Annual report pursuant to section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Investment Properties

Investment Properties

The Company records investment properties and related intangibles at cost or fair value upon acquisition less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Investment properties include both acquired and constructed assets. Improvements and major repairs and maintenance are capitalized when the repair and maintenance substantially extends the useful life, increases capacity or improves the efficiency of the asset. All other repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. The Company capitalizes interest on projects during periods of construction until the projects reach the completion point that corresponds with their intended purpose.

                The Company allocates the purchase price of acquisitions to the various components of the acquisition based upon the fair value of each component which may be derived from various observable or unobservable inputs and assumptions. Also, the Company may utilize third party valuation specialists. These components typically include buildings, land and any intangible assets related to out-of the market leases and in-place leases the Company determines to exist. The Company determines fair value based on estimated cash flow projections that utilize appropriate discount and capitalization rates and available market information. Estimates of future cash flows are based on a number of factors including the historical operating results, known trends and specific market and economic conditions that may affect the property. Factors considered by management in the analysis of determining the as-if-vacant property value include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected lease-up periods considering market conditions, and costs to execute similar leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes, insurance and estimates of lost rentals at market rates during the expected lease-up periods, tenant demand and other economic conditions. Management also estimates costs to execute similar leases including leasing commissions, tenant improvements, legal and other related expenses. Intangibles related to out-of-market leases and in-place lease value are recorded as acquired lease intangibles and are amortized as an adjustment to rental revenue or amortization expense, as appropriate, over the remaining terms of the underlying leases. Premiums or discounts on acquired out-of-market debt are amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of such debt.

The Company records depreciation on buildings and improvements utilizing the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset, generally 5 to 40 years. The Company reviews depreciable lives of investment properties periodically and makes adjustments to reflect a shorter economic life, when necessary. Tenant allowances, tenant inducements and tenant improvements are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over the term of the related lease or occupancy term of the tenant, if shorter.

Amounts allocated to buildings are depreciated over the estimated remaining life of the acquired building or related improvements. The Company amortizes amounts allocated to tenant improvements, in-place lease assets and other lease-related intangibles over the remaining life of the underlying leases. The Company also estimates the value of other acquired intangible assets, if any, and amortizes them over the remaining life of the underlying related intangibles.

The Company reviews investment properties for impairment on a property-by-property basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of investment properties may not be recoverable, but at least annually. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, declines in the property’s cash flows, occupancy and fair market value. The Company measures any impairment of investment property when the estimated undiscounted operating income before depreciation and amortization, plus its residual value, is less than the carrying value of the property. To the extent impairment has occurred, the Company charges to income the excess of the carrying value of the property over its estimated fair value. The Company estimates fair value using unobservable data such as operating income, estimated capitalization rates, or multiples, leasing prospects and local market information. The Company may decide to sell properties that are held for use and the sale prices of these properties may differ from their carrying values. The Company did not record any impairment adjustments to its properties during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Conditional Asset Retirement Obligation

Conditional Asset Retirement Obligation

A conditional asset retirement obligation represents a legal obligation to perform an asset retirement activity in which the timing and/or method of settlement depends on a future event that may or may not be with the Company’s control. Currently, the Company does not have any conditional asset retirement obligations. However, any such obligations identified in the future would result in the Company recording a liability if the fair value of the obligation can be reasonably estimated. Environmental studies conducted at the time the Company acquired its properties did not reveal any material environmental liabilities, and the Company is unaware of any subsequent environmental matters that would have created a material liability. The Company believes that its properties are currently in material compliance with applicable environmental, as well as non-environmental, statutory and regulatory requirements. The Company did not record any conditional asset retirement obligation liabilities during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents consist primarily of bank operating accounts and money markets. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk include its cash and cash equivalents and its trade accounts receivable. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with institutions of high credit quality.

