BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2018

We conduct a majority of our business activities through our consolidated operating partnership, IRET Properties, a North Dakota Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), as well as through a number of other consolidated subsidiary entities. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of all our subsidiaries in which we maintain a controlling interest, including the Operating Partnership. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Our fiscal year ends April 30th.

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

UNAUDITED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, certain disclosures accompanying annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP are omitted. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated 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 our 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 accompanying notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2017, as filed with the SEC on June 28, 2017.

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.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

The following table provides a brief description of recent accounting standards updates (“ASUs”).



Standard	Description	Date of Adoption	Effect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers	This ASU will eliminate the transaction- and industry-specific revenue recognition guidance under current GAAP and replace it with a principle based approach for determining revenue recognition. The standard outlines a five-step model whereby revenue is recognized as performance obligations within a contract are satisfied.	This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, as a result of a deferral of the effective date arising from the issuance of ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Deferral of the Effective Date. Early adoption is permitted. We will adopt the new standard effective May 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach.	We are continuing to assess the impact of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements and internal accounting processes. The majority of our revenue is derived from rental income, which is scoped out from this standard and will be accounted for under ASC 840, Leases. Our other revenue streams, which are being evaluated under this ASU, include but are not limited to other income from residents determined not to be within the scope of ASC 840 and gains and losses from real estate dispositions. We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2016-02, Leases	This ASU amends existing accounting standards for lease accounting, including by requiring lessees to recognize most leases on the balance sheet and making certain changes to lessor accounting.	This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted.	We are currently evaluating the impact the new standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting	This ASU amends several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, accrual of compensation cost, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows.	This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We adopted this guidance effective May 1, 2017.	Upon adoption of the standard, we elected to account for forfeitures when they occur instead of estimating the forfeitures. The new standard did not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or earnings per share.
ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments	This ASU addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing diversity in practice. The cash flow issues include debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs and proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims.	This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted.	We are currently evaluating the impact the new standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.
ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business	This ASU clarifies the definition of a business and provides further guidance for evaluating whether a transaction will be accounted for as an acquisition of an asset or a business. This new standard is required to be applied prospectively to transactions occurring after the date of adoption.	This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. We adopted this standard effective May 1, 2017.	We believe that most of our future acquisitions of operating properties will qualify as asset acquisitions and most future transaction costs associated with these acquisitions will be capitalized. Adoption of the standard did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. During the nine months ended January 31, 2018, acquisition costs totaling $330,000 were capitalized and allocated to the assets acquired based on the relative fair market value of those underlying assets.



Standard	Description	Date of Adoption	Effect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2017-05, Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets	This ASU clarifies the definition of an in-substance nonfinancial asset and changes the accounting for partial sales of nonfinancial assets to be more consistent with the accounting for a sale of a business pursuant to ASU 2017-01. This ASU allows for either a retrospective or modified retrospective approach.	This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted.	This standard allows for either a retrospective or modified retrospective approach. We are currently evaluating the impact this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures upon adoption.
ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities	This ASU clarifies hedge accounting requirements, improves disclosure of hedging arrangements, and better aligns risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships.	This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. We adopted ASU 2017-12 on November 1, 2017.	Adoption of the new standard did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. See Note 10 for additional information.

RECLASSIFICATIONS

Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. On the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, we reclassified other expenses into general and administrative expenses.

We report in discontinued operations the results of operations and the related gains or losses of properties that have either been disposed or classified as held for sale and for which the disposition represents a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on our operations and financial results. As the result of discontinued operations, retroactive reclassifications that change prior period numbers have been made. We classified as discontinued operations 27 healthcare properties that were sold during the third quarter of fiscal year 2018.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

We periodically evaluate our long-lived assets, including 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, we compare 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. Reducing planned property holding periods may increase the likelihood of recording impairment losses.

CHANGE IN DEPRECIABLE LIVES OF REAL ESTATE ASSETS

We review the estimated useful lives of our real estate assets on an ongoing basis. Prior to our strategic shift to become a multifamily-focused REIT, which began in fiscal year 2016, we operated in five segments (office, retail, industrial, healthcare and multifamily). Accordingly, our estimated useful lives represented a blend of these segments.

During fiscal years 2016 and 2017, we disposed of the bulk of our office, retail, and industrial portfolios as well as a portion of our healthcare portfolio. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, we determined it was appropriate to review and adjust our estimated useful lives to be specific to our remaining asset portfolio. Effective May 1, 2017, we changed the estimated useful lives of our real estate assets to better reflect the estimated periods during which they will be of economic benefit. Generally, the estimated lives of buildings and improvements that previously were 20-40 years have been decreased to 10-30 years, while those that were previously nine years were changed to 5-10 years.

VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITY

We have determined that our Operating Partnership and each of our less-than-wholly owned real estate partnerships are variable interest entities (“VIEs”), as the limited partners lack substantive kick-out rights and substantive participating rights. We are the primary beneficiary of the VIEs, and the partnerships are required to be consolidated on our balance sheet because we have a controlling financial interest in the VIEs and have both the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs. Because our Operating Partnership is a VIE, all of our assets and liabilities are held through a VIE.