ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (the “Company”) is a Maryland corporation that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and it intends to continue to operate in such a manner. As used herein, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” refer to the Company and as required by context, KBS Limited Partnership III, a Delaware limited partnership, which we refer to as our “Operating Partnership,” and to their subsidiaries. We conduct our business primarily through our Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner.
We have invested in a diverse portfolio of real estate investments. As of December 31, 2020, we owned 18 office properties (one of which was held for sale and subsequently sold on January 19, 2021), one mixed-use office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of a Singapore real estate investment trust (the “SREIT”), which is accounted for as an investment in an unconsolidated entity under the equity method of accounting.
On July 18, 2019, we, through 12 wholly owned subsidiaries, sold 11 of our properties (the “Singapore Portfolio”) to the SREIT, which was listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “SGX-ST”) on July 19, 2019 (the “Singapore Transaction”).
We commenced our initial public offering on October 26, 2010, the primary portion of which terminated in July 2015. KBS Capital Markets Group LLC served as dealer manager for the offering. We sold 169,006,162 shares of common stock in our now-terminated primary initial public offering for gross offering proceeds of $1.7 billion. As of December 31, 2020, we had also sold 36,674,686 shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $379.3 million. Also as of December 31, 2020, we had redeemed or repurchased 29,431,448 shares sold in our initial public offering for $322.3 million.
Additionally, on October 3, 2014, we issued 258,462 shares of common stock, for $2.4 million, in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
We continue to offer shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan. In some states, we will need to renew the registration statement annually or file a new registration statement to continue the dividend reinvestment plan offering. We may terminate our dividend reinvestment plan offering at any time.
Our board of directors and management team regularly monitor the real estate and equity markets in order to find the best opportunities possible to continue to provide attractive and stable cash distributions to our stockholders and provide additional liquidity for our stockholders. One alternative for us to achieve these objectives may be for us to pursue conversion to a non-listed, perpetual-life NAV REIT that calculates the net asset value or “NAV” per share on a regular basis that is more frequent than annually (i.e., daily, monthly or quarterly) and seeks to provide increased liquidity to current and future stockholders through an expansion of our current share redemption program and/or periodic self-tender offers. In connection with our pursuit of conversion to an NAV REIT, on January 10, 2020, we filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the SEC to register a public offering. Pursuant to the registration statement and in the event we convert to an NAV REIT, we propose to register up to $2,000,000,000 of shares of common stock, consisting of up to $1,700,000,000 in shares in a primary offering and up to $300,000,000 in shares pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan. As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of our tenants, our conflicts committee and our board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed NAV REIT conversion remains in the best interest of our stockholders. The impact of COVID-19 has altered the landscape of the U.S. real estate market in its entirety. The disruption has reduced cash flows and halted leasing activity resulting in reductions of real estate values. Specific to our portfolio, our rent collections remain strong through February 2021 although we have granted short-term rent relief to a number of tenants, mostly in the form of rent deferrals or abatements. Additionally, the COVID-19 crisis initially caused us to delay certain asset sales and refinancing plans, which would have further increased the strength of our liquidity position and our ability to provide increased liquidity to stockholders. However, we have recently seen increased lending activity in the credit market and have refinanced certain loans in our portfolio. Additionally, we completed the sale of an office property on January 19, 2021. While we believe our portfolio is well-positioned to continue to successfully respond to the pandemic, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the capital and financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market, has caused us to further consider the timing and likelihood of success of the proposed NAV REIT conversion. Regardless of the ultimate decision, we continue to be focused on providing increased liquidity to stockholders. Accordingly, we can give no assurance that we will continue to pursue a conversion to an NAV REIT or that if we do pursue conversion to an NAV REIT that we would commence or complete the proposed offering. Even if we convert to an NAV REIT, there is no assurance that we will successfully implement our strategy, and we can provide no assurance that we will be able to provide additional liquidity to stockholders. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets - COVID-19 Pandemic and Portfolio Outlook.”
Section 5.11 of our charter requires that we seek stockholder approval of our liquidation if our shares of common stock are not listed on a national securities exchange by September 30, 2020, unless a majority of the conflicts committee of our board of directors, composed solely of all of our independent directors, determines that liquidation is not then in the best interest of our stockholders. Pursuant to our charter requirement, the conflicts committee assessed our portfolio of investments, and with consideration of the current market conditions, including the uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of liquidity in the marketplace, as well as our potential conversion to a perpetual-life NAV REIT, on August 11, 2020, our conflicts committee unanimously determined to postpone approval of our liquidation. Section 5.11 of our charter requires that the conflicts committee revisit the issue of liquidation at least annually. At our annual meeting of stockholders held on May 7, 2020, our stockholders approved the removal of Section 5.11 of our charter. As set forth in the proxy statement for our annual meeting of stockholders, implementation of this amendment to our charter and our conversion to an NAV REIT remain subject to further approval of our conflicts committee.
As our advisor, KBS Capital Advisors manages our day-to-day operations and our portfolio of real estate investments. KBS Capital Advisors makes recommendations on all investments to our board of directors. All proposed investments must be approved by at least a majority of our board of directors, including a majority of the conflicts committee. Unless otherwise provided by our charter, the conflicts committee may approve a proposed investment without action by the full board of directors if the approving members of the conflicts committee constitute at least a majority of the board of directors. KBS Capital Advisors also provides asset-management, disposition, marketing, investor-relations and other administrative services on our behalf. Our advisor owns 20,857 shares of our common stock. We have no paid employees.
Objectives and Strategies
Our primary investment objectives are to preserve and return our stockholders’ capital contributions and to provide our stockholders with attractive and stable cash distributions. We will also seek to realize growth in the value of our investments by timing asset sales to maximize asset value.
Investment Highlights
In connection with the Singapore Transaction, on July 19, 2019, we, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary (“REIT Properties III”), acquired 307,953,999 units in the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) at a price of $0.88 per unit representing a 33.3% ownership interest in the SREIT. On August 21, 2019, REIT Properties III sold 18,392,100 of its units in the SREIT for $16.2 million pursuant to an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters of the SREIT’s offering, reducing REIT Properties III’s ownership in the SREIT to 31.3% of the outstanding units of the SREIT. As of December 31, 2020, REIT Properties III held 289,561,899 units of the SREIT, which represented 27.4% of the outstanding units of the SREIT. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $228.8 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the SREIT units on the SGX-ST of $0.79 per unit as of December 31, 2020 and did not take into account potential blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the units. As of December 31, 2020, the book value of our investment in the SREIT was $233.6 million.
On May 7, 2020, we, through a consolidated joint venture (the “Hardware Village Joint Venture”) sold a multi-family apartment project (“Hardware Village”) to a buyer unaffiliated with the Hardware Village Joint Venture, us or our advisor, for a purchase price of $178.0 million, before third-party closing costs, credits and the disposition fee payable to our advisor. The buyer of Hardware Village paid the purchase price in a combination of approximately $27.8 million in cash and approximately $150.2 million in seller financing provided by our indirect wholly owned subsidiary (the “Lender”). In connection with the sale and seller financing, on May 7, 2020, the buyer entered into a promissory note with the Lender for $150.2 million. The promissory note was secured by a first mortgage on Hardware Village (the “Hardware Village First Mortgage”). Our joint venture partner received a distribution of $6.4 million of the proceeds from the sale, assigned its interest in the Hardware Village Joint Venture to us and ceased to be a member of the Hardware Village Joint Venture effective May 7, 2020.
On December 11, 2020, the buyer/borrower on the Hardware Village First Mortgage exercised its prepayment option available under the promissory note, pursuant to which the buyer/borrower paid off the entire outstanding principal balance and accrued interest in the amount of $150.4 million, without fee, premium or penalty. The Hardware Village First Mortgage had an original maturity date of May 6, 2021.
Real Estate Portfolio
We have acquired and manage a diverse portfolio of core real estate properties, which are generally lower risk, existing properties with at least 80% occupancy. Our primary investment focus has been core office properties located throughout the United States, though we have and may in the future invest in other types of properties and real-estate related investments. Our core property focus in the U.S. office sector has reflected a more value-creating core strategy, which is also known as a core-plus strategy. In many cases, these properties have slightly higher (10% to 20%) vacancy rates and/or higher near-term lease rollover at acquisition than more conservative value-maintaining core properties. These characteristics may provide us with opportunities to lease space at higher rates, especially in markets with increasing absorption, or to re-lease space in these properties at higher rates, bringing below-market rates of in-place expiring leases up to market rates. Many of these properties have required or will require a moderate level of additional investment for capital expenditures and tenant improvement costs in order to improve or rebrand the properties and increase rental rates. Thus, we believe these properties provide an opportunity for us to achieve more significant capital appreciation by increasing occupancy, negotiating new leases with higher rental rates and/or executing enhancement projects.
The primary types of office properties we intend to invest in include low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise office buildings and office parks in urban and suburban locations, especially those that are in or near central business districts or have access to transportation. In addition, we may consider acquiring industrial properties (including warehouse and distribution facilities, office/warehouse flex properties, research and development properties and light industrial properties) and retail properties. Although this is our primary investment focus, we may make adjustments to our investment focus based on real estate market conditions and investment opportunities.
We will generally hold fee title to or a long-term leasehold estate in the properties we acquire. We may also invest in or acquire operating companies or other entities that own and operate assets that meet our investment objectives. We will make investments in other entities when we consider it more efficient to acquire an entity that already owns assets meeting our investment objectives than to acquire such assets directly. We have also made investments through joint ventures, and in the future we may enter into other joint ventures, partnerships and co-ownership arrangements (including preferred equity investments) or participations for the purpose of obtaining interests in real estate properties and for the development or improvement of properties.
Our advisor develops a well-defined exit strategy for each investment we make and periodically performs a hold-sell analysis on each asset. These periodic analyses focus on the remaining available value enhancement opportunities for the asset, the demand for the asset in the marketplace, market conditions and our overall portfolio objectives to determine if the sale of the asset, whether via an individual sale or as part of a portfolio sale or merger, would generate a favorable return to our stockholders. Economic and market conditions may influence us to hold our assets for different periods of time. We may sell an asset before the end of the expected holding period if we believe that market conditions and asset positioning have maximized its value to us or the sale of the asset would otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
We may make adjustments to our target portfolio based on real estate market conditions and investment opportunities. We will not forego a good investment because it does not precisely fit our expected portfolio composition. We believe that we are most likely to meet our investment objectives through the careful selection and underwriting of assets. When making an acquisition, we will emphasize the performance and risk characteristics of that investment, how that investment will fit with our portfolio-level performance objectives, the other assets in our portfolio and how the returns and risks of that investment compare to the returns and risks of available investment alternatives. Thus, to the extent that our advisor presents us with what we believe to be good investment opportunities that allow us to meet the REIT requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), our portfolio composition may vary from what we currently expect. In fact, we may invest in whatever types of real estate or real estate-related assets we believe are in our best interests. However, we will attempt to construct a portfolio that produces stable and attractive returns by spreading risk across different real estate investments.
Also, in connection with the Singapore Transaction, our board of directors and conflicts committee adopted the asset Allocation Process proposed by our advisor and KBS Realty Advisors. See Part I, Item 1A
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following are some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those presented in our forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.
Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock
Because no public trading market for our shares currently exists, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares and, if they are able to sell their shares, they will likely sell them at a substantial discount to the public offering price and the estimated value per share.
Our charter does not require our directors to seek stockholder approval to liquidate our assets and dissolve by a specified date, nor does our charter require our directors to list our shares for trading on a national securities exchange by a specified date. There is no public market for our shares and we have no plans at this time to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, our stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase standards. Any sale must comply with applicable state and federal securities laws. Our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% of our stock by any person, unless exempted by our board of directors, which may inhibit large investors from desiring to purchase our stockholders’ shares.
In connection with our pursuit of a NAV REIT strategy, in December 2019, the board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions (defined below) under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as we navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate our proposed conversion to an NAV REIT. Ordinary Redemptions are all redemptions that do not qualify for the special provisions for redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Qualifying Disability” or “Determination of Incompetence” (each as defined in the share redemption program). Redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Qualifying Disability” or “Determination of Incompetence” are “Special Redemptions.” Upon suspension, all Ordinary Redemptions requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemptions requests will be accepted or collected during the suspension of the share redemption program. Moreover, our current share redemption program includes numerous restrictions that limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares to us, including that during any calendar year (i) we may redeem only the number of shares that we could purchase with the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year, unless our board of directors authorizes additional funds for redemption, provided that once we have received requests for redemptions, whether in connection with Special Redemptions or otherwise, that if honored, and when combined with all prior redemptions made during the calendar year, would result in the amount of remaining funds available for the redemption of additional shares in such calendar year being $10.0 million or less, the last $10.0 million of available funds shall be reserved exclusively for Special Redemptions and (ii) we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year. Our board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon 10 business days’ notice to our stockholders, and we may increase or decrease funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders. We describe the restrictions of our share redemption program in detail under Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Share Redemption Program and Suspension of Ordinary Redemptions.” Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during 2020, we had an aggregate of $46.7 million available for redemptions in 2021, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. We cannot predict future redemption demand with any certainty. If future redemption requests exceed the amount of funding available under our share redemption program and/or any additional funding made available under one or more self-tender offers, the number of rejected redemption or repurchase requests will increase over time.
Therefore, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares promptly or at all. If our stockholders are able to sell their shares, they will likely have to sell them at a substantial discount to their public offering price or the estimated value per share. It is also likely that our stockholders’ shares will not be accepted as the primary collateral for a loan. Investors should purchase shares in our dividend reinvestment plan only as a long-term investment and be prepared to hold them for an indefinite period of time because of the illiquid nature of our shares.
We face significant competition for tenants and in the acquisition and disposition of real estate investments, which may limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives or pay distributions.
The U.S. commercial real estate investment and leasing markets remain competitive. We face competition from various entities for investment and disposition opportunities, for prospective tenants and to retain our current tenants, including other REITs, pension funds, banks and insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. Many of these entities have substantially greater financial resources than we do and may be able to accept more risk than we can prudently manage, including risks with respect to the creditworthiness of a tenant or the geographic location of their investments.
We depend upon the performance of our property managers in the selection of tenants and negotiation of leasing arrangements. The U.S. commercial real estate industry has created increased pressure on real estate investors and their property managers to find new tenants and keep existing tenants. In order to do so, we have offered and may have to offer inducements, such as free rent and tenant improvements, to compete for attractive tenants. Further, as a result of their greater resources, the entities referenced above may have more flexibility than we do in their ability to offer rental concessions to attract and retain tenants, which could put additional pressure on our ability to maintain or raise rents and could adversely affect our ability to attract or retain tenants. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many tenants to re-evaluate their space needs, resulting in a significant increase in sublease space available in the office market from tenants wanting to unload un-needed space. We face competition from these tenants, who may be more willing to offer significant discounts to prospective subtenants. Our investors must rely entirely on the management abilities of our advisor, the property managers our advisor selects and the oversight of our board of directors. In the event we are unable to find new tenants and keep existing tenants, or if we are forced to offer significant inducements to such tenants, we may not be able to meet our investment objectives and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and ability to pay distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected.
We face competition from these same entities for real estate investment opportunities. Competition from these entities may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell. Disruptions and dislocations in the credit markets could impact the cost and availability of debt to finance real estate investments, which is a key component of our acquisition strategy. A downturn in the credit market and a potential lack of available debt could result in a further reduction of suitable investment opportunities and create a competitive advantage for other entities that have greater financial resources than we do. In addition, the number of entities and the amount of funds competing for suitable investments may increase. We can give no assurance that our advisor will be successful in obtaining additional suitable investments on financially attractive terms or that, if our advisor makes investments on our behalf, our objectives will be achieved. If we acquire investments at higher prices and/or by using less-than-ideal capital structures, our returns may be lower and the value of our assets may not appreciate or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets. If such events occur, our stockholders may experience a lower return on their investment.
We also face competition from many of the types of entities referenced above regarding the disposition of properties. These entities may possess properties in similar locations and/or of the same property types as ours and may be attempting to dispose of these properties at the same time we are attempting to dispose of some of our properties, providing potential purchasers with a larger number of properties from which to choose and potentially decreasing the sales price for such properties. Additionally, these entities may be willing to accept a lower return on their individual investments, which could further reduce the sales price of such properties. This competition could decrease the sales proceeds we receive for properties that we sell, assuming we are able to sell such properties, which could adversely affect our cash flows and the overall return for our stockholders.
Although we believe that we are well-positioned to compete effectively in each facet of our business, there is enormous competition in our market sector and there can be no assurance that we will compete effectively or that we will not encounter increased competition in the future that could limit our ability to conduct our business effectively.
Disruptions in the financial markets and uncertain economic conditions could adversely affect market rental rates and commercial real estate values and our ability to refinance or secure debt financing, service future debt obligations, or pay distributions to our stockholders.
Disruptions in the financial markets and uncertain economic conditions (including financial market disruptions related to COVID-19) could adversely affect the values of our investments. Any disruption to the debt and capital markets could result in fewer buyers seeking to acquire commercial properties and possible increases in capitalization rates and lower property values. Furthermore, any decline in economic conditions could negatively impact commercial real estate fundamentals and result in lower occupancy, lower rental rates and declining values in our real estate portfolio, which could have the following negative effects on us:
•the values of our real estate properties could decrease below the amounts paid for such properties; and/or
•revenues from our properties could decrease due to fewer tenants and/or lower rental rates, making it more difficult for us to pay distributions or meet our debt service obligations on debt financing.
All of these factors could reduce our stockholders’ return and decrease the value of an investment in us.
We have relied on debt financing to finance our real estate properties and we may have difficulty refinancing some of our debt obligations prior to or at maturity or we may not be able to refinance these obligations at terms as favorable as the terms of our existing indebtedness. We also may be unable to obtain additional debt financing on attractive terms or at all. If we are not able to refinance our existing indebtedness on attractive terms at the various maturity dates, we may be forced to dispose of some of our assets. Market conditions can change quickly, which could negatively impact the value of our assets and may interfere with the implementation of our business strategy and/or force us to modify it.
The COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease could have material and adverse effects on our or our tenants’ business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, the markets and communities in which we and our tenants operate and our investment in the SREIT.
Since initially being reported in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread around the world, including to every state in the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity and caused significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. The global impact of the pandemic continues to evolve and many countries, states and localities, including states and localities in the United States, have reacted by imposing measures to help control the spread of the virus, including instituting quarantines, “shelter-in-place” and “stay-at-home” orders, travel restrictions, restrictions on businesses and school closures. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry, including the U.S. office real estate industry and the industries of our tenants, directly or indirectly. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a period of global economic slowdown. The fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to preclude any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact the pandemic may have on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease affecting states or regions in which we or our tenants operate could have material and adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows due to, among other factors:
•health or other government authorities requiring the closure of offices or other businesses or instituting quarantines of personnel as the result of, or in order to avoid, exposure to a contagious disease;
•businesses evolving to make work-from-home environments, such as employee telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workplaces or teleconferencing, increasingly common, which could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations;
•disruption in supply and delivery chains;
•a general decline in business activity and demand for real estate, especially office properties;
•reduced economic activity, general economic decline or recession, which may impact our tenants’ businesses, financial condition and liquidity and may cause tenants to be unable to make rent payments to us timely, or at all, or to otherwise seek modifications of lease obligations;
•difficulty accessing debt and equity capital on attractive terms, or at all, and a severe disruption and instability in the global financial markets or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions, which may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations or replace or renew maturing liabilities on a timely basis, and may negatively affect the valuation of financial assets and liabilities, any of which could affect our ability to meet liquidity and capital expenditure requirements or have a negative effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;
•our inability to deploy capital due to slower transaction volume, which may be dilutive to stockholders; and
•the potential negative impact on the health of our advisor’s personnel, particularly if a significant number of our advisor’s employees are impacted, and the difficulty in recruiting, attracting and retaining skilled personnel to the extent our advisor’s personnel are impacted, which would result in a deterioration in our ability to ensure business continuity during a disruption.
The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential impacts on our business and operations, our tenants’ businesses and operations, our investment in the SREIT or the global economy as a whole. Many of our tenants have suffered reductions in revenue since March 2020. In general, our retail and restaurant tenants, which comprise approximately 4% of our annualized base rent as of December 31, 2020, have been more severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic than our office tenants. Depending upon the duration of the various measures imposed to help control the spread of the virus and the corresponding economic slowdown, these tenants or additional tenants may seek rent deferrals or abatements in future periods or become unable to pay their rent. Rent collections for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 were approximately 96%. We have granted a number of lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but these lease concessions did not have a material impact to our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 or consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, we had entered into lease amendments related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, granting $3.5 million of rent deferrals for the period from March 2020 through March 2021 and granting $1.8 million in rental abatements during this period.
As of December 31, 2020, 72 tenants were granted rental deferrals and/or rental abatements, of which 35 of these tenants have begun to pay rent in accordance with their lease agreements subsequent to the deferral and/or abatement period, three of these tenants early terminated their leases and three of these tenant leases were modified at lower rental rates and/or based on a percentage of the tenant’s gross receipts. As of December 31, 2020, 25 of the 72 tenants continue to be in the rental deferral and/or rental abatement periods as granted in accordance with their agreements.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $2.9 million of receivables for lease payments that had been deferred as lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which $1.5 million was reserved for payments not probable of collection, which were included in rent and other receivables, net on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $1.5 million of rental abatements granted to tenants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent to December 31, 2020, we have not seen a material impact on our rent collections. We will continue to evaluate any additional short-term rent relief requests from tenants on an individual basis. Not all tenant requests will ultimately result in modified agreements, nor are we forgoing our contractual rights under our lease agreements. In most cases, it is in our best interest to help our tenants remain in business and reopen when restrictions are lifted. If tenants default on their rent and vacate, the ability to re-lease this space is likely to be more difficult if the economic slowdown continues and any long term impact of this situation, even after an economic rebound, remains unclear. Current collections and rent relief requests to date may not be indicative of collections or requests in any future period. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our rental revenue for the first quarter of 2021 and thereafter cannot, however, be determined at present.
In addition to the direct impact on our rental income, we may also need to recognize additional impairment charges at our properties to the extent rental projections continue to decline at our properties. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recognized an impairment charge of $19.9 million for an office/retail property due to the continued deterioration of retail demand at the property which was further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have also made a significant investment in the common units of the SREIT. In addition to the risks similar to above with respect to the SREIT’s investments in US office properties, our investment in the units of the SREIT is subject to the risks inherent in investing in traded securities. Since early March 2020, the trading price of the common units of the SREIT has declined substantially and experienced substantial volatility. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $228.8 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the units on the SGX-ST of $0.79 per unit as of December 31, 2020, and did not take into account potential blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the units. As of March 12, 2021, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $230.2 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the units on the SGX-ST of $0.80 per unit as of March 12, 2021 and did not take into account the potential blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the units.
We continue to evaluate the impact and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic on our real estate portfolio’s ongoing cash flows and monthly stockholder distributions. We can give no certainty to the amount of future monthly stockholder distributions which will depend in large part on the amount of tenant rent collections each month and the impact on our operating cash flows.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $406.1 million of revolving debt available for future disbursement under various loans, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements. As of December 31, 2020, we had $472.9 million of notes payable related to the Modified Portfolio Loan Facility maturing during the 12 months ending December 31, 2021, which could be extended beyond the next 12 months, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements. Significant reductions in rental revenue in the future related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may limit our ability to draw on our revolving credit facilities or exercise our extension options due to covenants described in our loan agreements.
While the spread of COVID-19 may eventually be contained or mitigated, there is no guarantee that a future outbreak or any other widespread epidemics will not occur, or that the global economy will recover, either of which could materially harm our business.
Because of the concentration of a significant portion of our assets in three geographic areas and in core office properties, any adverse economic, real estate or business conditions in these geographic areas or in the office market could affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
As of March 1, 2021, a significant portion of our real estate properties was located in California, Texas and Illinois. As such, the geographic concentration of our portfolio makes us particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the California, Texas and Illinois real estate markets. In addition, the majority of our real estate properties consists of core office properties. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these geographic markets, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
A significant percentage of our assets is invested in Accenture Tower (formerly known as 500 West Madison) and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us will fluctuate with the performance of this investment.
As of December 31, 2020, Accenture Tower represented approximately 14% of our total assets and represented approximately 15% of our total annualized base rent. Further, as a result of this investment, the geographic concentration of our portfolio makes us particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the Chicago real estate market. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in this market, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
We may not be able to operate our business successfully or generate sufficient revenue to make or sustain distributions to our stockholders.
As of March 1, 2021, we owned 17 office properties, one mixed-used office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT, which is accounted for as an investment in an unconsolidated entity under the equity method of accounting. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to operate our business successfully or implement our operating policies and strategies. We can provide no assurance that our performance will replicate the past performance of other KBS-sponsored programs. Our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by other KBS-sponsored programs. The results of our operations depend on several factors, including the availability of opportunities for the acquisition of additional assets, the level and volatility of interest rates, the availability of short and long-term financing, and conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions.
Because we depend upon our advisor and its affiliates to select, acquire, manage and dispose of our real estate investments and to conduct our operations, any adverse changes in the financial health of our advisor or its affiliates or our relationship with them could cause our operations to suffer.
We depend on our advisor to select, acquire, manage and dispose of our real estate investments and to conduct our operations. Our advisor depends upon the fees and other compensation that it receives from us, KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”) and KBS Growth & Income REIT, Inc. (“KBS Growth & Income REIT”), and any future KBS-sponsored programs that it advises in connection with the purchase, management and sale of assets to conduct its operations. Any adverse changes to our relationship with, or the financial condition of, our advisor and its affiliates could hinder their ability to successfully manage our operations and our portfolio of investments.
We have paid distributions in part from debt financings and in the future we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operating activities. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operating activities, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced.
Our distribution policy is not to use the proceeds of our offerings to make distributions. However, our organizational documents permit us to pay distributions from any source, including offering proceeds or borrowings (which may constitute a return of capital), and our charter does not limit the amount of funds we may use from any source to pay such distributions. We have paid distributions in part from debt financings, and in the future, we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operating activities, in which case distributions may be paid in whole or in part from debt financing. We have and in the future we may fund such distributions with proceeds from the sale of assets. If we fund distributions from borrowings, our interest expense and other financing costs, as well as the repayment of such borrowings, will reduce our earnings and cash flow from operating activities available for distribution in future periods. If we fund distributions from the sale of assets, this will affect our ability to generate cash flow from operating activities in future periods. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operating activities, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced. In addition, to the extent distributions exceed cash flow from operating activities, a stockholder’s basis in our stock will be reduced and, to the extent distributions exceed a stockholder’s basis, the stockholder may recognize capital gain. There is no limit on the amount of distributions we may fund from sources other than from cash flow from operating activities.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, we paid aggregate distributions of $109.5 million, including $62.8 million of distributions paid in cash and $46.7 million of distributions reinvested through our dividend reinvestment plan. We funded our total distributions paid, which includes net cash distributions and dividends reinvested by stockholders, with $97.5 million (89%) of cash flow from current operating activities and $12.0 million (11%) from debt financing. For the year ended December 31, 2020, our cash flow from operating activities to distributions paid coverage ratio was 93% and our funds from operations to distributions paid coverage ratio was 78%. For more information, see Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Distributions” in this Annual Report.
The loss of or the inability to retain or obtain key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor could delay or hinder implementation of our investment, management and disposition strategies, which could limit our ability to pay distributions and decrease the value of an investment in our shares.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. and the team of real estate and debt finance professions at our advisor. Neither we nor our advisor or its affiliates have employment agreements with these individuals and they may not remain associated with us, our advisor or its affiliates. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us, our advisor or its affiliates, we may be unable to find suitable replacements and our operating results could suffer as a result. We do not maintain key person life insurance on any person. We believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our advisor’s and its affiliates’ ability to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. Competition for such professionals is intense, and our advisor and its affiliates may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining such skilled professionals. Further, we have established strategic relationships with firms that have special expertise in certain services or detailed knowledge regarding real properties in certain geographic regions. Maintaining such relationships will be important for us to effectively compete in such regions. We may be unsuccessful in maintaining such relationships. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of highly skilled professionals or do not establish or maintain appropriate strategic relationships, our ability to implement our investment, management and disposition strategies could be delayed or hindered and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us could decline.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our independent directors are limited, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery against our independent directors if they negligently cause us to incur losses.
Maryland law provides that a director has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Our charter provides that none of our independent directors shall be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages and that we will generally indemnify them for losses unless they are grossly negligent or engage in willful misconduct. As a result, our stockholders and we may have more limited rights against our independent directors than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery from these persons if they act in a negligent manner. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our independent directors (as well as by our other directors, officers, employees (if we ever have employees) and agents) in some cases, which would decrease the cash otherwise available for distribution to our stockholders.
We face risks associated with security breaches through cyber-attacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology (IT) networks and related systems.
We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems inside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of IT networks and related systems, and we have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk.
A security breach or other significant disruption involving our IT networks and related systems could:
•disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems and therefore our operations;
•result in misstated financial reports, violations of loan covenants and/or missed reporting deadlines;
•result in our inability to properly monitor our compliance with the rules and regulations regarding our qualification as a REIT;
•result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of, proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or others, which others could use to compete against us or which could expose us to damage claims by third-parties for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes;
•require significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result;
•subject us to claims for breach of contract, damages, credits, penalties or termination of leases or other agreements; or
•damage our reputation among our stockholders.
Any or all of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Our advisor and its affiliates, including all of our executive officers, our affiliated director and other key real estate and debt finance professionals, face conflicts of interest caused by their compensation arrangements with us and with other KBS-sponsored programs, which could result in actions that are not in the long-term best interests of our stockholders.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated director and other key real estate and debt finance professionals are also officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, our dealer manager and/or other KBS-affiliated entities. Our advisor and its affiliates receive substantial fees from us. These fees could influence our advisor’s advice to us as well as the judgment of its affiliates. Among other matters, these compensation arrangements could affect their judgment with respect to:
•the continuation, renewal or enforcement of our agreements with our advisor and its affiliates, including the advisory agreement;
•equity offerings by us, including using our securities to acquire portfolios or other companies, which may entitle our dealer manager to additional dealer manager fees and would likely entitle our advisor to additional advisory fees;
•sales of real estate investments, which under our current advisory fee structure entitle our advisor to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees;
•acquisitions of real estate investments, which under our current advisory fee structure entitle our advisor to acquisition or origination fees based on the cost of the investment and asset management fees based on the cost of the investment, and not based on the quality of the investment or the quality of the services rendered to us, which may influence our advisor to recommend riskier transactions to us and/or transactions that are not in our best interest and, in the case of acquisitions of investments from other KBS-sponsored programs, which might entitle our advisor or affiliates of our advisor to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees in connection with its services for the seller;
•borrowings to acquire real estate investments, which borrowings will increase the acquisition and origination fees and asset-management fees payable to our advisor under our current advisory fee structure;
•whether we engage affiliates of our advisor for other services, which affiliates may receive fees in connection with the services regardless of the quality of the services provided to us;
•whether we pursue a liquidity event such as a listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange, a sale of the company or a liquidation of our assets, which (i) may make it more likely for us to become self-managed or internalize our management, (ii) could positively or negatively affect the sales efforts for other KBS-sponsored programs, depending on the price at which our shares trade or the consideration received by our stockholders, and/or (iii) would affect the advisory fees received by our advisor; and
•whether and when we seek to sell the company or its assets, which sale under our current advisory fee structure could entitle our advisor to a subordinated incentive fee and terminate the asset management fee.
As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of our tenants, our conflicts committee and our board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed NAV REIT conversion remains in the best interest of our stockholders. If we convert to an NAV REIT, we would implement a revised advisory fee structure. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Risks of the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion.”
Our advisor and its affiliates face conflicts of interest relating to the acquisition of assets, the leasing of properties and the disposition of properties due to their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs and/or KBS-advised investors, which could result in decisions that are not in our best interest or the best interests of our stockholders.
We rely on our sponsor, KBS Holdings LLC, and other key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor, including Mr. Schreiber, to identify suitable investment opportunities for us, to supervise property management and leasing of properties and to sell our properties. KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT are also advised by KBS Capital Advisors. Mr. Schreiber and several of the other key real estate professionals at KBS Capital Advisors are also the key real estate professionals at KBS Realty Advisors LLC (“KBS Realty Advisors”) and its affiliates, the advisors to the private KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisors to KBS-advised investors. In addition, KBS Realty Advisors serves as the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT, a Singapore real estate investment trust. As such, KBS-sponsored programs that have funds available for investment and KBS-advised investors that have funds available for investment rely on many of the same real estate and debt finance professionals, as will future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. Many investment opportunities that are suitable for us may also be suitable for other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. When these real estate and debt finance professionals direct an investment opportunity to any KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor, they, in their sole discretion, will have to determine the program or investor for which the investment opportunity is most suitable based on the investment objectives, portfolio and criteria of each program or investor. Currently, the SREIT is in its acquisition stage.
In connection with the Singapore Transaction (defined herein), our advisor and KBS Realty Advisors proposed that our conflicts committee and board of directors adopt an asset allocation policy (the “Allocation Process”) among us, KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT (collectively, the “Core Strategy REITs”) and the SREIT. The board of directors and conflicts committee adopted the Allocation Process as proposed. The Allocation Process provides that, in order to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that may arise among the Core REITs and the SREIT, upon the listing of the SREIT (which occurred on July 19, 2019), potential asset acquisitions that meet all of the following criteria would be offered first to the SREIT:
i.Class A office building;
ii.Purchase price of at least $125.0 million;
iii.Average occupancy of at least 90% for the first two years based on contractual in-place leases; and
iv.Stabilized property investment yield that is generally supportive of the distributions per unit of the SREIT.
To the extent the SREIT does not have the funds to acquire the asset or to the extent the external manager of the SREIT decides to forego the acquisition opportunity, such asset may then be offered to the Core Strategy REITs at the discretion of KBS Capital Advisors.
For so long as we are externally advised, our charter provides that it shall not be a proper purpose of the company for us to make any significant investment unless our advisor has recommended the investment to us. Thus, the real estate and debt finance professionals of our advisor could direct attractive investment opportunities to other KBS-sponsored programs or KBS-advised investors. Such events could result in us investing in properties that provide less attractive returns, which would reduce the level of distributions we may be able to pay our stockholders.
We and other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors also rely on these real estate professionals to supervise the property management and leasing of properties. If the KBS team of real estate professionals directs creditworthy prospective tenants to properties owned by another KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor when it could direct such tenants to our properties, our tenant base may have more inherent risk and our properties’ occupancy may be lower than might otherwise be the case.
In addition, we and other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors rely on our sponsor and other key real estate professionals at our advisor to sell our properties. These KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors may possess properties in similar locations and/or of the same property types as ours and may be attempting to sell these properties at the same time we are attempting to sell some of our properties. If our advisor directs potential purchasers to properties owned by another KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor when it could direct such purchasers to our properties, we may be unable to sell some or all of our properties at the time or at the price we otherwise would, which could limit our ability to pay distributions and reduce our stockholders’ overall investment return.
Further, existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors and Mr. Schreiber generally are not and will not be prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, origination, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate-related investments.
KBS Capital Advisors will face conflicts of interest relating to joint ventures that we may form with affiliates of KBS Capital Advisors, which conflicts could result in a disproportionate benefit to the other venture partners at our expense.
If approved by both a majority of our board of directors and a majority of our conflicts committee, we may enter into joint venture agreements with other KBS-sponsored programs or affiliated entities for the acquisition, development or improvement of properties or other investments. KBS Capital Advisors, our advisor, and KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors to the other KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisers to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets, have some of the same executive officers, directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals; and these persons will face conflicts of interest in determining which KBS program or investor should enter into any particular joint venture agreement. These persons may also face a conflict in structuring the terms of the relationship between our interests and the interests of the KBS-affiliated co-venturer and in managing the joint venture. Any joint venture agreement or transaction between us and a KBS-affiliated co-venturer will not have the benefit of arm’s-length negotiation of the type normally conducted between unrelated co-venturers. The KBS-affiliated co-venturer may have economic or business interests or goals that are or may become inconsistent with our business interests or goals. These co-venturers may thus benefit to our and your detriment.
Our sponsor, our officers, our advisor and the real estate, debt finance, management and accounting professionals assembled by our advisor face competing demands on their time and this may cause our operations and our stockholders’ investment in us to suffer.
We rely on our sponsor, our officers, our advisor and the real estate, debt finance, management and accounting professionals that our advisor retains, including Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., Jeffrey K. Waldvogel and Stacie K. Yamane, to provide services to us for the day-to-day operation of our business. KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT are also advised by KBS Capital Advisors, and KBS Capital Advisors may serve as the advisor to future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. Further, our officers and affiliated director are also officers and/or the affiliated director of other public KBS-sponsored programs. Messrs. Schreiber and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane are also executive officers of KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT. Messrs. Schreiber and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane are executive officers of KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors of the private KBS-sponsored programs and the KBS-advised investors and the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT. Further, Mr. Schreiber is Chairman of the Board and a director of the external manager of the SREIT.
As a result of their interests in other KBS-sponsored programs, their obligations to KBS-advised investors and the fact that they engage in and will continue to engage in other business activities on behalf of themselves and others, Messrs. Schreiber and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane face conflicts of interest in allocating their time among us, KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT, KBS Capital Advisors, KBS Realty Advisors, other KBS-sponsored programs and/or other KBS-advised investors, as well as other business activities in which they are involved. In addition, KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors and their affiliates share many of the same key real estate, management and accounting professionals. During times of intense activity in other programs and ventures, these individuals may devote less time and fewer resources to our business than are necessary or appropriate to manage our business. Furthermore, some or all of these individuals may become employees of another KBS-sponsored program in an internalization transaction or, if we internalize our advisor, may not become our employees as a result of their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs. If these events occur, the returns on our investments, and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us, may decline.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated director and the key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor face conflicts of interest related to their positions and/or interests in our advisor and its affiliates, which could hinder our ability to implement our business strategy and to generate returns to our stockholders.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated director and the key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor are also executive officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor and/or other KBS-affiliated entities. Through KBS-affiliated entities, some of these persons also serve as the investment advisors to KBS-advised investors and, through KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors, these persons serve as the advisor to KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and other KBS-sponsored programs. In addition, KBS Realty Advisors serves as the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT. As a result, they owe fiduciary duties to each of these entities, their stockholders, members and limited partners and these investors, which fiduciary duties may from time to time conflict with the fiduciary duties that they owe to us and our stockholders. Their loyalties to these other entities and investors could result in action or inaction that is detrimental to our business, which could harm the implementation of our business strategy and our investment and leasing opportunities. Further, Mr. Schreiber and existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors generally are not and will not be prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate investments. If we do not successfully implement our business strategy, we may be unable to generate the cash needed to pay distributions to our stockholders and to maintain or increase the value of our assets.