The Company places its cash and cash equivalents on deposit with financial institutions in the United States. Beginning December 31, 2010, through December 31, 2012, all noninterest-bearing transaction accounts were fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (“FDIC”), regardless of the balance of the account, at all FDIC-insured institutions. However, this provision expired on December 31, 2012 and beginning January 1, 2013 noninterest-bearing deposits now receive the same $250,000 insurance coverage provided to a depositor’s other deposit accounts held at an FDIC-insured institution.

Tenant Receivables and Unbilled Rent

Tenant Receivables and Unbilled Rent

Tenant receivables include base rents, tenant reimbursements and receivables attributable to recording rents on a straight-line basis. The Company determines an allowance for the uncollectible portion of accrued rents and accounts receivable based upon customer credit-worthiness (including expected recovery of a claim with respect to any tenants in bankruptcy), historical bad debt levels, and current economic trends. The Company considers a receivable past due once it becomes delinquent per the terms of the lease. The Company’s standard lease form considers a rent charge past due after five days. A past due receivable triggers certain events such as notices, fees and other allowable and required actions per the lease. As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company’s allowance for uncollectible accounts totaled $182,078 and $75,250, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded bad debt expenses in the amount of $106,828 and $25,000, respectively, related to tenant receivables that were specifically identified as potentially uncollectible based on the an assessment of the tenant’s credit-worthiness. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company did not realize any recoveries related to tenant receivables previously charged off.

Deferred Costs and Other Assets

Deferred Costs and Other Assets

The

Company’s deferred costs and other assets consists primarily of internal and external leasing commissions, fees incurred in order to obtain long-term financing, capitalized legal and marketing costs and tenant relationship intangibles associated with acquisitions, and various property escrow accounts for real estate taxes, insurance and tenant improvements and replacements. The Company records amortization of financing costs using the effective interest method over the terms of the respective loans or agreements. The Company’s lease origination costs consist primarily of commissions paid in connection with lease originations. The Company generally records amortization of lease origination costs on a straight-line basis over the terms of the related leases. Details of these deferred costs, net of amortization and other assets are as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2013      2012  

Lease origination costs, net

   $ 3,720,812       $ 1,941,457   

Leases in place, net

     8,754,154         2,916,084   

Financing costs, net

     3,110,904         779,969   

Property escrows

     2,151,755         253,969   

Legal and marketing costs, net

     203,819         260,146   

Tenant relationships

     2,372,600         —     

Other

     533,940         376,281   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Deferred Costs and Other Assets, net

   $ 20,847,984       $ 6,527,906   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Amortization of lease origination costs, in place leases, legal and marketing costs and tenant relationships represent a component of depreciation and amortization expense. The Company reports amortization of financing costs, amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts as part of interest expense. The Company accounts for in place lease assets as a component of the investment properties’ cost basis (See Note 3 “Investment Properties”). Future amortization of lease origination costs, leases in place, financing costs, legal and marketing costs and tenant relationships is as follows:

 

For the Years Ending

December 31,

   Lease
Origination
Costs
     Leases
In Place
     Financing
Costs
     Legal &
Marketing
Costs
     Tenant
Relationships
 

2014

   $ 476,589       $ 2,317,788       $ 746,912       $ 49,890       $ 978,098   

2015

     438,146         1,846,242         725,155         35,381         710,773   

2016

     399,520         1,311,656         432,337         29,660         406,888   

2017

     353,904         931,557         313,130         22,261         222,010   

2018

     271,049         442,912         277,691         16,483         40,523   

Thereafter

     1,781,604         1,903,999         615,679         50,144         14,308   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 3,720,812       $ 8,754,154       $ 3,110,904       $ 203,819       $ 2,372,600   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company retains substantially all of the risks and benefits of ownership of the investment properties and accounts for its leases as operating leases. The Company accrues minimum rents on a straight-line basis over the terms of the respective leases which results in an unbilled rent asset or deferred rent liability being recorded on the balance sheet. Additionally, certain of the lease agreements contain provisions that grant additional rents based on tenants’ sales volumes (contingent or percentage rent). Percentage rents are recognized when the tenants achieve the specified targets as defined in their lease agreements. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company recognized percentage rents of $15,472 and $9,360, respectively.

