Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]

Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments

16. Disclosure about Fair Value of Financial Instruments

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. Please see Note 2 to the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 for additional information. 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.

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.

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 Primary Unsecured Credit Facility — The carrying amount of the primary unsecured credit facility 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. The carrying amount of the variable rate senior unsecured notes approximates fair value because they are interest rate adjustable.

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.

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.

Redeemable OP Unitholder Interests — Our redeemable unitholder interests are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value using Level 2 inputs. The fair value is measured using the closing price of our common stock, as units may be redeemed at the election of the holder for cash or, at our option, one share of our common stock per unit, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances.

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


		September 30, 2017				December 31, 2016
		Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Financial assets:
	Mortgage loans receivable	$	377,283	$	413,221	$	485,735	$	521,773
	Other real estate loans receivable		119,567		124,408		136,893		138,050
	Available-for-sale equity investments		7,615		7,615		27,899		27,899
	Cash and cash equivalents		236,247		236,247		419,378		419,378
	Foreign currency forward contracts		13,682		13,682		135,561		135,561

Financial liabilities:
	Borrowings under unsecured credit facilities	$	420,000	$	420,000	$	645,000	$	645,000
	Senior unsecured notes		8,315,395		9,186,768		8,161,619		8,879,176
	Secured debt		2,713,513		2,750,467		3,477,699		3,558,378
	Foreign currency forward contracts		55,264		55,264		4,342		4,342

Redeemable OP unitholder interests		$	104,363	$	104,363	$	110,502	$	110,502

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, 2017
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Available-for-sale equity investments⁽¹⁾	$	7,615	$	7,615	$	-	$	-
Foreign currency forward contracts, net⁽²⁾		(41,582)		-		(41,582)		-
Redeemable OP unitholder interests		104,363		-		104,363		-
Totals	$	70,396	$	7,615	$	62,781	$	-

(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. Asset impairments (if applicable, see Note 5 for impairments of real property and Note 6 for impairments of loans receivable) are also measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. 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 resides 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 and asset acquisitions using current interest rates at which similar borrowings could be obtained on the transaction date.

- 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