Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments

12 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2020

Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments [Abstract]

Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments

Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. Impairment indicators are assessed separately for each community or land parcel on a quarterly basis and include, but are not limited to, the following: significant decreases in net orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered, gross profit margins on homes delivered or projected gross profit margins on homes in backlog or future deliveries; significant increases in budgeted land development and home construction costs or cancellation rates; or projected losses on expected future land sales. If indicators of potential impairment exist for a community or land parcel, the identified asset is evaluated for recoverability. We evaluated 24, 40 and 57 communities or land parcels for recoverability during the years ended November 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The carrying values of those communities or land parcels evaluated during the years ended November 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $228.1 million, $326.3 million and $356.1 million, respectively. The communities or land parcels evaluated during 2020, 2019 and 2018 included certain communities or land parcels previously held for future development that were reactivated as part of our efforts to improve our asset efficiency. As impairment indicators are assessed on a quarterly basis, some of the communities or land parcels evaluated during these years were evaluated in more than one quarterly period. Communities or land parcels evaluated for recoverability in more than one quarterly period are counted only once for each applicable year. In addition, we evaluated land held for future development for recoverability during 2020, 2019 and 2018. In some cases, we have recognized inventory impairment charges for particular communities or land parcels in multiple years. Inventory impairment charges are included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations.

When an indicator of potential impairment is identified for a community or land parcel, we test the asset for recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. The undiscounted future net cash flows are impacted by then-current conditions and trends in the market in which the asset is located as well as factors known to us at the time the cash flows are calculated. These factors may include recent trends in our orders, backlog, cancellation rates and volume of homes delivered, as well as our expectations related to the following: product offerings; market supply and demand, including estimated average selling prices and related price appreciation; and land development, home construction and overhead costs to be incurred and related cost inflation. With respect to the year ended November 30, 2020, these expectations considered that our net orders, ending backlog and cancellation rates for the 2020 third and fourth quarters improved from both the corresponding year-earlier quarters as well as the 2020 second quarter, when the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and related COVID-19 control responses in our served markets caused a significant contraction in economic activity and adversely affected our ability to conduct normal operations, as described in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. Our impairment assessments also considered that while the number of homes delivered in the 2020 third and fourth quarters decreased from the corresponding year-earlier quarters, reflecting the negative COVID-19-related impacts earlier in the year, the average selling price of those homes increased and our housing gross profit margins improved significantly over the same periods. Moreover, the average selling price of our net orders generated during the 2020 third and fourth quarters increased from the corresponding year-earlier periods.

Taken together, and notwithstanding the significant disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 second quarter, our inventory assessments as of November 30, 2020 determined that market conditions for each of our assets in inventory where impairment indicators were identified were expected to be sufficiently stable, with a solid net order pace and a steady average selling price for 2021 and beyond relative to the pace and performance in recent quarters, to support such assets’ recoverability. Our inventory is assessed for potential impairment on a quarterly basis, and the assumptions used are reviewed and adjusted, as necessary, to reflect the market conditions and trends and our expectations at the time each assessment is performed.

With respect to the year ended November 30, 2019, our expectations reflected our experience that, notwithstanding fluctuations in our company-wide net orders, backlog levels, homes delivered and housing gross profit margin during the period, on a year-over-year basis, conditions in the markets where assessed assets were located were generally stable or improved, with no significant deterioration identified or projected, as to revenue and cost drivers that would prevent or otherwise impact recoverability.

Given the inherent challenges and uncertainties in forecasting future results, our inventory assessments at the time they are made take into consideration whether a community or land parcel is active, meaning whether it is open for sales and/or undergoing development, or whether it is being held for future development or held for sale. Due to the short-term nature of active communities and land held for sale, as compared to land held for future development, our inventory assessments generally assume the continuation of then-current market conditions, subject to identifying information suggesting significant sustained changes in such conditions. Our assessments of active communities, at the time made, generally anticipate net orders, average selling prices, volume of homes delivered and costs for land development and home construction to continue at or near then-current levels through the particular asset’s estimated remaining life. Inventory assessments for our land held for future development consider then-current market conditions as well as subjective forecasts regarding the timing and costs of land development and home construction and related cost inflation; the product(s) to be offered; and the net orders, volume of homes delivered, and selling prices and related price appreciation of the offered product(s) when an associated community is anticipated to open for sales. We evaluate various factors to develop these forecasts, including the availability of and demand for homes and finished lots within the relevant marketplace; historical, current and expected future sales trends for the marketplace; and third-party data, if available. The estimates, expectations and assumptions used in each of our inventory assessments are specific to each community or land parcel based on what we believe are reasonable forecasts for their particular performance, and may vary among communities or land parcels and may vary over time.

