The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and include the accounts of D.R. Horton, Inc. and all of its 100% owned, majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries, which are collectively referred to as the Company, unless the context otherwise requires. Noncontrolling interests represent the proportionate equity interests in consolidated entities that are not 100% owned by the Company. The Company owns a 65% controlling interest in Forestar Group Inc. (Forestar) and therefore is required to consolidate 100% of Forestar within its consolidated financial statements, and the 35% interest the Company does not own is accounted for as noncontrolling interests. All intercompany accounts, transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. At the beginning of fiscal 2020, the Company reclassified its single-family rental properties from other assets to property and equipment in its homebuilding segment. Reclassification of the prior period amount resulted in a $37.0 million decrease in other assets with a corresponding increase in property and equipment at September 30, 2019. This reclassification had no effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions 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 materially from those estimates.

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, “Leases,” which requires that lease assets and liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet and that key information about leasing arrangements be disclosed. The guidance was effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2019 and did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As a result of the adoption of this standard on October 1, 2019, the Company recorded right of use assets of $39.0 million and lease liabilities of $40.3 million. Lease right of use assets are included in other assets and lease liabilities are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet.

In March 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the financial disclosure requirements applicable to registered debt offerings that include credit enhancements, such as subsidiary guarantees, in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X. The amended rule focuses on providing material, relevant and decision-useful information regarding guarantees and other credit enhancements, while eliminating certain prescriptive requirements. The Company adopted these amendments on March 31, 2020. Accordingly, summarized financial information has been presented only for the issuers and guarantors of the Company's registered securities for the most recent fiscal year and as permitted, this information is included in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-09, “Debt (Topic 470) - Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Release No. 33-10762,” to reflect the SEC’s new disclosure rules on guaranteed debt securities offerings adopted by the Company in March 2020.

Homebuilding revenue and related profit are generally recognized at the time of the closing of a sale, when title to and possession of the property are transferred to the buyer. The Company’s performance obligation, to deliver the agreed-upon home, is generally satisfied in less than one year from the original contract date. Proceeds from home closings held for the Company’s benefit at title companies are included in homebuilding cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets.

When the Company executes sales contracts with its homebuyers, or when it requires advance payment from homebuyers for custom changes, upgrades or options related to their homes, the cash deposits received are recorded as liabilities until the homes are closed or the contracts are cancelled. The Company either retains or refunds to the homebuyer deposits on cancelled sales contracts, depending upon the applicable provisions of the contract or other circumstances.

The Company rarely purchases land for resale, but periodically may elect to sell parcels of land that no longer fit into its strategic operating plans. Revenue from land sales is typically recognized on the closing date, which is generally when performance obligations are satisfied.

Financial services revenues associated with the Company’s title operations are recognized as closing services are rendered and title insurance policies are issued, both of which generally occur simultaneously as each home is closed. Revenues associated with the Company’s mortgage operations primarily include net gains on the sale of mortgage loans and servicing rights. The Company typically elects the fair value option for its mortgage loan originations whereby mortgage loans held for sale are recorded at fair value based on either sale commitments or current market quotes and loan values are adjusted through revenues for subsequent changes in fair value until the loans are sold. Expected gains and losses from the sale of servicing rights are included in the measurement of all written loan commitments that are accounted for at fair value through revenues at the time of commitment. The Company sells substantially all of the mortgages it originates and the majority of the related servicing rights to third-party purchasers. Interest income is earned from the date a mortgage loan is originated until the loan is sold.

The Company collects insurance commissions on homeowner policies placed with third party carriers through its 100% owned insurance agency. The Company recognizes revenue and a contract asset for estimated future renewals of these policies upon issuance of the initial policy, the date at which the performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an initial maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Proceeds from home closings held for the Company’s benefit at title companies, which totaled $237.6 million and $244.8 million at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are included in homebuilding cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets.

Cash balances of the Company’s captive insurance subsidiary, which are expected to be used to fund the subsidiary’s operations and pay future anticipated legal claims, were $51.3 million and $48.6 million at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and are included in cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company has cash that is restricted as to its use. Restricted cash related to homebuilding and land development operations includes customer deposits that are temporarily restricted in accordance with regulatory requirements. Restricted cash related to financial services is mortgagor related funds held by the Company for taxes and insurance on an interim basis until the loans are sold.

Inventory includes the costs of direct land acquisition, land development and home construction, capitalized interest, real estate taxes and direct overhead costs incurred during development and home construction. Costs incurred after development projects or homes are substantially complete, such as utilities, maintenance, and cleaning, are charged to selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense as incurred. All indirect overhead costs, such as compensation of sales personnel, division and region management, and the costs of advertising and builder’s risk insurance are charged to SG&A expense as incurred.

