Camden Property Trust - 10-K annual report 2013

(Mark One)

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Formed on May 25, 1993, Camden Property Trust, a Texas real estate investment trust (“REIT”), is primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. Unless the context requires otherwise, “we,” “our,” “us,” and the “Company” refer to Camden Property Trust and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our multifamily apartment communities are referred to as “communities,” “multifamily communities,” “properties,” or “multifamily properties” in the following discussion.

Our corporate offices are located at 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77046 and our telephone number is (713) 354-2500. Our website is located at www.camdenliving.com. On our website we make available free of charge our annual, quarterly, and current reports, and amendments to such reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We also make available, free of charge on our website, our Guidelines on Governance, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Code of Ethical Conduct for Senior Financial Officers, and the charters of each of our Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. Copies are also available, without charge, from Investor Relations, 11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77046. References to our website in this report are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be viewed as, an incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through our website, therefore such information should not be considered part of this report.

Our annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information are electronically filed with the SEC. You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please contact the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov which contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

We are primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. As each of our communities has similar economic characteristics, residents, amenities, and services, our operations have been aggregated into one reportable segment. See our consolidated financial statements and notes included thereto in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for certain information required by Item 1.

We believe producing consistent earnings growth through property operations, development and acquisitions, achieving market balance, and recycling capital are crucial factors to our success. We rely heavily on our sophisticated property management capabilities and innovative operating strategies to help us maximize the earnings potential of our communities.

We continue to operate in our core markets which we believe provides an advantage due to economies of scale. We believe, where possible, it is best to operate with a strong base of properties in order to benefit from the personnel allocation and the market strength associated with managing multiple properties in the same market. However, consistent with our goal of generating sustained earnings growth, we intend to selectively dispose of properties and redeploy capital for various strategic reasons, including if we determine a property cannot meet long-term earnings growth expectations.

We try to maximize capital appreciation of our properties by investing in markets characterized by conditions favorable to multifamily property appreciation. These markets generally feature one or more of the following:

Subject to market conditions, we intend to continue to look for opportunities to develop and acquire existing communities. We continually evaluate our operating property and land development portfolio and plan to continue our practice of selective dispositions as market conditions warrant and opportunities develop.

We intend to continue to focus on strengthening our capital and liquidity positions by generating positive cash flows from operations, maintaining appropriate debt levels and leverage ratios, and controlling overhead costs. We intend to meet our liquidity requirements through cash flow generated from operations, availability under our unsecured credit facility and other short-term borrowings, proceeds from property dispositions, the use of debt and equity offerings under our automatic shelf registration statement, equity issued from our at-the-market share offering program, other unsecured borrowings and secured mortgages.

There are numerous housing alternatives which compete with our communities in attracting residents. Our properties compete directly with other multifamily properties as well as with condominiums and single-family homes which are available for rent or purchase in the markets in which our communities are located. This competitive environment could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease apartment homes at our present communities or any newly developed or acquired community, as well as in the rents charged.

In addition to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, the following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our business. Our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. Additional risks not presently known to us, or which we currently consider immaterial, may also impair our business and operations.

The capital and credit markets are subject to volatility and disruption, as particularly experienced in recent years. Although the economy has been gradually improving, there can be no assurance capital and credit markets will continue to improve in the near future. In the event of renewed market disruption or volatility, we may not be able to obtain new debt financing or refinance our existing debt on favorable terms or at all, which would adversely affect our liquidity, our ability to make distributions to shareholders, acquire and dispose of assets and continue our development activities. Other weakened economic conditions, including job losses, high unemployment levels, stock market volatility, and uncertainty about the future, could adversely affect rental rates and occupancy levels. Unfavorable changes in economic conditions may have a material adverse impact on our cash flows and operating results.

Additional key economic risks which may adversely affect conditions in the markets in which we operate include the following:

Our apartment leases are for a term of fifteen months or less. As these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues are impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms.

