UNITED STATES
Form 10-Q
Commission file number 1-10524
United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.
1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200,
(720) 283-6120
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes þ No o
The number of shares of the issuer’s common stock, $1 par value, outstanding as of November 3, 2004 was 132,533,584.
UNITED DOMINION REALTY TRUST, INC.
FORM 10-Q
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PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. is a self-administered real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns acquires, renovates, develops, and manages middle-market apartment communities nationwide. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of United Dominion and its subsidiaries, including United Dominion Realty, L.P., (the “Operating Partnership”), and Heritage Communities L.P. (the “Heritage OP”), (collectively, “United Dominion”). As of September 30, 2004, there were 130,397,811 units in the Operating Partnership outstanding, of which 120,294,591 units or 92.3% were owned by United Dominion and 10,103,220 units or 7.7% were owned by limited partners. As of September 30, 2004, there were 5,542,200 units in the Heritage OP outstanding, of which 5,186,945 units or 93.6% were owned by United Dominion and 355,255 units or 6.4% were owned by limited partners. The consolidated financial statements of United Dominion include the minority interests of the unitholders in the Operating Partnership and the Heritage OP. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared according to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted according to such rules and regulations, although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes appearing in United Dominion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as reissued, in an updated format, on the Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 20, 2004.
In the opinion of management, the consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments which are necessary for the fair presentation of financial position at September 30, 2004 and results of operations for the interim periods ended September 30, 2004 and 2003. Such adjustments are normal and recurring in nature. The interim results presented are not necessarily indicative of results that can be expected for a full year.
The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual amounts realized or paid could differ from those estimates. Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current financial statement presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on United Dominion’s reported net income available to common stockholders and stockholders’ equity for 2003. During the third quarter of 2004, we recognized a $5.5 million charge to cover expenses associated with the damage in Florida caused by hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
At September 30, 2004, there are 261 communities with 75,082 apartment homes classified as real estate held for investment. The following table summarizes the components of real estate held for investment, (dollars in thousands):
FASB Statement No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”(FAS 144) requires, among other things, that the primary assets and liabilities and the results of operations of United Dominion’s real properties which have been sold subsequent to January 1, 2002, or are held for disposition subsequent to January 1, 2002, be classified as discontinued operations and segregated in United Dominion’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Balance Sheets. Properties classified as real estate held for disposition generally represent properties that are under contract for sale and are expected to close within the next twelve months.
For purposes of these financial statements, FAS 144 results in the presentation of the primary assets and liabilities and the net operating results of those properties sold or classified as held for disposition through September 30, 2004, as discontinued operations for all periods presented. The adoption of FAS 144 does not have an impact on net income available to common stockholders. FAS 144 only results in the reclassification of the operating results of all properties sold or classified as held for disposition through September 30, 2004, within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the quarters and the nine month periods ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, and the reclassification of the assets and liabilities within the Consolidated Balance Sheets for 2004 and 2003.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, United Dominion sold ten communities with 3,100 apartment homes. In conjunction with the sales, we received a note receivable for $75.6 million that bears interest at 7.0% and matures on December 31, 2004. As of September 30, 2004, the balance on the note receivable was $10.6 million. We recognized gains for financial reporting purposes of $35.2 million on these sales and will recognize $4.0 million in additional gains as the note receivable matures. At September 30, 2004, United Dominion had ten communities with a total of 2,361 apartment homes and a net book value of $102.4 million and two parcels of land with a net book value of $4.6 million included in real estate held for disposition. For the year ended December 31, 2003, United Dominion sold seven communities with a total of 1,927 apartment homes, two commercial properties and one parcel of land. The results of operations for these properties and the interest expense associated with the secured debt on these properties are classified on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the line item entitled “Income from discontinued operations, net of minority interests.”
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The following is a summary of income from discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, (dollars in thousands):
Secured debt on continuing and discontinued operations, which encumbers $1.6 billion or 33% of United Dominion’s real estate owned based upon book value ($3.2 billion or 67% of United Dominion’s real estate owned is unencumbered) consists of the following as of September 30, 2004 (dollars in thousands):
Weighted average years to maturity include certain extension options.
