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Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of an equity method investment.

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Investments in Real Estate Entities (Details 2) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($) community	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) community property home loan item investor mi	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) home	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) home	Feb. 27, 2013	Dec. 31, 2004 home
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Equity Method Investment, Difference Between Carrying Amount and Underlying Equity		$ 40,978	$ 43,709
Number of Apartment Homes Sold \| home			1,337	3,299
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate		282,163	$ 281,125	$ 919,442
Gain on sale of communities		98,899	333,221	96,152
Repayments of secured mortgages		0	16,341	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt		$ 26,736	(412)	(14,921)
Number of land parcels \| property		3
Number of apartment communities sold \| community	8
Income tax expense		$ 1,861	9,368	0
Avalon Bay Value Added Fund II LP [Member]
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor		6
Equity investment		$ 50,443
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		31.30%
Number of loans secured by individual assets \| loan		7
Debt outstanding		$ 286,543
Gain on sale of communities		29,726	21,624	2,790
Repayments of secured mortgages		69,036
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt		$ (1,400)
Number of apartment communities sold \| community		4
SWIB
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		20.00%
Number of Apartment Homes Sold \| home		1,410
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate		$ 283,700
Gain on sale of communities		3,853
Repayments of secured mortgages		$ 148,866
Number of apartment communities sold \| community		4
ACJV
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor		4
Equity investment		$ 52,148
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		20.00%
Number of loans secured by individual assets \| loan		8
Debt outstanding		$ 162,300
Maximum geographic radius for existing assets within considered for right of first offer \| mi		1
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities for Development \| home		265
US Fund
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Number of extension options \| item		2
Period of extension (in years)		1 year
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor		6
Equity investment		$ 68,683
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		28.60%
Number of loans secured by individual assets \| loan		10
Debt outstanding		$ 373,863
CVP I, LLC
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Gain on sale of communities			50,478
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities relating to the Company's recognition of promoted interest		$ 1,289	61,218	5,527
Residual JV
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		40.00%
MVPI LLC
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		25.00%
Distribution percentage after achievement of a threshold return		45.00%
Number of apartment homes \| home						313
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities relating to the Company's recognition of promoted interest			930	$ 516
Brandywine
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		28.70%			26.10%
Debt outstanding		$ 23,835
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities Owned \| home		305
Number of members who hold various interests in the joint venture \| investor		5
Additional interest purchased		2.60%
Secured notes
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Repayments of secured mortgages	$ 5,914
Variable rate notes		$ 1,045,182	$ 1,047,461
Secured notes \| MVPI LLC
Investment in Real Estate Entities
Repayments of secured mortgages		105,000
Variable rate notes		$ 103,000