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Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
  ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

a.Organization

Capital Realty Investors-III Limited Partnership (the Partnership) was formed under the Maryland Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act on June 27, 1983, and shall continue until December 31, 2037, unless sooner dissolved in accordance with the terms of the Partnership Agreement.  (See Note 1.k., below, for discussion of the Partnership’s Plan of Liquidation and Dissolution.)  The Partnership was formed to invest in real estate by acquiring and holding limited partner interests in limited partnerships (Local Partnerships) that own and operate federal or state government-assisted apartment properties, which provide housing principally to the elderly or to individuals and families of low or moderate income, or conventionally financed apartment properties, located throughout the United States.

The General Partners of the Partnership are C.R.I., Inc. (CRI), which is the Managing General Partner, and current and former shareholders of CRI.  The Initial Limited Partner was Rockville Pike Associates Limited Partnership-III, a limited partnership which includes certain current officers and former employees of CRI or its affiliates.  The Special Limited Partner had been Two Broadway Associates II, a limited partnership comprised of an affiliate and employees of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Incorporated.  Effective January 1, 2002, Two Broadway Associates II transferred its interest to MLH Merger Corporation and three individuals.

The Partnership sold 60,000 units at $1,000 per unit of additional limited partner interest through a public offering.  The offering period was terminated in January 1984.  As of December 31, 2012, 118 units of limited partner interest had been abandoned.

b.           Method of accounting

The financial statements of the Partnership are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America("GAAP").

c.           Variable interest entities

GAAP provides guidance on when a company should include the assets, liabilities, and activities of a variable interest entity (VIE) in its financial statements and when it should disclose information about its relationship with a VIE.  Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics:  (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its 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 an 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.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that will receive a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of a VIE’s expected residual returns, or both.

The Partnership does not consolidate the Partnership's interests in these VIE’s under this guidance, as it is not considered to be the primary beneficiary. Accounting guidance requires continued reconsideration as to the consideration of the primary beneficiary.  The Partnership currently records the amount of its investment in these partnerships as an asset on its balance sheet, recognizes its share of partnership income or losses in the statements of operations, and discloses how it accounts for material types of these investments in its financial statements.

The Partnership’s balance in investment in Local Partnerships represents its maximum exposure to loss.  The Partnership’s exposure to loss on these partnerships is mitigated by the condition and financial performance of the underlying properties as well as the strength of the local general partners.




d.           Investments in partnerships

The Partnership’s investment in Local Partnerships is considered to be variable interest entities (VIEs) because the owners of the equity at risk in these entities do not have the power to direct their operations. However, the Partnership is not considered the primary beneficiary of the Local Partnerships since it does not have the power to direct the activities that are considered most significant to the economic performance of these entities.  Therefore, and because the Partnership is a limited partner in the Local Partnerships, the Partnership accounts for the investment in its Local Partnerships using the equity method of accounting.  Under the equity method, the initial investment is recorded at cost, increased or decreased by the Partnership’s share of income or losses, and decreased by distributions received and syndication costs.  The investment balance cannot be reduced below zero. After the investment account is reduced to zero, receivables due from the Local Partnership are decreased by the Partnership’s share of losses.  Distributions received after the investment account is reduced to zero are recorded as income.

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Partnership's share of cumulative losses for zero and two of the Local Partnerships exceeded the amount of the Partnership's investments in those Local Partnerships by $0 and $9,096,274, respectively. Since the Partnership has no further obligation to advance funds or provide financing to these Local Partnerships, the excess losses have not been reflected in the accompanying financial statements. The Partnership’s carrying value is zero and the equity method has been suspended for the following Local Partnerships as of December 31, 2011: Monterey/Hillcrest and Villa Mirage II.
 
Costs incurred in connection with acquiring these investments have been capitalized and are being amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the properties owned by the Local Partnerships.

e.           Deferred costs

Acquisition fees and property purchase costs incurred for services rendered to acquire the Local Partnerships are amortized over 30 years using the straight-line method, beginning upon commencement of operations of the Local Partnerships. The Partnership regularly assesses deferred costs for the existence of impairment in conjunction with the assessment of its investment in Local Partnerships. Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 was $1,696 and $4,188, respectively.  Estimated amortization expense for each of the ensuing years through December 31, 2014 is $1,587, and $755, respectively.


f.           Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of money market funds, time and demand deposits, and repurchase agreements with original maturities of three months or less.  Interest income is recognized as earned.

g.           Income taxes

The Partnership has elected to be treated as a pass-through entity for income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to income taxes. Rather, all items of taxable income, deductions and tax credits are passed through to and are reported by its owners on their respective income tax returns. The Partnership’s federal tax status as a pass-through entity is based on its legal status as a partnership. Accordingly, the Partnership is not required to take any tax positions in order to qualify as a pass-through entity. The Partnership is required to file and does file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities. Accordingly, these financial statements do not reflect a provision for income taxes and the Partnership has no other tax positions which must be considered for disclosure.

