These terms and conditions govern your use of the website alphaminr.com and its related
services.
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) are a binding contract between you and Alphaminr,
(“Alphaminr”, “we”, “us” and “service”). You must agree to and accept the Terms. These Terms
include the provisions in this document as well as those in the Privacy Policy. These terms may
be modified at any time.
Subscription
Your subscription will be on a month to month basis and automatically renew every month. You may
terminate your subscription at any time through your account.
Fees
We will provide you with advance notice of any change in fees.
Usage
You represent that you are of legal age to form a binding contract. You are responsible for any
activity associated with your account. The account can be logged in at only one computer at a
time.
The Services are intended for your own individual use. You shall only use the Services in a
manner that complies with all laws. You may not use any automated software, spider or system to
scrape data from Alphaminr.
Limitation of Liability
Alphaminr is not a financial advisor and does not provide financial advice of any kind. The
service is provided “As is”. The materials and information accessible through the Service are
solely for informational purposes. While we strive to provide good information and data, we make
no guarantee or warranty as to its accuracy.
TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL ALPHAMINR BE LIABLE TO
YOU FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR INVESTMENT LOSSES, LOSS OF DATA, OR ACCURACY
OF DATA, OR FOR ANY AMOUNT, IN THE AGGREGATE, IN EXCESS OF THE GREATER OF (1) FIFTY DOLLARS OR
(2) THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO ALPHAMINR IN THE SIX MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THIS APPLICABLE
CLAIM. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL OR
CERTAIN OTHER DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION AND EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid under any applicable law, such provision
shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions herein.
Privacy Policy
This privacy policy describes how we (“Alphaminr”) collect, use, share and protect your personal
information when we provide our service (“Service”). This Privacy Policy explains how
information is collected about you either directly or indirectly. By using our service, you
acknowledge the terms of this Privacy Notice. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy
Policy, please do not use our Service. You should contact us if you have questions about it. We
may modify this Privacy Policy periodically.
Personal Information
When you register for our Service, we collect information from you such as your name, email
address and credit card information.
Usage
Like many other websites we use “cookies”, which are small text files that are stored on your
computer or other device that record your preferences and actions, including how you use the
website. You can set your browser or device to refuse all cookies or to alert you when a cookie
is being sent. If you delete your cookies, if you opt-out from cookies, some Services may not
function properly. We collect information when you use our Service. This includes which pages
you visit.
Sharing of Personal Information
We use Google Analytics and we use Stripe for payment processing. We will not share the
information we collect with third parties for promotional purposes.
We may share personal information with law enforcement as required or permitted by law.
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended
December 31
, 2022
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ___________ to _____________
001-13106
(Essex Property Trust, Inc.)
333-44467-01
(Essex Portfolio, L.P.)
(Commission File Number)
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Maryland
77-0369576
(Essex Property Trust, Inc.)
(Essex Property Trust, Inc.)
California
77-0369575
(Essex Portfolio, L.P.)
(Essex Portfolio, L.P.)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
1100 Park Place, Suite 200
San Mateo
,
California
94403
(Address of Principal Executive Offices including Zip Code)
(
650
)
655-7800
(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $.0001 par value (Essex Property Trust, Inc.)
ESS
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Yes
☐
No
☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Yes
☐
No
☒
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Yes
☐
No
☒
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 (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.:
Large accelerated filer
☒
Accelerated filer
☐
Non-accelerated filer
☐
Smaller reporting company
☐
Emerging growth company
☐
Essex Portfolio, L.P.:
Large accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated filer
☐
Non-accelerated filer
☒
Smaller reporting company
☐
Emerging growth company
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
☐
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
☒
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Yes
☐
No
☒
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Yes
☐
No
☒
As of June 30, 2022, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of Essex Property Trust, Inc. was $
16,906,398,955
. The aggregate market value was computed with reference to the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day preceding such date. Shares of common stock held by executive officers, directors and holders of more than ten percent of the outstanding common stock have been excluded from this calculation because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This exclusion does not reflect a determination that such persons are affiliates for any other purposes. There is no public trading market for the common units of Essex Portfolio, L.P. As a result, the aggregate market value of the common units held by non-affiliates of Essex Portfolio, L.P. cannot be determined.
As of February 21, 2023,
64,518,322
shares of common stock ($.0001 par value) of Essex Property Trust, Inc. were outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders of Essex Property Trust, Inc. are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such Proxy Statement will be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Auditor Name:
KPMG LLP
Location:
San Francisco, California
PCAOB ID:
185
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 of Essex Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and Essex Portfolio, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership of which Essex Property Trust, Inc. is the sole general partner.
Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to the "Company," "we," "us," or "our" mean collectively Essex Property Trust, Inc. and those entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by Essex Property Trust, Inc., including Essex Portfolio, L.P., and references to the "Operating Partnership," or "EPLP" mean Essex Portfolio, L.P. and those entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by Essex Portfolio, L.P. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to "Essex" mean Essex Property Trust, Inc., not including any of its subsidiaries.
Essex operates as a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT"), and is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2022, Essex owned approximately 96.6% of the ownership interest in the Operating Partnership with the remaining 3.4% interest owned by limited partners. As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, Essex has exclusive control of the Operating Partnership's day-to-day management.
The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT ("UPREIT") and Essex contributes all net proceeds from its various equity offerings to the Operating Partnership. In return for those contributions, Essex receives a number of Operating Partnership limited partnership units ("OP Units," and the holders of such OP Units, "Unitholders") equal to the number of shares of common stock it has issued in the equity offerings. Contributions of properties to the Company can be structured as tax-deferred transactions through the issuance of OP Units, which is one of the reasons why the Company is structured in the manner outlined above. Based on the terms of the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement, OP Units can be exchanged into Essex common stock on a one-for-one basis. The Company maintains a one-for-one relationship between the OP Units issued to Essex and shares of common stock.
The Company believes that combining the reports on Form 10-K of Essex and the Operating Partnership into this single report provides the following benefits:
•
enhances investors' understanding of Essex and the Operating Partnership by enabling investors to view the business as a whole in the same manner as management views and operates the business;
•
eliminates duplicative disclosure and provides a more streamlined and readable presentation since a substantial portion of the disclosure applies to both Essex and the Operating Partnership; and
•
creates time and cost efficiencies through the preparation of one combined report instead of two separate reports.
Management operates Essex and the Operating Partnership as one business. The management of Essex consists of the same members as the management of the Operating Partnership.
All of the Company's property ownership, development, and related business operations are conducted through the Operating Partnership and Essex has no material assets, other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Essex's primary function is acting as the general partner of the Operating Partnership. As general partner with control of the Operating Partnership, Essex consolidates the Operating Partnership for financial reporting purposes. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of Essex and the Operating Partnership are the same on their respective financial statements. Essex also issues equity from time to time and guarantees certain debt of the Operating Partnership, as disclosed in this report. The Operating Partnership holds substantially all of the assets of the Company, including the Company's ownership interests in its co-investments. The Operating Partnership conducts the operations of the business and is structured as a partnership with no publicly traded equity. Except for the net proceeds from equity offerings by the Company, which are contributed to the capital of the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units (on a one-for-one share of common stock per OP Unit basis), the Operating Partnership generates all remaining capital required by the Company's business. These sources of capital include the Operating Partnership's working capital, net cash provided by operating activities, borrowings under its revolving credit facilities, the issuance of secured and unsecured debt and equity securities and proceeds received from disposition of certain properties and co-investments.
The Company believes it is important to understand the few differences between Essex and the Operating Partnership in the context of how Essex and the Operating Partnership operate as a consolidated company. Stockholders' equity, partners' capital and noncontrolling interest are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of Essex and those of the Operating Partnership. The limited partners of the Operating Partnership are accounted for as partners' capital in the Operating Partnership's consolidated financial statements and as noncontrolling interest in Essex's consolidated financial statements. The noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership's consolidated financial statements include the interest of unaffiliated partners in various consolidated partnerships and co-investment partners. The noncontrolling interest in Essex's
iii
consolidated financial statements include (i) the same noncontrolling interest as presented in the Operating Partnership’s consolidated financial statements and (ii) OP Unitholders. The differences between stockholders' equity and partners' capital result from differences in the equity issued at Essex and Operating Partnership levels.
To help investors understand the significant differences between Essex and the Operating Partnership, this report on Form 10-K provides separate consolidated financial statements for Essex and the Operating Partnership; a single set of consolidated notes to such financial statements that includes separate discussions of stockholders' equity or partners' capital, and earnings per share/unit, as applicable; and a combined Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
This report on Form 10-K also includes separate Part II, Item 9A. Controls and Procedures sections and separate Exhibits 31 and 32 certifications for each of Essex and the Operating Partnership in order to establish that the requisite certifications have been made and that Essex and the Operating Partnership are compliant with Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and 18 U.S.C. §1350.
In order to highlight the differences between Essex and the Operating Partnership, the separate sections in this report on Form 10-K for Essex and the Operating Partnership specifically refer to Essex and the Operating Partnership. In the sections that combine disclosure of Essex and the Operating Partnership, this report refers to actions or holdings as being actions or holdings of the Company. Although the Operating Partnership is generally the entity that directly or indirectly enters into contracts and co-investments and holds assets and debt, reference to the Company is appropriate because the Company is one business and the Company operates that business through the Operating Partnership. The separate discussions of Essex and the Operating Partnership in this report should be read in conjunction with each other to understand the results of the Company on a consolidated basis and how management operates the Company.
The information furnished in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, capital, and cash flows of the Company and the Operating Partnership reflect all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the aforementioned consolidated financial statements for the periods and are normal and recurring in nature, except as otherwise noted.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to such consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations herein.
•
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking statements are described in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, "Forward-Looking Statements." Actual results could differ materially from those set forth in each forward-looking statement. Certain factors that might cause such a difference are discussed in this report, including in Item 1A, Risk Factors of this Form 10-K.
Item 1. Business
OVERVIEW
Essex Property Trust, Inc. ("Essex"), a Maryland corporation, is an S&P 500 company that operates as a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Essex owns all of its interest in its real estate and other investments directly or indirectly through Essex Portfolio, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership" or "EPLP"). Essex is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and as of December 31, 2022, had an approximately 96.6% general partner interest in the Operating Partnership. In this report, the terms the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" also refer to Essex Property Trust, Inc., the Operating Partnership and those entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by Essex and/or the Operating Partnership.
Essex has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, commencing with the year ended December 31, 1994. Essex completed its initial public offering on June 13, 1994. In order to maintain compliance with REIT tax rules, the Company utilizes taxable REIT subsidiaries for various revenue generating or investment activities. All taxable REIT subsidiaries are consolidated by the Company for financial reporting purposes.
The Company is engaged primarily in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development and redevelopment of predominantly apartment communities, located along the West Coast of the United States. As of December 31, 2022, the Company owned or had ownership interests in 252 operating apartment communities, aggregating 62,147 apartment homes, excluding the Company's ownership in preferred equity co-investments, loan investments, three operating commercial buildings, and a development pipeline comprised of one unconsolidated joint venture project and various predevelopment projects aggregating 264 apartment homes (collectively, the "Portfolio").
The Company’s website address is http://www.essex.com. The Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports, and the Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders are available, free of charge, on its website as soon as practicable after the Company files the reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The information contained on the Company's website shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this report.
BUSINESS STRATEGIES
The following is a discussion of the Company’s business strategies in regards to real estate investment and management.
Business Strategies
Research Driven Approach to Investments
–
The Company believes that successful real estate investment decisions and portfolio growth begin with extensive regional economic research and local market knowledge. The Company continually assesses markets where the Company operates, as well as markets where the Company considers future investment opportunities by evaluating markets and focusing on the following strategic criteria:
•
Major metropolitan areas that have regional population in excess of one million;
•
Constraints on new supply driven by: (i) low availability of developable land sites where competing housing could be economically built; (ii) political growth barriers, such as protected land, urban growth boundaries, and potential lengthy and expensive development permit processes; and (iii) natural limitations to development, such as mountains or waterways;
•
Rental demand enhanced by affordability of rents relative to costs of for-sale housing; and
•
Housing demand based on job growth, proximity to jobs, high median incomes and the quality of life including related commuting factors.
Recognizing that all real estate markets are cyclical, the Company regularly evaluates the results of its regional economic, and local market research, and adjusts the geographic focus of its portfolio accordingly. The Company seeks to increase its portfolio allocation in markets projected to have the strongest local economies and to decrease allocations in markets projected to have declining economic conditions. Likewise, the Company also seeks to increase its portfolio allocation in markets that have attractive property valuations and to decrease allocations in markets that have inflated valuations and low relative yields.
Property Operations
– The Company manages its communities by focusing on activities that may generate above-average rental growth, tenant retention/satisfaction and long-term asset appreciation. The Company intends to achieve this by utilizing the strategies set forth below:
•
Property Management
–
Oversee delivery and quality of the housing provided to our tenants and manage the properties financial performance.
•
Capital Preservation –
The Company's asset management services are responsible for the planning, budgeting and completion of major capital improvement projects at the Company’s communities.
•
Business Planning and Control –
Comprehensive business plans are implemented in conjunction with significant investment decisions. These plans include benchmarks for future financial performance based on collaborative discussions between on-site managers, the operations leadership team, and senior management.
•
Development and Redevelopment –
The Company focuses on acquiring and developing apartment communities in supply constrained markets, and redeveloping its existing communities to improve the financial and physical aspects of the Company’s communities.
CURRENT BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Acquisitions of Real Estate Interests
Acquisitions are an important component of the Company’s business plan. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased or increased its interests in three communities consisting of 590 apartment homes for approximately $215.9 million. The table below summarizes acquisition activity for the year ended December 31, 2022 ($ in millions):
Property Name
Location
Apartment Homes
Essex Ownership Percentage
Ownership
Quarter in 2022
Purchase Price
Vela
Woodland Hills, CA
379
50
%
Wesco VI
Q1
$
183.0
(1)
Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court
Los Angeles, CA
211
100
%
EPLP
Q3
32.9
(2)
Total 2022
590
$
215.9
(1)
Represents the contract price for the entire property, not the Company’s share.
(2)
In July 2022, the Company acquired its joint venture partner’s 49.8% minority interest in two apartment communities, consisting of 211 apartment homes located in Los Angeles, CA, for a contract price of $32.9 million.
Dispositions of Real Estate
As part of its strategic plan to own quality real estate in supply-constrained markets, the Company continually evaluates all of its communities and sells those communities that no longer meet the Company's strategic criteria. The Company may use the capital generated from the dispositions to invest in higher-return communities, other real estate investments or to fund other commitments. The Company believes that the sale of these communities will not have a material impact on its future results of operations or cash flows nor will the sale of these communities materially affect the Company's ongoing operations. In general, the Company seeks to offset the dilutive impact on long-term earnings and funds from operations from these dispositions through the positive impact of reinvestment of proceeds.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold one community consisting of 250 apartment homes for approximately $160.0 million.
(1)
The Company recognized a $94.4 million gain on sale.
Development Pipeline
The Company defines development projects as new communities that are being constructed, or are newly constructed and are in a phase of lease-up and have not yet reached stabilized operations. As of December 31, 2022, the Company's development pipeline was comprised of one unconsolidated joint venture project under development aggregating 264 apartment homes and various predevelopment projects, with total incurred costs of $102.0 million. The estimated remaining project costs are approximately $25.0 million, of which $12.8 million represents the Company's share of estimated remaining costs, for total estimated project costs of $127.0 million.
The Company defines predevelopment projects as proposed communities in negotiation or in the entitlement process with an expected high likelihood of becoming entitled development projects. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had various consolidated predevelopment projects. The Company may also acquire land for future development purposes or sale.
The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s development pipeline ($ in millions):
As of
12/31/2022
Essex
Estimated
Incurred
Estimated
Development Pipeline
Location
Ownership%
Apartment Homes
Project Cost
(1)
Project Cost
(1)
Development Projects - Joint Venture
LIVIA (fka Scripps Mesa Apartments)
(2)
San Diego, CA
51%
264
$
77
$
102
Total Development Projects - Joint Venture
264
77
102
Predevelopment Projects - Consolidated
Other Projects
Various
100%
—
25
25
Total - Consolidated Predevelopment Projects
—
25
25
Grand Total - Development and Predevelopment Pipeline
264
$
102
$
127
(1)
Includes costs related to the entire project, including both the Company's and joint venture partners' costs. Includes incurred costs and estimated costs to complete these development projects. For predevelopment projects, only incurred costs are included in estimated costs.
(2)
Incurred project cost and estimated project cost are net of a projected value for low income housing tax credit proceeds and the value of the tax-exempt bond structure.
Long Term Debt
During 2022, the Company made regularly scheduled principal payments and loan payoffs of $43.2 million to its secured mortgage notes payable at an average interest rate of 3.6%.
In October 2022, the Company obtained a $300.0 million unsecured term loan priced at Adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus 0.85%. The loan has been swapped to an all-in fixed rate of 4.2% and matures in October 2024 with three 12-month extension options, exercisable at the Company's option. The loan includes a six-month delayed draw feature with the proceeds expected to be drawn in April 2023 to repay the Company's $300.0 million unsecured notes due in May 2023.
Bank Debt
As of December 31, 2022, Moody’s Investor Service and Standard and Poor's ("S&P") credit agencies rated Essex Property Trust, Inc. and Essex Portfolio, L.P. Baa1/Stable and BBB+/Stable, respectively.
At December 31, 2022, the Company had two unsecured lines of credit aggregating $1.24 billion. The Company's $1.2 billion credit facility had an interest rate of Adjusted SOFR plus 0.75% which is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings, adjusted for the Company's sustainability metric grid, and a scheduled maturity date of January 2027 with two six-month extensions, exercisable at the Company's option. The Company's $35.0 million working capital unsecured line of
credit had an interest rate of Adjusted SOFR plus 0.75%, which is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings, adjusted for the Company's sustainability metric grid, and a scheduled maturity date of July 2024.
Equity Transactions
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not issue any shares of common stock through its equity distribution agreement entered into in September 2021 (the "2021 ATM Program"). As of December 31, 2022, there were no outstanding forward sale agreements, and $900.0 million of shares remain available to be sold under the 2021 ATM Program.
In September 2022, the Company's Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase plan to allow the Company to acquire shares of common stock up to an aggregate value of $500.0 million. The plan supersedes the Company's previous common stock repurchase plan announced in December 2015. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased and retired 740,053 shares of its common stock totaling $189.7 million, including commissions, of which 420,606 shares of common stock totaling $101.7 million were repurchased under the new plan after its approval. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $398.3 million of purchase authority remaining under its $500.0 million stock repurchase plan.
Co-investments
The Company has entered into, and may continue in the future to enter into, joint ventures or partnerships (including limited liability companies) through which it owns an indirect economic interest in less than 100% of the community or land or other investments owned directly by the joint venture or partnership. For each joint venture the Company holds a non-controlling interest in the venture and, in most cases, may earn customary management fees, development fees, asset property management fees, and a promote interest.
The Company has also made, and may continue in the future to make, preferred equity investments in various multifamily development projects. The Company earns a preferred rate of return on these investments.
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Company Overview and Values
The Company is headquartered in San Mateo, CA, and has regional corporate offices in Woodland Hills, CA; Irvine, CA and Bellevue, WA. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had 1,772 employees, 99.9% of whom were full-time employees. A total of 1,327 employees worked on-site at our operating communities and 445 worked in our corporate offices. The Company's mission is to create quality communities in premier locations and it is critical to the Company's mission that it attracts, trains and retains a talented and diverse team by providing a better place to work and significant opportunities for professional growth. The Company's culture supports its mission and is guided by its core values: to act with integrity, to care about what matters, to do right with urgency, to lead at every level and to seek fairness. The Company seeks to reinforce those values within its workforce.
Workplace Diversity
The Company believes it has one of the most diverse workforces among its peers in the real estate industry in part due to its robust and integrated diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, which utilizes training programs, employee committees, and executive sponsorships to strengthen and promote diversity, equal opportunity, and fair treatment for all Company associates. As of December 31, 2022, the Company's workforce was, based on the voluntary self-identification of our employee base, approximately 45% Hispanic or Latino, 28% White, 12% Asian, 7% Black or African American, 1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 5% two or more races. 3% of employees chose to not disclose their race. 54% of the Company’s managerial level employees, 22% of its senior executives, and 20% of its named executive officers self-identified as Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s workforce was 41% female, 58% male, and 1% chose not to disclose their gender. 57% of our corporate associates and 36% of our on-site operational associates self-identified as female. The Company had 249 women in positions of manager or higher, representing 60% of managerial positions, a decrease from 65% in 2021. The slight decrease is primarily attributable to the Company’s new operational structure which resulted in 62 operational associates moving into non-managerial roles. While some oversight duties were realigned, salary and benefits were not impacted, and women continue to hold a majority of the managerial roles at the Company. Gender diversity within the Company’s leadership is similar to the overall gender diversity of the Company’s employees and managers, with women composing 60% of the Company’s executive officers and 56% of the Company’s senior executives. The tables below detail the Company’s gender representation by position and the age diversity of its workforce.
The Company has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DEI") Committee which directs the overarching goal setting, implementation, and follow-up for DEI initiatives and whose chairperson reports directly to the CEO on the Committee’s activities. The Company supports the employee-led affinity groups, Women at Essex and the LGBTQ+ focused Rainbow Alliance, which foster a sense of community and inclusion for a diverse mix of associates at the Company through discussions and activities that are intended to engage, educate, enable, and empower the Company's employees. All associates are offered training aimed at preventing workplace harassment, including harassment based on age, gender or ethnicity, training covering the foundations of DEI and awareness of unconscious bias in the workplace, and all managers are required to complete anti-harassment training.
The Company is committed to pay equity and conducts a pay equity analysis on an annual basis. The Company developed a robust, multiple regression analysis model, which confirmed that we continue to maintain our gender pay parity. Our robust statistical analysis confirmed that gender was not a significant factor in determining pay decisions in 2022.
The following aligns with the Company’s EE0-1 data for 2022:
Gender Representation by Position
(1)
December 31, 2022
Male #
(2)
Female #
(2)
Male %
Female %
Corporate - Top Executives, VPs, Assistant VPs, Directors, & Managers
74
76
49%
51%
Corporate - Below manager position
100
173
37%
63%
Field - Regional Directors/Managers, Community Managers
89
173
34%
66%
Field - Leasing Specialists, Leasing Managers, Relationship Reps, Bookkeepers
110
216
34%
66%
Field - Maintenance Supervisors and Techs
548
11
98%
2%
Field - Porter, Landscaper, Painter, Security Guard, Amenities Attendant
109
89
55%
45%
(1)
Table excludes 4 associates that did not declare gender and does not include board directors and consultants.
(2)
Gender is labeled as how respondents elected to be self-identified.
Total Workforce by
Age Group
December 31, 2022
#
%
<= 25
166
9%
26-35
534
30%
36-45
422
24%
46-55
348
20%
56-65
262
15%
> 65
40
2%
Training and Development
The Company values leadership at every level and demonstrates such value with respect to its associates by providing opportunities for all associates to develop personal and professional skills and by offering programs to encourage employee retention and advancement. These programs include leadership training, communication training, individual learning plans, Community Manager and Maintenance Manager training, investments in learning technology, and mentorship programs. Additionally, the Company provides its associates with outside educational benefits by offering an annual $3,000 tuition reimbursement to further support professional growth. To identify, retain and reward top performers, the Company offers a tenure program, which involves a cash gift for every five years of service, as well as excellence awards and a spot bonus recognition program to reward associates for good teamwork, good ideas and good service. The Company encourages internal promotions and hiring for open positions. In 2022, the Company promoted 12% of its employees to higher positions in the Company, a slight decrease from 2021 when the Company promoted 16% of its employees primarily due to the Company’s focus on ensuring proper fit for its associates entering into new roles in the new operational structure. The Company engages in succession planning for its leadership and managerial positions and its executive team identifies and mentors the Company's top talent in order to ensure strong leadership at the Company for the future.
The Company's compensation and benefits program and safety practices further reinforce its commitment to investing in the well-being of its associates while incentivizing its employees to promote fulfillment of the Company’s mission. The Company offers competitive compensation and a standard suite of benefits, including health insurance, a retirement plan with a $6,000 annual matching potential benefit, life and disability coverage, paid parental leave, and commuter benefits. Additionally, the Company offers a housing discount for associates that live at Company communities, and additionally offers retirement support, associate discount programs, mental health support, including a mental health program and refresh days for our operations teams, and health benefit credits for participation in wellness programs. The Company engages in an annual compensation study to align compensation with market standards and to ensure the Company is appropriately compensating its top performers.
Providing a safe working environment and promoting employee safety is imperative to the Company, and the Company continued to prioritize its associates’ health and safety throughout 2022. The Company has safety policies in place that align with an Injury & Illness Prevention Program, which seeks to proactively prevent workplace accidents and protect the health and safety of the Company's associates through training and analysis of incident reports. The Company provides safety training to Community Managers, Maintenance Supervisors, and Maintenance Technicians on a wide-range of topics, including Industrial Safety and Health, Confined Space Awareness, Electrical Safety and Protection, Active Shooter Event, Fire Extinguishing, Safety Data Sheets, Safe Lifting the E-Way, Ladder Safety, and Heat Stress in the Workplace. Additionally, in 2022, the Company continued to provide associates with additional paid time off for COVID-19 related illness and care through its Special Circumstances Leave policy in order to enable associates with adequate time to recover and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Community and Social Impact
The Company believes volunteering can create positive change in the communities where our associates live and work and that the Company's commitment to giving back helps it attract and retain associates. The Company's Volunteer Program is aimed at supporting and encouraging eligible associates to become actively involved in their communities through the Company's support of charity initiatives and offering paid hours for volunteer time. Additionally, the Company’s “Essex Cares” program provides direct aid to the Company’s residents, associates, and local communities, including those who have experienced financial hardships.
Employee Engagement
In order to engage and promote communication with our associates and solicit meaningful feedback on our efforts to create a positive work environment, the Company issues engagement surveys to all associates to measure 10 key drivers of employee experience including organizational fit, DEI, freedom of opinion, meaningful work, management support and recognition, among others. Engagement surveys are split into three phases: new hire surveys, Company-wide bi-annual surveys, and exit surveys. 89% of Company employees participated in the surveys in 2022. The Company’s overall score on the surveys was 8.3 out of 10.
INSURANCE
The Company purchases general liability and property insurance coverage, including loss of rent, for each of its communities. The Company also purchases limited earthquake, terrorism, environmental and flood insurance. There are certain types of losses which may not be covered or could exceed coverage limits. The insurance programs are subject to deductibles and self-insured retentions in varying amounts. The Company utilizes a wholly owned insurance subsidiary, Pacific Western Insurance LLC ("PWI"), to self-insure certain earthquake and property losses. As of December 31, 2022, PWI had cash and marketable securities of approximately $107.6 million, and is consolidated in the Company's financial statements.
All of the Company's communities are located in areas that are subject to earthquake activity. The Company evaluates its financial loss exposure to seismic events by using actuarial loss models developed by the insurance industry and in most cases property vulnerability analysis based on structural evaluations by seismic consultants. The Company manages this exposure, where considered appropriate, desirable, and cost-effective, by upgrading properties to increase their resistance to forces caused by seismic events, by considering available funds and coverages provided by PWI and/or by purchasing seismic insurance. In most cases the Company also purchases limited earthquake insurance for certain properties owned by the Company's co-investments.
In addition, the Company carries other types of insurance coverage related to a variety of risks and exposures.
Based on market conditions, the Company may change or potentially eliminate insurance coverages, or increase levels of self-insurance. Further, the Company may incur losses, which could be material, due to uninsured risks, deductibles and self-insured retentions, and/or losses in excess of coverage limits.
COMPETITION
There are numerous housing alternatives that compete with the Company’s communities in attracting tenants. These include other apartment communities, condominiums and single-family homes. If the demand for the Company’s communities is reduced or if competitors develop and/or acquire competing housing, rental rates and occupancy may drop which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
The Company faces competition from other REITs, businesses and other entities in the acquisition, development and operation of apartment communities. Some competitors are larger and have greater financial resources than the Company. This competition may result in increased costs of apartment communities the Company acquires and/or develops.
WORKING CAPITAL
The Company believes that cash flows generated by its operations, existing cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities balances, availability under existing lines of credit, access to capital markets and the ability to generate cash from the disposition of real estate are sufficient to meet all of its reasonably anticipated cash needs during 2023.
The timing, source and amounts of cash flows provided by financing activities and used in investing activities are sensitive to changes in interest rates, stock price, and other fluctuations in the capital markets environment, which can affect the Company’s plans for acquisitions, dispositions, development and redevelopment activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
As a real estate owner and operator, we are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws, regulations and ordinances and may be subject to liability and the costs of removal or remediation of certain potentially hazardous materials that may be present in our communities. See the discussion under the caption, "Risks Related to Real Estate Investments and Our Operations -
The Company’s Portfolio may have environmental liabilities"
in Item 1A, Risk Factors, for information concerning the potential effect of environmental regulations on its operations, which discussion is incorporated by reference into this Item 1.
OTHER MATTERS
Certain Policies of the Company
The Company intends to continue to operate in a manner that will not subject it to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Company may in the future (i) issue securities senior to its common stock, (ii) fund acquisition activities with borrowings under its line of credit and (iii) offer shares of common stock and/or units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership or affiliated partnerships as partial consideration for property acquisitions. The Company from time to time acquires partnership interests in partnerships and joint ventures, either directly or indirectly through subsidiaries of the Company, when such entities’ underlying assets are real estate.
The Company invests primarily in apartment communities that are located in predominantly coastal markets within Southern California, Northern California, and the Seattle metropolitan area. The Company currently intends to continue to invest in apartment communities in such regions. However, the geographical composition of the portfolio is evaluated periodically and may be modified by management.
For purposes of this section, the term "stockholders" means the holders of shares of Essex Property Trust, Inc.’s common stock. Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to Essex Property Trust, Inc.’s stockholders and Essex Portfolio, L.P.’s unitholders. You should carefully consider the following factors in evaluating our Company, our properties and our business.
Our business, operating results, cash flows and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those set forth below, any one of which could cause our actual operating results to vary materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results.
Risks Related to Our Real Estate Investments and Operations
General real estate investment risks may adversely affect property income and values, and therefore our stock price may be adversely affected.
If the communities and other real estate investments, including development and redevelopment properties, do not generate sufficient income to meet operating and financing expenses, cash flow and the ability to make distributions will be adversely affected. Income and growth from the communities may be further adversely affected by, among other things, the following factors, in addition to the other risk factors listed in this Item 1A:
•
changes in the general or local economic climate and demand for housing, including layoffs, industry slowdowns, relocations of employees from local employers, changing demographics, increased worker locational flexibility, and other events negatively impacting local employment rates, wages and the local economy;
•
changes in supply and cost of housing;
•
changing economic conditions, such as high inflationary periods in which our operating and financing costs may increase at a rate greater than our ability to increase rents, or deflationary periods where rents may decline more quickly relative to operating and financing costs; and
•
the appeal and desirability of our communities to tenants relative to other housing alternatives, including the size and amenity offerings, safety and location convenience, and our technology offerings.
Short-term leases expose us to the effects of declining market rents, and the Company may be unable to renew leases or relet units as leases expire.
If the Company is unable to promptly renew or re-let in place leases, or if the rental rates upon renewal or reletting are significantly lower than expected rates, then the Company’s results of operations and financial condition will be adversely affected.
Economic environments can negatively impact the Company’s liquidity and operating results.
In the event of a recession or other negative economic effects, the Company could incur reductions in rental and occupancy rates, property valuations and increases in costs. Any such recession or economic downturn may affect consumer confidence and spending and negatively impact the volume and pricing of real estate transactions, which could negatively affect the Company’s liquidity and its ability to vary its portfolio promptly in response to changes to the economy. Furthermore, if residents do not increase their income, they may be unable or unwilling to pay rent.
Rent control, or other changes in applicable laws, or noncompliance with applicable laws, could adversely affect the Company's operations, property values or expose us to liability.
The Company must own, operate, manage, acquire, develop and redevelop its properties in compliance with numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, some of which may conflict with one another or be subject to limited judicial or regulatory interpretations. These laws and regulations may include zoning laws, building codes, rent control or stabilization laws, emergency orders, laws benefiting disabled persons, federal, state and local tax laws, landlord tenant laws, environmental laws, employment laws, immigration laws and other laws regulating housing or that are generally applicable to the Company's business and operations. Changes in, or noncompliance with, laws and regulations could expose the Company to liability and could require the Company to make significant unanticipated expenditures to address noncompliance.
