NOTE 2 • BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of IRET and all subsidiaries in which it maintains a controlling interest. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company's fiscal year ends April 30th.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of IRET and its interest in the Operating Partnership. The Company's interest in the Operating Partnership was 86.5% of the common units of the Operating Partnership as of July 31, 2014 and 83.8% as of April 30, 2014. The limited partners in the Operating Partnership have a redemption option that they may exercise. Upon exercise of the redemption option by the limited partners, IRET has the choice of redeeming the limited partners' interests ("Units") for IRET common shares of beneficial interest, on a one-for-one basis, or making a cash payment to the unitholder. The redemption generally may be exercised by the limited partners at any time after the first anniversary of the date of the acquisition of the Units (provided, however, that in general not more than two redemptions by a limited partner may occur during each calendar year, and each limited partner may not exercise the redemption for less than 1,000 Units, or, if such limited partner holds less than 1,000 Units, for all of the Units held by such limited partner). The Operating Partnership and some limited partners have contractually agreed to a holding period of greater than one year and/or a greater number of redemptions during a calendar year.

The condensed consolidated financial statements also reflect the ownership by the Operating Partnership of certain joint venture entities in which the Operating Partnership has a general partner or controlling interest. These entities are consolidated into IRET's other operations, with noncontrolling interests reflecting the noncontrolling partners' share of ownership and income and expenses.

UNAUDITED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of IRET have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Accordingly, certain disclosures accompanying annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") are omitted. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods have been included.

The current period's results of operations are not necessarily indicative of results which ultimately may be achieved for the year. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2014, as filed with the SEC on June 30, 2014.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. Under this standard, a disposal (or classification as held for sale) of a component of an entity or a group of components of an entity is required to be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. Examples include a disposal of a major geographic area, a major line of business, or a major equity method investment. In addition, the new guidance requires expanded disclosures about the assets, liabilities, income and expenses of discontinued operations. The ASU is effective for all disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company adopted this update effective February 1, 2014 and determined that the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

As a result of the adoption of ASU No. 2014-08, results of operations and gains or losses on sale for properties that are disposed or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business on or subsequent to February 1, 2014 would generally be included in continuing operations on the Company's consolidated statements of operations, to the extent such disposals did not meet the criteria for classification as a discontinued operation described above. During the quarter ended April 30, 2014, the Company applied the new standard to one property that was classified as held for sale. The Company applied the new standard to three property dispositions and one property classified as held for sale during the quarter ended July 31, 2014.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard will eliminate the transaction- and industry-specific revenue recognition guidance under current U.S. GAAP and replace it with a principle based approach for determining revenue recognition. ASU No. 2014-09 does not apply to lease contracts accounted for under ASC 840, Leases. The ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company does not expect adoption of this update to have a material impact on the Company's operating results or financial position.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period. ASU 2014-12 requires an entity to treat performance targets that can be met after the requisite service period of a share-based award has ended, as a performance condition that affects vesting. The ASU is effective for interim and annual reporting periods in fiscal years that begin after December 15, 2015. The Company does not expect the adoption of this update to have a material impact on the Company's operating results or financial position.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

The Company periodically evaluates its long-lived assets, including its investments in real estate, for impairment indicators. The impairment evaluation is performed on assets by property such that assets for a property form an asset group. The judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on factors such as operational performance, market conditions, expected holding period of each asset group and legal and environmental concerns. If indicators exist, the Company compares the expected future undiscounted cash flows for the long-lived asset group against the carrying amount of that asset group. If the sum of the estimated undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset group, an impairment loss is recorded for the difference between the estimated fair value and the carrying amount of the asset group. If our anticipated holding period for properties, the estimated fair value of properties or other factors change based on market conditions or otherwise, our evaluation of impairment charges may be different and such differences could be material to our consolidated financial statements. The evaluation of anticipated cash flows is subjective and is based, in part, on assumptions regarding future occupancy, rental rates and capital requirements that could differ materially from actual results. Plans to hold properties over longer periods decrease the likelihood of recording impairment losses.

During the three months ended July 31, 2014, the Company incurred a loss of $2.3 million due to impairment of two commercial properties. The Company recognized impairments of approximately $2.1 million on a commercial retail property in Kalispell, Montana and approximately $183,000 on a commercial office property in Golden Valley, Minnesota. These properties were written-down to estimated fair value during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 based on receipt of individual market offers to purchase and the Company's intent to dispose of the properties. During the three months ended July 31, 2013, the Company incurred a loss of $1.8 million due to impairment of four commercial properties. The Company recognized impairments of approximately $864,000 on a commercial industrial property in St. Louis Park, Minnesota; $329,000 on a commercial office property in Bloomington, Minnesota; $265,000 on a commercial retail property in Anoka, Minnesota and $345,000 on a commercial industrial property in Clive, Iowa. These properties were written-down to estimated fair value during the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 based on receipt of individual market offers to purchase and the Company's intent to dispose of the properties. The impairment loss for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 is reported in discontinued operations. See Note 7 for additional information.

