Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. - Annual Report: 2014 (Form 10-K)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
______________________________________________________
FORM 10-K
______________________________________________________
(Mark One)
x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014
OR
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 000-54382
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KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
______________________________________________________
Maryland | 26-3842535 | |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
800 Newport Center Drive, Suite 700 Newport Beach, California | 92660 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(949) 417-6500
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
______________________________________________________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | |
None | None |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of the Form 10-K or any amendment of this Form 10-K. x
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 the 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 | ¨ | |||
Non-Accelerated Filer | ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | x |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
There is no established market for the Registrant’s shares of common stock. On March 25, 2014, the board of directors of the Registrant approved an estimated value per share of the Registrant’s common stock of $11.27 based on the estimated value of the Registrant’s assets less the estimated value of the Registrant’s liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, as of December 31, 2013 with the exception of an adjustment for acquisition fees and closing costs incurred in connection with the acquisitions of three real estate assets subsequent to December 31, 2013 (one of which was under contract and was reasonably probable to close, but had not yet closed as of March 25, 2014), which were included as a reduction to the net asset value. For a full description of the methodologies used to value the Registrant’s assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation the estimated value per share as of March 25, 2014, see the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2014. On December 9, 2014, the board of directors of the Registrant approved an estimated value per share of the Registrant’s common stock of $12.24 based on the estimated value of the Registrant’s assets less the estimated value of the Registrant’s liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, as of September 30, 2014. For a full description of the methodologies used to value the Registrant’s assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation the estimated value per share as of December 9, 2014, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information.” There were approximately 59,429,476 shares of common stock held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2014, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
As of March 3, 2015, there were 59,989,107 outstanding shares of common stock of the Registrant.
Documents Incorporated by Reference:
Registrant incorporates by reference in Part III (Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14) of this Form 10-K portions of its Definitive Proxy Statement for its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking statements. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. and members of our management team, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based, and generally are identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “seeks,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “should” or similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, unless required by law.
The following are some of the risks and uncertainties, although not all of the risks and uncertainties, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those presented in our forward-looking statements:
• | We depend on tenants for our revenue and, accordingly, our revenue is dependent upon the success and economic viability of our tenants. Revenues from our property investments could decrease due to a reduction in tenants (caused by factors including, but not limited to, tenant defaults, tenant insolvency, early termination of tenant leases and non-renewal of existing tenant leases) and/or lower rental rates, limiting our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders. |
• | Our opportunistic investment strategy involves a higher risk of loss than would a strategy of investing in some other types of real estate and real estate-related investments. |
• | We have paid distributions from financings and in the future we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operations or gains from asset sales. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations or gains from asset sales, we will have less funds available for investment in loans, properties and other assets, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced and subsequent investors may experience dilution. |
• | All of our executive officers and some of our directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals are also officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, our dealer manager and other KBS‑affiliated entities. As a result, they face conflicts of interest, including significant conflicts created by our advisor’s compensation arrangements with us and other KBS‑advised programs and investors and conflicts in allocating time among us and these other programs and investors. These conflicts could result in unanticipated actions. Fees paid to our advisor in connection with transactions involving the origination, acquisition and management of our investments are based on the cost of the investment, not on the quality of the investment or services rendered to us. This arrangement could influence our advisor to recommend riskier transactions to us. |
• | We pay substantial fees to and expenses of our advisor and its affiliates and, in connection with our initial public offering, we paid substantial fees to our dealer manager and participating broker-dealers. These payments increase the risk that our stockholders will not earn a profit on their investment in us and increase our stockholders’ risk of loss. |
• | We cannot predict with any certainty how much, if any, of our dividend reinvestment plan proceeds will be available for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, the redemption of shares under our share redemption program, future funding obligations under any real estate loans receivable we acquire the funding of capital expenditures on our real estate investments or the repayment of debt. If such funds are not available from the dividend reinvestment plan offering, then we may have to use a greater proportion of our cash flow from operations to meet these cash requirements, which would reduce cash available for distributions and could limit our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program. |
All forward-looking statements should be read in light of the risks identified in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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PART I
ITEM 1. | BUSINESS |
Overview
KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. was formed on October 8, 2008 as a Maryland corporation and elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) beginning with the taxable year ending December 31, 2010 and intends to operate in such manner. As used herein, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” refer to KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. and as required by context, KBS Strategic Opportunity Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership formed on December 10, 2008 (the “Operating Partnership”), and its subsidiaries. We conduct our business primarily through our Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner. Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our business is managed by KBS Capital Advisors LLC (“KBS Capital Advisors”), our external advisor, pursuant to an advisory agreement. Our advisor conducts our operations and manages our portfolio of real estate-related investments. Our advisor owns 20,000 shares of our common stock. We have no paid employees.
On January 8, 2009, we filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to offer a minimum of 250,000 shares and a maximum of 140,000,000 shares of common stock for sale to the public, of which 100,000,000 shares were registered in our primary offering and 40,000,000 shares were registered under our dividend reinvestment plan. The SEC declared our registration statement effective on November 20, 2009. We ceased offering shares of common stock in our primary offering on November 14, 2012. We sold 56,584,976 shares of common stock in the primary offering for gross offering proceeds of $561.7 million. We continue to offer shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan. As of December 31, 2014, we had sold 3,981,976 shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $39.2 million. Also as of December 31, 2014, we had redeemed 818,866 of the shares sold in our offering for $8.3 million. Additionally, on December 29, 2011 and October 23, 2012, we issued 220,994 shares and 55,249 shares of common stock, respectively, for $2.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Objectives and Strategies
Our primary investment objectives are:
• | to provide our stockholders with attractive and stable returns; and |
• | to preserve and return our stockholders’ capital contributions. |
We have sought to achieve these objectives by investing in and managing a portfolio of real estate-related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments. We have acquired our investments through a combination of equity raised in our initial public offering and debt financing. We plan to lease-up and stabilize existing assets. We plan to explore value-add opportunities for existing assets and seek to realize growth in the value of our investments by timing asset sales to maximize their value.
Real Estate Investments
As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties and one retail property encompassing, in the aggregate, approximately 4.6 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2014, these properties were 80% occupied. In addition, we owned two apartment properties, containing 383 units and encompassing approximately 0.3 million rentable square feet, which were 87% occupied. We also owned two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres. In addition, we owned two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
We have attempted to diversify our tenant base in order to limit exposure to any one tenant or industry. As of December 31, 2014, we had no tenants that represented more than 10% of our total annualized base rent and our top ten tenants represented approximately 16% of our total annualized base rent. The total cost of our real estate portfolio, net of impairment charges, as of December 31, 2014 was $919.3 million. For more information about our real estate investments, see Part I, Item 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Real Estate-Related Investments
As of December 31, 2014, we owned one real estate loan receivable with a total book value of $27.4 million. This loan had an annual effective interest rate of 14.2% as of December 31, 2014.
Financing Objectives
We have financed the majority of our real estate and real estate-related investments with a combination of the proceeds we received from our initial public offering and debt. We used debt financing to increase the amount available for investment and to potentially increase overall investment yields to us and our stockholders. As of December 31, 2014, the weighted‑average interest rate on our debt was 2.8%.
We borrow funds at both fixed and variable rates; as of December 31, 2014, we had $32.8 million and $497.4 million of fixed and variable rate debt outstanding, respectively. The weighted‑average interest rates of our fixed rate debt and variable rate debt as of December 31, 2014 were 4.5% and 2.6%, respectively. The weighted‑average interest rate represents the actual interest rate in effect as of December 31, 2014, using interest rate indices as of December 31, 2014, where applicable.
We have tried to spread the maturity dates of our debt to minimize maturity and refinance risk in our portfolio. In addition, a majority of our debt allows us to extend the maturity dates, subject to certain conditions. Although we believe we will satisfy the conditions to extend the maturity of our debt obligations, we can give no assurance in this regard. The following table shows the current and fully extended maturities, including principal amortization payments, of our debt as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
Current Maturity | Extended Maturity | |||||||
2015 | $ | 2,005 | $ | 2,005 | ||||
2016 | 19,079 | 5,589 | ||||||
2017 | 402,133 | 140,287 | ||||||
2018 | 80,972 | 225,321 | ||||||
2019 | 7,805 | 132,712 | ||||||
Thereafter | 18,244 | 24,324 | ||||||
$ | 530,238 | $ | 530,238 |
There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for any single investment. Our charter limits our total liabilities to 75% of the cost of our tangible assets; however, we may exceed that limit if a majority of the conflicts committee approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowing to our common stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. As of December 31, 2014, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 53% of the cost (before depreciation or other noncash reserves) and book value (before depreciation) of our tangible assets.
We do not intend to exceed the leverage limit in our charter. High levels of debt could cause us to incur higher interest charges and higher debt service payments, which would decrease the amount of cash available for distribution to our investors, and could also be accompanied by restrictive covenants. High levels of debt could also increase the risk of being unable to refinance when loans become due, or of being unable to refinance on favorable terms, and the risk of loss with respect to assets pledged as collateral for loans.
Except with respect to the borrowing limits contained in our charter, we may reevaluate and change our debt policy in the future without a stockholder vote. Factors that we would consider when reevaluating or changing our debt policy include: then-current economic conditions, the relative cost and availability of debt and equity capital, any investment opportunities, the ability of our investments to generate sufficient cash flow to cover debt service requirements and other similar factors. Further, we may increase or decrease our ratio of debt to book value in connection with any change of our borrowing policies.
Disposition Policies
The period that we will hold our investments will vary depending on the type of asset, interest rates and other factors. Our advisor has developed a well-defined exit strategy for each investment we have made. KBS Capital Advisors will continually perform a hold-sell analysis on each asset in order to determine the optimal time to hold the asset and generate a strong return for our stockholders. Economic and market conditions may influence us to hold our investments for different periods of time. We may sell an asset before the end of the expected holding period if we believe that market conditions have maximized its value to us or the sale of the asset would otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. During the year ended December 31, 2014, we disposed of one office property, resulting in gross sale proceeds of $1.6 million.
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2014 Investment Highlights
During 2014, we acquired:
• | one office property consisting of 490,096 rentable square feet located in Bellevue, Washington for $184.0 million plus closing costs; |
• | an investment in a consolidated joint venture that owns one apartment property containing 66 units located in Brooklyn, New York for $39.8 million plus closing costs; |
• | an investment in an unconsolidated joint venture that owns one office property consisting of 928,157 rentable square feet located in New York, New York for $261.1 million plus closing costs; and |
• | 20 acres of undeveloped land in Richardson, Texas for $7.5 million. |
Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets
The following discussion is based on management’s beliefs, observations and expectations with respect to the real estate and real estate finance markets.
Current conditions in the global capital markets remain volatile as the world’s economic growth has been affected by geopolitical and economic events. Geopolitical events in Europe and the Middle East escalated throughout 2014 and into 2015. The rise of the Islamic State and the struggle between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels have kept the U.S. and its allies engaged in international military conflicts. The slowdown in global economic growth, and in particular the slowing of the Chinese economy, has had a ripple effect through the energy and commodity markets. Decreasing levels of demand for commodities, and in particular oil, have led to a steep price decline in most commodity market prices. In this type of economic environment the possibility of deflation is now a very real risk. While the U.S. economy has rebounded from the recent recession, the remainder of the world’s industrialized and emerging economies have struggled to maintain even low levels of economic growth.
Central bank interventions and the use of monetary policy to combat the lingering effects of the recent recession continue to dominate the performance of the global economy. In 2012, Japan embarked on a massive quantitative easing (“QE”) program designed to kick start the country’s economy. To date, the program has led to lower Japanese interest rates, a run up in the Japanese stock markets and a devaluation of the yen. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced its own QE program in January 2015. The long awaited announcement has led to lower European interest rates and a weakening of the Euro against other currencies.
The Federal Reserve has maintained an accommodative monetary policy since the beginning of the recent financial crisis. Through a variety of monetary tools and programs, the Federal Reserve injected trillions of U.S. dollars into the global financial markets. The U.S. QE program focused on the purchase of U.S. treasury bonds and mortgage backed securities. Currently it is unclear what the final cost or impact of this program will be. In October of 2014, the Federal Reserve concluded the current phase of QE. The end of this program has shifted investor focus to the timing of an eventual interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve.
In the United States, recent economic data has been improving. Slow and steady growth in the labor markets has driven unemployment below 6%. The labor force participation rate continues to be low and personal income growth has remained muted. Consumer spending in the United States has increased, and is being driven by lower debt service burdens, record high stock market valuations, rebounding home prices and a dramatic decrease in the cost of gasoline. Consumer confidence levels are starting to reach levels last seen in the 1990’s. U.S. gross domestic product (“U.S. GDP”) has continued to grow at a moderate annualized rate. On an annual basis, U.S. GDP growth in 2014 was 2.4%, which was a slight improvement over 2013’s growth rate of 2.2%. In the second half of 2014, the U.S. dollar began to appreciate against the currencies of other nations. The effects of a strong dollar and weak international economic growth began to materialize in the form of reduced corporate earnings in the fourth quarter of 2014.
The U.S. dollar has remained a safe haven currency and the U.S. commercial real estate market has benefited from an inflow of foreign capital. Initially, gateway markets such as New York City and San Francisco benefited from a high demand for commercial properties. In 2014, the commercial real estate market recovery spread to secondary and tertiary markets, and most asset classes. The U.S. commercial real estate market has gained favor as an alternative investment class and capital flows continue to improve. Looking forward, however, the recovery in commercial real estate is expected to remain uneven across geographies and among property types.
As the dollar strengthens, the flow of capital into the United States could be curtailed. International demand for U.S. assets has been driven, in part, by the perception that U.S. real assets and the U.S. dollar are safe havens from some market risks. A decrease in flow of capital into the United States could lead to a decrease in the demand for U.S. commercial real estate assets, and result in a decline in commercial real estate valuations.
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After several years of improving market conditions, the recovery in the U.S. residential real estate market recently began to slow. The initial recovery was driven by low interest rates, pent-up demand from the consumer sector and institutional investors in the form of buy-to-rent portfolios. In 2014, investor demand for homes slowed and stringent mortgage lending standards reduced demand in the residential markets. In addition, as referenced above, the Federal Reserve’s QE program, which peaked at $85 billion a month in purchases of long-term treasury bonds and mortgage backed securities, ended on October 31, 2014. This reduction in market support could cause the demand for residential real estate to decrease further.
Overall, despite indications of recovery in the United States, uncertainties abound. China’s export-based economy has slowed and the Japanese government continues to experiment with QE. The EU is faced with the economic collapse of Greece, another recession and an escalating military conflict in the Ukraine. In the United States, the Federal Reserve has completed the latest phase of QE and is now faced with the impact of a strong dollar and record low interest rates. In the short-term, we anticipate that market conditions will continue to remain volatile and, combined with a challenging global macro-economic environment, may interfere with the implementation of our business strategy and/or force us to modify it.
Economic Dependency
We are dependent on our advisor for certain services that are essential to us, including the identification, evaluation, negotiation, origination, acquisition and disposition of investments; management of the daily operations and leasing of our investment portfolio; and other general and administrative responsibilities. In the event that our advisor is unable to provide the respective services, we will be required to obtain such services from other sources.
Competitive Market Factors
The U.S. commercial real estate leasing markets remain competitive. We face competition from various entities for prospective tenants and to retain our current tenants, including other REITs, pension funds, insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. Many of these entities have substantially greater financial resources than we do and may be able to accept more risk than we can prudently manage, including risks with respect to the creditworthiness of a tenant. As a result of their greater resources, those entities may have more flexibility than we do in their ability to offer rental concessions to attract and retain tenants. This could put pressure on our ability to maintain or raise rents and could adversely affect our ability to attract or retain tenants. As a result, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and ability to pay distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected. We may also face competition from other entities that are selling assets. Competition from these entities may increase the supply of real estate investment opportunities or increase the bargaining power of real estate investors seeking to buy.
Although we believe that we are well-positioned to compete effectively in each facet of our business, there is enormous competition in our market sector and there can be no assurance that we will compete effectively or that we will not encounter increased competition in the future that could limit our ability to conduct our business effectively.
Compliance with Federal, State and Local Environmental Law
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous real property owner or operator may be liable for the cost of removing or remediating hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. These costs could be substantial. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants that may be impacted by such laws. Environmental laws provide for sanctions for noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos-containing materials. Third parties may seek recovery from real property owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances. The cost of defending against claims of liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury claims could reduce the amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
All of our real estate properties, other than properties acquired through foreclosure, were subject to Phase I environmental assessments at the time they were acquired. Some of the properties we have acquired are subject to potential environmental liabilities arising primarily from historic activities at or in the vicinity of the properties. Based on our environmental diligence and assessments of our properties and our purchase of pollution and remediation legal liability insurance with respect to some of our properties, we do not believe that environmental conditions at our properties are likely to have a material adverse effect on our operations.
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Segments
We have invested in non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets. In general, we intend to hold our investments in non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets for capital appreciation. Traditional performance metrics of non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets may not be meaningful as these investments are generally non-stabilized and do not provide a consistent stream of interest income or rental revenue. These investments exhibit similar long-term financial performance and have similar economic characteristics. These investments typically involve a higher degree of risk and do not provide a constant stream of ongoing cash flows. As a result, our management views non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets as similar investments. Substantially all of our revenue and net income (loss) is from non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets, and therefore, we currently aggregate our operating segments into one reportable business segment.
Employees
We have no paid employees. The employees of our advisor or its affiliates provide management, acquisition, disposition, advisory and certain administrative services for us.
Principal Executive Office
Our principal executive offices are located at 800 Newport Center Drive, Suite 700, Newport Beach, California 92660. Our telephone number, general facsimile number and web address are (949) 417-6500, (949) 417-6501 and www.kbsstrategicopportunityreit.com, respectively.
Available Information
Access to copies of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other filings with the SEC, including amendments to such filings, may be obtained free of charge from the following website, http://www.kbsstrategicopportunityreit.com, through a link to the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. These filings are available promptly after we file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC.
ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
The following are some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those presented in our forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.
Risks Related to an Investment in Us
Because no public trading market for our shares currently exists, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares and, if they are able to sell their shares, it will likely be at a substantial discount to the public offering price.
Our charter does not require our directors to seek stockholder approval to liquidate our assets by a specified date, nor does our charter require our directors to list our shares for trading on a national securities exchange by a specified date. There is no public market for our shares and we currently have no plans to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, our stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase standards. In addition, our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% of our stock, unless exempted by our board of directors, which may inhibit large investors from purchasing our shares. In its sole discretion, our board of directors could amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon 30 days’ notice. Further, the share redemption program includes numerous restrictions that would limit a stockholder’s ability to sell his or her shares. Therefore, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares promptly or at all. If a stockholder is able to sell his or her shares, it would likely be at a substantial discount to the public offering price. It is also likely that our shares would not be accepted as the primary collateral for a loan. Because of the illiquid nature of our shares, our stockholders should purchase shares in our dividend reinvestment plan only as a long-term investment and be prepared to hold them for an indefinite period of time.
A concentration of our real estate investments in any one property class may leave our profitability vulnerable to a downturn in such sector.
At any one time, a significant portion of our investments could be in one property class. As a result, we will be subject to risks inherent in investments in a single type of property. If our investments are substantially in one property class, then the potential effects on our revenues, and as a result, on cash available for distribution to our stockholders, resulting from a downturn in the businesses conducted in those types of properties could be more pronounced than if we had more fully diversified our investments. As of December 31, 2014, our investments in office properties represented 68.5% of our total assets.
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Because of the concentration of a significant portion of our assets in two geographic areas, any adverse economic, real estate or business conditions in these areas could affect our operating results and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
As of December 31, 2014, our real estate investments in Washington and Texas represented 28.7% and 21.6% of our total assets, respectively. As a result, the geographic concentration of our portfolio makes it particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the Washington and Texas real estate markets. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these markets, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
Disruptions in the financial markets and uncertain economic conditions could adversely affect market rental rates, commercial real estate values and our ability to secure debt financing, service debt obligations, or pay distributions to our stockholders.
Currently, both the investing and leasing environments are highly competitive. While there has been an increase in the amount of capital flowing into the U.S. real estate markets, which resulted in an increase in real estate values in certain markets, the uncertainty regarding the economic environment has made businesses reluctant to make long-term commitments or changes in their business plans. Possible future declines in rental rates, slower or potentially negative net absorption of leased space and expectations of future rental concessions, including free rent to renew tenants early, to retain tenants who are up for renewal or to attract new tenants, may result in decreases in cash flows. Historically low interest rates could help offset some of the impact of these potential decreases in operating cash flow for properties financed with variable rate mortgages; however, interest rates likely will not remain at these historically low levels for the remaining life of many of our investments. Recently, interest rates have become more volatile as the global capital markets react to increasing economic and geopolitical risks.
From a global standpoint, the U.S. economy is considered to be a bright spot. Recently the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”) lowered its global growth forecast from 3.7% to 3.3%. Lower than expected growth in the European Union (“EU”) and Chinese economies are the primary factors in the forecast change. Geopolitical events in the Ukraine and Middle East and the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa, and its possible spread to the rest of the world, have all been impediments to global economic growth.
Overall, despite indications of recovery in the United States, uncertainties abound. China’s export-based economy has slowed and the Japanese government continues to experiment with QE. The EU is faced with the economic collapse of Greece, another recession and an escalating military conflict in the Ukraine. In the United States, the Federal Reserve has completed the latest phase of QE and is now faced with the impact of a strong dollar and record low interest rates. In the short-term, we anticipate that market conditions will continue to remain volatile and, combined with a challenging global macro-economic environment, may interfere with the implementation of our business strategy and/or force us to modify it.
We have relied on debt financing to finance our real estate properties and we may have difficulty refinancing some of our debt obligations prior to or at maturity or we may not be able to refinance these obligations at terms as favorable as the terms of our existing indebtedness and we also may be unable to obtain additional debt financing on attractive terms or at all. If we are not able to refinance our existing indebtedness on attractive terms at the various maturity dates, we may be forced to dispose of some of our assets. Recent financial market conditions have improved from the bottom of the economic cycle, but material risks are still present. Market conditions can change quickly, which could negatively impact the value of our assets.
Further disruptions in the financial markets and uncertain economic conditions could adversely affect the values of our investments. Turmoil in the capital markets has constrained equity and debt capital available for investment in commercial real estate, resulting in fewer buyers seeking to acquire commercial properties and possible increases in capitalization rates and lower property values. Furthermore, declining economic conditions could negatively impact commercial real estate fundamentals and result in lower occupancy, lower rental rates and declining values in our real estate portfolio and in the collateral securing our loan investments, which could have the following negative effects on us:
• | the values of our investments in commercial properties could decrease below the amounts paid for such investments; |
• | the value of collateral securing our loan investment could decrease below the outstanding principal amount of such loan; and/or |
• | revenues from our properties could decrease due to fewer tenants and/or lower rental rates, making it more difficult for us to pay distributions or meet our debt service obligations on debt financing. |
All of these factors could impair our ability to make distributions to our investors and decrease the value of an investment in us.
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Because we depend upon our advisor and its affiliates to conduct our operations, adverse changes in the financial health of our advisor or its affiliates could cause our operations to suffer
We depend on KBS Capital Advisors, its affiliates and the key real estate and debt finance professionals at KBS Capital Advisors to manage our operations and our portfolio of real estate-related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments. Our advisor depends upon the fees and other compensation that it receives from us and other public KBS-sponsored programs in connection with the origination, purchase, management and sale of assets to conduct its operations. Any adverse changes in the financial condition of KBS Capital Advisors or its affiliates or our relationship with KBS Capital Advisors or its affiliates could hinder their ability to successfully manage our operations and our portfolio of investments. Furthermore, if some or all of the key real estate and debt finance professionals at KBS Capital Advisors are internalized by KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (“KBS REIT I”), KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”), KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (“KBS REIT III”), KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, Inc. (“KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT”), KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, Inc. (“KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II”) or KBS Growth & Income REIT, Inc. (“KBS Growth & Income REIT”), KBS Capital Advisors may need to replace such professionals, or we may need to find employees or an advisor to replace the management services KBS Capital Advisors provides to us. In such event our operating performance and the return on our stockholders’ investment could suffer.
If we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations, we will have less funds available for investments and the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced.
We will declare distributions when our board of directors determines we have sufficient cash flow from operations, investment activities and/or strategic financings. We expect to fund distributions from interest and rental income on investments, the maturity, payoff or settlement of those investments and from strategic sales of loans, properties and other assets. We may also fund distributions from debt financings.
As a REIT, we will generally have to hold our assets for two years in order to meet the safe harbor to avoid a 100% prohibited transactions tax, unless such assets are held through a TRS or other taxable corporation. At such time as we have assets that we have held for at least two years, we anticipate that we may authorize and declare distributions based on gains on asset sales, to the extent we close on the sale of one or more assets and the board of directors does not determine to reinvest the proceeds of such sales. Additionally, our board of directors intends to declare distributions quarterly based on cash flow from our investments.
To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must make aggregate annual distributions to our stockholders of at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”)). If we meet the REIT qualification requirements, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the income that we distribute to our stockholders each year. In general, we anticipate making distributions to our stockholders of at least 100% of our REIT taxable income so that none of our income is subject to federal income tax. Our board of directors may authorize distributions in excess of those required for us to maintain REIT status depending on our financial condition and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.
Our distribution policy is not to pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, investment activities and strategic financings. However, our organizational documents do not restrict us from paying distributions from any source and do not restrict the amount of distributions we may pay from any source, including proceeds from the issuance of securities, borrowings, advances from our advisor or sponsors or from our advisor’s deferral of its fees under the advisory agreement. Distributions paid from sources other than current or accumulated earnings and profits may constitute a return of capital. From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our taxable income for financial reporting purposes, or our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders. In these situations we may make distributions in excess of our cash flow from operations, investment activities and strategic financings to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement described above. In such an event, we would look first to other third party borrowings to fund these distributions. If we fund distributions from financings, the proceeds from issuances of securities or sources other than our cash flow from operations, we will have less funds available for investment in real estate-related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments and the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced.
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In addition, to the extent distributions exceed cash flow from operations and gains from asset sales, a stockholder’s basis in our stock will be reduced and, to the extent distributions exceed a stockholder’s basis, the stockholder may recognize capital gain. There is no limit on the amount of distributions we may fund from sources other than from cash flows from operations or gains from asset sales. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we paid aggregate distributions of $15.7 million (of which $9.9 million was reinvested through our dividend reinvestment plan). Our net loss attributable to stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $23.2 million. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we funded 100% of total distributions paid, which includes cash distributions and dividends reinvested by stockholders, with current cash provided by operations and prior period cash provided by operations. Through December 31, 2014, we funded 31% of total distributions paid, which includes cash distributions and dividends reinvested by stockholders, with proceeds from debt financing, funded 23% of total distributions paid with the gains realized from the dispositions of properties and funded 47% of total distributions paid with cash provided by operations. Our cumulative distributions and net loss attributable to common stockholders from inception through December 31, 2014 were $60.7 million and $31.0 million, respectively.
The loss of or the inability to retain key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor could delay or hinder implementation of our investment strategies, which could limit our ability to make distributions and decrease the value of an investment in our shares.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of Peter M. Bren, Keith D. Hall, Peter McMillan III, and Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., each of whom would be difficult to replace. Neither we nor our affiliates have employment agreements with Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan or Schreiber. Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan, and Schreiber may not remain associated with us. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us, our operating results could suffer. We do not intend to maintain key person life insurance on any person. We believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our advisor’s and its affiliates’ ability to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. Competition for such professionals is intense, and our advisor and its affiliates may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining such skilled individuals. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of highly skilled professionals our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered, and the value of our stockholders’ investment may decline.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our independent directors are limited, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery against our independent directors if they negligently cause us to incur losses.
Maryland law provides that a director has no liability in that capacity if he performs his duties in good faith, in a manner he reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Our charter provides that no independent director shall be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages and that we will generally indemnify them for losses unless they are grossly negligent or engage in willful misconduct. As a result, our stockholders and we may have more limited rights against our independent directors than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery from these persons if they act in a negligent manner. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our independent directors (as well as by our other directors, officers, employees (if we ever have employees) and agents) in some cases, which would decrease the cash otherwise available for distribution to our stockholders.
We may change our targeted investments without stockholder consent.
We may change our targeted investments and investment guidelines at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which could result in us making investments that are different from, and possibly riskier than, our targeted investments as described in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For example, we modified our investment objectives and criteria in January 2012 and we may do so again in the future. A change in our targeted investments or investment guidelines may increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and real estate market fluctuations, all of which could adversely affect the value of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
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Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates, including all of our executive officers and some of our directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals, face conflicts of interest caused by their compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the long-term best interests of our stockholders.
All of our executive officers and some of our directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals are also officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, KBS Capital Markets Group LLC (“KBS Capital Markets Group”), the entity that acted as the dealer manager for our primary offering, and other affiliated KBS entities. KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates receive substantial fees from us. These fees could influence our advisor’s advice to us as well as the judgment of affiliates of KBS Capital Advisors. Among other matters, these compensation arrangements could affect their judgment with respect to:
• | the continuation, renewal or enforcement of our agreements with KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates, including the advisory agreement; |
• | public offerings of equity by us, which may entitle KBS Capital Markets Group to dealer-manager fees and would likely entitle KBS Capital Advisors to increased acquisition and origination fees and asset management fees; |
• | sales of investments, which entitle KBS Capital Advisors to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees; |
• | acquisitions of investments and originations of loans, which entitle KBS Capital Advisors to acquisition and origination fees and asset management fees and, in the case of acquisitions of investments from other KBS-sponsored programs, might entitle affiliates of KBS Capital Advisors to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees in connection with its services for the seller; |
• | borrowings to acquire investments and to originate loans, which borrowings increase the acquisition and origination fees and asset management fees payable to KBS Capital Advisors; |
• | whether and when we seek to list our common stock on a national securities exchange, which listing (i) may make it more likely for us to become self-managed or internalize our management or (ii) could entitle our advisor to a subordinated incentive listing fee, and which could also adversely affect the sales efforts for other KBS-sponsored programs, depending on the price at which our shares trade; |
• | whether we seek stockholder approval to become self-managed or internalize our management, which we will only pursue if our advisor agrees to do so without the payment of any internalization fee or other consideration; and |
• | whether and when we seek to sell the company or its assets, which sale could entitle KBS Capital Advisors to disposition fees or a subordinated incentive fee and terminate the asset management fee. |
The fees our advisor receives in connection with the acquisition, origination or management of assets are based on the cost of the investment, and not based on the quality of the investment or the quality of the services rendered to us. This may influence our advisor to recommend riskier transactions to us.
KBS Capital Advisors faces conflicts of interest relating to the leasing of properties and such conflicts may not be resolved in our favor, meaning that we may obtain less creditworthy or desirable tenants, which could limit our ability to make distributions and reduce our stockholders’ overall investment return.
We and other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors rely on our sponsors and other key real estate professionals at our advisor, including Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber, to supervise the property management and leasing of properties. If the KBS team of real estate professionals directs creditworthy prospective tenants to properties owned by another KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor when they could direct such tenants to our properties, our tenant base may have more inherent risk and our properties’ occupancy may be lower than might otherwise be the case.
Further, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber and existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors are generally not prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate investments.
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KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates face conflicts of interest relating to the origination and acquisition of investments and such conflicts may not be resolved in our favor, meaning that we could invest in less attractive assets, which could limit our ability to make distributions and reduce our stockholders’ overall investment return.
We rely on our sponsors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor, including Peter M. Bren, Keith D. Hall, Peter McMillan III and Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., to identify suitable investment opportunities for us. KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II, KBS REIT III, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT are also advised by KBS Capital Advisors and rely on our sponsors and many of the same real estate and debt finance professionals as will future public KBS-sponsored programs. Messrs. Bren and Schreiber and several of the other key real estate and debt finance professionals at KBS Capital Advisors are also the key real estate and debt finance professionals at KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors to the private KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisors to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets. As such, we and the KBS-sponsored programs that are currently raising funds for investment rely on many of the same real estate and debt finance professionals. Many investment opportunities that are suitable for us may also be suitable for other KBS programs and investors. When these real estate and debt finance professionals direct an investment opportunity to any KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor, they, in their sole discretion, will offer the opportunity to the program or investor for which the investment opportunity is most suitable based on the investment objectives, portfolio and criteria of each program or investor. For so long as we are externally advised, our charter provides that it shall not be a proper purpose of the corporation for us to purchase any significant asset unless our advisor has recommended the investment to us. Thus, the real estate and debt finance professionals of KBS Capital Advisors could direct attractive investment opportunities to other entities or investors. Such events could result in us investing in assets that provide less attractive returns, reducing the level of distributions we may be able to pay to our stockholders.
KBS Capital Advisors will face conflicts of interest relating to joint ventures that we may form with affiliates of KBS Capital Advisors, which conflicts could result in a disproportionate benefit to the other venture partners at our expense.
If approved by both a majority of our board of directors and a majority of our independent directors, we may enter into joint venture agreements with other KBS-sponsored programs or affiliated entities for the acquisition, development or improvement of properties or other investments. KBS Capital Advisors, our advisor, and KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors to the other KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisers to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets, have some of the same executive officers, directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals; and these persons will face conflicts of interest in determining which KBS program or investor should enter into any particular joint venture agreement. These persons may also face a conflict in structuring the terms of the relationship between our interests and the interests of the KBS-affiliated co-venturer and in managing the joint venture. Any joint venture agreement or transaction between us and a KBS-affiliated co-venturer will not have the benefit of arm’s-length negotiation of the type normally conducted between unrelated co-venturers. The KBS-affiliated co-venturer may have economic or business interests or goals that are or may become inconsistent with our business interests or goals. These co-venturers may thus benefit to our and your detriment.
KBS Capital Advisors, the real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor, their affiliates and our officers face competing demands on their time and this may cause our operations and our stockholders’ investment to suffer.
We rely on KBS Capital Advisors and the real estate, management, accounting and debt finance professionals our advisor has assembled, including Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan, Schreiber and Snyder and Ms. Yamane, for the day-to-day operation of our business. Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan, Schreiber and Snyder and Ms. Yamane are also executive officers of KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II and KBS REIT III, Messrs. Bren, McMillan and Snyder and Ms. Yamane are executive officers of KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, and Messrs. Hall, McMillan, and Snyder and Ms. Yamane are executive officers of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II. In addition, Messrs. Bren and Schreiber and Ms. Yamane are executive officers of KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors of the private KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisors to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets. As a result of their interests in other KBS programs, their obligations to other investors and the fact that they engage in and they will continue to engage in other business activities on behalf of themselves and others, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan, Schreiber and Snyder and Ms. Yamane face conflicts of interest in allocating their time among us, KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II, KBS REIT III, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT, KBS Capital Advisors and other KBS-sponsored programs as well as other business activities in which they are involved. In addition, KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors and their affiliates share many of the same key real estate and debt finance professionals. During times of intense activity in other programs and ventures, these individuals may devote less time and fewer resources to our business than are necessary or appropriate to manage our business. Furthermore, some or all of these individuals may become employees of another KBS-sponsored program in an internalization transaction or, if we internalize our advisor, may not become our employees as a result of their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs. If these events occur, the returns on our investments, and the value of our stockholders’ investment, may decline.
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All of our executive officers and some of our directors and the key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor face conflicts of interest related to their positions and/or interests in KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates, which could hinder our ability to implement our business strategy and to generate returns to our stockholders.
