Whitestone REIT - Quarter Report: 2007 March (Form 10-Q)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For
the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007
OR
o
TRANSITION
REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For
the transition period from
____________ to
____________
Commission
File Number
000-50256
WHITESTONE
REIT
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
|
76-0594970
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(IRS
Employer
|
incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
No.)
|
1450
W. Sam Houston Parkway N., Unit 111
Houston,
Texas 77043
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(713)
827-9595
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days.
Yes
⊠
|
No
o
|
Indicate
by checkmark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated
filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and
large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act
Large
Accelerated Filer o
|
Accelerated
Filer o
|
Non-Accelerated
Filer ý
|
Indicate
by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2
of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
|
No
⊠
|
The
number of the registrant’s Common Shares of Beneficial Interest outstanding at
April 30, 2007, was 10,001,269.
Page
|
||
PART
I--FINANCIAL INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements
|
2
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2007 (unaudited) and December 31,
2006
|
2
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended
|
||
March
31, 2007 and 2006 (unaudited)
|
4
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity for the Three Months
Ended
|
||
March
31, 2007 (unaudited)
|
5
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended
|
||
March
31, 2007 and 2006 (unaudited)
|
6
|
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
|
7
|
|
Item
2.
|
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
24
|
Item
3.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
|
34
|
Item
4.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
34
|
PART
II--OTHER INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
35
|
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
36
|
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
36
|
Item
3.
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
37
|
Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
37
|
Item
5.
|
Other
Information
|
37
|
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
38
|
i
PART
I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
|
|||||||
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
|
|||||||
(in
thousands)
|
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
(unaudited)
|
|||||||
Assets
|
|||||||
Real
estate
|
|||||||
Land
|
$
|
32,662
|
$
|
32,662
|
|||
Buildings
and improvements
|
140,428
|
141,196
|
|||||
173,090
|
173,858
|
||||||
Less
accumulated depreciation
|
(24,715
|
)
|
(24,259
|
)
|
|||
Real
estate, net
|
148,375
|
149,599
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
12,412
|
8,298
|
|||||
Escrows
and acquisition deposits
|
248
|
382
|
|||||
Note
receivable
|
597
|
604
|
|||||
Receivables
|
|||||||
Accounts
receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
|
2,010
|
1,727
|
|||||
Accrued
rent receivable
|
3,002
|
3,035
|
|||||
Other
receivables
|
212
|
-
|
|||||
Receivables,
net
|
5,224
|
4,762
|
|||||
Deferred
costs, net
|
2,937
|
2,890
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other assets
|
824
|
552
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
170,617
|
$
|
167,087
|
|||
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements
2
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
|
|||||||
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
|
|||||||
(in
thousands except share data)
|
|||||||
|
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
|||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
(unaudited)
|
|||||||
Liabilities
and Shareholders' Equity
|
|||||||
Liabilities
|
|||||||
Notes
payable
|
$
|
75,656
|
$
|
66,363
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
2,228
|
5,398
|
|||||
Due
to affiliates
|
-
|
103
|
|||||
Tenants'
security deposits
|
1,485
|
1,455
|
|||||
Prepaid
rent
|
595
|
745
|
|||||
Dividends
payable
|
1,487
|
1,495
|
|||||
Distributions
payable
|
871
|
905
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
82,322
|
76,464
|
|||||
Minority
interests of unit holders in Operating Partnership;
|
|||||||
5,808,337
units at March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006
|
30,754
|
31,709
|
|||||
Shareholders'
equity
|
|||||||
Preferred
shares, $0.001 par value per share; 50,000,000
|
|||||||
shares
authorized; none issued and outstanding
|
|||||||
at
March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Common
shares, $0.001 par value per share; 400,000,000
|
|||||||
shares
authorized; 10,001,269 and 9,974,362 issued and
|
|||||||
oustanding
at March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively
|
10
|
10
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in-capital
|
72,274
|
72,012
|
|||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(14,743
|
)
|
(13,108
|
)
|
|||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
57,541
|
58,914
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders' equity
|
$
|
170,617
|
$
|
167,087
|
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements
3
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
|
|||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
|
|||||||
(in
thousands, except share data)
|
(unaudited)
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
(As
Restated)
|
|||||||
Revenues
|
|||||||
Rental
income
|
$
|
6,095
|
$
|
5,977
|
|||
Tenants'
reimbursements
|
1,355
|
1,380
|
|||||
Other
income
|
95
|
57
|
|||||
Total
revenues
|
7,545
|
7,414
|
|||||
Operating
expenses
|
|||||||
Property
operation and maintenance
|
1,279
|
1,017
|
|||||
Real
estate taxes
|
862
|
865
|
|||||
Insurance
|
172
|
134
|
|||||
Electricity,
water and gas utilities
|
480
|
512
|
|||||
Property
management and asset
|
|||||||
management
fees to an affiliate
|
-
|
412
|
|||||
General
and administrative
|
2,034
|
450
|
|||||
Depreciation
|
1,364
|
1,358
|
|||||
Amortization
|
248
|
527
|
|||||
Bad
debt expense
|
169
|
(9
|
)
|
||||
Total
operating expenses
|
6,608
|
5,266
|
|||||
Operating
income
|
937
|
2,148
|
|||||
Other
income (expense)
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
136
|
96
|
|||||
Interest
expense
|
(1,275
|
)
|
(1,308
|
)
|
|||
Change
in fair value of derivative instrument
|
(20
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Income
(loss) before minority interests
|
(222
|
)
|
936
|
||||
Minority
interests in (income) loss of Operating Partnership
|
84
|
(372
|
)
|
||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
(138
|
)
|
$
|
564
|
||
Net
income (loss) per common share
|
$
|
(0.014
|
)
|
$
|
0.061
|
||
Weighted-average
shares outstanding
|
9,992
|
9,212
|
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements
4
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
|
|||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHARHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|||||||||||
(in
thousands except per share data)
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Common
Shares
|
|
Paid-in
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
Shares
|
|
Amount
|
|
Capital
|
|
Deficit
|
|
Total
|
||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
9,974
|
$
|
10
|
$
|
72,012
|
$
|
(13,108
|
)
|
$
|
58,914
|
||||||
Issuance
of shares under dividend
|
||||||||||||||||
reinvestment
plan at $9.50 per share
|
27
|
-
|
262
|
-
|
262
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(138
|
)
|
(138
|
)
|
|||||||||
Dividends
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(1,497
|
)
|
(1,497
|
)
|
|||||||||
Balance,
March 31, 2007 (unaudited)
|
10,001
|
$
|
10
|
$
|
72,274
|
$
|
(14,743
|
)
|
$
|
57,541
|
||||||
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements
5
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
|
|||||||||||
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
|||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||||||
(unaudited)
Three
Months Ended March 31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
(As
Restated)
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
(138
|
)
|
$
|
564
|
||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to
|
|||||||
net
cash used in operating activities:
|
|||||||
Depreciation
|
1,364
|
1,358
|
|||||
Amortization
|
248
|
527
|
|||||
Minority
interests in (income) loss of Operating Partnership
|
(84
|
)
|
372
|
||||
Bad
debt expense (recoveries)
|
169
|
(9
|
)
|
||||
Change
in fair value of derivative instrument
|
20
|
-
|
|||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|||||||
Escrows
and acquisition deposits
|
114
|
782
|
|||||
Receivables
|
(631
|
)
|
(100
|
)
|
|||
Deferred
costs
|
(148
|
)
|
(386
|
)
|
|||
Prepaid
expenses and other assets
|
(272
|
)
|
(510
|
)
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
(3,170
|
)
|
(2,637
|
)
|
|||
Due
to affiliates
|
(103
|
)
|
(103
|
)
|
|||
Tenants'
security deposits
|
30
|
26
|
|||||
Prepaid
rent
|
(150
|
)
|
(42
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(2,751
|
)
|
(158
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|||||||
Additions
to real estate
|
(140
|
)
|
(326
|
)
|
|||
Repayment
of note receivable
|
7
|
7
|
|||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(133
|
)
|
(319
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(1,505
|
)
|
(1,525
|
)
|
|||
Distributions
paid to OP unit holders
|
(905
|
)
|
(1,027
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from issuance of common shares
|
262
|
3,860
|
|||||
Increase
in stock offering proceeds escrowed
|
-
|
(256
|
)
|
||||
Proceeds
from notes payable
|
14,469
|
530
|
|||||
Repayments
of notes payable
|
(5,176
|
)
|
(239
|
)
|
|||
Payments
of loan origination costs
|
(147
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
6,998
|
1,343
|
|||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
4,114
|
866
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
8,298
|
849
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$
|
12,412
|
$
|
1,715
|
|||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information:
|
|||||||
Cash
paid for interest
|
$
|
1,364
|
$
|
1,312
|
|||
See
notes
to consolidated financial statements
6
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note
1 -
|
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
|
The
consolidated financial statements included in this report are unaudited;
however, amounts presented in the balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 are
derived from our audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The
unaudited financial statements at March 31, 2007 have been prepared in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim
financial information on a basis consistent with the annual audited consolidated
financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they
do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. The
consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect all adjustments
which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation
of
the financial position of Whitestone REIT (“Whitestone”), formerly known as
Hartman Commercial Properties REIT, and our subsidiary as of March 31, 2007
and
results of operations and cash flows for the three month period ended March
31,
2007. All these adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of
operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results
expected for a full year. The statements should be read in conjunction with
the
audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes which are included
in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Description
of business and nature of operations
Whitestone
was
formed as a real estate investment trust, pursuant to the Texas Real
Estate Investment Trust Act on August 20, 1998. In July 2004, Whitestone
changed its state of organization from Texas to Maryland pursuant
to a
merger of Whitestone directly with and into a Maryland real estate
investment trust formed for the sole purpose of the reorganization
and the
conversion of each outstanding common share of beneficial interest
of the
Texas entity into 1.42857 common shares of beneficial interest of
the
Maryland entity. Whitestone serves
as the general partner of Whitestone REIT Operating Partnership,
L.P. (the
“Operating Partnership” or “WROP” or “OP”), formerly known as Hartman REIT
Operating Partnership L.P., which was formed on December 31, 1998
as a
Delaware limited partnership. Whitestone currently conducts substantially
all of its operations and activities through the Operating Partnership.
As
the general partner of the Operating Partnership, Whitestone has
the
exclusive power to manage and conduct the business of the Operating
Partnership, subject to certain customary exceptions. As
of March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, we owned and operated 36
retail,
warehouse
and office properties in and around Houston, Dallas and San Antonio,
Texas.
|
Basis
of consolidation
|
We
are
the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and possess full legal
control and authority over the operations of the Operating Partnership. As
of
March 31, 2007 and 2006, we owned a majority of the partnership interests in
the
Operating Partnership. Consequently, the accompanying consolidated financial
statements include the accounts of the Operating Partnership. All significant
inter-company balances have been eliminated. Minority interest in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements represents the share of equity
and earnings of the Operating Partnership allocable to holders of partnership
interests other than us. Net income is allocated to minority interests based
on
the weighted-average percentage ownership of the Operating Partnership during
the year. Issuance of additional common shares of beneficial interest in
Whitestone (“common shares”) and units of limited partnership interest in the
Operating Partnership that are convertible into common shares on a one for
one
basis (“OP Units”) changes the ownership interests of both the minority
interests and Whitestone.
Basis
of accounting
Our
financial records are maintained on the accrual basis of accounting
under
which revenues are recognized when earned, and expenses are recorded
when
incurred.
|
7
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 1 - |
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
We
consider all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original
maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and
cash
equivalents at March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 consist of demand
deposits at commercial banks and money market
funds.
|
Escrows
and acquisition deposits
|
Escrow
deposits include escrows established pursuant to certain mortgage
financing arrangements for real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance
and
capital expenditures. Acquisition deposits include earnest money
deposits
on future acquisitions.
|
Real
estate
|
Real
estate properties are recorded at cost, net of accumulated depreciation.
