UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
___________________
FORM 10-K
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| ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |||||
For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2022
or
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |||||
Commission file number: 001-33530
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
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Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was $518,560,146 as of June 30, 2022 (based upon the closing sale price on The New York Stock Exchange for such date). For this purpose, all shares held by directors, executive officers and stockholders beneficially owning ten percent or more of the registrant’s common stock have been treated as held by affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
The number of shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 22, 2023 was 46,032,886 .
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Green Brick Partners, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Green Brick”, “the Company”, “we” or “us”) is a diversified homebuilding and land development company. We acquire and develop land and build homes through our eight brands of builders in five major markets. Our core markets are in the high growth U.S. metropolitan areas of Dallas-Fort Worth (“DFW”) and Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, as well as the Treasure Coast, Florida area and Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are engaged in all aspects of the homebuilding process, including land acquisition and development, entitlements, design, construction, title and mortgage services, marketing and sales and the creation of brand images at our residential neighborhoods and master planned communities.
We believe we offer higher quality homes with more distinctive designs and floor plans than those built by our competitors at comparable prices. Many of our communities are located in premium locations and we seek to enhance homebuyer satisfaction by utilizing high-quality materials, offering a broad range of customization options and building well-crafted homes. We seek to maximize value over the long term and operate our business to mitigate risks in the event of a downturn by controlling costs and quickly reacting to regional and local market trends.
We are a leading lot developer in our markets and believe that our strict operating discipline provides us with a competitive advantage in seeking to maximize returns while minimizing risk. As of December 31, 2022, we owned or controlled approximately 25,500 home sites in high-growth submarkets throughout the DFW, Austin, and Atlanta metropolitan areas and the Treasure Coast, Florida market. We provide finished lots to our subsidiary builders or option lots from third-party developers for our builders’ homebuilding operations and provide them with construction funding and strategic planning. Our Atlanta and Florida builders provide us with their local knowledge and relationships.
We are a Delaware corporation, incorporated in 2006. We commenced operations as a publicly held homebuilding company in 2014. Our principal executive offices are located at 2805 Dallas Pkwy, Ste 400, Plano, TX 75093.
Business Strategy
We believe we are well-positioned for growth through the disciplined execution of the following elements of our strategy:
•Consistent Land Acquisition Program with Disciplined Underwriting. We believe our ability to identify, acquire and develop land in desirable locations and on favorable terms is critical to our success. We evaluate land opportunities based on how we expect such opportunities will contribute to overall profitability and returns. Through our rigorous national underwriting program, we seek to identify attractive properties that are typically located in prime neighborhood locations or in preferred growth corridors. We focus on the development of entitled parcels in communities where we can generally sell all homes within 24 to 60 months from the start of sales. Notwithstanding, we will also invest in longer-term land investments if our return criteria is generated.
•Focus on Markets with a Favorable Growth Outlook and Strong Demand Fundamentals. We have chosen to focus our operations to sunbelt and sunbelt adjacent states because we believe that these markets offer attractive residential real estate investment characteristics, such as growing economies, improving levels of employment, and population growth relative to national averages, favorable migration patterns, general housing affordability, and desirable lifestyle and weather characteristics. We currently generate income from home sales in Texas, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia. Each of these states experienced double-digit growth between 2010 and 2020 while the population of the US only grew 7.3%. In 2022, Texas, Florida and Georgia were ranked first, second and fourth, respectively in terms of population growth according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
•Strategically Increase Market Positions in our Existing Markets. We believe that there are significant opportunities to profitably expand in our core markets. As of December 31 , 2022
•Deliver Superior Designs, Broad Product Ranges and Enhanced Homebuying Experience. We partner our expertise with that of our builders to design attractive neighborhoods and homes to appeal to a wide variety of potential homebuyers. Our homebuilding projects include townhomes, patio homes, single family homes, and luxury homes. We believe we can adapt quickly to changing market conditions and optimize performance and returns while strategically reducing portfolio risk because of our diversified product strategy. One of our core operating philosophies
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is to create a culture which provides a positive, memorable experience for our homebuyers. In consultation with nationally and locally recognized architecture firms, interior and exterior consultants, and homeowner focus groups, we research and design a diversified range of products for various levels and price points.
•Disciplined Investment Strategy Combined with the Prudent Use of Leverage. We seek to maximize value over the long-term and operate our business to mitigate risks in the event of a downturn by controlling costs and focusing on regional and local market trends. We believe that our strict operating discipline combined with our prudent use of financial leverage to continue to invest in our land acquisition, development and homebuilding businesses provides us with a competitive advantage in seeking to maximize returns while minimizing risk. We target a debt to total capitalization ratio of approximately 30% to 35%, which we expect will continue to provide us with significant additional growth capital. As of December 31 , 2022
•Targeted Expansion into Adjacent Markets. We currently intend to pursue targeted expansion of our entry-level builder, Trophy Signature Homes, into markets within our current states. We believe Trophy’s more affordable product and quicker inventory turns make its platform uniquely scalable to expand outside of the DFW metroplex. We plan to expand Trophy into markets compatible with our existing markets that demonstrate strong trends in demographics, employment, and in-migration by leveraging existing relationships with land developers and homebuilders. In this regard, in February 2022, we began our expansion into the Austin, TX market. In addition, we have traditionally, and may in the future, grow through the acquisition of homebuilders in our current markets or other markets that meet our demographic and economic growth criteria.
Our Builders and Homes
The following table presents general information about each of our builders, including the types of homes they build and their price ranges as of December 31 , 2022
| Builder | Ownership | Market | Products Offered | Price Range | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trophy Signature Homes LLC (“Trophy”) | 100% | DFW and Austin | Single family | $270,000 to $1,080,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CB JENI Homes DFW LLC (“CB JENI”) | 100% | DFW | Townhomes | $270,000 to $630,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Normandy Homes (“Normandy”) | 100% | DFW | Single family | $450,000 to $1,150,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| SGHDAL LLC (“Southgate”) | 100% | DFW | Luxury homes | $760,000 to $1,570,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CLH20 LLC (“Centre Living”) | 90% | DFW | Townhomes and Single Family | $380,000 to $930,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Providence Group of Georgia LLC (“TPG”) | 50% | Atlanta | Townhomes, Condominiums and Single Family | $360,000 to $1,200,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| GRBK GHO Homes LLC (“GRBK GHO”) | 80% | Treasure Coast | Patio homes and Single Family | $340,000 to $2,290,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
GB Challenger, LLC (“Challenger”) | 49.9% | Colorado Springs and Denver | Townhomes and Single Family | $330,000 to $820,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Our backlog reflects the number and value of homes for which we have entered into sales contracts with customers but not yet delivered. With the exception of a normal cancellation rate, we expect all of the backlog as of December 31 , 2022
| Year Ended December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Builder | Average Selling Communities | Selling Communities | Backlog, Units | Backlog, in thousands | Selling Communities | Backlog, Units | Backlog, in thousands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trophy | 25 | 28 | 143 | $ | 78,840 | 23 | 413 | $ | 246,668 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CB JENI (1) | 15 | 16 | 121 | 72,395 | 15 | 283 | 139,531 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southgate | 4 | 4 | 38 | 44,045 | 4 | 158 | 131,455 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Centre Living | 4 | 3 | 22 | 12,352 | 5 | 45 | 24,289 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TPG | 19 | 20 | 111 | 77,431 | 19 | 352 | 200,405 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GRBK GHO | 9 | 9 | 102 | 84,032 | 8 | 229 | 127,508 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total (2) | 76 | 80 | 537 | $ | 369,095 | 74 | 1,480 | $ | 869,856 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1)Includes Normandy Homes.
(2)GB Challenger is not included in the table above as Green Brick does not have a controlling financial interest in Challenger. Our investment in Challenger is treated as an unconsolidated investment under the equity method of accounting and is included in investments in unconsolidated entities in our consolidated balance sheets.
In response to our customers expressed desire for an expedited and transparent sales process, we offer a selection of homes with simplified, all upgrades included options. Our Trophy Signature Homes and CB JENI X lines have been at the forefront of creating an honest, easy to follow, sales experience that seeks to offer simplified solutions with top-of-the-line finishes regardless of a homebuyer’s price range. We believe that this streamlined process and focus on operational efficiency has enabled us to react quickly to the rise of the work from home lifestyle of our homebuyers. As a result, we have launched updated plans with a focus on dedicated office spaces, home integrations with the newest technology, and the latest in energy-efficient solutions including tankless water heaters, high-efficiency LED lighting, ENERGY STAR rated appliances, and low flow bathroom fixtures.
We are focused on creating environmentally sustainable products, and our purchasing power enables us to include green features in our homes. Each new home we build is healthier and more energy efficient, and has less impact on the environment than prior generations of homes as a result of features like:
•Low-VOC paint that reduces pollution;
•WaterSense® faucets that reduce water flow without sacrificing performance;
• Low-E windows that reduce infrared and ultraviolet light coming into the home; and
•Energy Star® appliances that reduce energy consumption.
Land Policy
Our land inventory strategy strives to provide us with a multi-year supply of lots for each of our brands for future homebuilding while limiting excess supply that would be subject to market cycle risk. With certain exceptions, we focus on the development of entitled parcels in communities where we can generally sell all lots and homes within 24 to 60 months from the start of sales. This focus allows us to limit exposure to land development and land risks while pursuing favorable returns on our investments. We seek to minimize our exposure to land risk through disciplined management of entitlements, the use of land and lot options, and other flexible land acquisition arrangements. We are actively involved in every step of the land entitlement, home design, and construction processes with our builders.
Our land teams focus on acquiring well located land that will position us to deliver future earnings growth in 2023 and beyond. As of December 31 , 2022December 31 , 2022
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Marketing and Sales Process
We sell our homes primarily from models that we have designed and constructed. We employ new home consultants who are paid salaries, commissions or both to conduct on-site sales of our homes. Our in-house sales force typically works from sales offices located in model homes in or near each community. Sales representatives assist potential buyers by providing them with basic floor plans, price information, development and construction timetables, virtual and in-person tours of model homes, and upgrade options. Sales personnel are trained by us and generally have had prior experience selling new homes in the local market. Our personnel, along with subcontracted marketing and design consultants, carefully design the exterior and interior of each home to appeal to the lifestyles of targeted homebuyers. We also sell homes through independent realtors.
We offer a preferred lender referral program through our mortgage joint venture to provide lending options to homebuyers in need of financing. We also offer homeowners a comprehensive warranty on each home. Homes are generally covered by an eight to ten-year warranty for structural concerns, one year for defects and products used, and two years for electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning parts and labor.
Our marketing strategy has increasingly involved advertising through digital channels including real estate listing sites, paid search, display advertising, social media, and e-mail marketing, all of which drive traffic to our builders’ websites. This has allowed us to attract more qualified and knowledgeable homebuyers and has helped us reduce our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of home sales revenues. However, we also continue to advertise through more traditional media on a limited basis, including newspapers, radio advertisements, other local and regional publications, and on billboards where appropriate. We tailor our marketing strategy and message based on the community being advertised and the customers being targeted.
Financial Services
In addition to independently branded subsidiary homebuilders, Green Brick Partners retains 100% ownership in Green Brick Title and 49% ownership in BHome Mortgage. Our financial services help our customers bring their homebuying dreams into reality by providing mortgage and title services, allowing for a one-stop-shop solution. Through BHome Mortgage, our mortgage services buyers can expect personal attention from their first meeting through the closing of their new home. As part of the Green Brick Partners family, Green Brick Title’s unprecedented access to resources beyond those of a traditional title company enables us to always stay one step ahead of our competition and bring buyers unmatched customer service.
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Raw Materials
Typically, all the raw materials and most of the components used in our business are readily available in the United States. Most are standard items carried by major suppliers. However, the rapid increase in the number of homes started during 2021 through the first half of 2022 caused shortages in the availability of such materials and in the price of services, thereby leading to delays in the delivery of homes and increased home construction prices. We continue to monitor the supply markets to achieve the best prices available. See “Risk Factors - Labor and raw material shortages and price fluctuations could delay or increase the cost of land development and home construction, which could materially and adversely affect our business.”
