Note 8 - Capitalization of Interest

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Home Building Interest [Abstract]

Home Building Interest [Text Block]

8. Capitalization of Interest

We follow the practice of capitalizing interest to inventories owned during the period of development and to investments in unconsolidated homebuilding and land development joint ventures in accordance with ASC Topic 835, Interest ("ASC 835"). Homebuilding interest capitalized as a cost of inventories owned is included in cost of sales as related units or lots are sold. Interest capitalized to investments in unconsolidated homebuilding and land development joint ventures is included as a reduction of income from unconsolidated joint ventures when the related homes or lots are sold to third parties. Interest capitalized to investments in unconsolidated land development joint ventures is transferred to inventories owned if the underlying lots are purchased by us. To the extent our debt exceeds our qualified assets as defined in ASC 835, we expense a portion of the interest incurred by us. Qualified assets represent projects that are actively selling or under development as well as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, our qualified assets exceeded our debt, and as a result, all of our homebuilding interest incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 was capitalized in accordance with ASC 835.

The following is a summary of homebuilding interest capitalized to inventories owned and investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, amortized to cost of sales and income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures and expensed as interest expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015			2014
	(Dollars in thousands)
Total interest incurred	$	41,803		$	38,786
Less: Interest capitalized to inventories owned		(41,401	)		(38,213	)
Less: Interest capitalized to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures		(402	)		(573	)
Interest expense	$	-		$	-
Interest previously capitalized to inventories owned, included in cost of home sales	$	22,395		$	24,368
Interest previously capitalized to inventories owned, included in cost of land sales	$	243		$	615
Interest previously capitalized to investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, included in income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures	$	-		$	30
Interest capitalized in ending inventories owned (1)	$	294,370		$	257,981
Interest capitalized as a percentage of inventories owned		8.5	%		9.4	%
Interest capitalized in ending investments in unconsolidated joint ventures (1)	$	1,067		$	1,511
Interest capitalized as a percentage of investments in unconsolidated joint ventures		2.1	%		3.0	%

(1) During the three months ended March 31, 2014, in connection with lot purchases from our joint ventures, $4.0 million of capitalized interest was transferred from investments in unconsolidated joint ventures to inventories owned.