Improvements, major renovations, and certain costs directly related to the
acquisition, improvement, and leasing of real estate are capitalized.
Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to operations as incurred.
Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated
useful lives of 5 to 39 years for the buildings and improvements. Tenant
improvements are depreciated using the straight-line method over the life of
the
lease.
Management
reviews our properties for impairment annually or whenever events or changes
in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets, including accrued
rental income, may not be recoverable through operations. Management determines
whether an impairment in value has occurred by comparing the estimated future
cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges), including the estimated
residual value of the property, with the carrying cost of the property. If
impairment is indicated, a loss will be recorded for the amount by which the
carrying value of the property exceeds its fair value. Management has determined
that there has been no impairment in the carrying value of our real estate
assets as of March 31, 2007.
Deferred
costs
Deferred
costs consist primarily of leasing commissions paid to Hartman Management L.P.,
our former adviser, external brokers and in-house leasing agents. Leasing
commissions are amortized using the straight-line method over the terms of
the
related lease agreements. Deferred financing costs are amortized on the
straight-line method over the terms of the loans, which approximates the
interest method. Costs allocated to in-place leases whose terms differ from
market terms related to acquired properties are amortized over the remaining
life of the respective leases.
Offering
costs
Offering
costs include selling commissions, issuance costs, investor relations fees
and
unit purchase discounts. These costs were incurred in the raising of capital
through the sale of common shares and are treated as a reduction of
shareholders’ equity.
8
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 1 - |
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Revenue
recognition
All
leases on our properties are classified as operating leases, and the related
rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the
related leases. Differences between rental income earned and amounts due per
the
respective lease agreements are capitalized or charged, as applicable, to
accrued rent receivable. Percentage rents are recognized as rental income when
the thresholds upon which they are based have been met. Recoveries from tenants
for taxes, insurance, and other operating expenses are recognized as revenues
in
the period the corresponding costs are incurred. We have established an
allowance for doubtful accounts against the portion of tenant accounts
receivable which is estimated to be uncollectible.
Federal
income taxes
|
We
are
qualified as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 and are therefore not subject to Federal income taxes provided
we
meet all conditions specified by the Internal Revenue Code for retaining our
REIT status. We believe we have continuously met these conditions since reaching
100 shareholders in 1999 (see Note 9).
Use
of
estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and
the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Significant estimates used by us include the estimated useful lives for
depreciable and amortizable assets and costs, and the estimated allowance for
doubtful accounts receivable. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
Derivative
instruments
We
have
initiated a program designed to manage exposure to interest rate fluctuations
by
entering into financial derivative instruments. The primary objective of this
program is to comply with debt covenants on a credit facility. We entered into
an interest rate swap agreement with respect to amounts borrowed under certain
of our credit facilities, which effectively exchanges existing obligations
to
pay interest based on floating rates for obligations to pay interest based
on
fixed LIBOR rates.
Changes
in the market value of the derivative instruments and in the market value of
the
hedged items are recorded in earnings each reporting period. For items that
are
appropriately classified as cash flow hedges in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards, (“SFAS”) No. 133, “Accounting
for Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities,”
changes in the market value of the instrument and in the market value of the
hedged item are recorded as other comprehensive income with the exception of
the
portion of the hedged items that are considered ineffective. The derivative
instruments are reported at fair value as other assets or other liabilities
as
applicable. As of March 31, 2007, the fair value of this instrument is
approximately $0.01 million and is included in prepaid expenses and other assets
in the consolidated balance sheet.
Additionally,
approximately $0.02 million is included in other expense on the consolidated
statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2007.
9
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 1 - |
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Fair
value of financial instruments
Our
financial instruments consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, accounts
receivable, derivative instruments, accounts and notes payable. The carrying
value of cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable are
representative of their respective fair values due to the short-term nature
of
these instruments. The fair value of our debt obligations is representative
of
its carrying value based upon current rates offered for similar types of
borrowing arrangements. The fair value of interest rate swaps (used for hedging
purposes) is the estimated amount that the financial institution would receive
or pay to terminate the swap agreements at the reporting date, taking into
account current interest rates and the current credit worthiness of the swap
counterparties.
Recent
accounting pronouncements
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)
issued SFAS No.
157, “Fair
Value Measurements”
(“SFAS
157”). SFAS 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for
measuring fair value under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
and requires enhanced disclosures about fair value measurements. It does not
require any new fair value measurements. SFAS 157 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and
interim periods within those fiscal years. We are required to adopt SFAS
157 in the first quarter of 2008, and we are currently evaluating the impact
that this Statement will have on our financial position, results of operations
or cash flows.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The
Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities-Including
an
amendment of FASB Statement No. 115” (“SFAS
159”). SFAS 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments
and certain other items at fair value. The objective is to improve financial
reporting by providing entities with the opportunity to mitigate volatility
in
reported earnings caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently
without having to apply complex hedge accounting provisions. SFAS 159 is
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2007 and interim periods within those fiscal years. We have not
decided if we will choose to measure any eligible financial assets and
liabilities at fair value under the provisions of SFAS 159.
Concentration
of risk
Substantially
all of our revenues are obtained from office, warehouse and retail
locations in the Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas metropolitan
areas. We maintain cash accounts in major U.S. financial institutions.
The
terms of these deposits are on demand to minimize risk. The balances
of
these accounts occasionally exceed the federally insured limits,
although
no losses have been incurred in connection with these
deposits
|
Reclassification
|
We
have
reclassified certain prior fiscal year amounts in the accompanying financial
statements in order to be consistent with the current fiscal year presentation.
During the first quarter of 2007, we have reclassified certain amounts due
from
Hartman Management, LP, the former advisor, from due to affiliates to other
receivables. We have also reclassified interest expense from operating expense
to other expense and interest income from revenues to other income in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31,
2007. The reclassification of interest income and expense decreased revenues
and
operating expenses and increased other income and expense but had no impact
on
net income.
10
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 1 - |
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
(Continued)
|
Restatement
|
During
the quarter ended September 30, 2006, management determined that
deferred
lease commissions related to an early lease termination on March
28, 2006,
were not charged to operations. In accordance with our policy, deferred
lease commissions for tenants that pre-maturely vacate a lease are
to be
charged to amortization expense in the period in which the default
occurs.
Accordingly the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2006
and June
30, 2006, the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three
and six
month periods ended March 31, 2006 and June 30, 2006 and the Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the three and six month periods ended
March
31, 2006 and June 30, 2006 have been
restated.
|
Comprehensive
income
|
We
follow
SFAS No. 130, “Reporting
Comprehensive Income,”
which
establishes standards for reporting and display of comprehensive income and
its
components. For the periods presented, we did not have significant amounts
of
other comprehensive income.
Note 2 - |
Interest
Rate Swap
|
Effective
March 16, 2006, we executed an interest rate swap used to mitigate
the
risks associated with adverse movements in interest rates which might
affect expenditures. We have not designated this derivative contract
as a
hedge, and as such, the change in the fair value of the derivative
is
recognized currently in earnings. This derivative instrument has
a total
notional amount of $30 million, is at a fixed rate of 5.09% plus
the LIBOR
margin, and matures monthly through March 2008. As of March 31, 2007,
the
fair value of this instrument is approximately $0.01 million and
is
included in prepaid expenses and other assets in our consolidated
balance
sheet. Approximately $0.02 million is included in other expense in
our
consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March
31, 2007 as a result of a decrease in value from December 31,
2006.
|
Note 3 - |
Real
Estate
|
We
account for real estate acquisitions pursuant to SFAS 141, Business
Combinations. Accordingly,
we allocate the purchase price of the acquired properties to land, building
and
improvements, identifiable intangible assets and to the acquired liabilities
based on their respective fair values. Identifiable intangibles include amounts
allocated to acquired out-of-market leases, the value of in-place leases and
customer relationship value, if any. We determine fair value based on estimated
cash flow projections that utilize appropriate discount and capitalization
rates
and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based
on a
number of factors including the historical operating results, known trends
and
specific market and economic conditions that may affect the property. Factors
considered by management in our analysis of determining the as-if-vacant
property value include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected
lease-up periods considering market conditions, and costs to execute similar
leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes,
insurance and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected
lease-up periods, tenant demand and other economic conditions. Management also
estimates costs to execute similar leases including leasing commissions, tenant
improvements, and legal and other related expenses. Intangibles related to
out-of-market leases and in-place lease value are recorded as acquired lease
intangibles and are amortized as an adjustment to rental revenue or amortization
expense, as appropriate, over the remaining terms of the underlying leases.
Premiums or discounts on acquired out-of-market debt are amortized to interest
expense over the remaining term of such debt.
11
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 3 - |
Real
Estate (Continued)
|
On
December 1, 2006, we sold Northwest Place II, a 27,974 square foot warehouse
building located in Houston, Texas for a sales price of $1.2 million. A gain
of
$0.2 million was generated from this sale, which was reflected in our
consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2006. It
is
anticipated that the funds received from this sale will be used for future
acquisitions and/or capital improvements to existing properties. It was
determined that“discontinued operations” classification was not required due to
the immateriality of this property to our overall results.
At
March
31, 2007, we owned 36 commercial properties in the Houston, Dallas and San
Antonio, Texas areas comprising approximately 3,093,000 square feet of gross
leasable area.
Note 4 - |
Note
Receivable
|
In
January 2003, we partially financed the sale of a property we had previously
sold and for which we had taken a note receivable of $0.4 million as part of
the
consideration. We advanced $0.3 million and renewed and extended the balance
of
$0.4 million still due from the original sale.
The
original principal amount of the note receivable, dated January 10, 2003, is
$0.7 million. The note is payable in monthly installments of $6,382, including
interest at 7% per annum, for the first two years of the note. Thereafter,
monthly installments of $7,489 are due with interest at 10% per annum. The
note
is fully amortizing with the final payment due January 10, 2018.
Note 5 - |
Accounts
Receivable, net
|
Accounts
receivable consists of amounts billed and due from tenants, amounts due from
insurance claims and allowance for doubtful accounts as follows (in
thousands):
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Tenant
receivables
|
$
|
2,300
|
$
|
1,941
|
|||
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
(720
|
)
|
(641
|
)
|
|||
Insurance
claim receivables
|
430
|
427
|
|||||
Totals
|
$
|
2,010
|
$
|
1,727
|
Note 6 - |
Other
Receivables
|
Other
receivables consist of amounts owed to us by our previous advisor,
Hartman
Management, and partnerships managed by Hartman
Management.
|
Note 7 - |
Debt
|
Notes
payable
Mortgages
and other notes payable consist of the following (in
thousands):
|
March
31,
|
December
31,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Mortgages
and other notes payable
|
$
|
10,431
|
$
|
5,138
|
|||
Revolving
loan secured by properties
|
65,225
|
61,225
|
|||||
Totals
|
$
|
75,656
|
$
|
66,363
|
12
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 7 - |
Debt
(Continued)
|
As
of
March 31, 2007, we have two active loans which are described below:
Revolving
Credit Facility
We
have a
revolving credit facility with a consortium of banks. The credit facility is
secured by a pledge of the partnership interests in Whitestone REIT Operating
Partnership III LP (“WROP III”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Operating
Partnership that was formed to hold title to the properties comprising the
borrowing base pool for the facility. At March 31, 2007, 35 properties are
owned
by WROP III.