Our board of directors’ loyalties to KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT, the SREIT and possibly to future KBS-sponsored programs could influence its judgment, resulting in actions that may not be in our stockholders’ best interest or that result in a disproportionate benefit to another KBS-sponsored program at our expense.
All of our directors are also directors of KBS REIT II and our affiliated director is also an affiliated director of KBS Growth & Income REIT and an affiliated director of the external manager of the SREIT. The loyalties of our directors serving on the boards of directors of KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and the external manager of the SREIT, or possibly on the boards of directors of future KBS-sponsored programs, may influence the judgment of our board of directors when considering issues for us that also may affect other KBS-sponsored and advised programs, such as the following:
•The conflicts committee of our board of directors must evaluate the performance of our advisor with respect to whether our advisor is presenting to us our fair share of investment opportunities. If our advisor is not presenting a sufficient number of investment opportunities to us because it is presenting many opportunities to other KBS-sponsored programs or if our advisor is giving preferential treatment to other KBS-sponsored programs in this regard, our conflicts committee may not be well-suited to enforce our rights under the terms of the advisory agreement or to seek a new advisor.
•We could enter into transactions with other KBS-sponsored programs, such as property sales, acquisitions or financing arrangements. Such transactions might entitle our advisor or its affiliates to increased fees and other compensation from either or both parties to the transaction. Decisions of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the terms of those transactions may be influenced by our board’s or the conflicts committee’s loyalties to such other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the timing of a debt or equity offering could be influenced by concerns that the offering would compete with offerings of other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the timing of property sales could be influenced by concerns that the sales would compete with those of other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board regarding whether we pursue a liquidity event such as a listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange, a sale of the company or a liquidation of our assets, which could positively or negatively affect the sales efforts for other KBS-sponsored programs.
Like us, KBS REIT II compensates each independent director with an annual retainer of $135,000, as well as compensation for attending meetings as follows:
•each member of the audit committee and conflicts committee is paid $10,000 annually for service on such committees (except that the chair of each of the audit committee and conflicts committee is paid $20,000 annually for service as the chair of such committees);
•after the tenth board of directors meeting of each calendar year, each independent director is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person board of directors meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference board of directors meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year;
•after the tenth audit committee meeting of each calendar year, each member of the audit committee is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person audit committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference audit committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year (except that the audit committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference audit committee meeting attended after the tenth audit committee meeting of each calendar year, for the remainder of each calendar year); and
•after the tenth conflicts committee meeting of each calendar year, each member of the conflicts committee is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person conflicts committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference conflicts committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year (except that the conflicts committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference conflicts committee meeting attended after the tenth conflicts committee meeting of each calendar year, for the remainder of each calendar year).
In addition, KBS REIT II pays independent directors for attending other committee meetings as follows: each independent director is paid $2,000 for each in-person and teleconference committee meeting attended (except that the committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference committee meeting attended).
All directors receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at board of directors meetings and committee meetings.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
Our charter limits the number of shares a person may own and permits our board of directors to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of our common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring us in a manner that could result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. To help us comply with the REIT ownership requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, our charter prohibits a person from directly or constructively owning more than 9.8% of our outstanding shares, unless exempted by our board of directors. In addition, our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. These charter provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price to holders of our common stock.
Our stockholders will have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our board of directors determines our major policies, including our policies regarding targeted investment allocation, financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our stockholders have a right to vote only on limited matters. Our board’s broad discretion in setting policies and our stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the current share redemption program, they may not be able to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Our current share redemption program includes numerous restrictions that severely limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and will limit our stockholders’ ability to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock. Our stockholders must hold their shares for at least one year in order to participate in our share redemption program, except in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” (each as defined in the share redemption program, and together with redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Special Redemptions”). Ordinary Redemptions are all redemptions that do not qualify as Special Redemptions. We limit the number of shares redeemed pursuant to our share redemption program as follows: (i) during any calendar year, we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year and (ii) during each calendar year, redemptions will be limited to the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year; provided, that we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders and; provided further, that once we have received requests for redemptions, whether in connection with Special Redemptions or otherwise, that if honored, and when combined with all prior redemptions made during the calendar year, would result in the amount of remaining funds available for the redemption of additional shares in such calendar year being $10.0 million or less, the last $10.0 million of available funds shall be reserved exclusively for Special Redemptions. Further, we have no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. These limits may prevent us from accommodating all redemption requests made in any year.
In connection with our pursuit of a NAV REIT strategy, in December 2019, the board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as we navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate our proposed conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon suspension, all Ordinary Redemptions requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemptions requests will be accepted or collected during the suspension of the share redemption program. Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during 2020, we had an aggregate of $46.7 million available for redemptions in 2021, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. We cannot predict future redemption demand with any certainty. If future redemption requests exceed the amount of funding available under our share redemption program and/or any additional funding made available under one or more self-tender offers, the number of rejected redemption or repurchase requests will increase over time.
Pursuant to our current share redemption program, unless our shares are being redeemed in connection with a Special Redemption, the redemption price for shares eligible for redemption is equal to 95% of the most recent estimated value per share. On December 7, 2020, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $10.74 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 1, 2020. In accordance with our share redemption program, redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of our common stock as of the applicable redemption date.
We currently expect to announce an updated estimated value per share no later than December 2021.
During their operating stages, other KBS-sponsored REITs have amended their share redemption programs to limit redemptions to Special Redemptions or place restrictive limitations on the amount of funds available for redemptions. As a result, these programs were or are not able (two programs have now liquidated) to honor all redemption requests and stockholders in these programs were or are unable to have their shares redeemed when requested. In some instances, ordinary redemptions were or have been suspended for several years. When implementing these amendments, stockholders did not always have a final opportunity to submit redemptions prior to the effectiveness of the amendment to the program.
Our board may amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon 10 business days’ notice to stockholders, and we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders. See Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Share Redemption Program and Suspension of Ordinary Redemptions” for more information about the current share redemption program.
Our bylaws designate the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders with respect to our company, our directors, our officers or our employees (we note we currently have no employees). This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the stockholder believes is favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage meritorious claims from being asserted against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. We adopted this provision because we believe it makes it less likely that we will be forced to incur the expense of defending duplicative actions in multiple forums and less likely that plaintiffs’ attorneys will be able to employ such litigation to coerce us into otherwise unjustified settlements, and we believe the risk of a court declining to enforce this provision is remote, as the General Assembly of Maryland has specifically amended the Maryland General Corporation Law to authorize the adoption of such provisions. This provision of our bylaws does not apply to claims brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
The estimated value per share of our common stock may not reflect the value that stockholders will receive for their investment and does not take into account how developments subsequent to the valuation date related to individual assets, the financial or real estate markets or other events may have increased or decreased the value of our portfolio.
On December 7, 2020, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $10.74 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to the change in estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 1, 2020. We did not make any other adjustments to the estimated value per share subsequent to September 30, 2020, including any adjustments relating to the following, among others: (i) the issuance of common stock and the payment of related offering costs related to our dividend reinvestment plan offering; (ii) net operating income earned and distributions declared; and (iii) the redemption of shares. We provided this estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our now-terminated initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Rule 2231. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with Practice Guideline 2013-01, Valuations of Publicly Registered, Non-Listed REITs, issued by the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (formerly known as the Investment Program Association) (“IPA”) in April 2013 (the “IPA Valuation Guidelines”).
We engaged Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent third-party real estate valuation firm, to provide (i) appraisals for 19 of our consolidated real estate properties owned as of September 30, 2020 (the “Appraised Properties”), (ii) an estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT and (iii) a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 7, 2020. Duff & Phelps based this range in estimated value per share upon (i) its appraisals of the Appraised Properties, (ii) its estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT, (iii) valuations performed by our advisor of our real estate loan receivable, cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities, which are disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020.
As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share of our common stock, and this difference could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less the fair value of our liabilities according to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the price at which our shares of common stock would trade on a national securities exchange. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that were not under contract to sell as of December 7, 2020, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations, the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt or swap breakage fees that may be incurred upon the termination of certain of our swaps prior to expiration. We generally have incurred disposition costs and fees related to the sale of each real estate property since inception of 0.8% to 2.9% of the gross sales price less concessions and credits, with the weighted average being approximately 1.4%. The estimated value per share does not take into consideration acquisition-related costs and financing costs related to any future acquisitions subsequent to December 7, 2020. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
•a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at our estimated value per share;
•a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of our company;
•our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange;
•another independent third-party appraiser or third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or
•the methodology used to determine our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements.
The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to future investments, the performance of individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets, the real estate and finance markets and due to other factors. In particular, the outbreak of COVID-19, together with the resulting measures imposed to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, “shelter-in-place” and “stay-at-home” orders, travel restrictions, restrictions on businesses and school closures, has had a negative impact on the economy and business activity globally. The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry, including the U.S. office real estate industry and the industries of our tenants, directly or indirectly. While we have considered the impact from COVID-19 on our December 7, 2020 estimated value per share, the extent to which our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be affected by COVID-19 depends on future developments with respect to the continued spread and treatment of the virus, the various measures imposed to help control the spread the virus and the corresponding economic slowdown, and any long-term impact of this situation, even after an economic rebound, remains unclear. As such, the estimated value per share does not take into account developments in our portfolio since December 7, 2020. For a full description of the methodologies and assumptions used to value our assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation of the estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information.”
We currently expect to utilize an independent valuation firm to update the estimated value per share no later than December 2021.
The actual value of shares that we repurchase under our share redemption program may be less than what we pay.
Under our current share redemption program, shares may be repurchased at varying prices depending on whether the redemptions are in connection with a Special Redemption. Pursuant to our share redemption program, redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of our common stock as of the applicable redemption date, which is currently $10.74 per share, and Ordinary Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to 95% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date, which is currently $10.21. Although these redemption prices are based on our current estimated value per share, this reported value is likely to differ from the price at which a stockholder could resell his or her shares for the reasons discussed in the risk factor above. Thus, when we repurchase shares of our common stock at $10.74 per share, the actual value of the shares that we repurchase is likely to be less, and the repurchase is likely to be dilutive to our remaining stockholders. Even at lower repurchase prices, the actual value of the shares may be less than what we pay and the repurchase may be dilutive to our remaining stockholders.
As discussed herein, in connection with our pursuit of a NAV REIT strategy, in December 2019, the board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as we navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate our proposed conversion to an NAV REIT.
The current offering price of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan is equal to 95% of the December 7, 2020 estimated value per share approved by our board of directors. It does not take into account developments in our portfolio or the markets since December 7, 2020, including further business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of these developments, a reinvestment of dividends in our common stock bears increased risk.
Pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan, participants in the dividend reinvestment plan acquire shares of our common stock under the plan at a price equal to 95% of the estimated value per share of our common stock. As such, participants currently acquire shares of our common stock under the plan at a price equal to $10.21 per share, which is 95% of our December 7, 2020 estimated value per share. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to future investments, the performance of individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets, the real estate and finance markets and due to other factors. As such, the estimated value per share does not take into account developments in our portfolio since December 7, 2020. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, together with the resulting measures imposed to help control the spread of the virus, has had a negative impact on the economy and business activity globally, as discussed in the risk factor above. These risks are not priced into our most recent estimated value per share, and given the uncertainty, no assurances can be given that the purchase price of shares of our common stock reflect the underlying value of our assets. As a result, a reinvestment of distributions in our common stock bears increased risk.
If funds are not available from our dividend reinvestment plan offering for general corporate purposes, then we may have to use a greater proportion of our cash flow from operations to meet our general cash requirements, which would reduce cash available for distributions and could limit our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program.
We depend on the proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan offering for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to: the redemption of shares under our share redemption program; capital expenditures, tenant improvement costs and leasing costs related to our real estate properties; reserves required by any financings of our real estate investments; the acquisition or origination of real estate investments; and the repayment of debt. We cannot predict with any certainty how much, if any, dividend reinvestment plan proceeds will be available for general corporate purposes. If such funds are not available from our dividend reinvestment plan offering, then we may have to use a greater proportion of our cash flow from operations to meet our general cash requirements, which would reduce cash available for distributions and could limit our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program.
See also the discussion above under “Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the current share redemption program, they may not be able to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.”
Our stockholders’ interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of their investment.
Our common stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue 1,010,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 1,000,000,000 shares are designated as common stock and 10,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock. Our board of directors may increase the number of authorized shares of capital stock without stockholder approval. Our board may elect to (i) sell additional shares in our dividend reinvestment plan or in future primary offerings; (ii) issue equity interests in private offerings; (iii) issue equity interests to our advisor, or its successors or assigns, in payment of fee obligations; (iv) issue equity interests to sellers of properties or assets we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership; or (v) otherwise issue additional shares of our capital stock or units of our Operating Partnership. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, whether in future primary offerings, pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan or otherwise, our stockholders’ percentage ownership interest in us would be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional issuance of shares, the use of the proceeds and the value of our real estate investments, our stockholders may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares and in the earnings and distributions per share.
Payment of fees to our advisor and its affiliates reduces cash available for investment and distribution to our stockholders and increases the risk that our stockholders will not be able to recover the amount of their investment in our shares or an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Our advisor and its affiliates perform services for us in connection with the selection and acquisition or origination of our real estate investments, the management and leasing of our real estate properties and the disposition of our investments. We pay them substantial fees for these services, which results in immediate dilution of the value of our stockholders’ investment in us and reduces the amount of cash available for investments or distribution to stockholders. Compensation to be paid to our advisor may be increased with the approval of our conflicts committee and subject to the limitations in our charter, which would further dilute our stockholders’ investment in us and reduce the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders.
We may also pay significant fees during our listing/liquidation stage. Although most of the fees expected to be paid during our listing/liquidation stage are contingent on our stockholders first receiving agreed-upon investment returns, the investment-return thresholds may be reduced with the approval of our conflicts committee and subject to the limitations in our charter.
Therefore, these fees increase the risk that the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders upon a liquidation of our portfolio would be less than the amount stockholders paid to acquire our shares or an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock. These substantial fees and other payments also increase the risk that our stockholders will not be able to resell their shares at a profit.
As discussed herein, our board of directors has approved management’s recommendation to pursue conversion to a non-listed perpetual-life NAV REIT. If we convert to an NAV REIT, we would implement a revised advisory fee structure. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Risks of the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion.”
If we are unable to obtain funding for future capital needs, cash distributions to our stockholders and the value of an investment in us could decline.
When tenants do not renew their leases or otherwise vacate their space, we will often need to expend substantial funds for improvements to the vacated space in order to attract replacement tenants. Even when tenants do renew their leases, we may agree to make improvements to their space as part of our negotiations. If we need additional capital in the future to improve or maintain our properties or for any other reason, we may have to obtain funding from sources other than our cash flow from operations, such as borrowings or future equity offerings. These sources of funding may not be available on attractive terms or at all. If we cannot procure additional funding for capital improvements, our investments may generate lower cash flows or decline in value, or both, which would limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Although we are not currently afforded the protection of the Maryland General Corporation Law relating to deterring or defending hostile takeovers, our board of directors could opt into these provisions of Maryland law in the future, which may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and may prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their stock in connection with a business combination.
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and certain interested stockholders or affiliates of interested stockholders are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. Also under Maryland law, control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquirer, an officer of the corporation or an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation are excluded from the vote on whether to accord voting rights to the control shares. Should our board of directors opt into these provisions of Maryland law, it may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. Similarly, provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law could provide similar anti-takeover protection.
Our charter includes an anti-takeover provision that may discourage a stockholder from launching a tender offer for our shares.
Our charter provides that any tender offer made by a stockholder, including any “mini-tender” offer, must comply with most provisions of Regulation 14D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The offering stockholder must provide our company notice of such tender offer at least 10 business days before initiating the tender offer. If the offering stockholder does not comply with these requirements, our company will have the right to redeem that stockholder’s shares and any shares acquired in such tender offer. In addition, the noncomplying stockholder shall be responsible for all of our company’s expenses in connection with that stockholder’s noncompliance. This provision of our charter may discourage a stockholder from initiating a tender offer for our shares and prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their shares in such a transaction.
Our stockholders’ return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We intend to continue to conduct our operations so that neither we, nor our Operating Partnership nor the subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership are investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). However, there can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will be able to successfully avoid operating as an investment company. A change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To maintain compliance with the applicable exemption under the Investment Company Act, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to acquire assets that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.
If we were required to register as an investment company but failed to do so, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan, which could materially adversely affect our estimated value per share and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
Risks of the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion
Our board of directors and management team regularly monitor the real estate and equity markets in order to find the best opportunities possible to continue to provide attractive and stable cash distributions to our stockholders and provide additional liquidity for our stockholders. One alternative for us to achieve these objectives may be for us to pursue conversion to a non-listed, perpetual-life “NAV REIT” (the “Proposed NAV REIT Conversion”) that calculates the net asset value or “NAV” per share on a regular basis that is more frequent than annually (i.e., daily, monthly or quarterly) and seeks to provide increased liquidity to current and future stockholders through an expansion of our current share redemption program and/or periodic self-tender offers. In connection with our pursuit of conversion to an NAV REIT, on January 10, 2020, we filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the SEC to register a public offering. Pursuant to the registration statement and in the event we convert to an NAV REIT, we propose to register up to $2,000,000,000 of shares of common stock, consisting of up to $1,700,000,000 in shares in a primary offering and up to $300,000,000 in shares pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan. As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of our tenants, our conflicts committee and our board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed NAV REIT conversion remains in the best interest of our stockholders. Accordingly, we can give no assurance that we will continue to pursue a conversion to an NAV REIT or that if we do pursue conversion to an NAV REIT that we would commence or complete the proposed offering. Even if we convert to an NAV REIT, there is no assurance that we will successfully implement our strategy, and we can provide no assurance that our NAV REIT strategy will be able to provide additional liquidity to stockholders.
The following are the principal risks associated with the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion.
Our NAV REIT strategy may not result in increased liquidity for our stockholders.
Although we intend, as part of our NAV REIT strategy, to adopt a revised share redemption program that allows us to make monthly redemptions with an aggregate value of up to 5% of our NAV per calendar quarter, a greater percentage of our shares each year than our current share redemption program, we cannot provide assurances that we will do so. We may decide for market, regulatory or other reasons to have a more limited share redemption program or conduct periodic self-tender offers on terms that we believe are appropriate.
We will not be required to purchase any particular number of shares, at any particular frequency or at any particular pricing, pursuant to our proposed revised share redemption program or pursuant to periodic self-tender offers. Our board of directors will be permitted to modify, suspend or terminate our proposed revised share redemption program at any time.
We may not have sufficient funding to satisfy the demand for liquidity. One of our primary sources for funding is currently expected to be a portion of the net proceeds from our proposed new ongoing public offerings, but we cannot guarantee that the net proceeds raised will be sufficient to satisfy the demand for liquidity and our other capital needs, such as capital expenditures and funds for new investments.
We cannot predict future redemption demand with any certainty. If future redemption requests exceed the amount of funding available under our proposed revised share redemption program and any additional funding made available under one or more self-tender offers, the number of rejected redemption or repurchase requests will increase over time.
You will be dependent on the board of directors to adopt and oversee valuation procedures to determine the NAV of our shares; the prices at which we sell and redeem our shares will be based on the NAV per share determined in accordance with these valuation procedures plus, in the case of our offering price, applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees.
In connection with our NAV REIT strategy, our board of directors intends to adopt valuation procedures to determine a monthly NAV per share. However, we may compute the NAV less frequently than monthly, such as quarterly. In addition, the procedures, methods and assumptions used to determine the NAV will be solely in our discretion and subject to change, will not be subject to GAAP and will not be subject to independent audit. No rule or regulation requires that we calculate our NAV in a certain way. Our board of directors has not finalized these procedures and once they do, our board of directors may adopt changes to the valuation procedures. The valuation procedures we adopt may be different from those used in our prior estimated value per share calculations.
The prices at which we sell shares in our offerings and redeem or repurchase shares under our share redemption program and/or self-tender offers will not be market-based prices. We currently intend for those prices to be based on the NAV per share of the applicable class of stock as of the last calendar day of the prior month (which will be our most recently disclosed NAV per share at such time) plus, in the case of the offering price, applicable upfront selling commissions and dealer manager fees. If our NAV calculations are too high, we may overpay for shares that we redeem, which would harm our remaining stockholders. If our NAV calculations are too low, we may dilute our existing stockholders when we sell new shares and we may underpay stockholders that sell their shares to us. Moreover, the NAV per share as of the date on which a subscription request or redemption request is made may be significantly different than the offering price paid or the redemption price received. There will be no market prices for our shares and you will be entirely dependent on us to determine an appropriate monthly NAV per share, which may not correspond to realizable value upon a sale of our assets.
Our NAV REIT strategy will result in additional expenses.
Our NAV REIT strategy will involve continuous, ongoing public offerings that will require registration with the SEC under federal securities laws and with each state in which we offer shares. Maintaining such offerings will result in offering fees and expenses. We also expect to incur additional expenses in connection with calculating a monthly NAV per share. We intend to offer additional liquidity to our stockholders through our share redemption program and/or tender offers or through special distributions to stockholders, which will reduce the size of our company and therefore may make ongoing expenses as an NAV REIT more burdensome.
New investors in our new offerings may have divergent interests from investors in our initial public offering.
We conducted our initial public offering of common stock from October 2010 through July 2015. Investors in the initial public offering have now held their shares between approximately five and ten years. When (and if) we launch a new public offering as an NAV REIT, they will have held their shares for an even longer period. New investors in our company may place a greater priority on funding for new investments than for liquidity or other purposes. They may be more supportive of our NAV REIT strategy than our original investors. Divergent interests of our stockholders may affect decisions by our board of directors or management, and may impact stockholder votes on various matters.
We may not raise a meaningful amount of capital in our ongoing offerings as an NAV REIT.
We currently intend to use the proceeds from our offerings as an NAV REIT, net of the fees and other expenses we pay in connection with the offerings: (1) to provide increased liquidity to our stockholders in excess of what is currently offered; (2) to make additional investments in accordance with our investment strategy and policies with the intention of growing the portfolio; and (3) for other general corporate purposes (which may include repayment of our debt or any other corporate purposes we deem appropriate). However, we may not raise a meaningful amount of capital in our ongoing offerings as an NAV REIT, which would mean that we would not have as much money for any of these purposes. In particular, we may face challenges raising additional capital if we are not able to satisfy our stockholders’ redemption requests on a regular basis.
We intend to retain KBS Capital Markets Group, an affiliate of our advisor, to conduct our ongoing offerings as an NAV REIT. The success of our offerings, and our ability to implement our business strategy, will be dependent upon the ability of KBS Capital Markets Group to build and maintain a network of broker-dealers to sell our shares to their clients. If KBS Capital Markets Group is not successful in establishing, operating and managing a network of broker-dealers, our ability to raise proceeds through future offerings will be limited and we may not have adequate capital to implement our NAV REIT strategy. Moreover, these offerings would be conducted on a “best efforts” basis, which means that KBS Capital Markets Group must only use its best efforts to sell the shares in the offerings and no underwriter, broker-dealer or other person would have any firm commitment or obligation to purchase any shares or to obtain any subscriptions on our behalf. We cannot assure you that any minimum number of shares of common stock would be sold. The past performance of KBS Capital Markets Group cannot be relied upon as predictive of KBS Capital Markets Group’s future performance.
We may suffer from delays in locating suitable investments with the capital we raise in our ongoing offerings as a perpetual-life company.
As described above, we intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from our offerings as an NAV REIT to make additional investments in accordance with our investment strategy and policies with the intention of growing the portfolio. However, we could suffer from delays in locating suitable investments. The more shares we sell in our offerings, the more difficult it may be to invest the net offering proceeds promptly and on attractive terms. Our reliance on our advisor and the real estate and debt finance professionals that our advisor retains to identify suitable investments for us at times when such persons are simultaneously seeking to identify suitable investments for other KBS-sponsored programs or KBS-advised investors could also delay the investment of the proceeds from our offerings. KBS Realty Advisors, an affiliate of our advisor, acts as the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT. Currently, the SREIT is also in its acquisition stage, and our sponsor and its affiliates may also sponsor or advise public or private programs or accounts in the future while our offerings as an NAV REIT are ongoing.
In connection with the Singapore Transaction, our advisor, KBS Capital Advisors, and KBS Realty Advisors proposed that our conflicts committee and board of directors adopt an Allocation Process among us, KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and the SREIT. The board of directors and conflicts committee adopted the Allocation Process as proposed. See above, “Our advisor and its affiliates face conflicts of interest relating to the acquisition of assets, the leasing of properties and the disposition of properties due to their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs and/or KBS-advised investors, which could result in decisions that are not in our best interest or the best interests of our stockholders.”
Delays we encounter in the selection, acquisition and development of income-producing properties or the acquisition or origination of other real estate investments would likely limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and may reduce their overall returns.
We may pay lower dividends as an NAV REIT than we otherwise would.
As an NAV REIT, we may pay lower dividends than we otherwise would, because as a perpetual-life NAV REIT (1) we may have a greater interest in retaining the capital for new investments, increased liquidity or other general purposes and (2) we may have a greater interest in keeping our NAV stable or rising.
Our NAV REIT strategy may increase the compensation to our advisor and its affiliates.
Pursuant to our advisory agreement currently in effect with our advisor, our advisor is due a subordinated participation in our net cash flows upon meeting certain performance goals. After our stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to our share redemption program, and (ii) an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital, our advisor is entitled to receive 15.0% of our net cash flows, whether from continuing operations, net sale proceeds or otherwise. With respect to our historical performance period from inception through the launch of our first offering as an NAV REIT, we intend to calculate the estimated value of the subordinated participation in net cash flows to our advisor based on a hypothetical liquidation of our assets and liabilities at their then-current estimated values used in our NAV calculation at the time of conversion to an NAV REIT, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties, and accelerate the payment of this historical incentive fee to our advisor to the extent of the potential liability at the time of conversion to an NAV REIT. Our stockholders approved the acceleration of this fee on May 7, 2020. The acceleration of the historical incentive fee is subject to further approval by the conflicts committee at the time of our conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon conversion to an NAV REIT, we would implement a new annual performance allocation for our advisor or its affiliate. To the extent payable, our advisor will benefit from the acceleration of this fee because (a) the value of the current incentive fee could go down in the future and (b) there is value in receiving compensation sooner rather than later. The new fee structure also puts a greater emphasis on our performance and, accordingly, would result in greater compensation to our advisor or its affiliates as a percentage of our NAV if we perform sufficiently well. Furthermore if we succeed in raising additional capital and growing our company, we would expect the fees paid to our advisor and its affiliates to increase because of our larger size. We believe these changes help further align the interests of our advisor (and its affiliates) and our stockholders in growing our company and performing well. The actual future impact to our stockholders of the proposed compensation changes is difficult to predict because it is subject to a number of factors, such as the amount of capital we raise in our public offerings, the size or value of the portfolio, and our performance.
Our advisor and its affiliates, including all of our executive officers, our affiliated director and other key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor, face conflicts of interest in the pursuit of an NAV REIT strategy.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated director and other key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor are also officers, directors, managers, or key professionals of and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, KBS Capital Markets Group LLC, who we intend to hire as our dealer manager for our future public offerings, and other affiliated KBS entities. Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. is the Chairman of our Board, our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our affiliated director. Our advisor is owned and controlled by KBS Holdings LLC, our sponsor. Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. indirectly controls KBS Holdings and KBS Capital Advisors. Our advisor is also the external advisor to other public KBS-sponsored programs. In addition, Mr. Schreiber and the team of real estate professionals at KBS Capital Advisors are also key real estate professionals at KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors to the private KBS-sponsored programs, the investment advisors to KBS-advised investors and the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT. In addition, Mr. Schreiber is an executive officer and director of other public KBS-sponsored programs and he is the Chairman of the Board and a director of the external manager of the SREIT. KBS Holdings, KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors and the KBS team of real estate and debt finance professionals may also sponsor or advise programs or accounts in the future. Some of the material conflicts that our advisor and its affiliates face in connection with our pursuit of a perpetual-life strategy include the following:
•As described in the risk factor above, with respect to our historical performance period from inception through the launch of our first offering as an NAV REIT, we intend to calculate the estimated value of the subordinated participation in net cash flows to our advisor based on a hypothetical liquidation of our assets and liabilities at their then-current estimated values used in our NAV calculation at the time of conversion to an NAV REIT, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties, and accelerate the payment of this historical incentive fee to our advisor to the extent of the potential liability at the time of conversion to an NAV REIT. Our stockholders approved the acceleration of this fee on May 7, 2020. The acceleration of the historical incentive fee is subject to further approval by the conflicts committee at the time of our conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon conversion to an NAV REIT, we would implement a new annual performance allocation for our advisor or its affiliate. To the extent payable, our advisor will benefit from the acceleration of this fee because (a) the value of the current incentive fee could go down in the future and (b) there is value in receiving compensation sooner rather than later. The new fee structure also puts a greater emphasis on our performance and, accordingly, would result in greater compensation to our advisor or its affiliates as a percentage of our NAV if we perform sufficiently well. Furthermore if we succeed in raising additional capital and growing our company, we would expect the fees paid to our advisor and its affiliates to increase because of our larger size. We may implement other fee changes that are favorable to our advisor and its affiliates. In addition, a perpetual-life strategy is likely to extend the period in which our advisor and its affiliates may earn fees from us, in various forms, whether related to overall asset management or otherwise.
•The compensation payable by us to our advisor and its affiliates may not be on terms that would result from arm’s-length negotiations, may be payable whether or not our stockholders receive distributions, and may be based on our NAV, which our advisor is responsible for determining.
•The team of real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor and its affiliates must determine which investment opportunities to recommend to us and the other KBS-sponsored programs that are raising funds for investment for whom KBS serves as an advisor as well as any programs KBS affiliates may sponsor in the future. Because investment opportunities that are suitable for us may also be suitable for other KBS-sponsored programs or KBS-advised investors, our advisor and its affiliates face conflicts of interest relating to the purchase of properties and other investments. Currently, the SREIT is also in its acquisition stage. In addition, in connection with the Singapore Transaction, our board of directors and conflicts committee adopted the Allocation Process (described above) among certain KBS-sponsored programs.
•Our sponsor and its team of professionals at our advisor and its affiliates (including KBS Capital Markets Group LLC, the expected dealer manager of our offerings) have to allocate their time between us and other programs and activities in which they are involved.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
Economic, market and regulatory changes that impact the real estate market generally may decrease the value of our investments and weaken our operating results.
Our operating results and the performance of our real estate properties are subject to the risks typically associated with real estate, any of which could decrease the value of our investments and could weaken our operating results, including:
•downturns in national, regional and local economic conditions (including market disruptions related to COVID-19);
•competition from other office and industrial buildings;
•adverse local conditions, such as oversupply or reduction in demand for office and industrial buildings and changes in real estate zoning laws that may reduce the desirability of real estate in an area;
•vacancies, changes in market rental rates and the need to periodically repair, renovate and re-let space;
•changes in interest rates and the availability of permanent mortgage financing, which may render the sale of a property or loan difficult or unattractive;
•changes in tax (including real and personal property tax), real estate, environmental and zoning laws;
•natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods;
•acts of war or terrorism, including the consequences of terrorist attacks, such as those that occurred on September 11, 2001;
•the potential for uninsured or underinsured property losses; and
•periods of high interest rates and tight money supply.
Any of the above factors, or a combination thereof, could result in a decrease in our cash flow from operations and a decrease in the value of our investments, which would have an adverse effect on our operations, on our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and on the value of our stockholders’ investment.
If our acquisitions do not perform as expected, cash distributions to our stockholders may decline.
As of March 1, 2021, our real estate portfolio held for investment was composed of 17 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property encompassing in the aggregate approximately 7.5 million rentable square feet and was collectively 86% occupied. We also own an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT, a Singapore real estate investment trust listed on the SGX-ST. We made these investments based on an underwriting analysis with respect to each asset and how the asset fits into our portfolio. If these assets do not perform as expected, we may have less cash flow from operating activities available to fund distributions and stockholder returns may be reduced.
Properties that have significant vacancies could be difficult to sell, which could diminish the return on these properties and adversely affect our cash flow and ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
A property may incur vacancies either by the expiration and non-renewal of tenant leases or the continued default of tenants under their leases. If vacancies continue for a long period of time, we may suffer reduced revenues resulting in less cash available for distribution to our stockholders. In addition, the resale value of the property could be diminished because the market value of a particular property depends principally upon the value of the cash flow generated by the leases associated with that property. Such a reduction in the resale value of a property could also reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Further, some of our assets may be outfitted to suit the particular needs of the tenants. We may have difficulty replacing the tenants of these properties if the outfitted space limits the types of businesses that could lease that space without major renovation. If a tenant does not renew a lease or, terminates or defaults on a lease, we may be unable to lease the property for the rent previously received or sell the property without incurring a loss. Because the market value of a particular property depends principally upon the value of the cash flow generated by the leases associated with such property, we may incur a loss upon the sale of a property with significant vacant space. These events could cause us to reduce distributions to stockholders.
Based on the current market outlook, we expect our core focus in the U.S. office sector to reflect a value-creating core strategy, which is also known as a core-plus strategy. In many cases, these core properties will have slightly higher (10% to 20%) vacancy rates and/or higher near-term lease rollover at acquisition than more conservative value maintaining core properties. To the extent that we buy such properties, we may incur significant costs for capital expenditures and tenant improvement costs to lease up the properties, which increases the risk of loss associated with these properties compared to other properties.
We have invested in, and expect our core focus in the U.S. office sector to reflect a value-creating core strategy or core-plus strategy. In many cases, these core properties will have slightly higher (10% to 20%) vacancy rates, higher near-term lease rollover at acquisition than more conservative value maintaining core properties, and/or other characteristics that could provide an opportunity for us to achieve appreciation by increasing occupancy, negotiating new leases with higher rental rates and/or executing enhancement projects. We likely will need to fund reserves, maintain capacity under our credit facilities and/or use proceeds from offerings, including our dividend reinvestment plan, to fund capital expenditures, tenant improvements and other improvements in order to attract new tenants to these properties. To the extent we do not maintain adequate reserves to fund these costs, we may use our cash flow from operating activities, proceeds from offerings or borrowings to fund such costs. If we are unable to execute our business plan for these investments, the overall return on these investments will decrease.
We may enter into long-term leases with tenants in certain properties, which may not result in fair market rental rates over time.
We may enter into long-term leases with tenants of certain of our properties, or include renewal options that specify a maximum rate increase. These leases would provide for rent to increase over time; however, if we do not accurately judge the potential for increases in market rental rates, we may set the terms of these long-term leases at levels such that, even after contractual rent increases, the rent under our long-term leases is less than then-current market rates. Further, we may have no ability to terminate those leases or to adjust the rent to then-prevailing market rates. As a result, our cash available for distribution could be lower than if we did not enter into long-term leases.
We may be adversely affected by trends in the office real estate industry.
Some businesses are rapidly evolving to make employee telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workplaces and teleconferencing increasingly common. These practices enable businesses to reduce their space requirements. A continuation of the movement towards these practices could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations, each of which could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make expected distributions to our stockholders.
Certain property types, such as industrial properties, that we may acquire may not have efficient alternative uses and, if we acquire such properties, we may have difficulty leasing them to new tenants and/or have to make significant capital expenditures to them to do so.
Certain property types, particularly industrial properties, can be difficult to lease to new tenants, should the current tenant terminate or choose not to renew its lease. These properties generally will have received significant tenant-specific improvements and only very specific tenants may be able to use such improvements, making the properties very difficult to re-lease in their current condition. Additionally, an interested tenant may demand that, as a condition of executing a lease for the property, we finance and construct significant improvements so that the tenant could use the property. This expense may decrease cash available for distribution, as we likely would have to (i) pay for the improvements up front or (ii) finance the improvements at potentially unattractive terms.
To the extent we acquire retail properties with anchor tenants, our revenue will be significantly impacted by the success and economic viability of our retail anchor tenants. Our reliance on a single tenant or significant tenants in certain properties may decrease our ability to lease vacated space and adversely affect the returns on our stockholders’ investment in us.
In the retail sector, a tenant occupying all or a large portion of the gross leasable area of a retail center, commonly referred to as an anchor tenant, may become insolvent, may suffer a downturn in business and default on or terminate its lease, or may decide not to renew its lease. Any of these events would result in a reduction or cessation in rental payments to us from that tenant and would adversely affect our financial condition. A lease termination by an anchor tenant could result in lease terminations or reductions in rent by other tenants whose leases may permit cancellation or rent reduction if an anchor tenant’s lease is terminated. In such event, we may be unable to re-lease the vacated space. Similarly, the leases of some anchor tenants may permit those anchor tenants to transfer their leases to other retailers. The transfer to a new anchor tenant could cause customer traffic in the retail center to decrease and thereby reduce the income generated by that retail center. A lease transfer to a new anchor tenant could also allow other tenants, under the terms of their respective leases, to make reduced rental payments or to terminate their leases. In the event that we are unable to re-lease the vacated space to a new anchor tenant, we may incur additional expenses in order to renovate and subdivide the space to be able to re-lease the space to more than one tenant.
Our retail tenants will face competition from numerous retail channels and may be disproportionately affected by economic conditions. These events could reduce the profitability of our retail properties and affect our ability to pay distributions.
Retailers will face continued competition from discount or value retailers, factory outlet centers, wholesale clubs, mail order catalogues and operators, television shopping networks and shopping via the Internet. Such conditions could adversely affect our retail tenants and, consequently, our funds available for distribution.
