Fair Value Measures and Other Financial Instruments

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Fair Value Measures and Other Financial Instruments

8. FAIR VALUE MEASURES AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

From time to time, the Company records certain assets and liabilities at fair value. Real estate assets may be stated at fair value if they become impaired in a given period and may be stated at fair value if they are held for sale and the fair value of such assets is below historical cost. Additionally, the Company records derivative financial instruments at fair value. The Company also uses fair value metrics to evaluate the carrying values of its real estate assets and for the disclosure of certain financial instruments. Fair value measurements were determined by management using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies available to management at June 30, 2015. Considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and estimate fair value. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the estimates discussed herein, using Level 2 and 3 inputs, are indicative of the amounts the Company could realize on disposition of the real estate assets or other financial instruments. The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies could have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts.

Real estate assets

The Company periodically reviews its real estate assets, including operating assets, construction in progress and land held for future investment, for impairment purposes using Level 3 inputs, primarily comparable sales and market data, independent valuations and discounted cash flow models. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company did not recognize any impairment charges related to its real estate assets.

Derivatives and other financial instruments

The Company manages its exposure to interest rate changes through the use of derivative financial instruments, primarily interest rate swap arrangements. At June 30, 2015, the Company had outstanding three interest rate swap arrangements with substantially similar terms and conditions. These arrangements have an aggregate notional amount of $230,000 and require the Company to pay a blended fixed rate of approximately 1.55% (with the counterparties paying the Company the floating one-month LIBOR rate). Additionally, the Company had outstanding a fourth interest rate swap arrangement with a notional amount of $70,000 and it requires the Company to pay a fixed rate of approximately 1.50% (with the counterparty paying the Company the floating one-month LIBOR rate) (together, the “Interest Rate Swaps”). The Interest Rate Swaps serve as cash flow hedges of amounts outstanding under the Company’s variable rate Term Loan (see note 4) and provide for an effective blended fixed rate for the corresponding amount of Term Loan borrowings of approximately 2.69% (subject to an adjustment based on subsequent changes in the Company’s credit ratings) at June 30, 2015. The Interest Rate Swaps terminate in January 2018.

The Interest Rate Swaps are measured and accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis. The Interest Rate Swaps outstanding at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 were valued as net liabilities of $4,480 and $3,685, respectively, primarily using level 2 inputs, as substantially all of the fair value was determined using widely accepted discounted cash flow valuation techniques along with observable market-based inputs for similar types of arrangements. The Company reflects both the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risks and its own nonperformance risks in its fair value measurements using unobservable inputs. However, the impact of such risks was not considered material to the overall fair value measurements of the derivatives. These liabilities are included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Under ASC Topic 815, a corresponding amount is included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), an equity account, until the hedged transactions are recognized in earnings. The following table summarizes the effect of these Interest Rate Swaps (designated as cash flow hedges) on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014:


	Three months ended						Six months ended
	June 30,						June 30,
Interest Rate Swap / Cash Flow Hedging Instruments	2015			2014			2015			2014
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income	$	(273	)	$	(2,553	)	$	(2,844	)	$	(3,563	)

Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into interest expense	$	(1,026	)	$	(1,046	)	$	(2,049	)	$	(2,076	)

The amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income as of June 30, 2015 will be reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made under the hedged indebtedness. Over the next year, the Company estimates that $3,456 will be reclassified from accumulated comprehensive income to interest expense.

As part of the Company’s on-going procedures, the Company monitors the credit worthiness of its financial institution counterparties and its exposure to any single entity, which it believes minimizes credit risk concentration. The Company believes the likelihood of realized losses from counterparty non-performance is remote. The Interest Rate Swaps are cross defaulted with the Company’s Term Loan and Syndicated Line (see note 4) and contain certain provisions consistent with these types of arrangements. If the Company was required to terminate the Interest Rate Swaps and settle the obligations thereunder as of June 30, 2015, the termination payment by the Company would have been approximately $4,484.

Other financial instruments

Cash equivalents, rents and accounts receivables, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities are carried at amounts which reasonably approximate their fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. At June 30, 2015, the fair value of fixed rate debt was approximately $604,328 (carrying value of $591,004) and the fair value of variable rate debt, including the Company’s lines of credit, was approximately $300,000 (carrying value of $300,000). At December 31, 2014, the fair value of fixed rate debt was approximately $620,641 (carrying value of $592,459) and the fair value of variable rate debt, including the Company’s lines of credit, was approximately $304,983 (carrying value of $300,000). Long-term indebtedness was valued using Level 2 inputs, primarily market prices of comparable debt instruments.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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POST APARTMENT HOMES LP 10-Q