Land and development costs are typically allocated to individual residential lots on a pro-rata basis, and the costs of residential lots are transferred to construction in progress when home construction begins. Home construction costs are specifically identified and recorded to individual homes. Cost of sales for homes closed includes the specific construction costs of each home and all applicable land acquisition, land development and related costs (both incurred and estimated to be incurred) allocated to each residential lot based upon the total number of homes expected to be closed in each community. Cost of sales for lots sold includes all applicable land acquisition, land development and related costs (both incurred and estimated to be incurred) allocated to each residential lot in the community. Any changes to the estimated total development costs subsequent to the initial home or lot closings in a community are generally allocated on a pro-rata basis to the remaining homes or lots in the community associated with the relevant development activity.

When a home is closed, the Company generally has not paid all incurred costs necessary to complete the home. A liability and a corresponding charge to cost of sales are recorded for the amount estimated to ultimately be paid related to completed homes that have been closed. Home construction budgets are compared to actual recorded costs to determine the additional costs remaining to be paid on each closed home.

The Company rarely purchases land for resale. However, when the Company owns land or communities under development that do not fit into its development and construction plans, and the Company determines that it will sell the asset, the project is accounted for as land held for sale if certain criteria are met. The Company records land held for sale at the lesser of its carrying value or fair value less estimated costs to sell.

At the end of each quarter, the Company reviews the performance and outlook for all of its communities and land inventories for indicators of potential impairment. If indicators of impairment are present for a community, the Company performs an impairment evaluation of the community, which includes an analysis to determine if the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than their carrying amounts. If so, impairment charges are recorded to cost of sales if the fair value of such assets is less than their carrying amounts. Impairment charges are also recorded on finished homes in substantially completed communities when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying values are greater than the fair values less estimated costs to sell these homes. The key assumptions relating to inventory valuations are impacted by local market and economic conditions and are inherently uncertain. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, actual results could differ from such estimates. See Note C.

The Company capitalizes interest costs incurred to inventory during active development and construction (active inventory). Capitalized interest is charged to cost of sales as the related inventory is delivered to the buyer. During periods in which the Company’s active inventory is lower than its debt level, a portion of the interest incurred is reflected as interest expense in the period incurred. During fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s active inventory exceeded its debt level, and all interest incurred was capitalized to inventory. See Note E.

The Company enters into land and lot purchase contracts to acquire land or lots for the construction of homes. Under these contracts, the Company will fund a stated deposit in consideration for the right, but not the obligation, to purchase land or lots at a future point in time with predetermined terms. Under the terms of many of the purchase contracts, the deposits are not refundable in the event the Company elects to terminate the contract. Land purchase contract deposits and capitalized pre-acquisition costs are expensed to inventory and land option charges when the Company believes it is probable that it will not acquire the property under contract and will not be able to recover these costs through other means. See Notes C and L.

Land purchase contracts can result in the creation of a variable interest in the entity holding the land parcel under contract. There were no variable interest entities reported in the consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2020 because, with regard to each entity, the Company determined it did not control the activities that most significantly impact the variable interest entity’s economic performance. At September 30, 2019, there was one variable interest entity reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as a result of the related party transaction described in Note O.

The maximum exposure to losses related to the Company’s unconsolidated variable interest entities is limited to the amounts of the Company’s related deposits. At September 30, 2020 and 2019, the deposits related to these contracts totaled $519.6 million and $396.9 million, respectively, and are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Property under construction is not depreciated until the property is placed in service. Depreciation generally is recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset. The depreciable life of model home furniture is 2 years, depreciable lives of other furniture and equipment typically range from 2 to 5 years, and depreciable lives of buildings and improvements typically range from 5 to 30 years. The depreciable lives of single-family rental homes and multi-family rental buildings typically range from 25 to 30 years. See Note F.

The Company accounts for acquisitions of businesses by allocating the purchase price of the business to the various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Significant judgment is often required in estimating the fair value of assets acquired, particularly intangible assets. These estimates and assumptions are based on historical experience, information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and the Company’s estimates of significant assumptions that a market participant would use when determining fair value. While the Company believes the estimates and assumptions are reasonable, they are inherently uncertain. Unanticipated market or macroeconomic events and circumstances may occur, which could affect the accuracy or validity of the estimates and assumptions.

