Fair Value of Financial Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

7. FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Financial assets and liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

	•	Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access;
	•	Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, which are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs may include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, as well as inputs that are observable for the asset or liability (other than quoted prices), such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals; and
	•	Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, which is typically based on an entity’s own assumptions, as there is little, if any, related market activity or information.

The Company determined the fair values disclosed below using available market information and discounted cash flow analyses as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The discount rate used in calculating fair value is the sum of the current risk free rate and the risk premium on the date of measurement of the instruments or obligations. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and to develop the related estimates of fair value. Accordingly, the estimates presented are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that the Company could realize upon disposition. The use of different estimates and valuation methodologies may have a material effect on the fair value amounts shown. The Company believes that the carrying amounts reflected in the consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 approximate the fair values for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, other assets (except for the note receivable disclosed below), accounts payable and accrued expenses. The following are financial instruments for which the Company’s estimates of fair value differ from the carrying amounts (in thousands):

	March 31, 2017				December 31, 2016
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Unsecured notes payable	$	1,365,398	$	1,381,975	$	1,364,854	$	1,372,758
Variable rate debt	$	326,789	$	307,917	$	326,709	$	307,510
Mortgage notes payable	$	320,484	$	327,144	$	321,549	$	328,853
Note receivable (a)	$	3,401	$	3,918	$	3,380	$	3,717

(a)

The inputs to originate the loan are unobservable and, as a result, are categorized as Level 3. The Company determined fair value by calculating the present value of the cash payments to be received through the maturity date of the loan. See Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” to the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 for further information regarding the note origination.

The inputs utilized to determine the fair value of the Company’s unsecured notes payable are categorized as Level 2. This is because the Company valued these instruments using quoted market prices as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. For the fair value of the Company’s unsecured notes, the Company uses a discount rate based on the indicative new issue pricing provided by lenders.

The inputs utilized to determine the fair value of the Company’s mortgage notes payable and variable rate debt are categorized as Level 3. The fair value of the variable rate debt was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis valuation on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans with similar terms and maturities, as applicable. The fair value of the mortgage debt was determined by discounting the future contractual interest and principal payments by a blended market rate for loans with similar terms, maturities and loan-to-value. These inputs have been categorized as Level 3 because the Company considers the rates used in the valuation techniques to be unobservable inputs.

For the Company’s mortgage loans, the Company uses an estimate based discounted cash flow analyses and its knowledge of the mortgage market. The weighted average discount rate for the combined variable rate debt and mortgage loans used to calculate fair value as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was 4.507% and 4.353%, respectively. An increase in the discount rate used in the discounted cash flow model would result in a decrease to the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt. Conversely, a decrease in the discount rate used in the discounted cash flow model would result in an increase to the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt.

Disclosure about the fair value of financial instruments is based upon pertinent information available to management as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the fair value amounts, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of these financial statements since March 31, 2017, and current estimates of fair value may differ from the amounts presented herein.

- 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.

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