We hold land for future development and may in the future acquire additional land holdings. The risks inherent in purchasing, owning, and developing land increase as demand for apartments, or rental rates, decrease. Real estate markets are highly uncertain and, as a result, the value of undeveloped land has fluctuated significantly and may continue to fluctuate. In addition, carrying costs can be significant and can result in losses or reduced profitability. As a result, we hold certain land, and may in the future acquire additional land, in our development pipeline at a cost we may not be able to fully recover or at a cost which precludes our developing a profitable multifamily community. If there are subsequent changes in the fair value of our land holdings which we determine is less than the carrying basis of our land holdings reflected in our financial statements plus estimated costs to sell, we may be required to take future impairment charges which would reduce our net income.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are a major source of financing for secured multifamily real estate. We and other multifamily companies have utilized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to finance growth by purchasing or guaranteeing apartment loans.  In June 2013, a bipartisan group of senators proposed an overhaul of the housing finance system which would wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within five years; in August 2013, President Obama announced his support for this legislation. A final decision by the government to eliminate Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or reduce their role in the mortgage market, may adversely affect interest rates, capital availability, and the development of multifamily communities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (“FHAA”), and other federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations, generally require public accommodations and apartment homes be made accessible to disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the government or the award of damages to private litigants. These laws may require us to modify our existing properties. These laws may also restrict renovations by requiring improved access to such buildings by disabled persons or may require us to add other structural features which increase our construction costs. Legislation or regulations adopted in the future may impose further costs and obligations or restrictions on us with respect to improved access by disabled persons. We may incur unanticipated expenses which may be material to our financial condition or results of operations to comply with ADA, FHAA, and other federal, state, and local laws, or in connection with lawsuits brought by the government or private litigants.

There are numerous housing alternatives which compete with our properties in attracting residents. Our properties compete directly with other multifamily properties as well as condominiums and single family homes which are available for rent or purchase in the markets in which our properties are located. This competitive environment could have a material adverse effect on our ability to lease apartment homes at our present properties or any newly developed or acquired property, as well as on the rents realized.

We intend to continue to develop, redevelop and construct multifamily apartment communities for our portfolio, with 2014 development starts expected in the range of $150 to $300 million and 2014 redevelopment expenditures in the range of $55 to $75 million. Our development, redevelopment and construction activities may be exposed to a number of risks which may increase our construction costs and decrease our profitability, including the following:

Our inability to successfully implement our development, redevelopment and construction strategy could adversely affect our results of operations and our ability to satisfy our financial obligations and pay distributions to shareholders.

One of our wholly-owned subsidiaries is engaged in the business of providing general contracting services under construction contracts entered into between it and third-parties (including nonconsolidated subsidiaries). The terms of those construction contracts generally require this subsidiary to estimate the time and costs to complete a project, and to assume the risk these estimates may be greater than anticipated. As a result, profitability on those contracts is dependent on the ability to accurately predict such factors. The time and costs necessary to complete a project may be affected by a variety of factors, including those listed above, many of which are beyond this subsidiary’s control. In addition, the terms of those contracts generally require this subsidiary to warrant its work for a period of time during which it may be required to repair, replace, or rebuild non-conforming work. Further, trailing liabilities, based on various legal theories such as claims of negligent construction, may result from such projects, and these trailing liabilities may go on for a number of years depending on the length of the statute of repose in various jurisdictions.

We may acquire additional operating properties on a selective basis. Our acquisition activities are subject to a number of risks, including the following:

We expect other real estate investors, including insurance companies, pension and investment funds, private investors, and other multifamily REITs, will compete with us to acquire additional operating properties. This competition could increase prices for the type of properties we would likely pursue and adversely affect our ability to acquire these properties or the profitability of such properties upon acquisition.

