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Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]  
Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments

16. Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value.

Mortgage Loans and Other Real Estate Loans Receivable — The fair value of mortgage loans and other real estate loans receivable is generally estimated by using Level 2 and Level 3 inputs such as discounting the estimated future cash flows using the current rates at which similar loans would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings and for the same remaining maturities.

Cash and Cash Equivalents — The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Available-for-sale Equity Investments — Available-for-sale equity investments are recorded at their fair value based on Level 1 publicly available trading prices.

Borrowings Under Unsecured Line of Credit Arrangements — The carrying amount of the unsecured line of credit arrangements approximates fair value because the borrowings are interest rate adjustable.

Senior Unsecured Notes — The fair value of the senior unsecured notes payable was estimated based on Level 1 publicly available trading prices.

Secured Debt — The fair value of fixed rate secured debt is estimated using Level 2 inputs by discounting the estimated future cash flows using the current rates at which similar loans would be made with similar credit ratings and for the same remaining maturities. The carrying amount of variable rate secured debt approximates fair value because the borrowings are interest rate adjustable.

Interest Rate Swap Agreements — Interest rate swap agreements are recorded in other assets or other liabilities on the balance sheet at fair market value. Fair market value is estimated using Level 2 inputs by utilizing pricing models that consider forward yield curves and discount rates.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts — Foreign currency forward contracts are recorded in other assets or other liabilities on the balance sheet at fair market value. Fair market value is determined using Level 2 inputs by estimating the future value of the currency pair based on existing exchange rates, comprised of current spot and traded forward points, and calculating a present value of the net amount using a discount factor based on observable traded interest rates.

The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial instruments are as follows (in thousands):

September 30, 2013December 31, 2012
Carrying AmountFair ValueCarrying AmountFair Value
Financial assets:
Mortgage loans receivable$ 131,138$ 133,554$ 87,955$ 88,975
Other real estate loans receivable 176,239 182,153 807,710 820,195
Available-for-sale equity investments 1,037 1,037 1,384 1,384
Cash and cash equivalents 164,838 164,838 1,033,764 1,033,764
Foreign currency forward contracts 7,669 7,669 0 0
Financial liabilities:
Borrowings under unsecured line of credit arrangements$ 847,670$ 847,670$ 0$ 0
Senior unsecured notes 6,395,638 6,806,353 6,114,151 6,793,424
Secured debt 3,115,862 3,262,955 2,336,196 2,515,145
Interest rate swap agreements 68 68 264 264
Foreign currency forward contracts 79,544 79,544 7,247 7,247

U.S. GAAP provides authoritative guidance for measuring and disclosing fair value measurements of assets and liabilities. The guidance defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The guidance also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The guidance describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Please see Note 2 to the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, as updated by our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 6, 2013, for additional information.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Items Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The market approach is utilized to measure fair value for our financial assets and liabilities reported at fair value on a recurring basis. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. The following summarizes items measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

Fair Value Measurements as of September 30, 2013
TotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3
Available-for-sale equity investments(1)$ 1,037$ 1,037$ 0$ 0
Interest rate swap agreements(2) (68) 0 (68) 0
Foreign currency forward contracts(2) (71,875) 0 (71,875) 0
Totals$ (70,906)$ 1,037$ (71,943)$ 0
(1) Unrealized gains or losses on equity investments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at each measurement date.
(2) Please see Note 11 for additional information.

Items Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

In addition to items that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, we also have assets and liabilities in our balance sheet that are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. As these assets and liabilities are not measured at fair value on a recurring basis, they are not included in the tables above. Assets, liabilities and noncontrolling interests that are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis include those acquired/assumed in business combinations (see Note 3) and asset impairments (if applicable, see Note 5 for impairments of real property and Note 6 for impairments of loans receivable). We have determined that the fair value measurements included in each of these assets and liabilities rely primarily on company-specific inputs and our assumptions about the use of the assets and settlement of liabilities, as observable inputs are not available. As such, we have determined that each of these fair value measurements generally reside within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. We estimate the fair value of real estate and related intangibles using the income approach and unobservable data such as net operating income and estimated capitalization and discount rates. We also consider local and national industry market data including comparable sales, and commonly engage an external real estate appraiser to assist us in our estimation of fair value. We estimate the fair value of assets held for sale based on current sales price expectations or, in the absence of such price expectations, Level 3 inputs described above. We estimate the fair value of secured debt assumed in business combinations using current interest rates at which similar borrowings could be obtained on the transaction date.