Seasonality
The homebuilding industry experiences seasonal fluctuations in quarterly operating results and capital requirements. We typically experience the highest new home order activity in spring and summer, although this activity is also highly dependent on the number of active selling communities, timing of new community openings, and other market factors. Since it typically has taken five to nine months to construct a new home, we have historically delivered more homes in the second half of the year as spring and summer home orders are delivered. Because of this seasonality, home starts, construction costs and related cash outflows have historically been highest in the second and third quarters, and the majority of cash receipts from home deliveries occur during the third and fourth quarters. We expect this seasonal pattern to continue over the long-term, although it may be affected by volatility in the homebuilding industry. Due to the significant increase in home demand and the more limited supply of both existing homes and speculative home inventory from all builders for the past two years, such seasonal patterns have been far less evident in our business operations.
Competition
Competition in the homebuilding industry is intense, and there are relatively low barriers to entry. Homebuilders compete for, among other things, homebuyers, desirable land parcels, financing, raw materials, and skilled labor. Increased competition could hurt our business, as it could prevent us from acquiring attractive land parcels on which to build homes or make such acquisitions more expensive, hinder our market share expansion, and lead to pricing pressures on our homes that may adversely impact our revenues and margins. Our competitors may independently develop land and construct housing units that are superior or substantially similar to our products. Furthermore, a number of our primary competitors are significantly larger, have a longer operating history, and may have greater resources or lower cost of capital; accordingly, they may be able to compete more effectively in one or more of the markets in which we operate. Many of these competitors also have longstanding relationships with subcontractors and suppliers in the markets in which we operate. We also compete for sales with individual resales of existing homes and with available rental housing.
Human Capital Resources
Attracting, retaining, and building talent is critical in our business. We continue to recruit talented team members that exhibit superior emotional intelligence. This focus on a staff that places a strong emphasis on communication and navigating a fast-paced environment empathetically and judiciously enables us to operate effectively and efficiently each day. We seek to establish a supportive culture that fosters a strong sense of ownership and a continuous drive to excel. Our goal is to not just empower our team members with the tools needed to succeed but to create a community that focuses on taking ownership of one’s work. Our culture celebrates individual success, primes our employees for growth, and is critical in maintaining our competitive edge over our peers.
At December 31 , 2022550 full-time employees, including approximately 500 who were involved in our homebuilding operations, with locations in Dallas-Ft. Worth and Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia and the Treasure Coast, Florida, and approximately 50 in management and administration. Our operations are carried out through both local and centralized management. Our centralized management sets our strategy and leads decisions related to our land acquisition, national purchasing, marketing analytics, risk management, finance, cash management, capital allocation, human resources management, and IT support for our builders. Our homebuilder operations consist of our division employees, led by management with significant homebuilding experience and who possess a depth of knowledge in their particular markets, and include employees responsible for the design, construction oversight, marketing, and sales of our homes. We act solely as a general contractor, and all construction operations are coordinated by our project managers and field superintendents who schedule and monitor third-party independent subcontractors. Our ability to deliver our homes is dependent on the availability and quality of the subcontractors, such as electricians, plumbers, drywall installers, and bricklayers with whom we partner to build our homes. We do not have collective bargaining agreements relating to any of our employees. We offer our employees a compensation package with a broad range of company-paid benefits, including medical, dental, life insurance, and other health and welfare plans, that we believe are competitive.
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We believe having a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone has a sense of belonging, not only drives engagement but fosters innovation, which is critical to driving growth. Our management teams are expected to exhibit and promote honest, ethical and respectful conduct in the workplace. All of our employees must adhere to a code of conduct that sets standards for appropriate behavior and includes required internal training on preventing, identifying, reporting and stopping any type of discrimination. Furthermore, our management team supports a culture of developing future leaders from our existing workforce, enabling us to promote from within for many leadership positions. We believe this provides long-term focus and continuity to our operations while also providing opportunities for the growth and advancement of our employees.
Governmental Regulations and Environmental Regulation
Homebuilding Related Regulations. We are subject to various local, state, and federal statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations concerning zoning, building design, construction, and similar matters, including local regulations that impose restrictive zoning and density requirements. In addition, local and state governments have broad discretion regarding the imposition of development fees for projects under their jurisdictions. Governing agencies may also require concessions or may require the developer to commit to providing roads and other offsite infrastructure, the costs of which can be substantial, and may require them to be in place prior to the commencement of new home construction. In addition, governing agencies may impose construction moratoriums which could subject us to delays or may preclude us entirely from developing communities due to building moratoriums, “no growth” or “slow growth” initiatives or building permit allocation ordinances, which could be implemented in the future. In addition, we are subject to various licensing, registration, and filing requirements in connection with the construction, advertisement, and sale of homes in our communities. Also, some states are attempting to make homebuilders responsible for violations of wage and other labor laws by their subcontractors.
Environmental Regulations. We are subject to a variety of local, state, and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning the protection of the environment. The particular environmental laws that apply to any given homebuilding site vary according to multiple factors, including the site’s location, its environmental conditions, and the present and former uses of the site and adjoining properties. In some markets, we are subject to environmentally-sensitive land ordinances that mandate open space areas with public elements in housing developments, and prevent development on hillsides, wetlands and other protected areas. We must also comply with open space restrictions, flood plain restrictions, desert wash area restrictions, native plant regulations, endangered species acts, and view restrictions. In those cases where an endangered or threatened species is involved, environmental rules and regulations can result in the restriction or elimination of development in identified environmentally sensitive areas. From time to time, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and similar federal or state agencies review homebuilders’ compliance with environmental laws and may levy fines and penalties for failure to comply strictly with applicable environmental laws or impose additional requirements for future compliance as a result of past failures. Any such actions taken may increase our costs. Further, we expect that increasingly stringent requirements will be imposed on homebuilders and land developers in the future.
Energy and Climate Change Related Regulations. There is constantly a variety of new legislation being enacted, or considered for enactment at the federal, state and local levels relating to energy and climate change. Some of this legislation relates to items such as carbon dioxide emissions control and building codes that impose energy efficiency standards. New building code requirements that impose stricter energy efficiency standards could significantly increase the cost to construct homes, although our energy-efficiency technologies and offerings meet, and in many instances exceed, current and expected energy efficiency thresholds. As climate change concerns continue to grow, legislation and regulations of this nature are expected to continue and may result in increased costs and longer approval and development timelines. Similarly, energy and environment-related initiatives affect a wide variety of companies throughout the United States and the world, and because our operations are heavily dependent on significant amounts of raw materials, such as lumber, steel, and concrete, such initiatives could have an indirect adverse impact on our operations and profitability to the extent the manufacturers and suppliers of our materials are burdened with expensive carbon dioxide emissions control and other environmental and energy-related regulations.
Available Information
Our website address is www.greenbrickpartners.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Our website and the information contained or incorporated therein are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to our investors. Any of these risks could significantly and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the information contained under the caption “Forward-Looking Statements”.
Risks Related to our Business and Industry
The homebuilding industry is cyclical. A severe downturn in the industry could adversely affect our business, results of operations and stockholders’ equity.
The residential homebuilding industry is cyclical and is highly sensitive to changes in general economic conditions such as levels of employment, consumer confidence and income, availability of financing for acquisitions, construction and permanent mortgages, interest rate levels, inflation and demand for housing. The U.S. housing market could be negatively impacted by declining consumer confidence, restrictive mortgage standards and large supplies of foreclosures, resales and new homes, among other factors. These conditions, combined with a prolonged economic downturn, high unemployment levels, increases in the rate of inflation and uncertainty in the U.S. economy, could contribute to higher cancellation rates, decreased demand for housing, increased market inventory of new homes, reduced sales prices and increased pricing pressure. Lower demand for our homes, combined with lower sales prices or the offering of other incentives or concessions would also have an adverse impact on our margins. If demand for housing stalls or declines, we could experience declines in the market value of our inventory and demand for our lots, homes and construction loans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
Our operating performance is subject to risks associated with the real estate industry.
Real estate investments are susceptible to various risks, fluctuations and cycles in value and demand, many of which are beyond our control. Certain events may decrease cash available for operations and the value of our real estate assets. These events include, but are not limited to:
•adverse changes in international, national or local economic and demographic conditions;
•adverse changes in financial conditions of buyers and sellers of properties, particularly residential homes and land suitable for development of residential homes;
•competition from other real estate investors with significant capital, including other real estate operating companies and developers and institutional investment funds;
•fluctuations in interest rates, which could adversely affect the ability of homebuyers to obtain financing on favorable terms or their willingness to obtain financing at all;
•unanticipated increases in expenses, including, without limitation, insurance costs, development costs, real estate assessments and other taxes and costs of compliance with laws, regulations and governmental policies; and
•changes in enforcement of laws, regulations and governmental policies, including, without limitation, health, safety, environmental, zoning and tax laws.
Adverse changes in macroeconomic conditions in and around the markets we operate in, and where prospective purchasers of our homes live, could reduce the demand and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Adverse changes in economic conditions in markets where we conduct our operations and where prospective purchasers of our homes live have had and may in the future have a negative impact on our business. Adverse changes in employment and median income levels, job growth, consumer confidence, interest rates, perceptions regarding the strength of the housing market, and population growth, or an oversupply of homes for sale may reduce demand or depress prices for our homes and cause home buyers to cancel their agreements to purchase our homes. This, in turn, could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, periods of economic slowdown or recession, rising interest rates or declining demand for real estate, or the public perception that any of these events may occur, could result in a general decline in the purchase of homes or an increased incidence of home order cancellations. If we cannot successfully implement our business strategy, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
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Our business and financial results could be adversely affected by significant inflation or deflation.
Inflation can adversely affect our homebuilding operations by increasing costs of land, financing, materials, labor and construction. While we attempt to pass on cost increases to homebuyers by increasing prices, we may not be able to offset cost increases with higher selling prices in a weak housing market. In addition, significant inflation is often accompanied by higher interest rates, which have a negative impact on housing demand. In a highly inflationary environment, depending on industry and other economic conditions, we may be precluded from raising home prices enough to keep up with the rate of inflation or may have to discount prices which could reduce our profit margins. Moreover, with inflation, the costs of capital increase and the purchasing power of our cash resources could decline. The current and continued economic conditions of high inflation
and rising interest rates, especially increases in mortgage rates, could lead to a decrease in demand for new homes. Current or future efforts by the government to stimulate the economy may increase the risk of significant inflation and its adverse impact on our business or financial results.
Alternatively, a significant period of deflation could cause a decrease in overall spending and borrowing levels. This could lead to a deterioration in economic conditions, including an increase in the rate of unemployment. Deflation could cause the value of our inventory to decline or reduce the value of existing homes below the related mortgage loan balance, which could potentially increase the supply of existing homes and have a negative impact on our results of operations.
We depend on the availability and satisfactory performance of subcontractors. Our business could be negatively affected if our subcontractors are not able to perform.
We conduct our land development and homebuilding operations primarily as a general contractor. Our unaffiliated third-party subcontractors perform virtually all of our land development and constructions. Consequently, the timing and quality of the development of our land and the construction of our homes depends on the availability and skill of our subcontractors. There may not be sufficient availability of and satisfactory performance by these unaffiliated third-party subcontractors in the markets in which we operate. If there are inadequate subcontractor resources, our ability to meet customer demands, both timing and quality, could be adversely affected which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our future growth and our profitability.