Existing and future rent control or rent stabilization laws and regulations, along with similar laws and regulations that expand tenants’ rights or impose additional costs on landlords, may reduce rental revenues or increase operating costs. Such laws and regulations limit our ability to charge market rents, increase rents, evict tenants or recover increases in our operating expenses and could reduce the value of our communities or make it more difficult for us to dispose of properties in certain circumstances. Expenses associated with our investment in these communities, such as debt service, real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in rental income from the community.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the future outbreak of other contagious diseases could materially affect our business, financial condition, stock price, and results of operations.
Uncertainty still surrounds the long-term impact of COVID-19. If there is a future outbreak of COVID-19 or other contagious diseases, the Company may again be subject to eviction moratoria, limits on rent increases and collection efforts, or may be legally required to or otherwise agree to restructure tenants’ rent obligations and may not be able to do so on terms as favorable to us as those currently in place. In the event of tenant nonpayment, default or bankruptcy, we may incur costs in protecting our investment, collecting delinquent rents, and re-leasing our property and have limited ability to renew existing leases or sign new leases at levels consistent with market rents. A new pandemic or disease outbreak may cause increased costs, lower profitability and market fluctuations that may affect our ability to obtain necessary funds for our business or negatively impact the ability of the Company’s third-party mezzanine loan borrowers and preferred equity investment sponsors to repay the Company.
Acquisitions of communities involve various risks and uncertainties and may fail to meet expectations.
The Company intends to continue to acquire apartment communities. However, acquisitions may fail to meet the Company’s expectations due to factors including inaccurate estimates of future income, expenses and the costs of improvements or redevelopment. Further, the value and operational performance of an apartment community may be diminished if neighborhood changes occur before we are able to redevelop or sell the community. Also, in connection with such acquisitions, we may assume unknown or contingent liabilities, which could ultimately lead to material costs for us that we did not expect to incur and for which the Company may have no recourse, or only limited recourse, against the sellers. In addition, the total amount of costs and expenses that may be incurred with respect to liabilities associated with apartment communities may exceed our expectations, and we may experience other unanticipated adverse effects, all of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The use of equity financing for future developments or acquisitions could dilute the interest of the Company’s existing stockholders. If the Company finances new acquisitions under existing lines of credit, there is a risk that, unless the Company obtains substitute financing, the Company may not be able to undertake additional borrowing for further acquisitions or developments or such borrowing may be not available on advantageous terms.
Development and redevelopment activities may be delayed, not completed, and/or not achieve expected results.
The Company pursues development and redevelopment projects, and those activities generally entail certain risks, including:
•
funds may be expended and management's time devoted to projects that may not be completed on time or at all;
•
construction costs may exceed original estimates possibly making some projects economically unfeasible;
•
projects may be delayed or abandoned due to, without limitation, weather conditions, labor or material shortages, municipal office closures and staff shortages, government recommended or mandated work stoppages, or environmental remediation;
•
occupancy rates and rents at a completed project may be less than anticipated;
•
expenses may be higher than anticipated, including, without limitation, due to inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, costs of litigation over construction contracts, environmental remediation or increased costs for labor, materials and leasing;
•
we may be unable to obtain, or experience a delay in obtaining, necessary governmental approvals or third party permits and authorizations, which could result in increased costs or delay or abandonment of opportunities;
•
we may be unable to obtain financing with favorable terms, or at all, for the proposed development or redevelopment of a community, which may cause us to delay or abandon an opportunity; and
•
we may incur liabilities to third parties during the development process.
The geographic concentration of the Company’s communities and fluctuations in local markets may adversely impact the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s communities are concentrated in Northern and Southern California and the Seattle metropolitan area, which exposes the Company to greater economic risks. Factors that may adversely affect local market and economic conditions include regional specific acts of nature (e.g., earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.), layoffs affecting specific or broad sectors of the economy (such as technology-based companies), and those other factors listed in the risk factor titled “
General real estate investment risks may adversely affect property income and values
” and elsewhere in this Item 1A.
The Company is susceptible to adverse developments in economic and regulatory environments, such as increases in real estate and other taxes, and increased costs of complying with governmental regulations. The State of California recently experienced increased relocation out of the state and is generally regarded as more litigious, highly regulated and taxed than many states, which may reduce demand for the Company’s communities. Any adverse developments in the economy or real estate markets in California or Washington, or any decrease in demand for the Company’s communities resulting from the California or Washington regulatory or business environments, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.
The Company may experience various increased costs, including increased property taxes, to own and maintain its properties.
Real property taxes on our properties may increase as our properties are reassessed by taxing authorities or as property tax rates change. Our real estate taxes in Washington could increase as a result of property value reassessments or increased property tax rates. A California law commonly referred to as Proposition 13 (“Prop 13”) generally limits annual real estate tax increases on California properties to 2% of assessed value. However, under Prop 13, property tax reassessment generally occurs as a result of a "change in ownership" of a property. Because the property taxing authorities may not determine whether there has been a "change in ownership" or the actual reassessed value of a property for a period of time after a transaction has occurred, we may not know the impact of a potential reassessment for a considerable amount of time following a particular transaction. Therefore, the amount of property taxes we are required to pay could increase substantially from the property taxes we currently pay or have paid in the past, including on a retroactive basis. Various initiatives to repeal or amend Prop 13, to eliminate its application to commercial and residential property, to increase the permitted annual real estate tax increases, and/or to introduce split tax roll legislation could increase the assessed value and/or tax rates applicable to commercial property in California. Further, changes in U.S. federal tax law could cause state and local governments to alter their taxation of real property.
The Company may experience increased costs associated with capital improvements and property maintenance as its properties advance through their life cycles. In some cases, we may spend more than budgeted amounts to make necessary improvements or maintenance, which could adversely impact the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Competition in the apartment community market and other housing alternatives may adversely affect operations and the rental demand for the Company’s communities.
There are numerous housing alternatives that compete with the Company’s communities in attracting tenants, including other apartment communities, condominiums and single-family homes. Competitive housing in a particular area and fluctuations in cost of owner-occupied single- and multifamily homes caused by a decrease in housing prices, mortgage interest rates and/or government programs to promote home ownership or create additional rental and/or other types of housing, or an increase in desire for more space due to work-from-home needs or increased time spent at home, could adversely affect the Company’s ability to retain its tenants, lease apartment homes and increase or maintain rents. If the demand for the Company’s communities is reduced, rental rates may drop, which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. The Company also faces competition from other businesses and other entities in the acquisition, development and operation of apartment communities. This competition may result in increased costs to acquire or develop apartment communities or impact the Company’s ability to identify suitable acquisition or development transactions.
Investments in mortgages, mezzanine loans, subordinated debt, other real estate, and other marketable securities could adversely affect the Company’s cash flow from operations.
The Company may purchase or otherwise invest in securities issued by entities which own real estate and/or invest in mortgages or unsecured debt obligations. The Company may make or acquire mezzanine loans, which are generally subordinated loans. In general, investing in mortgages involves risk, including that the value of mortgaged property may be less than the amounts owed, causing realized or unrealized losses; the borrower may not pay indebtedness under the mortgage when due and amounts recovered by the Company in connection with related foreclosures may be less than the amount owed; interest rates payable on the mortgages may be lower than the Company’s cost of funds; in the case of junior mortgages, foreclosure of a senior mortgage could eliminate the junior mortgage; delays in the collection of principal and interest if a borrower claims bankruptcy; possible senior lender default or overconcentration of senior lenders in portfolio; and unanticipated early prepayments may limit the Company’s expected return on its investment. If any of the above were to occur, it could adversely affect the Company’s cash flows from operations.
The Company’s ownership of co-investments, including joint ventures and joint ownership of communities, its ownership of properties with shared facilities with a homeowners' association or other entity, its ownership of properties subject to a ground lease and its preferred equity investments and its other partial interests in entities that own communities, could limit the Company’s ability to control such communities and may restrict our ability to finance, sell or otherwise transfer our interests in these properties and expose us to loss of the properties if such agreements are breached by us or terminated.
The Company has entered into, and may continue in the future to enter into, certain co-investments, including joint ventures or partnerships through which it owns an indirect economic interest in less than 100% of the community or land or other investments owned directly by the joint venture or partnership. Joint venture partners often have shared control over the development and operation of the joint venture assets, which may prevent the Company from taking action without the partners’ approval. A joint venture partner may have interests that are inconsistent with those of the Company or may take action contrary to the Company’s interests or policies. Consequently, a joint venture partner's actions might subject property owned by the joint venture to additional risk. In some instances, the Company and the joint venture partner may each have the right to trigger a buy-sell arrangement, which could cause the Company to sell its interest, or acquire a partner’s interest, at a time when the Company otherwise would not have initiated such a transaction. Should a joint venture partner become bankrupt, the Company could become liable for such partner’s share of joint venture liabilities.
From time to time, the Company, through the Operating Partnership, makes certain co-investments in the form of preferred equity investments in third-party entities that have been formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing, financing, or managing real property. The Operating Partnership’s interest in these entities is typically less than a majority of the outstanding voting interests of that entity, which may limit the Operating Partnership’s ability to control the daily operations of such co-investment. The Operating Partnership may not be able to dispose of its interests in such co-investment. In the event that such co-investment or the partners in such co-investment become insolvent or bankrupt or fail to develop or operate the property in the manner anticipated, the Operating Partnership may not receive the expected return in its expected timeframe or at all and may lose up to its entire investment. Additionally, the preferred return negotiated on these co-investments may be lower than the Company's cost of funds. The Company may also incur losses if any guarantees or indemnifications were made by the Company.
The Company also owns properties indirectly under "DownREIT" structures. The Company has entered into, and in the future may enter into, transactions that could require the Company to pay the tax liabilities of partners that contribute assets into DownREITs, joint ventures or the Operating Partnership, in the event that certain taxable events, which are generally within the Company’s control, occur. Although the Company plans to hold the contributed assets or, if such assets consist of real property, defer recognition of gain on sale of such assets pursuant to the like-kind exchange rules under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Company may not be able to do so and if such tax liabilities were incurred they could have a material impact on its financial position.
Also, from time to time, the Company invests in properties (i) which may be subject to certain shared facilities agreements with homeowners’ associations and other entities and/or (ii) subject to ground leases where a subtenant may have certain similar rights to that of a party under such a shared facilities agreements or where a master landlord may have certain rights to control the use, operation and/or repair of the property. In these arrangements, we cannot guarantee that the terms of the shared facilities agreements will be enforced or interpreted in favor of the Company, and the Company’s inability to control expenditures, make necessary repairs and/or control certain decisions may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, and/or the property’s safety, compliance with applicable laws, marketability or market value.
We may pursue acquisitions of other REITs and real estate companies, which may not yield anticipated results and could adversely affect our results of operations.
We may make acquisitions of and/or investments in other REITs and real estate companies or enter into strategic alliances or joint ventures, which involves risks and uncertainties and may not be successful. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition, investment, or joint venture opportunities, consummate any such transactions or relationships on terms and conditions acceptable to us, or realize the expected financial or strategic benefits of any such acquisition. The integration of acquired businesses or other acquisitions may not be successful and could result in disruption to other parts of our business. Pre-acquisition property due diligence may not identify all material issues that might arise with respect to such acquired business and its properties or as to any such other acquisitions. Any future acquisitions we make may also require significant additional debt or equity financing, which, in the case of debt financing, would increase our leverage and potentially affect our credit ratings and, in the case of equity or equity-linked financing, could be dilutive to Essex's stockholders and the Operating Partnership's unitholders. Additionally, the value of these investments could decline for a variety of reasons. These and other factors could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, the Company's ability to vary its portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions may be limited.
Real estate investments are illiquid and, in our markets, can at times be difficult to sell at prices we find acceptable, which may limit our ability to promptly reduce our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions and otherwise may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
The Company may not be able to lease its commercial space consistent with its projections or at market rates and the longer-term leases for existing space could result in below market rents over time.
When leases for our existing commercial space expire, the space may not be relet on a timely basis, or at all, or the terms of reletting, including the cost of allowances and concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than the current lease terms.
The Company’s portfolio may have environmental liabilities.
Under various federal, state and local environmental and public health laws, regulations and ordinances, we have been required, and may be required in the future, regardless of our knowledge or responsibility, to provide warnings about certain chemicals, investigate and remediate the effects of hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum product releases at our properties (including in some cases naturally occurring substances such as methane and radon gas) or properties that we acquire, develop, manage or directly or indirectly invest in. We may be held liable under these laws or common law to a governmental entity or to third parties for compliance and response costs, property damage, personal injury or natural resources damages and for investigation and remediation costs incurred as a result of the impacts resulting from such releases. While the Company is unaware of any such response action required or damage claims associated with its existing properties which would have a material adverse effect on our business, or results of operations, potential future costs and damage claims may be substantial. Further, the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate any such impacts, may adversely affect our ability to borrow against, develop, sell or rent the affected property, including due to any liens imposed on the impacted property by any government agencies for penalties or damages.
The Company carries certain limited insurance coverage for this type of environmental risk as to its properties; however, such coverage is not fully available for all properties and, as to those properties for which limited coverage is fully available, it may be insufficient or may not apply to certain claims arising from known conditions present on those properties. While we conduct pre-acquisition and development Phase I environmental site assessments, such assessments may not discover, ascertain or quantify the full extent of the environmental conditions at or near a given property.
Mold growth may occur when excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials. The Company has adopted policies to address and resolve reports of mold when it is detected, and to minimize any impact mold might have on tenants of the affected property, however, the Company may not identify and respond to all mold occurrences.
The Company may incur general uninsured losses or may experience market conditions that impact the procurement of certain insurance policies.
The Company purchases general liability and property, including loss of rent, insurance coverage for each of its communities and cyber risk insurance. The Company may also purchase limited earthquake, terrorism, environmental and flood insurance for some of its communities. However, there are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, pollution, environmental matters or extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, fires and floods that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles. The Company utilizes a wholly owned insurance subsidiary, Pacific Western Insurance LLC ("PWI"), to self-insure certain earthquake and property losses for some of the communities in its portfolio. A decline in the value of the securities held by PWI may adversely affect PWI’s ability to cover all or any portion of the amount of any insured losses. Despite our insurance coverage, the Company may incur material losses due to uninsured risks, deductibles and self-insured retentions, and/or losses in excess of coverage limits.
Our communities are located in areas that are subject to earthquake activity. The Company manages and evaluates its financial loss exposure to seismic events by using actuarial loss models and property vulnerability analyses based on structural evaluations by seismic consultants, and by making upgrades to certain properties to better resist seismic events and/or by purchasing seismic insurance in some cases. While the properties were built to the seismic codes in place at the time of construction, not all properties have been, or are required to be, retrofitted to the current seismic codes. Thus, some properties may be subject to physical risk associated with earthquakes, and may suffer significant damage, including, but not limited to, collapse for any number of reasons, including structural deficiencies. Seismic coverage is limited and may not cover the Company’s seismic related losses. Thus, we cannot assure you that an earthquake would not cause damage or losses greater than our current insured levels.
Our properties or markets may in the future be the target of actual or threatened terrorist attacks, shootings, or other acts of violence, which could directly or indirectly damage our communities both physically and financially, cause losses that exceed our insurance coverage, adversely affect the value of and our ability to operate our communities, subject us to significant liability claims, or otherwise impair our ability to achieve our expected results.
Although the Company may carry insurance for potential losses associated with its communities, employees, tenants, and compliance with applicable laws, it may still incur material losses due to uninsured risks, deductibles, copayments or losses in excess of applicable insurance coverage. In the event of a substantial loss, insurance coverage may not be able to cover the full replacement cost of the Company’s lost investment, or the insurance carrier may become insolvent and not be able to cover the full amount of the insured losses. Changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors might also affect the Company’s ability to replace or renovate an apartment community after it has been damaged or destroyed. In addition, certain causalities and/or losses incurred may expose the Company in the future to higher insurance premiums.
Climate change may adversely affect our business.
As a result of climate change, we may experience extreme weather, an increased number of natural disasters and changes in precipitation, temperature and wild fire and drought exposure, all of which may result in physical damage, a decrease in demand for our communities located in these areas or affected by these conditions, damage to our properties, disruption of services at our properties or increased costs associated with maintaining or insuring our communities. Should the impact of climate change be material in nature or occur for lengthy periods of time, the types and pricing of insurance the Company is able to procure may be negatively impacted and our financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected. We could experience increased costs related to further developing our communities to mitigate the effects of climate change or repairing damage related to the effects of climate change that may or may not be fully covered by insurance. In addition, changes in federal, state and local legislation and regulation on climate change could result in increased operating costs (for example, increased utility costs) and/or increased capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing communities (for example, increased costs associated with meeting electric vehicle charging mandates) and could also require us to spend more on our new development communities without a corresponding increase in revenue and could increase our exposure to new physical risks and liabilities (for example, we may see an increase in fires caused by electric vehicle chargers).
Accidental death or severe injuries at our communities due to fires, floods, other natural disasters or hazards could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our insurance coverage may not cover all losses associated with such events, and we may experience difficulty marketing communities where any such events have occurred, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Adverse changes in laws may adversely affect the Company's liabilities and/or operating costs relating to its properties and its operations.
Increases in real estate taxes and income, service and transfer taxes cannot always be passed through to tenants in the form of higher rents, and may adversely affect the Company's cash available for distribution and its ability to make distributions and pay amounts due on its debts. Additionally, ongoing political volatility may increase the likelihood of significant changes in laws that could affect the Company's overall strategy. Changes in laws increasing the potential liability of the Company and/or its operating costs on a range of issues, including those regarding potential liability for other environmental conditions existing on properties or increasing the restrictions on discharges or other conditions, as well as changes in laws affecting development, construction and safety requirements, may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, including without limitation, those related to structural or seismic retrofit or more costly operational safety systems and programs, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Failure to succeed in new markets may limit the Company’s growth.
The Company may make acquisitions or commence development activity outside of its existing market areas if appropriate opportunities arise, which may expose the Company to new risks, including, but not limited to an inability to evaluate accurately local apartment market conditions and local economies; an inability to identify appropriate acquisition opportunities or to obtain land for development; an inability to hire and retain key personnel; and lack of familiarity with local governmental and permitting procedures.
Our business and reputation depend on our ability to continue providing high quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, the failure of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We provide tenants with reliable services, including water and electric power, along with the consistent operation of our communities, including a wide variety of amenities. Public utilities, especially those that provide water and electric power, are fundamental for the consistent operation of our communities. The delayed delivery or any prolonged interruption of these services may cause tenants to terminate their leases or may result in a reduction of rents and/or increase in our costs or other issues. In addition, we may fail to provide quality housing and continuous access to amenities as a result of other factors, including government mandated closures, mechanical failure, power outage, human error, vandalism, physical or electronic security breaches, war, terrorism or similar events. Such events may also expose us to additional liability claims and damage our reputation and brand and could cause tenants to terminate or not renew their leases, or prospective tenants to seek housing elsewhere. Any such failures could impair our ability to continue providing quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s real estate assets may be subject to impairment charges.
The Company continually evaluates the recoverability of the carrying value of its real estate assets under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). Factors considered in evaluating impairment of the Company’s existing multifamily real estate assets held for investment include significant declines in property operating profits, recurring property operating losses and other significant adverse changes in general market conditions that are considered permanent in nature. Generally, a multifamily real estate asset held for investment is not considered impaired if the undiscounted, estimated future cash flows of the asset over its estimated holding period are in excess of the asset’s net book value at the balance sheet date. Assumptions used to estimate annual and residual cash flow and the estimated holding period of such assets require the judgment of management. There can be no assurance that the Company will not take charges in the future related to the impairment of the Company’s assets. Any future impairment charges could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.
We face risks associated with land holdings for future developments and related activities. Real estate markets are highly uncertain and the value of undeveloped may fluctuate significantly. In addition, carrying costs can be significant and can result in losses or reduced profitability. If there are subsequent changes in the fair value of our land holdings which we determine is less that 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 changes which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on information technology in our operations, and any material failure, inadequacy, interruption or breach of the Company’s privacy or information security systems, or those of our vendors or other third parties, could materially adversely affect the Company’s business and financial condition.
We rely on information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes, including financial transactions and records, personally identifiable information (“PII”), and tenant and lease data. Our business requires us and some of our vendors to use and store PII and other sensitive information of our tenants and employees. The collection and use of PII is governed by federal and state laws and regulations. Privacy and information security laws continue to evolve and may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another. The Company endeavors to comply with all such laws and regulations, including by providing required disclosures, promptly responding to consumer requests for data, and seeking vendor compliance with applicable privacy and information security laws. Compliance with all such laws and regulations may increase the Company’s operating costs and adversely impact the Company’s ability to market the Company’s properties and services.
Although we have taken steps to abide by privacy and security laws, and to protect the security of our information systems and maintain confidential tenant, prospective tenant and employee information, the compliance and security measures put in place by the Company, and such vendors, cannot guarantee perfect compliance or provide absolute security, and the Company and our vendors' compliance systems and/or information technology infrastructure may be vulnerable to criminal cyber-attacks or data security incidents, including ransom of data (such as, tenant and/or employee information), due to employee error, malfeasance, or other vulnerabilities. Any such incident could compromise the Company’s or such vendors’ networks (or the networks or systems of third parties that facilitate the Company’s or such vendors’ business activities), and the information stored by the Company or such vendors could be accessed, misused, publicly disclosed, corrupted, lost, or stolen, resulting in fraud, including wire fraud related to Company assets, or other harm. Moreover, if there is a compliance failure, or if a data security incident or breach affects the Company’s systems or such vendors’ systems, whether through a breach of the Company’s systems or a breach of the systems of third parties, or results in the unauthorized release of PII, the Company’s reputation and brand could be materially damaged, which could increase our costs in attracting and retaining tenants, and other serious consequences may result. Potential other consequences include that the Company may be exposed to a risk of litigation, including government enforcement actions, private litigation or criminal penalties; and that the Company may be exposed to a risk of loss including loss related to the fact that agreements with such vendors, or such vendors’ financial condition, may not allow the Company to recover all costs related to a cyber-breach for which they alone or they and the Company should be jointly responsible for, which could result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
Privacy and information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of the proliferation of new technologies, such as ransomware, and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyber-attacks. We maintain cyber risk insurance which may be insufficient in the event of a cyber-incident.
In the future, the Company may expend additional resources to continue to enhance the Company’s information security measures to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities and/or to further ensure compliance with privacy and information security laws. Despite these steps, the Company may suffer a significant data security incident in the future, unauthorized parties may gain access to sensitive data stored on the Company’s systems, and any such incident may not be discovered in a timely manner. Further, the techniques used by criminals to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data, such as phishing are increasing in sophistication and are often novel or change frequently; accordingly, the Company may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. Any failure in or breach of the Company’s information security systems, those of third party service providers, or a breach of other third party systems that ultimately impacts the operational or information security systems of the Company as a result of cyber-attacks or information security breaches could result in a wide range of potentially serious harm to our business and results of operations.
Reliance on third party software providers to host systems critical to our operations and to provide the Company with data.
We rely on certain key software vendors to support business practices critical to our operations, including the collection of rent and ancillary income and communication with our tenants, and to provide us with data. The market is currently experiencing a consolidation of these software vendors, particularly in the multi-family space, which may negatively impact the Company’s choice of vendor and pricing options. Moreover, if any of these key vendors were to terminate our relationship or access to data, or to fail, we could suffer losses while we sought to replace the services and information provided by the vendors.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financings
Capital and credit market conditions and volatility, including significant fluctuations in the price of the Company’s stock, may affect the Company’s access to sources of capital and/or the cost of capital, which could negatively affect the Company’s business, stock price, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Our current balance sheet, the debt capacity available on the unsecured line of credit with a diversified bank group, access to the public and private placement debt markets and secured debt financing providers provide some insulation from volatile capital markets. We primarily use external financing, including sales of debt and equity securities, to fund acquisitions, developments, and redevelopments and to refinance indebtedness as it matures. If sufficient sources of external financing are not available to us on cost effective terms, we could be forced to limit our acquisition, development and redevelopment activity and/or take other actions to fund our business activities and repayment of debt, such as selling assets, reducing our cash dividend or distributing less than 100% of our REIT taxable income. In general, to the extent that the Company’s access to capital and credit is at a higher cost than the Company has experienced in recent years (reflected in higher interest rates for debt financing or a lower stock price for equity financing without a corresponding change to investment cap rates) the Company’s ability to make acquisitions, develop or redevelop communities, obtain new financing, and refinance existing borrowing at competitive rates could be adversely affected, which would impact the Company's financial standing and related credit rating. In addition, if our ability to obtain financing is adversely affected, the Company’s stock price may be adversely affected, and we may be unable to satisfy scheduled maturities on existing financing through other sources of our liquidity, which, in the case of secured financings, could result in lender foreclosure on the apartment communities securing such debt.
Debt financing has inherent risks.
The Company is subject to the risks normally associated with debt financing, including that cash flow may not be sufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest and the REIT distribution requirements of the Code; inability to renew, repay, or refinance maturing indebtedness on encumbered apartment communities on favorable terms or at all, possibly requiring the Company to sell a property or properties on disadvantageous terms; inability to comply with debt covenants could trigger cash management provisions limiting our ability to control cash flows, cause defaults, or an acceleration of maturity dates; paying debt before the scheduled maturity date could result in prepayment penalties; and defaulting on secured indebtedness may result in lenders seeking a foreclosure on communities or pursuing other remedies which would reduce the Company’s income and net asset value, its ability to service other debt, or create taxable income without accompanying cash proceeds, thereby hindering our ability to meet REIT distribution requirements. Any of these risks might result in losses that could have an adverse effect on the Company and its ability to make distributions and pay amounts due on its debt. Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness and to fund our operations, working capital and capital expenditures, depends on our ability to generate cash in the future. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing indebtedness or that a refinancing will not be done on as favorable terms, which in either case could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Compliance requirements of tax-exempt financing and below market rent requirements may limit income from certain communities.
The Company has, and expects to continue using, variable rate tax-exempt financing, which provides for certain deed restrictions and restrictive covenants. If the compliance requirements of the tax-exempt financing restrict our ability to increase our rental rates to certain tenants, or eligible/qualified tenants, then our income from these properties may be limited. While we generally believe that the interest rate benefit attendant to properties with tax-exempt bonds outweighs any loss of income due to restrictive covenants or deed restrictions, this may not always be the case. Some of these requirements are complex and our failure to comply with them may subject us to material fines or liabilities. Certain state and local authorities may impose additional rental restrictions. These restrictions may limit income from the tax-exempt financed communities if the Company is required to decrease its rental rates. If the Company does not reserve the required number of apartment homes for tenants satisfying these income requirements, the tax-exempt status of the bonds may be terminated, the obligations under the bond documents may be accelerated and the Company may be subject to additional contractual liability. Notwithstanding the limitations due to tax-exempt financing requirements, the income from certain communities may be limited due to below-market rent requirements imposed by local authorities in connection with the original development of the community.
The indentures governing our notes and other financing arrangements contain restrictive covenants that limit our operating flexibility and restrict our ability to take specific actions, even if we believe such actions to be in our best interests, including restrictions on our ability to consummate a merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets; and incur additional secured and unsecured indebtedness.
The instruments governing our other unsecured indebtedness require us to meet specified financial and other covenants, which may restrict our ability to expand or fully pursue our business strategies. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under our indebtedness, which could cause those and other obligations to become due and payable. If any of our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay it.
Uncertainty relating to the transition from LIBOR to SOFR may materially adversely affect us.
The interest rate on certain of the Company’s debt obligations has been based on LIBOR, which is expected to be fully phased out by the end of June 2023. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has transitioned its unsecured debt obligations and the majority of its secured debt obligations to SOFR, the consensus alternative rate to LIBOR. While the transition to SOFR has not at this time caused any material impact to the Company’s debt costs, it is impossible to predict the extent to which SOFR will increase or decrease in the future, whether and to what extent banks will continue to use SOFR as the standard benchmark interest rate or if there will be any changes in the method used for determining SOFR which may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in SOFR. If a published U.S. dollar SOFR rate is unavailable, the interest rates on certain of the Company’s debt obligations could change. Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our financing costs, and as a result, our financial condition and results of operations.
Interest rate hedging arrangements may result in losses.
The Company from time to time uses interest rate swaps and interest rate caps to manage certain interest rate risks. Although these agreements may partially protect against rising interest rates, they also may reduce the benefits to the Company if interest rates decline. If a hedging arrangement is not indexed to the same rate as the indebtedness that is hedged, the Company may be exposed to losses to the extent that the rate governing the indebtedness and the rate governing the hedging arrangement change independently of each other. Finally, nonperformance by the other party to the hedging arrangement may subject the Company to increased credit risks.
A downgrade in the Company's investment grade credit rating could materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition.
The Company plans to manage its operations to maintain its investment grade credit rating with a capital structure consistent with its current profile, but there can be no assurance that it will be able to maintain its current credit ratings. Any downgrades in terms of ratings or outlook by any of the rating agencies could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cost and availability of capital, which could in turn have a material adverse impact on its financial condition, results of operations and liquidity, as well as the Company's stock price.
Changes in the Company’s financing policy may lead to higher levels of indebtedness.
The Company manages its debt to be in compliance with debt covenants under its unsecured bank facilities and senior unsecured bonds. However, the Company may increase the amount of outstanding debt at any time without a concurrent improvement in the Company’s ability to service the additional debt. Accordingly, the Company could become more leveraged, resulting in an increased risk of default on its debt covenants or on its debt obligations and in an increase in debt service requirements. Any covenant breach or significant increase in the Company’s leverage could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and ability to access debt and equity capital markets in the future.
If the Company or any of its subsidiaries defaults on an obligation to repay outstanding indebtedness when due, the default could trigger a cross-default or cross-acceleration under other indebtedness.
A default, including a default under mortgage indebtedness, lines of credit, bank term loan, the indenture for the Company’s outstanding senior notes, or the Company’s interest rate hedging arrangements that is not waived by the applicable required lenders, holders of outstanding notes or counterparties could trigger cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions under one or more agreements governing the Company’s indebtedness, which could cause an immediate default or allow the lenders to declare all funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable.
The Company could be negatively impacted by the condition of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and by changes in government support for multifamily housing.
While we believe Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will continue to provide liquidity to our sector, should they discontinue doing so, have their mandates changed or reduced or be disbanded or reorganized by the government or if there is reduced government support for multifamily housing more generally, it may adversely affect interest rates, capital availability, development of multifamily communities and the value of multifamily residential real estate and, as a result, may adversely affect the Company and its growth and operations.
Risks Related to Personnel
The Company depends on its personnel, whose continued service is not guaranteed.
The Company’s success depends on its ability to attract, train and retain executive officers, senior officers and company managers. There is substantial competition for qualified personnel in the real estate industry and the departure of any of the Company’s key personnel could have an adverse effect on the Company. While the Company engages in regular succession planning for key positions, the Company’s plans may be impacted and therefore adjusted due to the departure of any key personnel. Additionally, executive leadership transitions can be inherently difficult to manage and, as a result, we may experience some disruption to our business. The Company must continue to recruit, train and retain qualified operational staff at its properties, which may be difficult in a highly competitive job market. Changes to our Company’s operational structure could result in an increase in issues or departures among our operational staff. Additionally, we could be subject to labor union efforts to organize our employees from time to time and, if successful, those organizational efforts may decrease our operational flexibility and increase operational costs.
The Company’s Chairman is involved in other real estate activities and investments, which may lead to conflicts of interest.
The Company’s Chairman, George M. Marcus, is not an employee of the Company, and is involved in other real estate activities and investments, which may lead to conflicts of interest. Mr. Marcus owns interests in various other real estate-related businesses and investments. He is the Chairman of the Marcus & Millichap Company ("MMC"), which is a parent company of a diversified group of real estate service, investment and development firms. Mr. Marcus is also the Chairman of and holds a controlling interest in, Marcus & Millichap, Inc., a national brokerage firm. While conflict of interest protocols and agreements are in place, Mr. Marcus and his affiliated entities may potentially compete with the Company in acquiring and/or developing apartment communities. Due to potential competition for real estate investments, Mr. Marcus and his affiliated entities may have a conflict of interest with the Company, which may be detrimental to the interests of Essex's stockholders and the Operating Partnership's unitholders.
