts as new homebuyers sometimes find it more advantageous to forfeit a
deposit than to complete the purchase of the home. In addition, an
oversupply of alternatives to new homes, such as rental properties and existing
homes, has depressed prices and reduced margins. This combination of lower
demand and higher inventories affects both the number of homes we can sell and
the prices at which we can sell them. For example, in 2007 and into
the first quarter of 2008 we experienced a significant decline in our sales
results, significant reductions in our margins as a result of higher levels of
sales incentives and price concessions, and a higher than normal cancellation
rate. We do not know how long demand and supply will remain out of
balance in markets where we operate or whether, even if demand and supply come
back in balance, sales volumes or pricing will return to prior
levels.
Demand
for new homes is sensitive to economic conditions over which we have no control,
such as the availability of mortgage financing.
Demand
for homes is sensitive to changes in economic conditions such as the level of
employment, consumer confidence, consumer income, the availability of financing,
and interest rate levels. During 2007, the mortgage lending industry
experienced significant challenges. As a result of increased default
rates, particularly (but not entirely) with regard to sub-prime and other
non-conforming loans, many lenders have reduced their willingness to make, and
tightened their credit requirements with regard to, residential mortgage loans.
Fewer loan products and stricter loan qualification standards have made it
more difficult for some borrowers to finance the purchase of our homes.
Although our finance company subsidiary offers mortgage loans to potential
buyers of most of the homes we build, we may no longer be able to offer
financing terms that are attractive to our potential buyers.
Unavailability of mortgage financing at acceptable rates reduces demand for the
homes we build, including, in some instances, causing potential buyers to cancel
contracts they have signed.
Increasing
interest rates could cause defaults for homebuyers who financed homes using
non-traditional financing products, which could increase the number of homes
available for resale.
During
the period of high demand in the homebuilding industry prior to 2006, many
homebuyers financed their purchases using non-traditional adjustable rate or
interest only mortgages or other mortgages, including sub-prime mortgages, that
involved, at least during initial years, monthly payments that were
significantly lower than those required by conventional fixed rate mortgages.
As a result, new homes became more affordable. However, as monthly
payments for these homes increase, either as a result of increasing adjustable
interest rates or as a result of principal payments coming due, some of these
homebuyers could default on their payments and have their homes foreclosed,
which would increase the inventory of homes available for resale.
Foreclosure sales and other distress sales may result in further declines
in market prices for homes. In an environment of declining prices, many
homebuyers may delay purchases of homes in anticipation of lower prices in the
future. In addition, as lenders perceive deterioration in credit quality
among homebuyers, lenders have been eliminating some of the non-traditional and
sub-prime financing products previously available, and increasing the
qualifications needed for mortgages or adjusting their terms to address
increased credit risk. In addition, tighter lending standards for mortgage
products and volatility in the sub-prime and alternative mortgage markets may
have a negative impact on our business by making it more difficult for certain
of our homebuyers to obtain financing or resell their existing
homes. In general, to the extent mortgage rates increase or lenders
make it more difficult for prospective buyers to finance home purchases, it
becomes more difficult or costly for customers to purchase our homes, which has
an adverse affect on our sales volume.
35
Our
land investment exposes us to significant risks, including potential impairment
write-downs that could negatively impact our profits if the market value of our
inventory declines.
We must
anticipate demand for new homes several years prior to those homes being sold to
homeowners. There are significant risks inherent in controlling or
purchasing land, especially as the demand for new homes
decreases. There is often a significant lag time between when we
acquire land for development and when we sell homes in neighborhoods we have
planned, developed and constructed. The value of undeveloped land,
building lots and housing inventories can fluctuate significantly as a result of
changing market conditions. In addition, inventory carrying costs can
be significant and fluctuations in value can result in reduced
profits. Economic conditions could result in the necessity to sell
homes or land at a loss, or hold land in inventory longer than planned, which
could significantly impact our financial condition, results of operations, cash
flows and stock performance. As a result of softened market
conditions in most of our markets, since 2006, we have recorded a loss of $300.2
million for impairment of inventory and investments in unconsolidated LLCs
(including $63.6 million related to discontinued operations), and have
written-off $11.8 million relating to abandoned land transactions. It
is possible that the estimated cash flows from these inventory positions may
change and could result in a future need to record additional valuation
adjustments. Additionally, if conditions in the homebuilding industry
worsen in the future, we may be required to evaluate additional inventory for
potential impairment, which may result in additional valuation adjustments,
which could be significant and could negatively impact our financial results and
condition. We cannot make any assurances that the measures we employ
to manage inventory risks and costs will be successful.