Labor and raw material shortages and price fluctuations could delay or increase the cost of land development and home construction, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
The residential construction industry experiences labor and raw material shortages from time to time, including shortages in qualified tradespeople and in supplies such as insulation, drywall, cement, steel and lumber. These labor and raw material shortages can be more severe during periods of strong demand for housing or when a region in which we operate experiences a natural disaster that has a significant impact on existing residential and commercial structures. Significant increases in the demand for new homes result in extended lead times, supply shortages and price increases because of the heightened demand for the raw materials, products and appliances. For example, we have previously, and may in the future experience price increases, shortages and extensions to our lead time for the delivery of materials such as lumber, appliances and windows. This has and may continue to result in longer construction periods, delays in home closings and margin compression if we are unable to increase our sales prices accordingly.
The cost of labor and raw materials may also be adversely affected during periods of shortage or high inflation. Shortages and price increases could cause delays in, and increase our costs of, land development and home construction, which we may not be able to offset by raising home prices due to market demand and because the price for each home is typically set prior to its delivery pursuant to the agreement of sale with the homebuyer. In addition, the federal government has at various times in recent years imposed tariffs on a variety of imports from foreign countries and may impose additional tariffs in the future. Significant tariffs or other restrictions that are placed on raw materials that we use in our homebuilding operation, such as lumber or steel, could cause the cost of home construction to increase which we may not be able to offset by raising home prices or which could slow our absorption due to constraints on market demand. As a result, shortages or increased costs of labor and raw materials could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure to recruit, retain and develop highly skilled, competent employees may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our success depends on the continued performance of key employees, including management team members at both the corporate and homebuilder subsidiary levels. Our results of operations could suffer if any of the management team members decided to terminate their employment with us. Our ability to retain our management team or to attract suitable replacements should any members of our management team leave is dependent on the competitive nature of the employment market. The loss of services from key management team members or a limitation in their availability could materially and adversely impact our
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business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Such a loss could also be negatively perceived in the capital markets. We do not maintain key person insurance with respect to any member of our named executive officers.
Furthermore, key employees working in the land development, homebuilding and construction industries are highly sought after. Experienced employees in the homebuilding, land acquisition, and construction industries are fundamental to our ability to generate, obtain and manage opportunities. In particular, local knowledge and relationships are critical to our ability to source attractive land acquisition opportunities. Failure to attract and retain such personnel or to ensure that their experience and knowledge is not lost when they leave the business through retirement, redundancy or otherwise may adversely affect the standards of our service and may have an adverse impact on our business, financial conditions and results of operations.
We may be unable to achieve our objectives because of our inability to execute on our business strategies.
Our business objectives include expanding into new markets and becoming a more capital and operationally efficient home builder. We cannot guarantee that our strategies to meet these objectives will be successful or that they will result in growth, and increased earnings or returns within our desired time frame. We cannot guarantee that we will achieve positive operational or financial results in the future, or results that are equal to or better than those attained in the past. We also cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to maintain our strategies in the future. Due to unexpectedly favorable or unfavorable market conditions or other factors, we may determine that we need to adjust, refine or abandon all or portions of our strategies, and any related initiatives or actions. We cannot guarantee that any such adjustments will be successful. The failure of any one or more of our present strategies, or any related initiatives or actions, or the failure of any adjustments that we may pursue or implement, could have an adverse effect on our ability to increase the value and profitability of our business, our ability to operate our business in the ordinary course, our overall liquidity, and our consolidated financial statements. The effect in each case could be material.
Our long-term success depends on our ability to acquire undeveloped land, partially finished developed lots and finished lots suitable for residential homebuilding at reasonable prices, in accordance with our land investment criteria.
The homebuilding industry is highly competitive for suitable land and the risk inherent in purchasing and developing land is directly impacted by changes in consumer demand for housing. The availability of finished and partially finished developed lots and undeveloped land for purchase that meet our investment criteria depends on a number of factors outside our control, including land availability, competition with other homebuilders and land buyers, inflation in land prices, zoning, allowable housing density, the ability to obtain building permits and other regulatory requirements. Should suitable land or lots become more difficult to locate or obtain, the number of lots we may be able to develop and sell could decrease, the number of homes we may be able to build and sell could decrease and the cost of land could increase substantially, which could adversely impact our results of operations.
As competition for suitable land increases, the cost of acquiring both finished and undeveloped lots and the cost of developing owned land could rise and the availability of suitable land at acceptable prices may decline, which could adversely impact our financial results. The availability of suitable land assets could also affect the success of our land acquisition strategy, which may impact our ability to increase the number of active selling communities, to grow our revenues and margins and to achieve or maintain profitability.
Our results of operations could be adversely affected if we are unable to develop communities successfully or within expected timeframes.
Before a community generates any revenue, time and material expenditures are required to acquire and prepare land, entitle and finish lots, obtain development approvals, pay taxes and construct significant portions of project infrastructure, amenities, model homes and sales facilities. It can take several years from the time that we acquire control of a property to the time that we make our first home sale on the site. Delays in the development of communities expose us to the risk of changes in market conditions for homes. A decline in our ability to develop and market our communities successfully and to generate positive cash flow from these operations in a timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations and on our ability to service our debt and meet our working capital requirements.
Real estate investments are relatively illiquid. As a result, our ability to promptly sell one or more properties in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions may be limited, and we may be forced to hold non-income producing assets for an extended period of time. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms that we set or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property.
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Our future growth may include additional strategic investments, joint ventures, partnerships and/or acquisitions of companies that may not be as successful as we anticipate and could disrupt our ongoing businesses and adversely affect our operations.
Our investments in our homebuilding subsidiaries have contributed to our historical growth and similar investments may be a component of our growth strategy in the future. We may make additional strategic investments, enter into new joint venture or partnership arrangements or acquire businesses, some of which may be significant. These endeavors may involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, significant start-up costs, insufficient revenues to offset expenses associated with these new investments and inadequate return on capital in these investments, any of which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Our failure to successfully identify and manage future investments, joint ventures, partnerships or acquisitions could harm our results of operations.
Our geographic concentration could materially and adversely affect us if the homebuilding industry in our current markets decline.
In the DFW metropolitan area, we primarily operate in the counties of Dallas, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Tarrant, Kaufman, Hunt, and Johnson. In Austin, we primarily operate in the counties of Bastrop and Travis. In Atlanta, we primarily operate in the counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Forsyth, Cherokee and Dekalb. In Florida, we primarily operate in the counties of Indian River and St. Lucie. We may not realize our favorable growth outlook if housing demand and population growth stagnate or decrease in our core markets. Furthermore, we may be unable to compete effectively with the resale home market in our core markets. Because our operations are concentrated in these areas, a prolonged economic downturn in one or more of these areas could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations, and a disproportionately greater impact on us than other homebuilders with more diversified operations. Further, slower rates of population growth or population declines in the DFW, Austin, Atlanta or Treasure Coast markets, especially as compared to the high population growth rates in prior years, could affect the demand for housing, causing home prices in these markets to decline and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our developments are subject to government regulations, which could cause us to incur significant liabilities or restrict our business activities.
Our developments are subject to numerous local, state, federal and other statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, development, building design, construction and similar matters that impose restrictive zoning and density requirements, which impose limitations on the number and type of homes that can be built within the boundaries of a particular area. Projects that are not yet entitled may be subjected to periodic delays, changes in use, less intensive development or elimination of development in certain specific areas due to government regulations. We may also be subject to periodic delays or may be precluded entirely from developing in certain communities due to building moratoriums or “slow-growth” or “no-growth” initiatives that could be implemented in the future. Local governments also have broad discretion regarding the imposition of development and service fees for projects in their jurisdiction. Projects for which we have received land use and development entitlements or approvals may still require a variety of other governmental approvals and permits during the development process and can also be impacted adversely by unforeseen health, safety and welfare issues, which can further delay these projects or prevent their development. As a result, lot and home sales could decline and costs could increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our current results of operations and our long-term growth prospects.
Changes in global or regional environmental conditions and governmental actions in response to such changes may adversely affect us by increasing the costs of or restricting our planned or future growth activities.
There is growing concern from many members of the scientific community and the general public that an increase in global average temperatures due to emissions of greenhouse gases and other human activities have caused, or will cause, significant changes in weather patterns and increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Government mandates, standards or regulations intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or projected climate change impacts have resulted, and are likely to continue to result, in restrictions on land development in certain areas and increased energy, transportation and raw material costs. Governmental requirements directed at reducing effects on climate could cause us to incur expenses that we cannot recover or that will require us to increase the price of homes we sell to the point that it affects demand for those homes.
Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by a decrease in the value of our land or homes and the associated carrying costs.
We continuously acquire land for replacement of land inventory and expansion within our current markets and may in the future acquire land for expansion into new markets. However, the market value of land, building lots and housing inventories can fluctuate significantly due to changing market conditions. The measures we employ to manage inventory risk may not be adequate to insulate our operations from a severe drop in inventory values. If housing demand decreases below what we
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anticipated when we acquired our inventory, we may not be able to generate profits consistent with those we have generated in the past and we may not be able to recover our costs when we sell lots and homes. When market conditions are such that land values are not appreciating, option arrangements previously entered into may become less desirable, at which time we may elect to forgo deposits and pre-acquisition costs and terminate such arrangements. During adverse market conditions, we may have substantially higher inventory carrying costs, may have to write down our inventory as a result of impairment and/or may have to sell land or homes at a loss. Any material write-downs of assets, or sales at a loss, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Demand for our homes and lots is dependent on the cost and availability of mortgage financing.
Our business depends on the ability of our homebuyers, as well as the ability of those who buy homes from the third-party homebuilding entities to which we sell lots (our “homebuilding customers”), to obtain financing for the purchase of their homes. Many of these homebuyers must sell their existing homes in order to buy a home from us or our homebuilding customers. Rising interest rates, decreased availability of mortgage financing or of certain mortgage programs, higher down payment requirements or increased monthly mortgage costs may lead to reduced demand for our homes and lots. Higher interest rates can also hinder our ability to realize our backlog because certain of our home purchase contracts provide homebuyers with a financing contingency. Financing contingencies allow homebuyers to cancel their home purchase contracts in the event that they cannot arrange for adequate financing within a certain time period after the execution of the home purchase contracts. As a result, rising interest rates can decrease our home sales and mortgage originations. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the federal government has a significant role in supporting mortgage lending through its conservatorship of Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), both of which purchase home mortgages and mortgage-backed securities originated by mortgage lenders, and its insurance of mortgages originated by lenders through the Federal Housing Administration (the “FHA”) and the Veterans Administration (“VA”). The availability and affordability of mortgage loans, including consumer interest rates for such loans, could be adversely affected by a curtailment or cessation of the federal government’s mortgage-related programs or policies. The FHA may continue to impose stricter loan qualification standards, raise minimum down payment requirements, impose higher mortgage insurance premiums and other costs and/or limit the number of mortgages it insures. Due to growing federal budget deficits, the U.S. Treasury may not be able to continue supporting the mortgage-related activities of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the FHA and the VA at present levels, or it may significantly revise the federal government’s participation in and support of the residential mortgage market. Because the availability of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA- and VA-backed mortgage financing is an important factor in marketing and selling many of our homes, any limitations, restrictions or changes in the availability of such government-backed financing could reduce our home sales, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
High cancellation rates may negatively impact our business.
Our backlog reflects the number and value of homes for which we have entered into sales contracts with homebuyers but not yet delivered. Although these sales contracts require a cash deposit, a homebuyer may in certain circumstances cancel the contract and receive a complete or partial refund of the deposit as a result of state or local laws and our contract provisions. If home prices decline, the national or local homebuilding environment or general economy weakens, our neighboring competitors reduce their sales prices (or increase their sales incentives), interest rates increase or the availability of mortgage financing tightens, homebuyers may have an incentive to cancel their contracts with us, even where they might be entitled to no refund or only a partial refund. Significant cancellations could have a material adverse effect on our business as a result of lost sales revenue and the accumulation of unsold housing inventory.
Any increase in unemployment or underemployment may lead to an increase in the number of loan delinquencies and property repossessions, which would have an adverse impact on our business.