In
2006,
the credit facility was increased to $75 million from $50 million and may be
increased to $100 million as the borrowing base pool expands. We entered into
this credit facility to refinance our then existing debt, to finance property
acquisitions and for general corporate purposes.
As
of
March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the balance outstanding under the credit
facility was $65.2 million and $61.2 million, respectively, and the availability
to draw was $9.8 million and $13.8 million, respectively.
Outstanding
amounts under the credit facility accrue interest computed (at our option)
at
either the LIBOR or the Alternative Base Rate on the basis of a 360 day year,
plus the applicable margin as determined from the following table:
Alternative
Base
|
||||
Total Leverage Ratio |
LIBOR
Margin
|
Rate
Margin
|
||
Less than 60% but greater than or equal to 50% |
2.40%
|
1.150%
|
||
Less than 50% but greater than or equal to 45% |
2.15%
|
1.025%
|
||
Less than 45% |
1.90%
|
1.000%
|
The
Alternative Base Rate is a floating rate equal to the higher of the bank’s base
rate or the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5%. LIBOR Rate loans will be available
in
one, two, three or six month periods, with a maximum of nine contracts at any
time. The effective interest rate as of March 31, 2007 was 7.28% per
annum.
Interest
only is payable monthly under the loan with the total amount of principal due
at
maturity on March 11, 2008. The loan may be prepaid at any time in part or
in
whole, provided that the credit facility is not in default. If LIBOR pricing
is
elected, there is a prepayment penalty based on a “make-whole” calculation for
all costs associated with prepaying a LIBOR borrowing.
As
of
March 31, 2007, we are in violation of a loan covenant which provides that
the
ratio of declared dividends to funds from operations (as defined in the loan
agreement) shall not be greater than 95%. We have requested a waiver from the
consortium of banks. As this violation constitutes an event of default, the
lenders have the right to accelerate payment of this credit facility. We are
currently in discussions to receive the waiver and expect that it will be
received shortly. However, there can be no assurance that we will be
successful in our negotiations to obtain a waiver.
On
January 8, 2007, we requested that legal fees incurred in connection with the
litigation with Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management be excluded from the
definition of funds from operations in testing the covenant requiring the ratio
of declared and paid dividends to funds from operations not be in excess of
95%.
On January 23, 2007, the lenders granted the exclusion as requested. On March
26, 2007, we formalized this agreement in Amendment No. 3 to our Revolving
Credit Agreement which was filed with our 2006 10-K.
13
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 7 - |
Debt
(Continued)
|
On
October 2, 2006, our Board (i) elected not to renew our advisory agreement
with
Hartman Management, LP; (ii) terminated a certain management agreement with
Hartman Management; and (iii) removed Allen R. Hartman from his positions as
our
President, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. These actions violated certain
covenants in the loan agreement and were events of default thereunder. These
events of default have been waived by the lenders.
The
revolving credit facility is supported by a pool of eligible properties referred
to as the borrowing base pool. The borrowing base pool must meet the following
criteria:
· |
We
will provide a negative pledge on the borrowing base pool and may
not
provide a negative pledge of the borrowing base pool to any other
lender.
|
·
|
The
properties must be free of all liens, unless otherwise
permitted.
|
·
|
All
eligible properties must be retail, office-warehouse, or office
properties, must be free and clear of material environmental concerns
and
must be in good repair.
|
·
|
The
aggregate physical occupancy of the borrowing base pool must remain
above
80% at all times.
|
·
|
No
property may comprise more than 15% of the value of the borrowing
base
pool with the exception of Corporate Park Northwest, which is allowed
into
the borrowing base pool.
|
·
|
The
borrowing base pool must at all times be comprised of at least
10
properties.
|
·
|
The
borrowing base pool properties may not contain development or
redevelopment projects.
|
Properties
can be added to and removed from the borrowing base pool at any time provided
no
defaults would occur as a result of the removal. If a property does not meet
the
criteria of an eligible property and we want to include it in the borrowing
base
pool, a majority vote of the bank consortium is required for inclusion in the
borrowing base pool.
Covenants,
tested quarterly, relative to the borrowing base pool are as
follows:
· |
We
will not permit any liens on the properties in the borrowing base
pool
unless otherwise permitted.
|
·
|
The
ratio of aggregate net operating income from the borrowing base
pool to
debt service shall at all times exceed 1.5 to 1.0. For any quarter,
debt
service shall be equal to the average loan balance for the past
quarter
times an interest rate which is the greater of (a) the then current
annual
yield on 10 year United States Treasury notes over 25 years plus
2%; (b) a
6.5% constant; or (c) the actual interest rate for the
facility.
|
·
|
The
ratio of the value of the borrowing base pool to total funded loan
balance
must always exceed 1.67 to 1.00. The value of the borrowing base
pool is
defined as aggregate net operating income for the preceding four
quarters,
less a $0.15 per square foot per annum capital expenditure reserve,
divided by a 9.25% capitalization
rate.
|
Other
covenants, tested quarterly, relative to us are as follows:
· |
We
will not permit our total indebtedness to exceed 60% of the fair
market
value of our real estate assets at the end of any quarter. Total
indebtedness is defined as all our liabilities, including this
facility
and all other secured and unsecured debt, including letters of
credit and
guarantees. Fair market value of real estate assets is defined
as
aggregate net operating income for the preceding four quarters,
less a
$0.15 per square foot per annum capital expenditure reserve, divided
by a
9.25% capitalization rate.
|
·
|
The
ratio of consolidated rolling four-quarter earnings before interest,
income tax, depreciation and amortization expenses to total interest
expense, including capitalized interest, shall not be less than
2.0 to
1.0.
|
14
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 7 - |
Debt
(Continued)
|
· |
The
ratio of consolidated earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation
and amortization expenses to total interest expense, including
capitalized
interest, principal amortization, capital expenditures and preferred
stock
dividends shall not be less than 1.5 to 1.0. Capital expenditures
shall be
deemed to be $0.15 per square foot per
annum.
|
·
|
The
ratio of secured debt to fair market value of real estate assets
shall not
be greater than 40%.
|
·
|
The
ratio of declared dividends to funds from operations shall not
be greater
than 95%.
|
·
|
The
ratio of development assets to fair market value of real estate
assets
shall not be greater than
20%.
|
·
|
We
must maintain our status as a REIT for income tax
purposes.
|
·
|
Total
other investments shall not exceed 30% of total asset value. Other
investments shall include investments in joint ventures, unimproved
land,
marketable securities and mortgage notes receivable. Additionally,
the
preceding investment categories shall not comprise greater than
30%, 15%,
10% and 20%, respectively, of total other
investments.
|
Within
six months of closing, we were required to hedge all variable rate debt above
$40 million until the point at which the ratio of variable rate debt to fixed
rate debt is 50% of total debt. Thereafter, we must maintain this type of hedge
during any period in which variable rate debt exceeds 50% of total debt. On
March 27, 2006, we executed an interest rate swap dated as of March 16, 2006
(see Note 2), for the purpose of hedging variable interest rate exposure, in
compliance with the requirements of the loan agreement. The lenders waived
the
default for not executing the hedge within six months of closing, as required
by
the loan agreement.
On
June
30, 2006, we drew down $34.8 million on the revolving credit facility to
extinguish the then existing debt and to pay related legal and banking
fees.
Mortgage
Loan on Windsor Park Centre
In
connection with the purchase of the Windsor Park property in December 2003,
we
assumed a note payable in the amount of $6.6 million, secured by the property.
The balance at December 31, 2006, was $5.1 million. The note was payable in
equal monthly installments of principal and interest of $80,445, with interest
at the rate of 8.34% per annum. The balance of the note was payable in full
on
December 1, 2006. We obtained an extension through March 2, 2007 and paid off
this note in full with the proceeds from a $10 million loan described in the
following paragraph.
On
March
1, 2007, we obtained a $10 million loan to pay off the loan obtained upon the
acquisition of the Windsor Park property and to provide funds for future
acquisitions. The mortgage loan is secured by the Windsor Park property which
is
owned by Whitestone REIT Operating Company IV LLC (“WROC IV”), a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Operating Partnership that was formed to hold title to the
Windsor Park property. On March 1, 2007, we conveyed ownership of the Windsor
Park property from the Operating Partnership to WROC IV in order to secure
the
$10 million mortgage loan.
The
note
is payable in equal monthly installments of principal and interest of $60,212,
with interest at the rate of 6.04% per annum. The balance of the note is payable
in full on March 1, 2014. The loan balance is approximately $10 million at
March
31, 2007.
15
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 7 - |
Debt
(Continued)
|
Annual
maturities of notes payable as of March 31, 2007, including the revolving loan,
are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended | ||
March 31, | ||
2008 | $ 65,666 | |
2014 | 9,990 | |
$ 75,656 |
Note
8 -
|
Earnings
Per Share
|
Basic
earnings per share is computed using net income (loss) available
to common
shareholders and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.
Diluted earnings per share reflects common shares issuable from the
assumed conversion of OP Units. Only those items that have a dilutive
impact on basic earnings per share are included in the diluted earnings
per share. Accordingly, excluded from the earnings per share calculation
for each of the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006 are 5,808,337
OP Units as their inclusion would be
anti-dilutive.
|
Three
Months Ended March
31,
|
||||
2007
|
2006
|
|||
(As
Restated)
|
||||
Basic and diluted earnings per share: | ||||
Weighted average common | ||||
shares outstanding (in thousands) |
9,912
|
9,212
|
||
Basic and diluted earnings per share |
$
(0.014)
|
$ 0.061
|
||
Net income (loss) |
$
(138)
|
$
564
|
Note 9 - |
Federal
Income Taxes
|
Federal
income taxes are not provided because we intend to and believe we qualify as
a
REIT under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Our shareholders include
their proportionate taxable income in their individual tax returns. As a REIT,
we must distribute at least 90% of our ordinary taxable income to our
shareholders and meet certain income sources and investment restriction
requirements. In addition, REITs are subject to a number of organizational
and
operational requirements. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year,
we will be subject to federal income tax (including any applicable alternative
minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate tax rates.
Taxable
income differs from net income for financial reporting purposes principally
due
to differences in the timing of recognition of interest, real estate taxes,
depreciation and rental revenue.
Note
10 -
|
Related-Party
Transactions
|
Prior
to
October 2006, our day-to-day operations and portfolio of properties were managed
by Hartman Management through property management and advisory agreements.
Mr.
Hartman, our former President, Secretary, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman
of the Board, is the sole limited partner of Hartman Management, as well as
the
president, secretary, sole trustee and sole shareholder of the general partner
of Hartman Management.
16
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 10 - |
Related-Party
Transactions (Continued)
|
Mr.
Hartman was removed by our Board as our President, Secretary, and Chief
Executive Officer on October 2, 2006, and he resigned from our Board on October
27, 2006.
In
October 2006, our Board terminated for cause our property management agreement
with Hartman Management. Hartman Management turned over all property management
functions to us on November 14, 2006.
In
addition, our Board elected not to renew our advisory agreement, dated August
31, 2004, with Hartman Management. This agreement had been extended on a
month-to-month basis and ultimately expired on September 30, 2006.
Transactions
between us, Hartman Management, and Mr. Hartman are considered related party
transactions and are discussed in the following paragraphs.
In
January 1999, we entered into a property management agreement with Hartman
Management. Effective September 1, 2004, this agreement was amended and
restated. Prior to September 1, 2004, in consideration for supervising the
management and performing various day-to-day affairs, we paid Hartman Management
a management fee of 5% and a partnership management fee of 1% based on effective
gross revenues from the properties, as defined in the agreement. After September
1, 2004, we paid Hartman Management property management fees in an amount not
to
exceed the fees customarily charged in arm’s length transactions by others
rendering similar services in the same geographic area, as determined by a
survey of brokers and agents in that area. These fees have ranged between
approximately 2% and 4% of gross revenues (as defined in the amended and
restated agreement) for the management of office buildings and approximately
5%
of gross revenues for the management of retail and warehouse
properties.
