SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

We, the management of National Health Investors, Inc., (“NHI” or the “Company”) believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of which these notes are an integral part include all normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary to fairly present the condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of NHI in all material respects. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2018 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date. We assume that users of these condensed consolidated financial statements have read or have access to the audited December 31, 2018 consolidated financial statements and that the adequacy of additional disclosure needed for a fair presentation, except regarding material contingencies, may be determined in that context. Accordingly, notes and other disclosures which would substantially duplicate those contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 have been omitted. This condensed consolidated financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, acquisitions and dispositions, changes in interest rates, rents and the timing of debt and equity financings. For a better understanding of NHI and its condensed consolidated financial statements, we recommend reading these condensed consolidated financial statements in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, which are included in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), a copy of which is available at our web site: www.nhireit.com.

Principles of Consolidation - The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, partnerships and consolidated variable interest entities (“VIE”), if any. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

A VIE is broadly defined as an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is insufficient to finance the entity’s activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group, the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about the entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests, and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights.

We apply Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance for our arrangements with VIEs which requires us to identify entities for which control is achieved through means other than voting rights and to determine which business enterprise is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. In accordance with FASB guidance, management must evaluate each of the Company’s contractual relationships which creates a variable interest in other entities. If the Company has a variable interest and the entity is a VIE, then management must determine whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. If it is determined that the Company is the primary beneficiary, NHI would consolidate the VIE. We identify the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both: (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the entity. We perform this analysis on an ongoing basis.

If the Company has determined that an entity is not a VIE, the Company assesses the need for consolidation under all other provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810 Consolidation. These provisions provide for consolidation of majority-owned entities where a majority voting interest held by the Company demonstrates control of such entities in the absence of any legal constraints.

At March 31, 2019, we held an interest in six unconsolidated VIEs, and, because we generally lack either directly or through related parties any material input in the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance, we have concluded that NHI is not the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, we account for our transactions with these entities and their subsidiaries at amortized cost.

Our VIEs are summarized below by date of initial involvement. For further discussion of the nature of the relationships, including the sources of our exposure to these VIEs, see the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements cross-referenced below.



Date	Name	Source of Exposure	Carrying Amount		Maximum Exposure to Loss		Note Reference
2012	Bickford Senior Living	Various¹	$	59,943,000	$	80,228,000	Notes 2, 3
2014	Senior Living Communities	Notes and straight-line receivable	$	46,678,000	$	58,921,000	Notes 2, 3
2015	Timber Ridge, LCS affiliate	Notes receivable	$	58,765,000	$	59,790,000	Note 3
2016	Senior Living Management	Notes and straight-line receivable	$	26,632,000	$	26,632,000	Note 3
2017	Evolve Senior Living	Note receivable	$	9,933,000	$	9,933,000	—
2018	Sagewood, LCS affiliate	Notes receivable	$	91,013,000	$	178,283,000	Note 3

¹ Notes, straight-line rent receivables, and unamortized lease incentives

We are not obligated to provide support beyond our stated commitments to these tenants and borrowers whom we classify as VIEs, and accordingly, our maximum exposure to loss as a result of these relationships is limited to the amount of our commitments, as shown above and discussed in the notes. When the above relationships involve leases, some additional exposure to economic loss is present. Generally, additional economic loss on a lease, if any, would be limited to that resulting from a short period of arrearage and non-payment of monthly rent before we are able to take effective remedial action, as well as costs incurred in transitioning the lease to a new tenant. The potential extent of such loss will be dependent upon individual facts and circumstances, cannot be quantified, and is therefore not included in the tabulation above. Typically, the only carrying amounts involving our leases are accumulated straight-line receivables and unamortized lease incentives. For VIE relationships listed above without a note reference, refer to our financial statements included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash - Cash equivalents consist of all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Restricted cash includes amounts required to be held on deposit in accordance with agency agreements governing our Fannie Mae and HUD mortgages.

The following table sets forth our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands):



	March 31, 2019		March 31, 2018
Cash and cash equivalents	$	5,177	$	3,230
Restricted cash	10,377		5,381
	$	15,554	$	8,611

Leases - We record our operating leases under the guidance of ASC Topic 842, Leases. Our leases generally have an initial leasehold term of 10 to 15 years followed by one or more 5-year tenant renewal options. The leases are “triple net leases” under which the tenant is responsible for the payment of all taxes, utilities, insurance premiums, repairs and other charges relating to the operation of the properties, including required levels of capital expenditures each year. The tenant is obligated at its expense to keep all improvements, fixtures and other components of the properties covered by “all risk” insurance in an amount equal to at least the full replacement cost thereof, and to maintain specified minimal personal injury and property damage insurance, protecting us as well as the tenant. The leases also require the tenant to indemnify and hold us harmless from all claims resulting from the use, occupancy and related activities of each property by the tenant, and to indemnify us against all costs related to any release, discovery, clean-up and removal of hazardous substances or materials, or other environmental responsibility with respect to each facility. These provisions, along with a growing senior demographic and the historical propensity for real estate to hold its value, collectively constitute much of the means by which the risk associated with the residual value of our properties is mitigated. Additionally, in monitoring the performance of our properties, we are positioned to respond appropriately to declines in physical plant or tenant performance. While we do not incorporate residual value guarantees, the above lease provisions and considerations inform our expectation of realizable value from our properties upon the expiration of their lease terms. The residual value of our real estate under lease is still subject to various market, asset, and tenant-specific risks and characteristics. As the classification of our leases is dependent on the fair value of estimated cash flows at lease commencement, residual values represent significant assumptions in our accounting for operating leases. Similarly, the exercise of options is also subject to these same risks, making a tenant’s lease term another significant variable in a lease’s cash flows.

Most of our existing leases contain annual fixed escalators in rent payments, and, for financial statement purposes, rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Other operators lease from us under leases that provide for variable escalation in lease payments based on contingent factors not determinable in advance. Principally, variable revenue from two operators constitutes 21% of our total revenue and derives from either an index applied to the measured level of operations or the consumer price index. Additionally, we derive variable payments from those operators discussed under the sub-heading “Tenant Transition” for which variable payments are determined as discussed later in Note 2. Our variable revenue from these operators is recognized when received. A summary of future minimum lease payments as of March 31, 2019, can be found in Note 2.

Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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.

Earnings Per Share - The weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period is used to calculate basic earnings per common share. Diluted earnings per common share assumes the exercise of stock options using the treasury stock method, to the extent dilutive. Diluted earnings per share also incorporate the potential dilutive impact of our convertible senior notes. We apply the treasury stock method to our convertible debt instruments, the effect of which is that conversion will not be assumed for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share unless the average share price for the period exceeds the conversion price per share.

Reclassifications - We have reclassified certain balances where necessary to conform the presentation of prior periods to the current period. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net income.

New Accounting Pronouncements - For a review of recent accounting pronouncements pertinent to our operations and management’s judgment as to the impact that the eventual adoption of these pronouncements will have on our financial position and results of operations, see Note 10.