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Approximate principal payments due during each of the next five calendar years and thereafter, as of September 30, 2004, are as follows (dollars in thousands):
A summary of unsecured debt as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 is as follows (dollars in thousands):
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United Dominion accounts for its derivative instruments in accordance with Statements of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 and No. 138,“Accounting for Certain Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.” At September 30, 2004, United Dominion has no derivative financial instruments reported on its Consolidated Balance Sheet. Prior to their maturity, United Dominion’s derivative financial instruments consisted of interest rate swap agreements that were designated as cash flow hedges of debt with variable interest rate features, and as qualifying hedges for financial reporting purposes. For a derivative instrument that qualifies as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings during the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The remaining gain or loss on the derivative instrument in excess of the cumulative change in the present value of future cash flows of the hedged item, if any, is recognized in current earnings during the period of change.
The fair value of United Dominion’s derivative instruments were reported on the balance sheet at their current fair value. The estimated fair value for our interest rate swaps relied on prevailing market interest rates. The interest rate swap agreements were designated with all or a portion of the principal balance and term of a specific debt obligation. Each interest rate swap involved the periodic exchange of payments over the life of the related agreement. An amount received or paid on the interest rate swap was recorded on an accrual basis as an adjustment to the related interest expense of the outstanding debt based on the accrual method of accounting. The related amount payable to and receivable from counterparties was included in other liabilities and other assets, respectively.
Basic earnings per common share is computed based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed based upon common shares outstanding plus the effect of dilutive stock options and other potentially dilutive common stock equivalents. The dilutive effect of stock options and other potentially dilutive common stock equivalents is determined using the treasury stock method based on United Dominion’s average stock price.
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The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (dollars in thousands, except per share data):
The effect of the conversion of the operating partnership units, Series A Out-Performance Partnership Units, and convertible preferred stock is not dilutive and is therefore not included in the above calculations. If the operating partnership units were converted to common stock, the additional shares of common stock outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 would be 8,677,459 and 8,681,292 weighted average common shares, and 8,541,946 and 7,602,342 weighted average common shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003. If the Series A Out-Performance Partnership Units were converted to common stock, the additional shares of common stock outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 would be 1,791,329 weighted average common shares, and 1,853,204 weighted average common shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003. If the convertible preferred stock were converted to common stock, the additional shares of common stock outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 would be 6,502,140 weighted average common shares, and 12,655,986 and 12,200,073 weighted average common shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively.
United Dominion has elected to follow the intrinsic value method under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” (“APB 25”) in accounting for its employee stock options because the alternative fair value accounting provided for under Statement No. 123,“Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,”requires the use of option valuation models that were not developed for use in valuing employee stock options. Under APB 25, because the exercise price of United Dominion’s employee stock options equals the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant, no compensation cost has been recognized.
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The following table sets forth United Dominion’s earnings and earnings per share had United Dominion’s stock-based compensation expense been determined based upon the fair value method at the date of grant, consistent with the provisions of SFAS 123 (dollars in thousands, except per share data):
Total comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 was $27.8 million and $73.5 million for 2004 and $22.2 million and $56.5 million for 2003, respectively. The difference between net income and total comprehensive income is primarily due to the fair value accounting for interest rate swaps.
Commitments
United Dominion is committed to completing its real estate under development, which has an estimated cost to complete of $63.0 million at September 30, 2004.
Contingencies
In May 2003, the stockholders of United Dominion approved the Series B Out-Performance Program (the “Series B Program”) pursuant to which certain executive officers of United Dominion (the “Participants”) were given the opportunity to invest indirectly in United Dominion by purchasing interests in a limited liability company (the “Series B LLC”), the only asset of which is a special class of partnership units of United Dominion Realty, L.P. (“Series B Out-Performance Partnership Shares” or “Series B OPPSs”) . The purchase price for the Series B OPPSs was determined by United Dominion’s board of directors to be $1 million, assuming 100% participation, and was based upon the advice of an
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independent valuation expert. The Series B Program will measure the cumulative total return on our common stock over the 24-month period from June 1, 2003 to May 31, 2005.
The Series B Program is designed to provide participants with the possibility of substantial returns on their investment if the total cumulative return on United Dominion’s common stock, as measured by the cumulative amount of dividends paid plus share price appreciation during the measurement period (a) exceeds the cumulative total return of the Morgan Stanley REIT Index peer group index over the same period; and (b) is at least the equivalent of a 22% total return, or 11% annualized.
