SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sabra and its wholly owned subsidiaries as of and for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 and for the period from the Separation Date through December 31, 2010. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications have not changed the results of operations of prior periods. The Company classified one property as held for sale as of December 31, 2012. As a result, certain reclassifications were made to the consolidated balance sheets and footnote disclosures for all periods presented.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes rental revenue from tenants, including rental abatements, lease incentives and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related leases when collectability is reasonably assured. If the lease provides for tenant improvements, the Company determines whether the tenant improvements, for accounting purposes, are owned by the tenant or by the Company. When the Company is the owner of the tenant improvements, the tenant is not considered to have taken physical possession or have control of the physical use of the leased asset until the tenant improvements are substantially completed. When the tenant is the owner of the tenant improvements, any tenant improvement allowance that is funded is treated as a lease incentive and amortized as a reduction of revenue over the lease term.

Real Estate Investments

Depreciation and Amortization

Real estate costs related to the acquisition and improvement of properties are capitalized and amortized over the expected useful life of the asset on a straight-line basis. Depreciation is discontinued when a property is identified as held for sale. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred and significant replacements and betterments are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs include all costs that do not extend the useful life of the real estate asset. The Company considers the period of future benefit of an asset to determine its appropriate useful life. Depreciation of real estate assets and amortization of lease intangibles are included in depreciation and amortization in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company anticipates the estimated useful lives of its assets by class to be generally as follows: land improvements, 3 to 40 years; buildings and building improvements, 3 to 40 years; and furniture and equipment, 1 to 20 years.

Impairment of Real Estate Investments

The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of its real estate investments may not be recoverable or realized. When indicators of potential impairment suggest that the carrying value of real estate investments may not be recoverable, the Company assesses the recoverability by estimating whether the Company will recover the carrying value of its real estate investments through its undiscounted future cash flows and the eventual disposition of the investment. If, based on this analysis, the Company does not believe that it will be able to recover the carrying value of its real estate investments, the Company would record an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of its real estate investments. The Company recorded a $2.5 million impairment loss during the year ended December 31, 2012 related to the asset held for sale. The Company did not record any impairment loss on its real estate investments during the period from the Separation Date through December 31, 2011.

Real Estate Acquisition Valuation

The Company accounts for the acquisition of income-producing real estate or real estate that will be used for the production of income as a business combination. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed in an acquisition of real estate are measured at their acquisition-date fair values. The acquisition value of land, building and improvements are included in real estate investments on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The acquisition value of tenant relationship and origination and absorption intangible assets are included in prepaid expenses, deferred financing costs and other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Acquisition pursuit costs are expensed as incurred and restructuring costs that do not meet the definition of a liability at the acquisition date are expensed in periods subsequent to the acquisition date. During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company acquired 23 and 11 real estate properties, respectively, and expensed $1.7 million and $3.2 million of acquisition pursuit costs, respectively, which is included in general and administrative expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The Company had no acquisitions during the period from November 15, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

Estimates of the fair values of the tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities require the Company to make significant assumptions to estimate market lease rates, property operating expenses, carrying costs during lease-up periods, discount rates, market absorption periods, and the number of years the property will be held for investment. The Company makes its best estimate based on the evaluation of the specific characteristics of each tenant's lease. The use of inappropriate assumptions would result in an incorrect valuation of the Company’s acquired tangible assets, identifiable intangibles and assumed liabilities, which would impact the amount of the Company’s net income.

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations

The Company generally considers real estate to be “held for sale” when the following criteria are met: (i) management commits to a plan to sell the property, (ii) the property is available for sale immediately, (iii) the property is actively being marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, (iv) the sale of the property within one year is considered probable and (v) significant changes to the plan to sell are not expected. Real estate that is held for sale and its related assets are classified as “assets held for sale” for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Mortgage notes payable and other liabilities related to real estate held for sale are classified as “liabilities related to assets held for sale” for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Real estate classified as held for sale is no longer depreciated and is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. As of December 31, 2012, the Company determined that one property with an aggregate book value of $2.2 million met the held for sale criteria.

Discontinued operations is a component of an entity that has either been disposed of or is deemed to be held for sale and, (i) the operations and cash flows of the component have been or will be eliminated from ongoing operations as a result of the disposal transaction, and (ii) the entity will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the component after the disposal transaction. Under the agreement with the Company's tenant pertaining to the Company’s asset held for sale, revenues and cash flows associated with the asset held for sale will not be eliminated as a result of the ultimate disposal of the asset. Accordingly, the operations of the held for sale asset are not classified as discontinued operations.