All of our executive officers, some of our directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor are also executive officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, and other affiliated KBS entities. Through KBS-affiliated entities, some of these persons also serve as the investment advisors to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets and through KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates these persons serve as the advisor to KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II, KBS REIT III, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and other KBS-sponsored programs. As a result, they owe fiduciary duties to each of these entities, their members and limited partners and these investors, which fiduciary duties may from time to time conflict with the fiduciary duties that they owe to us and our stockholders. Their loyalties to these other entities and investors could result in action or inaction that is detrimental to our business, which could harm the implementation of our business strategy and our investment and leasing opportunities. Further, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber and existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors generally are not and will not be prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate investments. Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber have agreed to restrictions with respect to sponsoring another multi-family REIT while the KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT offering is ongoing. If we do not successfully implement our business strategy, we may be unable to generate the cash needed to make distributions to our stockholders and to maintain or increase the value of our assets.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
Our charter limits the number of shares a person may own, which may discourage a takeover that could otherwise result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. To help us comply with the REIT ownership requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), our charter prohibits a person from directly or constructively owning more than 9.8% of our outstanding shares, unless exempted by our board of directors. This restriction may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of our common stock.
Our charter permits our board of directors to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of our common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring us in a manner that could result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. Such preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price to holders of our common stock.
Our stockholders’ investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act; if we or our subsidiaries become an unregistered investment company, we could not continue our business.
Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries intend to register as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). If we or our subsidiaries were obligated to register as investment companies, we would have to comply with a variety of substantive requirements under the Investment Company Act that impose, among other things:
• | limitations on capital structure; |
• | restrictions on specified investments; |
• | prohibitions on transactions with affiliates; and |
• | compliance with reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy disclosure and other rules and regulations that would significantly increase our operating expenses. |
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Under the relevant provisions of Section 3(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act, an investment company is any issuer that:
• | is or holds itself out as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities (the “primarily engaged test”); or |
• | is engaged or proposes to engage in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and owns or proposes to acquire “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of such issuer’s total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis (the “40% test”). “Investment securities” excludes U.S. government securities and securities of majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) (relating to private investment companies). |
We believe that we and our Operating Partnership will not be required to register as an investment company based on the following analysis. With respect to the 40% test, most of the entities through which we and our Operating Partnership own our assets are majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exceptions from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7).
With respect to the primarily engaged test, we and our Operating Partnership are holding companies. Through the majority-owned subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership, we and our Operating Partnership are primarily engaged in the non-investment company businesses of these subsidiaries.
We believe that most of the subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership may rely on Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act for an exception from the definition of an investment company. (Any other subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership should be able to rely on the exceptions for private investment companies pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) and Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.) As reflected in no-action letters, the SEC staff’s position on Section 3(c)(5)(C) generally requires that an issuer maintain at least 55% of its assets in “mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate,” or qualifying assets; at least 80% of its assets in qualifying assets plus real estate-related assets; and no more than 20% of the value of its assets in other than qualifying assets and real estate-related assets, which we refer to as miscellaneous assets. To constitute a qualifying asset under this 55% requirement, a real estate interest must meet various criteria based on no-action letters. We expect that each of the subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership relying on Section 3(c)(5)(C) will invest at least 55% of its assets in qualifying assets, and approximately an additional 25% of its assets in other types of real estate-related assets. We expect to rely on guidance published by the SEC staff or on our analyses of guidance published with respect to types of assets to determine which assets are qualifying real estate assets and real estate-related assets.
To maintain compliance with the Investment Company Act, our subsidiaries may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want them to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish them to retain. In addition, our subsidiaries may have to acquire additional assets that they might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to make investments that we would otherwise want them to make and would be important to our investment strategy. Moreover, the SEC may issue interpretations with respect to various types of assets that are contrary to our views and current SEC staff interpretations are subject to change, which increases the risk of non-compliance and the risk that we may be forced to make adverse changes to our portfolio. In this regard, we note that in 2011 the SEC issued a concept release indicating that the SEC and its staff were reviewing interpretive issues relating to Section 3(c)(5)(C) and soliciting views on the application of Section 3(c)(5)(C) to companies engaged in the business of acquiring mortgages and mortgage-related instruments. If we were required to register as an investment company but failed to do so, we would be prohibited from engaging in our business and criminal and civil actions could be brought against us. In addition, our contracts would be unenforceable unless a court required enforcement and a court could appoint a receiver to take control of us and liquidate our business.
Rapid changes in the values of our assets may make it more difficult for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT or our exception from the definition of an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
If the market value or income potential of our qualifying real estate assets changes as compared to the market value or income potential of our non-qualifying assets, or if the market value or income potential of our assets that are considered “real estate-related assets” under the Investment Company Act or REIT qualification tests changes as compared to the market value or income potential of our assets that are not considered “real estate-related assets” under the Investment Company Act or REIT qualification tests, whether as a result of increased interest rates, prepayment rates or other factors, we may need to modify our investment portfolio in order to maintain our REIT qualification or exception from the definition of an investment company. If the decline in asset values or income occurs quickly, this may be especially difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish. This difficulty may be exacerbated by the illiquid nature of many of the assets that we may own. We may have to make investment decisions that we otherwise would not make absent REIT and Investment Company Act considerations.
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Our stockholders will have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our board of directors determines our major policies, including our policies regarding financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our stockholders have a right to vote only on limited matters. Our board’s broad discretion in setting policies and our stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the program, they may not be able to recover full the amount of their investment in our shares.
Our share redemption program includes numerous restrictions that limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares. Our stockholders must hold their shares for at least one year in order to participate in the share redemption program, except for redemptions sought upon a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence.” We limit the number of shares redeemed pursuant to the share redemption program as follows: (i) during any calendar year, we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year and (ii) during each calendar year, redemptions will be limited to the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year and the last $1.0 million of such net proceeds shall be reserved exclusively for shares redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” (except that we may increase or decrease this funding limit by providing ten business days’ notice to our stockholders). Further, we have no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. These limits may prevent us from accommodating all redemption requests made in any year. In particular, the limitation on redemptions to the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year may significantly limit your ability to have your shares redeemed pursuant to our share redemption program because we expect to declare distributions only when our board of directors determines we have sufficient cash flow. We may not have significant cash flow to pay distributions, which would in turn severely limit redemptions during the next calendar year. For example, we only declared $15.7 million in distributions in 2014. Our board is free to amend, suspend or terminate the share redemption program upon 30 days’ notice.
The prices at which we will redeem shares under the program are as follows:
• | 92.5% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least one year; |
• | 95.0% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least two years; |
• | 97.5% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least three years; and |
• | 100% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least four years. |
The most recent estimated value per share of our common stock is $12.24. For a full description of the methodologies and assumptions used to value our assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation of the estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information.” The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets and in response to the real estate and finance markets. As such, the estimated value per share does not take into account developments in our portfolio since December 9, 2014. We currently expect to utilize our advisor and/or an independent valuation firm to update our estimated value per share in December 2015. Upon updating our estimated value per share, the redemption price per share will also change. Because of the restrictions of our share redemption program, our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under the program, and if stockholders are able to sell their shares, depending upon the then current redemption price, they may not recover the amount of their investment in us.
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The estimated value per share of our common stock may not reflect the value that stockholders will receive for their investment.
On December 9, 2014, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $12.24 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014. All of our assets and liabilities were valued as of September 30, 2014. We provided this estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under National Association of Securities Dealers Conduct Rule 2340, as required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with Practice Guideline 2013-01, Valuations of Publicly Registered, Non-Listed REITs issued by the Investment Program Association (“IPA”) in April 2013. The estimated value per share was based upon the recommendation and valuation prepared by our advisor.
As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, and these differences could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less our liabilities according to GAAP, nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the amount at which our shares of common stock would trade at on a national securities exchange. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that are not held for sale, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations or the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt. The estimated value per share does consider any participation or incentive fees that would be due to our advisor based on our aggregate net asset value and that would be payable in our hypothetical liquidation as of the valuation date in accordance with the terms of our advisory agreement.
Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
• | a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at this estimated value; |
• | a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of the company; |
• | our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange; |
• | an independent third-party appraiser or other third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or |
• | the methodology used to estimate our value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements. |
For a full description of the methodologies and assumptions used to value our assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation of the estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities — Market Information.” We currently expect to utilize our advisor and/or an independent valuation firm to update the estimated value per share in December 2015.
Our investors’ interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of their investment.
Our common stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue 1,010,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 1,000,000,000 shares are designated as common stock and 10,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock. Our board of directors may increase the number of authorized shares of capital stock without stockholder approval. Our board may elect to (i) sell additional shares in our current or future public offerings, including through our dividend reinvestment plan, (ii) issue equity interests in private offerings, (iii) issue shares to our advisor, or its successors or assigns, in payment of an outstanding fee obligation or (iv) issue shares of our common stock to sellers of assets we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, our stockholders’ percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings, the use of the proceeds and the value of our investments, our stockholders may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares and in the earnings and distributions per share.
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Payment of fees to KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates reduces cash available for investment and distribution and increases the risk that our stockholders will not be able to recover the amount of their investment in our shares.
KBS Capital Advisors and its affiliates perform services for us in connection with the selection, acquisition, origination, management, and administration of our investments. We pay them substantial fees for these services, which result in immediate dilution to the value of our stockholders’ investment and reduces the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders. Compensation to be paid to our advisor may be increased subject to approval by our conflicts committee and the other limitations in our charter, which would further dilute our stockholders’ investment and reduce the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders.
We may also pay significant fees during our listing/liquidation stage. Although most of the fees payable during our listing/liquidation stage are contingent on our investors first enjoying agreed-upon investment returns, the investment-return thresholds may be reduced subject to approval by our conflicts committee and the other limitations in our charter.
Therefore, these fees increase the risk that the amount available for distribution to common stockholders upon a liquidation of our portfolio would be less than the price paid by our stockholders to purchase shares in our initial public offering. These substantial fees and other payments also increase the risk that our stockholders will not be able to resell their shares at a profit, even if our shares are listed on a national securities exchange.
Failure to procure adequate capital and funding would negatively impact our results and may, in turn, negatively affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
We will depend upon the availability of adequate funding and capital for our operations. The failure to secure acceptable financing could reduce our taxable income, as our investments would no longer generate the same level of net interest income due to the lack of funding or increase in funding costs. A reduction in our net income could reduce our liquidity and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. We cannot assure our stockholders that any, or sufficient, funding or capital will be available to us in the future on terms that are acceptable to us. Therefore, in the event that we cannot obtain sufficient funding on acceptable terms, there may be a negative impact on our ability to make distributions.
Although we are not currently afforded the protection of the Maryland General Corporation Law relating to deterring or defending hostile takeovers, our board of directors could opt into these provisions of Maryland law in the future, which may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and may prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their stock in connection with a business combination.
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and certain interested stockholders or affiliates of interested stockholders are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. Also under Maryland law, control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquirer, an officer of the corporation or an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation are excluded from the vote on whether to accord voting rights to the control shares. Should our board of directors opt into these provisions of Maryland law, it may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. Similarly, provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law could provide similar anti-takeover protection.
Our charter includes an anti-takeover provision that may discourage a stockholder from launching a tender offer for our shares.
Our charter provides that any tender offer made by a stockholder, including any “mini-tender” offer, must comply with most provisions of Regulation 14D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The offering stockholder must provide us with notice of such tender offer at least 10 business days before initiating the tender offer. If the offering stockholder does not comply with these requirements, we will have the right to redeem that stockholder’s shares and any shares acquired in such tender offer. In addition, the noncomplying stockholder shall be responsible for all of our expenses in connection with that stockholder’s noncompliance. This provision of our charter may discourage a stockholder from initiating a tender offer for our shares and prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their shares in such a transaction.
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General Risks Related to Investments
Our investments will be subject to the risks typically associated with real estate.
We have invested in and may continue to invest in a diverse portfolio of opportunistic real estate, real estate-related loans, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments. Each of these investments will be subject to the risks typically associated with real estate. Our loans held for investment will generally be directly or indirectly secured by a lien on real property (or the equity interests in an entity that owns real property) that, upon the occurrence of a default on the loan, could result in our acquiring ownership of the property. We will not know whether the values of the properties ultimately securing our loans will remain at the levels existing on the dates of origination or acquisition of those loans. If the values of the underlying properties drop, our risk will increase because of the lower value of the security associated with such loans. In this manner, real estate values could impact the values of our loan investments. Our investments in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations and other real estate-related investments may be similarly affected by real estate property values. The value of real estate may be adversely affected by a number of risks, including:
• | natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods; |
• | acts of war or terrorism, including the consequences of terrorist attacks, such as those that occurred on September 11, 2001; |
• | adverse changes in national and local economic and real estate conditions; |
• | an oversupply of (or a reduction in demand for) space in the areas where particular properties are located and the attractiveness of particular properties to prospective tenants; |
• | changes in governmental laws and regulations, fiscal policies and zoning ordinances and the related costs of compliance therewith and the potential for liability under applicable laws; |
• | costs of remediation and liabilities associated with environmental conditions affecting properties; and |
• | the potential for uninsured or underinsured property losses. |
The value of each property is affected significantly by its ability to generate cash flow and net income, which in turn depends on the amount of rental or other income that can be generated net of expenses required to be incurred with respect to the property. Many expenditures associated with properties (such as operating expenses and capital expenditures) cannot be reduced when there is a reduction in income from the properties. These factors may have a material adverse effect on the ability of our borrowers to pay their loans and our tenants to pay their rent, as well as on the value that we can realize from other real estate-related assets we originate, own or acquire.
We depend on tenants for revenue, and lease defaults or terminations could reduce our net income and limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
The success of our real estate investments materially depends on the financial stability of our tenants. A default or termination by a significant tenant on its lease payments to us would cause us to lose the revenue associated with such lease and could require us to find an alternative source of revenue to meet mortgage payments and prevent a foreclosure, if the property is subject to a mortgage. In the event of a tenant default or bankruptcy, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property. If a tenant defaults on or terminates a significant lease, we may be unable to lease the property for the rent previously received or sell the property without incurring a loss. These events could cause us to reduce the amount of distributions to our stockholders.
Properties that have significant vacancies could be difficult to sell, which could diminish the return on these properties.
A property may incur vacancies either by the expiration of tenant leases or the continued default of tenants under their leases. If vacancies continue for a long period of time, we may suffer reduced revenues resulting in less cash available to distribute to our stockholders. In addition, because a property’s market value depends principally upon the value of the leases associated with that property, the resale value of a property with high or prolonged vacancies could suffer, which could further reduce our returns.
Our opportunistic property-acquisition strategy involves a higher risk of loss than would a strategy of investing in other properties.
A substantial portion of our portfolio consists of direct investments in opportunistic real estate. We consider opportunistic or enhanced-return properties to be properties with significant possibilities for short-term capital appreciation, such as non-stabilized properties, properties with moderate vacancies or near-term lease rollovers, poorly managed and positioned properties, properties owned by distressed sellers and built-to-suit properties. These properties may include, but are not limited to, office, industrial and retail properties, hospitality properties and undeveloped residential lots.
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Traditional performance metrics of real estate assets may not be meaningful for opportunistic real estate. Non-stabilized properties, for example, do not have stabilized occupancy rates to provide a useful measure of revenue. Appraisals may provide a sense of the value of the investment, but any appraisal of the property will be based on numerous estimates, judgments and assumptions that significantly affect the appraised value of the underlying property. Further, an appraisal of a non-stabilized property, in particular, involves a high degree of subjectivity due to high vacancy levels and uncertainties with respect to future market rental rates and timing of lease-up and stabilization. Accordingly, different assumptions may materially change the appraised value of the property. In addition, the value of the property will change over time.
In addition, we may pursue more than one strategy to create value in an opportunistic real estate investment. These strategies may include development, redevelopment, or lease-up of such property. Our ability to generate a return on these investments will depend on numerous factors, some or all of which may be out of our control, such as (i) our ability to correctly price an asset that is not generating an optimal level of revenue or otherwise performing under its potential, (ii) our ability to choose and execute on a successful value-creating strategy, (iii) our ability to avoid delays, regulatory hurdles, and other potential impediments, (iv) local market conditions, and (v) competition for similar properties in the same market. The factors described above make it challenging to evaluate opportunistic real estate investments and make investments in such properties riskier than investments in other properties.
The mortgage loans we own are subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, which could result in losses to us.
Commercial real estate loans are secured by multifamily or commercial properties that are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Net operating income of an income-producing property can be affected by, among other things: tenant mix, success of tenant businesses, property management decisions, property location and condition, competition from comparable types of properties, changes in laws that increase operating expenses or limit rents that may be charged, any need to address environmental contamination at the property, the occurrence of any uninsured casualty at the property, changes in national, regional or local economic conditions and/or specific industry segments, declines in regional or local real estate values, declines in regional or local rental or occupancy rates, increases in interest rates, real estate tax rates and other operating expenses, changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including environmental legislation, natural disasters, terrorism, social unrest and civil disturbances.
In the event of any default under a mortgage loan held directly by us, we will bear a risk of loss of principal to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the mortgage loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow from operations. Foreclosure of a mortgage loan can be an expensive and lengthy process that could have a substantial negative effect on our anticipated return on the foreclosed mortgage loan. In the event of the bankruptcy of a mortgage loan borrower, the mortgage loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the mortgage loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law.
Investment in non-conforming and non-investment grade loans may involve increased risk of loss.
Loans we acquire or originate may not conform to conventional loan criteria applied by traditional lenders and may not be rated or may be rated as non-investment grade. Non-investment grade ratings for these loans typically result from the overall leverage of the loans, the lack of a strong operating history for the properties underlying the loans, the borrowers’ credit history, the properties’ underlying cash flow or other factors. As a result, non-conforming and non-investment grade loans we acquire or originate may have a higher risk of default and loss than conventional loans. Any loss we incur may reduce distributions to stockholders and adversely affect the value of our common stock.
Risks of cost overruns and non-completion of the construction or renovation of the properties underlying loans we make or acquire may materially and adversely affect our investment.
The renovation, refurbishment or expansion by a borrower under a mortgaged or leveraged property involves risks of cost overruns and non-completion. Costs of construction or improvements to bring a property up to standards established for the market position intended for that property may exceed original estimates, possibly making a project uneconomical. Other risks may include environmental risks and the possibility of construction, rehabilitation and subsequent leasing of the property not being completed on schedule. If such construction or renovation is not completed in a timely manner, or if it costs more than expected, the borrower may experience a prolonged impairment of net operating income and may not be able to make payments on our investment.
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Investments that are not United States government insured involve risk of loss.
We may originate and acquire uninsured loans and assets as part of our investment strategy. Such loans and assets may include mortgage loans, mezzanine loans and bridge loans. While holding such interests, we are subject to risks of borrower defaults, bankruptcies, fraud, losses and special hazard losses that are not covered by standard hazard insurance. In the event of any default under loans, we bear the risk of loss of principal and nonpayment of interest and fees to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal amount of the loan. To the extent we suffer such losses with respect to our investments in such loans, the value of our company and the price of our common stock may be adversely affected.
Changes in interest rates could negatively affect the value of our investments, which could result in reduced earnings or losses and negatively affect the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We may invest in fixed-rate commercial mortgage-backed securities and other fixed-rate debt investments. Under a normal yield curve, an investment in these instruments will decline in value if long-term interest rates increase. We may also invest in floating-rate debt investments, for which decreases in interest rates will have a negative effect on value and interest income. Declines in market value may ultimately reduce earnings or result in losses to us, which may negatively affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Prepayments can adversely affect the yields on our investments.
The yields of our assets may be affected by the rate of prepayments differing from our projections. Prepayments on debt instruments, where permitted under the debt documents, are influenced by changes in current interest rates and a variety of economic, geographic and other factors beyond our control, and consequently, such prepayment rates cannot be predicted with certainty. If we are unable to invest the proceeds of any prepayments we receive in assets with at least an equivalent yield, the yield on our portfolio will decline. In addition, we may acquire assets at a discount or premium and if the asset does not repay when expected, our anticipated yield may be impacted. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios we may fail to recoup fully our cost of acquisition of certain investments.
If credit spreads widen before we obtain long-term financing for our assets, the value of our assets may suffer.
We will price our assets based on our assumptions about future credit spreads for financing of those assets. We expect to obtain longer-term financing for our assets using structured financing techniques in the future. In such financings, interest rates are typically set at a spread over a certain benchmark, such as the yield on United States Treasury obligations, swaps, or LIBOR. If the spread that borrowers will pay over the benchmark widens and the rates we charge on our assets to be securitized are not increased accordingly, our income may be reduced or we may suffer losses.
Hedging against interest rate exposure may adversely affect our earnings, limit our gains or result in losses, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We may enter into interest rate swap agreements or pursue other interest rate hedging strategies. Our hedging activity will vary in scope based on the level of interest rates, the type of portfolio investments held, and other changing market conditions. Interest rate hedging may fail to protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:
• | interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates; |
• | available interest rate hedging products may not correspond directly with the interest rate risk for which protection is sought; |
• | the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability or asset; |
• | the amount of income that a REIT may earn from hedging transactions to offset losses due to fluctuations in interest rates is limited by federal tax provisions governing REITs; |
• | the credit quality of the party owing money on the hedge may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction; |
• | the party owing money in the hedging transaction may default on its obligation to pay; and |
• | we may purchase a hedge that turns out not to be necessary, i.e., a hedge that is out of the money. |
Any hedging activity we engage in may adversely affect our earnings, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged or liabilities being hedged may vary materially. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the interest rate risk sought to be hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended accounting treatment and may expose us to risk of loss.
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Hedging instruments often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearing house, or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities and involve risks and costs.
The cost of using hedging instruments increases as the period covered by the instrument increases and during periods of rising and volatile interest rates. We may increase our hedging activity and thus increase our hedging costs during periods when interest rates are volatile or rising and hedging costs have increased. In addition, hedging instruments involve risk since they often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearing house, or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities. Consequently, there are no requirements with respect to record keeping, financial responsibility or segregation of customer funds and positions. Furthermore, the enforceability of agreements underlying derivative transactions may depend on compliance with applicable statutory, commodity and other regulatory requirements and, depending on the identity of the counterparty, applicable international requirements. The business failure of a hedging counterparty with whom we enter into a hedging transaction will most likely result in a default. Default by a party with whom we enter into a hedging transaction may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force us to cover our resale commitments, if any, at the then current market price. Although generally we will seek to reserve the right to terminate our hedging positions, it may not always be possible to dispose of or close out a hedging position without the consent of the hedging counterparty, and we may not be able to enter into an offsetting contract in order to cover our risk. We cannot be certain that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments purchased or sold, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses.
There can be no assurance that the direct or indirect effects of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, enacted in July 2010 for the purpose of stabilizing or reforming the financial markets, and other applicable non-U.S. regulation will not have an adverse effect on our interest rate hedging activities.
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act imposed additional regulations on derivatives markets and transactions. Such regulations and, to the extent we trade with counterparties organized in non-US jurisdictions, any applicable regulations in those jurisdictions, are still being implemented, and will affect our interest rate hedging activities. While the full impact of regulation on our interest rate hedging activities cannot be fully assessed until all final implementing rules and regulations are promulgated, such regulation may affect our ability to enter into hedging or other risk management transactions, may increase our costs in entering into such transactions, and may result in us entering into such transactions on less favorable terms than prior to effectiveness of such regulation. For example, subject to an exception under the Dodd-Frank Act for “end-users” of swaps upon which we may seek to rely, we may be required to clear certain interest rate hedging transactions by submitting them to a derivatives clearing organization. In addition, to the extent we are required to clear any such transactions, we will be required to, among other things, post margin in connection with such transactions. The occurrence of any of the foregoing events may have an adverse effect on our business and our stockholders’ returns.
Declines in the market values of our investments may adversely affect periodic reported results of operations and credit availability, which may reduce earnings and, in turn, cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
A portion of our assets may be classified for accounting purposes as “available-for-sale.” These investments are carried at estimated fair value and temporary changes in the market values of those assets will be directly charged or credited to stockholders’ equity without impacting net income on the income statement. Moreover, if we determine that a decline in the estimated fair value of an available-for-sale security below its amortized value is other-than-temporary, we will recognize a loss on that security on the income statement, which will reduce our earnings in the period recognized.
A decline in the market value of our assets may adversely affect us, particularly in instances where we have borrowed money based on the market value of those assets. If the market value of those assets declines, the lender may require us to post additional collateral to support the loan. If we were unable to post the additional collateral, we may have to sell assets at a time when we might not otherwise choose to do so. A reduction in credit available may reduce our earnings and, in turn, cash available for distribution to stockholders.
Further, credit facility providers may require us to maintain a certain amount of cash reserves or to set aside unlevered assets sufficient to maintain a specified liquidity position, which would allow us to satisfy our collateral obligations. As a result, we may not be able to leverage our assets as fully as we would choose, which could reduce our return on equity. In the event that we are unable to meet these contractual obligations, our financial condition could deteriorate rapidly.
Market values of our investments may decline for a number of reasons, such as changes in prevailing interest rates, increases in defaults, increases in voluntary prepayments for our investments that are subject to prepayment risk, widening of credit spreads and downgrades of ratings of the securities by ratings agencies.
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Some of our investments may be carried at an estimated fair value and we will be required to disclose the fair value of other investments quarterly. The estimated fair value will be determined by us and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of these investments.
Some of our investments may be in the form of securities that are recorded at fair value but that have limited liquidity or are not publicly traded. In addition, we must disclose the fair value of our investments in loans each quarter. Such estimates are inherently uncertain. The fair value of securities and other investments, including loans, that have limited liquidity or are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable. We will estimate the fair value of these investments on a quarterly basis. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on numerous estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. The value of our common stock could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal.
Our joint venture partners could take actions that decrease the value of an investment to us and lower our stockholders’ overall return.
We have entered into, and may continue to enter into, joint ventures with third parties to make investments. We may also make investments in partnerships or other co-ownership arrangements or participations. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present with other methods of investment, including, for example, the following risks:
• | that our co-venturer or partner in an investment could become insolvent or bankrupt; |
• | that such co-venturer or partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or that become inconsistent with our business interests or goals; or |
• | that such co-venturer or partner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives. |
Any of the above might subject us to liabilities and thus reduce our returns on our investment with that co-venturer or partner.
Our due diligence may not reveal all of a borrower’s liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business.
Before making a loan to a borrower or acquiring debt or equity securities of a company, we assess the strength and skills of such entity’s management and other factors that we believe are material to the performance of the investment. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, we rely on the resources available to us and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. This process is particularly important and subjective with respect to newly organized or private entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. There can be no assurance that our due diligence processes will uncover all relevant facts or that any investment will be successful.
We depend on debtors for our revenue, and, accordingly, our revenue and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders will be dependent upon the success and economic viability of such debtors.
The success of our investments in real estate-related loans, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments materially depend on the financial stability of the debtors underlying such investments. The inability of a single major debtor or a number of smaller debtors to meet their payment obligations could result in reduced revenue or losses for us.
Delays in liquidating defaulted mortgage loans could reduce our investment returns.
If we own mortgage loans and there are defaults under those mortgage loans, we may not be able to repossess and sell the underlying properties quickly. Borrowers often resist foreclosure actions by asserting numerous claims, counterclaims and defenses, including, without limitation, lender liability claims, in an effort to prolong the foreclosure action. In some states, foreclosure actions can take up to several years or more to litigate. At any time during the foreclosure proceedings, the borrower may file for bankruptcy, which would have the effect of staying the foreclosure action and further delaying the foreclosure process. Foreclosure litigation tends to create a negative public image of the collateral property and may result in disrupting ongoing leasing and management of the property. Foreclosure actions by senior lenders may substantially affect the amount that we may receive from an investment. These factors could reduce the value of our investment in the defaulted mortgage loans.
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Delays in restructuring or liquidating non-performing debt-related securities could reduce the return on our stockholders’ investment.
Debt-related securities may become non-performing after acquisition for a wide variety of reasons. Such non-performing debt-related investments may require a substantial amount of workout negotiations and/or restructuring, which may entail, among other things, a substantial reduction in the interest rate and a substantial write-down of such loan or asset. However, even if a restructuring is successfully accomplished, upon maturity of such debt-related security, the borrower under the security may not be able to negotiate replacement “takeout” financing to repay the principal amount of the securities owed to us. We may find it necessary or desirable to foreclose on some of the collateral securing one or more of our investments. Intercreditor provisions may substantially interfere with our ability to do so. Even if foreclosure is an option, the foreclosure process can be lengthy and expensive as discussed above.
If we foreclose on the collateral that secures our investments in loans receivable, we may incur significant liabilities for deferred repairs and maintenance, property taxes and other expenses, which would reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.
Some of the properties we may acquire in foreclosure proceedings may face competition from newer, more updated properties. In addition, the overall condition of these properties may have been neglected prior to the time we would foreclose on them. In order to remain competitive, increase occupancy at these properties and/or make them more attractive to potential tenants and purchasers, we may have to make significant capital improvements and/or incur deferred maintenance costs with respect to these properties. Also, if we acquire properties through foreclosure, we will be responsible for property taxes and other expenses which will require more capital resources than if we held a secured interest in these properties. To the extent we have to make significant capital expenditures with respect to these properties, we will have less cash available to fund distributions and investor returns may be reduced.
Our inability to sell a property at the time and on the terms we want could limit our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders.
Many factors that are beyond our control affect the real estate market and could affect our ability to sell properties for the price, on the terms or within the time frame that we desire. These factors include general economic conditions, the availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, we have a limited ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Further, before we can sell a property on the terms we want, it may be necessary to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements. However, we can give no assurance that we will have the funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. We may be unable to sell our properties at a profit. Our inability to sell properties at the time and on the terms we want could reduce our cash flow and limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our shares.
If we sell a property by providing financing to the purchaser, we will bear the risk of default by the purchaser, which could delay or reduce the distributions available to our stockholders.
If we decide to sell any of our properties, we intend to use our best efforts to sell them for cash; however, in some instances, we may sell our properties by providing financing to purchasers. When we provide financing to a purchaser, we will bear the risk that the purchaser may default, which could reduce our cash distributions to stockholders. Even in the absence of a purchaser default, the distribution of the proceeds of the sale to our stockholders, or the reinvestment of the proceeds in other assets, will be delayed until the promissory note or other property we may accept upon a sale are actually paid, sold, refinanced or otherwise disposed.
Potential development and construction delays and resultant increased costs and risks may hinder our operating results and decrease our net income.
From time to time we may acquire unimproved real property or properties that are under development or construction. Investments in such properties will be subject to the uncertainties associated with the development and construction of real property, including those related to re-zoning land for development, environmental concerns of governmental entities and/or community groups and our builders’ ability to build in conformity with plans, specifications, budgeted costs and timetables. If a builder fails to perform, we may resort to legal action to rescind the purchase or the construction contract or to compel performance. A builder’s performance may also be affected or delayed by conditions beyond the builder’s control. Delays in completing construction could also give tenants the right to terminate preconstruction leases. We may incur additional risks when we make periodic progress payments or other advances to builders before they complete construction. These and other factors can result in increased costs of a project or loss of our investment. In addition, we will be subject to normal lease-up risks relating to newly constructed projects. We also must rely on rental income and expense projections and estimates of the fair market value of property upon completion of construction when agreeing upon a purchase price at the time we acquire the property. If our projections are inaccurate, we may pay too much for a property, and the return on our investment could suffer.
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Costs imposed pursuant to governmental laws and regulations may reduce our net income and the cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
Real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment and human health. We could be subject to liability in the form of fines, penalties or damages for noncompliance with these laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the remediation of contamination associated with the release or disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the presence of toxic building materials, and other health and safety-related concerns.
Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on the tenants, owners or operators of real property for the costs to investigate or remediate contaminated properties, regardless of fault, whether the contamination occurred prior to purchase, or whether the acts causing the contamination were legal. Activities of our tenants, the condition of properties at the time we buy them, operations in the vicinity of our properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or activities of unrelated third parties may affect our properties.
The presence of hazardous substances, or the failure to properly manage or remediate these substances, may hinder our ability to sell, rent or pledge such property as collateral for future borrowings. Any material expenditures, fines, penalties, or damages we must pay will reduce our ability to make distributions and may reduce the value of our shares.
The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury claims could reduce the amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous real property owner or operator may be liable for the cost of removing or remediating hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. These costs could be substantial. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Environmental laws also may impose liens on property or restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants that may be impacted by such laws. Environmental laws provide for sanctions for noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Third parties may seek recovery from real property owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances. The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury claims could reduce the amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Costs associated with complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act may decrease cash available for distributions.
Our properties may be subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, or the Disabilities Act. Under the Disabilities Act, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The Disabilities Act has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. The Disabilities Act’s requirements could require removal of access barriers and could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages. Any funds used for Disabilities Act compliance will reduce our net income and the amount of cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
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Uninsured losses relating to real property or excessively expensive premiums for insurance coverage could reduce our cash flows and the return on our stockholders’ investment.
There are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pollution or environmental matters, that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles or co-payments. Insurance risks associated with potential acts of terrorism could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. Additionally, mortgage lenders in some cases have begun to insist that commercial property owners purchase coverage against terrorism as a condition for providing mortgage loans. Such insurance policies may not be available at reasonable costs, if at all, which could inhibit our ability to finance or refinance our properties. In such instances, we may be required to provide other financial support, either through financial assurances or self-insurance, to cover potential losses. We may not have adequate coverage for such losses. If any of our properties incurs a casualty loss that is not fully insured, the value of our assets will be reduced by any such uninsured loss, which may reduce the value of our shares. In addition, other than any working capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we have no source of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured property. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for insurance, we could suffer reduced earnings that would result in lower distributions to our stockholders.
Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may affect the markets in which we plan to operate, which could delay or hinder our ability to meet our investment objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
Terrorist attacks or armed conflicts may directly impact the value of our properties through damage, destruction, loss or increased security costs. Certain of our investments are located in major metropolitan areas. Insurance risks associated with potential acts of terrorism against office and other properties in major metropolitan areas could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. Additionally, mortgage lenders in some cases have begun to insist that specific coverage against terrorism be purchased by commercial owners as a condition for providing loans. We may not be able to obtain insurance against the risk of terrorism because it may not be available or may not be available on terms that are economically feasible. The terrorism insurance that we obtain may not be sufficient to cover loss for damages to our properties as a result of terrorist attacks. In addition, certain losses resulting from these types of events are uninsurable and others may not be covered by our terrorism insurance. The costs of obtaining terrorism insurance and any uninsured losses we may suffer as a result of terrorist attacks could reduce the returns on our investments and limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Risks Related to Our Financing Strategy
We use leverage in connection with our investments, which increases the risk of loss associated with our investments.
We have financed the acquisition and origination of a portion of our investments with mortgages and other borrowings. Although the use of leverage may enhance returns and increase the number of investments that we can make, it may also substantially increase the risk of loss. Our ability to execute this strategy depends on various conditions in the financing markets that are beyond our control, including liquidity and credit spreads. There can be no assurance that leveraged financing will be available to us on favorable terms or that, among other factors, the terms of such financing will parallel the maturities of the underlying assets acquired. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative forms of long-term financing for our assets, as secured revolving credit facilities and repurchase facilities may not accommodate long-term financing. This could subject us to more restrictive recourse indebtedness and the risk that debt service on less efficient forms of financing would require a larger portion of our cash flows, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to our stockholders, for our operations and for future business opportunities. If alternative financing is not available, we may have to liquidate assets at unfavorable prices to pay off such financing. The return on our investments and cash available for distribution to our stockholders may be reduced to the extent that changes in market conditions cause the cost of our financing to increase relative to the income that we can derive from the assets we acquire.
