Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with GAAP, we are required to measure certain assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements at fair value. We are required to classify fair value measurements into one of three categories, based on the nature of the inputs used in the fair value measurement. Level 1 of the hierarchy includes fair value measurements based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities we can access at the measurement date. Level 2 includes fair value measurements based on inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 includes fair value measurements based on unobservable inputs. The classification of fair value measurements is subjective and GAAP requires disclosure of more detailed information regarding fair value measurements classified within the lower levels of the hierarchy.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

We measure at fair value on a recurring basis our investment in the securitization trust that holds certain of our property debt, which we classify as available for sale (AFS) securities, and our interest rate swaps. Information regarding these items measured at fair value, both of which are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, is presented below (in thousands):



	AFS Investments			Interest Rate Swaps			Total
Fair value at December 31, 2011	$	51,693		$	(7,012	)	$	44,681
Investment accretion	3,111			—			3,111
Unrealized losses included in interest expense	—			(48		)	(48		)
Losses on interest rate swaps reclassified into interest expense from accumulated other comprehensive loss	—			1,673			1,673
Unrealized gains (losses) included in equity and partners’ capital	4,341			(2,581		)	1,760
Fair value at December 31, 2012	$	59,145		$	(7,968	)	$	51,177
Investment accretion	3,451			—			3,451
Unrealized losses included in interest expense	—			(48		)	(48		)
Losses on interest rate swaps reclassified into interest expense from accumulated other comprehensive loss	—			1,678			1,678
Unrealized (losses) gains included in equity and partners’ capital	(4,188		)	1,734			(2,454		)
Fair value at December 31, 2013	$	58,408		$	(4,604	)	$	53,804

Our investments classified as AFS are presented within other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We estimate the fair value of these investments using an income and market approach with primarily observable inputs, including yields and other information regarding similar types of investments, and adjusted for certain unobservable inputs specific to these investments. We are accreting the discount to the $100.9 million face value of the investments into interest income using the effective interest method over the remaining expected term of the investments, which, as of December 31, 2013, was approximately 7.4 years. Our amortized cost basis for these investments, which represents the original cost adjusted for interest accretion less interest payments received, was $59.8 million and $56.3 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The amortized cost exceeded the fair value of these investments at December 31, 2013, primarily due to increases in market interest rates and a decrease in demand for similar investments as compared to when we purchased the investments. We currently expect to hold the investments to their maturity dates and we believe we will fully recover our basis in the investments. Accordingly, we believe the current impairment in the fair value, as compared to the amortized cost basis, of these investments is temporary and we have not recognized any of the loss in value in earnings.

For our variable rate debt, we are sometimes required by limited partners in our consolidated real estate partnerships to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations by entering into interest rate swap agreements, which moderate our exposure to interest rate risk by effectively converting the interest on variable rate debt to a fixed rate. We estimate the fair value of interest rate swaps using an income approach with primarily observable inputs including information regarding the hedged variable cash flows and forward yield curves relating to the variable interest rates on which the hedged cash flows are based.

As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, we had interest rate swaps with aggregate notional amounts of $50.7 million and $51.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2013 these swaps had a weighted average remaining term of 7.0 years. We have designated these interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges. The fair value of these swaps is presented within accrued liabilities and other in our consolidated balance sheets, and we recognize any changes in the fair value as an adjustment of accumulated other comprehensive loss within equity and partners’ capital to the extent of their effectiveness.

If the forward rates at December 31, 2013 remain constant, we estimate that during the next 12 months, we would reclassify into earnings approximately $1.7 million of the unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss. If market interest rates increase above the 3.43% weighted average fixed rate under these interest rate swaps we will benefit from net cash payments due to us from our counterparty to the interest rate swaps.

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements

During the year ended December 31, 2012, we reduced the aggregate carrying amounts of nine assets classified as held for use or held for sale from $81.8 million to their estimated fair values of $65.8 million, resulting in impairment losses of $16.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2011, we reduced the aggregate carrying amounts of 19 assets classified as held for sale from $108.2 million to their estimated fair values of $92.3 million, resulting in impairment losses of $15.9 million.

The fair values for the apartment communities we impaired during these periods were based primarily on contract prices for pending sales or expected sales values of the apartment communities. The contract prices were based in part on unobservable inputs classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, but were also based on observable inputs that can be validated to observable external sources, such as pricing information about widely marketed apartment communities for sale.

The unobservable inputs that are significant to our estimation of the fair value of real estate impaired during the periods include, among other things, information such as the property’s net operating income, or NOI, free cash flow, or FCF, which represents the property’s NOI less capital spending required to maintain the condition of the apartment community, and assumptions about NOI and FCF growth rates and exit values. An FCF internal rate of return, which represents the rate of return generated by the FCF from the apartment community and the proceeds from its eventual sale, is a common benchmark used in the real estate industry for relative comparison of real estate valuations. The projected cash flows, including the expected sales prices, on which the impairment losses were based translated to weighted average implied FCF internal rates of return of 7.39% and 7.87% for the apartment communities impaired during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Fair Value Disclosures

We believe that the aggregate fair value of our cash and cash equivalents, receivables and payables approximates their aggregate carrying amounts at December 31, 2013 and 2012, due to their relatively short-term nature and high probability of realization. The estimated aggregate fair value of our consolidated debt (including outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement and amounts reported in liabilities related to assets held for sale) was approximately $4.5 billion and $5.1 billion at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, as compared to aggregate carrying amounts of $4.4 billion and $4.7 billion, respectively. We estimate the fair value of our consolidated debt using an income and market approach, including comparison of the contractual terms to observable and unobservable inputs such as market interest rate risk spreads, contractual interest rates, remaining periods to maturity, collateral quality and loan to value ratios on similarly encumbered assets within our portfolio. We classify the fair value of our consolidated debt within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy based on the significance of certain of the unobservable inputs used to estimate their fair values.