People who are unemployed, underemployed, who have left the labor force or are concerned about the loss of their jobs are less likely to purchase new homes. They may also be forced to sell their homes as they face difficulties in making required mortgage payments. Therefore, any increase in unemployment or underemployment may lead to an increase in the number of loan delinquencies and property repossessions. Such a condition could have an adverse impact on our business both by reducing demand for our homes, lots and construction loans and by increasing the supply of homes for sale.
Our results of operations could be adversely impacted by negative events at, or performance of, our partially owned controlled builders.
We participate in the homebuilding business, in part, through non-wholly owned subsidiaries, which we refer to as our “controlled builders.” We exercise control over the operations of each controlled builder. We have entered into arrangements
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with these controlled builders in order to take advantage of their local knowledge and relationships, acquire attractive land positions and brand images, manage our risk profile and leverage our capital base. Even though the co-investors in our controlled builders are subject to certain non-competition provisions, the viability of our participation in the homebuilding business depends on our ability to maintain good relationships with our controlled builders.
The effectiveness of our management, the value of our expertise and the rapport we maintain with our controlled builders are important factors for new builders considering doing business with us and may affect our ability to attract homebuyers, subcontractors, employees or others upon whom our business and results of operations ultimately depend. Further, our relationships with our controlled builders generate additional business opportunities that support our growth. If we are unable to maintain good relationships with our controlled builders, we may be unable to fully take advantage of existing agreements, expand our relationships with these controlled builders or capitalize on future opportunities with additional builders.
In Atlanta, we sell lots to one of our controlled builders for its homebuilding operations and provide it loans to finance home construction. If our controlled builder fails to successfully execute its business strategies for any reason, it may be unable to purchase lots from us, repay outstanding construction finance loans made by us or borrow from us in the future, any of which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Increases in the after-tax costs of owning a home could reduce demand for our homes and lots.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act made major changes to the Internal Revenue Code that, in part, affect the after-tax cost of owning a home. Specifically, the Tax Act limited the ability of homebuyers to deduct (i) property taxes, (ii) mortgage interest, and (iii) state and local income taxes. The annual deduction for real estate taxes and state and local income taxes (or sales taxes in lieu of income taxes) is now generally limited to $10,000. These changes increased the after-tax cost of owning a new home for many of our potential homebuyers and the potential homebuyers of our homebuilding customers.
If the federal government or a state government further changes its income tax laws to further eliminate or substantially limit these income tax deductions, the after-tax cost of owning a new home would further increase for many of our potential customers.
The loss or reduction of homeowner tax deductions that have historically been available has reduced and could further reduce the perceived affordability of homeownership, and therefore the demand for and sales price of new homes, including ours. In addition, increases in property tax rates or fees on developers by local governmental authorities, as experienced in response to reduced federal and state funding or to fund local initiatives, such as funding schools or road improvements, or increases in insurance premiums can adversely affect the ability of potential customers to obtain financing or their desire to purchase new homes, and can have an adverse impact on our business and financial results.
Severe weather conditions, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism could increase our operating expenses and reduce our revenues and cash flows.
The climates and geology of the states in which we operate present increased risks of severe weather conditions and natural disasters. The occurrence of severe weather conditions or natural disasters can delay new home deliveries and lot development, reduce the availability of materials and/or negatively impact the demand for new homes in affected areas.
Additionally, to the extent that hurricanes, severe storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, wildfires or other natural disasters or similar events occur, our homes under construction or our lots under development could be damaged or destroyed, which may result in losses exceeding our insurance coverage. Any of these events could increase our operating expenses, impair our cash flows and reduce our revenues. To the extent that climate change increases the frequency and severity of weather-related disasters, we may experience increasing negative weather-related impacts to our operations in the future.
Further, acts of war, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities between the United States and any foreign power or acts of terrorism may cause disruptions to the U.S. economy or the local economies of the markets in which we operate, cause shortages of building materials, increase costs associated with obtaining building materials, result in building code changes that could increase costs of construction, affect job growth and consumer confidence or cause economic changes that we cannot anticipate, all of which could reduce demand for our lots, homes and construction loans and adversely impact our business and results of operations.
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We may not be able to compete effectively against competitors in the homebuilding, land development and financial services industries.
Competition in the land development and homebuilding industries in our markets is intense, and there are relatively low barriers to entry. Land developers and homebuilders compete for, among other things, homebuyers, desirable land parcels, financing, raw materials and skilled labor. Increased competition could hurt our business, as it could prevent us from acquiring attractive land parcels for development and resale or homebuilding (or make such acquisitions more expensive), hinder our market share expansion and lead to pricing pressures that adversely impact our margins and revenues. Our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to compete successfully. Our competitors may independently develop land and construct housing units that are superior or substantially similar to our products. Furthermore, a number of our primary competitors are significantly larger, have a longer operating history and may have greater resources or lower cost of capital than us. Accordingly, competitors may be able to compete more effectively in one or more of the markets in which we operate. Many of these competitors also have longstanding relationships with subcontractors and suppliers in the markets in which we operate. Our homebuilding business also competes for sales with individual resales of existing homes and with available rental housing.
Our construction financing business competes with other lenders, including national, regional and local banks and other financial institutions, some of which have greater access to capital or different lending criteria and may be able to offer more attractive financing to potential homebuyers.
Our capital resources and liquidity could be adversely affected if we are required to repurchase or sell a substantial portion of the equity interest in our controlled homebuilding subsidiaries.
The operating agreements governing our partially owned controlled builders contain buy-sell provisions that may be triggered in certain circumstances. In the event that a buy-sell event occurs, our builder will have the right to initiate a buy-sell process, which may happen at an inconvenient time for us. In the event the buy-sell provisions are exercised at a time when we lack sufficient capital to purchase the remaining equity interest, we may elect to sell our equity interest in the entity. If a buy-sell provision is exercised and we elect to purchase the interest in an entity that we do not already own, we may be obligated to expend significant capital in order to complete such acquisition, which may result in our being unable to pursue other investments or opportunities. If either of these events occurs, our revenue and net income could decline or we may not have sufficient capital necessary to implement our growth strategy.
We are subject to environmental laws and regulations, which may increase our costs, limit the areas in which we can build homes and develop land and delay completion of our projects.
We are subject to several local, state, federal and other statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning the environment. The particular environmental laws that apply to any given homebuilding or development site vary according to multiple factors, including the site location, environmental conditions and the present and former uses of the site and 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 homebuilding and land development activity in environmentally sensitive regions or areas. In addition, when an endangered or threatened species is involved, environmental rules and regulations can result in the restriction or elimination of development in identified environmentally sensitive areas. From time to time, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and similar federal or state agencies review homebuilders’ compliance with environmental laws and may levy fines and penalties for failure to comply strictly with applicable environmental laws or impose additional requirements for future compliance because of past failures. Any such actions taken with respect to our business may increase our costs. Environmental regulations can also have an adverse impact on the availability and price of certain raw materials such as lumber. Further, we expect that increasingly stringent requirements will be imposed on homebuilders and land developers in the future.
Under various environmental laws, current or former owners of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances and may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for related damages, including for bodily injury, and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred by such parties in connection with the contamination.
Poor relations with the residents of our communities, or with local real estate agents, could negatively impact our home sales, which could cause our revenues or results of operations to decline.
Residents of communities we develop rely on us to resolve issues or disputes that may arise in connection with the operation or development of their communities. Efforts made by us to resolve these issues or disputes could be deemed unsatisfactory by the affected residents and subsequent actions by these residents could adversely affect sales or our reputation. In addition, we could be required to make material expenditures related to the settlement of such issues or disputes or to modify community development plans, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
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Most of our potential homebuyers engage local real estate agents who are unaffiliated with us in connection with their search for a new home. If we do not maintain good relations with, and a good reputation among, these real estate agents, the agents may not encourage potential homebuyers to consider, or may actively discourage homebuyers from considering, our communities, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Information technology failures and data security breaches could harm our business.
We rely on information technology systems and other computer resources to carry out operational and marketing activities, as well as to maintain our business records. As part of our normal business activities, we may collect and store certain confidential information, including information about employees, homebuyers, customers, vendors and suppliers and may share information with vendors who assist us with certain aspects of our business. Many of these resources are provided to us and/or maintained on our behalf by third-party service providers pursuant to agreements that specify certain security and service level standards. Our ability to conduct our business may be impaired if these resources are compromised, degraded, damaged or fail, whether due to a virus or other harmful circumstance, intentional penetration or disruption of our information technology resources by a third-party, natural disaster, hardware or software corruption or failure or error (including a failure of security controls incorporated into or applied to such hardware or software), telecommunications system failure, service provider error or failure, intentional or unintentional personnel actions (including the failure to follow our security protocols) or lost connectivity to networked resources.
There has been an increase in cyber-attacks in recent years. Breaches of our data security systems, including by cyber-attacks, could result in the unintended public disclosure or the misappropriation of our proprietary information or personal and confidential information, about our employees, consumers who view our homes, homebuyers or our business partners, which could require us to incur significant expense to address and resolve such issues. The release of confidential information may also lead to identity theft and related fraud, litigation or other proceedings against us by affected individuals, business partners and/or regulators, and the outcome of such proceedings, which could include penalties or fines, and any significant disruption of our business could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation resulting in the loss of customers, sales and revenue.
Data protection and privacy laws continue to evolve and become more complex in various U.S. federal and state jurisdictions. Such regulatory changes, variations in requirements across jurisdictions and ongoing discussions about a national privacy law could present compliance challenges. The costs of complying with such changes could adversely affect our business.
We maintain insurance coverage for potential breaches but the costs to remedy a breach may not be fully covered by our insurance. We provide employee awareness training of cybersecurity threats and utilize information technology security experts to assist us in our evaluations of the effectiveness of the security of our information technology systems, and we regularly enhance our security measures to protect our systems and data. We use various encryption, tokenization and authentication technologies to mitigate cybersecurity risks and have increased our monitoring capabilities to enhance early detection and rapid response to potential cyber threats. While we have not had a significant cybersecurity breach or attack that had a material impact on our business or operations, there can be no assurance that our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information technology systems will be effective or that attempted breaches would not be successful in the future.
Product liability and warranty claims and litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business may be costly, which could adversely affect our business.
As a homebuilder, we are subject to construction defect and home warranty claims arising in the ordinary course of business. These claims are common in the homebuilding industry and can be costly and once claims are asserted, it can be difficult to determine the extent to which the assertion will expand geographically. In addition, the costs of insuring against construction defect and product liability claims are high. This coverage may be restricted and become more costly in the future. If the limits or coverages of our current and former insurance programs prove inadequate, or we are not able to obtain adequate, or reasonably priced, insurance against these types of claims in the future, or the amounts currently provided for future warranty or insurance claims are inadequate, we may experience losses that could negatively impact our financial results.
We self-insure some of our risks through a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary. We record expenses and liabilities based on the estimated costs required to cover our self-insured liability. These estimated costs are based on an analysis of our historical claims and industry data and include an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. The projection of losses related to these liabilities requires actuarial assumptions that are subject to variability due to uncertainties regarding construction defect claims relative to our markets and the types of products we build, insurance industry practices, and legal or regulatory actions and/or interpretations, among other factors.
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Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate because our business is seasonal in nature.
The homebuilding industry experiences seasonal fluctuations in quarterly results of operations and capital requirements. We typically experience the highest new home order activity in spring and summer, although this activity is also highly dependent on the number of active selling communities, timing of new community openings and other market factors. Since it typically takes five to nine months to construct a new home, we deliver more homes in the second half of the year as spring and summer home orders convert to home deliveries. Because of this seasonality, home starts, construction costs and related cash outflows have historically been highest in the second and third quarters, and the majority of cash receipts from home deliveries occurs during the second half of the year. We expect this seasonal pattern to continue over the long-term, although we may also be affected by volatility in the homebuilding industry.
