Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Forestar Group Inc., all subsidiaries, ventures and other entities in which we have a controlling interest. We account for our investment in other entities in which we have significant influence over operations and financial policies using the equity method. We eliminate all material intercompany accounts and transactions. Noncontrolling interests in consolidated pass-through entities are recognized before income taxes.

We prepare our unaudited interim financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") and Securities and Exchange Commission requirements for interim financial statements. As a result, they do not include all the information and disclosures required for complete financial statements. However, in our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Such adjustments consist only of normal recurring items unless otherwise noted. We make estimates and assumptions about future events. Actual results can, and probably will, differ from those we currently estimate including those principally related to allocating costs to real estate and measuring long-lived assets for impairment. These interim operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. For further information, please read the financial statements included in our 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

At year-end 2016, we had divested of substantially all of our oil and gas working interest properties. As a result of this significant change in our operations, we have reported the results of operations and financial position of these assets as discontinued operations within the consolidated statements of income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) and consolidated balance sheets for all periods presented.

New and Pending Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, as part of its simplification initiative. The areas for simplification in this update involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and the classification on the statement of cash flows. The updated standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 31, 2016. Effective first quarter 2017, stock-based compensation (SBC) excess tax benefits or deficiencies are reflected in the consolidated statements of income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) as a component of the provision for income taxes, whereas they previously were recognized in equity to the extent additional paid-in capital pool was available. Additionally, our consolidated statements of cash flows will now present excess tax benefits as an operating activity, if applicable. Finally, we have elected to account for forfeitures as they occur, rather than estimate expected forfeitures. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-09 in first nine months 2017, there were no material impacts to our consolidated financial statements.

Pending Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The updated standard will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The updated standard becomes effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The guidance permits two methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the cumulative catch-up transition method). We anticipate adopting the standard using the cumulative catch-up transition method. We have reached conclusions on our key accounting assessments related to the standard and are finalizing our accounting policies. Based on our initial assessment, we believe the timing of revenue recognition for our primary revenue stream, residential lot and tract sales, will not materially change. We are still finalizing our accounting policies and assessing disclosure requirements. Upon adopting FASB ASC Topic 606, we will provide additional disclosures in the notes to our consolidated financial statements. Due to the complexity of certain of our real estate sale transactions, the revenue recognition treatment required under the standard will be dependent on contract-specific terms, and may vary in limited circumstances from recognition at the time of the sale closing.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), in order to provide increased transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The updated standard is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2020 with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on our earnings, financial position and disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), in order to address eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The updated standard is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect of the updated standard, but we do not expect it to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230). This ASU requires that a statement of cash flow explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash investments. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2016-18 will modify our current disclosures and reclassifications relating to the consolidated statements of cash flows, but we do not expect it to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), in order to provide guidance about which changes to terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The updated standard is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We are currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on our earnings, financial position and disclosures, but we do not expect it to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.