Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
We are a real estate developer, owner, and manager with over 30 years of experience in the real
estate industry. During 2007, we delivered 2,343 homes with an average price of $210,000 per home.
At December 31, 2007, we had:
| | 16 residential for-sale communities with 1,432 homes or home sites in inventory or under development in five states; | ||
| | a backlog of signed contracts for 201 homes valued at more than $70 million; | ||
| | eight rental communities with 1,969 units under development; and | ||
| | 13 communities with 2,398 units in our development pipeline. |
Also at December 31, 2007, we owned and operated over 9,000 apartments in 12 states, including more
than 8,400 in our rental communities and over 900 in our condominium conversion communities. In
addition, we provided property management services to 2,798 apartments in three states.
Throughout 2007, market conditions in the homebuilding industry continued to deteriorate. This
market deterioration was driven primarily by a decline in consumer confidence and increased
volatility in the mortgage market and resulted in a decline in home prices and sales volume,
increases in cancellations, increased use of sales discounts, higher brokerage fees and other sales
incentives, and increased interest and other carrying costs. The decline in home prices and
increase in discounts and incentives decreased our cash flows as closings required additional cash
to satisfy lender release prices. We also incurred additional lease-up and interest costs
associated with apartment properties that we had targeted for conversion into condominiums and
subsequently decided to operate as rental properties. Current market conditions remain difficult,
and these conditions may continue to adversely impact our operations.
The sudden and rapid deterioration in the real estate credit markets in the summer of 2007
prevented us from completing financing transactions that had been under negotiation, materially
affecting our liquidity, including our ability to repay existing indebtedness as it became due and
meet other current obligations, and our ability to comply with financial covenants contained in our
existing debt agreements. See NOTE 5. NOTES PAYABLE in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations Liquidity and Capital Resources for additional information regarding debt
defaults, reinstatements, and maturities and failure to meet certain financial covenants. In
response to these events, we began a program to sell non-core assets, including all of the
multi-family properties that had been targeted for condominium conversion. Nine of these
properties were sold between September 2007 and January 2008, and two more properties are currently
under contract of sale. In general, these newer, high quality assets were in different stages of
lease-up or renovation in connection with being repositioned as rental properties. Moreover, most
of these properties had been financed with significant amounts of short-term, floating rate debt.
Accordingly, the sale of these assets improved our liquidity by reducing negative cash flow,
reducing debt, and generating sales proceeds. In addition, in an effort to reduce overhead, we
implemented a workforce reduction in August 2007. However, due to severance costs, the workforce
reduction had very little impact on expenses for 2007.
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Our plan to improve our liquidity contemplates additional property sales and, more importantly,
continued reduction in our condominium inventory. In addition, we continue to negotiate extensions
of maturing debt
obligations. Some of our efforts to reduce costs were offset by fees totaling $4.6 million through
December 31, 2007, paid to financial advisors and other consultants we engaged in the third quarter
of 2007 to assist with the evaluation of strategic and financial alternatives.
During 2007, we recorded impairment charges of $368.8 million, $101.3 million of which was recorded
in cost of sales, $223.8 million of which was recorded in impairment charges, and $43.7 million of
which was reported in discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. We
also recorded an impairment charge of approximately $6 million during 2007 to write down our
investment in an unconsolidated joint venture. In addition, we wrote off $7.8 million in pursuit
costs (contract deposits) in 2007 which were included in general and
administrative expenses corporate in the
Consolidated Statement of Operations. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations Business Overview for additional information regarding
impairment charges.
Our consolidated financial statements are presented on a going concern basis, which contemplates
the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. As of
December 31, 2007, we had $1,111.6 million in consolidated debt, and had guaranteed additional debt
of our unconsolidated joint ventures totaling $31.6 million. For the year ended December 31, 2007,
we incurred a net loss of ($388.4 million). As of December 31, 2007, we had stockholders deficit
of ($112.8 million), which was a significant decrease compared to stockholders equity of $279.5
million as of December 31, 2006. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to
continue as a going concern; however, management believes that our current initiatives will
continue to generate sufficient liquidity to adequately fund operations and enable us to continue
as a going concern. Nonetheless, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully
implement our plan on favorable terms, or at all. The success of this plan will depend on our
ability to complete our planned sales of properties, to modify or obtain waivers of financial
covenants in our debt agreements, to extend or refinance our maturing debt obligations and to
continue to sell completed homes in our inventory. If we are unable to generate sufficient
liquidity to fund our operations or are unable to modify or obtain waivers of financial covenants
and extend or refinance our maturing debt, it may be necessary for us to undertake other actions as
may be appropriate at such time. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include
any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of
assets.
Corporate History
We were incorporated in Nevada in 1997. We are the successor by merger to Vinland Property Trust,
a public real estate investment trust formed in 1973, and National Income Realty Trust, a public
real estate investment trust that began operations in 1978. In 1995, we began to develop new rental
apartment communities in Texas and later in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama,
and Connecticut. In 1998, we began our first conversion of an apartment property to condominiums
and, two years later, acquired the land for our first high-rise residential condominium development
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From 2001 through 2006, we devoted significant capital and efforts to
expanding our development activities, especially in Florida and the northeast. In 2007, we reduced
both our investment portfolio of rental real estate and our active development projects and
development pipeline through asset sales in response to market conditions and in connection with
our efforts to improve liquidity and reduce debt.
Business Operations
We operate two distinct divisions, a real estate development division (the Development Division)
and an investment division (the Investment Division). Our Development Division focuses on
developing, renovating, building and marketing homes in high-density, urban locations and in
master-planned communities. Our Investment Division owns and operates a portfolio of stabilized
rental apartment communities located in
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Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Maryland, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Georgia.
Each of our divisions is an operating segment. Financial information about these two segments can
be found in NOTE 10. SEGMENT REPORTING in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Development Division
Our Development Division concentrates on the following distinct property types.
Development of Low- and Mid-Rise Rental Apartment Communities. We build luxury and affordable
rental properties to sell on completion and lease-up. These developments are sometimes part of
larger development projects and, in the case of affordable or subsidized projects, our ability and
willingness to undertake them may be instrumental in obtaining approval for related market-rate,
for sale developments.
High- and Mid-Rise Condominiums. These large, multi-year high- and mid-rise projects are designed
for luxury and urban living. Development, construction, and sale of homes in these types of
projects typically have taken two to five years. We believe our ability to obtain sites and
development approvals in areas of proven desirability with water views or coveted downtown
locations and our ability to design homes with appeal to specific targeted markets are keys to
success in developing high- and mid-rise condominiums.
Townhomes, Traditional New Developments and Low-Rise Condominiums. Projects in this category
target several highly defined market segments, including first-time, move-up, retirement,
empty-nester and affluent second-home buyers. Active adult communities featuring spacious homes
with distinctive designs that are located in affluent, suburban communities attract adults seeking
a carefree housing choice near where they presently live. These developments also produce positive
local tax revenues and are often welcomed by municipalities that otherwise oppose high-density
residential developments.
Conversion of Existing Rental Apartment Communities to Condominiums. In the past, we have acquired
rental apartment communities in order to sell the individual apartments as condominiums. Where
appropriate, we renovate the homes and add amenities to make them more attractive to homebuyers.
