Presidio Property Trust, Inc. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, RISK FACTORS AND INDUSTRY DATA

This Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth in this Form 10-K. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ from projections include, but are not limited to:

All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this Form 10-K regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenue or losses, projected costs, prospects, current expectations, forecasts, and plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 10-K, the words “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “should,” “project,” “plan,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this Form 10-K, except as required by federal securities laws. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K are reasonable, we cannot assure you that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. We have disclosed important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations under the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf.

Information regarding market and industry statistics contained in this Form 10-K is included based on information available to us that we believe is accurate. We have not reviewed or included data from all sources, and we cannot assure you of the accuracy or completeness of the data included in this Form 10-K. Forecasts and other forward-looking information obtained from these sources are subject to the same qualifications and the additional uncertainties accompanying any estimates of future market size, revenue and market acceptance of products and services. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results or changes in assumptions or other factors that could affect those statements. See the “Risk Factors” section of this Form 10-K for a more detailed discussion of uncertainties and risks that may impact future results.

ITEM 1.

OVERVIEW AND CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Presidio Property Trust, Inc. (“we”, “our”, “us” or the “Company”) is an internally-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). We were incorporated in the State of California on September 28, 1999, and in August 2010, we reincorporated as a Maryland corporation. In October 2017, we changed our name from “NetREIT, Inc.” to “Presidio Property Trust, Inc.” We are a publicly traded company on Nasdaq, and registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Through the Company, its subsidiaries and its partnerships, we own 13 commercial properties in fee interest and have partial interests in two commercial properties through our interests in various affiliates in which we serve as general partner, member and/or manager. Each of the limited partnerships is referred to as a “DownREIT.” In each DownREIT, we have the right, through put and call options, to require our co-investors to exchange their interests for shares of our Series A Common Stock, or our common stock, at a stated price after a defined period (generally five years from the date they first invested in the entity’s real property), the occurrence of a specified event or a combination thereof. The Company is a limited partner in five partnerships and sole shareholder in one corporation, which entities purchase and leaseback model homes to and from homebuilders.

MARKET AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

The Company invests in a diverse multi-tenant portfolio of real estate assets. Beginning in 2015, we began to focus our commercial portfolio primarily on office and industrial properties (“Office/Industrial Properties”) and model homes (“Model Home Properties”), and have been managing the portfolio to transition out of retail properties. Our commercial properties are currently located in Colorado, North Dakota, California, Maryland and Texas. Our commercial property tenant base is highly diversified and consists of approximately 139 individual commercial tenants with an average remaining lease term of approximately 3.1 years as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, three commercial tenants represented more than 5.0% of our annualized base rent, one of which represented 8.0% of our annualized based rent, while our ten largest tenants represented approximately 36.8% of our annualized base rent. In addition, our commercial property tenant base has limited exposure to any single industry.

Our main objective is to maximize long-term stockholder value through the acquisition, management, leasing and selective redevelopment of high-quality office and industrial properties. We focus on regionally dominant markets across the United States which we believe have attractive growth dynamics driven in part by important economic factors such as strong office-using employment growth; net in-migration of a highly educated workforce; a large student population; the stability provided by healthcare systems, government or other large institutional employer presence; low rates of unemployment; and lower cost of living versus gateway markets. We seek to maximize returns through investments in markets with limited supply, high barriers to entry, and stable and growing employment drivers. Our model home portfolio supports the objective of maximizing stockholder value by focusing on purchasing new single-family model homes and leasing them back to experienced homebuilders.  We operate the model home portfolio in markets where we can diversify by geography, builder size, and model home purchase price.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Significant Transactions in 2021 and 2020

Acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2021

Acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2020

Dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2021

We review our portfolio of investment properties for value appreciation potential on an ongoing basis, and dispose of any properties that no longer satisfy our requirements in this regard, taking into account tax and other considerations. The proceeds from any such property sale, after repayment of any associated mortgage or repayment of secured or unsecured indebtedness, are available for investing in properties that we believe will have a greater likelihood of future price appreciation. 

During year ended December 31, 2021, we disposed of the following properties:

Dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2020

During year ended December 31, 2020, we disposed of the following properties:

Model Home Properties

Our Model Home properties are located in four states throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2021, we owned 92 model homes with a net book value of approximately $34.1 million.

NetREIT Dubose Model Home REIT, Inc. (“NetREIT Dubose”) is engaged in the business of acquiring model homes from third party homebuilders in sale-leaseback transactions whereby a homebuilder sells the Model Home to NetREIT Dubose and leases back the Model Home under a triple net lease (“NNN”) for use in marketing its residential development. Our Model Home business was started in March 2010 through the acquisition of certain assets and rights from Dubose Model Homes USA. Subsequent to its formation, NetREIT Dubose raised $10.6 million pursuant to a private placement of its common stock (the private placement terminated on December 31, 2013). As of December 31, 2021, NetREIT Dubose had sold all of its properties and distributed all available cash to its shareholders, including the Company.

We operate six limited partnerships in connection with NetREIT Dubose: Dubose Model Home Investors #202, LP (“DMHI #202”), Dubose Model Home Investors #203, LP (“DMHI #203”), Dubose Model Home Investors #204, LP (“DMHI #204”), Dubose Model Home Investors #205, LP (“DMHI #205”), Dubose Model Home Investors #206, LP (“DMHI #206”) and NetREIT Dubose Model Home REIT, LP. The limited partnerships typically raise private equity to invest in Model Home Properties and lease them back to the homebuilders. As of December 31, 2021 the Company owned:

We provide management services to our limited partnerships through our wholly-owned subsidiaries, NetREIT Advisors, LLC (“NetREIT Advisors”) and Dubose Advisors LLC (“Dubose Advisors”), which we refer to collectively as the Advisors. For their services, each of the Advisors receives ongoing management fees, acquisition fees and has the right to receive certain other fees when a partnership sells or otherwise disposes of a model home. NetREIT Advisors manages NetREIT Dubose and NetREIT Model Homes, Inc. and Dubose Advisors manages DMHI #202, DMHI #203, DMHI #204, DMHI #205 and DMHI #206.

Share Repurchase Program

On September 17, 2021, the Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $10 million outstanding shares of our Series A Common Stock.  Purchases under the repurchase program may be made in the open market, through block trades, and other negotiated transactions. We expect to execute the share repurchase program primarily in open market transactions, subject to market conditions. There is no fixed termination date for the repurchase program, and the program may be suspended, discontinued, or accelerated at any time.  During September 2021, the Company purchased 18,133 shares at an average price of $3.73692 per share, plus commission of $0.035 per share, for a total cost of $68,396.  During December 2021, the Company purchased 11,588 shares at an average price of $3.6097 per share, plus commission of $0.035 per share, for a total cost of $42,234.78. 

At-the-Market Offering

On November 8, 2021, we entered into an At-the-Market Offering Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with The Benchmark Company, LLC (the “Manager”) pursuant to which the Manager will act as the Company’s sales agent with respect to the issuance and sale of up to $4,399,000 of our Series A Common Stock from time to time in an at-the-market public offering.  Sales of our common stock, if any, through the Manager, will be by any method that is deemed to be an “at-the-market” equity offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other existing trading market for the common stock in the U.S. or to or through a market maker. The Manager may also sell the common stock in privately negotiated transactions, subject to our prior approval. The price per share will be at prevailing market prices. The Company will pay the Manager a commission equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Series A Common Stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement.

Sponsorship of Special Purpose Acquisition Company

On January 7, 2022, we announced our sponsorship, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Murphy Canyon Acquisition Sponsor, LLC (the “Sponsor”), of a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) initial public offering. The registration statement and prospectus relating to the initial public offering (“IPO”) of the SPAC, Murphy Canyon Acquisition Corp. (“Murphy Canyon”), was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 2, 2022 and SPAC units, consisting of one share of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Murphy Canyon and one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on February 3, 2022.  Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, expected to occur on March 28, 2022, the common stock and the warrants are expected to be traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols “MURF” and “MURFW,” respectively. The Murphy Canyon IPO closed on February 7, 2022, raising gross proceeds for Murphy Canyon of $132,250,000, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their over-allotment option. In connection with the IPO, we purchased, through the Sponsor, 754,000 placement units (the “placement units”) at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $7,540,000.  The Sponsor has agreed to transfer an aggregate of 45,000 placement units (15,000 each) to each of Murphy Canyon’s independent directors.

Immediately following the IPO, Murphy Canyon began to evaluate acquisition candidates in the real estate industry, including construction, homebuilding, real estate owners and operators, arrangers of financing, insurance, and other services for real estate, and adjacent businesses and technologies targeting the real estate space with an aggregate combined enterprise value of approximately $300 million to $1.2 billion. Murphy Canyon’s goal is to complete its initial business combination (“IBC”) within one year of its IPO.  We expect Murphy Canyon to operate as a separately managed, publicly traded entity following the completion of the IBC, or “De-SPAC”. 

Warrant Dividend

We set a record date of January 14, 2022 with respect to the distribution of five-year listed warrants (the “Series A Warrants”).  The Series A Warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Series A Warrants were registered on a registration statement that was filed with the SEC and was declared effective January 21, 2022.  The Series A Warrants commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SQFTW” on January 24, 2022 and were distributed on that date to persons who held shares of common stock and existing outstanding warrants as of the January 14, 2022 record date, or who acquired shares of common stock in the market following the record date, and who continued to hold such shares at the close of trading on January 21, 2022.  The Series A Warrants give the holder the right to purchase one share of common stock at $7.00 per share, for a period of five years. Should warrantholders not exercise the Series A Warrants during that holding period, the Series A Warrants will automatically convert to 1/10 of a common share at expiration, rounded down to the nearest number of whole shares.

Preferred Stock Series D

On June 15, 2021, we completed an offering of 800,000 shares of our 9.375% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock ("Series D Preferred Stock") for cash consideration of $25.00 per share to a syndicate of underwriters led by The Benchmark Company, LLC, as representative, resulting in approximately $18.1 million in net proceeds, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the offering expenses. We granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 120,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock to cover over-allotments, which they exercised on June 17, 2021, resulting in approximately $2.7 million in net proceeds, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the offering expenses.  In total, we issued 920,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock with net proceeds of approximately $20.5 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the offering expenses.

Holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at a rate of 9.375% per annum of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference (equivalent to $2.34375 per annum per share). Dividends are payable monthly on the 15th day of each month (each, a “dividend payment date”), provided that if any dividend payment date is not a business day, then the dividend that would otherwise have been payable on that dividend payment date may be paid on the next succeeding business day without adjustment in the amount of the dividend. Holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock will generally have no voting rights.  However, if the Company does not pay dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock for eighteen or more monthly dividend periods (whether or not consecutive), the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock (voting separately as a class with the holders of all other classes or series of the Company’s preferred stock it may issue upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable and which are entitled to vote as a class with the Series D Preferred Stock in the election referred to below) will be entitled to vote for the election of two additional directors to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors until the Company pays, or declares and sets apart funds for the payment of, all dividends that it owes on the Series D Preferred Stock, subject to certain limitations.  In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock (voting together as a class with all other series of parity preferred stock the Company may issue upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable) is required at any time for the Company to (i) authorize or issue any class or series of its stock ranking senior to the Series D Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of assets on liquidation, dissolution or winding up or (ii) to amend any provision of the Company charter so as to materially and adversely affect any rights of the Series D Preferred Stock or to take certain other actions.

In the event of our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock will be entitled to be paid out of the assets we have legally available for distribution to our stockholders, subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any class or series of stock we  may issue ranking senior to the Series D Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share, plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the date of payment, before any distribution of assets is made to holders of our common stock or any other class or series of our stock we may issue that ranks junior to the Series D Preferred Stock as to liquidation rights.  Commencing on or after June 15, 2026, we may redeem, at our option, the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at a cash redemption price equal to $25.00 per share, plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date. Prior to June 15, 2026, upon a Change of Control (as defined in the Articles Supplementary classifying and designating the Series D Preferred Stock), we may redeem, at our option, the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or part, at a cash redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including the redemption date. The Series D Preferred Stock has no stated maturity, will not be subject to any sinking fund or other mandatory redemption, and will not be convertible into or exchangeable for any of our other securities.

Use of Leverage

We use mortgage loans secured by our individual properties in order to maximize the return for our stockholders. Typically these loans are for terms ranging from five to ten years. Currently, the majority of our mortgage loans are structured as non-recourse to us with limited exceptions that would cause a recourse event only upon occurrence of certain fraud, misconduct, environmental, or bankruptcy events. Non-recourse financing limits our exposure to the amount of equity invested in each property pledged as collateral thereby protecting the equity in our other assets. We can provide no assurance that the non-recourse financing will be available to us in the future on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all and there may be circumstances where lenders have recourse to our other assets. To a lesser extent, we use recourse financing. At December 31, 2021, $25.9 million of our total debt of $89.4 million was recourse to the Company of which $22.2 million relates to the model homes properties.

We have used both fixed and variable interest rate debt to finance our properties. Wherever possible, we prefer to obtain fixed rate mortgage financing as it provides better cost predictability. As of December 31, 2021, none of our mortgage loans include variable interest rate provisions.

In 2022, we have $8.6 million of principal payments on mortgage notes payable related to the model home properties, including payments related to mortgage notes payable that mature in 2022. We plan to refinance a significant portion of the mortgage notes payable or sell the model home properties to repay the mortgage notes payable. We have $3.6 million of principal payments on mortgage notes payable relating to commercial properties in 2022, including $2.2 million related to one commercial property maturing in 2022. We plan to sell properties and extend the maturity date of the mortgage notes payable, pay down balances form cash on hand, or refinance a significant portion of the mortgage notes payable. See Part 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules — Note 13. Subsequent Events for additional information.

On September 17, 2019 the Company executed a Promissory Note pursuant to which Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (“Polar”), issued a loan in the principal amount of $14.0 million to the Company (“Polar Note”). The Polar Note accrued interest at a fixed rate of 8% per annum and required monthly interest-only payments. On September 1, 2020, we extended the maturity of the Polar Note from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 (“Maturity”), at which time the entire outstanding principal balance of $7.7 million as of December 31, 2020 and accrued and unpaid interest would be due and payable. On September 30, 2020, we paid a renewal fee of 4% on the unpaid principal balance, which was amortized through the maturity date. The Company used the proceeds of the Polar Note to redeem all of the outstanding shares of the Company's Series B Preferred Stock. During March 2021, prior to Maturity, the Polar Note was paid in full, from available cash on hand.  See Part 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules - Note. 13 Subsequent Events for additional information.

Our short-term liquidity needs include satisfying the debt service requirements of our existing mortgages. If our cash flow from operating activities is not sufficient to fund our short-term liquidity needs, we will fund a portion of these needs from additional borrowings of secured or unsecured indebtedness, from real estate sales, from sales of equity or debt securities, or we will reduce the rate of distribution to the stockholders.  

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, NTR Property Management, Inc., is the primary property manager for all of its properties.  The Company subcontracts with third party property management companies in California and North Dakota to render on-site management services, and internally manages our properties in Colorado, Maryland, and Texas.

COMPETITION

We compete with a number of other real estate investors, many of whom own similar properties in the same geographical markets. Competitors include other REITs, pension funds, insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. Many of these competitors 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 or the geographic location of its investments. In addition, many of these competitors have capital structures that allow them to make investments at higher prices than what we can prudently offer while still generating a return to their investors that is commensurate with the return we are seeking to provide our investors. If our competitors offer space at rental rates below current market rates, or below the rental rates we currently charge our tenants, we may lose potential tenants and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge or to offer more substantial rent abatements, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below-market renewal options in order to retain tenants when our leases expire. The concentration of our commercial properties in Colorado and North Dakota makes us susceptible to local market conditions in these areas.

To be successful, we must be able to continue to respond quickly and effectively to changes in local and regional economic conditions by adjusting rental rates of our properties as appropriate. If we are unable to respond quickly and effectively, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, and ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and pay dividends may be adversely affected.

REGULATION

Our management continually reviews our investment activity and monitors the proportion of our portfolio that is placed in various investments in order to prevent us from coming within the application of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). If at any time the character of our investments could cause us to be deemed an investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act, we would be required to comply with the operating restrictions of the Investment Company Act, which are generally inconsistent with our normal operations. As such, we work to ensure that we are not deemed to be an “investment company.”