High mortgage rates or changes in underwriting standards may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance properties, which could reduce our cash flows from operations and the amount of cash distributions we can make.
If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance our properties. If we place mortgage debt on a property, we run the risk of being unable to refinance part or all of the property subject to the mortgage debt when it becomes due or of being unable to refinance on favorable terms. If interest rates are higher when we refinance properties subject to mortgage debt, our income could be reduced. We may be unable to refinance or may only be able to partly refinance properties if underwriting standards, including loan to value ratios and yield requirements, among other requirements, are more strict than when we originally financed the properties. If any of these events occur, our cash flow could be reduced and/or we might have to pay down existing mortgages. This, in turn, would reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders, could cause us to require additional capital and may hinder our ability to raise capital by issuing more stock or by borrowing more money.
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Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional debt. Loan agreements into which we enter may contain covenants that limit our ability to further mortgage a property or that prohibit us from discontinuing insurance coverage or replacing KBS Capital Advisors as our advisor. These or other limitations would decrease our operating flexibility and our ability to achieve our operating objectives.
Increases in interest rates would increase the amount of our debt payments and limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
We have incurred significant amounts of variable rate debt. Increases in interest rates will increase the cost of that debt, which could reduce our cash flows from operations and the cash we have available to pay distributions to our stockholders. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments at times that may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.
In a period of rising interest rates, our interest expense could increase while the interest we earn on our fixed-rate assets would not change, which would adversely affect our profitability.
Our operating results will depend in large part on differences between the income from our assets, net of credit losses and financing costs. Income from our assets may respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our borrowings. Consequently, changes in interest rates, particularly short-term interest rates, may significantly influence our net income. Increases in these rates will tend to decrease our net income and market value of our assets. Interest rate fluctuations resulting in our interest expense exceeding our interest income would result in operating losses for us and may limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments at times that may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.
We have broad authority to incur debt and high debt levels could hinder our ability to make distributions and decrease the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Our charter limits our total liabilities to 75% of the cost (before deducting depreciation or other noncash reserves) of our tangible assets; however, we may exceed that limit if the majority of the conflicts committee of our board of directors approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowings to our stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. As of December 31, 2014, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 53% of the cost (before depreciation or other noncash reserves) and book value (before depreciation) of our tangible assets, respectively. High debt levels would cause us to incur higher interest charges and higher debt service payments and may also be accompanied by restrictive covenants. These factors could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute and could result in a decline in the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Federal Income Tax Risks
Failure to qualify as a REIT would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution.
Our qualification as a REIT will depend upon our ability to meet requirements regarding our organization and ownership, distributions of our income, the nature and diversification of our income and assets and other tests imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for any taxable year after electing REIT status, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at corporate rates. In addition, we would generally be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we lost our REIT status. Losing our REIT status would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to stockholders because of the additional tax liability. In addition, distributions would no longer qualify for the dividends paid deduction and we would no longer be required to make distributions. If this occurs, we might be required to borrow funds or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax.
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Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject us to federal income tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We expect to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. However, the federal income tax laws governing REITs are extremely complex, and interpretations of the federal income tax laws governing qualification as a REIT are limited. Qualifying as a REIT requires us to meet various tests regarding the nature of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding stock, and the amount of our distributions on an ongoing basis. While we intend to continue to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, including the tax treatment of certain investments we may make, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will so qualify for any particular year. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any calendar year and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay federal income tax on our taxable income. We might need to borrow money or sell assets to pay that tax. Our payment of income tax would decrease the amount of our income available for distribution to our stockholders. Furthermore, if we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders. Unless our failure to qualify as a REIT were excused under federal tax laws, we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.
Our stockholders may have current tax liability on distributions they elect to reinvest in our common stock.
If our stockholders participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, they will be deemed to have received, and for income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in shares of our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital. In addition, our stockholders will be treated for tax purposes as having received an additional distribution to the extent the shares are purchased at a discount to fair market value, if any. As a result, unless our stockholders are tax-exempt entities, they may have to use funds from other sources to pay their tax liability on the value of the shares of common stock received.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to some federal, state and local taxes on our income or property. For example:
• | In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders (which is determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain). To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on the undistributed income. |
• | We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions we pay in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. |
• | If we have net income from the sale of foreclosure property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, we must pay a tax on that income at the highest corporate income tax rate. |
• | If we sell an asset, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, our gain would be subject to the 100% “prohibited transaction” tax unless such sale were made by one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. |
Our investments in debt instruments may cause us to recognize “phantom income” for federal income tax purposes even though no cash payments have been received on the debt instruments.
It is expected that we may acquire debt instruments in the secondary market for less than their face amount. The amount of such discount will generally be treated as “market discount” for federal income tax purposes. We may acquire distressed debt investments that are subsequently modified by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt are “significant modifications” under the applicable Treasury regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us in a debt-for-debt exchange with the borrower. This deemed reissuance may prevent the modified debt from qualifying as a good REIT asset if the underlying security has declined in value.
In general, we will be required to accrue original issue discount on a debt instrument as taxable income in accordance with applicable federal income tax rules even though no cash payments may be received on such debt instrument.
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In the event a borrower with respect to a particular debt instrument encounters financial difficulty rendering it unable to pay stated interest as due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income. Similarly, we may be required to accrue interest income with respect to subordinate residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities at the stated rate regardless of when their corresponding cash payments are received.
As a result of these factors, there is a significant risk that we may recognize substantial taxable income in excess of cash available for distribution. In that event, we may need to borrow funds or take other action to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements for the taxable year in which this “phantom income” is recognized.
REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, subject to certain adjustments and excluding any net capital gain, in order for federal corporate income tax not to apply to earnings that we distribute. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed REIT taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the REIT requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.
From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our taxable income for financial reporting purposes, or our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders (for example, where a borrower defers the payment of interest in cash pursuant to a contractual right or otherwise). If we do not have other funds available in these situations we could be required to borrow funds, sell investments at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative source of funds to make distributions sufficient to enable us to pay out enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.
To maintain our REIT status, we may be forced to forego otherwise attractive business or investment opportunities, which may delay or hinder our ability to meet our investment objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy certain tests on an ongoing basis concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, nature of our assets and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. We may be required to make distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits and reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Potential characterization of distributions or gain on sale may be treated as unrelated business taxable income to tax-exempt investors.
If (i) all or a portion of our assets are subject to the rules relating to taxable mortgage pools, (ii) we are a “pension-held REIT,” (iii) a tax-exempt stockholder has incurred debt to purchase or hold our common stock, or (iv) the residual Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit interests, or REMICs, we buy (if any) generate “excess inclusion income,” then a portion of the distributions to and, in the case of a stockholder described in clause (iii), gains realized on the sale of common stock by such tax-exempt stockholder may be subject to federal income tax as unrelated business taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code.
If we were considered to actually or constructively pay a “preferential dividend” to certain of our stockholders, our status as a REIT could be adversely affected.
In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income (excluding net capital gain), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid. In order for distributions to be counted as satisfying the annual distribution requirements for REITs, and to provide us with a REIT-level tax deduction, the distribution must not be “preferential dividends.” A dividend is not a preferential dividend if the distribution is pro rata among all outstanding shares of stock within a particular class, and in accordance with the preferences among different classes of stock as set forth in our organizational documents. There is no de minimis exception with respect to preferential dividends; therefore, if the IRS were to take the position that we paid a preferential dividend, we may be deemed to have failed the 90% distribution test, and our status as a REIT could be terminated for the year in which such determination is made if we were unable to cure such failure.
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The “taxable mortgage pool” rules may increase the taxes that we or our stockholders incur and may limit the manner in which we conduct securitizations or financing arrangements.
We may be deemed to be, or make investments in entities that own or are themselves deemed to be, taxable mortgage pools. As a REIT, provided that we own 100% of the equity interests in a taxable mortgage pool, we generally would not be adversely affected by the characterization of the securitization as a taxable mortgage pool. However certain categories of stockholders, such as foreign stockholders eligible for treaty or other benefits, stockholders with net operating losses, and certain tax-exempt stockholders that are subject to unrelated business income tax, could be subject to increased taxes on a portion of their dividend income from us that is attributable to the taxable mortgage pool. In addition, to the extent that our stock is owned by tax-exempt “disqualified organizations,” such as certain government-related entities that are not subject to tax on unrelated business income, we will incur a corporate-level tax on a portion of our income from the taxable mortgage pool. In that case, we are authorized to reduce and intend to reduce the amount of our distributions to any disqualified organization whose stock ownership gave rise to the tax by the amount of such tax paid by us that is attributable to such stockholder’s ownership. Moreover, we would be precluded from selling equity interests in these securitizations to outside investors, or selling any debt securities issued in connection with these securitizations that might be considered to be equity interests for federal income tax purposes. These limitations may prevent us from using certain techniques to maximize our returns from securitization transactions.
Similarly, certain of our securitizations or other borrowings could be considered to result in the creation of a taxable mortgage pool for federal income tax purposes. We intend to structure our securitization and financing arrangements as to not create a taxable mortgage pool. However, if we have borrowings with two or more maturities and (i) those borrowings are secured by mortgages or residential or commercial mortgage-backed securities and (ii) the payments made on the borrowings are related to the payments received on the underlying assets, then the borrowings and the pool of mortgages or residential or commercial mortgage-backed securities to which such borrowings relate may be classified as a taxable mortgage pool under the Internal Revenue Code. If any part of our investments were to be treated as a taxable mortgage pool, then our REIT status would not be impaired, provided we own 100% of such entity, but a portion of the taxable income we recognize may be characterized as “excess inclusion” income and allocated among our stockholders to the extent of and generally in proportion to the distributions we make to each stockholder. Any excess inclusion income would:
• | not be allowed to be offset by a stockholder’s net operating losses; |
• | be subject to a tax as unrelated business income if a stockholder were a tax-exempt stockholder; |
• | be subject to the application of federal income tax withholding at the maximum rate (without reduction for any otherwise applicable income tax treaty) with respect to amounts allocable to foreign stockholders; and |
• | be taxable (at the highest corporate tax rate) to us, rather than to our stockholders, to the extent the excess inclusion income relates to stock held by disqualified organizations (generally, tax-exempt companies not subject to tax on unrelated business income, including governmental organizations). |
The tax on prohibited transactions will limit our ability to engage in transactions, including certain methods of securitizing mortgage loans, that would be treated as sales for federal income tax purposes.
A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of assets, other than foreclosure property, deemed held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to this tax if we were to dispose of or securitize loans in a manner that was treated as a sale of the loans for federal income tax purposes. Therefore, in order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of loans at the REIT level, and may limit the structures we utilize for our securitization transactions, even though the sales or structures might otherwise be beneficial to us.
It may be possible to reduce the impact of the prohibited transaction tax by conducting certain activities through taxable REIT subsidiaries. However, to the extent that we engage in such activities through taxable REIT subsidiaries, the income associated with such activities may be subject to full corporate income tax.
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Complying with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans and residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, and no more than 25% of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences. As a result, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.
To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.
Characterization of any repurchase agreements we enter into to finance our investments as sales for tax purposes rather than as secured lending transactions would adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.
We may enter into repurchase agreements with a variety of counterparties to achieve our desired amount of leverage for the assets in which we invest. When we enter into a repurchase agreement, we generally sell assets to our counterparty to the agreement and receive cash from the counterparty. The counterparty is obligated to resell the assets back to us at the end of the term of the transaction. We believe that for federal income tax purposes we will be treated as the owner of the assets that are the subject of repurchase agreements and that the repurchase agreements will be treated as secured lending transactions notwithstanding that such agreement may transfer record ownership of the assets to the counterparty during the term of the agreement. It is possible, however, that the Internal Revenue Service could successfully assert that we did not own these assets during the term of the repurchase agreements, in which case we could fail to qualify as a REIT if tax ownership of these assets was necessary for us to meet the income and/or asset tests.
If certain sale-leaseback transactions are not characterized by the Internal Revenue Service as “true leases,” we may be subject to adverse tax consequences.
We may purchase investments in properties and lease them back to the sellers of these properties. If the Internal Revenue Service does not characterize these leases as “true leases,” we would be not treated as receiving rents from real property with regard to such leases which could affect our ability to satisfy the REIT gross income tests.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.
The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, any income that we generate from transactions intended to hedge our interest rate, inflation and/or currency risks will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests if the instrument hedges (i) interest rate risk on liabilities incurred to carry or acquire real estate or (ii) risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the REIT 75% or 95% gross income tests, and such instrument is properly identified under applicable Treasury Regulations. Income from hedging transactions that do not meet these requirements will generally constitute nonqualifying income for purposes of both the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous, which could result in greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.
Ownership limitations may restrict change of control or business combination opportunities in which our stockholders might receive a premium for their shares.
In order for us to qualify as a REIT for each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of our outstanding capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals during the last half of any calendar year. “Individuals” for this purpose include natural persons, and some entities such as private foundations. To preserve our REIT qualification, our charter generally prohibits any person from directly or indirectly owning more than 9.8% in value of our capital stock. This ownership limitation could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of our common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then prevailing market price or which holders might believe to be otherwise in their best interests.
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Our ownership of and relationship with our taxable REIT subsidiaries will be limited and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.
A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A taxable REIT subsidiary may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a taxable REIT subsidiary. A corporation of which a taxable REIT subsidiary directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Overall, no more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A domestic taxable REIT subsidiary will pay federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the taxable REIT subsidiary rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT to assure that the taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a taxable REIT subsidiary and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to comply with the 25% value limitation on ownership of taxable REIT subsidiary stock and securities on an ongoing basis so as to maintain REIT status or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax imposed on certain non-arm’s length transactions.
The Internal Revenue Service may challenge our characterization of certain income from offshore taxable REIT subsidiaries.
We may form offshore corporate entities treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries. If we form such subsidiaries, we may receive certain “income inclusions” with respect to our equity investments in these entities. We intend to treat such income inclusions, to the extent matched by repatriations of cash in the same taxable year, as qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test but not the 75% gross income test. Because there is no clear precedent with respect to the qualification of such income inclusions for purposes of the REIT gross income tests, no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service will not assert a contrary position. If such income does not qualify for the 95% gross income test, we could be subject to a penalty tax or we could fail to qualify as a REIT, in both events only if such inclusions (along with certain other non-qualifying income) exceed 5% of our gross income.
We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes.
At any time, the federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation.
Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates.
The maximum tax rate for dividends payable to domestic stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, are generally not eligible for the reduced rates. While this tax treatment does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts or estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock.
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Retirement Plan Risks
If the fiduciary of an employee benefit plan subject to ERISA (such as a profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plan) or an owner of a retirement arrangement subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”)) fails to meet the fiduciary and other standards under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code as a result of an investment in our stock, the fiduciary could be subject to penalties and other sanctions.
There are special considerations that apply to employee benefit plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) (such as profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plans) and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an IRA) that are investing in our shares. Fiduciaries and IRA owners investing the assets of such a plan or account in our common stock should satisfy themselves that:
• | the investment is consistent with their fiduciary and other obligations under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code; |
• | the investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan or IRA, including the plan’s or account’s investment policy; |
• | the investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code; |
• | the investment in our shares, for which no public market currently exists, is consistent with the liquidity needs of the plan or IRA; |
• | the investment will not produce an unacceptable amount of “unrelated business taxable income” for the plan or IRA; |
• | our stockholders will be able to comply with the requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code to value the assets of the plan or IRA annually; and |
• | the investment will not constitute a prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code. |
With respect to the annual valuation requirements described above, we will provide an estimated value for our shares annually. We can make no claim whether such estimated value will or will not satisfy the applicable annual valuation requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. The Department of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service may determine that a plan fiduciary or an IRA custodian is required to take further steps to determine the value of our common stock. In the absence of an appropriate determination of value, a plan fiduciary or an IRA custodian may be subject to damages, penalties or other sanctions. See Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code may result in the imposition of civil and criminal penalties and could subject the fiduciary to claims for damages or for equitable remedies, including liability for investment losses. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes a prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, the fiduciary or IRA owner who authorized or directed the investment may be subject to the imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested. In addition, the investment transaction must be undone. In the case of a prohibited transaction involving an IRA owner, the IRA may be disqualified as a tax-exempt account and all of the assets of the IRA may be deemed distributed and subjected to tax. ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners should consult with counsel before making an investment in our common stock.
ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
We have no unresolved staff comments.
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ITEM 2. | PROPERTIES |
As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties and one retail property encompassing, in the aggregate, approximately 4.6 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2014, these properties were 80% occupied. In addition, we owned two apartment properties containing 383 units and encompassing approximately 0.3 million rentable square feet, which were 87% occupied. We also owned two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres. The following table provides summary information regarding our properties as of December 31, 2014:
Property Location of Property | Date Acquired or Foreclosed on | Property Type | Rentable Square Feet | Total Real Estate at Cost (1) (in thousands) | Occupancy | Ownership % | |||||||||||
Academy Point Atrium I Colorado Springs, CO | 11/03/2010 | Office | 92,099 | $ | 2,600 | — | % | 100.0 | % | ||||||||
Northridge Center I & II Atlanta, GA | 03/25/2011 | Office | 188,509 | 8,808 | 72.2 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Iron Point Business Park Folsom, CA | 06/21/2011 | Office | 211,887 | 21,974 | 85.9 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
1635 N. Cahuenga Building Los Angeles, CA | 08/03/2011 | Office | 34,666 | 8,137 | 73.9 | % | 70.0 | % | |||||||||
Richardson Portfolio Richardson, TX | 11/23/2011 | Office/ Undeveloped Land | 569,980 | 47,028 | 88.9 | % | 90.0 | % | |||||||||
Park Highlands North Las Vegas, NV | 12/30/2011 | Undeveloped Land | — | 28,229 | N/A | 50.1 | % | ||||||||||
Bellevue Technology Center Bellevue, WA | 07/31/2012 | Office | 330,508 | 80,747 | 82.5 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Powers Ferry Landing East Atlanta, GA | 09/24/2012 | Office | 149,324 | 9,419 | 84.9 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
1800 West Loop Houston, TX | 12/04/2012 | Office | 400,101 | 73,283 | 79.7 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
West Loop I & II Houston, TX | 12/07/2012 | Office | 313,873 | 39,532 | 72.9 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Burbank Collection Burbank, CA | 12/12/2012 | Retail | 39,428 | 14,231 | 47.7 | % | 90.0 | % | |||||||||
Austin Suburban Portfolio Austin, TX | 03/28/2013 | Office | 517,974 | 78,911 | 77.2 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Westmoor Center Westminster, CO | 06/12/2013 | Office | 612,890 | 86,204 | 78.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Central Building Seattle, WA | 07/10/2013 | Office | 191,784 | 34,593 | 85.8 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
50 Congress Street Boston, MA | 07/11/2013 | Office | 179,872 | 53,690 | 93.2 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
1180 Raymond Newark, NJ | 08/20/2013 | Apartment | 268,688 | 44,778 | 84.5 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Park Highlands II North Las Vegas, NV | 12/10/2013 | Undeveloped Land | — | 21,224 | N/A | 99.5 | % | ||||||||||
Maitland Promenade II Orlando, FL | 12/18/2013 | Office | 230,366 | 31,851 | 95.5 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Plaza Buildings Bellevue, WA | 01/14/2014 | Office | 490,994 | 192,400 | 85.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
424 Bedford Brooklyn, NY | 01/31/2014 | Apartment | 49,220 | 33,676 | 97.0 | % | 90.0 | % | |||||||||
Richardson Land II Richardson, TX | 09/04/2014 | Undeveloped Land | — | 7,944 | N/A | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||
4,872,163 | $ | 919,259 |
(1) Amounts are net of impairment charges.
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As of December 31, 2014, there were no tenants occupying 10% or more of our total rentable square footage. As of December 31, 2014, our real estate portfolio’s highest tenant industry concentrations (greater than 10% of annualized base rent) were as follows:
Industry | Number of Tenants | Annualized Base Rent (1) (in thousands) | Percentage of Annualized Base Rent | ||||||
Finance | 49 | $ | 11,619 | 15.2 | % | ||||
Computer System Design & Programming | 39 | 9,350 | 12.2 | % | |||||
Insurance Carriers & Related Activities | 26 | 7,816 | 10.2 | % | |||||
Professional, Scientific & Legal | 57 | 7,634 | 10.0 | % | |||||
$ | 36,419 | 47.6 | % |
_____________________
(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2014, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
Portfolio Lease Expiration
The following table reflects lease expirations of our owned properties, excluding apartment leases, as of December 31, 2014:
Year of Expiration | Number of Leases Expiring | Annualized Base Rent (in thousands) (1) | % of Portfolio Annualized Base Rent Expiring | Leased Rentable Square Feet Expiring | % of Portfolio Rentable Square Feet Expiring | |||||||||||
Month-to-Month | 20 | $ | 1,149 | 1.6 | % | 125,822 | 3.5 | % | ||||||||
2015 | 103 | 10,525 | 13.7 | % | 485,431 | 13.2 | % | |||||||||
2016 | 76 | 10,592 | 13.8 | % | 551,933 | 15.1 | % | |||||||||
2017 | 91 | 10,302 | 13.4 | % | 497,675 | 13.6 | % | |||||||||
2018 | 70 | 12,189 | 15.9 | % | 538,645 | 14.7 | % | |||||||||
2019 | 60 | 11,250 | 14.7 | % | 559,363 | 15.3 | % | |||||||||
2020 | 21 | 5,287 | 6.9 | % | 231,690 | 6.3 | % | |||||||||
2021 | 21 | 4,431 | 5.8 | % | 200,744 | 5.5 | % | |||||||||
2022 | 5 | 2,884 | 3.8 | % | 139,812 | 3.8 | % | |||||||||
2023 | 11 | 4,738 | 6.2 | % | 187,556 | 5.1 | % | |||||||||
2024 | 6 | 2,487 | 3.2 | % | 95,611 | 2.6 | % | |||||||||
Thereafter | 4 | 768 | 1.0 | % | 49,671 | 1.3 | % | |||||||||
Total | 488 | $ | 76,602 | 100 | % | 3,663,953 | 100 | % |
_____________________
(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2014, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
ITEM 3. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
From time to time, we are party to legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. Management is not aware of any legal proceedings of which the outcome is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition, nor are we aware of any such legal proceedings contemplated by government agencies.
ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES |
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. | MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
Stockholder Information
As of March 3, 2015, we had 60.0 million shares of common stock outstanding held by a total of approximately 16,000 stockholders. The number of stockholders is based on the records of DST Systems, Inc., who serves as our transfer agent.
Market Information
No public market currently exists for our shares of common stock, and we currently have no plans to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, our stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets applicable suitability and minimum purchase requirements. In addition, our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% of our stock, unless exempted by our board of directors. Consequently, there is the risk that our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares at a time or price acceptable to them.
We provide an estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under the National Association of Securities Dealers Conduct Rule 2340 as required by FINRA. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of Practice Guideline 2013- 01, Valuations of Publicly Registered, Non-Listed REITs issued by the IPA in April 2013. For this purpose, we estimated the value of the shares of our common stock as $12.24 per share as of December 31, 2014. This estimated value per share is based on our board of directors’ approval on December 9, 2014 of an estimated value per share of our common stock of $12.24 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014. There were no material changes between September 30, 2014 and December 9, 2014 with respect to the net values of our assets and liabilities that impacted the overall estimated value per share.
Our conflicts committee, composed of all of our independent directors, is responsible for the oversight of the valuation process, including the review and approval of the valuation process and methodologies used to determine our estimated value per share, the consistency of the valuation and appraisal methodologies with real estate industry standards and practices and the reasonableness of the assumptions used in the valuations and appraisals. The estimated value per share was based upon the recommendation and valuation prepared by KBS Capital Advisors, our external advisor. KBS Capital Advisors’ recommendation was based on appraisals with respect to all of our consolidated investments in real estate properties and one of our unconsolidated joint venture investments in real estate properties. With the exception of our investments in undeveloped land, appraisals on all of our consolidated investments in real properties and one of our unconsolidated investments in real estate properties were performed by Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”). Appraisals of our investments in undeveloped land were performed by Landauer Services, LLC (“Landauer”), a division of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. Duff & Phelps and Landauer, each an independent third-party valuation firm, also prepared appraisal reports, summarizing key inputs and assumptions, for each of the real estate properties they respectively appraised. KBS Capital Advisors also performed valuations with respect to our real estate-related investments, one of our unconsolidated joint ventures, cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities. The methodologies and assumptions used to determine the estimated value of our assets and liabilities are described further below.
KBS Capital Advisors used the appraised values of our real estate properties, together with KBS Capital Advisor’s estimated value of each of our other assets and liabilities, to calculate and recommend an estimated value per share of our common stock. Upon (i) the conflicts committee’s receipt and review of KBS Capital Advisors’ valuation report, including KBS Capital Advisors’ summary of the appraisal reports prepared by Duff & Phelps and Landauer and KBS Capital Advisors’ estimated value of each of our other assets and our liabilities, (ii) the conflicts committee’s review of the reasonableness of our estimated value per share resulting from KBS Capital Advisors valuation process, and (iii) in light of other factors considered by the conflicts committee and the conflicts committee’s own extensive knowledge of our assets and liabilities, the conflicts committee concluded that the estimated value per share proposed by our advisor was reasonable and recommended to the board of directors that it adopt $12.24 as the estimated value per share of our common stock. At the special meeting of the board of directors, the board of directors unanimously agreed to accept the recommendation of the conflicts committee and approved $12.24 as the estimated value of our common stock, which determination is ultimately and solely the responsibility of the board of directors.
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The table below sets forth the calculation of our estimated value per share as of December 9, 2014, as well as the calculation of our prior estimated value per share as of March 25, 2014:
December 9, 2014 Estimated Value per Share | March 25, 2014 Estimated Value per Share (1) | Change in Estimated Value per Share | ||||||||||
Real estate properties (2) | $ | 20.77 | $ | 16.09 | $ | 4.68 | ||||||
Real estate loan receivable | 0.46 | 0.37 | 0.09 | |||||||||
Cash (3) | 0.32 | 0.97 | (0.65 | ) | ||||||||
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures (4) | 1.74 | 0.35 | 1.39 | |||||||||
Other assets | 0.10 | 0.27 | (0.17 | ) | ||||||||
Mortgage debt (5) | (8.75 | ) | (4.34 | ) | (4.41 | ) | ||||||
Advisor participation fee potential liability | (0.17 | ) | (0.10 | ) | (0.07 | ) | ||||||
Other liabilities | (0.34 | ) | (0.37 | ) | 0.03 | |||||||
Non-controlling interest | (1.89 | ) | (1.82 | ) | (0.07 | ) | ||||||
Acquisition-related costs subsequent to December 31, 2013 | — | (0.15 | ) | 0.15 | ||||||||
Estimated value per share | $ | 12.24 | $ | 11.27 | $ | 0.97 | ||||||
Estimated enterprise value premium | None assumed | None assumed | None assumed | |||||||||
Total estimated value per share | $ | 12.24 | $ | 11.27 | $ | 0.97 |
_____________________
(1) The March 25, 2014 estimated value per share was based upon the recommendation and valuation of KBS Capital Advisors. We engaged Duff & Phelps and Landauer, to provide appraisals of our real estate properties and KBS Capital Advisors performed valuations of our real estate-related investment, cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities. For more information relating to the March 25, 2014 estimated value per share and the assumptions and methodologies used by Duff & Phelps, Landauer and our advisor, see our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2014.
(2) The increase in the estimated value of real estate properties was primarily due to real estate acquisitions and increases in fair values of our real estate properties.
(3) The decrease in cash was primarily due to the use of cash related to the acquisitions of real estate and the investment in an unconsolidated joint venture.
(4) The increase in the estimated value of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures was primarily due to an additional investment in an unconsolidated joint venture.
(5) The increase in mortgage debt was primarily due to additional borrowings in connection with real estate acquisitions.
The increase in our estimated value per share from the previous estimate was primarily due to the items noted below, which reflect the significant contributors to the net increase in estimated value per share from $11.27 to $12.24. The changes are not equal to the change in values of each real each asset and liability group presented in the table above due to asset acquisitions, debt financings and other factors, which caused the value of certain asset or liability groups to change with no impact to our fair value of equity or the overall estimated value per share.
Change in Estimated Value per Share | ||||
March 25, 2014 estimated value per share | $ | 11.27 | ||
Changes to estimated value per share | ||||
Real estate | ||||
Real estate | 0.92 | |||
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures | 0.44 | |||
Capital expenditures on real estate | (0.32 | ) | ||
Total change related to real estate | 1.04 | |||
Operating cash flows in excess of quarterly distributions declared | 0.07 | |||
Notes payable | (0.01 | ) | ||
Minority interest in consolidated joint ventures | (0.04 | ) | ||
Advisor participation fee potential liability | (0.07 | ) | ||
Other changes, net | (0.02 | ) | ||
Total change in estimated value per share | $ | 0.97 | ||
December 9, 2014 estimated value per share | $ | 12.24 |
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As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, and these differences could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less its liabilities according to GAAP, nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the amount our shares of common stock would trade at on a national securities exchange. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that are not held for sale, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations or the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt. The estimated value per share does consider any participation or incentive fees that would be due to KBS Capital Advisors based on the aggregate net asset value of us and that would be payable in a hypothetical liquidation of us as of the valuation date in accordance with the terms of our advisory agreement. As of December 9, 2014, we had no potentially dilutive securities outstanding that would impact the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Methodology
Our goal in calculating an estimated value per share is to arrive at a value that is reasonable and supportable using what we and KBS Capital Advisors deem to be appropriate valuation methodologies and assumptions and a process that is in compliance with the valuation guidelines established by the IPA. The following is a summary of the valuation and appraisal methodologies used to value our assets and liabilities:
Real Estate
Independent Valuation Firm
Duff & Phelps(1) was selected by KBS Capital Advisors and approved by our conflicts committee to appraise all of our consolidated investments in real estate properties and 110 William Street (defined below) but excluding our investments in undeveloped land. Landauer(2) was selected by KBS Capital Advisors and approved by our conflicts committee to appraise our three investments in undeveloped land and our other undeveloped land parcels acquired in conjunction with three real estate property acquisitions. Duff & Phelps and Landauer are engaged in the business of appraising commercial real estate properties and are not affiliated with us or KBS Capital Advisors. The compensation we paid to Duff & Phelps and Landauer is based on the scope of work and not on the appraised values of our real estate properties. The appraisals were performed in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, or USPAP, the real estate appraisal industry standards created by The Appraisal Foundation, as well as the requirements of the state where each real property is located. Each appraisal was reviewed, approved and signed by an individual with the professional designation of MAI (Member of the Appraisal Institute). The use of the reports is subject to the requirements of the Appraisal Institute relating to review by its duly authorized representatives. In preparing their appraisal reports, Duff & Phelps and Landauer did not, and were not requested to, solicit third-party indications of interest for our common stock in connection with possible purchases thereof or the acquisition of all or any part of us.
Duff & Phelps and Landauer collected all reasonably available material information that each deemed relevant in appraising our real estate properties. Duff & Phelps relied in part on property-level information provided by KBS Capital Advisors, including (i) property historical and projected operating revenues and expenses; (ii) property lease agreements; and (iii) information regarding recent or planned capital expenditures. Landauer was provided with land surveys and development plans and relied in part on such information.
_____________________
(1) Duff & Phelps is actively engaged in the business of appraising commercial real estate properties similar to those owned by us in connection with public securities offerings, private placements, business combinations and similar transactions. We engaged Duff & Phelps to deliver an appraisal report relating to all of our consolidated investments in real estate properties, with the exception of our investments in undeveloped land, and Duff & Phelps received fees upon the delivery of such report. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify Duff & Phelps against certain liabilities arising out of this engagement. In the two years prior to the date of this filing, Duff & Phelps and its affiliates have provided a number of commercial real estate, appraisal and valuation services for us and/or our affiliates and have received fees in connection with such services. Duff & Phelps and its affiliates may from time to time in the future perform other commercial real estate, appraisal and valuation services for us and our affiliates in transactions related to the properties that are the subjects of the appraisals, so long as such other services do not adversely affect the independence of the applicable Duff & Phelps appraiser as certified in the applicable appraisal reports.
(2) Landauer is actively engaged in the business of appraising commercial real estate properties similar to those owned by us in connection with public securities offerings, private placements, business combinations and similar transactions. We engaged Landauer to deliver appraisal reports relating to our investments in undeveloped land and Landauer received fees upon the delivery of such reports. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify Landauer against certain liabilities arising out of this engagement. In connection with the prior valuation of our shares in March 2014, Landauer and its affiliates provided a number of commercial real estate, appraisal and valuation services for us and received fees in connection with such services. Landauer is an affiliate of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, a parent holding company of affiliated companies that are engaged in the ordinary course of business in many areas related to commercial real estate and related services. Landauer and its affiliates may from time to time in the future perform other commercial real estate, appraisal, valuation and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates in transactions related to the properties that are the subjects of the appraisals, so long as such other services do not adversely affect the independence of the applicable Landauer appraiser as certified in the applicable appraisal reports.
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In conducting their investigation and analyses, Duff & Phelps and Landauer took into account customary and accepted financial and commercial procedures and considerations as they deemed relevant. Although Duff & Phelps and Landauer reviewed information supplied or otherwise made available by us or KBS Capital Advisors for reasonableness, they assumed and relied upon the accuracy and completeness of all such information and of all information supplied or otherwise made available to them by any other party and did not independently verify any such information. With respect to operating or financial forecasts and other information and data provided to or otherwise reviewed by or discussed with Duff & Phelps and Landauer, Duff & Phelps and Landauer assumed that such forecasts and other information and data were reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of our management, board of directors and/or KBS Capital Advisors. Duff & Phelps and Landauer relied on us to advise them promptly if any information previously provided became inaccurate or was required to be updated during the period of their review.
In performing their analyses, Duff & Phelps and Landauer made numerous other assumptions as of various points in time with respect to industry performance, general business, economic and regulatory conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond their control and our control, as well as certain factual matters. For example, unless specifically informed to the contrary, Duff & Phelps and Landauer assumed that we have clear and marketable title to each real estate property appraised, that no title defects exist, that any improvements were made in accordance with law, that no hazardous materials are present or were present previously, that no deed restrictions exist, and that no changes to zoning ordinances or regulations governing use, density or shape are pending or being considered. Furthermore, Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s analyses, opinions and conclusions were necessarily based upon market, economic, financial and other circumstances and conditions existing as of or prior to the date of the appraisal, and any material change in such circumstances and conditions may affect Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s analyses and conclusions. Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s appraisal reports contain other assumptions, qualifications and limitations that qualify the analyses, opinions and conclusions set forth therein. Furthermore, the prices at which our real estate properties may actually be sold could differ from Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s analyses.
Although Duff & Phelps and Landauer considered any comments received from us or KBS Capital Advisors to their appraisal reports, the final appraised values of our real estate properties were determined by Duff & Phelps and Landauer. The appraisal reports for our real estate properties are addressed solely to us to assist KBS Capital Advisors in calculating and recommending an updated estimated value per share of our common stock. The appraisal reports are not addressed to the public and may not be relied upon by any other person to establish an estimated value per share of our common stock and do not constitute a recommendation to any person to purchase or sell any shares of our common stock. In preparing their appraisal reports, Duff & Phelps and Landauer did not solicit third-party indications of interest for our real estate properties. While Duff & Phelps and Landauer are responsible for providing appraisals for us, Duff & Phelps and Landauer are not responsible for, did not calculate, and did not participate in the determination of the estimated value per share of our common stock.
