Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Nature of Operations

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

1. Basis of Presentation and Nature of Operations

These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete annual financial statements. However, the Company (as defined below) believes that the disclosures made are adequate for a fair presentation of results of operations and financial position. In addition, the year-end consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of the Company, these statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of all interim periods reported herein. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for the interim periods reported herein may not be indicative of the results expected for the year. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024 (the “2023 Form 10-K”).

HG Holdings, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” ‘us” or “our”), operates through its subsidiaries, National Consumer Title Insurance Company (“NCTIC”), National Consumer Title Group, LLC (“NCTG”), Title Agency Ventures, LLC (“TAV”), HG Managing Agency, LLC (“HGMA”), Omega National Title Agency, LLC (“ONTA” or “Omega”), Omega National Title of Florida, LLC (“ONF”) and Omega National Title of Pensacola, LLC (“ONP”), and through an affiliated investment in HC Government Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (“HC Realty”).

Description of the Business

Title Insurance

The Company engages in issuing title insurance through its subsidiary, NCTIC, and providing title agency services through its subsidiaries, NCTG, TAV, ONTA, ONF and ONP. Through NCTIC, the Company underwrites title insurance for owners and mortgagees as the primary insurer. The Company mainly provides title insurance services in the state of Florida.

Title insurance protects against loss or damage resulting from title defects that affect real property. When real property is conveyed from one party to another, occasionally there is an undisclosed defect in the title or a mistake or omission in a prior deed, will or mortgage that may give a third party a legal claim against such property. If a covered claim is made against real property, title insurance provides indemnification against insured defects. There are two basic types of title insurance policies – one for the mortgage lender and one for the real property owner. A lender often requires the property owner to purchase a lender’s title insurance policy to protect its position as a holder of a mortgage loan, but the lender’s title insurance policy does not protect the property owner. The property owner has to purchase a separate owner’s title insurance policy to protect its investment.

NCTIC issues title insurance policies through its home office and through a network of affiliated and independent title agents. In the state of Florida, issuing agents are independent agents or subsidiaries of community and regional mortgage lending institutions, depending on local customs and regulations. The ability to attract and retain issuing agents is a key determinant of the Company’s growth in title insurance premiums written.

Revenues for the title insurance segment primarily result from purchases of new and existing residential and commercial real estate, refinance activity and certain other types of mortgage lending such as home equity lines of credit. Title insurance premiums vary from state to state and are subject to extensive regulation. Statutes generally provide that rates must not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. The process of implementing a rate change in most states involves pre-approval by the applicable state insurance regulator.

The substantial majority of the Company's title insurance business is dependent upon the overall level of residential and commercial real estate activity and mortgage markets, which are cyclical and seasonal. Residential purchase activity is typically slower in the winter months with increased volumes in the spring and summer months and is sensitive to interest rates. Refinance activity is not seasonal, but is generally correlated with changes in interest rates and general economic cycles. Commercial real estate volumes are less sensitive to changes in interest rates than residential real estate volumes, but fluctuate based on local supply and demand conditions and financing availability. Commercial real estate historically has elevated activity towards the end of the year. However, changes in general economic conditions in the United States and abroad can cause fluctuations in these traditional patterns of real estate activity, and changes in the general economic conditions in a geography can cause fluctuations in these traditional patterns of real estate activity in that geography. The Company’s revenues from title insurance premiums in future periods are likely to fluctuate due to these and other factors which are beyond management’s control.

In conducting its title insurance operations, the Company often holds customers’ assets in escrow, pending completion of real estate transactions. This cash is presented as restricted cash on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company records an offsetting escrow liability given that we are liable for the disposition of these escrowed funds.

Real Estate

The Company engages in rental real estate through its equity investment in HC Realty. HC Realty is an internally-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) focused on acquiring, developing, financing, owning and managing build-to-suit or renovate-to-suit, single-tenant properties leased primarily to the U.S. government and administered by the U.S. General Services Administration or directly by the federal government agencies or sub-agencies occupying such properties (referred to as “Government Properties”). HC Realty invests primarily in Government Properties ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 rentable square feet that are in their initial lease term after original construction or renovation-to-suit. HC Realty further emphasizes Government Properties that perform law enforcement, public service or other functions that support the mission of the agencies or sub-agencies occupying such properties. Leases associated with the Government Properties in which HC Realty invests are full faith and credit obligations of the United States of America. HC Realty intends to grow its portfolio primarily through direct acquisitions and development of Government Properties; although, HC Realty may elect to invest in Government Properties through indirect investments, such as joint ventures.

The Company currently owns 300,000 shares of HC Realty’s Common Stock (the “HC Common Stock”) and 1,025,000 shares of HC Realty’s 10.00% Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “HC Series B Stock”). As of March 31, 2024, the Company owns approximately 27.4% of the voting interest of HC Realty.

As of March 31, 2024, HC Realty owned 35 Government Properties, comprised of 33 Government Properties that it owns and two Government Properties that it owns subject to a ground lease, each of which is leased to the United States government and occupied by tenant agencies and sub-agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Immigration & Customs Enforcement, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Transportation. HC Realty’s portfolio properties contain approximately 663,000 leased rentable square feet located in 22 states. As of March 31, 2024, its portfolio properties are 98% leased to the United States government and occupied by 12 different federal government agencies. Based on leased rentable square feet, the portfolio has a weighted average remaining lease term of 9.2 years if none of the tenants’ early termination rights are exercised and 5.2 years if all of the tenants’ early termination rights are exercised.

Reinsurance

The Company, through the formation of White Rock USA Cell 47, previously engaged in providing another insurance company excess-of-loss reinsurance coverage related to catastrophic weather risk in Texas. The Company did not have any reinsurance contracts in-force during the three month period ended March 31, 2024; however, the Company may actively look to provide reinsurance coverage to other carriers as future opportunities arise.

Management Advisory Services

The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, HGMA, engages in providing various management advisory services such as legal entity formation, licensure, regulatory approval, assumption of policies, and other general operational services.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Company, through HGMA, is engaged to provide management advisory services to a related captive managing general agency, HP Managing Agency, LLC ("HPMA"), and its affiliates, including but not limited to general management, legal compliance, strategy services and review of potential acquisitions and transactions. The engagement is for twelve months from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, for a monthly fee of $200,000. HPMA is a related party of the Company as it is controlled by Steven A. Hale II, who serves as our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director. 

Effective April 1, 2023, the Company, through HGMA, was engaged to provide management advisory services to a related captive managing general agency, HPMA, regarding its affiliated entity's anticipated assumption of policies from Citizens Property Insurance Company. The services included underwriting, modeling, and advising on the subset of potential policies selected for the proposed assumption. The engagement was for six months from April 1, 2023 at a monthly fee of $200,000, and was renewed effective October 1, 2023 for an additional three months. The engagement expired in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2023. 

Effective April 1, 2023, the Company, through HGMA, was also engaged to provide management advisory services to a related reinsurance intermediary affiliated with HPMA. The services include legal entity formation, licensure, regulatory approval, and other general operational services to allow the intermediary to adequately perform its business functions. The engagement was initially for twelve months from April 1, 2023 at a monthly fee of $50,000, and has been renewed effective April 1, 2024 for an additional nine months.

For information about our reportable segments, refer to Note 9, Segment Information.