Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Investments

Investments

Investments in Consolidated Real Estate Entities

Details regarding communities acquired in 2023, 2022 and 2021, are summarized in the following table (dollars in thousands):

Community name	Location	Number of communities	Apartment homes	Purchase price		Commercial square feet
Avalon Frisco at Main	Frisco, TX	1	360	$	83,100	—
Avalon Mooresville	Mooresville, NC	1	203	52,100		—
Avalon West Plano (1)	Carrollton, TX	1	568	142,000		—
Total 2023 acquisitions		3	1,131	$	277,200	—
Total 2022 acquisitions		4	1,313	$	536,200	16,000
Total 2021 acquisitions		7	1,932	$	724,500	90,000

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(1) In conjunction with the acquisition of Avalon West Plano, the Company assumed a $63,041 fixed rate mortgage loan, with a contractual interest rate of 4.18%, maturing in May 2029.

The Company accounted for these purchases as asset acquisitions and recorded the acquired assets and assumed liabilities, including identifiable intangibles, at their relative fair values based on the purchase price and acquisition costs incurred.

Structured Investment Program

The Company operates a Structured Investment Program (the “SIP”), an investment platform through which the Company provides mezzanine loans or preferred equity to third-party multifamily developers. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company entered into four additional commitments, agreeing to provide an aggregate investment of up to $99,210,000 in multifamily development projects. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had seven commitments to fund up to $191,585,000 in the aggregate. The Company's investment commitments have a weighted average rate of return of 11.5% and have initial maturity dates between September 2025 and December 2027. At December 31, 2023, the Company had funded $96,461,000 of these commitments.

The Company evaluates each SIP commitment to determine the classification as a loan or an investment in a real estate development project. As of December 31, 2023, all of the SIP commitments are classified as loans. The Company includes amounts outstanding under the SIP as a component of prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company evaluates the credit risk for each commitment on an ongoing basis, estimating the reserve for credit losses using relevant available information from internal and external sources. Market-based historical credit loss data provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses, with adjustments, if necessary, for differences in current commitment-specific risk characteristics, such as the amount of equity capital provided by a borrower, nature of the real estate being developed or other factors.

For the seven existing commitments, interest is recognized as earned as interest income, and interest income and any change in the expected credit loss are included as a component of income from unconsolidated investments, on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Unconsolidated Investments

The Company accounts for its investments in unconsolidated entities under the equity method of accounting or under the measurement alternative, as discussed in Note 1, “Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” under Principles of Consolidation. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had investments in five unconsolidated entities with real estate entities holdings, with ownership interest percentages ranging from 20.0% to 50.0%, coupled with other unconsolidated investments including property technology and environmentally focused companies and investment management funds. For one of the investments which owns an apartment community that is under development and in which the Company has an investment of 25.0%, the Company has guaranteed a construction loan on behalf of the venture, which had an outstanding balance of $135,983,000 as of December 31, 2023. Any amounts under the guarantee of this construction loan are obligations of the venture partners in proportion to their ownership interest. The significant accounting policies of the Company's unconsolidated investments are consistent with those of the Company in all material respects. Certain of these investments are subject to various buy‑sell provisions or other rights which are customary in real estate joint venture agreements. The Company and its partners in these entities may initiate these provisions to either sell the Company's interest or acquire the interest from the Company's partner. The Company is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the unconsolidated communities below and is the management agent subject to the terms of management agreements for all communities except for Brandywine Apartments of Maryland, LLC, which is managed by a third party.

The following presents the Company's activities in unconsolidated investments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Archstone Multifamily Partners AC LP (the “U.S. Fund”)—The Company acquired its interest in the U.S. Fund as part of the Archstone Acquisition in 2013 (as defined in Note 5, “Investments in Real Estate Entities,” of the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 in the Company's Form 10-K filed February 22, 2019). The Company was the general partner of the U.S. Fund and had a 28.6% combined general partner and limited partner equity interest. During 2022, the U.S. Fund sold its final three communities and the Company's proportionate share of the gains in accordance with GAAP was $38,144,000. In conjunction with achieving a threshold return under provisions of the U.S. Fund, the Company received incentive distributions for its promoted interest. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized income of $1,519,000 and $4,690,000, respectively, for its promoted interest, which is included in income from unconsolidated investments on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. During 2023, the Company completed the dissolution of the U.S. Fund.

Archstone Multifamily Partners AC JV LP (the “AC JV”)—The Company had a 20.0% equity interest in the AC JV, and acquired its interest as part of the Archstone Acquisition in 2013. During 2021, the AC JV sold its final two communities and the Company's proportionate share of the gains in accordance with GAAP was $23,305,000. During 2022, the Company completed the dissolution of the AC JV.