We depend on tenants for our revenue generated by our real estate investments and, accordingly, our revenue generated by our real estate investments and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders are partially dependent upon the success and economic viability of our tenants and our ability to retain and attract tenants. Non-renewals, terminations or lease defaults could reduce our net income and limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
The success of our real estate investments materially depends upon the financial stability of the tenants leasing the properties we own. The inability of a single major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants to meet their rental obligations would significantly lower our net income. A non-renewal after the expiration of a lease term, termination or default by a tenant on its lease payments to us would cause us to lose the revenue associated with such lease and require us to find an alternative source of revenue to meet mortgage payments and prevent a foreclosure if the property is subject to a mortgage. In the event of a tenant default or bankruptcy, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord of a property and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing the property. Tenants may have the right to terminate their leases upon the occurrence of certain customary events of default and, in other circumstances, may not renew their leases or, because of market conditions, may only be able to renew their leases on terms that are less favorable to us than the terms of their initial leases.
The bankruptcy or insolvency of our tenants or delays by our tenants in making rental payments could seriously harm our operating results and financial condition.
Any bankruptcy filings by or relating to any of our tenants could bar us from collecting pre-bankruptcy debts from that tenant, unless we receive an order permitting us to do so from the bankruptcy court. A tenant bankruptcy could delay our efforts to collect past due balances under the relevant leases, and could ultimately preclude full collection of these sums. If a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only a general unsecured claim for damages. Any unsecured claim we hold against a bankrupt entity may be paid only to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims. We may recover substantially less than the full value of any unsecured claims, which would harm our financial condition.
Our inability to sell a property at the time and on the terms we want could limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Many factors that are beyond our control affect the real estate market and could affect our ability to sell properties for the price, on the terms or within the time frame that we desire. These factors include general economic conditions, the availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, we have a limited ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Further, before we can sell a property on the terms we want, it may be necessary to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements. However, we can give no assurance that we will have the funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. We may be unable to sell our properties at a profit. Our inability to sell properties at the time and on the terms we want could reduce our cash flow, limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
If we sell a property by providing financing to the purchaser, we will bear the risk of default by the purchaser, which could delay or reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
When we decide to sell properties, we intend to use our best efforts to sell them for cash; however, in some instances, we may sell our properties by providing financing to purchasers. When we provide financing to a purchaser, we will bear the risk that the purchaser may default, which could reduce our cash distributions to stockholders. Even in the absence of a purchaser default, the distribution of the proceeds of the sale to our stockholders, or the reinvestment of the proceeds in other assets, will be delayed until the promissory note or other property we may accept upon a sale is actually paid, sold, refinanced or otherwise disposed.
Potential development and construction delays and resultant increased costs and risks may hinder our operating results and decrease our net income.
From time to time we may acquire unimproved real property or properties that are under development or construction. Investments in such properties will be subject to the uncertainties associated with the development and construction of real property, including those related to re-zoning land for development, environmental concerns of governmental entities and/or community groups and our builders’ ability to build in conformity with plans, specifications, budgeted costs and timetables. If a builder fails to perform, we may resort to legal action to rescind the purchase or the construction contract or to compel performance. A builder’s performance may also be affected or delayed by conditions beyond the builder’s control. Delays in completing construction could also give tenants the right to terminate preconstruction leases. We may incur additional risks when we make periodic progress payments or other advances to builders before they complete construction. These and other factors can result in increased costs of a project or loss of our investment. In addition, we will be subject to normal lease-up risks relating to newly-constructed projects. We also must rely on rental income and expense projections and estimates of the fair market value of property upon completion of construction when agreeing upon a purchase price at the time we acquire the property. If our projections are inaccurate, we may pay too much for a property, and the return on our investment could suffer.
Actions of our joint venture partners could reduce the returns on joint venture investments and decrease our stockholders’ overall return.
We have entered into joint ventures in the past and may enter into additional joint ventures in the future with third parties to acquire properties and other assets. We may also purchase and develop additional properties in partnerships, co-tenancies or other co-ownership arrangements. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present with other methods of investment, including, for example, the following risks:
•that our co-venturer, co-tenant or partner in an investment could become insolvent or bankrupt;
•that such co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or that become inconsistent with our business interests or goals;
•that such co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives; or
•that disputes between us and our co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and directors from focusing their time and effort on our operations.
Any of the above might subject a property to liabilities in excess of those contemplated and thus reduce our returns on that investment and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Costs imposed pursuant to laws and governmental regulations may reduce our net income and our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment and human health. We could be subject to liability in the form of fines, penalties or damages for noncompliance with these laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the remediation of contamination associated with the release or disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the presence of toxic building materials and other health and safety-related concerns.
Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on the tenants, owners or operators of real property for the costs to investigate or remediate contaminated properties, regardless of fault, whether the contamination occurred prior to purchase, or whether the acts causing the contamination were legal. Our tenants’ operations, the condition of properties at the time we buy them, operations in the vicinity of our properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or activities of unrelated third parties may affect our properties.
The presence of hazardous substances, or the failure to properly manage or remediate these substances, may hinder our ability to sell, rent or pledge such property as collateral for future borrowings. Any material expenditures, fines, penalties or damages we must pay will reduce our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and may reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property or of paying personal injury or other damage claims could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous real property owner or operator may be liable for the cost of removing or remediating hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. These costs could be substantial. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Environmental laws also may impose liens on property or restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants that may be impacted by such laws. Environmental laws provide for sanctions for noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Third parties may seek recovery from real property owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances and governments may seek recovery for natural resource damage. The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury, property damage or natural resource damage claims could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
All of our real estate properties are subject to Phase I environmental assessments prior to the time they are acquired; however, such assessments may not provide complete environmental histories due, for example, to limited available information about prior operations at the properties or other gaps in information at the time we acquire the property. A Phase I environmental assessment is an initial environmental investigation to identify potential environmental liabilities associated with the current and past uses of a given property. If any of our properties were found to contain hazardous or toxic substances after our acquisition, the value of our investment could decrease below the amount paid for such investment. In addition, real estate-related investments in which we invest may be secured by properties with recognized environmental conditions. Where we are secured creditors, we will attempt to acquire contractual agreements, including environmental indemnities, that protect us from losses arising out of environmental problems in the event the property is transferred by foreclosure or bankruptcy; however, no assurances can be given that such indemnities would fully protect us from responsibility for costs associated with addressing any environmental problems related to such properties.
Costs associated with complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act may decrease our cash available for distribution.
Our properties may be subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, or the Disabilities Act. Under the Disabilities Act, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The Disabilities Act has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. The Disabilities Act’s requirements could require removal of access barriers and could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages. Any funds used for Disabilities Act compliance will reduce our net income and the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Uninsured losses relating to real property or excessively expensive premiums for insurance coverage could reduce our cash flow from operations and the return on our stockholders’ investment in us.
There are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pollution or environmental matters, that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles or co-payments. Insurance risks associated with potential acts of terrorism could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. We may not be able to obtain insurance against the risk of terrorism because it may not be available or may not be available on terms that are economically feasible. The terrorism insurance that we obtain may not be sufficient to cover loss for damages to our properties as a result of terrorist attacks. The inability to obtain sufficient terrorism insurance or any terrorism insurance at all could limit our financing and refinancing options as some mortgage lenders have begun to insist that specific coverage against terrorism be purchased by commercial owners as a condition for providing loans. In such instances, we may be required to provide other financial support, either through financial assurances or self-insurance, to cover potential losses. We may not have adequate coverage for such losses. If any of our properties incurs a casualty loss that is not fully insured, the value of our assets will be reduced by any such uninsured loss, which will reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us. In addition, other than any working capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we have limited sources of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured property. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for insurance, we could suffer reduced earnings that would result in lower distributions to our stockholders.
If we invest in apartment communities, competition from other apartment communities for tenants could reduce our profitability and the return on our stockholders’ investment.
The apartment community industry is highly competitive. This competition could reduce occupancy levels and revenues at any apartment communities we own and operate, which would adversely affect our operations. If we invest in apartment communities, we will face competition from other apartment communities both in the immediate vicinity and in the larger geographic market where any apartment communities we operate are located. Overbuilding of apartment communities may occur. If so, this will increase the number of apartment units available and may decrease occupancy and apartment rental rates. In addition, increases in operating costs due to inflation may not be offset by increased apartment rental rates.
We rely on property managers to operate our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties.
Our advisor hires property managers to manage our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. The property managers have significant decision-making authority with respect to the management of our properties. Our ability to direct and control how our properties are managed on a day-to-day basis may be limited because we engage other parties to perform this function. Thus, the success of our business may depend in large part on the ability of our property managers to manage the day-to-day operations and the ability of our leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. Any adversity experienced by, or problems in our relationship with, our property managers or leasing agents could adversely impact the operation and profitability of our properties.
Risks Related to Real Estate-Related Investments
Any real estate-related investments we make will be subject to the risks typically associated with real estate.
Any investments we make in real estate loans generally will be directly or indirectly secured by a lien on real property (or the equity interests in an entity that owns real property) that, upon the occurrence of a default on the loan, could result in our taking ownership of the property. The values of these properties may change after the dates of acquisition or origination of the loans. If the values of the underlying properties drop, our risk will increase because of the lower value of the security associated with such loans. In this manner, real estate values could impact the values of any loan investments we make. Our equity investment in the SREIT and any future investments we make in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and other real estate-related investments may be similarly affected by real estate property values. Therefore, any real estate-related investments we make will be subject to the risks typically associated with real estate, which are described above under the heading “- General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate.”
Any investments we make in real estate loans will be subject to interest rate fluctuations that will affect our returns as compared to market interest rates; accordingly, the value of our stockholders’ investment in us will be subject to fluctuations in interest rates.
With respect to fixed rate, long-term loans receivable, if interest rates rise, the loans could yield a return that is lower than then-current market rates. If interest rates decrease, we will be adversely affected to the extent that loans are prepaid because we may not be able to reinvest the proceeds at as high of an interest rate. If we invest in variable-rate loans receivable and interest rates decrease, our revenues will also decrease. For these reasons, investments in real estate loans, returns on those loans and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us would be subject to fluctuations in interest rates.
The mortgage loans we may invest in and the mortgage loans underlying any mortgage securities we may invest in are subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, which could result in losses to us.
Commercial real estate loans generally are secured by commercial real estate properties and are subject to risks of delinquency and foreclosure. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of such property rather than upon the existence of independent income or assets of the borrower. If the net operating income of the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Net operating income of an income-producing property can be affected by, among other things: tenant mix, success of tenant businesses, occupancy rates, property management decisions, property location and condition, competition from comparable types of properties, changes in laws that increase operating expenses or limit rents that may be charged, any need to address environmental contamination at the property, the occurrence of any uninsured casualty at the property, changes in national, regional or local economic conditions and/or specific industry segments, declines in regional or local real estate values, declines in regional or local rental or occupancy rates, increases in interest rates, real estate tax rates and other operating expenses, changes in governmental rules, fiscal policies and regulations (including environmental legislation), natural disasters, terrorism, social unrest and civil disturbances.
In the event of any default under any mortgage loan we may acquire, we will bear a risk of loss of principal and accrued interest to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the mortgage loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow from operations. Foreclosure on a property securing a mortgage loan can be an expensive and lengthy process that could have a substantial negative effect on our anticipated return on the investment. In the event of the bankruptcy of a mortgage loan borrower, the mortgage loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court), and the lien securing the mortgage loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law.
Our investment in common equity securities is, and any future investments we make in the securities of other issuers will be, subject to the specific risks relating to the particular issuer of the securities and may involve greater risk of loss than secured debt financings.
We have made a significant investment in the common equity of the SREIT and may make equity investments in funds or corporate entities with a primary focus on the commercial real estate and real estate finance industries or with significant exposure to real estate, such as REITs. We may purchase the common or preferred stock of these entities or purchase or write options with respect to their stock. We may also invest in debt securities and preferred equity securities issued by funds or corporate entities with a primary focus on the commercial real estate and real estate finance industries or with significant exposure to real estate. Our investments in debt securities and preferred and common equity securities will involve special risks relating to the particular issuer of the securities, including the financial condition and business outlook of the issuer. Issuers that are REITs and other real estate companies are subject to the inherent risks associated with real estate investments. Furthermore, debt securities and preferred and common equity securities may involve greater risk of loss than secured debt financings due to a variety of factors, including that such investments are generally unsecured and may also be subordinated to other obligations of the issuer. As a result, investments in debt securities and preferred and common equity securities are subject to risks of (i) limited liquidity in the secondary trading market, (ii) substantial market price volatility resulting from changes in prevailing interest rates, (iii) subordination to the claims of banks and senior lenders to the issuer, (iv) the operation of mandatory sinking fund or call/redemption provisions during periods of declining interest rates that could cause the issuer to reinvest redemption proceeds in lower yielding assets, (v) the possibility that earnings of the issuer may be insufficient to meet its debt service and distribution obligations, and (vi) the declining creditworthiness and potential for insolvency of the issuer during periods of rising interest rates and economic downturn. These risks may adversely affect the value of outstanding debt securities and preferred and common equity securities and the ability of the issuers thereof to make principal, interest and/or distribution payments to us.
Our significant investment in the SREIT is subject to the risks inherent in investing in traded securities. As of March 12, 2021, based solely on the closing trading price of the units of the SREIT on the SGX-ST of $0.80 per unit on such date and without taking into account the potential blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading in the units, we owned approximately $230.2 million of units in the SREIT, representing an approximate 27.3% interest in the units of the SREIT. The SREIT’s units were first listed for trading on the SGX-ST on July 19, 2019. If an active trading market for the units does not develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult to sell our units. The market for Singapore REITs may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of our investment in the SREIT difficult. Even if an active trading market develops or we are able to negotiate block trades, if we or other significant investors sell or are perceived as intending to sell a substantial amount of units in a short period of time, the market price of our remaining units could be adversely affected. In addition, as a foreign equity investment, the trading price of units of the SREIT may be affected by political, economic, financial and social factors in the Singapore and Asian markets, including changes in government, economic and fiscal policies. Furthermore, we may be limited in our ability to sell our investment in the SREIT if our advisor and/or its affiliates are deemed to have material, non-public information regarding the SREIT. Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., the Chairman of our Board, our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our affiliated director, is a director of the external manager of the SREIT, and an affiliate of our advisor services as the U.S. asset manager to the SREIT. The inability to dispose of our investment in the SREIT at the time and on the terms we want could materially adversely affect the investment results.
Risks Associated with Debt Financing
We obtain lines of credit, mortgage indebtedness and other borrowings and have given guarantees, which increases our risk of loss due to potential foreclosure.
We obtain lines of credit and long-term financing secured by our properties and other assets. We have acquired our real estate properties by financing a portion of the price of the properties and mortgaging or pledging some or all of the properties purchased as security for that debt. We may also incur mortgage debt on properties that we already own in order to obtain funds to acquire additional properties, to fund property improvements and other capital expenditures, to pay distributions, to fund redemptions under our share redemption program and for other purposes. In addition, we may borrow as necessary or advisable to ensure that we maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, including borrowings to satisfy the REIT requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gain). However, we can give our stockholders no assurance that we will be able to obtain such borrowings on satisfactory terms or at all.
If we mortgage a property and there is a shortfall between the cash flow generated by that property and the cash flow needed to service mortgage debt on that property, then the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders may be reduced. In addition, incurring mortgage debt increases the risk of loss of a property since defaults on indebtedness secured by a property may result in lenders initiating foreclosure actions. In that case, we could lose the property securing the loan that is in default, reducing the value of our stockholders’ investment in us. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure even though we would not necessarily receive any cash proceeds. We have given and may give full or partial guarantees to lenders of mortgage or other debt on behalf of the entities that own our properties. When we give a guaranty on behalf of an entity that owns one of our properties, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of all or a part of the debt or other amounts related to the debt if it is not paid by such entity. If any mortgages contain cross-collateralization or cross-default provisions, a default on a mortgage secured by a single property could affect mortgages secured by other properties.
We may also obtain recourse debt to finance our acquisitions and meet our REIT distribution requirements. If we have insufficient income to service our recourse debt obligations, our lenders could institute proceedings against us to foreclose upon our assets. If a lender successfully forecloses upon any of our assets, our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders will be limited and our stockholders could lose all or part of their investment in us.
High mortgage rates or changes in underwriting standards may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance properties, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire, our cash flow from operations and the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance the purchase of properties. If we place mortgage debt on a property, we run the risk of being unable to refinance part or all of the debt when it becomes due or of being unable to refinance on favorable terms. If interest rates are higher when we refinance properties subject to mortgage debt, our income could be reduced. We may be unable to finance or refinance or may only be able to partly finance or refinance properties if underwriting standards, including loan to value ratios and yield requirements, among other requirements, are more strict. If any of these events occurs, our cash flow could be reduced and/or we might have to pay down existing mortgages. This, in turn, would reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders, could cause us to require additional capital and may hinder our ability to raise capital by issuing more stock or by borrowing more money.
We may not be able to access financing sources on attractive terms, which could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We may finance our assets over the long-term through a variety of means, including credit facilities and other structured financings. Our ability to execute this strategy will depend on various conditions in the markets for financing in this manner that are beyond our control, including lack of liquidity and greater credit spreads. We cannot be certain that these markets will remain an efficient source of long-term financing for our assets. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative forms of long-term financing for our assets, as secured revolving credit facilities may not accommodate long-term financing. This could subject us to more recourse indebtedness and the risk that debt service on less efficient forms of financing would require a larger portion of our cash flow, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to our stockholders and funds available for operations as well as for future business opportunities.
Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional debt. Loan agreements into which we enter may contain covenants that limit our ability to further mortgage a property or that prohibit us from discontinuing insurance coverage or replacing our advisor. These or other limitations would decrease our operating flexibility and our ability to achieve our operating objectives and limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
The loan agreements for our debt obligations contain customary representations and warranties, financial and other affirmative and negative covenants (including maintenance of ongoing debt service coverage ratios), events of default and remedies typical for these types of financings.
Increases in interest rates and the discontinuation of LIBOR could increase the amount of our interest and/or hedge payments and/or mitigate the effectiveness of our interest rate hedges.
As of December 31, 2020, our debt obligations consisted of $123.0 million of fixed rate notes payable and $1.3 billion of variable rate notes payable. As of December 31, 2020, the interest rates on $1.1 billion of our variable rate notes payable were effectively fixed through interest rate swap agreements. We expect that we will incur additional indebtedness in the future. Interest we pay reduces our cash available for distributions. Since we have incurred and may continue to incur variable rate debt, increases in interest rates raise our interest costs, which reduces our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to you. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to sell one or more of our properties at times which may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.
We currently pay interest under certain of our debt at an interest rate that is determined based on a US Dollar London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). In July 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that it will stop encouraging or requiring banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after December 31, 2021. On March 5, 2021, the FCA announced that all LIBOR settings will either cease to be provided by any administrator or no longer be representative (i) immediately after December 31, 2021, in the case of the 1-week and 2-month US dollar settings; and (ii) immediately after June 30, 2023, in the case of the remaining US dollar settings. The tenors that were extended to June 30, 2023 are more widely used and are the tenors used in our LIBOR-based debt.
The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), a steering committee comprised of U.S. financial market participants, published model LIBOR replacement language for use in bilateral and syndicated loan facilities. ARRC selected the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as the replacement to LIBOR. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash in the overnight U.S. treasury repo market and is a rate published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. We have been incorporating LIBOR transition language in our existing floating rate loans when they are extended or refinanced. Our new loans typically remain indexed to LIBOR and not SOFR and include LIBOR transition language that generally aligns with ARRC recommendations.
On October 23, 2020, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”), the trade association for the derivatives marketplace, published the ISDA IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (the “Protocol”) and the ISDA IBOR Fallbacks Supplement (the “Supplement”). The Protocol and the Supplement became effective on January 25, 2021. The Protocol incorporates LIBOR transition provisions into non-cleared derivatives transactions that reference LIBOR and were entered into before January 25, 2021 between parties to derivatives transactions that each have adhered to the Protocol. The Supplement automatically incorporates these LIBOR transition provisions into non-cleared derivatives transactions that reference LIBOR and are entered into on or after January 25, 2021. We currently are not adherents to the Protocol. Any interest rate hedges that reference LIBOR and that we enter into on or after January 25, 2021 will be subject to conversion based on the ISDA methodology set forth in the Supplement. As a result of the FCA announcement, on March 5, 2021, the ISDA separately confirmed that the FCA’s announcement constitutes an index cessation event under the Protocol and the Supplement. Therefore, the spread adjustments to be used in connection with the transition from LIBOR to SOFR under any of our hedging agreements governed by the Protocol or the Supplement were fixed on March 5, 2021.
Differences between ARRC and ISDA LIBOR replacement methodology could result in differences in conversion between our debt instruments and corresponding hedges. Mismatches could occur resulting from conversion at different times, into different benchmark replacement rates, or into the same benchmark replacement rates calculated at different times or using different methods of calculation.
Accordingly, the transition from LIBOR to SOFR could result in higher all-in interest costs and could hinder our ability to maintain effective hedges, which could impact our financial performance. Furthermore, the impact or potential impact of LIBOR transition could incentivize us to prepay debt and/or unwind hedge positions earlier than we anticipated when closing the debt facility and/or entering into the hedge position. If we prepay debt, we may owe prepayment penalties or other breakage costs. If we unwind hedge positions, we could owe unwind payments to our counterparties, which could be significant. For hedges entered into before January 25, 2021, if we do not subsequently adhere to the Protocol, negotiate bilateral solutions with our counterparties, or unwind our positions before the discontinuation of LIBOR, it may be impossible for us or our counterparties to perform under these hedges following the discontinuation of LIBOR.
We have broad authority to incur debt and high debt levels could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute to our stockholders and decrease the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
We expect our debt financing and other liabilities to be between 45% and 65% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves). There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for the purchase of any single asset. Our charter limits our aggregate borrowings to 300% of our net assets, which approximates aggregate liabilities of 75% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves), meaning that our borrowings and other liabilities may exceed our maximum target leverage of 65% of the cost of our tangible assets without violating the borrowing restrictions in our charter. We may exceed our charter limit only if a majority of the conflicts committee approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowings to our stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. As of December 31, 2020, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 54% of both the cost (before deducting depreciation and other noncash reserves) and book value (before deducting depreciation) of our tangible assets. High debt levels would cause us to incur higher interest charges and higher debt service payments and may also be accompanied by restrictive covenants. These factors could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute to our stockholders and could result in a decline in the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
In certain cases, financings for our properties may be recourse to us or certain of our subsidiaries.
Generally, commercial real estate financings are structured as non-recourse to the borrower, which limits a lender’s recourse to the property pledged as collateral for the loan, and not the other assets of the borrower or to any parent of the borrower, in the event of a loan default. However, lenders customarily will require that a creditworthy parent entity enter into so-called “recourse carveout” guarantees to protect the lender against certain bad-faith or other intentional acts of the borrower in violation of the loan documents. A “bad boy” guarantee typically provides that the lender can recover losses from the guarantors for certain bad acts, such as fraud or intentional misrepresentation, intentional waste, willful misconduct, criminal acts, misappropriation of funds, voluntary incurrence of prohibited debt and environmental losses sustained by lender. In addition, “bad boy” guarantees typically provide that the loan will be a full personal recourse obligation of the guarantor, for certain actions, such as prohibited transfers of the collateral or changes of control and voluntary bankruptcy of the borrower. It is expected that the financing arrangements with respect to our investments generally will require “bad boy” guarantees from certain of our subsidiaries that are the parent to the borrower entity. In the event that such a guarantee is called, our assets could be adversely affected.
Hedging against interest rate exposure may adversely affect our earnings, limit our gains or result in losses, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We have entered into and in the future may enter into interest rate swap agreements or pursue other interest rate hedging strategies. Our hedging activity will vary in scope based on the level of interest rates, the type of investments we hold, and other changing market conditions. Interest rate hedging may fail to protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:
•interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates;
•available interest rate hedging products may not correspond directly with the interest rate risk for which protection is sought;
•the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability or asset;
•the amount of income that a REIT may earn from hedging transactions to offset losses due to fluctuations in interest rates is limited by federal tax provisions governing REITs;
•the credit quality of the party owing money on the hedge may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction;
•the party owing money in the hedging transaction may default on its obligation to pay; and
•we may purchase a hedge that turns out not to be necessary, i.e., a hedge that is out of the money.
Any hedging activity we engage in may adversely affect our earnings, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the investments being hedged or liabilities being hedged may vary materially. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the interest rate risk sought to be hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended accounting treatment and may expose us to risk of loss.
We assume the credit risk of our counterparties with respect to derivative transactions.
We enter into derivative contracts for risk management purposes to hedge our exposure to cash flow variability caused by changing interest rates on our variable rate notes payable and we may enter into such contracts for any variable rate real estate loans receivable we acquire or originate. These derivative contracts generally are entered into with bank counterparties and are not traded on an organized exchange or guaranteed by a central clearing organization. We would therefore assume the credit risk that our counterparties will fail to make periodic payments when due under these contracts or become insolvent. If a counterparty fails to make a required payment, becomes the subject of a bankruptcy case, or otherwise defaults under the applicable contract, we would have the right to terminate all outstanding derivative transactions with that counterparty and settle them based on their net market value or replacement cost. In such an event, we may be required to make a termination payment to the counterparty, or we may have the right to collect a termination payment from such counterparty. We assume the credit risk that the counterparty will not be able to make any termination payment owing to us. We may not receive any collateral from a counterparty, or we may receive collateral that is insufficient to satisfy the counterparty’s obligation to make a termination payment. If a counterparty is the subject of a bankruptcy case, we will be an unsecured creditor in such case unless the counterparty has pledged sufficient collateral to us to satisfy the counterparty’s obligations to us.
We assume the risk that our derivative counterparty may terminate transactions early.
If we fail to make a required payment or otherwise default under the terms of a derivative contract, the counterparty would have the right to terminate all outstanding derivative transactions between us and that counterparty and settle them based on their net market value or replacement cost. In certain circumstances, the counterparty may have the right to terminate derivative transactions early even if we are not defaulting. If our derivative transactions are terminated early, it may not be possible for us to replace those transactions with another counterparty, on as favorable terms or at all.
We may be required to collateralize our derivative transactions.
We may be required to secure our obligations to our counterparties under our derivative contracts by pledging collateral to our counterparties. That collateral may be in the form of cash, securities or other assets. If we default under a derivative contract with a counterparty, or if a counterparty otherwise terminates one or more derivative contracts early, that counterparty may apply such collateral toward our obligation to make a termination payment to the counterparty. If we have pledged securities or other assets, the counterparty may liquidate those assets in order to satisfy our obligations. If we are required to post cash or securities as collateral, such cash or securities will not be available for use in our business. Cash or securities pledged to counterparties may be repledged by counterparties and may not be held in segregated accounts. Therefore, in the event of a counterparty insolvency, we may not be entitled to recover some or all collateral pledged to that counterparty, which could result in losses and have an adverse effect on our operations.
Our investments in derivatives are carried at estimated fair value as determined by us and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of these instruments.
Our investments in derivatives are recorded at fair value but have limited liquidity and are not publicly traded. The fair value of our derivatives may not be readily determinable. We will estimate the fair value of any such investments on a quarterly basis. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on numerous estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these investments existed. The value of our common stock could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal or maturity.
Federal Income Tax Risks
Failure to qualify as a REIT would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution.
Our qualification as a REIT will depend upon our ability to meet requirements regarding our organization and ownership, distributions of our income, the nature and diversification of our income and assets and other tests imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for any taxable year after electing REIT status, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at corporate rates (a maximum rate of 35% applied through 2017, with a 21% rate beginning for 2018). In addition, we would generally be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we lost our REIT status. Losing our REIT status would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to stockholders because of the additional tax liability. In addition, distributions to stockholders would no longer qualify for the dividends-paid deduction and we would no longer be required to pay distributions. If this occurs, we might be required to borrow funds or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax.
Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We believe that we have operated and will continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. However, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs are extremely complex, and interpretations of the U.S. federal income tax laws governing qualification as a REIT are limited. Qualifying as a REIT requires us to meet various tests regarding the nature of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding stock, and the amount of our distributions on an ongoing basis. Accordingly, we cannot be certain that we will be successful in operating so we can remain qualified as a REIT. While we intend to continue to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, including the tax treatment of certain investments we may make, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will so qualify for any particular year. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any calendar year and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income. We might need to borrow money or sell assets to pay that tax. Our payment of income tax would decrease the amount of our income available for distribution to our stockholders. Furthermore, if we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders. Unless our failure to qualify as a REIT were excused under federal tax laws, we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.
Our stockholders may have current tax liability on distributions they elect to reinvest in our common stock.
If our stockholders participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, they will be deemed to have received, and for income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in shares of our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital. In addition, our stockholders will be treated for tax purposes as having received an additional distribution to the extent the shares are purchased at a discount to fair market value, if any. As a result, unless our stockholders are tax-exempt entities, they may have to use funds from other sources to pay their tax liability on the value of the shares of common stock received.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to federal, state, local or other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to some federal, state and local taxes on our income or property. For example:
•In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders (which is determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain). To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on the undistributed income.
•We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions we pay in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years.
•If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or certain leasehold terminations as “foreclosure property,” we may avoid the 100% tax on the gain from a resale of that property, but the income from the sale or operation of that property may be subject to corporate income tax at the highest applicable rate.
•If we sell an asset, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, our gain would be subject to the 100% “prohibited transaction” tax unless such sale were made by one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries or the sale met certain “safe harbor” requirements under the Internal Revenue Code.
REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, subject to certain adjustments and excluding any net capital gain, in order for federal corporate income tax not to apply to earnings that we distribute. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed REIT taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our property and pay U.S. federal income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and thereon seek a refund of such tax. We also will be subject to corporate tax on any undistributed REIT taxable income. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the REIT requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.
From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our income for financial reporting purposes, or our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders (for example, where a borrower defers the payment of interest in cash pursuant to a contractual right or otherwise). If we do not have other funds available in these situations we could be required to borrow funds, sell investments at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative source of funds to pay distributions sufficient to enable us to pay out enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.
To maintain our REIT status, we may be forced to forego otherwise attractive business or investment opportunities, which may delay or hinder our ability to meet our investment objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy certain tests on an ongoing basis concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, nature of our assets and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. We may be required to pay distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits and reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
If our operating partnership fails to maintain its status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, its income would be subject to taxation and our REIT status would be terminated.
We intend to maintain the status of our operating partnership as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, if the Internal Revenue Service (“Internal Revenue Service” or “IRS”) were to successfully challenge the status of our operating partnership as a partnership, it would be taxable as a corporation. In such event, this would reduce the amount of distributions that our operating partnership could make to us. This would also result in our losing REIT status and becoming subject to a corporate level tax on our own income. This would substantially reduce our cash available to pay distributions and the return on your investment. In addition, if any of the entities through which our operating partnership owns its properties, in whole or in part, loses its characterization as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the underlying entity would become subject to taxation as a corporation, thereby reducing distributions to our operating partnership and jeopardizing our ability to maintain REIT status.
Potential characterization of distributions or gain on sale may be treated as unrelated business taxable income to tax-exempt investors.
If (i) all or a portion of our assets are subject to the rules relating to taxable mortgage pools, (ii) we are a “pension-held REIT,” (iii) a tax-exempt stockholder has incurred debt to purchase or hold our common stock, or (iv) the residual Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit interests, or REMICs, we buy (if any) generate “excess inclusion income,” then a portion of the distributions to and, in the case of a stockholder described in clause (iii), gains realized on the sale of common stock by such tax-exempt stockholder may be subject to U.S. federal income tax as unrelated business taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code.
The tax on prohibited transactions will limit our ability to engage in transactions that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of assets, other than foreclosure property, deemed held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to this tax if we were to dispose of loans in a manner that was treated as a sale of the loans for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, in order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose not to engage in certain sales of loans at the REIT level, and may limit the structures we utilize for our securitization transactions, even though the sales or structures might otherwise be beneficial to us.
It may be possible to reduce the impact of the prohibited transaction tax by conducting certain activities through taxable REIT subsidiaries. However, to the extent that we engage in such activities through taxable REIT subsidiaries, the income associated with such activities may be subject to full corporate income tax.
Complying with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans and residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% (25% for taxable years before 2018) of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries and no more than 25% of the value of our total assets can be represented by “non-qualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments.” If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences. As a result, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.
To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.
The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, any income that we generate from transactions intended to hedge our interest rate, inflation and/or currency risks will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests if the purpose of the instrument is to (i) hedge interest rate risk on liabilities incurred to carry or acquire real estate, (ii) hedge risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the REIT 75% or 95% gross income tests, or (iii) manage risk with respect to the termination of certain prior hedging transactions described in (i) and/or (ii) above and, in each case, such instrument is properly identified under applicable Department of the Treasury regulations (“Treasury Regulations”). Income from hedging transactions that do not meet these requirements will generally constitute nonqualifying income for purposes of both the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous, which could result in greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.
Our ownership of and relationship with our taxable REIT subsidiaries will be limited and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.
A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A taxable REIT subsidiary may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a taxable REIT subsidiary. A corporation of which a taxable REIT subsidiary directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Overall, no more than 20% (25% for taxable years before 2018) of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A domestic taxable REIT subsidiary will pay federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the taxable REIT subsidiary rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT to assure that the taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a taxable REIT subsidiary and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to comply with the 20% value limitation on ownership of taxable REIT subsidiary stock and securities on an ongoing basis so as to maintain REIT status or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax imposed on certain non-arm’s length transactions.
The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT qualification without stockholder approval may subject us to U.S. federal income tax and reduce distributions to our stockholders.
Our charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. While we believe we have qualified and intend to continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, we may terminate our REIT election if we determine that qualifying as a REIT is no longer in our best interests. If we cease to be a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income and would no longer be required to distribute most of our taxable income to our stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our stockholders and on the market price of our common stock.
Changes recently made to the U.S. tax laws could have a negative impact on our business.
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Pub. L. No. 115-97 (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act makes significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. In the case of individuals, the tax brackets have been adjusted, the top federal income rate has been reduced to 37%, special rules reduce taxation of certain income earned through pass-through entities and reduce the top effective rate applicable to ordinary dividends from REITs to 29.6% (through a 20% deduction for ordinary REIT dividends received) and various deductions have been eliminated or limited, including limiting the deduction for state and local taxes to $10,000 per year. Most of the changes applicable to individuals are temporary and apply only to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. The top corporate income tax rate has been reduced to 21%. The Tax Act includes only minor changes to the REIT rules (other than the 20% deduction applicable to individuals for ordinary REIT dividends received).
The Tax Act makes numerous other changes to the tax laws that may affect REITs and investors directly or indirectly. As a result of the changes to U.S. federal tax laws implemented by the Tax Act, our taxable income and the amount of distributions to our stockholders required in order to maintain our REIT status, and our relative tax advantage as a REIT, could change. As a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders annually. In addition, the Tax Act imposes limitations on the deductibility of business interest expense.
Several pieces of legislation intended to address the economic impact of COVID-19 (the “COVID-19 Legislation”) were signed into law, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136 (the “CARES Act”), which was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act makes several changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules for taxation of individuals and corporations, including the allowance of net operating loss (“NOL”) carrybacks for certain tax years, the removal of caps on the application of NOLs for certain tax years, the removal of the cap on excess business loss deductions for certain tax years, and an increase in the cap on the deduction of net interest expenses for businesses.
The CARES Act makes numerous other changes to the tax laws that do not affect REITs directly but may affect REITs and investors indirectly. In addition, the novel Coronavirus outbreak remains an evolving situation, and there may be additional legislation enacted which has a material impact on tax laws that impact REITs and investors. Stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the status of COVID-19 Legislation, including the CARES Act, and any other regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on investment.
Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates.
In general, the maximum tax rate for dividends payable to domestic stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, are generally not eligible for this reduced rate; provided under current law, individuals may be able to deduct 20% of income received as ordinary REIT dividends, thus reducing the maximum effective U.S. federal income tax rate on such dividend. In addition, Treasury Regulations impose a minimum holding period for the 20% deduction that was not set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. Under the Treasury Regulations, in order for a REIT dividend with respect to a share of REIT stock to be treated as a qualified REIT dividend, the U.S. stockholder (i) must have held the share for more than 45 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend and (ii) cannot have been under an obligation to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, e.g., pursuant to a short sale. While this tax treatment does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts or estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock.
Dividends paid by REITs may be subject to Medicare tax on net investment income.
High-income U.S. individuals, estates, and trusts will be subject to an additional 3.8% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, net investment income includes dividends and gains from sales of stock. In the case of an individual, the tax will be 3.8% of the lesser of the individuals’ net investment income or the excess of the individuals’ modified adjusted gross income over $250,000 in the case of a married individual filing a joint return or a surviving spouse, $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, or $200,000 in the case of a single individual. The 20% deduction for qualified REIT dividends is not taken into account for these purposes.
Qualifying as a REIT involves highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which only limited judicial and administrative authorities exist. Even a technical or inadvertent violation could jeopardize our REIT qualification. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. In addition, our ability to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT depends in part on the actions of third parties over which we have no control or only limited influence, including in cases where we own an equity interest in an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The taxation of distributions to our stockholders can be complex; however, distributions that we make to our stockholders generally will be taxable as ordinary income, which may reduce your anticipated return from an investment in us.
Distributions that we make to our taxable stockholders to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (and not designated as capital gain dividends or qualified dividend income) generally will be taxable as ordinary income. However, a portion of our distributions may (i) be designated by us as capital gain dividends generally taxable as long-term capital gain to the extent that they are attributable to net capital gain recognized by us, (ii) be designated by us as qualified dividend income generally to the extent they are attributable to dividends we receive from non-REIT corporations, such as our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or (iii) constitute a return of capital generally to the extent that they exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A return of capital distribution is not taxable, but has the effect of reducing the basis of a stockholder’s investment in our common stock.
We may be required to pay some taxes due to actions of a taxable REIT subsidiary which would reduce our cash available for distribution to you.