The Company records goodwill associated with its acquisitions of businesses when the purchase price of the business exceeds the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill balances are evaluated for potential impairment on at least an annual basis by performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an operating segment with goodwill is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment indicates that additional impairment testing is required, then a quantitative assessment is performed to determine the operating segment’s fair value. The estimated fair value is determined by discounting the future cash flows of the operating segment to present value. If the carrying value of the operating segment exceeds its fair value, the Company determines if an impairment exists based on the implied fair value of the operating segment’s goodwill. As a result of the qualitative assessments performed in fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, no impairment charges were indicated or recorded.

The Company typically provides its homebuyers with a ten-year limited warranty for major defects in structural elements such as framing components and foundation systems, a two-year limited warranty on major mechanical systems and a one-year limited warranty on other construction components. Since the Company subcontracts its construction work to subcontractors who typically provide it with an indemnity and a certificate of insurance prior to receiving payments for their work, claims relating to workmanship and materials are generally the primary responsibility of the subcontractors. Warranty liabilities have been established by charging cost of sales for each home delivered. The amounts charged are based on management’s estimate of expected warranty-related costs under all unexpired warranty obligation periods. The Company’s warranty liability is based upon historical warranty cost experience in each market in which it operates and is adjusted to reflect qualitative risks associated with the types of homes built and the geographic areas in which they are built. See Note L.

The Company records expenses and liabilities for legal claims related to construction defect matters, personal injury claims, employment matters, land development issues, contract disputes and other matters. The amounts recorded for these contingencies are based on the estimated costs of pending claims and the estimated costs of anticipated future claims related to previously closed homes. The Company estimates and records receivables under its applicable insurance policies for these legal claims when recovery is probable. Additionally, the Company may have the ability to recover a portion of its losses from its subcontractors and their insurance carriers when the Company has been named as an additional insured on their insurance policies. See Note L.

The Company’s income tax expense is calculated using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and attributable to net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. When assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of sufficient taxable income in future periods and in the jurisdictions in which those temporary differences become deductible. The Company records a valuation allowance when it determines it is more likely than not that a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Differences between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and tax rates could affect future tax results and the valuation of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities. See Note H.

Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in the financial statements as a component of income tax expense. Significant judgment is required to evaluate uncertain tax positions. The Company evaluates its uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. The evaluations are based upon a number of factors, including changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, correspondence with tax authorities during the course of audits and effective settlement of audit issues. Changes in the recognition or measurement of uncertain tax positions could result in increases or decreases in the Company’s income tax expense in the period in which the change is made. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits totaled $8.9 million at September 30, 2020 and were insignificant at September 30, 2019.

Basic earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each year. Diluted earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock and dilutive securities outstanding during each year. See Note I.

The Company’s stockholders formally authorize shares of its common stock to be available for future grants of stock-based compensation awards. From time to time, the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors authorizes the grant of stock-based compensation to its employees and directors from these available shares. At September 30, 2020, the outstanding stock-based compensation awards include stock options and restricted stock units. Grants of restricted stock units vest over a certain number of years as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Restricted stock units outstanding at September 30, 2020 have a remaining vesting period up to 4.4 years. Stock options are granted at exercise prices which equal the market value of the Company’s common stock at the date of the grant. All stock options outstanding at September 30, 2020 have vested and expire 10 years after the dates on which they were granted.

The compensation expense for stock-based awards is based on the fair value of the award and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the remaining vesting period. The fair values of restricted stock units are based on the Company’s stock price on the date of grant. The fair values of stock options granted are calculated on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. Determining the fair value of stock options requires judgment in developing assumptions and involves a number of estimates. These estimates include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, the expected dividend yield and expected stock option exercise behavior. See Note K.

The FASB’s authoritative guidance for fair value measurements establishes a three-level hierarchy based upon the inputs to the valuation model of an asset or liability. When available, the Company uses quoted market prices in active markets to determine fair value. The Company considers the principal market and nonperformance risk associated with the Company’s counterparties when determining the fair value measurements, if applicable. Fair value measurements are used for the Company’s mortgage loans held for sale, debt securities collateralized by residential real estate, mortgage servicing rights, interest rate lock commitments and other derivative instruments on a recurring basis and are used for inventories, other mortgage loans and real estate owned on a nonrecurring basis, when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value is not recoverable. See Note N.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses,” which replaces the current incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information in determining credit loss estimates. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2020 and is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other,” which simplifies the measurement of goodwill impairment by removing the second step of the goodwill impairment test that requires the determination of the fair value of individual assets and liabilities of a reporting unit. Under the new guidance, goodwill impairment is measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value with the loss recognized limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2020 and is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 related to simplifying the accounting for income taxes. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2021, although early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance, and it is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform,” which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by the discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or by another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The guidance was effective beginning March 12, 2020 and can be applied prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company will adopt this standard when LIBOR is discontinued and does not expect it to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.