We carry comprehensive property and liability insurance on our properties, which we believe is of the type and amount customarily obtained on similar real property assets by similar types of owners. We intend to obtain similar coverage for properties we acquire or develop in the future. However, some losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as losses from floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes, may be subject to coverage limitations. We exercise our discretion in determining amounts, coverage limits, and deductible provisions of insurance to maintain appropriate insurance on our investments at a reasonable cost and on suitable terms. If we suffer a catastrophic loss, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to pay the full current market value or current replacement value of our lost investment, as well as the anticipated future revenues from the property. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations, and other factors also may reduce the feasibility of using insurance proceeds to replace a property after it has been damaged or destroyed.

We have invested and may continue to invest as a joint venture partner in joint ventures. These investments involve risks, including the possibility the other joint venture partner may have business goals which are inconsistent with ours, possess the ability to take action or withhold consent contrary to our requests, or become insolvent and require us to assume and fulfill the joint venture’s financial obligations. We and our joint venture partner may each have the right to initiate a buy-sell arrangement, which could cause us to sell our interest, or acquire our joint venture partner’s interest, at a time when we otherwise would not have entered into such a transaction. Each joint venture agreement is individually negotiated, and our ability to operate, finance, and/or dispose of a community in our sole discretion may be limited to varying degrees depending on the terms of the joint venture agreement.

The risks associated with our discretionary funds, which we manage as the general partner and advisor and which as of December 31, 2013 were closed for future investments, include the following:

We may not continue to qualify as a REIT in the future. The Internal Revenue Service may challenge our qualification as a REIT for prior years and new legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations, or court decisions may change the tax laws or the application of the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT or the federal tax consequences of such qualification.

For any taxable year we fail to qualify as a REIT and do not qualify under statutory relief provisions:

We may face other tax liabilities in the future which may impact our cash flow. These potential tax liabilities may be calculated on our income or property values at either the corporate or individual property levels. Any additional tax expense incurred would decrease the cash available for cash distributions to our common shareholders, and non-controlling interest holders.

We use technology in substantially all aspects of our business operations. We also use mobile devices, social networking and other online activities to connect with our employees, suppliers and our residents. Such uses give rise to potential cybersecurity risks, including security breach, espionage, system disruption, theft and inadvertent release of information. Our business involves the storage and transmission of numerous classes of sensitive and/or confidential information and intellectual property, including residents' and suppliers' personal information, private information about employees, and financial and strategic information about us. Further, as we pursue our strategy to grow through acquisitions and developments and to pursue new initiatives to improve our operations, we are also expanding our information technologies, resulting in a larger technological presence and corresponding exposure to cybersecurity risk. If we fail to assess and identify cybersecurity risks associated with our operations, we may become increasingly vulnerable to such risks. Additionally, the measures we have implemented to prevent security breaches and cyber incidents may not be effective. The theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation, or release of sensitive and/or confidential information or intellectual property, or interference with our information technology systems or the technology systems of third-parties on which we rely, could result in business disruption, negative publicity, brand damage, violation of privacy laws, loss of residents, potential liability and competitive disadvantage, any of which could result in a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Our success depends in part on our ability to attract and retain the services of executive officers and other personnel. There is substantial competition for qualified personnel in the real estate industry, and the loss of several of our key personnel could have an adverse effect on us.

As a large publicly-traded owner of multifamily properties, we are at risk of becoming involved in legal proceedings, including consumer, employment, tort, or commercial litigation, which if decided adversely to or settled by us, could result in liability which is material to our financial condition or results of operations.

Substantially all of our income is derived from rental and other income from our multifamily communities. As a result, our performance depends in large part on our ability to collect rent from residents, which could be negatively affected by a number of factors, including the following:

Cash flow could be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest with respect to debt financing. In order for us to continue to qualify as a REIT we must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute annual dividends to our shareholders equal to a minimum of 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gains. This requirement limits the cash available to meet required principal payments on our debt.

