Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Basis of Consolidation. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements present the consolidated balance sheet, income (loss), comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows of the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries. Intercompany balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

In the past, we have discontinued homebuilding operations in various markets. Results from certain of these exited markets are reported as discontinued operations in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income (loss) for all periods presented (see Note 16 for a further discussion of our discontinued operations).

We evaluated events that occurred after the balance sheet date but before these financial statements were issued for accounting treatment and disclosure.

Our fiscal 2018 began on October 1, 2017 and ends on September 30, 2018. Our fiscal 2017 began on October 1, 2016 and ended on September 30, 2017.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make informed estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Accordingly, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Inventory Valuation

Inventory Valuation. We assess our inventory assets no less than quarterly for recoverability in accordance with the policies described in Notes 2 and 5 to the audited consolidated financial statements within our 2017 Annual Report. Our homebuilding inventories that are accounted for as held for development (projects in progress) include land and home construction assets grouped together as communities. Homebuilding inventories held for development are stated at cost (including direct construction costs, capitalized indirect costs, capitalized interest and real estate taxes) unless facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. For those communities that have been idled (land held for future development), all applicable interest and real estate taxes are expensed as incurred, and the inventory is stated at cost unless facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. We record land held for sale at the lower of the carrying value or fair value less costs to sell.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09). ASU 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to upon transferring control of goods or services to a customer, as opposed to when risks and rewards transfer to a customer under the existing revenue recognition guidance. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year, which makes the guidance effective for the Company's first fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2017. Additionally, the FASB is permitting entities to early adopt the standard, which allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective methods of adoption, for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We have been involved in industry-specific discussions with the FASB on the treatment of certain items related to our business. However, due to the nature of our operations, we expect to identify similar performance obligations under ASU 2014-09 compared with the deliverables and separate units of account we have identified under existing accounting standards. As a result, we expect the timing of our revenues to remain generally the same. Nonetheless, we expect our revenue-related disclosures to change. We expect to adopt the provisions of ASU 2014-09 effective October 1, 2018.

Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to record most leases on their balance sheets. The timing and classification of lease-related expenses for lessees will depend on whether a lease is determined to be an operating lease or a finance lease using updated criteria within ASU 2016-02. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to current operating leases), while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to current capital leases). Regardless of lease type, the lessee will recognize a right-of-use asset, representing the right to use the identified asset during the lease term, and a related lease liability, representing the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. Lessor accounting will be largely similar to that under the current lease accounting rules. The guidance within ASU 2016-02 will be effective for the Company's first fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. ASU 2016-02 must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach, which requires application of the standard at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented, with certain optional practical expedients. ASU 2016-02 also requires significantly enhanced disclosures around an entity's leases and the related accounting. We continue to evaluate the impact of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements. However, a large majority of our leases are for office space, which we have determined will be treated as operating leases under ASU 2016-02. As such, we anticipate recording a right-of-use asset and related lease liability for these leases, but we do not expect our expense recognition pattern to change. Therefore, we do not anticipate any significant change to our statements of income or cash flows as a result of adopting ASU 2016-02.

Statement of Cash Flows. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flow - Restricted Cash (ASU 2016-18). ASU 2016-18 requires that an entity's statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in that entity's total cash and cash equivalents, including amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, changes in restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents will no longer be shown as specific line items within the statement of cash flows. Additionally, an entity is to reconcile its cash and cash equivalents as per its balance sheet to the cash and cash equivalent balances presented in its statement of cash flows. The Company early adopted the guidance within ASU 2016-18 as of September 30, 2017. Therefore, changes in our restricted cash balances are no longer shown in our statements of cash flows, as these balances are included in the beginning and ending cash balances in our statements of cash flows.

The following table presents the changes to our unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows as of December 31, 2016 due to the adoption of ASU 2016-18:



(In thousands)	Three Months Ended December 31, 2016
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:
Net cash used in investing activities (as originally reported)	$	(4,162	)
Movements in restricted cash	1,558
Net cash used in investing activities (as re-casted)	$	(2,604	)

Business Combinations. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (ASU 2017-01). ASU 2017-01 clarifies the framework for determining whether an integrated set of assets and activities meets the definition of a business. The revised framework establishes a screen for determining whether an integrated set of assets and activities is a business and narrows the definition of a business, which is expected to result in fewer transactions being accounted for as business combinations. Acquisitions of integrated sets of assets and activities that do not meet the definition of a business are accounted for as asset acquisitions. This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for transactions that have not been reported in previously issued financial statements. The Company early adopted this guidance as of December 31, 2017, and applied it to applicable transactions occurring during this period.

Income Taxes. In December 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission Staff issued SAB 118, which provides guidance on accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act). SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that a company's accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements and should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act. The Company adopted the guidance of SAB 118 as of December 31, 2017. Refer to Note 10 for additional information on the Tax Act and the impact to our financial statements.