At the conclusion of the measurement period, if United Dominion’s total cumulative return satisfies these criteria, the Series B LLC as holder of the Series B OPPSs will receive (for the indirect benefit of the Participants as holders of interests in the Series B LLC) distributions and allocations of income and loss from the Operating Partnership (accounted for on a consistent basis with all other OP Units) equal to the distributions and allocations that would be received on the number of OP Units obtained by:
If, on the valuation date, the cumulative total return of United Dominion’s common stock does not meet the minimum return, then the participants will forfeit their entire initial investment.
United Dominion’s notes receivable from certain officers matured in June 2004. The purpose of the loans was for the borrowers to purchase shares of United Dominion’s common stock pursuant to United Dominion’s 1991 Stock Purchase and Loan Plan. The loans were evidenced by promissory notes between the borrowers and United Dominion and secured by a pledge of the shares of common stock.
In addition, United Dominion had entered into a Servicing and Purchase Agreement (the “Servicing Agreement”) with SunTrust Bank (the “Bank”) whereby United Dominion acted as servicing agent for and to purchase certain loans made by the Bank to officers and directors of United Dominion (the “Borrowers”) to finance the purchase of shares of United Dominion’s common stock. The loans were evidenced by promissory notes (“Notes”) between each Borrower and the Bank. The Servicing Agreement provided that the Bank could require United Dominion to purchase the Notes upon an event of default by the Borrower or United Dominion and at certain other times during the term of the Servicing Agreement. All of the Notes matured in June 2004. At that time, all outstanding Notes were paid and the Servicing Agreement was terminated.
In August 2004, United Dominion entered into an agreement to acquire a portfolio of 16 garden-style communities with 4,646 existing homes (“The Essex Portfolio”), located in California and Oregon, from Essex Apartment Value Fund, an affiliate of Essex Property Trust. Subsequent to September 30, 2004,
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United Dominion took over the management of two communities, River Terrace and Coronado at Newport-South (650 units), and purchased an additional seven communities (1,904 units) included in The Essex Portfolio for a total consideration of $322.1 million.
On October 7, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of $100 million of 5.00% senior unsecured notes due January 2012 and $25 million of 4.30% senior unsecured notes due July 2007 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. The $25 million in notes represents a re-opening of the 4.30% senior notes due July 2007 issued by United Dominion in June 2004, and these notes will constitute a single series of notes, bringing the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the 4.30% senior notes to $75 million. The net proceeds of $124.4 million from these issuances were used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities.
On November 1, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of $100 million of 5.25% senior unsecured notes due January 2015 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. The net proceeds of $99.0 million from this issuance were used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities.
On November 2, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of 3.5 million shares of common stock at a public offering price of $20.50 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. On November 2, 2004, United Dominion sold an additional 525,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $20.50 per share in connection with the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option. The net proceeds of $81.9 million were used to reduce outstanding balances under our $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility, which was used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities.
In October 2004, we filed a prospectus supplement under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the offering of up to five million shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell through an agent from time to time in “at the market offerings,” as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933. These sales will be made under our $1.5 billion shelf registration statement pursuant to a sales agreement that we entered into with the agent in July 2003. The sales price of the common stock that may be sold under the sales agreement will be no lower than the minimum price designated by us prior to the sale. As of September 30, 2004, we had not sold any shares of common stock pursuant to the sales agreement. As of November 8, 2004, we have sold a total of 472,000 shares of common stock pursuant to the sales agreement at a weighted average sales price of $20.36, for net proceeds to us of approximately $9.4 million.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This quarterly report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning property acquisitions and dispositions, development activity and capital expenditures, capital raising activities, rent growth, occupancy, and rental expense growth. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. to be materially different from the results of operations or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things, unanticipated adverse business developments affecting us, or our properties, adverse changes in the real estate markets and general and local economies and business conditions. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore such statements included in this Report may not prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results or conditions described in such statements or our objectives and plans will be achieved.
Business Overview
We are a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns, acquires, renovates, develops, and manages middle-market apartment communities nationwide. We were formed in 1972 as a Virginia corporation and we changed our state of incorporation from Virginia to Maryland in 2003. Our subsidiaries include two operating partnerships, Heritage Communities L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and United Dominion Realty, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the company,” or “United Dominion” refer collectively to United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
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At September 30, 2004, our portfolio included 271 communities with 77,443 apartment homes nationwide. The following table summarizes our market information by major geographic markets (includes real estate held for disposition, real estate under development, and land, but excludes commercial properties):
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is the ability to meet present and future financial obligations either through the sale or maturity of existing assets or by the acquisition of additional funds through capital management. Both the coordination of asset and liability maturities and effective capital management are important to the maintenance of liquidity. Our primary source of liquidity is our cash flow from operations as determined by rental rates, occupancy levels, and operating expenses related to our portfolio of apartment homes. We routinely use our unsecured bank credit facility to temporarily fund certain investing and financing activities prior to arranging for longer-term financing. During the past several years, proceeds from the sale of real estate have been used for both investing and financing activities.