The influence of executive officers, directors, and significant stockholders may be detrimental to holders of common stock.
Mr. Marcus currently does not have majority control over the Company. However, he has, and likely will continue to have, significant influence with respect to the election of directors and approval or disapproval of significant corporate actions. Consequently, his influence could result in decisions that do not reflect the interests of all the Company’s stockholders.
Under the partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership, the consent of the holders of limited partnership interests is generally required for certain amendments of the agreement and for certain extraordinary actions. Through their ownership of limited partnership interests and their positions with the Company, the Company’s directors and executive officers, including Mr. Marcus, have substantial influence on the Company. Consequently, their influence could result in decisions that do not reflect the interests of all stockholders.
Our related party guidelines may not adequately address all of the issues that may arise with respect to related party transactions.
The Company has adopted "Related Party Transaction Approval Process Guidelines" that are intended to determine whether a particular related party transaction is fair, reasonable and serves the interests of the Company’s stockholders. Pursuant to these guidelines, related party transactions have been approved by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”) from time to time. There is no assurance that this policy will be adequate for determining whether a particular related party transaction is suitable and fair for the Company. Also, the policy’s procedures may not identify and address all the potential issues and conflicts of interests with a related party transaction.
Employee theft or fraud could result in loss.
Should any employee compromise our information technology systems, commit fraud or theft of the Company’s assets, or misappropriate tenant or other information, we could incur losses, including significant financial or reputational harm, from which full recovery cannot be assured. We also may not have insurance that covers any losses in full or that covers losses from particular criminal acts.
Risks Related to Taxes, Our Status as a REIT and Our Organizational Structure
Failure to generate sufficient rental revenue or other liquidity needs and impacts of economic conditions could limit cash flow available for dividend distributions, as well as the form and timing of such distributions, to Essex's stockholders or the Operating Partnership's unitholders.
Significant expenditures associated with each community such as debt service payments, if any, real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs are generally not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in income from a community. The form, timing and/or amount of dividend distributions will be declared at the discretion of the Board 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 may consider relevant. The Board may modify our dividend policy from time to time.
Essex may choose to pay dividends in its own stock, in which case stockholders may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they receive.
If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock it receives as a dividend in order to pay applicable taxes, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock. In addition, the trading price of Essex's stock would experience downward pressure if a significant number of our stockholders sell shares of Essex's stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividends.
The Maryland Business Combination Act may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or change in control of the Company that might involve a premium price for the Company's stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
Under the Maryland Business Combination Act (the “MBCA”), certain "business combinations", including a merger, between a Maryland corporation and certain “interested stockholders” or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder and must be approved pursuant to certain supermajority voting requirements, subject to certain exemptions which include business combinations that are exempted by the Board prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Pursuant to this exemption, the Board irrevocably has elected to exempt any business combination among the Company, Mr. Marcus and MMC or any entity owned or controlled by Mr. Marcus and MMC. However, other transactions with interested stockholders subject to the MBCA may be delayed or may not meet the related supermajority voting or other requirements of the MBCA, which may delay or prevent the consummation of such transactions.
Certain provisions contained in the Operating Partnership agreement, Charter and Bylaws, and certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law could delay, defer or prevent a change in control.
While the Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, and generally has full and exclusive responsibility and discretion in the management and control of the Operating Partnership, certain provisions of the Operating Partnership agreement may limit the Company’s power to act with respect to the Operating Partnership, which could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that may otherwise be in the best interests of its stockholders or that could otherwise adversely affect their interests.
The Company’s Charter authorizes the issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock and the setting of the preferences, rights and other terms of such stock without the approval of the holders of the common stock. The Company may establish one or more classes or series of stock that could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control, or otherwise create rights that could. adversely affect the interests of holders of common stock. Additionally, the Company’s Charter contains provisions limiting the transferability and ownership of shares of capital stock, which may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control, or discourage tender offers.
The Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) restricts the voting rights of holders of shares deemed to be "control shares." Although the Bylaws exempt the Company from the control share provisions of the MGCL, the Board may amend or eliminate the provisions of the Bylaws at any time in the future. Moreover, any such amendment or elimination of such provision of the Bylaws may result in the application of the control share provisions of the MGCL. If the provisions of the Bylaws are amended or eliminated, the control share provisions of the MGCL could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or change in control.
The Company’s Charter and Bylaws as well as the MGCL also contain other provisions that may impede various actions by stockholders without approval by the Board, and that in turn may delay, defer or prevent a transaction. Those provisions
include, among others, directors may be removed by stockholders, without cause, only upon the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of the directors, and with cause, only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of the directors; the Board can fix the number of directors and fill vacant directorships upon the vote of a majority of the directors and the Board can classify the board such that the entire board is not up for re-election annually; stockholders must give advance notice to nominate directors or propose business for consideration at a stockholders’ meeting; and for stockholders to call a special meeting, the meeting must be requested by not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting.
Loss of the Company's REIT status would have significant adverse consequences to the Company and the value of the Company's common stock
. The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT, which requires it to satisfy various annual and quarterly requirements, including income, asset and distribution tests. Although the Company intends that its current organization and method of operation enable it to qualify as a REIT, it cannot assure you that it so qualifies or that it will be able to remain so qualified in the future. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, the Company would be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on the Company’s taxable income, and the Company would not be allowed to deduct dividends paid to its stockholders in computing its taxable income. The Company would also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which the Company failed to qualify, unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions. The additional tax liability would reduce its net earnings available for investment or distributions, and the Company would no longer be required to make distributions to its stockholders for the purpose of maintaining REIT status. As a result of all these factors, the Company’s failure to qualify as a REIT also could impair its ability to expand its business and raise capital, and could adversely affect the value and market price of the Company’s common stock.
Complying with REIT requirements may affect our profitability and may force us to liquidate or forgo otherwise attractive investments.
To qualify as a REIT, we must continually satisfy certain asset, income and distribution tests and other requirements, which could materially and adversely affect us. We may be required to liquidate or forgo otherwise attractive investments in order to satisfy the asset and income tests or to qualify under certain statutory relief provisions. We also may be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. As a result, having to comply with the distribution requirement could cause us to: (1) sell assets in adverse market conditions; (2) borrow on unfavorable terms; or (3) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt. Moreover, if we are compelled to liquidate our investments to meet any of these asset, income or distribution tests, or to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with one or more of the requirements applicable to REITs or may be subject to a 100% tax on any resulting gain if such sales constitute prohibited transactions. .
Legislative or other actions affecting REITs could have a negative effect on the Company or its stockholders.
Changes to federal income tax laws, with or without retroactive legislation, could adversely affect the Company or its stockholders. New legislation, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly and negatively affect the Company’s ability to qualify as a REIT, the federal income tax consequences of such qualification, or the federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Company. Also, the law relating to the tax treatment of other entities, or an investment in other entities, could change, making an investment in such other entities more attractive relative to an investment in a REIT.
Failure of one or more of the Company’s subsidiaries to qualify as a REIT could adversely affect the Company’s ability to qualify as a REIT.
The Company owns interests in multiple subsidiary REITs that have elected to be taxed as REITs under the Code. These subsidiary REITs are subject to the various REIT qualification requirements and other limitations that are applicable to the Company. If any of the Company’s subsidiary REITs were to fail to qualify as a REIT, then the subsidiary REIT would become subject to federal income tax and the Company’s ownership of shares in such subsidiary REIT would cease to be a qualifying asset for purposes of the asset tests applicable to REITs. If any of the Company’s subsidiary REITs were to fail to qualify as REITs, it is possible that the Company could also fail to qualify as a REIT.
The tax imposed on REITs engaging in "prohibited transactions" may limit the Company’s ability to engage in transactions which would be treated as sales for federal income tax purposes.
Under the Code, unless certain exceptions apply, any gain resulting from transfers or dispositions of properties that the Company holds as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business could be treated as income from a prohibited transaction subject to a 100% penalty tax, which could potentially adversely impact our status as a REIT. Since the Company acquires properties for investment purposes, it does not believe that its occasional transfers or disposals of property should be treated as prohibited transactions. However, if the Internal Revenue Service successfully contends that certain transfers or disposals of properties by the Company are prohibited transactions, then the Company would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on any gain allocable to it from the prohibited transaction, and the Company’s ability to retain proceeds from real property sales may be jeopardized.
Dividends payable by REITs may be taxed at higher rates than dividends of non-REIT corporations, which could reduce the net cash received by stockholders and may be detrimental to the Company’s ability to raise additional funds through any future sale of its stock.
Dividends paid by REITs to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates are generally not eligible for the reduced tax rate applicable to qualified dividends received from non-REIT corporations. U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates generally may deduct 20% of ordinary dividends from a REIT for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026. Although this deduction reduces the effective tax rate applicable to certain dividends paid by REITs, such tax rate is still higher than the tax rate applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends. This may cause investors to view REIT investments as less attractive than investments in non-REIT corporations, which in turn may adversely affect the value of stock in REITs.
We may face risks in connection with Section 1031 exchanges.
We occasionally dispose of real properties in transactions intended to qualify as "like-kind exchanges" under Section 1031 of the Code. If a transaction intended to qualify as a Section 1031 exchange is later determined to be taxable, we may face adverse consequences, and if the laws applicable to such transactions are amended or repealed, we may not be able to dispose of real properties on a tax deferred basis.
Partnership tax audit rules could have a material adverse effect on us.
It is possible that partnerships in which we directly or indirectly invest would be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties as a result of a partnership tax audit adjustment. We, as a direct or indirect partner of these partnerships, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest, and penalties even though Essex, as a REIT, may not otherwise have been required to pay additional corporate-level taxes had we owned the assets of the partnership directly. The partnership tax audit rules apply to Essex Portfolio, L.P. and its subsidiaries that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. There can be no assurance that these rules will not have a material adverse effect on us.
General Risks
We may from time to time be subject to litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of these claims may result in defense costs, settlements, fines or judgments against us, some of which are not, or cannot be, covered by insurance, the payment of which could have an adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations. In addition, certain litigation or the resolution of certain litigation may affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage and expose us to increased risks that would be uninsured. Litigation, including anti-trust litigation, even if resolved in our favor, could adversely impact our reputation, which could negatively impact our operations and cash flow.
Rising interest rates may affect the Company’s costs of capital and financing activities and results of operation and otherwise adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Interest rates could increase, which could result in higher interest expense on the Company’s variable rate indebtedness or increase interest rates when refinancing maturing fixed rate debt. Prolonged interest rate increases could negatively impact the Company’s ability to make acquisitions and develop projects with positive economic returns on investment and to refinance existing borrowings.
The soundness of financial institutions could adversely affect us.
We maintain cash and cash equivalent balances generally in excess of federally insured limits at a limited number of financial institutions. The failure of one or more of these financial institutions may materially adversely affect our ability to recover our cash balances or our 401(k) assets. Certain financial institutions are lenders under our credit facilities, and, from time to time, we execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry. In the event that the volatility of the financial markets adversely affects these financial institutions or counterparties, we, or other parties to the transactions with us, may be unable to complete transactions as intended, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, certain of our tax-exempt bond financing documents require us to obtain a guarantee from a financial institution of payment of the principal and interest on the bonds. The guarantee may take the form of a letter of credit, surety bond, guarantee agreement or other additional collateral. If the financial institution defaults in its guarantee obligations, or if we are unable to renew the applicable guarantee or otherwise post satisfactory collateral, a default will occur under the applicable tax-exempt bonds and the community could be foreclosed upon if we do not redeem the bonds.
The price per share of the Company’s stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price per share of the Company’s common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to many factors, including the factors discussed in this Item 1A, and actual or anticipated variations in the Company’s quarterly operating results, earnings estimates, or dividends, the resale of substantial amounts of the Company's stock, or the anticipation of such resale, general stock and bond market conditions, the general reputation of REITs and the Company, shifts in our investor base, natural disasters, armed conflict or geopolitical impacts, including, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, or an active shooter incident. Many of these factors are beyond the
Company’s control and may cause the market price of the Company’s common stock to decline, regardless of the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or business prospects.
The Company’s future issuances of common stock, preferred stock or convertible debt securities could be dilutive to current stockholders and adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.
In order to finance the Company’s acquisition and development activities, the Company could issue and sell common stock, preferred stock and convertible debt securities, including pursuant to its equity distribution program, issue partnership units in the Operating Partnership, or enter into joint ventures which may dilute stockholder ownership in the Company and could adversely affect the market price of the common stock.
Stockholders have limited control over changes in our policies and operations.
The Board determines our major policies, including our policies regarding investments, financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. The Board may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. In addition, pursuant to the MGCL, all matters other than the election or removal of a director must be declared advisable by the Board prior to a stockholder vote.
Our score by proxy advisory firms or other corporate governance consultants advising institutional investors, as well as the increased attention to certain environmental, social and governance matters, could have an adverse effect on our reputation, the perception of our corporate governance, and thereby negatively impact the market price of our common stock.
Various proxy advisory firms and other corporate governance consultants advising institutional investors provide scores of our governance measures, nominees for election as directors, executive compensation practices, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters, and other matters that may be submitted to stockholders for consideration at our annual meetings. From time to time certain matters that we propose for approval may not receive a favorable score, or may result in a recommendation against the nominee or matter proposed. Some investors and financial institutions use ESG or sustainability scores, ratings or benchmarks to make financing, investment and voting decisions. These unfavorable scores may lead to rejected proposals or a loss of stockholder confidence in our corporate governance measures, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Corporate responsibility, specifically related to ESG factors, may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.
The Company and many of its investors and potential investors are focused on positive ESG business practices and sustainability scores to guide their investment strategies, including the decisions whether to invest in our common stock. Additionally, the SEC continues to issue evolving rules relating to climate risk disclosures, human capital management and other ESG matters and other regulatory bodies have issued new laws or regulations relating to board structure. Although the Company makes ESG disclosures and undertakes sustainability and diversity initiatives, the Company may not score highly on ESG matters in the future and may face increased costs in order to make such disclosures. If the criteria by which companies are rated changes, the Company may perform differently or worse than it has in the past, or it may become more expensive for the Company to access capital. The Company may face reputational damage in the event its corporate responsibility procedures, or its board structure, do not meet the standards set by various constituencies. Further, if we fail to comply with new ESG-related laws, regulations, expectations or reporting requirements, or if we are perceived as failing, our reputation and business could be adversely impacted. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on the price of the Company’s stock and the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. In addition, investments to attain an ESG outcome may not perform as expected, resulting in losses.
We could face adverse consequences as a result of actions of activist investors.
Responding to stockholder activism or engaging in a process or proxy contest may be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations and divert the attention of our management team and our employees from executing our business plan, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Expanding social media vehicles present new risks
. The use of social media could cause us to suffer brand damage or information leakage. Negative posts or comments about us on any social networking website could damage our reputation. In addition, employees or others might disclose non-public sensitive information relating to our business through external media channels. The continuing evolution of social media will present us with new challenges and risks.
Any material weaknesses identified in the Company's internal control over financial reporting could have an adverse effect on the Company’s stock price.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires the Company to evaluate and report on its internal control over financial reporting. If the Company identifies one or more material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting, the Company could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of its financial reports, which in turn could have an adverse effect on the Company’s stock price.
The Company’s portfolio as of December 31, 2022 (including communities owned by unconsolidated joint ventures, but excluding communities underlying preferred equity investments) was comprised of 252 stabilized operating apartment communities (comprising 62,147 apartment homes), of which 26,374 apartment homes are located in Southern California, 23,248 apartment homes are located in Northern California, and 12,525 apartment homes are located in the Seattle metropolitan area. The Company’s apartment communities accounted for 99.0% of the Company’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Occupancy Rates
Financial occupancy is defined as the percentage resulting from dividing actual rental income by total scheduled rental income. Total scheduled rental income represents the value of all apartment homes, with occupied apartment homes valued at contractual rental rates pursuant to leases and vacant apartment homes valued at estimated market rents. When calculating actual rents for occupied apartment homes and market rents for vacant apartment homes, delinquencies and concessions are not taken into account. The Company believes that financial occupancy is a meaningful measure of occupancy because it considers the value of each vacant unit at its estimated market rate. Financial occupancy may not completely reflect short-term trends in physical occupancy and financial occupancy rates, and the Company's calculation of financial occupancy may not be comparable to financial occupancy as disclosed by other REITs. Market rates are determined using the recently signed effective rates on new leases at the property and are used as the starting point in the determination of the market rates of vacant apartment homes. The Company may increase or decrease these rates based on a variety of factors, including overall supply and demand for housing, concentration of new apartment deliveries within the same submarket which can cause periodic disruption due to greater rental concessions to increase leasing velocity, and rental affordability.
For communities that are development properties in lease-up without stabilized occupancy figures, the Company believes the physical occupancy rate is the appropriate performance metric. While a community is in the lease-up phase, the Company’s primary motivation is to stabilize the property, which may entail the use of rent concessions and other incentives, and thus financial occupancy which is based on contractual income is not considered the best metric to quantify occupancy.
Communities
The Company’s communities are primarily urban and suburban high density wood frame communities comprising of three to seven stories above grade construction with structured parking situated on 1-10 acres of land with densities averaging between 30-80+ units per acre. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s communities include 104 garden-style, 138 mid-rise, and 10 high-rise communities. Garden-style communities are generally defined as on-grade properties with two and/or three-story buildings with no structured parking while mid-rise communities are generally defined as properties with three to seven story buildings and some structured parking. High-rise communities are typically defined as properties with buildings that are greater than seven stories, are steel or concrete framed, and frequently have structured parking. The communities have an average of approximately 247 apartment homes, with a mix of studio, one-, two- and some three-bedroom apartment homes. A wide variety of amenities are available at the Company’s communities, including covered parking, fireplaces, swimming pools, clubhouses with fitness facilities, playground areas and dog parks.
The Company hires, trains and supervises on-site service and maintenance personnel. The Company believes that the following primary factors enhance the Company’s ability to retain tenants:
•
located near employment centers;
•
attractive communities that are well maintained; and
•
proactive customer service.
Commercial Buildings
The Company owns three commercial buildings with approximately 283,000 square feet located in California and Washington, of which the Company occupied approximately 13,000 square feet as of December 31, 2022. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2022, the commercial buildings' physical occupancy rate was 83% consisting of 7 tenants, including the Company.
Operating Portfolio
The table below describes the Company’s operating portfolio as of December 31, 2022. (See Note 8, "Mortgage Notes Payable" to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more
information about the Company’s secured mortgage debt and Schedule III thereto for a list of secured mortgage loans related to the Company’s portfolio.)
Footnotes to the Company’s Portfolio Listing as of December 31, 2022
(1)
Unless otherwise specified, the Company consolidates each community in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
(2)
For communities, occupancy rates are based on financial occupancy for the year ended December 31, 2022, except for communities that were stabilized during the year, in which case occupancy as of December 31, 2022 was used. For an explanation of how financial occupancy is calculated, see "Occupancy Rates" in this Item 2.
(3)
The community is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2083.
(4)
Each of these communities is part of a DownREIT structure in which the Company is the general partner or manager and the other limited partners or members are granted rights of redemption for their interests.
(5)
This community is owned by BEXAEW. The Company has a 50% interest in BEXAEW, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(6)
This community is owned by Wesco III, LLC ("Wesco III"). The Company has a 50% interest in Wesco III, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(7)
This community is owned by BEX II, LLC ("BEX II"). The Company has a 50% interest in BEX II, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(8)
This community is owned by Wesco I, LLC ("Wesco I"). The Company has a 58% interest in Wesco I, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(9)
This community is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2067.
(10)
This community is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2027.
(11)
The Company has a 97% interest and a former Executive Vice President of the Company has a 3% interest in this community.
(12)
This community is owned by Wesco IV, LLC ("Wesco IV") The Company has a 65.1% interest in Wesco IV, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(13)
This community is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2028.
(14)
The Company has an interest in a single asset entity owning this community.
(15)
This community is owned by Wesco V, LLC ("Wesco V"). The Company has a 50% interest in Wesco V, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(16)
This community is owned by Wesco VI, LLC ("Wesco VI"). The Company has a 50% interest in Wesco VI, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(17)
This community is owned by BEX IV, LLC ("BEX IV"). The Company has a 50.1% interest in BEX IV, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
(18)
A portion of this community on which 84 apartment homes are presently located is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2028.
(19)
The community is subject to a ground lease, which, unless extended, will expire in 2070.
(20)
Represents the initial year the joint venture or consolidated community was acquired.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The information regarding lawsuits, other proceedings and claims, set forth in Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies", to our consolidated financial statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 3. In addition to such matters referred to in Note 17, the Company is subject to various other legal and/or regulatory proceedings arising in the course of its business operations. We believe that, with respect to such matters that we are currently a party to, the ultimate disposition of any such matter will not result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information
The shares of the Company’s common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ESS".
There is no established public trading market for the Operating Partnership's limited partnership units ("OP Units").
Holders
The approximate number of holders of record of the shares of Essex's common stock was 987 as of February 21, 2023. This number does not include stockholders whose shares are held in investment accounts by other entities. Essex believes the actual number of stockholders is greater than the number of holders of record.
As of February 21, 2023, there were 64 holders of record of OP Units, including Essex.
Return of Capital
Under provisions of the Code, the portion of the cash dividend, if any, that exceeds earnings and profits is considered a return of capital. The return of capital is generated due to a variety of factors, including the deduction of non-cash expenses, primarily depreciation, in the determination of earnings and profits.
The status of the cash dividends distributed for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 related to common stock are as follows:
2022
2021
2020
Common Stock
Ordinary income
80.17
%
70.92
%
85.23
%
Capital gain
16.78
%
22.07
%
10.68
%
Unrecaptured section 1250 capital gain
3.05
%
7.01
%
4.09
%
100.00
%
100.00
%
100.00
%
Dividends and Distributions
Future dividends/distributions by Essex and the Operating Partnership will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of Essex and will depend on the actual cash flows from operations of the Company, its financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, applicable legal restrictions and such other factors as the Board of Directors deems relevant. There are currently no contractual restrictions on Essex's and the Operating Partnership's present or future ability to pay dividends and distributions, and we do not anticipate that our ability to pay dividends/distributions will be impaired; however, there can be no assurances in that regard.
The Board of Directors declared a dividend/distribution for the fourth quarter of 2022 of $2.20 per share. The dividend/distribution was paid on January 13, 2023 to stockholders/unitholders of record as of January 3, 2023.
Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan
Essex has adopted a dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan designed to provide holders of common stock with a convenient and economical means to reinvest all or a portion of their cash dividends in shares of common stock and to acquire additional shares of common stock through voluntary purchases. Computershare, LLC, which serves as Essex's transfer agent, administers the dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan. For a copy of the plan, contact Computershare, LLC at (312) 360-5354.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The information required by this section is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, under the headings "Equity Compensation Plan Information," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Issuance of Registered Equity Securities
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not issue any shares of common stock under the 2021 ATM Program. As of December 31, 2022, there were no outstanding forward sale agreements, and $900.0 million of shares remain available to be sold under the 2021 ATM Program.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In December 2015, Essex's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase plan to allow Essex to acquire shares of common stock up to an aggregate value of $250.0 million. In February 2019, the Board of Directors approved the replenishment of the stock repurchase plan such that, as of such date, the Company had $250.0 million of purchase authority remaining under the stock repurchase plan. In each of May and December 2020, the Board of Directors approved the replenishment of the stock repurchase plan such that, as of each such date, Essex had $250.0 million of purchase authority remaining under the replenished plan. In September 2022, the Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase plan to allow Essex to acquire shares of common stock up to an aggregate value of $500.0 million and as of December 31, 2022, the Company had repurchased 420,606 shares of common stock under this plan, totaling $101.7 million. The plan supersedes the previous common stock repurchase plan announced in December 2015. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased and retired 740,053 shares of its common stock totaling $189.7 million, including commissions, at an average price of $256.37 per share. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $398.3 million of purchase authority remaining under the stock repurchase plan.
Performance Graph
The line graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on Essex's common stock for the last five years with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500, the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT index and the FTSE NAREIT Equity Apartments index over the same period. This comparison assumes that the value of the investment in the common stock and each index was $100 on December 31, 2017 and that all dividends were reinvested. The FTSE NAREIT Equity Apartments index was added in the current year as it more closely aligns with executive compensation and performance of the Company against its more directly comparable peers.
(1)
Common stock performance data is provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The graph and other information furnished under the above caption "Performance Graph" in this Part II Item 5 of this Form 10-K shall not deemed to be "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of the Exchange Act.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Operating Partnership issued OP Units in private placements in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, in the amounts and for the consideration set forth below:
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Essex issued an aggregate of 76,246 and 248,725 shares of its common stock upon the exercise of stock options, respectively. Essex contributed the proceeds from the option exercises of $19.5 million and $58.5 million to the Operating Partnership in exchange for an aggregate of 76,246 and 248,725 OP Units, as required by the Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement, during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Essex issued an aggregate of 11,707 and 30,360 shares of its common stock in connection with restricted stock awards for no cash consideration, respectively. For each share of common stock issued by Essex in connection with such awards, the Operating Partnership issued OP Units to Essex as required by the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement, for an aggregate of 11,707 and 30,360 OP Units during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Essex issued an aggregate of 8,310 and 10,293 shares of its common stock in connection with the exchange of OP Units by limited partners into shares of common stock. For each share of common stock issued by Essex in connection with such exchange, the Operating Partnership issued OP Units to Essex as required by the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement, for an aggregate of 8,310 and 10,293 OP Units during the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Essex may sell shares through its equity distribution program, then contribute the net proceeds from these share issuances to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units as required by the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not issue or sell any shares of common stock pursuant to the 2021 ATM Program. As of December 31, 2022, there were no outstanding forward sale agreements.
Stock Repurchases
The following table summarizes the Company's purchase of shares of its common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2022:
Total Number of
Shares Purchased
Average Price
Paid Per Share
Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of a
Publicly Announced
Program
(1)
Maximum Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Program (in millions)
(1)
November 1, 2022 - November 30, 2022
28,200
$
210.82
28,200
$
424.2
December 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022
121,009
$
213.45
121,009
$
398.3
Total
149,209
$
212.95
149,209
$
398.3
(1)
In September 2022, the Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase plan to allow the Company to acquire shares of common stock up to an aggregate of $500.0 million. The plan supersedes the Company's previous common stock repurchase plan announced in December 2015. Following the approval of the new plan, 420,606 shares of common stock totaling $101.7 million were repurchased under the new plan.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. These consolidated financial statements include all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to reflect a fair statement of the results and all such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.
OVERVIEW
Essex is a self-administered and self-managed REIT that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages apartment communities in selected residential areas located on the West Coast of the United States. Essex owns all of its interests in its real estate investments, directly or indirectly, through the Operating Partnership. Essex is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and, as of December 31, 2022, had an approximately 96.6% general partner interest in the Operating Partnership.
The Company’s investment strategy has two components: constant monitoring of existing markets, and evaluation of new markets to identify areas with the characteristics that underlie rental growth. The Company’s strong financial condition supports its investment strategy by enhancing its ability to quickly shift acquisition, development, redevelopment, and disposition activities to markets that will optimize the performance of the Company's portfolio.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company owned or had ownership interests in 252 operating apartment communities, comprising 62,147 apartment homes, excluding the Company's ownership in preferred equity co-investments, loan investments, three operating commercial buildings, and a development pipeline comprised of one unconsolidated joint venture project.
The Company’s apartment communities are predominately located in the following major regions:
Southern California
(primarily Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties)
Northern California
(the San Francisco Bay Area)
Seattle Metro
(Seattle metropolitan area)
As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s development pipeline was comprised of one unconsolidated joint venture project under development aggregating 264 apartment homes and various predevelopment projects, with total incurred costs of $102.0 million. The estimated remaining project costs are approximately $25.0 million, $12.8 million of which represents the Company's estimated remaining costs, for total estimated project costs of $127.0 million.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company also had an ownership interest in three operating commercial buildings (totaling approximately 283,000 square feet).
By region, the Company's operating results for 2022 and 2021 and projection for 2023 new housing supply (defined as new multifamily apartment homes and single family homes, excluding developments with fewer than 50 apartment homes as well as student, senior and 100% affordable housing), projection for 2023 job growth, and 2023 estimated Same-Property revenue growth are as follows:
Southern California Region
: As of December 31, 2022, this region represented 43% of the Company’s consolidated operating apartment homes. Revenues for "2022 Same-Properties" (as defined below), or "Same-Property revenues," increased 11.3% in 2022 as compared to 2021. In 2023, the Company projects new residential supply of 30,300 apartment homes and single family homes, which represents 0.5% of the total housing stock. The Company projects an increase of 2,000 jobs or 0.3% in the Southern California region.
Northern California Region
: As of December 31, 2022, this region represented 37% of the Company’s consolidated operating apartment homes. Same-Property revenues increased 8.4% in 2022 as compared to 2021. In 2023, the Company projects new residential supply of 12,750 apartment homes and single family homes, which represents 0.5% of the total housing stock. The Company projects an increase of 4,500 jobs or 0.7% in the Northern California region.
Seattle Metro Region
:
As of December 31, 2022, this region represented 20% of the Company’s consolidated operating apartment homes. Same-Property revenues increased 12.0% in 2022 as compared to 2021. In 2023, the Company projects new residential supply of 14,450 apartment homes and single family homes, which represents 1.1% of the total housing stock. The Company projects an increase of 3,000 jobs or 0.4% in the Seattle Metro region.
In total, the Company projects an increase in 2023 Same-Property revenues of between 3.25% to 4.75%. Same-Property operating expenses are projected to increase in 2023 by 4.50% to 5.50%.
The Company’s consolidated operating communities are as follows:
As of
As of
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Apartment Homes
%
Apartment Homes
%
Southern California
22,151
43
%
22,190
43
%
Northern California
19,230
37
%
19,123
37
%
Seattle Metro
10,341
20
%
10,341
20
%
Total
51,722
100
%
51,654
100
%
Co-investments, developments under construction, and preferred equity interest co-investment communities are not included in the table presented above for both periods.
Market Considerations, including the COVID-19 Pandemic
Though diminishing, the COVID-19 pandemic and its related variants continue to impact the U.S. and world economies. In an effort to mitigate its impact on affected populations, federal, state and local jurisdictions implemented varying forms of requirements which may continue to negatively affect profitability. While the California eviction moratorium sunsetted during the third quarter of 2021, other state and local eviction moratoriums and laws that limit rent increases during times of emergency and impair the ability to collect unpaid rent during certain timeframes continue to be in effect in various formats at various regions in which our communities are located, impacting the Company and its properties. The Company continues to work to comply with the stated intent of local, county, state and federal laws.
While COVID-19’s impact begins to dissipate, geopolitical tensions between Russian and Ukraine increased uncertainty during
2022. Inflation has caused an increase in consumer prices, thereby reducing purchasing power and elevating the risks of a
recession. Due to increased inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate a total of seven times during 2022. In response, market interest rates have increased significantly during this time. At the same time, the labor market remains historically tight and companies continue to look to add employees, pushing unemployment lower.
The long-term impact of these developments will largely depend on new information which may emerge concerning the
COVID-19 pandemic, future laws that may be enacted, geopolitical tensions, inflation, the impact on job growth and the broader economy, and reactions by consumers, companies, governmental entities and capital markets.
Primarily as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's cash delinquencies as a percentage of scheduled rental income for the Company’s stabilized apartment communities or "Same-Property" (stabilized properties consolidated by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021) have generally remained higher than the pre-pandemic period due to on-going eviction moratoria related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and above the typical historical range of 0.3% to 0.4% since the second quarter of 2020. Cash delinquencies remained elevated at 1.9% for 2021 but decreased to 1.2% in 2022, attributable to government payments for Emergency Rental Assistance which was mostly depleted by December 31, 2022. The Company continues to work with residents to collect such cash delinquencies. As of December 31, 2022, the delinquencies have not had a material adverse impact to the Company's liquidity position. The Company's average financial occupancy for the Company's Same-Property portfolio decreased slightly from 96.4% for the year ended December 31, 2021 to 96.1% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting macroeconomic conditions have not negatively impacted the Company's ability to access traditional funding sources on the same or reasonably similar terms as were available in recent periods prior to the pandemic, as demonstrated by the Company's financing activity during the year ended December 31, 2022 discussed in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources" section below. The Company is not at material risk of not meeting the covenants in its credit agreements and is able to timely service its debt and other obligations
.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2022 to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
The Company’s average financial occupancy for the Company’s stabilized apartment communities or "2022 Same-Property" (stabilized properties consolidated by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021) decreased 30
basis points to 96.1% in 2022 from 96.4% in 2021. Financial occupancy is defined as the percentage resulting from dividing actual rental income by total scheduled rental income. Actual rental income represents contractual rental income pursuant to leases without considering delinquency and concessions. Total scheduled rental income represents the value of all apartment homes, with occupied apartment homes valued at contractual rental rates pursuant to leases and vacant apartment homes valued at estimated market rents. The Company believes that financial occupancy is a meaningful measure of occupancy because it considers the value of each vacant apartment home at its estimated market rate.