Any net taxable income earned directly by a taxable REIT subsidiary, or through entities that are disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes as entities separate from our taxable REIT subsidiaries, will be subject to federal and possibly state corporate income tax. In this regard, several provisions of the laws applicable to REITs and their subsidiaries ensure that a taxable REIT subsidiary will be subject to an appropriate level of U.S. federal income taxation. For example, a taxable REIT subsidiary may be limited in its ability to deduct certain interest payments made to an affiliated REIT. In addition, the REIT has to pay a 100% penalty tax on some payments that it receives or on some deductions taken by or payments made to a taxable REIT subsidiary if the economic arrangements between the REIT, the REIT’s customers, and the taxable REIT subsidiary are not comparable to similar arrangements between unrelated parties. Finally, some state and local jurisdictions may tax some of our income even though as a REIT we are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on that income because not all states and localities follow the U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs. To the extent that we and our affiliates are required to pay federal, state and local taxes, we will have less cash available for distributions to you.
We may distribute our common stock in a taxable distribution, in which case you may sell shares of our common stock to pay tax on such distributions, and you may receive less in cash than the amount of the dividend that is taxable.
We may make taxable distributions that are payable in cash and common stock. Under IRS Revenue Procedure 2017-45 (and Revenue Procedure 2020-19 for special rules for distributions declared in 2020 on or after April 1, 2020), as a publicly offered REIT, we may give stockholders a choice, subject to various limits and requirements, of receiving a dividend in cash or in common stock of the REIT. As long as at least 20% of the total dividend is available in cash and certain other requirements are satisfied, the IRS will treat the stock distribution as a dividend (to the extent applicable rules treat such distribution as being made out of the REIT’s earnings and profits). Taxable stockholders receiving stock will be required to include in income, as a dividend, the full value of such stock, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such dividends in excess of the cash dividends received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock it receives as a dividend to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock.
Investments in other REITs and real estate partnerships could subject us to the tax risks associated with the tax status of such entities.
We may invest in the securities of other REITs and real estate partnerships. Such investments are subject to the risk that any such REIT or partnership may fail to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT or a partnership, as the case may be, in any given taxable year. In the case of a REIT, such failure would subject such entity to taxation as a corporation, may require such REIT to incur indebtedness to pay its tax liabilities, may reduce its ability to make distributions to us, and may render it ineligible to elect REIT status prior to the fifth taxable year following the year in which it fails to so qualify. In the case of a partnership, such failure could subject such partnership to an entity level tax and reduce the entity’s ability to make distributions to us. In addition, such failures could, depending on the circumstances, jeopardize our ability to qualify as a REIT.
Non-U.S. stockholders will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on distributions received from us and upon the disposition of our shares.
Subject to certain exceptions, distributions received from us will be treated as dividends of ordinary income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Such dividends ordinarily will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, unless the distributions are treated as “effectively connected” with the conduct by the non-U.S. stockholder of a U.S. trade or business. Pursuant to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, or FIRPTA, capital gain distributions attributable to sales or exchanges of “U.S. real property interests,” or USRPIs, generally (subject to certain exceptions for “qualified foreign pension funds,” entities all the interests of which are held by “qualified foreign pension funds” and certain “qualified shareholders”) will be taxed to a non-U.S. stockholder as if such gain were effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business unless FIRPTA provides an exemption. However, a capital gain dividend will not be treated as effectively connected income if (i) the distribution is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the United States and (ii) the non-U.S. stockholder does not own more than 10% of the class of our stock at any time during the one-year period ending on the date the distribution is received. We do not anticipate that our shares will be “regularly traded” on an established securities market for the foreseeable future, and therefore, this exception is not expected to apply.
Gain recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale or exchange of our common stock generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless such stock constitutes a USRPI under FIRPTA (subject to specific FIRPTA exemptions for certain non-U.S. stockholders). Our common stock will not constitute a USRPI so long as we are a “domestically-controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically-controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT if at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of such REIT’s stock is held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. stockholders. We believe, but cannot assure you, that we will be a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity.
Even if we do not qualify as a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity at the time a non-U.S. stockholder sells or exchanges our common stock, gain arising from such a sale or exchange would not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI if: (a) our common stock is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, on an established securities market, and (b) such non-U.S. stockholder owned, actually and constructively, 10% or less of our common stock at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of the sale. However, it is not anticipated that our common stock will be “regularly traded” on an established market. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor to determine the tax consequences applicable to you if you are a non-U.S. stockholder.
We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes.
At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation.
Retirement Plan Risks
If the fiduciary of an employee benefit plan subject to ERISA (such as a profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plan) or an owner of a retirement arrangement subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”)) fails to meet the fiduciary and other standards under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code as a result of an investment in our stock, the fiduciary could be subject to penalties and other sanctions.
There are special considerations that apply to employee benefit plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) (such as profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plans) and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an IRA) or any entity whose assets include such assets (each a “Benefit Plan”) that are investing or have invested in our shares. Fiduciaries, IRA owners and other benefit plan investors investing or that have invested the assets of such a plan or account in our common stock should satisfy themselves that:
•the investment is consistent with their fiduciary and other obligations under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;
•the investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan or IRA, including the plan’s or account’s investment policy;
•the investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;
•the investment in our shares, for which no trading market currently exists, is consistent with the liquidity needs of the plan or IRA;
•the investment will not produce an unacceptable amount of “unrelated business taxable income” for the plan or IRA;
•our stockholders will be able to comply with the requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code to value the assets of the plan or IRA annually; and
•the investment will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.
With respect to the annual valuation requirements described above, we will provide an estimated value per share for our common stock annually to those fiduciaries (including IRA trustees and custodians) who request it. We can make no claim whether such estimated value per share will or will not satisfy the applicable annual valuation requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. The Department of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service may determine that a plan fiduciary or a fiduciary acting for an IRA is required to take further steps to determine the value of our common stock. In the absence of an appropriate determination of value, a plan fiduciary or a fiduciary acting for an IRA may be subject to damages, penalties or other sanctions. For information regarding our estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Market Information” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code may result in the imposition of civil and criminal penalties, and can subject the fiduciary to claims for damages or for equitable remedies, including liability for investment losses. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, the fiduciary or IRA owner who authorized or directed the investment may be subject to the imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested. Additionally, the investment transaction may have to be undone. In the case of a prohibited transaction involving an IRA owner, the IRA may be disqualified as a tax-exempt account and all of the assets of the IRA may be deemed distributed and subjected to tax. ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners should consult with counsel before making an investment in our shares.
If our assets are deemed to be plan assets, our advisor and we may be exposed to liabilities under Title I of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.
In some circumstances where an ERISA plan holds an interest in an entity, the assets of the entity are deemed to be ERISA plan assets unless an exception applies. This is known as the “look-through rule.” Under those circumstances, the obligations and other responsibilities of plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries and plan administrators, and of parties in interest and disqualified persons, under Title I of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, may be applicable, and there may be liability under these and other provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. We believe that our assets should not be treated as plan assets because the shares should qualify as “publicly-offered securities” that are exempt from the look-through rules under applicable Treasury Regulations. We note, however, that because certain limitations are imposed upon the transferability of shares so that we may qualify as a REIT, and perhaps for other reasons, it is possible that this exemption may not apply. If that is the case, and if KBS Capital Advisors or we are exposed to liability under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, our performance and results of operations could be adversely affected. Stockholders should consult with their legal and other advisors concerning the impact of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code on their investment and our performance.
We do not intend to provide investment advice to any potential investor for a fee. However, we, our advisor and our respective affiliates receive certain fees and other consideration disclosed herein in connection with an investment. If it were determined we provided a Benefit Plan investor with investment advice for a fee, it could give rise to a determination that we constitute an investment advice fiduciary under ERISA. Such a determination could give rise to claims that our fee arrangements constitute non-exempt prohibited transactions under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code and/or claims that we have breached a fiduciary duty to a Benefit Plan investor. Adverse determinations with respect to ERISA fiduciary status or non-exempt prohibited transactions could result in significant civil penalties and excise taxes.
ITEM 1B.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
We have no unresolved staff comments.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2020, excluding a property held for sale, our real estate portfolio was composed of 17 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property encompassing 7.5 million rentable square feet in the aggregate that were collectively 86% occupied with a weighted-average remaining lease term of 4.8 years. The following table provides summary information regarding the properties owned by us (excluding a property held for sale) as of December 31, 2020:
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(1) Total real estate at cost represents the total cost of real estate net of impairment charges and write-offs of fully depreciated/amortized assets.
(2) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2020, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
(3) Average annualized base rent per square foot is calculated as the annualized base rent divided by the leased square feet.
Portfolio Lease Expirations
The following table sets forth a schedule of expiring leases for our real estate portfolio (excluding a property held for sale) by square footage and by annualized base rent as of December 31, 2020:
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(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2020, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
As of December 31, 2020, our portfolio’s highest tenant industry concentrations (greater than 10% of annualized base rent) were as follows (excluding a property held for sale):
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(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2020, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
As of December 31, 2020, no other tenant industries accounted for more than 10% of annualized base rent and no tenant accounted for more than 10% of the annualized base rent.
For more information about our real estate portfolio, see Part I, Item 1, “Business.”
ITEM 3.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we are party to legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. Management is not aware of any legal proceedings of which the outcome is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition, nor are we aware of any such legal proceedings contemplated by government authorities.
ITEM 4.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5.
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Stockholder Information
As of March 8, 2021, we had 185.1 million shares of common stock outstanding held by a total of approximately 37,000 stockholders. The number of stockholders is based on the records of DST Systems, Inc., which serves as our transfer agent.
Market Information
No public market currently exists for our shares of common stock, and we currently have no plans to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, our stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase requirements. Any sale must comply with applicable state and federal securities laws. In addition, our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% of our stock by a single person, unless exempted by our board of directors. Consequently, there is the risk that our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares at a time or price acceptable to them.
We provide an estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our now-terminated initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under FINRA Rule 2231. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with the IPA Valuation Guidelines. For this purpose, we estimated the value of the shares of our common stock as $10.74 per share as of December 31, 2020. This estimated value per share is based on our board of directors’ approval on December 7, 2020 of an estimated value per share of our common stock of $10.74 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 1, 2020. Other than the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT, there were no material changes between September 30, 2020 and December 7, 2020 to the net values of our assets and liabilities that impacted the overall estimated value per share.
The conflicts committee, composed solely of all of our independent directors, is responsible for the oversight of the valuation process used to determine the estimated value per share of our common stock, including the review and approval of the valuation and appraisal processes and methodologies used to determine our estimated value per share, the consistency of the valuation and appraisal methodologies with real estate industry standards and practices and the reasonableness of the assumptions used in the valuations and appraisals. With the approval of the conflicts committee, we engaged Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent third party real estate valuation firm, to provide (i) appraisals for 19 of our consolidated real estate properties owned as of September 30, 2020 (the “Appraised Properties”), (ii) an estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT (described below) and (iii) a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 7, 2020. Duff & Phelps based this range in estimated value per share upon (i) its appraisals of the Appraised Properties, (ii) its estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT, and (iii) valuations performed by our advisor of our real estate loan receivable, cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities, which are disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020. The appraisal reports Duff & Phelps prepared summarized the key inputs and assumptions involved in the appraisal of each of the Appraised Properties. The methodologies and assumptions used to determine the estimated value of our assets and the estimated value of our liabilities are described further below.
The conflicts committee reviewed Duff & Phelps’ valuation report, which included an appraised value for each of the Appraised Properties, an estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT and a summary of the estimated value of each of our other assets and our liabilities as determined by our advisor and reviewed by Duff & Phelps. In light of the valuation report and other factors considered by the conflicts committee and the conflicts committee’s own extensive knowledge of our assets and liabilities, the conflicts committee: (i) concluded that the range in estimated value per share of $9.96 to $11.48, with an approximate mid-range value of $10.74 per share, as determined by Duff & Phelps and recommended by our advisor, which approximate mid-range value was based on Duff & Phelps’ appraisals of the Appraised Properties, Duff & Phelps’ valuation of our investment in units of the SREIT, valuations performed by our advisor of our real estate loan receivable, cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities, was reasonable and (ii) recommended to our board of directors that it adopt $10.74 as the estimated value per share of our common stock, which estimated value per share is based on those factors discussed in (i) above. Our board of directors unanimously agreed to accept the recommendation of the conflicts committee and approved $10.74 as the estimated value per share of our common stock, which determination is ultimately and solely the responsibility of the board of directors.
The table below sets forth the calculation of our estimated value per share as of December 7, 2020 as well as the calculation of our prior estimated value per share as of December 4, 2019. Duff & Phelps was not responsible for the determination of the estimated value per share as of December 7, 2020 or December 4, 2019, respectively.
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(1) The December 4, 2019 estimated value per share was based upon a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 4, 2019 by Duff & Phelps and the recommendation of our advisor. Duff & Phelps based this range in estimated value per share upon (i) its appraisals for 20 of our consolidated real estate properties owned as of September 30, 2019, (ii) its estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT, (iii) valuations performed by our advisor of our cash, other assets, mortgage debt and other liabilities, and (iv) an adjustment for the impact of the Special Dividend (defined in note 5 below). For more information relating to the December 4, 2019 estimated value per share and the assumptions and methodologies used by Duff & Phelps and our advisor, see Part II, Item 5 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 as filed with the SEC.
(2) As of September 30, 2020, the total appraised value of the Appraised Properties was $3.1 billion. The decrease in the estimated value of real estate properties per share was primarily due to the disposition of a multifamily apartment complex held through a consolidated joint venture (see note 3 below) and a decrease in the appraised value of real estate properties, partially offset by an increase in capital expenditures subsequent to September 30, 2019.
(3) On May 7, 2020, we through a consolidated joint venture (the “Hardware Village Joint Venture”) sold a multifamily apartment project (“Hardware Village”) to a buyer unaffiliated with the Hardware Village Joint Venture, us or our advisor. The purchase price was paid in a combination of approximately $27.8 million in cash and approximately $150.2 million in seller financing provided by our indirect wholly owned subsidiary (the “Lender”). In connection with the sale and seller financing, on May 7, 2020, the buyer entered into a promissory note with the Lender for $150.2 million. The promissory note is secured by a first mortgage on Hardware Village. On December 11, 2020, the buyer/borrower exercised its prepayment option available under the promissory note, pursuant to which the buyer/borrower paid off the entire outstanding principal balance and accrued interest in the amount of $150.4 million, without fee, premium or penalty.
(4) The decrease in the estimated value of our investment in the SREIT units was primarily due to a decrease in the closing price of the SREIT units on the SGX-ST from $0.97 per unit as of December 3, 2019 to $0.78 per unit as of December 1, 2020.
(5) On October 23, 2019, our board of directors authorized a special dividend of $0.80 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019 (the “Special Dividend”), which we paid on December 12, 2019. The Special Dividend was payable in the form of either (1) cash or (2) shares of our common stock, at the election of our stockholders. If stockholders elected all cash, their election was subject to adjustment such that the aggregate amount of cash to be distributed by us was a maximum of 35% of the total Special Dividend (the “Maximum Cash Distribution”), with the remainder paid in shares of common stock. The aggregate amount of cash paid by us pursuant to the Special Dividend and the actual number of shares of common stock issued pursuant to the Special Dividend depended upon the number of stockholders who elected cash or stock and whether the Maximum Cash Distribution was met. Accordingly, we paid $48.5 million (35%) in cash and issued $90.0 million (65%) in shares of our common stock pursuant to the Special Dividend on December 12, 2019.
The decrease in our estimated value per share from the previous estimate was primarily due to the items noted in the table below, which reflect the significant contributors to the decrease in the estimated value per share from $11.65 to $10.74. The changes are not equal to the change in values of each asset and liability group presented in the table above due to changes in the amount of shares outstanding, the disposition of a multifamily apartment complex held through a consolidated joint venture and our provision of seller financing to a buyer, additional capital expenditures, debt financings and other factors, which caused the value of certain asset or liability groups to change with no impact to our fair value of equity or the overall estimated value per share.
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(1) Modified operating cash flow reflects modified funds from operations (“MFFO”) adjusted to deduct capitalized interest expense, capitalized real estate taxes and insurance and add back the amortization of deferred financing costs. We compute MFFO in accordance with the definition included in the practice guideline issued by the IPA in November 2010.
As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share of our common stock, and this difference could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less the fair value of our liabilities according to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the price at which our shares of common stock would trade on a national securities exchange. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that were not under contract to sell as of December 7, 2020, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations, the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt or swap breakage fees that may be incurred upon the termination of certain of our swaps prior to expiration. We have generally incurred disposition costs and fees related to the sale of each real estate property since inception of 0.8% to 2.9% of the gross sales price less concessions and credits, with the weighted average being approximately 1.4%. The estimated value per share does not take into consideration acquisition-related costs and financing costs related to any future acquisitions subsequent to December 7, 2020. As of December 7, 2020, we had no potentially dilutive securities outstanding that would impact the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Our estimated value per share takes into consideration any potential liability related to a subordinated participation in cash flows our advisor is entitled to upon meeting certain stockholder return thresholds in accordance with the advisory agreement. For purposes of determining the estimated value per share, our advisor calculated the potential liability related to this incentive fee based on a hypothetical liquidation of the assets and liabilities at their estimated fair values, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties, and determined that there would be no liability related to the subordinated participation in cash flows at that time.
Methodology
Our goal for the valuation was to arrive at a reasonable and supportable estimated value per share, using a process that was designed to be in compliance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines and using what we and our advisor deemed to be appropriate valuation methodologies and assumptions. The following is a summary of the valuation and appraisal methodologies, assumptions and estimates used to value our assets and liabilities:
Independent Valuation Firm
Duff & Phelps(1) was selected by our advisor and approved by our conflicts committee and board of directors to appraise each of the Appraised Properties, to provide an estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT and to provide a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of December 7, 2020. Duff & Phelps is engaged in the business of appraising commercial real estate properties and is not affiliated with us or our advisor. The compensation we paid to Duff & Phelps was based on the scope of work and not on the appraised values of the Appraised Properties or the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT.
Real Estate
Appraisals
Duff & Phelps performed the appraisals in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, or USPAP, and the real estate appraisal industry standards created by The Appraisal Foundation, as well as the requirements of the state where each real property is located. Each appraisal was reviewed, approved and signed by an individual with the professional designation of MAI (Member of the Appraisal Institute). The use of the reports is subject to the requirements of the Appraisal Institute relating to review by its duly authorized representatives.
Duff & Phelps collected all reasonably available material information that it deemed relevant in appraising the Appraised Properties. Duff & Phelps obtained property-level information from our advisor, including (i) property historical and projected operating revenues and expenses; (ii) property lease agreements; and (iii) information regarding recent or planned capital expenditures. Duff & Phelps reviewed and relied in part on the property-level information provided by our advisor and considered this information in light of its knowledge of each property’s specific market conditions.
In conducting its investigation and analyses, Duff & Phelps took into account customary and accepted financial and commercial procedures and considerations as it deemed relevant. Although Duff & Phelps reviewed information supplied or otherwise made available by us or our advisor for reasonableness, it assumed and relied upon the accuracy and completeness of all such information and of all information supplied or otherwise made available to it by any other party and did not independently verify any such information. With respect to operating or financial forecasts and other information and data provided to or otherwise reviewed by or discussed with Duff & Phelps, Duff & Phelps assumed that such forecasts and other information and data were reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of our management and/or our advisor. Duff & Phelps relied on us to advise it promptly if any information previously provided became inaccurate or was required to be updated during the period of its review.
In performing its analyses, Duff & Phelps made numerous other assumptions as of various points in time with respect to industry performance, general business, economic and regulatory conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond its and our control, as well as certain factual matters. For example, unless specifically informed to the contrary, Duff & Phelps assumed that we had clear and marketable title to each of the Appraised Properties, that no title defects existed, that any improvements were made in accordance with law, that no hazardous materials were present or had been present previously, that no deed restrictions existed, and that no changes to zoning ordinances or regulations governing use, density or shape were pending or being considered. Furthermore, Duff & Phelps’ analyses, opinions and conclusions were necessarily based upon market, economic, financial and other circumstances and conditions existing as of or prior to the date of the appraisals, and any material change in such circumstances and conditions (including future financial market disruptions related to COVID-19) may affect Duff & Phelps’ analyses and conclusions. Duff & Phelps’ appraisal reports contain other assumptions, qualifications and limitations that qualify the analyses, opinions and conclusions set forth therein. Furthermore, the prices at which the Appraised Properties may actually be sold could differ from their appraised values.
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(1) Duff & Phelps is actively engaged in the business of appraising commercial real estate properties similar to those owned by us in connection with public securities offerings, private placements, business combinations and similar transactions. We engaged Duff & Phelps to prepare appraisal reports for each of the Appraised Properties, to provide an estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT and to provide a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock and Duff & Phelps received fees upon the delivery of such reports and the calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify Duff & Phelps against certain liabilities arising out of this engagement. In the two years prior to the date of this filing, Duff & Phelps and its affiliates have provided a number of commercial real estate, appraisal, valuation and financial advisory services for our affiliates and have received fees in connection with such services. Duff & Phelps and its affiliates may from time to time in the future perform other commercial real estate, appraisal, valuation and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates in transactions related to the properties that are the subjects of the appraisals, so long as such other services do not adversely affect the independence of the applicable Duff & Phelps appraiser as certified in the applicable appraisal report.
Although Duff & Phelps considered any comments to its appraisal reports received from us or our advisor, the appraised values of the Appraised Properties were determined by Duff & Phelps. The appraisal reports for the Appraised Properties are addressed solely to us to assist in the calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock. The appraisal reports are not addressed to the public and may not be relied upon by any other person to establish an estimated value per share of our common stock and do not constitute a recommendation to any person to purchase or sell any shares of our common stock. In preparing its appraisal reports, Duff & Phelps did not solicit third-party indications of interest for the Appraised Properties. In preparing its appraisal reports and in calculating the range in estimated value per share of our common stock, Duff & Phelps did not, and was not requested to, solicit third-party indications of interest for our common stock in connection with possible purchases thereof or the acquisition of all or any part of us.
The foregoing is a summary of the standard assumptions, qualifications and limitations that generally apply to Duff & Phelps’ appraisal reports. All of the Duff & Phelps appraisal reports, including the analyses, opinions and conclusions set forth in such reports, are qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth in the respective appraisal reports.
Real Estate Valuation
Duff & Phelps appraised each of the Appraised Properties using various methodologies including the direct capitalization approach, discounted cash flow analyses and sales comparison approach and relied primarily on 10-year discounted cash flow analyses for the final appraisal of each of the Appraised Properties. Duff & Phelps calculated the discounted cash flow value of each of the Appraised Properties using property-level cash flow estimates, terminal capitalization rates and discount rates that fall within ranges it believes would be used by similar investors to value the Appraised Properties, based on recent comparable market transactions adjusted for unique properties and market-specific factors.
The Appraised Properties consist of 18 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property, which were acquired for a total purchase price of $2.3 billion, including $32.2 million of acquisition fees and acquisition expenses, and as of September 30, 2020, we had invested $558.6 million in capital expenses and tenant improvements in these properties. As of September 30, 2020, the total appraised value of the Appraised Properties as provided by Duff & Phelps using the appraisal methods described above was $3.1 billion which, when compared to the total purchase price plus subsequent capital improvements through September 30, 2020 of $2.8 billion, results in an overall increase in the estimated value of these properties of approximately 11.3%.
The following table summarizes the key assumptions that Duff & Phelps used in the discounted cash flow analyses to arrive at the appraised value of the Appraised Properties:
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(1) The net operating income compounded annual growth rates (the “CAGRs”) reflect both the contractual and market rents and reimbursements (in cases where the contractual lease period is less than the valuation period of the property) net of expenses over the valuation period for each of the properties. The range of CAGRs shown is the constant annual rate at which the net operating income is projected to grow to reach the net operating income in the final year of the hold period for each of the properties.
While we believe that Duff & Phelps’ assumptions and inputs are reasonable, a change in these assumptions and inputs would significantly impact the appraised value of the Appraised Properties and thus, our estimated value per share. The table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if the terminal capitalization rates or discount rates Duff & Phelps used to appraise the Appraised Properties were adjusted by 25 basis points, assuming all other factors remain unchanged. Additionally, the table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if these terminal capitalization rates or discount rates were adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines, assuming all other factors remain unchanged:
Finally, a 1% increase in the appraised value of the Appraised Properties would result in an $0.17 increase in our estimated value per share and a 1% decrease in the appraised value of the Appraised Properties would result in a decrease of $0.17 to our estimated value per share, assuming all other factors remain unchanged.
Real Estate Loan Receivable
As of September 30, 2020, we owned one real estate loan receivable. Our advisor’s estimated value for our real estate loan receivable is equal to the GAAP fair value disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020. Our advisor estimated the value of the real estate loan receivable by applying a discounted cash flow analysis over the remaining expected life of the investment, excluding any potential transaction costs. The cash flow estimate used in the analysis during the term of the investment was based on the investment’s contractual cash flow, which we anticipate we will receive. The expected cash flow for the loan was discounted at a rate that we expect a market participant would require for an instrument with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio, type of collateral, current performance, credit enhancements and other factors.
The cost of our real estate loan receivable was $150.3 million, including $0.1 million of origination costs. As of September 30, 2020, the GAAP fair value of our real estate loan receivable was $148.3 million and the outstanding principal balance was $150.2 million. The discount rate applied to the cash flow from the real estate loan receivable, which has a remaining term of 0.6 years, was approximately 5.4%. Similar to the valuation for real estate, a change in the assumptions and inputs would change the fair value of our real estate loan receivable and thus, our estimated value per share. Assuming all other factors remain unchanged, a decrease or increase in the discount rates of 25 basis points would have no impact on the estimated value per share and, additionally, a 5% decrease or increase in the discount rates would have no impact on the estimated value per share.
Investment in the SREIT
As of September 30, 2020, we owned 289,561,899 units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU), a Singapore real estate investment trust listed on the SGX-ST, which represented 27.4% of the outstanding units of the SREIT. We have concluded that based on our 27.4% ownership interest as of September 30, 2020, we exercise significant influence over the operations, financial policies and decision making with respect to our investment in the SREIT. Accordingly, we accounted for our investment in the SREIT under the equity method of accounting as of September 30, 2020.
We engaged Duff & Phelps to value our investment in units of the SREIT as of December 1, 2020 based on the SGX-ST trading price of the units of the SREIT as of closing on December 1, 2020 less a discount for blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the SREIT units. Duff & Phelps estimated the percentage discount for the holding period risk applicable to our holdings as the quotient of the value of a hypothetical series of at-the-money put options relative to the freely traded market value of our holdings (i.e., the average of the high and low trading prices of the units times the number of units held by us), where each such put option corresponds to one of the expected future sales of such units in the public market over a period of time in which we could reasonably sell such units if desired, given the constraints imposed by blockage. Ultimately, the discount for the holding period risk may be attributable to blockage, which constrains the rate at which the holder can sell the subject units into a public market without upsetting the market’s equilibrium. Duff & Phelps’ analysis of the discount for the holding period risk applicable to our holdings had three elements: (i) analysis of trading volume in the SREIT’s units and the shares of other listed REITs in order to estimate the quantity of units that might be saleable by us in the public market; (ii) an estimate of the expected future price volatility of the SREIT’s units, which is the key variable in the valuation of the hypothetical series of put options; and (iii) application of the Black-Scholes model in the valuation of the series of put options. Based on their analysis, the estimated value of the units of the SREIT held by us as of December 1, 2020 was $203.5 million. The GAAP carrying value of our investment in the SREIT as of September 30, 2020, based on the equity method of accounting, was $232.6 million. The 289,561,899 units of the SREIT owned by us as of December 7, 2020 were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $254.8 million.
While we believe that Duff & Phelps’ assumptions and inputs are reasonable, a change in these assumptions and inputs would significantly impact the estimated value of the units of the SREIT held by us and thus, our estimated value per share. The table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if the volatility rate Duff & Phelps used to value these units was adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines, assuming all other factors remain unchanged:
Notes Payable
The estimated values of our notes payable are equal to the GAAP fair values disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020, but do not equal the book value of the loans in accordance with GAAP. Our advisor estimated the values of our notes payable using a discounted cash flow analysis. The discounted cash flow analysis was based on projected cash flow over the remaining loan terms, including extensions we expect to exercise, and on management’s estimates of current market interest rates for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio, type of collateral and other credit enhancements.
As of September 30, 2020, the GAAP fair value and the carrying value of our notes payable were $1.5 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively. The weighted-average discount rate applied to the future estimated debt payments was approximately 2.8%. Our notes payable had a weighted-average remaining term of 1.5 years as of September 30, 2020.
The table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if the discount rates our advisor used to value our notes payable were adjusted by 25 basis points, assuming all other factors remain unchanged. Additionally, the table below illustrates the impact on our estimated value per share if these discount rates were adjusted by 5% in accordance with the IPA Valuation Guidelines, assuming all other factors remain unchanged:
Other Assets and Liabilities
The carrying values of a majority of our other assets and liabilities are considered to equal their fair value due to their short maturities or liquid nature. Certain balances, such as straight-line rent receivables, lease intangible assets and liabilities, accrued capital expenditures, deferred financing costs, unamortized lease commissions and unamortized lease incentives, have been eliminated for the purpose of the valuation due to the fact that the value of those balances was already considered in the valuation of the related asset or liability. Our advisor has also excluded redeemable common stock, as temporary equity does not represent a true liability to us and the shares that this amount represents are included in our total outstanding shares of common stock for purposes of calculating the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Limitations of the Estimated Value per Share
As mentioned above, we provided this estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our now-terminated initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations. The estimated value per share set forth above first appeared on the December 31, 2020 customer account statements mailed in January 2021. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with the IPA Valuation Guidelines. As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties with different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share of our common stock, and this difference could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less the fair value of our liabilities according to GAAP.
Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
•a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at our estimated value per share;
•a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of our company;
•our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange;
•another independent third-party appraiser or third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or
•the methodology used to determine our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements.
Further, the estimated value per share is based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 1, 2020. We did not make any other adjustments to the estimated value per share subsequent to September 30, 2020, including any adjustments relating to the following, among others: (i) the issuance of common stock and the payment of related offering costs related to our dividend reinvestment plan offering; (ii) net operating income earned and distributions declared; and (iii) the redemption of shares. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to future investments, the performance of individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets, the real estate and finance markets and due to other factors. In particular, the outbreak of COVID-19, together with the resulting measures imposed to help control the spread of the virus, including quarantines, “shelter-in-place” and “stay-at-home” orders, travel restrictions, restrictions on businesses and school closures, has had a negative impact on the economy and business activity globally. The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry, including the U.S. office real estate industry and the industries of our tenants, directly or indirectly. While we have considered the impact from COVID-19 on our December 7, 2020 estimated value per share, the extent to which our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be affected by COVID-19 depends on future developments with respect to the continued spread and treatment of the virus, the various measures imposed to help control the spread the virus and the corresponding economic slowdown, and any long-term impact of this situation, even after an economic rebound, remains unclear.
Our estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. Our estimated value per share does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that were not under contract to sell as of December 7, 2020, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations, the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt or swap breakage fees that may be incurred upon the termination of certain of our swaps prior to expiration. We have generally incurred disposition costs and fees related to the sale of each real estate property since inception of 0.8% to 2.9% of the gross sales price less concessions and credits, with the weighted average being approximately 1.4%. The estimated value per share does not take into consideration acquisition-related costs and financing costs related to any future acquisitions subsequent to December 7, 2020. We currently expect to utilize an independent valuation firm to update our estimated value per share no later than December 2021.
Historical Estimated Values per Share
The historical reported estimated values per share of our common stock approved by the board of directors are set forth below:
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(1) Excluding the Special Dividend, our estimated value per share of common stock would have been $12.45.
(2) Determined solely to be used as a component in calculating the offering prices in our now-terminated primary initial public offering.
Distribution Information
We have paid, and expect to continue to pay, distributions on a monthly basis. The rate is determined by our board of directors based on our financial condition and other factors our board of directors deems relevant. Our board of directors has not pre-established a percentage range of return for distributions to stockholders. We have not established a minimum distribution level, and our charter does not require that we pay distributions to our stockholders.
Generally, our policy is to pay distributions from current or prior period cash flow from operations (except with respect to distributions related to sales of our assets and distributions related to the sales or repayment of real estate-related investments). From time to time during our operational stage, we may not pay distributions solely from our current or prior period cash flow from operations. Further, because we may receive income from interest or rents at various times during our fiscal year and because we may need cash flow from operations during a particular period to fund capital expenditures and other expenses, we expect that, from time to time, we will declare distributions in anticipation of cash flow that we expect to receive during a later period and we will pay these distributions in advance of our actual receipt of these funds. In these instances, we have funded our distributions with debt financings and we may utilize debt financing in the future, if necessary, to fund at least a portion of our distributions. As discussed above, we may also fund distributions with proceeds from the sale of assets or from the sales or repayment of real estate-related investments. Our organizational documents permit us to pay distributions from any source, including offering proceeds or borrowings (which may constitute a return of capital), and our charter does not limit the amount of funds we may use from any source to pay such distributions. Our distribution policy is not to use the proceeds from an offering to pay distributions. If we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operations, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced.
Our operating performance cannot be accurately predicted and may deteriorate in the future due to numerous factors, including those discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements,” “Summary Risk Factors”, Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Those factors include: the future operating performance of our real estate investments in the existing real estate and financial environment; the success and economic viability of our tenants; our ability to refinance existing indebtedness at comparable terms; changes in interest rates on any variable rate debt obligations we incur; the level of participation in our dividend reinvestment plan; and the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our operations and those of our tenants and our investment in the SREIT. In the event our FFO and/or cash flow from operating activities decrease in the future, the level of our distributions may also decrease. In addition, future distributions declared and paid may exceed FFO and/or cash flow from operating activities.
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code and we intend to operate in such a manner. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). Our board of directors may authorize distributions in excess of those required for us to maintain REIT status depending on our financial condition and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.
During 2020 and 2019, we declared distributions based on a monthly record date for each month during the period commencing January 2019 through December 2020. In addition, we declared a Special Dividend (see note 3 of the table below) to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019. Except for the Special Dividend, we paid distributions for all record dates of a given month on or about the first business day of the following month. Distributions declared during 2020 and 2019, and aggregated by quarter, are as follows (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
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(1) Distributions declared per common share assumes each share was issued and outstanding each day that was record date for distributions.
(2) For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.04983333 per share.
(3) For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.05416667 per share. On October 23, 2019, our board of directors authorized a Special Dividend of $0.80 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019 (the “Special Dividend”), which we paid on December 12, 2019. The Special Dividend was payable in the form of either (1) cash or (2) shares of our common stock, at the election of our stockholders. If stockholders elected all cash, their election was subject to adjustment such that the aggregate amount of cash to be distributed by us was a maximum of 35% of the total Special Dividend (the “Maximum Cash Distribution”), with the remainder paid in shares of common stock. The aggregate amount of cash paid by us pursuant to the Special Dividend and the actual number of shares of common stock issued pursuant to the Special Dividend depended upon the number of stockholders who elected cash or stock and whether the Maximum Cash Distribution was met. Accordingly, we paid $48.5 million (35%) in cash and issued $90.0 million (65%) in shares of our common stock pursuant to the Special Dividend on December 12, 2019.
The tax composition of our distributions declared for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was as follows:
For more information with respect to our distributions paid, see Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Distributions.”
2021 Distributions
On January 19, 2021, our board of directors authorized a January 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 21, 2021, which we paid on February 1, 2021, and a February 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 19, 2021, which we paid on March 1, 2021. On March 11, 2021, our board of directors authorized a March 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 19, 2021, which we expect to pay in April 2021, and an April 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 20, 2021, which we expect to pay in May 2021.
Stockholders may choose to receive cash distributions or purchase additional shares through our dividend reinvestment plan.
Use of Proceeds from Sales of Registered Securities and Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
Share Redemption Program and Suspension of Ordinary Redemptions
We have a share redemption program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to us in limited circumstances. The restrictions of our share redemption program will severely limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and will limit our stockholders’ ability to recover an amount equal to our estimated value per share.
The following is a description of our share redemption program.
In connection with our pursuit of a NAV REIT strategy, in December 2019, the board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions (defined below) under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as we navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate our proposed conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon suspension, all Ordinary Redemptions requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemptions requests will be accepted or collected during the suspension of the share redemption program. However, any redemptions sought in connection with and meeting the requirements for a Special Redemptions (defined below) would still be eligible and continue to be processed in accordance with the current share redemption program, subject to the restrictions described below.
There are several limitations on our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program:
•Unless the shares are being redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Qualifying Disability” or “Determination of Incompetence” (each as defined in the share redemption program, and together with redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Special Redemptions”; all redemptions that do not meet the requirements for a Special Redemption are “Ordinary Redemptions”), we may not redeem shares unless the stockholder has held the shares for one year.
•During any calendar year, we may redeem only the number of shares that we could purchase with the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year, provided that once we have received requests for redemptions, whether in connection with Special Redemptions or otherwise, that if honored, and when combined with all prior redemptions made during the calendar year, would result in the amount of remaining funds available for the redemption of additional shares in such calendar year being $10.0 million or less, the last $10.0 million of available funds shall be reserved exclusively for Special Redemptions. Notwithstanding anything contained in our share redemption program to the contrary, we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to the program upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders.
•During any calendar year, we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year.
•We have no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency.
For a stockholder’s shares to be eligible for redemption in a given month, the administrator must receive a written redemption request from the stockholder or from an authorized representative of the stockholder setting forth the number of shares requested to be redeemed at least five business days before the redemption date. We redeem shares on the last business day of each month, except that the first redemption date following our establishment of an estimated value per share shall be no less than ten business days after our announcement of such estimated value per share in a filing with the SEC and the redemption date shall be set forth in such filing. If we cannot redeem all shares presented for redemption in any month because of the limitations on redemptions set forth in our share redemption program, then we will honor redemption requests on a pro rata basis, except that if a pro rata redemption would result in a stockholder owning less than the minimum purchase requirement described in our currently effective, or the most recently effective, registration statement, as such registration statement has been amended or supplemented, then we would redeem all of such stockholder’s shares.
If we do not completely satisfy a redemption request on a redemption date because the program administrator did not receive the request in time, because of the limitations on redemptions set forth in our share redemption program or because of a suspension of our share redemption program, then we will treat the unsatisfied portion of the redemption request as a request for redemption at the next redemption date funds are available for redemption, unless the redemption request is withdrawn; provided that during the current suspension of Ordinary Redemptions, all Ordinary Redemption requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemption requests are being accepted or collected. Any stockholder can withdraw a redemption request by sending written notice to the program administrator, provided such notice is received at least five business days before the redemption date.
Upon a transfer of shares, any pending redemption requests with respect to such transferred shares will be canceled as of the date we accept the transfer. Stockholders wishing us to continue to consider a redemption request related to any transferred shares must resubmit their redemption request.
Pursuant to our share redemption program, redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of our common stock as of the applicable redemption date.
Ordinary Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to 95% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date.
On December 4, 2019, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $11.65 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2019, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to (i) the October 23, 2019 authorization of a Special Dividend of $0.80 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019 and (ii) the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 3, 2019. Therefore, effective commencing with the December 31, 2019 redemption date, the redemption price for all shares eligible for redemption was calculated based on an estimated value per share of $11.65, which was effective through the November 30, 2020 redemption date.
On December 7, 2020, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $10.74 based on the estimated value of our assets less the estimated value of our liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to our net asset value to give effect to the change in the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of December 1, 2020. Effective December 7, 2020, the redemption price for all shares eligible for redemption will be calculated based on the December 7, 2020 estimated value per share.
For purposes of determining the time period a redeeming stockholder has held each share, the time period begins as of the date the stockholder acquired the share; provided, that shares purchased by the redeeming stockholder pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan will be deemed to have been acquired on the same date as the initial share to which the dividend reinvestment plan shares relate. The date of the share’s original issuance by us is not determinative.
We currently expect to utilize an independent valuation firm to update our estimated value per share no later than December 2021. We will report the estimated value per share of our common stock in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in our annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC. We will also provide information about our estimated value per share on our website, www.kbsreitiii.com (such information may be provided by means of a link to our public filings on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov).
Our board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon 10 business days’ notice to stockholders, and we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to our share redemption program upon 10 business days’ notice. We may provide notice by including such information (a) in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in our annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC or (b) in a separate mailing to our stockholders. The complete share redemption program document is filed as an exhibit to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2018 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2018 and is available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we funded redemptions under our share redemption program with the net proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan and we redeemed shares pursuant to our share redemption program as follows:
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(1) We announced the adoption and commencement of the program on October 14, 2010. We announced amendments to the program on March 8, 2013 (which amendment became effective on April 7, 2013), on March 7, 2014 (which amendment became effective on April 6, 2014) and on May 9, 2018 (which amendment became effective on June 8, 2018).
(2) The prices at which we redeem shares under the program are as set forth above.
(3) We limit the dollar value of shares that may be redeemed under the program as described above. Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during 2019, we had an aggregate of $51.7 million available for redemptions in 2020, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. In connection with our pursuit of a NAV REIT strategy, in December 2019, the board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as we navigate through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate our proposed conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon suspension, all Ordinary Redemptions requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemptions requests were accepted or collected during the year ended December 31, 2020. Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during 2020, we had an aggregate of $46.7 million available for redemptions in 2021, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. As of February 28, 2021, we had $44.5 million available for Special Redemptions for the remainder of 2021.
In addition to the redemptions under the share redemption program described above, during the year ended December 31, 2020, we repurchased an additional 2,089 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average price of $11.65 per share for an aggregate price of $24,000.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
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(1) Distributions declared per common share assumes each share was issued and outstanding each day from January 1, 2016 through February 28, 2016 and March 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018. For each day that was a record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2016 through February 28, 2016 and March 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.00178082 per share per day. Distributions declared per common share assumes each share was issued and outstanding each day that was a record date for distributions for each month during the period commencing January 2019 through December 2020 and during this period, other than the Special Dividend, distributions were based on a monthly record date. For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.05416667 per share. In addition, on October 23, 2019, our board of directors authorized the Special Dividend in the amount of $0.80 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019. For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.04983333 per share.
(2) We believe that funds from operations (“FFO”) is a beneficial indicator of the performance of an equity REIT. We compute FFO in accordance with the current National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) definition. FFO represents net income, excluding gains and losses from sales of operating real estate assets (which can vary among owners of identical assets in similar conditions based on historical cost accounting and useful-life estimates), gains and losses from change in control, impairment losses on real estate assets, depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We believe FFO facilitates comparisons of operating performance between periods and among other REITs. However, our computation of FFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not define FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do. Our management believes that historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors and analysts have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. As a result, we believe that the use of FFO, together with the required GAAP presentations, provides a more complete understanding of our performance relative to our competitors and provides a more informed and appropriate basis on which to make decisions involving operating, financing, and investing activities. However, FFO does not reflect adjustments for the operations of properties sold or under contract to sale during the periods presented. For more information, see Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations” in this Annual Report.
FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure and does not represent net income as defined by GAAP. Net income as defined by GAAP is the most relevant measure in determining our operating performance because FFO includes adjustments that investors may deem subjective, such as adding back expenses such as depreciation and amortization. Investors should exercise caution when using non-GAAP performance measures, such as FFO, to make investment decisions. Accordingly, FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income as an indicator of our operating performance.
(3) Reflects an adjustment to eliminate gain on sale of real estate.
(4) Reflects adjustments to eliminate the noncontrolling interest holders’ share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO.
(5) Reflects adjustments to add back our noncontrolling interest share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO for our equity investments in unconsolidated entities.
(6) Reflects the remeasurement gain as a result of change in control upon our purchase of the developer’s 25% equity interest and consolidation of Village Center Station II on October 11, 2018, which was previously accounted for under the equity method of accounting.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Financial Data” above and our accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto. Also see “Forward-Looking Statements” preceding Part I and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
We were formed on December 22, 2009 as a Maryland corporation that elected to be taxed as a REIT beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011 and we intend to continue to operate in such a manner. We conduct our business primarily through our Operating Partnership, of which we are the sole general partner. Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our business is managed by our advisor pursuant to an advisory agreement and our advisor conducts our operations and manages our portfolio of real estate investments. Our advisor owns 20,857 shares of our common stock. We have no paid employees.
We have invested in a diverse portfolio of real estate investments. As of December 31, 2020, we owned 18 office properties (one of which was held for sale and subsequently sold on January 19, 2021), one mixed-use office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT, which is accounted for as an investment in an unconsolidated entity under the equity method of accounting.
On July 18, 2019, we, through 12 wholly owned subsidiaries, sold 11 of our properties (the “Singapore Portfolio”) to the SREIT, which was listed on the SGX-ST on July 19, 2019 (the “Singapore Transaction”).
Our board of directors and management team regularly monitor the real estate and equity markets in order to find the best opportunities possible to continue to provide attractive and stable cash distributions to our stockholders and provide additional liquidity for our stockholders. One alternative for us to achieve these objectives may be for us to pursue conversion to a non-listed, perpetual-life NAV REIT that calculates the net asset value or “NAV” per share on a regular basis that is more frequent than annually (i.e., daily, monthly or quarterly) and seeks to provide increased liquidity to current and future stockholders through an expansion of our current share redemption program and/or periodic self-tender offers. In connection with our pursuit of conversion to an NAV REIT, on January 10, 2020, we filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the SEC to register a public offering. Pursuant to the registration statement and in the event we convert to an NAV REIT, we propose to register up to $2,000,000,000 of shares of common stock, consisting of up to $1,700,000,000 in shares in a primary offering and up to $300,000,000 in shares pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan. As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of our tenants, our conflicts committee and our board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed NAV REIT conversion remains in the best interest of our stockholders. While we believe our portfolio is well-positioned to continue to successfully respond to the pandemic, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the capital and financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market, has caused us to further consider the timing and likelihood of success of the proposed NAV REIT conversion. Regardless of the ultimate decision, we continue to be focused on providing increased liquidity to stockholders. Accordingly, we can give no assurance that we will continue to pursue a conversion to an NAV REIT or that if we do pursue conversion to an NAV REIT that we would commence or complete the proposed offering. Even if we convert to an NAV REIT, there is no assurance that we will successfully implement our strategy, and we can provide no assurance that we will be able to provide additional liquidity to stockholders. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Risks of the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion.”
Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets
Volatility in global financial markets and changing political environments can cause fluctuations in the performance of the U.S. commercial real estate markets. Possible future declines in rental rates, slower or potentially negative net absorption of leased space and expectations of future rental concessions, including free rent to renew tenants early, to retain tenants who are up for renewal or to attract new tenants, may result in decreases in cash flows from investment properties. Further, revenues from our properties could decrease due to a reduction in occupancy (caused by factors including, but not limited to, tenant defaults, tenant insolvency, early termination of tenant leases and non-renewal of existing tenant leases), rent deferrals or abatements, tenants being unable to pay their rent and/or lower rental rates. To the extent there are increases in the cost of financing due to higher interest rates, this may cause difficulty in refinancing debt obligations at terms as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness. Further, increases in interest rates would increase the amount of our debt payments on our variable rate debt to the extent the interest rates on such debt are not fixed through interest rate swap agreements or limited by interest rate caps. Market conditions can change quickly, potentially negatively impacting the value of real estate investments. Management continuously reviews our investment and debt financing strategies to optimize our portfolio and the cost of our debt exposure. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the real estate market as discussed below.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Portfolio Outlook
Since initially being reported in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread around the world, including to every state in the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity and caused significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. The global impact of the pandemic continues to evolve and many countries, states and localities, including states and localities in the United States, have reacted by imposing measures to help control the spread of the virus, including instituting quarantines, “shelter-in-place” and “stay-at-home” orders, travel restrictions, restrictions on businesses and school closures. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting almost every industry, including the U.S. office real estate industry and the industries of our tenants, directly or indirectly. The fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to preclude any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact the pandemic may have on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we did not experience significant disruptions in our operations from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our tenants have suffered reductions in revenue since March 2020. In general, our retail and restaurant tenants, which comprise approximately 4% of our annualized base rent as of December 31, 2020, have been more severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic than our office tenants. Depending upon the duration of the various measures imposed to help control the spread of the virus and the corresponding economic slowdown, these tenants or additional tenants may seek rent deferrals or abatements in future periods or become unable to pay their rent. Rent collections for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 were approximately 96%. We have granted a number of lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but these lease concessions did not have a material impact to our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 or consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, we had entered into lease amendments related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, granting $3.5 million of rent deferrals for the period from March 2020 through March 2021 and granting $1.8 million in rental abatements during this period.
As of December 31, 2020, 72 tenants were granted rental deferrals and/or rental abatements, of which 35 of these tenants have begun to pay rent in accordance with their lease agreements subsequent to the deferral and/or abatement period, three of these tenants early terminated their leases and three of these tenant leases were modified at lower rental rates and/or based on a percentage of the tenant’s gross receipts. As of December 31, 2020, 25 of the 72 tenants continue to be in the rental deferral and/or rental abatement periods as granted in accordance with their agreements.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $2.9 million of receivables for lease payments that had been deferred as lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which $1.5 million was reserved for payments not probable of collection, which were included in rent and other receivables, net on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $1.5 million of rental abatements granted to tenants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent to December 31, 2020, we have not seen a material impact on our rent collections. We will continue to evaluate any additional short-term rent relief requests from tenants on an individual basis. Not all tenant requests will ultimately result in modified agreements, nor are we forgoing our contractual rights under our lease agreements. In most cases, it is in our best interest to help our tenants remain in business and reopen when restrictions are lifted. If tenants default on their rent and vacate, the ability to re-lease this space is likely to be more difficult if the economic slowdown continues and any long term impact of this situation, even after an economic rebound, remains unclear. Current collections and rent relief requests to-date may not be indicative of collections or requests in any future period. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our rental revenue for the first quarter of 2021 and thereafter cannot, however, be determined at present.
In addition to the direct impact on our rental income, we may also need to recognize additional impairment charges at our properties to the extent rental projections continue to decline at our properties. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recognized an impairment charge of $19.9 million for an office/retail property due to the continued deterioration of retail demand at the property which was further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have also made a significant investment in the common units of the SREIT. In addition to the risks similar to above with respect to the SREIT’s investments in US office properties, our investment in the units of the SREIT is subject to the risks inherent in investing in traded securities. Since early March 2020, the trading price of the common units of the SREIT has declined substantially and experienced substantial volatility. For purposes of the December 7, 2020 estimated value per share, we valued our investment in units of the SREIT at $203.5 million, based on the trading price of the units of the SREIT as of closing on December 1, 2020 less a discount for blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the SREIT units. As of March 12, 2021, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $230.2 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the units on the SGX-ST of $0.80 per unit as of March 12, 2021 and did not take into account potential blockage due to the quantity of units we hold.
We continue to evaluate the impact and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic on our real estate portfolio’s ongoing cash flows and monthly stockholder distributions. We can give no certainty to the amount of future monthly stockholder distributions which will depend in large part on the amount of tenant rent collections each month and the impact on our operating cash flows.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $406.1 million of revolving debt available for future disbursement under various loans, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements. As of December 31, 2020, we had $472.9 million of notes payable related to the Modified Portfolio Loan Facility maturing during the 12 months ending December 31, 2021, which could be extended beyond the next 12 months, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements. Significant reductions in rental revenue in the future related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may limit our ability to draw on our revolving credit facilities or exercise our extension options due to covenants described in our loan agreements. However, we believe that our cash flow from operations, cash on hand, proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan, proceeds from asset sales and current and anticipated financing activities are sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for the foreseeable future.
The COVID-19 pandemic or a future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease affecting states or regions in which we or our tenants operate could have material and adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows due to, among other factors: health or other government authorities requiring the closure of offices or other businesses or instituting quarantines of personnel as the result of, or in order to avoid, exposure to a contagious disease; disruption in supply and delivery chains; a general decline in business activity and demand for real estate, especially office properties; reduced economic activity, general economic decline or recession, which may impact our tenants’ businesses, financial condition and liquidity and may cause tenants to be unable to make rent payments to us timely, or at all, or to otherwise seek modifications of lease obligations; difficulty accessing debt and equity capital on attractive terms, or at all, and a severe disruption and instability in the global financial markets or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions, which may affect our access to capital necessary to fund business operations or address maturing liabilities on a timely basis; and the potential negative impact on the health of personnel of our advisor, particularly if a significant number of our advisor’s employees are impacted, which would result in a deterioration in our ability to ensure business continuity during a disruption.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic, epidemic or disease impacts our operations and those of our tenants and our investment in the SREIT depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic (or a future pandemic, epidemic or disease) presents material uncertainty and risk with respect to our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our business, like all businesses, is being impacted by the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of policies introduced to neutralize the disease, and the impact of those policies on economic activity. While there are weakening macroeconomic conditions and some negative impact to our tenants, we believe with our diverse portfolio of core real estate properties with tenants across various industries, and with creditworthy tenants and limited retail exposure in our real estate portfolio, we are positioned to navigate this unprecedented period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal demands for funds during the short and long-term are and will be for operating expenses, capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses; payments under debt obligations; redemptions of common stock; and payments of distributions to stockholders. Our primary sources of capital for meeting our cash requirements are as follows:
•Cash flow generated by our real estate and real estate-related investments;
•Debt financings (including amounts currently available under existing loan facilities);
•Proceeds from the sale of our real estate properties and real estate-related investments; and
•Proceeds from common stock issued under our dividend reinvestment plan.
Our real estate properties generate cash flow in the form of rental revenues and tenant reimbursements, which are reduced by operating expenditures, capital expenditures, debt service payments, the payment of asset management fees and corporate general and administrative expenses. Cash flow from operations from our real estate properties is primarily dependent upon the occupancy level of our portfolio, the net effective rental rates on our leases, the collectability of rent and operating recoveries from our tenants and how well we manage our expenditures, all of which may be adversely affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as discussed above.
Our investment in an unconsolidated entity generates cash flow in the form of dividend income. As of December 31, 2020, our investment in an unconsolidated entity had a carrying value of $233.6 million.
Our real estate loan receivable generated cash flow in the form of interest income, which was reduced by the payment of asset management fees and corporate general and administrative expenses. Cash flow from operations from our real estate loan receivable was primarily dependent on the operating performance of the underlying collateral and the borrower’s ability to make debt service payments. The real estate loan was paid off in full on December 11, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, we had mortgage debt obligations in the aggregate principal amount of $1.4 billion, with a weighted-average remaining term of 2.2 years. The maturity dates of certain loans may be extended beyond their current maturity date, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. As of December 31, 2020, we had $472.9 million of notes payable related to the Modified Portfolio Loan Facility maturing during the 12 months ending December 31, 2021, which could be extended beyond the next 12 months, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements. We plan to exercise our extension options available under our loan agreements or pay down or refinance the related notes payable prior to their maturity dates. As of December 31, 2020, our debt obligations consisted of $123.0 million of fixed rate notes payable and $1.3 billion of variable rate notes payable. As of December 31, 2020, the interest rates on $1.1 billion of our variable rate notes payable were effectively fixed through interest rate swap agreements. As of December 31, 2020, we had $406.1 million of revolving debt available for future disbursement under various loans, subject to certain conditions set forth in the loan agreements.
We paid cash distributions to our stockholders during the year ended December 31, 2020 using cash flow from operations from the current period and debt financing. We believe that our cash flow from operations, cash on hand, proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan, proceeds from asset sales and current and anticipated financing activities are sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for the foreseeable future.
Under our charter, we are required to limit our total operating expenses to the greater of 2% of our average invested assets or 25% of our net income for the four most recently completed fiscal quarters, as these terms are defined in our charter, unless the conflicts committee has determined that such excess expenses were justified based on unusual and non-recurring factors. Operating expenses for the four fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2020 did not exceed the charter-imposed limitation.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by operating activities was $101.7 million, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $70.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2019. Net cash provided by operating activities was higher in 2020 primarily as a result of dividends received from our investment in the SREIT and the timing of payments of operating expenses, offset by the sale of the Singapore Portfolio in July 2019. Cash flows provided by operating activities may decrease in future periods to the extent our tenants are impacted by COVID-19 and defer rent payments or are unable to pay rent.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities was $84.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and primarily consisted of the following:
•$150.2 million of proceeds from the payoff of our real estate loan receivable;
•$25.1 million of net proceeds from the sale of Hardware Village; offset by
•$87.7 million used for improvements to real estate; and
•$3.3 million used for construction in progress related to Hardware Village.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in financing activities was $157.5 million and primarily consisted of the following:
•$75.9 million of net cash used in debt financing as a result of principal payments on notes payable of $491.4 million and payments of deferred financing costs of $6.3 million, partially offset by proceeds from notes payable of $421.8 million;
•$62.8 million of net cash distributions, after giving effect to distributions reinvested by stockholders of $46.7 million;
•$10.9 million of cash used for redemptions and repurchases of common stock;
•$6.4 million of distributions to noncontrolling interests due to the sale of Hardware Village;
•Payment of other organization and offering costs of $1.2 million related to our pursuit of conversion to an NAV REIT; and
•$0.2 million used for interest rate swap settlements for off-market swap instruments.
We expect that our debt financing and other liabilities will be between 45% and 65% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation and other non-cash reserves). There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for the purchase of any single asset. We limit our total liabilities to 75% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation and other non-cash reserves), meaning that our borrowings and other liabilities may exceed our maximum target leverage of 65% of the cost of our tangible assets without violating these borrowing restrictions. We may exceed the 75% limit only if a majority of the conflicts committee approves each borrowing in excess of this limitation and we disclose such borrowings to our stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. To the extent financing in excess of this limit is available on attractive terms, our conflicts committee may approve debt in excess of this limit. From time to time, our total liabilities could also be below 45% of the cost of our tangible assets due to the lack of availability of debt financing. As of December 31, 2020, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 54% of both the cost (before deducting depreciation and other noncash reserves) and book value (before deducting depreciation) of our tangible assets.
We also expect to use our capital resources to make certain payments to our advisor. We currently make payments to our advisor in connection with the acquisition of investments, the management of our investments and costs incurred by our advisor in providing services to us. We also pay fees to our advisor in connection with the disposition of investments. We reimburse our advisor and dealer manager for certain stockholder services. In addition, our advisor is entitled to an incentive fee upon achieving certain performance goals.
Among the fees payable to our advisor is an asset management fee. With respect to investments in real property, the asset management fee is a monthly fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.75% of the amount paid or allocated to acquire the investment, plus the cost of any subsequent development, construction or improvements to the property. This amount includes any portion of the investment that was debt financed and is inclusive of acquisition expenses related thereto (but excludes acquisition fees paid or payable to our advisor). In the case of investments made through joint ventures, the asset management fee is determined based on our proportionate share of the underlying investment (but excluding acquisition fees paid to our advisor). With respect to investments in loans and any investments other than real property, the asset management fee is a monthly fee calculated, each month, as one-twelfth of 0.75% of the lesser of (i) the amount actually paid or allocated to acquire or fund the loan or other investment (which amount includes any portion of the investment that was debt financed and is inclusive of acquisition or origination expenses related thereto but is exclusive of acquisition or origination fees paid or payable to our advisor) and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such loan or other investment, plus the acquisition or origination expenses related to the acquisition or funding of such investment (excluding acquisition or origination fees paid or payable to our advisor), as of the time of calculation. We currently do not pay asset management fees to our advisor on our investment in units of the SREIT.
Pursuant to the advisory agreement, with respect to asset management fees accruing from March 1, 2014, our advisor agreed to defer, without interest, our obligation to pay asset management fees for any month in which our modified funds from operations (“MFFO”) for such month, as such term is defined in the practice guideline issued by the IPA in November 2010 and interpreted by us, excluding asset management fees, does not exceed the amount of distributions declared by us for record dates of that month. We remain obligated to pay our advisor an asset management fee in any month in which our MFFO, excluding asset management fees, for such month exceeds the amount of distributions declared for the record dates of that month (such excess amount, an “MFFO Surplus”); however, any amount of such asset management fee in excess of the MFFO Surplus will also be deferred under the advisory agreement. If the MFFO Surplus for any month exceeds the amount of the asset management fee payable for such month, any remaining MFFO Surplus will be applied to pay any asset management fee amounts previously deferred in accordance with the advisory agreement.
However, notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all deferred asset management fees that are unpaid will become immediately due and payable at such time as our stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) an 8% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on net invested capital (the “Stockholders’ 8% Return”) and (ii) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to our share redemption program. The Stockholders’ 8% Return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of our stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for our advisor to receive deferred asset management fees.
As of December 31, 2020, we had accrued and deferred payment of $8.5 million of asset management fees under the advisory agreement. The amount of asset management fees deferred, if any, will vary on a month-to-month basis and the total amount of asset management fees deferred as well as the timing of the deferrals and repayments are difficult to predict as they will depend on the amount of and terms of the debt we use to acquire assets, the level of operating cash flow generated by our real estate investments and other factors. In addition, deferrals and repayments may occur in the same period, and it is possible that there could be additional deferrals in the future.
On September 27, 2020, we and our advisor renewed the advisory agreement. The advisory agreement has a one-year term but may be renewed for an unlimited number of successive one-year periods upon the mutual consent of our advisor and our conflicts committee.
If we convert to an NAV REIT, we would implement a revised advisory fee structure. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Risks of the Proposed NAV REIT Conversion.”
Participation Fee Liability and Potential Change in Fee Structure
Pursuant to our advisory agreement currently in effect with our advisor, our advisor is due a subordinated participation in our net cash flows (the “Subordinated Participation in Net Cash Flows”) upon meeting certain performance goals. After our stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to our share redemption program, and (ii) an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital, our advisor is entitled to receive 15.0% of our net cash flows, whether from continuing operations, net sale proceeds or otherwise. Net sales proceeds means the net cash proceeds realized by us after deduction of all expenses incurred in connection with a sale, including disposition fees paid to our advisor. The 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on net invested capital is calculated on a daily basis. In making this calculation, the net invested capital is reduced to the extent distributions in excess of a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 8.0% are paid (from whatever source), except to the extent such distributions would be required to supplement prior distributions paid in order to achieve a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 8.0% (invested capital is only reduced as described in this sentence; it is not reduced simply because a distribution constitutes a return of capital for federal income tax purposes). The 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of our stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for our advisor to participate in our net cash flows. In fact, if our advisor is entitled to participate in our net cash flows, the returns of our stockholders will differ, and some may be less than an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return. This fee is payable only if we are not listed on an exchange.
On January 9, 2020, we filed a definitive proxy statement with the SEC in connection with the annual meeting of stockholders to vote on, among other proposals, two proposals related to our pursuit of conversion to an NAV REIT. On May 7, 2020 at our annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved the proposal to accelerate the payment of incentive compensation to our advisor, upon our conversion to an NAV REIT. However, the proposed acceleration of the payment of incentive compensation to our advisor remains subject to further approval of the conflicts committee, after the proposed amount of the accelerated payment of the incentive fee has been determined. In connection with the determination of the December 7, 2020 estimated value per share of our common stock, our advisor determined that there would be no liability related to the Subordinated Participation in Net Cash Flows at that time, based on a hypothetical liquidation of the assets and liabilities at their estimated fair values, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties; however, changes to the fair values of assets and liabilities could have a material impact to the incentive fee calculation.
As discussed herein, our board of directors and management team regularly monitor the real estate and equity markets in order to find the best opportunities possible to continue to provide attractive and stable cash distributions to our stockholders and provide additional liquidity for our stockholders. One alternative for us to achieve these objectives may be for us to pursue conversion to a non-listed, perpetual-life NAV REIT. If we convert to an NAV REIT, we would implement a revised advisory fee structure. As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of our tenants, our conflicts committee and our board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed NAV REIT conversion remains in the best interest of our stockholders. While we believe our portfolio is well-positioned to continue to successfully respond to the pandemic, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the capital and financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market, has caused us to further consider the timing and likelihood of success of the proposed NAV REIT conversion. Regardless of the ultimate decision, we continue to be focused on providing increased liquidity to stockholders. Accordingly, we can give no assurance that we will continue to pursue a conversion to an NAV REIT or that if we do pursue conversion to an NAV REIT that we would commence or complete the proposed offering. Even if we convert to an NAV REIT, there is no assurance that we will successfully implement our strategy, and we can provide no assurance that we will be able to provide additional liquidity to stockholders. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Contractual Obligations
The following is a summary of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
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(1) Amounts include principal payments only based on maturity dates as of December 31, 2020; subject to certain conditions, the maturity dates of certain loans may be extended beyond what is shown above.
(2) Projected interest payments are based on the outstanding principal amounts, maturity dates and interest rates in effect as of December 31, 2020 (consisting of the contractual interest rate and using interest rate indices as of December 31, 2020, where applicable).
(3) Projected interest payments on interest rate swaps are calculated based on the notional amount, effective term of the swap contract, and fixed rate net of the swapped floating rate in effect as of December 31, 2020.
(4) We incurred interest expense of $51.6 million, excluding amortization of deferred financing costs totaling $4.3 million and unrealized losses on derivative instruments of $25.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Results of Operations
In this section, we discuss the results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, please refer to Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on March 6, 2020 and which specific discussion is incorporated herein by reference.
As of December 31, 2019, we owned 18 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property and had entered into the Hardware Village joint venture to develop a multifamily apartment complex, which was completed and held for sale as of December 31, 2019. In addition, we owned an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT, which is accounted for as an investment in an unconsolidated entity under the equity method of accounting. Subsequent to December 31, 2019, we sold the multifamily apartment complex held through the Hardware Village joint venture and originated one real estate loan receivable secured by a deed of trust in May 2020, which was paid off in December 2020. As a result, as of December 31, 2020, we owned 18 office properties (one of which was held for sale and subsequently sold on January 19, 2021), one mixed-use office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT. Therefore, the results of operations presented for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are not directly comparable.
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2020 versus the year ended December 31, 2019
The following table provides summary information about our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollar amounts in thousands):
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(1) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 related to real estate developments completed and placed in service, real estate dispositions, acquisitions and a real estate loan originated and paid off on or after January 1, 2019.
(2) Represents the dollar amount increase (decrease) for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 related to real estate investments owned by us throughout both periods presented.
Rental income from our real estate properties decreased from $355.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $282.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in rental income was primarily due to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019, and with respect to properties held throughout both periods, the decrease in rental income was primarily due to lease termination fees received in 2019 and an increase in the write-off of receivables and straight-line rent deemed not probable of collection during the year ended December 31, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect rental income to decrease in future periods due to the sale of Anchor Centre on January 19, 2021 and to vary based on occupancy rates and rental rates of our real estate investments and uncertainty and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. See “Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets - COVID-19 Pandemic and Portfolio Outlook” for a discussion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business.
Interest income from real estate loan receivable, recognized using the interest method, was $5.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. On May 7, 2020, in connection with the sale of Hardware Village, we, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, provided seller financing and entered into a promissory note with the buyer. The promissory note was paid off in full on December 11, 2020. We did not own any real estate loans receivable during the year ended December 31, 2019.
Other operating income decreased from $29.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 to $18.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in other operating income was primarily due to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019 and a decrease in parking revenues for properties held throughout both periods due to the stay-at-home orders and a decrease in physical occupancy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect other operating income to vary in future periods based on occupancy rates and parking rates at our real estate properties, and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operating, maintenance and management costs decreased from $92.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $71.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in operating, maintenance and management costs was primarily due to (i) the Singapore Transaction in July 2019, (ii) the disposition of Hardware Village in May 2020, (iii) a change in the arrangement whereby a tenant elected to exercise its right to self-manage at a property held throughout both periods and paid for operating, maintenance and management costs directly during the year ended December 31, 2020, and (iv) an overall decrease in operating costs at properties held throughout both periods due to stay-at-home orders and a decrease in physical occupancy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect operating, maintenance and management costs to fluctuate in future periods as a result of general inflation for properties that we continue to own, and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, offset by a decrease due to the dispositions of Hardware Village on May 7, 2020 and Anchor Centre on January 19, 2021.
Real estate taxes and insurance decreased from $63.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $57.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in real estate taxes and insurance was primarily due to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019, the disposition of Hardware Village in May 2020 and a change in the arrangement whereby a tenant elected to exercise its right to self-manage at a property held throughout both periods and paid property taxes directly during the year ended December 31, 2020, partially offset by an increase in real estate taxes due to higher property tax assessments for real estate properties held throughout both periods. We expect real estate taxes and insurance to increase in future periods as a result of general inflation and general increases due to future property tax reassessments for properties that we continue to own, offset by a decrease due to the dispositions of Hardware Village on May 7, 2020 and Anchor Centre on January 19, 2021.
Asset management fees with respect to our real estate investments decreased from $24.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $21.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019 and the disposition of Hardware Village in May 2020, partially offset by an increase in asset management fees due to the origination of a real estate loan receivable and an increase in capital improvements at real estate properties held throughout both periods. We expect asset management fees to increase in future periods as a result of any improvements we make to our properties, offset by a decrease due to the payoff of our real estate loan receivable on December 11, 2020 and the disposition of Anchor Centre on January 19, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, there were $8.5 million of accrued and deferred asset management fees. For a discussion of accrued and deferred asset management fees, see “- Liquidity and Capital Resources” herein.
General and administrative expenses decreased from $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. General and administrative costs consisted primarily of portfolio legal fees, board of directors fees, audit costs and third party transfer agent fees. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we incurred professional fees related to assessing strategic alternatives which we did not incur during the year ended December 31, 2020. We expect general and administrative expenses to vary in future periods.
Depreciation and amortization decreased from $141.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $110.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019 and the disposition of Hardware Village in May 2020. We expect depreciation and amortization to increase in future periods as a result of additional capital improvements offset by a decrease in amortization related to fully amortized tenant origination and absorption costs and as a result of the sale of Anchor Centre on January 19, 2021.
Interest expense decreased from $114.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $81.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Included in interest expense was (i) $77.4 million and $37.7 million of interest expense payments for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, (ii) the amortization of deferred financing costs of $5.5 million and $4.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and (iii) interest expense (including gains and losses) incurred as a result of our derivative instruments which increased interest expense by $33.1 million and $39.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2019, we capitalized $1.7 million of interest to construction-in-progress related to Hardware Village. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to the repayment of debt related to the Singapore Transaction in July 2019 and a lower 30-day LIBOR rate during the year ended December 31, 2020, partially offset by an increase in interest expense due to changes in fair values with respect to our interest rate swaps that are not accounted for as cash flow hedges. Our interest expense in future periods will vary based on fair value changes with respect to our interest rate swaps that are not accounted for as cash flow hedges and fluctuations in one-month LIBOR (for our variable rate debt). We also expect interest to increase in future periods as a result of additional borrowings.
During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of $8.7 million and $19.9 million, respectively, to write down the carrying value of an office/retail property to its estimated fair value as a result of changes in cash flow estimates, including a change to the anticipated hold period of the property, which triggered the future estimated undiscounted cash flows to be lower than the net carrying value of the property. The decrease in cash flow projections during both periods was primarily due to the continued lack of demand for the property’s retail component resulting in longer than estimated lease-up periods and lower projected rental rates, exacerbated during the year ended December 31, 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the first quarter of 2020.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recorded a $4.1 million reimbursement of certain costs and expenses related to the Singapore Transaction that was indirectly paid by the SREIT. These costs included legal, audit, tax, printing and other out of pocket costs that we incurred related to the Singapore Transaction.
Equity in loss of an unconsolidated entity relates to our investment in the SREIT. We recorded equity in loss of an unconsolidated entity of $1.4 million and $0.5 million related to our investment in the SREIT during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Equity in loss of an unconsolidated entity for the year ended December 31, 2020 included $2.6 million related to our share of the net losses from the SREIT offset by a gain of $2.1 million to reflect the net effect to our investment as a result of the net proceeds raised by the SREIT in a private offering in February 2020. Based on our 27.4% ownership interest in the SREIT as of December 31, 2020, we exercise significant influence over the operations, financial policies and decision making with respect to this investment. Accordingly, we accounted for the investment in the SREIT under the equity method of accounting as of December 31, 2020. We expect our equity in income (loss) of an unconsolidated entity related to our investment in the SREIT to vary based on occupancy rates and rental rates of the SREIT’s real estate investments and uncertainty and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We recognized a $0.2 million loss from extinguishment of debt during the year ended December 31, 2020 due to the write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs as a result of the modification of the Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility and the pay-off of the Anchor Centre Mortgage Loan. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recognized a loss from extinguishment of debt of $2.2 million related to the write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs as a result of the early pay-off of the mortgage loans related to properties sold in the Singapore Transaction.
We recognized a gain on sale of real estate of $49.5 million related to the disposition of Hardware Village during the year ended December 31, 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we sold 11 office properties in the Singapore Transaction that resulted in a gain on sale of real estate of $327.2 million.
Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations
We believe that funds from operations (“FFO”) is a beneficial indicator of the performance of an equity REIT. We compute FFO in accordance with the current National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) definition. FFO represents net income, excluding gains and losses from sales of operating real estate assets (which can vary among owners of identical assets in similar conditions based on historical cost accounting and useful-life estimates), gains and losses from change in control, impairment losses on real estate assets, depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We believe FFO facilitates comparisons of operating performance between periods and among other REITs. However, our computation of FFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not define FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do. Our management believes that historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors and analysts have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. As a result, we believe that the use of FFO, together with the required GAAP presentations, provides a more complete understanding of our performance relative to our competitors and provides a more informed and appropriate basis on which to make decisions involving operating, financing, and investing activities.
Changes in accounting rules have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of non-operating and non-cash items included in the calculation of FFO. As a result, our management also uses MFFO as an indicator of our ongoing performance as well as our dividend sustainability. MFFO excludes from FFO: acquisition fees and expenses (to the extent that such fees and expenses have been recorded as operating expenses); adjustments related to contingent purchase price obligations; amounts relating to straight-line rents and amortization of above and below market intangible lease assets and liabilities; accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums on debt investments; amortization of closing costs relating to debt investments; impairments of real estate-related investments; mark-to-market adjustments included in net income; and gains or losses included in net income for the extinguishment or sale of debt or hedges. We compute MFFO in accordance with the definition of MFFO included in the practice guideline issued by the IPA in November 2010 as interpreted by management. Our computation of MFFO may not be comparable to other REITs that do not compute MFFO in accordance with the current IPA definition or that interpret the current IPA definition differently than we do.
We believe that MFFO is helpful as a measure of ongoing operating performance because it excludes costs that management considers more reflective of investing activities and other non-operating items included in FFO. Management believes that excluding acquisition fees and expenses (to the extent that such fees and expenses have been recorded as operating expenses) from MFFO provides investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with management’s analysis of the operating performance of the portfolio over time. MFFO also excludes non-cash items such as straight-line rental revenue. Additionally, we believe that MFFO provides investors with supplemental performance information that is consistent with the performance indicators and analysis used by management, in addition to net income and cash flows from operating activities as defined by GAAP, to evaluate the sustainability of our operating performance. MFFO provides comparability in evaluating the operating performance of our portfolio with other non-traded REITs. MFFO, or an equivalent measure, is routinely reported by non-traded REITs, and we believe often used by analysts and investors for comparison purposes.
FFO and MFFO are non-GAAP financial measures and do not represent net income as defined by GAAP. Net income as defined by GAAP is the most relevant measure in determining our operating performance because FFO and MFFO include adjustments that investors may deem subjective, such as adding back expenses such as depreciation and amortization and the other items described above. Accordingly, FFO and MFFO should not be considered as alternatives to net income as an indicator of our current and historical operating performance. In addition, FFO and MFFO do not represent cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered an indication of our liquidity. We believe FFO and MFFO, in addition to net income and cash flows from operating activities as defined by GAAP, are meaningful supplemental performance measures; however, neither FFO nor MFFO reflects adjustments for the operations of properties sold or under contract to sale during the periods presented. During periods of significant disposition activity, FFO and MFFO are much more limited measures of future performance and dividend sustainability. In connection with our presentation of FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO, we are providing information related to the proportion of Adjusted MFFO related to properties sold during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the property held for sale as of December 31, 2020 and the real estate loan receivable paid off as of December 31, 2020.