Prices of homes in condominium conversion projects in Florida, Texas and South Carolina may range
from $70,000 to $540,000, depending largely on size, location and view. A majority of these homes
are targeted at first-time homebuyers and priced considerably below nearby townhomes and
single-family residences under construction. As of December 31, 2007, we had 694 units in this
property type and have no current plans to acquire additional properties for immediate conversion.
In February 2007, our developments at 1100 Adams, a mid-rise development, and 1118 Adams, a rental
development, in Hoboken, New Jersey, received a Best American Building Award from the National
Association of Homebuilders as the best smart growth development of 2006.
Strategy
Recent Developments. The marked slowdown in sales, the decline in home prices in the markets where
we operate together with the increasingly more restricted credit market and the financial
constraints affecting us have led us to deemphasize for sale housing in our future project planning
in favor of rental housing, hospitality developments and mixed-use projects. These factors have
also led us to seek financially strong partners to join in future developments. As a result, we
expect the level of home sales to continue to decline and the volume of sales of rental properties
we have developed to increase. This change may make our earnings and revenue even more volatile.
In view of market conditions, we anticipate that, over the next several years, new developments
undertaken by the Development Division will be primarily traditional, rental apartment properties
with a greater
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emphasis on suburban garden apartment developments than in the recent past. We
believe this approach will
enable us to maintain a sufficient development infrastructure to undertake additional developments
as appropriate opportunities arise.
In an effort to address existing covenant violations under $125 million of subordinated unsecured
notes, or the subordinated notes, in March 2008, we entered into an agreement with William S.
Friedman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and Robert P. Rothenberg, president
and chief operating officer, and the note holders pursuant to which the aggregate of $36 million in
notes payable to Mr. Friedman and Mr. Rothenberg, or the affiliate notes, is subordinated to the
subordinated notes. In exchange for this subordination, the subordinated note holders have agreed
to (1) waive our compliance with the financial covenants applicable to the subordinated notes
through September 2009 and (2) grant a 270-day option (or the option) to Mr. Friedman and Mr.
Rothenberg to purchase the subordinated notes from the note holders at a discount.
With the approval of the non-management members of our board, in consideration for entering into
the subordination agreement and option and agreeing to assign the option to us, we issued to Mr.
Friedman and Mr. Rothenberg five-year warrants to purchase 3.5 million shares of our common stock
at an exercise price of $2.35, which was the closing price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global
Select Market on the date of issuance. In addition, we entered into amendments to the affiliate
notes and related documents which (1) increased the annual rate of interest paid on the affiliate
notes to 12.5%, (2) extended the term of the affiliate notes to the later of March 2013 and the
second anniversary of the repayment in full of the subordinated unsecured notes and (3) requires
mandatory prepayments, after repayment in full of the subordinated unsecured notes, out of excess
cash receipts. Payments of cash interest on the affiliate notes may not exceed 5% for as long as
the affiliate notes remain subject to the subordination agreement, although interest on the
affiliate notes is payable in kind at any time.
Focus on High-density, Urban Markets. We believe our previous focus on development of urban and
high-density housing designed for non-traditional households will present us with fewer
opportunities for a number of reasons, including:
| | scarcity of urban land for development in established communities and increased restrictions and controls on growth in many areas is channeling a larger share of new construction into areas where high- density housing predominates; | ||
| | cost increases affecting concrete, high-rise and mid-rise construction more than stick built garden apartments; | ||
| | greater difficulty financing higher cost developments; and | ||
| | the continuing decline in prices and demand for luxury condominiums. |
We believe we have several competitive advantages in the urban markets in which we operate. Urban
development requires close cooperation with municipalities and community groups throughout the
often complex approval process. Our senior management is familiar with the greater complexity of
doing business in these markets and is personally involved in these large urban developments from
the outset, which we believe increases our effectiveness in dealing with sellers and governmental
decision makers. Our development activities grew out of the experience of our executives in
commercial and residential development, real estate finance and property management. The expertise
and industry contacts developed through these activities is particularly relevant to the
development of high-density, urban residential communities, which often require a complex blend of
design, construction, financial, political and marketing skills. Moreover, the direct involvement
of our senior executives permits us to act promptly, which we believe is often a factor in closing
a purchase. Our experienced planners and architects and our ability to fund the extensive
environmental, traffic, fiscal impact and other studies required are important advantages in
obtaining opportunities for urban development.
Increasingly, most large projects in urban areas involve a combination of uses and tenancies. The
experience of our management in owning and developing retail and office properties as well as both
for sale and rental housing is valuable in evaluating opportunities to develop mixed-use projects
and gives more credibility to our proposals.
Site Selection, Design, and Construction of New Developments. We acquire land for development
subject to or after receiving zoning and other approvals to reduce development-related risk and
preserve capital. Prior to closing the purchase, we will take our design through the approval
process, or we will assist the owner in the process. In markets where the supply of land and
housing is constrained, such as Hoboken or Edgewater, New Jersey, our primary focus is to obtain
sites at a cost that makes development economically feasible. Sites in such locations often
require environmental remediation, demolition and removal of hazardous wastes, which we typically
require the seller to accomplish to our satisfaction prior to closing.
Our land purchase agreements are typically subject to a number of conditions, including our ability
to obtain necessary governmental approvals. If all governmental approvals are not obtained prior to
a pre-determined contractual deadline, we may extend the deadline or cancel the contract, upon
which our initial deposit will be
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returned to us. In addition, we retain the right to cancel any of
our agreements and forfeit our deposit. In such instances, we generally are not able to recover any
pre-development costs.
For high- and mid-rise buildings, we generally retain a contractor during the early stages of
design to assist in value engineering and estimation of construction costs alongside our own
construction personnel. We generally retain bonded general contractors under fixed-price contracts
and assign full-time, on-site project supervisors to monitor construction progress and quality.
Target Marketing and Sale Strategy. Our urban projects are usually targeted at highly defined
market segments, such as first-time, move-up, retirement, empty-nester, and affluent second-home
buyers. We expect that future urban projects will continue to be targeted toward specific markets
in keeping with the more varied lifestyles often associated with the urban areas in which our
development activities are concentrated.
We use a variety of techniques to sell our homes. We employ marketing professionals who supervise
and coordinate the design and development of multimedia marketing plans for each of our
communities. We typically attract a significant number of our homebuyers through the use of
property-specific web sites that offer detailed information about our communities.
We typically begin sales after we begin but before completion of construction. Home purchase
contracts require a deposit of 3% to 20% of the purchase price. After the expiration of any
statutory rescission period, the deposit becomes non-refundable. However, purchasers generally have
no obligation beyond the deposit in the event of a default in their obligation to purchase the
home. In July 2007, we began experiencing increased buyer defaults at One Hudson Park, located in
Edgewater, New Jersey, where buyers were required to make deposits of up to 10% of the purchase
price. The increase in defaults was the result of recent changes in the credit markets that have
made it more difficult for buyers to obtain suitable financing.
Financing. We finance our development activities through acquisition, development or construction
loans and corporate borrowings, with the required equity investment coming principally from
internally generated funds. We are usually required to guarantee payment on these loans. Mortgage
financing proceeds and proceeds from the sale of properties generated by our rental real estate
portfolio have historically also been significant sources of funding for our development
activities.