If
we are unable to successfully compete in the highly competitive homebuilding
industry, our financial results and growth may suffer.
The
homebuilding industry is highly competitive. We compete for sales in
each of our markets with national, regional and local developers and
homebuilders, existing home resales and, to a lesser extent, condominiums and
available rental housing. Some of our competitors have significantly
greater financial resources or lower costs than we do. Competition
among both small and large residential homebuilders is based on a number of
interrelated factors, including location, reputation, amenities, design, quality
and price. Competition is expected to continue and become more
intense, and there may be new entrants in the markets in which we currently
operate and in markets we may enter in the future. If we are unable
to successfully compete, our financial results and growth could
suffer.
If
the current downturn becomes more severe or continues for an extended period of
time, it would have continued negative consequences on our operations, financial
position and cash flows.
Continued
weakness in the homebuilding industry could have an adverse effect on
us. It could require that we write off more assets, dispose of
assets, reduce operations, restructure our debt and/or raise new equity to
pursue our business plan, any of which could have a detrimental effect on our
current stakeholders.
Our
future operations may be adversely impacted by high inflation.
We, like
other homebuilders, may be adversely affected during periods of high inflation,
mainly by higher land and construction costs. Also, higher mortgage
interest rates may significantly affect the affordability of mortgage financing
to prospective buyers. Inflation increases our cost of financing, materials and labor and could cause our financial results
or growth to decline. We attempt to pass cost increases on to our
customers through higher sales prices. Although inflation has not
historically had a material adverse effect on our business, recently the cost of
some of the materials we use to construct our homes has
increased. Sustained increases in material costs would have a
material adverse effect on our business if we are unable to increase home sale
prices.
Our
lack of geographic diversification could adversely affect us if the homebuilding
industry in our market declines.
We have
operations in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and
Florida. Our limited geographic diversification could adversely
impact us if the homebuilding business in our current markets should decline,
since there may not be a balancing opportunity in a stronger market in other
geographic regions.
Operational
Risks
If we are not
able to obtain suitable financing, our business may be negatively
impacted.
The
homebuilding industry is capital intensive because of the length of time from
when land or lots are acquired to when the related homes are constructed on
those lots and delivered to homebuyers. Our business and earnings
depend on our ability to obtain financing to support our homebuilding operations
and to provide the resources to carry inventory. We may be required
to seek additional capital, whether from sales of equity or debt or additional
bank borrowings, to support our business. Our ability to secure the
needed capital at terms that are acceptable to us may be impacted by factors
beyond our control.
36
Reduced
numbers of home sales force us to absorb additional carrying costs.
We incur
many costs even before we begin to build homes in a community. These
include costs of preparing land and installing roads, sewage and other
utilities, as well as taxes and other costs related to ownership of the land on
which we plan to build homes. Reducing the rate at which we build homes
extends the length of time it takes us to recover these additional costs.
Also, we frequently acquire options to purchase land and make deposits
that will be forfeited if we do not exercise the options within specified
periods. Because of current market conditions, we have terminated a number
of these options, resulting in significant forfeitures of deposits we made with
regard to the options.
The
terms of our indebtedness may restrict our ability to operate.
The
Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 6, 2006 (the “Credit
Facility”) and the indenture governing our senior notes impose restrictions on
our operations and activities. The most significant restrictions
under the indenture governing our senior notes relate to debt incurrence, sales
of assets, cash distributions and investments by us and certain of our
subsidiaries. In addition, our Credit Facility requires compliance with
certain financial covenants, including a minimum adjusted consolidated tangible
net worth requirement and a maximum permitted leverage ratio.
Under the
minimum tangible net worth covenant contained in our Credit Facility, we are
required to maintain a minimum tangible net worth (adjusted for any deferred tax
valuation allowances incurred up to $65 million) as defined in the Credit
Facility of $400 million. At March, 31, 2008 our tangible net worth
exceeded the minimum tangible net worth required by this covenant by
approximately $155.6 million. Should economic conditions deteriorate
further and significant impairments occur as a result, we may be unable to meet
this covenant.