Various environmental laws govern certain aspects of the ongoing operation of our properties. Such environmental laws include those regulating the existence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings, management of surfaces with lead-based paint (and notices to tenants about the lead-based paint) and waste-management activities. Our failure to comply with such requirements could subject us to government enforcement action and/or claims for damages by a private party.

To date, we have not experienced a noticeable effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position as a result of a lack of compliance with federal, state and local environmental protection regulations. All of our proposed acquisitions are inspected prior to such acquisition. These inspections are conducted by qualified environmental consultants, and we review in detail their reports prior to our acquisition of any property. Nevertheless, it is possible that our environmental assessments will not reveal all environmental liabilities, or that some material environmental liabilities exist of which we are unaware. In some cases, we may be required to abandon otherwise economically attractive acquisitions because the costs of removal or control of hazardous materials are considered to be prohibitive or we are unwilling to accept the potential risks involved. We do not believe we will be required to engage in any large-scale abatement at any of our current properties. We believe that through professional environmental inspections and testing for asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials, coupled with a relatively conservative posture toward accepting known environmental risk, we minimize our exposure to potential liability associated with environmental hazards.

We are unaware of any environmental hazards at any of our current properties that, individually or in the aggregate, may have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position. We have not been notified by any governmental authority, and we are not otherwise aware of any material non-compliance, liability, or claim relating to environmental liabilities in connection with any of our properties. We do not believe that the cost of continued compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on us, our financial condition or our results of operations. Future environmental laws, regulations, or ordinances, however, may require additional remediation of existing conditions that are not currently actionable. Also, if more stringent requirements are imposed on us in the future, the costs of compliance could have a material adverse effect on us and our financial condition.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are periodically subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes the final outcome of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operation or liquidity.

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

Our Management

We refer to our executive officers and any directors who are affiliated with them as our “Management”.  Our Management is currently comprised of:

Mr. Heilbron has overall responsibility for the day-to-day activities of the Company. Mr. Sragovicz oversees financial matters including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, funding activities, tax and insurance. Mr. Hightower is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the Dubose Advisors and NetREIT Advisors and the model homes division. Mr. Heilbron and Mr. Katz are responsible for recommending all Company property acquisitions and dispositions.

Our Board of Directors

Our Management is subject to the direction and supervision of our board of directors (our “Board” or "Board of Directors").  Among other things, our Board must approve each real property acquisition our Management proposes. As of December 31, 2021, there were six directors comprising our Board, four of whom are independent directors (“Independent Directors”). Two of our directors, Mr. Heilbron and Mr. Dubose are not independent directors.  Mr. Dubose stepped down as a Director in March 2022.  See Item 9B Other Information, in Part II of this 10-K for more information.

OUR REIT STATUS

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2000. To continue to be taxed as a REIT, we must satisfy numerous organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders, as defined in the Code and calculated on an annual basis. As a REIT, we are generally not subject to federal income tax on income that we distribute to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any year, our income will be taxed at regular corporate rates, and we may be precluded from qualifying for treatment as a REIT for the four-year period following our failure to qualify. Even though we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may still be subject to state and local taxes on our income and property and to federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income. For more information, please see Risks Related to our Status as a REIT and Related Federal Income Tax Matters. We qualified as a REIT for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES

Due to the nature of our business, our performance depends on identifying, attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining a highly skilled workforce in multiple areas, including property management, asset management and strategy, accounting, business development and management. Our human capital management strategy, which we refer to as our people strategy, is tightly aligned with our business needs. During 2021, our human capital efforts were focused on retaining top talent, and continuing to increase our agility to meet the quickly changing needs of the business, considering the challenges of the global pandemic and social and political unrest and had no COVID-19 related layoffs. We use a variety of human capital measures in managing our business, including: workforce demographics; diversity metrics with respect to representation, attrition, hiring, promotions and leadership; and talent management metrics including retention rates of top talent and hiring metrics.

OFFICE AND EMPLOYEES 

Our office is approximately 9,224 square feet and is located in San Diego, California.

As of December 31, 2021, we had a total of 18 full-time employees.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Access to copies of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the SEC, including amendments to such filings are available at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.presidiopt.com  as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with the SEC. They are also available for printing by any stockholder upon request.

Our office is located at 4995 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92123. Our telephone number is 866-781-7721. Our e-mail address is info@presidiopt.com or you may visit our website at www.presidiopt.com.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to our Business, Properties and Operations

We face numerous risks associated with the real estate industry that could adversely affect our results of operations through decreased revenues or increased costs.

As a real estate company, we are subject to various changes in real estate conditions, and any negative trends in such real estate conditions may adversely affect our results of operations through decreased revenues or increased costs. These conditions include:

Moreover, other factors may adversely affect our results of operations, including potential liability under environmental and other laws and other unforeseen events, many of which are discussed elsewhere in the following risk factors. Any or all of these factors could materially adversely affect our results of operations through decreased revenues or increased costs.

Inflation may materially and adversely affect our income, cash flow, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, the ability to service our debt obligations, the market price of our securities and our ability to pay dividends and distributions to our stockholders.

Increased inflation could have a pronounced negative impact on our property operating expenses and general and administrative expenses, as these costs could increase at a rate higher than our rents. While our tenants are generally obligated to pay property-level expenses relating to the properties[AP1]  they lease from us (e.g., maintenance, insurance and property taxes), we incur other expenses, such as general and administrative expense, interest expense relating to our debt (some of which bears interest at floating rates) and carrying costs for vacant properties. These expenses would increase in an inflationary environment, and such increases may exceed any increase in revenue we receive under our leases.  Inflation could also have an adverse effect on consumer spending which could impact our tenants’ revenues and, in turn, our percentage rents, where applicable, and the willingness and ability of tenants to enter into or renew leases and/or honor their obligations under existing leases.  Additionally, increased inflation may have an adverse impact on our tenants if increases in their operating expenses exceed increases in their revenue, which may adversely affect the tenants' ability to pay rent owed to us and meet other lease obligations, such as paying property taxes and insurance and maintenance costs.

Recent inflationary pressures could result in higher interest rates, which would have a negative impact on our business.

Rising inflation and elevated U.S. budget deficits and overall debt levels, including as a result of federal pandemic relief and stimulus legislation and/or economic or market and supply chain conditions, can put upward pressure on interest rates and could be among the factors that could lead to higher interest rates in the future. Higher interest rates could adversely affect our overall business, income, and our ability to pay dividends, including by reducing the fair value of many of our assets and adversely affecting our ability to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all, and negatively impacting the value of properties and the ability of prospective buyers to obtain financing for properties we intend to sell. This may affect our earnings results, reduce our ability to sell our assets, or reduce our liquidity. Furthermore, our business and financial results may be harmed by our inability to accurately anticipate developments associated with changes in, or the outlook for, interest rates.

Conditions in the financial markets could affect our ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms and have other adverse effects on our operations.

The financial markets could tighten with respect to secured real estate financing. Lenders with whom we typically deal may increase their credit spreads resulting in an increase in borrowing costs. Higher costs of mortgage financing may result in lower yields from our real estate investments, which may reduce our cash flow available for distribution to our stockholders. Reduced cash flow could also diminish our ability to purchase additional properties and thus decrease our diversification of real estate ownership.

Disruptions in the financial markets and uncertain economic conditions could adversely affect the value of our real estate investments.

Disruptions in the financial markets could adversely affect the value of our real estate investments. Concerns over economic recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rate increases, policy priorities of the U.S. presidential administration, trade wars, labor shortages, or inflation may contribute to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and markets. Additionally, concern over geopolitical issues may also contribute to prolonged market volatility and instability. For example, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has lead to disruption, instability and volatility in global markets and industries. The U.S. government and other governments in jurisdictions have imposed severe economic sanctions and export controls against Russia and Russian interests, have removed Russia from the SWIFT system, and have threatened additional sanctions and controls. The impact of these measures, as well as potential responses to them by Russia, is unknown.  Such conditions could 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. As a result, the value of our property investments could decrease below the amounts paid for such investments, the value of collateral securing our loans could decrease below the outstanding principal amounts of such loans, and revenues from our properties could decrease due to fewer and/or delinquent tenants or lower rental rates. These factors would significantly harm our revenues, results of operations, financial condition, business prospects and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

A decrease in real estate values could negatively affect our ability to refinance our existing mortgage obligations or obtain larger mortgages.

A decrease in real estate values would decrease the principal amount of secured loans we can obtain on a specific property and our ability to refinance our existing mortgage loans or obtain larger mortgage loans. In some circumstances, a decrease in the value of an existing property which secures a mortgage loan may require us to prepay or post additional security for that mortgage loan. This would occur where the lender’s initial appraised value of the property decreases below the value required to maintain a loan-to-value ratio specified in the mortgage loan agreement. Thus, any sustained period of depressed real estate prices would likely adversely affect our ability to finance our real estate investments.

The current outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the resulting volatility it has created, has disrupted our business and we expect that the COVID-19 pandemic, may significantly and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations going forward, and that other potential pandemics or outbreaks, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows in the future. Further, the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak has caused severe disruptions in the U.S. and global economy and financial markets, and could potentially create widespread business continuity issues of an unknown magnitude and duration. To date our business has not been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and in the future will likely continue to have, repercussions across regional and global economies and financial markets. The global impact of the outbreak has been rapidly evolving and many countries, including the United States (including the states and cities that comprise the San Diego, California; Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota; and other metro regions where we own and operate properties) have instituted quarantines, “shelter in place” mandates, and rules and restrictions on travel and the types of businesses that may continue to operate. While some of these restrictions have been lifted, new variants of the coronavirus and/or the continued spread of the virus could cause government authorities to extend, reinstitute and/or adopt new restrictions. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry, both inside and outside these metro regions, directly or indirectly and has created business continuity issues. For instance, a number of our commercial tenants temporarily closed their offices or stores and requested temporary rent deferral or rent abatement during the pandemic. In addition, jurisdictions where we own and operate properties have implemented, or may implement, rent freezes, eviction freezes, or other similar restrictions. The full extent of the impacts on our business over the long term are largely uncertain and dependent on a number of factors beyond our control.

As a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been and may continue to be impacted by one or more of the following:

The financial aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic are difficult to predict and may not directly correlate to the severity of outbreaks at a particular place or time. For example, there has been significant inflation in the price of lumber, largely as a result of supply shortages specific to the lumber industry resulting from the pandemic, that may affect construction and renovation costs in our industry. Similarly, despite general economic concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been home price inflation in many markets, which may affect our ability to purchase Model Homes at prices we consider to be reasonable.

The significance, extent and duration of the impact of COVID-19 remains largely uncertain and dependent on future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, such as the continued severity, duration, transmission rate and geographic spread of COVID-19, the extent and effectiveness of the containment measures taken, and the response of the overall economy, the financial markets and the population.

The rapid development and volatility of this situation precludes us from making any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19. As a result, we cannot provide an estimate of the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business or when, or if, we (or our tenants) will be able to resume fully normal operations. Nevertheless, COVID-19 presents material uncertainty and risk with respect to our business, financial performance and condition, operating results and cash flows.

Our portfolio of marketable securities, including covered call options, is subject to market, interest and credit risk that may reduce its value.

We maintain a portfolio of marketable securities. As of December 31, 2021, we owned common shares of 19 different publicly traded REITs and an immaterial amount of covered call options in 10 of those same REITs.  The gross fair market value on our publicly traded REIT securities was $1,522,137, with covered call options totaling $2,254.  As of December 31, 2021, the net fair value of our publicly traded REIT securities was $1,514,483 based on the December 31, 2021 closing price.  Changes in the value of our portfolio of marketable securities could adversely affect our earnings. In particular, the value of our investments may decline due to increases in interest rates, downgrades of the securities included in our portfolio, instability in the global financial markets that reduces the liquidity of securities included in our portfolio, declines in the value of collateral underlying the securities included in our portfolio and other factors. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability and rising inflation have and may continue to adversely affect the financial markets. Each of these events may cause us to record charges to reduce the carrying value of our investment portfolio or sell investments for less than our acquisition cost. Although we attempt to mitigate these risks through diversification of our investments and continuous monitoring of our portfolio’s overall risk profile, the value of our investments may nevertheless decline.

We may be adversely affected by unfavorable economic changes in the geographic areas where our properties are located.

Adverse economic conditions in areas where properties securing or otherwise underlying our investments are located (including business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, changing demographics and other factors) and local real estate conditions (such as oversupply or reduced demand) may have an adverse effect on the value of our real estate portfolio. The deterioration of any of these local conditions could hinder our ability to profitably operate a property and adversely affect the price and terms of a sale or other disposition of the property.

Competition for properties may limit the opportunities available to us and increase our acquisition costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our growth prospects and negatively impact our profitability.

The market for property acquisitions continues to be competitive, which may reduce suitable investment opportunities available to us and increase acquisition purchase prices. Competition for properties offering higher rates of returns may intensify if real estate investments become more attractive relative to other investments. In acquiring real properties, we may experience considerable competition from a field of other investors, including other REITs, private equity investors, institutional investment funds, and real estate investment programs. Many of these competitors are larger than we are and have access to greater financial resources and better access to lower costs of capital. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments. This competition may limit our ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities that are consistent with our objectives. Our inability to acquire desirable properties on favorable terms could adversely affect our growth prospects, financial condition, our profitability and our ability to pay dividends.

Our inability to sell a property at the time and on the terms we desire could limit our ability to realize a gain on our investments and pay distributions to our stockholders.

Generally, we seek to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of our properties when we determine such action to be in our best interests. Many factors 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, supply and demand, and tax considerations. 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. Therefore, our inability to sell properties at the time and on the terms we want could reduce our cash flow, affect our ability to service or reduce our debt obligations, and limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Lease default or termination by one of our major tenants could adversely impact our operations and our ability to pay dividends.

The success of our real estate investments depend on the financial stability of our tenants. A default or termination by a significant tenant (or a series of tenants) on its lease payments could cause us to lose the revenue associated with such lease and seek 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 significant tenant default or bankruptcy, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment. Additionally, 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.

Our reliance on a key tenant for a significant portion of our annualized based rent exposes us to increased risk of tenant bankruptcies that could adversely affect our income and cash flow.

As of December 31, 2021, we received 8.0% of our combined annualized base rents from one tenant, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.  No other tenant represented more than 6% of our total annualized base rent.

If Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. experiences financial difficulties or files for bankruptcy protection, our operating results could be adversely affected. Bankruptcy filings by tenants or lease guarantors generally delay our efforts to collect pre-bankruptcy receivables and could ultimately preclude full collection of these sums. If a tenant rejects a lease, we would have only a general unsecured claim for damages, which may be collectible only to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims.

A property that becomes vacant could be difficult to sell or re-lease and could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We expect portions of our properties to periodically become vacant by reason of lease expirations, terminations, or tenant defaults. If a tenant vacates a property, we may be unable to re-lease the property without incurring additional expenditures, or at all. If the vacancy continues for a long period of time, if the rental rates upon such re-lease are significantly lower than expected, or if our reserves for these purposes prove inadequate, we will experience a reduction in net income and may be required to reduce or eliminate distributions 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.

We may incur substantial costs in improving our properties.

In order to re-lease or sell a property, substantial renovations or remodeling could be required. For instance, we expect that some of our properties will be designed for use by a particular tenant or business. Upon default or termination of the lease by such a tenant, the property might not be marketable without substantial capital improvements. The cost of construction in connection with any renovations and the time it takes to complete such renovations may be affected by factors beyond our control, including material and labor shortages, general contractor and/or subcontractor defaults and delays, permitting issues, weather conditions, and changes in federal, state and local laws. If we experience cost overruns resulting from delays or other causes in any construction project, we may have to seek additional debt financing. Further, delays in construction will cause a delay in our receipt of revenues from that property and could adversely affect our ability to meet our debt service obligations.

Uninsured and/or underinsured losses may adversely affect returns to our stockholders.