Accounting guidance conveys how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, presented, and disclosed in the financial statements. The guidance requires the evaluation of tax positions taken in the course of preparing the Partnership's tax returns to determine whether tax positions are more-likely-than-not of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-than-likely-not threshold would be recognized as a tax expense in the current year. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Partnership did not recognize any interest or penalties related to the income taxes in its financial statements. Generally, the tax returns filed with the various taxing authorities

remain available for audit subject to statutes of limitation specific to those jurisdictions. Income tax returns filed by the Partnership are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three years. While no income tax returns are currently being examined by the Internal Revenue Service, tax years since 2009 remain open.

h.           Use of estimates

In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the Partnership is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

i.           Fair value of financial instruments                                                
The Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

1.Level 1 Inputs -- quoted prices in active markets for identical assets of liabilities.
2.Level 2 Inputs -- observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
3.Level 3 Inputs -- unobservable inputs.

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy.  In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The balance sheet carrying amount for cash and cash equivalents approximates their fair value.

j.           Impairment analysis

The Partnership reviews property assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable.  Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the estimated future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.  Impairment for investments in partnerships is determined by review of the performance of the underlying asset and expected proceeds from the sale of the investment.  If an asset were determined to be impaired, its basis would be adjusted to fair value through the recognition of an impairment loss. During 2012, an impairment loss of $605,612 was recognized (see Note 2b).

k.           Definitive Proxy Statement

On November 21, 2005, the Partnership filed a Definitive Proxy Statement pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whereby the Managing General Partner recommended that the Unit holders approve a Plan of Liquidation and Dissolution for the Partnership, or the “Plan.”  The Plan was approved by the Unit holders on January 20, 2006, and was adopted by the General Partner on January 20, 2006.   Pursuant to the Plan, the Managing General Partner may, without further action by the Unit holders:

liquidate the assets and wind up the business of the Partnership;
make liquidating distributions in cancellation of the Unit;
dissolve the Partnership after the sale of all of the Partnership’s assets; and
take, or cause the Partnership to take, such other acts and deeds and shall do, or cause the Partnership to do, such other things, as are necessary or appropriate in connection with the dissolution, winding up and liquidation of the Partnership, the termination of the responsibilities and liabilities of the Partnership under applicable law, and the termination of the existence of the Partnership.

Since the approval of the Plan by the Unit holders, the Partnership has continued to seek to sell the assets of the Partnership and use the sales proceeds and/or other Partnership funds to pay all expenses in connection with such sales, pay or make provision for payment of all Partnership obligations and liabilities, including accrued fees and unpaid loans to the General

Partner, and distribute the remaining assets as set forth in the Partnership Agreement. Numerous variables, including adverse general economic conditions, as well as, Local Partnership agreements and regulatory restrictions impact the ability and timing of effectuating the sale of certain properties owned by the Local Partnerships or the Partnership’s interests in the Local Partnerships.  The Managing General Partner continues to explore strategies that will result in the liquidation of the Partnership at terms advantageous to the Partnership.  There can be no assurance that the Liquidation will be completed pursuant to the Plan. Because the liquidation of the Partnership was not imminent, as of December 31, 2012, the financial statements are presented assuming the Partnership will continue as a going concern.

l.           Allocation of net income (loss)

Net income (loss) is allocated based on respective partnership interest or units outstanding.  The Partnership has no dilutive interests.

m.           Subsequent events

Events that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements were available to be issued must be evaluated for recognition or disclosure. The effects of subsequent events that provide evidence about conditions that existed at the balance sheet date are recognized in the accompanying financial statements. Subsequent events which provide evidence about conditions that existed after the balance sheet date require disclosure in the accompanying notes. Management evaluated the activity of the Partnership and concluded that no subsequent events have occurred that would require recognition in the financial statements. Subsequent events which require disclosure in the notes to the financial statements are disclosed in Note 2b.

n. Recent accounting pronouncements

In September 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Updated (ASU) No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS". This update amends the guidance on fair value measurements to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). This ASU does not require additional fair value measurements and is not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting. The Partnership adopted this updated as of January 1, 2012 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Partnership's results of operations, financial position, or cash flows during the year ended December 31, 2012.