Effective
September 1, 2004, we entered into an advisory agreement with Hartman
Management which provided that we pay Hartman Management a quarterly fee of
one-fourth of .25% of gross asset value (as defined in the advisory agreement)
for asset management services. In addition, the advisory agreement provided
for
the payment of a deferred performance fee, payable in certain events, including
termination of the advisory agreement, based upon appreciation in the value
of
certain of our real estate assets. The advisory agreement expired by its terms
on September 30, 2006.
We
incurred total management, partnership and asset management fees of $0.4
million, under the advisory and management agreements for the three months
ended
March 31, 2006. We incurred no such fee for the three months ended March 31,
2007. No management fees were payable at March 31, 2007 or December 31, 2006.
We
have not accrued any deferred performance fees, as we believe the amount of
these fees, if any are owing, cannot be determined with reasonable certainty
at
this time.
The
aggregate fees and reimbursements payable to Hartman Management under the
advisory agreement was not intended to be significantly different from the
fees
that would have been payable under our previous agreement with Hartman
Management. The asset management fee under the advisory agreement, however,
was
significantly higher. Hartman Management waived the excess of the fee for the
period September 1, 2004 through March 31, 2006 in perpetuity. The asset
management fee under the advisory agreement was charged by Hartman Management
in
the second and third quarters of 2006 and was reflected in our consolidated
financial statements as of December 31, 2006. No such fee was charged for the
three months ended March 31, 2007.
During
July 2004, we amended certain terms of our declaration of trust. Under the
amended terms, Hartman Management was required to reimburse us for operating
expenses exceeding certain limitations determined at the end of each fiscal
quarter. Reimbursements, if any, from
Hartman Management were
recorded
on a quarterly basis as a reduction in property management fees.
17
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 10 - |
Related-Party
Transactions (Continued)
|
Under
the
provisions of the management agreement, costs incurred by Hartman Management
for
the management and maintenance of the properties were reimbursable to Hartman
Management. No such amounts were payable at March 31, 2007 and December 31,
2006.
In
consideration of leasing the properties, we historically paid Hartman Management
leasing commissions for leases originated by Hartman Management and for
expansions and renewals of existing leases. We incurred total leasing
commissions to Hartman Management of $0.4 million for the three months ended
March 31, 2006. No such fees were incurred for the three months ended March
31,
2007. No such amounts were payable at March 31, 2007 and December 31,
2006.
In
connection with our public offering described in Note 11, we have reimbursed
Hartman Management up to 2.5% of the gross selling price of all common shares
sold for organization and offering expenses (excluding selling commissions
and a
dealer manager fee) incurred by Hartman Management on our behalf. We have paid
our dealer manager, through Hartman Management by agreement between them, a
fee
of up to 2.5% of the gross selling price of all common shares sold in the
offering. We incurred total fees of $0.2 million for the three months ended
March 31, 2006. No such fees were incurred for the three months ended March
31,
2007. These fees have been treated as offering costs and netted against the
proceeds from the sale of common shares. On October 2, 2006, our Board elected
to terminate the public offering described in Note 11.
Also
in
connection with our public offering described in Note 11, Hartman Management
has
historically received an acquisition fee equal to 2% of the gross selling price
of all common shares sold for services in connection with the selection,
purchase, development or construction of properties for us. The advisory
agreement expired by its terms on September 30, 2006. On September 30, 2006,
$0.2 million of acquisition fees paid to Hartman Management had been capitalized
and not yet allocated to the purchase price of a property. In accordance with
advisory agreement, Hartman Management is obligated to reimburse us for any
acquisition fee that has not been allocated to the purchase price of our
properties as provided for in our declaration of trust. A letter demanding
payment was sent to Hartman Management on December 21, 2006, and $0.2 million
is
included in other receivables on our consolidated balance sheet at March 31,
2007 as reclassified from December 31, 2006 as described in Note 1 -
Reclassification.
We
incurred total acquisition fees to Hartman Management of $0.1 million for the
three months ended March 31, 2006. No such fees were incurred for the three
months ended March 31, 2007. No such amounts were payable at March 31, 2007
and
December 31, 2006.
Hartman
Management was billed $0.03 million and $0.02 million for office space for
the
three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. These amounts are
included in rental income in our consolidated statements of
operations.
Substantially
all of our business is conducted through the Operating Partnership. We are
the
sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of March 31, 2007, we
owned a 62.4% interest in the Operating Partnership.
Mr.
Hartman our former President, Secretary, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman
was owed $0.04 million in dividends payable on his common shares at March 31,
2007 and December 31, 2006. Mr. Hartman owned 2.9% of our issued and outstanding
common shares as of March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006.
We
were a
party to various other transactions with related parties which are reflected
in
due to/from affiliates in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and
also
disclosed in Notes 7 and 11.
18
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 11 - |
Shareholders’
Equity
|
Under
our
declaration of trust, we have authority to issue 400 million common shares
of
beneficial interest, $0.001 par value per share, and 50 million preferred shares
of beneficial interest, $0.001 par value per share.
On
September 15, 2004, our Registration Statement on Form S-11, with respect to
our
public offering of up to 10 million common shares of beneficial interest offered
at a price of $10 per share was declared effective under the Securities Act
of
1933. The Registration Statement also covered up to 1 million shares available
pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan offered at a price of $9.50 per
share. The shares were offered to investors on a best efforts basis.
Post-Effective Amendments No. 1, 2 and 3 to the Registration Statement were
declared effective by the SEC on June 27, 2005, March 9, 2006 and May 3, 2006,
respectively.
On
October 2, 2006, our Board terminated the public offering. On March 27, 2007,
we
gave the required ten day notice to participants informing them that we intend
to terminate our dividend reinvestment plan. As a result, our dividend
reinvestment plan terminated on April 6, 2007.
As
of
March 31, 2007, 2.8 million shares had been issued pursuant to our public
offering with net offering proceeds received of $24.6 million. An additional
165,000 shares had been issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan in
lieu of dividends totaling $1.6 million. Shareholders that received shares
pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan on or after October 2, 2006 may
have
recission rights.
At
March
31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, Mr. Hartman owned 2.9% of our outstanding
shares. At March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, our Board collectively owned
2.6% of our outstanding shares.
All
net
proceeds of our public offering were contributed to the Operating Partnership
in
exchange for OP Units. The Operating Partnership used the proceeds to acquire
additional properties and for general working capital purposes. In accordance
with the Operating Partnership’s Agreement of Limited Partnership, in exchange
for the contribution of net proceeds from sales of stock, we received an
equivalent number of OP Units as shares of stock that are sold.
Operating
Partnership Units
Limited
partners in the Operating Partnership holding OP Units have the right to convert
their OP Units into common shares at a ratio of one OP Unit for one common
share. Distributions to OP Unit holders are paid at the same rate per unit
as
dividends per share of Whitestone. Subject to certain restrictions, OP Units
are
not convertible into common shares until the later of one year after acquisition
or an initial public offering of the common shares. As of March 31, 2007 and
December 31, 2006, there were 15,448,118 and 15,421,212 OP Units outstanding,
respectively.
We owned
9,639,781 and 9,612,875 OP Units as of March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006,
respectively. The balance of the OP Units is owned by third parties, including
Mr. Hartman and certain trustees. Our weighted-average share ownership in the
Operating Partnership was approximately 62.38%, and 60.38% for the three months
ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. At March 31, 2007 and December
31,
2006, Mr. Hartman owned 6.9% of the Operating Partnership’s outstanding units.
At March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, our Board collectively owned 0.4%
of
the Operating Partnership’s outstanding units.
19
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note 11 - |
Shareholders’
Equity (Continued)
|
Dividends
and distributions
The
following tables summarize the cash dividends/distributions paid or payable
to
holders of common shares and holders of OP Units (after giving effect to the
recapitalization) during the year ended December 31, 2006 and the quarters
ended
March 31, 2007 and June 30, 2007.
Whitestone
Shareholders
|
||||||||
Dividend
|
Date
Dividend
|
Total
Amount
|
||||||
per
Common Share
|
Paid
|
Paid (in thousands) | ||||||
$ 0.1768 |
Qtr
ended
03/31/06
|
$ 1,526 | ||||||
$ 0.1768 |
Qtr
ended
06/30/06
|
$ 1,632 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
09/30/06
|
$ 1,443 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
12/31/06
|
$ 1,477 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
03/31/07
|
$ 1,495 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
06/30/07
|
$ 1,487 |
OP
Unit Holders Including Minority Unit
Holders
|
||||||||
Distribution
|
Date
Distribution
|
Total
Amount
|
||||||
per
OP Unit
|
Paid
|
Paid (in thousands) | ||||||
$ 0.1768 |
Qtr
ended
03/31/06
|
$ 2,488 | ||||||
$ 0.1768 |
Qtr
ended
06/30/06
|
$ 2,594 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
09/30/06
|
$ 2,260 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
12/31/06
|
$ 2,294 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
03/31/07
|
$ 2,314 | ||||||
$ 0.1500 |
Qtr
ended
06/30/07
|
$ 2,316 |
20
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note
12 -
|
Commitments
and Contingencies
|
The
nature of our business exposes us to the risk of lawsuits for damages or
penalties relating to, among other things, breach of contract and employment
disputes. We are currently involved in the following litigation.
Hartman
Commercial Properties REIT and Hartman REIT Operating Partnership, L.P. v.
Allen
R. Hartman and Hartman Management, L.P., in the 333rd
Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas
In
October 2006, we initiated this action against our former Chief Executive
Officer, Allen R. Hartman, and our former manager and advisor Hartman
Management, L.P. We are seeking damages for breach of contract, fraudulent
inducement and breach of fiduciary duties.
In
November 2006, Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management filed a counterclaim against
us, the members of our Board, and our Chief Operating Officer, John J. Dee.
The
counterclaim has since been amended to drop the claims against the individual
defendants with the exception our current interim Chief Executive Officer,
James
C. Mastandrea, and Mr. Dee. The amended counterclaim asserts claims against
us
for alleged breach of contract and alleges that we owe Mr. Hartman and Hartman
Management fees for the termination of an advisory agreement. The amended
counterclaim asserts claims against Messrs. Mastandrea and Dee for tortious
interference with the advisory agreement and a management agreement and
conspiracy to seize control of us for their own financial gains. We have
indemnified Messrs. Mastandrea and Dee to the extent allowed by our governing
documents and Maryland law. The amended counterclaim also asserts claims against
our prior outside law firm and one of its partners.
Limited
discovery has been conducted in this case as of the date of this
report.
It
is too
early to express an opinion respecting the likelihood of an adverse outcome
on
the counterclaim, although we intend to vigorously defend against those claims
and vigorously prosecute our affirmative claims.
Hartman
Commercial Properties REIT v. Allen R. Hartman, et al; in the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Texas
In
December 2006, we initiated this action complaining of the attempt by Mr.
Hartman and Hartman Management to solicit written consents from shareholders
to
replace our Board.
Mr.
Hartman and Hartman Management filed a counterclaim claiming that certain
changes to our bylaws and declaration of trust are invalid and that their
enactment is a breach of fiduciary duty. They were seeking a declaration that
the changes to our bylaws and declaration of trust are invalid and an injunction
barring their enforcement. These changes, among other things, stagger the terms
of our Board members over three years, require two-thirds vote of the
outstanding common shares to remove a Board member and provide that our
secretary may call a special meeting of shareholders only on the written request
of a majority of outstanding common shares. A group of shareholders has filed
a
request to intervene in this action to assert claims similar to those asserted
by Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management. We have opposed the
intervention.