The foregoing is a summary of the standard assumptions, qualifications and limitations that generally apply to Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s appraisal reports. All of the Duff & Phelps and Landauer appraisal reports, including the analysis, opinions and conclusions set forth in such reports, are qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth in the respective appraisal reports.
Real Estate Valuation
Duff & Phelps and Landauer (in the case of our ownership of undeveloped land) appraised each of our real estate properties, using various methodologies as appropriate such as the direct capitalization approach, discounted cash flow analyses and sales comparison approach. Duff & Phelps relied primarily on 10-year discounted cash flow analyses for the final valuations of each of the real estate properties (which exclude undeveloped land) and Landauer relied primarily on the sales comparison approach for the final valuations of the undeveloped land. Duff & Phelps calculated the discounted cash flow value of our real estate properties (which exclude undeveloped land) using property-level cash flow estimates, terminal capitalization rates and discount rates that fall within ranges they believe would be used by similar investors to value the properties we own based on recent comparable market transactions adjusted for unique property and market-specific factors. Landauer relied primarily on the sales comparison approach and estimated the value of the undeveloped land based on the most applicable recent comparable market transactions.
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As of September 30, 2014, we owned 20 real estate assets (consisting of 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings and 18 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties and two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres). As of September 30, 2014, the total appraised value of our real estate properties as provided by Duff & Phelps and Landauer using the appraisal methods described above was $1,244.3 million. The total cost basis of these properties as of September 30, 2014 was $942.9 million. This amount includes the acquisition cost of $860.3 million, $67.4 million in capital expenditures, leasing commissions and tenant improvements since inception and including $15.2 million of acquisition fees and expenses as well as foreclosure costs. The total appraised real estate value as of September 30, 2014 compared to the total acquisition cost of our real estate properties plus subsequent capital improvements through September 30, 2014 results in an overall increase in the real estate value of approximately 32.0%. The following summarizes the key assumptions that were used in the discounted cash flow models used to arrive at the appraised real estate property values and sales comparison range of values used to arrive at the appraised values for undeveloped land:
Range in Values | Weighted-Average Basis | |||
Consolidated Investments in Real Estate Properties (Excluding Undeveloped Land) | ||||
Terminal capitalization rate | 4.50% to 9.00% | 6.99% | ||
Discount rate | 5.00% to 10.00% | 8.11% | ||
Net operating income compounded annual growth rate (1) | 1.66% to 16.36% | 6.91% | ||
Undeveloped Land | ||||
Price per acre (2) (3) | $96,673 to $653,548 | $118,037 |
(1) The net operating income compounded annual growth rates (“CAGRs”) reflect both the contractual and market rents and reimbursements (in cases where the contractual lease period is less than the hold period) net of expenses over the holding period. The range of CAGRs shown is the constant annual rate at which the net operating income is projected to grow to reach the net operating income in the final year of the hold period for each of the properties.
(2) The weighted-average price per acre was primarily driven by our two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres located in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The weighted-average price per acre for these two investments in undeveloped land was approximately $98,000.
(3) Excludes the residential entitlements acquired in conjunction with a real estate property acquisition. The residential entitlements permit construction of a 20-story multi-family building on undeveloped land and on top of an existing parking garage. The appraised value of the residential entitlements was $6.9 million.
While we believe that Duff & Phelps’ and Landauer’s assumptions and inputs are reasonable, a change in these assumptions and inputs would significantly impact the calculation of the appraised value of our real estate properties and, thus, its estimated value per share. As of September 30, 2014, the majority of our real estate assets have non-stabilized occupancies. Appraisals may provide a sense of the value of the investment, but any appraisal of the property will be based on numerous estimates, judgments and assumptions that significantly affect the appraised value of the underlying property. An appraisal of a non-stabilized property, in particular, involves a high degree of subjectivity due to high vacancy levels and uncertainties with respect to future market rental rates and timing of lease-up and stabilization. Accordingly, different assumptions may materially change the appraised value of the property. The table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 25 basis points, and assuming all other factors remain unchanged, with respect to the real estate properties referenced in the table above (excluding undeveloped land). Additionally, the table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA guidance:
Increase (Decrease) on the Estimated Value per Share due to | ||||||||||||||||
Decrease of 25 basis points | Increase of 25 basis points | Decrease of 5% | Increase of 5% | |||||||||||||
Terminal capitalization rates | $ | 0.31 | $ | (0.31 | ) | $ | 0.46 | $ | (0.43 | ) | ||||||
Discount rates | 0.26 | (0.27 | ) | 0.43 | (0.44 | ) |
The table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the price per acre of the investments in undeveloped land was adjusted by 5%:
Increase (Decrease) on the Estimated Value per Share due to | ||||||||
Decrease of 5% | Increase of 5% | |||||||
Price per acre | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | 0.08 |
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Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
As of September 30, 2014, we held two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. One of the investments in unconsolidated joint ventures represents a 60% interest in a joint venture which owns an office property containing 928,157 rentable square feet (“110 William Street”). The appraised value of 110 William Street as provided by Duff & Phelps was $322.2 million. KBS Capital Advisors relied on the appraised value provided by Duff & Phelps along with the fair value of other assets and liabilities as determined by KBS Capital Advisors, and then calculated the amount that we would receive in a hypothetical liquidation of the real estate at the appraised value and the other assets and liabilities at their fair values based on the profit participation thresholds contained in the joint venture agreement. The resulting amount was the fair value assigned to our 60% interest in this unconsolidated joint venture. As of September 30, 2014, the carrying value and estimated fair value of our investment in this unconsolidated joint venture were $66.5 million and $93.0 million, respectively.
Duff & Phelps relied on a 10-year discounted cash flow analyses for the final valuation of 110 William Street. The terminal capitalization rate, discount rate and CAGR used in the discounted cash flow model to arrive at the appraised value was 6.75%, 7.75% and 9.9%, respectively. The table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 25 basis points, and assuming all other factors remain unchanged, with respect to 110 William Street. Additionally, the table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA guidance:
Increase (Decrease) on the Estimated Value per Share due to | ||||||||||||||||
Decrease of 25 basis points | Increase of 25 basis points | Decrease of 5% | Increase of 5% | |||||||||||||
Terminal capitalization rates | $ | 0.05 | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | 0.07 | $ | (0.07 | ) | ||||||
Discount rates | 0.04 | (0.04 | ) | 0.06 | (0.07 | ) |
Our other unconsolidated joint venture investment represents an interest of less than 5% in a joint venture which owns 23 industrial properties and a master lease with respect to another industrial property encompassing 11.4 million square feet, and was valued by KBS Capital Advisors using a discounted cash flow analysis of the expected distributions to us. The cash flow estimates used in the analysis were based on our participation interest in the estimated cash flows available after paying debt service through ultimate liquidation of the joint venture as described in the joint venture agreement. The cash flow estimates of the joint venture were reviewed by KBS Capital Advisors. As of September 30, 2014, the carrying value and estimated fair value of our investment in this unconsolidated joint venture was $7.5 million and $11.3 million, respectively. The estimated value of our investment in this unconsolidated joint venture for purposes of our estimated value per share was calculated by applying a 10.0% discount rate to the estimated cash flows for a total value of $0.19 per share. Assuming all other factors remain unchanged, a decrease or increase in the discount rates of 25 basis points would have no impact on the estimated value per share. Additionally, a 5% decrease or increase in the discount rates would have no impact on the estimated value per share.
Real Estate Loan Receivable
The estimated value for our real estate loan receivable is equal to the GAAP fair value disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2014, but did not equal the book value of the loan in accordance with GAAP. The value of the real estate loan receivable was estimated by applying a discounted cash flow analysis over the remaining expected life of the investment, excluding any potential transaction costs. The cash flow estimates used in the analysis during the term of the investment was based on the investment’s contractual cash flows, which we anticipates that it will receive. The expected cash flow for the loan was discounted at rates that we expect a market participant would require for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratios, type of collateral, current performance, credit enhancements and other factors.
As of September 30, 2014, we owned one real estate loan receivable. The cost of our real estate loan receivable was $26.5 million, net of $1.4 million of origination income and extension fees received in excess of fees and costs. As of September 30, 2014, the fair value of our investment in real estate loan receivable was $27.9 million and the outstanding principal balance was $27.9 million. The discount rate applied to the cash flow from the real estate loan receivable, which had a remaining term of 0.8 years, was approximately 11.4%. Similar to the valuation for real estate, a change in the assumptions and inputs would change the fair value of our real estate loan receivable and, thus, our estimated value per share. Assuming all other factors remain unchanged, a decrease or increase in the discount rates of 25 basis points would have no impact on the estimated value per share. Additionally, a 5% decrease or increase in the discount rates would have no impact on the estimated value per share.
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Notes Payable
The estimated values of our notes payable are equal to the GAAP fair values disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2014, but do not equal the book value of the loans in accordance with GAAP. The values of our notes payable were determined using a discounted cash flow analysis. The cash flows were based on the remaining loan terms, including extensions we expect to exercise, and on management’s estimates of current market interest rates for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio and type of collateral.
As of September 30, 2014, the fair value and carrying value of our notes payable were $524.1 million and $520.8 million, respectively. The weighted-average discount rate applied to the future estimated debt payments, which have a weighted-average remaining term of 3.3 years, was approximately 3.44%. The table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if the discount rates were adjusted by 25 basis points, and assuming all other factors remain unchanged, with respect to our notes payable. Additionally, the table below illustrates the impact on the estimated value per share if the discount rates were adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA guidance:
Increase (Decrease) on the Estimated Value per Share due to | ||||||||||||||||
Decrease of 25 basis points | Increase of 25 basis points | Decrease of 5% | Increase of 5% | |||||||||||||
Discount rates | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | 0.04 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | 0.03 |
Non-controlling Interest
We have an ownership interest in seven consolidated joint ventures as of September 30, 2014. As we consolidate these joint ventures, the entire amount of the underlying assets and liabilities are reflected at their fair values in the corresponding line items of the estimated value per share calculation. As a result, we also must consider the fair value of any non-controlling interest liability as of September 30, 2014. In determining this fair value, we considered the various profit participation thresholds in each of the joint ventures that must be measured in determining the fair value of our non-controlling interest liability. We used the real estate appraisals provided by Duff & Phelps and Landauer and calculated the amount that the joint venture partners would receive in a hypothetical liquidation of the underlying real estate properties (including all current assets and liabilities) at their current appraised values and the payoff of any related debt at its fair value, based on the profit participation thresholds contained in the joint venture agreements. The estimated payment to the joint venture partners was then reflected as the non-controlling interest liability in our calculation of its estimated value per share.
Participation Fee Potential Liability Calculation
In accordance with the advisory agreement, KBS Capital Advisors is due a participation fee if after our stockholders in our offering have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to our share redemption program, and (ii) a 7.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital, KBS Capital Advisors is entitled to receive 15.0% of our net cash flows, whether from continuing operations, net sale proceeds or otherwise. Net sales proceeds means the net cash proceeds realized by us after deduction of all expenses incurred in connection with a sale, including disposition fees paid to KBS Capital Advisors. The 7.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on net invested capital is calculated on a daily basis. In making this calculation, the net invested capital is reduced to the extent distributions in excess of a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 7.0% are paid (from whatever source), except to the extent such distributions would be required to supplement prior distributions paid in order to achieve a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 7.0% (invested capital is only reduced as described in this sentence; it is not reduced simply because a distribution constitutes a return of capital for federal income tax purposes). The 7.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of our stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for KBS Capital Advisors to participate in our net cash flows. In fact, if KBS Capital Advisors is entitled to participate in our net cash flows, the returns of our stockholders will differ, and some may be less than a 7.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return. This fee is payable only if we are not listed on an exchange. For purposes of determining the estimated value per share, KBS Capital Advisors calculated the potential liability related to this incentive fee based on a hypothetical liquidation of the assets and liabilities at their estimated fair values, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties. KBS Capital Advisors estimated the fair value of this liability to be $10.5 million or $0.17 per share as of the valuation date, and included the impact of this liability in its calculation of our estimated value per share.
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Other Assets and Liabilities
The carrying values of a majority of our other assets and liabilities are considered to equal their fair value due to their short maturities or liquid nature. Certain balances, such as straight-line rent receivables, lease intangible assets and liabilities, deferred financing costs, unamortized lease commissions and unamortized lease incentives, have been eliminated for the purpose of the valuation due to the fact that the value of those balances were already considered in the valuation of the respective investments. KBS Capital Advisors has also excluded redeemable common stock as temporary equity does not represent a true liability to us and the shares that this amount represents are included in our total outstanding shares of common stock for purposes of calculating the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share, and these differences could be significant. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets and in response to the real estate and finance markets.
Limitations of Estimated Value Per Share
As mentioned above, we our providing this estimated value per share to assist broker dealers that participated in our initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with IPA valuation guidelines.The estimated value per share set forth above first appeared on the December 31, 2014 customer account statements that were mailed in January 2015. As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets or liabilities according to GAAP.
Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
• | a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at this estimated value; |
• | a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of the company; |
• | our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange; |
• | an independent third-party appraiser or other third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or |
• | the methodology used to calculate our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements. |
Further, the estimated value per share as of December 9, 2014 is based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, as of September 30, 2014 with the exception of certain adjustments for actual and expected acquisition-related costs subsequent to September 30, 2014. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets and in response to the real estate and finance markets. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that are not held for sale, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations or the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt. The estimated value per share does consider any participation or incentive fees that would be due to KBS Capital Advisors based on the aggregate net asset value of us which would be payable in a hypothetical liquidation of us as of the valuation date in accordance with the terms of our advisory agreement. We currently expect to utilize KBS Capital Advisors and/or an independent valuation firm to update the estimated value per share in December 2015, in accordance with the recommended IPA guidelines.
Historical Estimated Values per Share
The historical reported estimated values per share of our common stock approved by the board of directors are set forth below:
Estimated Value per Share | Effective Date of Valuation | Filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission | ||
$11.27 | March 25, 2014 | Current Report on Form 8-K, filed March 27, 2014 |
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Distribution Information
We declare distributions when our board of directors determines we have sufficient cash flow from operations, investment activities and/or strategic financings. We expect to fund distributions from interest and rental income on investments, the maturity, payoff or settlement of those investments and from strategic sales of loans, debt securities, properties and other assets.
As a REIT, we will generally have to hold our assets for two years in order to meet the safe harbor to avoid a 100% prohibited transactions tax, unless such assets are held through a TRS or other taxable corporation. In certain instances, we may sell properties outside of the safe harbor period and still be exempt from the 100% prohibited transaction tax because such properties were not held as “inventory.” At such time as we have assets that we have held for at least two years, we anticipate that we may authorize and declare distributions based on gains on asset sales monthly, to the extent we close on the sale of one or more assets and the board of directors does not determine to reinvest the proceeds of such sales. Additionally, our board of directors intends to declare distributions quarterly based on cash flow from our investments.
To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must make aggregate annual distributions to our stockholders of at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). If we meet the REIT qualification requirements, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the income that we distribute to our stockholders each year. In general, we anticipate making distributions to our stockholders of at least 100% of our REIT taxable income so that none of our income is subject to federal income tax. Our board of directors may authorize distributions in excess of those required for us to maintain REIT status depending on our financial condition and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.
Our distribution policy is not to pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, investment activities and strategic financings. However, our organizational documents do not restrict us from paying distributions from any source and do not restrict the amount of distributions we may pay from any source, including proceeds from our initial public offering or the proceeds from the issuance of securities in the future, third-party borrowings, advances from our advisor or sponsors or from our advisor’s deferral of its fees under the advisory agreement. Distributions paid from sources other than current or accumulated earnings and profits may constitute a return of capital. From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our taxable income for financial reporting purposes, or our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders. In these situations we may make distributions in excess of our cash flow from operations, investment activities and strategic financings to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement described above. In such an event, we would look first to other third party borrowings to fund these distributions.
We have not established a minimum distribution level, and our charter does not require that we make distributions to our stockholders. Distributions declared during 2014 and 2013, aggregated by quarter, are as follows (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
2014 | |||||||||||||||||||
1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Total | |||||||||||||||
Total Distributions Declared | $ | 2,937 | $ | 3,343 | $ | 4,137 | $ | 5,279 | $ | 15,696 | |||||||||
Total Per Share Distribution | $ | 0.049 | $ | 0.056 | $ | 0.069 | $ | 0.088 | $ | 0.262 | |||||||||
Rate Based on Purchase Price of $10.00 Per Share | 0.5 | % | 0.6 | % | 0.7 | % | 0.9 | % | 2.6 | % | |||||||||
2013 | |||||||||||||||||||
1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Total | |||||||||||||||
Total Distributions Declared | $ | 3,576 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 22,103 | $ | 25,679 | |||||||||
Total Per Share Distribution | $ | 0.062 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 0.380 | $ | 0.442 | |||||||||
Rate Based on Purchase Price of $10.00 Per Share | 0.6 | % | — | % | — | % | 3.8 | % | 4.4 | % |
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The tax composition of our distributions paid during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was as follows:
2014 | 2013 | |||||
Ordinary Income | — | % | 30 | % | ||
Return of Capital | 100 | % | — | % | ||
Capital Gain | — | % | 70 | % | ||
Total | 100 | % | 100 | % |
For more information with respect to our distributions paid, see Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Distributions.”
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
Share Redemption Program
We have adopted a share redemption program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to us in limited circumstances.
Pursuant to the share redemption program there are several limitations on our ability to redeem shares:
• | Unless the shares are being redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” (each as defined under the share redemption program), we may not redeem shares until the stockholder has held the shares for one year. |
• | During each calendar year, redemptions are limited to the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year and the last $1.0 million of such net proceeds shall be reserved exclusively for shares redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability,” or “determination of incompetence” (except that we may increase or decrease this funding limit by providing ten business days’ notice to our stockholders). |
• | During any calendar year, we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year. |
• | We have no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. |
We may amend, suspend or terminate the program upon 30 days’ notice to our stockholders. We may provide notice to our stockholders by including such information in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in our annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC, or by a separate mailing to our stockholders.
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During the year ended December 31, 2014, we fulfilled all redemption requests received in good order and eligible for redemption, redeeming shares pursuant to the share redemption program as follows:
Month | Total Number of Shares Redeemed | Average Price Paid Per Share (1) | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares Available That May Yet Be Redeemed Under the Program | ||||||
January 2014 | 13,154 | $ | 9.29 | (2) | |||||
February 2014 | 52,330 | $ | 9.00 | (2) | |||||
March 2014 | — | $ | — | (2) | |||||
April 2014 | 73,339 | $ | 10.88 | (2) | |||||
May 2014 | 61,507 | $ | 10.78 | (2) | |||||
June 2014 | 42,712 | $ | 10.67 | (2) | |||||
July 2014 | 35,650 | $ | 10.72 | (2) | |||||
August 2014 | 25,634 | $ | 10.75 | (2) | |||||
September 2014 | 29,476 | $ | 10.79 | (2) | |||||
October 2014 | 19,246 | $ | 10.89 | (2) | |||||
November 2014 | 53,697 | $ | 10.81 | (2) | |||||
December 2014 | 69,072 | $ | 11.98 | (2) | |||||
Total | 475,817 |
_____________________
(1) Pursuant to the program, as amended, we will redeem shares as follows:
• | 92.5% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least one year; |
• | 95.0% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least two years; |
• | 97.5% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least three years; and |
• | 100.0% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least four years. |
Until we announced in a public filing with the SEC the establishment of our estimated value per share on March 27, 2014, the estimated value per share was $10.00 for purposes of the foregoing prices. Notwithstanding the above, upon the death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” of a stockholder, the redemption price was the amount paid to acquire the shares from us until we announced in a public filing with the SEC the establishment of our estimated value per share on March 27, 2014, at which time the redemption price was such estimated value per share. On March 25, 2014, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $11.27, based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2013, with the exception of certain adjustments for actual and expected acquisition-related costs subsequent to December 31, 2013. The change in the redemption price was effective for the April 2014 redemption date, which was April 30, 2014. On December 9, 2014, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $12.24, based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014. The change in the redemption price was effective for the December 2014 redemption date, which was December 31, 2014. We currently expect to engage KBS Capital Advisors and/or an independent valuation firm to update our estimated value per share in December 2015.
(2) We limit the dollar value of shares that may be redeemed under the program as described above. During the year ended December 31, 2014, we redeemed $5.1 million of common stock, which represented all redemption requests received in good order and eligible for redemption through the December 2014 redemption date. Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under the dividend reinvestment plan during 2014, we have $9.9 million available for redemptions during 2015, subject to the limitations described above.
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ITEM 6. | SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”:
As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | |||||||||||||||
Balance sheet data | |||||||||||||||||||
Total real estate and real estate-related investments, net | $ | 882,510 | $ | 660,385 | $ | 394,356 | $ | 166,354 | $ | 17,774 | |||||||||
Total assets | 1,022,514 | 776,138 | 537,928 | 258,463 | 42,404 | ||||||||||||||
Total notes and bond payable, net | 530,263 | 257,420 | 33,751 | 63,203 | — | ||||||||||||||
Total liabilities | 562,467 | 283,879 | 44,625 | 66,628 | 1,346 | ||||||||||||||
Redeemable common stock | 9,911 | 17,573 | 9,651 | 5,291 | — | ||||||||||||||
Total equity | 450,136 | 474,686 | 483,652 | 186,544 | 41,058 | ||||||||||||||
For the Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | |||||||||||||||
Operating data | |||||||||||||||||||
Total revenues | $ | 106,154 | $ | 68,496 | $ | 18,880 | $ | 3,901 | $ | 308 | |||||||||
(Loss) income from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders | (23,176 | ) | 150 | (8,840 | ) | (7,400 | ) | (1,975 | ) | ||||||||||
Loss from continuing operations per common share - basic and diluted | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | — | $ | (0.25 | ) | $ | (0.65 | ) | (1.18 | ) | ||||||
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | (23,194 | ) | 11,493 | (9,762 | ) | (7,581 | ) | (1,975 | ) | ||||||||||
Net (loss) income per common share - basic and diluted | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | 0.20 | $ | (0.28 | ) | $ | (0.66 | ) | $ | (1.18 | ) | |||||
Other data | |||||||||||||||||||
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | 11,450 | $ | 24,630 | $ | (1,028 | ) | $ | (3,507 | ) | $ | (1,572 | ) | ||||||
Cash flows used in investing activities | (285,814 | ) | (289,875 | ) | (242,074 | ) | (154,405 | ) | (17,885 | ) | |||||||||
Cash flows provided by financing activities | 235,461 | 197,281 | 282,683 | 220,649 | 42,906 | ||||||||||||||
Distributions declared | $ | 15,696 | $ | 25,679 | $ | 12,885 | $ | 6,405 | $ | — | |||||||||
Distributions declared per common share (1) | 0.26 | 0.44 | 0.40 | 0.30 | — | ||||||||||||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted | 59,714,540 | 58,359,568 | 35,458,656 | 11,432,823 | 1,678,335 |
_____________________
(1) Prior to 2014, our board of directors declared distributions from time to time based on our income, cash flow and investing and financing activities. During 2014, our board of directors declared distributions on a quarterly basis based on our income, cash flow and investing and financing activities. Investors could choose to receive cash distributions or purchase additional shares under the dividend reinvestment plan.
ITEM 7. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Financial Data” above and our accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto. Also, see “Forward-Looking Statements” preceding Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We were formed on October 8, 2008 as a Maryland corporation, elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010 and intend to operate in such manner. We have sought to invest in and manage a diverse portfolio of real estate‑related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments. We conduct our business primarily through our Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner. Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our business is managed by KBS Capital Advisors, our external advisor, pursuant to an advisory agreement. KBS Capital Advisors conducts our operations and manages our portfolio of real estate and real estate-related investments. Our advisor owns 20,000 shares of our common stock. We have no paid employees.
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On January 8, 2009, we filed a registration statement on Form S‑11 with the SEC to offer a minimum of 250,000 shares and a maximum of 140,000,000 shares of common stock for sale to the public, of which 100,000,000 shares were registered in our primary offering and 40,000,000 shares were registered under our dividend reinvestment plan. We ceased offering shares of common stock in our primary offering on November 14, 2012. We sold 56,584,976 shares of common stock in the primary offering for gross offering proceeds of $561.7 million. We continue to offer shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan. As of December 31, 2014, we sold 3,981,976 shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $39.2 million. Also as of December 31, 2014, we had redeemed 818,866 of the shares sold in our offering for $8.3 million. Additionally, on December 29, 2011 and October 23, 2012, we issued 220,994 shares and 55,249 shares of common stock, respectively, for $2.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
Market Outlook ─ Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets
Current conditions in the global capital markets remain volatile as the world’s economic growth has been affected by geopolitical and economic events. Geopolitical events in Europe and the Middle East escalated throughout 2014 and into 2015. The rise of the Islamic State and the struggle between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels have kept the U.S. and its allies engaged in international military conflicts. The slowdown in global economic growth, and in particular the slowing of the Chinese economy, has had a ripple effect through the energy and commodity markets. Decreasing levels of demand for commodities, and in particular oil, have led to a steep price decline in most commodity market prices. In this type of economic environment the possibility of deflation is now a very real risk. While the U.S. economy has rebounded from the recent recession, the remainder of the world’s industrialized and emerging economies have struggled to maintain even low levels of economic growth. For further discussion of current market conditions, see Part I, Item 1, “Business ─ Market Outlook ─ Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets.”
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal demand for funds during the short and long-term is and will be for the payment of operating expenses, capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses; payments under debt obligations; redemptions of common stock; and payments of distributions to stockholders. To date, we have had five primary sources of capital for meeting our cash requirements:
• | Proceeds from the primary portion of our initial public offering; |
• | Proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan; |
• | Debt financing; |
• | Proceeds from the sale of real estate and the repayment of real estate-related investments; and |
• | Cash flow generated by our real estate and real estate-related investments. |
We sold 56,584,976 shares of common stock in the primary portion of our initial public offering for gross offering proceeds of $561.7 million. We ceased offering shares in the primary portion of our initial public offering on November 14, 2012. We continue to offer shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan. As of December 31, 2014, we had sold 3,981,976 shares of common stock under the dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $39.2 million. To date, we have invested substantially all of the net proceeds from our initial public offering in real estate and real estate-related investments. We intend to use our cash on hand, proceeds from debt financing, cash flow generated by our real estate operations and real estate-related investments, proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan and principal repayments on our real estate loans receivable as our primary sources of immediate and long-term liquidity.
Our investments in real estate generate cash flow in the form of rental revenues and tenant reimbursements, which are reduced by operating expenditures and corporate general and administrative expenses. Cash flow from operations from our real estate investments is primarily dependent upon the occupancy levels of our properties, the net effective rental rates on our leases, the collectibility of rent and operating recoveries from our tenants and how well we manage our expenditures. As of December 31, 2014, our office and retail properties were collectively 80% occupied and our apartment properties were collectively 87% occupied.
Investments in real estate-related loans generate cash flow in the form of interest income, which are reduced by loan service fees, asset management fees and corporate general and administrative expenses. As of December 31, 2014, we had one real estate loan receivable outstanding with a total book value of $27.4 million. The borrower under our real estate loan receivable was current on all contractual debt service payments as of December 31, 2014.
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As of December 31, 2014, we had outstanding debt obligations in the aggregate principal amount of $530.2 million, with a weighted-average remaining term of 3.0 years. As of March 3, 2015, we had $50.5 million of unrestricted secured revolving debt available for future disbursements under a portfolio loan facility, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreement.
Under our charter, we are required to limit our total operating expenses to the greater of 2% of our average invested assets or 25% of our net income for the four most recently completed fiscal quarters, as these terms are defined in our charter, unless the Conflicts Committee has determined that such excess expenses were justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. Operating expense reimbursements for the four fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2014 did not exceed the charter imposed limitation.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, our cash needs for acquisitions, capital expenditures and debt servicing were met with remaining proceeds from our initial public offering, proceeds from debt financing and proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan. Operating cash needs during the same period were met through cash flow generated by our real estate and real estate-related investments and cash on hand.
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT and intend to operate as a REIT. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our stockholders of at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gain). Our board of directors may authorize distributions in excess of those required for us to maintain REIT status depending on our financial condition and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant. We have not established a minimum distribution level.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
We commenced operations with the acquisition of our first real estate investment on August 2, 2010. As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. During the year ended December 31, 2014, net cash provided by operating activities was $11.5 million. We expect that our cash flows from operating activities will increase in future years as a result of owning the assets acquired during 2014 for an entire period and leasing additional space that is currently unoccupied.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $285.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and primarily consisted of the following:
• | Acquisitions of one office property, one apartment property and undeveloped land for an aggregate purchase price of $191.9 million, after giving effect for escrow deposits and liabilities assumed; |
• | Investment in an unconsolidated joint venture of $59.0 million; |
• | Improvements to real estate of $33.9 million; |
• | Advance on real estate loan receivable of $5.0 million, net of a $0.9 million extension fee; |
• | Distribution of capital from unconsolidated joint venture of $2.2 million; |
• | Proceeds from the sale of real estate of $1.4 million; and |
• | Principal repayments on real estate securities of $0.3 million. |
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $235.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and consisted primarily of the following:
• | $243.9 million of net cash provided by debt and other financings as a result of proceeds from notes payable of $307.3 million, partially offset by principal payments on notes payable of $59.2 million and payments of deferred financing costs of $4.1 million; |
• | $5.8 million of net cash distributions, after giving effect to distributions reinvested by stockholders of $9.9 million; |
• | $5.1 million of cash used for redemptions of common stock; and |
• | $2.6 million of contributions from noncontrolling interests. |
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In order to execute our investment strategy, we utilize secured debt and we may, to the extent available, utilize unsecured debt, to finance a portion of our investment portfolio. Management remains vigilant in monitoring the risks inherent with the use of debt in our portfolio and is taking actions to ensure that these risks, including refinancing and interest risks, are properly balanced with the benefit of using leverage. There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for any single investment. Our charter limits our total liabilities such that our total liabilities may not exceed 75% of the cost of our tangible assets; however, we may exceed that limit if a majority of the Conflicts Committee approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowing to our common stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. As of December 31, 2014, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 53% of the cost (before depreciation or other noncash reserves) and book value (before depreciation) of our tangible assets.
In addition to making investments in accordance with our investment objectives, we use or have used our capital resources to make certain payments to our advisor and our dealer manager. During our offering stage, these payments included payments to our dealer manager for selling commissions and dealer manager fees related to sales in our primary offering and payments to our dealer manager and our advisor for reimbursement of certain organization and other offering expenses related both to the primary offering and the dividend reinvestment plan. During our acquisition and development stage, we expect to continue to make payments to our advisor in connection with the selection and origination or purchase of investments, the management of our assets and costs incurred by our advisor in providing services to us as well as for any dispositions of assets (including the discounted payoff of non-performing loans).
The advisory agreement has a one-year term but may be renewed for an unlimited number of successive one-year periods upon the mutual consent of our advisor and our conflicts committee.
Among the fees payable to our advisor is an asset management fee. With respect to investments in loans and any investments other than real property, the asset management fee is a monthly fee calculated, each month, as one-twelfth of 0.75% of the lesser of (i) the amount actually paid or allocated to acquire or fund the loan or other investment, inclusive of fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire or fund such investment and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such loan or other investment, plus the fees and expenses related to the acquisition or funding of such investment, as of the time of calculation. With respect to investments in real property, the asset management fee is a monthly fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.75% of the sum of the amount paid or allocated to acquire the investment, plus the cost of any subsequent development, construction or improvements to the property, and inclusive of fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire such investment. In the case of investments made through joint ventures, the asset management fee will be determined based on our proportionate share of the underlying investment, inclusive of our proportionate share of any fees and expenses related thereto.
Contractual Commitments and Contingencies
The following is a summary of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
Payments Due During the Years Ending December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | 2015 | 2016-2017 | 2018-2019 | Thereafter | |||||||||||||||
Outstanding debt obligations (1) | $ | 530,238 | $ | 2,005 | $ | 421,212 | $ | 88,777 | $ | 18,244 | ||||||||||
Interest payments on outstanding debt obligations (2) | 45,496 | 14,630 | 20,781 | 3,370 | 6,715 |
(1) Amounts include principal payments only.
(2) Projected interest payments are based on the outstanding principal amounts and interest rates in effect at December 31, 2014. We incurred interest expense of $14.8 million excluding amortization of deferred financing costs of $2.8 million and including interest capitalized of $2.0 million, for the year ended December 31, 2014.
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Results of Operations
Overview
As of December 31, 2013, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 43 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, one apartment property, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one investment in CMBS, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. As of December 31, 2014, we owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. Our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2014 may not be indicative of those in future periods as the occupancy in our properties has not been stabilized. As of December 31, 2014, our office and retail properties were collectively 80% occupied and our apartment properties were collectively 87% occupied. However, due to the short outstanding weighted-average lease term in the portfolio of less than three years, we do not put significant emphasis on annual changes in occupancy (positive or negative) in the short run. Our underwriting and valuations are generally more sensitive to “terminal values” that may be realized upon the disposition of the assets in the portfolio and less sensitive to ongoing cash flows generated by the portfolio in the years leading up to an eventual sale. There are no guarantees that occupancies of our assets will increase, or that we will recognize a gain on the sale of our assets. We funded the acquisitions of these investments with proceeds from our initial public offering and debt financing. In general, we expect that our income and expenses related to our portfolio will increase in future periods as a result of owning the assets acquired in 2014 for an entire period. Our income and expenses will also depend on the outcome of our recovery strategies for our non-performing first mortgage loan.
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2014 versus the year ended December 31, 2013
For the Years Ended December 31, | Increase (Decrease) | Percentage Change | $ Change Due to Acquisitions/ Originations/Dispositions (1) | $ Change Due to Investments Held Throughout Both Periods (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rental income | $ | 83,682 | $ | 46,191 | $ | 37,491 | 81 | % | $ | 33,253 | $ | 4,238 | |||||||||||
Tenant reimbursements | 16,273 | 9,964 | 6,309 | 63 | % | 5,112 | 1,197 | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income from real estate loans receivable | 3,366 | 10,276 | (6,910 | ) | (67 | )% | (6,910 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||
Interest income from real estate securities | — | 91 | (91 | ) | — | (91 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||
Other operating income | 2,833 | 1,974 | 859 | 44 | % | 1,118 | (259 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Operating, maintenance, and management costs | 35,957 | 22,804 | 13,153 | 58 | % | 11,611 | 1,542 | ||||||||||||||||
Real estate taxes and insurance | 14,189 | 9,282 | 4,907 | 53 | % | 4,209 | 698 | ||||||||||||||||
Asset management fees to affiliate | 7,648 | 4,068 | 3,580 | 88 | % | 3,465 | 115 | ||||||||||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees to affiliate | 2,231 | 2,784 | (553 | ) | (20 | )% | (553 | ) | n/a | ||||||||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses | 2,177 | 1,218 | 959 | 79 | % | 959 | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative expenses | 3,418 | 3,160 | 258 | 8 | % | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 47,063 | 28,677 | 18,386 | 64 | % | 18,310 | 76 | ||||||||||||||||
Interest expense | 15,598 | 2,706 | 12,892 | 476 | % | 10,424 | 2,468 | ||||||||||||||||
Impairment charges on real estate held for investment | 579 | 1,433 | (854 | ) | (60 | )% | — | (854 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Gain from foreclosure of real estate loan receivable | — | 7,473 | (7,473 | ) | — | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
Total (loss) income from discontinued operations | (18 | ) | 11,741 | (11,759 | ) | (100 | )% | n/a | n/a |
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(1) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the year ended December 31, 2013 related to real estate and real estate-related investments acquired, originated, repaid or disposed on or after January 1, 2013.