We record an inventory impairment charge on a community or land parcel that is active or held for future development when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of the real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily determined based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset, or other valuation techniques. Inputs used in our calculation of estimated discounted future net cash flows are specific to each affected real estate asset and are based on our expectations for each such asset as of the applicable measurement date, including, among others, expectations related to average selling prices and volume of homes delivered. The discount rates we used were impacted by one or more of the following at the time the calculation was made: the risk-free rate of return; expected risk premium based on estimated land development, home construction and delivery timelines; market risk from potential future price erosion; cost uncertainty due to land development or home construction cost increases; and other risks specific to the asset or conditions in the market in which the asset is located.

We record an inventory impairment charge on land held for sale when the carrying value of a land parcel is greater than its fair value. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, less associated costs to sell. The estimated fair values of such assets are generally based on bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes or similar information.

The following table summarizes ranges for significant quantitative unobservable inputs we utilized in our fair value measurements with respect to impaired communities, other than land held for sale, written down to fair value during the years presented:


	Years Ended November 30,
Unobservable Input (a)	2020	2019	2018
Average selling price	$301,600 -$1,127,100	$315,000 - $1,045,400	$291,300 - $774,100
Deliveries per month	1 - 4	1 - 4	2 - 6
Discount rate	17% - 18%	17%	17% - 19%

(a)The ranges of inputs used in each period primarily reflect differences between the housing markets where each impacted community is located, rather than fluctuations in prevailing market conditions.

Based on the results of our evaluations, we recognized inventory impairment charges of $22.7 million in 2020 related to 10 communities with a post-impairment fair value of $46.5 million. In 2019, we recognized inventory impairment charges of $14.0 million related to eight communities with a post-impairment fair value of $27.1 million. In 2018, we recognized inventory impairment charges of $26.1 million related to 13 communities with a post-impairment fair value of $44.1 million. The impairment charges in 2020, 2019 and 2018 reflected our decisions to make changes in our operational strategies aimed at more quickly monetizing our investment in certain communities by accelerating the overall pace for selling, building and delivering homes therein, including communities on land previously held for future development. If we change our strategy or if there are changes in market conditions for any given asset, it is possible that we may recognize additional inventory impairment charges.

As of November 30, 2020, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $113.1 million, representing 16 communities and various other land parcels. As of November 30, 2019, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $115.6 million, representing 19 communities and various other land parcels.

Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed to determine whether it continues to meet our investment return standards. Assessments are made separately for each optioned land parcel on a quarterly basis and are affected by the following factors relative to the market in which the asset is located, among others: current and/or anticipated net orders, average selling prices and volume of homes delivered; estimated land development and home construction costs; and projected profitability on expected future housing or land sales. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our marketing strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs. Based on the results of our assessments, we recognized land option contract abandonment charges of $5.9 million in 2020, $3.3 million in 2019 and $2.9 million in 2018. Land option contract abandonment charges are included in construction and land costs in our consolidated statements of operations.

The estimated remaining life of each community or land parcel in our inventory depends on various factors, such as the total number of lots remaining; the expected timeline to acquire and entitle land and develop lots to build homes; the anticipated future net order and cancellation rates; and the expected timeline to build and deliver homes sold. While it is difficult to determine a precise timeframe for any particular inventory asset, based on current market conditions and expected delivery timelines, we estimate our inventory assets’ remaining operating lives to range generally from one year to in excess of 10 years, and expect to realize, on an overall basis, the majority of our inventory balance as of November 30, 2020 within five years.

Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, and in our estimations of the remaining operating lives of our inventory assets and the realization of our inventory balances, particularly as to land held for future development, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated.