5. Investment in Unconsolidated Entities

Real Estate Joint Ventures and Investments

Joint ventures are common in the real estate industry. We use joint ventures to finance properties, develop new properties and diversify our risk in a particular property or portfolio of properties. As discussed in Note 2, we held joint venture interests in 82 properties as of March 31, 2015.

Certain of our joint venture properties are subject to various rights of first refusal, buy-sell provisions, put and call rights, or other sale or marketing rights for partners which are customary in real estate joint venture agreements and the industry. We and our partners in these joint ventures may initiate these provisions (subject to any applicable lock up or similar restrictions), which may result in either the sale of our interest or the use of available cash or borrowings, or the use of limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership, to acquire the joint venture interest from our partner.

We may provide financing to joint ventures primarily in the form of interest bearing construction loans. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had construction loans and other advances to related parties totaling $13.8 million and $14.9 million, respectively, which are included in deferred costs and other assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Unconsolidated Property Transactions

On January 30, 2014, as discussed in Note 9, we acquired the remaining 50% interest in Arizona Mills from our joint venture partner. The consolidation of this previously unconsolidated property resulted in a remeasurement of our previously held interest to fair value and a corresponding non-cash gain of $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2014. As a result of this acquisition, we now own 100% of this property.

On February 24, 2015, Houston Galleria, in which we own a 50.4% noncontrolling interest, refinanced its $821.0 million mortgage with a $1.2 billion mortgage that matures on March 1, 2025. The fixed interest rate was reduced from 5.44% to 3.55% as a result. Excess proceeds from the financing were distributed to the venture partners in February 2015.

In February 2015, we agreed to create a joint venture with Hudson's Bay Company, or HBC. Upon formation of the joint venture, HBC will contribute 42 owned properties for an eventual pro forma 80% equity interest in the newly formed joint venture. We have committed to contribute $100.0 million to the newly formed joint venture for improvements to the properties contributed by HBC. We may contribute up to an additional $178.5 million for an eventual pro forma equity stake of 20% in the newly formed joint venture. We expect this transaction to close during the second quarter of 2015.

On April 13, 2015, we announced we had formed a joint venture with Sears Holdings, or Sears, whereby Sears contributed 10 of its properties at our malls to the newly formed joint venture in exchange for a 50% noncontrolling interest in this joint venture. We have contributed cash in the amount of $114.0 million in exchange for a 50% noncontrolling interest in the newly formed joint venture. Sears or its affiliates are leasing back each of those properties from the joint venture. The joint venture has the right to recapture not less than 50% of the space leased to Sears to be used for purposes of redeveloping and releasing the recaptured space. We will provide development, leasing and management services to the joint venture. We have also agreed to invest $33.0 million in common shares of Seritage Growth Properties, a REIT recently formed by Sears. Sears has informed us that they plan to transfer its interest in the newly formed joint venture to Seritage Growth Properties.

European Investments

At March 31, 2015, we owned 57,634,148 shares, or approximately 18.3%, of Klépierre, which had a quoted market price of $49.48 per share. On July 29, 2014 Klépierre announced that it had entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Corio N.V., or Corio, pursuant to which Corio shareholders would receive 1.14 Klépierre ordinary shares for each Corio ordinary share. On January 15, 2015 the tender offer transaction closed and the merger was completed on March 31, 2015, reducing our ownership from 28.9% to 18.3% resulting in a non-cash gain of $206.9 million as further discussed in Note 3. Our share of net income, net of amortization of our excess investment, was $6.1 million and $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Based on applicable Euro:USD exchange rates and after our conversion of Klépierre's results to GAAP, Klépierre's total revenues, operating income and consolidated net income were approximately $332.5 million, $141.6 million and $72.0 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and $367.3 million, $166.7 million and $52.9 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Our joint venture with McArthurGlen has interests in five Designer Outlets, one development project as well as a property management and development company. At March 31, 2015 our legal percentage ownership interests in these entities range from 45% to 90%. The carrying amount of our investment in these joint ventures, including all related components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as well as subsequent capital contributions for development, was $581.4 million and $677.1 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. In December 2014, Roermond Designer Outlet phases 2 and 3, in which we own a 90% interest, refinanced its $85.1 million mortgage maturing in 2017 with a $218.9 million mortgage that matures in 2021. The fixed interest rate was reduced from 5.12% to 1.86% as a result. Excess proceeds from the financing were distributed to the venture partners in January 2015.