COMPENSATING BALANCES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS; HOLDBACKS

The Company maintains compensating balances, not restricted as to withdrawal, with several financial institutions in connection with financing received from those institutions and/or to ensure future credit availability. At July 31, 2014, the Company's compensating balances totaled $10.0 million and consisted of the following: First International Bank, Watford City, North Dakota, deposit of $6.1 million; Private Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota, deposit of $2.0 million; Associated Bank, Green Bay, Wisconsin, deposit of $600,000; American National Bank, Omaha, Nebraska, deposit of $400,000; Dacotah Bank, Minot, North Dakota, deposit of $350,000; United Community Bank, Minot, North Dakota, deposit of $275,000; Peoples State Bank of Velva, North Dakota, deposit of $225,000, and Commerce Bank, a Minnesota Banking Corporation, deposit of $100,000. The deposits at United Community Bank and a portion of the deposit at Dacotah Bank are held as certificates of deposit and comprise the approximately $329,000 in other investments on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The certificates of deposit have remaining terms of six months and two years and the Company intends to hold them to maturity.

The Company has a number of mortgage loans under which the lender retains a portion of the loan proceeds or requires a deposit for the payment of construction costs or tenant improvements. The decrease of approximately $609,000 in holdbacks for improvements reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended July 31, 2014 is due primarily to the release of loan proceeds to the Company upon completion of construction and tenant improvement projects, while the increase of approximately $326,000 represents additional amounts retained by lenders for new projects.

IDENTIFIED INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AND GOODWILL

Upon acquisition of real estate, the Company records the intangible assets and liabilities acquired (for example, if the leases in place for the real estate property acquired carry rents above the market rent, the difference is classified as an intangible asset) at their estimated fair value separate and apart from goodwill. The Company amortizes identified intangible assets and liabilities that are determined to have finite lives based on the period over which the assets and liabilities are expected to affect, directly or indirectly, the future cash flows of the real estate property acquired (generally the life of the lease). In the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, the Company added approximately $265,000 and $362,000 of new intangible assets and no new intangible liabilities. The weighted average lives of the intangible assets acquired in the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013 are 0.5 years and 0.5 years, respectively. Amortization of intangibles related to above or below-market leases is recorded in real estate rentals in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Amortization of other intangibles is recorded in depreciation/amortization related to real estate investments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Intangible assets subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of an intangible asset is not recoverable and its carrying amount exceeds its estimated fair value.

The Company's identified intangible assets and intangible liabilities at July 31, 2014 and April 30, 2014 were as follows:

	(in thousands)
	July 31, 2014		April 30, 2014
Identified intangible assets (included in intangible assets):
Gross carrying amount	$	56,975	$	56,710
Accumulated amortization		(25,497)		(24,071)
Net carrying amount	$	31,478	$	32,639

Identified intangible liabilities (included in other liabilities):
Gross carrying amount	$	173	$	173
Accumulated amortization		(131)		(127)
Net carrying amount	$	42	$	46

The effect of amortization of acquired below-market leases and acquired above-market leases on rental income was approximately $(6,000) and $(11,000) for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The estimated annual amortization of acquired below-market leases, net of acquired above-market leases, for each of the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows:

Year Ended April 30,	(in thousands)
2016	$	19
2017		11
2018		(2)
2019		(3)
2020		(2)

Amortization of all other identified intangible assets (a component of depreciation and amortization expense) was $1.4 million and $3.6 million for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The estimated annual amortization of all other identified intangible assets for each of the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows:

Year Ended April 30,	(in thousands)
2016	$	4,567
2017		4,099
2018		3,667
2019		3,543
2020		3,457

The excess of the cost of an acquired business over the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired (including identified intangible assets) and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. The Company's goodwill has an indeterminate life and is not amortized, but is tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. The book value of goodwill as of July 31, 2014 and April 30, 2014 was $2.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively. The annual review at April 30, 2014 indicated no impairment to goodwill and there was no indication of impairment at July 31, 2014. During the three months ended July 31, 2014, the Company recognized approximately $852,000 of goodwill from the acquisition of the Homestead Garden residential property. During the three months ended July 31, 2013, the Company disposed of one commercial industrial property to which goodwill had been assigned, and as a result, approximately $7,000 of goodwill was derecognized.

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

RECLASSIFICATIONS

Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. Prior to February 1, 2014, the Company reported, in discontinued operations, the results of operations and the related gains or losses of properties that had either been disposed of or classified as held for sale and otherwise met the classification of a discontinued operation. As a result of the adoption of ASU No. 2014-08, results of operations and gains or losses on sale for properties that are disposed or classified as held for sale in the ordinary course of business on or subsequent to February 1, 2014 would generally be included in continuing operations on the Company's consolidated statements of operations, to the extent such disposals did not meet

the criteria for classification as a discontinued operation described above. See Recent Accounting Pronouncements above for additional information.

