Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

8.	Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements

The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating fair value disclosures of financial instruments:

Measurement of Fair Value

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company used pay-fixed interest rate swaps to manage its exposure to changes in benchmark interest rates (the “Swaps”). The estimated fair values were determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. In addition, credit valuation adjustments, which consider the impact of any credit enhancements to the contracts, are incorporated in the fair values to account for potential non-performance risk, including the Company’s own non-performance risk and the respective counterparty's

non-performance risk. The Company determined that the significant inputs used to value its derivatives fell within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Other Fair Value Instruments

Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures are considered financial assets. See discussion of fair value considerations of joint venture investments in Note 12.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities

The carrying amounts reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets for these financial instruments approximated fair value because of their short-term maturities.

Notes Receivable and Advances to Affiliates

The fair value is estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis in which the Company uses unobservable inputs such as market interest rates determined by the loan to value and market capitalization rates related to the underlying collateral at which management believes similar loans would be made and classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of these notes was approximately $445.2 million and $441.5 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, as compared to the carrying amounts of $443.3 million and $437.6 million, respectively.

Debt

The fair market value of senior notes is determined using the trading price of the Company’s public debt. The fair market value for all other debt is estimated using a discounted cash flow technique that incorporates future contractual interest and principal payments and a market interest yield curve with adjustments for duration, optionality and risk profile, including the Company’s non-performance risk and loan to value. The Company’s senior notes and all other debt are classified as Level 2 and Level 3, respectively, in the fair value hierarchy.

Considerable judgment is necessary to develop estimated fair values of financial instruments. Accordingly, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts the Company could realize on disposition of the financial instruments.

Debt instruments with carrying values that are different than estimated fair values are summarized as follows (in thousands):

	December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Senior Notes	$	2,913,217	$	3,056,896	$	3,149,188	$	3,292,723
Revolving Credit Facilities and term loans		598,242		601,131		807,185		811,666
Mortgage Indebtedness		982,509		1,012,869		1,183,164		1,235,139
	$	4,493,968	$	4,670,896	$	5,139,537	$	5,339,528

Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives

The Company is exposed to certain risks arising from both its business operations and economic conditions. The Company principally manages its exposures to a wide variety of business and operational risks through management of its core business activities. The Company manages economic risks, including interest rate, liquidity and credit risk, primarily by managing the amount, sources and duration of its debt funding and, from time to time, through the use of derivative financial instruments. Specifically, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage exposures that arise from business activities that result in the receipt or payment of future known and uncertain cash amounts, the values of which are determined by interest rates. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are used to manage differences in the amount, timing and duration of the Company’s known or expected cash receipts and its known or expected cash payments principally related to the Company’s investments and borrowings.

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company generally uses Swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. The Swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had one effective Swap with a notional amount of $76.9 million and $78.5 million, respectively, expiring in September 2017, which converts LIBOR to a fixed rate of 2.8%. The fair value of the Swap was a liability of $1.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, which is included in Other Liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated, and that qualify, as a cash flow hedge is recorded in Accumulated OCI and is subsequently reclassified into earnings, as interest expense, in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. During 2016, such derivative was used to hedge the forecasted variable cash flows associated with existing or probable future obligations. The ineffective portion of the change in the fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. During the three years ended December 31, 2016, the amount of hedge ineffectiveness recorded was not material.

The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by the counterparties to the Swaps if the derivative position has a positive balance. The Company believes it mitigates its credit risk by entering into Swaps with major financial institutions. The Company continually monitors and actively manages interest costs on its variable-rate debt portfolio and may enter into additional interest rate swap positions or other derivative interest rate instruments based on market conditions. The Company has not entered, and does not plan to enter, into any derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Credit Risk-Related Contingent Features

The Company has an agreement with its Swap counterparty that contains a provision whereby if the Company defaults on certain of its unsecured indebtedness the Company could also be declared in default on its Swap, resulting in an acceleration of payment under the Swap.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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