Joint Ventures. We often undertake development projects in partnership with third parties when our
partner has either site control or a particular expertise in the proposed project, or both. In
addition, we anticipate expanding our use of operating and financial joint ventures with third
parties with access to capital to facilitate obtaining construction financing and to fund a portion
of the required equity of our future development projects. We believe this approach will enable us
to maintain a sufficient development infrastructure to undertake additional developments should
appropriate opportunities arise.
Our partners in our development projects in Hoboken, New Jersey, were selected because of their
local market expertise and control of a number of attractive sites in a market with significant
barriers to entry and limited sites available for development. We and our partners have completed
three mid-rise condominium developments with 353 units and two rental apartment communities with 90
affordable units and 217 market rate units (this 217 unit property was sold in February 2008) and
presently have two additional rental apartment communities, one with 217 units and one with 113
units, under development in Hoboken.
Management of the Development Division
The Development Division is currently managed by Mr. Friedman, Mr. Rothenberg, and William
J. Rosato, president of Tarragon Development Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tarragon.
These three executives
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collectively have over 75 years of experience in the residential development
business. The Development Division has a team of developers, engineers and architects, project
managers, attorneys and marketing professionals.
Investment Division
Property Management. We manage our apartment communities with a focus on adding value. We have
implemented programs to optimize revenue generated by the properties under our management,
including daily value pricing and lease inventory management, as well as programs to enhance
ancillary income from cable television, telephone and high-speed internet services, laundry
facilities, and vending machines. We assign a high priority to the development and maintenance of
our budget and cost-control systems and procedures and have an integrated accounting, financial and
operational management information system, connecting our regional offices and management sites
with our corporate headquarters. We also provide property management services to our Development
Divisions rental properties that are under conversion to condominiums or under construction and in
the initial lease-up stage.
Strategic Joint Venture. We are seeking a strong financial and business partner with whom we can
form a residential property joint venture capable of expanding our residential property management
platform and committed to financing acquisitions of both value-added and investment quality
residential properties. We believe this strategy will leverage the strengths of our property
management platform and allow us to expand its operations and achieve economies of scale. Through
this joint venture, we expect to capitalize on our experience in supervising apartment renovations
and repositioning through selective and opportunistic acquisitions of older or underperforming
apartment properties in markets where we presently operate. Our acquisitions of properties have
historically been, and are expected to continue to be, financed with mortgage financing.
Opportunistic
Acquisitions. We intend to seek opportunities to acquire unsold condominium and/or
apartment communities in bulk to operate as rentals or to hold pending recovery of the condominium
sales market. These acquisitions may be effectuated through the purchase, at a discount, of
mortgages in default or through purchase from lenders or others willing to sell at substantial
discounts to recent values. We expect transactions in this area to be conducted in joint ventures
with partners who have greater access to capital.
Sales of Apartment Communities and Commercial Properties. In 2005, we divested many of our
non-core commercial properties and apartment communities to generate capital to employ in expanding
the Development Division, to reduce debt, to repurchase stock and to take advantage of favorable
prices for rental real estate properties. In 2007, we sold 16 apartment communities and commercial
properties in connection with our efforts to improve liquidity and reduce debt. Please see the
information under the caption Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations Consolidated Results of Operations for information about sales of
properties during the past three years.
Funds generated by the operation, sale, and refinancing of our rental real estate portfolio have
primarily been used to finance the expansion of our development operations and, in 2007, to repay
debt and other obligations. To a lesser extent, such funds have been used to enhance the value of
our investment portfolio through consistent capital improvements.
Complementary Financial Services. In 2005, we formed a joint venture, Choice Home Financing, LLC,
with Wells Fargo Ventures, LLC to conduct a residential mortgage lending business. Our residential
mortgage lending services are marketed to our home buyers, as well as unrelated borrowers. The
mortgage lending services are intended to attract quality tenants by offering them competitive
pricing. Revenues from these activities consist of sales of mortgage loans and origination and
premium fee income. The sale of the mortgage loans is non-recourse.
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Management of the Investment Division
Mr. Rothenberg and Eileen Swenson, president of Tarragon Management, Inc. (TMI), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Tarragon, share management of the Investment Division. Ms. Swenson, a certified
property manager, has been in the northeast multi-family property management industry for over 25
years. Functional management, including property management, training and marketing, and
environmental compliance, reports to her. In addition, we use independent management firms to
manage our rental apartment properties located in Texas and Oklahoma and our commercial properties.
Competition
The real estate development industry is highly competitive. We compete against numerous public and
private homebuilders, developers and others where our communities are located. Therefore, we may be
competing for investment opportunities, financing, available land, and potential buyers with
entities that may possess greater financial, marketing, or other resources.
The real estate investment industry is highly fragmented among individuals, partnerships and public
and private entities. No single company or person dominates the market for investment
opportunities. Although we may compete against large sophisticated owners and operators for
opportunities and prospective residents, owners and operators of any size can provide effective
competition for potential tenants. We compete for tenants in our markets primarily on the basis of
property location, amenities offered, rent charged, services provided and the design and condition
of improvements. Other forms of multifamily residential communities, and for sale housing, also
provide housing alternatives to potential residents of our apartment communities.
Our management believes that there is and will continue to be a strong demand for rental housing in
the markets where we will seek additional business and that opportunities will continue to be
available.
Compliance with Environmental Regulations
We are subject to various federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations
concerning protection of public health and the environment. These laws may impose liability on
property owners or operators for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic
substances on real property, without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was
responsible for, the presence of the hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of, or the failure
to properly remediate, these substances may adversely affect the value of a property, as well as
our ability to lease-up or sell the property or individual condominium units or apartments, or to
borrow funds using that property as collateral. Environmental claims are generally not covered by
our insurance programs.
The particular environmental laws that apply to a specific development site vary according to the
sites location, its environmental condition and the present and former uses of the site, as well
as adjoining properties. Environmental laws and conditions may result in delays, may cause us to
incur substantial compliance and other costs and can prohibit or severely restrict development
activity in environmentally sensitive regions or areas, which could negatively affect our results
of operations.
The laws, ordinances, rules and regulations governing the removal, encapsulation and disturbance of
asbestos containing materials (ACMs) may impose liability on owners or operators for the release
of ACMs when such materials are disturbed in connection with the renovation or demolition of
existing buildings or apartment communities. We have operations and maintenance plans in place to
maintain and monitor ACMs in those apartment communities where ACMs are present.
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In April 2003, in connection with renovations at Pine Crest Village at Victoria Park, our
contractor disturbed asbestos-containing materials. These actions were subsequently investigated
by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of
Florida for possible violations of federal criminal laws. On April 25, 2006, the United States
Attorney filed a criminal information charging TMI with one felony count for failure to comply with
Clean Air Act Work Practice Standards for Asbestos in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida. Pursuant to an agreement with the United States Attorney, TMI
entered a plea of guilty to such charge on June 19, 2006 and agreed to pay fines and community
service payments totaling $1 million for the offense. TMI also agreed to institute an
environmental compliance program and was placed on five years probation with the right to seek an
early termination after three years of documented compliance with the program. The United States
Attorney filed separate but identical charges against the contractor, and one current and one
former employee of Tarragon with oversight responsibility for the Pine Crest condominium
conversion, each of whom also subsequently entered a plea of guilty to the charges against them.