Based on
our current estimates, we believe we will meet the minimum tangible net worth
covenant through 2008 unless we are required to take significant additional
impairment charges. If recording significant impairment charges
and/or deferred tax valuation allowances in the future causes us not to comply
with the minimum tangible net worth covenant under the Credit Facility, the
lender would have the right to terminate the Credit Facility and cause any
amounts we owe under the Credit Facility to become due
immediately. We monitor these and other covenant requirements
closely. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in
complying with all restrictions of our indebtedness or in obtaining waivers in
the event of a covenant violation.
The
indenture covering our senior notes contains various covenants, including
limitations on additional indebtedness, affiliate transactions, sale of assets
and a restriction on certain payments. Payments for dividends and
share repurchases are subject to a limitation, with increases in the limitation
resulting from issuances of equity interests and quarterly net earnings, and
decreases in the limitation resulting from quarterly net losses, with such
increases and decreases being cumulative since the March 2005 issuance of the
notes. As of March 31, 2008, there was $82.1 million available for
the payment of dividends or share repurchases under this
covenant.
One
unconsolidated entity in which we have investments may not be able to modify the
terms of its loan agreement.
In one of
our joint ventures with financing, we have not met certain obligations under the
loan agreement, which has resulted in the joint venture being in
default. The joint venture is redefining the business plan and
continues to proceed in discussions with the lender. Although we
continue to have discussions with both our builder partner and lender, there can
be no assurance that we will be able to successfully re-negotiate or extend, on
terms we deem acceptable, the joint venture loan. The loan is
non-recourse to the Company. If we are unsuccessful in these efforts,
it may result in the write-off of our investment of $5.3 million.
We
may be unable to obtain suitable financing and bonding for the development of
our communities.
Our
business depends upon our ability to obtain financing for the development of our
residential communities and to provide bonds to ensure the completion of our
projects. We currently use our Credit Facility to provide some of the financing
we need. The willingness of lenders to make funds available to us has
been affected both by factors relating to us as a borrower, and by a decrease in
the willingness of banks and other lenders to lend to homebuilders generally. If
we were unable to finance the development of our communities through our Credit
Facility or other debt, or if we were unable to provide required surety bonds
for our projects, our business operations and revenues could suffer a material
adverse effect.
The
credit facility of our financial services segment will expire in May
2008.
M/I
Financial, our financial services segment, is party to the $40.0 million MIF
Credit Facility. M/I Financial uses the MIF Credit Facility to finance its
lending activities until the loans are delivered to third party buyers. The MIF
Credit Facility will expire on May 30, 2008. The Company is in the
process of negotiating a new secured credit facility to replace the MIF Credit
Facility that will be secured with certain mortgages held for
sale. If we are unable to replace the MIF Credit Facility when it
matures in May 2008, it could seriously impede the activities of our financial
services segment.
37
We
may not be able to utilize all of our deferred tax assets.
We
currently believe that we are likely to have sufficient taxable income in the
future to realize the benefit of all our net deferred tax assets (consisting
primarily of valuation adjustments, reserves and accruals that are not currently
deductible for tax purposes, as well as operating loss carryforwards from losses
we incurred year to date). However, some or all of these deferred tax
assets could expire unused if we are unable to generate sufficient taxable
income in the future to take advantage of them or we enter into transactions
that limit our right to use them. If it became more likely than not
that deferred tax assets would expire unused, we would have to increase our
valuation allowance to reflect this fact, which could materially increase our
income tax expense and adversely affect our results of operations and tangible
net worth in the period in which it is recorded.
Our
income tax provision and other tax liabilities may be insufficient if taxing
authorities are successful in asserting tax positions that are contrary to our
position.
From time
to time, we are audited by various federal, state and local authorities
regarding income tax matters. Significant judgment is required to determine our
provision for income taxes and our liabilities for federal, state, local and
other taxes. Our audits are in various stages of completion; however, no
outcome for a particular audit can be determined with certainty prior to the
conclusion of the audit, appeal and, in some cases, litigation process.
Although we believe our approach to determining the appropriate tax
treatment is supportable and in accordance with SFAS 109 and FIN 48, it is
possible that the final tax authority will take a tax position that is
materially different than that which is reflected in our income tax provision
and other tax reserves. As each audit is conducted, adjustments, if any,
are appropriately recorded in our Consolidated Financial Statements in the
period determined. Such differences could have a material adverse effect
on our income tax provision or benefit, or other tax reserves, in the reporting
period in which such determination is made and, consequently, on our results of
operations, financial position and/or cash flows for such period.
