Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The Company operates as an umbrella partnership REIT in which Bluerock Residential Holdings, L.P. (its “Operating Partnership”), or the Operating Partnership’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns substantially all of the property interests acquired and investments made on the Company’s behalf. As of June 30, 2018, limited partners other than the Company owned approximately 25.26% of the common units of the Operating Partnership (19.62% is held by holders of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (“OP Units”) and 5.64% is held by holders of the Operating Partnership’s long-term incentive plan units (“LTIP Units”), including  3.33% which are not vested at June 30, 2018).

The Company is internally managed and completed the internalization of BRG Manager, LLC (the “former Manager”) on October 31, 2017.

Because the Company is the sole general partner of its Operating Partnership and has unilateral control over its management and major operating decisions (even if additional limited partners are admitted to the Operating Partnership), the accounts of the Operating Partnership are consolidated in its consolidated financial statements.

The Company also consolidates entities in which it controls more than 50% of the voting equity and in which control does not rest with other investors. Investments in real estate joint ventures over which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but for which it does not have financial or operating control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. These entities are reflected on the Company’s consolidated financial statements as “Preferred equity investments and investments in unconsolidated real estate joint ventures.” All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.  The Company will consider future joint ventures for consolidation in accordance with the provisions required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810: Consolidation.

Certain amounts in prior year financial statement presentation have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. 

Preferred Equity Investments and Investments in Unconsolidated Real Estate Joint Ventures [Policy Text Block]

Preferred Equity Investments and Investments in Unconsolidated Real Estate Joint Ventures

The Company first analyzes its investments in joint ventures to determine if the joint venture is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) in accordance with ASC 810 and if so, whether the Company is the primary beneficiary requiring consolidation.  A VIE is an entity that has (i) insufficient equity to permit it to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or (ii) equity holders that lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest.  VIEs are consolidated by the primary beneficiary, which is the entity that has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that potentially could be significant to the entity.  Variable interests in a VIE are contractual, ownership, or other financial interests in a VIE that change in value with changes in the fair value of the VIE’s net assets. The Company continuously re-assesses at each level of the joint venture whether the entity is (i) a VIE, and (ii) if the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE.  If it was determined that an entity in which the Company holds a joint venture interest qualified as a VIE and the Company was the primary beneficiary, the entity would be consolidated. 

If, after consideration of the VIE accounting literature, the Company has determined that an entity is not a VIE, the Company assesses the need for consolidation under all other provisions of ASC 810.  These provisions provide for consolidation of majority-owned entities through a majority voting interest held by the Company providing control.

In assessing whether the Company is in control of and requiring consolidation of the limited liability company and partnership venture structures, the Company evaluates the respective rights and privileges afforded each member or partner (collectively referred to as “member”).  The Company’s member would not be deemed to control the entity if any of the other members have either (i) substantive kickout rights providing the ability to dissolve (liquidate) the entity or otherwise remove the managing member or general partner without cause or (ii) has substantive participating rights in the entity.  Substantive participating rights (whether granted by contract or law) provide for the ability to effectively participate in significant decisions of the entity that would be expected to be made in the ordinary course of business.    

If it has been determined that the Company does not have control, but does have the ability to exercise significant influence over the entity, the Company accounts for these unconsolidated investments under the equity method of accounting. The equity method of accounting requires these investments to be initially recorded at cost and subsequently increased (decreased) for the Company’s share of net income (loss), including eliminations for the Company’s share of intercompany transactions, and increased (decreased) for contributions (distributions). The Company’s proportionate share of the results of operations of these investments is reflected in the Company’s earnings or losses.

Interim Financial Information [Policy Text Block]

Interim Financial Information

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting, and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10-1 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, the financial statements for interim reporting do not include all of the information and notes or disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for interim periods should not be considered indicative of the operating results for a full year.

The balance sheet at December 31, 2017 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  It is suggested that these condensed financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 13, 2018.  