Additionally, weather-related problems may occur, delaying starts or closings or increasing costs and reducing profitability. Delays in opening new communities or new sections of existing communities could have an adverse impact on home sales and revenues. Expenses are not incurred and recognized evenly throughout the year. Because of these factors, our quarterly results of operations may be uneven and may be marked by lower revenues and earnings in some quarters compared with others.
Shortages or extreme fluctuations in the availability of natural resources and utilities could have an adverse effect on our operations.
The markets in which we operate may in the future be subject to utility or other resource shortages, including significant changes to the availability of electricity and water. Shortages of natural resources in our markets, particularly shortages of water, may make it more difficult for us to obtain regulatory approval for new developments. We may experience material fluctuations in utility and resource costs across our markets, and we may incur additional costs and may not be able to complete construction on a timely basis if such fluctuations arise. Furthermore, these shortages and interest rate fluctuations may adversely affect the regional economies in which we operate, which may reduce demand for our homes, lots and construction loans and negatively affect our business and results of operations.
We may suffer uninsured losses or suffer material losses in excess of insurance limits.
We could suffer physical damage to property or incur liabilities resulting in losses that may not be fully recoverable by insurance. In addition, certain types of risks, such as personal injury claims, may be, or may become in the future, either uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may not be currently or in the future covered by our insurance policies or otherwise be subject to significant deductibles or limits. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur or be subject to deductibles, we could sustain financial loss or lose capital invested in the affected property as well as anticipated future income from that property. In addition, we could be liable to repair damage or meet liabilities caused by risks that are uninsured or subject to deductibles. We may be liable for any debt or other financial obligations related to an affected property. Material losses or liabilities in excess of insurance proceeds may occur in the future.
Negative publicity could adversely affect our reputation and business
Our success also depends on our reputation and our brand image. Any unfavorable media coverage related to our industry, brand, personnel or operations may adversely affect our stock price and the performance of our business, regardless of its accuracy or inaccuracy. Negative publicity spreads quickly through the use of electronic communication, including social media outlets, websites, “tweets”, blogs and other digital platforms. Our success in maintaining and expanding our brand image depends on our ability to adapt to this rapidly changing media environment. Negative publicity or negative commentary from any media outlets could damage our reputation and reduce the demand for our homes, which would adversely affect our business.
A major health and safety incident relating to our business could be costly in terms of potential liabilities and reputational damage.
Building sites are inherently dangerous and operating in the land development and homebuilding industries poses certain inherent health and safety risks. Our health and safety performance is critical to the success of our business given regulatory requirements on points. Any failure in health and safety performance may result in penalties for non-compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, and a failure that results in a major or significant health and safety incident is likely to be costly in terms of potential liabilities incurred as a result. Such a failure could generate significant negative publicity and have a corresponding impact on our reputation, our relationships with relevant regulatory agencies or governmental authorities and our ability to attract employees, subcontractors and homebuyers, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, we are subject to laws and regulations related to workers’ health and safety, and there are efforts to subject homebuilders like us to other labor related laws or rules, some of which may make us responsible for things done by our subcontractors over which we have little or no control.
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Our business and financial results could be adversely affected by the failure of persons who act on our behalf to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines.
Although we expect all of our employees, officers and directors to comply at all times with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, there may be instances in which subcontractors or others through whom we do business engage in practices that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines. Should we learn of practices relating to homes we build that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines, lots we develop or financing we provide, we would move actively to stop the non-complying practices as soon as possible and would take disciplinary action with regard to employees who were aware of the practices and did not take steps to address them, including terminating their employment when necessary. However, regardless of the steps we take after we learn of practices that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines, we can in some instances be subject to fines or other governmental penalties, and our reputation can be injured due to the occurrence of such practices.
Products supplied to us and work done by subcontractors can expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business.
We rely on subcontractors to perform the actual construction of our homes, and, in some cases, to select and obtain building materials. Despite our detailed specifications and quality control procedures, subcontractors may use improper construction processes or defective materials in some cases. Defective products widely used by the homebuilding industry can require extensive repairs to large numbers of homes. The cost of complying with our warranty obligations may be significant if we are unable to recover the cost of repairs from subcontractors, materials suppliers and insurers.
Laws and regulations governing the residential mortgage industry could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
In 2020, we established a joint venture, BHome Mortgage, to provide mortgage related services to homebuyers. The residential mortgage lending industry remains under intense scrutiny and is heavily regulated at the federal, state and local levels. Although we do not originate mortgages, we are directly or indirectly subject to certain of these regulations. Changes to existing laws or regulations or adoption of new laws or regulations could require our joint venture to incur significant compliance costs. A material failure to comply with any of these laws or regulations could result in the loss or suspension of required licenses or other approvals, the imposition of monetary penalties, and restitution awards or other relief. Any of these outcomes could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Financing and Capital Structure
We may be unable to obtain suitable bonding for the development of our housing projects
We are periodically required to provide bonds to governmental authorities and others to ensure the completion of our projects and these bonds are generally not released until all development and construction activities to which they relate are completed. Depending on market conditions, surety providers may be reluctant to issue new bonds and may request credit enhancements (such as cash deposits or letters of credit) in order to maintain existing bonds or to issue new bonds. If we are unable to obtain required bonds for our future projects, or if we are required to provide credit enhancements with respect to our current or future bonds, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
A negative change in our credit rating could adversely affect our business.
Our business requires access to capital on favorable terms to service our indebtedness, cover our operating expenses and fund other liquidity needs. Negative rating actions by credit agencies such as downgrades increase the cost to access capital and make it difficult for us to meet our liquidity needs. Any downgrade of our credit rating by any of the principal credit agencies may exacerbate these difficulties. There are no assurances that we will not experience downgrades in our credit ratings in the future, whether due to worsening macroeconomic conditions, a downturn in the housing industry, failure to successfully execute our business strategy, or the adverse impact on our results of operations or liquidity position of any of the above or otherwise.
Difficulty in obtaining sufficient capital could result in an inability to acquire land for our developments or increased costs and delays in the completion of development projects.
The homebuilding industry is capital-intensive and requires significant up-front expenditures to acquire land parcels and begin development. Land acquisition, development and construction activities may be adversely affected by any shortage or increased cost of financing or the unwillingness of third parties to engage in partnerships, joint ventures or other alternative arrangements.
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In addition to the financing provided by the senior unsecured notes, we currently have access to a senior secured revolving credit facility and a senior unsecured revolving credit facility. We cannot ensure that we will be able to extend the maturity of these credit facilities or arrange another facility on acceptable terms or at all.
Furthermore, in the future, we may seek additional capital in the form of equity or debt financing from a variety of potential sources, including additional bank financings and/or securities offerings. The availability of borrowed funds, especially for land acquisition and construction financing, may be greatly reduced nationally, and the lending community may require increased amounts of equity to be invested in a project by borrowers in connection with both new loans and the extension of existing loans. The credit and capital markets are subject to volatility. If we are required to seek additional financing to fund our operations, volatility in these markets may restrict our flexibility to access such financing. If we are not successful in obtaining sufficient capital to fund our planned capital and other expenditures, we may be unable to acquire land for our housing developments and/or to develop the housing. Any difficulty in obtaining sufficient capital for planned development expenditures could also cause project delays and any such delay could result in cost increases. Any one or more of the foregoing events could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
Our debt instruments contain limitations and restrictions that could prevent us from capitalizing on business opportunities and could adversely affect our growth.
Our revolving credit facilities and the terms of our senior unsecured notes impose certain restrictions on our and certain of our subsidiaries’ operations and activities and require us to maintain certain financial covenants. The most significant restrictions relate to debt incurrence (including non-recourse indebtedness), creation of liens, repayment of certain indebtedness prior to its respective stated maturity, sales of assets, cash distributions (including paying dividends), capital stock repurchases, and investments by us and certain of our subsidiaries. These restrictions may prevent us from capitalizing on business opportunities and could adversely affect our growth.
The restrictions in our debt instruments could prohibit or restrict our and certain of our subsidiaries’ activities, such as undertaking capital raising or restructuring activities or entering into other transactions. In addition, if we fail to comply with these restrictions, an event of default could occur and our debt under these debt instruments could become due and payable prior to maturity. Any such event of default could lead to cross defaults under certain of our other debt or negatively impact other covenants. In any of these situations, we may be unable to amend the applicable instrument or obtain a waiver without significant additional cost, or at all. Any such situation could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Future issuances of our common stock or Series A preferred stock could adversely affect the market for our common and preferred stock or dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders.
We are not restricted from issuing additional shares of our authorized common stock or Series A preferred stock, including securities that could be converted into or exchanged for, or that represent the right to receive, shares of our common or preferred stock. For example, in December 2021, we offered 2,000,000 depositary shares representing shares of our 5.75% cumulative perpetual preferred stock. If we issue a substantial number of shares of common or Series A preferred stock, or depositary shares representing interests in our preferred stock, or if the expectation of such issuances is broadly disseminated in the market, including in connection with any acquisitions, the market price for our common, preferred or depositary shares could be adversely affected, and our stockholders’ interest could be diluted. Our decision to issue equity securities will depend on market conditions and other factors, and we cannot predict or estimate with certainty the amount, timing or nature of potential future issuances. Accordingly, our stockholders bear the risk that such future equity issuances could reduce market price and dilute their stock holding with us. As of December 31, 2022, we had 46,032,930 shares of common stock and 2,000 shares of Series A preferred stock outstanding.
Our common and preferred stock are equity securities and are subordinate to our existing and future indebtedness and effectively subordinated to all indebtedness and other non-equity claims against our subsidiaries.
Shares of our common stock and preferred stock are equity interests and do not constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, shares of our common stock and depositary shares, which represent a fractional interest in our Series A preferred stock, will rank junior to all of our existing and future indebtedness (including indebtedness convertible into our common stock or preferred stock), to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our existing or future subsidiaries, and to other non-equity claims against us and our assets available to satisfy claims against us, including in the event of liquidation. Moreover, holders of our
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depositary shares and outstanding preferred stock have preferential dividend and liquidation rights compared to holders of our common stock. We are permitted to incur additional debt. In the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, lenders and holders of our debt securities would receive distributions of our available assets prior to holders of our common stock, depositary shares and other outstanding preferred stock. Additionally, our right to participate in a distribution of assets upon any of our subsidiaries’ liquidation or reorganization is subject to prior claims of that subsidiary’s creditors, including holders of any preferred stock of that subsidiary.
Certain large stockholders own a significant percentage of our shares and exert significant influence over us. Their interests may not coincide with ours and they may make decisions with which we may disagree.
Greenlight Capital, Inc. and its affiliates (“Greenlight”) and James R. Brickman own approximately 37.2% and 3.4%, respectively, of our voting power. These large stockholders, acting together, could determine substantially all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions, such as a sale or other change of control transaction. In addition, this concentration of ownership may delay or prevent a change in control within us and make some transactions more difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders. The interests of these stockholders may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other stockholders. Accordingly, these stockholders could cause us to enter into transactions or agreements that you would not approve or make decisions with which you may disagree.
Certain large stockholders’ shares have been and may in the future be sold into the market, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decrease significantly.
We believe that a significant portion of our common stock beneficially owned by Greenlight and Mr. Brickman are “restricted securities” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. We entered into registration rights agreements with each of these parties in 2014 which provide these parties the right to require us to register the resale of their shares under certain circumstances. In December 2020, 24,118,668 shares held by Greenlight were registered for resale on Form S-3 in accordance with the registration rights agreement. These shares may be sold in the market at any time, subject to compliance with securities laws. If these holders sell substantial amounts of these shares, the price of our common stock could decline. In addition, the sale of these shares could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. As of December 31 , 2022
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease our principal executive office located at 2805 Dallas Parkway, Suite 400, Plano, Texas, 75093. Our homebuilding and title division offices are located in leased space in the markets where we conduct business. We believe that such properties are suitable and adequate to meet the needs of our businesses. Because of the nature of our homebuilding operations, we and our builders hold significant amounts of property as inventory in connection with our homebuilding business. We discuss these properties in the discussion of our homebuilding operations in Part I, Item 1 and Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are involved in various claims and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. We do not believe that any such claims and litigation will have a material adverse effect upon our results of operations or financial position.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not Applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock trades on The New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “GRBK”.