Market rates are determined using the recently signed effective rates on new leases at the property and are used as the starting point in the determination of the market rates of vacant apartment homes. The Company may increase or decrease these rates based on a variety of factors, including overall supply and demand for housing, concentration of new apartment deliveries within the same submarket which can cause periodic disruption due to greater rental concessions to increase leasing velocity, and rental affordability. Financial occupancy may not completely reflect short-term trends in physical occupancy and financial occupancy rates, and the Company's calculation of financial occupancy may not be comparable to financial occupancy disclosed by other REITs.
The Company does not take into account delinquency and concessions to calculate actual rent for occupied apartment homes and market rents for vacant apartment homes. The calculation of financial occupancy compares contractual rates for occupied apartment homes to estimated market rents for unoccupied apartment homes, and thus the calculation compares the gross value of all apartment homes excluding delinquency and concessions. For apartment communities that are development properties in lease-up without stabilized occupancy figures, the Company believes the physical occupancy rate is the appropriate performance metric. While an apartment community is in the lease-up phase, the Company’s primary motivation is to stabilize the property, which may entail the use of rent concessions and other incentives, and thus financial occupancy, which is based on contractual income is not considered the best metric to quantify occupancy.
The regional breakdown of the Company’s 2022 Same-Property portfolio for financial occupancy for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 is as follows:
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Southern California
96.2
%
96.7
%
Northern California
96.1
%
96.2
%
Seattle Metro
95.8
%
96.2
%
The following table provides a breakdown of revenue amounts, including the revenues attributable to 2022 Same-Properties.
Number of Apartment
Years Ended
December 31,
Dollar
Percentage
Property Revenues
($ in thousands)
Homes
2022
2021
Change
Change
2022 Same-Properties:
Southern California
21,006
$
624,907
$
561,326
$
63,581
11.3
%
Northern California
17,895
591,556
545,535
46,021
8.4
%
Seattle Metro
10,218
268,512
239,819
28,693
12.0
%
Total 2022 Same-Property Revenues
49,119
1,484,975
1,346,680
138,295
10.3
%
2022 Non-Same Property Revenues
110,700
84,738
25,962
30.6
%
Total Property Revenues
$
1,595,675
$
1,431,418
$
164,257
11.5
%
2022 Same-Property Revenues
increased by $138.3 million or 10.3% to $1.5 billion for 2022 compared to $1.3 billion in 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase of 7.2% in average rental rates from $2,320 for 2021 to $2,486 for 2022 and 2.3% of the increase was attributable to a decrease in cash concessions in 2022 compared to 2021.
2022 Non-Same Property Revenues
increased by $26.0 million or 30.6% to $110.7 million in 2022 compared to $84.7 million in 2021. The increase was primarily due to the acquisitions of The Village at Toluca Lake and Canvas in 2021, the acquisitions of Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court in 2022, and an increase in average rental rates.
Management and other fees from affiliates
increased by $2.0 million or 22.0% to $11.1 million in 2022 from $9.1 million in 2021. The increase was primarily due to the addition of Martha Lake Apartments, Monterra in Mill Creek, The Rexford, and Silver communities to the Company's joint venture portfolio in 2021 and Vela in 2022, partially offset by the Company's purchases of BEX III, LLC's 50.0% interest in The Village at Toluca Lake in 2021, and its joint venture partner's 49.8% interest in Essex JV LLC co-investment that owned Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court, in 2022.
Property operating expenses, excluding real estate taxes
increased by $18.5 million or 7.0% to $283.4 million in 2022 compared to $264.9 million in 2021, primarily due to increases of $9.2 million in utilities expenses, $7.4 million in maintenance and repairs expenses, and $1.9 million in administrative expenses. 2022 Same-Property operating expenses, excluding real estate taxes, increased by $15.5 million or 6.1% to $268.6 million in 2022 compared to $253.1 million in 2021, primarily due to increases of $8.0 million in utilities expenses, $6.2 million in maintenance and repairs expenses, $0.8 million in insurance and other expenses, and $0.5 million in administrative expenses.
Real estate taxes
increased by $3.5 million or 1.9% to $183.9 million in 2022 compared to $180.4 million in 2021, primarily due to real estate taxes from the completion of development properties Wallace on Sunset in 2021 and Station Park Green (Phase IV) in 2022, as well as the acquisitions of The Village at Toluca Lake, Canvas, and 7 S Linden Commercial properties during 2021. 2022 Same-Property real estate taxes increased by $0.3 million or 0.2% to $164.0 million in 2022 compared to $163.7 million in 2021 primarily due to increased valuations and tax rates.
Corporate-level property management expenses
increased by $4.5 million or 12.4% to $40.7 million in 2022 compared to $36.2 million in 2021 due to costs pertaining to the centralization of certain property level functions.
Depreciation and amortization expense
increased by $19.2 million or 3.7% to $539.3 million in 2022 compared to $520.1 million in 2021, primarily due to an increase in depreciation expense from the completion of development properties Mylo and Wallace on Sunset in 2021, Station Park Green (Phase IV) in 2022, as well as the acquisitions of The Village at Toluca Lake and Canvas in 2021, and Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court in 2022.
Gain on sale of real estate and land
of $94.4 million in 2022 was attributable to the sale of Anavia in the fourth quarter of 2022. The Company's $143.0 million gain on sale of real estate and land in 2021 was attributable to the sale of Hidden Valley, Axis 2300, Park 20, and Devonshire Apartments during 2021.
Interest expense
increased by $1.7 million or 0.8% to $204.8 million in 2022 compared to $203.1 million in 2021
,
primarily due to the issuance of new senior unsecured notes in 2021 which resulted in an increase in interest expense of $4.8 million and increased borrowing on the Company's unsecured lines of credit, and higher average interest rates, which resulted in an increase in interest expense of $3.0 million. Additionally, there was a $3.9 million decrease in capitalized interest in 2022, due to a decrease in development activity as compared to the same period in 2021. These increases in interest expense were partially offset by various debts that were paid off, matured, or regular principal payments during and after 2021 which resulted in a decrease in interest expense of $10.0 million for 2022.
Total return swap income
of $7.9 million in 2022 consists of monthly settlements related to the Company's four total return swap contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $223.6 million.
Interest and other (loss) income
decreased by $117.7 million or 119.3% to a loss of $19.0 million in 2022 compared to an income of $98.7 million in 2021, primarily due to unrealized losses resulting from a decrease in the fair value of marketable securities.
Equity income from co-investments
decreased by $85.7 million or 76.7% to $26.0 million in 2022 compared to $111.7 million in 2021, primarily due to decreases of $93.6 million in equity income from non-core co-investments, $5.3 million in income from preferred equity investments including income from early redemptions, and a $2.1 million impairment loss from an unconsolidated co-investment. These decreases were offset by $17.1 million in co-investment promote income during 2022 and an increase of $1.0 million in loss on early retirement of debt from unconsolidated co-investments.
Deferred tax benefit on unconsolidated co-investments
of $10.2 million in 2022 is primarily due to net unrealized losses from non-core unconsolidated co-investments.
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment
of $17.4 million in 2022 resulted from the Company's purchase of its joint venture partner's 49.8% membership interest in Essex JV, LLC co-investment that owned Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court. Gain on remeasurement of $2.3 million in 2021 resulted from the Company's purchase of BEX III's 50.0% interest in The Village at Toluca Lake community in the second quarter of 2021.
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2021 to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
For the comparison of the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022 under the subheading "Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2021 to the Year Ended December 31, 2020."
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The following table sets forth the Company’s cash flows for 2022, 2021 and 2020 ($ in thousands):
For the year ended December 31,
2022
2021
2020
Cash flow provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$
975,649
$
905,259
$
803,108
Investing activities
$
145,958
$
(397,397)
$
(416,900)
Financing activities
$
(1,137,564)
$
(533,265)
$
(383,261)
Essex’s business is operated primarily through the Operating Partnership. Essex issues public equity from time to time, but does not otherwise generate any capital itself or conduct any business itself, other than incurring certain expenses from operating as a public company which are fully reimbursed by the Operating Partnership. Essex itself does not hold any indebtedness, and its only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. Essex’s principal funding requirement is the payment of dividends on its common stock. Essex’s sole source of funding for its dividend payments is distributions it receives from the Operating Partnership.
As of December 31, 2022, Essex owned a 96.6% general partner interest and the limited partners owned the remaining 3.4% interest in the Operating Partnership.
The liquidity of Essex is dependent on the Operating Partnership’s ability to make sufficient distributions to Essex. The primary cash requirement of Essex is its payment of dividends to its stockholders. Essex also guarantees some of the Operating Partnership’s debt, as discussed further in Notes 7 and 8 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. If the Operating Partnership fails to fulfill certain of its debt requirements, which trigger Essex’s guarantee obligations, then Essex will be required to fulfill its cash payment commitments under such guarantees. However, Essex’s only significant asset is its investment in the Operating Partnership.
For Essex to maintain its qualification as a REIT, it must pay dividends to its stockholders aggregating annually at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains. While historically Essex has satisfied this distribution requirement by making cash distributions to its stockholders, it may choose to satisfy this requirement by making distributions of other property, including, in limited circumstances, Essex’s own stock. As a result of this distribution requirement, the Operating Partnership cannot rely on retained earnings to fund its ongoing operations to the same extent that other companies whose parent companies are not REITs can. Essex may need to continue to raise capital in the equity markets to fund the Operating Partnership’s working capital needs, acquisitions and developments.
At December 31, 2022, the Company had $33.3 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $112.7 million in marketable securities. The Company believes that cash flows generated by its operations, existing cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities balances and availability under existing lines of credit are sufficient to meet all of its anticipated cash needs during 2023. Additionally, the capital markets continue to be available and the Company is able to generate cash from the disposition of real estate assets to finance additional cash flow needs, including continued development and select acquisitions. In the event that economic disruptions occur, the Company may further utilize other resources such as its cash reserves, lines of credit, or decreased investment in redevelopment activities to supplement operating cash flows. The Company is carefully monitoring and managing its cash position in light of ongoing conditions and levels of operations. The timing, source and amounts of cash flows provided by financing activities and used in investing activities are sensitive to changes in interest rates and other fluctuations in the capital markets environment, which can affect the Company’s plans for acquisitions, dispositions, development and redevelopment activities.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $5.4 billion of fixed rate public bonds outstanding at an average interest rate of 3.3% with maturity dates ranging from 2023 to 2050.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s mortgage notes payable totaled $593.9 million, net of unamortized premiums and debt issuance costs, which consisted of $371.8 million in fixed rate debt at an average interest rate of 3.6% and maturity dates ranging from 2025 to 2028 and $222.1 million of tax-exempt variable rate demand notes with a weighted average interest rate of 3.5%. The tax-exempt variable rate demand notes have maturity dates ranging from 2027 to 2046. $223.6 million is subject to total return swaps.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had two unsecured lines of credit aggregating $1.24 billion, including a $1.2 billion unsecured line of credit and a $35.0 million working capital unsecured line of credit. As of December 31, 2022, there was $40.0 million outstanding on the $1.2 billion unsecured line of credit. The underlying interest rate is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings, adjusted for the Company's sustainability metric grid, and was at Adjusted SOFR plus 0.75% as of December 31, 2022. This facility is scheduled to mature in January 2027, with two six-month extensions, exercisable at the Company's option. As of December 31, 2022, there was $12.1 million outstanding on the Company's $35.0 million working capital unsecured line of credit. The underlying interest rate is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings, adjusted for the Company's sustainability metric grid, and was at Adjusted SOFR plus 0.75% as of December 31, 2022. This facility is scheduled to mature in July 2024.
The Company’s unsecured lines of credit and unsecured debt agreements contain debt covenants related to limitations on indebtedness and liabilities and maintenance of minimum levels of consolidated earnings before depreciation, interest and amortization. The Company was in compliance with the debt covenants as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
The Company pays quarterly dividends from cash available for distribution. Until it is distributed, cash available for distribution is invested by the Company primarily in investment grade securities held available for sale or is used by the Company to reduce balances outstanding under its lines of credit.
Derivative Activity
The Company uses interest rate swaps, interest rate caps, and total return swap contracts to manage certain interest rate risks. The valuation of these instruments is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves. The fair values of interest rate swaps and total return swaps are determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash receipts (or payments) and the discounted expected variable cash payments (or receipts). The variable cash payments (or receipts) are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. The Company incorporates credit valuation adjustments to appropriately reflect both its own nonperformance risk and the respective counterparty's nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements.
The Company has four total return swap contracts, with an aggregate notional amount of $223.6 million, that effectively converts $223.6 million of fixed mortgage notes payable to a floating interest rate based on the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Municipal Swap Index ("SIFMA") plus a spread. The total return swaps provide fair market value protection on the mortgage notes payable to our counterparties during the initial period of the total return swap until the Company's option to call the mortgage notes at par can be exercised. The Company can currently call all four of the total return swaps, with $223.6 million of the outstanding debt at par. These derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the aggregate carrying value of the interest rate swap contracts were an asset of $5.6 million and zero, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the swap contracts were presented in the consolidated balance sheets as an asset of $5.6 million and zero, respectively, and were included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate carrying and fair value of the total return swaps was zero at both December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Hedge ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges, which is reported in current year income as interest expense, net was zero for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Issuance of Common Stock
In September 2021, the Company entered into the 2021 ATM Program, a new equity distribution agreement pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $900.0 million. In connection with the 2021 ATM Program, the Company may also enter into related forward sale agreements, and may sell shares of its common stock pursuant to these agreements. The use of a forward sale agreement would allow the Company to
lock in a share price on the sale of shares of its common stock at the time the agreement is executed, but defer receipt of the proceeds from the sale of shares until a later date should the Company elect to settle such forward sale agreement, in whole or in part, in shares of common stock.
The 2021 ATM Program replaced the prior equity distribution agreement entered into in September 2018 (the "2018 ATM Program"), which was terminated upon the establishment of the 2021 ATM Program. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not sell any shares of its common stock through the 2021 ATM Program. As of December 31, 2022, there were no outstanding forward purchase agreements, and $900.0 million of shares of common stock remain available to be sold under the 2021 ATM Program. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not issue any shares of its common stock through the 2021 ATM Program or through the 2018 ATM Program.
Capital Expenditures
Non-revenue generating capital expenditures are improvements and upgrades that extend the useful life of the property. For the year ended December 31, 2022, non-revenue generating capital expenditures totaled approximately $2,670 per apartment home. These expenditures do not include expenditures for deferred maintenance on acquisition properties, expenditures for property renovations and improvements which are expected to generate additional revenue or cost savings, and do not include expenditures incurred due to changes in government regulations that the Company would not have incurred otherwise, retail, furniture and fixtures, or expenditures for which the Company expects to be reimbursed. The Company expects that cash from operations and/or its lines of credit will fund such expenditures.
Development and Predevelopment Pipeline
The Company defines development projects as new communities that are being constructed, or are newly constructed and are in a phase of lease-up and have not yet reached stabilized operations. As of December 31, 2022, the Company's development pipeline was comprised of one unconsolidated joint venture project under development aggregating 264 apartment homes and various predevelopment projects, with total incurred costs of $102.0 million. Estimated remaining project costs are approximately $25.0 million, $12.8 million of which represents the Company's estimated remaining costs, for total estimated project costs of $127.0 million.
The Company defines predevelopment projects as proposed communities in negotiation or in the entitlement process with an expected high likelihood of becoming entitled development projects. The Company may also acquire land for future development purposes or sale.
The Company expects to fund the development and predevelopment communities by using a combination of some or all of the following sources: its working capital, amounts available on its lines of credit, construction loans, net proceeds from public and private equity and debt issuances, and proceeds from the disposition of assets, if any.
Alternative Capital Sources
The Company utilizes co-investments as an alternative source of capital for acquisitions of both operating and development communities. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had an interest in 264 apartment homes in communities actively under development with joint ventures for total estimated costs of $102.0 million. Total estimated remaining costs total approximately $25.0 million, of which the Company estimates that its remaining investment in these development joint ventures will be approximately $12.8 million. In addition, the Company had an interest in 10,425 apartment homes in operating communities with joint ventures and other investments for a total book value of $491.8 million.
Real Estate and Other Commitments
The following table summarizes the Company's unfunded real estate and other future commitments at December 31, 2022 ($ in thousands):
(1)
Excludes approximately $12.8 million of the Company's share of estimated project costs for LIVIA (fka Scripps Mesa Apartments) which have been fully funded.
At December 31, 2022, the Company had operating lease commitments of $162.1 million for ground, building and garage leases with maturity dates ranging from 2025 to 2083. $7.0 million of this commitment is due within the next twelve months.
Variable Interest Entities
In accordance with accounting standards for consolidation of variable interest entities ("VIEs"), the Company consolidated the Operating Partnership, 18 DownREIT entities (comprising nine communities) and six co-investments as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company consolidates these entities because it is deemed the primary beneficiary. Essex has no assets or liabilities other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. The consolidated total assets and liabilities related to the above consolidated co-investments and DownREIT entities, net of intercompany eliminations, were approximately $939.4 million and $324.3 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2022, and $909.3 million and $320.1 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021. Noncontrolling interests in these entities were $121.5 million and $122.4 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company's financial risk in each VIE is limited to its equity investment in the VIE. As of December 31, 2022, the Company did not have any other VIEs of which it was deemed to be the primary beneficiary.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company defines critical accounting estimates as those estimates that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial condition or results of operations of the Company. The Company’s critical accounting estimates relate principally to the following key areas: (i) accounting for the acquisition of investments in real estate (specifically, the allocation between land and buildings during the year ended December 31, 2020); and (ii) evaluation of events and changes in circumstances indicating whether the Company’s rental properties may be impaired. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, current market conditions, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from those estimates made by management.
The Company accounts for its acquisitions of investments in real estate by assessing each acquisition to determine if it meets the definition of a business or if it qualifies as an asset acquisition. We expect that acquisitions of individual operating communities will generally be viewed as asset acquisitions, and result in the capitalization of acquisition costs, and the allocation of purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the relative fair value of the respective assets and liabilities.
In making estimates of fair values for purposes of allocating purchase price, the Company utilizes a number of sources, including independent land appraisals which consider comparable market transactions, its own analysis of recently acquired or developed comparable properties in our portfolio for land comparables and building replacement costs, and other publicly available market data. In calculating the fair value of identified intangible assets of an acquired property, the in-place leases are valued based on in-place rent rates and amortized over the average remaining term of all acquired leases. The allocation of the total consideration exchanged for a real estate acquisition between the identifiable assets and liabilities and the depreciation we recognize over the estimated useful life of the asset could be impacted by different assumptions and estimates used in the calculation. The reasonable likelihood that the estimate could have a material impact on the financial condition of the Company is based on the total consideration exchanged for real estate during any given year. The allocation of the value between land and
building was a critical accounting estimate during the year ended December 31, 2020 as result of the potential material impact of the Company's acquisition of a land parcel and six communities for a total purchase price of $463.4 million.
The Company periodically assesses the carrying value of its real estate investments for indicators of impairment. The judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on monitoring investment market conditions and performance for operating properties including the net operating income for the most recent 12 month period, monitoring estimated costs for properties under development, the Company's ability to hold and its intent with regard to each asset, and each property's remaining useful life. Although each of these may result in an impairment indicator, the shortening of an expected holding period due to the potential sale of a property is the most likely impairment indicator. Whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a property held for investment may not be fully recoverable, the carrying amount is evaluated. If the sum of the property’s expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the property, then the Company will recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the property. Changes in operating and market conditions may result in a change of our intent to hold the property through the end of its useful life and may impact the assumptions utilized to determine the future cash flows of the real estate investment.
The Company bases its accounting estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may vary from those estimates and those estimates could be different under different assumptions or conditions.
Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Stockholders and Unitholders
Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Stockholders and Unitholders ("FFO") is a financial measure that is commonly used in the REIT industry. The Company presents FFO and FFO excluding non-core items (referred to as "Core FFO") as supplemental operating performance measures. FFO and Core FFO are not used by the Company as, nor should they be considered to be, alternatives to net income computed under U.S. GAAP as an indicator of the Company’s operating performance or as alternatives to cash from operating activities computed under U.S. GAAP as an indicator of the Company's ability to fund its cash needs.
FFO and Core FFO are not meant to represent a comprehensive system of financial reporting and do not present, nor do they intend to present, a complete picture of the Company's financial condition and operating performance. The Company believes that net income computed under U.S. GAAP is the primary measure of performance and that FFO and Core FFO are only meaningful when they are used in conjunction with net income.
The Company considers FFO and Core FFO to be useful financial performance measurements of an equity REIT because, together with net income and cash flows, FFO and Core FFO provide investors with additional bases to evaluate operating performance and ability of a REIT to incur and service debt and to fund acquisitions and other capital expenditures and to pay dividends. By excluding gains or losses related to sales of depreciated operating properties and excluding real estate depreciation (which can vary among owners of identical assets in similar condition based on historical cost accounting and useful life estimates), FFO can help investors compare the operating performance of a real estate company between periods or as compared to different companies. By further adjusting for items that are not considered part of the Company’s core business operations, Core FFO allows investors to compare the core operating performance of the Company to its performance in prior reporting periods and to the operating performance of other real estate companies without the effect of items that by their nature are not comparable from period to period and tend to obscure the Company’s actual operating results. The Company believes that its consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provide the most meaningful picture of its financial condition and its operating performance.
In calculating FFO, the Company follows the definition for this measure published by NAREIT, which is the leading REIT industry association. The Company believes that, under the NAREIT FFO definition, the two most significant adjustments made to net income are (i) the exclusion of historical cost depreciation and (ii) the exclusion of gains and losses from the sale of previously depreciated properties. The Company agrees that these two NAREIT adjustments are useful to investors for the following reasons:
(a)
historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with U.S. GAAP assumes, through depreciation charges, that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. NAREIT stated in its White Paper on Funds from Operations “since real estate asset values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors have considered presentations of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves." Consequently, NAREIT’s definition of FFO reflects the fact that real
estate, as an asset class, generally appreciates over time and depreciation charges required by U.S. GAAP do not reflect the underlying economic realities.
(b)
REITs were created as a legal form of organization in order to encourage public ownership of real estate as an asset class through investment in firms that were in the business of long-term ownership and management of real estate. The exclusion, in NAREIT’s definition of FFO, of gains and losses from the sales of previously depreciated operating real estate assets allows investors and analysts to readily identify the operating results of the long-term assets that form the core of a REIT’s activity and assists in comparing those operating results between periods.
Management believes that it has consistently applied the NAREIT definition of FFO to all periods presented. However, there is judgment involved and other REITs' calculation of FFO may vary from the NAREIT definition for this measure, and thus their disclosure of FFO may not be comparable to the Company’s calculation.
The table below is a reconciliation of net income available to common stockholders to FFO and Core FFO for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Funds from operations attributable to common stockholders and unitholders:
Net income available to common stockholders
$
408,315
$
488,554
$
568,870
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization
539,319
520,066
525,497
Gains not included in FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders
(111,839)
(145,253)
(301,886)
Impairment loss from unconsolidated co-investments
2,105
—
1,825
Depreciation and amortization from unconsolidated co-investments
72,585
61,059
51,594
Noncontrolling interest related to Operating Partnership units
14,297
17,191
19,912
Depreciation attributable to third party ownership and other
(1)
(1,421)
(571)
(539)
Funds from operations attributable to common stockholders and unitholders
$
923,361
$
941,046
$
865,273
Non-core items:
Expensed acquisition and investment related costs
2,132
203
1,591
Deferred tax (benefit) expense on unconsolidated co-investments
(2)
(10,236)
15,668
1,531
Gain on sale of marketable securities
(12,436)
(3,400)
(2,131)
Change in unrealized losses (gains) on marketable securities, net
57,983
(33,104)
(12,515)
Provision for credit losses
(381)
141
687
Equity loss (income) from non-core co-investments
(3)
38,045
(55,602)
(5,289)
Loss on early retirement of debt, net
2
19,010
22,883
Loss (gain) on early retirement of debt from unconsolidated co-investment
988
25
(38)
Co-investment promote income
(17,076)
—
(6,455)
Income from early redemption of preferred equity investments and notes receivable
(1,669)
(8,469)
(210)
Accelerated interest income from maturity of investment in mortgage backed security
—
—
(11,753)
General and administrative and other, net
2,536
1,026
14,958
Insurance reimbursements, legal settlements, and other, net
(5,392)
(35,234)
(81)
Core funds from operations attributable to common stockholders and unitholders
$
977,857
$
841,310
$
868,451
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, diluted (FFO)
(4)
67,375
67,335
67,726
Funds from operations attributable to common stockholders and unitholders per share - diluted
$
13.70
$
13.98
$
12.78
Core funds from operations attributable to common stockholders and unitholders per share - diluted
$
14.51
$
12.49
$
12.82
(1)
The Company consolidates certain co-investments. The noncontrolling interest's share of net operating income in these investments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 was $3.3 million.
(2)
Represents deferred tax (benefit) expense related to net unrealized gains or losses on technology co-investments.
(3)
Represents the Company's share of co-investment loss (income) from technology co-investments.
(4)
Assumes conversion of all outstanding OP Units into shares of the Company's common stock and excludes DownREIT limited partnership units.
Net operating income ("NOI") and Same-Property NOI are considered by management to be important supplemental performance measures to earnings from operations included in the Company’s consolidated statements of income. The presentation of Same-Property NOI assists with the presentation of the Company’s operations prior to the allocation of depreciation and any corporate-level or financing-related costs. NOI reflects the operating performance of a community and allows for an easy comparison of the operating performance of individual communities or groups of communities. In addition, because prospective buyers of real estate have different financing and overhead structures, with varying marginal impacts to overhead by acquiring real estate, NOI is considered by many in the real estate industry to be a useful measure for determining the value of a real estate asset or group of assets. The Company defines Same-Property NOI as Same-Property revenues less Same-Property operating expenses, including property taxes. Please see the reconciliation of earnings from operations to NOI and Same-Property NOI, which in the table below is the NOI for stabilized properties consolidated by the Company for the periods presented ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
2020
Earnings from operations
$
595,229
$
529,995
$
491,441
Adjustments:
Corporate-level property management expenses
40,704
36,211
34,361
Depreciation and amortization
539,319
520,066
525,497
Management and other fees from affiliates
(11,139)
(9,138)
(9,598)
General and administrative
56,577
51,838
65,388
Expensed acquisition and investment related costs
2,132
203
1,591
Impairment loss
—
—
1,825
Gain on sale of real estate and land
(94,416)
(142,993)
(64,967)
NOI
1,128,406
986,182
1,045,538
Less: Non Same-Property NOI
(76,027)
(56,267)
(89,865)
Same-Property NOI
$
1,052,379
$
929,915
$
955,673
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K which are not historical facts may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, including statements regarding the Company's expectations, estimates, assumptions, hopes, intentions, beliefs and strategies regarding the future. Words such as "expects," "assumes," "anticipates," "may," "will," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "seeks," "future," "estimates," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the Company's expectations related to the continued evolution of the work-from-home trend in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's intent, beliefs or expectations with respect to the timing of completion of current development and redevelopment projects and the stabilization of such projects, the timing of lease-up and occupancy of its apartment communities, the anticipated operating performance of its apartment communities, the total projected costs of development and redevelopment projects, co-investment activities, qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 2022 Same-Property revenue and operating expenses generally and in specific regions, the real estate markets in the geographies in which the Company's properties are located and in the United States in general, the adequacy of future cash flows to meet anticipated cash needs, its financing activities and the use of proceeds from such activities, the availability of debt and equity financing, general economic conditions including the potential impacts from such economic conditions, inflation, the labor market, supply chain impacts and ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, trends affecting the Company's financial condition or results of operations, changes to U.S. tax laws and regulations in general or specifically related to REITs or real estate, changes to laws and regulations in jurisdictions in which communities the Company owns are located, and other information that is not historical information.
While the Company's management believes the assumptions underlying its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company cannot assure the future results or outcome of the matters described in these statements; rather, these statements merely reflect the Company’s current expectations of the approximate outcomes of the matters discussed. Factors that might
cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: potential future outbreaks of infectious diseases or other health concerns, which could adversely affect the Company's business and its tenants, and cause a significant downturn in general economic conditions, the real estate industry, and the markets in which the Company's communities are located; the Company may fail to achieve its business objectives; the actual completion of development and redevelopment projects may be subject to delays; the stabilization dates of such projects may be delayed; the Company may abandon or defer development or redevelopment projects for a number of reasons, including changes in local market conditions which make development less desirable, increases in costs of development, increases in the cost of capital or lack of capital availability, resulting in losses; the total projected costs of current development and redevelopment projects may exceed expectations; such development and redevelopment projects may not be completed; development and redevelopment projects and acquisitions may fail to meet expectations; estimates of future income from an acquired property may prove to be inaccurate; occupancy rates and rental demand may be adversely affected by competition and local economic and market conditions; uncertainties regarding ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and the related impacts on macroeconomic conditions, including, among other things, interest rates and inflation; the Company may be unsuccessful in the management of its relationships with its co-investment partners; future cash flows may be inadequate to meet operating requirements and/or may be insufficient to provide for dividend payments in accordance with REIT requirements; changes in laws or regulations; the terms of any refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness; unexpected difficulties in leasing of development projects; volatility in financial and securities markets; the Company’s failure to successfully operate acquired properties; unforeseen consequences from cyber-intrusion; the Company’s inability to maintain our investment grade credit rating with the rating agencies; government approvals, actions and initiatives, including the need for compliance with environmental requirements; and those further risks, special considerations, and other factors discussed in Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Form 10-K, and those risk factors and special considerations set forth in the Company’s other filings with the SEC which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, the Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement this information for any reason, and therefore, they may not represent the Company's estimates and assumptions after the date of this report.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risks
Interest Rate Hedging Activities
The Company’s objective in using derivatives is to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements or other identified risks. To accomplish this objective, the Company uses interest rate swaps as part of its cash flow hedging strategy. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had one interest rate swap contract to mitigate the risk of changes in the interest-related cash outflows on $300.0 million of the unsecured term loan that had not been drawn and had a balance of zero. As of December 31, 2022, the Company also had $223.6 million of secured variable rate indebtedness. The Company’s interest rate swap is designated as a cash flow hedge as of December 31, 2022. The following table summarizes the notional amount, carrying value, and estimated fair value of the Company’s cash flow hedge derivative instruments used to hedge interest rates as of December 31, 2022. The notional amount represents the aggregate amount of a particular security that is currently hedged at one time, but does not represent exposure to credit, interest rates or market risks. The table also includes a sensitivity analysis to demonstrate the impact on the Company’s derivative instruments from an increase or decrease in 10-year Treasury bill interest rates by 50 basis points, as of December 31, 2022.
Notional
Amount
Maturity
Date Range
Carrying and
Estimated
Fair Value
Estimated Carrying Value
+50
-50
($ in thousands)
Basis Points
Basis Points
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps
$
300,000
2026
$
5,556
$
10,107
$
851
Total cash flow hedges
$
300,000
2026
$
5,556
$
10,107
$
851
Additionally, the Company has entered into total return swap contracts, with an aggregate notional amount of $223.6 million that effectively convert $223.6 million of fixed mortgage notes payable to a floating interest rate based on the SIFMA plus a spread and have a carrying value of zero at December 31, 2022. The Company is exposed to insignificant interest rate risk on these swaps as the related mortgages are callable, at par, by the Company, co-terminus with the termination of any related swap. These derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting.
