SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sabra and its wholly owned subsidiaries as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and for the periods ended September 30, 2016 and 2015. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information as contained within the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for financial statements. In the opinion of management, the financial statements for the unaudited interim periods presented include all adjustments, which are of a normal and recurring nature, necessary for a fair statement of the results for such periods. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. For further information, refer to the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2015 included in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

Variable Interest Entities

GAAP requires the Company to identify entities for which control is achieved through voting rights or other means and to determine which business enterprise is the primary beneficiary of variable interest entities (“VIEs”). A VIE is broadly defined as an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is insufficient to finance the entity's activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group, the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about the entity's activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests, and substantially all of the entity's activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. If the Company were determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the Company would consolidate investments in the VIE. The Company may change its original assessment of a VIE due to events such as modifications of contractual arrangements that affect the characteristics or adequacy of the entity's equity investments at risk and the disposal of all or a portion of an interest held by the primary beneficiary.

The Company identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both: (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity's economic performance; and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the entity. The Company performs this analysis on an ongoing basis.

As of September 30, 2016, the Company determined it was the primary beneficiary of two senior housing facilities and has consolidated the operations of these facilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. As of September 30, 2016, the Company determined that operations of these facilities were not material to the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

As it relates to investments in loans, in addition to the Company's assessment of VIEs and whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of those VIEs, the Company evaluates the loan terms and other pertinent facts to determine if the loan investment should be accounted for as a loan or as a real estate joint venture. If an investment has the characteristics of a real estate joint venture, including if the Company participates in the majority of the borrower's expected residual profit, the Company would account for the investment as an investment in a real estate joint venture and not as a loan investment. Expected residual profit is defined as the amount of profit, whether called interest or another name, such as an equity kicker, above a reasonable amount of interest and fees expected to be earned by a lender. At September 30, 2016, none of the Company's investments in loans are accounted for as real estate joint ventures.

As it relates to investments in joint ventures, the Company assesses any limited partners' rights and their impact on the presumption of control of the limited partnership by any single partner. The Company reassesses its determination of which entity controls the joint venture if: there is a change to the terms or in the exercisability of the rights of any partners, the sole general partner increases or decreases its ownership of limited partnership interests, or there is an increase or decrease in the number of outstanding limited partnership interests. The Company also applies this guidance to managing member interests in limited liability companies.

Use of Estimates

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

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the Company’s condensed 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. As a result, certain reclassifications were made to the condensed consolidated balance sheets and condensed consolidated statements of income.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Update

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments–Overall (Subtopic 825-10) (“ASU 2016-01”).  ASU 2016-01 updates guidance related to recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. ASU 2016-01 requires all equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income (other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee). The amendments in ASU 2016-01 also require an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments. In addition, the amendments in ASU 2016-01 eliminate the requirement to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet for public business entities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”).  ASU 2016-02 supersedes guidance related to accounting for leases. ASU 2016-02 updates guidance around the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. The objective of ASU 2016-02 is to establish the principles that lessees and lessors shall apply to report useful information to users of financial statements about the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from a lease. ASU 2016-02 does not fundamentally change lessor accounting, however, some changes have been made to lessor accounting to conform and align that guidance with the lessee guidance and other areas within GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-07, Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) (“ASU 2016-07”).  ASU 2016-07 simplifies the accounting for equity method investments. ASU 2016-07 eliminates the requirement in Topic 323 that an entity retroactively adopt the equity method of accounting if an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership or degree of influence. The amendments require that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. ASU 2016-07 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”).  ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. In addition, the amendments in ASU 2016-09 eliminate the guidance in Topic 718 that was indefinitely deferred shortly after the issuance of FASB Statement No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”).  ASU 2016-13 requires that a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost basis be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset(s) to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 are an improvement because they eliminate the probable initial recognition threshold in current GAAP and, instead, reflect an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses. Previously, when credit losses were measured under GAAP, an entity generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted as of the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. An entity will apply the amendments in this update through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective (that is, a modified-retrospective approach). The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (“ASU 2016-15”).  ASU 2016-15 provides specific guidance on the following eight specific cash flow classification issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (including bank-owned life insurance policies); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. ASU 2016-15 will reduce the current and potential future diversity in practice of cash flow classifications. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements when adopted.

Fair Value Disclosures

The fair value for certain financial instruments is derived using a combination of market quotes, pricing models and other valuation techniques that involve significant management judgment. The price transparency of financial instruments is a key determinant of the degree of judgment involved in determining the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments.

Financial instruments for which actively quoted prices or pricing parameters are available and whose markets contain orderly transactions will generally have a higher degree of price transparency than financial instruments whose markets are inactive or consist of non-orderly trades. The Company evaluates several factors when determining if a market is inactive or when market transactions are not orderly. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and the Credit Facility are reasonable estimates of fair value because of the short-term maturities of these instruments. Fair values for other financial instruments are derived as follows:

Loans receivable: These instruments are presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at their amortized cost and not at fair value. The fair value of the loans receivable were estimated using an internal valuation model that considered the expected cash flows for the loans receivable, the underlying collateral value and other credit enhancements. As such, the Company classifies these instruments as Level 3.

Preferred equity investments: These instruments are presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at their cost and not at fair value. The fair value of the preferred equity investments were estimated using an internal valuation model that considered the expected future cash flows for the preferred equity investment, the underlying collateral value and other credit enhancements. As such, the Company classifies these instruments as Level 3.

Derivative instruments: The Company’s derivative instruments are presented at fair value on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company estimates the fair value of derivative instruments, including its interest rate cap, interest rate swap and cross currency swaps, using the assistance of a third party using inputs that are observable in the market, which includes forward yield curves and other relevant information. Although the Company has determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its derivative financial instruments fall within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit valuation adjustments associated with its derivative financial instruments utilize level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by itself and its counterparties. The Company has assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its derivative positions and has determined that the credit valuation adjustments are not significant to the overall valuation of its derivative financial instruments. As a result, the Company has determined that its derivative financial instruments valuations in their entirety are classified in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Senior Notes: These instruments are presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized deferred financing costs and premiums (discounts) and not at fair value. The fair values of the Senior Notes were determined using third-party market quotes derived from orderly trades. As such, the Company classifies these instruments as Level 2.

Mortgage indebtedness: These instruments are presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized deferred financing costs and premiums (discounts) and not at fair value. The fair values of the Company’s mortgage notes payable were estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on management’s estimates of current market interest rates for instruments with similar characteristics, including remaining loan term, loan-to-value ratio, type of collateral and other credit enhancements. As such, the Company classifies these instruments as Level 3.