Holders of Record
On February 22, 2023, there were 59 stockholders of record of our common stock. We believe the number of beneficial owners of our common stock is substantially greater than the number of record holders because a large portion of our outstanding common stock is held of record in broker “street names” for the benefit of individual investors. As of February 22, 2023, there were 46,032,886 common shares outstanding.
Dividends on Common Shares
We have not paid any dividends since our inception and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently anticipate that we will retain our available cash for general corporate purposes. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and will depend on many factors, including general economic and business conditions, our strategic plans, our financial results and condition, legal requirements and other factors as our Board deems relevant.
Common Stock Performance Graph
The following graph compares the yearly dollar change in the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s common stock against the cumulative total shareholder return of the Russell 3000 Index and the S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index for the five year period that commenced December 31, 2017 and ended December 31, 2022.
ITEM 6. RESERVED
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. All statements other than statements of historical facts included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the statements regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Annual Report, the words “will,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements we make in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are reasonable, we cannot assure you that these plans, intentions, or expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include statements concerning (1) our balance sheet strategy and belief that we have ample liquidity; (2) our goals and strategies and their anticipated benefits, including expansion into new markets; (3) our intentions and the expected benefits and advantages of our product and land positioning strategies; (4) our expectations regarding future finished lots, the quality of those lots and the timing of backlog fulfillment; (5) expectations regarding our industry and our business in 2023 and beyond; (6) the contribution of certain market factors to our growth; (7) our land and lot acquisition strategy; (8) the sufficiency of our capital resources to support our business strategy and to service our debt; (9) the impact of new accounting standards and changes in accounting estimates; (10) trends and expectations regarding sales prices, sales orders, sales pace, cancellations, construction costs, gross margins, land costs and profitability and future home inventories; (11) our future cash needs; (12) our strategy to utilize leverage to invest in our business; (13) seasonal factors and the impact of seasonality in future quarters; (14) our expectations regarding access to additional growth capital; (15) our expectations regarding future land revenue recognition; (16) our ability to adapt to changing market conditions and (17) the disposition of legal claims and related contingencies.
These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We wish to caution readers that certain important factors may have affected and could in the future affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ significantly from what is anticipated by our forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: (1) general economic conditions in our markets, seasonality, cyclicality and competition in the homebuilding industry; (2) changes in macroeconomic conditions, including interest and unemployment rates, that could adversely impact demand for new homes or the ability of our buyers to qualify; (3) shortages, delays or increased costs of raw materials, or increases in other operating costs, including costs related to labor, real estate taxes and insurance, which in each case exceed our ability to increase prices; (4) significant periods of inflation or deflation; (5) a shortage of labor, (6) an inability to acquire land in our markets at anticipated prices or difficulty in obtaining land-use entitlements; (7) our inability to successfully execute our strategies, including the successful development of our communities within expected timeframes and the growth and expansion of our Trophy brand; (8) a failure to recruit, retain or develop highly skilled and competent employees; (9) the geographic concentration of our operations; (10) government regulation risks; (11) adverse changes in the availability or volatility of mortgage financing; (12) severe weather events or natural disasters; (13) difficulty in obtaining sufficient capital to fund our growth; (14) our ability to meet our debt service obligations; (15) a decline in the value of our inventories and resulting write-downs of the carrying value of our real estate assets; (16) our ability to adequately self-insure and (17) changes in accounting standards that adversely affect our reported earnings or financial condition.
Please see “Risk Factors” located in Part I, Item 1A in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties which could affect our future results. We undertake no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of those statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, except to the extent we are legally required to disclose certain matters in SEC filings or otherwise.
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
For business overview and developments during the year ended December 31, 2022, refer to Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview and Outlook
Our key financial and operating metrics are home deliveries, home closings revenue, average sales price of homes delivered, and net new home orders, which refers to the number of sales contracts executed reduced by the number of sales contracts canceled during the relevant period. Our results for each key financial and operating metric, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, are provided below:
| Year Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, 2022 | ||||||||
| Home deliveries | Increased by 2.9% | |||||||
| Home closings revenue | Increased by 30.0% | |||||||
| Average sales price of homes delivered | Increased by 26.3% | |||||||
| Net new home orders | Decreased by 30.8% | |||||||
The expansion of our revenues year over year is primarily attributable to the strong performance of our Trophy division, growth in the average selling price of homes, the impact of macroeconomic factors, and an influx of millennial first-time home buyers during the first half of the year. The significant increase in new home construction in our markets has, in turn, led to increased demand for labor and the raw materials, products and appliances for new homes. Due to the increased demand, we have experienced increases in cost and decreased availability of skilled labor as well as increases, shortages, and significant extensions to our lead time for the delivery of key materials and inputs. Additionally, the recent rapid rise in interest rates as well as the inflationary impact on buying power has impacted the ability of some buyers to qualify for mortgages in spite of unsatisfied demand for homes and the continued undersupply of existing and new home inventory.
2022 Developments
From October 2021 to October 2022, homes in the DFW and Atlanta markets appreciated by 13.5% and 14.9%, respectively, compared to 8.6% average appreciation for 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas (Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices & CoreLogic, October 31, 2022). Among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, the Dallas and Atlanta areas ranked third and sixth, respectively, in annual rate of job growth from November 2021 to November 2022 (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2022). We believe that we operate in two of the most desirable housing markets in the nation and that increasing demand and supply constraints in our target markets create favorable conditions for our future growth.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Residential Units Revenue and New Homes Delivered
The table below represents residential units revenue and new homes delivered for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home closings revenue | $ | 1,696,911 | $ | 1,305,620 | $ | 391,291 | 30.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mechanic’s lien contracts revenue | 7,040 | 4,067 | 2,973 | 73.1 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Residential units revenue | $ | 1,703,951 | $ | 1,309,687 | $ | 394,264 | 30.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| New homes delivered | 2,916 | 2,834 | 82 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Average sales price of homes delivered | $ | 581.9 | $ | 460.7 | $ | 121.2 | 26.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
The $394.3 million increase in residential units revenue was driven by the 26.3% increase in the average sales price of homes delivered for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the 2.9% increase in the number of homes delivered. The increase
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in the average sales price of homes delivered for the year ended December 31, 2022 was attributable to overall price increases driven by high demand and low supply of inventory.
New Home Orders and Backlog
The table below represents new home orders and backlog related to our builder operations segments, excluding mechanic’s liens contracts (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net new home orders | 1,973 | 2,851 | (878) | (30.8) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenue from new net home orders | $ | 1,210,315 | $ | 1,488,613 | $ | (278,298) | (18.7) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Average selling price of net new home orders | $ | 613.4 | $ | 522.1 | $ | 91.3 | 17.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cancellation rate | 13.8 | % | 7.7 | % | 6.1 | % | 79.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Absorption rate per average active selling community per quarter | 6.5 | 8.2 | (1.7) | (20.7) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Average active selling communities | 76 | 87 | (11) | (12.6) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Active selling communities at end of period | 80 | 74 | 6 | 8.1 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Backlog | $ | 369,095 | $ | 869,856 | $ | (500,761) | (57.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Backlog units | 537 | 1,480 | (943) | (63.7) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Average sales price of backlog | $ | 687.3 | $ | 587.7 | $ | 99.6 | 16.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
Net new home orders decreased by 30.8% over the prior year period and our absorption rate per average active selling community decreased 20.7% year over year. The lower levels of buyer traffic to many of our communities reduced the level of new home orders; we believe that the traffic decline starting in the second quarter was attributable to the recent rapid rise in interest rates as buyers reevaluated their buying capacity as well as the inflationary impact on consumer buying power and consumer confidence. Despite the lower sales pace, our decline in new order revenues was smaller than the decline in orders at 18.7% as our average sales price on new orders rose by 17.5%.
Backlog refers to homes under sales contracts that have not yet closed at the end of the relevant period, and absorption rate refers to the rate at which net new home orders are contracted per average active selling community during the relevant period. Upon a cancellation, the customer deposit may be returned to the prospective purchaser. Accordingly, backlog may not be indicative of our future revenue.
Our cancellation rate, which refers to sales contracts canceled divided by sales contracts executed during the relevant period, was 13.8% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 7.7% for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our cancellation rate increase was driven by rapidly rising interest rates as well as customer concerns with the macroeconomic environment. Sales contracts relating to homes in backlog may be canceled by the prospective purchaser for a number of reasons, such as the prospective purchaser’s inability to obtain suitable mortgage financing.
Backlog declined by 57.6% with a 63.7% drop in backlog units, offset by a 16.9% increase in the average sales price of backlog units. The drop in backlog units is a function of the lower levels of new home orders described above as well as an increase in our cancellation rate. With the volatility in interest rates, customers also are demonstrating a strong preference for inventory spec homes that are nearing completion. As a result, homes spend a shorter amount of time in backlog, thereby creating a smaller total backlog level. The increase in average sales price was attributable to overall price increases driven by high demand and low supply of inventory.
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Residential Units Gross Margin
The table below represents the components of residential units gross margin (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home closings revenue | $ | 1,696,911 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,305,620 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of homebuilding units | 1,190,782 | 70.2 | % | 961,115 | 73.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Homebuilding gross margin | $ | 506,129 | 29.8 | % | $ | 344,505 | 26.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mechanic’s lien contracts revenue | $ | 7,040 | 100.0 | % | $ | 4,067 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of mechanic’s lien contracts | 6,132 | 87.1 | % | 3,249 | 79.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mechanic’s lien contracts gross margin | $ | 908 | 12.9 | % | $ | 818 | 20.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Residential units revenue | $ | 1,703,951 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,309,687 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of residential units | 1,196,914 | 70.2 | % | 964,364 | 73.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Residential units gross margin | $ | 507,037 | 29.8 | % | $ | 345,323 | 26.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost of residential units for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by $232.6 million, or 24.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily driven by the increasing levels of input prices and more expensive homes delivered during the period.
Residential units gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased to 29.8%, compared to 26.4% for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to overall price increases that outpaced the levels of cost increases.
Land and Lots Revenue
The table below represents lots closed and land and lots revenue (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lots revenue | $ | 19,090 | $ | 24,866 | $ | (5,776) | (23.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Land revenue | 34,752 | 68,323 | (33,571) | (49.1) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Land and lots revenue | $ | 53,842 | $ | 93,189 | $ | (39,347) | (42.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Lots closed | 288 | 323 | (35) | (10.8) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Average sales price of lots closed | $ | 66.3 | $ | 77.0 | $ | (10.7) | (13.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
The 23.2% decrease in lots revenue was driven by the 10.8% decrease in the number of lots closed from a higher proportion of lots developed for internal use. The average lot price decreased by 13.9% due to a higher number of entry level lots sold. Land revenue represents sales of tracts of land during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021; such sales are opportunistic but are not generally in the ordinary course of business.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
The table below represents the components of selling, general and administrative expense (dollars in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | As Percentage of Segment Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Builder operations | $ | 166,816 | $ | 135,464 | 9.7 | % | 10.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Land development | 621 | 880 | 1.3 | % | 1.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Corporate, other and unallocated (income) expense | (3,494) | (2,075) | — | % | — | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total selling, general and administrative expenses | $ | 163,943 | $ | 134,269 | 9.3 | % | 9.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
Total selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of revenue modestly improved to 9.3% from 9.6% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
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Builder Operations
The decrease in selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of revenue for builder operations from 10.1% to 9.7% was primarily attributable to an increase in builder operations revenues without a corresponding increase in the level of overhead costs. Builder overhead expenditures include salaries, sales commissions, and community costs such as advertising and marketing expenses, rent, professional fees, and non-capitalized property taxes.