Our policy is to obtain insurance coverage for each of our properties covering loss from liability, fire, and casualty in the amounts and under the terms we deem sufficient to insure our losses. Under tenant leases on our commercial properties, we require our tenants to obtain insurance to cover casualty losses and general liability in amounts and under terms customarily obtained for similar properties in the area. However, in certain areas, insurance to cover some losses, generally losses of a catastrophic nature such as earthquakes, floods, wind, hail, terrorism and wars, is either unavailable or cannot be obtained at a reasonable cost. Consequently, we may not have adequate coverage for such losses. If any of our properties incurs a casualty loss that is not fully insured, we could lose some or all of our investment in the property. In addition, other than any working capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we likely would have no source of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured or underinsured property.

Since we are not required to maintain specific levels of cash reserves, we may have difficulty in the event of increased or unanticipated expenses.

We do not currently have, nor do we anticipate that we will establish in the future, a permanent reserve for maintenance and repairs, lease commissions, or tenant improvements of real estate properties. To the extent that existing expenses increase or unanticipated expenses arise and accumulated reserves are insufficient to meet such expenses, we would be required to obtain additional funds through borrowing or the sale of property. There can be no guarantee that such additional funds will be available on favorable terms, or at all.

We may have to extend credit to buyers of our properties and a default by such buyers could have a material adverse effect on our operations and our ability to pay dividends.

In order to sell a property, we may lend the buyer all or a portion of the purchase price. When we provide financing to a buyer, we bear the risk that the buyer may default or that we may not receive full payment for the property sold. Even in the absence of a buyer default, the distribution of the proceeds of the sale to our stockholders, or the reinvestment of the proceeds in other property, will be delayed until the promissory note or collateral we may accept upon a sale is actually paid, sold, refinanced or otherwise disposed.

We may be adversely affected by trends in office real estate.

In 2021, approximately 59% of our net operating income was from our office properties. Work from home, flexible work schedules, open workplaces, videoconferencing, and teleconferencing are becoming more common, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These practices may enable businesses to reduce their office space requirements. There is also an increasing trend among some businesses to utilize shared office spaces and co-working spaces. A continuation of the movement towards these practices could, over time, erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations.

We may acquire properties in joint ventures, partnerships or through limited liability companies, which could limit our ability to control or liquidate such holdings.

We may hold properties indirectly with others as co-owners (a co-tenancy interest) or indirectly through an intermediary entity such as a joint venture, partnership or limited liability company. Also, we may on occasion purchase an interest in a long-term leasehold estate or we may enter into a sale-leaseback financing transaction (see risk factor titled “In a sale-leaseback transaction, we are at risk that our seller/lessee will default, which could impair our operations and limit our ability to pay dividends.”). Such ownership structures allow us to hold a more valuable property with a smaller investment, but may reduce our ability to control such properties. In addition, if our co-owner in such arrangements experiences financial difficulties or is otherwise unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations, we may be forced to find a new co-owner on less favorable terms or lose our interest in such property if no co-owner can be found.

As a general partner or member in DownREIT entities, we could be responsible for all liabilities of such entities.

We own three of our properties indirectly through limited liability companies and limited partnerships under a DownREIT structure. In a DownREIT structure, as well as some joint ventures or other investments we may make, we may utilize a limited liability company or a limited partnership as the holder of our real estate investment. We currently own a portion of these interests as a member, general partner and/or limited partner and in the future may acquire all or a greater interest in such entity. As a sole member or general partner, we are or would be potentially liable for all of the liabilities of the entities, even if we do not have rights of management or control over its operations. Therefore, our liability could far exceed the amount or value of investment we initially made, or then had, in such entities.

Our ability to operate a property may be limited by contract, which could prevent us from obtaining the maximum value from such properties.

Some of our properties will likely be contiguous to other parcels of real property, for example, comprising part of the same shopping center development. In some cases, there could exist significant covenants, conditions and restrictions, known as CC&Rs, relating to such property and any improvements or easements related to that property. The CC&Rs would restrict our operation of that property and could adversely affect the value of such property, either of which could adversely affect our operating costs and reduce the amount of funds that we have available to pay dividends.

We may acquire properties “as is,” which increases the risk that we will have to remedy defects or costs without recourse to the seller.

We may acquire real estate properties “as is,” with only limited representations and warranties from the seller regarding matters affecting the condition, use and ownership of the property. If defects in the property or other matters adversely affecting the property are discovered post-closing, we may not be able to pursue a claim for any or all damages against the seller. Therefore, we could lose some or all of our invested capital in the property as well as rental income. Such a situation could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.

In a sale-leaseback transaction, we are at risk that our seller/lessee will default, which could impair our operations and limit our ability to pay dividends.

In our model homes business we frequently lease model home properties back to the seller or homebuilder for a certain period of time. Our ability to meet any mortgage payments is subject to the seller/lessee’s ability to pay its rent and other lease obligations, such as triple net expenses, on a timely basis. A default by the seller/lessee or other premature termination of its leaseback agreement with us and our subsequent inability to release the property could cause us to suffer losses and adversely affect our financial condition and ability to pay dividends.

Our model home business is substantially dependent on the supply and/or demand for single family homes.

Any significant decrease in the supply and/or demand for single family homes could have an adverse effect on our business. Reductions in the number of model home properties built by homebuilders due to fewer planned unit developments, rising construction costs or other factors affecting supply could reduce the number of acquisition opportunities available to us. The level of demand for single family homes may be impacted by a variety of factors including changes in population density, the health of local, regional and national economies, mortgage rates, and the demand and use of model homes in newly developed communities by homebuilders and developers.

We may be unable to acquire and/or manage additional model homes at competitive prices or at all.

Model homes generally have a short life before becoming residential homes and there are a limited number of model homes at any given time. In addition, as each model home is unique, we need to expend resources to complete our due diligence and underwriting process on many individual model homes, thereby increasing our acquisition costs and possibly reducing the amount that we are able to pay for a particular property. Accordingly, our plan to grow our model home business by acquiring additional model homes to lease back to home builders may not succeed.

There are a limited number of model homes and competition to buy these properties may be significant.

We plan to acquire model homes to lease back to home builders when we identify attractive opportunities and have financing available to complete such acquisitions. We may face competition for acquisition opportunities from other investors. We may be unable to acquire a desired property because of competition from other well capitalized real estate investors, including private investment funds and others. Competition from other real estate investors may also significantly increase the purchase price we must pay to acquire properties.

A significant percentage of our properties are concentrated in a small number of states, which exposes our business to the effects of certain regional events and occurrences.

Our commercial properties are currently located in California, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota and Texas. Our model home portfolio consists of properties currently located in four states, although a significant concentration of our model homes are located in Texas. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 96% of our model homes were located in Texas. This concentration of properties in a limited number of markets may expose us to risks of adverse economic developments that are greater than if our portfolio were more geographically diverse. These economic developments include regional economic downturns and potentially higher local property, sales and income taxes in the geographic markets in which we are concentrated. In addition, our properties are subject to the effects of adverse acts of nature, such as winter storms, hurricanes, hailstorms, strong winds, earthquakes and tornadoes, which may cause damage, such as flooding, to our properties. Additionally, we cannot assure you that the amount of casualty insurance we maintain would entirely cover damages caused by any such event, or in the case of our model homes portfolio or commercial triple net leases, that the insurance maintained by our tenants would entirely cover damages caused by any such event.

As a result of our geographic concentration of properties, we will face a greater risk of a negative impact on our revenues in the event these areas are more severely impacted by adverse economic and competitive conditions and extreme weather than other areas in the United States.

We may be required under applicable accounting principles and standards to make impairment charges against one or more of our properties.

Under current accounting standards, requirements, and principles, we are required to periodically evaluate our real estate investments for impairment based on a number of indicators. Impairment indicators include real estate markets, leasing rates, occupancy levels, mortgage loan status, and other factors which affect the value of a particular property. For example, a tenant’s default under a lease, the upcoming termination of a long-term lease, the pending maturity of a mortgage loan secured by a property, and the unavailability of replacement financing are all impairment indicators. The presence of any of these indicators may require us to make a material impairment charge against the property so affected. If we determine an impairment has occurred, we are required to make an adjustment to the net carrying value of the property which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition for the period in which the impairment charge is recorded.

Discovery of toxic mold on our properties may adversely affect our results of operation.

Litigation and concern about indoor exposure to certain types of toxic molds have been increasing as the public becomes more aware that exposure to mold can cause a variety of health effects and symptoms, including allergic reactions. Toxic molds can be found almost anywhere; when excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture remains undiscovered or unaddressed. We attempt to acquire properties where there is no toxic mold or where there has not been any proceeding or litigation with respect to the presence of toxic mold. However, we cannot provide assurances that toxic mold will not exist on any of our properties or will not subsequently develop. The presence of toxic mold at any of our properties could require us to undertake a costly remediation program to contain or remove the mold from the affected property. In addition, the presence of toxic mold could expose us to liability from our tenants, employees of our tenants, and others if property damage or health concerns arise.

Our long-term growth may depend on obtaining additional equity capital.

Historically, we relied on cash from the sale of our equity securities to fund the implementation of our business plan, including property acquisitions and building our staff and internal management and administrative capabilities. We terminated our Series A Common Stock private placement on December 31, 2011 and closed on a preferred stock financing in August 2014, which financing was repaid in September 2020. Additionally, we consummated a preferred stock financing in June 2021 and in July 2021 completed a public offering of common stock and concurrent private placement of warrants. Our continued ability to fund real estate investments, our operations, and payment of dividends to our stockholders will likely be dependent upon our obtaining additional capital through the additional sales of our equity and/or debt securities. Without additional capital, we may not be able to grow our asset base to a size that is sufficient to support our planned growth, current operations, or to pay dividends to our stockholders at rates or at the levels required to maintain our REIT status (see risk factor titled “We may be forced to borrow funds on a short-term basis, to sell assets or to issue securities to meet the REIT minimum distribution or other requirements or for working capital purposes.”). There is no assurance as to when and under what terms we could successfully obtain additional funding through the sale of our equity and/or debt securities. Our access to additional equity or debt capital depends on a number of factors, including general market conditions, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our expected future earnings, and our debt levels.  If we are unable to obtain such additional equity capital, it could have an adverse impact on our growth aspects and the market price of our outstanding securities.

We currently are dependent on internal cash from our operations, financing and proceeds from property sales to fund future property acquisitions, meet our operational costs and pay dividends to our stockholders.

To the extent the cash we receive from our real estate investments and re-financing of existing properties is not sufficient to pay our costs of operations, our acquisition of additional properties, or our payment of dividends to our stockholders, we would be required to seek capital through additional measures. We may incur additional debt or issue additional preferred and common stock for various purposes, including, without limitation, to fund future acquisitions and operational needs. Other measures of generating or preserving capital could include decreasing our operational costs through reductions in personnel or facilities, reducing or suspending our acquisition of real estate, and reducing or suspending dividends to our stockholders.

Reducing or suspending our property acquisition program would prevent us from fully implementing our business plan and reaching our investment objectives. Reducing or suspending the payment of dividends to our stockholders would decrease our stockholders’ return on their investment and possibly prevent us from satisfying the minimum distribution or other requirements of the REIT provisions (see risk factor titled “We may be forced to borrow funds on a short-term basis, to sell assets or to issue securities to meet the REIT minimum distribution requirement or for working capital purposes.”). Any of these measures would likely have a substantial adverse effect on our financial condition, the value of our common stock, and our ability to raise additional capital.

There can be no assurance that distributions will be paid, maintained or increased over time.

There are many factors that can affect the availability and timing of cash distributions to our stockholders. Distributions are expected to be based upon our funds from operations, or FFO, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity, debt service requirements and capital or other expenditure requirements for our properties, and any distributions will be authorized at the sole discretion of our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, and their form, timing and amount, if any, will be affected by many factors, such as our ability to acquire profitable real estate investments and successfully manage our real estate properties and our operating expenses. Other factors may be beyond our control. We can therefore provide no assurance that we will be able to pay or maintain distributions or that distributions will increase over time. For example, our distributions were suspended for the periods from the third quarter of 2017 through the third quarter of 2018 and for the final three quarters of 2019 through the third quarter of 2020.  If we do not have sufficient cash available for distributions, we may need to fund the shortage out of working capital or borrow to provide funds for such distributions, which would reduce the amount of proceeds available for real estate investments and increase our future interest costs. Our inability to pay distributions, or to pay distributions at expected levels, could result in a decrease in the per share trading price of our Series A Common Stock, Series D Preferred Stock or Series A Warrants.

If we are unable to find suitable investments, we may not be able to achieve our investment objectives or continue to pay distributions.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to pay distributions on a regular basis is dependent upon our acquisition of suitable property investments and obtaining satisfactory financing arrangements. We cannot be sure that our management will be successful in finding suitable properties on financially attractive terms. If our management is unable to find such investments, we will hold the proceeds available for investment in an interest-bearing account or invest the proceeds in short-term, investment-grade investments. Holding such short-term investments will prevent us from making the long-term investments necessary to generate operating income to pay distributions. As a result, we will need to raise additional capital to continue to pay distributions until such time as suitable property investments become available (see risk factor titled “We may be forced to borrow funds on a short-term basis, to sell assets or to issue securities to meet the REIT minimum distribution or other requirements or for working capital purposes.”). In the event that we are unable to do so, our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders will be adversely affected.

We depend on key personnel, and the loss of such persons could impair our ability to achieve our business objectives.

Our success substantially depends upon the continued contributions of certain key personnel in evaluating and securing investments, selecting tenants and arranging financing. Our key personnel include Jack K. Heilbron, our Chief Executive Officer and President, Adam Sragovicz, our Chief Financial Officer, and Gary Katz, our Chief Investment Officer, each of whom would be difficult to replace. If either of these individuals or any of the other members of our management team were to leave, the implementation of our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered, and our operating results could suffer.

We also believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our ability to hire and retain skilled and experienced managerial and operational personnel. Competition for skilled and experienced professionals has intensified, and we cannot assure our stockholders that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.

We rely on third-party property managers to manage most of our properties and brokers or agents to lease our properties.

We rely on various third-party property managers to manage most of our properties and local brokers or agents to lease vacant space. These third-party property managers have significant decision-making authority with respect to the management of our properties. Although we are significantly engaged with our third-party property managers, our ability to direct and control how our properties are managed on a day-to-day basis may be limited. Major issues encountered by our property managers, broker or leasing agents could adversely impact the operation and profitability of our properties and, consequently, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, cash available for distributions and our ability to service our debt obligations.

We may change our investment and business policies without stockholder consent, and such changes could increase our exposure to operational risks.

Our Board of Directors may change our investment and business policies, including our policies with respect to investments, acquisitions, growth, operations, indebtedness, capitalization and distributions, at any time without the consent of our stockholders. Although our independent directors review our investment policies at least annually to determine that the policies we are following are in the best interests of our Company, a change in such policies could result in our making investments different from, and possibly riskier than, investments made in the past. A change in our investment policies may, among other things, increase our exposure to interest rate risk, default risk and real estate market fluctuations, all of which could materially affect our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, including due to our sponsorship of the Murphy Canyon SPAC, our stockholders’ investment return may be reduced.

We are not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, based on exceptions we believe are available to us. Our investment in the Murphy Canyon SPAC discussed above could give rise to a determination that we are an investment company subject to registration under the Investment Company Act. We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed to be an investment company. The SPAC IPO registration statement and related prospectus includes an exception permitting us to transfer our ownership in the founder shares at any time to the extent that we determine, in good faith, that such transfer is necessary to ensure that we comply with the Investment Company Act.

Provisions of Maryland law may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of us by requiring our Board of Directors or stockholders to approve proposals to acquire our Company or effect a change in control.

Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”) may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change in control under circumstances that otherwise could provide our stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of their shares of common stock, including:

By resolution, our Board of Directors has exempted business combinations between us and any other person, provided that the business combination is first approved by our Board of Directors (including a majority of our directors who are not affiliates or associates of such person). We cannot assure you that our Board of Directors will not amend or repeal this resolution in the future. In addition, pursuant to a provision in our bylaws we have opted out of the control share provisions of the MGCL.

In addition, the “unsolicited takeover” provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the MGCL permit our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is provided in our charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including adopting a classified board or increasing the vote required to remove a director. Such takeover defenses may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us under the circumstances that otherwise could provide our common stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-current market price.

Our Board of Directors may approve the issuance of stock, including preferred stock, with terms that may discourage a third party from acquiring us.