TMI has established a comprehensive environmental compliance program, under the supervision of the
court and the EPA, which is and will continue to be applicable to all properties under its
management.
In recent years, there has been a widely-publicized proliferation of mold-related claims by
tenants, employees, and other building occupants against the owners of those buildings. When we
identify any measurable presence of mold, whether or not a claim is made, we undertake remediation
we believe to be appropriate for the circumstances encountered. There is little in the way of
government standards, insurance industry specifications, or otherwise generally accepted guidelines
dealing with mold propagation. Although considerable research into mold toxicity and exposure
levels is underway, there are currently no definitive standards available to property owners and
managers against which to evaluate risk and design remediation practices.
Policy With Respect to Certain Activities
We may offer debt or shares of our common or preferred stock to the public to raise capital for
general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, repayment of debt or acquisition of
additional properties or lines of service business, or in private transactions in exchange for
property or investment businesses. We issued subordinated unsecured notes of $65 million in 2005
and $60 million in 2006. See NOTE 5. NOTES PAYABLE in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements for more information regarding the subordinated unsecured notes.
We may invest in interests in other persons and securities of other issuers engaged in real estate
related activities. Although we do not currently have any plans to invest in the securities of
other issuers for the purpose of exercising control, we may in the future acquire all or
substantially all of the securities or assets of other entities if that investment would be
consistent with our growth strategy. We do not intend to underwrite securities of other issuers.
We do not expect that our investment activity will require us to register as an investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and we would divest securities before any such
registration would be required.
We have in the past, and may in the future, repurchase or otherwise acquire our own common stock on
the open market or through private transactions. See ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON
EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASE OF EQUITY SECURITIES and NOTE 7. COMMON
STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of our
share repurchase program.
We do not presently intend to make investments other than as described above, although we may do so
in the future. Our investment policies may be reviewed and modified from time to time by our
officers and directors
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without the vote of stockholders. There are no limitations on the amounts we may invest in any
single property or development, or on the amounts we can borrow for such purposes.
Employees
As of December 31, 2007, we employed 511 people of whom 499 were full-time employees and 12 were
part-time employees. This includes 299 site-level property employees and 212 corporate staff. All
of our site-level property employees and approximately 60% of our corporate staff are devoted to
the Investment Division. Our Development Division employs 84 people. We do not have any union
employees. We believe we have a good relationship with our employees.
Other Information
Our common stock is currently traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol TARR.
Our principal executive offices are located at 423 West 55th Street, 12th
Floor, New York, New York 10019, and our telephone number is 212-949-5000.
We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K,
and other information with the SEC. In addition, our directors, executive officers and certain
stockholders file reports with the SEC pursuant to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. Information regarding these filings are made available, free of charge, on our website at
http://www.tarragoncorp.com. These SEC filings are also available to the public over the Internet
at the SECs web site at http://www.sec.gov.
You may also read and copy any document we file at the SECs public reference room at 100 F.
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the SECs
public reference room in Washington, D.C. by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, we
have posted the charters for our Audit Committee, Executive Compensation Committee, Corporate
Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on our
website under the heading Governance Documents under Investor Relations. These charters and
the code are not incorporated by reference in this report. We will also provide a copy of these
documents free of charge to stockholders upon written request to our secretary at 3100 Monticello
Avenue, Suite 200, Dallas, Texas 75205. We issue annual reports containing audited financial
statements to our common stockholders.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following risks could have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition,
results of operations, cash flows, strategies and prospects.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition
Our consolidated financial statements are presented on a going concern basis. Our current
financial condition raises substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our consolidated financial statements are presented in this report on a going concern basis, which
contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of
business. In 2007, we experienced a liquidity crisis caused by the sudden and rapid deterioration
of the real estate credit markets and the significant deterioration of the homebuilding industry in
the markets in which we operate, which impacted our ability to repay existing indebtedness as it
became due and to meet other current obligations. We have a significant amount of debt maturing
over the next 12 months. We are not currently in compliance with financial and other covenants
contained in certain of our existing debt agreements, and we may not be able to maintain our
compliance with other covenants in the future. Our inability to restructure, refinance or extend
our maturing
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debt, comply with our loan covenants, or obtain waivers of non-compliance could give lenders the
right to declare a default and accelerate the payment of the outstanding indebtedness. We may not
be able to repay those amounts without selling additional assets, which we might have to do at
prices below the fair values and the carrying values of those assets.
These matters raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. For the
year ended December 31, 2007, we incurred a net loss of ($388.4 million). As of December 31, 2007,
we had stockholders deficit of ($112.8 million). Our ability to continue as a going concern will
be dependent upon our ability to complete asset sales, restructure or refinance existing debt,
obtain modifications or waivers of our loan covenants, and continue to sell completed homes in
inventory. There can be no assurance of our success in these efforts.
The consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this
Form 10-K do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future
effects on the recoverability and classification of assets.
We have a significant amount of debt maturing in the near term and are currently not in compliance
with covenants in certain of our loan agreements.
We have
loans with an aggregate December 31, 2007 balance of $213.5 million that are maturing
during 2008. The deterioration in the real estate credit markets during 2007 and our recent
liquidity challenges that resulted in defaults on most of our existing indebtedness may negatively
impact our ability to refinance this indebtedness as it matures. Our ability to repay this debt as
it matures or obtain loan extensions or refinancing will depend on our future performance and
successful execution of our business strategy. If we are unable to repay this debt as it matures,
or obtain loan extensions or refinancings, we may lose our investment in the properties secured by
the related debt.
Further, at December 31, 2007, we were not in compliance with financial covenants contained in debt
agreements with an aggregate principal balance of $9 million for which we have not obtained waivers
of noncompliance from our lenders. If we are unable to obtain modifications of these covenants or
waivers of noncompliance, these lenders could give us notices of default and accelerate payment of
this outstanding indebtedness. We may not be able to repay these amounts without selling
additional assets, which we might have to do at prices below the fair value or carrying value of
those assets.
We have had to take significant impairment charges against certain of our real estate assets, and a
continuing decline in the homebuilding industry or other changed circumstances could result in
additional write-downs.
As a result of deteriorating market conditions in the homebuilding industry during 2006 and 2007,
we have adjusted our strategy with respect to many of the apartment communities we had acquired or
targeted for conversion to condominiums, necessitating significant write downs of the carrying
values of those and other assets. For the year ended December 31, 2007, we recorded impairment
charges on real estate inventory and rental real estate of $368.8 million. If conditions in the
homebuilding industry worsen, or our strategy or estimates of cash flows related to certain
projects change, some of our assets may be subject to further write-downs in the future, further
decreasing the value of the assets reflected on our consolidated balance sheets and increasing
stockholders deficit.
Our ability to grow our businesses depends on our ability to access capital on favorable terms.
