13. Derivatives

Our objectives in using derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage our cash flow volatility and exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, we primarily use interest rate protection agreements as part of our interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate protection agreements designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

In connection with origination of the Unsecured Term Loan (see Note 5), during January 2014, we entered into four interest rate protection agreements, with an aggregate notional value of $200,000, to manage our exposure to changes in the one month LIBOR rate (the “Group I Swaps ”). The Group I Swaps fix the LIBOR rate at a weighted average rate of 2.29% and mature on January 29, 2021. We designated the Group I Swaps as cash flow hedges.

In order to maintain our flexibility to pursue an offering of unsecured debt in the future, during August 2014, we entered into three interest rate protection agreements, with an aggregate notional value of $220,000, to manage our exposure to changes in the three month LIBOR rate (the "Group II Swaps"; together with the Group I Swaps, the "Swaps"). The Group II Swaps fix the LIBOR rate at a rate of 2.5795% and are effective from December 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024. We designated the Group II Swaps as cash flow hedges.

Our agreements with our derivative counterparties contain provisions where if we default on any of our indebtedness, then we could also be declared in default on our derivative obligations subject to certain thresholds. As of December 31, 2014, we have not posted any collateral related to these agreements and were not in breach of any of the agreement provisions. If we had breached these provisions, we could have been required to settle our obligations under the agreements at their termination value.

Our Series F Preferred Stock was subject to a coupon rate reset. The coupon rate reset every quarter at 2.375% plus the greater of i) the 30 year Treasury CMT Rate, ii) the 10 year Treasury CMT Rate or iii) 3-month LIBOR. For the period January 1, 2014 through March 6, 2014 (the redemption date), the coupon rate was 6.275%. In October 2008, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement with a notional value of $50,000 to mitigate our exposure to floating interest rates related to the forecasted reset rate of the coupon rate of our Series F Preferred Stock (the "Series F Agreement"). This Series F Agreement fixed the 30 year Treasury CMT rate at 5.2175%. Accounting guidance for derivatives does not permit hedge accounting treatment related to equity instruments and therefore the mark-to-market gains or losses related to this agreement are recorded in the statement of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2013, gains of $52 were recognized as mark-to-market gain on interest rate protection agreements. Quarterly payments were treated as a component of the mark-to-market gains or losses and totaled $774 for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Series F Agreement matured on October 1, 2013.

The following table sets forth our financial liabilities related to the Swaps, which are included in Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet and are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014:



				Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using:
Description	Fair Value			Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)	Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Liabilities:
Swaps	$	(12,279	)	—	$	(12,279	)	—

There was no ineffectiveness recorded on the Swaps during the year ended December 31, 2014. See Note 7 for more information.

The estimated fair value of the Swaps was 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 are incorporated in the fair value to account for potential non-performance risk, including our own non-performance risk and the respective counterparty’s non-performance risk. We determined that the significant inputs used to value the Swaps fell within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.