Other than as set forth therein, our charter permits our Board of Directors, without any action by our stockholders, to authorize the issuance of stock in one or more classes or series. Our Board of Directors may also classify or reclassify any unissued preferred stock and set or change the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of any such stock, which rights may be superior to those of our common stock. Thus, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of shares of a class or series of stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of some or a majority of our outstanding common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then current market price of our common stock.

Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against our directors and officers are limited.

Our charter eliminates the liability of our directors and officers to us and our stockholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law. Under current Maryland law and our charter, our directors and officers will not have any liability to us or our stockholders for money damages other than liability resulting from:

Our charter authorizes us and our bylaws obligate us to indemnify each of our directors or officers who is or is threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in those or certain other capacities, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his or her status as a present or former director or officer of us or serving in such other capacities. In addition, we may be obligated to pay or reimburse the expenses incurred by our present and former directors and officers without requiring a preliminary determination of their ultimate entitlement to indemnification. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights to recover money damages from our directors and officers than might otherwise exist absent these provisions in our charter and bylaws or that might exist with other companies, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions that are not in our or your best interests.

Our management faces certain conflicts of interest with respect to their other positions and/or interests outside of our Company, which could hinder our ability to implement our business strategy and to generate returns to our stockholders.

We rely on our management, including Mr. Heilbron, our Chief Executive Officer and President, for implementation of our investment policies and our day-to-day operations. Although the majority of his business time is spent working for our Company, Mr. Heilbron engages in other investment and business activities in which we have no economic interest. His responsibilities to these other entities could result in action or inaction that is detrimental to our business, which could harm the implementation of our business strategy. He may face conflicts of interest in allocating his time among us and his other business ventures and in meeting his obligations to us and those other entities. His determinations in these situations may be more favorable to other entities than to us.

Possible future transactions with our management or their affiliates could create a conflict of interest, which could result in actions that are not in the long-term best interests of our stockholders.

Under prescribed circumstances, we may enter into transactions with affiliates of our management, including the borrowing and lending of funds, the purchase and sale of properties and joint investments. Currently, our policy is not to enter into any transaction involving sales or purchases of properties or joint investments with management or their affiliates, or to borrow from or lend money to such persons. However, our policies in each of these regards may change in the future.

We face system security risks as we depend on automated processes and the Internet.

We are increasingly dependent on automated information technology processes. While we attempt to mitigate this risk through offsite backup procedures and contracted data centers that include, in some cases, redundant operations, we could be severely impacted by a catastrophic occurrence, such as a natural disaster or a terrorist attack.

In addition, an increasing portion of our business operations are conducted over the Internet, putting us at risk from cybersecurity attacks, including attempts to make unauthorized transfers of funds, gain unauthorized access to our confidential data or information technology systems, viruses, ransomware, and other electronic security breaches. Such cyber-attacks may involve more sophisticated security threats that could impact day-to-day operations. While we employ a number of measures to prevent, detect and mitigate these threats, there is no guarantee such efforts will be successful at preventing a cyber-attack. Cybersecurity incidents could compromise confidential information of our tenants, employees and vendors and cause system failures and disruptions of operations.

Risks related to cyber-attacks, cyber intrusions and other security breaches.

We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems inside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. In addition, the risk of cyber-attack or cyber intrusion has increased and become more costly to monitor and manage with more of our employees and the employees of our vendors, customers or other business partners working remotely as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations (including managing our building systems). We make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our IT networks and systems and have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption. However, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. A security breach or other significant disruption involving our IT networks and related systems could result in unauthorized access to proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information, significantly disrupt our business operations, cause damage to our reputation and subject us to additional unforeseen costs and require significant time and resources to remedy. Any or all of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Current legislative uncertainty and discourse could cause significant economic impact on markets, including the availability and access to capital markets and other funding sources, adverse changes in real estate values and increased interest rates. Such impacts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results from operation and growth prospects.

In early 2022, the United States Federal Reserve indicated its intention of raising interest rates multiple times over the course of the year and beyond. An increase in the federal funds effective rate could cause an increase in rates related to lending for commercial real estate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to pay distributions. Further, the midterm elections in 2022 could cause a change in control of the legislative branch of the government. Changes in federal policy and at regulatory agencies occur over time through policy and personnel changes following elections. These changes could result in sweeping reform in many laws and regulations, including without limitation, those relating to taxes, small business aid and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, political discourse continues to be abrasive and an inability of the legislative and executive branches to engage in bipartisan politics may lead to instability on legislative, economic and social matters. These factors could have significant economic impacts on the markets, including without limitation, the stability, availability and access to capital markets and other funding sources, reduced real estate values and increases to interest rates. Such impacts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results from operation and growth prospects.

We will lose our entire investment in Murphy Canyon if it does not complete its IBC and our officers may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for Murphy Canyon.

We purchased, through the Sponsor, founder shares in Murphy Canyon for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000.  In connection with Murphy Canyon’s IPO, we purchased, through the Sponsor, 754,000 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $7,540,000.  We currently own approximately 23.49% of Murphy Canyon’s outstanding shares.  The founder shares and private placement units will be worthless if Murphy Canyon does not complete an IBC. In addition, the Sponsor may provide loans to Murphy Canyon. The interests of our officers and directors who also serve as officers and directors of Murphy Canyon may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following Murphy Canyon’s IBC.

Our officers, including our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Mr. Heilbron, will allocate some of their time to Murphy Canyon, thereby causing potential conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This potential conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our operations.

Mr. Heilbron, our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Mr. Sragovicz, our Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Bentzen, our Chief Accounting Officer, also serve in these positions for Murphy Canyon, and Mr. Heilbron and Mr. Sragovicz additionally serve as directors of Murphy Canyon. These officers may not commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and Murphy Canyon’s operations. These officers are engaged in Murphy Canyon and are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. While we do not believe that the time devoted to the SPAC will undermine their ability to fulfill their duties with respect to our Company, if the business affairs of Murphy Canyon require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our operations.

A conflict of interest may arise if we seek to acquire an entity that is also a target for an initial business combination with Murphy Canyon.

Murphy Canyon is also seeking to acquire a company engaged in the real estate business, and is not formally constrained in any way from pursuing acquisitions or business combinations that could be suitable transactions for the Company. We do not believe it is likely that Murphy Canyon will compete against the Company for suitable acquisition targets based upon Murphy Canyon’s current business model. Nevertheless, it is possible that a potential transaction could arise that would be suitable for both the Company and Murphy Canyon, giving rise to a conflict of interest. If such a circumstance were to occur, we anticipate that the board of directors would recuse any conflicted members of our management from taking any role in the consideration of such a transaction and, to the extent necessary, retain appropriately qualified, non-conflicted personnel to advise us.

Risks Related to our Indebtedness

We have significant outstanding indebtedness, which requires that we generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy the payment and other obligations under the terms of our debt and exposes us to the risk of default under the terms of our debt.

Our total gross indebtedness as of December 31, 2021 was approximately $88.9 million. We may incur additional debt for various purposes, including, without limitation, to fund future acquisitions and operational needs.

The terms of our outstanding indebtedness provide for significant principal and interest payments. Our ability to meet these and other ongoing payment obligations of our debt depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future. Our ability to generate cash flow, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors, as well as other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that capital will be available to us, in amounts sufficient to enable us to meet our payment obligations under our loan agreements and to fund our other liquidity needs. If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to service these obligations, we may need to refinance or restructure our debt, sell unencumbered assets subject to defeasance or yield maintenance costs (which we may be limited in doing in light of the relatively illiquid nature of our properties), reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. If we are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, we may not be able to meet these payment obligations, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity. Our outstanding indebtedness, and the limitations imposed on us by the agreements that govern our outstanding indebtedness, could have significant adverse consequences, including the following:

If any one of these events was to occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.

Mortgage indebtedness and other borrowings increase our operational risks.

Loans obtained to fund property acquisitions will generally be secured by mortgages on our properties. The more we borrow, the higher our fixed debt payment obligations will be and the greater the risk that we will not be able to timely meet these payment obligations. At December 31, 2021, excluding our model home properties, we had a total of approximately $92.7 million of secured financing on our properties. If we are unable to make our debt payments as required, due to a decrease in rental or other revenues or an increase in our other costs, a lender could charge us a default rate of interest and/or foreclose on the property or properties securing its debt. This could cause an adverse effect on our results of operations and/or cause us to lose part or all of our investment, adversely affecting our financial condition by lowering the value of our real estate portfolio.

Lenders often require restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which adversely affects our flexibility and may affect our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

Some of our mortgage loans impose restrictions that affect our distribution and operating policies, our ability to incur additional debt and our ability to resell interests in properties. A number of loan documents contain covenants requiring us to maintain cash reserves or letters of credit under certain circumstances and limiting our ability to further mortgage the property, discontinue certain insurance coverage, replace the property manager, or terminate certain operating or lease agreements related to the property. Such restrictions may limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

Financing arrangements involving balloon payment obligations may adversely affect our ability to pay distributions.

Some of our mortgage loans  require us to make a lump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. We may finance more properties that we acquire in this manner. Our ability to make a balloon payment at maturity could be uncertain and may depend upon our ability to obtain additional financing, to refinance the debt or to sell the property. When the balloon payment is due, we may not be able to refinance debt on favorable terms or sell the property at a price that would cover the balloon payment. The effect of a refinancing or sale could affect the rate of return to stockholders and the value of our common stock.

In addition, making a balloon payment may leave us with insufficient cash to pay the distributions that are required to maintain our qualification as a REIT. At December 31, 2021, excluding our model homes business, we have one mortgage that requires a balloon payment in 2022. The model homes division pays off the balance of its mortgages using proceeds from the sale of the underlying homes. Any deficiency in the sale proceeds would have to be paid from existing cash, reducing the amount available for distributions and operations.

Risks Related to our Status as a REIT and Related Federal Income Tax Matters

Failure to qualify as a REIT could adversely affect our operations and our ability to pay distributions.

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2001.  We believe that we have been organized and have operated in a manner that has allowed us to qualify for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes commencing with such taxable year, and 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 and dispositions, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will qualify for any particular year. If we lose our REIT qualification, we would be subject to federal corporate income taxation on our taxable income, and we could also be subject to increased state and local taxes. Additionally, we would not be allowed a deduction for distributions paid to stockholders. Moreover, unless we are entitled to relief under applicable statutory provisions, we could not elect to be taxed as a REIT for four taxable years following the year during which we were disqualified. The income tax consequences could be substantial and would reduce our cash available for distribution to stockholders and investments in additional real estate. We could also be required to borrow funds or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax. If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would not be required to make distributions to our stockholders.

As a REIT, we may be subject to tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow.

Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to federal, state and local taxes on our income or property, including the following:

Our ownership of taxable REIT subsidiaries is subject to certain restrictions, and we will be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on certain income or deductions if our transactions with our taxable REIT subsidiaries are not conducted on arm’s length terms.

We own and may acquire direct or indirect interests in one or more entities that have elected or will elect, together with us, to be treated as our taxable REIT subsidiaries. A taxable REIT subsidiary is a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock, and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. If a taxable REIT subsidiary owns more than 35% of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of another corporation, such other corporation will also be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Other than some activities relating to lodging and health care facilities, a taxable REIT subsidiary may generally engage in any business, including the provision of customary or non-customary services to tenants of its parent REIT. A taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to U.S. federal income tax as a regular C corporation. In addition, a 100% excise tax will be imposed on certain transactions between a taxable REIT subsidiary and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s length basis.

A REIT’s ownership of securities of a taxable REIT subsidiary is not subject to the 5% or 10% asset tests applicable to REITs. Not more than 25% of the value of our total assets could be represented by securities, including securities of taxable REIT subsidiaries, other than those securities includable in the 75% asset test. Further, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, not more than 20% of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities of taxable REIT subsidiaries. We anticipate that the aggregate value of the stock and other securities of any taxable REIT subsidiaries that we own will be less than 20% of the value of our total assets, and we will monitor the value of these investments to ensure compliance with applicable asset test limitations. In addition, we intend to structure our transactions with any taxable REIT subsidiaries that we own to ensure that they are entered into on arm’s length terms to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with these limitations or avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

We may be forced to borrow funds on a short-term basis, to sell assets or to issue securities to meet the REIT minimum distribution or other requirements or for working capital purposes.

To qualify as a REIT, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the nature and diversification of our assets, the sources of our income and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. In order to maintain our REIT status or avoid the payment of income and excise taxes, we may need to borrow funds on a short-term basis to meet the REIT distribution requirements, even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings. To qualify as a REIT, in general, we must distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains) each year. We have and intend to continue to make distributions to our stockholders. However, our ability to make distributions may be adversely affected by the risk factors described elsewhere herein. In the event of a decline in our operating results and financial performance or in the value of our asset portfolio, we may not have cash sufficient for distribution. Therefore, to preserve our REIT status or avoid taxation, we may need to borrow funds, sell assets or issue additional securities, even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable. Moreover, we may be required to liquidate or forgo otherwise attractive investments in order to satisfy the REIT asset and income tests or to qualify under certain statutory relief provisions. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to meet any of these asset, income or distribution tests, or to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with one or more of the requirements applicable to REITs or may be subject to a 100% tax on any resulting gain if such sales constitute prohibited transactions.

In addition, we require a minimum amount of cash to fund our daily operations. Due to the REIT distribution requirements, we may be forced to make distributions when we otherwise would use the cash to fund our working capital needs. Therefore, we may be forced to borrow funds, to sell assets or to issue additional securities at certain times for our working capital needs.

The tax imposed on REITs engaging in “prohibited transactions” may limit our ability to engage in transactions that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. Although we do not intend to hold any properties that would be characterized as held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our business unless a sale or disposition qualifies under certain statutory safe harbors, such characterization is a factual determination and no guarantee can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) would agree with our characterization of our properties or that we will always be able to make use of the available safe harbors.

Legislative or other actions affecting REITs could have a negative effect on our investors or us.

The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Changes to the tax laws, with or without retroactive application, could adversely affect our investors or us. We cannot predict how changes in the tax laws might affect our investors or us. New legislation, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify as a REIT, the federal income tax consequences of such qualification, or the federal income tax consequences of an investment in us. Also, the law relating to the tax treatment of other entities, or an investment in other entities, could change, making an investment in such other entities more attractive relative to an investment in a REIT.

The stock ownership limit imposed by the Code for REITs and our charter may discourage a takeover that could otherwise result in a premium price for our stockholders.

In order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, no more than 50% in value of our outstanding stock may be beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (including certain types of entities) at any time during the last half of each taxable year. To ensure that we do not fail to qualify as a REIT under this test, our charter restricts ownership by one person or entity to no more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series of our capital stock. This restriction may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, 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.

Dividends payable by REITs generally are taxed at the higher ordinary income rate, which could reduce the net cash received by stockholders and may be detrimental to our ability to raise additional funds through any future sale of our common stock.

Income from “qualified dividends” payable to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is generally subject to tax at reduced rates. However, dividends payable by REITs to its stockholders generally are not eligible for the reduced rates for qualified dividends and are taxed at ordinary income rates (but U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates generally may deduct 20% of ordinary dividends from a REIT for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026). Although these rules do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, to the extent that the reduced rates continue to apply to regular corporate qualified dividends, investors that are individuals, trusts and estates may perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could materially and adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including the per share trading price of our common stock, and could be detrimental to our ability to raise additional funds through the future sale of our common stock.

Tax-exempt stockholders will be taxed on our distributions to the extent such distributions are unrelated business taxable income.

Generally, neither ordinary nor capital gain distributions should constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to tax-exempt entities, such as employee pension benefit trusts and individual retirement accounts. Our payment of distributions to a tax-exempt stockholder will constitute UBTI, however, if the tax-exempt stockholder has incurred debt to acquire its shares. Therefore, tax-exempt stockholders are not assured all dividends received will be tax-free.

Risks Related to our Common Stock, Preferred Stock and Series A Warrants

Our Series D Preferred Stock is subordinate to our existing and future debt, and your interests could be diluted by the issuance of additional preferred stock and by other transactions.