Land Development
Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of revenue for land development remained relatively flat for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Corporate, Other and Unallocated
Selling, general and administrative expense for the corporate, other and unallocated non-operating segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was income of $3.5 million, compared to income of $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change is primarily due to an increase in capitalized overhead adjustments that are not allocated to builder operations and land development segments.
Equity in Income of Unconsolidated Entities
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities increased to $25.6 million, or 30.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $19.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to an increase in earnings from GB Challenger. See Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a summary of Green Brick’s share in net earnings by unconsolidated entity.
Other Income, Net
Other income, net, increased to $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $9.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change is primarily due to customer deposits forfeited during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense increased to $82.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $52.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was driven by a reduced benefit in the Energy Efficient Tax Homes Tax Credit, change in state tax rates in Florida and Colorado, and a higher taxable income during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
For discussion and analysis of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 as well as for comparison to our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020, refer to Item 7 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
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Lots Owned and Controlled
The following table presents the lots we owned or controlled, including lot option contracts, as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. Owned lots are those for which we hold title, while controlled lots are lots past feasibility studies for which we do not hold title but have the contractual right to acquire title.
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central | Southeast | Total | Central | Southeast | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lots owned | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finished lots | 1,901 | 998 | 2,899 | 1,328 | 797 | 2,125 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lots in communities under development | 10,309 | 1,698 | 12,007 | 16,439 | 1,675 | 18,114 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Land held for future development(1) | 6,575 | — | 6,575 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total lots owned | 18,785 | 2,696 | 21,481 | 17,767 | 2,472 | 20,239 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lots controlled | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lots under third party option contracts | 2,212 | 6 | 2,218 | 2,670 | 70 | 2,740 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Land under option for future acquisition and development | 110 | 18 | 128 | 3,318 | 508 | 3,826 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lots under option through unconsolidated development joint ventures | 1,289 | 411 | 1,700 | 1,333 | 483 | 1,816 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total lots controlled | 3,611 | 435 | 4,046 | 7,321 | 1,061 | 8,382 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total lots owned and controlled (2) | 22,396 | 3,131 | 25,527 | 25,088 | 3,533 | 28,621 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Percentage of lots owned | 83.9 | % | 86.1 | % | 84.2 | % | 70.8 | % | 70.0 | % | 70.7 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) Land held for future development consist of raw land parcels where development activities have been postponed due to market conditions or other factors.
(2) Total lots excludes lots with homes under construction.
The following table presents additional information on the lots we owned as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Total lots owned | 21,481 | 20,239 | |||||||||
| Land under option for future acquisition and development | 128 | 3,826 | |||||||||
| Lots under option through unconsolidated development joint ventures | 1,700 | 1,816 | |||||||||
| Total lots self-developed | 23,309 | 25,881 | |||||||||
| Self-developed lots as a percentage of total lots owned and controlled | 91.3 | % | 90.4 | % | |||||||
Liquidity and Capital Resources Overview
We had $76.6 million and $77.2 million of unrestricted cash as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Our historical cash management strategy includes redeploying net cash from the sale of home inventory to acquire and develop land and lots that represent opportunities to generate desired margins and using cash to make additional investments in business acquisitions, joint ventures, or other strategic activities.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our principal uses of capital were home construction, land purchases, land development, operating expenses, payment of routine liabilities and stock repurchases. We used funds generated by operations and available borrowings to meet our short-term working capital requirements. We remain focused on generating positive margins in our builder operations segments and acquiring desirable land positions in order to maintain a strong balance sheet and remain poised for continued growth.
Cash flows for each of our communities depend on the community’s stage in the development cycle and can differ substantially from reported earnings. Early stages of development or expansion require significant cash outlays for land acquisitions, entitlements and other approvals, roads, utilities, general landscaping and other amenities. These costs are a
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component of our inventory and are not recognized in our statement of income until a home closes. In the later stages of community development, cash inflows may significantly exceed earnings reported for financial statement purposes, as the cash outflows associated with home construction and land development have previously occurred.
Our debt to total capitalization ratio, which is calculated as the sum of borrowings on lines of credit, the senior unsecured notes and notes payable, net of debt issuance costs, divided by the total capitalization, which equals the sum of Green Brick Partners, Inc. stockholders’ equity and total debt, was approximately 25.7% as of December 31, 2022. Additionally, as of December 31, 2022, our net debt to total capitalization ratio, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, remained low at 21.5%. It is our intent to prudently employ leverage to continue to invest in our land acquisition, development and homebuilding businesses. We target a debt to total capitalization ratio of approximately 30% to 35%, which we expect will provide us with significant additional growth capital.
Reconciliation of a Non-GAAP Financial Measure
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we utilize a financial measure of net debt to total capitalization ratio that is a non-GAAP financial measure as defined by the SEC. Net debt to total capitalization is calculated as the total debt less cash and cash equivalents, divided by the sum of total Green Brick Partners, Inc. stockholders’ equity and total debt less cash and cash equivalents. We present this measure because we believe it is useful to management and investors in evaluating our financing structure. We also believe this measure facilitates the comparison of our financing structure with other companies in our industry. Because this measure is not calculated in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), it may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
The closest GAAP financial measure to the net debt to total capitalization ratio is the debt to total capitalization ratio. The following table represents a reconciliation of the net debt to total capitalization ratio as of December 31, 2022.
| Gross | Cash and cash equivalents | Net | |||||||||||||||
| Total debt, net of debt issuance costs | $ | 367,842 | $ | (76,588) | $ | 291,254 | |||||||||||
| Total Green Brick Partners, Inc. stockholders’ equity | 1,061,907 | — | 1,061,907 | ||||||||||||||
| Total capitalization | $ | 1,429,749 | $ | (76,588) | $ | 1,353,161 | |||||||||||
| Debt to total capitalization ratio | 25.7 | % | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Net debt to total capitalization ratio | — | — | 21.5 | % | |||||||||||||
Key Sources of Liquidity
Our key sources of liquidity were funds generated by operations and provided by borrowings during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Debt Instruments
Borrowings on lines of credit outstanding, net of debt issuance costs, as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 consisted of the following (in thousands):
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Secured Revolving Credit Facility | $ | — | $ | 2,000 | |||||||
| Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility | 20,000 | — | |||||||||
| Debt issuance costs, net of amortization | (2,605) | (2,738) | |||||||||
| Total borrowings on lines of credit, net | $ | 17,395 | $ | (738) | |||||||
Secured Revolving Credit Facility – As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding amounts under our Secured Revolving Credit Facility, compared to $2.0 million as of December 31, 2021. Borrowings under the Secured Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to the rate announced by Bank of America, N.A. as its “Prime Rate” less 0.25%, subject to a minimum rate. On February 9, 2022, the Company entered into the Eighth Amendment to this credit agreement to extend its maturity date to May 1, 2025 and to reduce the minimum interest rate from 4.00% to 3.15%. All other material terms of the credit agreement, as amended, remained unchanged.
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Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility – As of December 31, 2022, we had $20.0 million outstanding under our Unsecured Revolving Credit facility. We had no outstanding amounts as of December 31, 2021. On December 9, 2022, the Company entered into the Tenth Amendment to this credit agreement which increased the secured outstanding commitments from $300.0 million to $325.0 million, replaced the Eurodollar rate, and extended the termination date by one year to December 14, 2025. Outstanding advances under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility accrue interest at the benchmark rate plus 2.5%. As of December 31, 2022, the interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility was 6.9% per annum. As amended, the aggregate principal amount of the revolving credit commitments under the Credit Agreement is $325.0 million through December 14, 2025.
Senior Unsecured Notes - As of December 31, 2022, we had four series of senior unsecured notes outstanding which were each issued pursuant to a note purchase agreement. The aggregate amount of senior unsecured notes outstanding was $335.8 million as of December 31, 2022, up from $335.4 million as of December 31, 2021, respectively, net of issuance costs.
•In August 2019, we issued $75 million of senior unsecured notes (the “2026 Notes”). Interest accrues at an annual rate of 4.0% and is payable quarterly. Principal on the 2026 Notes is required to be paid in increments of $12.5 million on August 8, 2024 and $12.5 million on August 8, 2025 with a final principal payment of $50.0 million on August 8, 2026.
•In August 2020, we issued $37.5 million of senior unsecured notes (the “2027 Notes”). Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3.35% and is payable quarterly. Principal on the 2027 Notes is due on August 26, 2027.
•In February 2021, we issued $125.0 million of senior unsecured notes (the “2028 Notes”). Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3.25% and is payable quarterly. Principal on the 2028 Notes is due in increments of $25.0 million annually on February 25 in each of 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.
•In December 2021, we issued $100.0 million of senior unsecured notes (the “2029 Notes”). Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3.25% and is payable quarterly. A required principal prepayment of $30.0 million is due on December 28, 2028. The remaining unpaid principal balance is due on December 28, 2029.
Optional prepayment is allowed with payment of a “make-whole” premium which fluctuates depending on market interest rates. Interest is payable quarterly in arrears.
Our debt instruments require us to maintain specific financial covenants, each of which we were in compliance with as of December 31, 2022. Specifically, under the most restrictive covenants, we are required to maintain the following:
•a minimum interest coverage (consolidated EBITDA to interest incurred) of no less than 2.0 to 1.0. As of December 31, 2022, our interest coverage on a last 12 months’ basis was 24.1 to 1.0;
•a Consolidated Tangible Net Worth of no less than approximately $678.8 million. As of December 31, 2022, our Consolidated Tangible Net Worth was $1,060.6 million; and
•a maximum debt to total capitalization rolling average ratio of no more than 40.0%. As of December 31, 2022, we had a rolling average ratio of 27.1%.
As of December 31, 2022, we believe that our cash on hand, capacity available under our lines of credit and cash flows from operations for the next twelve months will be sufficient to service our outstanding debt during the next twelve months and fund our operations. For more detailed information on our lines of credit, refer to Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements located in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Preferred Equity
As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 we had issued and outstanding 2,000,000 Depositary Shares, each representing 1/1000 of a share of our 5.75% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). We pay cumulative cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock, when and as declared by the Board, at the rate of 5.75% of the $25,000 liquidation preference per share. Dividends are payable quarterly in arrears. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we paid dividends of $2.8 million on the Series A Preferred Stock. As the series A Preferred Stock was issued in December 2021, no dividend payments were made during the year ended December 31, 2021. On February 14, 2023, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.359 per depositary share on the Series A Preferred Stock. The dividend is payable on March 15, 2023 to stockholders of record as of March 1, 2023.
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Registration Statements
In December 2020, we filed with the SEC a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 registering up to $500 million of securities, including shares of common stock, preferred stock or debt securities either separately or represented by warrants, or depositary shares as well as units that include any of these securities. Under the rules governing shelf registration statements, we will file a prospectus supplement and advise the SEC of the amount and type of securities each time we issue securities under this registration statement.
Cash Flows
The following summarizes our primary sources and uses of cash for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021:
•Operating activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $90.7 million, compared to a $92.4 million use of cash from operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2021. The net cash inflows for the year ended December 31, 2022 were primarily generated from business operations of $314.0 million, partially offset by an increase in inventory of $217.6 million.
•Investing activities. Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased to $6.5 million compared to $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in cash outflows was primarily due to a $3.6 million capital contribution to our joint venture GBTM Sendera, LLC during the year ended December 31, 2022.
•Financing activities. Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $84.5 million, compared to a $154.3 million source of cash during the year ended December 31, 2021. The cash outflows for the year ended December 31, 2022 were primarily for share repurchases of $101.5 million, partially offset by net borrowings from lines of credit of $18.0 million.
For discussion and analysis our cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 as well as for comparison to our cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020, refer to Item 7 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Land and Lot Option Contracts
In the ordinary course of business, we enter into land purchase contracts with third-party developers to procure lots for the construction of our homes in the future. We are subject to customary obligations associated with such contracts. These purchase contracts typically require an earnest money deposit, and the purchase of properties under these contracts is generally contingent upon satisfying certain requirements, including obtaining applicable property and development entitlements.
