Fair Value Of Financial Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Except as disclosed below, the carrying amount of our financial instruments approximates their fair value. The fair value of our mortgages payable, notes payable and senior notes and debentures is sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates. Quoted market prices (Level 1) were used to estimate the fair value of our marketable senior notes and debentures and discounted cash flow analysis (Level 2) is generally used to estimate the fair value of our mortgages and notes payable. 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 mortgages payable, notes payable and senior notes and debentures is as follows:



	September 30, 2017				December 31, 2016
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
	(In thousands)
Mortgages and notes payable	$	813,958	$	826,012	$	750,268	$	760,260
Senior notes and debentures	$	2,377,939	$	2,452,494	$	1,976,594	$	2,015,973

As of September 30, 2017, we have two interest rate swap agreements with a notional amount of $275.0 million that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The interest rate swap agreements fix the variable portion of our $275.0 million term loan at 1.72% through November 1, 2018. We assess effectiveness of our cash flow hedges both at inception and on an ongoing basis. The effective portion of changes in fair value of the interest rate swaps associated with our cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and is subsequently reclassified into interest expense as interest is incurred on the related variable rate debt. Within the next 12 months, we expect to reclassify an estimated $0.7 million as an increase to interest expense. Our cash flow hedges become ineffective if critical terms of the hedging instrument and the debt instrument do not perfectly match such as notional amounts, settlement dates, reset dates, calculation period and LIBOR rate. In addition, we evaluate the default risk of the counterparty by monitoring the credit-worthiness of the counterparty. When ineffectiveness exists, the ineffective portion of changes in fair value of the interest rate swaps associated with our cash flow hedges is recognized in earnings in the period affected. Hedge ineffectiveness has not impacted earnings as of September 30, 2017, and we do not anticipate it will have a significant effect in the future.

The fair values of the interest rate swap agreements are based on the estimated amounts we would receive or pay to terminate the contracts at the reporting date and are determined using interest rate pricing models and interest rate related observable inputs. The fair value of our swaps at September 30, 2017 was a liability of $0.7 million and is included in "accounts payable and accrued expenses" on our consolidated balance sheet. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the change in valuation on our interest rate swaps resulted in a $0.4 million and $1.8 million decrease in our derivative liability, respectively, (including $0.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively, reclassified from other comprehensive loss to interest expense). The change in valuation on our interest rate swaps is included in "accumulated other comprehensive loss."

A summary of our financial liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, by level within the fair value hierarchy is as follows:



	September 30, 2017								December 31, 2016
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(In thousands)
Interest rate swaps	$	—	$	742	$	—	$	742	$	—	$	2,577	$	—	$	2,577

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details