We also have a minority interest in Value Retail PLC and affiliated entities, which own or have interests in and operate nine luxury outlets throughout Europe and a direct minority ownership in three of those outlets. Our investment in these centers is accounted for under the cost method. At each of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the carrying value of these non-marketable investments was $115.4 million and is included in deferred costs and other assets.

On March 19, 2015 we disposed of our interest in a joint venture, which had held interests in rights to pre-development projects in Europe, for total proceeds of $19.0 million. We recognized a gain on the sale of $8.3 million, which is included in other income in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. The gain includes $0.8 million that was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Asian Joint Ventures

We conduct our international Premium Outlet operations in Japan through a joint venture with Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. We have a 40% ownership interest in this joint venture. The carrying amount of our investment in this joint venture was $230.9 million and $229.8 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, including all related components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We conduct our international Premium Outlet operations in South Korea through a joint venture with Shinsegae International Co. We have a 50% ownership interest in this joint venture. The carrying amount of our investment in this joint venture was $107.2 million and $104.5 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, including all related components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Summary Financial Information

A summary of our equity method investments and share of income from such investments, excluding Klépierre, follows. As discussed in Note 3, on May 28, 2014, we completed the spin-off of Washington Prime, which included ten unconsolidated properties. The net income of these ten properties is included in income from operations of discontinued joint venture interests in the accompanying summary financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

BALANCE SHEETS

	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
Assets:
Investment properties, at cost	$	16,010,766		$	16,087,282
Less — accumulated depreciation		5,525,606			5,457,899

		10,485,160			10,629,383
Cash and cash equivalents		763,917			993,178
Tenant receivables and accrued revenue, net		308,358			362,201
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at equity		—			11,386
Deferred costs and other assets		507,735			536,600

Total assets	$	12,065,170		$	12,532,748


Liabilities and Partners' Deficit:
Mortgages	$	13,629,050		$	13,272,557
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, intangibles, and deferred revenue		861,041			1,015,334
Other liabilities		440,651			493,718

Total liabilities		14,930,742			14,781,609
Preferred units		67,450			67,450
Partners' deficit		(2,933,022	)		(2,316,311	)

Total liabilities and partners' deficit	$	12,065,170		$	12,532,748


Our Share of:
Partners' deficit	$	(1,064,025	)	$	(663,700	)
Add: Excess investment		1,849,655			1,875,337

Our net investment in unconsolidated entities, at equity	$	785,630		$	1,211,637

"Excess Investment" represents the unamortized difference of our investment over our share of the equity in the underlying net assets of the joint ventures or other investments acquired and is allocated on a fair value basis primarily to investment property, lease related intangibles, and debt premiums and discounts. We amortize excess investment over the life of the related depreciable components of investment property, typically no greater than 40 years, the terms of the applicable leases and the applicable debt maturity, respectively. The amortization is included in the reported amount of income from unconsolidated entities.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015			2014
Revenue:
Minimum rent	$	433,781		$	424,785
Overage rent		51,180			48,797
Tenant reimbursements		194,487			192,793
Other income		53,995			112,706

Total revenue		733,443			779,081
Operating Expenses:
Property operating		130,804			161,421
Depreciation and amortization		141,659			152,148
Real estate taxes		58,574			54,791
Repairs and maintenance		20,361			19,641
Advertising and promotion		16,702			18,810
Provision for credit losses		1,853			3,108
Other		44,428			52,929

Total operating expenses		414,381			462,848

Operating Income		319,062			316,233
Interest expense		(147,020	)		(151,637	)
Income from Continuing Operations		172,042			164,596
Income from operations of discontinued joint venture interests		—			2,985

Net Income	$	172,042		$	167,581


Third-Party Investors' Share of Net Income	$	89,114		$	89,313


Our Share of Net Income		82,928			78,268
Amortization of Excess Investment		(24,154	)		(25,598	)
Our Share of Loss from Unconsolidated Discontinued Operations		—			(345	)

Income from Unconsolidated Entities	$	58,774		$	52,325

Our share of income from unconsolidated entities in the above table, aggregated with our share of the results of Klépierre, is presented in income from unconsolidated entities in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.