6.	Investments in Partially Owned Entities

The Company has co-invested in various properties with unrelated third parties which are either consolidated or accounted for under the equity method of accounting (unconsolidated). The following tables and information summarize the Company’s investments in partially owned entities as of December 31, 2017 (amounts in thousands except for project and apartment unit amounts):

	Consolidated			Unconsolidated
	(VIE)			(Non-VIE)			(VIE) (1)			Total
Total properties		17			2			—			2
Total apartment units		3,215			945			—			945
Balance sheet information at 12/31/17 (at 100%):
ASSETS
Investment in real estate	$	649,777		$	236,749		$	172,995		$	409,744
Accumulated depreciation		(236,543	)		(43,512	)		(50,045	)		(93,557	)
Investment in real estate, net		413,234			193,237			122,950			316,187
Cash and cash equivalents		34,954			5,245			60			5,305
Investments in unconsolidated entities		44,451			—			—			—
Restricted deposits		393			258			—			258
Other assets		25,851			323			395			718
Total assets	$	518,883		$	199,063		$	123,405		$	322,468

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY/CAPITAL
Mortgage notes payable, net (2)	$	302,347		$	145,424		$	—		$	145,424
Accounts payable & accrued expenses		1,110			181			295			476
Accrued interest payable		1,037			691			—			691
Other liabilities		465			291			6			297
Security deposits		2,053			485			—			485
Total liabilities		307,012			147,072			301			147,373
Noncontrolling Interests – Partially Owned Properties/Partners’ equity		4,708			52,850			84,302			137,152
Company equity/General and Limited Partners’ Capital		207,163			(859	)		38,802			37,943
Total equity/capital		211,871			51,991			123,104			175,095
Total liabilities and equity/capital	$	518,883		$	199,063		$	123,405		$	322,468

	Consolidated			Unconsolidated
	(VIE)			(Non-VIE)			(VIE) (1)			Total
Operating information for the year ended 12/31/17 (at 100%):
Operating revenue	$	93,472		$	26,898		$	5,243		$	32,141
Operating expenses		22,412			8,936			2,463			11,399
Net operating income		71,060			17,962			2,780			20,742
Property management		3,401			784			75			859
General and administrative		279			3			—			3
Depreciation		25,505			10,633			5,501			16,134
Operating income (loss)		41,875			6,542			(2,796	)		3,746
Interest and other income		77			—			—			—
Interest:
Expense incurred, net		(13,316	)		(8,289	)		—			(8,289	)
Amortization of deferred financing costs		(270	)		(1	)		—			(1	)
Income (loss) before income and other taxes and income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities		28,366			(1,748	)		(2,796	)		(4,544	)
Income and other tax (expense) benefit		(27	)		(13	)		—			(13	)
Income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(1,549	)		—			—			—
Net income (loss)	$	26,790		$	(1,761	)	$	(2,796	)	$	(4,557	)

(1)	Includes the Company’s unconsolidated interest in an entity that owns the land underlying our Wisconsin Place apartment property and owns and operates the parking facility. This entity is excluded from the property and apartment unit count.

(2)	All debt is non-recourse to the Company.

Note: The above tables exclude EQR’s ownership interest in ERPOP, private equity fund investments, and the Company’s interests in unconsolidated joint ventures established in connection with the acquisition of certain real estate related assets from Archstone Enterprise LP (“Archstone”). These ventures owned certain Archstone assets and succeeded to certain residual Archstone liabilities/litigation, as well as responsibility for tax protection arrangements and third-party preferred interests in former Archstone subsidiaries. The preferred interests had an aggregate liquidation value of $37.3 million at December 31, 2017. The ventures are owned 60% by the Company. See below for further discussion.

Operating Properties

The Company has various equity interests in certain limited partnerships owning 16 properties containing 2,783 apartment units. Each partnership owns a multifamily property. The Company is the general partner of these limited partnerships and is responsible for managing the operations and affairs of the partnerships as well as making all decisions regarding the businesses of the partnerships. The limited partners are not able to exercise substantive kick-out or participating rights. As a result, the partnerships qualify as VIEs. The Company has a controlling financial interest in the VIEs and, thus, is the VIEs’ primary beneficiary. The Company has both the power to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact the VIEs’ 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. As a result, the partnerships are required to be consolidated on the Company’s financial statements.

