REAL ESTATE

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Real Estate [Abstract]

REAL ESTATE

NOTE 2.    REAL ESTATE

A summary of our real estate owned as of the end of the year is listed below (dollars in thousands):

	2016			2015
Apartments	$	697,732		$	626,141
Apartments under construction		25,288			18,229
Commercial properties		204,384			201,567
Land held for development		71,094			89,697
Real estate subject to sales contract		46,956			47,192
Total real estate, at cost, less impairment		1,045,454			982,827
Less accumulated deprecation		(154,281	)		(138,808	)
Total real estate, net of depreciation	$	891,173		$	844,019

Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to operations as incurred. Significant betterments are capitalized. When assets are sold or retired, their costs and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts with the resulting gains or losses reflected in net income or loss for the period.

Depreciation is computed on a straight line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

Land improvements	25 to 40 years
Buildings and improvements	10 to 40 years
Tenant improvements	Shorter of useful life or terms of related lease
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years

Provision for Impairment

During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded an impairment of $5.3 million for the golf course and related assets located in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This impairment relates to the decision to sell the development parcels in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the resultant decrease in the estimated fair value of the remaining assets. There was no provision for impairment for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2014.

Fair Value Measurement

The Company applies the guidance in ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” to the valuation of real estate assets. The Company is required to assess the fair value of its consolidated real estate assets with indicators of impairment. The value of impaired real estate assets is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow analyses on the expected cash flow of each asset, as well as the income capitalization approach, which considers prevailing market capitalization rates, analyses of recent comparable sales transactions, information from actual sales negotiations and bona fide purchase offers received from third parties. The methods used to measure fair value may produce an amount that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future values. Furthermore, although the Company believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

The fair value measurements used in these evaluations are considered to be Level 2 and 3 valuations within the fair value hierarchy in the accounting rules, as there are significant observable (Level 2) and unobservable inputs (Level 3). Examples of Level 2 inputs the Company utilizes in its fair value calculations are appraisals and bona fide purchase offers from third parties. Examples of Level 3 inputs the Company utilizes in its fair value calculations are discount rates, market capitalization rates, expected lease rental rates, timing of new leases, an estimate of future sales prices and comparable sales prices of similar assets, if available.

				Fair Value Measurements Using (dollars in thousands):
December 31, 2015		Fair Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	Commercial	$	3,000	$	—	$	—	$	3,000

During 2015, our golf course, with a carrying value of approximately $8.3 million was written down to its fair value of $3.0 million resulting in an impairment charge of $5.3 million. The method used to determine fair value was an analysis of the discounted cash flow of the asset.

There was no provision for impairment during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2014.

The highlights of our significant real estate transactions for the year ended December 31, 2016, are discussed below.

Purchases

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company acquired four income-producing apartment properties from third parties in the states of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, increasing the total number of units by 723, for a combined purchase price of $79.7 million. In addition, we acquired three land parcels for future development for a total purchase price of $12.5 million, adding 36.3 acres to the development portfolio.

Sales

For the year ended December 31, 2016, TCI sold a combined 129.7 acres of land located in Forney, Texas, McKinney, Texas, Farmers Branch, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee to independent third parties for a total sales price of $29.1 million. We recorded an aggregate $3.1 million gain from the land sales. In addition, the Company sold one apartment community located in Irving, Texas to an independent third party for a total sales price of $8.1 million and one apartment community located in Topeka, Kansas to an independent third party for a total sales price of $12.3 million. We recorded an aggregate gain of $16.2 million from the sale of these two properties. The Company also sold an industrial warehouse consisting of approximately 177,805 square feet. The sale resulted in a loss of approximately $0.2 million.

As of December 31, 2016, the Company has approximately 91 acres of land, at various locations that were sold to related parties in multiple transactions. These transactions are treated as “subject to sales contract” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Due to the related party nature of the transactions, TCI has deferred the recording of the sales in accordance with ASC 360-20.

We continue to invest in the development of apartment projects. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we have expended $20.3 million related to the construction or predevelopment of various apartment complexes and capitalized $0.9 million of interest costs.