We have historically relied on project financing to fund growth opportunities in our Development
Division, and non-recourse mortgage financing for our Investment Division. The sudden and rapid
deterioration of the real estate credit markets in 2007 prevented us from completing almost $50
million in financing transactions that had been under negotiation at that time. Under current
market conditions, we cannot predict whether additional sources of financing will be available on
terms acceptable to us in the future or the cost of this financing. Our
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access to debt or equity financing depends on lenders willingness to lend, conditions in the
capital markets, restrictions and covenants contained in our existing debt arrangements and our own
financial condition, and we may not be able to secure additional sources of financing on
commercially reasonable terms, if at all. A failure to obtain needed additional financing may
require us to limit our development activities, abandon projects in the pipeline, or dispose of
properties.
Our substantial indebtedness limits our flexibility in adverse market conditions.
As of December 31, 2007, we had $1,111.6 million in consolidated borrowings and additional
guaranteed debt of our unconsolidated joint ventures totaling $31.6 million. As a result of this
substantial indebtedness:
| | we must dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to interest and principal payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing available cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions of property and other general corporate purposes; | ||
| | our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and the industry in which we operate is limited; | ||
| | we are more vulnerable to adverse economic, industry and competitive conditions; | ||
| | we are at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt; and | ||
| | we are limited in our ability to borrow additional funds. |
Risks Related to Market Conditions and Our Development Business
We may experience a continuing decline in demand for new homes in the markets in which we operate.
The homebuilding industry is in the midst of a significant downturn. In 2007, we experienced a
decline in demand for our condominium homes in most of our markets, and particularly in Florida.
As a result, we had to decrease prices, and increase the use of sales discounts and other
incentives, resulting in significant reductions in cash flows and our profit margins. A further
decline in the demand for our condominium homes, or an increase in the inventory of new homes and
alternatives to new homes, in the markets in which we operate could adversely affect our sales
volume and pricing even further. We believe that housing market conditions will continue to be
challenging and may deteriorate further. We cannot predict the duration or ultimate severity of
these challenging conditions.
Our customers may not be able to obtain suitable mortgage financing.
Sales of our condominium homes are directly impacted by the inability of our potential buyers to
obtain mortgage financing for their purchase. During 2007, the mortgage lending industry
experienced significant instability. The uncertainties created by events in the sub-prime mortgage
market and their impact on the overall real estate credit markets have adversely affected the
ability of our buyers to obtain affordable home mortgages. Also, because many potential buyers
must first sell their existing homes in order to purchase a condominium from us, the lack of
availability of suitable financing for their purchasers also impacts our sales. As a result of
increased default rates, particularly in the sub-prime mortgage market, many lenders are no longer
offering certain types of residential mortgages loans, or have significantly tightened their loan
qualifications for mortgage loans. The lack of availability of these loan products, together with
the imposition of more stringent underwriting standards and increased cost of financing have
reduced the pool of qualified home buyers and made purchases more difficult for first time and
second home homebuyers. These reductions in demand have adversely affected our sales volume and
revenues in 2007. Continued unavailability of affordable mortgage
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financing could further reduce demand for our condominium homes. If the buyers in our backlog of
units to be delivered cannot obtain suitable financing in order to purchase our condominiums, it
could cause them to cancel the contracts they have signed, or default under these contracts,
further reducing our sales and profitability.
Future cash flows from our development projects may be lower than expected.
We use the percentage-of-completion method of revenue recognition to report revenue and profit from
high- and mid-rise residential projects. Under this method of accounting, we may recognize revenue
from sales of homes before those sales have closed. Due to various contingencies, including
delayed construction, cost overruns or buyer defaults, we may receive less cash than the amount of
revenue already recognized or the cash may be received at a later date than we expected. These
circumstances could affect our profitability and ability to pay our debts. In addition, our
revenue may fluctuate significantly as a result of the timing of the completion of development
projects and closings of sales, seasonality of housing demand, the timing and seasonality of
construction activity, the condition of the real estate market and the economy in general, material
and labor costs and the availability and cost of mortgage financing.
We may continue to experience high buyer default rates.
Our backlog reflects the number and value of condominiums for which we have entered into sales
contracts with home buyers, but have not yet delivered the condominium. In each case, we have
received a deposit from the buyer, and generally have the right to retain the deposit if the buyer
does not complete their purchase. In 2007, we experienced an increase in purchaser defaults in our
new development projects. We also experienced an increase in the number of buyers contesting our
right to retain their deposits upon default. Although we do not believe the defenses asserted by
these buyers are valid, and intend to vigorously pursue our rights, there can be no assurance that
we will prevail in each claim or be entitled to keep the buyers deposit. Also, there can be no
assurance that our rate of defaults will not increase in the future if the current industry
downturn continues, or if mortgage financing becomes less available. Future defaults may limit our
ability to deliver units from backlog and collect contracts receivable upon the completion of high-
and mid-rise residential projects.
Our future operations may be adversely affected by high inflation.
In a period of high inflation, increasing costs of land, materials and labor require us to attempt
to increase our sale prices in order to maintain satisfactory margins. However, an excess of
supply over demand for new homes, such as the one that we are currently experiencing, requires that
we reduce prices, rather than increase them. If the current challenging and highly competitive
conditions in the homebuilding market persist, we may be required to further decrease prices in an
attempt to stimulate sales volume. Under these circumstances, the effect of cost increases is to
reduce the margins on the homes we sell, and sustained increases in those costs could have a
material adverse effect on our business.
We may not be able to complete planned development projects or those projects may not be
profitable.
As a result of changing conditions in our target markets due to competitive, economic, demographic
and other factors, we were unable to achieve desired sales levels at our development projects in
2007, and experienced lower than expected returns from these projects. Because of the long-term
nature of most development projects, it can be difficult for us to adjust our business strategies
quickly to compensate for changes in market conditions. This long lead-time may also result in
delayed revenue recognition and difficulty in predicting whether there will be sufficient demand
for our homes. Other factors that may affect our ability to complete planned projects or the
profitability of those projects include the availability and cost of project financing, shortages
of lumber or other construction materials, shortages of labor, labor disputes, unforeseen
environmental or engineering problems, work stoppages or natural disasters, all of which could
delay
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construction and result in substantial cost overruns. Sustained increases in construction costs
may, over time, further erode our margins and make development projects in our pipeline
economically unfeasible.
We may have to hold our condominium conversion inventory longer than we anticipated.
In 2005 and 2006, we acquired many newer, high quality apartment communities for conversion to
condominiums at premium prices. In addition, we targeted a number of properties from our
Investment Division portfolio for conversion to condominiums. We generally financed these
purchases and conversions with short-term floating rate debt. As demand for condominium homes
declined, we were forced to reduce prices and increase sales discounts and other incentives,
decreasing our cash flows and requiring additional cash from us to satisfy lender release prices.
We repositioned some of these assets as rental properties, incurring additional lease-up and
interest costs. Nine of these properties were sold between September 2007 and January 2008,
improving our liquidity by reducing negative cash flow, and additional sales are contemplated.
However, we may be left with unsold units in fractured condominiums that we cannot sell, which
may result in additional losses due to write downs in inventory, additional costs associated with
carrying inventory, such as insurance and interest expense, costs and inefficiencies associated
with conversion of unsold inventory into rental units or sales of units for a significantly lower
price than projected. In addition, we may not be able to generate sufficient rental revenue from
these assets to cover these carrying costs.