We expect to meet our short-term liquidity requirements generally through net cash provided by operations and borrowings under credit arrangements. We expect to meet certain long-term liquidity requirements such as scheduled debt maturities, the repayment of financing on development activities, and potential property acquisitions, through long-term secured and unsecured borrowings, the disposition of properties, and the issuance of additional debt or equity securities. We believe that our net cash provided by operations will continue to be adequate to meet both operating requirements and the payment of dividends by the Company in accordance with REIT requirements in both the short- and long-term. Likewise, the budgeted expenditures for improvements and renovations of certain properties are expected to be funded from cash flow from property operations.
We have a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission which provides for the issuance of up to an aggregate of $1.5 billion in common shares, preferred shares, and debt securities to facilitate future financing activities in the public capital markets. This shelf registration statement replaces our previous $1.0 billion shelf registration statement and includes $331.3 million of unissued securities carried forward from the previous $1.0 billion shelf registration statement. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we completed various financing activities under our shelf registration statements. These activities are summarized in the section entitled “Financing Activities” that follows. As of September 30, 2004, approximately $1.45 billion of equity and debt securities remained available for issuance under our new $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. Access to capital markets is dependent on market conditions at the time of issuance.
On October 7, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of $100 million of 5.00% senior unsecured notes due January 2012 and $25 million of 4.30% senior unsecured notes due July 2007 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. The $25 million in notes represents a re-opening of the 4.30% senior notes due July 2007 issued by United Dominion in June 2004, and these notes will constitute a single series of notes, bringing the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the 4.30% senior notes to $75 million. The net proceeds of $124.4 million from these issuances were used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities. On November 1, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of $100 million of 5.25% senior unsecured notes due January 2015 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement. The net proceeds of $99.0 million were used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities. On November 2, 2004, United Dominion completed the sale of 3.5 million shares of common stock at a public offering price of $20.50 under its $1.5 billion shelf registration statement, and sold an additional 525,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $20.50 per share in connection with the exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option. The net proceeds of $81.9 million were used to reduce outstanding balances under our $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility, which was used to fund the acquisition of apartment communities.
In October 2004, we filed a prospectus supplement under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the offering of up to five million shares of our common stock that we may issue and sell through an agent from time to time in “at the market offerings,” as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933. These sales will be made under our $1.5 billion shelf registration statement pursuant to a sales agreement that we entered into with the agent in July 2003. The sales price of the common stock that may be sold under the sales agreement will be no lower than the minimum price designated by us prior to the sale. As of September 30, 2004, we had not sold any shares of common stock pursuant to the sales agreement. As
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In July 2004, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded our rating on our senior unsecured debt from Baa3 to Baa2 and our preferred stock from Ba1 to Baa3 with a stable outlook.
Future Capital Needs
Future development expenditures are expected to be funded primarily through joint ventures, with proceeds from the sale of property, with construction loans and, to a lesser extent, with cash flows provided by operating activities. Acquisition activity in strategic markets is expected to be financed through the issuance of equity and debt securities, the issuance of operating partnership units, the assumption or placement of secured and/or unsecured debt, and by the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of properties.
During the remainder of 2004, we have approximately $1.6 million of secured debt maturing that we anticipate repaying with proceeds from borrowings under our secured or unsecured credit facilities, or the issuance of new unsecured debt securities or equity.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our critical accounting policies are those having the most impact on the reporting of our financial condition and results and those requiring significant judgments and estimates. These policies include those related to (1) capital expenditures, (2) impairment of long-lived assets, (3) derivatives and hedging activities, and (4) real estate investment properties. Our critical accounting policies are described in more detail in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. There have been no significant changes in our critical accounting policies from those reported in our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K. With respect to these critical accounting policies, management believes that the application of judgments and assessments is consistently applied and produces financial information that fairly depicts the results of operations for all periods presented.