The
trial
Court recently ruled in our favor on motions for temporary injunction filed
by
both parties. The Court found that the changes to the bylaws and declaration
of
trust were valid. The Court granted our Motion to Dismiss, dismissing many
of
Hartman and Hartman Management’s claims. After the ruling, the group of
shareholders who were seeking to intervene dismissed their
intervention.
Hartman
and Hartman Management have appealed the Court’s ruling.
21
WHITESTONE
REIT AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2007
Note
12 -
|
Commitments
and Contingencies
(Continued)
|
There
was
limited discovery in this case prior to the Court’s ruling. Documents were
produced and interrogatory responses exchanged. We produced the members of
our
Board for deposition as well as our Chief Operating Officer, John J.
Dee.
Because
of the pending Appeal, it is too early to express an opinion concerning the
likelihood of an adverse outcome on the counterclaim, although we intend to
vigorously defend against those claims and vigorously prosecute our affirmative
claim.
Other
We
are a
participant in various other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the
ordinary course of our business. These matters are generally covered by
insurance. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with
certainty, we believe that the final outcome of these matters will not have
a
material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash
flows.
Note
13 -
|
Segment
Information
|
Our
management historically has not differentiated by property types and therefore
does not present segment information.
22
Unless
the context otherwise requires, all references in this report to “Whitestone,”
“we,” “us” or “our” are to Whitestone REIT and our
subsidiary.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
quarterly report contains forward-looking statements, including discussion
and
analysis of our financial condition, anticipated capital expenditures required
to complete projects, amounts of anticipated cash distributions to our
shareholders in the future and other matters. These forward-looking statements
are not historical facts but are the intent, belief or current expectations
of
our management based on its knowledge and understanding of our business and
industry. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of
terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “predicts,” “anticipates,”
“expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates” or the negative
of such terms and variations of these words and similar expressions. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, are
difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking
statements that were true at the time made may ultimately prove to be incorrect
or false. You are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, which reflect our management’s view only as of the date of this Form
10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements
to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or
changes to future operating results. Factors that could cause actual results
to
differ materially from any forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-Q
include:
· |
changes
in general economic conditions;
|
· |
changes
in real estate conditions;
|
· |
construction
costs that may exceed estimates;
|
· |
construction
delays;
|
· |
increases
in interest rates;
|
· |
litigation
risks;
|
· |
lease-up
risks;
|
· |
inability
to obtain new tenants upon the expiration of existing leases;
and
|
· |
the
potential need to fund tenant improvements or other capital expenditures
out of operating cash flow.
|
The
forward-looking statements should be read in light of these factors and the
factors identified in the “Risk Factors” sections of our Form 10-K and our
Registration Statement on Form S-11, as amended, as previously filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
23
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
You
should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results
of
operations in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes thereto
included in this report. For more detailed information regarding the basis
of
presentation for the following information, you should read the notes to the
consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Overview
and Outlook
We
own 36
commercial properties, consisting of 19 retail centers, 11 warehouse properties
and 6 office buildings. All of our properties are located in the Houston, Dallas
and San Antonio, Texas metropolitan areas. As of March 31, 2007, we had 714
total tenants. No individual lease or tenant is material to our business.
Revenues from our largest lease constituted 2.83% of our total revenues for
the
three months ended March 31, 2007. Lease terms for our properties range from
one
year for our smaller tenants to over ten years for larger tenants. Our leases
generally include minimum monthly lease payments and tenant reimbursements
for
payment of taxes, insurance and maintenance.
Since
November 14, 2006, we have operated as a self-managed and self-administered
REIT. As of March 31, 2007, we had 48 full-time employees. We believe that
our
current staffing level is sufficient to effectively manage our property
portfolio for the foreseeable future. As a self-managed REIT, we bear our own
expenses of operations, including the salaries, benefits and other compensation
of our employees, office expenses, legal, accounting and investor relations
expenses and other overhead. In the short term, we believe expenses will be
higher than normal due to legal expenses associated with the litigation with
Mr.
Hartman and Hartman Management. In the future, we believe that our operations
will be more effective and efficient than they were when we were externally
managed and our operating margins will improve as a result.
Prior
to
November 14, 2006, our properties and day-to-day operations were managed by
Hartman Management, our former advisor and manager under an advisory agreement
and a management agreement. Our advisory agreement expired at the end of
September 2006 and our Board terminated our property management agreement for
cause in October 2006. Hartman Management turned over all property management
functions to us on November 14, 2006.
Under
our
management agreement in effect until November 14, 2006, we paid Hartman
Management the following:
· |
Property
management fees in an amount not to exceed the fees customarily
charged in
arm’s length transactions by others rendering similar services in the
same
geographic area for similar properties as determined by a survey
of
brokers and agents in that area. Generally, these fees were between
approximately two percent (2.0%) and four percent (4.0%) of gross
revenues
for the management of office buildings and approximately five percent
(5.0%) of gross revenues for the management of retail and warehouse
properties.
|
· |
For
the leasing of the properties, a separate fee for the leases of
new
tenants and renewals of leases with existing tenants in an amount
not to
exceed the fee customarily charged in arm’s length transactions by others
rendering similar services in the same geographic area for similar
properties as determined by a survey of brokers and agents in that
area
(with these fees, being equal to 6% of the effective gross revenues
from
leases originated by Hartman Management and 4% of the effective
gross
revenues from expansions or
renewals).
|
· |
Except
as otherwise specifically provided, all costs and expenses incurred
by
Hartman Management in fulfilling its duties for the account of
and on
behalf of us. These costs and expenses were to include the wages
and
salaries and other employee-related expenses of all on-site and
off-site
employees of Hartman Management who were engaged in the operation,
management, maintenance and leasing or access control of our properties,
including taxes, insurance and benefits relating to these employees,
and
legal, travel and other out-of-pocket expenses that are directly
related
to the management of specific properties.
|
Gross
revenues were defined as all amounts actually collected as rents or other
charges for the use and occupancy of our properties, but excluded interest
and
other investment income and proceeds received for a sale, exchange,
condemnation, eminent domain taking, casualty or other disposition of
assets.
24
Under
our
advisory agreement in effect until September 30, 2006, we paid Hartman
Management a quarterly fee for asset management services in an amount equal
to
one-fourth of 0.25% of the gross asset value calculated on the last day of
each
preceding quarter. Gross asset value is defined as the amount equal to the
aggregate book value of our assets (other than investments in bank accounts,
money market funds or other current assets), before depreciation, bad debts
or
other similar non-cash reserves and without reduction for any debt relating
to
our assets, at the date of measurement, except that during these periods in
which we are obtaining regular independent valuations of the current value
of
our net assets for purposes of enabling fiduciaries of employee benefit plans
to
comply with applicable Department of Labor reporting requirements, gross asset
value was the greater of (i) the amount determined pursuant to the foregoing
or
(ii) our assets’ aggregate valuation established by the most recent valuation
report without reduction for depreciation, bad debts or other similar non-cash
reserves and without reduction for any debt relating to our assets.
The
aggregate fees and reimbursements payable to Hartman Management under our
advisory agreement was not intended to be significantly different from the
fees
and reimbursements that would have been payable under our previous agreement
with Hartman Management. The asset management fee under our advisory agreement,
however, was significantly higher. Hartman Management waived the excess of
the
fee for the period September 1, 2004 through March 31, 2006 in perpetuity.
The
asset management fee payable under our advisory agreement was charged by Hartman
Management in the second and third quarters of 2006 and was reflected in our
consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2006. The asset management
fee was not charged after the third quarter of 2006 as the advisory agreement
expired on September 30, 2006.
The
advisory agreement provided for the payment of a deferred performance fee,
payable upon certain events, including termination of the agreement. This fee
is
based upon appreciation in the value of certain of our real estate assets.
We
have not accrued any deferred performance fees, as we believe the amount of
these fees, if any are owing, cannot be determined with reasonable certainty
at
this time. Hartman Management has asserted that approximately $11 million is
owed in deferred performance fees under our advisory agreement. We believe
that
there is no reasonable basis for this assertion. Although we currently estimate
that no deferred performance fee is owed, there can be no assurance that our
view will ultimately prevail. If Hartman Management is awarded a deferred
performance fee it may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition
and results of operations.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based on our consolidated financial statements. We prepared these financial
statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements required us to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts
of
revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We based our estimates
on
historical experience and on various other assumptions we believe to be
reasonable under the circumstances. Our results may differ from these estimates.
Currently, we believe that our accounting policies do not require us to make
estimates using assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain. You should
read Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our consolidated
financial statements in conjunction with this Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.
We
have
described below the critical accounting policies that we believe could impact
our consolidated financial statements most significantly.
Basis
of Consolidation.
We are
the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and possess full legal
control and authority over its operations. As of March 31, 2007, we owned a
majority of the partnership interests in the Operating Partnership.
Consequently, our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of
the
Operating Partnership. All significant inter-company balances have been
eliminated. Minority interest in the accompanying consolidated financial
statements represents the share of equity(loss) and earnings of the
Operating Partnership allocable to holders of partnership interests other than
us. Net income (loss) is allocated to minority interests based on the
weighted-average percentage ownership of the Operating Partnership during the
year. Issuance of additional common shares and Operating Partnership units
changes our ownership interests as well as those of minority
interests.
Real
Estate Valuation.
We
record real estate properties at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. We
capitalize improvements, major renovations and certain costs directly related
to
the acquisition, improvement and leasing of real estate. We charge expenditures
for repairs and maintenance to operations as they are incurred. We calculate
depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives
of 5
to 39 years of our buildings and improvements. We depreciate tenant improvements
using the straight-line method over the life of the lease.
25
We
review
our properties for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets, including accrued
rental income, may not be recoverable through our operations. We determine
whether an impairment in value has occurred by comparing the estimated future
cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges), including the estimated
residual value of the property, with the carrying cost of the property. If
impairment is indicated, we record a loss for the amount by which the carrying
value of the property exceeds its fair value. We have determined that there
has
been no impairment in the carrying value of our real estate assets as of March
31, 2007.
Real
Estate Acquisitions.
We
account for real estate acquisitions pursuant to Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 141 (“SFAS 141”), Business
Combinations. Accordingly,
we allocate the purchase price of the acquired properties to land, building
and
improvements, identifiable intangible assets and to the acquired liabilities
based on their respective fair values. Identifiable intangibles include amounts
allocated to acquired out-of-market leases, the value of in-place leases and
customer relationship value, if any. We determine fair value based on estimated
cash flow projections that utilize appropriate discount and capitalization
rates
and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based
on a
number of factors including the historical operating results, known trends
and
specific market and economic conditions that may affect the property. Factors
considered by management in our analysis of determining the as-if-vacant
property value include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected
lease-up periods considering market conditions, and costs to execute similar
leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes,
insurance and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected
lease-up periods, tenant demand and other economic conditions. Management also
estimates costs to execute similar leases including leasing commissions, tenant
improvements, and legal and other related expenses. Intangibles related to
out-of-market leases and in-place lease value are recorded as acquired lease
intangibles and are amortized as an adjustment to rental revenue or amortization
expense, as appropriate, over the remaining terms of the underlying leases.
Premiums or discounts on acquired out-of-market debt are amortized to interest
expense over the remaining term of such debt.
Revenue
Recognition.
All
leases on properties we hold are classified as operating leases, and we
recognize the related rental income on a straight-line basis over the terms
of
the related leases. We capitalize or charge to accrued rent receivable, as
applicable, differences between rental income earned and amounts due per the
respective lease agreements. Percentage rents are recognized as rental income
when the thresholds upon which they are based have been met. Recoveries from
tenants for taxes, insurance, and other operating expenses are recognized as
revenues in the period the corresponding costs are incurred. We provide an
allowance for doubtful accounts against the portion of tenant accounts
receivable which we estimate to be uncollectible.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
General.