Loans Receivable and Interest Income

Loans Receivable

The Company’s loans receivable are recorded at amortized cost on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The amortized cost of a real estate loan receivable is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of unamortized costs and fees directly associated with the origination of the loan.

The Company reviews on a quarterly basis credit quality indicators such as payment status, changes affecting the underlying real estate collateral (for collateral dependent loans), changes affecting the operations of the facilities securing the loans, and national and regional economic factors. The Company’s loans receivable are evaluated for impairment at each balance sheet date. The Company considers a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, it believes that it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due under the contractual terms of the loan agreement resulting from the borrower’s failure to repay contractual amounts due, the granting of a concession by the Company or the Company’s expectation that it will receive assets with fair values less than the carrying value of the loan in satisfaction of the loan. If a loan is considered to be impaired, a reserve is established when the present value of payments expected to be received, observable market prices, the estimated fair value of the collateral (for loans that are dependent on the collateral for repayment) or amounts expected to be received in satisfaction of a loan are lower than the carrying value of that loan. As of December 31, 2012, all of the Company’s loans were performing and none were considered to be impaired.

Interest Income

Interest income on the Company’s loans receivable is recognized on an accrual basis over the life of the investment using the interest method. Direct loan origination costs are amortized over the term of the loan as an adjustment to interest income. When concerns exist as to the ultimate collection of principal or interest due under a loan, the loan is placed on nonaccrual status and the Company will not recognize interest income until the cash is received, or the loan returns to accrual status. If the Company determines that the collection of interest according to the contractual terms of the loan is probable, the Company will resume the accrual of interest.

Investment in Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note

On March 25, 2011, the Company purchased, at a discount, a defaulted mortgage note (“Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note”) secured by a combined assisted living, independent living and memory care facility located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for $5.3 million. Initially, due to significant uncertainty as to the ability of the borrower under the Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note to pay amounts contractually due, the Company placed this loan on nonaccrual status. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company determined it was likely that the borrower would be able to complete a discounted repayment of the Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note for $8.3 million and therefore the $3.0 million excess of the repayment amount over its investment in the Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note was recorded as interest income in December 2011. In addition, the Company paid a $1.4 million fee to an unaffiliated third party for its assistance in acquiring and ultimately collecting on the Hillside Terrace Mortgage Note.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term (with an original maturity of three months or less), highly-liquid investments utilized as part of the Company’s cash-management activities to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents may include cash and short-term investments. Short-term investments are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance exceeded federally insurable limits as of December 31, 2012. To date, the Company has experienced no loss or lack of access to cash in its operating accounts. The Company has a corporate banking relationship with Bank of America, N.A. in which it deposits all funds.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash primarily consists of amounts held by mortgage lenders to provide for future real estate tax expenditures, tenant improvements and capital expenditures. Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s leases with subsidiaries of Genesis, the Company has assigned its interests in certain of these restricted cash accounts to Genesis and this amount is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, restricted cash totaled $4.6 million and $6.1 million, respectively, and restricted cash obligations totaled $2.3 million and $5.4 million, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense for stock-based awards granted to Sabra’s employees and its non-employee directors are recognized in the statements of income based on their estimated grant date fair value. Compensation expense for awards with graded vesting schedules is generally recognized ratably over the period from the grant date to the date when the award is no longer contingent on the employee providing additional services.

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs representing fees paid to third parties to obtain financing are amortized over the terms of the respective financing agreements using the interest method. Unamortized deferred financing costs are expensed when the associated debt is refinanced or repaid before maturity. Costs incurred in seeking financings that do not close are expensed in the period in which it is determined that the financing will not close. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company’s deferred financing costs were included in prepaid expenses, deferred financing costs and other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and totaled $12.4 million and $9.4 million, respectively, net of amortization. Amortization of deferred financing costs for the year ended December 31, 2012 included $0.9 million in write-offs related to the refinancing of certain mortgage notes.

Income Taxes

The Company elected to be treated as a REIT with the filing of its U.S. federal income tax return for the taxable year beginning January 1, 2011. The Company believes that it has been organized and operated, and it intends to continue to operate, in a manner to qualify as a REIT. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s annual REIT taxable income to stockholders (which is computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gains and which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP). As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax on income that it distributes as dividends to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates and generally will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost, unless the Internal Revenue Service grants the Company relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially and adversely affect the Company’s net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. However, the Company believes that it is organized and operates in such a manner as to qualify for treatment as a REIT.

