Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 1 GOING CONCERN

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming Real Estate Associates Limited VII (the "Partnership” or “Registrant") will continue as a going concern. The Partnership continues to generate recurring operating losses. In addition, the Partnership is in default on notes payable and related accrued interest payable that matured between December 1999 and December 2004.

Eight of the Partnership's nineteen remaining investments involved purchases of partnership interests from partners who subsequently withdrew from the operating partnership. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership is obligated for non-recourse notes payable of approximately $6,070,000 to the sellers of the partnership interests, bearing interest at 9.5 to 10 percent. Total outstanding accrued interest is approximately $14,930,000 and $14,649,000 at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. These obligations and the related interest are collaterized by the Partnership's investment in the local limited partnerships (the “Local Limited Partnerships”) and are payable only out of cash distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships, as defined in the notes. Unpaid interest was due at maturity of the notes. Seven of the notes payable have matured and remain unpaid at June 30, 2011.

In connection with the sale of Hampshire House (as discussed in “Note 3 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships”), approximately $890,000 of sale proceeds were used at closing to repay one non-recourse note payable and associated accrued interest during the six months ended June 30, 2010.  No such payments were made during the six months ended June 30, 2011. As discussed in “Note 4 – Notes Payable”, the Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for five other Local Limited Partnerships with notes payable totaling approximately $2,329,000 and accrued interest of approximately $5,835,000 at June 30, 2011, in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes pending the purchase by the note holder of a series of projects including the properties owned by nine of the remaining Local Limited Partnerships. Management negotiated an extension of the maturity date on one note payable. The Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for the remaining two Local Limited Partnerships in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes in order to permit the underlying properties of these Local Limited Partnerships to pursue refinancing of certain indebtedness owed to the respective housing authorities. Management is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on these two notes payable. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the Partnership could lose its investment in the Local Limited Partnerships to foreclosure.

As a result of the above, there is substantial doubt about the Partnership's ability to continue as a going concern. The unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects of the recoverability and classification of assets or amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

NOTE 2 – ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

General

The information contained in the following notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements is condensed from that which would appear in the annual consolidated financial statements; accordingly, the consolidated financial statements included herein should be reviewed in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto contained in the Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 prepared by the Partnership.  Accounting measurements at interim dates inherently involve greater reliance on estimates than at year end.  The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the entire year.

In the opinion of the Partnership’s management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting primarily of normal recurring items) necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Partnership at June 30, 2011, and the consolidated results of operations and changes in cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2010 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.

The general partners collectively share a one percent interest in profits and losses of the Partnership.  The limited partners share the remaining 99 percent interest which is allocated in proportion to their respective individual investments. The general partners of the Partnership are National Partnership Investments Corp. ("NAPICO" or the "Corporate General Partner") and National Partnership Investments Associates II.  The Corporate General Partner is a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“Aimco”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership had outstanding 15,297.5 limited partnership interests.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was filed.

Principles of Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Real Estate Associates Limited VII and Real Estate Associates IV (“REA IV”), a California general partnership in which the Partnership holds 99 percent of the general partner interest.  Losses in excess of the minority investment that would otherwise be attributed to the minority interest are being allocated to the Partnership.

Method of Accounting for Investments in Local Limited Partnerships

The investments in Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for using the equity method. 

Net Income (Loss) Per Limited Partnership Interest

Net income (loss) per limited partnership interest was computed by dividing the limited partners’ share of net income (loss) by the number of limited partnership interests outstanding at the beginning of the year. The number of limited partnership interests used was 15,297.5 and 15,349 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Variable Interest Entities

The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors.  Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership holds variable interests in nineteen VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary.  The Partnership has concluded, based on its qualitative consideration of the partnership agreement, the partnership structure and the role of the general partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, that the general partner of each of the Local Limited Partnerships is the primary beneficiary of the respective Local Limited Partnership. In making this determination, the Partnership considered the following factors:

·the general partners conduct and manage the business of the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners have the responsibility for and sole discretion over selecting a property management agent for the Local Limited Partnerships’ underlying real estate properties;

·the general partners are responsible for approving operating and capital budgets for the properties owned by the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners are obligated to fund any recourse obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners are authorized to borrow funds on behalf of the Local Limited Partnerships; and

·the Partnership, as a limited partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, does not have the ability to direct or otherwise significantly influence the activities of the Local Limited Partnerships that most significantly impact such entities’ economic performance.

The nineteen VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of nineteen apartment properties with a total of 1,237 units.  The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future.