Commitment and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

Warranty

We use subcontractors for nearly all aspects of home construction. Although our subcontractors are generally required to repair and replace any product or labor defects, we are, during applicable warranty periods, ultimately responsible to the homeowner for making such repairs. As such, we record warranty reserves to cover our exposure to the costs for materials and labor not expected to be covered by our subcontractors to the extent they relate to warranty-type claims. Warranty reserves are established by charging cost of sales and crediting a warranty reserve for each home delivered. The amounts charged are estimated by management to be adequate to cover expected warranty-related costs under the Company’s warranty programs. Warranty reserves are recorded for warranties under our Home Builder’s Limited Warranty (“HBLW”) and our transferable structural warranty in Other Liabilities on the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The warranty reserves for the HBLW are established as a percentage of average sales price and adjusted based on historical payment patterns determined, generally, by geographic area and recent trends. Factors that are given consideration in determining the HBLW reserves include: (1) the historical range of amounts paid per average sales price on a home; (2) type and mix of amenity packages added to the home; (3) any warranty expenditures not considered to be normal and recurring; (4) timing of payments; (5) improvements in quality of construction expected to impact future warranty expenditures; and (6) conditions that may affect certain projects and require a different percentage of average sales price for those specific projects. Changes in estimates for warranties occur due to changes in the historical payment experience and differences between the actual payment pattern experienced during the period and the historical payment pattern used in our evaluation of the warranty reserve balance at the end of each quarter. Actual future warranty costs could differ from our current estimated amount.

Our warranty reserves for our transferable structural warranty programs are established on a per-unit basis. While the structural warranty reserve is recorded as each house is delivered, the sufficiency of the structural warranty per unit charge and total reserve is reevaluated on an annual basis, with the assistance of an actuary, using our own historical data and trends, industry-wide historical data and trends, and other project specific factors. The reserves are also evaluated quarterly and adjusted if we encounter activity that is inconsistent with the historical experience used in the annual analysis. These reserves are subject to variability due to uncertainties regarding structural defect claims for products we build, the markets in which we build, claim settlement history, insurance and legal interpretations, among other factors.

Our warranty reserve amounts are based upon historical experience and geographic location. While we believe that our warranty reserves are sufficient to cover our projected costs, there can be no assurances that historical data and trends will accurately predict our actual warranty costs.

A summary of warranty activity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 is as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2024		2023		2024		2023
Warranty reserves, beginning of period	$	33,061	$	33,519	$	31,980	$	32,902
Warranty expense on homes delivered during the period	6,131		5,545		17,634		16,296
Changes in estimates for pre-existing warranties	915		647		1,517		2,347
Settlements made during the period	(6,305)		(6,287)		(17,329)		(18,121)
Warranty reserves, end of period	$	33,802	$	33,424	$	33,802	$	33,424

Performance Bonds and Letters of Credit

At September 30, 2024, the Company had outstanding approximately $490.6 million of completion bonds and standby letters of credit, some of which were issued to various local governmental entities that expire at various times through August 2029. Included in this total are: (1) $399.6 million of performance and maintenance bonds and $65.6 million of performance letters of credit that serve as completion bonds for land development work in progress; (2) $19.6 million of financial letters of credit, of which $19.1 million represent deposits on land and lot purchase agreements; (3) $4.7 million of financial bonds; and (4) $1.2 million of corporate notes.

Land Option Contracts and Other Similar Contracts

At September 30, 2024, the Company also had options and contingent purchase agreements to acquire land and developed lots with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.39 billion. Purchase of properties under these agreements is contingent upon satisfaction of certain requirements by the Company and the sellers.

Legal Matters

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been named as defendants in certain legal proceedings which are incidental to our business. While management currently believes that the ultimate resolution of these other legal proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows, such legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties. The Company has recorded a liability to provide for the anticipated costs, including legal defense costs, associated with the resolution of these other legal proceedings. However, the possibility exists that the costs to resolve these legal proceedings could differ from the recorded estimates and, therefore, have a material effect on the Company’s net income for the periods in which they are resolved. At both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had $1.0 million reserved for legal expenses.