Statements of Cash Flow
The following discussion explains the changes in net cash provided by operating activities and net cash provided by or used in investing and financing activities that are presented in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, our cash flow provided by operating activities was $175.0 million compared to $164.6 million for the same period in 2003. The increase in cash flow from operating activities resulted primarily from a $7.3 million increase in property operating activities, and a $2.9 million decrease in general and administrative expense.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, net cash used in investing activities was $318.7 million compared to $147.6 million for the same period in 2003. Changes in the level of investing activities from period to period reflects our strategy as it relates to our acquisition, capital expenditure, development, and disposition programs, as well as the impact of the capital market environment on these activities, all of which are discussed in further detail below.
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During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we acquired 17 apartment communities with 4,299 apartment homes and one parcel of land. Our long-term strategic plan is to achieve greater operating efficiencies by investing in fewer, more concentrated markets. As a result, we have been expanding our interests in the fast growing Southern California, Florida, and Metropolitan DC markets over the past two years. During the remainder of 2004, we plan to continue to channel new investments into those markets we believe will provide the best investment returns. Markets will be targeted based upon defined criteria including past performance, expected job growth, portfolio diversification, location of current holdings, current and anticipated housing supply and demand, and the ability to attract and support household formation.
In conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, we capitalize those expenditures related to acquiring new assets, materially enhancing the value of an existing asset, or substantially extending the useful life of an existing asset. Expenditures necessary to maintain an existing property in ordinary operating condition are expensed as incurred.
During the first nine months of 2004, we spent $51.3 million or $677 per home on capital expenditures for all of our communities, excluding development. These capital improvements included turnover related expenditures for floor coverings and appliances, other recurring capital expenditures such as HVAC equipment, roofs, siding, parking lots, and other non-revenue enhancing capital expenditures, which aggregated $25.8 million or $340 per home. In addition, revenue enhancing capital expenditures, including water sub-metering, the initial installation of microwaves or washer-dryers, and extensive interior upgrades (including kitchen and bathroom remodeling) totaled $25.3 million or $334 per home and major renovations totaled $0.2 million or $3 per home for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.
The following table outlines capital expenditures and repair and maintenance costs for all of our communities, excluding real estate under development and commercial properties for the periods presented:
Total capital improvements increased $12.5 million or $153 per home for the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003. We will continue to selectively add revenue enhancing improvements which we believe will provide a return on investment substantially in excess of our cost of capital. Recurring capital expenditures during 2004 are currently expected to be approximately $490 per home.
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Development activity is focused in core markets in which we have strong operations in place. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we invested approximately $13.4 million on development projects, an increase of $1.0 million from $12.4 million for the same period in 2003.
The following projects were under development as of September 30, 2004:
In addition, we own eight parcels of land that we continue to hold for future development that had a carrying value at September 30, 2004 of $27.0 million. Five of the eight parcels represent additional phases to existing communities as we plan to add apartment homes adjacent to currently owned communities that are in improving markets.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we sold ten communities with 3,100 apartment homes for a gross consideration of $158.5 million. In conjunction with the sales, we received a note receivable for $75.6 million that bears interest at 7.0% and matures on December 31, 2004. As of September 30, 2004, the balance on the note receivable was $10.6 million. We recognized gains for financial reporting purposes of $35.2 million on these sales and will recognize $4.0 million in additional gains as the note receivable matures. Proceeds from the sales were used primarily to reduce debt.
During 2004, we plan to continue to pursue our strategy of exiting markets where long-term growth prospects are limited and redeploying capital into markets that would enhance future growth rates and economies of scale. We intend to use proceeds from 2004 dispositions to acquire communities, fund development activity, and reduce debt.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2004, was $140.8 million compared to net cash used in financing activities of $7.3 million for the same period in 2003. As part of the plan to improve our balance sheet, we utilized proceeds from dispositions, equity and debt offerings, and refinancings to extend maturities, pay down existing debt, and purchase new properties.
The following is a summary of our financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2004:
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Credit Facilities
We have four secured revolving credit facilities with Fannie Mae with an aggregate commitment of $860 million and one with Freddie Mac for $72 million. As of September 30, 2004, $676.3 million was outstanding under the Fannie Mae credit facilities leaving $183.7 million of unused capacity. The Fannie Mae credit facilities are for an initial term of ten years, bear interest at floating and fixed rates, and can be extended for an additional five years at our discretion. As of September 30, 2004, $70.7 million had been funded under the Freddie Mac credit facility leaving $1.3 million of unused capacity. The Freddie Mac credit facility is for an initial term of five years with an option for us to extend for an additional four-year term at the then market rate. As of September 30, 2004, aggregate borrowings under both the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit facilities were $747 million. We have $288.9 million of the funded balance fixed at a weighted average interest rate of 6.4%. The remaining balance on these facilities is currently at a weighted average variable rate of 2.1%.