The Company evaluates its tax positions using a two step approach: step one (recognition) occurs when a company concludes that a tax position, based solely on its technical merits, is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination and step two (measurement) is only addressed if step one has been satisfied (i.e., the position is more likely than not to be sustained). Under step two, the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount of benefit (determined on a cumulative probability basis) that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company will recognize tax penalties relating to unrecognized tax benefits as additional tax expense.

Fair Value Measurements

Under GAAP, the Company is required to measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. In addition, the Company is required to measure other financial instruments and balances at fair value on a non-recurring basis (e.g., carrying value of impaired real estate loans receivable and long-lived assets). Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The GAAP fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:


•	Level 1: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;


•	Level 2: quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and


•	Level 3: prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

When available, the Company utilizes quoted market prices from an independent third-party source to determine fair value and classifies such items in Level 1 or Level 2. In instances where the market for a financial instrument is not active, regardless of the availability of a nonbinding quoted market price, observable inputs might not be relevant and could require the Company to make a significant adjustment to derive a fair value measurement. Additionally, in an inactive market, a market price quoted from an independent third party may rely more on models with inputs based on information available only to that independent third party. When the Company determines the market for a financial instrument owned by the Company to be illiquid or when market transactions for similar instruments do not appear orderly, the Company may use several valuation sources (including internal valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and quoted market prices) to establish a fair value. If more than one valuation source is used, the Company will assign weights to the various valuation sources. Additionally, when determining the fair value of liabilities in circumstances in which a quoted price in an active market for an identical liability is not available, the Company measures fair value using (i) a valuation technique that uses the quoted price of the identical liability when traded as an asset or quoted prices for similar liabilities or similar liabilities when traded as assets or (ii) another valuation technique that is consistent with the principles of fair value measurement, such as the income approach or the market approach.

Changes in assumptions or estimation methodologies can have a material effect on these estimated fair values. In this regard, the derived fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets and, in many cases, may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.

The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of an inactive market: (i) there are few recent transactions, (ii) price quotations are not based on current information, (iii) price quotations vary substantially either over time or among market makers (for example, some brokered markets), (iv) indexes that previously were highly correlated with the fair values of the asset or liability are demonstrably uncorrelated with recent indications of fair value for that asset or liability, (v) there is a significant increase in implied liquidity risk premiums, yields, or performance indicators (such as delinquency rates or loss severities) for observed transactions or quoted prices when compared with the Company’s estimate of expected cash flows, considering all available market data about credit and other nonperformance risk for the asset or liability, (vi) there is a wide bid-ask spread or significant increase in the bid-ask spread, (vii) there is a significant decline or absence of a market for new issuances (that is, a primary market) for the asset or liability or similar assets or liabilities, and (viii) little information is released publicly (for example, a principal-to-principal market).

The Company considers the following factors to be indicators of non-orderly transactions: (i) there was not adequate exposure to the market for a period before the measurement date to allow for marketing activities that are usual and customary for transactions involving such assets or liabilities under current market conditions, (ii) there was a usual and customary marketing period, but the seller marketed the asset or liability to a single market participant, (iii) the seller is in or near bankruptcy or receivership (that is, distressed), or the seller was required to sell to meet regulatory or legal requirements (that is, forced), and (iv) the transaction price is an outlier when compared with other recent transactions for the same or similar assets or liabilities.

Per Share Data

Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of shares of common stock and common equivalents outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by including the effect of dilutive securities. See “Note 14. Earnings Per Common Share” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Industry Segments

The Company has one reportable segment consisting of investments in healthcare-related real estate properties.

Beds, Units and Other Measures

The number of beds, units and other measures used to describe the Company’s real estate investments included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are presented on an unaudited basis.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Updates

On January 31, 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-01, Balance Sheet (Topic 210): Clarifying the Score of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (“ASU No. 2013-01”). ASU No. 2013-01 updated accounting guidance applies to derivatives, including bifurcated embedded derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and securities lending transactions that are either offset or subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. Entities with other types of financial assets and financial liabilities subject to a master netting arrangement or similar agreement also are affected because these amendments make them no longer subject to prior disclosure requirements. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. An entity should provide the required disclosures retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The adoption of ASU No. 2013-01 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.