Other Investments

The Company's other investments and its proportionate share of earnings (losses) from equity method investments were as follows ($ in thousands):



	Carrying Value as of				Equity in Earnings (Losses)
	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014		For the Three Months Ended September 30,						For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
					2015			2014			2015			2014
iStar Net Lease I LLC ("Net Lease Venture")	$	68,719	$	125,361	$	971		$	349		$	4,270		$	152
Other real estate equity investments⁽¹⁾	81,437		88,848		(2,906		)	33,509			(4,545		)	36,004
Other investments⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	51,751		63,262		2,159			11,889			6,658			39,863
Madison Funds	38,299		45,971		331			3,982			(115		)	1,591
Marina Palms, LLC ("Marina Palms")	50,313		30,677		10,017			(151		)	19,636			(762		)
Total other investments	290,519		354,119		$	10,572		$	49,578		$	25,904		$	76,848

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(1)	For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized $32.9 million of earnings from equity method investments resulting from asset sales by one of its equity method investees.


(2)	For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized $23.4 million of earnings from equity method investments resulting from asset sales and a legal settlement by one of its equity method investees.


(3)	In conjunction with the sale of the Company's interests in Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. in 2011, the Company retained a share of the carried interest related to various funds. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized $9.0 million of carried interest income.

Net Lease Venture—In February 2014, the Company partnered with a sovereign wealth fund to form a new unconsolidated entity in which the Company has a noncontrolling equity interest of approximately 51.9%. This entity is not a VIE and the Company does not have controlling interest due to the substantive participating rights of its partner. The partners plan to contribute up to an aggregate $500 million of equity to acquire and develop net lease assets over time. The Company is responsible for sourcing new opportunities and managing the venture and its assets in exchange for a promote and management fee. Several of the Company's officers whose time is substantially devoted to the net lease venture own a total of 0.6% equity ownership in the venture via co-investment. These officers are also entitled to an amount equal to 50% of any promote payment received based on the 47.5% partner's interest. During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company sold a net lease asset for net proceeds of $93.7 million, which approximated carrying value, to the venture. The Company also sold its 72% interest in a previously consolidated entity, which owns a net lease asset subject to a mortgage of $26.0 million, to the venture for net proceeds of $10.1 million, which approximated carrying value. During the same period, the venture purchased a portfolio of 58 net lease assets for a purchase price of $200.0 million from a third party. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the venture's carrying value of total assets was $387.2 million and $348.1 million, respectively. In June 2015, the venture placed ten year financing of $120.0 million on one of its net lease assets. Net proceeds from the financing were distributed to its members of which the Company received approximately $61.2 million.

Marina Palms—As of September 30, 2015, the Company owned a 47.5% equity interest and a $10.0 million preferred partnership interest in Marina Palms, a residential condominium development. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the venture's carrying value of total assets was $376.0 million and $265.7 million, respectively.

Other real estate equity investments—During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company sold a commercial operating property for $68.5 million to a newly formed unconsolidated entity in which the Company owns a 50.0% equity interest (refer to Note 4). The venture placed financing on the property and proceeds from the financing were distributed to its members. Net proceeds received by the Company were $55.4 million, which was net of the Company's $13.6 million non-cash equity contribution to the venture and inclusive of a $21.0 million distribution from the financing proceeds. This entity is not a VIE and the Company does not have a controlling interest due to shared control of the entity with its partner.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company contributed land to a newly formed unconsolidated entity in which the Company received an initial equity interest of 85.7%. This entity is a VIE and the Company does not have controlling interest due to shared control of the entity with its partner. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the venture's carrying value of total assets was $7.4 million and $9.4 million, respectively. Additionally, the Company committed to provide $45.7 million of mezzanine financing to the entity. As of September 30, 2015, the loan balance was $32.3 million and was included in "Loans receivable and other lending investments, net" on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

As of September 30, 2015, the Company's other real estate equity investments included equity interests in real estate ventures ranging from 16% to 76%, comprised of investments of $11.3 million in operating properties and $62.6 million in land assets. As of December 31, 2014, the Company's real estate equity investments included $13.2 million in operating properties and $66.1 million in land assets.

Madison Funds—As of September 30, 2015, the Company owned a 29.5% interest in Madison International Real Estate Fund II, LP, a 32.9% interest in Madison International Real Estate Liquidity Fund III, LP, a 32.9% interest in Madison International Real Estate Liquidity Fund III AIV, LP and a 29.5% interest in Madison GP1 Investors, LP (collectively, the "Madison Funds"). The Madison Funds invest in ownership positions of entities that own real estate assets. The Company determined that these entities are VIEs and that the Company is not the primary beneficiary.

Other investments—As of September 30, 2015, the Company also had smaller investments in real estate related funds and other strategic investments in several other entities that were accounted for under the equity method or cost method. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company sold available-for-sale securities for proceeds of $7.3 million for realized gains of $2.5 million, which are included in "Other income" in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. The amount reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings was determined based on the specific identification method.

Summarized investee financial information—The following table presents the investee level summarized financial information of the Company's equity method investments, which were significant subsidiaries for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 ($ in thousands):



	Revenues		Expenses			Net Income Attributable to Parent Entities
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015
Marina Palms	$	142,419	$	(88,661	)	$	53,758

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
Marina Palms	$	86	$	(1,694	)	$	(1,608	)