Our development business is subject to warranty and liability claims in the ordinary course of
business that can be significant.
As a developer of condominium homes, we are subject to warranty and construction defect claims
arising in the ordinary course of business. We record warranty reserves for the homes we sell
based upon historical experience, taking into consideration the types and locations of our
projects. Although we believe these reserves are adequate, there can be no assurance that our
liabilities to condominium purchasers for warranty claims and latent defects will not exceed our
estimates and available insurance.
Risks Related to our Businesses Generally
Increases in interest rates could materially increase our interest expense or could reduce our
revenues.
As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately $546.5 million of consolidated variable rate debt.
On that date, our unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures had an additional $116.3 million
of variable rate debt. We may incur additional variable rate indebtedness in the future.
Accordingly, increases in interest rates could materially increase our interest expense.
Further, most purchasers of our condominium homes obtain mortgage loans to finance their purchases.
In general, housing demand is adversely affected by increases in interest rates, housing costs and
unemployment and by decreases in the availability of mortgage financing. This general tendency is
intensified by the fact that prospective buyers of our homes may need to sell a home prior to
purchasing, and buyers for those homes also require mortgage financing. In addition, there have
been discussions of possible changes in the federal income tax laws that would remove or limit the
deduction for home mortgage interest. An increase in effective mortgage interest rates, or an
adverse change in tax laws, would negatively impact the ability or willingness of prospective
buyers to finance home purchases, further reducing demand for our homes.
The regional concentration of our assets may increase the effects of adverse trends in those
markets.
A substantial number of our assets are located in Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee and
Texas. In 2006 and 2007, deterioration of the homebuilding industry in the markets in which we
operate, and in Florida in particular, led to a decline in new home prices, increased use of sales
discounts and other incentives and
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increased interest and other carrying costs in 2007. The decline in home prices and increase in
discounts and incentives decreased our cash flows as closings required additional cash from us to
satisfy lender release prices. We also incurred additional lease-up and interest costs associated
with apartment properties that we targeted for conversion into condominiums but subsequently
decided to operate as rental properties. Nine of these properties were sold between September 2007
and January 2008, and the last two properties are under contract of sale. However, current market
conditions in the markets in which we operate remain difficult, and there can be no assurance that
these conditions will not continue to adversely impact our operations and cash flows.
In addition, deterioration in economic conditions in any of our primary markets, including business
layoffs and downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations or closings of businesses, geopolitical
factors, changing demographics and oversupply of or reduced demand for homes, could also adversely
affect occupancy levels and rental rates in our investment portfolio, and our ability to attract
new tenants and collect rent from existing tenants.
Our growth strategy for our Investment Division is dependent on our ability to identify a suitable
joint venture partner.
Our ability to execute our growth strategy for the Investment Division depends in large part on our
ability to identify and enter into a joint venture with a complementary real estate investment
company capable of executing our plan to expand our residential property management platform and
financing the acquisition of additional value-added and investment quality residential properties.
There can be no assurance that we will finalize and close any such transaction or, if so, that it
will be on terms and conditions favorable to us. Our failure to implement this strategy
successfully could limit the growth of our Investment Division, or necessitate the sale of
additional properties.
We may not be able to sell our apartment communities at the desired time or price.
Because of the lack of liquidity of real estate investments generally, our ability to respond to
changing circumstances may be impaired. Real estate assets generally cannot be sold quickly. We
cannot predict whether there will be a market for our real estate assets, or whether we will be
able to sell them at a price equal to our estimates of their value or at a price that will allow us
to fully recoup our investment. We may not be able to realize the full potential value of our real
estate assets, and in some cases we will incur costs related to the early pay-off of the debt
secured by such assets.
Property ownership through partnerships and joint ventures generally limits control of those
investments and entails other risks.
We hold properties, and may hold more properties in the future, in a number of consolidated and
unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures in which outside partners may have significant
decision-making authority and voting rights. These partnerships and joint ventures involve risks
not otherwise present when a property is owned wholly and directly by us. Our partners might
become bankrupt or might have or develop different interests or goals, or might take action
contrary to our instructions, requests, policies or investment objectives. Another risk of
ownership through a partnership investment is the possibility of an impasse on decisions, such as a
sale or refinancing, or disputes with partners over the appropriate pricing and timing of any sale
or refinancing. In addition, joint venture and partnership agreements typically contain provisions
restricting the ability of partners to transfer interests in the joint venture or partnership and
may contain buy-sell provisions, which, under certain circumstances, permit a partner to initiate
an offer to buy the other partners interests or to sell its interests to the other partner, at the
other partners option. Buy-sell provisions may result in us buying or selling interests in a
project at a different time or at a different valuation than we otherwise would have chosen, and we
may not have sufficient available funds to make a purchase pursuant to these provisions. There is
no
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limitation under our organizational documents or loan agreements as to the amount of funds that may
be invested in partnerships or joint ventures.
Increased insurance costs and reduced insurance coverage may affect our results of operations and
increase our potential exposure to liability.
In recent years, the cost of insurance has risen, deductibles and retentions have increased and the
availability of insurance has diminished. In addition, there are some risks of loss for which we
may be unable to purchase insurance coverage. For example, losses associated with landslides,
earthquakes and other geologic events may not be economically insurable, and other losses, such as
those arising from terrorism or from the presence of mold in rental properties or for-sale homes,
may not be economically insurable. Significant increases in our cost of insurance coverage,
significant limitations on coverage or a material uninsured loss could materially and adversely
affect our businesses, financial condition and results of operations.
We have in the past, and will continue to, engage in transactions with related parties, which may
cause a conflict of interest and negatively affect our business.
We have in the past, and will continue to, engage in transactions with related parties. These
related-party transactions include ongoing financial arrangements with several members of our board
and senior management, including a $36 million unsecured term loan extended to us by affiliates of
Mr. and Mrs. Friedman and Robert Rothenberg with the unanimous approval of our board of directors,
including all of the disinterested members of our board of directors. In addition, in October 2007, we sold a rental property under development for $4.3 million of cash
and the assumption of a $1.2 million construction loan to an affiliate of Robert C. Rohdie, who
served as president and chief executive officer of Tarragon Development Corporation, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Tarragon, until March 31, 2007, and as a member of our board of directors until
August 14, 2007.
We believe that these
related-party transactions are advantageous to us and in our best interest. However, there may be
instances when the interests of these related parties are inconsistent with or adverse to our
interests and our stockholders, and as a result, these transactions may cause a conflict of
interest.
We are subject to environmental laws and regulations, and our properties may have environmental or
other contamination.
Our properties are subject to various federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and
regulations concerning protection of public health and the environment. These laws may impose
liability on property owners for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic
substances on real property, without regard to whether the owner knew of, or was responsible for,
the presence of the hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of, or the failure to properly
remediate, such substances may materially and adversely affect the value of a property, as well as
our ability to sell the property or individual condominium units, lease apartments, or borrow funds
using that property as collateral. Environmental claims will generally not be covered by our
insurance programs.