We
experience fluctuations and variability in our operating results on a quarterly
basis and, as a result, our historical performance may not be a meaningful
indicator of future results.
We
historically have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, variability
in home sales and results of operations on a quarterly basis. As a
result of such variability, our historical performance may not be a meaningful
indicator of future results. Factors that contribute to this
variability include: (a) timing of home deliveries and land sales;
(b) delays in construction schedules due to strikes, adverse weather, acts of
God, reduced subcontractor availability and governmental restrictions; (c) our
ability to acquire additional land or options for additional land on acceptable
terms; (d) conditions of the real estate market in areas where we operate and of
the general economy; (e) the cyclical nature of the homebuilding industry,
changes in prevailing interest rates and the availability of mortgage financing;
and (f) costs and availability of materials and labor.
Homebuilding
is subject to warranty and liability claims in the ordinary course of business
that can be significant.
As a
homebuilder, we are subject to home warranty and construction defect claims
arising in the ordinary course of business. We record warranty and
other reserves for homes we sell based on historical experience in our markets
and our judgment of the qualitative risks associated with the types of homes
built. We have, and require the majority of our subcontractors to
have, general liability, workers’ compensation and other business
insurance. These insurance policies protect us against a portion of
our risk of loss from claims, subject to certain self-insured retentions,
deductibles and other coverage limits. We reserve for the costs to
cover our self-insured retentions and deductible amounts under these policies
and for any costs of claims and lawsuits based on an analysis of our historical
claims, which includes an estimate of claims incurred but not yet
reported. Because of the uncertainties inherent to these matters, we
cannot provide assurance that our insurance coverage, our subcontractors’
arrangements and our reserves will be adequate to address all of our warranty
and construction defect claims in the future. For example,
contractual indemnities can be difficult to enforce, we may be responsible for
applicable self-insured retentions, and some types of claims may not be covered
by insurance or may exceed applicable coverage limits. Additionally,
the coverage offered and the availability of general liability insurance for
construction defects are currently limited and costly. We have
responded to the increases in insurance costs and coverage limitations by
increasing our self-insured retentions. There can be no assurance
that coverage will not be further restricted and may become even more costly or
may not be available at rates that are acceptable to us.
38
Natural
disasters and severe weather conditions could delay deliveries, increase costs
and decrease demand for homes in affected areas.
Several
of our markets, specifically our operations in Florida, North Carolina and
Washington, D.C., are situated in geographical areas that are regularly impacted
by severe storms, hurricanes and flooding. In addition, our
operations in the Midwest can be impacted by severe storms, including
tornados. The occurrence of these or other natural disasters can
cause delays in the completion of, or increase the cost of, developing one or
more of our communities, and as a result could materially and adversely impact
our results of operations.
Supply
shortages and other risks related to the demand for skilled labor and building
materials could increase costs and delay deliveries.
The
residential construction industry has, from time to time, experienced
significant material and labor shortages in insulation, drywall, brick, cement
and certain areas of carpentry and framing, as well as fluctuations in lumber
prices and supplies. Any shortages of long duration in these areas
could delay construction of homes, which could adversely affect our business and
increase costs. We have not experienced any significant issues with
availability of building materials or skilled labor.
We
are subject to extensive government regulations which could restrict our
homebuilding or financial services business.
The
homebuilding industry is subject to increasing local, state and federal
statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, resource
protection, building design and construction, and similar
matters. This includes local regulations that impose restrictive
zoning and density requirements in order to limit the number of homes that can
eventually be built within the boundaries of a particular
location. Such regulation also affects construction activities,
including construction materials that must be used in certain aspects of
building design, as well as sales activities and other dealings with
homebuyers. We must also obtain licenses, permits and approvals from
various governmental agencies for our development activities, the granting of
which are beyond our control. Furthermore, increasingly stringent
requirements may be imposed on homebuilders and developers in the
future. Although we cannot predict the impact on us to comply with
any such requirements, such requirements could result in time-consuming and
expensive compliance programs. In addition, we have been, and in the
future may be, subject to periodic delays or may be precluded from developing
certain projects due to building moratoriums. These moratoriums
generally relate to insufficient water supplies or sewage facilities, delays in
utility hookups, or inadequate road capacity within the specific market area or
subdivision. These moratoriums can occur prior to, or subsequent to,
commencement of our operations, without notice or recourse.