Legacy JV—As part of the Archstone Acquisition the Company entered into a limited liability company agreement with Equity Residential, through which it assumed obligations of Archstone in the form of preferred interests, some of which are governed by tax protection arrangements (the “Legacy JV”). The Company has a 40.0% interest in the Legacy JV. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Legacy JV redeemed certain of the preferred interests and paid accrued dividends, for which the Company contributed $940,000, $860,000 and $1,340,000, respectively. At December 31, 2023, the remaining preferred interests had an aggregate liquidation value of $34,124,000, the Company's 40.0% share of which was included in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

NYTA MF Investors LLC (“NYC Joint Venture”)—During 2018, the Company contributed five wholly-owned communities containing an aggregate of 1,301 apartment homes and 58,000 square feet of commercial space, located in New York City, NY, to a newly formed joint venture with the intent to own and operate the communities. The Company retained a 20.0% equity interest in the venture with the partners sharing in returns in accordance with their ownership interests. NYC Joint Venture has outstanding $394,734,000 fixed rate mortgage loans that are payable by the venture. The Company has not guaranteed the debt of NYC Joint Venture, nor does the Company have any obligation to fund this debt should NYC Joint Venture be unable to do so. At December 31, 2023, the Company has an equity investment of $55,695,000 (net of distributions).

MVP I, LLC—During 2004, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with an unrelated third-party to develop Avalon at Mission Bay II, an apartment community located in San Francisco, CA, which completed construction during 2006 and contains 313 apartment homes. The Company has a 25.0% equity interest in the venture. MVP I, LLC has an outstanding $103,000,000 fixed rate mortgage loan that is payable by the venture. The Company has not guaranteed the debt of MVP I, LLC, nor does the Company have any obligation to fund this debt should MVP I, LLC be unable to do so. The Company has fully recovered its basis as of December 31, 2023.

Brandywine Apartments of Maryland, LLC (“Brandywine”)— The Company acquired its interest in Brandywine as part of the Archstone Acquisition. Brandywine owns a 305 apartment home community located in Washington, D.C. Brandywine is comprised of five members who hold various interests in the joint venture, with the Company having a 28.7% equity interest in Brandywine. Brandywine had an outstanding $19,062,000 fixed rate mortgage loan that is payable by the venture. The Company has not guaranteed the debt of Brandywine, nor does the Company have any obligation to fund this debt should Brandywine be unable to do so. At December 31, 2023, the Company had an equity investment of $14,602,000 (net of distributions) in Brandywine.

Avalon Alderwood MF Member, LLC—During 2019, the Company entered into a joint venture to develop, own, and operate Avalon Alderwood Place, an apartment community located in Lynnwood, WA, which completed construction during 2022 and contains 328 apartment homes. The Company has a 50.0% interest in the venture and, as of December 31, 2023, the Company has a total equity investment of $53,638,000. The venture is a VIE, though the Company is not the primary beneficiary because it shares control with its venture partner. The Company and its venture partner share decision making authority for all significant aspects of the venture's activities including, but not limited to, changes in the ownership or capital structure, and the operating budget.

Arts District Joint Venture—During 2020, the Company entered into a joint venture to develop, own, and operate AVA Arts District, an apartment community located in Los Angeles, CA, which is currently under construction and expected to contain 475 apartment homes (unaudited) and 56,000 square feet (unaudited) of commercial space when completed. As of

December 31, 2023, the Company has a 25.0% interest in the venture, and excluding costs incurred in excess of equity in the underlying net assets of the venture, has an equity investment of $32,738,000. The remaining development costs are primarily expected to be funded by the venture's variable rate construction loan. The venture has drawn $135,983,000 of $167,147,000 maximum borrowing capacity of the construction loan as of December 31, 2023. While the Company guarantees the construction loan on behalf of the venture, any amounts payable under the guarantee are obligations of the venture partners in proportion to ownership interest. The venture is an unconsolidated VIE as the Company is not the primary beneficiary due to shared control and decision making with its venture partner. The Company and its venture partner share decision making authority for all significant aspects of the venture's activities including, but not limited to, changes in the ownership, changes to the development plan or budget, and major operating decisions including annual business plans.

Property Technology and Environmental Investments—The Company has invested $46,926,000 in various property technology and environmentally focused companies directly and indirectly through investment management funds. The Company’s interest in each individual investment represents less than 10% of the respective venture's equity interests. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, the Company has $73,892,000 in outstanding equity commitments, with the timing and amount for these commitments to be fulfilled dependent on if, and when, investment opportunities are identified by the respective funds. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized income and unrealized gains of $4,161,000, $8,315,000 and $15,908,000, respectively, related to these investments, which was reported as a component of income from unconsolidated investments on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.