(2) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the year ended December 31, 2013 with respect to real estate and real estate-related investments owned by us during the entirety of both periods presented.
Rental income and tenant reimbursements increased from $56.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $100.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily as a result of the growth in our real estate portfolio. Additionally, rental income and tenant reimbursements related to properties held throughout both periods increased by $5.4 million as a result of an increase in occupancy. We expect rental income and tenant reimbursements to increase in future periods as a result of owning the assets acquired during 2014 for an entire period and leasing additional space.
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Interest income from our real estate loans receivable, recognized using the interest method, decreased from $10.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 primarily due to the early payoff of the Ponte Palmero First Mortgage in August 2013. Our interest income in future periods will decrease upon any principal repayment on our real estate loan receivable or increase as a result of any additional fundings.
Property operating costs and real estate taxes and insurance increased from $22.8 million and $9.3 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $36.0 million and $14.2 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily as a result of the growth in our real estate portfolio. We expect property operating costs and real estate taxes and insurance to increase in future periods as a result of owning the assets acquired during 2014 for an entire period and increasing occupancy of our real estate assets.
Asset management fees increased from $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily as a result of the growth in our investment portfolio. We expect asset management fees to increase in future periods as a result of owning the assets acquired in 2014 for an entire period. All asset management fees incurred as of December 31, 2014 have been paid.
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses to affiliates and non-affiliates increased from $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is due to higher diligence costs related to properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2014, we capitalized $1.8 million in acquisition fees and expenses related to our investment in an unconsolidated joint venture and our investment in undeveloped land. We expect real estate acquisition fees and expenses to decrease in future periods as we do not expect to make further significant acquisitions, if any acquisitions at all.
Depreciation and amortization increased from $28.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $47.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, due to the growth of our real estate portfolio. We expect depreciation and amortization to increase in future periods as a result of owning the assets acquired during 2014 for an entire period.
Interest expense increased from $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 to $15.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Excluded from interest expense was $2.0 million and $2.7 million of interest capitalized to our investments in undeveloped land during the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The increase in interest expense is primarily a result of our use of debt in connection with the acquisition of real estate assets. Our interest expense in future periods will vary based on interest rate fluctuations and our level of future borrowings, which will depend on the availability and cost of debt financing and the opportunity to acquire real estate and real estate-related investments meeting our investment objectives.
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we recorded an aggregate impairment charge of $0.6 million on Academy Point Atrium I. During the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded an aggregate impairment charge of $1.4 million, which includes an impairment charge of $0.5 million on the Village Overlook Buildings and an impairment charge of $0.9 million on Academy Point Atrium I. These impairments resulted from changes in leasing projections due to longer estimated lease-up periods, resulting in a decrease to the projected cash flows the properties were expected to generate.
Total income from discontinued operations was $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. Income from discontinued operations related to the dispositions of three office buildings and one industrial/flex property that resulted in a gain on sale of $13.1 million. As of December 31, 2014, we did not own any real estate held for sale. We expect total income from discontinued operations to vary in future periods based upon disposition activity.
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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2013 versus year ended December 31, 2012
The following table provides summary information about our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 (dollar amounts in thousands):
For the Years Ended December 31, | Increase (Decrease) | Percentage Change | $ Change Due to Acquisitions/ Originations (1) | $ Change Due to Investments Held Throughout Both Periods (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rental income | $ | 46,191 | $ | 13,780 | $ | 32,411 | 235 | % | $ | 31,572 | $ | 839 | |||||||||||
Tenant reimbursements | 9,964 | 1,595 | 8,369 | 525 | % | 8,079 | 290 | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income from real estate loans receivable | 10,276 | 1,708 | 8,568 | 502 | % | 8,568 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income from real estate securities | 91 | 926 | (835 | ) | (90 | )% | — | (835 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Other operating income | 1,974 | 871 | 1,103 | 127 | % | 1,106 | (3 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Operating, maintenance, and management costs | 22,804 | 7,779 | 15,025 | 193 | % | 14,558 | 467 | ||||||||||||||||
Real estate taxes and insurance | 9,282 | 2,476 | 6,806 | 275 | % | 6,971 | (165 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Asset management fees to affiliate | 4,068 | 1,625 | 2,443 | 150 | % | 2,654 | (211 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees to affiliate | 2,784 | 2,206 | 578 | 26 | % | 578 | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses | 1,218 | 1,352 | (134 | ) | (10 | )% | (134 | ) | n/a | ||||||||||||||
General and administrative expenses | 3,160 | 3,075 | 85 | 3 | % | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 28,677 | 8,606 | 20,071 | 233 | % | 20,716 | (645 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Interest expense | 2,706 | 2,199 | 507 | 23 | % | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||
Impairment charges on real estate held for investment | 1,433 | — | 1,433 | — | — | 1,433 | |||||||||||||||||
Gain from foreclosure of real estate loan receivable | 7,473 | — | 7,473 | — | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||||||||
Total income (loss) from discontinued operations | 11,741 | (1,023 | ) | 12,764 | (1,248 | )% | n/a | n/a |
_____________________
(1) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the year ended December 31, 2012 related to real estate and real estate-related investments acquired or originated on or after January 1, 2012.
(2) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the year ended December 31, 2012 with respect to real estate and real estate-related investments owned by us during the entire periods presented.
Rental income and tenant reimbursements increased from $15.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $56.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, primarily as a result of the growth in our real estate portfolio.
Interest income from our real estate loans receivable, recognized using the interest method, increased from $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $10.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 due to the origination of mortgage loans in September 2012 and March 2013.
Interest income from our real estate securities decreased from $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 due to the decrease in principal balances related to these securities.
Property operating costs and real estate taxes and insurance increased from $7.8 million and $2.5 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $22.8 million and $9.3 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2013, primarily as a result of the growth in our real estate portfolio.
Asset management fees increased from $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, primarily as a result of the growth in our investment portfolio.
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses to affiliates and non-affiliates increased from $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase was primarily due to the difference in the total acquisition cost for real estate acquired during the year ended December 31, 2012 of $211.7 million compared to the total acquisition cost for properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2013 of $294.9 million.
General and administrative expenses increased from $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, primarily as a result of our growth and the growth of our real estate portfolio. General and administrative costs consisted primarily of legal fees, transfer agent fees, insurance premiums, professional fees and independent director fees.
Depreciation and amortization increased from $8.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $28.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, due to the growth of our real estate portfolio.
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Interest expense increased from $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. Excluded from interest expense was $2.7 million of interest capitalized to our investments in undeveloped land during the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase in interest expense is primarily a result of our use of debt secured by our real estate assets in 2013.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded an aggregate impairment charge of $1.4 million, which includes an impairment charge of $0.5 million on the Village Overlook Buildings and an impairment charge of $0.9 million on Academy Point Atrium I. These impairments resulted from changes in leasing projections due to longer estimated lease-up periods, resulting in a decrease to the projected cash flows the properties were expected to generate. We did not record any impairment losses on its real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2012.
On August 20, 2013, we were the successful bidder at the foreclosure sale of 1180 Raymond. As a result, we recognized a gain on foreclosure of the 1180 Raymond First Mortgage of $7.5 million, which represents the difference between the net fair value of the assets and liabilities assumed and the carrying value of the 1180 Raymond First Mortgage at the time of foreclosure after considering adjustments for any costs and expense incurred in connection with the transaction.
Total income from discontinued operations increased from a loss from discontinued operations of $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 to income from discontinued operations of $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase is primarily a result of a sale of three office buildings and one industrial/flex property that resulted in a gain on sale of $13.1 million.
Funds from Operations, Modified Funds from Operations and Adjusted Modified Funds from Operations
We believe that funds from operations (“FFO”) is a beneficial indicator of the performance of an equity REIT. We compute FFO in accordance with the current National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) definition. FFO represents net income, excluding gains and losses from sales of operating real estate assets (which can vary among owners of identical assets in similar conditions based on historical cost accounting and useful-life estimates), impairment losses on real estate assets, depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We believe FFO facilitates comparisons of operating performance between periods and among other REITs. However, our computation of FFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not define FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do. Our management believes that historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors and analysts have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. As a result, we believe that the use of FFO, together with the required GAAP presentations, provides a more complete understanding of our performance relative to our competitors and provides a more informed and appropriate basis on which to make decisions involving operating, financing, and investing activities.
Changes in accounting rules have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of non-operating and non-cash items included in the calculation of FFO. Items such as acquisition fees and expenses, which had previously been capitalized prior to 2009, are currently expensed and accounted for as operating expenses. As a result, our management also uses modified funds from operations (“MFFO”) as an indicator of our ongoing performance as well as our dividend sustainability. MFFO excludes from FFO: acquisition fees and expenses; adjustments related to contingent purchase price obligations; amounts relating to straight-line rents and amortization of above- and below-market intangible lease assets and liabilities; accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums on debt investments; amortization of closing costs relating to debt investments; impairments of real estate-related investments; mark-to-market adjustments included in net income; and gains or losses included in net income for the extinguishment or sale of debt or hedges. We compute MFFO in accordance with the definition of MFFO included in the practice guideline issued by the Investment Program Association (“IPA”) in November 2010 as interpreted by management. Our computation of MFFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not compute MFFO in accordance with the current IPA definition or that interpret the current IPA definition differently than we do.
In addition, our management uses an adjusted MFFO (“Adjusted MFFO”) as an indicator of our ongoing performance as well as our dividend sustainability. Adjusted MFFO provides adjustments to reduce MFFO related to operating expenses that are capitalized with respect to certain of our investments in undeveloped land.
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We believe that MFFO and Adjusted MFFO are helpful as measures of ongoing operating performance because they exclude costs that management considers more reflective of investing activities and other non-operating items included in FFO. Management believes that excluding acquisition costs from MFFO and Adjusted MFFO provides investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with management’s analysis of the operating performance of the portfolio over time, including periods after our acquisition stage. MFFO and Adjusted MFFO also exclude non-cash items such as straight-line rental revenue. Additionally, we believe that MFFO and Adjusted MFFO provide investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with the performance indicators and analysis used by management, in addition to net income and cash flows from operating activities as defined by GAAP, to evaluate the sustainability of our operating performance. MFFO provides comparability in evaluating the operating performance of our portfolio with other non-traded REITs which typically have limited lives with short and defined acquisition periods and targeted exit strategies. MFFO, or an equivalent measure, is routinely reported by non-traded REITs, and we believe often used by analysts and investors for comparison purposes.
FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO are non-GAAP financial measures and do not represent net income as defined by GAAP. Net income as defined by GAAP is the most relevant measure in determining our operating performance because FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO include adjustments that investors may deem subjective, such as adding back expenses such as depreciation and amortization and the other items described above. Accordingly, FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO should not be considered as alternatives to net income as an indicator of our current and historical operating performance. In addition, FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO do not represent cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered an indication of our liquidity. We believe FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO, in addition to net income and cash flows from operating activities as defined by GAAP, are meaningful supplemental performance measures.
Although MFFO includes other adjustments, the exclusion of straight-line rent, the amortization of above- and below-market leases, the amortization of discounts and closing costs and acquisition fees and expenses are the most significant adjustments for the periods presented. We have excluded these items based on the following economic considerations:
• | Adjustments for straight-line rent. These are adjustments to rental revenue as required by GAAP to recognize contractual lease payments on a straight-line basis over the life of the respective lease. We have excluded these adjustments in our calculation of MFFO to more appropriately reflect the current economic impact of our in-place leases, while also providing investors with a useful supplemental metric that addresses core operating performance by removing rent we expect to receive in a future period or rent that was received in a prior period; |
• | Amortization of above- and below-market leases. Similar to depreciation and amortization of real estate assets and lease related costs that are excluded from FFO, GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of intangible lease assets and liabilities diminishes predictably over time and requires that these charges be recognized currently in revenue. Since market lease rates in the aggregate have historically risen or fallen with local market conditions, management believes that by excluding these charges, MFFO provides useful supplemental information on the realized economics of the real estate; and |
• | Amortization of discounts and closing costs. Discounts and closing costs related to debt investments are amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income. This application results in income recognition that is different than the underlying contractual terms of the debt investments. We have excluded the amortization of discounts and closing costs related to our debt investments in our calculation of MFFO to more appropriately reflect the economic impact of our debt investments, as discounts will not be economically recognized until the loan is repaid and closing costs are essentially the same as acquisition fees and expenses on real estate (discussed below). We believe excluding these items provides investors with a useful supplemental metric that directly addresses core operating performance; |
• | Acquisition fees and expenses. Acquisition fees and expenses related to the acquisition of real estate are expensed. Although these amounts reduce net income, we exclude them from MFFO to more appropriately present the ongoing operating performance of our real estate investments on a comparative basis. Additionally, acquisition costs have been funded from the proceeds from our now terminated initial public offering and debt financings and not from our operations. We believe this exclusion is useful to investors as it allows investors to more accurately evaluate the sustainability of our operating performance. |
Adjusted MFFO includes adjustments to reduce MFFO related to real estate taxes, property insurance and financing costs which are capitalized with respect to certain of our investments in undeveloped land. We have included adjustments for the costs incurred necessary to bring these investments to their intended use, as these costs are recurring operating costs that are capitalized in accordance with GAAP and not reflected in our net income (loss), FFO and MFFO.
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Our calculation of FFO, which we believe is consistent with the calculation of FFO as defined by NAREIT, is presented in the following table, along with our calculations of MFFO and Adjusted MFFO, for the year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands). No conclusions or comparisons should be made from the presentation of these periods.
For the Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||||||
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | $ | (23,194 | ) | $ | 11,493 | $ | (9,762 | ) | |||
Depreciation of real estate assets | 20,278 | 10,003 | 2,484 | ||||||||
Depreciation of real estate assets - discontinued operations | — | 250 | 190 | ||||||||
Amortization of lease-related costs | 26,785 | 18,674 | 6,122 | ||||||||
Amortization of lease-related costs - discontinued operations | — | 807 | 736 | ||||||||
Impairment charges on real estate | 579 | 1,433 | — | ||||||||
Gain on sale of real estate, net | (55 | ) | (13,108 | ) | (593 | ) | |||||
Gain on foreclosure of real estate loan receivable, net | — | (7,473 | ) | — | |||||||
Gain on early payoff of real estate loan receivable | — | — | (358 | ) | |||||||
Gain on sale of real estate securities, net | — | — | (214 | ) | |||||||
Adjustments for noncontrolling interests - consolidated entity (1) | (657 | ) | (89 | ) | (543 | ) | |||||
Adjustments for investment in unconsolidated entity (2) | 5,312 | — | — | ||||||||
FFO | 29,048 | 21,990 | (1,938 | ) | |||||||
Straight-line rent and amortization of above- and below-market leases | (9,731 | ) | (4,556 | ) | (844 | ) | |||||
Amortization of discounts and closing costs | (605 | ) | (806 | ) | (234 | ) | |||||
Real estate acquisition fees to affiliate | 2,231 | 2,784 | 2,206 | ||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses | 2,177 | 1,218 | 1,352 | ||||||||
Amortization of net premium/discount on bond and notes payable | (1 | ) | (92 | ) | — | ||||||
Prepayment fees related to the extinguishment of debt | 332 | 119 | — | ||||||||
Gain from extinguishment of debt | — | — | (581 | ) | |||||||
Adjustments for noncontrolling interests - consolidated entity (1) | (135 | ) | 12 | 197 | |||||||
Adjustments for investment in unconsolidated entity (2) | (3,388 | ) | 146 | — | |||||||
MFFO | 19,928 | 20,815 | 158 | ||||||||
Other capitalized operating expenses (3) | (2,942 | ) | (3,390 | ) | — | ||||||
Adjustments for noncontrolling interests - consolidated entity (1) | 314 | 314 | — | ||||||||
Adjusted MFFO | $ | 17,300 | $ | 17,739 | $ | 158 |
_____________________
(1) Reflects adjustments to eliminate the noncontrolling interest holders’ share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO.
(2) Reflects adjustments to add back our noncontrolling interest share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO for our equity investment in an unconsolidated joint venture.
(3) Reflects real estate taxes, property insurance and financing costs that are capitalized with respect to certain of our investments in undeveloped land. During the time in which we are incurring costs necessary to bring these investments to their intended use, certain normal recurring operating costs are capitalized in accordance with GAAP and not reflected in our net loss, FFO and MFFO.
FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO may also be used to fund all or a portion of certain capitalizable items that are excluded from FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO, such as tenant improvements, building improvements and deferred leasing costs. We expect FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO to improve as a result of owning the assets acquired during 2014 for an entire period and leasing additional space in our real estate assets.
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Distributions
Distributions declared, distributions paid and cash flows from operations were as follows during 2014 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Distribution Declared | Distributions Declared Per Share | Distributions Paid | Cash Flows From (Used in) Operations | |||||||||||||||||||||
Period | Cash | Reinvested | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
First Quarter 2014 | $ | 2,937 | $ | 0.049 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (2,931 | ) | |||||||||||
Second Quarter 2014 | 3,343 | 0.056 | 2,260 | 4,020 | 6,280 | 1,441 | ||||||||||||||||||
Third Quarter 2014 | 4,137 | 0.069 | 1,533 | 2,604 | 4,137 | 8,801 | ||||||||||||||||||
Fourth Quarter 2014 | 5,279 | 0.088 | 1,992 | 3,287 | 5,279 | 4,139 | ||||||||||||||||||
$ | 15,696 | $ | 0.262 | $ | 5,785 | $ | 9,911 | $ | 15,696 | $ | 11,450 |
On March 6, 2014, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.04931507 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 31, 2014. We paid this distribution on April 15, 2014 and this was the only distribution declared during the first quarter of 2014.
On May 8, 2014, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.056096 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 16, 2014. We paid this distribution on June 23, 2014 and this was the only distribution declared during the second quarter of 2014.
On August 4, 2014, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.069315 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 15, 2014. We paid this distribution on September 24, 2014 and this was the only distribution declared during the third quarter of 2014.
On November 12, 2014, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.088219 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2014. We paid this distribution on December 29, 2014 and this was the only distribution declared during the fourth quarter of 2014.
Our board of directors will declare distributions from time to time based on income and cash flow from our investments, gains on sales of assets and financing activities. As such, we can also give no assurances as to the timing, amount or notice with respect to any other future distribution declarations.
For the year ended December 31, 2014, we paid aggregate distributions of $15.7 million, including $5.8 million of distributions paid in cash and $9.9 million of distributions reinvested through our dividend reinvestment plan. Our net loss attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $23.2 million and cash flow provided by operations was $11.5 million. Our cumulative distributions and net loss attributable to common stockholders from inception through December 31, 2014 are $60.7 million and $31.0 million, respectively. We have funded our cumulative distributions, which includes net cash distributions and distributions reinvested by stockholders, with proceeds from debt financing of $18.7 million, proceeds from the dispositions of property of $13.7 million and cash provided by operations of $28.3 million. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations or gains from asset sales, we will have fewer funds available for investment in real estate-related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced and subsequent investors may experience dilution.
Critical Accounting Policies
Below is a discussion of the accounting policies that management considers critical in that they involve significant management judgments and assumptions, require estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain and because they are important for understanding and evaluating our reported financial results. These judgments will affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and our disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. With different estimates or assumptions, materially different amounts could be reported in our financial statements. Additionally, other companies may utilize different estimates that may impact the comparability of our results of operations to those of companies in similar businesses.
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Revenue Recognition
Real Estate
We recognize minimum rent, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectibility is reasonably assured and record amounts expected to be received in later years as deferred rent receivable. If the lease provides for tenant improvements, we determine whether the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, are owned by the tenant or us. When we are the owner of the tenant improvements, the tenant is not considered to have taken physical possession or have control of the physical use of the leased asset until the tenant improvements are substantially completed. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvement allowance (including amounts that can be taken in the form of cash or a credit against the tenant’s rent) that is funded is treated as a lease incentive and amortized as a reduction of revenue over the lease term. Tenant improvement ownership is determined based on various factors including, but not limited to:
•whether the lease stipulates how a tenant improvement allowance may be spent;
•whether the amount of a tenant improvement allowance is in excess of market rates;
•whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements at the end of the lease term;
•whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or general-purpose in nature; and
•whether the tenant improvements are expected to have any residual value at the end of the lease.
We record property operating expense reimbursements due from tenants for common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and other recoverable costs in the period the related expenses are incurred.
We make estimates of the collectibility of our tenant receivables related to base rents, including deferred rent, expense reimbursements and other revenue or income. We specifically analyze accounts receivable, deferred rents receivable, historical bad debts, customer creditworthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In addition, with respect to tenants in bankruptcy, we make estimates of the expected recovery of pre-petition and post-petition claims in assessing the estimated collectibility of the related receivable. In some cases, the ultimate resolution of these claims can exceed one year. When a tenant is in bankruptcy, we will record a bad debt reserve for the tenant’s receivable balance and generally will not recognize subsequent rental revenue until cash is received or until the tenant is no longer in bankruptcy and has the ability to make rental payments.
Real Estate Loans Receivable
Interest income on our real estate loans receivable is recognized on an accrual basis over the life of the investment using the interest method. Direct loan origination or acquisition fees and costs, as well as acquisition premiums or discounts, are amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income. We place loans on nonaccrual status when any portion of principal or interest is 90 days past due, or earlier when concern exists as to the ultimate collection of principal or interest. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, we reverse the accrual for unpaid interest and generally do not recognize subsequent interest income until cash is received, or the loan returns to accrual status. Generally, a loan may be returned to accrual status when all delinquent principal and interest are brought current in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement and certain performance criteria have been met.
We will recognize interest income on loans purchased at discounts to face value where we expect to collect less than the contractual amounts due under the loan when that expectation is due, at least in part, to the credit quality of the borrower. Income is recognized at an interest rate equivalent to the estimated yield on the loan, as calculated using the carrying value of the loan and the expected cash flows. Changes in estimated cash flows are recognized through an adjustment to the yield on the loan on a prospective basis. Projecting cash flows for these types of loans requires a significant amount of assumptions and judgment, which may have a significant impact on the amount and timing of revenue recognized on these investments. We recognize interest income on non-performing loans on a cash basis since these loans generally do not have an estimated yield and collection of principal and interest is not assured.
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Real Estate
Depreciation and Amortization
Real estate costs related to the acquisition and improvement of properties are capitalized and amortized over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred and significant replacements and betterments are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs include all costs that do not extend the useful life of the real estate asset. We consider the period of future benefit of an asset to determine its appropriate useful life. Expenditures for tenant improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the tenant’s lease term or expected useful life. We anticipate the estimated useful lives of our assets by class to be generally as follows:
Buildings | 25-40 years |
Building Improvements | 10-40 years |
Tenant Improvements | Shorter of lease term or expected useful life |
Tenant origination and absorption costs | Remaining term of related leases, including below-market renewal periods |
Real Estate Acquisition Valuation
We record the acquisition of income-producing real estate or real estate that will be used for the production of income as a business combination. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured at their acquisition-date fair values. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and restructuring costs that do not meet the definition of a liability at the acquisition date are expensed in periods subsequent to the acquisition date. Real estate obtained in satisfaction of a loan is recorded at the estimated fair value of the real estate (net of liabilities assumed) or the fair value of the loan satisfied if more clearly evident. The excess of the carrying value of the loan over the fair value of the property is charged-off against the reserve for loan losses when title to the property is obtained. Costs of holding the property are expensed as incurred in our consolidated statements of operations.
Intangible assets include the value of in-place leases, which represents the estimated value of the net cash flows of the in-place leases to be realized, as compared to the net cash flows that would have occurred had the property been vacant at the time of acquisition and subject to lease-up. Acquired in-place lease value will be amortized to expense over the average remaining terms of the respective in-place leases, including any below-market renewal periods.
We assess the acquisition date fair values of all tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers, generally utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis that applies appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors, including historical operating results, known and anticipated trends, and market and economic conditions. The fair value of tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.
We record above-market and below-market in-place lease values for acquired properties based on the present value (using a discount that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of above-market in-place leases and for the initial term plus any extended term for any leases with below-market renewal options. We amortize any recorded above-market or below-market lease values as a reduction or increase, respectively, to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective lease, including any below-market renewal periods.
We estimate the value of tenant origination and absorption costs by considering the estimated carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease up periods, considering current market conditions. In estimating carrying costs, we include real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods.
We amortize the value of tenant origination and absorption costs to depreciation and amortization expense over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the leases.
Estimates of the fair values of the tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities require us to make significant assumptions to estimate market lease rates, property-operating expenses, carrying costs during lease-up periods, discount rates, market absorption periods, and the number of years the property will be held for investment. The use of inappropriate assumptions would result in an incorrect valuation of our acquired tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities, which would impact the amount of our net income.
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Direct investments in undeveloped land or properties without leases in place at the time of acquisition are accounted for as an asset acquisition and not as a business combination. Acquisition fees and expenses are capitalized into the cost basis of an asset acquisition. Additionally, during the time in which we are incurring costs necessary to bring these investments to their intended use, certain costs such as legal fees, real estate taxes and insurance and financing costs are also capitalized.
Impairment of Real Estate and Related Intangible Assets and Liabilities
We continually monitor events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of our real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable, we assess the recoverability by estimating whether we will recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities through its undiscounted future cash flows and its eventual disposition. If, based on this analysis, we do not believe that we will be able to recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities, we would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities.
Projecting future cash flows involves estimating expected future operating income and expenses related to the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities as well as market and other trends. Using inappropriate assumptions to estimate cash flows could result in incorrect fair values of the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities and could result in the overstatement of the carrying values of our real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities and an overstatement of our net income.
Insurance Proceeds for Property Damages
We maintain an insurance policy that provides coverage for property damages and business interruption. Losses due to physical damages are recognized during the accounting period in which they occur, while the amount of monetary assets to be received from the insurance policy is recognized when receipt of insurance recoveries is probable. Losses, which are reduced by the related insurance recoveries, are recorded as operating, maintenance and management expenses on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Anticipated proceeds in excess of recognized losses would be considered a gain contingency and recognized when the contingency related to the insurance claim has been resolved. Anticipated recoveries for lost rental revenue due to property damages are also considered to be a gain contingency and recognized when the contingency related to the insurance claim has been resolved.
Real Estate Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
We generally consider real estate to be “held for sale” when the following criteria are met: (i) management commits to a plan to sell the property, (ii) the property is available for sale immediately, (iii) the property is actively being marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, (iv) the sale of the property within one year is considered probable and (v) significant changes to the plan to sell are not expected. Real estate that is held for sale and its related assets are classified as “real estate held for sale” and “assets related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Notes payable and other liabilities related to real estate held for sale are classified as “notes payable related to real estate held for sale” and “liabilities related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Real estate classified as held for sale is no longer depreciated and is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. Additionally, with respect to properties that were classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014, we record the operating results as discontinued operations for all periods presented if the operations have been or are expected to be eliminated and we will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the property following the sale. Operating results of properties that were disposed of or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business during the year ended December 31, 2014 that had not been classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014 are included in continuing operations on our consolidated statements of operations.
Real Estate Loans Receivable and Loan Loss Reserves
Our real estate loans receivable are recorded at amortized cost, net of loan loss reserves (if any), and evaluated for impairment at each balance sheet date. The amortized cost of a real estate loan receivable is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized acquisition premiums or discounts and unamortized costs and fees directly associated with the origination or acquisition of the loan. The amount of impairment, if any, will be measured by comparing the amortized cost of the loan to the present value of the expected cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent and collection of principal and interest is not assured. If a loan is deemed to be impaired, we will record a loan loss reserve and a provision for loan losses to recognize impairment.
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The reserve for loan losses is a valuation allowance that reflects management’s estimate of loan losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The reserve is adjusted through “Provision for loan losses” on our consolidated statements of operations and is decreased by charge-offs to specific loans when losses are confirmed. We consider a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, we believe that it is probable that we will be unable to collect all amounts due under the contractual terms of the loan agreement. If we purchase a loan at a discount to face value and at the acquisition date we expect to collect less than the contractual amounts due under the terms of the loan based, at least in part, on our assessment of the credit quality of the borrower, we will consider such a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, we believe that it is probable that we will be unable to collect all amounts we estimated to be collected at the time of acquisition. We also consider a loan to be impaired if we grant the borrower a concession through a modification of the loan terms or if we expect to receive assets (including equity interests in the borrower) with fair values that are less than the carrying value of the loan in satisfaction of the loan. A reserve is established when the present value of payments expected to be received, observable market prices, the estimated fair value of the collateral (for loans that are dependent on the collateral for repayment) or amounts expected to be received in satisfaction of a loan are lower than the carrying value of that loan.
Failure to recognize impairments would result in the overstatement of earnings and the carrying value of our real estate loans held for investment. Actual losses, if any, could differ from estimated amounts.
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
Equity Method
We account for investments in unconsolidated joint venture entities in which we may exercise significant influence over, but do not control, using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted to reflect additional contributions or distributions and our proportionate share of equity in the joint venture’s income (loss). We recognize our proportionate share of the ongoing income or loss of the unconsolidated joint venture as equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint venture on the consolidated statements of operations. On a quarterly basis, we evaluate our investment in an unconsolidated joint venture for other-than-temporary impairments.
Cost Method
We account for investments in unconsolidated joint venture entities in which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence and have virtually no influence over partnership operating and financial policies using the cost method of accounting. Under the cost method, income distributions from the partnership are recognized in other income. Distributions that exceed our share of earnings are applied to reduce the carrying value of our investment and any capital contributions will increase the carrying value of our investment. On a quarterly basis, we evaluate our investment in an unconsolidated joint venture for other-than-temporary impairments. The fair value of a cost method investment is not estimated if there are no identified events or changes in circumstances that would indicate a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment.
Fair Value Measurements
Under GAAP, we are required to measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, we are required to measure other financial instruments and balances at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate loans receivable and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
• | Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities; |
• | Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and |
• | Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable. |
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When available, we will utilize quoted market prices from independent third-party sources to determine fair value and will classify such items in Level 1 or Level 2. In instances where the market for a financial instrument is not active, regardless of the availability of a nonbinding quoted market price, observable inputs might not be relevant and could require us to make a significant adjustment to derive a fair value measurement. Additionally, in an inactive market, a market price quoted from an independent third party may rely more on models with inputs based on information available only to that independent third party. When we determine the market for a financial instrument owned by us to be illiquid or when market transactions for similar instruments do not appear orderly, we will use several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) and will establish a fair value by assigning weights to the various valuation sources. Additionally, when determining the fair value of liabilities in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, we will measure fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach.
Changes in assumptions or estimation methodologies can have a material effect on these estimated fair values. In this regard, the derived fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets and, in many cases, may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.
We consider the following factors to be indicators of an inactive market: (i) there are few recent transactions, (ii) price quotations are not based on current information, (iii) price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers (for example, some brokered markets), (iv) indexes that previously were highly correlated with the fair values of the asset or liability are demonstrably uncorrelated with recent indications of fair value for that asset or liability, (v) there is a significant increase in implied liquidity risk premiums, yields, or performance indicators (such as delinquency rates or loss severities) for observed transactions or quoted prices when compared with our estimate of expected cash flows, considering all available market data about credit and other nonperformance risk for the asset or liability, (vi) there is a wide bid-ask spread or significant increase in the bid-ask spread, (vii) there is a significant decline or absence of a market for new issuances (that is, a primary market) for the asset or liability or similar assets or liabilities, and (viii) little information is released publicly (for example, a principal-to-principal market).
We consider the following factors to be indicators of non-orderly transactions: (i) there was not adequate exposure to the market for a period before the measurement date to allow for marketing activities that are usual and customary for transactions involving such assets or liabilities under current market conditions, (ii) there was a usual and customary marketing period, but the seller marketed the asset or liability to a single market participant, (iii) the seller is in or near bankruptcy or receivership (that is, distressed), or the seller was required to sell to meet regulatory or legal requirements (that is, forced), and (iv) the transaction price is an outlier when compared with other recent transactions for the same or similar assets or liabilities.
Income Taxes
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. We expect to have little or no taxable income prior to electing REIT status. To qualify as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax to the extent we distribute qualifying dividends to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service grants us relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect our net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, we intend to organize and operate in such a manner as to qualify for treatment as a REIT.
Subsequent Events
We evaluate subsequent events up until the date the consolidated financial statements are issued.
Distribution Declared
On March 5, 2015, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.09246575 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 20, 2015. We expect to pay this distribution on March 26, 2015. Our board of directors will declare distributions from time to time based on our income, cash flow and investing and financing activities. As such, we can also give no assurances as to the timing, amount or notice with respect to any other future distribution declarations.
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ITEM 7A. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
We are exposed to the effects of interest rate changes as a result of borrowings used to maintain liquidity, fund distributions and to fund the refinancing of our real estate investment portfolio and operations. We may also be exposed to the effects of changes in interest rates as a result of the acquisition and origination of mortgage, mezzanine, bridge and other loans and the acquisition of real estate securities. Our profitability and the value of our investment portfolio may be adversely affected during any period as a result of interest rate changes. Our interest rate risk management objectives are to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings, prepayment penalties and cash flows and to lower overall borrowing costs. We may manage interest rate risk by maintaining a ratio of fixed rate, long-term debt such that floating rate exposure is kept at an acceptable level. In addition, we may utilize a variety of financial instruments, including interest rate caps, floors, and swap agreements, in order to limit the effects of changes in interest rates on our operations. When we use these types of derivatives to hedge the risk of interest-earning assets or interest-bearing liabilities, we may be subject to certain risks, including the risk that losses on a hedge position will reduce the funds available for payments to holders of our common stock and that the losses may exceed the amount we invested in the instruments.
The table below summarizes the book values and the weighted-average interest rates of our real estate loan receivable and notes and bond payable for each category based on the maturity dates as of December 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands):
Maturity Date | Total Book Value | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Thereafter | Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Loan receivable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mortgage loan - fixed rate | $ | 27,422 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 27,422 | $ | 27,813 | ||||||||||||||||
Annual effective interest rate (1) | 14.2 | % | — | — | — | — | — | 14.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes and Bond Payable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fixed rate | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 32,836 | $ | 32,836 | $ | 35,218 | ||||||||||||||||
Average interest rate (2) | — | — | — | — | — | 4.5 | % | 4.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Variable rate | $ | — | $ | 13,693 | $ | 403,958 | $ | 79,776 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 497,427 | $ | 498,827 | ||||||||||||||||
Average interest rate (2) | — | 2.5 | % | 2.7 | % | 2.3 | % | — | — | 2.6 | % |
_____________________
(1) The annual effective interest rate represents the actual interest income recognized during 2014 using the interest method, divided by the average amortized cost basis of the investments.
(2) Average interest rate is the weighted-average interest rate. Weighted-average interest rate as of December 31, 2014 is calculated as the actual interest rate in effect at December 31, 2014 (consisting of the contractual interest rate and the effect of contractual floor rates), using interest rate indices at December 31, 2014, where applicable.