We are
also subject to a variety of local, state and federal statutes, ordinances,
rules and regulations concerning the protection of health and the
environment. The particular environmental laws that apply to any
given project vary greatly according to the project site and the present and
former uses of the property. These environmental laws may result in
delays, cause us to incur substantial compliance costs (including substantial
expenditures for pollution and water quality control), and prohibit or severely
restrict development in certain environmentally sensitive
regions. Although there can be no assurance that we will be
successful in all cases, we have a general practice of requiring resolution of
environmental issues prior to purchasing land in an effort to avoid major
environmental issues in our developments.
In
addition to the laws and regulations that relate to our homebuilding operations,
M/I Financial is subject to a variety of laws and regulations concerning the
underwriting, servicing and sale of mortgage loans.
We are dependent
on the services of certain key employees, and the loss of their services could
hurt our business.
Our
future success depends, in part, on our ability to attract, train and retain
skilled personnel. If we are unable to retain our key employees or
attract, train and retain other skilled personnel in the future, it could impact
our operations and result in additional expenses for identifying and training
new personnel.
39
ITEM
3: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
|
Our
primary market risk results from fluctuations in interest rates. We
are exposed to interest rate risk through borrowings under our unsecured
revolving credit facilities, consisting of the Credit Facility and the MIF
Credit Facility, which permit borrowings of up to $290 million as of March 31,
2008, subject to availability constraints. Additionally, M/I
Financial is exposed to interest rate risk associated with its mortgage loan
origination services.
Loan Commitments:
Interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) are extended to home-buying
customers who have applied for mortgages and who meet certain defined credit and
underwriting criteria. Typically, the IRLCs will have a duration of
less than nine months; however, in certain markets, the duration could extend to
twelve months.
Some
IRLCs are committed to a specific third-party investor through the use of
best-efforts whole loan delivery commitments matching the exact terms of the
IRLC loan. The notional amount of the committed IRLCs and the
best-efforts contracts was $12.6 million and $2.1 million at March 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively. At March 31, 2008, the fair value of
the committed IRLCs resulted in a liability of less than $0.1 million and the
related best-efforts contracts resulted in a liability of $0.2
million. At December 31, 2007, the fair value of the committed IRLCs
resulted in an asset of less than $0.1 million and the related best-efforts
contracts resulted in a liability of less than $0.1 million. For the
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we recognized $0.2 million and less
than $0.1 million of expense, respectively, relating to marking these committed
IRLCs and the related best-efforts contracts to market.
Uncommitted
IRLCs are considered derivative instruments under SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 133”), and are fair value
adjusted, with the resulting gain or loss recorded in current
earnings. At March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the notional
amount of the uncommitted IRLCs was $54.0 million and $34.3 million,
respectively. The fair value adjustment related to these uncommitted
IRLCs, which is based on quoted market prices, resulted in an asset of $1.0
million and $0.2 million at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007,
respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we
recognized income of $0.8 million and expense of $0.1 million, respectively,
relating to marking the uncommitted IRLCs to market.
Forward
sales of mortgage-backed securities (“FMBSs”) are used to protect uncommitted
IRLC loans against the risk of changes in interest rates between the lock date
and the funding date. FMBSs related to uncommitted IRLCs are
classified and accounted for as non-designated derivative instruments, with
gains and losses recorded in current earnings. At March 31, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, the notional amount under these FMBSs was $59.0 million and
$37.0 million, respectively, and the related fair value adjustment, which is
based on quoted market prices, resulted in a liability of $0.5 million and $0.2
million, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2008 and
2007, we recognized $0.2 million and $0.1 million of expense, respectively,
relating to marking these FMBSs to market.
Mortgage Loans
Held for Sale:
During the intervening period between when a loan is closed and when it
is sold to an investor, the interest rate risk is covered through the use of a
best-efforts contract or by FMBSs.