We
generally lease our properties on a triple-net basis or on a basis that provides
for tenants to pay for increases in operating expenses over a base year or
set
amount. During the three months ended March, 2007, our cash used in operating
activities was $2.8 million and our total distributions were $2.4 million.
Therefore we had a cash flow shortage of approximately $5.2 million. We funded
this shortage from cash by borrowing from our KeyBank credit facility and our
Windsor Park Centre mortgage loan. During the first quarter of 2007, we incurred
approximately $0.8 million in legal costs as a result of the termination of
the
management and advisory agreements, the termination of Mr. Hartman as President,
Secretary and Chief Executive Officer and the litigation with Mr. Hartman and
Hartman Management. We do not know when this litigation will be fully resolved,
although we are very pleased with the recent favorable ruling by the Federal
Court. The continued legal cost associated with this litigation may have a
significant impact on our cash flow. We anticipate that cash flows from
operating activities and our borrowing capacity will provide adequate capital
for our working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures,
litigation costs and scheduled debt payments during the next twelve months.
We
also believe that cash flows from operating activities and our borrowing
capacity will allow us to make all distributions required for us to continue
to
qualify to be taxed as a REIT.
26
Cash
and Cash Equivalents.
We had
cash and cash equivalents of $12.4 million at March 31, 2007, as compared to
$8.3 million on December 31, 2006. The increase was primarily the result of
the
following:
· |
Proceeds
of approximately $4.0 million from our KeyBank Credit
facility.
|
· |
Net
proceeds of approximately $4.7 million from the refinancing of
our Windsor
Park Centre property.
|
· |
Payment
of annual property taxes of approximately $4.0 million in January
2007.
|
We
place
all cash in short-term, highly liquid investments that we believe provide
appropriate safety of principal.
Our
Debt for Borrowed Money.
As of
March 31, 2007 we had two active loans which are described below:
Revolving
Credit Facility
We
have a
revolving credit facility with a consortium of banks. The credit facility is
secured by a pledge of the partnership interests in WROP III, a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Operating Partnership that was formed to hold title to the
properties comprising the borrowing base pool for the facility. At March 31,
2007, 35 properties are owned by WROP III.
In
2006,
the credit facility was increased to $75 million from $50 million, and may
be
increased to $100 million as the borrowing base pool expands. We entered into
this credit facility to refinance our then existing debt, to finance property
acquisitions and for general corporate purposes.
As
of
March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the balance outstanding under the credit
facility was $65.2 million and $61.2 million, respectively, and the availability
for additional borrowings was $9.8 million and $13.8 million,
respectively.
Outstanding
amounts under the credit facility accrue interest computed (at our option)
at
either the LIBOR or the Alternative Base Rate on the basis of a 360 day year,
plus the applicable margin as determined from the following table:
|
|
|
|
|
Alternative Base
|
Total Leverage Ratio |
LIBOR
Margin
|
Rate
Margin
|
|||
Less than 60% but greater than or equal to 50% |
2.40%
|
1.150%
|
|||
Less than 50% but greater than or equal to 45% |
2.15%
|
1.025%
|
|||
Less than 45% |
1.90%
|
1.000%
|
The
Alternative Base Rate is a floating rate equal to the higher of the bank’s base
rate or the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5%. LIBOR Rate loans are available in
one,
two, three or nine month periods, with a maximum of nine contracts at any time.
The effective interest rate as of March 31, 2007, was 7.28% per
annum.
Interest
only is payable monthly under the loan with the total amount of principal due
at
maturity on March 11, 2008. The loan may be prepaid at any time in part or
in
whole, provided that the credit facility is not in default. If LIBOR pricing
is
elected, there is a prepayment penalty based on a “make-whole” calculation for
all costs associated with prepaying a LIBOR borrowing.
As
of
March 31, 2007, we are in violation of a loan covenant which provides that
the
ratio of declared dividends to funds from operations (as defined in the loan
agreement) shall not be greater than 95%. We have requested a waiver from the
consortium of banks. As this violation constitutes an event of default, the
lenders have the right to accelerate payment of this credit facility. We
are currently in discussions to receive the waiver and expect to receive
the waiver shortly. However, there can be no assurance that we will be
successful in our negotiations to obtain a waiver.
On
January 8, 2007, we requested that legal fees incurred in connection with the
litigation with Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management be excluded from the
definition of funds from operations in testing the covenant requiring the ratio
of declared and paid dividends to funds from operations not be in excess of
95%.
On January 23, 2007, the lenders granted the exclusion as requested. On March
26, 2007, we formalized this agreement in Amendment No. 3 to our Revolving
Credit Agreement which was filed with our 2006 10-K.
27
In
October 2006, our Board (i) elected not to renew our advisory agreement with
Hartman Management, (ii) terminated our property management agreement with
Hartman Management; and (iii) removed Mr. Hartman from his positions as our
President, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. These actions violated certain
covenants in the loan agreement and were events of default thereunder. These
events of default have been waived by the lenders.
The
revolving credit facility is supported by a pool of eligible properties referred
to as the borrowing base pool. The borrowing base pool must meet the following
criteria:
· |
We
will provide a negative pledge on the borrowing base pool and may
not
provide a negative pledge of the borrowing base pool to any other
lender.
|
· |
The
properties will be free of all liens, unless otherwise
permitted.
|
· |
All
eligible properties will be retail, office-warehouse, or office
properties, will be free and clear of material environmental concerns
and
will be in good repair.
|
· |
The
aggregate physical occupancy of the borrowing base pool will remain
above
80% at all times.
|
· |
No
property may comprise more than 15% of the value of the borrowing
base
pool with the exception of Corporate Park Northwest, which is allowed
into
the borrowing base pool.
|
· |
The
borrowing base pool will at all times be comprised of at least
10
properties.
|
· |
The
borrowing base pool properties may not contain development or
redevelopment projects.
|
Properties
can be added to and removed from the borrowing base pool at any time provided
no
defaults would occur as a result of a removal. If a property does not meet
the
criteria of an eligible property and we want to include it in the borrowing
base
pool, a majority vote of the bank consortium is required.
Covenants,
tested quarterly, relative to the borrowing base pool are as
follows:
· |
We
will not permit any liens on the properties in the borrowing base
pool
unless otherwise permitted.
|
· |
The
ratio of aggregate net operating income from the borrowing base
pool to
debt service shall at all times exceed 1.5 to 1.0. For any quarter,
debt
service shall be equal to the average loan balance for the past
quarter
times an interest rate which is the greater of (a) the then current
annual
yield on 10 year United States Treasury notes over 25 years plus
2%; (b) a
6.5% constant; or (c) the actual interest rate for the
facility.
|
· |
The
ratio of the value of the borrowing base pool to total funded loan
balance
must always exceed 1.67 to 1.00. The value of the borrowing base
pool is
defined as aggregate net operating income for the preceding four
quarters,
less a $0.15 per square foot per annum capital expenditure reserve,
divided by a 9.25% capitalization
rate.
|
Covenants,
tested quarterly, relative to us are as follows:
· |
We
will not permit our total indebtedness to exceed 60% of the fair
market
value of our real estate assets at the end of any quarter. Total
indebtedness is defined as all our liabilities, including this
facility
and all other secured and unsecured debt, including letters of
credit and
guarantees. Fair market value of real estate assets is defined
as
aggregate net operating income for the preceding four quarters,
less a
$0.15 per square foot per annum capital expenditure reserve, divided
by a
9.25% capitalization rate.
|
· |
The
ratio of consolidated rolling four-quarter earnings before interest,
income tax, deprecation and amortization expenses to total interest
expense, including capitalized interest, shall not be less than
2.0 to
1.0.
|
· |
The
ratio of consolidated earnings before interest, income tax, deprecation
and amortization expenses to total interest, including capitalized
interest, principal amortization, capital expenditures and preferred
stock
dividends shall not be less than 1.5 to 1.0. Capital expenditures
shall be
deemed to be $0.15 per square foot per
annum.
|
· |
The
ratio of secured debt to fair market value of real estate assets
shall not
be greater than 40%.
|
· |
The
ratio of declared dividends to funds from operations shall not
be greater
than 95%.
|
· |
The
ratio of development assets to fair market value of real estate
assets
shall not be greater than
20%.
|
· |
We
must maintain our status as a REIT for income tax
purposes.
|
· |
Total
other investments shall not exceed 30% of total asset value. Other
investments shall include investments in joint ventures, unimproved
land,
marketable securities and mortgage notes receivable. Additionally,
the
preceding investment categories shall not comprise greater than
30%, 15%,
10% and 20%, respectively, of total other
investments.
|
28
Within
six months of closing, we were required to hedge all variable rate debt above
$40 million until the point at which the ratio of variable rate debt to fixed
rate debt is 50% of total debt. Thereafter, we must maintain this type of hedge
during any period in which variable rate debt exceeds 50% of total debt. On
March 27, 2006, we executed an interest rate swap dated as of March 16, 2006,
for the purpose of hedging variable interest rate exposure, in compliance with
the requirements of the loan agreement. The lenders waived the default for
not
executing the hedge within six months of closing, as required by the loan
agreement.
On
June
30, 2006, we borrowed $34.8 million on the revolving credit facility to
extinguish the then existing debt and to pay related legal and banking
fees.
Mortgage
Loan on Windsor Park Centre
In
connection with the purchase of the Windsor Park Centre property in December
2003, we assumed a note payable in the amount of $6.6 million, secured by the
property. The balance at December 31, 2006, was $5.1 million. The note was
payable in equal monthly installments of principal and interest of $80,445,
with
interest at the rate of 8.34% per annum. The balance of the note was payable
in
full on December 1, 2006. We obtained an extension through March 2, 2007 and
paid off this note in full with the proceeds from a $10 million loan described
in the following paragraph.
On
March
1, 2007, we obtained a $10 million loan to pay off the loan obtained upon the
acquisition of the Windsor Park Centre property and to provide funds for future
acquisitions and improvements to existing properties. The mortgage loan is
secured by Windsor Park Centre, which is owned by WROC IV, a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Operating Partnership that was formed to hold title to Windsor
Park Centre. On March 1, 2007, we conveyed ownership of Windsor Park Centre
from
the Operating Partnership to WROC IV in order to secure the $10 million loan.
The note is payable in equal monthly installments of principal and interest
of
$60,212, with interest at the rate of 6.04% per annum. The balance of the note
is payable in full on March 1, 2014. The balance of this note is approximately
$10 million at March 31, 2007.
Capital
Expenditures.
Currently, we are evaluating all of our properties to determine a strategy
for
each property. We may determine it is best to invest capital in properties
we
believe have potential for increasing value. We also may have unexpected capital
expenditures or improvements for our existing assets. Additionally, we intend
to
invest in similar properties outside of Texas in cities with exceptional
demographics to diversify market risk, and we may incur significant capital
expenditures or make improvements in connection with any properties we may
acquire.
Total
Contractual Cash Obligations.
A
summary of our contractual cash obligations, as of March 31, 2007, is as
follows:
Payment
due by
period
|
||||||||||
Less
than
|
1
to 3
|
3
to 5
|
More
than
|
|||||||
Contractual Obligations |
Total
|
1
Year
|
Years
|
Years
|
5
Years
|
|||||
Long-Term Debt Obligations | $ 75,656 | $ 65,666 | $ - | $ - | $ 9,990 | |||||
Capital Lease Obligations | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
Operating Lease Obligations | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
Purchase Obligations | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
Other Long-Term Liabilities | ||||||||||
Reflected on the Registrant’s | ||||||||||
Balance Sheet under GAAP | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
Total | $ 75,656 | $ 65,666 | $ - | $ - | $ 9,990 |
We
have
no commercial commitments such as lines of credit or guarantees that might
result from a contingent event that would require our performance pursuant
to a
funding commitment.