We also utilize option contracts with lot sellers as a method of acquiring lots in staged takedowns, which are the schedules that dictate when lots must be purchased to help manage the financial and market risk associated with land holdings, and to reduce the use of funds from our corporate financing sources. Lot option contracts generally require us to pay a non-refundable deposit for the right to acquire lots over a specified period of time at pre-determined prices which typically include escalations in lot prices over time.
Our utilization of lot option contracts is dependent on, among other things, our supply of internally developed lots, the availability of land sellers willing to enter into these arrangements, the availability of capital to finance the development of optioned lots, general housing market conditions and local market dynamics. Options may be more difficult to procure from land sellers in strong housing markets and are more prevalent in certain geographic regions.
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We generally have the right, at our discretion, to terminate our obligations under both purchase contracts and option contracts by forfeiting the earnest money deposit with no further financial responsibility to the land seller.
As of December 31, 2022, we had earnest money deposits of $24.6 million at risk associated with contracts to purchase 2,923 lots past feasibility studies with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $219.8 million.
Letters of Credit and Performance Bonds
Refer to Note 18 in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details of letters of credit and performance bonds outstanding.
Guarantee
Refer to Note 5 in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details of our guarantee in relation to our joint venture with EJB River Holdings, LLC (“EJB River Holdings”).
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to use judgment and make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues, costs and expenses during the reporting period. Management bases estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Management believes that the following accounting area is most critical to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and requires the most subjective or complex judgments.
Impairment of Inventory
We value inventory at cost unless the carrying value is determined to be not recoverable in which case the affected inventory is written down to fair value. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment (“ASC 360”), we evaluate our inventory for indicators of impairment by individual community and development during each reporting period.
For our builder operations segments, during each reporting period, contribution margins on closed homes, average margins of homes under construction, and forecasted margins for future starts are reviewed at a community level by management. In the event that this review suggests higher potential for losses at a specific community, the Company monitors such communities by adding them to our “watchlist” communities, and, when an impairment indicator is present, further analysis is performed.
For our land development segment, we perform a quarterly review for indicators of impairment for each project which involves comparing anticipated lot sale revenues to projected costs (i.e. lot gross margins). For lots designated for our builders, we review land for indicators of impairment on a consolidated level for each community, looking at overall projected home contribution margins. In determining the allocation of costs to a particular land parcel, we rely on project budgets which are based on a variety of assumptions, such as development schedules and future costs to be incurred. It is common that actual results differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including delays, changes in costs that have not been committed, unforeseen issues encountered during project development that fall outside the scope of existing contracts, or items that ultimately cost more or less than the budgeted amount. We apply procedures to maintain best estimates in our budgets, including assessing and revising project budgets on a periodic basis, obtaining commitments from subcontractors and vendors for future costs to be incurred and utilizing the most recent information available to estimate costs.
For each real estate asset that has an indicator of impairment, we analyze whether the estimated remaining undiscounted future cash flows are more or less than the asset’s carrying value. The estimated cash flows are determined by projecting the remaining revenue from closings based on the contractual lot takedowns remaining, future projected lot takedowns, or historical and projected home sales or delivery absorptions for homebuilding operations and then comparing such projections to the remaining projected expenditures for development or home construction. Remaining projected expenditures are based on the most current pricing/bids received from subcontractors for current phases or homes under development. For future phases of land development, management uses its judgment to project potential cost increases. In determining the estimated cash flows for land held for sale, management considers recent comparisons to market comparable transactions, bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes, and similar information. When projecting revenue, management does not assume improvement in market conditions.
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If the estimated undiscounted cash flows are less than the asset’s carrying value, the asset is deemed impaired and written down to fair value. These impairment evaluations require us to make estimates and assumptions regarding future conditions, including the timing and amounts of development costs and sales prices of real estate assets, to determine if expected future cash flows will be sufficient to recover the asset’s carrying value.
Fair value is determined based on estimated future cash flows discounted for inherent risks associated with real estate assets. These discounted cash flows are impacted by expected risk based on estimated land development activities, construction and delivery timelines, market risk of price erosion, uncertainty of development or construction cost increases, and other risks specific to the asset or market conditions where the asset is located when the assessment is made. These factors are specific to each community and may vary among communities. When deemed appropriate, we use recent comparisons to market comparable transactions, bona fide letters of intent from outside parties, executed sales contracts, broker quotes, or similar information as inputs to estimate the fair value of certain real estate assets.
When estimating cash flows of a community, management makes various assumptions, including: (i) expected sales prices and sales incentives to be offered, including the number of homes available, pricing and incentives being offered by us or other builders, and future sales price adjustments based on market and economic trends; (ii) expected sales pace and cancellation rates based on local housing market conditions, competition and historical trends; (iii) costs expended to date and expected to be incurred including, but not limited to, land and land development costs, home construction costs, interest costs, indirect construction and overhead costs, and selling and marketing costs; (iv) alternative product offerings that may be offered that could have an impact on sales pace, sales price and/or building costs; and (v) alternative uses for the property.
Many assumptions are interdependent and a change in one may require a corresponding change to other assumptions. For example, increasing or decreasing sales absorption rates has a direct impact on the estimated per unit sales price of a home, the level of time-sensitive costs (such as indirect construction, overhead and carrying costs), and selling and marketing costs (such as model home maintenance costs and advertising costs). Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, the volatility in demand for new housing and the long life cycle of many communities, actual results could differ significantly from such estimates.
Refer to Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further description of our significant accounting policies.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for recent accounting pronouncements.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Our operations are interest rate sensitive. Because overall housing demand is adversely affected by increases in interest rates, a significant increase in mortgage interest rates may negatively affect the ability of homebuyers to secure adequate financing. Higher interest rates could adversely affect our revenues, gross margins and net income.
Our lines of credit have variable interest rates which are subject to minimum interest rates. An increase in interest rates could cause the cost of those lines to increase. As of December 31 , 2022
For fixed rate debt, such as our senior unsecured notes, changes in interest rates have an impact on the fair value of the debt instrument, not on our earnings or cash flows.
The following table provides information about our significant fixed rate instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates. Our debt obligations, annual maturity amounts, weighted average interest rates, and estimated fair market value of our senior unsecured notes for the year ended December 31 , 2022
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| Years ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Total | Fair Value at December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liabilities: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior unsecured notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal repayments | $ | — | 37,500 | 37,500 | 75,000 | 62,500 | 55,000 | 70,000 | 337,500 | 306,129 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weighted Average interest rate | 3.43 | % | 3.43 | % | 3.42 | % | 3.37 | % | 3.27 | % | 3.25 | % | 3.25 | % | 3.38 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We do not enter into, or intend to enter into, swaps, forward or option contracts on interest rates or commodities or other types of derivative financial instruments for trading, hedging or speculative purposes.
Many of the statements contained in this section are forward-looking and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements.”
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors
Green Brick Partners, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Green Brick Partners, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31 , 2022December 31 , 2022December 31 , 2022December 31 , 2022
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31 , 2022
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Evaluation of Inventory for Impairment
As described in Notes 1 and 4 to the financial statements, the Company’s inventory, including homes completed or under construction and land and lots inventory was $1,422 million as of December 31, 2022. The Company performs impairment testing quarterly to determine whether events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of its inventory may not be recoverable.
If future results are not consistent with the Company’s assumptions and estimates, including future events such as deterioration of market conditions or significant changes in the absorption rates, changes in the assumptions could have a significant impact on the determination of indicators of potential impairment.
We identified the evaluation of potential indicators of impairment for inventory as a critical audit matter. This is due to a high degree of auditor judgment that was involved in evaluating management’s assumptions and judgments regarding whether
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changes in market conditions at a location in which the Company operates would indicate a significant decrease in the fair value of the inventory.
Our audit procedures related to the Company’s evaluation of potential indicators of impairment for inventory include the following primary procedures, among others to address this critical audit matter:
a.We obtained an understanding of the relevant controls related to the evaluation of inventory for impairment and tested such controls for design and operating effectiveness, including controls related to the Company’s process to evaluate potential indicators of impairment.
b.We evaluated the completeness and appropriateness of management’s assessment of qualitative and quantitative impairment indicators by community.
c.We tested management’s process of identifying potential indicators of impairment by comparing actual contribution margins on closed homes to management’s target contribution margin to identify communities averaging below the target and identifying communities with significantly declining margins and/or increasing costs.
d.We evaluated the reasonableness of the key inputs and assumption used in management’s undiscounted cash flow analyses and fair value determinations, as necessary, by comparing the assumptions to historical information, recalculated mathematical accuracy of management’s calculations, independent analysis, current year actual financial information and third-party resources.
/s/ RSM US LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.
PCAOB ID: 49
February 27, 2023
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GREEN BRICK PARTNERS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share data)
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Restricted cash | |||||||||||
| Receivables | |||||||||||
| Inventory | |||||||||||
| Investments in unconsolidated entities | |||||||||||
| Right-of-use assets - operating leases | |||||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | |||||||||||
| Earnest money deposits | |||||||||||
| Deferred income tax assets, net | |||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | |||||||||||
| Goodwill | |||||||||||
| Other assets | |||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | $ | |||||||||
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | |||||||||||
| Liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Accrued expenses | |||||||||||
| Customer and builder deposits | |||||||||||
| Lease liabilities - operating leases | |||||||||||
| Borrowings on lines of credit, net | ( | ||||||||||
| Senior unsecured notes, net | |||||||||||
| Notes payable | |||||||||||
| Total liabilities | |||||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | |||||||||||
| Redeemable noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiary | |||||||||||
| Equity: | |||||||||||
| Green Brick Partners, Inc. stockholders’ equity | |||||||||||
| Preferred stock, $0.01 par value: 5,000,000 shares authorized; 2,000 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively | |||||||||||
| Common stock, $0.01 par value: 100,000,000 shares authorized; 46,032,930 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 51,151,911 and 50,759,972 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021, respectively | |||||||||||
| Treasury stock, at cost: none as of December 31, 2022 and 391,939 shares as of December 31, 2021 | ( | ||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | |||||||||||
| Retained earnings | |||||||||||
| Total Green Brick Partners, Inc. stockholders’ equity | |||||||||||
| Noncontrolling interests | |||||||||||
| Total equity | |||||||||||
| Total liabilities and equity | $ | $ | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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GREEN BRICK PARTNERS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In thousands, except per share data)
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Residential units revenue | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Land and lots revenue | |||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | |||||||||||||||||
| Cost of residential units | |||||||||||||||||
| Cost of land and lots | |||||||||||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | |||||||||||||||||
| Total gross profit | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Equity in income of unconsolidated entities | |||||||||||||||||
| Other income, net | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | |||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income | |||||||||||||||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Green Brick Partners, Inc. | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Green Brick Partners, Inc. per common share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| Diluted | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Weighted average common shares used in the calculation of net income attributable to Green Brick Partners, Inc. per common share: | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic | |||||||||||||||||
| Diluted | |||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
35
GREEN BRICK PARTNERS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In thousands, except share data)
| Common Stock | Preferred Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional Paid-in Capital | Retained Earnings | Total Green Brick Partners, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity | Non controlling Interests | Total Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | $ | — | $ | — | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock under 2014 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock awards | ( | ( | — | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of deferred share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Increase in ownership in CB JENI Homes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | — | $ | — | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock under 2014 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock awards | ( | ( | — | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of preferred stock | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of deferred share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
36
GREEN BRICK PARTNERS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In thousands, except share data)
| Common Stock | Preferred Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional Paid-in Capital | Retained Earnings | Total Green Brick Partners, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity | Non controlling Interests | Total Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock under 2014 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock awards | ( | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of deferred share-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividends | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share repurchases | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retirement of treasury shares | ( | ( | — | — | ( | ( | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Change in fair value of redeemable noncontrolling interest | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||