The
notional amount of the best-efforts contracts and related mortgage loans held
for sale was $3.7 million and $15.4 million at March 31, 2008 and December 31,
2007, respectively. The fair value of the best-efforts contracts and
related mortgage loans held for sale resulted in a net liability of $0.2 million
and less than $0.1 million at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007,
respectively, under the matched terms method of SFAS 133. For the
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we recognized expense of $0.2
million and income of less than $0.1 million, respectively, relating to marking
these best-efforts contracts and the related mortgage loans held for sale to
market.
The
notional amounts of the FMBSs and the related mortgage loans held for sale were
$26.0 million and $26.3 million, respectively, at March 31, 2008 and $43.0
million and $43.2 million, respectively, at December 31, 2007. In
accordance with SFAS 133, the FMBSs are classified and accounted for as
non-designated derivative instruments, with gains and losses recorded in current
earnings. As of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the related
fair value adjustment for marking these FMBSs to market resulted in an asset of
$0.1 million and a liability of $0.4 million, respectively. For the
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, we recognized income of $0.4 million
and expense of $0.2 million, respectively, relating to marking these FMBSs to
market.
40
The
following table provides the expected future cash flows and current fair values
of borrowings under our credit facilities and mortgage loan origination services
that are subject to market risk as interest rates fluctuate, as of March 31,
2008:
Weighted
|
|||||||||
Average
|
Fair
|
||||||||
Interest
|
Expected
Cash Flows by Period
|
Value
|
|||||||
(Dollars
in thousands)
|
Rate
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
Thereafter
|
Total
|
3/31/08
|
ASSETS:
|
|||||||||
Mortgage
loans held for sale:
|
|||||||||
Fixed
rate
|
5.41%
|
$30,357
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ 30,357
|
$ 29,923
|
Variable
rate
|
N/A
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
LIABILITIES:
|
|||||||||
Long-term
debt – fixed rate
|
6.91%
|
$ 197
|
$283
|
$ 306
|
$ 332
|
$200,360
|
$5,161
|
$206,639
|
$177,926
|
Long-term
debt – variable rate
|
5.18%
|
11,200
|
-
|
42,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
53,200
|
53,200
|
41
ITEM
4: CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Conclusion
Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
An
evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) under The Securities
Exchange Act of 1934) was performed by the Company's management, with the
participation of the Company’s principal executive officer and the principal
financial officer. Based on that evaluation, the Company's principal
executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the Company's
disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period
covered by this report.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
During
the first quarter of 2008, changes in responsibility for performing internal
control procedures occurred as a result of changes in the Company’s
workforce. Management has evaluated these changes in our internal control
over financial reporting, and believes that the changes were not material in
regards to effective internal controls over financial reporting.
It should
be noted that the design of any system of controls is based, in part, upon
certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no
assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all
potential future conditions, regardless of how remote. In addition, a
control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only
reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system
are met.
Part II - OTHER
INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal
Proceedings
The
Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named as defendants in various
claims, complaints and other legal actions which are routine and incidental to
our business. Certain of the liabilities resulting from these actions
are covered by insurance. While management currently believes that
the ultimate resolution of these matters, individually and in the aggregate,
will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or
overall trends in results of operations, such matters are subject to inherent
uncertainties. The Company has recorded a liability to provide for
the anticipated costs, including legal defense costs, associated with the
resolution of these matters. However, there exists the possibility
that the costs to resolve these matters could differ from the recorded estimates
and, therefore, have a material adverse impact on the Company’s net income for
the periods in which the matters are resolved.
Item 1A. Risk
Factors
There
have been no material changes in our risk factors as previously disclosed in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 in response
to Item 1A. to Part I of such Form 10-K, except for the following
updates to such previously disclosed risk factors and risk factors that were
added for the quarter ended March 31, 2008:
The
credit facility of our financial services segment will expire in May
2008.
M/I
Financial, our financial services segment, is party to the $40.0 million MIF
Credit Facility. M/I Financial uses the MIF Credit Facility to
finance its lending activities until the loans are delivered to third party
buyers. The MIF Credit Facility will expire on May 30, 2008. The
Company is in the process of negotiating a new secured credit facility to
replace the MIF Credit Facility that will be secured with certain mortgages held
for sale. If we are unable to replace the MIF Credit Facility when it
matures in May 2008, it could seriously impede the activities of our financial
services segment.
The
terms of our indebtedness may restrict our ability to operate.