Property
Acquisitions.
During
the first quarter of 2007 and the year ended December 31, 2006, we have acquired
no properties.
During
2005, we acquired from unrelated parties three multi-tenant office buildings
comprising approximately 486,024 square feet of gross leasable area. The
properties were acquired for cash for approximately $30.4 million.
29
Common
Share Dividends.
We
declared the following dividends to our shareholders with respect to the first
quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of 2007, payable in three monthly
installments after the end of each respective quarter:
Total Amount of | |||||||
Dividends Paid |
Dividends
per
|
||||||
Quarter
Paid
|
(in thousands) |
Share
|
|||||
03/31/2006
|
$
1,526
|
$ 0.1768 | |||||
06/30/2006
|
$
1,632
|
|
$ 0.1768 | ||||
09/30/2006
|
$
1,443
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
12/31/2006
|
$
1,477
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
03/31/2007
|
$
1,495
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
06/30/2007
|
$
1,487
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
Average Per Quarter | $ 0.1589 | ||||||
OP
Unit Distributions.
The
Operating Partnership declared the following distributions to holders of its
OP
Units, including the Company, with respect to the first quarter of 2006 through
the second quarter of 2007, payable in three monthly installments after the
end
of each respective quarter:
Total
Amount
of
|
|||||||
Dividends
Paid
|
Dividends
per
|
||||||
Quarter
Paid
|
(in
thousands)
|
Share
|
|||||
03/31/2006
|
$
2,488
|
$ 0.1768 | |||||
06/30/2006
|
$ 2,594
|
$ 0.1768 | |||||
09/30/2006
|
$ 2,260
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
12/31/2006
|
$ 2,294
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
03/31/2007
|
$
2,314
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
06/30/2007
|
$
2,316
|
$ 0.1500 | |||||
|
|||||||
Average Per Quarter | $ 0.1607 |
30
Results
of Operations
Comparison
of the Three Month Periods Ended March 31, 2007 and 2006
General.
The
following tables provide a general comparison of our results of operations
for
the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006:
March
31, 2007
|
March
31,
2006
|
||||||
(As
Restated)
|
|||||||
Number
of properties owned and operated
|
36
|
37
|
|||||
Aggregate
gross leasable area (sq. ft.)
|
3,093,063
|
3,121,037
|
|||||
Average
occupancy rate
|
83
|
% |
83
|
% | |||
Total
revenues (in thousands)
|
$
7,545
|
$
7,414
|
|||||
Total
operating expenses (in thousands)
|
6,608
|
5,266
|
|||||
Operating
income (in thousands)
|
937
|
2,148
|
|||||
Other
income (expense), net (in thousands)
|
(1,159)
|
(1,212)
|
|||||
Income
(loss) before minority interests (in
thousands)
|
(222)
|
936
|
|||||
Minority
interests in the Operating Partnership (in
thousands)
|
84
|
(372)
|
|||||
Net income (loss) (in thousands) |
$
(138)
|
$
564
|
|||||
Funds from operations (1)
(in
thousands)
|
$
1,332
|
$
2,787
|
|||||
Adjusted funds from operations (1)
(in
thousands)
|
$
1,090
|
$
2,146
|
|||||
Dividends paid on common shares and OP
Units
(in
thousands)
|
$
2,410
|
$
2,552
|
|||||
Per
common share and OP unit
|
$
0.15
|
$
0.17
|
|||||
Dividends
paid as a % of AFFO
|
221 | % | 119 | % | |||
(1) In accordance with Regulation G, "reconciliation of non-GAAP measures" see "Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations" below. |
Revenues.
Substantially
all of our revenue is derived from rents received for the use of our
properties.
We
had
rental income and tenant reimbursements of approximately $7.5 million for the
three months ended March 31, 2007, as compared to $7.4 million for the three
months ended March 31, 2006, an increase of $0.1 million or 1%. Our average
occupancy rate was 83% for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006.
Our
average annualized revenue was $9.76 per square foot for the three months ended
March 31, 2007, as compared to our average annualized revenue of $9.50 per
square foot for the three months ended March 31, 2006. This increase in average
annualized revenue was offset by a decrease in average leasable square footage
of approximately 28,000 square feet.
31
Operating
Expenses. Our
total
operating expenses were $6.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2007,
as compared to $5.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006, an
increase of $1.3 million, or 25%. The primary components of operating expense
are detailed in the table below (in thousands):
Three
months ended March
31,
|
||||
2007
|
2006
|
|||
(As
Restated)
|
||||
Property operations and maintenance |
$ 1,279
|
$
1,017
|
||
Real estate taxes and insurance |
1,034
|
999
|
||
Electricity, water and gas utilities |
480
|
512
|
||
Property management and asset management |
|
|||
fees to an affiliate |
-
|
412
|
||
G & A - professional fees and other |
1,369
|
450
|
||
G & A - employee compensation |
665
|
-
|
||
Depreciation |
1,364
|
1,358
|
||
Amortization |
248
|
527
|
||
Bad Debt |
169
|
(9)
|
||
Total Operating Expenses |
$
6,608
|
$
5,266
|
Property
operations and maintenance. The
increase in property operations and maintenance expenses for the three months
ended March 31, 2007, as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2006,
is
primarily the result of increased repair and maintenance costs for our
properties. The majority of these costs relate to work that had been deferred
by
the prior management company. While these costs decreased our earnings for
the
three months ended March 31, 2007, we believe that they will ultimately result
in higher tenant satisfaction, lower tenant attrition and higher occupancy
levels.
Property
management and asset management fees paid to an affiliate. On
September 30, 2006, our advisory agreement with Hartman Management expired.
On
November 14, 2006, all property management functions were transferred to us
from
Hartman Management. As such, no fees were charged by Hartman Management after
November 13, 2006.
G
& A - professional fees and other. The
increase in our professional fees of $0.9 million is primarily due to an
increase in legal fees resulting from the termination of the management and
advisory agreements, the termination of Mr. Hartman as our President, Secretary
and Chief Executive Officer and the litigation with Mr. Hartman and Hartman
Management.
G
& A - employee compensation. The
increase in employee compensation of $0.7 million is a result of our becoming
a
self-managed REIT in the fourth quarter of 2006. As of March 31, 2007 we had
48
employees to perform the functions previous outsourced to Hartman
Management.
Amortization.
The
decrease of $0.3 million in amortization expense is due to the write off a
deferred lease commission for a tenant that defaulted on their lease in March
2006. Hartman Management was paid approximately $0.3 million in lease
commissions for signing a fifteen year lease for approximately 42,000 square
feet of leasable area in June 2005. The tenant defaulted on their lease in
March
of 2006 and the remaining unamortized lease commission was charge to
amortization expense. A demand for repayment of this lease commission was sent
to Hartman Management on December 21, 2006. Due to the uncertainty of
collection, this amount has not been recorded as a receivable.
Bad
Debt. The
increase in bad debt of $0.2 million is primarily a result of additional bad
debt reserves recorded due to an increase in the accounts receivable balance
of
$0.3 million at March 31, 2007, as compared to the balance at March 31, 2006.
Operating
Income. Operating
income was $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2007, as compared
to $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2006, a decrease of $1.2
million or 57%. The primary reasons for the decrease are detailed above in
Revenues
and
Operating
Expenses.
32
Net
Income (Loss). Income
(loss) before minority interests was a loss of $(0.2) million and income of
$0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
Net loss of $(0.1) million and income of $0.6 million for the three months
ended
March 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. The decrease in net income was the result
of the items discussed above in expenses and revenue.
Funds
From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations
We
believe that Funds From Operations (“FFO”) and Adjusted Funds From Operations
(“AFFO”) are appropriate supplemental measures of operating performance because
these measures help investors compare our operating performance relative to
other REITs. The National Association of Real Estate Trusts (“NAREIT”) defines
FFO as net income (loss) available to common shareholders computed in accordance
with GAAP, excluding gains or losses from sales of operating properties and
extraordinary items, plus depreciation and amortization of real estate assets,
including our share of unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We
calculate FFO in a manner consistent with the NAREIT definition.
We
calculate AFFO by subtracting from FFO both (1) normalized recurring
expenditures that are capitalized by the REIT and then amortized, but which
are
necessary to maintain a REIT's properties and its revenue stream (e.g., leasing
expenses and tenant improvement expenditures) and (2) "straight-lining" of
rents. This calculation also is called Cash Available for Distribution (CAD)
or
Funds Available for Distribution (FAD). AFFO is primarily a measure of a real
estate company's funds generated by operations.
There
can
be no assurance that FFO or AFFO as presented by us are comparable to similarly
titled measures of other REITs. We consider FFO and AFFO to be an alternative
to
net income or other measurements under GAAP as an indicator of our operating
performance or to cash flows from operating, investing, or financing activities
as a measure of liquidity. These measures do not reflect working capital
changes, cash expenditures for capital improvements or principal payments on
indebtedness. Below is the calculation of FFO and AFFO and the reconciliation
to
net income, which we believe is the most comparable GAAP financial measure,
in
thousands:
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures | |||||||
Three
Months Ended
March
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Net income (loss) |
$
|
(138
|
)
|
$
|
564
|
||
Minority
interest in (income) loss of operating
partnership
|
(84
|
)
|
372
|
||||
Depreciation
and amortization of real estate
assets
|
1,554
|
1,851
|
|||||
FFO |
1,332
|
2,787
|
|||||
Tenant
improvements
|
(132
|
)
|
(164
|
)
|
|||
Leasing
commissions
|
(183
|
)
|
(386
|
)
|
|||
Change
in fair value of
derivatives
|
20
|
- | |||||
Straight-line
rents
|
33
|
(99
|
)
|
||||
Above
(below) market lease value
|
20
|
8
|
|||||
AFFO
|
$
|
1,090
|
$
|
2,146
|
|||
Taxes
We
elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code beginning with
our
taxable year ended December 31, 1999. As a REIT, we generally are not subject
to
federal income tax on income that we distribute to our shareholders. If we
fail
to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income
tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We believe that we are
organized and operate in such a manner as to qualify to be taxed as a REIT,
and
we intend to operate so as to remain qualified as a REIT for federal income
tax
purposes.
Inflation
We
anticipate that our leases will continue to be triple-net leases or otherwise
provide that tenants pay for increases in operating expenses and will contain
provisions that we believe will mitigate the effect of inflation. In addition,
many of our leases are for terms of less than five years, which allows us to
adjust rental rates to reflect inflation and other changing market conditions
when the leases expire. Consequently, increases due to inflation, as well as
ad
valorem tax rate increases, generally do not have a significant adverse effect
upon our operating results.
33
Environmental
Matters
Our
properties are subject to environmental laws and regulations adopted by various
governmental authorities in the jurisdictions in which our operations are
conducted. From our inception, we have incurred no significant environmental
costs, accrued liabilities or expenditures to mitigate or eliminate future
environmental contamination.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We
have
no significant off-balance sheet arrangements as of March 31, 2007 and December
31, 2006.
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market
Risk
Market
risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and
prices. The principal market risk to which we are exposed is the risk related
to
interest rate fluctuations. Based upon the nature of our operations, we are
not
subject to foreign exchange or commodity risk. We will be exposed to changes
in
interest rates as a result of our credit facilities which have floating interest
rates. As of March 31, 2007, we had approximately $65.2 million of indebtedness
outstanding under these facilities, of which approximately $35.2 million was
not
hedged to protect against rising interest rates. The impact of a 1% increase
in
interest rates on our debt would result in an increase in interest expense
and a
decrease in income before minority interests of approximately $0.3 million.