Further, during the current period of uncertainty and business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, FFO and MFFO are much more limited measures of future performance and dividend sustainability. See “Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets - COVID-19 Pandemic and Portfolio Outlook” for a discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business.
Although MFFO includes other adjustments, the exclusion of adjustments for straight-line rent, the amortization of above- and below-market leases, amortization of discounts and closing costs, unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, loss from extinguishment of debt and adjustments related to contingent purchase price obligations are the most significant adjustments for the periods presented. We have excluded these items based on the following economic considerations:
•Adjustments for straight-line rent. These are adjustments to rental revenue as required by GAAP to recognize contractual lease payments on a straight-line basis over the life of the respective lease. We have excluded these adjustments in our calculation of MFFO to more appropriately reflect the current economic impact of our in-place leases, while also providing investors with a useful supplemental metric that addresses core operating performance by removing rent we expect to receive in a future period or rent that was received in a prior period;
•Amortization of above- and below-market leases. Similar to depreciation and amortization of real estate assets and lease related costs that are excluded from FFO, GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of intangible lease assets and liabilities diminishes predictably over time and requires that these charges be recognized currently in revenue. Since market lease rates in the aggregate have historically risen or fallen with local market conditions, management believes that by excluding these charges, MFFO provides useful supplemental information on the realized economics of the real estate;
•Amortization of discounts and closing costs. Discounts and closing costs related to debt investments are amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income. This application results in income recognition that is different than the underlying contractual terms of the debt investments. We have excluded the amortization of discounts and closing costs related to our debt investments in our calculation of MFFO to more appropriately reflect the economic impact of our debt investments, as discounts will not be economically recognized until the loan is repaid and closing costs are essentially the same as acquisition fees and expenses on real estate. We believe excluding these items provides investors with a useful supplemental metric that directly addresses core operating performance;
•Unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments. These adjustments include unrealized losses (gains) from mark-to-market adjustments on interest rate swaps. The change in fair value of interest rate swaps not designated as a hedge are non-cash adjustments recognized directly in earnings and are included in interest expense. We have excluded these adjustments in our calculation of MFFO to more appropriately reflect the economic impact of our interest rate swap agreements;
•Loss from extinguishment of debt. A loss from extinguishment of debt, which includes prepayment fees related to the extinguishment of debt, represents the difference between the carrying value of any consideration transferred to the lender in return for the extinguishment of a debt and the net carrying value of the debt at the time of settlement. We have excluded the loss from extinguishment of debt in our calculation of MFFO because these losses do not impact the current operating performance of our investments and do not provide an indication of future operating performance; and
•Adjustments relating to contingent purchase price obligations. These are adjustments relating to contingent purchase price obligations where such adjustments have been included in the derivation of GAAP net income. We believe that the elimination of the contingent purchase price consideration adjustment, included in other income for GAAP purposes, is appropriate because the adjustment is a non-cash adjustment that is not reflective of our ongoing operating performance.
Our calculation of FFO, which we believe is consistent with the calculation of FFO as defined by NAREIT, is presented in the following table, along with our calculation of MFFO and Adjusted MFFO, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively (in thousands). No conclusions or comparisons should be made from the presentation of these periods.
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(1) Reflects an adjustment to eliminate gain on sale of real estate.
(2) Reflects adjustments to eliminate the noncontrolling interest holders’ share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO.
(3) Reflects adjustments to add back our noncontrolling interest share of the adjustments to convert our net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to FFO and MFFO for our equity investments in unconsolidated entities.
(4) Reflects the remeasurement gain as a result of change in control upon our purchase of the developer’s 25% equity interest and consolidation of Village Center Station II on October 11, 2018, which was previously accounted for under the equity method of accounting.
(5) FFO, MFFO and Adjusted MFFO include $1.2 million, $8.2 million, and $1.3 million of lease termination income for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
(6) Relates to income tax expense on the income recorded as a result of a reduction in contingent liability of $1.6 million, which is included in general and administrative expenses on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.
(7) Adjustment for rent contractually due and collected per the terms of a lease agreement, but deferred and not recognized into rental income for purposes of GAAP as the tenant improvements are under construction. This amount is included in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020.
Our calculation of Adjusted MFFO above includes amounts related to the operations of the multifamily apartment complex held by the Hardware Village joint venture that was sold on May 7, 2020, one real estate loan receivable that was paid off on December 11, 2020, the Singapore Portfolio sold on July 18, 2019, one property sold in May 2018 and a property that was held for sale as of December 31, 2020. Please refer to the table below with respect to the proportion of Adjusted MFFO related to the real estate properties sold during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the property held for sale as of December 31, 2020 and the real estate loan receivable paid off as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands).
FFO and MFFO may also be used to fund all or a portion of certain capitalizable items that are excluded from FFO and MFFO, such as tenant improvements, building improvements and deferred leasing costs.
Distributions
Distributions declared, distributions paid and cash flow from operating activities were as follows during 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
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(1) Assumes share was issued and outstanding on each monthly record date for distributions during the period presented. For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.04983333 per share.
(2) Distributions are paid on a monthly basis. Distributions for the monthly record date of a given month are paid on or about the first business day of the following month.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, we paid aggregate distributions of $109.5 million, including $62.8 million of distributions paid in cash and $46.7 million of distributions reinvested through our dividend reinvestment plan. Our net loss attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $18.5 million. FFO for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $84.9 million and cash flow from operating activities was $101.7 million. See the reconciliation of FFO to net loss attributable to common stockholders above. We funded our total distributions paid, which includes net cash distributions and dividends reinvested by stockholders, with $97.5 million of cash flow from current operating activities and $12.0 million from debt financing. For purposes of determining the source of our distributions paid, we assume first that we use cash flow from operating activities from the relevant or prior periods to fund distribution payments.
We continue to evaluate the impact and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic on our real estate portfolio’s ongoing cash flows and monthly stockholder distributions. We can give no certainty to the amount of future monthly stockholder distributions which will depend in large part on the amount of tenant rent collections each month and the impact on our operating cash flows.
Over the long-term, we generally expect our distributions will be paid from cash flow from operating activities from current periods or prior periods (except with respect to distributions related to sales of our assets and distributions related to the sales or repayment of real estate-related investments). From time to time during our operational stage, we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operating activities, in which case distributions may be paid in whole or in part from debt financing. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operating activities, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced. Further, our operating performance cannot be accurately predicted and may deteriorate in the future due to numerous factors, including those discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements,” “Summary Risk Factors,” Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and in this Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Those factors include: the future operating performance of our real estate investments in the existing real estate and financial environment; the success and economic viability of our tenants; our ability to refinance existing indebtedness at comparable terms; changes in interest rates on any variable rate debt obligations we incur; the level of participation in our dividend reinvestment plan; and the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our operations and those of our tenants and our investment in the SREIT. In the event our FFO and/or cash flow from operating activities decrease in the future, the level of our distributions may also decrease. In addition, future distributions declared and paid may exceed FFO and/or cash flow from operating activities.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and in conjunction with the rules and regulations of the SEC. The preparation of our financial statements requires significant management judgments, assumptions and estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain. These judgments affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and our disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. With different estimates or assumptions, materially different amounts could be reported in our financial statements. Additionally, other companies may utilize different estimates that may impact the comparability of our results of operations to those of companies in similar businesses.
Revenue Recognition - Operating Leases
Real Estate
On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases Topic 842 including the package of practical expedients (“Topic 842”) for all leases that commenced before the effective date of January 1, 2019. Accordingly, we (i) did not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) did not reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing lease, and (iii) did not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. We did not elect the practical expedient related to using hindsight to reevaluate the lease term. In addition, we adopted the practical expedient for land easements and did not assess whether existing or expired land easements that were not previously accounted for as leases under the lease accounting standards of Topic 840 are or contain a lease under Topic 842.
In addition, Topic 842 provides an optional transition method to allow entities to apply the new lease accounting standards at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. We adopted this transition method upon our adoption of the lease accounting standards of Topic 842, which did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on January 1, 2019. Our comparative periods presented in the financial statements will continue to be reported under the lease accounting standards of Topic 840.
In accordance with Topic 842, tenant reimbursements for property taxes and insurance are included in the single lease component of the lease contract (the right of the lessee to use the leased space) and therefore are accounted for as variable lease payments and are recorded as rental income on our statement of operations beginning January 1, 2019. In addition, we adopted the practical expedient available under Topic 842, to not separate nonlease components from the associated lease component and, instead to account for those components as a single component if the nonlease components otherwise would be accounted for under the new revenue recognition standard (Topic 606) and if certain conditions are met, specifically related to tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance which would otherwise be accounted for under the revenue recognition standard. We believe the two conditions have been met for tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance as (i) the timing and pattern of transfer of the nonlease components and associated lease components are the same and (ii) the lease component would be classified as an operating lease. Accordingly, tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance are also accounted for as variable lease payments and recorded as rental income on our statement of operations beginning January 1, 2019.
We recognize minimum rent, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectibility is probable and record amounts expected to be received in later years as deferred rent receivable. If the lease provides for tenant improvements, we determine whether the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, are owned by the tenant or us. When we are the owner of the tenant improvements, the tenant is not considered to have taken physical possession or have control of the physical use of the leased asset until the tenant improvements are substantially completed. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvement allowance (including amounts that can be taken in the form of cash or a credit against the tenant’s rent) that is funded is treated as a lease incentive and amortized as a reduction of rental revenue over the lease term. Tenant improvement ownership is determined based on various factors including, but not limited to:
•whether the lease stipulates how a tenant improvement allowance may be spent;
•whether the lessee or lessor supervises the construction and bears the risk of cost overruns;
•whether the amount of a tenant improvement allowance is in excess of market rates;
•whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements at the end of the lease term;
•whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or general purpose in nature; and
•whether the tenant improvements are expected to have any residual value at the end of the lease.
We leased apartment units under operating leases with terms generally of one year or less. Generally, credit investigations were performed for prospective residents and security deposits were obtained. We recognized rental revenue, net of concessions, on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, when collectibility was determined to be probable.
In accordance with Topic 842, we make a determination of whether the collectibility of the lease payments in an operating lease is probable. If we determine the lease payments are not probable of collection, we would fully reserve for any contractual lease payments, deferred rent receivable, and variable lease payments and would recognize rental income only if cash is received. Beginning January 1, 2019, these changes to our collectibility assessment are reflected as an adjustment to rental income. We make estimates of the collectability of the lease payments which requires significant judgment by management. We consider payment history, current credit status, the tenant’s financial condition, security deposits, letters of credit, lease guarantees and current market conditions that may impact the tenant’s ability to make payments in accordance with its lease agreements, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tenant’s business, in making the determination.
Prior to January 1, 2019, bad debt expense related to uncollectible accounts receivable and deferred rent receivable was included in operating, maintenance, and management expense in the statement of operations. Any subsequent changes to the collectibility of the allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2018, which was recorded prior to the adoption of Topic 842, are recorded in operating, maintenance, and management expense in the statement of operations.
Beginning January 1, 2019, we, as a lessor, record costs to negotiate or arrange a lease that would have been incurred regardless of whether the lease was obtained, such as legal costs incurred to negotiate an operating lease, as an expense and classify such costs as operating, maintenance, and management expense on our consolidated statement of operations, as these costs are no longer capitalizable under the definition of initial direct costs under Topic 842.
Sales of Real Estate
Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted the guidance of ASC 610-20, Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (“ASC 610-20”), which applies to sales or transfers to noncustomers of nonfinancial assets or in substance nonfinancial assets that do not meet the definition of a business. Generally, our sales of real estate would be considered a sale of a nonfinancial asset as defined by ASC 610-20.
ASC 610-20 refers to the revenue recognition principles under ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Under ASC 610-20, if we determine we do not have a controlling financial interest in the entity that holds the asset and the arrangement meets the criteria to be accounted for as a contract, we would derecognize the asset and recognize a gain or loss on the sale of the real estate when control of the underlying asset transfers to the buyer. The application of these criteria can be complex and incorrect assumptions on collectability of the transaction price or transfer of control can result in the improper recognition of the gain or loss from sales of real estate during the period.
Real Estate Loan Receivable
Interest income on our real estate loan receivable was recognized on an accrual basis over the life of the investment using the interest method. Direct loan origination fees and origination or acquisition costs, as well as premiums or discounts, were amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income.
Real Estate
Depreciation and Amortization
Real estate costs related to the acquisition and improvement of properties are capitalized and depreciated over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred and significant replacements and betterments are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs include all costs that do not extend the useful life of the real estate asset. We consider the period of future benefit of an asset to determine its appropriate useful life. Expenditures for tenant improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the tenant’s lease term or expected useful life. We anticipate the estimated useful lives of our assets by class to be generally as follows:
Real Estate Acquisition Valuation
As a result of our adoption of ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, acquisitions of real estate beginning January 1, 2017 could qualify as asset acquisitions (as opposed to business combinations). We record the acquisition of income-producing real estate or real estate that will be used for the production of income as a business combination or an asset acquisition. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired are concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, then the set is not a business. For purposes of this test, land and buildings can be combined along with the intangible assets for any in-place leases and accordingly, most acquisitions of investment properties would not meet the definition of a business and would be accounted for as an asset acquisition. To be considered a business, a set must include an input and a substantive process that together significantly contributes to the ability to create an output. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured at their acquisition-date fair values. For asset acquisitions, the cost of the acquisition is allocated to individual assets and liabilities on a relative fair value basis. Acquisition costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred. Acquisition costs associated with asset acquisitions are capitalized.
We assess the acquisition date fair values of all tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers, generally utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis that applies appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors, including historical operating results, known and anticipated trends, and market and economic conditions. The fair value of tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.
We record above-market and below-market in-place lease values for acquired properties based on the present value (using a discount rate that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of above-market in-place leases and for the initial term plus any extended term for any leases with below-market renewal options. We amortize any recorded above-market or below-market lease values as a reduction or increase, respectively, to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective lease, including any below-market renewal periods.
We estimate the value of tenant origination and absorption costs by considering the estimated carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease-up periods, considering current market conditions. In estimating carrying costs, we include real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods.
We amortize the value of tenant origination and absorption costs to depreciation and amortization expense over the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases.
Estimates of the fair values of the tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities require us to make significant assumptions to estimate market lease rates, property-operating expenses, carrying costs during lease-up periods, discount rates, market absorption periods, and the number of years the property will be held for investment. The use of inappropriate assumptions would result in an incorrect valuation of our acquired tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities, which would impact the amount of our net income.
Subsequent to the acquisition of a property, we may incur and capitalize costs necessary to get the property ready for its intended use. During that time, certain costs such as legal fees, real estate taxes and insurance and financing costs are also capitalized.
Impairment of Real Estate and Related Intangible Assets and Liabilities
We continually monitor events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of our real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable, we assess the recoverability by estimating whether we will recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities through its undiscounted future cash flows and its eventual disposition. If, based on this analysis, we do not believe that we will be able to recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities, we would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities.
Projecting future cash flows involves estimating expected future operating income and expenses related to the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities as well as market and other trends. Using inappropriate assumptions to estimate cash flows or the expected hold period until the eventual disposition could result in incorrect conclusions on recoverability and incorrect fair values of the real estate and its related intangible assets and liabilities and could result in the overstatement of the carrying values of our real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities and an overstatement of our net income.
Real Estate Loans Receivable
We recorded our real estate loan receivable at amortized cost, net of an allowance for credit losses (if any). The amortized cost of a real estate loan receivable is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized acquisition premiums or discounts and unamortized costs and fees directly associated with the origination or acquisition of the loan. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of a real estate loan receivable to present the net amount expected to be collected. This allowance is accounted for under the current expected credit loss (CECL) model and is measured and recorded upon the initial recognition of the real estate loan receivable and is re-measured at each balance sheet date based on changes in facts and circumstances. The allowance is adjusted through “Provision for credit loss” on our consolidated statements of operations and is increased or decreased based on the re-measurement of the allowance for credit loss at each balance sheet date. If we determine that all or a portion of the real estate loan receivable is no longer collectible, the portion that is deemed uncollectible will be written off and the allowance for credit losses reduced. Recoveries of real estate loans receivable that were previously written off are recorded when cash is received.
We apply a probability-of-default method to measure the allowance for credit losses which applies the probability of default within a given timeframe by the percentage of the real estate loan receivable not expected to be collected due to default. Additionally, we evaluate the potential for adverse changes in the value of the collateral over the contractual life of the real estate loan receivable, the financial condition of the borrower, the probability that we will grant the borrower a concession through modification of the loan terms and other market conditions in calculating the allowance for credit losses.
Failure to properly measure an allowance for credit loss could result in the overstatement of earnings and the carrying value of the real estate loan receivable. Actual losses, if any, could differ significantly from estimated amounts.
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
We account for investments in joint ventures or entities over which we may exercise significant influence, but do not control, and for investments in joint ventures that qualify as variable interest entities of which we are not the primary beneficiary using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted to reflect additional contributions or distributions and our proportionate share of equity in the entity’s income (loss). We recognize our proportionate share of the ongoing income or loss of the unconsolidated entity as equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities on the consolidated statements of operations. In addition, we account for any share issuances by the unconsolidated entity as if we sold a proportionate share of our investment. Any gain or loss as a result of the unconsolidated entity’s share issuance is recognized in equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities on the consolidated statement of operations. On a quarterly basis, we evaluate our investment in an unconsolidated entity for other-than-temporary impairments. To evaluate for other-than-temporary impairments, we must determine if we have the ability to recover the carrying amount of our investment, which requires us to make assumptions about whether the unconsolidated entity can sustain earnings and requires us to estimate projected cash flows from our unconsolidated entity, which may include the amount we expect to realize upon the sale of our investment. Using inappropriate assumptions to estimate projected cash flows or sales prices could result in incorrect conclusions on recoverability. As of December 31, 2020, we did not identify any indicators of impairment related to our unconsolidated real estate entity accounted for under the equity method.
Derivative Instruments
We enter into derivative instruments for risk management purposes to hedge our exposure to cash flow variability caused by changing interest rates on our variable rate notes payable. We record these derivative instruments at fair value on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Derivative instruments designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows or other types of forecasted transactions are considered cash flow hedges. The change in fair value of the effective portion of a derivative instrument that is designated as a cash flow hedge is recorded as other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) and consolidated statements of equity. The changes in fair value for derivative instruments that are not designated as a hedge or that do not meet the hedge accounting criteria are recorded as gain or loss on derivative instruments and included in interest expense as presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
The calculation of the fair value of derivative instruments is complex and different inputs used in the model can result in significant changes to the fair value of derivative instruments and the related gain or loss on derivative instruments included as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The valuation of our derivative instruments is based on a proprietary model using the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, as well as observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and volatility. The fair values of interest rate swaps are estimated using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. In addition, credit valuation adjustments, which consider the impact of any credit risks to the contracts, are incorporated in the fair values to account for potential nonperformance risk.
Fair Value Election of Hybrid Financial Instruments with Embedded Derivatives
When we enter into interest rate swaps which include off-market terms, we determine if these contracts are hybrid financial instruments with embedded derivatives requiring bifurcation between the host contract and the derivative instrument. We elected to initially and subsequently measure these hybrid financial instruments in their entirety at fair value with concurrent documentation of this election. Changes in the fair value of the hybrid financial instrument under this fair value election are recorded in earnings and are included in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The cash flows for these off-market swap instruments which contain an other-than-insignificant financing element at inception are included in cash flows provided by or used in financing activities on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.
Income Taxes
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must continue to meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that we distribute as dividends to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost, unless the Internal Revenue Service grants us relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect our net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, we believe that we are organized and operate in such a manner as to qualify for treatment as a REIT.
Subsequent Events
We evaluate subsequent events up until the date the consolidated financial statements are issued.
Distributions Paid
On January 4, 2021, we paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 18, 2020. On February 1, 2021, we paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 21, 2021. On March 1, 2021, we paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 19, 2021.
Monthly Distributions
On March 11, 2021, our board of directors authorized a March 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 19, 2021, which we expect to pay in April 2021, and an April 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 20, 2021, which we expect to pay in May 2021.
Investors may choose to receive cash distributions or purchase additional shares through our dividend reinvestment plan.
Disposition of Anchor Centre
On January 19, 2021, we completed the sale of Anchor Centre to a purchaser unaffiliated with us or our advisor, for $103.5 million, or $100.5 million net of credits given to the purchaser primarily for outstanding tenant improvements and lease incentives, before third-party closing costs of approximately $1.1 million and excluding disposition fees payable to our advisor.
ITEM 7A.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to the effects of interest rate changes as a result of borrowings used to maintain liquidity and to fund the acquisition, expansion and refinancing of our real estate investment portfolio and operations. We may also be exposed to the effects of changes in interest rates as a result of the acquisition and origination of mortgage and other loans. Our profitability and the value of our real estate investment portfolio may be adversely affected during any period as a result of interest rate changes. Our interest rate risk management objectives are to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings, prepayment penalties and cash flows and to lower overall borrowing costs. We may manage interest rate risk by maintaining a ratio of fixed rate, long-term debt such that variable rate exposure is kept at an acceptable level or by utilizing a variety of financial instruments, including interest rate caps, floors, and swap agreements, in order to limit the effects of changes in interest rates on our operations. When we use these types of derivatives to hedge the risk of interest-earning assets or interest-bearing liabilities, we may be subject to certain risks, including the risk that losses on a hedge position will reduce the funds available for the payment of distributions to our stockholders and that the losses may exceed the amount we invested in the instruments.
The table below summarizes the outstanding principal balance, interest rate or weighted-average contractual interest rates and fair value for our notes payable for each category; and the notional amounts, average pay rates, average receive rates and fair value of our derivative instruments, based on maturity dates as of December 31, 2020 (dollars in thousands):
_____________________
(1) The weighted-average contractual interest rate represents the actual interest rate in effect as of December 31, 2020, consisting of the contractual interest rate and using interest rate indices as of December 31, 2020, where applicable.
(2) The average pay rate is based on the interest rate swap fixed rate.
(3) The average receive rate is based on the 30-day LIBOR rate as of December 31, 2020.
We borrow funds at a combination of fixed and variable rates. Interest rate fluctuations will generally not affect our future earnings or cash flows on our fixed rate debt, unless such instruments mature or are otherwise terminated. However, interest rate changes will affect the fair value of our fixed rate instruments. As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of our fixed rate debt was $125.8 million and the outstanding principal balance of our fixed rate debt was $123.0 million. The fair value estimate of our fixed rate debt is calculated using a discounted cash flow analysis utilizing rates we would expect to pay for debt of a similar type and remaining maturity if the loan was originated as of December 31, 2020. As we expect to hold our fixed rate instruments to maturity (unless the property securing the debt is sold and the loan is repaid) and the amounts due under such instruments would be limited to the outstanding principal balance and any accrued and unpaid interest, we do not expect that fluctuations in interest rates, and the resulting change in fair value of our fixed rate instruments, would have a significant impact on our operations.
Conversely, movements in interest rates on our variable rate debt would change our future earnings and cash flows, but not significantly affect the fair value of those instruments. However, changes in required risk premiums would result in changes in the fair value of variable rate instruments. As of December 31, 2020, we were exposed to market risks related to fluctuations in interest rates on $152.2 million of variable rate debt outstanding after giving consideration to the impact of interest rate swap agreements on approximately $1.1 billion of our variable rate debt. Based on interest rates as of December 31, 2020, if interest rates were 100 basis points higher or lower during the 12 months ending December 31, 2021, interest expense on our variable rate debt would increase or decrease by $1.5 million.
The interest rate and weighted-average effective interest rate of our fixed rate debt and variable rate debt as of December 31, 2020 were 3.7% and 3.3%, respectively. The weighted-average effective interest rate represents the actual interest rate in effect as of December 31, 2020 (consisting of the contractual interest rate and the effect of interest rate swaps, if applicable), using interest rate indices as of December 31, 2020 where applicable.
We are exposed to financial market risk with respect to our investment in the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU). Financial market risk is the risk that we will incur economic losses due to adverse changes in our investment’s security price. Our exposure to changes in security prices is a result of our investment in these types of securities. Market prices are subject to fluctuation and, therefore, the amount realized in the subsequent sale of an investment may significantly differ from our carrying value. Fluctuation in the market prices of a security may result from any number of factors, including perceived changes in the underlying fundamental characteristics of the issuer, the relative price of alternative investments, interest rates, default rates and general market conditions. The SREIT’s units were first listed for trading on the SGX-ST on July 19, 2019. If an active trading market for the units does not develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult to sell our units. The market for Singapore REITs may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of our investment in the SREIT difficult. Even if an active trading market develops or we are able to negotiate block trades, if we or other significant investors sell or are perceived as intending to sell a substantial amount of units in a short period of time, the market price of our remaining units could be adversely affected. In addition, as a foreign equity investment, the trading price of units of the SREIT may be affected by political, economic, financial and social factors in the Singapore and Asian markets, including changes in government, economic and fiscal policies. Furthermore, we may be limited in our ability to sell our investment in the SREIT if our advisor and/or its affiliates are deemed to have material, non-public information regarding the SREIT. Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., the Chairman of our Board, our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our affiliated director, is a director of the external manager of the SREIT, and an affiliate of our advisor services as the U.S. asset manager to the SREIT. We do not currently engage in derivative or other hedging transactions to manage our investment’s security price risk. As of December 31, 2020, we held 289,561,899 units of the SREIT which represented 27.4% of the outstanding units of the SREIT. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $228.8 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the SREIT units on the SGX-ST of $0.79 per unit as of December 31, 2020, and did not take into account potential blockage due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading volume in the units. Based solely on the closing price per unit of the SREIT units as of December 31, 2020, if prices were to increase or decrease by 10% upon sale of all of our 289,561,899 units of the SREIT, our net income would increase by $18.0 million or decrease by $27.7 million, respectively.
For a discussion of the interest rate risks related to the current capital and credit markets, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Market Outlook - Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Markets.”
ITEM 8.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
See the Index to Financial Statements at page of this report.
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this report, management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon, and as of the date of, the evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file and submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported as and when required. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file and submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
In connection with the preparation of our Form 10-K, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. In making that assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013).
Based on its assessment, our management believes that, as of December 31, 2020, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria. There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
PART III
We will file a definitive Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2021 Proxy Statement”) with the SEC, pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year. Accordingly, certain information required by Part III has been omitted under General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K. Only those sections of the 2021 Proxy Statement that specifically address the items required to be set forth herein are incorporated by reference.
ITEM 10.
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We have adopted a Code of Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our executive officers and directors, including but not limited to, our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Our Code of Conduct and Ethics can be found at www.kbsreitiii.com.
The other information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2021 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2021 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2021 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2021 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 14.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from our 2021 Proxy Statement.
PART IV
ITEM 15.
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)Financial Statement Schedules
See the Index to Financial Statements at page of this report.
The following financial statement schedule is included herein at pages through of this report:
Schedule III - Real Estate Assets and Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization
(b)Exhibits
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of
KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Impairment of real estate investments
Description of the Matter
The Company’s real estate investments totaled $2.0 billion as of December 31, 2020. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company monitors on an ongoing basis events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of its real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment are present, the Company assesses the recoverability by estimating whether the Company will recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities through its undiscounted future cash flows and eventual disposition of the property. If the carrying value of the real estate is determined to not be recoverable, the Company records an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities. The Company recorded real estate impairment charges of $19.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Auditing the Company’s process to evaluate real estate investments for impairment was especially challenging as a result of the high degree of judgment and subjectivity in determining whether indicators of impairment were present for certain properties, and in determining the future undiscounted cash flows and estimated fair values, where necessary, of properties where indicators of impairment were determined to be present. In particular, the undiscounted cash flows and fair value estimates were sensitive to significant assumptions including market rental rates and related leasing assumptions, anticipated asset hold periods, capitalization rates and discount rates, which are affected by expectations about future market or economic conditions.
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit
To test the Company’s real estate impairment assessment, our audit procedures included, among others, evaluating the significant judgments applied in determining whether indicators of impairment were present, obtaining evidence to corroborate such judgments and searching for evidence contrary to such judgments, evaluating the methodologies and testing the significant assumptions listed above used to estimate undiscounted cash flows and, where applicable, fair values for certain properties with identified impairment indicators. We also held discussions with management about business plans for the assets and other judgments used in determining hold periods and cash flow estimates for the assets, and compared information used in the impairment assessment to information included in materials presented to the Company’s Board of Directors. Further, we compared significant assumptions used by management as listed above to current industry and economic trends, observable market-specific data, and historical results of the properties. In certain instances, we involved our internal real estate valuation specialists to assist in performing these procedures.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2010.
Irvine, California
March 12, 2021
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
(dollars in thousands)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2020
1. ORGANIZATION
KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed on December 22, 2009 as a Maryland corporation that elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011 and it intends to continue to operate in such manner. Substantially all of the Company’s business is conducted through KBS Limited Partnership III (the “Operating Partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership. The Company is the sole general partner of and owns a 0.1% partnership interest in the Operating Partnership. KBS REIT Holdings III LLC (“REIT Holdings III”), the limited partner of the Operating Partnership, owns the remaining 99.9% interest in the Operating Partnership and is its sole limited partner. The Company is the sole member and manager of REIT Holdings III.
Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, the business of the Company is externally managed by KBS Capital Advisors LLC (the “Advisor”), an affiliate of the Company, pursuant to an advisory agreement the Company entered into with the Advisor (the “Advisory Agreement”). On January 26, 2010, the Company issued 20,000 shares of its common stock to the Advisor at a purchase price of $10.00 per share. As of December 31, 2020, the Advisor owned 20,857 shares of the Company’s common stock.
The Company owns a diverse portfolio of real estate investments. As of December 31, 2020, the Company owned 18 office properties (one of which was held for sale and subsequently sold on January 19, 2021), one mixed-use office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of Prime US REIT, a Singapore real estate investment trust (the “SREIT”), which is accounted for as an investment in an unconsolidated entity under the equity method of accounting.
The Company commenced its initial public offering (the “Offering”) on October 26, 2010. Upon commencing the Offering, the Company retained KBS Capital Markets Group LLC (the “Dealer Manager”), an affiliate of the Company, to serve as the dealer manager of the Offering pursuant to a dealer manager agreement, as amended and restated (the “Dealer Manager Agreement”). The Company ceased offering shares of common stock in the primary Offering on May 29, 2015 and terminated the primary Offering on July 28, 2015.
The Company sold 169,006,162 shares of common stock in the primary Offering for gross proceeds of $1.7 billion. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had also sold 36,674,686 shares of common stock under its dividend reinvestment plan for gross offering proceeds of $379.3 million. Also as of December 31, 2020, the Company had redeemed or repurchased 29,431,448 shares sold in the Offering for $322.3 million.
Additionally, on October 3, 2014, the Company issued 258,462 shares of common stock for $2.4 million in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.
The Company continues to offer shares of common stock under its dividend reinvestment plan. In some states, the Company will need to renew the registration statement annually or file a new registration statement to continue its dividend reinvestment plan offering. The Company may terminate its dividend reinvestment plan offering at any time.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2020
COVID-19 Pandemic
One of the most significant risks and uncertainties facing the Company and the real estate industry generally continues to be the effect of the ongoing public health crisis of the novel coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The Company continues to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business, including how the pandemic is affecting its tenants and its investment in the SREIT. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company did not experience significant disruptions in its operations from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company did, however, recognize an impairment charge on an office/retail property due to the continued deterioration of retail demand at the property which was further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the Company’s tenants have experienced disruptions in their business, some more severely than others. In general, the Company’s retail and restaurant tenants, which comprise approximately 4% of its annualized base rent, have been more severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic than its office tenants. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company granted rent relief to a number of tenants as a result of the pandemic, but as the impact of the pandemic continues to be felt, these tenants or additional tenants may request rent relief in future periods or become unable to pay rent and therefore, the Company is unable to predict the ultimate impact the pandemic will have on its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows due to numerous uncertainties. The Company is evaluating each tenant rent relief request on an individual basis, considering a number of factors. Not all tenant requests will ultimately result in modified agreements, nor is the Company forgoing its contractual rights under its lease agreements. Further, significant reductions in rental revenue in the future related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may limit the Company’s ability to draw on its revolving credit facilities or exercise extension options due to covenants described in the Company’s loan agreements.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company’s operations and those of its tenants and the Company’s investment in the SREIT depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as contained within the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, REIT Holdings III, the Operating Partnership, their direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, and through May 7, 2020, a joint venture in which the Company held a controlling interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes thereto in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in the Company’s prior period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications have not changed the results of operations of prior periods. Upon adoption of the lease accounting standards of Topic 842 on January 1, 2019 (described below), the Company accounted for tenant reimbursements for property taxes, insurance and common area maintenance as variable lease payments and recorded these amounts as rental income on the statement of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company reclassified $72.2 million of tenant reimbursement revenue for property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance to rental income for comparability purposes.
In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company sold 11 office properties. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold a multifamily apartment complex held through a consolidated joint venture and classified an office property as held for sale. As a result, certain assets and liabilities related to these properties were reclassified to held for sale on the consolidated balance sheets for all periods presented.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Revenue Recognition - Operating Leases
Real Estate
On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) including the package of practical expedients (“Topic 842”) for all leases that commenced before the effective date of January 1, 2019. Accordingly, the Company (i) did not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) did not reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing lease, and (iii) did not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company did not elect the practical expedient related to using hindsight to reevaluate the lease term. In addition, the Company adopted the practical expedient for land easements and did not assess whether existing or expired land easements that were not previously accounted for as leases under the lease accounting standards of Topic 840 are or contain a lease under Topic 842.
In addition, Topic 842 provides an optional transition method to allow entities to apply the new lease accounting standards at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The Company adopted this transition method upon its adoption of the lease accounting standards of Topic 842, which did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on January 1, 2019. The Company’s comparative periods presented in the financial statements will continue to be reported under the lease accounting standards of Topic 840.
In accordance with Topic 842, tenant reimbursements for property taxes and insurance are included in the single lease component of the lease contract (the right of the lessee to use the leased space) and therefore are accounted for as variable lease payments and are recorded as rental income on the Company’s statement of operations beginning January 1, 2019. In addition, the Company adopted the practical expedient available under Topic 842 to not separate nonlease components from the associated lease component and instead to account for those components as a single component if the nonlease components otherwise would be accounted for under the new revenue recognition standard (Topic 606) and if certain conditions are met, specifically related to tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance which would otherwise be accounted for under the revenue recognition standard. The Company believes the two conditions have been met for tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance as (i) the timing and pattern of transfer of the nonlease components and associated lease components are the same and (ii) the lease component would be classified as an operating lease. Accordingly, tenant reimbursements for common area maintenance are also accounted for as variable lease payments and recorded as rental income on the Company’s statement of operations beginning January 1, 2019.
The Company recognizes minimum rent, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectibility is probable and records amounts expected to be received in later years as deferred rent receivable. If the lease provides for tenant improvements, the Company determines whether the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, are owned by the tenant or the Company. When the Company is the owner of the tenant improvements, the tenant is not considered to have taken physical possession or have control of the physical use of the leased asset until the tenant improvements are substantially completed. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvement allowance (including amounts that can be taken in the form of cash or a credit against the tenant’s rent) that is funded is treated as a lease incentive and amortized as a reduction of rental revenue over the lease term. Tenant improvement ownership is determined based on various factors including, but not limited to:
•whether the lease stipulates how a tenant improvement allowance may be spent;
•whether the lessee or lessor supervises the construction and bears the risk of cost overruns;
•whether the amount of a tenant improvement allowance is in excess of market rates;
•whether the tenant or landlord retains legal title to the improvements at the end of the lease term;
•whether the tenant improvements are unique to the tenant or general purpose in nature; and
•whether the tenant improvements are expected to have any residual value at the end of the lease.
The Company leased apartment units under operating leases with terms generally of one year or less. Generally, credit investigations were performed for prospective residents and security deposits were obtained. The Company recognized rental revenue, net of concessions, on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, when collectibility was determined to be probable.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
In accordance with Topic 842, the Company makes a determination of whether the collectibility of the lease payments in an operating lease is probable. If the Company determines the lease payments are not probable of collection, the Company would fully reserve for any contractual lease payments, deferred rent receivable, and variable lease payments and would recognize rental income only if cash is received. Beginning January 1, 2019, these changes to the Company’s collectibility assessment are reflected as an adjustment to rental income. Prior to January 1, 2019, bad debt expense related to uncollectible accounts receivable and deferred rent receivable was included in operating, maintenance, and management expense in the statement of operations. Any subsequent changes to the collectibility of the allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2018, which was recorded prior to the adoption of Topic 842, are recorded in operating, maintenance, and management expense in the statement of operations.
Beginning January 1, 2019, the Company, as a lessor, records costs to negotiate or arrange a lease that would have been incurred regardless of whether the lease was obtained, such as legal costs incurred to negotiate an operating lease, as an expense and classifies such costs as operating, maintenance, and management expense on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations, as these costs are no longer capitalizable under the definition of initial direct costs under Topic 842.
Sales of Real Estate
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the guidance of ASC 610-20, Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (“ASC 610-20”), which applies to sales or transfers to noncustomers of nonfinancial assets or in substance nonfinancial assets that do not meet the definition of a business. Generally, the Company’s sales of real estate would be considered a sale of a nonfinancial asset as defined by ASC 610-20.
ASC 610-20 refers to the revenue recognition principles under ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Under ASC 610-20, if the Company determines it does not have a controlling financial interest in the entity that holds the asset and the arrangement meets the criteria to be accounted for as a contract, the Company would derecognize the asset and recognize a gain or loss on the sale of the real estate when control of the underlying asset transfers to the buyer.
Real Estate Loan Receivable
Interest income on the Company’s real estate loan receivable was recognized on an accrual basis over the life of the investment using the interest method. Direct loan origination fees and origination or acquisition costs, as well as premiums or discounts, were amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company recognizes interest income on its cash and cash equivalents as it is earned and classifies such amounts as other interest income.