The Company has a 75% equity interest in the Wisconsin Place joint venture. The project contains a mixed-use site located in Chevy Chase, Maryland consisting of residential, retail, office and accessory uses, including underground parking facilities. The joint venture owns the 432 unit residential component, but has no ownership interest in the retail and office components. At December 31, 2017, the residential component had a net book value of $160.9 million. The Company is the managing member and is responsible for conducting all administrative day-to-day matters and affairs of the joint venture as well as implementing all decisions with respect to the joint venture. The limited partner is not able to exercise substantive kick-out or participating rights. As a result, the joint venture qualifies as a VIE. The Company has a controlling financial interest in the VIE and, thus, is the VIE’s primary beneficiary. The Company has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE 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 VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. As a result, the entity that owns the residential component is required to be consolidated on the Company’s financial statements.

The Wisconsin Place joint venture also retains an unconsolidated interest in an entity that owns the land underlying the entire project and owns and operates the parking facility. At December 31, 2017, the basis of this investment was $44.5 million. The joint venture, as a limited partner, does not have substantive kick-out or participating rights in the entity. As a result, the entity qualifies as a VIE. The joint venture does not have a controlling financial interest in the VIE and is not the VIE’s primary beneficiary. The joint venture does not have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance or the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. As a result, the entity that owns the land and owns and operates the parking facility is unconsolidated and recorded using the equity method of accounting.

The Company has a 20% equity interest in each of the Nexus Sawgrass and Domain joint ventures. The Nexus Sawgrass joint venture owns a 501 unit apartment property located in Sunrise, Florida and the Company’s interest had a basis of $4.2 million at December 31, 2017. The Domain joint venture owns a 444 unit apartment property located in San Jose, California and the Company’s interest had a basis of $8.2 million at December 31, 2017. Both properties were funded with long-term, non-recourse secured loans from the partner. The mortgage loan on Nexus Sawgrass has a current unconsolidated outstanding balance of $48.6 million, bears interest at 5.60% and matures January 1, 2021. The mortgage loan on Domain has a current unconsolidated outstanding balance of $96.8 million, bears interest at 5.75% and matures January 1, 2022. While the Company is the managing member of both of the joint ventures, the joint venture partner has significant participating rights and has active involvement in the oversight of the operations. As a result, the entities do not qualify as VIEs. The Company alone does not have the power to direct the activities of the entities that most significantly impact the entities’ economic performance and as a result, the entities are unconsolidated and recorded using the equity method of accounting.

Other

As the sole general partner of ERPOP, EQR has exclusive control of ERPOP’s day-to-day management. The limited partners are not able to exercise substantive kick-out or participating rights. As a result, ERPOP qualifies as a VIE. EQR has a controlling financial interest in ERPOP and, thus, is ERPOP’s primary beneficiary. EQR has the power to direct the activities of ERPOP that most significantly impact ERPOP’s economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from ERPOP that could potentially be significant to ERPOP. As a result, ERPOP is required to be consolidated on EQR’s financial statements.

The Company agreed to a maximum investment of $5.0 million each for two private equity funds, both of which primarily focus on real estate technology investments. The Company accounts for both investments under the equity method of accounting. As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s interest in these investments had a combined basis of $2.1 million.

On February 27, 2013, in connection with the acquisition of Archstone, subsidiaries of the Company entered into three limited liability company agreements (collectively, the “Residual JV”). The Residual JV owned certain Archstone assets and succeeded to certain residual Archstone liabilities/litigation. The Residual JV is owned 60% by the Company and 40% by its joint venture partner. The Company’s basis at December 31, 2017 was a net obligation of $0.7 million. The Residual JV is managed by a Management Committee consisting of two members from each of the Company and its joint venture partner. Both partners have equal participation in the Management Committee and all significant participating rights are shared by both partners. As a result, the Residual JV does not qualify as a VIE. The Company alone does not have the power to direct the activities of the Residual JV that most significantly impact the Residual JV’s economic performance and as a result, the Residual JV is unconsolidated and recorded using the equity method of accounting. The Residual JV has sold all of the real estate assets that were acquired as part of the acquisition of Archstone, including all of the German assets, and is in the process of winding down all remaining activities.

On February 27, 2013, in connection with the acquisition of Archstone, a subsidiary of the Company entered into a limited liability company agreement (the “Legacy JV”), through which they assumed obligations of Archstone in the form of preferred interests, some of which are governed by tax protection arrangements. At December 31, 2017, the remaining preferred interests had an aggregate liquidation value of $37.3 million, our share of which is included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Obligations of the Legacy JV are borne 60% by the Company and 40% by its joint venture partner. The Legacy JV is managed by a Management Committee consisting of two members from each of the Company and its joint venture partner. Both partners have equal participation in the Management Committee and all significant participating rights are shared by both partners. As a result, the Legacy JV does not qualify as a VIE. The Company alone does not have the power to direct the activities of the Legacy JV that most significantly impact the Legacy JV’s economic performance and as a result, the Legacy JV is unconsolidated and recorded using the equity method of accounting.