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that
information required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) 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 the
Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure. Management necessarily applied its judgment in assessing the costs
and benefits of such controls and procedures which, by their nature, can provide
only reasonable assurance regarding management’s control
objectives.
As
reported in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2006,
our independent registered public accounting firm, in the course of the audit
of
our financial statements, brought to management’s attention two material
weaknesses in our internal controls: (1) inadequate controls and
procedures in place to effectively monitor and record non-routine
transactions and (2) inadequate controls and procedures in place to
effectively manage certain spreadsheets that support the financial reporting
process. Controls over completeness, accuracy, validity, and review of
certain spreadsheet information that supports the financial reporting process
either were not designed appropriately or did not operate as designed. As
a result of these deficiencies, our accounting personnel may not process and
record transactions or compile data appropriately that requires recognition
in
our financial accounting records. Accordingly, errors in our accounting
for certain revenues and other profit and loss items may occur and may not
be detected. A material weakness (within the meaning of the Public
Accounting Oversight Board Accounting Standard No. 2) is a control deficiency,
or aggregation of control deficiencies, that result in more than a remote risk
that a material misstatement in the Company’s annual or interim financial
statements will not be prevented or detected.
As
of the
end of the period covered by this report, an evaluation was carried out under
the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of
the
design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures
pursuant to the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation and the material
weakness described above, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are not
effective in timely alerting them to material information relating to the
Company (including its consolidated subsidiaries) that is required to be
included in the Company’s Exchange Act filings. We are in the process of
remediating the material weaknesses and has engaged an external consultant
to
assist management in establishing and maintaining adequate controls and
remediating the identified material weaknesses.
34
PART
II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
The
nature of our business exposes us to the risk of lawsuits for damages or
penalties relating to, among other things, breach of contract and employment
disputes. We are currently involved in the following litigation:
Hartman
Commercial Properties REIT and Hartman REIT Operating Partnership, L.P. v.
Allen
R. Hartman and Hartman Management, L.P., in the 333rd
Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas
On
October 2, 2006, we initiated this action against our former Chief Executive
Officer, Allen R. Hartman, and our former manager and advisor, Hartman
Management, L.P. We are seeking damages for breach of contract, fraudulent
inducement and breach of fiduciary duties.
In
November 2006, Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management filed a counterclaim against
us, the members of our Board and our Chief Operating Officer, John J. Dee.
The
counterclaim has since been amended to drop the claims against the individual
defendants with the exception of our current interim Chief Executive Officer,
James C. Mastandrea, and Mr. Dee. The amended counterclaim asserts claims
against us for alleged breach of contract and alleges that we owe Mr. Hartman
and Hartman Management fees for the termination of an advisory agreement. The
amended counterclaim asserts claims against Messrs. Mastandrea and Dee for
tortious interference with the advisory agreement and a management agreement
and
conspiracy to seize control of us for their own financial gains. We have
indemnified Messrs. Mastandrea and Dee to the extent allowed by our governing
documents and Maryland law. The amended counterclaim also asserts claims against
our prior outside law firm and one of its partners.
Limited
discovery has been conducted in this case as of the date of this
report.
It
is too
early to express an opinion concerning the likelihood of an adverse outcome
on
the counterclaim, although we intend to vigorously defend against those claims
and vigorously prosecute our affirmative claims.
Hartman
Commercial Properties REIT v. Allen R. Hartman, et al; in the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Texas
On
December 8, 2006, we initiated this action complaining of the attempt by Mr.
Hartman and Hartman Management to solicit written consents from shareholders
to
replace our Board.
Mr.
Hartman and Hartman Management filed a counterclaim claiming that certain
changes to our bylaws and declaration of trust are invalid and that their
enactment is a breach of fiduciary duties. They were seeking a declaration
that
the changes to our bylaws and declaration of trust are invalid and an injunction
barring their enforcement. Theses changes, among other things, stagger the
terms
of our Board members over three years, require two-thirds vote of the
outstanding common shares to remove a Board member and provide that our
secretary may call a special meeting of shareholders only on the written request
of a majority of outstanding common shares. A group of shareholders has filed
a
request to intervene in this action to assert claims similar to those asserted
by Mr. Hartman and Hartman Management. We have opposed the
intervention.
The
trial
Court recently ruled in our favor on motions for temporary injunction filed
by
both parties. The Court found that the changes to our bylaws and declaration
of
trust were valid. The Court granted our Motion to Dismiss, dismissing many
of
Hartman and Hartman Management’s claims. After the ruling, the group of
shareholders who were seeking to intervene, dismissed their
intervention.
Hartman
and Hartman Management have appealed the Court’s ruling.
There
was
limited discovery in this case prior to the Court’s ruling. Documents were
produced and interrogatory responses exchanged. We produced the members of
our
Board for deposition as well as Mr. Dee.
Because
of the pending Appeal, it is too early to express an opinion concerning the
likelihood of an adverse outcome on the counterclaim, although we intend to
vigorously defend against those claims and vigorously prosecute our affirmative
claim.
35
Other
We
are a
participant in various other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the
ordinary course of our business. These matters are generally covered by
insurance. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with
certainty, we believe that the final outcome of these matters will not have
a
material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash
flows.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
The
discussion of our business and operations should be read together with the
risk
factors contained in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2006, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
which describe various risks and uncertainties to which we are or may become
subject. These risks and uncertainties have the potential to affect our
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, strategies
or
prospects in a material and adverse manner. As of March 31, 2007, there have
been no material changes to the risk factors set forth in our Annual Report
on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds
Market
Information
There
is
no established trading market for our common shares of beneficial interest.
As
of April 30, 2007, we had 10,001,269 common shares of beneficial interest
outstanding held by a total of approximately 1,428 shareholders.
Public
Offering Proceeds
On
September 15, 2004, our Registration Statement on Form S-11, with respect to
our
public offering of up to 10,000,000 common shares of beneficial interest to
be
offered at a price of $10 per share was declared effective under the Securities
Act of 1933. The Registration Statement also covered up to 1,000,000 shares
available pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan to be offered at a price
of
$9.50 per share. The shares were offered to investors on a best efforts basis.
Post-Effective Amendments No. 1, 2 and 3 to the Registration Statement were
declared effective by the SEC on June 27, 2005, March 9, 2006 and May 3, 2006,
respectively.
On
October 2, 2006, our Board terminated the public offering. On March 27, 2007,
we
gave the required ten day notice to plan participants informing them that we
intend to terminate our dividend reinvestment plan. As a result, our dividend
reinvestment plan terminated on April 6, 2007.
As
of
March 31, 2007, approximately 2.8 million shares had been issued pursuant to
our
public offering with gross offering proceeds received of $28.3 million. An
additional 165,000 shares had been issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment
plan in lieu of dividends totaling $1.6 million. Shareholders that received
shares pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan on or after October 2, 2006,
may have recission rights as described in “Dividend
Reinvestment Plan”
below.
36
The
application of our gross offering proceeds from the offering are as follows
(in
thousands):
Amount
of
Proceeds
|
||||
Description of Use of Offering Proceeds |
Utilized
|
|||
Selling Commissions paid to broker/ dealers not affiliated with | ||||
D.H. Hill Securities , LLP | $ |
1,644
|
||
Selling Discounts |
71
|
|||
Dealer Manager Fee paid to Hartman Management |
705
|
|||
Offering expense reimbursements paid to the Hartman Management |
708
|
|||
Acquisition Fees paid to Hartman Management |
566
|
|||
Total Offering Expenses | $ |
3,694
|
||
Net Offering Proceeds | $ |
26,185
|
||
Repayment of Lines of Credit | $ |
18,300
|
||
Used for Working Capital | $ |
7,885
|
||
We
initially used approximately $18,300,000 and $7,885,000 of our net proceeds
from
the offering to repay our lines of credit and for working capital, respectively.
We subsequently purchased real estate assets by re-drawing on our lines of
credit and using working capital. Therefore, the ultimate use of our net
offering proceeds was the acquisition of real estate assets.
Dividend
Reinvestment Plan
Our
dividend reinvestment plan allowed our shareholders to elect to have dividends
from our common shares reinvested in additional common shares. The purchase
price per share under our dividend reinvestment plan was $9.50. On March 27,
2007, we gave the required ten day notice to participants informing them that
we
intend to terminate our dividend reinvestment plan. As a result, our dividend
reinvestment plan terminated on April 6, 2007. Shares issued under our dividend
reinvestment plan were registered on our Registration Statement on Form S-11.
We
did not amend or supplement our Registration Statement following our change
in
management on October 2, 2006, and the events that occurred thereafter. As
a
result, shareholders that received approximately 64,000 shares issued under
our
dividend reinvestment plan on or after that date could be entitled to recission
rights. These rights would entitle these shareholders to recovery of their
purchase price less any income received on their shares.
Item
3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item
4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
None.
Item
5. Other Information
None.
37
Item
6. Exhibits
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
3.1
|
Declaration
of Trust of Whitestone REIT (formerly Hartman Commercial Properties
REIT),
a Maryland real estate investment trust (previously filed as and
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Registration
Statement on Form S-11/A, Commission File No. 333-111674, filed
on May 24,
2004)
|
3.2
|
Articles
of Amendment and Restatement of Declaration of Trust of Whitestone
REIT
(formerly Hartman Commercial Properties REIT) (previously filed
as and
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Registration
Statement on Form S-11/A, Commission File No. 333-111674, filed
on July
29, 2004)
|
3.3
|
Articles
Supplementary (previously filed as and incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 3(i).1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, Commission
File No. 000-50256, filed on December 6, 2006)
|
3.4
|
Bylaws
(previously filed as and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2
to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11, Commission File No.
333-111674, filed on December 31, 2003)
|
3.5
|
First
Amendment to Bylaws (previously filed as and incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 3(ii).1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, Commission
File No. 000-50256, filed on December 6, 2006)
|
4.1
|
Specimen
certificate for common shares of beneficial interest, par value
$.001
(previously filed as and incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2
to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11, Commission File No.
333-111674, filed on December 31, 2003)
|
10.24
|
Amendment
No. 2, dated May 19, 2006, between Hartman REIT Operating Partnership,
L.P., Hartman REIT Operating Partnership III, L.P., and KeyBank
National
Association, as agent for the consortium of lenders (previously
filed and
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report of Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed
on March
30, 2007)
|
10.25
|
Promissory
Note between HCP REIT Operating Company IV LLC and MidFirst Bank,
dated
March 1, 2007 (previously filed and incorporated by reference to
Exhibit
10.25 to the Registrant’s Annual Report of Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2006, filed on March 30, 2007)
|
10.26
|
Amendment
No. 3, dated March 26, 2007, between Hartman REIT Operating Partnership,
L.P., Hartman REIT Operating Partnership III, L.P., and KeyBank
National
Association, as agent for the consortium of lenders (previously
filed and
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Registrant’s Annual
Report of Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed
on March
30, 2007)
|
31.1*
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief
Executive
Officer)
|
31.2*
|
Certification
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief
Financial
Officer)
|
32.1*
|
Certificate
pursuant to 18 U.S.C., Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Executive Officer)
|
32.2*
|
Certificate
pursuant to 18 U.S.C., Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Financial Officer)
|
________________________
*
Filed
herewith.
+
Denotes
management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
38
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
Whitestone
REIT
|
|
Date:
May 15, 2007
|
/s/
James C. Mastandrea
|
James
C. Mastandrea
|
|
Interim
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
Dated
May 15, 2007
|
/s/
David K. Holeman
|
David
K. Holeman
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
(Principal
Financial Officer)
|
39