The Company is exposed to interest rate changes primarily as a result of its lines of credit and long-term debt used to maintain liquidity and fund capital expenditures and expansion of the Company’s real estate investment portfolio and operations. The Company’s interest rate risk management objective is to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings and cash flows and to lower its overall borrowing costs. To achieve its objectives, the Company borrows primarily at fixed rates and may enter into derivative financial instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps and treasury locks in order to mitigate its interest rate risk on a related financial instrument. The Company does not enter into derivative or interest rate transactions for speculative purposes.
The Company’s interest rate risk is monitored using a variety of techniques. The table below presents the principal amounts and weighted average interest rates by year of expected maturity to evaluate the expected cash flows. Management has estimated the fair value of the Company’s $5.7 billion of fixed rate debt at December 31, 2022, to be $5.2 billion. Management has estimated the fair value of the Company’s $275.7 million of variable rate debt at December 31, 2022, to be $273.2 million based on the terms of existing mortgage notes payable and variable rate demand notes compared to those available in the marketplace. The following table represents scheduled principal payments ($ in thousands):
For the Years Ended December 31,
($ in thousands, except for interest rates)
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Thereafter
Total
Fair value
Fixed rate debt
$
302,093
$
402,177
$
632,035
$
548,291
$
419,558
$
3,417,000
$
5,721,154
$
5,195,981
Average interest rate
3.4
%
4.0
%
3.5
%
3.5
%
3.8
%
3.0
%
Variable rate debt
(1)
$
852
$
13,005
$
1,019
$
1,114
$
84,397
$
175,269
$
275,656
$
273,160
Average interest rate
3.6
%
4.3
%
3.6
%
3.6
%
3.4
%
3.7
%
(1)
$223.6 million of variable rate debt is tax exempt to the note holders.
The table incorporates only those exposures that exist as of December 31, 2022; it does not consider those exposures or positions that could arise after that date. As a result, the Company’s ultimate realized gain or loss, with respect to interest rate fluctuations and hedging strategies would depend on the exposures that arise prior to settlement.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
The response to this item is submitted as a separate section of this Form 10-K. See Item 15.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
As of December 31, 2022, Essex carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including Essex's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of Essex's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, Essex’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of December 31, 2022, Essex’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by Essex in the reports that Essex files or submits under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and that such disclosure controls and procedures were also effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that Essex files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to Essex’s management, including Essex’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There were no changes in Essex’s internal control over financial reporting, that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, Essex’s internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Essex’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Essex’s management assessed the effectiveness of Essex’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, Essex’s management used the criteria set forth in the report entitled "Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013)" published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO"). Essex’s management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, its internal control over financial reporting was effective based on these criteria. Essex’s independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued an attestation report over Essex’s internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
As of December 31, 2022, the Operating Partnership carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including Essex's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of December 31, 2022, the Operating Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Operating Partnership in the reports that the Operating Partnership files or submits under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and that such disclosure controls and procedures were also effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Operating Partnership files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Operating Partnership’s management, including Essex's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There were no changes in the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting, that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Operating Partnership’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Operating Partnership’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. In making this assessment, the Operating Partnership’s management used the criteria set forth in the report entitled "Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013)" published by COSO. The Operating Partnership’s management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, its internal control over financial reporting was effective based on these criteria.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, under the heading "Board and Corporate Governance Matters," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, under the headings "Executive Compensation" and "Director Compensation," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, under the heading "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, under the heading "Certain Relationships and Related Persons Transactions," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from our Proxy Statement, relating to our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, under the headings "Report of the Audit Committee" and "Fees Paid to KPMG LLP," to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2022.
(4) See the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the signature page and certifications for a list of exhibits filed or incorporated by reference as part of this report.
(B) Exhibits
The Company hereby files, as exhibits to this Form 10-K, those exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index referenced in Item 15(A)(4) above.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Essex Property Trust, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated
Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Essex Property Trust, Inc and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule III (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 23, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Evaluation of events or changes in circumstances that indicate rental properties may be impaired
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company evaluates the carrying amount of rental properties for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a rental property may be impaired. The Company had $10.8 billion in rental properties as of December 31, 2022.
We identified the evaluation of events or changes in circumstances that indicate rental properties may be impaired as a critical audit matter. Specifically, subjective auditor judgment was required to evaluate the length of the period the Company expects to receive cash flows from the rental property. Changes to shorten the period the Company expects to receive cash flows from the rental property could indicate a potential impairment.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls over the Company’s process to evaluate events or changes in circumstances that would indicate rental properties may be impaired. This included controls over the process for determining the length of the period the Company expects to receive cash flows from the rental property. We evaluated the Company’s assessment by (1) inquiring with the Company about events or changes in circumstances considered by the Company, (2) considering certain factors related to the current economic environment, and (3) reading board of director’s minutes and external communications with investors and analysts.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1994.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Essex Property Trust, Inc.:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Essex Property Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries' (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in
Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013)
issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in
Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013)
issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule III (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 23, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Partners of Essex Portfolio, L.P. and the Board of Directors of Essex Property Trust, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Essex Portfolio, L.P. and subsidiaries (the Operating Partnership) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, capital, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule III (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Operating Partnership as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Operating Partnership’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Operating Partnership in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Operating Partnership is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Evaluation of events or changes in circumstances that indicate rental properties may be impaired
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Operating Partnership evaluates the carrying amount of rental properties for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a rental property may be impaired. The Operating Partnership had $10.8 billion in rental properties as of December 31, 2022.
We identified the evaluation of events or changes in circumstances that indicate rental properties may be impaired as a critical audit matter. Specifically, subjective auditor judgment was required to evaluate the length of the period the Operating Partnership expects to receive cash flows from the rental property. Changes to shorten the period the Operating Partnership expects to receive cash flows from the rental property could indicate a potential impairment.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls over the Operating Partnership’s process to evaluate events or changes in circumstances that would indicate rental properties may be impaired. This included controls over the process for determining the length of the period the Operating Partnership expects to receive cash flows from the rental property. We evaluated the Operating Partnership’s assessment by (1) inquiring with the Operating Partnership about events or changes in circumstances considered by the Operating Partnership, (2) considering certain factors related to the current economic environment, and (3) reading board of director’s minutes and external communications with investors and analysts.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Operating Partnership's auditor since 2013.
Marketable securities, net of allowance for credit losses of
zero
as of both December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
112,743
191,829
Notes and other receivables, net of allowance for credit losses of $
0.3
million and $
0.8
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (includes related party receivables of $
7.0
million and $
176.9
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively)
103,045
341,033
Operating lease right-of-use assets
67,239
68,972
Prepaid expenses and other assets
80,755
64,964
Total assets
$
12,372,905
$
12,997,873
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Unsecured debt, net
$
5,312,168
$
5,307,196
Mortgage notes payable, net
593,943
638,957
Lines of credit
52,073
341,257
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
165,461
180,751
Construction payable
23,159
29,136
Dividends payable
149,166
143,213
Distributions in excess of investments in co-investments
42,532
35,545
Operating lease liabilities
68,696
70,675
Other liabilities
43,441
39,969
Total liabilities
6,450,639
6,786,699
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
27,150
34,666
Equity:
Common stock; $
0.0001
par value,
670,000,000
shares authorized;
64,604,603
and
65,248,393
shares issued and outstanding, respectively
6
7
Additional paid-in capital
6,750,076
6,915,981
Distributions in excess of accumulated earnings
(
1,080,176
)
(
916,833
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net
46,466
(
5,552
)
Total stockholders' equity
5,716,372
5,993,603
Noncontrolling interest
178,744
182,905
Total equity
5,895,116
6,176,508
Total liabilities and equity
$
12,372,905
$
12,997,873
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
Marketable securities, net of allowance for credit losses of
zero
as of both December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
112,743
191,829
Notes and other receivables, net of allowance for credit losses of $
0.3
million and $
0.8
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (includes related party receivables of $
7.0
million and $
176.9
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively)
103,045
341,033
Operating lease right-of-use assets
67,239
68,972
Prepaid expenses and other assets
80,755
64,964
Total assets
$
12,372,905
$
12,997,873
LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL
Unsecured debt, net
$
5,312,168
$
5,307,196
Mortgage notes payable, net
593,943
638,957
Lines of credit
52,073
341,257
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
165,461
180,751
Construction payable
23,159
29,136
Distributions payable
149,166
143,213
Distributions in excess of investments in co-investments
42,532
35,545
Operating lease liabilities
68,696
70,675
Other liabilities
43,441
39,969
Total liabilities
6,450,639
6,786,699
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest
27,150
34,666
Capital:
General Partner:
Common equity (
64,604,603
and
65,248,393
units issued and outstanding, respectively)
5,669,906
5,999,155
5,669,906
5,999,155
Limited Partners:
Common equity (
2,272,496
and
2,282,464
units issued and outstanding, respectively)
51,454
56,502
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
52,010
(
1,804
)
Total partners' capital
5,773,370
6,053,853
Noncontrolling interest
121,746
122,655
Total capital
5,895,116
6,176,508
Total liabilities and capital
$
12,372,905
$
12,997,873
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
The accompanying consolidated financial statements present the accounts of Essex Property Trust, Inc. ("Essex" or the "Company"), which include the accounts of the Company and Essex Portfolio, L.P. and its subsidiaries (the "Operating Partnership," which holds the operating assets of the Company). Unless otherwise indicated, the notes to consolidated financial statements apply to both the Company and the Operating Partnership.
Essex is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership with a
96.6
% general partner interest and the limited partners owned a
3.4
% interest as of December 31, 2022. The limited partners may convert their Operating Partnership units into an equivalent number of shares of Essex common stock. Total Operating Partnership limited partnership units ("OP Units," and the holders of such OP Units, "Unitholders") outstanding were
2,272,496
and
2,282,464
as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and the redemption value of the units, based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock, totaled approximately $
481.6
million and $
804.0
million, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company has reserved shares of common stock for such conversions.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company owned or had ownership interests in
252
operating apartment communities, comprising
62,147
apartment homes, excluding the Company's ownership interests in preferred interest co-investments, loan investments,
three
operating commercial buildings, and a development pipeline comprised of
one
unconsolidated joint venture project. The operating apartment communities are located in Southern California (primarily Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties), Northern California (the San Francisco Bay Area) and the Seattle metropolitan areas.
(2)
Summary of Critical and Significant Accounting Policies
(a)
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The accounts of the Company, its controlled subsidiaries and the variable interest entities ("VIEs") in which it is the primary beneficiary are consolidated in the accompanying financial statements and prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented have been included and are normal and recurring in nature. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Noncontrolling interest includes the
3.4
% limited partner interests in the Operating Partnership not held by the Company at both December 31, 2022 and 2021. These percentages include the Operating Partnership’s vested long-term incentive plan units (see Note 14).
(b)
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In January 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2020-06 "Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity." The amendments in ASU 2020-06 require the use of the if-converted method for calculating diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for all convertible instruments. For instruments that may be settled in cash or shares, and are not classified as a liability, the guidance requires entities to include the effect of potential share settlement in the diluted EPS calculation, if the effect is more dilutive. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2022 on a prospective basis. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.
Effective January 1, 2022, we adopted ASU 2021-10, "Government Assistance (Topic 832), Disclosures by Business Entities About Government Assistance", which requires entities to provide disclosures on material government assistance transactions for annual reporting periods. The disclosures include information around the nature of the assistance, the related accounting policies used to account for government assistance, the effect of government assistance on the entity’s financial statements and any significant terms and conditions of the agreements, including commitments and contingencies.
(c)
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-06 "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) - Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848". The amendments in ASU 2022-06 defer the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024, after which entities will no longer be permitted to apply the optional expedients in Topic 848 related to the accounting for contract modifications and hedging transactions as a result of the global markets’ transition away from the use of LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. The Company adopted this guidance upon issuance, its effective date. This adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.
(d)
Real Estate Rental Properties
Significant expenditures, which improve or extend the life of an asset and have a useful life of greater than
one year
, are capitalized. Operating real estate assets are stated at cost and consist of land and land improvements, buildings and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, and other costs incurred during their development, redevelopment and acquisition. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.
The depreciable life of various categories of fixed assets is as follows:
Computer software and equipment
3
-
5
years
Interior apartment home improvements
5
years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
5
-
10
years
Land improvements and certain exterior components of real property
The Company capitalizes all costs incurred with the predevelopment, development or redevelopment of real estate assets or are associated with the construction or expansion of real property. Such capitalized costs include land, land improvements, allocated costs of the Company’s project management staff, construction costs, as well as interest and related loan fees, property taxes and insurance. Capitalization begins for predevelopment, development, and redevelopment projects when activity commences. Capitalization ends when the apartment home is completed and the property is available for a new tenant or if the development activities cease.
The Company allocates the purchase price of real estate on a fair value basis to land and building including personal property, and identifiable intangible assets, such as the value of above, below and in-place leases. In making estimates of relative fair values for purposes of allocating purchase price, the Company utilizes a number of sources, including independent land and building appraisals which consider comparable market transactions, its own analysis of recently acquired or developed comparable properties in our portfolio for land comparables and building replacement costs, and other publicly available market data. In calculating the fair value of identified intangible assets of an acquired property, the in-place leases are valued based on in-place rent rates and amortized over the average remaining term of all acquired leases.
The values of the above and below market leases are amortized and recorded as either a decrease (in the case of above market leases) or an increase (in the case of below market leases) to rental revenue over the remaining term of the associated leases acquired. The value of acquired in-place leases are amortized to expense over the average remaining term of the leases acquired. The net carrying value of acquired in-place leases is $
7.4
million and $
8.9
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
The Company periodically assesses the carrying value of its real estate investments for indicators of impairment. The judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on monitoring investment market conditions and performance compared to budget for operating properties including the net operating income for the most recent 12 month period, monitoring estimated costs for properties under development, the Company's ability to hold and its intent with regard to each asset, and each property's remaining useful life. Whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a property held for investment may not be fully recoverable, the carrying amount is evaluated. If the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount (including intangible assets) of a property held for investment, then the Company will recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the property. Fair value of a property is determined using conventional real estate valuation methods, such as discounted cash flow, the property’s unleveraged yield in comparison to the unleveraged yields and/or sales prices of similar communities that have been recently sold, and other third party information, if available. Communities held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated costs to sell. As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021,
no
properties were classified as held for sale. The Company did
no
t record an impairment charge for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The Company recorded an impairment charge of $
1.8
million for the year ended December 31, 2020 related to one of the Company's consolidated properties as a result of a change in the Company's intent to hold the property for its remaining useful life.
In the normal course of business, the Company will receive purchase offers for its communities, either solicited or unsolicited. For those offers that are accepted, the prospective buyer will usually require a due diligence period before consummation of the transaction. It is not unusual for matters to arise that result in the withdrawal or rejection of the offer during this process. The Company classifies real estate as "held for sale" when the Company has obtained necessary management approvals to sell a property and the sale of the property is expected to be completed within a year. Evaluating solicited or unsolicited offers generally does not cause properties to be classified as held for sale.
(e)
Co-investments
The Company owns investments in joint ventures in which it has significant influence, but its ownership interest does not meet the criteria for consolidation in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Therefore, the Company accounts for co-investments using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, the investment is carried at the cost of assets contributed, plus the Company’s equity in earnings less distributions received and the Company’s share of losses. The significant accounting policies of the Company’s co-investment entities are consistent with those of the Company in all material respects.
Upon the acquisition of a controlling interest of a co-investment, the co-investment entity is consolidated and a gain or loss is recognized upon the remeasurement of co-investments in the consolidated statement of income equal to the amount by which
the fair value of the Company's previously owned co-investment interest exceeds its carrying value. A majority of the co-investments, excluding most preferred equity investments, compensate the Company for its asset management services and some of these investments may provide promote income if certain financial return benchmarks are achieved. Asset management fees are recognized when earned, and promote fees are recognized when the earnings events have occurred and the amount is determinable and collectible. Any promote fees are reflected in equity income from co-investments.
The Company evaluates its investments in co-investments for impairment and records a loss if the carrying value is greater than the fair value of the investment and the impairment is other-than-temporary. The Company recorded a $
2.1
million impairment loss from an unconsolidated co-investment for the year ended December 31, 2022 as a result of an other-than-temporary decrease in the fair value of the underlying investment.
No
other-than-temporary impairment charges were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2021 or 2020.
(f)
Revenues and Gains on Sale of Real Estate and Land
Revenues from tenants renting or leasing apartment homes are recorded when due from tenants and are recognized monthly as they are earned, which generally approximates a straight-line basis, else, adjustments are made to conform to a straight-line basis. Apartment homes are rented under short-term leases (generally, lease terms of
9
to
12
months). Revenues from tenants leasing commercial space are recorded on a straight-line basis over the life of the respective lease. See Note 4, Revenues, and Note 10, Lease Agreements - Company as Lessor, for additional information regarding such revenues.
The Company also generates other property-related revenue associated with the leasing of apartment homes, including storage income, pet rent, and other miscellaneous revenue. Similar to rental income, such revenues are recorded when due from tenants and recognized monthly as they are earned.
Apart from rental and other property-related revenue, revenues from contracts with customers are recognized as control of the promised services is passed to the customer. For customer contracts related to management and other fees from affiliates (which includes asset management and property management), the transaction price and amount of revenue to be recognized is determined each quarter based on the management fee calculated and earned for that month or quarter. The contract will contain a description of the service and the fee percentage for management services. Payments from such services are one month or one quarter in arrears of the service performed.
The Company recognizes any gains on sales of real estate when it transfers control of a property and when it is probable that the Company will collect substantially all of the related consideration.
(g)
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
Highly liquid investments with original maturities of
three months
or less when purchased are classified as cash equivalents. Restricted cash balances relate primarily to reserve requirements for capital replacement at certain communities in connection with the Company’s mortgage debt.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
2020
Cash and cash equivalents - unrestricted
$
33,295
$
48,420
$
73,629
Cash and cash equivalents - restricted
9,386
10,218
10,412
Total unrestricted and restricted cash and cash equivalents shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows
$
42,681
$
58,638
$
84,041
(h)
Marketable Securities
The Company reports its equity securities and available for sale debt securities at fair value, based on quoted market prices (Level 1 for the common stock and investment funds, Level 2 for the unsecured debt and Level 3, as defined by the FASB standard for fair value measurements as discussed later in Note 2). As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, $
0.2
million and
$
0.8
million, respectively, of equity securities presented within common stock and stock funds in the tables below represent investments measured at fair value, using net asset value as a practical expedient, and are not categorized in the fair value hierarchy.
Any unrealized gain or loss in debt securities classified as available for sale is recorded as other comprehensive income. There were no other than temporary impairment charges for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020. Unrealized gains and losses in equity securities, realized gains and losses in debt securities, interest income, and amortization of purchase discounts are included in interest and other income on the consolidated statements of income.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, equity securities and available for sale debt securities consisted primarily of investment funds-debt securities, common stock, preferred stock and stock funds, and investment-grade unsecured debt.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, marketable securities consist of the following ($ in thousands):
December 31, 2022
Amortized
Cost
Gross
Unrealized
Loss
Carrying
Value
Equity securities:
Investment funds - debt securities
$
43,155
$
(
6,771
)
$
36,384
Common stock, preferred stock, and stock funds
78,481
(
2,122
)
76,359
Total - Marketable securities
$
121,636
$
(
8,893
)
$
112,743
December 31, 2021
Amortized
Cost
Gross
Unrealized
(Loss) Gain
Carrying
Value
Equity securities:
Investment funds - debt securities
$
62,192
$
(
502
)
$
61,690
Common stock and stock funds
79,155
49,592
128,747
Debt securities:
Available for sale
Investment-grade unsecured debt
1,051
341
1,392
Total - Marketable securities
$
142,398
$
49,431
$
191,829
The Company uses the specific identification method to determine the cost basis of a debt security sold and to reclassify amounts from accumulated other comprehensive income for such securities.
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities totaled $
71.2
million, $
16.6
million and $
113.5
million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, these sales resulted in gains of $
12.4
million, $
3.4
million, and $
2.1
million, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the portion of equity security unrealized losses or gains that were recognized in income totaled $
58.0
million in losses and $
33.1
million in gains, respectively, and were included in interest and other income on the Company's consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
Notes receivable relate to real estate financing arrangements including mezzanine and bridge loans. Interest is recognized over the life of the note as interest income.
Each note is analyzed to determine if it is impaired. A note is impaired if it is probable that the Company will not collect all contractually due principal and interest. The Company does not accrue interest when a note is considered impaired and an allowance is recorded for any principal and previously accrued interest that are not believed to be collectible. All cash receipts on impaired notes are applied to reduce the principal amount of such notes until the principal has been recovered and, thereafter, are recognized as interest income. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, no notes were impaired.
In the normal course of business, the Company originates and holds two types of loans: mezzanine loans issued to entities that are pursuing apartment development and short-term bridge loans issued to joint ventures with the Company.
The Company categorizes development project mezzanine loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of the borrowers to service their debt, such as: current financial information, credit documentation, public information, and previous experience with the borrower. The Company initially analyzes each mezzanine loan individually to classify the credit risk of the loan. On a periodic basis the Company evaluates financial information on the project, its sponsors, and its guarantors and additionally
performs site visits of the development projects associated with the mezzanine loans to confirm whether they are on budget and whether there are any delays in development that could impact the Company's assessment of credit loss.
All bridge loans that the Company issues are, by their nature, short-term and meant only to provide time for the Company’s joint ventures to obtain long-term funding for newly acquired communities. As the Company is a partner in the joint ventures that are borrowing such funds and has performed a detailed review of each community as part of the acquisition process, there is little to no credit risk associated with such loans. As such, the Company does not review credit quality indicators for bridge loans on an ongoing basis.
The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses for each loan type using relevant available information from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made, if necessary, for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics. For example, in the case of mezzanine loans, adjustments may be made due to differences in track record and experience of the mezzanine loan sponsor as well as the percent of equity that the sponsor has contributed to the project.
(j)
Capitalization Policy
The Company capitalizes all direct and certain indirect costs, including interest, employee compensation costs, real estate taxes and insurance, incurred during development and redevelopment activities. Interest is capitalized on real estate assets that require a period of time to get them ready for their intended use. The amount of interest capitalized is based upon the average amount of accumulated development expenditures during the reporting period. Included in capitalized costs are management’s estimates of the direct and incremental personnel costs and indirect project costs associated with the Company's development and redevelopment activities. Indirect project costs consist primarily of personnel costs associated with construction administration and development, including accounting, legal fees, and various corporate and community onsite costs that clearly relate to projects under development. Those costs, inclusive of capitalized interest, as well as capitalized development and redevelopment fees totaled $
20.4
million, $
23.6
million and $
31.4
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company capitalizes leasing costs associated with the lease-up of development communities and amortizes the costs over the life of the leases. The amounts capitalized are immaterial for all periods presented.
(k)
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company values its financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy of valuation techniques described in the FASB’s accounting standard for fair value measurements. Level 1 inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets and inputs other than quoted prices observable for the asset or liability. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the
asset or liability. The Company uses Level 1 inputs for the fair values of its cash equivalents and its marketable securities except for unsecured bonds. The Company uses Level 2 inputs for its investments in unsecured debt, notes receivable, notes payable, and derivative assets/liabilities. These inputs include interest rates for similar financial instruments. The Company’s valuation methodology for derivatives is described in Note 9. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.
Management believes that the carrying amounts of the outstanding balances under its lines of credit, and notes and other receivables approximate fair value as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, because interest rates, yields and other terms for these instruments are consistent with interest rates, yields and other terms currently available for similar instruments. Management has estimated that the fair value of fixed rate debt with a carrying value of $
5.7
billion at both December 31, 2022 and 2021, to be $
5.2
billion and $
6.0
billion at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Management has estimated the fair value of the Company’s $
274.2
million and $
564.9
million of variable rate debt at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, to be $
273.2
million and $
561.7
million at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, based on the terms of existing mortgage notes payable, unsecured debt, and variable rate demand notes compared to those available in the marketplace. Management believes that the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, construction payables, other liabilities and dividends payable approximate fair value as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. Marketable securities are carried at fair value as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
(l)
Interest Rate Protection, Swap, and Forward Contracts
The Company uses interest rate swaps, interest rate caps, and total return swap contracts to manage interest rate risks. The Company’s objective in using derivatives is to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements or other identified risks. To accomplish this objective, the Company uses interest rate swaps as part of its cash flow hedging strategy.
The Company records all derivatives on its consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation. Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges.
For derivatives designated for accounting purposes as fair value hedges, changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item related to the hedged risk are recognized in earnings. For derivatives designated for accounting purposes as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is initially reported in other comprehensive income (outside of earnings) and subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged transaction affects earnings, and the ineffective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings. The Company assesses the initial and ongoing effectiveness of each hedging relationship by comparing the changes in fair value or cash flows of the derivative hedging instrument with the changes in fair value or cash flows of the designated hedged item or transaction.
For derivatives not designated for accounting purposes as cash flow hedges, changes in fair value are recognized in earnings. All of the Company’s interest rate swaps are considered cash flow hedges.
(m)
Income Taxes
Generally in any year in which Essex qualifies as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under the Internal Revenue Code (the "IRC"), it is not subject to federal income tax on that portion of its income that it distributes to stockholders. No provision for federal income taxes, other than the taxable REIT subsidiaries discussed below, has been made in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022 as Essex has elected to be and believes it qualifies under the IRC as a REIT and has made distributions during the periods in amounts to preclude Essex from paying federal income tax.
In order to maintain compliance with REIT tax rules, the Company utilizes taxable REIT subsidiaries
for various revenue generating or investment activities. The taxable REIT subsidiaries are consolidated by the Company. In general, the activities and tax related provisions, assets and liabilities are not material.
As a partnership, the Operating Partnership is not subject to federal or state income taxes, except that in order to maintain Essex's compliance with REIT tax rules that are applicable to Essex, the Operating Partnership utilizes taxable REIT subsidiaries
for various revenue generating or investment activities. The taxable REIT subsidiaries are consolidated by the Operating Partnership.
The status of cash dividends distributed for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 related to common stock are classified for tax purposes as follows:
2022
2021
2020
Common Stock
Ordinary income
80.17
%
70.92
%
85.23
%
Capital gain
16.78
%
22.07
%
10.68
%
Unrecaptured section 1250 capital gain
3.05
%
7.01
%
4.09
%
100.00
%
100.00
%
100.00
%
(n)
Equity-based Compensation
The cost of share- and unit-based compensation awards is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the awards. The estimated fair value of stock options and restricted stock granted by the Company are being amortized over the vesting period. The estimated grant date fair values of the long-term incentive plan units (discussed in Note 14) are being amortized over the expected service periods.
(o) Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, by Component
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net, by Component
Essex Property Trust, Inc. ($ in thousands)
Change in fair
value and
amortization
of swap settlements
Unrealized
gain on
available for sale
securities
Total
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
(
5,912
)
$
360
$
(
5,552
)
Other comprehensive income before reclassification
52,331
224
52,555
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss
20
(
557
)
(
537
)
Other comprehensive income
52,351
(
333
)
52,018
Balance at December 31, 2022
$
46,439
$
27
$
46,466
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, by Component
Essex Portfolio, L.P. ($ in thousands)
Change in fair
value and
amortization
of swap settlements
Unrealized
gain on
available for sale
securities
Total
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
(
2,176
)
$
372
$
(
1,804
)
Other comprehensive income before reclassification
54,138
233
54,371
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss in connection with derivatives are recorded in interest expense on the consolidated statements of income. Realized gains and losses on available for sale debt securities are included in interest and other income on the consolidated statements of income.
(p) Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
The carrying value of redeemable noncontrolling interest in the accompanying balance sheets was $
27.2
million and $
34.7
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The limited partners may redeem their noncontrolling interests for cash in certain circumstances.
The changes in the redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 are as follows:
2022
2021
2020
Balance at January 1,
$
34,666
$
32,239
$
37,410
Reclassifications due to change in redemption value and other
(
7,038
)
6,890
(
4,299
)
Redemptions
(
478
)
(
4,463
)
(
872
)
Balance at December 31,
$
27,150
$
34,666
$
32,239
(q)
Accounting Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to acquiring, developing and assessing the carrying values of its real estate portfolio, its investments in and advances to joint ventures and affiliates, and its notes receivable. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, current market conditions, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may vary from those estimates and those estimates could be different under different assumptions or conditions.
(r)
Variable Interest Entities
In accordance with accounting standards for consolidation of VIEs, the Company consolidated the Operating Partnership,
18
DownREIT entities (comprising
nine
communities), and
six
co-investments as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company consolidates these entities because it is deemed the primary beneficiary. The Company has no assets or liabilities other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. The consolidated total assets and liabilities related to the above consolidated co-investments and DownREIT entities, net of intercompany eliminations, were approximately $
939.4
million and $
324.3
million, respectively, as of December 31, 2022, and $
909.3
million and $
320.1
million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021. Noncontrolling interests in these entities were $
121.5
million and $
122.4
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company's financial risk in each VIE is limited to its equity investment in the VIE.
The DownREIT VIEs collectively own
nine
apartment communities in which the Company is the general partner or manager of the DownREIT entity, the Operating Partnership is a special limited partner or member, and the other limited partners or members were granted rights of redemption for their interests. Such limited partners or members can request to be redeemed and the Company, subject to certain restrictions, can elect to redeem their rights for cash or by issuing shares of its common stock on a
one
share per unit basis. Conversion values will be based on the market value of the Company's common stock at the time of redemption multiplied by the number of units stipulated under various arrangements, as noted above. The other limited partners or members receive distributions based on the Company's current dividend rate times the number of units held. Total DownREIT units outstanding were
938,513
and
978,854
as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and the redemption value of the units, based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock totaled approximately $
198.9
million and $
344.8
million, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The carrying value of redeemable noncontrolling interest in the accompanying balance sheets was $
27.2
million and $
34.7
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Of these amounts, $
9.2
million and $
7.7
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, represent units of limited partners' or members' interests in DownREIT VIEs as to which it is outside of the Company’s control to redeem the DownREIT units with Company common stock and may potentially be redeemed for cash, and are presented at either their redemption value or
historical cost, depending on the limited partner's or members' right to redeem their units as of the balance sheet date. The carrying value of DownREIT units as to which it is within the control of the Company to redeem the units with its common stock was $
97.0
million and $
97.4
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are classified within noncontrolling interests in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Interest holders in VIEs consolidated by the Company are allocated a priority of net income equal to the cash payments made to those interest holders or distributions from cash flow. The remaining results of operations are generally allocated to the Company.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not have any other VIEs of which it was deemed to be the primary beneficiary and did not have any VIEs of which it was not deemed to be the primary beneficiary.
(s) Government Assistance
The Employee Retention Credit, as originally enacted by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020, is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after March 12, 2020 and before January 1, 2021. The purpose of the Employee Retention Credit was to encourage employers to keep employees on their payroll, even if they were not working during the covered period because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, the Employee Retention Credit was amended and extended by the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act in which eligible employers may claim a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 70% of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after December 31, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The Company adopted a policy to recognize a receivable when earned and to offset the credit against related expenses. Accordingly, the Company recorded Employee Retention Credit of $
4.1
million and $
4.2
million and
zero
for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and is reflected in general and administrative expenses, property operating, excluding real estate taxes, expenses and equity income from co-investments in the consolidated statements of operations.
(3)
Real Estate Investments
(a)
Acquisitions of Real Estate
The table below summarizes acquisition activity for the year ended December 31, 2022 ($ in millions):
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased
two
communities consisting of
211
apartment homes for approximately $
32.9
million.
Property Name
Location
Apartment Homes
Essex Ownership Percentage
Quarter in 2022
Purchase Price
Regency Palm Court and Windsor Court
(1)
Los Angeles, CA
211
100
%
Q3
$
32.9
Total 2022
211
$
32.9
(1)
In July 2022, the Company acquired its joint venture partner's
49.8
% minority interest in
two
apartment communities, consisting of
211
apartment homes located in Los Angeles, CA, for a contract price of $
32.9
million. As a result of this acquisition, the Company realized a gain on remeasurement of co-investment of $
17.4
million upon consolidation.