The
Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 6, 2006 (the “Credit
Facility”) and the indenture governing our senior notes impose restrictions on
our operations and activities. The most significant restrictions
under the indenture governing our senior notes relate to debt incurrence, sales
of assets, cash distributions and investments by us and certain of our
subsidiaries. In addition, our Credit Facility requires compliance
with certain financial covenants, including a minimum adjusted consolidated
tangible net worth requirement and a maximum permitted leverage
ratio.
Under the
minimum tangible net worth covenant contained in our Credit Facility, we are
required to maintain a minimum tangible net worth (adjusted for any deferred tax
valuation allowances incurred up to $65 million) as defined in the Credit
Facility of $400 million. At March, 31, 2008 our tangible net worth
exceeded the minimum tangible net
42
worth
required by this covenant by approximately $155.6 million. Should
economic conditions deteriorate further and significant impairments occur as a
result, we may be unable to meet this covenant.
Based on
our current estimates, we believe we will meet the minimum tangible net worth
covenant through 2008 unless we are required to take significant additional
impairment charges. If recording significant impairment charges
and/or deferred tax valuation allowances in the future cause us not to comply
with the minimum tangible net worth covenant under the Credit Facility, the
lender would have the right to terminate the Credit Facility and cause any
amounts we owe under the Credit Facility to become due
immediately. We monitor these and other covenant requirements
closely. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in
complying with all restrictions of our indebtedness or in obtaining waivers in
the event of a covenant violation.
The
indenture covering our senior notes contains various covenants, including
limitations on additional indebtedness, affiliate transactions, sale of assets
and a restriction on certain payments. Payments for dividends and
share repurchases are subject to a limitation, with increases in the limitation
resulting from issuances of equity interests and quarterly net earnings, and
decreases in the limitation resulting from quarterly net losses, with such
increases and decreases being cumulative since the March 2005 issuance of the
notes. As of March 31, 2008, there was $82.1 million available for
the payment of dividends or share repurchases under this
covenant.
One
unconsolidated entity in which we have investments may not be able to modify the
terms of its loan agreement.
In one of
our joint ventures with financing, we have not met certain obligations under the
loan agreement which has resulted in the joint venture being in
default. The joint venture is redefining the business plan and
continues to proceed in discussions with the lender. Although we
continue to have discussions with both our builder partner and lender, there can
be no assurance that we will be able to successfully re-negotiate or extend, on
terms we deem acceptable, the joint venture loan. The loan is
non-recourse to the Company. If we are unsuccessful in these efforts,
it may result in the write-off of our investment of $5.3 million.
If
we are unable to successfully compete in the highly competitive homebuilding
industry, our financial results and growth may suffer.
The
homebuilding industry is highly competitive. We compete for sales in
each of our markets with national, regional and local developers and
homebuilders, existing home resales and, to a lesser extent, condominiums and
available rental housing. Some of our competitors have significantly
greater financial resources or lower costs than we do. Competition
among both small and large residential homebuilders is based on a number of
interrelated factors, including location, reputation, amenities, design, quality
and price. Competition is expected to continue and become more
intense, and there may be new entrants in the markets in which we currently
operate and in markets we may enter in the future. If we are unable
to successfully compete, our financial results and growth could
suffer.
If
the current downturn becomes more severe or continues for an extended period of
time, it would have continued negative consequences on our operations, financial
position and cash flows.
Continued
weakness in the homebuilding industry could have an adverse effect on
us. It could require that we write off more assets, dispose of
assets, reduce operations, restructure our debt and/or raise new equity to
pursue our business plan, any of which could have a detrimental effect on our
current stakeholders.
Our
future operations may be adversely impacted by high inflation.
We, like
other homebuilders, may be adversely affected during periods of high inflation,
mainly by higher land and construction costs. Also, higher mortgage
interest rates may significantly affect the affordability of mortgage financing
to prospective buyers. Inflation increases our cost of financing,
materials and labor and could cause our financial results or growth to
decline. We attempt to pass cost increases on to our customers
through higher sales prices. Although inflation has not historically
had a material adverse effect on our business, recently the cost of some of the
materials we use to construct our homes has increased. Sustained
increases in material costs would have a material adverse effect on our business
if we are unable to increase home sale prices.
Our
lack of geographic diversification could adversely affect us if the homebuilding
industry in our market declines.
We have
operations in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and
Florida. Our limited geographic diversification could adversely
impact us if the homebuilding business in our current markets should decline,
since there may not be a balancing opportunity in a stronger market in other
geographic regions.