We borrow funds at a combination of fixed and variable rates. Interest rate fluctuations will generally not affect our future earnings or cash flows on our fixed rate debt unless such instruments mature or are otherwise terminated. However, interest rate changes will affect the fair value of our fixed rate instruments. As of December 31, 2014, the fair value and carrying value of our fixed rate real estate loan receivable was $27.8 million and $27.4 million, respectively. The fair value estimate of our fixed rate real estate loan receivable was estimated using an internal valuation model that considers the expected cash flows for the loans, underlying collateral values (for collateral-dependent loans) and the estimated yield requirements of institutional investors for loans with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value, type of collateral and other credit enhancements. As of December 31, 2014, the fair value of our fixed rate debt was $35.2 million and the carrying value of our fixed rate debt was $32.8 million. The fair value estimate of our fixed rate debt was calculated using a discounted cash flow analysis utilizing rates we would expect to pay for debt of a similar type and remaining maturity if the loans were originated as of December 31, 2014. As we expect to hold our fixed rate instruments to maturity and the amounts due under such instruments would be limited to the outstanding principal balance and any accrued and unpaid interest, we do not expect that fluctuations in interest rates, and the resulting changes in fair value of our fixed rate instruments, would have a significant impact on our operations.
Conversely, movements in interest rates on variable rate debt and loans receivable would change our future earnings and cash flows, but would not significantly affect the fair value of those instruments. However, changes in required risk premiums would result in changes in the fair value of floating rate instruments. As of December 31, 2014, we were exposed to market risks related to fluctuations in interest rates on $497.4 million of variable rate debt outstanding. Based on interest rates as of December 31, 2014, if interest rates were 100 basis points higher during the 12 months ending December 31, 2015, interest expense on our variable rate debt would increase by $4.9 million. As of December 31, 2014, one-month LIBOR was 0.17125% and if the LIBOR index was reduced to 0% during the 12 months ending December 31, 2015, interest expense on our variable rate debt would decrease by $0.8 million.
62
The weighted-average interest rates of our fixed rate debt and variable rate debt as of December 31, 2014 were 4.5% and 2.6%, respectively. The annual effective interest rate of our fixed rate real estate loan receivable as of December 31, 2014 was 14.2%. The annual effective interest rate represents the effective interest rate as of December 31, 2014, using the interest method that we use to recognize interest income on our real estate loans receivable.
For a discussion of the interest rate risks related to the current capital and credit markets, see Part I, Item 1, “Business —Market Outlook” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA |
See the Index to Financial Statements at page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 9. | CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE |
None.
ITEM 9A. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this report, management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon, and as of the date of, the evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file and submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported as and when required. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file and submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act.
In connection with the preparation of our Form 10-K, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. In making that assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013).
Based on its assessment, our management believes that, as of December 31, 2014, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria. There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2014 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. | OTHER INFORMATION |
As of the quarter ended December 31, 2014, all items required to be disclosed under Form 8–K were reported under Form 8–K.
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PART III
We will file a definitive Proxy Statement for our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2015 Proxy Statement”) with the SEC, pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year. Accordingly, certain information required by Part III has been omitted under General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K. Only those sections of the 2015 Proxy Statement that specifically address the items required to be set forth herein are incorporated by reference.
ITEM 10. | DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
We have adopted a Code of Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our executive officers and directors, including but not limited to, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer. Our Code of Conduct and Ethics can be found at http://www.kbsstrategicopportunityreit.com.
The other information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2015 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 11. | EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION |
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2015 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 12. | SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS |
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2015 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 13. | CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE |
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2015 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 14. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES |
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2015 Proxy Statement.
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PART IV
ITEM 15. | EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES |
(a) Financial Statement Schedules
See the Index to Financial Statements at page F-1 of this report.
The following financial statement schedule is included herein at pages F-38 through F-39 of this report:
Schedule III - Real Estate Assets and Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization
(b) Exhibits
Ex. | Description | |
3.1 | Second Articles of Amendment and Restatement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 4, 2010 | |
3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11, Commission File No. 333-156633 | |
4.1 | Statement regarding restrictions on transferability of shares of common stock (to appear on stock certificate or to be sent upon request and without charge to stockholders issued shares without certificates), incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11, Commission File No. 333-156633 | |
4.2 | Fourth Amended and Restated Dividend Reinvestment Plan, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.1 | Loan Agreement by and between KBS SOR Westmoor Center, LLC and Bank of America, N.A., dated as of January 8, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.2 | Guaranty Agreement by KBS SOR Properties, LLC in favor of Bank of America, N.A., dated as of January 8, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.3 | Deed of Trust, Assignment, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing by KBS SOR Westmoor Center, LLC in favor of the Public Trustee of Jefferson County, Colorado, as trustee, and Bank of America, N.A., dated as of January 8, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.4 | Loan Agreement by and between KBS SOR Plaza Bellevue, LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, dated as of January 14, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.5 | Limited Guaranty by KBS SOR Properties, LLC in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, dated as of January 14, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.6 | Deed of Trust, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing by KBS SOR Plaza Bellevue, LLC in favor of Chicago Title Company of Washington, as trustee for Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, dated as of January 14, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.7 | Loan Agreement by and between KBS SOR Acquisition XXVI, LLC and SBAF Mortgage Fund I/Lender, LLC, dated as of January 14, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.8 | Mezzanine Loan Guaranty by KBS SOR Properties, LLC in favor of SBAF Mortgage Fund I/Lender, LLC, dated as of January 14, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.28 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 | |
10.9 | Loan Agreement between 110 William, LLC and UBS Real Estate Securities Inc., dated as of June 11, 2012, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 |
65
Ex. | Description | |
10.10 | Loan Assumption and Substitution Agreement by and among 110 William, LLC, 110 William Property Investors III, LLC, Kent M. Swig and Longwing Incorporated, Savanna Real Estate Fund III, L.P. and US Bank National Association, as Trustee for the Registered Holders of UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 2012-C2, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2012-C2, dated as of May 2, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.11 | Cash Management Agreement among 110 William, LLC and UBS Real Estate Securities Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Swig Equities, LLC, dated as of June 11, 2012, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.12 | First Amendment to Cash Management Agreement among 110 William, LLC, 110 William Property Investors III, LLC, US Bank National Association, as Trustee for the Registered Holders of UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 2012-C2, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2012-C2, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Swig Equities, LLC, dated as of May 2, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.13 | Mezzanine Loan Agreement between 110 William Mezz, LLC, Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty Partners III, L.L.C. and TMRP III Co-Investment, L.L.C., dated as of June 11, 2012, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.14 | Assumption Agreement by and among Pearlmark Mezzanine Realty Partners III, L.L.C., TMRP III Co-Investment, L.L.C, 110 William Mezz, LLC, Longwing Incorporated, Kent M. Swig and Savanna Real Estate Fund III, L.P., dated as of May 2, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended March 31, 2014 | |
10.15 | Advisory Agreement by and between the Company and KBS Capital Advisors LLC, dated October 8, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for period ended September 30, 2014 | |
21.1 | Subsidiaries of the Company | |
23.1 | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP | |
31.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as created by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as created by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
99.1 | Third Amended and Restated Share Redemption Program, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 | |
99.2 | Fourth Amended and Restated Share Redemption Program, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 18, 2014 | |
99.3 | Consent of Duff & Phelps, LLC | |
99.4 | Consent of Landauer Services, LLC | |
101.INS | XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema | |
101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase | |
101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase | |
101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase | |
101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase |
66
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Consolidated Financial Statements | |
Financial Statement Schedule | |
All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule in Item 15(a), Schedule III - Real Estate Assets and Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method for reporting discontinued operations effective January 1, 2014.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Irvine, California
March 9, 2015
F-2
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, | ||||||||
2014 | 2013 | |||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Real estate held for investment, net | $ | 855,088 | $ | 636,885 | ||||
Real estate held for sale, net | — | 1,274 | ||||||
Real estate loan receivable, net | 27,422 | 21,893 | ||||||
Real estate securities | — | 333 | ||||||
Total real estate and real estate-related investments, net | 882,510 | 660,385 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 19,093 | 57,996 | ||||||
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures | 72,045 | 16,338 | ||||||
Rents and other receivables, net | 18,314 | 8,540 | ||||||
Above-market leases, net | 2,061 | 2,935 | ||||||
Assets related to real estate held for sale | — | 126 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other assets | 28,491 | 29,818 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 1,022,514 | $ | 776,138 | ||||
Liabilities and equity | ||||||||
Notes and bond payable, net | $ | 530,263 | $ | 257,420 | ||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 18,609 | 15,558 | ||||||
Below-market leases, net | 4,403 | 4,420 | ||||||
Other liabilities | 9,192 | 6,481 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 562,467 | 283,879 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14) | ||||||||
Redeemable common stock | 9,911 | 17,573 | ||||||
Equity | ||||||||
KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding | — | — | ||||||
Common stock, $.01 par value; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 60,044,329 and 59,619,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively | 600 | 596 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 524,489 | 512,036 | ||||||
Cumulative distributions and net losses | (91,691 | ) | (52,801 | ) | ||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | — | (9 | ) | |||||
Total KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. stockholders’ equity | 433,398 | 459,822 | ||||||
Noncontrolling interests | 16,738 | 14,864 | ||||||
Total equity | 450,136 | 474,686 | ||||||
Total liabilities and equity | $ | 1,022,514 | $ | 776,138 |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-3
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Revenues: | ||||||||||||
Rental income | $ | 83,682 | $ | 46,191 | $ | 13,780 | ||||||
Tenant reimbursements | 16,273 | 9,964 | 1,595 | |||||||||
Interest income from real estate loans receivable | 3,366 | 10,276 | 1,708 | |||||||||
Interest income from real estate securities | — | 91 | 926 | |||||||||
Other operating income | 2,833 | 1,974 | 871 | |||||||||
Total revenues | 106,154 | 68,496 | 18,880 | |||||||||
Expenses: | ||||||||||||
Operating, maintenance, and management | 35,957 | 22,804 | 7,779 | |||||||||
Real estate taxes and insurance | 14,189 | 9,282 | 2,476 | |||||||||
Asset management fees to affiliate | 7,648 | 4,068 | 1,625 | |||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees to affiliate | 2,231 | 2,784 | 2,206 | |||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses | 2,177 | 1,218 | 1,352 | |||||||||
General and administrative expenses | 3,418 | 3,160 | 3,075 | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 47,063 | 28,677 | 8,606 | |||||||||
Interest expense | 15,598 | 2,706 | 2,199 | |||||||||
Impairment charges on real estate held for investment | 579 | 1,433 | — | |||||||||
Total expenses | 128,860 | 76,132 | 29,318 | |||||||||
Other income (loss): | ||||||||||||
Other interest income | 22 | 62 | 97 | |||||||||
Gain from extinguishment of debt | — | — | 581 | |||||||||
Income from unconsolidated joint venture | — | 95 | 116 | |||||||||
Equity in loss of unconsolidated joint venture | (1,101 | ) | (146 | ) | — | |||||||
Gain on sale of real estate, net | 55 | — | — | |||||||||
Gain on early payoff of real estate loan receivable | — | — | 358 | |||||||||
Gain on sale of real estate securities | — | — | 214 | |||||||||
Gain on foreclosure of real estate loan receivable | — | 7,473 | — | |||||||||
Total other (loss) income, net | (1,024 | ) | 7,484 | 1,366 | ||||||||
Loss from continuing operations | (23,730 | ) | (152 | ) | (9,072 | ) | ||||||
Discontinued operations: | ||||||||||||
Gain on sale of real estate, net | — | 13,108 | 593 | |||||||||
Loss from discontinued operations | (18 | ) | (1,367 | ) | (1,616 | ) | ||||||
Total (loss) income from discontinued operations | (18 | ) | 11,741 | (1,023 | ) | |||||||
Net (loss) income | (23,748 | ) | 11,589 | (10,095 | ) | |||||||
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 554 | (96 | ) | 333 | ||||||||
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | $ | (23,194 | ) | $ | 11,493 | $ | (9,762 | ) | ||||
Basic and diluted (loss) income per common share: | ||||||||||||
Continuing operations | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | — | $ | (0.25 | ) | ||||
Discontinued operations | — | 0.20 | (0.03 | ) | ||||||||
Net (loss) income per common share | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | 0.20 | $ | (0.28 | ) | ||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted | 59,714,540 | 58,359,568 | 35,458,656 |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-4
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands)
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Net (loss) income | $ | (23,748 | ) | $ | 11,589 | $ | (10,095 | ) | ||||
Other comprehensive income: | ||||||||||||
Reclassification of realized gain on sale of real estate securities | — | — | (214 | ) | ||||||||
Unrealized gain on real estate securities | 9 | 4 | 247 | |||||||||
Total other comprehensive income | 9 | 4 | 33 | |||||||||
Total comprehensive (loss) income | (23,739 | ) | 11,593 | (10,062 | ) | |||||||
Total comprehensive loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 554 | (96 | ) | 333 | ||||||||
Total comprehensive (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | $ | (23,185 | ) | $ | 11,497 | $ | (9,729 | ) |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-5
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
(dollars in thousands)
Additional Paid-in Capital | Cumulative Distributions and Net Losses | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | Total Stockholders’ Equity | Noncontrolling Interests | Total Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common Stock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amounts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2011 | 22,214,815 | $ | 222 | $ | 188,817 | $ | (15,968 | ) | $ | (46 | ) | $ | 173,025 | $ | 13,519 | $ | 186,544 | |||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | (9,762 | ) | — | (9,762 | ) | (333 | ) | (10,095 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income | — | — | — | — | 33 | 33 | — | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of common stock | 35,993,756 | 360 | 356,974 | — | — | 357,334 | — | 357,334 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Transfers to redeemable common stock | — | — | (4,360 | ) | — | — | (4,360 | ) | — | (4,360 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Redemptions of common stock | (80,944 | ) | (1 | ) | (754 | ) | — | — | (755 | ) | — | (755 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Distributions declared | — | — | — | (12,885 | ) | — | (12,885 | ) | — | (12,885 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Commissions on stock sales and related dealer manager fees to affiliate | — | — | (31,134 | ) | — | — | (31,134 | ) | — | (31,134 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Other offering costs | — | — | (3,636 | ) | — | — | (3,636 | ) | — | (3,636 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Noncontrolling interests contributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2,630 | 2,630 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Distribution to noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | (24 | ) | (24 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2012 | 58,127,627 | $ | 581 | $ | 505,907 | $ | (38,615 | ) | $ | (13 | ) | $ | 467,860 | $ | 15,792 | $ | 483,652 | |||||||||||||
Net income | — | — | — | 11,493 | — | 11,493 | 96 | 11,589 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of common stock | 1,751,478 | 18 | 16,623 | — | — | 16,641 | — | 16,641 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Transfers to redeemable common stock | — | — | (7,922 | ) | — | — | (7,922 | ) | — | (7,922 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Redemptions of common stock | (260,105 | ) | (3 | ) | (2,447 | ) | — | — | (2,450 | ) | — | (2,450 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Distributions declared | — | — | — | (25,679 | ) | — | (25,679 | ) | — | (25,679 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Other offering costs | — | — | (125 | ) | — | — | (125 | ) | — | (125 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Noncontrolling interests contributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,213 | 1,213 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Distributions to noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | (2,237 | ) | (2,237 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2013 | 59,619,000 | $ | 596 | $ | 512,036 | $ | (52,801 | ) | $ | (9 | ) | $ | 459,822 | $ | 14,864 | $ | 474,686 | |||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | (23,194 | ) | — | (23,194 | ) | (554 | ) | (23,748 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income | — | — | — | — | 9 | 9 | — | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of common stock | 901,146 | 9 | 9,902 | — | — | 9,911 | — | 9,911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Transfers from redeemable common stock | — | — | 7,662 | — | — | 7,662 | — | 7,662 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Redemptions of common stock | (475,817 | ) | (5 | ) | (5,099 | ) | — | — | (5,104 | ) | — | (5,104 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Distributions declared | — | — | — | (15,696 | ) | — | (15,696 | ) | — | (15,696 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Other offering costs | — | — | (12 | ) | — | — | (12 | ) | — | (12 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Noncontrolling interests contributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2,585 | 2,585 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Distributions to noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | (157 | ) | (157 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2014 | 60,044,329 | $ | 600 | $ | 524,489 | $ | (91,691 | ) | $ | — | $ | 433,398 | $ | 16,738 | $ | 450,136 |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-6
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||||||||||
Net (loss) income | $ | (23,748 | ) | $ | 11,589 | $ | (10,095 | ) | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: | ||||||||||||
Loss due to property damages | 707 | — | — | |||||||||
Equity in loss of unconsolidated joint venture | 1,101 | 146 | — | |||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | ||||||||||||
Continuing operations | 47,063 | 28,677 | 8,606 | |||||||||
Discontinued operations | — | 1,057 | 926 | |||||||||
Impairment charges on real estate held for investment | 579 | 1,433 | — | |||||||||
Non-cash interest income on real estate related investments | (614 | ) | (842 | ) | (1,053 | ) | ||||||
Gain on sale of real estate | (55 | ) | (13,108 | ) | (593 | ) | ||||||
Gain on extinguishment of debt | — | — | (581 | ) | ||||||||
Gain on early payoff of real estate loan receivable | — | — | (358 | ) | ||||||||
Gain on sale of real estate securities, net | — | — | (214 | ) | ||||||||
Gain on foreclosure of real estate loan receivable, net | — | (7,473 | ) | — | ||||||||
Deferred rent | (8,392 | ) | (4,694 | ) | (1,932 | ) | ||||||
Bad debt expense | 176 | 197 | 52 | |||||||||
Amortization of above- and below-market leases, net | (1,339 | ) | 138 | 1,088 | ||||||||
Amortization of deferred financing costs | 2,778 | 976 | 295 | |||||||||
Interest accretion on real estate securities | 9 | 36 | 819 | |||||||||
Amortization of net premium/discount on bond and notes payable | (1 | ) | (92 | ) | — | |||||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||||||
Rents and other receivables | (1,817 | ) | (1,312 | ) | (420 | ) | ||||||
Deferred interest receivable | — | 1,001 | — | |||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other assets | (8,314 | ) | (2,299 | ) | (1,979 | ) | ||||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 606 | 6,089 | 2,302 | |||||||||
Due to affiliates | — | (21 | ) | 4 | ||||||||
Other liabilities | 2,711 | 3,132 | 2,105 | |||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | 11,450 | 24,630 | (1,028 | ) | ||||||||
Cash Flows from Investing Activities: | ||||||||||||
Acquisitions of real estate | (191,925 | ) | (295,167 | ) | (211,655 | ) | ||||||
Improvements to real estate | (33,892 | ) | (22,398 | ) | (7,054 | ) | ||||||
Proceeds from sales of real estate, net | 1,393 | 30,658 | 1,843 | |||||||||
Escrow deposits for future real estate purchases | — | (13,000 | ) | — | ||||||||
Investments in real estate loans receivable | (5,850 | ) | (21,568 | ) | (78,398 | ) | ||||||
Payoff of real estate loan receivable | — | 35,750 | — | |||||||||
Proceeds from early payoff of real estate loan receivable | — | — | 7,903 | |||||||||
Principal repayments on real estate securities | 333 | 4,452 | 38,270 | |||||||||
Proceeds from sale of real estate securities | — | — | 14,943 | |||||||||
Investment in unconsolidated joint venture | (58,987 | ) | (9,000 | ) | (8,000 | ) | ||||||
Distribution of capital from unconsolidated joint venture | 2,179 | 398 | 74 | |||||||||
Extension fee received on real estate loan receivable | 935 | — | — | |||||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (285,814 | ) | (289,875 | ) | (242,074 | ) | ||||||
Cash Flows from Financing Activities: | ||||||||||||
Proceeds from notes payable | 307,254 | 251,065 | 4,226 | |||||||||
Principal payments on notes payable | (59,203 | ) | (36,084 | ) | (2,896 | ) | ||||||
Payments on repurchase agreements | — | — | (30,201 | ) | ||||||||
Payments of deferred financing costs | (4,117 | ) | (4,988 | ) | — | |||||||
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | — | — | 348,790 | |||||||||
Payments to redeem common stock | (5,104 | ) | (2,450 | ) | (755 | ) | ||||||
Payments of commissions on stock sales and related dealer manager fees | — | — | (31,134 | ) | ||||||||
Payments of other offering costs | (12 | ) | (200 | ) | (3,612 | ) | ||||||
Distributions paid | (5,785 | ) | (9,038 | ) | (4,341 | ) | ||||||
Noncontrolling interests contributions | 2,585 | 1,213 | 2,630 | |||||||||
Distributions to noncontrolling interests | (157 | ) | (2,237 | ) | (24 | ) | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 235,461 | 197,281 | 282,683 | |||||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | (38,903 | ) | (67,964 | ) | 39,581 | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period | 57,996 | 125,960 | 86,379 | |||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | $ | 19,093 | $ | 57,996 | $ | 125,960 | ||||||
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: | ||||||||||||
Interest paid, net of capitalized interest of $1,987 and $2,718 for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively | $ | 12,258 | $ | 1,635 | $ | 2,073 | ||||||
Supplemental Disclosure of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities: | ||||||||||||
Mortgage debt assumed in connection with real estate acquisition (at fair value) | $ | 24,793 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||
Application of escrow deposits to acquisition of real estate | $ | 13,000 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||
Investments in real estate acquired through foreclosure | $ | — | $ | 45,943 | $ | — | ||||||
Assets assumed in connection with foreclosure of real estate | $ | — | $ | 7,156 | $ | — | ||||||
Liabilities assumed in connection with foreclosure of real estate | $ | — | $ | 9,671 | $ | — | ||||||
Increase in capital expenses payable | $ | 3,095 | $ | 2,583 | $ | 1,230 | ||||||
Increase in lease commissions payable | $ | — | $ | 282 | $ | 137 | ||||||
Increase in lease incentive payable | $ | — | $ | 260 | $ | 53 | ||||||
Distributions paid to common stockholders through common stock issuances pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan | $ | 9,911 | $ | 16,641 | $ | 8,544 |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-7
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2014
1. | ORGANIZATION |
KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed on October 8, 2008 as a Maryland corporation and elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010. The Company conducts its business primarily through KBS Strategic Opportunity Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership formed on December 10, 2008. The Company is the sole general partner of, and owns a 0.1% partnership interest in, the Operating Partnership. KBS Strategic Opportunity Holdings LLC (“REIT Holdings”), a Delaware limited liability company formed on December 9, 2008, owns the remaining 99.9% interest in the Operating Partnership and is its sole limited partner. The Company is the sole member and manager of REIT Holdings.
Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, the business of the Company is externally managed by KBS Capital Advisors LLC (the “Advisor”), an affiliate of the Company, pursuant to an advisory agreement the Company renewed with the Advisor on October 8, 2014 (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor conducts the Company’s operations and manages its portfolio of real estate-related loans, opportunistic real estate, real estate-related debt securities and other real estate-related investments. The Advisor owns 20,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On January 8, 2009, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to offer a minimum of 250,000 shares and a maximum of 140,000,000 shares of common stock for sale to the public (the “Offering”), of which 100,000,000 shares were registered in a primary offering and 40,000,000 shares were registered to be sold under the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan. The SEC declared the Company’s registration statement effective on November 20, 2009. The Company ceased offering shares of common stock in its primary offering on November 14, 2012 and continues to offer shares under its dividend reinvestment plan.
The Company sold 56,584,976 shares of common stock in its primary offering for gross offering proceeds of $561.7 million. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had sold 3,981,976 shares of common stock under its dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $39.2 million. Also, as of December 31, 2014, the Company had redeemed 818,866 shares sold in the Offering for $8.3 million. Additionally, on December 29, 2011 and October 23, 2012, the Company issued 220,994 shares and 55,249 shares of common stock, respectively, for $2.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
As of December 31, 2014, the Company owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties, one retail property, two apartment properties, two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres, one first mortgage loan and two investments in unconsolidated joint ventures.
2. | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, REIT Holdings, the Operating Partnership and their direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, and joint ventures in which the Company has a controlling interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as contained within the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
F-8
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in the Company’s prior period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications have not changed the results of operations of prior periods. The Company early adopted ASU No. 2014-08 (defined below) for the reporting period beginning January 1, 2014. As a result, certain reclassifications were made to the consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and footnote disclosures for all applicable periods presented to reflect properties sold or held for sale during the period ended December 31, 2014. Operating results of properties that were classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014 will remain in discontinued operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Operating results of properties that were disposed of or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business during the year ended December 31, 2014 that had not been classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014 are included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Revenue Recognition
Real Estate
The Company recognizes minimum rent, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectibility is reasonably assured and records amounts expected to be received in later years as deferred rent receivable. If the lease provides for tenant improvements, the Company determines whether the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, are owned by the tenant or the Company. When the Company is the owner of the tenant improvements, the tenant is not considered to have taken physical possession or have control of the physical use of the leased asset until the tenant improvements are substantially completed. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvement allowance (including amounts that can be taken in the form of cash or a credit against the tenant’s rent) that is funded is treated as a lease incentive and amortized as a reduction of revenue over the lease term. Tenant improvement ownership is determined based on various factors including, but not limited to:
• | whether the lease stipulates how a tenant improvement allowance may be spent; |
• | whether the amount of a tenant improvement allowance is in excess of market rates; |
• | whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements at the end of the lease term; |
• | whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or general-purpose in nature; and |
• | whether the tenant improvements are expected to have any residual value at the end of the lease. |
The Company records property operating expense reimbursements due from tenants for common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and other recoverable costs in the period the related expenses are incurred.
The Company makes estimates of the collectibility of its tenant receivables related to base rents, including deferred rent, expense reimbursements and other revenue or income. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable, deferred rents receivable, historical bad debts, customer creditworthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In addition, with respect to tenants in bankruptcy, management makes estimates of the expected recovery of pre-petition and post-petition claims in assessing the estimated collectibility of the related receivable. In some cases, the ultimate resolution of these claims can exceed one year. When a tenant is in bankruptcy, the Company will record a bad debt reserve for the tenant’s receivable balance and generally will not recognize subsequent rental revenue until cash is received or until the tenant is no longer in bankruptcy and has the ability to make rental payments.
Real Estate Loans Receivable
Interest income on the Company’s real estate loans receivable is recognized on an accrual basis over the life of the investment using the interest method. Direct loan origination or acquisition fees and costs, as well as acquisition premiums or discounts, are amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income. The Company places loans on nonaccrual status when any portion of principal or interest is 90 days past due, or earlier when concern exists as to the ultimate collection of principal or interest. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, the Company reverses the accrual for unpaid interest and generally does not recognize subsequent interest income until cash is received, or the loan returns to accrual status. Generally, a loan may be returned to accrual status when all delinquent principal and interest are brought current in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement and certain performance criteria have been met.
F-9
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
The Company will recognize interest income on loans purchased at discounts to face value where the Company expects to collect less than the contractual amounts due under the loan when that expectation is due, at least in part, to the credit quality of the borrower. Income is recognized at an interest rate equivalent to the estimated yield on the loan, as calculated using the carrying value of the loan and the expected cash flows. Changes in estimated cash flows are recognized through an adjustment to the yield on the loan on a prospective basis. Projecting cash flows for these types of loans requires a significant amount of assumptions and judgment, which may have a significant impact on the amount and timing of revenue recognized on these investments. The Company recognizes interest income on non-performing loans on a cash basis since these loans generally do not have an estimated yield and collection of principal and interest is not assured.
Real Estate Securities
The Company recognizes interest income on real estate securities that are beneficial interests in securitized financial assets and are rated “AA” and above on an accrual basis according to the contractual terms of the securities. Discounts or premiums are amortized to interest income over the life of the investment using the interest method.
The Company recognizes interest income on real estate securities that are beneficial interests in securitized financial assets that are rated below “AA” using the effective yield method, which requires the Company to periodically project estimated cash flows related to these securities and recognize interest income at an interest rate equivalent to the estimated yield on the security, as calculated using the security’s estimated cash flows and amortized cost basis, or reference amount. Changes in the estimated cash flows are recognized through an adjustment to the yield on the security on a prospective basis. Projecting cash flows for these types of securities requires significant judgment, which may have a significant impact on the timing of revenue recognized on these investments.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company recognizes interest income on its cash and cash equivalents as it is earned and records such amounts as other interest income.
Real Estate
Depreciation and Amortization
Real estate costs related to the acquisition and improvement of properties are capitalized and amortized over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred and significant replacements and betterments are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs include all costs that do not extend the useful life of the real estate asset. The Company considers the period of future benefit of an asset to determine its appropriate useful life. Expenditures for tenant improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the tenant’s lease term or expected useful life. The Company anticipates the estimated useful lives of its assets by class to be generally as follows:
Buildings | 25-40 years |
Building improvements | 10-40 years |
Tenant improvements | Shorter of lease term or expected useful life |
Tenant origination and absorption costs | Remaining term of related leases, including below-market renewal periods |
Real Estate Acquisition Valuation
The Company records the acquisition of income-producing real estate or real estate that will be used for the production of income as a business combination. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured at their acquisition-date fair values. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and restructuring costs that do not meet the definition of a liability at the acquisition date are expensed in periods subsequent to the acquisition date. Real estate obtained in satisfaction of a loan is recorded at the estimated fair value of the real estate (net of liabilities assumed) or the fair value of the loan satisfied if more clearly evident. The excess of the carrying value of the loan over the fair value of the property is charged-off against the reserve for loan losses when title to the property is obtained. Costs of holding the property are expensed as incurred in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
F-10
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Intangible assets include the value of in-place leases, which represents the estimated value of the net cash flows of the in-place leases to be realized, as compared to the net cash flows that would have occurred had the property been vacant at the time of acquisition and subject to lease-up. Acquired in-place lease value will be amortized to expense over the average remaining terms of the respective in-place leases, including any below-market renewal periods.
The Company assesses the acquisition date fair values of all tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers, generally utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis that applies appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors, including historical operating results, known and anticipated trends, and market and economic conditions. The fair value of tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.
The Company records above-market and below-market in-place lease values for acquired properties based on the present value (using a discount that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of above-market in-place leases and for the initial term plus any extended term for any leases with below-market renewal options. The Company amortizes any recorded above-market or below-market lease values as a reduction or increase, respectively, to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective lease, including any below-market renewal periods.
The Company estimates the value of tenant origination and absorption costs by considering the estimated carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease up periods, considering current market conditions. In estimating carrying costs, the Company includes real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods.
The Company amortizes the value of tenant origination and absorption costs to depreciation and amortization expense over the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases.
Estimates of the fair values of the tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities require the Company to make significant assumptions to estimate market lease rates, property-operating expenses, carrying costs during lease-up periods, discount rates, market absorption periods, and the number of years the property will be held for investment. The use of inappropriate assumptions would result in an incorrect valuation of the Company’s acquired tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities, which would impact the amount of the Company’s net income.
Direct investments in undeveloped land or properties without leases in place at the time of acquisition are accounted for as an asset acquisition and not as a business combination. Acquisition fees and expenses are capitalized into the cost basis of an asset acquisition. Additionally, during the time in which the Company is incurring costs necessary to bring these investments to their intended use, certain costs such as legal fees, real estate taxes and insurance and financing costs are also capitalized.
Impairment of Real Estate and Related Intangible Assets and Liabilities
The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of its real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable, the Company assesses the recoverability by estimating whether the Company will recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities through its undiscounted future cash flows and its eventual disposition. If, based on this analysis, the Company does not believe that it will be able to recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities, the Company would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.6 million with respect to one real estate property held for investment. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1.4 million with respect to two of its real estate properties held for investment, one of which was sold on August 29, 2014. The Company did not record any impairment losses on its real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2012.
Projecting future cash flows involves estimating expected future operating income and expenses related to the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities as well as market and other trends. Using inappropriate assumptions to estimate cash flows could result in incorrect fair values of the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities and could result in the overstatement of the carrying values of the Company’s real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities and an overstatement of its net income.
F-11
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Insurance proceeds for Property Damages
The Company maintains an insurance policy that provides coverage for property damages and business interruption. Losses due to physical damages are recognized during the accounting period in which they occur, while the amount of monetary assets to be received from the insurance policy is recognized when receipt of insurance recoveries is probable. Losses, which are reduced by the related insurance recoveries, are recorded as operating, maintenance and management expenses on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Anticipated proceeds in excess of recognized losses would be considered a gain contingency and recognized when the contingency related to the insurance claim has been resolved. Anticipated recoveries for lost rental revenue due to property damages are also considered to be a gain contingency and recognized when the contingency related to the insurance claim has been resolved.
Real Estate Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
The Company generally considers real estate to be “held for sale” when the following criteria are met: (i) management commits to a plan to sell the property, (ii) the property is available for sale immediately, (iii) the property is actively being marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, (iv) the sale of the property within one year is considered probable and (v) significant changes to the plan to sell are not expected. Real estate that is held for sale and its related assets are classified as “real estate held for sale” and “assets related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Notes payable and other liabilities related to real estate held for sale are classified as “notes payable related to real estate held for sale” and “liabilities related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Real estate classified as held for sale is no longer depreciated and is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. Additionally, with respect to properties that were classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014, the Company records the operating results as discontinued operations for all periods presented if the operations have been or are expected to be eliminated and the Company will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the property following the sale. Operating results of properties that were disposed of or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business during the year ended December 31, 2014 that had not been classified as held for sale in financial statements prior to January 1, 2014 are included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Real Estate Loans Receivable and Loan Loss Reserves
The Company’s real estate loans receivable are recorded at amortized cost, net of loan loss reserves (if any), and evaluated for impairment at each balance sheet date. The amortized cost of a real estate loan receivable is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized acquisition premiums or discounts and unamortized costs and fees directly associated with the origination or acquisition of the loan. The amount of impairment, if any, will be measured by comparing the amortized cost of the loan to the present value of the expected cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent and collection of principal and interest is not assured. If a loan is deemed to be impaired, the Company will record a loan loss reserve and a provision for loan losses to recognize impairment. As of December 31, 2014, there was no loan loss reserve and the Company did not record any impairment losses related to its real estate loans receivable during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
The reserve for loan losses is a valuation allowance that reflects management’s estimate of loan losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The reserve is adjusted through “Provision for loan losses” on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and is decreased by charge-offs to specific loans when losses are confirmed. The Company considers a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, it believes that it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due under the contractual terms of the loan agreement. If the Company purchases a loan at a discount to face value and at the acquisition date the Company expects to collect less than the contractual amounts due under the terms of the loan based, at least in part, on the Company’s assessment of the credit quality of the borrower, the Company will consider such a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, it believes that it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts the Company estimated to be collected at the time of acquisition. The Company also considers a loan to be impaired if it grants the borrower a concession through a modification of the loan terms or if it expects to receive assets (including equity interests in the borrower) with fair values that are less than the carrying value of the loan in satisfaction of the loan. A reserve is established when the present value of payments expected to be received, observable market prices, the estimated fair value of the collateral (for loans that are dependent on the collateral for repayment) or amounts expected to be received in satisfaction of a loan are lower than the carrying value of that loan.
F-12
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Failure to recognize impairments would result in the overstatement of earnings and the carrying value of the Company’s real estate loans held for investment. Actual losses, if any, could significantly differ from estimated amounts.
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
Equity Method
The Company accounts for investments in unconsolidated joint venture entities in which the Company may exercise significant influence over, but does not control, using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted to reflect additional contributions or distributions and the Company’s proportionate share of equity in the joint venture’s income (loss). The Company recognizes its proportionate share of the ongoing income or loss of the unconsolidated joint venture as equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint venture on the consolidated statements of operations. On a quarterly basis, the Company evaluates its investment in an unconsolidated joint venture for other-than-temporary impairments. As of December 31, 2014, the Company did not identify any indicators of impairment related to its unconsolidated real estate joint venture accounted for under the equity method.
