Housing Inventories

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Housing Inventories

Housing Inventories

Note 7.  Housing Inventories

Housing inventories consist principally of homes under construction; land under development and improved lots; and inventory held-for-sale. Inventory includes land and development costs; direct construction costs; capitalized indirect construction costs; capitalized interest; and real estate taxes. The costs of acquiring and developing land and constructing certain related amenities are allocated to the parcels to which these costs relate. Interest and taxes are capitalized during active development and construction stages. Inventories to be held and used are stated at cost unless a community is determined to be impaired, in which case the impaired inventories are written down to their fair values. Inventories held-for-sale are stated at the lower of their costs or fair values, less cost to sell.

As required by ASC No. 360 (“ASC 360”), “Property, Plant and Equipment,” inventory is reviewed for potential write-downs on an ongoing basis. ASC 360 requires that, in the event that impairment indicators are present and undiscounted cash flows signify that the carrying amount of an asset is not recoverable, impairment charges must be recorded if the fair value of the asset is less than its carrying amount. The Company reviews all communities on a quarterly basis for changes in events or circumstances indicating signs of impairment. Examples of events or changes in circumstances include, but are not limited to: price declines resulting from sustained competitive pressures; a change in the manner in which the asset is being used; a change in assessments by a regulator or municipality; cost increases; the expectation that, more likely than not, an asset will be sold or disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life; or the impact of local economic or macroeconomic conditions, such as employment or housing supply, on the market for a given product. Signs of impairment may include, but are not limited to: very low or negative profit margins; the absence of sales activity in an open community; and/or significant price differences for comparable parcels of land held-for-sale.

If it is determined that indicators of impairment exist in a community, undiscounted cash flows are prepared and analyzed at a community level based on expected pricing; sales rates; construction costs; local municipality fees; and warranty, closing, carrying, selling, overhead and other related costs; or on similar assets to determine if the realizable values of the assets held are less than their respective carrying amounts. In order to determine assumed sales prices included in cash flow models, the Company analyzes historical sales prices on homes delivered in the community and in other communities located within the geographic area, as well as sales prices included in its current backlog for such communities. In addition, it analyzes market studies and trends, which generally include statistics on sales prices in neighboring communities and sales prices of similar products in non-neighboring communities in the same geographic area. In order to estimate costs to build and deliver homes, the Company generally assumes cost structures reflecting contracts currently in place with vendors, adjusted for any anticipated cost-reduction initiatives or increases. The Company’s analysis of each community generally assumes current pricing equal to current sales orders for a particular or comparable community. For a minority of communities that the Company does not intend to operate for an extended period of time or where the operating life extends beyond several years, slight increases over current sales prices are assumed in later years. Once a community is considered to be impaired, the Company’s determinations of fair value and new cost basis are primarily based on discounting estimated cash flows at rates commensurate with inherent risks that are associated with the continuing assets. Discount rates used generally vary from 19.0 percent to 30.0 percent, depending on market risk, the size or life of a community and development risk. Due to the fact that estimates and assumptions included in cash flow models are based on historical results and projected trends, unexpected changes in market conditions that may lead to additional impairment charges in the future cannot be anticipated.

Valuation adjustments are recorded against homes completed or under construction, land under development or improved lots when analyses indicate that the carrying values are greater than the fair values. Write-downs of impaired inventories to their fair values are recorded as adjustments to the cost basis of the respective inventory. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, valuation reserves related to impaired inventories amounted to $265.8 million and $277.2 million, respectively. The net carrying values of the related inventories amounted to $196.9 million and $195.8 million at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.

Interest and taxes are capitalized during active development and construction stages. Capitalized interest is amortized as the related inventory is delivered to homebuyers. The following table is a summary of activity related to capitalized interest:

(in thousands)	2012			2011
Capitalized interest at January 1	$	81,058		$	75,094
Interest capitalized	10,253			8,801
Interest amortized to cost of sales	(7,819		)	(5,674		)
Capitalized interest at March 31	$	83,492		$	78,221

The following table summarizes each reporting segment’s total number of lots owned and lots controlled under option agreements:

		MARCH 31, 2012			DECEMBER 31, 2011
	LOTS	LOTS		LOTS	LOTS
	OWNED	OPTIONED	TOTAL	OWNED	OPTIONED	TOTAL
North	4,998	3,231	8,229	4,981	3,405	8,386
Southeast	5,202	2,870	8,072	4,933	1,894	6,827
Texas	2,534	1,541	4,075	2,486	1,081	3,567
West	2,013	911	2,924	1,937	862	2,799
Total	14,747	8,553	23,300	14,337	7,242	21,579

Additionally, at March 31, 2012, the Company controlled an aggregate of 1,329 lots associated with discontinued operations, of which 1,273 lots were owned and 56 lots were under option. At December 31, 2011, the Company controlled an aggregate of 1,386 lots associated with discontinued operations, of which 1,330 lots were owned and 56 lots were under option.