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Basis of Presentation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Basis of Presentation

1. Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Shea Homes Limited Partnership (“SHLP”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Shea Homes, Inc. (“SHI”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company consolidates all joint ventures in which it has a controlling interest or other ventures in which it is the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Material intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated. The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information, the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these consolidated financial statements do not include all information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2011, which are contained in the Company’s prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 6, 2012 (the “Prospectus”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Adjustments, consisting of normal, recurring accruals, loss reserves and deferred tax asset valuation allowance adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation, are included.

Effective January 1, 2012, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2011-05”), which requires presentation of comprehensive income in either (1) a continuous statement of operations and comprehensive income or (2) two separate but consecutive statements. In accordance with ASU 2011-05, the 2011 financial statements have been restated to conform to the current year presentation of comprehensive income (loss).

Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we”, “us”, “our” and “the Company” refer to SHLP, its subsidiaries and its consolidated joint ventures.

Organization

SHLP, a California limited partnership, was formed January 4, 1989, pursuant to an agreement of partnership (the “Agreement”), as most recently amended January 1, 2009, by and between J.F. Shea, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, as general partner, and the Company’s limited partners who are comprised of entities and trusts, including J.F. Shea Co., Inc. (“JFSCI”), that are under the common control of Shea family members (collectively, the “Partners”). J.F. Shea, LP is 96% owned by JFSCI.

Nature of Operations

Our principal business purpose is homebuilding, which includes acquiring and developing land and constructing and selling residential homes thereon. Our principal markets are California, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Nevada and Florida.

We own a captive insurance company, Partners Insurance Company, Inc. (“PIC”), which provided warranty, general liability, workers’ compensation and completed operations insurance for related companies and third-party subcontractors. Effective for the policy years commencing in 2007, PIC ceased issuing policies for these coverages. Thereafter, our warranty coverage became self-insured, and the general liability, workers’ compensation and completed operations coverages (through July 31, 2009) were insured by an affiliate insurance carrier for primary coverage and by third-party insurance carriers for excess coverage. In February 2011, we purchased completed operations insurance from affiliate insurance carriers, retroactive to August 1, 2009.

Seasonality

Historically, the homebuilding industry experiences seasonal fluctuations. We typically experience the highest new home sales 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 three to eight months to construct a new home, we deliver more homes in the second half of the year as spring and summer home sales orders convert to home deliveries. Because of this seasonality, home starts, construction costs and related cash outflows have historically been highest from April to October, and the majority of cash receipts from home closings occur during the second half of the year. Therefore, operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of results expected for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Further, in contrast to this historical seasonal pattern, weakness in homebuilding market conditions since 2006 has distorted our results. Although we may experience our seasonal pattern in the future, given current market conditions, we make no assurances as to when or whether this pattern will recur.

 

Use of Estimates

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