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Other than the adoption of accounting pronouncements as described below, there have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies since it filed its audited consolidated financial statements in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

New Accounting Pronouncements  

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, "Statement of Cash Flows; Restricted Cash" (“ASU 2016-18”). This update requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The Company adjusted the consolidated statement of cash flows as required in conjunction with the adoption of ASU 2016-08. ASU 2016-18 is effective for the Company for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2016-18 as of January 1, 2018.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). The ASU provides guidance on the treatment of cash receipts and cash payments for certain types of cash transactions, to eliminate diversity in practice in the presentation of the cash flow statement. For public business entities, the amendments in ASU 2016-15 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company uses the nature of distributions approach. The Company adjusted the consolidated statement of cash flows as required in conjunction with the adoption of ASU 2016-15 in 2018.

In June 2016, the FASB updated ASC Topic 326 "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses" with 2016-13 “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-03”). ASU 2016-13 enhances the methodology of measuring expected credit losses to include the use of forward-looking information to better inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual periods (including interim periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the guidance and has not determined the impact this standard may have on the Company’s financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). Under ASU 2016-02, an entity will be required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. For public companies, ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period, and requires a modified retrospective adoption, with early adoption permitted. The Company expects that, because of the ASU 2016-02’s emphasis on lessee accounting, ASU 2016-02 will not have a material revenue impact on the Company. Consistent with present standards, the Company will continue to account for lease revenue on a straight-line basis. Also, consistent with the Company’s current practice, under ASU 2016-02 only initial direct costs that are incremental to the lessor will be capitalized. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements” (“ASU 2018-11”). ASU 2018-11 provides lessors with a practical expedient in combining lease and non-lease components if certain criteria are met. The Company believes that adoption of the practical expedient will result in changes in presentation and disclosure of revenue being combined into one revenue component but will have no material effect on the timing of revenue recognition. Based on the Company’s initial assessments, the Company does not have material lessee operating lease commitments. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of adopting the new leases standard on its consolidated balance sheet and results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”). Under the new standard, revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. Revenue is generally recognized net of allowances.  In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers-Deferral of the Effective Date” which deferred the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard until the first quarter of 2018.  Therefore, ASU 2014-09 became effective for the Company in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.  The ASU allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption. The Company has selected the modified retrospective approach. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which adds guidance on identifying performance obligations within a contract. The majority of the Company's revenue is derived from rental income, which is scoped out from this standard and will be accounted for under ASU 2016-02, Leases, discussed above. The Company's other revenue streams, which were evaluated under this ASU, include but are not limited to other property revenues and interest income from related parties determined not to be within the scope of ASU 2016-02, and gains and losses from real estate dispositions. The adoption by the Company of ASU 2014-09 as of January 1, 2018 did not result in a cumulative adjustment and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, results of operations, equity or cash flows.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Principal Versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross Versus Net) (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2016-08”), which updates the new revenue standard by clarifying the principal versus agent implementation guidance, but does not change the core principle of the new standard. The updates to the principal versus agent guidance (1) require an entity to determine whether it is a principal or an agent for each distinct good or service (or a distinct bundle of goods or services) to be provided to the customer; (2) illustrate how an entity that is a principal might apply the control principle to goods, services, or rights to services, when another party is involved in providing goods or services to a customer; (3) clarify that the purpose of certain specific control indicators is to support or assist in the assessment of whether an entity controls a specified good or service before it is transferred to the customer, provide more specific guidance on how the indicators should be considered, and clarify that their relevance will vary depending on the facts and circumstances; and (4) revise existing examples and add two new ones to more clearly depict how the guidance should be applied. The effective date and transition requirements for ASU 2016-08 are the same as the effective date and transition requirements of Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (see ASU 2014-09 above). The majority of the Company's revenue is derived from rental income, which is scoped out from this standard and will be accounted for under ASU 2016-02, Leases, discussed above.  The Company adopted ASU 2016-08 as of January 1, 2018.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-05 "Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20)" ("ASU 2017-05"). ASU 2017-05 clarifies that a financial asset is within the scope of Subtopic 610-20 if it meets the definition of an in substance nonfinancial asset. ASU 2017-05 also defines the term “in substance nonfinancial asset” and provides guidance on the recognition of gains on sale of real estate investments. It is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. There has been no material impact to the Company upon its adoption of ASU 2017-05 as of January 1, 2018.