We have a $500 million three-year unsecured revolving credit facility that matures in March 2006. If we receive commitments from additional lenders or if the initial lenders increase their commitments, we will be able to increase the credit facility to $650 million. At our option, the maturity date of the credit facility can be extended one year to March 2007. Based on our current credit rating, the credit facility bears interest at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 90 basis points. As of September 30, 2004, $269.9 million was outstanding under the credit facility leaving $230.1 million of unused capacity.
The Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and bank revolving credit facilities are subject to customary financial covenants and limitations.
Information concerning short-term bank borrowings under our credit facility is summarized in the table that follows (dollars in thousands):
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Derivative Instruments
As part of our overall interest rate risk management strategy, we have used derivatives as a means to fix the interest rates of variable rate debt obligations or to hedge anticipated financing transactions. Our derivative transactions used for interest rate risk management included various interest rate swaps with indices that related to the pricing of specific financial instruments of the company. We believe that we appropriately controlled our interest rate risk through the use of derivative instruments. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, the fair value of our derivative instruments improved from an unfavorable $1.6 million at December 31, 2003, to $0 at September 30, 2004. This decrease is primarily due to the normal progression of the fair market value of our derivative instruments towards zero as they matured. As of September 30, 2004, all of United Dominion’s interest rate swap agreements had matured.
Funds from Operations
Funds from operations, or FFO, is defined as net income (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable property, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We compute FFO for all periods presented in accordance with the recommendations set forth by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust’s (“NAREIT”) April 1, 2002 White Paper. We consider FFO in evaluating property acquisitions and our operating performance, and believe that FFO should be considered along with, but not as an alternative to, net income as a measure of our operating performance. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs.
Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors and analysts have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. Thus, NAREIT created FFO as a supplemental measure of REIT operating performance and defines FFO as net income (computed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. The use of FFO, combined with the required presentations, has been fundamentally beneficial, improving the understanding of operating results of REITs among the investing public and making comparisons of REIT operating results more meaningful. We generally consider FFO to be a useful measure for reviewing our comparative operating and financial performance (although FFO should be reviewed in conjunction with net income which remains the primary measure of performance) because by excluding gains or losses related to sales of previously depreciated operating real estate assets and excluding real estate asset depreciation and amortization, FFO can help one compare the operating performance of a company’s real estate between periods or as compared to different companies. We believe that FFO is the best measure of economic profitability for real estate investment trusts.
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The following table outlines our FFO calculation and reconciliation to generally accepted accounting principles for the three and nine months ended September 30,(dollars and shares in thousands):
In the computation of diluted FFO, OP units, out-performance partnership units, and the shares of Series D and Series E convertible preferred stock are dilutive; therefore, they are included in the diluted share count. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, distributions to preferred stockholders exclude $1.6 million and $4.7 million, respectively, related to a premium on preferred stock conversions. For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, distributions to preferred stockholders exclude $12.1 million and $18.4 million, respectively, related to a premium on preferred stock conversions.
Gains from the disposition of real estate investments developed for sale is defined as net sales proceeds less a tax provision (such development by REITs must be conducted in a TRS) and the gross investment basis of the asset before accumulated depreciation. We consider FFO with gains/losses on real estate developed for sale to be a meaningful supplemental measure of performance because of the short-term use of funds to produce a profit that differs from the traditional long-term investment in real estate for REITs.
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The following is a reconciliation of GAAP gains from the disposition of real estate developed for sale to gross gains from the disposition of real estate developed for sale for the three and nine months ended September 30, (dollars in thousands):
The following table is our reconciliation of FFO share information to weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted, reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, (shares in thousands):
FFO also does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and therefore should not be considered an alternative to net cash flows from operating activities, as determined by generally accepted accounting principles, as a measure of liquidity. Additionally, it is not necessarily indicative of cash availability to fund cash needs.
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The following is a presentation of cash flow metrics based on generally accepted accounting principles for the three and nine months ended September 30 (dollars in thousands):
Results of Operations
The following discussion includes the results of both continuing and discontinued operations for the periods presented.