Cost Method
The Company accounts for investments in unconsolidated joint venture entities in which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence and has virtually no influence over partnership operating and financial policies using the cost method of accounting. Under the cost method, income distributions from the partnership are recognized in other income. Distributions that exceed the Company’s share of earnings are applied to reduce the carrying value of the Company’s investment and any capital contributions will increase the carrying value of the Company’s investment. On a quarterly basis, the Company evaluates its investment in an unconsolidated joint venture for other-than-temporary impairments. The fair value of a cost method investment is not estimated if there are no identified events or changes in circumstances that would indicate a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. As of December 31, 2014, the Company did not identify any indicators of impairment related to its unconsolidated real estate joint venture accounted for under the cost method.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents may include cash and short-term investments. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. There were no restrictions on the use of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance exceeded federally insurable limits as of December 31, 2014. The Company monitors the cash balances in its operating accounts and adjusts the cash balances as appropriate; however, these cash balances could be impacted if the underlying financial institutions fail or are subject to other adverse conditions in the financial markets. To date, the Company has experienced no loss or lack of access to cash in its operating accounts.
Rents and Other Receivables
The Company periodically evaluates the collectibility of amounts due from tenants and maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of tenants to make required payments under lease agreements. In addition, the Company maintains an allowance for deferred rent receivable that arises from the straight-lining of rents. The Company exercises judgment in establishing these allowances and considers payment history and current credit status of its tenants in developing these estimates.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, loan fees, legal fees and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing. These costs are amortized over the terms of the respective financing agreements using the interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are generally expensed when the associated debt is refinanced or repaid before maturity unless specific rules are met that would allow for the carryover of such costs to the refinanced debt. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions that do not close are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not close.
F-13
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements
Under GAAP, the Company is required to measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, the Company is required to measure other financial instruments and balances at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate loans receivable and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
• | Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities; |
• | Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and |
• | Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable. |
When available, the Company utilizes quoted market prices from an independent third-party source to determine fair value and classifies such items in Level 1 or Level 2. In instances where the market for a financial instrument is not active, regardless of the availability of a nonbinding quoted market price, observable inputs might not be relevant and could require the Company to make a significant adjustment to derive a fair value measurement. Additionally, in an inactive market, a market price quoted from an independent third party may rely more on models with inputs based on information available only to that independent third party. When the Company determines that the market for a financial instrument owned by the Company is illiquid or when market transactions for similar instruments do not appear orderly, the Company uses several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) and establishes a fair value by assigning weights to the various valuation sources. Additionally, when determining the fair value of liabilities in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, the Company measures fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach.
Changes in assumptions or estimation methodologies can have a material effect on these estimated fair values. In this regard, the derived fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets and, in many cases, may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.
The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of an inactive market: (i) there are few recent transactions, (ii) price quotations are not based on current information, (iii) price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers (for example, some brokered markets), (iv) indexes that previously were highly correlated with the fair values of the asset or liability are demonstrably uncorrelated with recent indications of fair value for that asset or liability, (v) there is a significant increase in implied liquidity risk premiums, yields, or performance indicators (such as delinquency rates or loss severities) for observed transactions or quoted prices when compared with the Company’s estimate of expected cash flows, considering all available market data about credit and other nonperformance risk for the asset or liability, (vi) there is a wide bid-ask spread or significant increase in the bid-ask spread, (vii) there is a significant decline or absence of a market for new issuances (that is, a primary market) for the asset or liability or similar assets or liabilities, and (viii) little information is released publicly (for example, a principal-to-principal market).
The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of non-orderly transactions: (i) there was not adequate exposure to the market for a period before the measurement date to allow for marketing activities that are usual and customary for transactions involving such assets or liabilities under current market conditions, (ii) there was a usual and customary marketing period, but the seller marketed the asset or liability to a single market participant, (iii) the seller is in or near bankruptcy or receivership (that is, distressed), or the seller was required to sell to meet regulatory or legal requirements (that is, forced), and (iv) the transaction price is an outlier when compared with other recent transactions for the same or similar assets or liabilities.
F-14
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Company has adopted a dividend reinvestment plan (the “DRP”) through which future common stockholders may elect to reinvest an amount equal to the distributions declared on their shares in additional shares of the Company’s common stock in lieu of receiving cash distributions. On March 25, 2014, the Company’s board of directors approved a fourth amended and restated dividend reinvestment plan (the “Amended DRP”). The Amended DRP became effective for purchases under the plan on or after April 6, 2014. Pursuant to the Amended DRP, the purchase price of shares of the Company’s common stock is equal to 95% of the most recently announced estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock. Prior to April 6, 2014 (the effective date of the Amended DRP), the purchase price per share under the DRP was $9.50.
On March 25, 2014, the Company’s board of directors approved an updated primary offering price for the Company’s common stock of $11.27 (unaudited) based on the estimated value of the Company’s assets less the estimated value of the Company’s liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2013, with the exception of certain adjustments for actual and expected acquisition-related costs subsequent to December 31, 2013. Commencing on April 6, 2014, the purchase price per share under the DRP was $10.71.
On December 9, 2014, the Company’s board of directors approved an updated primary offering price for the Company’s common stock of $12.24 (unaudited) based on the estimated value of the Company’s assets less the estimated value of the Company’s liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2014. Commencing on or after December 29, 2014, the purchase price per share under the DRP would be $11.63. No selling commissions or dealer manager fees will be paid on shares sold under the DRP. The board of directors of the Company may amend or terminate the DRP for any reason upon 10 days’ notice to participants.
Redeemable Common Stock
The Company has adopted a share redemption program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in limited circumstances.
Pursuant to the share redemption program there are several limitations on the Company’s ability to redeem shares:
• | Unless the shares are being redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” (each as defined under the share redemption program), the Company may not redeem shares until the stockholder has held the shares for one year. |
• | During each calendar year, redemptions are limited to the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year and the last $1.0 million of such net proceeds shall be reserved exclusively for shares redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability,” or “determination of incompetence” (except that the Company may increase or decrease this funding limit by providing ten business days’ notice to its stockholders). |
• | During any calendar year, the Company may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year. |
• | The Company has no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. |
Pursuant to the program, the Company redeemed shares at prices determined as follows:
• | 92.5% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least one year; |
• | 95.0% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least two years; |
• | 97.5% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least three years; and |
• | 100% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date for those shares held for at least four years. |
F-15
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
The Company’s board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate the share redemption program with 30 days’ notice to its stockholders. The Company may provide this notice by including such information in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in the Company’s annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC, or by a separate mailing to its stockholders.
The Company records amounts that are redeemable under the share redemption program as redeemable common stock in its consolidated balance sheets because the shares will be mandatorily redeemable at the option of the holder and therefore their redemption will be outside the control of the Company. However, because the amounts that can be redeemed will be determinable and only contingent on an event that is likely to occur (e.g., the passage of time) the Company presents the net proceeds from the current year and prior year DRP, net of current year redemptions, as redeemable common stock in its consolidated balance sheets.
The Company classifies as liabilities financial instruments that represent a mandatory obligation of the Company to redeem shares. The Company’s redeemable common shares are contingently redeemable at the option of the holder. When the Company determines it has a mandatory obligation to repurchase shares under the share redemption program, it will reclassify such obligations from temporary equity to a liability based upon their respective settlement values.
The Company limits the dollar value of shares that may be redeemed under the program as described above. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company had redeemed $5.1 million of common stock, which represented all redemption requests received in good order and eligible for redemption through the December 2014 redemption date. Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under the dividend reinvestment plan during 2014, the Company has $9.9 million available for all redemptions in 2015, including shares that are redeemed in connection with a stockholders’ death, qualifying disability or determination of incompetence.
Related Party Transactions
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and Dealer Manager Agreement, the Company is or was obligated to pay the Advisor and KBS Capital Markets Group, LLC (the “Dealer Manager”) specified fees upon the provision of certain services related to the Offering, the investment of funds in real estate and real estate-related investments, management of the Company’s investments and for other services (including, but not limited to, the disposition of investments). The Company is or was also obligated to reimburse the Advisor and Dealer Manager for organization and offering costs incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company, and the Company is or was obligated to reimburse the Advisor for acquisition and origination expenses and certain operating expenses incurred on behalf of the Company or incurred in connection with providing services to the Company. In addition, the Advisor is entitled to certain other fees, including an incentive fee upon achieving certain performance goals, as detailed in the Advisory Agreement. See note 10, “Related Party Transactions.”
The Company records all related party fees as incurred, subject to any limitations described in the Advisory Agreement. The Company had not incurred any subordinated participation in net cash flows or subordinated incentive listing fees payable to the Advisor through December 31, 2014.
Selling Commissions and Dealer Manager Fees
The Company paid the Dealer Manager up to 6.5% and 3.0% of the gross offering proceeds from the primary offering as selling commissions and dealer manager fees, respectively. A reduced sales commission and dealer manager fee was paid with respect to certain volume discount sales. All or a portion of the selling commissions was not charged with regard to shares sold to certain categories of purchasers. No sales commission or dealer manager fee is paid with respect to shares issued through the dividend reinvestment plan. The Dealer Manager reallowed 100% of sales commissions earned to participating broker-dealers. The Dealer Manager could reallow to certain participating broker-dealer up to 1% of the gross offering proceeds attributable to that participating broker-dealer as a marketing fee and, in special cases, the Dealer Manager could increase the reallowance.
Organization and Offering Costs
Organization and offering costs (other than selling commissions and dealer manager fees) of the Company may be paid by the Advisor, the Dealer Manager or their affiliates on behalf of the Company or may be paid directly by the Company. These offering costs include all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the Offering. Organization costs include all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the formation of the Company, including but not limited to legal fees and other costs to incorporate the Company.
F-16
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
The Company reimburses the Advisor for organization and offering costs up to an amount that, when combined with selling commissions, dealer manager fees and all other amounts spent by the Company on organization and offering expenses, does not exceed 15% of the gross proceeds of the Company’s primary offering and the offering under the DRP as of the date of reimbursement. At the termination of the primary offering and at the termination of the offering under the DRP, the Advisor agreed to reimburse the Company to the extent that selling commissions, dealer manager fees and other organization and offering expenses incurred by the Company exceed 15% of the gross offering proceeds of the respective offering.
In connection with the primary portion of the Offering, the Company reimbursed the Dealer Manager for underwriting compensation, provided that within 30 days after the end of the month in which the primary initial public offering terminated, the Dealer Manager was required to reimburse the Company to the extent that the Company’s reimbursements caused total underwriting compensation for the primary initial public offering to exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds from such offering. The Company also paid directly or reimbursed the Dealer Manager for bona fide invoiced due diligence expenses of broker dealers. However, no reimbursements made by the Company to the Dealer Manager were allowed to cause total organization and offering expenses incurred by the Company (including selling commissions, dealer manager fees and all other items of organization and offering expenses) to exceed 15% of the aggregate gross proceeds from the Company’s primary offering and the offering under its DRP as of the date of reimbursement.
As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s selling commissions, dealer manager fees, and organization and other offering costs did not exceed 15% of the gross offering proceeds. Through December 31, 2014, including shares issued through the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan, the Company had issued 60,566,952 shares in the Offering for gross offering proceeds of $600.9 million and recorded selling commissions and dealer manager fees of $49.6 million and other offering costs of $10.7 million. Organization costs are expensed as incurred and offering costs, which include selling commissions and dealer manager fees, are charged as incurred as a reduction to stockholders’ equity.
The Company ceased offering shares of common stock in its primary offering on November 14, 2012 and continues to offer shares under its dividend reinvestment plan.
Acquisition and Origination Fees
The Company pays the Advisor an acquisition and origination fee equal to 1% of the cost of investments acquired, or the amount funded by the Company to acquire or originate mortgage, mezzanine, bridge or other loans, including any acquisition and origination expenses related to such investments and any debt attributable to such investments.
Asset Management Fee
With respect to investments in loans and any investments other than real estate, the Company pays the Advisor a monthly fee calculated, each month, as one-twelfth of 0.75% of the lesser of (i) the amount paid or allocated to acquire or fund the loan or other investment, inclusive of acquisition and origination fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire or fund such investment and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such loan or other investment, plus the acquisition and origination fees and expenses related to the acquisition or funding of such investment, as of the time of calculation.
With respect to investments in real estate, the Company pays the Advisor a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.75% of the amount paid or allocated to acquire the investment, including the cost of subsequent capital improvements, inclusive of acquisition fees and expenses related thereto and the amount of any debt associated with or used to acquire such investment.
In the case of investments made through joint ventures, the asset management fee is determined based on the Company’s proportionate share of the underlying investment, inclusive of the Company’s proportionate share of any fees and expenses related thereto.
Disposition Fee
For substantial assistance in connection with the sale of properties or other investments, the Company pays the Advisor or its affiliates 1.0% of the contract sales price of each property or other investment sold; provided, however, in no event may the disposition fees paid to the Advisor, its affiliates and unaffiliated third parties exceed 6.0% of the contract sales price.
F-17
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Income Taxes
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s annual REIT taxable income to its stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax to the extent it distributes qualifying dividends to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service grants the Company relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect the Company’s net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, the Company intends to organize and operate in such a manner as to qualify for treatment as a REIT.
The Company has concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in its financial statements. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have been assessed interest or penalties by any major tax jurisdictions. The Company’s evaluations were performed for the tax years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012. As of December 31, 2014, returns for the calendar year 2010 through 2013 remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.
Segments
The Company has invested in non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets. In general, the Company intends to hold its investments in non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets for capital appreciation. Traditional performance metrics of non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets may not be meaningful as these investments are generally non-stabilized and do not provide a consistent stream of interest income or rental revenue. These investments exhibit similar long-term financial performance and have similar economic characteristics. These investments typically involve a higher degree of risk and do not provide a constant stream of ongoing cash flows. As a result, the Company’s management views non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets as similar investments. Substantially all of its revenue and net income (loss) is from non-performing loans, opportunistic real estate and other real estate-related assets, and therefore, the Company currently aggregates its operating segments into one reportable business segment.
Per Share Data
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding during such period. Diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock equals basic net income (loss) per share of common stock as there were no potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Distributions declared per share were $0.26, $0.44 and $0.40 during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Square Footage, Occupancy and Other Measures
Square footage, number of acres, occupancy and other measures used to describe real estate and real estate-related investments included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are presented on an unaudited basis.
F-18
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Updates
In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity (“ASU No. 2014-08”). ASU No. 2014-08 limits discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results when any of the following occurs: a) the component of an entity or group of components of an entity meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale; b) the component of an entity or group of components of an entity is disposed of by sale; or c) the component of an entity or group of components of an entity is disposed of other than by sale. ASU No. 2014-08 also requires additional disclosures about discontinued operations. ASU No. 2014-08 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company early adopted ASU No. 2014-08 for the reporting period beginning January 1, 2014. As a result of the adoption of ASU No. 2014-08, results of operations for properties that are classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business on or subsequent to January 1, 2014 would generally be included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations, to the extent such disposals did not meet the criteria for classification as a discontinued operation. Additionally, any gain or loss on sale of real estate that does not meet the criteria for classification as a discontinued operation would be included in income from continuing operations on the consolidated statements of operations.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“ASU No. 2014-09”). ASU No. 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize the revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. ASU No. 2014-09 supersedes the revenue requirements in Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. ASU No. 2014-09 does not apply to lease contracts within the scope of Leases (Topic 840). ASU No. 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, and is to be applied retrospectively, with early application not permitted. The Company is still evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2014-09 on its financial statements, but does not expect the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 to have a material impact on its financial statements.
In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements (Subtopic 205-40), Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU No. 2014-15”). The amendments in ASU No. 2014-15 require management to evaluate, for each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or are available to be issued when applicable) and, if so, provide related disclosures. ASU No. 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted for annual or interim reporting periods for which the financial statements have not previously been issued. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-15 to have a material impact on its financial statements.
In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-01, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20), Simplifying Income Statement Presentation by Eliminating the Concept of Extraordinary Items (“ASU No. 2015-01”). The amendments in ASU No. 2015-01 eliminate from GAAP the concept of extraordinary items. Although the amendments will eliminate the requirements in Subtopic 225-20 for reporting entities to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary, the presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include items that are both unusual in nature and infrequently occurring. ASU No. 2015-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2015-01 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.
F-19
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
3. | RECENT ACQUISITIONS OF REAL ESTATE |
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company acquired the following properties (in thousands):
Intangibles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Property Name | City | State | Acquisition Date | Land | Building and Improvements | Tenant Origination and Absorption Costs | Above-Market Lease Assets | Below-Market Lease Liabilities | Other Intangible Assets | Total Purchase Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plaza Buildings | Bellevue | WA | 01/14/2014 | $ | 53,040 | $ | 124,212 | $ | 8,945 | $ | 196 | $ | (2,392 | ) | $ | — | $ | 184,001 | ||||||||||||||||
424 Bedford (1) | Brooklyn | NY | 01/31/2014 | 8,860 | 24,266 | 554 | — | — | 4,547 | (2) | 38,227 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | 61,900 | $ | 148,478 | $ | 9,499 | $ | 196 | $ | (2,392 | ) | $ | 4,547 | $ | 222,228 |
_____________________
(1) In connection with the acquisition of 424 Bedford, the Company assumed the 424 Bedford Mortgage Loan from the seller. The Company recorded the mortgage debt with a principal balance of $26.3 million assumed at an estimated fair value of $24.8 million, net of a discount on note payable of $1.5 million due to a below-market interest rate. The discount on note payable is amortized over the remaining life of the loan of 8.7 years. See Note 8, “Notes and Bond Payable” for more information.
(2) The property is subject to a property tax abatement from the city’s department of housing preservation and development. The estimated fair value of the property tax abatement of $4.5 million was recorded as prepaid expenses and other assets on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of the acquisition date and amortized on a straight-line basis over the projected property tax abatement period of approximately 12.4 years. Amortization of the property tax abatement asset is included in depreciation and amortization expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations
The intangible assets and liabilities acquired in connection with these acquisitions have weighted-average amortization periods as of the dates of each acquisition as follows (in years):
Tenant Origination and Absorption Costs | Above-Market Lease Assets | Below-Market Lease Liabilities | ||||
Plaza Buildings | 5.8 | 5.2 | 4.3 | |||
424 Bedford | 0.5 | — | — |
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded each real estate acquisition as a business combination, and expensed $4.4 million of acquisition costs. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recognized $17.7 million of total revenues and $12.3 million of operating expenses from these properties.
Investment in Undeveloped Land
On September 4, 2014, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, and JP-Richardson, LLC, an affiliate of JP Realty Partners, LTD., entered into a joint venture agreement (the “Richardson Land II Joint Venture”) and on September 4, 2014, the Richardson Land II Joint Venture acquired 20 acres of undeveloped land in Richardson, Texas (the “Richardson Land II”). JP Realty Partners is a joint venture partner in the Richardson Portfolio Joint Venture (see Note 4). The seller was not affiliated with the Company or the Advisor.
The Company owns a 90% controlling membership interest in the Richardson Land II Joint Venture and exercises significant control and therefore consolidates the Richardson Land II Joint Venture in its financial statements. Income and losses are generally allocated among the members such that each member’s capital account is proportionately equal to the distributions that would be made to each member if the Richardson Land II Joint Venture were dissolved pursuant to the provisions of the joint venture agreement. The Company records the portion of the Richardson Land II Joint Venture not owned by the Company as noncontrolling interest. The purchase price, including acquisition fees and expenses, for the Richardson Land II was $7.5 million, all of which was recorded as land.
F-20
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
4. | REAL ESTATE HELD FOR INVESTMENT |
As of December 31, 2014, the Company owned 12 office properties, one office campus consisting of nine office buildings, one office portfolio consisting of four office buildings and 63 acres of undeveloped land, one office portfolio consisting of three office properties and one retail property encompassing, in the aggregate, approximately 4.6 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2014, these properties were 80% occupied. In addition, the Company owned two apartment properties containing 383 units and encompassing approximately 0.3 million rentable square feet, which were 87% occupied. The Company also owned two investments in undeveloped land encompassing an aggregate of 1,670 acres. The following table summarizes the Company’s real estate held for investment as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively (in thousands):
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||
Land | $ | 233,221 | $ | 159,596 | ||||
Buildings and improvements | 635,082 | 459,136 | ||||||
Tenant origination and absorption costs | 50,956 | 48,012 | ||||||
Total real estate, cost | 919,259 | 666,744 | ||||||
Accumulated depreciation and amortization | (64,171 | ) | (29,859 | ) | ||||
Total real estate, net | $ | 855,088 | $ | 636,885 |
The following table provides summary information regarding the Company’s real estate held for investment as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
Property | Date Acquired or Foreclosed on | City | State | Property Type | Land | Building and Improvements | Tenant Origination and Absorption | Total Real Estate, at Cost (1) | Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization | Total Real Estate, Net | Ownership % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Academy Point Atrium I | 11/03/2010 | Colorado Springs | CO | Office | $ | 1,056 | $ | 1,544 | $ | — | $ | 2,600 | $ | — | $ | 2,600 | 100.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
Northridge Center I & II | 03/25/2011 | Atlanta | GA | Office | 2,234 | 6,574 | — | 8,808 | (1,233 | ) | 7,575 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Iron Point Business Park | 06/21/2011 | Folsom | CA | Office | 2,671 | 19,153 | 150 | 21,974 | (2,893 | ) | 19,081 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1635 N. Cahuenga Building | 08/03/2011 | Los Angeles | CA | Office | 3,112 | 4,876 | 149 | 8,137 | (783 | ) | 7,354 | 70.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Richardson Portfolio: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Palisades Central I | 11/23/2011 | Richardson | TX | Office | 1,037 | 9,566 | 847 | 11,450 | (1,575 | ) | 9,875 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Palisades Central II | 11/23/2011 | Richardson | TX | Office | 810 | 17,319 | 1,554 | 19,683 | (3,690 | ) | 15,993 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenway I | 11/23/2011 | Richardson | TX | Office | 561 | 2,186 | — | 2,747 | (405 | ) | 2,342 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenway III | 11/23/2011 | Richardson | TX | Office | 702 | 3,829 | 823 | 5,354 | (1,210 | ) | 4,144 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Undeveloped Land | 11/23/2011 | Richardson | TX | Undeveloped Land | 7,794 | — | — | 7,794 | — | 7,794 | 90.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Richardson Portfolio | 10,904 | 32,900 | 3,224 | 47,028 | (6,880 | ) | 40,148 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Park Highlands | 12/30/2011 | North Las Vegas | NV | Undeveloped Land | 28,229 | — | — | 28,229 | — | 28,229 | 50.1 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Bellevue Technology Center | 07/31/2012 | Bellevue | WA | Office | 25,506 | 51,428 | 3,813 | 80,747 | (5,334 | ) | 75,413 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Powers Ferry Landing East | 09/24/2012 | Atlanta | GA | Office | 1,643 | 7,670 | 106 | 9,419 | (818 | ) | 8,601 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1800 West Loop | 12/04/2012 | Houston | TX | Office | 8,360 | 59,366 | 5,557 | 73,283 | (6,987 | ) | 66,296 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
West Loop I & II | 12/07/2012 | Houston | TX | Office | 7,300 | 29,228 | 3,004 | 39,532 | (4,017 | ) | 35,515 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Burbank Collection | 12/12/2012 | Burbank | CA | Retail | 4,175 | 9,111 | 945 | 14,231 | (854 | ) | 13,377 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Austin Suburban Portfolio | 03/28/2013 | Austin | TX | Office | 8,288 | 66,035 | 4,588 | 78,911 | (7,465 | ) | 71,446 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Westmoor Center | 06/12/2013 | Westminster | CO | Office | 10,058 | 66,361 | 9,785 | 86,204 | (9,388 | ) | 76,816 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Building | 07/10/2013 | Seattle | WA | Office | 7,015 | 25,277 | 2,301 | 34,593 | (2,130 | ) | 32,463 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
50 Congress Street | 07/11/2013 | Boston | MA | Office | 9,876 | 40,357 | 3,457 | 53,690 | (3,828 | ) | 49,862 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1180 Raymond | 08/20/2013 | Newark | NJ | Apartment | 8,292 | 36,350 | 136 | 44,778 | (1,579 | ) | 43,199 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Park Highlands II | 12/10/2013 | North Las Vegas | NV | Undeveloped Land | 21,224 | — | — | 21,224 | — | 21,224 | 99.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Maitland Promenade II | 12/18/2013 | Orlando | FL | Office | 3,434 | 23,606 | 4,811 | 31,851 | (2,161 | ) | 29,690 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Plaza Buildings | 01/14/2014 | Bellevue | WA | Office | 53,040 | 130,430 | 8,930 | 192,400 | (7,204 | ) | 185,196 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
424 Bedford | 01/31/2014 | Brooklyn | NY | Apartment | 8,860 | 24,816 | — | 33,676 | (617 | ) | 33,059 | 90.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Richardson Land II | 09/04/2014 | Richardson | TX | Undeveloped Land | 7,944 | — | — | 7,944 | — | 7,944 | 90.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | 233,221 | $ | 635,082 | $ | 50,956 | $ | 919,259 | $ | (64,171 | ) | $ | 855,088 |
_____________________
(1) Amounts are net of impairment charges.
F-21
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Operating Leases
Certain of the Company’s real estate properties are leased to tenants under operating leases for which the terms and expirations vary. As of December 31, 2014, the leases, excluding options to extend and apartment leases, which have terms that are generally one year or less, had remaining terms of up to 13.3 years with a weighted-average remaining term of 3.7 years. Some of the leases have provisions to extend the lease agreements, options for early termination after paying a specified penalty, rights of first refusal to purchase the property at competitive market rates, and other terms and conditions as negotiated. The Company retains substantially all of the risks and benefits of ownership of the real estate assets leased to tenants. Generally, upon the execution of a lease, the Company requires a security deposit from tenants in the form of a cash deposit and/or a letter of credit. The amount required as a security deposit varies depending upon the terms of the respective leases and the creditworthiness of the tenant, but generally are not significant amounts. Therefore, exposure to credit risk exists to the extent that a receivable from a tenant exceeds the amount of its security deposit. Security deposits received in cash and assumed in real estate acquisitions or foreclosures related to tenant leases are included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and totaled $5.0 million and $3.5 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company recognized deferred rent from tenants of $8.4 million, $4.6 million and $1.8 million, respectively, net of lease incentive amortization. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the cumulative deferred rent receivable balance, including unamortized lease incentive receivables, was $16.8 million and $7.8 million, respectively, and is included in rents and other receivables on the accompanying balance sheets. The cumulative deferred rent balance included $1.6 million and $1.2 million of unamortized lease incentives as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company records property operating expense reimbursements due from tenants for common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and other recoverable costs in the period the related expenses are incurred.
As of December 31, 2014, the future minimum rental income from the Company’s properties, excluding apartment leases, under non-cancelable operating leases was as follows (in thousands):
2015 | $ | 71,423 | |
2016 | 67,503 | ||
2017 | 57,789 | ||
2018 | 46,839 | ||
2019 | 34,868 | ||
Thereafter | 70,270 | ||
$ | 348,692 |
As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s commercial real estate properties were leased to approximately 500 tenants over a diverse range of industries and geographic areas. The Company’s highest tenant industry concentrations (greater than 10% of annualized base rent) were as follows:
Industry | Number of Tenants | Annualized Base Rent (1) (in thousands) | Percentage of Annualized Base Rent | ||||||
Finance | 49 | $ | 11,619 | 15.2 | % | ||||
Computer System Design & Programming | 39 | 9,350 | 12.2 | % | |||||
Insurance Carriers & Related Activities | 26 | 7,816 | 10.2 | % | |||||
Professional, Scientific & Legal | 57 | 7,634 | 10.0 | % | |||||
$ | 36,419 | 47.6 | % |
_____________________
(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2014, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
No other tenant industries accounted for more than 10% of annualized base rent. No material tenant credit issues have been identified at this time.
F-22
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Geographic Concentration Risk
As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s real estate investments in Washington and Texas represented 28.7% and 21.6% of the Company’s total assets, respectively. As a result, the geographic concentration of the Company’s portfolio makes it particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the Washington and Texas real estate markets. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these markets, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect the Company’s operating results and its ability to make distributions to stockholders.
Impairment of Real Estate
Due to changes in cash flow estimates, the Company has recognized non-cash impairment charges to write-down the carrying value of one of its real estate investments to its estimated fair value. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded an aggregate impairment charge of $0.6 million on Academy Point Atrium I. This impairment resulted from changes in leasing projections due to longer estimated lease-up periods, resulting in a decrease to the projected cash flows the property was expected to generate.
Property Damage
During the year ended December 31, 2014, two of the Company’s apartment properties suffered physical damages due to frozen pipes. The Company’s insurance policy provides coverage for property damage and business interruption subject to a deductible of up to $25,000 per incident. Based on management’s estimates, the Company recognized an estimated aggregate loss due to damages of $0.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2014, which was reduced by $0.7 million of estimated insurance recoveries related to such damages, which the Company determined were probable of collection. The aggregate net loss due to damages of $50,000 during the year ended December 31, 2014 was classified as operating, maintenance and management expenses on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and relates to the Company’s insurance deductible. Through December 31, 2014, the Company received insurance proceeds of $0.4 million related to these two incidents. As of December 31, 2014, the total estimated insurance proceeds to be collected of $0.3 million were classified as deferred financing costs, prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
5. | TENANT ORIGINATION AND ABSORPTION COSTS, ABOVE-MARKET LEASE ASSETS AND BELOW-MARKET LEASE LIABILITIES |
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s tenant origination and absorption costs, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities (excluding fully amortized assets and liabilities and accumulated amortization) were as follows (in thousands):
Tenant Origination and Absorption Costs | Above-Market Lease Assets | Below-Market Lease Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||
Cost | $ | 50,956 | $ | 48,012 | $ | 3,752 | $ | 4,394 | $ | (7,585 | ) | $ | (5,955 | ) | ||||||||||
Accumulated Amortization | (19,215 | ) | (10,751 | ) | (1,691 | ) | (1,459 | ) | 3,182 | 1,535 | ||||||||||||||
Net Amount | $ | 31,741 | $ | 37,261 | $ | 2,061 | $ | 2,935 | $ | (4,403 | ) | $ | (4,420 | ) |
Increases (decreases) in net income as a result of amortization of the Company’s tenant origination and absorption costs, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows (in thousands):
Tenant Origination and Absorption Costs | Above-Market Lease Assets | Below-Market Lease Liabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the Years Ended December 31, | For the Years Ended December 31, | For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amortization | $ | (15,020 | ) | $ | (10,942 | ) | $ | (3,689 | ) | $ | (1,070 | ) | $ | (1,456 | ) | $ | (1,095 | ) | $ | 2,409 | $ | 1,565 | $ | 229 |
F-23
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
The remaining unamortized balance for these outstanding intangible assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 will be amortized for the years ending December 31 as follows (in thousands):
Tenant Origination and Absorption Costs | Above-Market Lease Assets | Below-Market Lease Liabilities | ||||||||||
2015 | $ | (10,381 | ) | $ | (760 | ) | $ | 1,662 | ||||
2016 | (7,612 | ) | (581 | ) | 1,122 | |||||||
2017 | (5,223 | ) | (343 | ) | 745 | |||||||
2018 | (3,389 | ) | (188 | ) | 488 | |||||||
2019 | (1,998 | ) | (82 | ) | 159 | |||||||
Thereafter | (3,138 | ) | (107 | ) | 227 | |||||||
$ | (31,741 | ) | $ | (2,061 | ) | $ | 4,403 | |||||
Weighted-Average Remaining Amortization Period | 4.4 years | 3.6 years | 3.7 years |
Additionally, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had recorded unamortized tax abatement intangible assets, which are included in prepaid expenses and other assets in the accompanying balance sheets, of $8.2 million and $4.6 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded amortization expense of $0.9 million and $0.2 million related to tax abatement intangible assets, respectively.
6. | REAL ESTATE LOAN RECEIVABLE |
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company owned one real estate loan receivable that it had originated. The information for that real estate loan receivable as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is set forth below (in thousands):
Loan Name Location of Related Property or Collateral | Date Acquired/ Originated | Property Type | Loan Type | Outstanding Principal Balance as of December 31, 2014 (1) | Book Value as of December 31, 2014 (2) | Book Value as of December 31, 2013 (2) | Contractual Interest Rate (3) | Annualized Effective Interest Rate (3) | Maturity Date | |||||||||||||||
University House First Mortgage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
New York, New York (4) | 3/20/2013 | Student Housing | Mortgage | $ | 27,850 | $ | 27,422 | $ | 21,893 | 11.0% | 14.2% | 06/30/2015 |
_____________________
(1) Outstanding principal balance as of December 31, 2014 represents original principal balance outstanding under the loan, increased for any subsequent fundings, including interest income deferred until maturity.
(2) Book value of the real estate loan receivable represents outstanding principal balance adjusted for unamortized acquisition discounts, origination fees and direct origination and acquisition costs and additional interest accretion.
(3) Contractual interest rates are the stated interest rates on the face of the loans. Annualized effective interest rates are calculated as the actual interest income recognized in 2014, using the interest method, annualized (if applicable) and divided by the average amortized cost basis of the investment. The annualized effective interest rates and contractual interest rates presented are as of December 31, 2014.
(4) During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company and the borrower under the University House First Mortgage entered into a loan modification under which the maturity date was extended to June 30, 2015 and the Company advanced an additional $5.9 million to the borrower.
The following summarizes the activity related to the real estate loan receivable for the year ended December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
Real estate loan receivable - December 31, 2013 | $ | 21,893 | |
Advance on real estate loan receivable | 5,850 | ||
Extension fee on real estate loan receivable | (935 | ) | |
Accretion of closing costs and origination fees on real estate loan receivable, net | 614 | ||
Real estate loan receivable - December 31, 2014 | $ | 27,422 |
F-24
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 interest income from real estate loans receivable consisted of the following (in thousands):
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Contractual interest income (including deferred interest) | $ | 2,752 | $ | 8,248 | $ | 1,202 | ||||||
Accretion of closing costs and origination fees, net | 614 | 842 | 52 | |||||||||
Interest accretion | — | 1,186 | 454 | |||||||||
Interest income from real estate loans receivable | $ | 3,366 | $ | 10,276 | $ | 1,708 |
7. | REAL ESTATE HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS |
The Company early adopted ASU 2014-08 for the reporting period beginning January 1, 2014. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2014-08, properties that are classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business on or subsequent to January 1, 2014 would generally be included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Properties that were classified as held for sale in financial statements previously issued will remain in discontinued operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2014-08, the operations of properties held for sale or to be disposed of and the aggregate net gains recognized upon their disposition were presented as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for all periods presented. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company disposed of three office buildings and one industrial/flex property, all of which are included in discontinued operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company disposed of one office property and no properties were classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2014.