The particular environmental laws that apply to any given development site vary according to the
sites location, its environmental condition and the present and former uses of the site, as well
as adjoining properties. Environmental laws and conditions may result in delays, may cause us to
incur substantial compliance and other costs and can prohibit or severely restrict development
activity in environmentally sensitive regions or areas, which could materially and adversely affect
our results of operations.
The laws, ordinances, rules and regulations governing the removal, encapsulation and disturbance of
asbestos containing materials, or ACMs, may impose liability on owners or operators for the release
of ACMs when such materials are disturbed in connection with the renovation of an existing building
or apartment community. We have programs in place to maintain and monitor ACMs in the investment
properties where ACMs are present. However, in 2006, pursuant to an agreement with the United
States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Tarragon Management, Inc., or TMI, entered
into a plea of guilty with respect to one felony count for failure to comply with the Clean Air Act
Work Practice Standards for Asbestos in connection with the
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renovation of an apartment community undergoing conversion to condominiums. TMI agreed to pay a $1
million fine and received a five-year probation period. It also agreed to institute a
comprehensive environmental compliance program, under the supervision of the court and the EPA.
In recent years, there has been a widely publicized proliferation of mold-related claims by
tenants, employees and other building occupants. When we identify any measurable presence of mold,
whether or not a claim is made, we undertake remediation we believe to be appropriate for the
circumstances encountered. There is little in the way of government standards, insurance industry
specifications or other generally accepted guidelines dealing with mold propagation. Although
considerable research into mold toxicity and exposure levels is underway, there are currently no
definitive standards available to property owners against which to evaluate risk and design
remediation practices.
Our business could be adversely affected by the loss of key personnel.
Our success depends on the efforts and abilities of our executive officers and other key employees,
many of whom have significant experience in developing residential and commercial properties. In
particular, we depend on the services of William S. Friedman, our chairman of the board of
directors and chief executive officer, and Robert P. Rothenberg, a director and our president and
chief operating officer. Although each of Messrs. Friedman and Rothenberg are subject to a
three-year employment contract with the Company, the loss of the services of either of these
executives, for any reason, could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Capital Stock and the Securities Markets Generally
Failure to satisfy the listing requirements of The Nasdaq Global Select Market could result in our
common stock being delisted.
On January 4, 2008, we received a staff determination letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market stating
that our common stock is subject to delisting from The Nasdaq Global Select Market for our failure
to solicit proxies and hold an annual meeting in 2007, in accordance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rules.
We requested a hearing to appeal Nasdaqs determination, which was held on February 21, 2008.
Tarragons common stock will continue to be listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market pending a
decision on the appeal. There can be no assurance, however, that Nasdaq will grant our request to
waive this requirement or that our common stock will not be delisted.
If our common stock is delisted from The Nasdaq Global Select Market, our common stock would be
traded over-the-counter, more commonly known as OTC. OTC transactions involve risks in addition to
those associated with transactions in securities traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. Many
OTC stocks trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than securities traded on The Nasdaq Global
Select Market. Accordingly, our common stock would be less liquid, and the value of our common
stock could decline.
In addition, the delisting of our common stock could result in breaches of covenants prohibiting
transfer of ownership contained in certain of our debt agreements. Under these circumstances, the
lenders could give us a notice of default and accelerate payment of our outstanding indebtedness.
The acceleration of our obligations under these debt agreements would have a material adverse
effect on our liquidity and financial position.
The market price of our common stock has been highly volatile.
The market price of our common stock has been strongly affected by changes in public perception of
the homebuilding industry, the significant deterioration of that industry in the markets in which
we operate, and
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adverse conditions in the real estate credit markets. A variety of factors may continue to have a
significant impact on the market price of our common stock, including:
| | our financial condition, results of operations and prospects; | ||
| | changes in our industry; | ||
| | further deterioration in our markets; | ||
| | future issuances of our common stock, which may include primary offerings for cash, issuances in connection with business acquisitions and the grant or exercise of stock options and restricted stock awards; | ||
| | speculation in the press or investment community; and | ||
| | general market and economic conditions. |
In addition, The Nasdaq Global Select Market can experience significant price and volume
fluctuations that can be unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the
companies listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. Broad market and industry factors may
negatively affect the market price of our common stock regardless of our operating performance.
We are subject to class action securities litigation that could be costly to defend and distracting
to management.
The Company and three of its officers, including William S. Friedman, chairman of the board of
directors and chief executive officer, Robert P. Rothenberg, president and chief operating officer,
and Erin D. Pickens, executive vice president and chief financial officer, are defendants in a
securities class action lawsuit brought on behalf of persons who purchased our common stock between
January 5, 2005 and August 9, 2007. In addition, members of our board of directors and Ms. Pickens
are defendants in a related shareholder derivative action. The plaintiffs in both lawsuits allege
generally that the Company issued materially false and misleading statements regarding our business
and financial results during the relevant time period. We do not believe that there is any merit
to the claims asserted in these lawsuits, and we intend to defend them vigorously. However, the
cost of this defense may be high, and the necessary participation of these key individuals could
detract from their ability to devote their full time and resources to improving our business and
prospects.
Shares of common stock eligible for public sale could adversely affect the market price of our
common stock.
The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales or other issuances of a
large number of shares in the market or market perception that these transactions could occur,
including sales or distributions of shares by one or more of our large stockholders. Based on
holdings of Tarragon common stock as of December 31, 2007, Mr. and Mrs. William S. Friedman and
their family partnership and our other directors and executive officers beneficially own 28.8% of
the outstanding shares of our common stock.
Our governing documents contain anti-takeover provisions that may make it more difficult for a
third party to acquire control of us.
Our articles of incorporation contain provisions designed to discourage attempts to acquire control
of the company by merger, tender offer, proxy contest or removal of incumbent management without
the approval of our board of directors. As a result, a transaction that otherwise might appear to
be in the best interests of our stockholders could be discouraged, delayed or prevented altogether,
and our stockholders may be deprived of an
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opportunity to receive a premium for their shares over prevailing market prices. The provisions
contained in our articles of incorporation include:
| | the requirement of a supermajority vote to make, adopt, alter, amend, change or repeal our bylaws or certain key provisions of the articles of incorporation that embody, among other things, the aforementioned anti-takeover provisions; | ||
| | the requirement of a supermajority vote for the removal of a director from our board of directors and certain extraordinary transactions; and | ||
| | the inability of stockholders to call a meeting of stockholders. |
As of December 31, 2007, our directors and executive officers beneficially owned 28.8% of our
outstanding common stock. In the light of these shareholdings, these anti-takeover provisions
could help entrench our board of directors and may effectively give our management the power to
block any attempted change in control.
Our principal stockholders have significant influence over corporate actions.
William S. Friedman, our chairman of the board and chief executive officer, his spouse, Lucy N.