The consolidated fair value of the acquisitions listed above was included on the Company's consolidated balance sheet as follows: $
14.1
million was included in land and land improvements, $
52.7
million was included in buildings and improvements, $
0.3
million was included in prepaid expenses and other assets.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company purchased
one
apartment community consisting of
123
apartment homes and
two
commercial properties for approximately $
133.6
million. Additionally, in June 2021, the Company purchased its joint venture partner's
50.0
% membership interest in the BEX III, LLC's ("BEX III") co-investment that owned an apartment community consisting of
145
apartment homes, based on a property valuation of $
63.5
million, for approximately $
31.8
million. In conjunction with the acquisition, $
29.5
million of mortgage debt that encumbered the property was paid off. As a result of this acquisition, the Company realized a gain on remeasurement of its existing co-investment of $
2.3
million. The consolidated fair value of these acquisitions was included on the Company's consolidated balance sheet as follows: $
103.3
million was included in land and land improvements, $
90.2
million was included in buildings and improvements, $
5.4
million was included in prepaid expenses and other assets, within the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
(b) Sales of Real Estate Investments
The table below summarizes the disposition activity for the year ended December 31, 2022 ($ in millions):
Property Name
Location
Apartment Homes
Ownership
Quarter in 2022
Sales Price
Anavia
Anaheim, CA
250
EPLP
Q4
$
160.0
(1)
Total 2022
250
$
160.0
(1)
The Company recognized a $
94.4
million gain on sale.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold
four
apartment communities consisting of
912
apartment homes for $
330.0
million, resulting in gains of $
143.0
million. In conjunction with the sales, the Company repaid $
29.7
million of mortgage debt that encumbered one of the properties.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold
four
apartment communities consisting of
670
apartment homes for $
343.5
million, resulting in gains of $
65.0
million.
(c) Co-investments
The Company has joint ventures which are accounted for under the equity method. The co-investments’ accounting policies are similar to the Company’s accounting policies. The co-investments typically own, operate, and develop apartment communities. Additionally, the Company has invested in
six
technology co-investments and as of December 31, 2022 the co-investment balance of these investments was $
39.4
million and the aggregate commitment was $
87.0
million.
In January 2022, Wesco VI, LLC (“Wesco VI”), one of the Company's joint ventures with an institutional partner, acquired
Vela, a
379
-unit apartment home community located in Woodland Hills, CA, for a total contract price of $
183.0
million. The
property was encumbered by a $
100.7
million related party bridge loan from the Company, with an interest rate of
2.64
% that was paid off in January 2022 and replaced by permanent secured debt with an institutional lender. See Note 6, Related Party Transactions, for additional details.
In March 2022, the Wesco III, LLC ("Wesco III") operating agreement was amended to extend the venture. As part of the amendment, the Company earned $
17.1
million in promote interest.
In April 2022, the Wesco IV, LLC ("Wesco IV") joint venture operating agreement was amended to extend the venture. As part of the amendment, the Company and the joint venture partner agreed that the Company earned a promote interest of approximately $
37.5
million. The Company agreed to contribute the earned promote interest to the joint venture, resulting in an increase in the Company's ownership interest in Wesco IV to
65.1
%.
The carrying values of the Company’s co-investments as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows ($ in thousands, except in parenthetical):
Weighted Average Essex Ownership
December 31,
Percentage
(1)
2022
2021
Ownership interest in:
Wesco I, Wesco III, Wesco IV, Wesco V and Wesco VI
(2)
54
%
$
178,552
$
168,198
BEXAEW, BEX II, BEX IV and 500 Folsom
50
%
238,537
270,550
Other
(3)
52
%
74,742
126,503
Total operating and other co-investments, net
491,831
565,251
Total development co-investments
51
%
12,994
11,076
Total preferred interest co-investments (includes related party investments of $
87.1
million and $
71.1
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively - Note 6 - Related Party Transactions for further discussion)
580,134
565,930
Total co-investments, net
$
1,084,959
$
1,142,257
(1)
Weighted average Company ownership percentages are as of December 31, 2022.
(2)
As of December 31, 2022, the Company's investments in Wesco I, Wesco III, and Wesco IV were classified as a liability of $
41.7
million due to distributions received in excess of the Company's investment. As of December 31, 2021, the Company's investment in Wesco I was classified as a liability of $
35.3
million due to distributions received in excess of the Company's investment.
(3)
As of December 31, 2022, the Company's investments in Expo and Century Towers were classified as a liability of $
0.8
million due to distributions received in excess of the Company's investment. As of December 31, 2021, the Company's investment in Expo was classified as a liability of $
0.2
million due to distributions received in excess of the Company's investment. The weighted average Essex ownership percentage excludes our investments in non-core technology co-investments which are carried at fair value.
The combined summarized financial information of co-investments is as follows ($ in thousands):
December 31,
2022
2021
Combined balance sheets:
(1)
Rental properties and real estate under development
$
4,955,051
$
4,603,465
Other assets
294,663
278,411
Total assets
$
5,249,714
$
4,881,876
Debt
$
3,397,113
$
3,046,765
Other liabilities
264,872
200,129
Equity
1,587,729
1,634,982
Total liabilities and equity
$
5,249,714
$
4,881,876
Company's share of equity
$
1,084,959
$
1,142,257
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
2020
Combined statements of income:
(1)
Property revenues
$
373,074
$
289,680
$
300,624
Property operating expenses
(
140,175
)
(
115,023
)
(
108,682
)
Net operating income
232,899
174,657
191,942
Interest expense
(
100,913
)
(
65,172
)
(
78,962
)
General and administrative
(
20,579
)
(
17,885
)
(
17,079
)
Depreciation and amortization
(
164,186
)
(
133,787
)
(
117,836
)
Net income
$
(
52,779
)
$
(
42,187
)
$
(
21,935
)
Company's share of net income
(2)
$
26,030
$
111,721
$
66,512
(1)
Includes preferred equity investments held by the Company.
(2)
Includes the Company's share of equity income from joint ventures and preferred equity investments, gain on sales of co-investments, co-investment promote income and income from early redemption of preferred equity investments. Includes related party income of $
7.4
million, $
9.1
million, and $
8.6
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
Operating Co-investments
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company, through several joint ventures, owned
10,425
and
10,257
apartment homes, respectively, in operating communities. The Company’s book value of these co-investments was $
491.8
million and $
565.3
million at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Predevelopment and Development Co-investments
As of both December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company, through several joint ventures, owned
264
apartment homes in predevelopment and development communities. The Company’s book value of these co-investments was $
13.0
million and $
11.1
million at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
In 2020, the Company entered into a joint venture to develop LIVIA (fka Scripps Mesa Apartments), a multifamily community comprised of
264
apartment homes located in San Diego, CA. The Company has a
51
% ownership interest in the development which has a projected total cost of $
102.0
million. Construction began in the third quarter of 2020. The property is projected to commence initial occupancy in the second quarter of 2023 and is projected to be fully stabilized in the first quarter of 2024. The Company has a $
5.9
million preferred equity investment in the project, which accrues an annualized preferred return of
10.0
% until it is redeemed.
Preferred Equity Investments
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company held preferred equity investment interests in several joint ventures which own real estate. The Company’s book value of these preferred equity investments was $
580.1
million and $
565.9
million at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and is included in the co-investments line in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
During 2022, the Company made commitments to fund $
84.9
million of preferred equity investment in
seven
real estate ventures, including one with a related party. See Note 6, Related Party Transactions, for additional details. The investments have initial preferred returns ranging from
8.8
% -
10.8
%, with maturities ranging from January 2026 to September 2032. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had fully funded $
84.9
million of the commitments.
During 2021, the Company made commitments to fund $
67.2
million of preferred equity investment in
four
real estate ventures. The investments have initial preferred returns ranging from
10.0
% -
12.5
%, with maturities ranging from January 2026 to December 2026. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had fully funded $
67.2
million of the commitments.
During 2020, the Company made commitments to fund $
191.3
million of preferred equity investment in
seven
preferred equity investments. The investments have initial preferred returns ranging from
9.0
%-
11.5
%, with maturities ranging from March 2022 to February 2030. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had funded $
182.3
million of the $
191.3
million of commitments.
During 2019, the Company made commitments to fund $
141.7
million of preferred equity investment in
five
preferred equity investments, some of which include related party sponsors. See Note 6, Related Party Transactions, for additional details. The investments have initial preferred returns ranging from
10.15
%-
11.3
%, with maturities ranging from July 2022 to October 2024. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had fully funded $
141.7
million of the commitments.
During 2018, the Company made commitments to fund $
45.1
million of preferred equity investment in
two
preferred equity investments, some of which include related party sponsors. See Note 6, Related Party Transactions, for additional details. The investments have initial preferred returns ranging from
10.25
%-
12.0
%, with maturities ranging from May 2023 to April 2024. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had funded $
42.1
million of the $
45.1
million of commitments. The remaining committed amount is expected to be funded when requested by the sponsors.
During 2022, the Company received cash proceeds of $
132.6
million, including an early redemption fee of $
0.9
million, for the full redemption of
three
preferred equity investments and partial redemption of
two
preferred equity investments in joint ventures that hold properties located in California. The Company recorded a $
2.1
million impairment loss from a preferred equity investment in an unconsolidated co-investment for the year ended December 31, 2022.
In November 2021, the Company converted $
11.0
million of its existing preferred equity investment in Silver, a
268
-unit apartment home community located in San Jose, CA, into a
58.0
% common equity interest in the property. The Company will retain its remaining $
13.5
million preferred equity investment in the property at a preferred return of
8.0
%. The property is encumbered by $
100.0
million of mortgage debt at a rate of
3.15
%.
(d) Real Estate under Development
The Company defines development projects as new communities that are being constructed, or are newly constructed and are in a phase of lease-up and have not yet reached stabilized operations. As of December 31, 2022, the Company's development pipeline was comprised of
one
unconsolidated joint venture project under development aggregating
264
apartment homes and various predevelopment projects, with total incurred costs of $
102.0
million.
The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by revenue source ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
2020
Rental income
$
1,573,368
$
1,410,197
$
1,462,161
Other property
22,307
21,221
23,989
Management and other fees from affiliates
11,139
9,138
9,598
Total revenues
$
1,606,814
$
1,440,556
$
1,495,748
The following table presents the Company’s rental and other property revenues disaggregated by geographic operating segment ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
2020
Southern California
$
652,742
$
580,305
$
558,839
Northern California
639,138
584,034
604,348
Seattle Metro
271,248
239,839
243,900
Other real estate assets
(1)
32,547
27,240
79,063
Total rental and other property revenues
$
1,595,675
$
1,431,418
$
1,486,150
(1)
Other real estate assets consist of revenue generated from retail space, commercial properties, held for sale properties, disposition properties and straight-line rent adjustments for concessions. Executive management does not evaluate such operating performance geographically.
The following table presents the Company’s rental and other property revenues disaggregated by current property category status ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
2020
Same-property
(1)
$
1,484,976
$
1,346,680
$
1,363,241
Acquisitions
(2)
8,793
2,239
—
Development
(3)
43,139
31,270
20,050
Redevelopment
5,766
6,169
6,931
Non-residential/other, net
(4)
58,120
55,871
74,072
Straight line rent concession
(5)
(
5,119
)
(
10,811
)
21,856
Total rental and other property revenues
$
1,595,675
$
1,431,418
$
1,486,150
(1)
Properties that have comparable stabilized results as of January 1, 2021 and are consolidated by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020. A community is generally considered to have reach stabilized operations once it achieves an initial occupancy of
90
%.
(2)
Acquisitions include properties acquired which did not have comparable stabilized results as of January 1, 2021.
(3)
Development includes properties developed which did not have stabilized results as of January 1, 2021.
(4)
Non-residential/other, net consists of revenue generated from retail space, commercial properties, held for sale properties, disposition properties, student housing, properties undergoing significant construction activities that do not meet our redevelopment criteria, and
two
communities located in the California counties of Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, which the Company does not consider its core markets.
(5)
Same-property revenues reflect concessions on a cash basis. Total rental and other property revenues reflect concessions on a straight-line basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Deferred Revenues and Remaining Performance Obligations
When cash payments are received or due in advance of the Company’s performance of contracts with customers, deferred revenue is recorded. The total deferred revenue balance related to such contracts was $
1.7
million and $
2.4
million as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, and was included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities within the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The amount of revenue recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022 that was included in the December 31, 2021 deferred revenue balance was $
0.7
million, which was included in interest and other income within the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account in the new revenue recognition accounting standard. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $
1.7
million of remaining performance obligations. The Company expects to recognize approximately
40
% of these remaining performance obligations in 2023, an additional
47
% through 2025, and the remaining balance thereafter.
Practical Expedients
The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less or when variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation.
Notes and other receivables consist of the following as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
Notes receivable, secured, weighted average interest rate of
10.10
% as of December 31, 2022 and
10.50
% as of December 31, 2021, due February 2023
(Originated March 2020)
(1)
$
—
$
17,051
Note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
9.00
%, due December 2023 (Originated November 2020)
(2)
—
87,365
Note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
11.50
%, due November 2024 (Originated November 2020)
33,477
29,729
Related party note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
2.15
%, due March 2022 (Originated September 2021)
(3) (7)
—
29,314
Related party note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
2.30
%, due April 2022 (Originated October 2021)
(4) (7)
—
30,399
Note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
11.00
%, due October 2025 (Originated October 2021)
21,452
—
Related party note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
2.36
%, due February 2022 (Originated November 2021)
(5) (7)
—
62,058
Related party note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
2.36
%, due February 2022 (Originated November 2021)
(6) (7)
—
48,562
Note receivable, secured, bearing interest at
12.00
%, due August 2024 (Originated August 2022)
10,350
—
Notes and other receivables from affiliates
(7) (8)
6,975
6,556
Straight line rent receivables
(9)
12,164
15,523
Other receivables
18,961
15,232
Allowance for credit losses
(
334
)
(
756
)
Total notes and other receivables
$
103,045
$
341,033
(1)
In December 2022, the Company received cash of $
15.0
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable.
(2)
In November 2022, the Company received cash of $
89.3
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable. Additionally, the Company received an early redemption fee of $
0.8
million from the payoff.
(3)
In January 2022, the Company received cash of $
29.2
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable.
(4)
In January 2022, the Company received cash of $
30.3
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable.
(5)
In January 2022, the Company received cash of $
61.9
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable.
(6)
In January 2022, the Company received cash of $
48.4
million to payoff the principal of this note receivable.
(7)
See Note 6, Related Party Transactions, for additional details.
(8)
These amounts consist of short-term loans outstanding and due from various joint ventures as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
(9)
These amounts are receivables from lease concessions recorded on a straight-line basis for the Company's operating properties.
The following table presents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for notes and other receivables by loan type ($ in thousands):
Mezzanine Loans
Bridge Loans
Total
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
671
$
85
$
756
Provision for credit losses
(
337
)
(
85
)
(
422
)
Balance at December 31, 2022
$
334
$
—
$
334
No loans were placed on nonaccrual status or charged off during the year ended December 31, 2022 or 2021.
The Company has adopted written related party transaction guidelines that are intended to cover transactions in which the Company (including entities it controls) is a party and in which any "related person" has a direct or indirect interest. A "related person" means any person who is or was (since the beginning of the last fiscal year) a Company director, director nominee, or executive officer, any beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, and any immediate family member of any of the foregoing persons. A related person may be considered to have an indirect interest in a transaction if he or she (i) is an owner, director, officer or employee of or otherwise associated with another company that is engaging in a transaction with the Company, or (ii) otherwise, through one or more entities or arrangements, has an indirect financial interest in or personal benefit from the transaction.
The related person transaction review and approval process is intended to determine, among any other relevant issues, the dollar amount involved in the transaction; the nature and value of any related person’s direct or indirect interest (if any) in the transaction; and whether or not (i) a related person’s interest is material, (ii) the transaction is fair, reasonable, and serves the best interest of the Company and its shareholders, and (iii) whether the transaction or relationship should be entered into, continued or ended.
The Company’s Chairman and founder, Mr. George Marcus, is the Chairman of the Marcus & Millichap Company ("MMC"), which is a parent company of a diversified group of real estate service, investment, and development firms. Mr. Marcus is also the Chairman of and owns a controlling interest in Marcus & Millichap, Inc. ("MMI"), a national brokerage firm listed on the NYSE that underwent its initial public offering in 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were
no
brokerage commission fees paid by the Company to MMC and its affiliates related to real estate transactions. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company paid brokerage commissions of $
0.2
million to MMC and its affiliates related to real estate transactions.
The Company charges certain fees relating to its co-investments for asset management, property management, development and redevelopment services. These fees from affiliates totaled $
14.1
million, $
10.3
million, and $
11.3
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. All of these fees are net of intercompany amounts eliminated by the Company. The Company netted development and redevelopment fees of $
3.0
million, $
1.1
million, and $
1.7
million against general and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
As described in Note 5, Notes and Other Receivables, the Company has provided short-term loans to affiliates. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, $
7.0
million and $
6.6
million, respectively, of short-term loans remained outstanding due from joint venture affiliates and are classified within notes and other receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
In August 2022, the Company funded an $
11.2
million preferred equity investment in an entity whose sponsor includes and affiliate of MMC. The entity owns
three
multifamily communities located in Azusa, CA. The investment initially accrues interest based on a
9.5
% preferred return and is scheduled to mature in August 2027.
In February 2022, the Company provided a $
32.8
million related party bridge loan to BEX II in connection with the payoff of a debt related to one of its properties located in Southern California. The note receivable was scheduled to mature in March 2022, but was subsequently paid off in April 2022.
In January 2022, the Company provided a $
100.7
million related party bridge loan to Wesco VI in connection with the acquisition of Vela. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.64
% and was scheduled to mature in February 2022, but was paid off in January 2022. Additionally, the Company received cash of $
121.3
million in January 2022 for the payoff of the remaining related party bridge loans to Wesco VI.
In November 2021, the Company provided a $
48.4
million related party bridge loan in connection with the purchase of an interest in a single asset entity owning an apartment home community in Vista, CA. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.36
% and was scheduled to mature in February 2022 but was paid off in January 2022. The bridge loan is classified within notes and other receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
In November 2021, the Company provided a $
61.9
million related party bridge loan to Wesco VI in connection with the acquisition of The Rexford. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.36
% and was scheduled to mature in February 2022, but
was paid off in January 2022. The bridge loan is classified within notes and other receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
In October 2021, the Company provided a $
30.3
million related party bridge loan to Wesco VI in connection with the acquisition of Monterra in Mill Creek. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.30
% and was scheduled to mature in April 2022, but was paid off in January 2022. The bridge loan is classified within notes and other receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
In September 2021, the Company provided a $
29.2
million related party bridge loan to Wesco VI in connection with the acquisition of Martha Lake Apartments. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.15
% and was scheduled to mature in December 2021. In December 2021, the maturity date of the note receivable was extended to March 2022, and in January 2022, the note receivable was paid off. The bridge loan is classified within notes and other receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
In March 2021, the Company provided a $
52.5
million related party bridge loan to Wesco I in connection with the payoff of a debt related to one of its properties located in Southern California. The note receivable accrued interest at
2.55
% and was paid off in July 2021.
In November 2019, the Company provided an $
85.5
million related party bridge loan to Wesco V in connection with the acquisition of Velo and Ray. The note receivable accrued interest at LIBOR plus
1.30
% and was scheduled to mature in February 2020, but was paid off in January 2020.
In June 2019, the Company acquired Brio, a
300
-unit apartment home community located in Walnut Creek, CA. The Company issued DownREIT units to an affiliate of MMC, based on a contract price of $
164.9
million. The property was encumbered by $
98.7
million of mortgage debt which was assumed by the Company at the time of acquisition. As a result of this transaction, the Company consolidated the property, based on a VIE analysis performed by the Company.
In February 2019, the Company funded a $
24.5
million preferred equity investment in an entity whose sponsor is an affiliate of MMC, which owns a multifamily development community located in Mountain View, CA. The investment initially accrued interest based on an
11.0
% preferred return which was reduced to
9.0
% upon completion and lease-up of the project. The investment is scheduled to mature in February 2024.
In October 2018, the Company funded a $
18.6
million preferred equity investment in an entity whose sponsor is an affiliate of MMC. The entity wholly owns a
268
apartment home community development located in Burlingame, CA. The investment initially accrued interest based on a
12.0
% preferred return which was reduced to
9.0
% upon completion and lease-up of the project. The investment is scheduled to mature in April 2024.
In May 2018, the Company made a commitment to fund a $
26.5
million preferred equity investment in an entity whose sponsors include an affiliate of MMC. The entity wholly owns a
400
apartment home community located in Ventura, CA. This investment accrued interest based on a
10.25
% initial preferred return. The investment was scheduled to mature in May 2023. In November 2021, the Company received cash of $
18.3
million, for the partial redemption of this preferred equity investment, and the maturity of the remaining commitment was extended to December 2028. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had a remaining commitment of $
13.0
million and continues to accrue interest on a
9.0
% preferred return. The remaining committed amount is expected to be funded if and when requested by the sponsors.
In March 2017, the Company converted its existing $
15.3
million preferred equity investment in Sage at Cupertino, a
230
apartment home community located in San Jose, CA, into a
40.5
% common equity ownership interest in the property. The Company issued DownREIT units to the other members, including an MMC affiliate, based on an estimated property valuation of $
90.0
million. At the time of the conversion, the property was encumbered by $
52.0
million of mortgage debt. As a result of this transaction, the Company consolidates the property, based on a consolidation analysis performed by the Company.
Essex does not have any indebtedness as all debt is incurred by the Operating Partnership. Essex guarantees the Operating Partnership’s unsecured debt including the revolving credit facilities up to the maximum amounts and for the full term of the facilities.
Unsecured debt consists of the following as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
Weighted Average
Maturity
In Years as of December 31, 2022
Term loan - variable rate, net
(1)
$
(
1,611
)
$
—
N/A
Bonds public offering - fixed rate, net
5,313,779
5,307,196
7.7
Unsecured debt, net
(2)
5,312,168
5,307,196
Lines of credit
(3)
52,073
341,257
N/A
Total unsecured debt
$
5,364,241
$
5,648,453
Weighted average interest rate on fixed rate unsecured bonds private placement and bonds public offering
3.3
%
3.3
%
Weighted average interest rate on lines of credit
4.4
%
1.0
%
(1)
In October 2022, the Operating Partnership obtained a $
300.0
million unsecured term loan priced at Adjusted SOFR plus
0.85
%. The loan has been swapped to an all-in fixed rate of
4.2
% and matures in October 2024 with
three
12-month
extension options, exercisable at the Company's option. The loan includes a
six-month
delayed draw feature. There was $
1.6
million of unamortized debt issuance costs as of December 31, 2022.
(2)
Includes unamortized discount, net of premiums, of $
7.9
million and $
9.9
million and unamortized debt issuance costs of $
29.9
million and $
32.9
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
(3)
Lines of credit, related to the Company's
two
lines of unsecured credit aggregating $
1.24
billion, excludes unamortized debt issuance costs of $
5.1
million and $
4.4
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. These debt issuance costs are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. In July 2022, the Company's $
1.2
billion credit facility was amended such that the scheduled maturity date was extended to January 2027 with
two
6-month
extension options, exercisable at the Company's option. The underlying interest rate on the line is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's corporate ratings and is at the Adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus
0.75
%. As of December 31, 2021, this credit facility had an interest rate of LIBOR plus
0.775
%, which is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings and a scheduled maturity date of September 2025 with
three
six-month
extensions, exercisable at the Company's option. In July 2022, the Company's $
35.0
million working capital unsecured line of credit was amended such that the scheduled maturity date was extended to July 2024. The underlying interest rate on this line is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's corporate ratings and is at the Adjusted SOFR plus
0.75
%. As of December 31, 2021, the Company's working capital unsecured line of credit had an interest rate of LIBOR plus
0.775
%, which is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings, and had a scheduled maturity date of February 2023.
In March 2021, the Operating Partnership issued $
450.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on March 1, 2028 with a coupon rate of
1.700
% per annum (the "2028 Notes"), which are payable on March 1 and September 1 of each year, beginning on September 1, 2021. The 2028 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.423
% of par value. The 2028 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex. The Company used the net proceeds of this offering to repay upcoming debt maturities, including all or a portion of certain unsecured term loans, and for general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of the 2028 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs, was $
445.4
million and $
444.4
million.
In June 2021, the Operating Partnership issued $
300.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on June 15, 2031 with a coupon rate of
2.550
% per annum (the "2031 Notes"), which are payable on June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on December 15, 2021. The 2031 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.367
% of par value. The 2031 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex. The Company used the net proceeds of this offering to repay upcoming debt maturities, including to fund the redemption of $
300.0
million aggregate principal amount (plus the make-whole amount and accrued and unpaid interest) of its outstanding
3.375
% senior unsecured notes due January 2023, and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of the 2031 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs, was $
296.2
million and $
295.7
million.
In February 2020, the Operating Partnership issued $
500.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on March 15, 2032, with a coupon rate of
2.650
% (the "2032 Notes"), which are payable on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on September 15, 2020. The 2032 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.628
% of par value. The 2032 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex. The Company used the net proceeds of this offering to repay indebtedness under its unsecured lines of credit, which had been used to fund the buyout of CPPIB's
45.0
% joint venture interests, as well as repay $
100.3
million of secured debt during the quarter that ended March 31, 2020. In June 2020, the Operating Partnership issued an additional $
150.0
million of the 2032 Notes at a price of
105.660
% of par value, plus accrued interest from February 2020 up to, but not including, the date of delivery of the additional notes, with an effective yield of
2.093
%. These additional notes have substantially identical terms as the 2032 Notes issued in February 2020. The proceeds were used to repay indebtedness under the Company's unsecured credit facilities and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of the 2032 Notes, net of premiums and debt issuance costs, was $
650.8
million and $
650.6
million respectively.
In August 2020, the Operating Partnership issued $
600.0
million of senior unsecured notes, consisting of $
300.0
million aggregate principal amount due on January 15, 2031 with a coupon rate of
1.650
% (the “2031 Notes”) and $
300.0
million aggregate principal amount due on September 1, 2050 with a coupon rate of
2.650
% (the “2050 Notes” and together with the 2031 Notes, the “Notes”). The 2031 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.035
% of par value and the 2050 Notes at
99.691
% of par value. Interest is payable on the 2031 Notes semiannually on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on January 15, 2021. Interest is payable on the 2050 Notes semiannually on March 1 and September 1 of each year, beginning on March 1, 2021. The Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex. The Company used the net proceeds of this offering to repay debt maturities, including certain unsecured private placement notes, secured mortgage notes, and to fund the redemption of $
300.0
million aggregate principal amount of
its outstanding
3.625
% senior unsecured notes due August 2022, and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, the carrying value of the 2031 Notes and 2050 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
295.5
million and $
295.8
million respectively as of December 31, 2022, and $
295.1
million and $
295.8
million respectively as of December 31, 2021.
In August 2019, the Operating Partnership issued $
400.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on January 15, 2030, with a coupon rate of
3.000
% per annum (the "2030 Notes"), which are payable on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on January 15, 2020. The 2030 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
98.632
% of the principal amount thereof. The 2030 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. In October 2019, the Operating Partnership issued an additional $
150.0
million of the 2030 notes at a price of
101.685
% of the principal amount thereof. These additional notes have substantially identical terms as the 2030 Notes issued in August 2019. The Company used the net proceeds of these offerings to prepay, with no prepayment penalties, certain secured indebtedness under outstanding mortgage notes, to repay indebtedness under its unsecured lines of credit and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of the 2030 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs, was $
544.7
million and $
543.9
million, respectively.
In February 2019, the Operating Partnership issued $
350.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on March 1, 2029, with a coupon rate of
4.000
% per annum (the "2029 Notes"), which are payable on March 1 and September 1 of each year, beginning on September 1, 2019. The 2029 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.188
% of the principal amount thereof. The 2029 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. In March 2019, the Operating Partnership issued an additional $
150.0
million of the 2029 Notes at a price of
100.717
% of the principal amount thereof. These additional notes have substantially identical terms as the 2029 Notes issued in February 2019. The Company used the net proceeds of these offerings to repay indebtedness under its unsecured lines of credit and for other general corporate and working capital purposes. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of the 2029 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
496.0
million and $
495.4
million, respectively.
In March 2018, the Operating Partnership issued $
300.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on March 15, 2048 with a coupon rate of
4.500
% per annum and are payable on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on September 15, 2018 (the "2048 Notes"). The 2048 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.591
% of par value. The 2048 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2048 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
296.1
million and $
295.9
million, respectively.
In April 2017, the Operating Partnership issued $
350.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on May 1, 2027 with a coupon rate of
3.625
% per annum and are payable on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on November 1, 2017 (the "2027 Notes"). The 2027 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.423
% of par value. The 2027 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2027 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
347.8
million and $
347.3
million, respectively.
In April 2016, the Operating Partnership issued $
450.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on April 15, 2026 with a coupon rate of
3.375
% per annum and are payable on April 15
th
and October 15
th
of each year, beginning October 15, 2016 (the "2026 Notes"). The 2026 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.386
% of par value. The 2026 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2026 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
447.8
million and $
447.1
million, respectively.
In March 2015, the Operating Partnership issued $
500.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on April 1, 2025 with a coupon rate of
3.5
% per annum and are payable on April 1
st
and October 1
st
of each year, beginning October 1, 2015 (the "2025 Notes"). The 2025 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.747
% of par value. The 2025 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2025 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
498.8
million and $
498.2
million, respectively.
In April 2014, the Company assumed $
900.0
million aggregate principal amount of BRE Property Inc.’s
5.500
% senior notes due 2017;
5.200
% senior notes due 2021; and
3.375
% senior notes due 2023 (together the "BRE Notes"). These notes are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the BRE Notes had
no
amount outstanding. In March 2017, the Company paid off $
300.0
million of
5.500
% senior notes, at maturity. In December 2020, the Company paid off $
300.0
million of
5.200
% senior notes. In June 2021, the Company paid off the remaining $
300.0
million of
3.375
% senior notes due 2023.
In April 2014, the Operating Partnership issued $
400.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on May 1, 2024 with a coupon rate of
3.875
% per annum and are payable on May 1
st
and November 1
st
of each year, beginning November 1, 2014 (the "2024 Notes"). The 2024 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.234
% of par value. The 2024 Notes are general unsecured
senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2024 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
399.1
million and $
398.5
million, respectively.
In April 2013, the Operating Partnership issued $
300.0
million of senior unsecured notes due on May 1, 2023 with a coupon rate of
3.25
% per annum and are payable on May 1
st
and November 1
st
of each year, beginning November 1, 2013 (the "2023 Notes"). The 2023 Notes were offered to investors at a price of
99.152
% of par value. The 2023 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership, rank equally in right of payment with all other senior unsecured indebtedness of the Operating Partnership and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Essex Property Trust, Inc. These bonds are included in the line "Bonds public offering-fixed rate" in the table above, and as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying value of the 2023 Notes, net of discount and debt issuance costs was $
299.8
million and $
299.3
million, respectively.
The following is a summary of the Company’s senior unsecured notes as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 ($ in thousands):
Maturity
2022
2021
Coupon
Rate
Senior notes
May 2023
$
300,000
$
300,000
3.250
%
Senior notes
May 2024
400,000
400,000
3.875
%
Senior notes
April 2025
500,000
500,000
3.500
%
Senior notes
April 2026
450,000
450,000
3.375
%
Senior notes
May 2027
350,000
350,000
3.625
%
Senior notes
March 2028
450,000
450,000
1.700
%
Senior notes
March 2029
500,000
500,000
4.000
%
Senior notes
January 2030
550,000
550,000
3.000
%
Senior notes
January 2031
300,000
300,000
1.650
%
Senior notes
June 2031
300,000
300,000
2.550
%
Senior notes
March 2032
650,000
650,000
2.650
%
Senior notes
March 2048
300,000
300,000
4.500
%
Senior notes
September 2050
300,000
300,000
2.650
%
$
5,350,000
$
5,350,000
The aggregate scheduled principal payments of unsecured debt payable, excluding lines of credit, at December 31, 2022 are as follows ($ in thousands):
2023
$
300,000
2024
400,000
2025
500,000
2026
450,000
2027
350,000
Thereafter
3,350,000
$
5,350,000
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had
two
unsecured lines of credit aggregating $
1.24
billion, including a $
1.2
billion unsecured line of credit and a $
35.0
million working capital unsecured line of credit.