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company sold one office property, which was not classified as held for sale in financial statements issued for the reporting period prior to January 1, 2014. In accordance with the Company’s early adoption of ASU No. 2014-08, the operations of this property and gain on sale are included in continuing operations on the accompanying statements of operations. The following table summarizes certain revenue and expenses related to this property for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||||||
Total revenues | $ | 240 | $ | 291 | $ | 287 | |||||
Total expenses | 252 | 920 | 436 |
Discontinued Operations
The following table summarizes certain revenue and expenses related to properties sold prior to January 1, 2014 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||||||
Total revenues and other income | $ | — | $ | 1,387 | $ | 1,029 | |||||
Total expenses | 18 | 2,754 | 2,645 | ||||||||
Loss from discontinued operations before gain on sales of real estate | (18 | ) | (1,367 | ) | (1,616 | ) | |||||
Gain on sales of real estate, net | — | 13,108 | 593 | ||||||||
Total (loss) income from discontinued operations | $ | (18 | ) | $ | 11,741 | $ | (1,023 | ) |
F-25
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
8. | NOTES AND BOND PAYABLE |
As of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company’s notes and bond payable consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
Principal as of December 31, 2014 | Principal as of December 31, 2013 | Contractual Interest Rate as of December 31, 2014 (1) | Effective Interest Rate at December 31, 2014 (1) | Payment Type | Maturity Date (2) | |||||||||||
Richardson Portfolio Mortgage Loan (3) | $ | 38,000 | $ | 31,566 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.10% | 2.26% | Interest Only | 05/01/2017 | ||||||||
Bellevue Technology Center Mortgage Loan (4) | 49,836 | 47,408 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.25% | 2.41% | Interest Only | 03/01/2017 | ||||||||||
Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility (5) | 12,447 | 3,379 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.25% | 2.41% | Interest Only | 05/01/2017 | ||||||||||
Portfolio Mortgage Loan (6) | 93,751 | 82,766 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.50% | 2.66% | Interest Only | 07/01/2017 | ||||||||||
1635 N. Cahuenga Mortgage Loan (7) | 4,650 | 4,650 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.35% | 2.51% | Interest Only | 08/01/2016 | ||||||||||
Burbank Collection Mortgage Loan (8) | 9,043 | 8,200 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.35% | 2.54% | Interest Only | 09/30/2016 | ||||||||||
50 Congress Mortgage Loan (9) | 26,935 | 26,535 | One-Month LIBOR + 1.90% | 2.06% | Interest Only | 10/01/2017 | ||||||||||
1180 Raymond Bond Payable | 6,945 | 7,085 | 6.50% | 6.50% | Principal & Interest | 09/01/2036 | ||||||||||
Central Building Mortgage Loan (10) | 24,896 | 24,100 | One-Month LIBOR + 1.75% | 1.91% | Interest Only | 11/13/2018 | ||||||||||
Maitland Promenade II Mortgage Loan (11) | 20,182 | 20,182 | One-Month LIBOR + 2.90% | 3.25% | Interest Only | 01/01/2017 | ||||||||||
Westmoor Center Mortgage Loan (12) | 54,880 | — | One-Month LIBOR + 2.25% | 2.41% | Interest Only | 02/01/2018 | ||||||||||
Plaza Buildings Senior Loan (13) | 109,707 | — | One-Month LIBOR + 1.90% | 2.06% | Interest Only | 01/14/2017 | ||||||||||
Plaza Buildings Mezzanine Loan (14) | 25,000 | — | (14) | 8.10% | Interest Only | 01/14/2017 | ||||||||||
424 Bedford Mortgage Loan (15) | 25,866 | — | 3.91% | 3.91% | Principal & Interest | 10/01/2022 | ||||||||||
1180 Raymond Mortgage Loan | 28,100 | — | One-Month LIBOR + 2.25% | 2.41% | Interest Only | 12/01/2017 | ||||||||||
Total Notes and Bond Payable principal outstanding | 530,238 | 255,871 | ||||||||||||||
Net Premium/Discount on Notes and Bond Payable (16) | 25 | 1,549 | ||||||||||||||
Total Notes and Bond Payable, net | $ | 530,263 | $ | 257,420 |
_____________________
(1) Contractual interest rate represents the interest rate in effect under the loan as of December 31, 2014. Effective interest rate is calculated as the actual interest rate in effect as of December 31, 2014 (consisting of the contractual interest rate and contractual floor rates), using interest rate indices at December 31, 2014, where applicable.
(2) Represents the initial maturity date or the maturity date as extended as of December 31, 2014; subject to certain conditions, the maturity dates of certain loans may be extended beyond the date shown.
(3) The Company owns a 90% equity interest in the joint venture that owns the Richardson Portfolio. As of December 31, 2014, $38.0 million had been disbursed to the Company and the remaining $3.5 million is available for future disbursements, subject to certain conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning June 2015, monthly payments include principal and interest with principal payments of up to approximately $64,000 per month.
(4) As of December 31, 2014, $49.8 million had been disbursed to the Company and the remaining $3.2 million is available for future disbursements to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital improvements, subject to certain conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning March 1, 2016, monthly payments also include principal amortization payments of up to $60,000 per month.
(5) The Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility is secured by the 1800 West Loop Building and the Iron Point Business Park. The Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility is comprised of $59.5 million of revolving debt and $13.0 million of non-revolving debt available to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital improvements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. As of December 31, 2014, $5.5 million of revolving debt and $6.9 million of non-revolving debt had been disbursed to the Company and the remaining $54.0 million of revolving debt and $6.1 million of non-revolving debt is available for future disbursements, subject to certain conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning June 1, 2016, and to the extent that there are amounts outstanding under the non-revolving portion of the loan, monthly payments will include interest and principal amortization payments of up to $80,000 per month.
F-26
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
(6) As of December 31, 2014, $93.8 million had been disbursed to the Company with $13.8 million of debt available for future disbursements to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital improvements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning July 1, 2016, monthly payments will include principal and interest with principal payments calculated using an amortization schedule of 30 years and an assumed annual interest rate of 6.0%.
(7) The Company owns a 70% equity interest in the joint venture that owns the 1635 N. Cahuenga Building. As of December 31, 2014, $4.7 million had been disbursed and $2.0 million remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning August 1, 2015, monthly payments will also include principal amortization payments of $7,000 per month.
(8) The Company owns a 90% equity interest in the joint venture that owns the Burbank Collection. As of December 31, 2014, $9.0 million had been disbursed and $2.2 million remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents.
(9) As of December 31, 2014, $26.9 million of the 50 Congress Mortgage Loan was funded and $5.9 million remains available, $2.9 million of which is available for future disbursements to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital improvements at 50 Congress and $3.0 million of which is available through October 1, 2016, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning November 1, 2016, monthly payments will also include principal amortization payments of $32,000 per month.
(10) As of December 31, 2014, $24.9 million of the Central Building Mortgage Loan was funded, and $2.7 million remains available for future disbursements to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital improvements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents.
(11) As of December 31, 2014, $20.2 million of the Maitland Promenade II Mortgage Loan was funded and $2.8 million remains available for future disbursements to be used for tenant improvements, leasing commissions, capital improvements and interest shortfalls, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Interest on the loan is calculated at a variable annual rate of 290 basis points over one-month LIBOR, but at no point shall the interest rate be less than 3.25%. Beginning February 1, 2016, monthly payments will include principal and interest with principal payments calculated using an amortization schedule of 30 years. Monthly payments are initially interest only.
(12) As of December 31, 2014, $54.9 million had been disbursed and $7.1 million remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning March 1, 2017, monthly payments include principal and interest with principal payments calculated using an amortization schedule of 30 years and an annual interest rate of 6.5%.
(13) As of December 31, 2014, $109.7 million had been disbursed and $1.3 million remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Monthly payments are initially interest only. Beginning with the February 2016 payment, monthly payments may include principal and interest, with principal payments calculated using an amortization schedule of 30 years and an annual interest rate of 6.5%.
(14) Interest on this loan is calculated as a floating rate of 785 basis points over one-month LIBOR, but at no point shall interest rate be less than 8.10%. As of December 31, 2014, $25.0 million had been disbursed and $5.0 million remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents.
(15) The Company owns a 90% equity interest in the joint venture that owns 424 Bedford. Monthly payments include principal and interest, with principal payments calculated using an amortization schedule of 30 years.
(16) Represents the unamortized premium/discount on notes and bond payable due to the above- and below-market interest rates when the debt was assumed. The discount/premium is amortized over the remaining life of the notes and bond payable.
During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred $15.6 million, $2.7 million and $2.2 million of interest expense, respectively. Included in interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, was $2.8 million, $0.7 million and $0.3 million of amortization of deferred financing costs, respectively. Additionally, during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company capitalized $2.0 million and $2.7 million of interest, respectively, to our investments in undeveloped land. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s deferred financing costs were $6.2 million and $5.0 million, respectively, net of amortization, and are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s interest payable was $1.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively.
The following is a schedule of maturities, including principal amortization payments, for all notes and bond payable outstanding as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
2015 | $ | 2,005 | ||
2016 | 19,079 | |||
2017 | 402,133 | |||
2018 | 80,972 | |||
2019 | 7,805 | |||
Thereafter | 18,244 | |||
$ | 530,238 |
The Company’s notes payable contain financial debt covenants. As of December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all of these debt covenants.
F-27
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
9. | FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES |
Under GAAP, the Company is required to measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, the Company is required to measure other financial instruments and balances at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate loans receivable and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
• | Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities; |
• | Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and |
• | Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable. |
The fair value for certain financial instruments is derived using valuation techniques that involve significant management judgment. The price transparency of financial instruments is a key determinant of the degree of judgment involved in determining the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments. Financial instruments for which actively quoted prices or pricing parameters are available and for which markets contain orderly transactions will generally have a higher degree of price transparency than financial instruments for which markets are inactive or consist of non-orderly trades. The Company evaluates several factors when determining if a market is inactive or when market transactions are not orderly. The following is a summary of the methods and assumptions used by management in estimating the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate the fair value:
Cash and cash equivalents, rent and other receivables, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities: These balances approximate their fair values due to the short maturities of these items.
Real estate loan receivable: The Company’s real estate loan receivable is presented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at its amortized cost net of recorded loan loss reserves and not at fair value. The fair values of real estate loans receivable are estimated using an internal valuation model that considers the expected cash flows for the loans, underlying collateral values (for collateral dependent loans) and estimated yield requirements of institutional investors for loans with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value, type of collateral and other credit enhancements. The Company classifies these inputs as Level 3 inputs.
Notes and bond payable: The fair values of the Company’s notes and bond payable are estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on management’s estimates of current market interest rates for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio, type of collateral and other credit enhancements. Additionally, when determining the fair value of liabilities in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, the Company measures fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities or similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach. The Company classifies these inputs as Level 3 inputs.
The following were the face values, carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, which carrying amounts do not approximate the fair values (in thousands):
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Face Value | Carrying Amount | Fair Value | Face Value | Carrying Amount | Fair Value | |||||||||||||||||||
Financial assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Real estate loan receivable | $ | 27,850 | $ | 27,422 | $ | 27,813 | $ | 22,000 | $ | 21,893 | $ | 22,000 | ||||||||||||
Financial liabilities: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes and bond payable | $ | 530,238 | $ | 530,263 | $ | 534,045 | $ | 255,871 | $ | 257,420 | $ | 258,876 |
F-28
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments is based on pertinent information available to the Company as of the period end and requires a significant amount of judgment. Despite increased capital market and credit market activity, transaction volume for certain financial instruments remains relatively low. This has made the estimation of fair values difficult and, therefore, both the actual results and the Company’s estimate of value at a future date could be materially different.
Assets and Liabilities Recorded at Fair Value
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company measured the following assets and liabilities at fair value (in thousands):
Fair Value Measurements Using | |||||||||||||||
Total | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | ||||||||||||
Nonrecurring Basis (1): | |||||||||||||||
424 Bedford Mortgage Loan | $ | (24,793 | ) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (24,793 | ) | |||||
Impaired real estate held for investment | $ | 2,600 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 2,600 |
(1) Amounts reflect the fair values of the assets and liabilities at the time each event occurred.
In connection with the acquisition of 424 Bedford, the Company assumed the 424 Bedford Mortgage Loan from the seller. The Company estimated the fair value of the 424 Bedford Mortgage Loan by performing a discounted cash flow analysis and the discount rate applied to future estimated debt payments was 4.80%.
As of December 31, 2014, one of the Company’s real estate properties held for investment was measured at fair value as the property was impaired and the carrying values of the property was adjusted to fair value. The Company estimated the fair value for the impaired real estate property held for investment by performing a 10-year discounted cash flow analysis. The property is vacant and the terminal capitalization rate and discount rate used to estimate the fair value of the property were 9.0% and 10.0%, respectively.
10. | RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
The Advisory Agreement entitles the Advisor and the Dealer Manager Agreement previously entitled the Dealer Manager, to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the Offering, the investment of funds in real estate and real estate-related investments and the disposition of real estate and real estate-related investments (including the discounted payoff of non-performing loans) among other services, as well as reimbursement of organization and offering costs incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company and certain costs incurred by the Advisor in providing services to the Company. The Advisory Agreement may also entitle the Advisor to certain back-end cash flow participation fees. The Company also entered into a fee reimbursement agreement (the “AIP Reimbursement Agreement”) with KBS Capital Markets Group LLC, the dealer manager for the Company’s initial public offering (the “Dealer Manager”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to reimburse the Dealer Manager for certain fees and expenses it incurs for administering the Company’s participation in the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation Alternative Investment Product Platform with respect to certain accounts of the Company’s investors serviced through the platform. The Advisor and Dealer Manager also serve as the advisor and dealer manager, respectively, for KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (“KBS REIT I”), KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”), KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (“KBS REIT III”), KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, Inc. (“KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT”), KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, Inc. (“KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II”) and KBS Growth & Income REIT, Inc. (“KBS Growth & Income REIT”).
On January 6, 2014, the Company, together with KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II, KBS REIT III, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, the Dealer Manager, the Advisor and other KBS-affiliated entities, entered into an errors and omissions and directors and officers liability insurance program where the lower tiers of coverage are shared. The cost of these lower tiers is allocated by the Advisor and its insurance broker among each of the various entities covered by the plan, and is billed directly to each entity. The allocation of these shared coverage costs is proportionate to the pricing by the insurance marketplace for the first tiers of directors and officers liability coverage purchased individually by each REIT. The Advisor’s and the Dealer Manager’s portion of the shared lower tiers’ cost is proportionate to the respective entities’ prior cost for the errors and omissions insurance.
F-29
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, no other transactions occurred between the Company and the other KBS-sponsored programs, except that on May 18, 2012, the Company entered into a joint venture in which KBS REIT I owns a participation interest, as described in Note 11. However, KBS REIT I does not have any equity interest in the joint venture. None of the other joint venture partners are affiliated with the Company or the Advisor.
Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, summarized below are the related-party costs incurred by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and any related amounts payable as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):
Incurred | Payable as of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2014 | 2013 | ||||||||||||||||
Expensed | ||||||||||||||||||||
Asset management fees (1) | $ | 7,648 | $ | 4,173 | $ | 1,710 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||||
Real estate acquisition fees | 2,231 | 2,784 | 2,206 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Reimbursable operating expenses (2) | 157 | 139 | 118 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Disposition fees (3) | — | 322 | 21 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Additional Paid-in Capital | ||||||||||||||||||||
Selling commissions | — | — | 20,683 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Dealer manager fees | — | — | 10,451 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Reimbursable other offering costs | — | — | 1,825 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Capitalized | ||||||||||||||||||||
Acquisition and origination fees on real estate loans receivable | — | 220 | 790 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Acquisition fee on investment in unconsolidated joint venture | 1,573 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Acquisition fee on undeveloped land | 67 | 199 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
$ | 11,676 | $ | 7,837 | $ | 37,804 | $ | — | $ | — |
_____________________
(1) Amounts include asset management fees from discontinued operations.
(2) The Advisor may seek reimbursement for certain employee costs under the Advisory Agreement. The Company has reimbursed the Advisor for the Company’s allocable portion of the salaries, benefits and overhead of internal audit department personnel providing services to the Company. These amounts totaled $141,000, $134,000 and $103,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and were the only employee costs reimbursed under the Advisory Agreement during these periods. The Company will not reimburse for employee costs in connection with services for which the Advisor earns acquisition, origination or disposition fees (other than reimbursement of travel and communication expenses) or for the salaries or benefits the Advisor or its affiliates may pay to the Company’s executive officers.
(3) Disposition fees with respect to real estate sold are included in the gain on sales of real estate in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
11. | INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES |
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company’s investments in unconsolidated joint ventures were composed of the following (dollars in thousands):
Investment Balance at December 31, | ||||||||||||||
Joint Venture | Number of Properties | Location | Ownership % | 2014 | 2013 | |||||||||
NIP Joint Venture | 23 | Various | Less than 5.0% | $ | 5,305 | $ | 7,484 | |||||||
110 William Joint Venture | 1 | New York, New York | 60.0% | 66,740 | 8,854 | |||||||||
$ | 72,045 | $ | 16,338 |
F-30
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Investment in National Industrial Portfolio Joint Venture
On May 18, 2012, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a joint venture (the “NIP Joint Venture”) with OCM NIP JV Holdings, L.P. and HC KBS NIP JV, LLC (“HC-KBS”). The NIP Joint Venture owns 23 industrial properties and a master lease with respect to another industrial property encompassing 11.4 million square feet. The Company made an initial capital contribution of $8.0 million which represents less than a 5.0% ownership interest in the NIP Joint Venture as of December 31, 2014. The Company has virtually no influence over the NIP Joint Venture’s operations, financial policies or decision making. Accordingly, the Company has accounted for its investment in the NIP Joint Venture under the cost method of accounting. Income, losses and distributions from the NIP Joint Venture are generally allocated among the members based on their respective equity interests.
KBS REIT I, an affiliate of the Advisor, is a member of HC-KBS and has a participation interest in certain future potential profits generated by the NIP Joint Venture. However, KBS REIT I does not have any equity interest in the NIP Joint Venture. None of the other joint venture partners are affiliated with the Company or the Advisor.
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the book value of the Company’s investment in the NIP Joint Venture was $5.3 million and $7.5 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recognized $2.2 million of return of capital from the NIP Joint Venture. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company recognized $0.1 million of income distributions and $0.4 million of return of capital from the NIP Joint Venture. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recognized $0.1 million of income distributions and $0.1 million of return of capital from the NIP Joint Venture.
Investment in 110 William Joint Venture
On December 23, 2013, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, entered into an agreement with SREF III 110 William JV, LLC (the “110 William JV Partner”) to form a joint venture (the “110 William Joint Venture”). On May 2, 2014, the 110 William Joint Venture acquired an office property containing 928,157 rentable square feet located on approximately 0.8 acres of land in New York, New York (“110 William Street”). At acquisition, 110 William Street was 97% leased to 33 tenants. Each of the Company and the 110 William JV Partner hold a 60% and 40% ownership interest in the 110 William Joint Venture, respectively. The Company exercises significant influence over the operations, financial policies and decision making with respect to the 110 William Joint Venture but significant decisions require approval from both members. Accordingly, the Company has accounted for its investment in the 110 William Joint Venture under the equity method of accounting. Income, losses and distributions are generally allocated based on the members’ respective equity interests.
The contractual purchase price of 110 William Street was $261.1 million plus closing costs. The 110 William Joint Venture funded the purchase of 110 William Street through (i) the assumption of an existing first mortgage loan from an unaffiliated lender with a face amount of $141.5 million bearing interest at a fixed rate of 4.8% per annum and maturing on July 6, 2017, (ii) the assumption of an existing mezzanine loan from an unaffiliated lender with a face amount of $20.0 million bearing interest at a fixed rate of 9.5% per annum and maturing on July 6, 2017 and (iii) contributions from the Company and the 110 William JV Partner to the 110 William Joint Venture.
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the book value of the Company’s investment in the 110 William Joint Venture was $66.7 million and $8.9 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized an equity in loss of unconsolidated joint venture of $1.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively, related to the Company’s share of income and expenses earned and incurred by the 110 William Joint Venture.
F-31
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Summarized financial information for the 110 William Joint Venture follows (in thousands):
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||
Assets: | ||||||||
Real estate assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization | $ | 276,683 | $ | — | ||||
Other assets | 15,858 | 15,000 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 292,541 | $ | 15,000 | ||||
Liabilities and Equity: | ||||||||
Notes payable, net | 168,178 | — | ||||||
Other liabilities | 15,796 | 243 | ||||||
Partners’ capital | 108,567 | 14,757 | ||||||
Total Liabilities and Equity | $ | 292,541 | $ | 15,000 |
For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2014 | 2013 | |||||||
Revenues | $ | 22,536 | $ | — | ||||
Expenses: | ||||||||
Operating, maintenance, and management | 6,869 | — | ||||||
Real estate taxes and insurance | 3,476 | — | ||||||
Real estate acquisition fees and expenses | 1,016 | 244 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 8,806 | — | ||||||
Interest expense | 4,193 | — | ||||||
Total expenses | 24,360 | 244 | ||||||
Total other income | 36 | — | ||||||
Net loss | (1,788 | ) | (244 | ) | ||||
Company’s equity in loss of unconsolidated joint venture | $ | (1,101 | ) | $ | (146 | ) |
12. | PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) |
The following table summarizes, on an unaudited pro forma basis, the combined results of operations of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. The Company acquired one office building and one apartment property during the year ended December 31, 2014, which were accounted for as business combinations. The following unaudited pro forma information for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 has been prepared to give effect to the acquisition of the Plaza Buildings as if the acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2013. This pro forma information does not purport to represent what the actual results of operations of the Company would have been had the acquisition occurred on this date, nor does it purport to predict the results of operations for future periods (in thousands, except share and per share amounts).
For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2014 | 2013 | |||||||
Revenues | $ | 106,693 | $ | 82,168 | ||||
Depreciation and amortization | 47,317 | $ | 34,120 | |||||
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | (21,137 | ) | $ | 9,212 | ||||
Net (loss) income per common share, basic and diluted | (0.35 | ) | $ | 0.16 | ||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted | 59,714,540 | 58,359,568 |
The unaudited pro forma information for the year ended December 31, 2014 was adjusted to exclude $2.1 million of acquisition costs incurred in 2014 in connection with the acquisition of the above property.
F-32
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
13. | SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) |
Presented below is a summary of the unaudited quarterly financial information for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
2014 | ||||||||||||||||
First Quarter | Second Quarter | Third Quarter | Fourth Quarter | |||||||||||||
Revenues | $ | 24,626 | $ | 26,244 | $ | 27,598 | $ | 27,686 | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | (9,894 | ) | $ | (5,480 | ) | $ | (3,426 | ) | $ | (4,948 | ) | ||||
Net loss attributable to common stockholders | $ | (9,617 | ) | $ | (5,331 | ) | $ | (3,367 | ) | $ | (4,879 | ) | ||||
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted | $ | (0.16 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | $ | (0.06 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | ||||
Distributions declared per common share (1) | $ | 0.049 | $ | 0.056 | $ | 0.069 | $ | 0.088 |
2013 | ||||||||||||||||
First Quarter | Second Quarter | Third Quarter | Fourth Quarter | |||||||||||||
Revenues | $ | 10,463 | $ | 14,361 | $ | 23,281 | $ | 20,391 | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | 1,741 | $ | (2,429 | ) | $ | 7,260 | $ | 5,017 | |||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders | $ | 1,411 | $ | (2,343 | ) | $ | 7,344 | $ | 5,081 | |||||||
Net income (loss) per common share, basic and diluted | $ | 0.02 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | 0.13 | $ | 0.09 | |||||||
Distributions declared per common share (1) | $ | 0.062 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 0.380 |
(1) On March 20, 2013, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.06153498 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 22, 2013. The Company paid this distribution on April 4, 2013. On November 11, 2013, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.38 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 13, 2013. The Company paid this distribution on December 5, 2013. On March 6, 2014, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.04931507 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 31, 2014. The Company paid this distribution on April 15, 2014. On May 8, 2014, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.056096 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 16, 2014. The Company paid this distribution on June 23, 2014. On August 4, 2014, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.069315 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 15, 2014. The Company paid this distribution on September 24, 2014. On November 12, 2014, our board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.088219 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2014. The Company paid this distribution on December 29, 2014. Investors could choose to receive cash distributions or purchase additional shares under the dividend reinvestment plan.
14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Economic Dependency
The Company is dependent on the Advisor for certain services that are essential to the Company, including the identification, evaluation, negotiation, origination, acquisition and disposition of investments; management of the daily operations of the Company’s investment portfolio; and other general and administrative responsibilities. In the event that the Advisor is unable to provide these services, the Company will be required to obtain such services from other sources.
Environmental
As an owner of real estate, the Company is subject to various environmental laws of federal, state and local governments. Although there can be no assurance, the Company is not aware of any environmental liability that could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations as of December 31, 2014. However, changes in applicable environmental laws and regulations, the uses and conditions of properties in the vicinity of the Company’s properties, the activities of its tenants and other environmental conditions of which the Company is unaware with respect to the properties could result in future environmental liabilities.
F-33
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
Legal Matters
From time to time, the Company is a party to legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business. Management is not aware of any legal proceedings of which the outcome is probable or reasonably possible to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition, which would require accrual or disclosure of the contingency and the possible range of loss. Additionally, the Company has not recorded any loss contingencies related to legal proceedings in which the potential loss is deemed to be remote.
15. | EARNINGS PER SHARE |
The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Numerator | ||||||||||||
Loss from continuing operations | $ | (23,730 | ) | $ | (152 | ) | $ | (9,072 | ) | |||
Loss from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests | 554 | 302 | 232 | |||||||||
(Loss) income from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders | (23,176 | ) | 150 | (8,840 | ) | |||||||
Total (loss) income from discontinued operations | (18 | ) | 11,741 | (1,023 | ) | |||||||
Total (income) loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests | — | (398 | ) | 101 | ||||||||
Total (loss) income from discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders | (18 | ) | 11,343 | (922 | ) | |||||||
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders | $ | (23,194 | ) | $ | 11,493 | $ | (9,762 | ) | ||||
Denominator | ||||||||||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted | 59,714,540 | 58,359,568 | 35,458,656 | |||||||||
Basic and diluted (loss) income per common share: | ||||||||||||
Continuing operations | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | — | $ | (0.25 | ) | ||||
Discontinued operations | — | 0.20 | (0.03 | ) | ||||||||
Net (loss) income per common share | $ | (0.39 | ) | $ | 0.20 | $ | (0.28 | ) |
16. | SUBSEQUENT EVENTS |
The Company evaluates subsequent events up until the date the consolidated financial statements are issued.
Distribution Declared
On March 5, 2015, the Company’s board of directors authorized a distribution in the amount of $0.09246575 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 20, 2015. The Company expects to pay this distribution on March 26, 2015. The board of directors will declare distributions from time to time based on the Company’s income, cash flow and investing and financing activities. As such, the Company can also give no assurances as to the timing, amount or notice with respect to any other future distribution declarations.
F-34
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE ASSETS AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION
December 31, 2014
(dollar amounts in thousands)
Initial Cost to Company | Gross Amount at which Carried at Close of Period | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description | Location | Ownership Percent | Encumbrances | Land | Building and Improvements (1) | Total | Cost Capitalized Subsequent to Acquisition (2) | Land | Building and Improvements (1) | Total (3) | Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization | Original Date of Construction | Date Acquired or Foreclosed on | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Properties Held for Investment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Academy Point Atrium I | Colorado Springs, CO | 100.0% | $ | — | $ | 1,650 | $ | 1,223 | $ | 2,873 | $ | (273 | ) | $ | 1,056 | $ | 1,544 | $ | 2,600 | $ | — | 1981 | 11/03/2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Northridge Center I & II | Atlanta, GA | 100.0% | (6) | 2,234 | 4,457 | 6,691 | 2,117 | 2,234 | 6,574 | 8,808 | (1,233 | ) | 1985/1989 | 03/25/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iron Point Business Park | Folsom, CA | 100.0% | (5) | 2,671 | 16,576 | 19,247 | 2,727 | 2,671 | 19,303 | 21,974 | (2,893 | ) | 1999/2001 | 06/21/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1635 N. Cahuenga Building | Los Angeles, CA | 70.0% | 4,650 | 3,112 | 4,245 | 7,357 | 780 | 3,112 | 5,025 | 8,137 | (783 | ) | 1983 | 08/03/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richardson Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Palisades Central I | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | (4) | 1,037 | 8,628 | 9,665 | 1,785 | 1,037 | 10,413 | 11,450 | (1,575 | ) | 1980 | 11/23/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Palisades Central II | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | (4) | 810 | 17,117 | 17,927 | 1,756 | 810 | 18,873 | 19,683 | (3,690 | ) | 1985 | 11/23/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenway I | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | (4) | 561 | 1,170 | 1,731 | 1,016 | 561 | 2,186 | 2,747 | (405 | ) | 1983 | 11/23/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greenway III | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | (4) | 702 | 4,083 | 4,785 | 569 | 702 | 4,652 | 5,354 | (1,210 | ) | 1983 | 11/23/2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Undeveloped Land | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | (4) | 5,500 | — | 5,500 | 2,294 | 7,794 | — | 7,794 | — | N/A | 11/23/2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Richardson Portfolio | 38,000 | 8,610 | 30,998 | 39,608 | 7,420 | 10,904 | 36,124 | 47,028 | (6,880 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Park Highlands | North Las Vegas, NV | 50.1% | — | 21,000 | — | 21,000 | 7,229 | 28,229 | — | 28,229 | — | N/A | 12/30/2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bellevue Technology Center | Bellevue, WA | 100.0% | 49,836 | 25,506 | 52,411 | 77,917 | 2,830 | 25,506 | 55,241 | 80,747 | (5,334 | ) | 1973-2000 | 07/31/2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Powers Ferry Landing East | Atlanta, GA | 100.0% | (6) | 1,643 | 3,761 | 5,404 | 4,015 | 1,643 | 7,776 | 9,419 | (818 | ) | 1980/1982/1985 | 09/24/2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1800 West Loop | Houston, TX | 100.0% | (5) | 8,360 | 59,292 | 67,652 | 5,631 | 8,360 | 64,923 | 73,283 | (6,987 | ) | 1982 | 12/04/2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Loop I & II | Houston, TX | 100.0% | (6) | 7,300 | 29,742 | 37,042 | 2,490 | 7,300 | 32,232 | 39,532 | (4,017 | ) | 1980/1981 | 12/07/2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Burbank Collection | Burbank, CA | 90.0% | 9,043 | 4,175 | 8,799 | 12,974 | 1,257 | 4,175 | 10,056 | 14,231 | (854 | ) | 2008 | 12/12/2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Austin Suburban Portfolio | Austin, TX | 100.0% | (6) | 8,288 | 67,745 | 76,033 | 2,878 | 8,288 | 70,623 | 78,911 | (7,465 | ) | 1985/1986/2000 | 03/28/2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Westmoor Center | Westminster, CO | 100.0% | 54,880 | 10,058 | 73,510 | 83,568 | 2,636 | 10,058 | 76,146 | 86,204 | (9,388 | ) | 1998/1999 | 06/12/2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Building | Seattle, WA | 100.0% | 24,896 | 7,015 | 26,124 | 33,139 | 1,454 | 7,015 | 27,578 | 34,593 | (2,130 | ) | 1907 | 07/10/2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
50 Congress Street | Boston, MA | 100.0% | 26,935 | 9,876 | 43,455 | 53,331 | 359 | 9,876 | 43,814 | 53,690 | (3,828 | ) | 1910/1915 | 07/11/2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1180 Raymond | Newark, NJ | 100.0% | 35,045 | 8,292 | 37,651 | 45,943 | (1,165 | ) | 8,292 | 36,486 | 44,778 | (1,579 | ) | 1929 | 08/20/2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Park Highlands II | North Las Vegas, NV | 99.5% | — | 20,255 | — | 20,255 | 969 | 21,224 | — | 21,224 | — | N/A | 12/10/2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maitland Promenade II | Orlando, FL | 100.0% | 20,182 | 3,434 | 27,282 | 30,716 | 1,135 | 3,434 | 28,417 | 31,851 | (2,161 | ) | 2001 | 12/18/2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plaza Buildings | Bellevue, WA | 100.0% | 134,707 | 53,040 | 133,157 | 186,197 | 6,203 | 53,040 | 139,360 | 192,400 | (7,204 | ) | 1978/1983 | 01/14/2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
424 Bedford | Brooklyn, NY | 90.0% | 25,866 | 8,860 | 24,820 | 33,680 | (4 | ) | 8,860 | 24,816 | 33,676 | (617 | ) | 2010 | 01/31/2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richardson Land II | Richardson, TX | 90.0% | — | 7,462 | — | 7,462 | 482 | 7,944 | — | 7,944 | — | N/A | 09/04/2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Properties Held for Investment | $ | 222,841 | $ | 645,248 | $ | 868,089 | $ | 51,170 | $ | 233,221 | $ | 686,038 | $ | 919,259 | $ | (64,171 | ) |
____________________
(1) Building and improvements include tenant origination and absorption costs.
(2) Costs capitalized subsequent to acquisition is net of write-offs of fully depreciated/amortized assets.
(3) The aggregate cost of real estate for federal income tax purposes was $955.8 million as of December 31, 2014.
(4) As of December 31, 2014, $38.0 million of debt was outstanding secured by the Richardson Portfolio.
(5) As of December 31, 2014, $12.4 million of debt was outstanding secured by 1800 West Loop and Iron Point Business Park.
(6) As of December 31, 2014, $93.8 million of debt was outstanding secured by Northridge Center I & II, Powers Ferry Landing East, West Loop I & II and the Austin Suburban Portfolio.
F-35
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC.
SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE ASSETS AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2014
(dollar amounts in thousands)
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||
Real Estate (1): | ||||||||||||
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | 668,018 | $ | 326,154 | $ | 110,335 | ||||||
Acquisitions (2) | 227,339 | 342,985 | 212,152 | |||||||||
Improvements | 36,942 | 24,670 | 8,284 | |||||||||
Write-off of fully depreciated and fully amortized assets | (10,362 | ) | (5,835 | ) | (3,360 | ) | ||||||
Impairments | (697 | ) | (2,025 | ) | — | |||||||
Loss due to property damages | (707 | ) | — | — | ||||||||
Sales | (1,274 | ) | (17,931 | ) | (1,257 | ) | ||||||
Balance at the end of the year | $ | 919,259 | $ | 668,018 | $ | 326,154 | ||||||
Accumulated depreciation and amortization (1): | ||||||||||||
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | 29,859 | $ | 8,521 | $ | 2,583 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization expense | 44,848 | 28,956 | 9,305 | |||||||||
Write-off of fully depreciated and fully amortized assets | (10,362 | ) | (5,835 | ) | (3,360 | ) | ||||||
Impairments | (118 | ) | (638 | ) | — | |||||||
Sales | (56 | ) | (1,145 | ) | (7 | ) | ||||||
Balance at the end of the year | $ | 64,171 | $ | 29,859 | $ | 8,521 |
____________________
(1) Amounts include real estate held for sale.
(2) Acquisitions includes properties which the Company acquired through foreclosure on or to which it otherwise received title.
F-36
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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, in the City of Newport Beach, State of California, on March 9, 2015.
KBS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY REIT, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Keith D. Hall | |
Keith D. Hall | ||
Chief Executive Officer and Director (principal executive officer) |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Name | Title | Date | ||
/s/ KEITH D. HALL | Chief Executive Officer and Director (principal executive officer) | March 9, 2015 | ||
Keith D. Hall | ||||
/s/ PETER MCMILLIAN III | Chairman of the Board, President and Director | March 9, 2015 | ||
Peter McMillian III | ||||
/s/ DAVID E. SNYDER | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) | March 9, 2015 | ||
David E. Snyder | ||||
/s/ STACIE K. YAMANE | Chief Accounting Officer (principal accounting officer) | March 9, 2015 | ||
Stacie K. Yamane | ||||
/s/ MICHAEL L. MEYER | Director | March 9, 2015 | ||
Michael L. Meyer | ||||
/s/ WILLIAM M. PETAK | Director | March 9, 2015 | ||
William M. Petak | ||||
/s/ ERIC J. SMITH | Director | March 9, 2015 | ||
Eric J. Smith |