As a result of discontinued operations recognized prior to February 1, 2014, retroactive reclassifications that change prior period numbers have been made. See Note 7 for additional information. During fiscal year 2014, the Company classified as discontinued operations two multi-family residential properties, three commercial office properties, twelve commercial industrial properties and three commercial retail properties.

REVISION

During fiscal year 2014 the Company identified an error pertaining to the reporting for a noncontrolling interest in a consolidated real estate joint venture formed in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013 for which the holder of such interest has the right to require the Company to acquire the interest at fair value twelve months after the final certificate of occupancy is obtained for the joint venture's development project. Accounting guidance in ASC 480-10, CFRR 211: Redeemable Preferred Stocks, requires that this noncontrolling interest be classified outside of permanent equity because it is redeemable at the option of the joint venture partner. This error resulted in an overstatement of noncontrolling interests and equity in the Company's consolidated statement of equity. This non-cash revision did not impact the Company's consolidated statements of operations or statements of cash flows for any period.

In accordance with accounting guidance found in ASC 250-10, Materiality, the Company assessed the materiality of the error and concluded that the error was not material to any of the Company's previously issued financial statements. In accordance with accounting guidance found in ASC 250-10, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatement when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, the Company revised its previously issued statement of equity to correct the effect of this error. The Company will revise amounts pertaining to each of the fiscal 2014 calendar quarters from August 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014 in future quarterly filings on Form 10-Q.

The following table presents the effect of this correction on the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity for the period affected:

	(in thousands)
Three Months Ended July 31, 2013	As Previously Reported		Adjustment		As Revised
Consolidated Statement of Equity
Noncontrolling Interests
Balance April 30, 2013	$	148,594	$	(5,937)	$	142,657
Net income attributable to Investors Real Estate Trust and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests		138		(12)		126
Balance July 31, 2013		148,110		(5,949)		142,161
Total Equity
Balance April 30, 2013		761,381		(5,937)		755,444
Net income attributable to Investors Real Estate Trust and nonredeemable noncontrolling interests		3,216		(12)		3,204
Balance July 31, 2013		771,306		(5,949)		765,357

INVOLUNTARY CONVERSION OF ASSETS

In June 2011, the Company's Chateau Apartments property, which at that time consisted of two 32-unit buildings, was extensively damaged by a flood. In February 2012, one of the buildings of the Chateau Apartments property, which had been undergoing restoration work following the flood, was completely destroyed by fire (the "2012 Fire"). During the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company received $966,000 of insurance proceeds for the 2012 Fire. The total insurance proceeds for redevelopment related to the 2012 Fire exceeded the basis in the assets requiring replacement, resulting in recognition of $966,000 in gain from involuntary conversion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014.

In December 2013, 15-unit and 57-unit buildings at the Chateau Apartments property were destroyed by fire (the "2013 Fire"). Both buildings were under construction and were unoccupied. The Company intends to rebuild both buildings, and currently expects both buildings to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Company received partial proceeds of $2.0 million for the 2013 Fire claim in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, which reduced the accounts receivable recorded at the time of the fire for expected proceeds.

PROCEEDS FROM FINANCING LIABILITY

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company sold a non-core assisted living property in exchange for $7.9 million in cash and a $29.0 million contract for deed. The buyer leased the property back to the Company, and also granted an option to the Company to repurchase the property at a specified price at or prior to July 31, 2018. IRET accounted for the transaction as a financing due to the Company's continuing involvement with the property and recorded the $7.9 million in sales proceeds within other liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The balance of the liability as of July 31, 2014 is $7.9 million.

VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY

On November 27, 2012 the Company entered into a joint venture operating agreement with a real estate development company to construct an apartment project in Minot, North Dakota as IRET – Minot Apartments, LLC. The Company estimates total costs for the project at $52.2 million, with approximately 69% of the project financed with third-party debt and approximately 7% financed with debt from IRET to the joint venture entity. The first phase of the project, Landing at Southgate, was substantially completed in the second quarter of fiscal year 2014. The second phase of the project, Commons at Southgate, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of fiscal year 2015. See Development, Expansion and Renovation Projects in Note 6 for additional information on Commons at Southgate. As of July 31, 2014 IRET is the approximately 52.9% owner of the joint venture and will have management and leasing responsibilities when the project is completed; the real estate development company owns approximately 47.1% of the joint venture and is responsible for the development and construction of the property. The Company has determined that the joint venture is a variable interest entity ("VIE"), primarily based on the fact that the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. The Company has also determined that IRET is the primary beneficiary of the VIE due to the fact that IRET is providing more than 50% of the equity contributions, the subordinated debt and a guarantee on the third party debt and has the power to direct the most significant activities that impact the entity's economic performance.