The Series D Preferred Stock ranks junior to all of our existing and future debt and to other non-equity claims on us and our assets available to satisfy claims against us, including claims in bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceedings. Our future debt may include restrictions on our ability to pay distributions to preferred stockholders. Our charter currently authorizes the issuance of up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more classes or series. Subject to limitations prescribed by Maryland law and our charter, our Board of Directors is authorized to issue, from our authorized but unissued shares of stock, preferred stock in such classes or series as our Board of Directors may determine and to establish from time to time the number of shares of preferred stock to be included in any such class or series. The issuance of additional shares of Series D Preferred Stock or another series of preferred stock designated as ranking on parity with the Series D Preferred Stock would dilute the interests of the holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock, and the issuance of shares of any class or series of our stock expressly designated as ranking senior to the Series D Preferred Stock or the incurrence of additional indebtedness could affect our ability to pay distributions on, redeem or pay the liquidation preference on the Series D Preferred Stock. The Series D Preferred Stock do not contain any terms relating to or limiting our indebtedness or affording the holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock protection in the event of a highly leveraged or other transaction, including a merger or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all our assets, that might adversely affect the holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock, so long as the rights, preferences, privileges or voting power of the Series D Preferred Stock or the holders thereof are not materially and adversely affected.

As a holder of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock, you have extremely limited voting rights.

Your voting rights as a holder of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock will be limited. Our shares of common stock are the only class of our securities carrying full voting rights. Voting rights for holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock exist primarily with respect to adverse changes in the terms of the Series D Preferred Stock and the creation of additional classes or series of preferred shares that are senior to the Series D Preferred Stock. Other than these limited voting rights described herein, holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock will not have any voting rights.

Our cash available for distributions may not be sufficient to pay distributions on the Series D Preferred Stock at expected levels, and we cannot assure you of our ability to pay distributions in the future. We may use borrowed funds or funds from other sources to pay distributions, which may adversely impact our operations.

We have paid and intend to pay regular monthly distributions to holders of our Series D Preferred Stock. Distributions declared by us are and will be authorized by our Board of Directors in its sole discretion out of assets legally available for distribution and will depend upon a number of factors, including our earnings, our financial condition, restrictions under applicable law, our need to comply with the terms of our existing financing arrangements, the capital requirements of our Company and other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. We may be required to fund distributions from working capital, proceeds of our equity offerings or a sale of assets to the extent distributions exceed earnings or cash flows from operations. Funding distributions from working capital would restrict our operations. If we are required to sell assets to fund distributions, such asset sales may occur at a time or in a manner that is not consistent with our disposition strategy. If we borrow to fund distributions, our leverage ratios and future interest costs would increase, thereby reducing our earnings and cash available for distribution from what they otherwise would have been. We may not be able to pay distributions in the future. In addition, some of our distributions may be considered a return of capital for income tax purposes. If we decide to make distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions would generally be considered a return of capital for federal income tax purposes to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares. A return of capital is not taxable, but it has the effect of reducing the holder’s adjusted tax basis in its investment. If distributions exceed the adjusted tax basis of a holder’s shares, they will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such stock.

We could be prevented from paying cash dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock due to prescribed legal requirements.

Holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock do not receive dividends on such shares unless authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us. Under Maryland law, cash dividends on stock may only be paid if, after giving effect to the dividends, our total assets exceed our total liabilities and we are able to pay our indebtedness as it becomes due in the ordinary course of business. Unless we operate profitably, our ability to pay cash dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock may be negatively impacted. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to enable us to pay dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock when payable. Further, even if we meet the applicable solvency tests under Maryland law to pay cash dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock described above, we may not have sufficient cash to pay dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock.

Furthermore, no dividends on Series D Preferred Stock shall be authorized by our Board of Directors or paid, declared or set aside for payment by us at any time when the authorization, payment, declaration or setting aside for payment would be unlawful under Maryland law or any other applicable law.

We may redeem the Series D Preferred Stock and you may not receive dividends that you anticipate if we redeem the Series D Preferred Stock.

On or after June 15, 2026, we may, at our option, redeem the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time. Also, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, we may, at our option, redeem the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, within 120 days after the first date on which such Change of Control occurred. We may have an incentive to redeem the Series D Preferred Stock voluntarily if market conditions allow us to issue other preferred stock or debt securities at a rate that is lower than the dividend rate on the Series D Preferred Stock. If we redeem the Series D Preferred Stock, from and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on shares of Series D Preferred Stock, the shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights as a holder of those shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price plus accumulated and unpaid dividends, if any, payable upon redemption.

Holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock should not expect us to redeem the Series D Preferred Stock on or after the date they become redeemable at our option.

The Series D Preferred Stock is a perpetual equity security. This means that it has no maturity or mandatory redemption date and is not redeemable at the option of the holders. The Series D Preferred Stock may be redeemed only by us at our option either in whole or in part, from time to time, at any time on or after June 15, 2026, or within 120 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control. Any decision we may make at any time to propose a redemption of the Series D Preferred Stock will depend upon, among other things, our evaluation of our capital position, the composition of our stockholders’ equity and general market conditions at that time.

The Series D Preferred Stock is not convertible into shares of our common stock, and investors will not realize a corresponding upside if the price of the common stock increases.

The Series D Preferred Stock is not convertible into shares of our common stock and earns dividends at a fixed rate. Accordingly, an increase in market price of our common stock will not necessarily result in an increase in the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock. The market value of the Series D Preferred Stock may depend more on dividend and interest rates for other preferred stock, commercial paper and other investment alternatives and our actual and perceived ability to pay dividends on, and in the event of dissolution satisfy the liquidation preference with respect to, the Series D Preferred Stock.

The Change of Control right may make it more difficult for a party to acquire us or discourage a party from acquiring us.

The Change of Control right allowing us to redeem the Series D Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, any time from time to time, for cash at a redemption price equal to $25.00 per share , plus any accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon to, but not including, the date of fixed redemption, may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing certain of our change of control transactions under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our Series D Preferred Stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-current market price of such equity securities or that stockholders may otherwise believe is in their best interests.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain actions, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with the Company.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or to our stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws or (d) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This forum selection provision in our bylaws may limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or any our directors, officers or other employees.

Listing on Nasdaq does not guarantee an active market for the Series D Preferred Stock and the market price and trading volume of the Series D Preferred Stock may fluctuate significantly.

The Series D Preferred Stock is trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market but there is no guarantee that an active and liquid trading market to sell the Series D Preferred Stock will be sustained. Because the Series D Preferred Stock has no stated maturity date, investors seeking liquidity may be limited to selling their shares in the secondary market. If an active trading market is not sustained, the market price and liquidity of the Series D Preferred Stock may be adversely affected. Even if an active public market continues to exit, we cannot guarantee you that the market price for the Series D Preferred Stock will equal or exceed the price you pay for your Series D Preferred Stock.

The market determines the trading price for the Series D Preferred Stock and may be influenced by many factors, including our history of paying distributions on the Series D Preferred Stock, variations in our financial results, the market for similar securities, investors’ perception of us, our issuance of additional preferred equity or indebtedness and general economic, industry, interest rate and market conditions. Because the Series D Preferred Stock carries a fixed distribution rate, its value in the secondary market will be influenced by changes in interest rates and will tend to move inversely to such changes. In particular, an increase in market interest rates may result in higher yields on other financial instruments and may lead purchasers of Series D Preferred Stock to demand a higher yield on the price paid for the Series D Preferred Stock, which could adversely affect the market price of the Series D Preferred Stock.

If the Series D Preferred Stock is delisted, the ability to transfer or sell shares of the Series D Preferred Stock may be limited and the market value of the Series D Preferred Stock will likely be materially adversely affected.

The Series D Preferred Stock does not contain provisions that are intended to protect investors if the Series D Preferred Stock is delisted from Nasdaq. If the Series D Preferred Stock is delisted from Nasdaq, investors’ ability to transfer or sell shares of the Series D Preferred Stock will be limited and the market value of the Series D Preferred Stock will likely be materially adversely affected. Moreover, since the Series D Preferred Stock has no stated maturity date, investors may be forced to hold shares of the Series D Preferred Stock indefinitely while receiving stated dividends thereon when, as and if authorized by our Board of Directors and paid by us with no assurance as to ever receiving the liquidation value thereof.

Market interest rates may have an effect on the value of the Series D Preferred Stock.

One of the factors that will influence the price of the Series D Preferred Stock will be the distribution yield on the Series D Preferred Stock (as a percentage of the market price of the Series D Preferred Stock) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which is expected to occur in 2022, may lead prospective purchasers of the Series D Preferred Stock to expect a higher distribution yield (and higher interest rates would likely increase our borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for distribution payments). Thus, higher market interest rates could cause the market price of the Series D Preferred Stock to decrease and reduce the amount of funds that are available and may be used to make distribution payments.

In the event of a liquidation, you may not receive the full amount of your liquidation preference.

In the event of our liquidation, the proceeds will be used first to repay indebtedness and then to pay holders of shares of the Series D Preferred Stock and any other class or series of our stock ranking senior to or on parity with the Series D Preferred Stock as to liquidation the amount of each holder’s liquidation preference and accrued and unpaid distributions through the date of payment. In the event we have insufficient funds to make payments in full to holders of the shares of the Series D Preferred Stock and any other class or series of our stock ranking on parity with the Series D Preferred Stock as to liquidation, such funds will be distributed ratably among such holders and such holders may not realize the full amount of their liquidation preference.

We are generally restricted from issuing shares of other series of preferred stock that rank senior the Series D Preferred Stock as to dividend rights or rights to the distribution of assets upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, but may do so with the requisite consent of the holders of the Series D Preferred Stock; and, further, no such consent is required for an increase in the number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock or the issuance of additional shares of Series D Preferred Stock or series of preferred stock ranking pari passu with the Series D Preferred Stock.

We are allowed to issue shares of other series of preferred stock that rank senior to the Series D Preferred Stock as to dividend payments and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, only with the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Series D Preferred Stock. However, we are allowed to increase the number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock or additional series of preferred stock that would rank equally to the Series D Preferred Stock as to dividend payments and rights upon our liquidation or winding up of our affairs without first obtaining the approval of the holders of our Series D Preferred Stock. The issuance of additional shares of Series D Preferred Stock or additional series of preferred stock could have the effect of reducing the amounts available to the Series D Preferred Stock upon our liquidation or dissolution or the winding up of our affairs. It also may reduce dividend payments on the Series D Preferred Stock if we do not have sufficient funds to pay dividends on all outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock and other classes or series of stock with equal or senior priority with respect to dividends. Future issuances and sales of senior or pari passu preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances and sales could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for the Series D Preferred Stock and our common stock to decline and may adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital in the financial markets at times and prices favorable to us.

The market price of the Series D Preferred Stock could be substantially affected by various factors.

The market price of the Series D Preferred Stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors. The price of the Series D Preferred Stock in the market may be higher or lower than the price holders of the Series D Preferred stock paid for it depending on many factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance.

These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

As a result of these and other factors, investors who purchase our Series D Preferred Stock may experience a decrease, which could be substantial and rapid, in the market price of the Series D Preferred Stock, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects.

The market price and trading volume of our Series D Preferred Stock may be volatile, and you could experience a loss if you sell your shares.

The market price of our Series D Preferred Stock may be volatile. In addition, the trading volume in our Series D Preferred Stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock declines significantly, you may be unable to sell your shares at or above the public offering price. We cannot assure you that the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly in the future.

Some of the factors that could negatively affect our share price or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our Series D Preferred Stock include:

If a substantial number of shares become available for sale and are sold in a short period of time, the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock could decline.

A large volume of sales of shares of our Series D Preferred Stock could further decrease the prevailing market price of such shares and could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities in the future. Even if sales of a substantial number of shares of our Series D Preferred Stock are not effectuated, the perception of the possibility of these sales could depress the market price for such shares and have a negative effect on our ability to raise capital in the future.

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our Series D Preferred Stock in the public market following, the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock could decrease significantly. The perception in the public market that our stockholders might sell shares of Series D Preferred Stock could also depress our market price. A decline in the price of shares of our Series D Preferred Stock might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our Series D Preferred Stock or other equity securities and could result in a decline in the value of the shares of our Series D Preferred Stock.

Broad market fluctuations could negatively impact the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock.

Stock market price and volume fluctuations could affect the market price of many companies in industries similar or related to ours and that have been unrelated to these companies’ operating performance. These fluctuations could reduce the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock. Furthermore, our results of operations and prospects may be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors or may be lower than those of companies with comparable market capitalizations. Either of these factors could lead to a material decline in the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock.

The market price of our Series D Preferred Stock could be adversely affected by our level of cash distributions.

The market’s perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future cash distributions, whether from operations, sales or refinancing, as well as the real estate market value of the underlying assets, may cause our Series D Preferred Stock to trade at prices that differ from our net asset value per share. If we retain operating cash flow for investment purposes, working capital reserves or other purposes, these retained funds, while increasing the value of our underlying assets, may not correspondingly increase the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock. Our failure to meet the market’s expectations with regard to future earnings and cash distributions likely would adversely affect the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock.

Future offerings of debt, which would be senior to our Series D Preferred Stock upon liquidation, and any preferred equity securities that may be issued and be senior to our Series D Preferred Stock for purposes of dividend distributions or upon liquidation, may adversely affect the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock.

In the future, we may seek additional capital and commence offerings of debt or preferred equity securities, including medium-term notes, senior or subordinated notes and preferred stock. Upon liquidation, holders of our debt securities and shares of preferred stock and lenders with respect to other borrowings will receive distributions of our available assets prior to the holders of our common stock. Future shares of preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference on liquidating distributions or dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay a dividend or make another distribution to the holders of our Series D Preferred. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, and consequently, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, our stockholders bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their stock holdings in us.

A future issuance of stock could dilute the value of our Series D Preferred Stock.

We may sell additional shares of Series D Preferred Stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such shares, in subsequent public or private offerings. Future issuance of any new shares could cause further dilution in the value of our outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our Series D Preferred Stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such shares, or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our Series A Common Stock or Series D Preferred Stock will have on the market price of our Series D Preferred Stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our Series D Preferred Stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices of our Series D Preferred Stock.

The Series A Warrants may not have any value.

The Series A Warrants are immediately exercisable and may be exercised in accordance with their terms until their expiration at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the expiration date.

The Series A Warrants have an exercise price of $7.00 per share. This exercise price does not necessarily bear any relationship to established criteria for valuation of our Series A Common Stock, such as book value per share, cash flows, or earnings, and you should not consider this exercise price as an indication of the current or future market price of our Series A Common Stock. There can be no assurance that the market price of our Series A Common Stock will exceed $7.00 per share at any time on the expiration date of the Series A Warrants, January 24, 2027, or at any other time the Series A Warrants may be exercised. If the market price of our Series A Common Stock on such date does not exceed $7.00 per share prior to the expiration of the Series A Warrants, your warrants will be of no value except to the extent that there is a value in their automatic conversion at expiration of 0.1 shares of Series A Common Stock rounded down to the nearest whole share.

An active trading market for our warrants may not continue to exist or remain active.

Although our Series A Warrants were listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market on or around January 24, 2022 under the symbol SQFTW, an active trading market for our warrants may not be sustained. If an active market for our warrants does not continue, it may be difficult for you to sell the Series A Warrants without depressing the market price for such securities.

Holders of our warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until such holders exercise their warrants and acquire shares of our Series A Common Stock.

Until warrant holders acquire shares of our Series A Common Stock upon exercise of the Series A Warrants, warrant holders will have no rights with respect to the shares of our Series A Common Stock underlying such warrants. Upon the acquisition of shares of our Series A Common Stock upon exercise of the Series A Warrants, the holders thereof will be entitled to exercise the rights of a holder of Series A Common Stock only as to matters for which the record date for the matter occurs after the exercise date of the Series A Warrants.

We could be prevented from paying cash dividends on the Series A Common Stock due to prescribed legal requirements.

Holders of shares of Series A Common Stock will not receive dividends on such shares unless authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us. Furthermore, no dividends on Series A Common Stock shall be authorized by our Board of Directors or paid, declared or set aside for payment by us at any time when the authorization, payment, declaration or setting aside for payment would be unlawful under Maryland law or any other applicable law. Under Maryland law, cash dividends on stock may only be paid if, after giving effect to the dividends, our total assets exceed our total liabilities and we are able to pay our indebtedness as it becomes due in the ordinary course of business. Unless we operate profitably, our ability to pay cash dividends on the Series A Common Stock may be negatively impacted. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to enable us to pay dividends on the Series A Common Stock when payable. Further, even if we meet the applicable solvency tests under Maryland law to pay cash dividends on the Series A Common Stock described above, we may not have sufficient cash to pay dividends on the Series A Common Stock. Additionally, provisions of the Series D Preferred Stock provide that, subject to certain exceptions, including dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock having been paid or set aside, we are restricted from paying dividends on our Series A Common Stock.

Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Requirements

Costs of complying with governmental laws and regulations may reduce our net income and the cash available for distributions to our stockholders.

Our properties are subject to various local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including those addressing zoning, environmental and land use, access for disabled persons, and air and water quality. These laws and regulations may impose restrictions on the manner in which our properties may be used or business may be operated, and compliance with these standards may require us to make unexpected expenditures, some of which could be substantial. Additionally, we could be subject to liability in the form of fines, penalties or damages for noncompliance, and any enforcement actions could reduce the value of a property. Any material expenditures, penalties, or decrease in property value would adversely affect our operating income and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.

The costs of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of defending against claims of environmental liability could adversely affect our operating results.

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner or operator of real property is responsible for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on its property. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated.

For instance, federal regulations require us to identify and warn, via signs and labels, of potential hazards posed by workplace exposure to installed asbestos-containing materials (“ACMs”), and potential ACMs on our properties. Federal, state, and local laws and regulations also govern the removal, encapsulation, disturbance, handling and disposal of ACMs and potential ACMs, when such materials are in poor condition or in the event of construction, remodeling, renovation or demolition of a property. There are or may be ACMs at certain of our properties. As a result, we may face liability for a release of ACMs and may be subject to personal injury lawsuits by workers and others exposed to ACMs at our properties. Additionally, the value of any of our properties containing ACMs and potential ACMs may be decreased.

Although we have not been notified by any governmental authority and are not otherwise aware of any material noncompliance, liability or claim relating to hazardous substances in connection with our properties, we may be found noncompliant in the future. Environmental laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of any hazardous substances. Therefore, we may be liable for the costs of removing or remediating contamination of which we had no knowledge. Additionally, future laws or regulations could impose an unanticipated material environmental liability on any of the properties that we purchase.

The presence of contamination, or our failure to properly remediate contamination of our properties, may adversely affect the ability of our tenants to operate the contaminated property, may subject us to liability to third parties, and may inhibit our ability to sell or rent such property or borrow money using such property as collateral. Any of these occurrences would adversely affect our operating income.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act may require us to make unintended expenditures that could adversely impact our results of operations.

Our properties are generally required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA. The ADA has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities,” but generally requires that buildings be made accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance with ADA requirements could require removal of access barriers and non-compliance could result in imposition of fines by the U.S. government or an award of damages to private litigants. The parties to whom we lease properties are obligated by law to comply with the ADA provisions, and we believe that these parties may be obligated to cover costs associated with compliance. If required changes to our properties involve greater expenditures than anticipated, or if the changes must be made on a more accelerated basis than anticipated, our tenants may to be able to cover the costs and we could be required to expend our own funds to comply with the provisions of the ADA. Any funds used for ADA compliance will reduce our net income and the amount of cash available for distributions to our stockholders.

Our property taxes could increase due to property tax rate changes, reassessments or changes in property tax laws, which would adversely impact our cash flows.

We are required to pay property taxes for our properties, which could increase as property tax rates increase or as our properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. In California, under current law, reassessment occurs primarily as a result of a “change in ownership”. A potential reassessment may take a considerable amount of time, during which the property taxing authorities make a determination of the occurrence of a “change of ownership”, as well as the actual reassessed value. In addition, from time to time, there have been proposals to base property taxes on commercial properties on their current market value, without any limit based on purchase price. If any similar proposal were adopted, the property taxes we pay could increase substantially. In California, pursuant to an existing state law commonly referred to as Proposition 13, properties are reassessed to market value only at the time of change in ownership or completion of construction, and thereafter, annual property reassessments are limited to 2% of previously assessed values. As a result, Proposition 13 generally results in significant below-market assessed values over time. From time to time, including recently, lawmakers and political coalitions have initiated efforts to repeal or amend Proposition 13 to eliminate its application to commercial and industrial properties. If successful, a repeal of Proposition 13 could substantially increase the assessed values and property taxes for our properties in California.

Our ability to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors may be impacted due to new state laws, including recently enacted quotas related to gender and underrepresented communities.

In September 2019, California enacted SB 826 requiring public companies headquartered in California with outstanding shares listed on a major United States stock exchange to maintain minimum female representation on their boards of directors as follows:  by the end of 2019, at least one woman on its board; by the end of 2021, public company boards with five members will be required to have at least two female directors, and public company boards with six or more members will be required to have at least three female directors. In September 2020, California enacted AB 979, which will require every public company with securities listed on a major U.S. stock exchange and that has its principal executive office in California, as listed on its form 10-K to have at least one director from an underrepresented community on its board of directors by the end of the 2021 calendar year and upwards of three directors from an underrepresented community on its board of directors by the end of the 2022 calendar year. Failure to achieve designated minimum levels in a timely manner exposes such companies to costly financial penalties and reputational harm. We cannot assure that we will be able to recruit, attract and/or retain qualified members of the board and meet quotas related to gender and underrepresented communities as a result of the California legislations (should they not be repealed before the compliance deadlines), which may cause certain investors to divest their holdings in our stock and expose us to penalties and/or reputational harm.

The costs of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of defending against claims of environmental liability could adversely affect our operating results.

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner or operator of real property is responsible for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on its property. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated.

For instance, federal regulations require us to identify and warn, via signs and labels, of potential hazards posed by workplace exposure to installed asbestos-containing materials (“ACMs”), and potential ACMs on our properties. Federal, state, and local laws and regulations also govern the removal, encapsulation, disturbance, handling and disposal of ACMs and potential ACMs, when such materials are in poor condition or in the event of construction, remodeling, renovation or demolition of a property. There are or may be ACMs at certain of our properties. As a result, we may face liability for a release of ACMs and may be subject to personal injury lawsuits by workers and others exposed to ACMs at our properties. Additionally, the value of any of our properties containing ACMs and potential ACMs may be decreased.

Although we have not been notified by any governmental authority and are not otherwise aware of any material noncompliance, liability or claim relating to hazardous substances in connection with our properties, we may be found noncompliant in the future. Environmental laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of any hazardous substances. Therefore, we may be liable for the costs of removing or remediating contamination of which we had no knowledge. Additionally, future laws or regulations could impose an unanticipated material environmental liability on any of the properties that we purchase.

The presence of contamination, or our failure to properly remediate contamination of our properties, may adversely affect the ability of our tenants to operate the contaminated property, may subject us to liability to third parties, and may inhibit our ability to sell or rent such property or borrow money using such property as collateral. Any of these occurrences would adversely affect our operating income.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

We have no unresolved staff comments regarding our periodic or current reports.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES  

General Information

We invest in a diverse multi-tenant portfolio of real estate assets primarily consisting of office/industrial, retail, and model home properties located primarily in the western United States. As of December 31, 2021, we owned or had an equity interest in nine office/industrial buildings totaling approximately 757,578 rentable square feet and four retail centers totaling approximately 121,052 rentable square feet. In addition, through our Model Home subsidiary and our investments in six limited partnerships and one corporation, we own a total of 92 Model Home properties located in four states. We directly manage the operations and leasing of our properties. Substantially all of our revenues consist of base rents received under leases that generally have terms that range from one to five years. the majority of our existing leases as of December 31, 2021 contain contractual rent increases that provide for increases in the base rental payments. Our tenants consist of local, regional and national businesses. Our properties generally attract a mix of diversified tenants creating lower risk in periods of economic fluctuations. Our largest tenant represented approximately 8.0% of total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Geographic Diversification Table

The following table shows a list of properties we owned as of December 31, 2021, grouped by the state where each of our investments is located.

Office/Industrial and Retail Properties:

Model Home Properties:

The following table summarizes information relating to our properties (excluding model homes) at December 31, 2021:

Property Summary

Top Ten Tenants Physical Occupancy Table

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to our top 10 tenants at our Office/Industrial and Retail Properties.

Lease Expirations Tables

The following table sets forth lease expirations for our properties as of December 31, 2021, assuming that none of the tenants exercise their renewal options.

Office/Industrial and Retail Properties:

Model Home Properties:

Physical Occupancy Table for Last 5 Years

The following table presents the percentage occupancy for each of our properties, excluding our Model Home Properties, as of December 31 for each of the last five years.

Annualized Base Rent Per Square Foot for Last 5 Years

The following table presents the average effective annual rent per square foot for each of our properties, excluding our Model Home Properties, as of December 31, 2021.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes the final outcome of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operation or liquidity.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not Applicable.

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUERS PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our Series A Common Stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "SQFT" beginning on October 7, 2020.  Our Series D Preferred Stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SQFTP” beginning on June 11, 2021.  On January 24, 2022, our Series A Warrants began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "SQFTW".

Performance Graph 

Not required.

Number of Common Stockholders

As of March 25, 2022, there were approximately 5,000 holders of our Series A Common Stock.

Dividend Payments

The following is a summary of distributions declared per share of our Series A Common Stock and for our Series D Preferred Stock for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.  The Company intends to continue to pay dividends to our common stockholders on a quarterly basis, and on a monthly basis for holders of Series D Preferred Stock going forward, but there can be no guarantee the Board of Directors will approve any future dividends.

Series A Common Stock

Series D Preferred Stock

Warrant Dividend

We set a record date of January 14, 2022 with respect to the distribution of the Series A Warrants.  The Series A Warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Series A Warrants were registered on a registration statement that was filed with the SEC and was declared effective January 21, 2022.  The Series A Warrants commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SQFTW” on January 24, 2022 and were distributed on that date to persons who held shares of common stock and existing outstanding warrants as of the January 14, 2022 record date, or who acquired shares of common stock in the market following the record date, and who continued to hold such shares at the close of trading on January 21, 2022.  The Series A Warrants give the holder the right to purchase one share of common stock at $7.00 per share, for a period of five years. Should warrantholders not exercise the Series A Warrants during that holding period, the Series A Warrants will automatically convert to 1/10 of a common share at expiration, rounded down to the nearest number of whole shares.

Dividend Policy

We plan to pay at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders in order to maintain our status as a REIT. We intend to continue to declare dividends, however, we cannot provide any assurance as to the amount or timing of future dividends. Our goal is to make cash dividend distributions out of our operating cash flow and proceeds from the sale of properties. During 2021, we paid dividends to holders of our Series A Common Stock of approximately $4.5 million related to 2021.  During 2020, we paid dividends to our holders of Series A Common Stock of approximately $1.0 million related to 2020.

To the extent that we make dividends in excess of our earnings and profits, as computed for federal income tax purposes, these dividends will represent a return of capital, rather than a dividend, for federal income tax purposes. Dividends that are treated as a return of capital for federal income tax purposes generally will not be taxable as a dividend to a U.S. stockholder, but will reduce the stockholder’s basis in its shares (but not below zero) and therefore can result in the stockholder having a higher gain upon a subsequent sale of such shares. Return of capital dividends in excess of a stockholder’s basis generally will be treated as gain from the sale of such shares for federal income tax purposes.

We provide each of our stockholders a statement detailing dividends paid during the preceding year and their characterization as ordinary income, capital gain or return of capital annually. During the year ended December 31, 2021, all dividends to holders of our Series A Common Stock were non-taxable as they were considered return of capital to the stockholders. During the year ended December 31, 2020, all dividends to holders of Series A Common Stock were taxable as they were considered capital gain to the stockholders.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

We established the 1999 Flexible Incentive Plan (“1999 Plan”) for the purpose of attracting and retaining employees, which was superseded by the 2017 Incentive Award Plan (“2017 Plan”). The 1999 Plan provided that the maximum number of shares to be issued under the 1999 Plan would be an amount equal to 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock at such time; the aggregate number of common stock that may be issued under the 2017 Plan is 1,100,000 shares. At December 31, 2021, approximately 651,000 restricted shares of common stock had been issued under the 1999 Plan and approximately 514,000 shares of Restricted Stock as defined in the 2017 Plan had been issued under such Plan. At December 31, 2021, the amount of shares of common stock available for future grants under the 2017 Plan was approximately 586,000 shares.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

On September 17, 2021, the Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $10 million of outstanding shares of our Series A Common Stock.  Purchases under the repurchase program may be made in the open market, through block trades, and other negotiated transactions. We expect to execute the share repurchase program primarily in open market transactions, subject to market conditions. There is no fixed termination date for the repurchase program, and the program may be suspended, discontinued, or accelerated at any time.

The following table contains information for shares of common stock repurchased during the three months ended December 31, 2021.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Not required.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion relates to our financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. Statements contained in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected. Some of the information presented is forward-looking in nature, including information concerning projected future occupancy rates, rental rate increases, project development timing and investment amounts. Although the information is based on our current expectations, actual results could vary from expectations stated in this report. Numerous factors will affect our actual results, some of which are beyond our control. These include the timing and strength of national and regional economic growth, the strength of commercial and residential markets, competitive market conditions, and fluctuations in availability and cost of construction materials and labor resulting from the effects of worldwide demand, future interest rate levels and capital market conditions. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information, which speaks only as of the date of this report. We assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent we are required to do so in connection with our ongoing requirements under federal securities laws to disclose material information. For a discussion of important risks related to our business, and an investment in our securities, including risks that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from results and events referred to in the forward-looking information. See Item 1A for a discussion of material risks.

OVERVIEW

The Company operates as an internally managed diversified real estate investment trust, or REIT.  The Company invests in a multi-tenant portfolio of commercial real estate assets comprised of office, industrial, and retail properties and model homes leased back to the homebuilder located primarily in the western United States. As of December 31, 2021, including properties held for sale, the Company owned or had an equity interest in:

Presidio Property Trust’s office, industrial and retail properties are located California, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota and Texas. Our Model Home Properties are located in four states, primarily in Texas. We acquire properties that are stabilized or that we anticipate will be stabilized within two or three years of acquisition. We consider a property to be stabilized once it has achieved an 80% occupancy rate for a full calendar year, or has been operating for three years. Our geographical clustering of assets enables us to reduce our operating costs through economies of scale by servicing a number of properties with less staff, but it also makes us more susceptible to changing market conditions in these discrete geographic areas.

Most of our office and retail properties are leased to a variety of tenants ranging from small businesses to large public companies, many of which are not investment grade. We have in the past entered into, and intend in the future to enter into, purchase agreements for real estate having net leases that require the tenant to pay all of the operating expense (NNN Leases) or pay increases in operating expenses over specific base years. Most of our office leases are for terms of 3 to 5 years with annual rental increases. Our model homes are typically leased for 2 to 3 years to the homebuilder on a triple net lease.  Under a triple net lease, the tenant is required to pay all operating, maintenance and insurance costs and real estate taxes with respect to the leased property.

We seek to diversify our portfolio by commercial real estate segments to reduce the adverse effect of a single under-performing segment, geographic market and/or tenant. We further supplement this at the tenant level through our credit review process, which varies by tenant class.  For example, our commercial and industrial tenants tend to be corporations or individual owned businesses.  In these cases, we typically obtain financial records, including financial statements and tax returns (depending on the circumstance), and run credit reports for any prospective tenant to support our decision to enter into a rental arrangement. We also typically obtain security deposits from these commercial tenants. Our Model Home business partners are substantial homebuilders with established credit histories. These tenants are subjected to financial review and analysis prior to us entering into a sales-leaseback transaction. Our ownership of the underlying property provides a further means to avoiding significant credit losses.

SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTIONS IN 2021 and 2020

Acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2021

Acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2020

Dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2021

We review our portfolio of investment properties for value appreciation potential on an ongoing basis, and dispose of any properties that no longer satisfy our requirements in this regard, taking into account tax and other considerations. The proceeds from any such property sale, after repayment of any associated mortgage or repayment of secured or unsecured indebtedness, are available for investing in properties that we believe will have a greater likelihood of future price appreciation. 

During year ended December 31, 2021 we disposed of the following properties:

Dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2020

During year ended December 31, 2020 we disposed of the following properties:

Sponsorship of Special Purpose Acquisition Company

On January 7, 2022, we announced our sponsorship, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Murphy Canyon Acquisition Sponsor, LLC (the “Sponsor”), of a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) initial public offering. The SPAC raised $132,250,000 in capital investment to acquire businesses in the real estate industry, including construction, homebuilding, real estate owners and operators, arrangers of financing, insurance, and other services for real estate, and adjacent businesses and technologies targeting the real estate space, which we may refer to as “Proptech” businesses. We, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, owned approximately 19% of the issued and outstanding stock in the entity upon the initial public offering being declared effective and consummated (excluding the private placement units described below), and that following the completion of its initial business combination that the SPAC will operate as a separately managed, publicly traded entity. The SPAC offered $132,250,000 units, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock and three-quarters of one redeemable warrant.

The Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 828,750 units (the “placement units”) of the SPAC at a price of $10.00 per unit, for an aggregate purchase price of $8,287,500. The placement units were sold in a private placement that closed simultaneously with the closing of the SPAC initial public offering. The Sponsor has agreed to transfer an aggregate of 45,000 placement units (15,000 each) to each of Murphy Canyon’s independent directors.

The SPAC's ability to complete a business combination may be extended in additional increments of three months up to a total of six (6) additional months from the closing date of the offering, subject to the payment into the Trust Account by the Sponsor (or its designees or affiliates) of the sum of $1,322,500, representing the sum of $0.10 per share of Common Stock sold to Public Stockholders, and which extension payments, if any, shall be added to the Trust Account.  The Company has committed to provide additional funds if need to make such a deposit for the extension.

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic caused state and local governments within our areas of business operations to institute quarantines, “shelter-in-place” mandates, including rules and restrictions on travel and the types of businesses that may continue to operate. While certain areas have re-opened, others have seen an increase in the number of cases reported, prompting local governments to consider enforcing further restrictions. We continue to monitor our operations and government recommendations. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law to provide widespread emergency relief for the economy and to provide aid to corporations.

The CARES Act includes several significant provisions related to taxes, refundable payroll tax credits and deferment of social security payments. We utilized certain relief options offered under the CARES Act and continue to evaluate the relief options for us and our tenants available under the CARES Act, as well as other emergency relief initiatives and stimulus packages instituted by the federal government. A number of the relief options contain restrictions on future business activities, which require careful evaluation and consideration, such as restrictions on the ability to repurchase shares and pay dividends. We will continue to assess these options, and any subsequent legislation or other relief packages, including the accompanying restrictions on our business, as the effects of the pandemic continue to evolve.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact our operating results during the fiscal  year 2021. We continue to monitor and communicate with our tenants to assess their needs and ability to pay rent. We have negotiated lease amendments with certain tenants who have demonstrated financial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have included or may include rent deferral, temporary rent abatement, or reduced rental rates and/or lease extension periods, however no new negotiations were initiated during the first and second quarters of 2021. While these amendments have affected our short-term cash flows, we do not believe they represent a change in the valuation of our assets for the properties affected and have not significantly affected our results of operations. Given the longevity of this pandemic and the potential for other variants of the coronavirus, such as the delta variant, the COVID-19 outbreak may materially affect our financial condition and results of operations going forward, including, but not limited to, real estate rental revenues, credit losses, leasing activity, and potentially the valuation of our real estate assets. We do not expect additional rent deferrals, abatements, and credit losses from our commercial tenants during the remainder of 2021 which may have a material impact on our real estate rental revenue and cash collections. While we do expect that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our ability to lease up available commercial space, our business operations and activities in many regions may be subject to future quarantines, “shelter-in-place” rules, and various other restrictions for the foreseeable future. Due to the uncertainty of the future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent of the financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. We are currently focused on growing our portfolio with the recent capital raised from the sale of our 9.375% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock in June 2021 and our Series A Common Stock in July 2021.  For more information, see Part II - Item 1A. Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have taken steps to best protect the health and safety of our employees globally.  Our daily execution has evolved largely into a virtual model, but we believe we have been successful in maintaining our ability to effectively communicate with and service our tenants during the pandemic period. 

It is impossible to project U.S. economic growth, but economic conditions could have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

According to Nareit's, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, 2022 Outlook for the Economy, published on it website in December 2021, Commercial Real Estate and REITs, the coming year is likely to see significant further improvement in overall economic conditions, with rising GDP, job growth, and higher incomes, in a supportive financial market environment where inflation pressures gradually subside and long-term interest rates remain well below their historical norms. The emergence of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in late November 2021 serves as a reminder that the threat of new waves of infection looms over all aspects of the global economy. Increasing vaccination rates and natural immunity due to prior infection may help contain these risks.  Nareit does not expect commercial real estate markets or the rest of the economy to go back completely to the way they were before the pandemic.  Overall, the year ahead is likely to build on the recovery that is already underway in the macroeconomy and in commercial real estate markets. REITs are likely to perform well in this growth environment.

Three obstacles are challenging the outlook over the near-term: ongoing high levels of COVID-19 infections, production and supply chain bottlenecks, and an elevated inflation rate. First, the pandemic continues to hold back many types of economic activity that involve face-to-face interactions, including employees’ return to the office, business travel, and many forms of entertainment. Second, the supply chain issues are well known, and have restricted auto production and availability of many types of goods. Finally, the consumer price index has risen 6.2% over the past 12 months, well above the Federal Reserve’s target, raising the possibility of higher interest rates to slow the economy to prevent it from overheating. Labor shortages, especially in a few sectors like hotels and restaurants, have limited some businesses’ ability to reopen fully. Most of the inflation pressures have resulted, however, from shortages of key components due to production and supply chain disruptions, and there is little evidence to date that inflation is being driven by higher labor costs.

There has been, in fact, significant progress on the return-to-office. In May 2020, 46 million employees reported that they were working from home due to the pandemic. There has been a steady flow over the past 18 months of millions of workers returning to the office, although this trend was briefly interrupted by the surge in cases of COVID-19 in November-December 2020 and again by the Delta variant last summer (see Nareit's chart 1.4: Return to Office). Nearly two-thirds of employees who had reported they were working from home in May 2020 had returned to the office by November 2021, although the pace of return has varied month-to-month according to the rate of vaccinations and infections.

These trends show that workers are coming back, but the pace at which they return to the office still depends on the pandemic. Recent new leases signed by major technology companies indicates that offices are an essential part of their business model. As COVID-19 cases decline, Nareit expects workers will continue to come back.

As noted in Nareit's "REITs & Inflation Outlook 2022: What to Know" article published on its website in December 2021, inflationary pressure to the macroeconomy from the effects of supply chain interruptions will likely lead to moderate inflation levels over the next year, rising above the Federal Reserve's target of 2.5% but likely well below historically high levels seen in the 1970s and early 1980s.  Same store net operating income (SSNOI) from Nareit’s T-Tracker gives a conservative estimate of REIT growth during different periods of inflation. SSNOI doesn’t include growth from acquisitions and the data exclude some of the highest growth property sectors of the last decade—lodging/resorts, timber, infrastructure, data centers, and specialty.  Annual SSNOI growth outpaced annual inflation in 63% of quarters from 1996Q1 to 2021Q3. There are no periods of high inflation in this time period, and the average inflation is under the Federal Reserve target at 2.2%. REIT operating income is consistently higher during periods of higher inflation, SSNOI growth averaged 2.5% during low inflation periods compared to 3.0% in periods of moderate inflation. While past performance is not always predictive of the future, Nareit see that in the current environment REIT operating income is more than keeping pace with price level increases. In the two most recent quarters when consumer price index jumped over 5%, SSNOI outpaced the uptick in annualized inflation by 23 basis points in 2021Q2 and 187 basis points in Q3.

Our ability to execute our business strategies, and in particular to make new investments, is highly dependent upon our ability to procure external financing. Our principal sources of external financing include the issuance of our equity securities and mortgages secured by properties. The market for mortgages has remained strong, and interest rates remain relatively low compared to historical rates. We continue to obtain mortgages from the commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) market, life insurance companies and regional banks. Although these lenders are currently optimistic about the outlook of the credit markets, the potential impact of new regulations and market volatility remain a concern. Even though we have been successful in procuring equity financing and secured mortgages financing, we cannot be assured that we will be successful at doing so in the future.

Rising inflation and elevated U.S. budget deficits and overall debt levels, including as a result of federal pandemic relief and stimulus legislation and/or economic or market and supply chain conditions, can put upward pressure on interest rates and could be among the factors that could lead to higher interest rates in the future. Higher interest rates could adversely affect our overall business, income, and our ability to pay dividends, including by reducing the fair value of many of our assets and adversely affecting our ability to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all, and negatively impacting the value of properties and the ability of prospective buyers to obtain financing for properties we intend to sell. This may affect our earnings results, reduce our ability to sell our assets, or reduce our liquidity. Furthermore, our business and financial results may be harmed by our inability to accurately anticipate developments associated with changes in, or the outlook for, interest rates.

MANAGEMENT EVALUATION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s evaluation of operating results includes an assessment of our ability to generate cash flow necessary to pay operating expenses, general and administrative expenses, debt service and to fund distributions to our stockholders. As a result, management’s assessment of operating results gives less emphasis to the effects of unrealized gains and losses and other non-cash charges, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment charges, which may cause fluctuations in net income for comparable periods but have no impact on cash flows. Management’s evaluation of our potential for generating cash flow includes assessments of our recently acquired properties, our non-stabilized properties, long-term sustainability of our real estate portfolio, our future operating cash flow from anticipated acquisitions, and the proceeds from the sales of our real estate assets.

In addition, management evaluates the results of the operations of our portfolio and individual properties with a primary focus on increasing and enhancing the value, quality and quantity of properties in our real estate holdings. Management focuses its efforts on improving underperforming assets through re-leasing efforts, including negotiation of lease renewals and rental rates. Properties are regularly evaluated for potential added value appreciation and cash flow and, if lacking such potential, are sold with the equity reinvested in new acquisitions or otherwise allocated in a manner we believe is accretive to our stockholders. Our ability to increase assets under management is affected by our ability to raise borrowings and/or capital, coupled with our ability to identify appropriate investments

Our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are not indicative of those expected in future periods. Management does not expect that the level of commercial property sales experienced over the last 24 months to continue in the near future.  Additionally, with the recent equity raised in June and July 2021, management is working to increase the number of commercial properties in the portfolio with new acquisitions.  However, elevated real estate prices in both commercial and residential real estate and compressing capitalization rates have made it challenging to acquire properties that fit our portfolio needs.  Management will continue to evaluate potential acquisitions in an effort to increase our portfolio of commercial real estate.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

As a company primarily involved in owning income generating real estate assets, management considers the following accounting policies critical as they reflect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements and because they are important for understanding and evaluating our reported financial results. These judgments affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and our disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of 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.

Real Estate Assets and Lease Intangibles. Land, buildings and improvements are recorded at cost, including tenant improvements and lease acquisition costs (including leasing commissions, space planning fees, and legal fees). We capitalize any expenditure that replaces, improves, or otherwise extends the economic life of an asset, while ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. We allocate the purchase price of acquired properties between the acquired tangible assets and liabilities (consisting of land, building, tenant improvements, land purchase options, and long-term debt) and identified intangible assets and liabilities (including the value of above-market and below-market leases, the value of in-place leases, unamortized lease origination costs and tenant relationships), based in each case on their respective fair values.

We allocate the purchase price to tangible assets of an acquired property based on the estimated fair values of those tangible assets assuming the building was vacant. Estimates of fair value for land, building and building improvements are based on many factors including, but not limited to, comparisons to other properties sold in the same geographic area and independent third party valuations. We also consider information obtained about each property as a result of its pre-acquisition due diligence, marketing and leasing activities in estimating the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets and liabilities acquired.

The value allocated to acquired lease intangibles is based on management’s evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant’s lease. Characteristics considered by management in allocating these values include the nature and extent of the existing business relationships with the tenant, growth prospects for developing new business with the tenant, the remaining term of the lease and the tenant’s credit quality, among other factors.

The value allocable to the above-market or below-market market component of an acquired in-place lease is determined based upon the present value (using a market discount rate) of the difference between (i) the contractual rents to be paid pursuant to the lease over its remaining term, and (ii) management’s estimate of rents that would be paid using fair market rates over the remaining term of the lease.

The value of in-place leases and unamortized lease origination costs are amortized to expense over the remaining term of the respective leases, which range from less than a year to ten years. The amount allocated to acquire in-place leases is determined based on management’s assessment of lost revenue and costs incurred for the period required to lease the “assumed vacant” property to the occupancy level when purchased. The amount allocated to unamortized lease origination costs is determined by what we would have paid to a third party to secure a new tenant reduced by the expired term of the respective lease.

Real Estate Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations. Real estate sold or to be sold during the current period is classified as “real estate held for sale” for all prior periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Mortgage notes payable related to the real estate sold during the current period is classified as “notes payable related to real estate held for sale” for all prior periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Additionally, we record the operating results related to real estate that has been disposed of as discontinued operations for all periods presented if the operations have been eliminated and represent a strategic shift and we will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the property following the sale.

Impairment of Real Estate Assets. We review the carrying value of each property to determine if circumstances that indicate impairment in the carrying value of the investment exist or that depreciation periods should be modified. If circumstances support the possibility of impairment, we prepare a projection of the undiscounted future cash flows, without interest charges, of the specific property and determine if the investment in such property is recoverable. If impairment is indicated, the carrying value of the property is written down to its estimated fair value based on our best estimate of the property’s discounted future cash flows.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. Intangible assets, including goodwill and lease intangibles, are comprised of finite-lived and indefinite-lived assets. Lease intangibles represents the allocation of a portion of the purchase price of a property acquisition representing the estimated value of in-place leases, unamortized lease origination costs, tenant relationships and land purchase options. Intangible assets that are not deemed to have an indefinite useful life are amortized over their estimated useful lives. Indefinite-lived assets are not amortized.

We test for impairment of goodwill and other definite and indefinite lived assets at least annually, and more frequently as circumstances warrant. Impairment is recognized only if the carrying amount of the intangible asset is considered to be unrecoverable from its undiscounted cash flows and is measured as the difference between the carrying amount and the estimated fair value of the asset.

Sales of Real Estate Assets. Generally, our sales of real estate would be considered a sale of a nonfinancial asset as defined by ASC 610-20. If we determine we do not have a controlling financial interest in the entity that holds the asset and the arrangement meets the criteria to be accounted for as a contract, we would derecognize the asset and recognize a gain or loss on the sale of the real estate when control of the underlying asset transfers to the buyer.

Revenue Recognition. 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 collectability 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 by 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 the tenant can take in the form of cash or a credit against its 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:

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 collectability of our tenant receivables related to base rents, including deferred rent receivable, expense reimbursements and other revenue or income. We specifically analyze accounts receivable, deferred rent 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 collectability 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.

Sales of real estate are recognized generally upon the transfer of control, which usually occurs when the real estate is legally sold. The application of these criteria can be complex and required us to make assumptions. We believe the relevant criteria were met for all real estate sold during the periods presented.

Income Taxes. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, for federal income tax purposes. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders and meet the various other requirements imposed by the Code relating to such matters as operating results, asset holdings, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. Provided we maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT, we are generally not subject to corporate level income tax on the earnings distributed currently to our stockholders that we derive from our REIT qualifying activities. If we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT in any taxable year, and are unable to avail ourselves of certain savings provisions set forth in the Code, all of our taxable income would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates, including any applicable alternative minimum tax. We are subject to certain state and local income taxes.

We, together with one of our entities, have elected to treat such subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (a “TRS”) for federal income tax purposes. Certain activities that we undertake must be conducted by a TRS, such as non-customary services for our tenants, and holding assets that we cannot hold directly. A TRS is subject to federal and state income taxes.

Fair Value Measurements. Certain assets and liabilities are required to be carried at fair value, or if long-lived assets are deemed to be impaired, to be adjusted to reflect this condition. The guidance requires disclosure of fair values calculated under each level of inputs within the following hierarchy:

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted process that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

Fair value is defined as the price at which an asset or liability is exchanged between market participants in an orderly transaction at the reporting date. Our cash equivalents, mortgage notes receivable, accounts receivable and payables and accrued liabilities all approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. Management believes that the recorded and fair values of notes payable are approximately the same as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

When available, we utilize quoted market prices from independent third-party sources to determine fair value and 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 use several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) and establish a fair value by assigning weights to the various valuation sources.  As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, our marketable securities presented on the balance sheet were measured using Level 1 market prices.  There were no financial liabilities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Additionally, when determining the fair value of a liability in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, we 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.