Net income available to common stockholders was $21.2 million ($0.17 per diluted share) for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, compared to $1.2 million ($0.01 per diluted share) for the same period in the prior year. The increase for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 when compared to the same period in 2003 resulted primarily from the following items, all of which are discussed in further detail elsewhere within this report:
These increases in income were partially offset by a charge of $5.5 million for hurricane related expenses, a $3.4 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense, and a $2.1 million increase in interest expense during the third quarter of 2004 when compared to the same period in 2003.
Net income available to common stockholders was $51.7 million ($0.40 per diluted share) for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, compared to $10.4 million ($0.09 per diluted share) for the same period in the prior year. The increase for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 when compared to the same period in 2003 resulted primarily from the following items, all of which are discussed in further detail elsewhere within this report:
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These increases in income were partially offset by a charge of $5.5 million for hurricane related expenses and a $10.4 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense during the first nine months of 2004 when compared to the same period in 2003.
Apartment Community Operations
Our net income is primarily generated from the operation of our apartment communities. The following table summarizes the operating performance of our total apartment portfolio for each of the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
The following table is our reconciliation of property operating income to net income as reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, (dollars in thousands):
Our same communities (those communities acquired, developed, and stabilized prior to September 30, 2003 and held on September 30, 2004, which consisted of 66,925 apartment homes) provided 86% of our property operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.
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For the third quarter of 2004, same community property operating income decreased 0.3% or $0.3 million compared to the same period in 2003. The decrease in property operating income was primarily attributable to a 1.3% or $1.9 million increase in revenues from rental and other income that was offset by a 4.0% or $2.2 million increase in operating expenses. The increase in revenues from rental and other income was primarily driven by a 12.3% or $1.3 million decrease in vacancy loss, and a 14.9% or $0.6 million increase in utility reimbursement income. Physical occupancy increased 0.9% to 94.0%.
The increase in property operating expenses was primarily driven by a 10.5% or $1.0 million increase in repair and maintenance costs, a 5.8% or $0.9 million increase in personnel costs, and a 4.1% or $0.4 million increase in utilities expense.
As a result of the percentage changes in property rental income and property operating expenses, the operating margin (property operating income divided by property rental income) decreased 1.0% to 60.8%.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, same community property operating income decreased 2.1% or $5.3 million compared to the same period in 2003. The overall decrease in property operating income was primarily attributable to a 0.2% or $0.7 million increase in revenues from rental and other income that was offset by a 3.8% or $6.0 million increase in operating expenses. The increase in revenues from rental and other income was primarily driven by a 15.0% or $1.7 million increase in utility reimbursement income, a 5.0% or $1.5 million decrease in vacancy loss, and a 4.5% or $0.6 million decrease in concession expense. These increases in income were offset by a 0.9% or $3.8 million decrease in rental rates. Physical occupancy increased 0.3% to 93.6%.
The increase in property operating expenses was primarily driven by a 5.4% or $2.2 million increase in personnel costs, a 6.7% or $1.8 million increase in repair and maintenance costs, a 3.6% or $0.9 million increase in utilities expense, an 8.5% or $0.7 million increase in insurance costs, and a 1.3% or $0.5 million increase in property taxes.
As a result of the percentage changes in property rental income and property operating expenses, the operating margin decreased 1.4% to 60.8%.
The remaining 14% of our property operating income during the first nine months of 2004 was generated from communities that we classify as “non-mature communities” (primarily those communities acquired or developed during 2003 and 2004, sold properties, and those properties classified as real estate held for disposition). The 28 communities with 7,813 apartment homes that we acquired during 2003 and 2004 provided $26.0 million of property operating income. The ten communities with 3,100 apartment homes sold during 2004 provided $4.6 million of property operating income. In addition, our development communities, which included 178 apartment homes constructed since January 1, 2003, provided $0.7 million of property operating income during 2004, the ten communities with 2,361 apartment homes classified as real estate held for disposition provided $8.7 million of property operating income, and other non-mature communities provided $1.2 million of property operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.
Real Estate Depreciation and Amortization
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, real estate depreciation and amortization on both continuing and discontinued operations increased 8.3% or $3.4 million and 8.7% or $10.4 million, respectively, compared to the same period in 2003, primarily due to the overall increase in the weighted average number of apartment homes.