Friedman, and their family partnership, beneficially own 22.3% of our outstanding common stock at
December 31, 2007. Accordingly, Mr. and Mrs. Friedman have substantial influence over our
management and affairs, including the election of directors. In addition, they have significant
influence over a broad range of corporate actions requiring a stockholder vote under our articles
of incorporation, including, without limitation, mergers, business combinations, change-in-control
transactions, substantial asset sales and other similar and extraordinary corporate transactions
that can affect the value of our common stock.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table sets forth the name, age and position of each person currently serving as one
of our executive officers. All of our executive officers are serving at the discretion of our
board of directors. No family relationships exist among any of our executive officers.
| Name | Title | Age | ||
William S. Friedman |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 64 | ||
Robert P. Rothenberg |
President, Chief Operating Officer and Director | 49 | ||
Kathryn Mansfield |
Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel | 47 | ||
Todd C. Minor |
Executive Vice President and Treasurer | 49 | ||
Erin D. Pickens |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 46 | ||
Charles D. Rubenstein |
Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Counsel | 49 | ||
William M. Thompson |
Executive Vice President | 48 | ||
Eileen A. Swenson |
President of Tarragon Management, Inc. | 57 | ||
William J. Rosato |
President of Tarragon Development Corp. | 43 |
Information about each person serving as one of our executive officers is set forth below.
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William S. Friedman has served as our chief executive officer and director since April 1997 and has
served as chairman of our board of directors since December 2000. He previously served as
Tarragons president from April 1997 through June 2004 and served as a trustee (from March 1988),
chief executive officer (from December 1993), president (from December 1988), acting chief
financial officer (from May 1990 to February 1991), treasurer (from August to September 1989) and
acting principal financial and accounting officer (from December 1988 to August 1989) of Tarragons
predecessors, Vinland Property Trust (until July 1997) and National Income Realty Trust (until
November 1998). Mr. Friedman currently serves on the board of trustees of Brandeis University.
Robert P. Rothenberg has served as our chief operating officer and director since September 2000
and as our president since June 2004. Mr. Rothenberg has been the managing member of APA
Management L.L.C., a real estate investment and management company, since 1994. He has also been a
managing member of Ansonia L.L.C., which is our limited partner in Ansonia Apartments, L.P., since
1997. Mr. Rothenberg graduated from the Harvard Business School with a Masters of Business
Administration in June 1984.
Kathryn Mansfield has served as our executive vice president since December 1998, secretary since
May 1998 and general counsel since June 2004. She previously served as our vice president and our
predecessor, National Income Realty Trust (from May 1998 to December 1998). Ms. Mansfield has been
an attorney at law since 1984.
Todd C. Minor has served as our executive vice president since November 2001 and as our treasurer
and our predecessors, Vinland Property Trust and National Income Realty Trust, since December 1996.
He also served as our senior vice president (from March 1994 to December 1998) and vice president
(from April 1991 to July 1993) of our predecessors. Mr. Minor has a Masters of Business
Administration in Real Estate Analysis and is a Certified Treasury Professional.
Erin D. Pickens has served as our executive vice president and chief financial officer since
December 1998. She previously served as our vice president and chief accounting officer (from
September 1996 to November 1998) and accounting manager (from June 1995 to August 1996) of our
predecessors, Vinland Property Trust and National Income Realty Trust. Ms. Pickens has been a
certified public accountant since 1990.
Charles D. Rubenstein has served as our executive vice president and chief real estate counsel
since December 1998. He served as our senior vice president of our predecessor, National Income
Realty Trust, from September 1998 to December 1998. Mr. Rubenstein has been an attorney at law
since 1984.
William M. Thompson, has served as our executive vice president of operations since March 2003. He
previously served as our chief information officer (from September 2000 to March 2003). Mr.
Thompson has been a certified public accountant since 1981.
Eileen A. Swenson has served as president of Tarragon Management, Inc., one of our wholly owned
subsidiaries since September 2000. Ms. Swenson is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) and a member
of the Institute of Real Estate Management.
William J. Rosato was named president of Tarragon Development Corporation in September 2007. He
previously served as senior vice president (from February 2005 to September 2007) and director of
construction (from October 2003 to February 2005) of Tarragon Development Corporation. Mr. Rosato
received his BA and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a
member of the American Institute of Architects and a licensed architect in the state of New York.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
At December 31, 2007, we had 13 consolidated active for-sale communities and three unconsolidated
active for-sale communities, including four high- or mid-rise condominium developments, three
townhome or traditional new developments, and nine condominium conversions. Information about our
active for-sale communities is presented in the table below entitled Active Development Projects.
At December 31, 2007, we also had 2,398 units in 13 communities in our development pipeline.
Our rental apartment communities at December 31, 2007, included 38 consolidated properties with
8,451 units (including six properties with 1,419 units classified as held for sale). We also owned
three consolidated commercial properties, all but one of which was classified as held for sale.
Information about our rental apartment communities is presented in the table below entitled Rental
Apartment Communities. We also had eight rental communities with 1,969 apartments under
development. Information about our rental developments is presented in the table below entitled
Active Development Projects.
Tarragon, or the consolidated or unconsolidated subsidiaries, partnerships, or joint ventures that
own the properties, generally hold fee simple title to these properties. Most of these properties
are pledged to secure debt. These mortgages are presented in the tables below entitled Loans
Secured by Real Estate Developments and Mortgage Loans Secured by Rental Apartment Communities.
We believe our properties are adequately covered by liability and casualty insurance, consistent
with industry standards.
TARRAGON CORPORATION
DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
UNITS IN ACTIVE PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE
DECEMBER 31, 2007
DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
UNITS IN ACTIVE PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE
DECEMBER 31, 2007
| Northeast (1) | Southeast (2) | Total | ||||||||||
High- and mid-rise developments |
747 | 19 | 766 | |||||||||
Mixed-use residential and commercial developments (3) |
200 | | 200 | |||||||||
Rental communities in lease-up or under development
(4) |
2,005 | 1,516 | 3,521 | |||||||||
Townhome and traditional new developments |
195 | 423 | 618 | |||||||||
Condominium conversions |
| 694 | 694 | |||||||||
Total |
3,147 | 2,652 | 5,799 | |||||||||
| (1) | Northeast includes the states of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. | |
| (2) | Southeast includes the states of Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. | |
| (3) | These projects include 150,000 square feet of commercial space. | |
| (4) | Includes two properties with 642 units under development held by our Investment Division. |
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TARRAGON CORPORATION
ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
DECEMBER 31, 2007
ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
DECEMBER 31, 2007
| Ownership | Number of | |||||||||||||||
| Interest If | Remaining Homes or | Costs to | Net Carrying | |||||||||||||
| Community | Location | Joint Venture | Home Sites (1) | Complete(2) | Value | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
High- and Mid-rise Developments |
||||||||||||||||
Alta Mar |
Fort Myers, FL | 1 | $ | 7 | $ | 2,524 | ||||||||||
Las Olas River House |
Fort Lauderdale, FL | 18 | 1,569 | 26,429 | ||||||||||||
One Hudson Park |
Edgewater, NJ | 61 | 2,956 | 30,388 | (3) | |||||||||||
Trio West |
Palisades Park, NJ | 112 | 5,232 | 36,638 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 192 | 9,764 | 95,979 | ||||||||||||||
Townhome and Traditional New
Developments |
||||||||||||||||
Orchid Grove |
Pompano Beach, FL | 50% | 403 | 46,697 | 46,972 | (6) | ||||||||||
The Villas at Seven Dwarfs Lane |
Orlando, FL | 20 | 8 | 1,264 | ||||||||||||
Warwick Grove |
Warwick, NY | 50% | 123 | 33,069 | 14,101 | (6) | ||||||||||