As of December 31, 2022, there was $
40.0
million outstanding on the $
1.2
billion unsecured line of credit. In July 2022, this credit facility was amended such that the scheduled maturity date was extended to January 2027 with
two
6-month
extension options, exercisable at the Company's option. The underlying interest rate on the line is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's corporate ratings and is at the Adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus
0.75
%. As of December 31, 2021, there was $
340.0
million outstanding on the line with an interest rate based on a tiered rate structure tied to
the Company's credit ratings and was LIBOR plus
0.775
%. This line of credit had a scheduled maturity date in September 2025 with
three
6-month
extensions, exercisable at the Company's option as of December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2022, there was $
12.1
million outstanding on the Company's $
35.0
million working capital unsecured line of credit. In July 2022, the line of credit facility was amended such that the scheduled maturity date was extended to July 2024. The underlying interest rate on this line is based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's corporate ratings and is at the Adjusted SOFR plus
0.75
%. As of December 31, 2021, there was $
1.3
million outstanding on this line with an interest rate based on a tiered rate structure tied to the Company's credit ratings and was LIBOR plus
0.775
% as of December 31, 2021.
The Company’s unsecured lines of credit and unsecured debt agreements contain debt covenants related to limitations on indebtedness and liabilities, and maintenance of minimum levels of consolidated earnings before depreciation, interest and amortization. The Company was in compliance with the debt covenants as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
(8)
Mortgage Notes Payable
Essex does not have any indebtedness as all debt is incurred by the Operating Partnership.
Mortgage notes payable consist of the following as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 ($ in thousands):
2022
2021
Fixed rate mortgage notes payable
$
371,849
$
415,350
Variable rate mortgage notes payable
(1)
222,094
223,609
Total mortgage notes payable
(2)
$
593,943
$
638,959
Number of properties securing mortgage notes
11
12
Remaining terms
2
-
24
years
1
-
25
years
Weighted average interest rate
3.5
%
2.7
%
The aggregate scheduled principal payments of mortgage notes payable at December 31, 2022 are as follows ($ in thousands):
2023
$
2,945
2024
3,109
2025
133,054
2026
99,405
2027
153,955
Thereafter
202,269
$
594,737
(1)
Variable rate mortgage notes payable, including $
223.6
million in bonds that have been converted to variable rate through total return swap contracts, consists of multifamily housing mortgage revenue bonds secured by deeds of trust on rental properties and guaranteed by collateral pledge agreements, payable monthly at a variable rate as defined in the Loan Agreement (approximately
3.5
% at December 2022 and
1.1
% at December 2021) including credit enhancement and underwriting fees. Among the terms imposed on the properties, which are security for the bonds, is a requirement that
20
% of the apartment homes are subject to tenant income criteria. Once the bonds have been repaid, the properties may no longer be obligated to comply with such tenant income criteria. Principal balances are due in full at various maturity dates from December 2027 through December 2046. The Company had no interest rate cap agreements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
(2)
Includes total unamortized premium, net of discounts, of $
1.2
million and $
2.5
million and reduced by unamortized debt issuance costs of $
2.0
million and $
1.5
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
For the Company’s mortgage notes payable as of December 31, 2022, monthly interest expense and principal amortization, excluding balloon payments, totaled approximately $
2.3
million and $
0.3
million, respectively. Second deeds of trust accounted for
none
of the mortgage notes payable balance as of both December 31, 2022 and 2021. Repayment of debt before the scheduled maturity date could result in prepayment penalties.
The prepayment penalty on the majority of the Company’s mortgage notes payable are computed by the greater of (a)
1
% of the amount of the principal being prepaid or (b) the present
value of the principal being prepaid multiplied by the difference between the interest rate of the mortgage note and the stated yield rate on a U.S. treasury security which generally has an equivalent remaining term as the mortgage note.
(9)
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
The Company uses interest rate swaps, interest rate caps, and total return swap contracts to manage certain interest rate risks. The valuation of these instruments is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves. The fair values of interest rate swaps and total return swaps are determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash receipts (or payments) and the discounted expected variable cash payments (or receipts). The variable cash payments (or receipts) are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate curves. The Company incorporates credit valuation adjustments to appropriately reflect both its own nonperformance risk and the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements.
In September 2022, the Company entered into
one
forward starting interest rate swap, with settlement payments commencing in May 2023, related to the $
300.0
million unsecured term loan entered into in October 2022. The term loan is priced at Adjusted SOFR plus
0.85
% and has been swapped to an all-in fixed rate of
4.2
%. The term loan matures in October 2024 with
three
12-month
extension options, each exercisable at the Company's option and the swap has a termination date of October 2026. The term loan includes a
6-month
delayed draw feature and had no balance drawn as of December 31, 2022.
In November 2016, the Company replaced its $
225.0
million term loan with a $
350.0
million
five-year
term loan with a delayed draw feature that carries a variable interest rate of LIBOR plus
95
basis points. In 2016, the Company entered into
four
forward starting interest rate swaps (settlement payments commenced in March 2017) and in 2017, the Company entered into
one
forward starting interest rate swap (settlement payments commenced in March 2017) all related to the $
350.0
million term loan. These
five
swaps, with a total notional amount of $
175.0
million were terminated during the year-ended December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had
no
interest rate caps.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the aggregate carrying value of the interest rate swap contracts were an asset of $
5.6
million and
zero
, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the swap contracts were presented in the consolidated balance sheets as an asset of $
5.6
million and
zero
, respectively, and were included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
Hedge ineffectiveness related to cash flow hedges, which is included in interest expense on the consolidated statements of income, was
zero
for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 respectively.
The Company has
four
total return swap contracts, with an aggregate notional amount of $
223.6
million, that effectively convert $
223.6
million of mortgage notes payable to a floating interest rate based on the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Municipal Swap Index ("SIFMA") plus a spread. The total return swaps provide fair market value protection on the mortgage notes payable to our counterparties during the initial period of the total return swap until the Company's option to call the mortgage notes at par can be exercised. The Company can currently call all
four
of the total return swaps with $
223.6
million of the outstanding debt at par. These derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting and had a carrying and fair value of
zero
at both December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. These total return swaps are scheduled to mature between December 2024 and November 2033. The realized gains of $
7.9
million, $
10.8
million, and $
10.7
million as of December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, were reported on the consolidated statements of income as total return swap income.
(10)
Lease Agreements - Company as Lessor
As of December 31, 2022, the Company is a lessor of apartment homes at all of its consolidated operating and lease-up communities,
three
commercial buildings, and commercial portions of mixed use communities. The apartment homes are rented under short-term leases (generally, lease terms of
9
to
12
months) while commercial lease terms typically range from
5
to
20
years. All such leases are classified as operating leases.
Although the majority of the Company’s apartment home and commercial leasing income is derived from fixed lease payments, some lease agreements also allow for variable payments. The primary driver of variable leasing income comes from utility reimbursements from apartment home leases and common area maintenance reimbursements from commercial leases. A small number of commercial leases contain provisions for lease payments based on a percentage of gross retail sales over set hurdles.
At the end of the term of apartment home leases, unless the lessee decides to renew the lease with the Company at the market rate or gives notice not to renew, the lease will be automatically renewed on a month-to-month term. Apartment home leases include an option to terminate the lease, however the lessee must pay the Company for expected or actual downtime to find a new tenant to lease the space or a lease-break fee specified in the lease agreement. Most commercial leases include options to renew, with the renewal periods extending the term of the lease for no greater than the same period of time as the original lease term. The initial option to renew for commercial leases will typically be based on a fixed price while any subsequent renewal options will generally be based on the current market rate at the time of the renewal. Certain commercial leases contain lease termination options that would require the lessee to pay termination fees based on the expected amount of time it would take the Company to re-lease the space.
The Company’s apartment home and commercial lease agreements do not contain residual value guarantees. As the Company is the lessor of real estate assets which tend to either hold their value or appreciate, residual value risk is not deemed to be substantial. Furthermore, the Company carries comprehensive liability, fire, extended coverage, and rental loss insurance for each of its communities as well as limited insurance coverage for certain types of extraordinary losses, such as, for example, losses from terrorism or earthquakes.
A maturity analysis of undiscounted future minimum non-cancelable base rent to be received under the above operating leases as of December 31, 2022 is summarized as follows ($ in thousands):
Future Minimum Rent
2023
$
697,146
2024
21,421
2025
17,870
2026
14,853
2027
12,777
Thereafter
28,820
$
792,887
The Company accounts for operating lease (e.g., fixed payments including rent) and non-lease components (e.g., utility reimbursements and common-area maintenance costs) as a single combined lease component under ASC 842 "Leases" as the lease components are the predominant elements of the combined components.
(11)
Lease Agreements - Company as Lessee
As of December 31, 2022, the Company is a lessee of corporate office space, ground leases and a parking lease associated with various consolidated properties, and equipment. Lease terms for the Company's office leases, in general, range between
5
to
10
years while ground leases and the parking lease have terms typically ranging from
20
to
85
years. The corporate office leases occasionally contain renewal options of approximately
five years
while certain ground leases contain renewal options that can extend the lease term from approximately
10
to
39
years.
A majority of the Company’s ground leases and the parking lease are subject to changes in the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"). Furthermore, certain of the Company’s ground leases include rental payments based on a percentage of gross or net income. While lease liabilities are not remeasured as a result of changes in the CPI or percentage of gross or net income, such changes are treated as variable lease payments and recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments was incurred.
The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants.
Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. Because most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had no material finance leases.
Supplemental consolidated balance sheet information related to leases as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 is as follows ($ in thousands):
Classification
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Assets
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Operating lease right-of-use assets
$
67,239
$
68,972
Total leased assets
$
67,239
$
68,972
Liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
$
68,696
$
70,675
Total lease liabilities
$
68,696
$
70,675
The components of lease expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows ($ in thousands):
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Operating lease cost
$
6,697
$
6,729
Variable lease cost
1,750
1,639
Short-term lease cost
204
287
Sublease income
(
418
)
(
438
)
Total lease cost
$
8,233
$
8,217
A maturity analysis of lease liabilities as of December 31, 2022 is as follows ($ in thousands):
Operating Leases
2023
$
6,962
2024
7,251
2025
6,887
2026
5,035
2027
3,421
Thereafter
132,556
Total lease payments
$
162,112
Less: Imputed interest
(
93,416
)
Present value of lease liabilities
$
68,696
Lease term and discount rate information for leases at December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The Company recognizes the lease expense for such leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The Company has elected to account for lease components (e.g., fixed payments including rent) and non-lease components (e.g., common-area maintenance costs) as a single combined lease component as the lease components are the predominant elements of the combined components.
(12)
Equity Transactions
Common Stock Offerings
In September 2021, the Company entered into a new equity distribution agreement pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $
900.0
million (the "2021 ATM Program"). In connection with the 2021 ATM Program, the Company may also enter into related forward sale agreements, and may sell shares of its common stock pursuant to these agreements. The use of a forward sale agreement would allow the Company to lock in a share price on the sale of shares of its common stock at the time the agreement is executed, but defer receipt of the proceeds from the sale of shares until a later date should the Company elect to settle such forward sale agreement, in whole or in part, in shares of its common stock.
The 2021 ATM Program replaced the Company's prior equity distribution agreement entered into in September 2018 ("the "2018 ATM Program") which was terminated upon the establishment of the 2021 ATM Program.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not sell any shares of its common stock through the 2021 ATM Program. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company did not sell any shares of its common stock through the 2021 ATM Program or the 2018 ATM Program. As of December 31, 2022, there are no outstanding forward sale agreements, and $
900.0
million of shares remain available to be sold under the 2021 ATM Program.
Operating Partnership Units and Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") Units
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Operating Partnership had outstanding
2,166,359
and
2,176,327
OP Units respectively. As of both December 31, 2022 and 2021 the Operating Partnership had
106,137
vested LTIP units. The Operating Partnership’s general partner, Essex, owned
96.6
% of the partnership interests in the Operating Partnership as of both December 31, 2022 and 2021, and Essex is responsible for the management of the Operating Partnership’s business. As the general partner of the Operating Partnership, Essex effectively controls the ability to issue common stock of Essex upon a limited partner’s notice of redemption. Essex has generally acquired OP Units upon a limited partner’s notice of redemption in exchange for shares of its common stock. The redemption provisions of OP Units owned by limited partners that permit Essex to settle in either cash or common stock at the option of Essex were further evaluated in accordance with applicable accounting guidance to determine whether temporary or permanent equity classification on the balance sheet is appropriate. The Operating Partnership evaluated this guidance, including the requirement to settle in unregistered shares, and determined that, with few exceptions, these OP Units meet the requirements to qualify for presentation as permanent equity.
LTIP units represent an interest in the Operating Partnership for services rendered or to be rendered by the LTIP unitholder in its capacity as a partner, or in anticipation of becoming a partner, in the Operating Partnership. Upon the occurrence of specified events, LTIP units may over time achieve full parity with common units of the Operating Partnership for all purposes. Upon achieving full parity, LTIP units will be exchanged for an equal number of the OP Units.
The collective redemption value of OP Units and LTIP units owned by the limited partners, not including Essex, was approximately $
481.6
million and $
804.0
million based on the closing price of Essex's common stock as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
(13)
Net Income Per Common Share and Net Income Per Common Unit
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
Basic and diluted income per share is calculated as follows for the years ended December 31 ($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
2022
2021
2020
Income
Weighted-
average
Common
Shares
Per
Common
Share
Amount
Income
Weighted-
average
Common
Shares
Per
Common
Share
Amount
Income
Weighted-
average
Common
Shares
Per
Common
Share
Amount
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders
$
408,315
65,079,764
$
6.27
$
488,554
65,051,465
$
7.51
$
568,870
65,454,057
$
8.69
Effect of Dilutive Securities
Stock options
18,422
—
37,409
—
16,678
DownREIT units
—
—
—
—
783
94,247
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders
$
408,315
65,098,186
$
6.27
$
488,554
65,088,874
$
7.51
$
569,653
65,564,982
$
8.69
The table above excludes from the calculations of diluted earnings per share weighted average convertible OP Units of
2,276,341
,
2,289,391
and
2,296,608
, which include vested Series Z-1 Incentive Units, 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan Units, and 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan Units, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, because they were anti-dilutive. The related income allocated to these convertible OP Units aggregated $
14.3
million, $
17.2
million and $
20.0
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Stock options of
253,845
,
116,380
, and
403,458
for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the assumed proceeds per share of such options plus the average unearned compensation were greater than the average market price of the common stock for the years ended and, therefore, were anti-dilutive.
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic and diluted income per unit is calculated as follows for the years ended December 31 ($ in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts):
Stock options of
253,845
,
116,380
, and
403,458
, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per unit because the assumed proceeds per unit of these options plus the average unearned compensation were greater than the average market price of the common unit for the years ended and, therefore, were anti-dilutive.
In May 2018, stockholders approved the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan ("2018 Plan"). The 2018 Plan serves as the successor to the Company’s 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (the "2013 Plan"). The Company’s 2018 Plan provides incentives to attract and retain officers, directors and key employees. The 2018 Plan provides for the grant of stock-based awards to employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for issuance pursuant to awards granted under the 2018 Plan is
2,000,000
shares, plus the number of shares authorized for grants and available for issuance under the 2013 Plan as of the effective date of the 2018 Plan and the number of shares subject to outstanding awards under the 2013 Plan that are forfeited or otherwise not issued under such awards. No further awards will be granted under the 2013 Plan and the shares that remained available for future issuance under the 2013 Plan as of the effective date of the 2018 Plan will be available for issuance under the 2018 Plan. In connection with the adoption of the 2018 Plan, the Board delegated to the Compensation Committee of the Board the authority to administer the 2018 Plan.
Equity-based compensation costs for options and restricted stock under the fair value method totaled $
11.4
million, $
11.7
million, and $
12.9
million for years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. For each of the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 equity-based compensation costs included $
3.5
million related to restricted stock for bonuses awarded based on asset dispositions, which is recorded as a cost of real estate and land sold, respectively. Stock-based compensation for options and restricted stock related to recipients who are direct and incremental to projects under development were capitalized and totaled $
0.7
million, $
0.9
million, and $
1.3
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The intrinsic value of the options exercised totaled $
7.6
million, $
25.7
million, and $
7.4
million, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 respectively. The intrinsic value of the options exercisable totaled $
0.2
million and $
22.5
million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options totaled $
3.7
million as of December 31, 2022 and the unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a period of
2.0
years.
The average fair value of stock options granted for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 was $
23.39
, $
24.68
and $
20.69
, respectively. Certain stock options granted in 2022, 2021, and 2020 included a $
100
cap on the appreciation of the market price over the exercise price.
The fair value of stock options was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions used for grants:
2022
2021
2020
Stock price
$
245.17
$
329.71
$
244.74
Risk-free interest rates
3.50
%
1.22
%
0.83
%
Expected lives
6
years
6
years
6
years
Volatility
27.98
%
27.00
%
25.72
%
Dividend yield
3.06
%
2.90
%
2.93
%
A summary of the status of the Company’s stock option plans as of December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 and changes during the years ended on those dates is presented below:
The following table summarizes information about restricted stock outstanding as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 and changes during the years ended:
2022
2021
2020
Shares
Weighted-
average
grant
price
Shares
Weighted-
average
grant
price
Shares
Weighted-
average
grant
price
Unvested at beginning of year
159,401
$
251.03
132,603
$
214.34
114,877
$
197.62
Granted
72,838
215.73
50,349
337.52
45,196
248.16
Vested
(
44,945
)
306.25
(
22,387
)
229.90
(
15,116
)
170.61
Forfeited and canceled
(
4,379
)
272.12
(
1,164
)
219.30
(
12,354
)
184.11
Unvested at end of year
182,915
222.90
159,401
251.03
132,603
214.34
The unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock totaled $
13.8
million as of December 31, 2022 and is expected to be recognized over a period of
2.0
years.
Long-Term Incentive Plans – LTIP Units
On December 9, 2014, the Operating Partnership issued
44,750
LTIP units under the 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan Award agreements to executives of the Company. The 2015 Long-Term Incentive Plan Units (the "2015 LTIP Units") are subject to forfeiture based on performance-based and service based conditions. An additional
24,000
LTIP units were granted subject only to performance-based criteria and were fully vested on the date granted. The 2015 LTIP Units, that are subject to vesting, vested at
20
% per year on each of the first
five
anniversaries of the initial grant date. The 2015 LTIP Units performance conditions measurement ended on December 9, 2015 and
95.75
% of the units awarded were earned by the recipients. 2015 LTIP Units not earned based on the performance-based criteria were automatically forfeited by the recipients. The 2015 LTIP Units are convertible
one
-for-one into OP Units which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company subject to a
ten-year
liquidity restriction.
In December 2013, the Operating Partnership issued
50,500
LTIP units under the 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan Award agreements to executives of the Company. The 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan Units (the "2014 LTIP Units") were subject to forfeiture based on performance-based conditions and are currently subject to service based vesting. The 2014 LTIP Units vested
25
% per year on each of the first
four
anniversaries of the initial grant date. In December 2014, the Company achieved the performance criteria and all of the 2014 LTIP Units awarded were earned by the recipients, subject to satisfaction of service based vesting conditions. The 2014 LTIP Units are convertible
one
-for-one into OP Units which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company subject to a
ten year
liquidity restriction.
The estimated fair value of the 2015 LTIP Units and 2014 LTIP Units were determined on the grant date using Monte Carlo simulations under a risk-neutral premise and considered Essex’s stock price on the date of grant, the unpaid dividends on unvested units and the discount factor for
ten years
of illiquidity.
Prior to 2013, the Company issued Series Z Incentive Units and Series Z-1 Incentive Units (collectively referred to as "Z Units") of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership. Vesting in the Z Units is based on performance criteria established in the plan. The criteria can be revised by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors if the Committee deems that the plan's criterion is unachievable for any given year. The sale of Z Units is contractually prohibited. Z Units are convertible into Operating Partnership units which are exchangeable for shares of the Company’s common stock that have marketability restrictions. The estimated fair value of Z Units were determined on the grant date and considered the Company's stock price on the date of grant, the dividends that are not paid on unvested units and a marketability discount for the
8
to
15
years of illiquidity. Compensation expense is calculated by multiplying estimated vesting increases for the period by the estimated fair value as of the grant date.
During 2011 and 2010, the Operating Partnership issued
154,500
Series Z-1 Incentive Units (the "Z-1 Units") of limited partner interest to executives of the Company. The Z-1 Units are convertible
one
-for-one into common units of the Operating Partnership (which, in turn, are convertible into common stock of the Company) upon the earlier to occur of
100
percent vesting of the units or the year 2026. The conversion ratchet (accounted for as vesting) of the Z-1 Units into common units, is to increase consistent with the Company’s annual FFO growth, but is not to be less than
zero
or greater than
14
percent. Z-1 Unitholders are entitled to receive distributions, on vested units, that are now equal to dividends distributed to common stockholders.
Equity-based compensation costs for LTIP and Z Units under the fair value method totaled approximately
zero
for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. Equity-based compensation costs related to LTIP Units attributable to recipients who are direct and incremental to these projects was capitalized to real estate under development and totaled approximately
zero
for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020. The intrinsic value of the vested and unvested LTIP Units totaled $
22.5
million as of December 31, 2022. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to the unvested LTIP Units under the LTIP Units plans was
zero
as of December 31, 2022.
The following table summarizes information about the LTIP Units outstanding as of December 31, 2022:
Long-Term Incentive Plan - LTIP Units
Total
Vested
Units
Total
Unvested
Units
Total
Outstanding
Units
Weighted-
average
Grant-date
Fair Value
Weighted-
average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (years)
The Company's segment disclosures present the measure used by the chief operating decision makers for purposes of assessing each segment's performance. The Company's chief operating decision makers are comprised of several members of its executive management team who use net operating income ("NOI") to assess the performance of the business for the Company's reportable operating segments. NOI represents total property revenues less direct property operating expenses.
The executive management team generally evaluates the Company's operating performance geographically. The Company defines its reportable operating segments as the
three
geographical regions in which its communities are located: Southern California, Northern California and Seattle Metro.
Excluded from segment revenues and NOI are management and other fees from affiliates and interest and other income. Non-segment revenues and NOI included in the following schedule also consist of revenues generated from commercial properties and properties that have been sold. Other non-segment assets include items such as real estate under development, co-investments, real estate held for sale, cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, notes and other receivables, and prepaid expenses and other assets.
The revenues and NOI for each of the reportable operating segments are summarized as follows for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 ($ in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
2022
2021
2020
Revenues:
Southern California
$
652,742
$
580,305
$
558,839
Northern California
639,138
584,034
604,348
Seattle Metro
271,248
239,839
243,900
Other real estate assets
32,547
27,240
79,063
Total property revenues
$
1,595,675
$
1,431,418
$
1,486,150
Net operating income:
Southern California
$
464,023
$
402,608
$
385,766
Northern California
445,763
401,870
431,047
Seattle Metro
191,476
160,959
166,806
Other real estate assets
27,144
20,745
61,919
Total net operating income
1,128,406
986,182
1,045,538
Management and other fees from affiliates
11,139
9,138
9,598
Corporate-level property management expenses
(
40,704
)
(
36,211
)
(
34,361
)
Depreciation and amortization
(
539,319
)
(
520,066
)
(
525,497
)
General and administrative
(
56,577
)
(
51,838
)
(
65,388
)
Expensed acquisition and investment related costs
(
2,132
)
(
203
)
(
1,591
)
Impairment loss
—
—
(
1,825
)
Gain on sale of real estate and land
94,416
142,993
64,967
Interest expense
(
204,798
)
(
203,125
)
(
220,633
)
Total return swap income
7,907
10,774
10,733
Interest and other (loss) income
(
19,040
)
98,744
40,999
Equity income from co-investments
26,030
111,721
66,512
Deferred tax benefit (expense) on unconsolidated co-investments
Total assets for each of the reportable operating segments are summarized as follows as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 ($ in thousands):
As of December 31,
2022
2021
Assets:
Southern California
$
3,925,251
$
3,956,814
Northern California
5,414,467
5,460,701
Seattle Metro
1,374,379
1,407,033
Other real estate assets
99,997
158,525
Net reportable operating segments - real estate assets
10,814,094
10,983,073
Real estate under development
24,857
111,562
Co-investments
1,127,491
1,177,802
Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash
42,681
58,638
Marketable securities
112,743
191,829
Notes and other receivables
103,045
341,033
Operating lease right-of-use assets
67,239
68,972
Prepaid expenses and other assets
80,755
64,964
Total assets
$
12,372,905
$
12,997,873
(16)
401(k) Plan
The Company has a 401(k) benefit plan (the "Plan") for all eligible employees. Employee contributions are limited by the maximum allowed under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company matches
50
% of the employee contributions up to a specified maximum. Company contributions to the Plan were approximately $
3.3
million, $
3.3
million, and $
2.7
million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
(17)
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company's total minimum lease payment commitments, underground leases, parking leases, and operating leases are disclosed in Note 11, Lease Agreements - Company as Lessee.
To the extent that an environmental matter arises or is identified in the future that has other than a remote risk of having a material impact on the financial statements, the Company will disclose the estimated range of possible outcomes associated with it and, if an outcome is probable, accrue an appropriate liability for that matter. The Company will consider whether any such matter results in an impairment of value on the affected property and, if so, the impairment will be recognized.
The Company has no way of determining the magnitude of any potential liability to which it may be subject arising out of unknown environmental conditions with respect to the communities currently or formerly owned by the Company. No assurance can be given that: existing environmental assessments conducted with respect to any of these communities have revealed all environmental conditions or potential liabilities associated with such conditions; any prior owner or operator of a property did not create any material environmental condition not known to the Company; or a material unknown environmental condition does not otherwise exist as to any one or more of the communities. The Company has limited insurance coverage for some of the types of environmental conditions and associated liabilities described above.
The Company has entered into transactions that may require the Company to pay the tax liabilities of the partners or members in the Operating Partnership or in the DownREIT entities. These transactions are within the Company’s control. Although the Company plans to hold the contributed assets or defer recognition of gain on their sale pursuant to like-kind exchange rules under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Company can provide no assurance that it will be able to do so and if such tax liabilities were incurred they may have a material impact on the Company’s financial position.
There continue to be lawsuits against owners and managers of certain of the Company's apartment communities alleging personal injury and property damage caused by the presence of mold in the residential units and common areas of those communities. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in substantial monetary judgments or settlements in the past. The Company has been sued for mold related matters and has settled some, but not all, of such suits. Insurance carriers have reacted to the increase in mold related liability awards by excluding mold related claims from standard general liability policies and pricing mold endorsements at prohibitively high rates. The Company has, however, purchased pollution liability insurance which includes coverage for some mold claims. The Company has also adopted policies intended to promptly address and resolve reports of mold and to minimize any impact mold might have on tenants of its properties. The Company believes its mold policies and proactive response to address reported mold exposures reduces its risk of loss from mold claims. While no assurances can be given that the Company has identified and responded to all mold occurrences, the Company promptly addresses and responds to all known mold reports. Liabilities resulting from such mold related matters are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. As of December 31, 2022, potential liabilities for mold and other environmental liabilities are not quantifiable and an estimate of possible loss cannot be made.
The Company carries comprehensive liability, fire, extended coverage and rental loss insurance for each of the communities. There are, however, certain types of extraordinary losses, such as, for example, losses from terrorism or earthquakes, for which the Company has limited insurance coverage. Substantially all of the communities are located in areas that are subject to earthquake activity. The Company has established a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary, Pacific Western Insurance LLC ("PWI"). Through PWI, the Company is self-insured for earthquake related losses. Additionally, since January 2008, PWI has provided property and casualty insurance coverage for the first $
5.0
million of the Company’s property level insurance claims per incident. As of December 31, 2022, PWI has cash and marketable securities of approximately $
107.6
million. These assets are consolidated in the Company’s financial statements. Beginning in 2013, the Company has obtained limited third party seismic insurance on selected assets in the Company's co-investments.