Interest Expense
For the three months ended September 30, 2004, interest expense on both continuing and discontinued operations increased 7.7% or $2.1 million from the same period in 2003 primarily due to debt issuances. For the quarter ended September 30, 2004, the weighted average amount of debt outstanding
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For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, interest expense on both continuing and discontinued operations decreased 0.9% or $0.8 million from the same period in 2003 primarily due to debt refinancings and decreasing interest rates. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, the weighted average amount of debt outstanding increased 10.9% or $223.9 million compared to the prior year. However, this was more than offset by the weighted average interest rate declining from 5.5% to 4.9% during 2004. The weighted average amount of debt outstanding during 2004 is higher than 2003 as acquisition costs in 2004 have been funded, in most part, by the issuance of debt. The decrease in the weighted average interest rate during 2004 reflects our ability to take advantage of lower interest rates through refinancing and the utilization of variable rate debt.
General and Administrative
For the three months ended September 30, 2004, general and administrative expenses decreased $1.7 million or 30.3% compared to the same period in 2003 primarily as a result of a decrease in incentive compensation expense. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, general and administrative expense decreased $2.9 million or 18.0% over the comparable period in 2003. The decrease for the nine-month period was primarily due to a decrease in incentive compensation expense, legal, and recruiting expenses.
Hurricane Related Expenses
During the third quarter of 2004, we recognized a $5.5 million charge to cover expenses associated with the damage in Florida caused by hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne. United Dominion reported that 25 of its 34 Florida communities were affected by the hurricanes.
Impairment Loss on Investments
During the third quarter of 2003, we recognized a $1.4 million charge for the write-off of United Dominion’s investment in Realeum, Inc., and unconsolidated development joint venture created to develop web-based solutions for multi-family property and portfolio management.
Gains on Sales of Land and Depreciable Property
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we recognized gains for financial reporting purposes of $20.2 million and $35.2 million, respectively, compared to $7.2 million and $8.1 million for the comparable period in 2003. Changes in the level of gains recognized from period to period reflect the changing level of our divestiture activity from period to period, as well as the extent of gains related to specific properties sold.
Inflation
We believe that the direct effects of inflation on our operations have been immaterial. Substantially all of our leases are for a term of one year or less which generally minimizes our risk from the adverse effects of inflation.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenue or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material.
Factors Affecting Our Business and Prospects
There are many factors that affect our business and the results of our operations, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include:
For a discussion of these and other factors affecting our business and prospects, see “Item 1. — Business — Factors Affecting Our Business and Prospects” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. In addition, stockholders should consider the following risk factor:
Our internal control over financial reporting may not be considered effective which could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports, and in turn have an adverse effect on our stock price.Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2004, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. Such report will contain, among other matters, an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year, including a statement as to whether or not our internal control over financial reporting is effective. This assessment must include disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by management. Such report will also contain a statement that our auditors have issued an attestation report on management’s assessment of such internal controls.
The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) provides a framework for companies to assess and improve their internal control systems. While we feel that our key controls are currently effective, we continue to enhance our internal controls over financial reporting by
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We are currently performing the system and process documentation and evaluation needed to comply with Section 404, which is both costly and challenging. During this process, if our management identifies one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert such internal control is effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 31, 2004 (or if our auditors are unable to attest that our management’s report is fairly stated or they are unable to express an opinion on our management’s evaluation or on the effectiveness of the internal controls), we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our stock price.
United Dominion is exposed to interest rate changes associated with our unsecured credit facility and other variable rate debt as well as refinancing risk on our fixed rate debt. United Dominion’s involvement with derivative financial instruments is limited and we do not expect to use them for trading or other speculative purposes. In prior periods, United Dominion had used derivative instruments solely to manage its exposure to interest rates.
See our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for a more complete discussion of our interest rate sensitive assets and liabilities. As of September 30, 2004, our market risk has not changed materially from the amounts reported on our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.
As of September 30, 2004, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting them to material information required to be included in our periodic SEC reports. In addition, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that during the quarter ended September 30, 2004, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed with the objective of providing reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
It should be noted that the design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote. However, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective under circumstances where our disclosure controls and procedures should reasonably be expected to operate effectively.
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PART II — OTHER INFORMATION
On June 3, 1999, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase in open market transactions, in block transactions, or otherwise, of up to 5.5 million shares of common stock. On December 5, 2000, our Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to an additional 5.5 million shares of common stock in open market transactions, in block purchases or otherwise. As of September 30, 2004, we have repurchased a total of 8,749,763 shares of common stock under this program. As disclosed in the table below, we did not purchase any shares of our common stock during the quarter ended September 30, 2004.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
Date: November 8, 2004
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EXHIBIT INDEX