43
We
experience fluctuations and variability in our operating results on a quarterly
basis and, as a result, our historical performance may not be a meaningful
indicator of future results.
We
historically have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, variability
in home sales and results of operations on a quarterly basis. As a
result of such variability, our historical performance may not be a meaningful
indicator of future results. Factors that contribute to this
variability include: (a) timing of home deliveries and land sales;
(b) delays in construction schedules due to strikes, adverse weather, acts of
God, reduced subcontractor availability and governmental restrictions; (c) our
ability to acquire additional land or options for additional land on acceptable
terms; (d) conditions of the real estate market in areas where we operate and of
the general economy; (e) the cyclical nature of the homebuilding industry,
changes in prevailing interest rates and the availability of mortgage financing;
and (f) costs and availability of materials and labor.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales
of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
(a)
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities – None.
(b) Use
of Proceeds – Not Applicable.
(c) Purchases of Equity
Securities
On
November 8, 2005, the Company obtained authorization from the Board of Directors
to repurchase up to $25 million worth of its outstanding common
shares. The repurchase program expires on November 8, 2010, and was
publicly announced on November 10, 2005. The purchases may occur in
the open market and/or in privately negotiated transactions as market conditions
warrant. During the three month period ended March 31, 2008, the
Company did not repurchase any shares. As of March 31, 2008, the
Company had approximately $6.7 million available to repurchase outstanding
common shares from the Board-approved repurchase program.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities:
Period
|
Total
number of shares
purchased
|
Average
price
paid
per
share
|
Total
number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced
program
|
Approximate
dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the program
(1)
|
|||
January
1 to January 31, 2008
|
-
|
$ -
|
-
|
$6,715,000
|
|||
February
1 to February 29, 2008
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$6,715,000
|
|||
March
1 to March 31, 2008
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$6,715,000
|
|||
Total
|
-
|
$ -
|
-
|
$6,715,000
|
(1) On
November 10, 2005, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had
authorized the repurchase of up to $25 million worth of its outstanding common
shares. This repurchase program expires on November 8,
2010.
Item 3. Defaults
Upon Senior Securities - None.
Item 4. Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders - None.
Item 5. Other
Information - None.
44
Item 6. Exhibits
The
exhibits required to be filed herewith are set forth below.
Exhibit
|
||
Number
|
Description
|
|
10.1
|
Form
of 2008 Award Formulas and Performance Goals, incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on February 19, 2008.
|
|
10.2
|
Second
Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated March 27,
2008, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 1, 2008.
|
|
10.3
|
Fourth
Amendment to First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement
effective as of April 18, 2008 by and among M/I Financial Corp., the
Company and Guaranty Bank. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
by Robert H. Schottenstein, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Item 601
of Regulation S-K as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
by Phillip G. Creek, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Item 601 of
Regulation S-K as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
32.1
|
Certification
by Robert H. Schottenstein, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
32.2
|
Certification
by Phillip G. Creek, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002. (Filed
herewith.)
|
45
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
M/I Homes,
Inc.
|
|||||
(Registrant)
|
|||||
Date:
|
May
6, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/
Robert H. Schottenstein
|
||
Robert
H. Schottenstein
|
|||||
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and
|
|||||
President
|
|||||
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|||||
Date:
|
May
6, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/
Ann Marie W. Hunker
|
||
Ann
Marie W. Hunker
|
|||||
Vice
President, Corporate Controller
|
|||||
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
|
|||||
46
EXHIBIT
INDEX
|
||
Exhibit
|
||
Number
|
Description
|
|
10.1
|
Form
of 2008 Award Formulas and Performance Goals, incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on February 19, 2008.
|
|
10.2
|
Second
Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated March 27,
2008, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 1, 2008.
|
|
10.3
|
Fourth
Amendment to First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement
effective as of April 18, 2008 by and among M/I Financial Corp., the
Company and Guaranty Bank. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
by Robert H. Schottenstein, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Item 601
of Regulation S-K as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
by Phillip G. Creek, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Item 601 of
Regulation S-K as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
32.1
|
Certification
by Robert H. Schottenstein, Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
|
|
32.2
|
Certification
by Phillip G. Creek, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350 as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002. (Filed
herewith.)
|
47