The Company is subject to various other legal and/or regulatory proceedings arising in the course of its business operations. The Company believes that, with respect to such matters that it is currently a party to, the ultimate disposition of any such matter will not result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
F- 56
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Encumbered communities
Belmont Station
275
Los Angeles, CA
29,209
8,100
66,666
9,778
8,267
76,277
84,544
(
39,299
)
2009
Mar-09
3-30
Brio
300
Walnut Creek, CA
93,602
16,885
151,741
4,423
16,885
156,164
173,049
(
20,332
)
2015
Jun-19
3-30
Fountain Park
705
Playa Vista, CA
82,577
25,073
94,980
44,493
25,203
139,343
164,546
(
92,190
)
2002
Feb-04
3-30
Highridge
255
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
69,416
5,419
18,347
35,981
6,073
53,674
59,747
(
45,470
)
1972
May-97
3-30
Magnolia Square/Magnolia
Lane
(2)
188
Sunnyvale, CA
52,368
8,190
24,736
19,395
8,191
44,130
52,321
(
30,002
)
1963
Sep-07
3-30
Marquis
166
San Jose, CA
44,686
20,495
47,823
1,508
20,495
49,331
69,826
(
6,651
)
2015
Dec-18
3-30
Sage at Cupertino
230
San Jose, CA
51,824
35,719
53,449
12,695
35,719
66,144
101,863
(
16,631
)
1971
Mar-17
3-30
The Barkley
(3)
161
Anaheim, CA
14,909
—
8,520
8,824
2,353
14,991
17,344
(
11,861
)
1984
Apr-00
3-30
The Dylan
184
West Hollywood, CA
57,741
19,984
82,286
2,792
19,990
85,072
105,062
(
24,097
)
2015
Mar-15
3-30
The Huxley
187
West Hollywood, CA
52,564
19,362
75,641
3,148
19,371
78,780
98,151
(
22,518
)
2014
Mar-15
3-30
Township
132
Redwood City, CA
45,047
19,812
70,619
1,749
19,812
72,368
92,180
(
8,510
)
2014
Sep-19
3-30
2,783
$
593,943
$
179,039
$
694,808
$
144,786
$
182,359
$
836,274
$
1,018,633
$
(
317,561
)
Unencumbered Communities
Agora
49
Walnut Creek, CA
—
4,932
60,423
1,534
4,934
61,955
66,889
(
6,249
)
2016
Jan-20
3-30
Alessio
624
Los Angeles, CA
—
32,136
128,543
22,598
32,136
151,141
183,277
(
50,612
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
Allegro
97
Valley Village, CA
—
5,869
23,977
3,456
5,869
27,433
33,302
(
13,310
)
2010
Oct-10
3-30
Allure at Scripps Ranch
194
San Diego, CA
—
11,923
47,690
3,730
11,923
51,420
63,343
(
16,204
)
2002
Apr-14
5-30
Alpine Village
301
Alpine, CA
—
4,967
19,728
11,728
4,982
31,441
36,423
(
21,352
)
1971
Dec-02
3-30
Annaliese
56
Seattle, WA
—
4,727
14,229
1,110
4,726
15,340
20,066
(
5,346
)
2009
Jan-13
3-30
Apex
367
Milpitas, CA
—
44,240
103,251
9,638
44,240
112,889
157,129
(
32,041
)
2014
Aug-14
3-30
Aqua Marina Del Rey
500
Marina Del Rey, CA
—
58,442
175,326
22,117
58,442
197,443
255,885
(
67,620
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
Ascent
90
Kirkland, WA
—
3,924
11,862
3,121
3,924
14,983
18,907
(
6,136
)
1988
Oct-12
3-30
Ashton Sherman Village
264
Los Angeles, CA
—
23,550
93,811
2,865
23,550
96,676
120,226
(
20,592
)
2014
Dec-16
3-30
Avant
440
Los Angeles, CA
—
32,379
137,940
7,427
32,379
145,367
177,746
(
37,061
)
2014
Jun-15
3-30
Avenue 64
224
Emeryville, CA
—
27,235
64,403
17,507
27,235
81,910
109,145
(
25,061
)
2007
Apr-14
5-30
Aviara
(4)
166
Mercer Island, WA
—
—
49,813
2,707
—
52,520
52,520
(
17,435
)
2013
Apr-14
5-30
Avondale at Warner Center
446
Woodland Hills, CA
—
10,536
24,522
31,247
10,601
55,704
66,305
(
41,427
)
1970
Jan-99
3-30
Bel Air
462
San Ramon, CA
—
12,105
18,252
48,315
12,682
65,990
78,672
(
50,470
)
1988
Jan-95
3-30
Belcarra
296
Bellevue, WA
—
21,725
92,091
5,848
21,725
97,939
119,664
(
30,235
)
2009
Apr-14
5-30
Bella Villagio
231
San Jose, CA
—
17,247
40,343
7,214
17,247
47,557
64,804
(
20,346
)
2004
Sep-10
3-30
F- 57
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
BellCentre
249
Bellevue, WA
—
16,197
67,207
7,137
16,197
74,344
90,541
(
24,768
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
Bellerive
63
Los Angeles, CA
—
5,401
21,803
1,843
5,401
23,646
29,047
(
10,151
)
2011
Aug-11
3-30
Belmont Terrace
71
Belmont, CA
—
4,446
10,290
8,155
4,473
18,418
22,891
(
12,182
)
1974
Oct-06
3-30
Bennett Lofts
164
San Francisco, CA
—
21,771
50,800
34,664
28,371
78,864
107,235
(
29,400
)
2004
Dec-12
3-30
Bernardo Crest
216
San Diego, CA
—
10,802
43,209
7,169
10,802
50,378
61,180
(
16,949
)
1988
Apr-14
5-30
Bonita Cedars
120
Bonita, CA
—
2,496
9,913
6,765
2,503
16,671
19,174
(
11,489
)
1983
Dec-02
3-30
Boulevard
172
Fremont, CA
—
3,520
8,182
15,812
3,580
23,934
27,514
(
20,846
)
1978
Jan-96
3-30
Brookside Oaks
170
Sunnyvale, CA
—
7,301
16,310
28,417
10,328
41,700
52,028
(
30,093
)
1973
Jun-00
3-30
Bridle Trails
108
Kirkland, WA
—
1,500
5,930
7,268
1,531
13,167
14,698
(
10,387
)
1986
Oct-97
3-30
Brighton Ridge
264
Renton, WA
—
2,623
10,800
9,253
2,656
20,020
22,676
(
15,329
)
1986
Dec-96
3-30
Bristol Commons
188
Sunnyvale, CA
—
5,278
11,853
11,741
5,293
23,579
28,872
(
19,266
)
1989
Jan-95
3-30
Bunker Hill
456
Los Angeles, CA
—
11,498
27,871
103,729
11,639
131,459
143,098
(
99,288
)
1968
Mar-98
3-30
Camarillo Oaks
564
Camarillo, CA
—
10,953
25,254
10,529
11,075
35,661
46,736
(
29,837
)
1985
Jul-96
3-30
Cambridge Park
320
San Diego, CA
—
18,185
72,739
6,538
18,185
79,277
97,462
(
25,495
)
1998
Apr-14
5-30
Camino Ruiz Square
159
Camarillo, CA
—
6,871
26,119
3,370
6,931
29,429
36,360
(
16,048
)
1990
Dec-06
3-30
Canvas
123
Seattle, WA
—
10,489
36,924
421
10,489
37,345
47,834
(
1,378
)
2014
Dec-21
3-30
Canyon Oaks
250
San Ramon, CA
—
19,088
44,473
9,920
19,088
54,393
73,481
(
28,146
)
2005
May-07
3-30
Canyon Pointe
250
Bothell, WA
—
4,692
18,288
11,235
4,693
29,522
34,215
(
19,838
)
1990
Oct-03
3-30
Capri at Sunny Hills
102
Fullerton, CA
—
3,337
13,320
10,738
4,048
23,347
27,395
(
17,157
)
1961
Sep-01
3-30
Carmel Creek
348
San Diego, CA
—
26,842
107,368
10,837
26,842
118,205
145,047
(
39,336
)
2000
Apr-14
5-30
Carmel Landing
356
San Diego, CA
—
16,725
66,901
16,210
16,725
83,111
99,836
(
27,661
)
1989
Apr-14
5-30
Carmel Summit
246
San Diego, CA
—
14,968
59,871
6,766
14,968
66,637
81,605
(
21,491
)
1989
Apr-14
5-30
Castle Creek
216
Newcastle, WA
—
4,149
16,028
8,020
4,833
23,364
28,197
(
18,140
)
1998
Dec-98
3-30
Catalina Gardens
128
Los Angeles, CA
—
6,714
26,856
3,420
6,714
30,276
36,990
(
9,805
)
1987
Apr-14
5-30
CBC Apartments & The Sweeps
239
Goleta, CA
—
11,841
45,320
8,155
11,906
53,410
65,316
(
32,068
)
1962
Jan-06
3-30
Cedar Terrace
180
Bellevue, WA
—
5,543
16,442
10,082
5,652
26,415
32,067
(
16,498
)
1984
Jan-05
3-30
CentrePointe
224
San Diego, CA
—
3,405
7,743
23,359
3,442
31,065
34,507
(
25,525
)
1974
Jun-97
3-30
Chestnut Street Apartments
96
Santa Cruz, CA
—
6,582
15,689
2,689
6,582
18,378
24,960
(
9,272
)
2002
Jul-08
3-30
City View
572
Hayward, CA
—
9,883
37,670
39,609
10,350
76,812
87,162
(
59,999
)
1975
Mar-98
3-30
Collins on Pine
76
Seattle, WA
—
7,276
22,226
994
7,276
23,220
30,496
(
6,904
)
2013
May-14
3-30
Connolly Station
309
Dublin, CA
—
19,949
123,428
4,003
19,949
127,431
147,380
(
13,666
)
2014
Jan-20
3-30
Corbella at Juanita Bay
169
Kirkland, WA
—
5,801
17,415
4,925
5,801
22,340
28,141
(
10,276
)
1978
Nov-10
3-30
F- 58
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Cortesia
308
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
—
13,912
55,649
5,145
13,912
60,794
74,706
(
19,483
)
1999
Apr-14
5-30
Country Villas
180
Oceanside, CA
—
4,174
16,583
6,848
4,187
23,418
27,605
(
15,961
)
1976
Dec-02
3-30
Courtyard off Main
110
Bellevue, WA
—
7,465
21,405
6,737
7,465
28,142
35,607
(
12,660
)
2000
Oct-10
3-30
Crow Canyon
400
San Ramon, CA
—
37,579
87,685
17,342
37,579
105,027
142,606
(
36,252
)
1992
Apr-14
5-30
Deer Valley
171
San Rafael, CA
—
21,478
50,116
5,688
21,478
55,804
77,282
(
18,191
)
1996
Apr-14
5-30
Domaine
92
Seattle, WA
—
9,059
27,177
1,902
9,059
29,079
38,138
(
10,526
)
2009
Sep-12
3-30
Elevation
158
Redmond, WA
—
4,758
14,285
8,555
4,757
22,841
27,598
(
12,820
)
1986
Jun-10
3-30
Ellington
220
Bellevue, WA
—
15,066
45,249
6,047
15,066
51,296
66,362
(
15,982
)
1994
Jul-14
3-30
Emerald Pointe
160
Diamond Bar, CA
—
8,458
33,832
3,448
8,458
37,280
45,738
(
12,180
)
1989
Apr-14
5-30
Emerald Ridge
180
Bellevue, WA
—
3,449
7,801
8,212
3,449
16,013
19,462
(
13,488
)
1987
Nov-94
3-30
Emerson Valley Village
144
Los Angeles, CA
—
13,378
53,240
2,409
13,378
55,649
69,027
(
11,963
)
2012
Dec-16
3-30
Emme
190
Emeryville, CA
—
15,039
80,532
1,287
15,039
81,819
96,858
(
8,568
)
2015
Jan-20
3-30
Enso
183
San Jose, CA
—
21,397
71,135
2,869
21,397
74,004
95,401
(
18,494
)
2014
Dec-15
3-30
Epic
769
San Jose, CA
—
89,111
307,769
3,917
89,111
311,686
400,797
(
32,155
)
2013
Jan-20
3-30
Esplanade
278
San Jose, CA
—
18,170
40,086
18,162
18,429
57,989
76,418
(
38,046
)
2002
Apr-04
3-30
Essex Skyline
350
Santa Ana, CA
—
21,537
146,099
17,029
21,537
163,128
184,665
(
61,800
)
2008
Apr-10
3-30
Evergreen Heights
200
Kirkland, WA
—
3,566
13,395
8,494
3,649
21,806
25,455
(
17,748
)
1990
Jun-97
3-30
Fairhaven Apartments
164
Santa Ana, CA
—
2,626
10,485
11,279
2,957
21,433
24,390
(
16,156
)
1970
Nov-01
3-30
Fairway Apartments at Big Canyon
(5)
74
Newport Beach, CA
—
—
7,850
9,123
—
16,973
16,973
(
14,555
)
1972
Jun-99
3-28
Fairwood Pond
194
Renton, WA
—
5,296
15,564
5,629
5,297
21,192
26,489
(
13,281
)
1997
Oct-04
3-30
Foothill Commons
394
Bellevue, WA
—
2,435
9,821
43,866
2,440
53,682
56,122
(
50,019
)
1978
Mar-90
3-30
Foothill Gardens/Twin Creeks
176
San Ramon, CA
—
5,875
13,992
14,662
5,964
28,565
34,529
(
22,734
)
1985
Feb-97
3-30
Forest View
192
Renton, WA
—
3,731
14,530
4,842
3,731
19,372
23,103
(
12,291
)
1998
Oct-03
3-30
Form 15
242
San Diego, CA
—
24,510
72,221
13,697
25,540
84,888
110,428
(
20,661
)
2014
Mar-16
3-30
Foster's Landing
490
Foster City, CA
—
61,714
144,000
15,419
61,714
159,419
221,133
(
53,500
)
1987
Apr-14
5-30
Fountain Court
320
Seattle, WA
—
6,702
27,306
16,129
6,985
43,152
50,137
(
33,603
)
2000
Mar-00
3-30
Fountains at River Oaks
226
San Jose, CA
—
26,046
60,773
8,210
26,046
68,983
95,029
(
23,318
)
1990
Apr-14
3-30
Fourth & U
171
Berkeley, CA
—
8,879
52,351
5,119
8,879
57,470
66,349
(
25,729
)
2010
Apr-10
3-30
Fox Plaza
445
San Francisco, CA
—
39,731
92,706
42,615
39,731
135,321
175,052
(
56,408
)
1968
Feb-13
3-30
The Henley I/The Henley II
215
Glendale, CA
—
6,695
16,753
30,898
6,733
47,613
54,346
(
36,596
)
1970
Jun-99
3-30
Highlands at Wynhaven
333
Issaquah, WA
—
16,271
48,932
17,285
16,271
66,217
82,488
(
36,521
)
2000
Aug-08
3-30
Hillcrest Park
608
Newbury Park, CA
—
15,318
40,601
28,006
15,755
68,170
83,925
(
50,836
)
1973
Mar-98
3-30
F- 59
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Hillsdale Garden
697
San Mateo, CA
—
22,000
94,681
38,356
22,000
133,037
155,037
(
75,372
)
1948
Sep-06
3-30
Hope Ranch
108
Santa Barbara, CA
—
4,078
16,877
3,536
4,208
20,283
24,491
(
11,071
)
1965
Mar-07
3-30
Huntington Breakers
342
Huntington Beach, CA
—
9,306
22,720
25,258
9,315
47,969
57,284
(
39,444
)
1984
Oct-97
3-30
Inglenook Court
224
Bothell, WA
—
3,467
7,881
9,621
3,474
17,495
20,969
(
15,240
)
1985
Oct-94
3-30
Lafayette Highlands
150
Lafayette, CA
—
17,774
41,473
8,271
17,774
49,744
67,518
(
15,989
)
1973
Apr-14
5-30
Lakeshore Landing
308
San Mateo, CA
—
38,155
89,028
13,716
38,155
102,744
140,899
(
34,590
)
1988
Apr-14
5-30
Laurels at Mill Creek
164
Mill Creek, WA
—
1,559
6,430
9,215
1,595
15,609
17,204
(
12,809
)
1981
Dec-96
3-30
Lawrence Station
336
Sunnyvale, CA
—
45,532
106,735
7,155
45,532
113,890
159,422
(
38,670
)
2012
Apr-14
5-30
Le Parc
140
Santa Clara, CA
—
3,090
7,421
14,806
3,092
22,225
25,317
(
19,170
)
1975
Feb-94
3-30
Marbrisa
202
Long Beach, CA
—
4,700
18,605
11,653
4,760
30,198
34,958
(
21,451
)
1987
Sep-02
3-30
Marina City Club
(6)
101
Marina Del Rey, CA
—
—
28,167
34,966
—
63,133
63,133
(
38,015
)
1971
Jan-04
3-30
Marina Cove
(7)
292
Santa Clara, CA
—
5,320
16,431
18,362
5,324
34,789
40,113
(
30,972
)
1974
Jun-94
3-30
Mariner's Place
105
Oxnard, CA
—
1,555
6,103
3,221
1,562
9,317
10,879
(
7,071
)
1987
May-00
3-30
MB 360
360
San Francisco, CA
—
42,001
212,648
15,158
42,001
227,806
269,807
(
65,764
)
2014
Apr-14
3-30
Mesa Village
133
Clairemont, CA
—
1,888
7,498
3,413
1,894
10,905
12,799
(
7,198
)
1963
Dec-02
3-30
Mill Creek at Windermere
400
San Ramon, CA
—
29,551
69,032
13,524
29,551
82,556
112,107
(
41,320
)
2005
Sep-07
3-30
Mio
103
San Jose, CA
—
11,012
39,982
1,941
11,012
41,923
52,935
(
10,129
)
2015
Jan-16
3-30
Mirabella
188
Marina Del Rey, CA
—
6,180
26,673
19,252
6,270
45,835
52,105
(
31,594
)
2000
May-00
3-30
Mira Monte
354
Mira Mesa, CA
—
7,165
28,459
14,669
7,186
43,107
50,293
(
30,231
)
1982
Dec-02
3-30
Miracle Mile/Marbella
236
Los Angeles, CA
—
7,791
23,075
18,861
7,886
41,841
49,727
(
32,361
)
1988
Aug-97
3-30
Mission Hills
282
Oceanside, CA
—
10,099
38,778
14,162
10,167
52,872
63,039
(
32,289
)
1984
Jul-05
3-30
Mission Peaks
453
Fremont, CA
—
46,499
108,498
11,824
46,499
120,322
166,821
(
39,719
)
1995
Apr-14
5-30
Mission Peaks II
336
Fremont, CA
—
31,429
73,334
11,073
31,429
84,407
115,836
(
28,568
)
1989
Apr-14
5-30
Montanosa
472
San Diego, CA
—
26,697
106,787
13,318
26,697
120,105
146,802
(
38,148
)
1990
Apr-14
5-30
Montclaire
390
Sunnyvale, CA
—
4,842
19,776
31,894
4,997
51,515
56,512
(
46,546
)
1973
Dec-88
3-30
Montebello
248
Kirkland, WA
—
13,857
41,575
12,941
13,858
54,515
68,373
(
20,666
)
1996
Jul-12
3-30
Montejo Apartments
124
Garden Grove, CA
—
1,925
7,685
5,778
2,194
13,194
15,388
(
8,799
)
1974
Nov-01
3-30
Monterey Villas
122
Oxnard, CA
—
2,349
5,579
8,321
2,424
13,825
16,249
(
10,397
)
1974
Jul-97
3-30
Muse
152
North Hollywood, CA
—
7,822
33,436
6,823
7,823
40,258
48,081
(
18,197
)
2011
Feb-11
3-30
Mylo
476
Santa Clara, CA
—
6,472
206,098
647
6,472
206,745
213,217
(
25,842
)
2021
Jun-21
3-30
1000 Kiely
121
Santa Clara, CA
—
9,359
21,845
10,650
9,359
32,495
41,854
(
16,631
)
1971
Mar-11
3-30
Palm Valley
1,100
San Jose, CA
—
133,802
312,205
28,233
133,802
340,438
474,240
(
76,852
)
2008
Jan-17
3-30
Paragon Apartments
301
Fremont, CA
—
32,230
77,320
3,781
32,230
81,101
113,331
(
23,759
)
2013
Jul-14
3-30
F- 60
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Park Catalina
90
Los Angeles, CA
—
4,710
18,839
4,461
4,710
23,300
28,010
(
9,892
)
2002
Jun-12
3-30
Park Highland
250
Bellevue, WA
—
9,391
38,224
15,311
9,391
53,535
62,926
(
22,330
)
1993
Apr-14
5-30
Park Hill at Issaquah
245
Issaquah, WA
—
7,284
21,937
14,134
7,284
36,071
43,355
(
22,322
)
1999
Feb-99
3-30
Park Viridian
320
Anaheim, CA
—
15,894
63,574
6,770
15,894
70,344
86,238
(
22,770
)
2008
Apr-14
5-30
Park West
126
San Francisco, CA
—
9,424
21,988
13,872
9,424
35,860
45,284
(
18,018
)
1958
Sep-12
3-30
Parkwood at Mill Creek
240
Mill Creek, WA
—
10,680
42,722
4,289
10,680
47,011
57,691
(
15,712
)
1989
Apr-14
5-30
Patent 523
295
Seattle, WA
—
14,558
69,417
7,456
14,558
76,873
91,431
(
35,368
)
2010
Mar-10
3-30
Pathways at Bixby Village
296
Long Beach, CA
—
4,083
16,757
23,185
6,239
37,786
44,025
(
34,740
)
1975
Feb-91
3-30
Piedmont
396
Bellevue, WA
—
19,848
59,606
18,453
19,848
78,059
97,907
(
27,927
)
1969
May-14
3-30
Pinehurst
(8)
28
Ventura, CA
—
—
1,711
859
—
2,570
2,570
(
1,907
)
1973
Dec-04
3-24
Pinnacle at Fullerton
192
Fullerton, CA
—
11,019
45,932
6,248
11,019
52,180
63,199
(
17,490
)
2004
Apr-14
5-30
Pinnacle on Lake Washington
180
Renton, WA
—
7,760
31,041
5,020
7,760
36,061
43,821
(
12,439
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
Pinnacle at MacArthur Place
253
Santa Ana, CA
—
15,810
66,401
9,116
15,810
75,517
91,327
(
24,482
)
2002
Apr-14
5-30
Pinnacle at Otay Ranch I & II
364
Chula Vista, CA
—
17,023
68,093
7,263
17,023
75,356
92,379
(
24,508
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
Pinnacle at Talega
362
San Clemente, CA
—
19,292
77,168
7,794
19,292
84,962
104,254
(
26,568
)
2002
Apr-14
5-30
Pinnacle Sonata
268
Bothell, WA
—
14,647
58,586
9,054
14,647
67,640
82,287
(
21,944
)
2000
Apr-14
5-30
Pointe at Cupertino
116
Cupertino, CA
—
4,505
17,605
13,837
4,505
31,442
35,947
(
23,231
)
1963
Aug-98
3-30
Pure Redmond
105
Redmond, WA
—
7,461
31,363
1,836
7,461
33,199
40,660
(
3,654
)
2016
Dec-19
3-30
Radius
264
Redwood City, CA
—
11,702
152,336
4,553
11,702
156,889
168,591
(
49,503
)
2015
Apr-14
3-30
Reed Square
100
Sunnyvale, CA
—
6,873
16,037
9,107
6,873
25,144
32,017
(
13,891
)
1970
Jan-12
3-30
Regency at Encino
75
Encino, CA
—
3,184
12,737
4,959
3,184
17,696
20,880
(
9,169
)
1989
Dec-09
3-30
Regency Palm Court
116
Los Angeles, CA
—
7,763
28,019
1,138
7,763
29,157
36,920
(
467
)
1987
Jul-22
3-30
Renaissance at Uptown Orange
460
Orange, CA
—
27,870
111,482
10,042
27,870
121,524
149,394
(
39,208
)
2007
Apr-14
5-30
Reveal
438
Woodland Hills, CA
—
25,073
121,314
6,099
25,073
127,413
152,486
(
37,131
)
2010
Apr-15
3-30
Salmon Run at Perry Creek
132
Bothell, WA
—
3,717
11,483
3,550
3,801
14,949
18,750
(
10,837
)
2000
Oct-00
3-30
Sammamish View
153
Bellevue, WA
—
3,324
7,501
8,398
3,331
15,892
19,223
(
14,091
)
1986
Nov-94
3-30
101 San Fernando
323
San Jose, CA
—
4,173
58,961
17,835
4,173
76,796
80,969
(
36,704
)
2001
Jul-10
3-30
San Marcos
432
Richmond, CA
—
15,563
36,204
38,058
22,866
66,959
89,825
(
42,507
)
2003
Nov-03
3-30
Santee Court/Santee Village
238
Los Angeles, CA
—
9,581
40,317
17,391
9,582
57,707
67,289
(
25,651
)
2004
Oct-10
3-30
Shadow Point
172
Spring Valley, CA
—
2,812
11,170
6,339
2,820
17,501
20,321
(
11,291
)
1983
Dec-02
3-30
Shadowbrook
418
Redmond, WA
—
19,292
77,168
8,886
19,292
86,054
105,346
(
28,188
)
1986
Apr-14
5-30
Slater 116
108
Kirkland, WA
—
7,379
22,138
1,915
7,379
24,053
31,432
(
7,903
)
2013
Sep-13
3-30
Solstice
280
Sunnyvale, CA
—
34,444
147,262
8,105
34,444
155,367
189,811
(
52,443
)
2014
Apr-14
5-30
F- 61
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Station Park Green
599
San Mateo, CA
—
54,782
314,694
110,657
67,204
412,929
480,133
(
58,895
)
2018
Mar-18
3-30
Stevenson Place
200
Fremont, CA
—
996
5,582
15,544
1,001
21,121
22,122
(
17,733
)
1975
Apr-00
3-30
Stonehedge Village
196
Bothell, WA
—
3,167
12,603
11,219
3,201
23,788
26,989
(
18,480
)
1986
Oct-97
3-30
Summerhill Park
100
Sunnyvale, CA
—
2,654
4,918
11,661
2,656
16,577
19,233
(
14,478
)
1988
Sep-88
3-30
Summit Park
300
San Diego, CA
—
5,959
23,670
10,112
5,977
33,764
39,741
(
22,902
)
1972
Dec-02
3-30
Taylor 28
197
Seattle, WA
—
13,915
57,700
5,127
13,915
62,827
76,742
(
20,376
)
2008
Apr-14
5-30
The Audrey at Belltown
137
Seattle, WA
—
9,228
36,911
3,046
9,228
39,957
49,185
(
12,553
)
1992
Apr-14
5-30
The Avery
121
Los Angeles, CA
—
6,964
29,922
1,423
6,964
31,345
38,309
(
9,394
)
2014
Mar-14
3-30
The Bernard
63
Seattle, WA
—
3,699
11,345
1,097
3,689
12,452
16,141
(
5,066
)
2008
Sep-11
3-30
The Blake LA
196
Los Angeles, CA
—
4,023
9,527
25,573
4,031
35,092
39,123
(
25,348
)
1979
Jun-97
3-30
The Cairns
99
Seattle, WA
—
6,937
20,679
3,407
6,939
24,084
31,023
(
12,852
)
2006
Jun-07
3-30
The Commons
264
Campbell, CA
—
12,555
29,307
11,676
12,556
40,982
53,538
(
20,972
)
1973
Jul-10
3-30
The Elliot at Mukilteo
301
Mukilteo, WA
—
2,498
10,595
19,851
2,824
30,120
32,944
(
25,366
)
1981
Jan-97
3-30
The Galloway
506
Pleasanton, CA
—
32,966
184,499
4,810
32,966
189,309
222,275
(
20,181
)
2016
Jan-20
3-30
The Grand
243
Oakland, CA
—
4,531
89,208
8,950
4,531
98,158
102,689
(
47,729
)
2009
Jan-09
3-30
The Hallie
292
Pasadena, CA
—
2,202
4,794
57,103
8,385
55,714
64,099
(
45,569
)
1972
Apr-97
3-30
The Huntington
276
Huntington Beach, CA
—
10,374
41,495
8,888
10,374
50,383
60,757
(
20,123
)
1975
Jun-12
3-30
The Landing at Jack London Square
282
Oakland, CA
—
33,554
78,292
9,533
33,554
87,825
121,379
(
30,122
)
2001
Apr-14
5-30
The Lofts at Pinehurst
118
Ventura, CA
—
1,570
3,912
6,219
1,618
10,083
11,701
(
7,542
)
1971
Jun-97
3-30
The Palisades
192
Bellevue, WA
—
1,560
6,242
15,618
1,565
21,855
23,420
(
19,371
)
1977
May-90
3-30
The Palms at Laguna Niguel
460
Laguna Niguel, CA
—
23,584
94,334
16,019
23,584
110,353
133,937
(
37,515
)
1988
Apr-14
5-30
The Stuart
188
Pasadena, CA
—
13,574
54,298
5,096
13,574
59,394
72,968
(
19,069
)
2007
Apr-14
5-30
The Trails of Redmond
423
Redmond, WA
—
21,930
87,720
8,769
21,930
96,489
118,419
(
31,532
)
1985
Apr-14
5-30
The Village at Toluca Lake
145
Burbank, CA
—
14,634
48,297
1,354
14,634
49,651
64,285
(
2,767
)
1974
Jun-21
3-30
The Waterford
238
San Jose, CA
—
11,808
24,500
18,880
15,165
40,023
55,188
(
29,398
)
2000
Jun-00
3-30
Tierra Vista
404
Oxnard, CA
—
13,652
53,336
10,699
13,661
64,026
77,687
(
39,508
)
2001
Jan-01
3-30
Tiffany Court
101
Los Angeles, CA
—
6,949
27,796
3,123
6,949
30,919
37,868
(
9,943
)
1987
Apr-14
5-30
Trabuco Villas
132
Lake Forest, CA
—
3,638
8,640
5,542
3,890
13,930
17,820
(
10,618
)
1985
Oct-97
3-30
Valley Park
160
Fountain Valley, CA
—
3,361
13,420
7,055
3,761
20,075
23,836
(
14,229
)
1969
Nov-01
3-30
Via
284
Sunnyvale, CA
—
22,000
82,270
6,904
22,016
89,158
111,174
(
37,128
)
2011
Jul-11
3-30
Villa Angelina
256
Placentia, CA
—
4,498
17,962
9,357
4,962
26,855
31,817
(
19,266
)
1970
Nov-01
3-30
Villa Granada
270
Santa Clara, CA
—
38,299
89,365
3,231
38,299
92,596
130,895
(
29,256
)
2010
Apr-14
5-30
F- 62
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Apartment
Buildings and
subsequent to
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Date of
Date
Lives
Property
Homes
Location
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
construction
acquired
(years)
Villa Siena
272
Costa Mesa, CA
—
13,842
55,367
11,919
13,842
67,286
81,128
(
24,118
)
1974
Apr-14
5-30
Village Green
272
La Habra, CA
—
6,488
36,768
5,658
6,488
42,426
48,914
(
14,607
)
1971
Apr-14
5-30
Vista Belvedere
76
Tiburon, CA
—
5,573
11,901
9,706
5,573
21,607
27,180
(
15,005
)
1963
Aug-04
3-30
Vox Apartments
58
Seattle, WA
—
5,545
16,635
543
5,545
17,178
22,723
(
5,400
)
2013
Oct-13
3-30
Wallace on Sunset
200
Los Angeles, CA
—
24,005
80,466
4,041
24,005
84,507
108,512
(
13,371
)
2021
Dec-21
3-30
Walnut Heights
163
Walnut, CA
—
4,858
19,168
6,829
4,887
25,968
30,855
(
17,053
)
1964
Oct-03
3-30
Wandering Creek
156
Kent, WA
—
1,285
4,980
6,079
1,296
11,048
12,344
(
9,315
)
1986
Nov-95
3-30
Wharfside Pointe
155
Seattle, WA
—
2,245
7,020
14,184
2,258
21,191
23,449
(
17,924
)
1990
Jun-94
3-30
Willow Lake
508
San Jose, CA
—
43,194
101,030
20,592
43,194
121,622
164,816
(
48,482
)
1989
Oct-12
3-30
5600 Wilshire
284
Los Angeles, CA
—
30,535
91,604
8,228
30,535
99,832
130,367
(
31,251
)
2008
Apr-14
5-30
Wilshire La Brea
478
Los Angeles, CA
—
56,932
211,998
19,434
56,932
231,432
288,364
(
75,779
)
2014
Apr-14
5-30
Wilshire Promenade
149
Fullerton, CA
—
3,118
7,385
13,987
3,797
20,693
24,490
(
15,554
)
1992
Jan-97
3-30
Windsor Court
95
Los Angeles, CA
6,383
23,420
816
6,383
24,236
30,619
(
389
)
1987
Jul-22
3-30
Windsor Ridge
216
Sunnyvale, CA
—
4,017
10,315
17,579
4,021
27,890
31,911
(
26,204
)
1989
Mar-89
3-30
Woodland Commons
302
Bellevue, WA
—
2,040
8,727
26,278
2,044
35,001
37,045
(
27,128
)
1978
Mar-90
3-30
Woodside Village
145
Ventura, CA
—
5,331
21,036
6,494
5,341
27,520
32,861
(
17,226
)
1987
Dec-04
3-30
48,939
$
—
$
2,728,585
$
9,703,950
$
2,396,447
$
2,778,895
$
12,050,087
$
14,828,982
$
(
4,815,957
)
Costs
Initial cost
capitalized
Gross amount carried at close of period
Buildings and
subsequent
Land and
Buildings and
Accumulated
Property
Encumbrance
Land
improvements
to acquisition
improvements
improvements
Total
(1)
depreciation
Other real estate assets
—
80,706
16,587
21,319
82,067
36,545
118,612
(
18,615
)
$
—
$
80,706
$
16,587
$
21,319
$
82,067
$
36,545
$
118,612
$
(
18,615
)
Total
$
593,943
$
2,988,330
$
10,415,345
$
2,562,552
$
3,043,321
$
12,922,906
$
15,966,227
$
(
5,152,133
)
(1)
The aggregate cost for federal income tax purposes is approximately $
12.1
billion (unaudited).
(2) A portion of land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring 2070.
(3) The land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring 2083.
(4) The land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring 2070.
(5)
The land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring 2027.
(6) The land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring 2067.
(7)
A portion of land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring in 2028.
F- 63
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE III
REAL ESTATE AND ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
December 31, 2022
(Dollars in thousands)
(8) The land is leased pursuant to a ground lease expiring in 2028.
A summary of activity for rental properties and accumulated depreciation is as follows:
2022
2021
2020
2022
2021
2020
Rental properties:
Accumulated depreciation:
Balance at beginning of year
$
15,629,927
$
15,061,745
$
14,038,142
Balance at beginning of year
$
4,646,854
$
4,133,959
$
3,689,482
Acquisition, development, and improvement of real estate
XBRL Instance Document - the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
† The schedules and certain exhibits to this agreement, as set forth in the agreement, have not been filed herewith. The Company agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Mateo, State of California, on February 23, 2023.
ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC
.
By: /s/ BARBARA PAK
Barbara Pak
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Authorized Officer, Principal Financial Officer)
By: /s/ JOHN FARIAS
John Farias
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
ESSEX PORTFOLIO, L.P.
By: Essex Property Trust, Inc., its general partner
By: /s/ BARBARA PAK
Barbara Pak
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Authorized Officer, Principal Financial Officer)
By: /s/ JOHN FARIAS
John Farias
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
KNOWN ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Michael J. Schall and Barbara Pak, and each of them, his or her attorney-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorney-in-fact, or his or her or substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of each Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ GEORGE M. MARCUS
George M. Marcus
Director and Chairman of the Board
February 23, 2023
/s/ KEITH R. GUERICKE
Keith R. Guericke
Director, and Vice Chairman of the Board
February 23, 2023
/s/ IRVING F. LYONS, III
Irving F. Lyons, III
Lead Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ MARIA R. HAWTHORNE
Maria R. Hawthorne
Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ AMAL M. JOHNSON
Amal M. Johnson
Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ MARY KASARIS
Mary Kasaris
Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ ANGELA L. KLEIMAN
Angela L. Kleiman
Chief Operating Officer and Sr. Executive Vice President, and Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ THOMAS E. ROBINSON
Thomas E. Robinson
Director
February 23, 2023
/s/ MICHAEL J. SCHALL
Michael J. Schall
Chief Executive Officer and President, and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Customers and Suppliers of ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
Beta
No Customers Found
No Suppliers Found
Bonds of ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
Price Graph
Price
Yield
Insider Ownership of ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
company Beta
Owner
Position
Direct Shares
Indirect Shares
AI Insights
Summary Financials of ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
Beta
(We are using algorithms to extract and display detailed data. This is a hard problem and we are working continuously to classify data in an accurate and useful manner.)