The Company’s leases generally require the tenant to reimburse the Company for a substantial portion of its expenses incurred in operating, maintaining, repairing, insuring and managing the shopping center and common areas (collectively defined as Common Area Maintenance or “CAM” expenses). This significantly reduces the Company’s exposure to increases in costs and operating expenses resulting from inflation or other outside factors. The Company accrues reimbursements from tenants for recoverable portions of all these expenses as revenue in the period the applicable expenditures are incurred. The Company calculates the tenant’s share of operating costs by multiplying the total amount of the operating costs by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total number of square feet being leased by the tenant, and the denominator of which is the average total square footage of all leasable buildings in the property. The Company also receives escrow payments for these reimbursements from substantially all its tenants throughout the year. The Company recognizes differences between estimated recoveries and the final billed amounts in the subsequent year. These differences were not material for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

The Company recognizes lease termination fees in the period that the lease is terminated and collection of the fees is reasonably assured. Upon early lease termination, the Company provides for losses related to unrecovered intangibles and other assets. The Company did not recognize any lease termination fees during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code and applicable Treasury regulations relating to REIT qualification. In order to maintain this REIT status, the regulations require the Company to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to stockholders and meet certain other asset and income tests, as well as other requirements. The Company made no provision for federal income taxes for the REIT in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates for the years in which it fails to qualify. If the Company loses its REIT status it could not elect to be taxed as a REIT for five years unless the Company’s failure to qualify was due to reasonable cause and certain other conditions were satisfied.

Management has evaluated the effect of the guidance provided by GAAP on Accounting for Uncertainty of Income Taxes and has determined that the Company had no uncertain income tax positions that could have a significant effect on the financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

As the REIT was formed in November 2012, it is subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities from the date of formation.

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments

The carrying amount of financial instruments included in assets and liabilities approximates fair market value due to their immediate or short-term maturity.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The Company has made estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the reported period. The Company’s actual results could differ from these estimates.

Advertising Costs

Advertising Costs

The Company expenses advertising and promotion costs as incurred. The Company incurred advertising and promotion costs of $49,110 and $35,765 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Noncontrolling Interests

Noncontrolling Interests

Noncontrolling interests is the portion of equity in the Operating Partnership not attributable to the Trust. The ownership interests not held by the parent are considered noncontrolling interests. Accordingly, noncontrolling interests have been reported in equity on the consolidated balance sheets but separate from the Company’s equity. On the consolidated statements of operations, the subsidiaries are reported at the consolidated amount, including both the amount attributable to the Company and noncontrolling interests. Consolidated statements of changes in equity include beginning balances, activity for the period and ending balances for shareholders’ equity, noncontrolling interests and total equity.

The noncontrolling interest of the Operating Partnership common unit holders is calculated by multiplying the noncontrolling interest ownership percentage at the balance sheet date by the Operating Partnership’s net assets (total assets less total liabilities). The noncontrolling interest percentage is calculated at any point in time by dividing the number of units not owned by the Company by the total number of units outstanding. The noncontrolling interest ownership percentage will change as additional units are issued or as units are exchanged for the Company’s Common Stock. In accordance with GAAP, any changes in the value from period to period are charged to additional paid-in capital.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2012, the FASB issued Accounting Standards update, or ASU, 2012-02 “Impairment Goodwill and Other (Topic 350).” This amendment would give the Company the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of an event or circumstance indicates that it is more likely than not that intangible assets are impaired before having to determine the fair value using the current quantitative approach. This ASU is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this ASU during the year ended December 31, 2012. We evaluate intangibles for impairment annually unless factors arise that would create the need to perform an evaluation during interim periods. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, there were no factors that indicated any impairment.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standard-setting bodies are not currently applicable to the Company or are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.