Depreciation and Amortization. The Company records depreciation and amortization expense using the straight-line method over the useful lives of the respective assets. The cost of buildings are depreciated over estimated useful lives of 39 years, the costs of improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated life of the asset or term of the tenant lease (which range from 1 to 10 years), the costs associated with acquired tenant intangibles over the remaining lease term and the cost of furniture, fixtures and equipment are depreciated over 4 to 5 years.

Earnings per share (“EPS”). The EPS on Common stock has been computed pursuant to the guidance in FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share.  The guidance requires the classification of the Company’s unvested restricted stock, which contain rights to receive non-forfeitable dividends, as participating securities requiring the two-class method of computing net income per share of common stock.  In accordance with the two-class method, earnings per share have been computed by dividing the net income less net income attributable to unvested restricted shares by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding less unvested restricted shares. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average shares of common stock and potentially dilutive securities outstanding in accordance with the treasury stock method.

RESULTS FROM OPERATIONS FOR THE YEARS ENDED December 31, 2021 AND 2020

Our results from operations for 2021 and 2020 are not indicative of those expected in future periods as we expect that rental income, interest expense, rental operating expense, general and administrative expenses, and depreciation and amortization will significantly change in future periods as a result of the assets sold over the last two years.

Revenues.  Total revenue was approximately  $19.23 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to approximately $24.35 million for the same period in 2020, a decrease of approximately $5.12 million or 21%. The decrease in rental income reported in 2021 compared to 2020 is directly related to the sale of four commercial properties during 2021 and three commercial properties during 2020, and the net decrease in model home property (26) during the year ended December 31, 2021. 

Rental Operating Costs.  Rental operating costs were approximately $6.18 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to approximately $8.82 million for the same period in 2020, a decrease of approximately $2.64 million or 30%. Rental operating costs as a percentage of total revenue was 32.2% and 36.2% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The decrease in rental operating costs as a percentage of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 compared to 2020 is due to the mix of properties held to include a higher percentage of triple net properties and model homes period over period, which have significantly lower operating costs.

General and Administrative. General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses were approximately $6.23 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to approximately $5.75 million for the same period in 2020, representing an increase of approximately $0.47 million or 8%. As a percentage of total revenue, our general and administrative costs was approximately 32.4% and 23.6% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in G&A expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 compared to 2020 is mainly due to the increase in stock compensation which increased approximately $0.5 million.  In connection with the Company becoming publicly traded in October 2020, the Company plans to continue rewarding its employee through stock-based compensation at a greater rate than historically.  The increase was slightly offset by the decreased payroll related costs, temporally reduced by the Employee Retention Credit ("ERC") received during the second quarter of 2021.

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expenses were approximately $5.40 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to approximately $6.27 million for the same period in 2020, representing a decrease of approximately $0.88 million or 14%. The decrease in depreciation costs is associated with the properties sold in 2021 and 2020.

Asset Impairments. We review the carrying value of each of our real estate properties annually to determine if circumstances indicate an impairment in the carrying value of these investments exists. During 2020, we recognized a non-cash impairment charge of approximately $1.73 million on the Waterman Plaza property and Highland Court. This impairment charges reflect management’s revised estimate of the fair market value based on sales comparable of like property in the same geographical area as well as an evaluation of future cash flows or an executed purchase sale agreement. The Company recognized a non-cash impairment of $0.3 million, related to the potential sale or our Highland Court property, and $0.3 million non-cash impairment related to 300 N.P. during the year ended December 31, 2021. 

Interest Expense-mortgage notes. Interest expense, including amortization of deferred finance charges was approximately $4.54 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to approximately $6.10 million for the same period in 2020, a decrease of approximately $1.56 million, or 26%. The decrease in mortgage interest expense relates to the decreased number of commercial properties owned in 2021 compared to 2020 and the related mortgage debt. The weighted average interest rate on our outstanding debt was 4.25% and 4.18% as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Interest Expense-note payable.  On September 17, 2019, the Company executed a Promissory Note pursuant to which Polar, extended a loan in the principal amount of approximately $14.0 million to the Company. The Polar Note bore interest at a fixed rate of 8% per annum and required monthly interest-only payments. Interest expense, including amortization of the deferred offering costs and Original Issue Discount of approximately $1.4 million, totaled approximately $0.3 and $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  The Polar Note was paid in full during March 2021.

Gain on Sale of Real Estate Assets. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the change in gain on sale relates to the mix and type of properties sold. See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Significant Transactions in 2021 and 2020 above for further detail.

Gain on Extinguishment of Government Debt. On April 30, 2020, the Company received a Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loan of approximately $0.5 million from the Small Business Administration ("SBA") which provided additional economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP loan, less $10,000 related to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan ("EIDL") received on April 22, 2020, was forgiven by the SBA as of December 31, 2020 and was fully forgiven in January 2021 upon repeal of the EIDL holdback requirements. The gain on extinguishment of government debt totaled $10,000 and $451,785 for the years end December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Deferred Offering Costs. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded approximately $0.5 million in legal, accounting and filing related expenses upon completion of our initial public offering.

Income Tax Expense / Credit. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded an income tax credit of approximately $48,000 related to estimated refunds from federal and state taxes for capital gains from the sale of model homes held by the taxable REIT subsidiary compared to a income tax expense of approximately $371,000, for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Income allocated to non-controlling interests. Income allocated to non-controlling interests for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 totaled approximately $2.16 million, and $1.41 million  

Geographic Diversification Tables

The following table shows a list of commercial properties owned by the Company grouped by state and geographic region as of December 31, 2021:

The following table shows a list of our Model Home properties by geographic region as of December 31, 2021:

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Overview

Our anticipated future sources of liquidity may include existing cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations, refinancing of existing mortgages, future real estate sales, new borrowings, financial aid from government programs instituted as a result of COVID-19, and the sale of equity or debt securities. Management believes that the number of recent real estate sales and resulting cash generated may not be indicative of our future strategic plans.  We intend to grow our portfolio with the recent capital raised from the sale of our Series D Preferred Stock in June 2021 and our Series A Common Stock in July 2021. Our cash and restricted cash at December 31, 2021 was $14.7 million, which included our available liquidity of cash and cash equivalents. Our future capital needs include paying down existing borrowings, maintaining our existing properties, funding tenant improvements, paying lease commissions (to the extent they are not covered by lender-held reserve deposits), and the payment of dividends to our stockholders. We also are actively seeking investments that are likely to produce income and achieve long-term gains in order to pay dividends to our stockholders, and may seek a revolving line of credit to provide short-term liquidity. To ensure that we can effectively execute these objectives, we routinely review our liquidity requirements and continually evaluate all potential sources of liquidity.

Our short-term liquidity needs include paying our current operating costs, satisfying the debt service requirements of our existing mortgages, completing tenant improvements, paying leasing commissions, and funding dividends to stockholders.  Future principal payments due on our mortgage notes payables during 2022, total approximately $12.2 million, of which  $8.6 million is related to model home properties.  Management expects certain model home and commercial properties will be sold, and that the underlying mortgage notes will be paid off with sales proceeds, while other mortgage notes will be refinanced as the Company has done in the past. Additional principal payments will be made with cash flows from ongoing operations.  On March 11, 2022, the Company completed the sale our property World Plaza, located in San Bernardino, CA, for $10 million to an unrelated third party.  This property was not encumbered by any debt and net cash proceeds will be used for future cash needs.

On September 17, 2021, the Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $10 million outstanding shares of our Series A Common Stock.  During September 2021, the Company was able to purchase 18,133 shares at an average price of $3.73692 per share, plus commission of $0.035 per share, for a total cost of $68,396.  During December 2021, the Company was able to purchase 11,588 shares at an average price of $3.6097 per share, plus commission of $0.035 per share, for a total cost of $42,234.78.  These shares will be treated as unissued in accordance with Maryland law and shown as a reduction of stockholders' equity at cost.  While we will continue to pursue value creating investments, the Board believes there is significant embedded value in our assets that is yet to be realized by the market. Therefore, returning capital to shareholders through a repurchase program is an attractive use of capital currently.

There can be no assurance that the Company will refinance loans, take out additional financing or capital will be available to the Company on acceptable terms, if at all. If events or circumstances occur such that the Company does not obtain additional funding, it will most likely be required to reduce its plans or certain discretionary spending, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to achieve its intended business objectives. We believe that cash on hand, cash flow from our existing portfolio, distributions from joint ventures in Model Home Partnerships and property sales during 2021 will be sufficient to fund our operating costs, planned capital expenditures and required dividends for at least the next twelve months. If our cash flow from operating activities is not sufficient to fund our short-term liquidity needs, we plan to fund a portion of these needs from additional borrowings of secured or unsecured indebtedness, from real estate sales, issuance of debt instruments, additional investors, or we may reduce the rate of dividends to the stockholders.

Our long-term liquidity needs include proceeds necessary to grow and maintain our portfolio of investments. We believe that the potential financing capital available to us in the future is sufficient to fund our long-term liquidity needs. We are continually reviewing our existing portfolio to determine which properties have met our short- and long-term goals and reinvesting the proceeds in properties with better potential to increase performance. We expect to obtain additional cash in connection with refinancing of maturing mortgages and assumption of existing debt collateralized by some or all of our real property in the future to meet our long-term liquidity needs. If we are unable to arrange a line of credit, borrow on properties, privately place securities or sell securities to the public we may not be able to acquire additional properties to meet our long-term objectives.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

At December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, we had approximately $14.7 million and $11.5 million in cash equivalents, respectively, including $4.7 million  and $4.2 million of restricted cash, respectively. Our cash equivalents and restricted cash consist of invested cash, cash in our operating accounts and cash held in bank accounts at third-party institutions. During 2021 and 2020, we did not experience any loss or lack of access to our cash or cash equivalents. Approximately $1.7 million of our cash and restricted cash balance is intended for capital expenditures on existing properties (including deposits held in reserve accounts by our lenders) over the next 12 months of 2022. We intend to use the remainder of our existing cash and cash equivalents for asset/property acquisitions, reduction of principal debt, general corporate purposes, common stock repurchases (if market conditions are met),or dividends to our stockholders and sponsorship of Murphy Canyon Acquisition Corp.

Secured Debt

As of December 31, 2021, all our commercial properties had fixed-rate mortgage notes payable in the aggregate principal amount of $67.3 million, collateralized by a total of 10 commercial properties with loan terms at issuance ranging from 5 to 22 years. The weighted-average interest rate on these mortgage notes payable as of December 31, 2021 was approximately 4.5%, and our debt to estimated market value for our commercial properties was approximately 51.9%. The debt to estimated market value includes the $7.2 million related party loans on our Mandolin and McElderry properties in Houston, TX and Baltimore, MD, respectively, which are eliminated in consolidation. 

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had 84 fixed-rate mortgage notes payable related to model homes in the aggregate principal amount of $22.2 million, excluding loans eliminated through consolidation, collateralized by a total of 84 Model Homes. These loans generally have a term at issuance of three to five years. As of December 31, 2021, the average loan balance per home outstanding and the weighted-average interest rate on these mortgage loans are approximately $264,000 and 3.4%, respectively. Our debt to estimated market value on these properties is approximately 56.1%, including loan eliminated through consolidation. The Company has guaranteed approximately 15% of these mortgage loans.

We have been able to refinance maturing mortgages to extend maturity dates and we have not experienced any notable difficulties financing our acquisitions.

Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

Operating Activities: Net cash provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 decreased by $1.3 million to approximately $2.4 million from $3.7 million.  The change in net cash provided in operating activities is mainly due to changes in net income, which fluctuates based on timing of receipt and payment, as well as an increase in non-cash addbacks such as straight-line rent.

Investing Activities: Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased $3.5 million to approximately $24.2 million compared to $27.7 million for the same period in 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company received gross proceeds from the sale of four office buildings for approximately $35.4 million, and sales of 42 Model Homes for approximately $20.7 million, which was offset by the purchase of  two commercial properties for approximately $13.6 million and 17 Model Homes for approximately $8.1 million. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company received gross proceeds from the sale of three office buildings for approximately $46.7 million, and sales of 46 Model Homes for approximately $18.1 million, which was offset by the purchase of 28 Model Homes for approximately $10.2 million

We currently project that we could spend up to $1.7 million (including deposits held in reserve accounts by lenders) on capital improvements, tenant improvements and leasing costs for properties within our portfolio on an annual basis. Capital expenditures may fluctuate in any given period subject to the nature, extent, and timing of improvements required to the properties. We may spend more on capital expenditures in the future due to rising construction costs and the anticipated increase in property acquisitions. Tenant improvements and leasing costs may also fluctuate in any given year depending upon factors such as the property, the term of the lease, the type of lease, the involvement of external leasing agents and overall market conditions.

Financing Activities: Net cash used in financing activities during theyear ended December 31, 2021 was $23.4 million compared to $30.2 million for the same period in 2020.The decrease of $6.8 million in net cash used in financing activities isprimarilydue to the following activities for the year ended December 31, 2021:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

On July 12, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with a single U.S. institutional investor for the purchase and sale of 1,000,000 shares of its Series A Common Stock, Common Stock Warrants to purchase up to 2,000,000 shares of Series A Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of Series A Common Stock. Each share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Stock Warrants were sold together at a combined offering price of $5.00, and each share of Common Stock and accompanying Pre-Funded Warrant were sold together at a combined offering price of $4.99. The Pre-Funded Warrants were exercised in full during August 2021 at a nominal exercise price of $0.01 per share. The Common Stock Warrants have an exercise price of $5.50 per share, were exercisable upon issuance and will expire five years from the date of issuance. 

In connection with this additional offering, we agreed to issue the Placement Agent Warrants to purchase up to 80,000 shares of Series A Common Stock, representing 4.0% of the Series A Common Stock and shares of Series A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.  The Placement Agent Warrants were issued in August 2021, post exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants with an exercise price of $6.25 and will expire five years from the date of issuance.

Common Stock Warrants:

If all the potential Common Stock Warrants outstanding at December 31, 2021, were exercised at the price of $5.00 per share, gross proceeds to us would be $10 million and we would as a result issue an additional 2,000,000 shares of common stock.

Placement Agent Warrants:

If all the potential Placement Agent Warrants outstanding at December 31, 2021, were exercised at the price of $6.25 per share, gross proceeds to us would be $0.5 million and we would as a result issue an additional 80,000 shares of common stock.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not required.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The financial statements required by this item are filed with this report as described under Item 15.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to Management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure based closely on the definition of “disclosure controls and procedures” in Rule 13a-14(c). In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, Management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and Management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Although we have modified our workplace practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in most of our employees working remotely, this has not materially affected our internal controls over financial reporting. We continue to monitor and assess the COVID-19 situation on our internal controls to minimize the impact on their design and operating effectiveness.

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 Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our Management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework). Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework, our Management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.

This annual report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding our internal control over financial reporting as such report is not required for the Company.

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

On March 28, 2022, Larry Dubose notified the Company that he is resigning from his positions with NetREIT Advisors, LLC and Dubose Advisors, LLC in 2022 and will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting, due to his other professional commitments and demands on his time. However, he will continue to remain an employee of our model home division.

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this item is set forth under the captions “Board of Directors” and “Executive Officers of the Company” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference. The Annual Meeting of Stockholders is presently scheduled to be held on May 26, 2022.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this item is set forth under the caption “Executive Compensation” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required by this item will be set forth under the caption “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this item is set forth under the caption “Related Party Transactions” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this item is set forth under the caption “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees and Services” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, and is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(1) Financial Statements - the following documents are filed as part of this report:

(2) Financial Statement Schedules - the following documents are filed as part of this report:

All other financial statement schedules have been omitted for the reason that the required information is presented in the financial statements or notes thereto, the amounts involved are not significant or the schedules are not applicable.

(3) Exhibits - an index to the Exhibits as filed as part of this Form 10-K is set forth below.