The mortgages on our properties subject to secured debt, our unsecured credit facility, and the indenture under which our unsecured debt was issued, contain customary restrictions, requirements, and other limitations, as well as certain financial and operating covenants including maintenance of certain financial ratios. Maintaining compliance with these provisions could limit our financial flexibility. A default in these provisions, if uncured, could require us to repay the indebtedness before the scheduled maturity date, which could adversely affect our liquidity and increase our financing costs.

We are subject to the risk that indebtedness on our properties or our unsecured indebtedness will not be renewed, repaid, or refinanced when due or the terms of any renewal or refinancing will not be as favorable as the existing terms of such indebtedness. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness on acceptable terms, or at all, we might be forced to dispose of one or more of the properties on disadvantageous terms, which might result in losses to us. Such losses could have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders and pay amounts due on our debt. Furthermore, if a property is mortgaged to secure payment of indebtedness and we are unable to meet mortgage payments, the mortgagee could foreclose on the property, appoint a receiver and exercise rights under an assignment of rents and leases, or pursue other remedies, all with a consequent loss of our revenues and asset value. Foreclosures could also create taxable income without accompanying cash proceeds, thereby hindering our ability to meet the REIT distribution requirements of the Code.

We have mortgage debt with varying interest rates dependent upon various market indexes. In addition, we have a revolving credit facility bearing interest at a variable rate on all amounts drawn on the facility. We may incur additional variable rate debt in the future. Increases in interest rates on variable rate debt would increase our interest expense, unless we make arrangements which hedge the risk of rising interest rates, which would adversely affect net income and cash available for payment of our debt obligations and distributions to shareholders.

Our capital requirements depend on numerous factors, including the rental and occupancy rates of our multifamily properties, dividend payment rates to our equity holders, development, redevelopment and other capital expenditures, costs of operations, and potential acquisitions. If our capital requirements vary materially from our plans, we may require additional financing earlier than anticipated. If we issue more debt, we could become more leveraged, resulting in increased risk of default on our obligations and an increase in our debt service requirements, both of which could adversely affect our financial condition and ability to access debt and equity capital markets in the future.

Moody’s, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, the major debt rating agencies, routinely evaluate our debt and have given us ratings of Baa1, BBB+, and BBB+, respectively, each with stable outlooks, on our senior unsecured debt. These ratings are based on a number of factors, which include their assessment of our financial strength, liquidity, capital structure, asset quality, and sustainability of cash flow and earnings. Due to changes in market conditions, we may not be able to maintain our current credit ratings, which could adversely affect our cost of funds and related margins, liquidity, and access to capital markets.

For us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must have 100 or more shareholders during the year and not more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals. As defined for federal income tax purposes, the term “individuals” includes a number of specified entities. To minimize the possibility of us failing to qualify as a REIT under this test, our declaration of trust includes restrictions on transfers of our shares and ownership limits. The ownership limits, as well as our ability to issue other classes of equity securities, may delay, defer, or prevent a change in control. These provisions may also deter tender offers for our common shares which may be attractive to you or limit your opportunity to receive a premium for your shares which might otherwise exist if a third-party were attempting to effect a change in control transaction.

The market price and trading volume of our common shares are subject to fluctuation due to general market conditions, the risks discussed in this report and other matters, including the following:

The form, timing and/or amount of dividend distributions will be declared at the discretion of our Board of Trust Managers and will depend on actual cash from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code and other factors as the Board of Trust Managers may consider relevant. The Board of Trust Managers may modify the form, timing and/or amount of dividends from time to time.

None.

Our properties typically consist of mid-rise buildings or two and three story buildings in a landscaped setting and provide residents with a variety of amenities. Most of the properties have one or more swimming pools and a clubhouse and many have exercise room facilities, and controlled-access gates. Many of the apartment homes offer additional amenities common to multifamily rental properties.

Property Table

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None.

The high and low closing prices per share of our common shares, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape under the symbol “CPT,” and distributions per share declared for the quarters indicated are as follows:

This graph assumes the investment of $100 on December 31, 2008 and quarterly reinvestment of dividends. (Source: SNL Financial LC)