FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

NOTE 6. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

A fair value measurement is based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value is as follows:

1. Level 1 Inputs—quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

2. Level 2 Inputs—observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities

3. Level 3 Inputs—unobservable inputs

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Except as disclosed below, the carrying amount of our financial instruments approximates their fair value. Financial assets and liabilities whose fair values we measure on a recurring basis using Level 2 inputs consist of GNMA securities and our deferred compensation liability. We measure the fair values of these assets and liability based on prices provided by independent market participants that are based on observable inputs using market-based valuation techniques provided by third parties using proprietary valuation models and analytical tools as of December 31, 2012 and 2011. These valuation models and analytical tools use market pricing or similar instruments that are both objective and publicly available, including matrix pricing or reported trades, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids and/or offers. The Company validates the valuations received from its primary pricing vendors for its level 2 securities by examining the inputs used in that vendor’s pricing process and determines whether they are reasonable and observable. The Company also compares those valuations to recent reported trades for those securities. The Company did not adjust any of the valuations received from these third parties with respect to any of its level 2 securities at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

The fair value of our secured notes payable and unsecured notes payable is sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates. Discounted cash flow analysis (Level 2) is generally used to estimate the fair value of our mortgages and notes payable, using rates ranging from 3.43% to 7.14%.

Considerable judgment is necessary to estimate the fair value of financial instruments. The estimates of fair value presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that could be realized upon disposition of the financial instruments. A summary of the carrying amount and fair value of our financial instruments, all of which are based on Level 2 inputs, is as follows (in thousands):

	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Marketable securities	$	—	$	—	$	28,235	$	28,235
Secured notes payable		1,044,682		1,116,162		912,067		941,582
Deferred compensation liability	$	637	$	637	$	520	$	520