Real Estate
Depreciation and Amortization
Real estate costs related to the acquisition and improvement of properties are capitalized and depreciated over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred and significant replacements and betterments are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs include all costs that do not extend the useful life of the real estate asset. The Company considers the period of future benefit of an asset to determine its appropriate useful life. Expenditures for tenant improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the tenant’s lease term or expected useful life. The Company anticipates the estimated useful lives of its assets by class to be generally as follows:
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Real Estate Acquisition Valuation
As a result of the Company’s adoption of ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, acquisitions of real estate beginning January 1, 2017 could qualify as asset acquisitions (as opposed to business combinations). The Company records the acquisition of income-producing real estate or real estate that will be used for the production of income as a business combination or an asset acquisition. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired are concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, then the set is not a business. For purposes of this test, land and buildings can be combined along with the intangible assets for any in-place leases and accordingly, most acquisitions of investment properties would not meet the definition of a business and would be accounted for as an asset acquisition. To be considered a business, a set must include an input and a substantive process that together significantly contributes to the ability to create an output. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured at their acquisition-date fair values. For asset acquisitions, the cost of the acquisition is allocated to individual assets and liabilities on a relative fair value basis. Acquisition costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred. Acquisition costs associated with asset acquisitions are capitalized.
The Company assesses the acquisition date fair values of all tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers, generally utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis that applies appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors, including historical operating results, known and anticipated trends, and market and economic conditions. The fair value of tangible assets of an acquired property considers the value of the property as if it were vacant.
The Company records above-market and below-market in-place lease values for acquired properties based on the present value (using a discount rate that reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of fair market lease rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining non-cancelable term of above-market in-place leases and for the initial term plus any extended term for any leases with below-market renewal options. The Company amortizes any recorded above-market or below-market lease values as a reduction or increase, respectively, to rental income over the remaining non-cancelable terms of the respective lease, including any below-market renewal periods.
The Company estimates the value of tenant origination and absorption costs by considering the estimated carrying costs during hypothetical expected lease-up periods, considering current market conditions. In estimating carrying costs, the Company includes real estate taxes, insurance and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods.
The Company amortizes the value of tenant origination and absorption costs to depreciation and amortization expense over the remaining non-cancelable term of the leases.
Subsequent to the acquisition of a property, the Company may incur and capitalize costs necessary to get the property ready for its intended use. During that time, certain costs such as legal fees, real estate taxes and insurance and financing costs are also capitalized.
Impairment of Real Estate and Related Intangible Assets and Liabilities
The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of its real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities may not be recoverable, the Company assesses the recoverability by estimating whether the Company will recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities through its undiscounted future cash flows and its eventual disposition. If, based on this analysis, the Company does not believe that it will be able to recover the carrying value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities, the Company would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the real estate and related intangible assets and liabilities. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded impairment losses of $19.9 million and $8.7 million, respectively, on its real estate and related intangible assets. See Note 3, “Real Estate - Impairment of Real Estate.” The Company did not record any impairment loss on its real estate and related intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2018.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Real Estate Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
The Company generally considers real estate to be “held for sale” when the following criteria are met: (i) management commits to a plan to sell the property, (ii) the property is available for sale immediately, (iii) the property is actively being marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, (iv) the sale of the property within one year is considered probable and (v) significant changes to the plan to sell are not expected. Real estate that is held for sale and its related assets are classified as “real estate held for sale” and “assets related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Notes payable and other liabilities related to real estate held for sale are classified as “notes payable related to real estate held for sale” and “liabilities related to real estate held for sale,” respectively, for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Real estate classified as held for sale is no longer depreciated and is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. Operating results of properties and related gains on sale of properties that were disposed of or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 are included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Real Estate Loans Receivable
The Company recorded its real estate loan receivable at amortized cost, net of an allowance for credit losses (if any). The amortized cost of a real estate loan receivable is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized acquisition premiums or discounts and unamortized costs and fees directly associated with the origination or acquisition of the loan. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of a real estate loan receivable to present the net amount expected to be collected. This allowance is accounted for under the current expected credit loss (CECL) model and is measured and recorded upon the initial recognition of the real estate loan receivable and is re-measured at each balance sheet date based on changes in facts and circumstances. The allowance is adjusted through “Provision for credit loss” on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and is increased or decreased based on the re-measurement of the allowance for credit loss at each balance sheet date. If the Company determines that all or a portion of the real estate loan receivable is no longer collectible, the portion that is deemed uncollectible will be written off and the allowance for credit losses reduced. Recoveries of real estate loans receivable that were previously written off are recorded when cash is received.
The Company applies a probability-of-default method to measure the allowance for credit losses which applies the probability of default within a given timeframe by the percentage of the real estate loan receivable not expected to be collected due to default. Additionally, the Company evaluates the potential for adverse changes in the value of the collateral over the contractual life of the real estate loan receivable, the financial condition of the borrower, the probability that it will grant the borrower a concession through modification of the loan terms and other market conditions in calculating the allowance for credit losses.
Failure to properly measure an allowance for credit loss could result in the overstatement of earnings and the carrying value of the real estate loan receivable. Actual losses, if any, could differ significantly from estimated amounts.
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
The Company accounts for investments in joint ventures or entities over which the Company may exercise significant influence, but does not control, and for investments in joint ventures that qualify as variable interest entities of which the Company is not the primary beneficiary using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted to reflect additional contributions or distributions and the Company’s proportionate share of equity in the entity’s income (loss). The Company recognizes its proportionate share of the ongoing income or loss of the unconsolidated entity as equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities on the consolidated statements of operations. In addition, the Company accounts for any share issuances by the unconsolidated entity as if the Company sold a proportionate share of its investment. Any gain or loss as a result of the unconsolidated entity’s share issuance is recognized in equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated entities on the consolidated statement of operations. On a quarterly basis, the Company evaluates its investment in an unconsolidated entity for other-than-temporary impairments. As of December 31, 2020, the Company did not identify any indicators of impairment related to its unconsolidated real estate entity accounted for under the equity method.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Construction in Progress
Direct investments in undeveloped land or properties without leases in place at the time of acquisition are accounted for as an asset acquisition and not as a business combination. Acquisition fees and expenses are capitalized into the cost basis of an asset acquisition. Additionally, during the time that the Company is incurring costs necessary to bring these investments to their intended use, certain costs such as legal fees, real estate taxes and insurance and financing costs are also capitalized. Once construction in progress is substantially completed, the amounts capitalized to construction in progress are transferred to land and buildings and improvements and are depreciated over their respective useful lives.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents may include cash and short term investments. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. There are no restrictions on the use of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2020.
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance exceeds federally insurable limits as of December 31, 2020. The Company monitors the cash balances in its operating accounts and adjusts the cash balances as appropriate; however, these cash balances could be impacted if the underlying financial institutions fail or are subject to other adverse conditions in the financial markets. To date, the Company has experienced no loss or lack of access to cash in its operating accounts.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash is composed of lender impound reserve accounts on the Company’s borrowings for capital improvements.
Rents and Other Receivables
The Company makes a determination of whether the collectibility of the lease payments in its operating leases is probable. If the Company determines the lease payments are not probable of collection, the Company would fully reserve for any outstanding rent receivables related to contractual lease payments and variable leases payments, would write-off any deferred rent receivable and would recognize rental income only if cash is received. The Company exercises judgment in assessing collectibility and considers payment history, current credit status, the tenant’s financial condition, security deposits, letters of credit, lease guarantees and current market conditions that may impact the tenant’s ability to make payments in accordance with its lease agreements, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tenant’s business, in making the determination.
Derivative Instruments
The Company enters into derivative instruments for risk management purposes to hedge its exposure to cash flow variability caused by changing interest rates on its variable rate notes payable. The Company records these derivative instruments at fair value on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Derivative instruments designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows or other types of forecasted transactions are considered cash flow hedges. The change in fair value of the effective portion of a derivative instrument that is designated as a cash flow hedge is recorded as other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) and consolidated statements of equity. The changes in fair value for derivative instruments that are not designated as a hedge or that do not meet the hedge accounting criteria are recorded as gain or loss on derivative instruments and included in interest expense as presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Fair Value Election of Hybrid Financial Instruments with Embedded Derivatives
When the Company enters into interest rate swaps which include off-market terms, the Company determines if these contracts are hybrid financial instruments with embedded derivatives requiring bifurcation between the host contract and the derivative instrument. The Company elected to initially and subsequently measure these hybrid financial instruments in their entirety at fair value with concurrent documentation of this election. Changes in the fair value of the hybrid financial instrument under this fair value election are recorded in earnings and are included in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The cash flows for these off-market swap instruments which contain an other-than-insignificant financing element at inception are included in cash flows provided by or used in financing activities on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs represent commitment fees, loan fees, legal fees and other third-party costs associated with obtaining financing and are presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability. These costs are amortized over the terms of the respective financing agreements using the effective interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are generally expensed when the associated debt is refinanced or repaid before maturity unless specific rules are met that would allow for the carryover of such costs to the refinanced debt. Deferred financing costs incurred before an associated debt liability is recognized are included in prepaid and other assets on the balance sheet. Costs incurred in seeking financing transactions that do not close are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not close.
Fair Value Measurements
Under GAAP, the Company is required to measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, the Company is required to measure other non-financial and financial assets at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate loans receivable and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
•Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;
•Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and
•Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.
When available, the Company utilizes quoted market prices from independent third-party sources to determine fair value and classifies such items in Level 1 or Level 2. In instances where the market for a financial instrument is not active, regardless of the availability of a nonbinding quoted market price, observable inputs might not be relevant and could require the Company to make a significant adjustment to derive a fair value measurement. Additionally, in an inactive market, a market price quoted from an independent third party may rely more on models with inputs based on information available only to that independent third party. When the Company determines the market for a financial instrument owned by the Company to be illiquid or when market transactions for similar instruments do not appear orderly, the Company uses several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) and establishes a fair value by assigning weights to the various valuation sources. Additionally, when determining the fair value of liabilities in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, the Company measures fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach.
Changes in assumptions or estimation methodologies can have a material effect on these estimated fair values. In this regard, the derived fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets and, in many cases, may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of an inactive market: (i) there are few recent transactions, (ii) price quotations are not based on current information, (iii) price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers (for example, some brokered markets), (iv) indexes that previously were highly correlated with the fair values of the asset or liability are demonstrably uncorrelated with recent indications of fair value for that asset or liability, (v) there is a significant increase in implied liquidity risk premiums, yields, or performance indicators (such as delinquency rates or loss severities) for observed transactions or quoted prices when compared with the Company’s estimate of expected cash flows, considering all available market data about credit and other nonperformance risk for the asset or liability, (vi) there is a wide bid-ask spread or significant increase in the bid-ask spread, (vii) there is a significant decline or absence of a market for new issuances (that is, a primary market) for the asset or liability or similar assets or liabilities, and (viii) little information is released publicly (for example, a principal-to-principal market).
The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of non-orderly transactions: (i) there was not adequate exposure to the market for a period before the measurement date to allow for marketing activities that are usual and customary for transactions involving such assets or liabilities under current market conditions, (ii) there was a usual and customary marketing period, but the seller marketed the asset or liability to a single market participant, (iii) the seller is in or near bankruptcy or receivership (that is, distressed), or the seller was required to sell to meet regulatory or legal requirements (that is, forced), and (iv) the transaction price is an outlier when compared with other recent transactions for the same or similar assets or liabilities.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Company has adopted a dividend reinvestment plan pursuant to which common stockholders may elect to have all or a portion of their dividends and other distributions, exclusive of dividends and other distributions that the Company’s board of directors designates as ineligible for reinvestment through the dividend reinvestment plan, reinvested in additional shares of the Company’s common stock in lieu of receiving cash distributions. Participants in the dividend reinvestment plan acquire shares of the Company’s common stock at a price equal to 95% of the estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock, as determined by the Advisor or another firm chosen by the Company’s board of directors for that purpose.
On December 3, 2018, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock of $12.02 (unaudited) based on the estimated value of the Company’s assets less the estimated value of the Company’s liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2018, with the exception of an adjustment to the Company’s net asset value for the acquisition and assumed loan costs related to the Company’s buyout of a joint venture partner’s equity interest in a joint venture that closed subsequent to September 30, 2018 and a reduction to the Company’s net asset value for deferred financing costs related to a portfolio revolving loan facility that closed subsequent to September 30, 2018. The change in the dividend reinvestment plan purchase price was effective for the January 2, 2019 dividend reinvestment plan purchase date and was effective until the estimated value per share was updated. Commencing with the January 2, 2019 purchase date and until the estimated value per share was updated, the purchase price per share under the dividend reinvestment plan was $11.42.
On December 4, 2019, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock of $11.65 (unaudited) based on the estimated value of the Company’s assets less the estimated value of the Company’s liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2019, with the exception of adjustments to the Company’s net asset value to give effect to (i) the October 23, 2019 authorization of a special dividend of $0.80 per share on the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019 (the “Special Dividend”) and (ii) the change in the estimated value of the Company’s investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: “OXMU”) as of December 3, 2019. The change in the dividend reinvestment plan purchase price was effective for the January 2, 2020 dividend reinvestment plan purchase date and was effective until the estimated value per share was updated. Commencing with the January 2, 2020 purchase date and until the estimated value per share was updated, the purchase price per share under the dividend reinvestment plan was $11.07.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
On December 7, 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock of $10.74 (unaudited) based on the estimated value of the Company’s assets less the estimated value of the Company’s liabilities, or net asset value, divided by the number of shares outstanding, all as of September 30, 2020, with the exception of adjustments to the Company’s net asset value to give effect to the change in the estimated value of the Company’s investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: “OXMU”) as of December 1, 2020. The change in the dividend reinvestment plan purchase price was effective for the January 4, 2021 dividend reinvestment plan purchase date and is effective until the estimated value per share is updated. Commencing with the January 4, 2021 purchase date and until the estimated value per share is updated, the purchase price per share under the dividend reinvestment plan is $10.21.
No selling commissions or dealer manager fees will be paid on shares sold under the dividend reinvestment plan. The board of directors of the Company may amend or terminate the dividend reinvestment plan for any reason upon 10 days’ notice to participants.
Redeemable Common Stock
The Company’s board of directors has adopted a share redemption program that may enable stockholders to sell their shares to the Company in limited circumstances. The restrictions of the Company’s share redemption program will severely limit its stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and will limit the stockholders’ ability to recover an amount equal to the Company’s estimated value per share.
There are several limitations on the Company’s ability to redeem shares under the share redemption program:
•Unless the shares are being redeemed in connection with a stockholder’s death, “qualifying disability” or “determination of incompetence” (each as defined in the share redemption program, and together with redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Special Redemptions;” all redemptions that do not meet the requirements for a Special Redemption are “Ordinary Redemptions”), the Company may not redeem shares unless the stockholder has held the shares for one year.
•During any calendar year, the share redemption program limits the number of shares the Company may redeem to those that the Company could purchase with the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under the dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year, provided that once the Company has received requests for redemptions, whether in connection with Special Redemptions or otherwise, that if honored, and when combined with all prior redemptions made during the calendar year, would result in the amount of remaining funds available for the redemption of additional shares in such calendar year being $10.0 million or less, the last $10.0 million of available funds shall be reserved exclusively for Special Redemptions. Notwithstanding anything contained in the share redemption program to the contrary, the Company may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to the program upon ten business days’ notice to its stockholders. The Company may provide notice by including such information (a) in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC or (b) in a separate mailing to its stockholders.
•During any calendar year, the Company may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year.
•The Company has no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Pursuant to the share redemption program, redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock as of the applicable redemption date. From January 1, 2018 through June 8, 2018, the redemption price for Ordinary Redemptions was as follows:
•For those shares held by the redeeming stockholder for at least one year, 92.5% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date;
•For those shares held by the redeeming stockholder for at least two years, 95.0% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date;
•For those shares held by the redeeming stockholder for at least three years, 97.5% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date; and
•For those shares held by the redeeming stockholder for at least four years, 100% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date.
Effective June 8, 2018, Ordinary Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to 95% of the Company’s most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date.
On December 3, 2018, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of its common stock of $12.02 (unaudited) as described above under “- Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” This estimated value per share became effective for the December 2018 redemption date, which was December 31, 2018.
On December 4, 2019, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of its common stock of $11.65 (unaudited) as described above under “- Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” This estimated value per share became effective for the December 2019 redemption date, which was December 31, 2019.
On December 7, 2020, the Company’s board of directors approved an estimated value per share of its common stock of $10.74 (unaudited) as described above under “- Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” This estimated value per share became effective for the December 2020 redemption date, which was December 31, 2020. The Company currently expects to utilize an independent valuation firm to update its estimated value per share no later than December 2021.
For purposes of determining the time period a redeeming stockholder has held each share, the time period begins as of the date the stockholder acquired the share; provided, that shares purchased by the redeeming stockholder pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan will be deemed to have been acquired on the same date as the initial share to which the dividend reinvestment plan shares relate. The date of the share’s original issuance by the Company is not determinative.
Based on the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan during 2019, the Company had an aggregate of $51.7 million available for redemptions in 2020, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. In connection with the Company’s pursuit of a net asset value (“NAV”) REIT strategy, in December 2019, the Company’s board of directors determined to temporarily suspend Ordinary Redemptions under the share redemption program, and Ordinary Redemptions remain suspended as the Company navigates through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates its proposed conversion to an NAV REIT. Upon suspension, all Ordinary Redemption requests that had been received were cancelled and no Ordinary Redemption requests were accepted or collected during the suspension of the share redemption program. However, any redemptions sought in connection with and meeting the requirements for Special Redemptions would still be eligible and continue to be processed in accordance with the current share redemption program, subject to the amount of net proceeds raised from the sale of shares under the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan during 2020, or $46.7 million for redemptions in 2021, including the reserve for Special Redemptions. However, because the amounts that can be redeemed are determinable and only contingent on an event that is likely to occur (e.g., the passage of time), the Company presents the amounts available for redemptions in future periods as redeemable common stock in the accompanying balance sheets.
The Company will classify as liabilities financial instruments that represent a mandatory obligation of the Company to redeem shares. The Company’s redeemable common shares are contingently redeemable at the option of the holder. When the Company determines it has a mandatory obligation to repurchase shares under the share redemption program, it will reclassify such obligations from temporary equity to a liability based upon their respective settlement values.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The Company’s board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate the share redemption program upon 10 business days’ notice to stockholders. The Company may provide notice by including such information (a) in a Current Report on Form 8-K or in its annual or quarterly reports, all publicly filed with the SEC or (b) in a separate mailing to its stockholders.
Related Party Transactions
The Company has entered into the Advisory Agreement with the Advisor and the Dealer Manager Agreement with the Dealer Manager. These agreements entitled the Advisor and/or the Dealer Manager to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the Offering and reimbursement of organization and offering costs incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company and entitle the Advisor to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the investment of funds in real estate investments, the management of those investments, among other services, and the disposition of investments, as well as entitle the Advisor and/or the Dealer Manager to reimbursement of offering costs related to the dividend reinvestment plan incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company and certain costs incurred by the Advisor in providing services to the Company. In addition, the Advisor is entitled to certain other fees, including an incentive fee upon achieving certain performance goals, as detailed in the Advisory Agreement. The Company has also entered into a fee reimbursement agreement (the “AIP Reimbursement Agreement”) with the Dealer Manager pursuant to which the Company agreed to reimburse the Dealer Manager for certain fees and expenses it incurs for administering the Company’s participation in the DTCC Alternative Investment Product Platform with respect to certain accounts of the Company’s investors serviced through the platform. The Advisor and Dealer Manager also serve or served as the advisor and dealer manager, respectively, for KBS Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (“KBS REIT I”) (which liquidated in December 2018), KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”), Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc., formerly KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT, Inc. (“Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT”) (advisory agreement terminated as of October 31, 2019 and the dealer manager agreement terminated as of December 31, 2019), KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, Inc. (“KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT”) (which liquidated in December 2018), Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II, Inc., formerly KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT II, Inc. (“Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II”) (advisory agreement terminated as of October 31, 2019 and the dealer manager agreement terminated as of December 31, 2019) and KBS Growth & Income REIT, Inc. (“KBS Growth & Income REIT”).
On November 1, 2019, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT and Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II each entered into advisory agreements with a new external advisor, Pacific Oak Capital Advisors, LLC. Pacific Oak Capital Advisors, LLC is part of a group of companies formed, owned and managed by Keith D. Hall and Peter McMillan III. Together, through GKP Holding LLC, Messrs. Hall and McMillan, continue to indirectly own a 33 1/3% interest in the Advisor and the Dealer Manager.
The Company records all related party fees as incurred, subject to any limitations described in the Advisory Agreement, the Dealer Manager Agreement or the AIP Reimbursement Agreement. See Note 11, “Related Party Transactions.”
Acquisition and Origination Fees
The Company pays the Advisor an acquisition fee equal to 1.0% of the cost of investments acquired, including the sum of the amount actually paid or allocated to the purchase, development, construction or improvement of such investments, acquisition expenses and any debt attributable to such investments. With respect to investments in and originations of loans, the Company pays an origination fee equal to 1.0% of the amount to be funded by the Company to acquire or originate mortgage, mezzanine, bridge or other loans, including any expenses related to such investments and any debt the Company uses to fund the acquisition or origination of these loans. The Company does not pay an acquisition fee with respect to investments in loans. No acquisition or origination fees were paid in connection with the Company’s investment in units of the SREIT or in connection with the Company’s origination of a real estate loan receivable in connection with providing seller financing in the sale of the Hardware Village.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Operating Expenses
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor has the right to seek reimbursement from the Company for all costs and expenses it incurs in connection with the provision of services to the Company, including the Company’s allocable share of the Advisor’s overhead, such as rent, employee costs, utilities, accounting software and cybersecurity costs. The Company also reimburses the Advisor for the Company’s allocable portion of the salaries, benefits and overhead of internal audit department personnel providing services to the Company. In the future, the Advisor may seek reimbursement for additional employee costs. The Company will not reimburse the Advisor for employee costs in connection with services for which the Advisor earns acquisition, origination or disposition fees (other than reimbursement of travel and communication expenses) or for the salaries and benefits the Advisor or its affiliates may pay to the Company’s executive officers. In addition, the Company reimburses the Advisor for certain of the Company’s direct costs incurred from third parties that were initially paid by the Advisor on behalf of the Company.
Asset Management Fee
With respect to investments in real estate, the Company pays the Advisor a monthly asset management fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.75% of the amount paid or allocated to acquire the investment, plus the cost of any subsequent development, construction or improvements to the property. This amount includes any portion of the investment that was debt financed and is inclusive of acquisition expenses related thereto (but excludes acquisition fees paid or payable to the Advisor). In the case of investments made through joint ventures, the asset management fee will be determined based on the Company’s proportionate share of the underlying investment.
With respect to investments in loans and any investments other than real estate, the Company pays the Advisor a monthly fee calculated, each month, as one-twelfth of 0.75% of the lesser of (i) the amount paid or allocated to acquire or fund the loan or other investment (which amount includes any portion of the investment that is debt financed and is inclusive of acquisition or origination expenses related thereto but is exclusive of acquisition or origination fees paid or payable to the Advisor) and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such loan or other investment, plus the acquisition or origination expenses related to the acquisition or funding of such investment (but excluding acquisition or origination fees paid or payable to the Advisor), as of the time of calculation.
No asset management fee is currently paid on the Company’s investment in units of the SREIT.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, with respect to asset management fees accruing from March 1, 2014, the Advisor has agreed to defer, without interest, the Company’s obligation to pay asset management fees for any month in which the Company’s modified funds from operations (“MFFO”) for such month, as such term is defined in the practice guideline issued by the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives (formerly known as the Investment Program Association) (“IPA”) in November 2010 and interpreted by the Company, excluding asset management fees, does not exceed the amount of distributions declared by the Company for record dates of that month. The Company remains obligated to pay the Advisor an asset management fee in any month in which the Company’s MFFO, excluding asset management fees, for such month exceeds the amount of distributions declared for the record dates of that month (such excess amount, an “MFFO Surplus”); however, any amount of such asset management fee in excess of the MFFO Surplus will also be deferred under the Advisory Agreement. If the MFFO Surplus for any month exceeds the amount of the asset management fee payable for such month, any remaining MFFO Surplus will be applied to pay any asset management fee amounts previously deferred in accordance with the Advisory Agreement.
However, notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all deferred asset management fees that are unpaid will become immediately due and payable at such time as the Company’s stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital (the “Stockholders’ 8% Return”) and (ii) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to the Company’s share redemption program. The Stockholders’ 8% Return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of the Company’s stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for the Advisor to receive deferred asset management fees.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Disposition Fee
For substantial assistance in connection with the sale of properties or other investments, the Company pays the Advisor or one of its affiliates 1.0% of the contract sales price of each property or other investment sold; provided, however, that if, in connection with such disposition, commissions are paid to third parties unaffiliated with the Advisor or one of its affiliates, the fee paid to the Advisor or one of its affiliates may not exceed the commissions paid to such unaffiliated third parties, and provided further that the disposition fees paid to the Advisor or one of its affiliates and unaffiliated third parties may not exceed 6.0% of the contract sales price. The Company will not pay a disposition fee upon the maturity, prepayment or workout of a loan or other debt-related investment, provided that if the Company takes ownership of a property as a result of a workout or foreclosure of a loan, the Company will pay a disposition fee upon the sale of such property. No disposition fees will be paid with respect to any sales of the Company’s investment in units of the SREIT.
Income Taxes
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. To continue to qualify as a REIT, the Company must continue to meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s annual REIT taxable income to stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that it distributes as dividends to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost, unless the Internal Revenue Service grants the Company relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect the Company’s net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, the Company believes that it is organized and operates in such a manner as to qualify for treatment as a REIT.
The Company has concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in its financial statements. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has been assessed interest or penalties by any major tax jurisdictions. The Company’s evaluations were performed for all open tax years through December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the returns for calendar years 2016 through 2019 remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.
Per Share Data
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding during such period. Diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock equals basic net income (loss) per share of common stock as there were no potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
On October 23, 2019, the Company’s board of directors authorized the Special Dividend in the amount of $0.80 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2019. Accordingly on December 12, 2019, the Company paid $48.5 million (35%) in cash and issued $90.0 million (65%) in stock pursuant to the Special Dividend.
Distributions declared per common share were $0.598, $1.450 and $0.650 during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, including the Special Dividend paid in December 2019. Distributions declared per common share assumes each share was issued and outstanding each day from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. For each day that was a record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.00178082 per share per day. Distributions declared per common share assumes each share was issued and outstanding each day that was a record date for distributions for each month during the period commencing January 2019 through December 2020 and during this period, other than the Special Dividend, distributions were based on a monthly record date. For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.05416667 per share. For each monthly record date for distributions during the period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, distributions were calculated at a rate of $0.04983333 per share.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Segments
The Company has invested in core real estate properties and real estate-related investments with the goal of acquiring a portfolio of income-producing investments. The Company’s real estate properties exhibit similar long-term financial performance and have similar economic characteristics to each other. Accordingly, the Company aggregated its investments in real estate properties into one reportable business segment.
Square Footage, Occupancy and Other Measures
Square footage, occupancy, number of tenants and other measures, including annualized base rent and annualized base rent per square foot, used to describe real estate investments included in these notes to the consolidated financial statements are presented on an unaudited basis.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Update
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU No. 2020-04”) to provide temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the guidance in GAAP on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). Modified contracts that meet the following criteria are eligible for relief from the modification accounting requirements under GAAP: (1) the contract references LIBOR or another rate that is expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform, (2) the modified terms directly replace or have the potential to replace the reference rate that is expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform, and (3) any contemporaneous changes to other terms (i.e., those that do not directly replace or have the potential to replace the reference rate) that change or have the potential to change the amount and timing of contractual cash flows must be related to the replacement of the reference rate. For a contract that meets the criteria, the guidance generally allows an entity to account for and present modifications as an event that does not require contract remeasurement at the modification date or reassessment of a previous accounting determination. That is, the modified contract is accounted for as a continuation of the existing contract. In addition, ASU No. 2020-04 provides various optional expedients for hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform, if certain criteria are met. The amendments in ASU No. 2020-04 are effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. An entity may elect to apply the amendments for contract modifications by Topic or Industry Subtopic as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, or prospectively from a date within an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, up to the date that the financial statements are available to be issued. Once elected for a Topic or an Industry Subtopic, the amendments in this update must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications for that Topic or Industry Subtopic. An entity may elect to apply the amendments in ASU No. 2020-04 to eligible hedging relationships existing as of the beginning of the interim period that includes March 12, 2020 and to new eligible hedging relationships entered into after the beginning of the interim period that includes March 12, 2020.
For the period from January 1, 2020 (the earliest date the Company may elect to apply ASU No. 2020-04) through December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any contract modifications that meet the criteria described above, specifically contract modifications that have been modified from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate. The Company’s loan agreements, derivative instruments, and certain lease agreements use LIBOR as the current reference rate. For eligible contract modifications, the Company expects to adopt the temporary optional expedients described in ASU No. 2020-04. The optional expedients for hedging relationships described in ASU No. 2020-04 are not expected to have an impact to the Company as the Company has elected to not designate its derivative instruments as a hedge.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
In April 2020, the FASB issued a FASB Staff Q&A related to Topic 842 and Topic 840: Accounting for Lease Concessions Related to the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic (the “Topic 842 Q&A”). The Company adopted the lease accounting standards of Topic 842 beginning January 1, 2019. Under Topic 842, subsequent changes to lease payments that are not stipulated in the original lease contract are generally accounted for as lease modifications. Some contracts may contain explicit or implicit enforceable rights and obligations that require lease concessions if certain circumstances arise that are beyond the control of the parties to the contract. If a lease contract provides enforceable rights and obligations for concessions in the contract and no changes are made to that contract, the concessions are not accounted for under the lease modification guidance in Topic 842. If concessions granted by lessors are beyond the enforceable rights and obligations in the contract, entities would generally account for those concessions in accordance with the lease modification guidance in Topic 842. Because of the unprecedented and global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FASB staff is aware that it may be exceedingly challenging for entities to determine whether existing contracts provide enforceable rights and obligations for lease concessions and whether those concessions are consistent with the terms of the contract or are modifications to the contract. As such, the FASB staff believes that it would be acceptable for entities to make an election to account for lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Topic 842 as though enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions existed (regardless of whether those enforceable rights and obligations for the concessions explicitly exist in the contract). Consequently, for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, an entity will not have to analyze each contract to determine whether enforceable rights and obligations for concessions exist in the contract and can elect to apply or not apply the lease modification guidance in Topic 842 to those contracts. This election is available for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that do not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the lessor or the obligations of the lessee. For example, this election is available for concessions that result in the total payments required by the modified contract being substantially the same as or less than total payments required by the original contract. The FASB staff expects that reasonable judgment will be exercised in making those determinations. Some concessions will provide a deferral of payments with no substantive changes to the consideration in the original contract. A deferral affects the timing, but the amount of the consideration is substantially the same as that required by the original contract. The staff expects that there will be multiple ways to account for those deferrals, none of which the staff believes are more preferable than the others. Two of those methods are: (1) Account for the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, a lessor would increase its lease receivable, and a lessee would increase its accounts payable as receivables/payments accrue. In its income statement, a lessor would continue to recognize income, and a lessee would continue to recognize expense during the deferral period and (2) Account for the deferred payments as variable lease payments.
In accordance with the Topic 842 Q&A, the Company made the election to account for lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that do not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the Company as lessor consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Topic 842 as though enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions existed. Accordingly, the Company does not analyze each contract to determine whether enforceable rights and obligations for concessions exist in the contract and elected not to apply the lease modification guidance in Topic 842. For deferrals, the Company accounts for the concessions as if no changes to the lease contract were made and continues to recognize rental income during the deferral period. The amount of deferred rent is assessed for collectability at the end of each reporting period. For rental abatements, the Company recognizes negative variable lease income for the forgiven rent, thereby reversing the rental income and rent receivable for the abated period.
The Company has granted a number of lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but these lease concessions did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 or consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had entered into lease amendments related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, granting $3.5 million of rent deferrals for the period from March 2020 through March 2021 and granting $1.8 million in rental abatements.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $2.9 million of receivables for lease payments that had been deferred as lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which $1.5 million was reserved for payments not probable of collection, which were included in rent and other receivables, net on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded $1.5 million of rental abatements granted to tenants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Tenants may request additional lease concessions, in the form of rent deferrals or abatements, for future periods, which may have an impact on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations, but the ultimate impact will largely depend on future developments with respect to the continued spread and treatment of the virus, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, which the Company cannot accurately predict.
3. REAL ESTATE
Real Estate Held for Investment
As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s real estate portfolio held for investment was composed of 17 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property encompassing in the aggregate approximately 7.5 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s real estate portfolio held for investment was collectively 86% occupied. The following table summarizes the Company’s investments in real estate as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
_____________________
(1) Amounts presented are net of impairment charges and write-offs of fully depreciated/amortized assets.
As of December 31, 2020, the following property represented more than 10% of the Company’s total assets:
_____________________
(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2020, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Operating Leases
The Company’s office and office/retail properties are leased to tenants under operating leases for which the terms and expirations vary. As of December 31, 2020, the leases had remaining terms, excluding options to extend, of up to 16.6 years with a weighted-average remaining term of 4.8 years. Some of the leases have provisions to extend the term of the leases, options for early termination for all or a part of the leased premises after paying a specified penalty, and other terms and conditions as negotiated. The Company retains substantially all of the risks and benefits of ownership of the real estate assets leased to tenants. Generally, upon the execution of a lease, the Company requires a security deposit from the tenant in the form of a cash deposit and/or a letter of credit. The amount required as a security deposit varies depending upon the terms of the respective lease and the creditworthiness of the tenant, but generally is not a significant amount. Therefore, exposure to credit risk exists to the extent that a receivable from a tenant exceeds the amount of its security deposit. Security deposits received in cash related to tenant leases are included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and totaled $8.6 million and $8.8 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company excluded from rental income $9.9 million and $2.0 million, respectively, related to lease payments that were deemed not probable of collection. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded a net recovery of bad debt of $0.4 million and bad debt expense of $1.2 million, respectively, which was included in operating, maintenance and management expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. No bad debt expense or recovery was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020.
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized deferred rent from tenants of $4.6 million, $6.2 million and $9.1 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the cumulative deferred rent balance was $81.2 million and $77.6 million, respectively, and is included in rents and other receivables on the accompanying balance sheets. The cumulative deferred rent balance included $19.1 million and $20.6 million of unamortized lease incentives as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, the future minimum rental income from the Company’s properties held for investment under its non-cancelable operating leases was as follows (in thousands):
As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s office and office/retail properties were leased to approximately 590 tenants over a diverse range of industries and geographic areas. The Company’s highest tenant industry concentrations (greater than 10% of annualized base rent) were as follows:
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(1) Annualized base rent represents annualized contractual base rental income as of December 31, 2020, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent), rent increases and rent decreases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the lease term.
As of December 31, 2020, no other tenant industries accounted for more than 10% of annualized base rent and no tenant accounted for more than 10% of annualized base rent.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Geographic Concentration Risk
As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s net investments in real estate in California, Texas and Illinois represented 22%, 17%, and 14% of the Company’s total assets, respectively. As a result, the geographic concentration of the Company’s portfolio makes it particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the California, Texas and Illinois real estate markets. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these markets, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect the Company’s operating results and its ability to pay distributions to stockholders.
Impairment of Real Estate
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded impairment charges of $19.9 million and $8.7 million, respectively, to write down the carrying value of an office/retail property to its estimated fair value as a result of changes in cash flow estimates, including a change to the anticipated hold period of the property, which triggered the future estimated undiscounted cash flows to be lower than the net carrying value of the property. The decrease in cash flow projections was primarily due to the continued lack of demand for the property’s retail component resulting in longer than estimated lease-up periods and lower projected rental rates, mostly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the first quarter of 2020. As a result, many retail tenants have requested rent concessions as their businesses have been severely impacted. The Company did not record any impairment charges on its real estate properties during the year ended December 31, 2018.
4. REAL ESTATE DISPOSITIONS AND REAL ESTATE HELD FOR SALE
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold a multifamily apartment complex held through a consolidated joint venture to a buyer unaffiliated with the Hardware Village Joint Venture, the Company or the Advisor for $178.0 million, before third-party closing costs, credits and the disposition fee payable to the Advisor. The Company recognized a gain on sale of $49.5 million related to the disposition of Hardware Village. In connection with the sale, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, provided seller financing to the purchaser by originating a real estate loan receivable. See Note 6, “Real Estate Loan Receivable - Hardware Village First Mortgage.” As of December 31, 2020, the Company classified one office property as held for sale.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company, through 12 indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, sold 11 of its properties (the “Singapore Portfolio”) to various subsidiaries of the SREIT, which was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (“SGX-ST”) on July 19, 2019 (the “Singapore Transaction”). The Singapore Portfolio consisted of the following properties: Tower I at Emeryville, Emeryville, California; 222 Main, Salt Lake City, Utah; Village Center Station, Greenwood Village, Colorado; Village Center Station II, Greenwood Village, Colorado; 101 South Hanley, St. Louis, Missouri; Tower on Lake Carolyn, Irving, Texas; Promenade I & II at Eilan, San Antonio, Texas; CrossPoint at Valley Forge, Wayne, Pennsylvania; One Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Reston Square, Reston, Virginia; and 171 17th Street, Atlanta, Georgia. The Company sold the Singapore Portfolio to the SREIT on July 18, 2019. The sale price of the Singapore Portfolio was $1.2 billion, before third-party closing costs, closing credits and other costs of approximately $20.0 million and excluding disposition fees paid to the Advisor of $9.5 million. The Company recognized a gain on sale of $327.2 million related to the disposition of the Singapore Portfolio.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, disposed of one office property, Rocklin Corporate Center. On May 25, 2018, the Company sold Rocklin Corporate Center to a purchaser unaffiliated with the Company or the Advisor for $42.9 million before closing costs and credits and excluding disposition fees paid to the Advisor. The Company recognized a gain on sale of $11.9 million related to the disposition of Rocklin Corporate Center.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The following summary presents the major components of assets and liabilities related to real estate held for sale as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
The results of operations for the properties sold during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 and an office property classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2020 are included in continuing operations on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The following table summarizes certain revenues and expenses related to the Company’s real estate properties that were sold during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 and an office property classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2020, which were included in continuing operations (in thousands):
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
5. TENANT ORIGINATION AND ABSORPTION COSTS, ABOVE-MARKET LEASE ASSETS AND BELOW
MARKET LEASE LIABILITIES
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s tenant origination and absorption costs, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities (excluding fully amortized assets and liabilities and accumulated amortization) were as follows (in thousands):
Increases (decreases) in net income as a result of amortization of the Company’s tenant origination and absorption costs, above-market lease assets and below-market lease liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (in thousands):
The remaining unamortized balance for these outstanding intangible assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 is estimated to be amortized for the years ending December 31 as follows (in thousands):
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
6. REAL ESTATE LOAN RECEIVABLE
Hardware Village First Mortgage
On May 7, 2020, the Company through a consolidated joint venture (the “Hardware Village Joint Venture”) sold a multi-family apartment project (“Hardware Village”) to a buyer unaffiliated with the Hardware Village Joint Venture, the Company or the Advisor for a purchase price of $178.0 million, before third-party closing costs, credits and the disposition fee payable to the Advisor. The purchase price was paid in a combination of approximately $27.8 million in cash and approximately $150.2 million in seller financing provided by an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Lender”), as described below. The Company’s joint venture partner received a distribution of $6.4 million of the proceeds from the sale, assigned its interest in the Hardware Village Joint Venture to the Company and ceased to be a member of the Hardware Village Joint Venture effective May 7, 2020.
In connection with the sale and seller financing, on May 7, 2020, the buyer entered into a promissory note with the Lender for $150.2 million. The promissory note was secured by a first mortgage on Hardware Village (the “Hardware Village First Mortgage”). For the period commencing on May 7, 2020 through July 31, 2020, interest on the Hardware Village First Mortgage accrued based on the higher of 2.95% and 250 basis points plus one-month LIBOR. For the period commencing on August 1, 2020 and until the payoff date, interest on the Hardware Village First Mortgage accrued based on the higher of 3.95% and 350 basis points plus one-month LIBOR. Monthly payments were interest only, with the outstanding principal due and payable at maturity on May 6, 2021; however, the buyer/borrower had the option to prepay the outstanding principal and any unpaid accrued interest at any time without fee, premium or penalty.
On December 11, 2020, the buyer/borrower on the Hardware Village First Mortgage exercised its prepayment option available under the promissory note, pursuant to which the buyer/borrower paid off the entire outstanding principal balance and accrued interest in the amount of $150.4 million, without fee, premium or penalty.
The following summarizes the activity related to the real estate loan receivable for the year ended December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
For the year ended December 31, 2020, interest income from the real estate loan receivable consisted of the following (in thousands):
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
7. INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES
Investment in Prime US REIT
In connection with the Singapore Transaction, on July 19, 2019, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary (“REIT Properties III”), acquired 307,953,999 units in the SREIT at a price of $271.0 million, or $0.88 per unit, representing a 33.3% ownership interest in the SREIT. On August 21, 2019, REIT Properties III sold 18,392,100 of its units in the SREIT for $16.2 million pursuant to an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters of the SREIT’s offering, reducing REIT Properties III’s ownership in the SREIT to 31.3% of the outstanding units of the SREIT as of that date. As of December 31, 2020, REIT Properties III held 289,561,899 units of the SREIT which represented 27.4% of the outstanding units of the SREIT. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate value of the Company’s investment in the units of the SREIT was $228.8 million, which was based on the closing price of the SREIT units on the SGX-ST of $0.79 per unit as of December 31, 2020.
The Company has concluded that based on its 27.4% ownership interest as of December 31, 2020, it exercises significant influence over the operations, financial policies and decision making with respect to its investment in the SREIT. Accordingly, the Company has accounted for its investment in the SREIT under the equity method of accounting as of December 31, 2020. Income is allocated according to the Company’s ownership interest at each month-end and recorded as equity income (loss) from unconsolidated entity. Any dividends received from the SREIT reduces the carrying amount of the investment.
As of December 31, 2020, the carrying value of the Company’s investment in the SREIT was $233.6 million. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded equity in loss from an unconsolidated entity of $0.5 million related to its investment in the SREIT. Equity in loss from an unconsolidated entity for the year ended December 31, 2020 included $2.6 million related to the Company’s share of net losses from the SREIT offset by a gain of $2.1 million to reflect the net effect to the Company’s investment as a result of the net proceeds raised by the SREIT in a private offering in February 2020. For the period from July 19, 2019 to December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $1.4 million of equity in loss from an unconsolidated entity related to its investment in the SREIT.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company received $19.3 million of dividends from its investment in the SREIT, which was recorded as a reduction of the Company’s carrying value of the investment. The Company elected to apply the nature of the distribution approach for purposes of presentation of the dividends on the statement of consolidated cash flows and classified the dividends received as operating activities on the statement of consolidated cash flows as of December 31, 2020. The nature of the distribution approach requires the Company to classify distributions from equity method investments on the basis of the nature of the activities of the investee that generated the distribution as either a return on investment (classified as a cash inflow of operating activities) or a return of investment (classified as a cash inflow from investing activities) when such information is available.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The SREIT reports its financial statements in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards and uses the US dollar as its reporting currency, as such, the Company must make certain adjustments to the SREIT’s financial information to reflect U.S. GAAP before applying the equity method of accounting. Summarized financial information for the SREIT in accordance with U.S. GAAP follows (in thousands):
_____________________
(1) The Company’s share of net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 excludes the $2.1 million gain recorded to reflect the net effect to the Company’s investment as a result of the net proceeds raised by the SREIT in a private offering in February 2020, which was classified in equity in loss from an unconsolidated entity on the consolidated statement of operations.
Investment in Village Center Station II
On March 3, 2017, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, acquired a 75% equity interest in an existing company and created a joint venture (the “Village Center Station II Joint Venture”) with an unaffiliated developer, Shea Village Center Station II, LLC (the “Developer”), to develop and subsequently operate a 12-story office building and an adjacent two-story office/retail building in the Denver submarket of Greenwood Village, Colorado (together, “Village Center Station II”). The total cost of the development was $111.2 million and the Company’s initial capital contribution to the Village Center Station II Joint Venture was $32.3 million. The Village Center Station II Joint Venture funded the construction of Village Center Station II with capital contributions from its members and proceeds from a construction loan of $78.5 million. The Company concluded that the Village Center Station II Joint Venture qualified as a variable interest entity (“VIE”) and determined that it was not the primary beneficiary of this VIE and to account for its investment in the project under the equity method of accounting. Village Center Station II was substantially completed in May 2018.
On October 11, 2018, the Company purchased the Developer’s 25% equity interest for $28.2 million. Upon acquisition of the Developer’s interest, the Company accounted for Village Center Station II on a consolidated basis.
In accordance with the FASB ASC 810, Consolidation, upon the initial consolidation of a VIE that is not considered a business, the difference between (a) the sum of the total fair value of the consideration plus the reported amount of previously held interests and (b) the sum of the individual fair values of the net assets is recognized as a gain or loss. At acquisition, the fair value based on a third-party appraisal of Village Center Station II was $132.1 million, which was allocated to the assets and liabilities acquired. The Company allocated $8.6 million to land, $109.0 million to building and improvements and $14.5 million to tenant origination and absorption costs. The Company’s total cost basis was $130.1 million, which includes the Company’s investment in the unconsolidated joint venture, the consideration paid to purchase the Developer’s 25% equity interest, debt assumed from the joint venture, and acquisition fees and expenses. As a result, the Company recorded a remeasurement gain of $2.0 million as a result of change in control, which was included in equity income from unconsolidated entities during the year ended December 31, 2018. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized $2.1 million of equity in income from the Village Center Station II Joint Venture.
On July 18, 2019, the Company sold Village Center Station II as part of the Singapore Transaction. See Note 4, “Real Estate Dispositions and Real Estate Held for Sale.”
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
8. NOTES PAYABLE
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s notes payable, including notes payable related to real estate held for sale, consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
_____________________
(1) Contractual interest rate represents the interest rate in effect under the loan as of December 31, 2020. Effective interest rate is calculated as the actual interest rate in effect as of December 31, 2020, consisting of the contractual interest rate and using interest rate indices as of December 31, 2020, where applicable. For information regarding the Company’s derivative instruments, see Note 9, “Derivative Instruments.”
(2) Represents the maturity date as of December 31, 2020; subject to certain conditions, the maturity dates of certain loans may be extended beyond the dates shown.
(3) On December 30, 2020, the Company repaid the entire principal balance and all other sums due under the Anchor Centre Mortgage Loan.
(4) On January 23, 2020, the 201 17th Street Mortgage Loan was paid off and the 201 17th Street property was added to the collateral of the Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility. See below, “- Recent Financing Transactions - Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility.”
(5) On November 18, 2020, the Company refinanced The Almaden Mortgage Loan with an unaffiliated lender for borrowings of $123.0 million. See below, “ - Recent Financing Transactions - Refinancing of The Almaden Mortgage Loan.”
(6) As of December 31, 2020, $88.8 million of term debt of the Carillon Mortgage Loan was outstanding and $22.2 million of revolving debt remained available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in the loan documents.
(7) See below, “- Recent Financing Transactions - Modified Portfolio Loan Facility.”
(8) See below, “- Recent Financing Transactions - Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility.”
(9) Represents the payment type required as of December 31, 2020. Certain future monthly payments due under the loan also include amortizing principal payments. For more information on the Company’s contractual obligations under its notes payable, see the five-year maturity table below.
(10) See below, “- Recent Financing Transactions - Accenture Tower Revolving Loan.”
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred $81.1 million, $114.3 million and $72.2 million of interest expense, respectively. Included in interest expense was: (i) the amortization of deferred financing costs of $4.3 million, $5.5 million and $6.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and (ii) interest expense (including gains and losses) incurred as a result of the Company’s derivative instruments, which increased interest expense by $39.1 million and $33.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and reduced interest expense by $11.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Additionally, the Company capitalized $1.7 million and $2.8 million of interest related to construction in progress for the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. No interest was capitalized during the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, $4.0 million and $4.5 million of interest expense were payable, respectively.
The following is a schedule of maturities, including principal amortization payments, for all notes payable outstanding as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
The Company’s notes payable contain financial debt covenants. As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with these debt covenants.
Recent Financing Transactions
Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility
On October 17, 2018, the Company, through indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a three-year loan facility with U.S. Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Agent”), for a committed amount of up to $215.0 million (the “Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility”).
On January 23, 2020, the Company, through indirect wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Borrower”), entered into a first modification and additional advance agreement (the “Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility”) with the Agent and the Lenders (defined below) to (i) increase the committed amount by $110.0 million to $325.0 million, subject to certain conditions in the loan agreement, (ii) add 201 17th Street as collateral for the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility, and (iii) reset the loan term. The Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility is composed of $162.5 million of term debt and $162.5 million of revolving debt. The lenders under the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility are U.S. Bank, N.A., Regions Bank, Citizens Bank, City National Bank and Associated Bank, N.A. (the “Lenders”).
On January 23, 2020, the Company drew $66.5 million on the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility of which $64.9 million was used to pay off the 201 17th Street Mortgage Loan and the remaining amount was used to pay origination fees and accrued interest. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance under the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility consisted of $162.5 million of term debt. As of December 31, 2020, an additional $162.5 million of revolving debt remained available upon satisfaction of certain loan conditions set forth in the loan documents. The Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, real property acquisitions and other corporate purposes.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The initial maturity date of the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility is March 1, 2023, with two 12-month extension options, subject to certain terms, conditions and fees as described in the loan documents. The Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility bears interest at a floating rate of 150 basis points over one-month LIBOR. Monthly payments are interest only with the entire balance and all outstanding interest and fees due at maturity. The Company will have the right to prepay all or a portion of the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility, subject to certain expenses potentially incurred by the Lender as a result of the prepayment and subject to certain conditions contained in the loan documents. During the term of the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility, the Company has an option to increase the committed amount of the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility up to four times with each increase of the committed amount to be at least $15.0 million but no greater than, in the aggregate, an additional $325.0 million so that the committed amount will not exceed $650.0 million, of which 50% would be term debt and 50% would be revolving debt, with the addition of one or more properties to secure the loan, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. In addition, the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility contains customary representations and warranties, financial and other covenants, events of default and remedies typical for this type of facility. The Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility is secured by 515 Congress, Domain Gateway, the McEwen Building, Gateway Tech Center and 201 17th Street.
Accenture Tower Revolving Loan
On November 2, 2020, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary (the “Accenture Tower Borrower”), entered into a three-year loan facility with U.S. Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, joint lead arranger and co-book runner; Bank of America, N.A., as syndication agent, joint lead arranger and co-book runner; and Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (together, the “Accenture Tower Lenders”), for a committed amount of up to $375.0 million (the “Accenture Tower Revolving Loan”), of which $281.3 million is term debt and $93.7 million is revolving debt. At closing, $281.3 million was funded, of which approximately $210.3 million was used to pay down the Portfolio Loan Facility. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance under the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan consisted of $281.3 million of term debt and an additional $93.7 million of revolving debt remained available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. Subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents, the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, real property acquisitions and other corporate purposes, provided that $30.0 million of the revolving debt is to be used for tenant improvements and lease commissions related to the Accenture lease although this restriction is released as the Company completes such projects. In addition, the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan contains customary representations and warranties, financial and other affirmative and negative covenants (including maintenance of an ongoing debt service coverage ratio), events of default and remedies typical for this type of facility.
The Accenture Tower Revolving Loan matures on November 2, 2023, with two 12-month extension options, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. The Accenture Tower Revolving Loan bears interest at a floating rate of 225 basis points over one-month LIBOR so long as the loan is subject to a lender provided swap. The Accenture Tower Revolving Loan includes provisions for a “LIBOR Successor Rate” in the event LIBOR is unascertainable or ceases to be available. Monthly payments are interest only with the entire balance and all outstanding interest and fees due at maturity. The Company will have the right to repay the loan in part and in whole subject to certain conditions contained in the loan documents.
On March 1, 2021, U.S. Bank, National Association, assigned $50.0 million of its portion of the committed amount of the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan to the National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P. Effective March 1, 2021, the Accenture Tower Lenders include U.S. Bank, National Association, Bank of America, N.A., Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG and National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P. There were no changes to the original terms of the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan.
Modified Portfolio Loan Facility
On November 3, 2017, the Company, through indirectly wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a three-year loan facility with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent; Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and U.S. Bank, N.A., as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners; Wells Fargo Bank, NA, as syndication agent, and each of the financial institutions a signatory thereto (the “Portfolio Loan Facility Lenders”), for an amount of up to $1.01 billion (the “Portfolio Loan Facility”), of which $757.5 million was term debt and $252.5 million was revolving debt. The Portfolio Loan Facility had an initial maturity date of November 3, 2020, with two 12-month extension options, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
On November 3, 2020, the Company, through indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into a loan extension and modification agreement (the “Modified Portfolio Loan Facility”) with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent for the Portfolio Loan Facility Lenders, to (i) extend the maturity date of the Modified Portfolio Loan Facility to November 3, 2021 and (ii) modify the loan documents to include provisions for a “LIBOR Successor Rate” in the event LIBOR is unascertainable or ceases to be available. The face amount of the Portfolio Loan Facility is $630.6 million, of which $472.9 million is term debt and $157.7 million is revolving debt. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance under the Portfolio Loan Facility consisted of $472.9 million of term debt. The entire revolving portion of the Portfolio Loan Facility remains available for future disbursements, subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents. The Modified Portfolio Loan Facility has one additional 12-month extension option, subject to certain terms and conditions as described in the loan documents. The Modified Portfolio Loan Facility is secured by RBC Plaza, Preston Commons, Sterling Plaza, Towers at Emeryville, Ten Almaden and Town Center. Accenture Tower was released as security from the loan in connection with the entry into the Accenture Tower Revolving Loan.
Refinancing of The Almaden Mortgage Loan
On November 18, 2020, the Company, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary (“The Almaden Borrower”), entered into a three-year mortgage loan with a lender unaffiliated with the Company or the Advisor (“The Almaden Lender”) for $123.0 million (the “Refinancing”). The Refinancing is secured by The Almaden building. At closing, $123.0 million of the Refinancing was funded, of which $93.3 million was used to pay off the outstanding principal balance and accrued interest under The Almaden Mortgage Loan. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance under The Almaden Mortgage Loan was $123.0 million. The Refinancing matures on December 1, 2023 with two 12-month extension options, subject to certain terms, conditions and fees as described in the loan documents. The Refinancing bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.65% for the initial term of the loan and a floating rate of 350 basis points over one-month LIBOR during the extension options, subject to a minimum interest rate of 3.65%. The Refinancing includes provisions for a LIBOR successor rate in the event LIBOR is unascertainable or ceases to be available. Monthly payments are interest only with the entire balance and all outstanding interest and fees due at maturity. During the initial term of the Refinancing, the Company will have the right to repay the Refinancing in full, but not in part, on or after December 1, 2021, subject to certain conditions and prepayment fees contained in the loan documents.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
9. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
The Company enters into derivative instruments for risk management purposes to hedge its exposure to cash flow variability caused by changing interest rates. The primary goal of the Company’s risk management practices related to interest rate risk is to prevent changes in interest rates from adversely impacting the Company’s ability to achieve its investment return objectives. The Company does not enter into derivatives for speculative purposes.
The Company enters into interest rate swaps as a fixed rate payer to mitigate its exposure to rising interest rates on its variable rate notes payable. The value of interest rate swaps is primarily impacted by interest rates, market expectations about interest rates, and the remaining life of the instrument. In general, increases in interest rates, or anticipated increases in interest rates, will increase the value of the fixed rate payer position and decrease the value of the variable rate payer position. As the remaining life of the interest rate swap decreases, the value of both positions will generally move towards zero.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has entered into eight interest rate swaps, which were not designated as hedging instruments. The following table summarizes the notional amount and other information related to the Company’s interest rate swaps as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The notional amount is an indication of the extent of the Company’s involvement in each instrument at that time, but does not represent exposure to credit, interest rate or market risks (dollars in thousands):
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(1) During the year ended December 31, 2020, two of the Company’s interest rate swaps matured. In November 2020, the Company early terminated three interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $232.5 million maturing in November 2022, January 2023 and February 2023 and entered into two new interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $281.3 million, both maturing on November 2, 2023. The two new interest rate swaps were determined to be hybrid financial instruments with an embedded derivative and the Company elected the fair value option under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, to measure these two interest rate swaps at fair value. The Company elected the fair value option to account for these two interest rate swaps at fair value to be consistent with the Company’s presentation of its existing interest rate swaps which are recorded at fair value.
The following table sets forth the fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):
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(1) As of December 31, 2020, other liabilities includes a $7.8 million liability related to the fair value of two off-market interest rate swaps determined to be hybrid financial instruments for which the Company elected to apply the fair value option.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
The change in fair value of the effective portion of a derivative instrument that is designated as a cash flow hedge is recorded as other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) and as other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying consolidated statements of equity. Amounts in other comprehensive income (loss) will be reclassified into earnings in the periods in which earnings are affected by the hedged cash flows. The change in fair value of the ineffective portion is recognized directly in earnings. With respect to swap agreements that are terminated for which it remains probable that the original hedged forecasted transactions (i.e., LIBOR-based debt service payments) will occur, the loss related to the termination of these swap agreements is included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and is reclassified into earnings over the period of the original forecasted hedged transaction. The change in fair value of a derivative instrument that is not designated as a cash flow hedge is recorded as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The following table summarizes the effects of derivative instruments on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):
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(1) For the year ended December 31, 2020, unrealized loss on interest rate swaps included a $7.8 million unrealized loss related to the change in fair value of two off-market interest rate swaps determined to be hybrid financial instruments for which the Company elected to apply the fair value option.
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, there was no ineffective portion related to the change in fair value of the derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
10. FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES
The following is a summary of the methods and assumptions used by management in estimating the fair value of each class of assets and liabilities for which it is practicable to estimate the fair value:
Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, rent and other receivables, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities: These balances approximate their fair values due to the short maturities of these items.
Derivative instruments: The Company’s derivative instruments are presented at fair value on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The valuation of these instruments is determined using a proprietary model that utilizes observable inputs. As such, the Company classifies these inputs as Level 2 inputs. The proprietary model uses the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, as well as observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves and volatility. The fair values of interest rate swaps are estimated using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. In addition, credit valuation adjustments, which consider the impact of any credit risks to the contracts, are incorporated in the fair values to account for potential nonperformance risk.
Notes payable: The fair values of the Company’s notes payable are estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on management’s estimates of current market interest rates for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio, type of collateral and other credit enhancements. Additionally, when determining the fair value of a liability in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, the Company measures fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach. The Company classifies these inputs as Level 3 inputs.
The following were the face values, carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s notes payable as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, which carrying amounts generally do not approximate the fair values (in thousands):
Disclosure of the fair values of financial instruments is based on pertinent information available to the Company as of the period end and requires a significant amount of judgment. Low levels of transaction volume for certain financial instruments have made the estimation of fair values difficult and, therefore, both the actual results and the Company’s estimate of value at a future date could be materially different.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company measured the following derivative instruments at fair value (in thousands):
_____________________
(1) Includes a $7.8 million liability related to the fair value of two off-market interest rate swaps determined to be hybrid financial instruments for which the Company elected to apply the fair value option.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company measured the following asset at fair value on a nonrecurring basis (in thousands):
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(1) Amount represents the fair value for a real estate asset impacted by an impairment charge during the year ended December 31, 2020, as of the date that the fair value measurement was made, which was March 31, 2020. The carrying value for the real estate asset may have subsequently increased or decreased from the fair value reflected due to activity that has occurred since the measurement date.
At March 31, 2020, one of the Company’s real estate properties was measured at its estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flow approach. The significant unobservable inputs the Company used in measuring the estimated fair value of this property include a discount rate of 9.00% and a terminal cap rate of 8.25%. See Note 3, “Real Estate - Impairment of Real Estate” for further discussion of the impaired real estate property.
11. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company has entered into the Advisory Agreement with the Advisor and the Dealer Manager Agreement with the Dealer Manager. These agreements entitled the Advisor and/or the Dealer Manager to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the Offering and reimbursement of organization and offering costs incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company and entitle the Advisor to specified fees upon the provision of certain services with regard to the investment of funds in real estate investments, the management of those investments, among other services, and the disposition of investments, as well as entitle the Advisor and/or the Dealer Manager to reimbursement of offering costs related to the dividend reinvestment plan incurred by the Advisor and the Dealer Manager on behalf of the Company and certain costs incurred by the Advisor in providing services to the Company. In addition, the Advisor is entitled to certain other fees, including an incentive fee upon achieving certain performance goals, as detailed in the Advisory Agreement. The Company has also entered into a fee reimbursement agreement with the Dealer Manager pursuant to which the Company agreed to reimburse the Dealer Manager for certain fees and expenses it incurs for administering the Company’s participation in the DTCC Alternative Investment Product Platform with respect to certain accounts of the Company’s investors serviced through the platform. The Advisor and Dealer Manager also serve or served as the advisor and dealer manager, respectively, for KBS REIT I (which liquidated in December 2018), KBS REIT II, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT (advisory agreement terminated as of October 31, 2019 and the dealer manager agreement terminated as of December 31, 2019), KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT (which liquidated in December 2018), Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II (advisory agreement terminated as of October 31, 2019 and the dealer manager agreement terminated as of December 31, 2019) and KBS Growth & Income REIT.
On November 1, 2019, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT and Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II each entered into advisory agreements with a new external advisor, Pacific Oak Capital Advisors, LLC. Pacific Oak Capital Advisors, LLC is part of a group of companies formed, owned and managed by Keith D. Hall and Peter McMillan III. Together, through GKP Holding LLC, Messrs. Hall and McMillan continue to indirectly own a 33 1/3% interest in the Advisor and the Dealer Manager.
As of January 1, 2018, the Company, together with KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II, the Dealer Manager, the Advisor and other KBS-affiliated entities, had entered into an errors and omissions and directors and officers liability insurance program where the lower tiers of such insurance coverage were shared. The cost of these lower tiers is allocated by the Advisor and its insurance broker among each of the various entities covered by the program, and is billed directly to each entity. At the June 2018 renewal, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II and KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT elected to cease participation in the program and obtained separate insurance coverage. In June 2020, the Company renewed its participation in the program. The program is effective through June 30, 2021.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, summarized below are the related-party costs incurred by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and any related amounts payable as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
_____________________
(1) See “Deferral of Asset Management Fees” below.
(2) Reimbursable operating expenses primarily consists of internal audit personnel costs, accounting software and cybersecurity related expenses incurred by the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement. The Company has reimbursed the Advisor for the Company’s allocable portion of the salaries, benefits and overhead of internal audit department personnel providing services to the Company. These amounts totaled $338,000, $357,000 and $325,000 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and were the only type of employee costs reimbursed under the Advisory Agreement for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. The Company will not reimburse for employee costs in connection with services for which the Advisor earns acquisition or origination fees or disposition fees (other than reimbursement of travel and communication expenses) or for the salaries or benefits the Advisor or its affiliates may pay to the Company’s executive officers. In addition to the amounts above, the Company reimburses the Advisor for certain of the Company’s direct costs incurred from third parties that were initially paid by the Advisor on behalf of the Company.
(3) Prior to the Singapore Transaction closing on July 19, 2019, the Company and the Advisor had agreed to evenly divide certain costs and expenses related to the Singapore Transaction. The Company incurred a total of $4.1 million of costs related to the Singapore Transaction, which were reimbursable by the SREIT upon a successful closing. These costs included legal, audit, tax, printing and other out-of-pocket costs that the Company incurred related to the Singapore Transaction. In October 2019, all of these costs had been reimbursed to the Company from the Advisor upon the Advisor receiving the reimbursement from the SREIT.
(4) Disposition fees with respect to real estate sold are included in the gain on sale of real estate, net, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
In connection with the Offering, Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber agreed to provide additional indemnification to one of the participating broker-dealers. The Company agreed to add supplemental coverage to its directors’ and officers’ insurance coverage to insure Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber’s obligations under this indemnification agreement in exchange for reimbursement by Messrs. Bren, Hall, McMillan and Schreiber to the Company for all costs, expenses and premiums related to this supplemental coverage. During each of the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Advisor incurred $0.1 million for the costs of the supplemental coverage obtained by the Company.
For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Advisor reimbursed the Company $0.2 million for property insurance rebates.
Deferral of Asset Management Fees
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, with respect to asset management fees accruing from March 1, 2014, the Advisor has agreed to defer, without interest, the Company’s obligation to pay asset management fees for any month in which the Company’s modified funds from operations (“MFFO”) for such month, as such term is defined in the practice guideline issued by the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (formerly known as the Investment Program Association) in November 2010 and interpreted by the Company, excluding asset management fees, does not exceed the amount of distributions declared by the Company for record dates of that month. The Company remains obligated to pay the Advisor an asset management fee in any month in which the Company’s MFFO, excluding asset management fees, for such month exceeds the amount of distributions declared for the record dates of that month (such excess amount, an “MFFO Surplus”); however, any amount of such asset management fee in excess of the MFFO Surplus will also be deferred under the Advisory Agreement. If the MFFO Surplus for any month exceeds the amount of the asset management fee payable for such month, any remaining MFFO Surplus will be applied to pay any asset management fee amounts previously deferred in accordance with the Advisory Agreement.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
However, notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all deferred asset management fees that are unpaid will become immediately due and payable at such time as the Company’s stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital (the “Stockholders’ 8% Return”) and (ii) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to the Company’s share redemption program. The Stockholders’ 8% Return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of the Company’s stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for the Advisor to receive deferred asset management fees.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had accrued and deferred payment of $8.5 million and $6.7 million of asset management fees under the Advisory Agreement, respectively.
Lease to Affiliate
On May 29, 2015, the indirect wholly owned subsidiary (the “Lessor”) of the Company that owns 3003 Washington Boulevard entered into a lease with an affiliate of the Advisor (the “Lessee”) for 5,046 rentable square feet, or approximately 2.4% of the total rentable square feet, at 3003 Washington Boulevard. The lease commenced on October 1, 2015 and was to terminate on August 31, 2019. The annualized base rent, which represents annualized contractual base rental income, adjusted to straight-line any contractual tenant concessions (including free rent) and rent increases from the lease’s inception through the balance of the initial lease term, for this lease was approximately $0.2 million, and the average annual rental rate (net of rental abatements) over the lease term was $46.38 per square foot.
On March 14, 2019, the Lessor entered into a First Amendment to Deed of Lease with the Lessee to extend the lease period commencing on September 1, 2019 and terminating on August 31, 2024 (the “Amended Lease”) and set the annual base rent during the extension period. The annualized base rent from the commencement of the Amended Lease is approximately $0.3 million, and the average annual rental rate (net of rental abatements) over the term of the Amended Lease through its termination is $62.55 per square foot.
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 the Company recognized $0.3 million, $0.3 million and $0.2 million of revenue related to this lease, respectively.
Prior to their approval of the lease and the Amended Lease, the Company’s conflicts committee and board of directors determined the lease to be fair and reasonable to the Company.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Portfolio Sale
On July 18, 2019, the Company sold the Singapore Portfolio to the SREIT, which is affiliated with Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and one of the Company’s directors. See Note 7, “Investment in Unconsolidated Entities” for information related to the investment the Company made in the SREIT in connection with the Singapore Transaction. The SREIT is externally managed by a joint venture (the “Manager”) among KBS Asia Partners Pte. Ltd. (“KAP”), an entity in which Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. currently holds an indirect 50% ownership interest, and other entities unaffiliated with the Company. The SREIT is expected to pay the Manager an annual base fee of 10% of annual distributable income and an annual performance fee of 25% of the increase in distributions per unit of the SREIT from the preceding year; however, there was not any performance fee for 2019, and in 2020 such fee was determined based on an increase over projected distributions per unit. In addition, for acquisitions, the SREIT will pay the Manager an acquisition fee of 1% of the acquisition price of any real estate acquired. No acquisition fee was paid with respect to the SREIT’s acquisition of the Singapore Portfolio. The SREIT will also pay the Manager a divestment fee of 0.5% of the sale price of any real estate sold or divested and a development management fee of 3% of the total project costs incurred for development projects, to the extent the SREIT acquires a development project. A portion of these fees paid to the Manager will be paid to KBS Realty Advisors LLC, an affiliate of the Advisor and an entity controlled by Mr. Schreiber, for sub-advisory services. The Schreiber Trust, a trust whose beneficiaries are Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. and his family members, and the Linda Bren 2017 Trust also acquired units in the SREIT. The Schreiber Trust agreed that for the benefit of the Company it will not sell any portion of its respective units in the SREIT unless and until it has received the Company’s prior written consent, including the consent of the Company’s conflicts committee. The Linda Bren 2017 Trust has agreed for the benefit of the Company that it will not sell $5.0 million of its $10.0 million aggregate investment in the SREIT unless and until it has received the Company’s prior written consent, including the consent of the Company’s conflicts committee. Linda Bren is the spouse of the Company’s former director and president, who passed away in April 2019. In addition, Barbara R. Cambon, one of the Company’s former directors, accepted the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the Manager and will receive compensation for her services. In connection with her acceptance of these positions, Ms. Cambon resigned from the Company’s board of directors effective June 26, 2019.
During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, no other business transactions occurred between the Company and KBS REIT I, KBS REIT II, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT II, KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT, KBS Growth & Income REIT, the Advisor, the Dealer Manager or other KBS-affiliated entities. See Note 13 “Commitments and Contingencies - Participation Fee Liability”.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
12. SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)
Presented below is a summary of the unaudited quarterly financial information for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
__________________
(1) See Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Per Share Data,” for more information regarding distributions declared.
13. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Economic Dependency
The Company is dependent on the Advisor for certain services that are essential to the Company, including the identification, evaluation, negotiation, origination, acquisition and disposition of investments; management of the daily operations of the Company’s investment portfolio; and other general and administrative responsibilities. In the event that the Advisor is unable to provide the respective services, the Company will be required to obtain such services from other sources.
Legal Matters
From time to time, the Company may be party to legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business. Management is not aware of any legal proceedings of which the outcome is probable or reasonably possible to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition, which would require accrual or disclosure of the contingency and possible range of loss. Additionally, the Company has not recorded any loss contingencies related to legal proceedings in which the potential loss is deemed to be remote.
Environmental
As an owner of real estate, the Company is subject to various environmental laws of federal, state and local governments. Compliance with existing environmental laws is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations as of December 31, 2020.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
Participation Fee Liability
In accordance with the Advisory Agreement with the Advisor, the Advisor is entitled to receive a participation fee equal to 15.0% of the Company’s net cash flows, whether from continuing operations, net sale proceeds or otherwise, after the Company’s stockholders have received, together as a collective group, aggregate distributions (including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes) sufficient to provide (i) a return of their net invested capital, or the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of shares purchased by stockholders by the issue price, reduced by any amounts to repurchase shares pursuant to the share redemption program, and (ii) an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on such net invested capital. Net sales proceeds means the net cash proceeds realized by the Company after deduction of all expenses incurred in connection with a sale, including disposition fees paid to the Advisor. The 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return on net invested capital is calculated on a daily basis. In making this calculation, the net invested capital is reduced to the extent distributions in excess of a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 8.0% are paid (from whatever source), except to the extent such distributions would be required to supplement prior distributions paid in order to achieve a cumulative, noncompounded, annual return of 8.0% (invested capital is only reduced as described in this sentence; it is not reduced simply because a distribution constitutes a return of capital for federal income tax purposes). The 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return is not based on the return provided to any individual stockholder. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each of the Company’s stockholders to have received any minimum return in order for the Advisor to participate in the Company’s net cash flows. In fact, if the Advisor is entitled to participate in the Company’s net cash flows, the returns of the Company’s stockholders will differ, and some may be less than an 8.0% per year cumulative, noncompounded return. This fee is payable only if the Company is not listed on an exchange.
On January 9, 2020, the Company filed a definitive proxy statement with the SEC seeking approval from its stockholders of, among other proposals, two proposals related to the Company’s pursuit of conversion to a non-listed, perpetual-life “NAV REIT.” On May 7, 2020 at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders, the Company’s stockholders approved the proposal to accelerate the payment of incentive compensation to the Advisor, upon the Company’s conversion to an NAV REIT. With respect to the incentive fee structure currently in effect with the Advisor, the triggering events for payment of the incentive fee are generally expected to occur, if ever, upon a listing of the Company’s shares of stock on a national securities exchange or a significant distribution of cash in connection with a sale of all or a substantial amount of the Company’s assets. These triggering events are inconsistent with a perpetual-life NAV REIT that intends to provide liquidity to its stockholders through a share redemption program and/or periodic self-tender offers. If the Company converts to an NAV REIT, in order to properly align the Advisor’s and its affiliates’ incentive fee compensation structure with the Company’s proposed perpetual-life strategy, the Company intends to revise its incentive fee structure. With respect to the historical performance period from inception through conversion to an NAV REIT, the Company sought and obtained stockholder approval to accelerate the payment of the incentive compensation upon conversion to a perpetual-life NAV REIT, subject to certain conditions. Such accelerated payment is subject to further approval of the conflicts committee of the Company’s board of directors, after the proposed amount of the accelerated payment of the incentive fee has been determined. In connection with the determination of the December 7, 2020 estimated value per share of the Company’s common stock, the Advisor determined that there would be no liability related to the subordinated participation in net cash flows at that time, based on a hypothetical liquidation of the assets and liabilities at their estimated fair values, after considering the impact of any potential closing costs and fees related to the disposition of real estate properties; however, changes to the fair values of assets and liabilities could have a material impact to the incentive fee calculation. As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, severely impacting global economic activity and causing significant volatility and negative pressure in the financial markets, including the U.S. real estate office market and the industries of the Company’s tenants, the Company’s conflicts committee and board of directors continue to evaluate whether the proposed conversion to an NAV REIT remains in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
14. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company evaluates subsequent events up until the date the consolidated financial statements are issued.
Distributions Paid
On January 4, 2021, the Company paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 18, 2020. On February 1, 2021, the Company paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 21, 2021. On March 1, 2021, the Company paid distributions of $9.2 million, which related to distributions in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 19, 2021.
Distributions Authorized
On March 11, 2021, the Company’s board of directors authorized a March 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 19, 2021, which the Company expects to pay in April 2021, and an April 2021 distribution in the amount of $0.04983333 per share of common stock to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 20, 2021, which the Company expects to pay in May 2021.
Investors may choose to receive cash distributions or purchase additional shares through the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan.
Disposition of Anchor Centre
On January 19, 2021, the Company completed the sale of Anchor Centre to a purchaser unaffiliated with the Company or the Advisor, for $103.5 million, or $100.5 million net of credits given to the purchaser primarily for outstanding tenant improvements and lease incentives, before third-party closing costs of approximately $1.1 million and excluding disposition fees payable to the Advisor.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE ASSETS AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION
December 31, 2020
(dollar amounts in thousands)
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE ASSETS AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
(dollar amounts in thousands)
____________________
(1) Building and improvements includes tenant origination and absorption costs and construction in progress.
(2) Costs capitalized subsequent to acquisition is net of impairment charges, write-offs of fully depreciated/amortized assets and property damage.
(3) The aggregate cost of real estate for federal income tax purposes was $2.8 billion (unaudited) as of December 31, 2020.
(4) As of December 31, 2020, these properties served as the security for the Modified Portfolio Revolving Loan Facility, which had an outstanding principal balance of $162.5 million.
(5) As of December 31, 2020, these properties served as the security for the Modified Portfolio Loan Facility, which had an outstanding principal balance of $472.9 million.
(6) As of December 31, 2020, these properties served as the security for the 3001 & 3003 Washington Mortgage Loan, which had an outstanding principal balance of $143.2 million.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE ASSETS AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION (CONTINUED)
December 31, 2020
(dollar amounts in thousands)
_____________________
(1) Amounts include properties held for sale.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newport Beach, State of California, on March 12, 2021.
KBS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST III, INC.
By:/s/ Charles J. Schreiber, Jr.
Charles J. Schreiber, Jr.
Chairman of the Board,
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
(principal executive officer)
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated: