ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following are some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those presented in our forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.
Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock
There is no public trading market for the shares of our common stock and we do not anticipate that there will be a public trading market for our shares; therefore, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares and, if they are able to sell their shares, they will likely sell them at a substantial discount to the public offering price and the estimated value per share. Stockholders may have to hold their shares an indefinite period of time.
Our charter does not require our directors to seek stockholder approval to liquidate our assets and dissolve by a specified date, nor does our charter require our directors to list our shares for trading on a national securities exchange by a specified date. There is no public market for our shares and we have no plans at this time to list our shares on a national securities exchange. Until our shares are listed, if ever, our stockholders may not sell their shares unless the buyer meets the applicable suitability and minimum purchase standards. Any sale must comply with applicable state and federal securities laws. Our charter prohibits the ownership of more than 9.8% of our stock by any person, unless exempted by our board of directors, which may inhibit large investors from desiring to purchase our stockholders’ shares.
Stockholders may have to hold their shares an indefinite period of time. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to provide additional liquidity to stockholders. Since 2019, due to the limitations on redemptions under our share redemption program, our pursuit of strategic alternatives and/or disruptions in the financial markets impacting the U.S. office market, we have either exhausted the funds available for Ordinary Redemptions (defined below) under our share redemption program or implemented suspensions of Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program for all or a portion of the calendar year. Since 2019, we have redeemed 18,665,466 shares under our share redemption program, which is approximately 13% of our current outstanding shares. On January 17, 2023, our board of directors determined to suspend Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program to preserve capital in the current market environment. Ordinary Redemptions are all redemptions other than those that qualify for the special provisions for redemptions sought in connection with a stockholder’s death, “Qualifying Disability” or “Determination of Incompetence” (each as defined in the share redemption program and, together, “Special Redemptions”).
Our board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice to stockholders, and consistent with SEC guidance and interpretations, we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice. The restrictions of our share redemption program will limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and will limit our stockholders’ ability to recover an amount equal to our estimated value per share. We describe the restrictions of our share redemption program in detail under Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities – Amended and Restated Share Redemption Program.” We cannot predict future redemption demand with any certainty. If Ordinary Redemptions are resumed and future redemption requests exceed the amount of funding available under our share redemption program, the number of rejected redemption requests will increase over time. See “– Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure – Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the share redemption program, they may not be able to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.”
Therefore, it will be difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares promptly or at all. If our stockholders are able to sell their shares, they will likely have to sell them at a substantial discount to their public offering price or the estimated value per share. It is also likely that our stockholders’ shares will not be accepted as the primary collateral for a loan. Investors should purchase shares in our dividend reinvestment plan only as a long-term investment and be prepared to hold them for an indefinite period of time because of the illiquid nature of our shares.
We face significant competition for tenants and in the acquisition and disposition of real estate, which may limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives or pay distributions.
The U.S. commercial real estate investment and leasing markets remain competitive. We face competition from various entities for investment and disposition opportunities, for prospective tenants and to retain our current tenants, including other REITs, pension funds, banks and insurance companies, investment funds and companies, partnerships and developers. Many of these entities have substantially greater financial resources than we do and may be able to accept more risk than we can prudently manage, including risks with respect to the creditworthiness of a tenant or the geographic location of their investments.
We depend upon the performance of our property managers in the selection of tenants and negotiation of leasing arrangements. The U.S. commercial real estate industry has created increased pressure on real estate investors and their property managers to find new tenants and keep existing tenants. In order to do so, we have offered and may have to offer inducements, such as free rent and tenant improvements, to compete for attractive tenants. Further, as a result of their greater resources, the entities referenced above may have more flexibility than we do in their ability to offer rental concessions to attract and retain tenants, which could put additional pressure on our ability to maintain or raise rents and could adversely affect our ability to attract or retain tenants. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many tenants to re-evaluate their space needs, resulting in a significant increase in sublease space available in the office market from tenants wanting to unload un-needed space. We face competition from these tenants, who may be more willing to offer significant discounts to prospective subtenants. Our investors must rely entirely on the management abilities of our advisor, the property managers our advisor selects and the oversight of our board of directors. In the event we are unable to find new tenants and keep existing tenants, or if we are forced to offer significant inducements to such tenants, we may not be able to meet our investment objectives and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and ability to pay distributions to our stockholders may be adversely affected.
We face competition from these same entities for real estate investment opportunities. Competition from these entities may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us or increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell. Disruptions and dislocations in the credit markets could impact the cost and availability of debt to finance real estate investments, which is a key component of our acquisition strategy. A downturn in the credit market and a potential lack of available debt could result in a further reduction of suitable investment opportunities and create a competitive advantage for other entities that have greater financial resources than we do. In addition, the number of entities and the amount of funds competing for suitable investments may increase. We can give no assurance that our advisor will be successful in obtaining additional suitable investments on financially attractive terms or that, if our advisor makes investments on our behalf, our objectives will be achieved. If we acquire investments at higher prices and/or by using less-than-ideal capital structures, our returns may be lower and the value of our assets may not appreciate or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets. If such events occur, our stockholders may experience a lower return on their investment.
We also face competition from many of the types of entities referenced above regarding the disposition of properties. These entities may possess properties in similar locations and/or of the same property types as ours and may be attempting to dispose of these properties at the same time we are attempting to dispose of some of our properties, providing potential purchasers with a larger number of properties from which to choose and potentially decreasing the sales price for such properties. Additionally, these entities may be willing to accept a lower return on their individual investments, which could further reduce the sales price of such properties. This competition could decrease the sales proceeds we receive for properties that we sell, assuming we are able to sell such properties, which could adversely affect our cash flows and the overall return for our stockholders.
Although we believe that we are well-positioned to compete effectively in each facet of our business, there is enormous competition in our market sector and there can be no assurance that we will compete effectively or that we will not encounter increased competition in the future that could limit our ability to conduct our business effectively.
Elevated market volatility due to adverse economic and geopolitical conditions (such as the war in Ukraine), health crises (such as the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) or dislocations in the credit markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay distributions.
Our business may be adversely affected by market and economic volatility experienced by the U.S. and global economies, the U.S. office market as a whole and/or the local economies in the markets in which our properties are located. Such adverse economic and geopolitical conditions may be due to, among other issues, increased labor market challenges impacting the recruitment and retention of employees, rising inflation and interest rates, volatility in the public equity and debt markets, and international economic and other conditions, including pandemics (such as the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic), geopolitical instability (such as the war in Ukraine), sanctions and other conditions beyond our control. These current conditions, or similar conditions existing in the future, may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay dividends and/or distributions as a result of one or more of the following, among other potential consequences:
•revenues from our properties could decrease due to fewer tenants and/or lower rental rates, making it more difficult for us to pay distributions or meet our debt service obligations on debt financing;
•the financial condition of our tenants may be adversely affected, which may result in tenant defaults under leases due to bankruptcy, lack of liquidity, lack of funding, operational failures or for other reasons;
•potential changes in customer behavior, such as continued work-from-home arrangements, which increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could materially and negatively impact the future demand for office space, resulting in slower overall leasing and an adverse impact to our operations and the valuation of our investments;
•significant job losses may occur, which may decrease demand for our office space, causing market rental rates and property values to be negatively impacted;
•our ability to borrow on terms and conditions that we find acceptable, or at all, may be limited, which could reduce our ability to refinance existing debt and increase our future interest expense;
•reduced values of our properties and reduced revenues from our properties may (i) limit our ability to dispose of assets at attractive prices, (ii) limit our ability to obtain debt financing secured by our properties, (iii) limit our ability to access revolving debt under our existing credit facilities; and (iv) may reduce the availability of unsecured loans;
•the value and liquidity of our short-term investments and cash deposits could be reduced as a result of a deterioration of the financial condition of the institutions that hold our cash deposits or the institutions or assets in which we have made short-term investments, a dislocation of the markets for our short-term investments, increased volatility in market rates for such investments or other factors; and
•to the extent we enter into derivative financial instruments, one or more counterparties to our derivative financial instruments could default on their obligations to us, or could fail, increasing the risk that we may not realize the benefits of these instruments.
Further, we have made a significant investment in the common units of the SREIT. Due to the disruptions in the financial markets discussed above, since early March 2020, the trading price of the common units of the SREIT has experienced substantial volatility. As of March 13, 2023, the aggregate value of our investment in the units of the SREIT was $78.8 million, which was based solely on the closing price of the units on the SGX-ST of $0.365 per unit as of March 13, 2023, and did not take into account any potential discount for the holding period risk due to the quantity of units we hold. This is a decrease of $0.515 per unit from our initial acquisition of the SREIT units at $0.880 per unit on July 19, 2019.
On January 17, 2023, our board of directors determined to suspend Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program and reduce the distribution rate from that of prior periods. These actions were a direct result of the ongoing challenges affecting the U.S. commercial real estate industry, especially as it pertains to commercial office buildings. The combination of the continued economic slowdown, rapidly rising interest rates, significant inflation, and a lack of lending activity in the debt markets have contributed to considerable weakness in the commercial real estate capital markets. During 2021 and 2022, the usage of many of our assets remained lower than pre-pandemic levels, and we cannot predict when, if and to what extent economic activity, including the use of and demand for office space, will return to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, we experienced a significant reduction in leasing interest and activity when compared to pre-pandemic levels. Both upcoming and recent tenant lease expirations amidst the aforementioned headwinds coupled with slower than expected return-to-office, most notably in the San Francisco Bay Area where we own several large assets, have had direct and material impacts on our ability to access certain credit facilities which, in large part, provide liquidity to manage redemption requests. We have concluded that it is critical to preserve capital given the current state of the markets.
Additionally, due to disruptions in the financial markets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to refinance maturing debt obligations as lenders are hesitant to make new loans in the current market environment with so many uncertainties surrounding asset valuations, especially in the office real estate market. As a result, we may need to evaluate selling certain assets into a challenged real estate market, which would likely impact the ultimate sale price. While we have extension options on all debt obligations maturing in 2023, these extensions are subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents some of which are more stringent than our current loan compliance tests. As a result, in order to qualify for certain loan extensions, we may be required to reduce the loan commitment amount or make paydowns on certain loans, which would reduce our liquidity. Additionally, continued increases in interest rates, reductions in real estate values and future tenant turnover in the portfolio will have a further impact on our ability to meet such tests and may further reduce our available liquidity under our loan agreements.
Inflation and increased interest rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Although inflation has not materially impacted our operations in the recent past, inflation reached a 40-year high in 2022 and beginning in March of 2022, the Federal Reserve began raising the federal funds rate in an effort to curb inflation. The Federal Reserve’s action, coupled with other macroeconomic factors, may trigger a recession in the United States, globally, or both. Increased inflation and interest rates could have an adverse impact on our variable rate debt, our ability to borrow money, and general and administrative expenses, as these costs could increase at a rate greater than our rental and other revenue. Increases in the costs of owning and operating our properties due to inflation could reduce our net operating income and the value of an investment in us to the extent such increases are not reimbursed or paid by our tenants. If we are materially impacted by increasing inflation because, for example, inflationary increases in costs are not sufficiently offset by the contractual rent increases and operating expense reimbursement provisions or escalations in the leases with our tenants, we may implement additional measures to conserve cash or preserve liquidity. See the discussion in the risk factor immediately above. Such additional measures could include further reducing or suspending distributions we make to our stockholders. In addition, due to rising interest rates, we may experience further restrictions in our liquidity based on certain financial covenant requirements, our inability to refinance maturing debt in part or in full as it comes due and higher debt service costs and reduced yields relative to cost of debt. If we are unable to find alternative credit arrangements or other funding in a high interest environment, our business needs may not be adequately met.
In addition, tenants and potential tenants of our properties may be adversely impacted by inflation and rising interest rates, which could negatively impact our tenants’ ability to pay rent and the demand for our properties. Such adverse impacts on our tenants may cause increased vacancies, which may add pressure to lower rents and increase our expenditures for re-leasing.
Because of the concentration of a significant portion of our assets in three geographic areas and in core office properties, any adverse economic, real estate or business conditions in these geographic areas or in the U.S. office market could affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
As of March 1, 2023, a significant portion of our real estate properties was located in California, Illinois and Texas. As such, the geographic concentration of our portfolio makes us particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the California, Illinois and Texas real estate markets. In addition, the majority of our real estate properties consists of core office properties. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these geographic markets, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
A significant percentage of our assets is invested in Accenture Tower and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us will fluctuate with the performance of this investment.
As of December 31, 2022, Accenture Tower represented approximately 18% of our total assets and represented approximately 17% of our total annualized base rent. Further, as a result of this investment, the geographic concentration of our portfolio makes us particularly susceptible to adverse economic developments in the Chicago real estate market. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in this market, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors, or any decrease in demand for office space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
We may not be able to operate our business successfully or generate sufficient revenue to make or sustain distributions to our stockholders.
As of March 1, 2023, we owned 16 office properties, one mixed-used office/retail property and an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to operate our business successfully or implement our operating policies and strategies. We can provide no assurance that our performance will replicate the past performance of other KBS-sponsored programs. Our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by other KBS-sponsored programs. The results of our operations depend on several factors, including the availability of opportunities for the acquisition of additional assets, the level and volatility of interest rates, the availability of short and long-term financing, conditions in the financial markets and general economic conditions.
Because we depend upon our advisor and its affiliates to select, acquire, manage and dispose of our real estate investments and to conduct our operations, any adverse changes in the financial health of our advisor or its affiliates or our relationship with them could cause our operations to suffer.
We depend on our advisor to select, acquire, manage and dispose of our real estate investments and to conduct our operations. Our advisor depends upon the fees and other compensation that it receives from us, KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. (“KBS REIT II”), KBS Growth & Income REIT, Inc. (“KBS Growth & Income REIT”), and any future KBS-sponsored programs that it advises to conduct its operations. Any adverse changes to our relationship with, or the financial condition of, our advisor and its affiliates could hinder their ability to successfully manage our operations and our portfolio of investments.
We have paid distributions in part from debt financings and in the future we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operating activities. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operating activities, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced.
Our distribution policy is not to use the proceeds of our offerings to make distributions. However, our organizational documents permit us to pay distributions from any source, including offering proceeds or borrowings (which may constitute a return of capital), and our charter does not limit the amount of funds we may use from any source to pay such distributions. We have paid distributions in part from debt financings, and in the future, we may not pay distributions solely from our cash flow from operating activities, in which case distributions may be paid in whole or in part from debt financing. We have and in the future we may fund such distributions with proceeds from the sale of assets. If we fund distributions from borrowings, our interest expense and other financing costs, as well as the repayment of such borrowings, will reduce our earnings and cash flow from operating activities available for distribution in future periods. If we fund distributions from the sale of assets, this will affect our ability to generate cash flow from operating activities in future periods. To the extent that we pay distributions from sources other than our cash flow from operating activities, the overall return to our stockholders may be reduced. In addition, to the extent distributions exceed cash flow from operating activities, a stockholder’s basis in our stock will be reduced and, to the extent distributions exceed a stockholder’s basis, the stockholder may recognize capital gain. There is no limit on the amount of distributions we may fund from sources other than from cash flow from operating activities.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we paid aggregate distributions of $89.6 million, including $56.2 million of distributions paid in cash and $33.4 million of distributions reinvested through our dividend reinvestment plan. We funded our total distributions paid, which includes net cash distributions and dividends reinvested by stockholders, with $62.8 million (70%) of cash flow from current operating activities, $22.1 million (25%) of cash flow from operating activities in excess of distributions paid during prior periods and $4.7 million (5%) of proceeds from debt financing. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our cash flow from operating activities to distributions paid coverage ratio was 85% and our funds from operations to distributions paid coverage ratio was 159%. For more information, see Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Funds from Operations and Modified Funds from Operations” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Distributions” in this Annual Report.
The loss of or the inability to retain or obtain key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor could delay or hinder implementation of our investment, management and disposition strategies, which could limit our ability to pay distributions and decrease the value of an investment in our shares.
Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of Charles J. Schreiber, Jr. and the team of real estate and debt finance professions at our advisor. Neither we nor our advisor or its affiliates have employment agreements with these individuals and they may not remain associated with us, our advisor or its affiliates. If any of these persons were to cease their association with us, our advisor or its affiliates, we may be unable to find suitable replacements and our operating results could suffer as a result. We do not maintain key person life insurance on any person. We believe that our future success depends, in large part, upon our advisor’s and its affiliates’ ability to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing professionals. Competition for such professionals is intense, and our advisor and its affiliates may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining such skilled professionals. Further, we have established strategic relationships with firms that have special expertise in certain services or detailed knowledge regarding real properties in certain geographic regions. Maintaining such relationships will be important for us to effectively compete in such regions. We may be unsuccessful in maintaining such relationships. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of highly skilled professionals or do not establish or maintain appropriate strategic relationships, our ability to implement our investment, management and disposition strategies could be delayed or hindered and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us could decline.
Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover claims against our independent directors are limited, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery against our independent directors if they negligently cause us to incur losses.
Maryland law provides that a director has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. Our charter provides that none of our independent directors shall be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages and that we will generally indemnify them for losses unless they are grossly negligent or engage in willful misconduct. As a result, our stockholders and we may have more limited rights against our independent directors than might otherwise exist under common law, which could reduce our stockholders’ and our recovery from these persons if they act in a negligent manner. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our independent directors (as well as by our other directors, officers, employees (if we ever have employees) and agents) in some cases, which would decrease the cash otherwise available for distribution to our stockholders.
We face risks associated with security breaches through cyber-attacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology (IT) networks and related systems.
We face risks associated with security breaches, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems inside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our IT networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Our IT networks and related systems are essential to the operation of our business and our ability to perform day-to-day operations. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these types of IT networks and related systems, and we have implemented various measures to manage the risk of a security breach or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk.
A security breach or other significant disruption involving our IT networks and related systems could:
•disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems and therefore our operations;
•result in misstated financial reports, violations of loan covenants and/or missed reporting deadlines;
•result in our inability to properly monitor our compliance with the rules and regulations regarding our qualification as a REIT;
•result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of, proprietary, confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or others, which others could use to compete against us or which could expose us to damage claims by third-parties for disruptive, destructive or otherwise harmful purposes and outcomes;
•require significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result;
•subject us to claims for breach of contract, damages, credits, penalties or termination of leases or other agreements; or
•damage our reputation among our stockholders.
Any or all of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Our advisor and its affiliates, including all of our executive officers, our affiliated directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals, face conflicts of interest caused by their compensation arrangements with us and with other KBS-sponsored programs, which could result in actions that are not in the long-term best interests of our stockholders.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals are also officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor, our dealer manager and/or other KBS-affiliated entities. Our advisor and its affiliates receive substantial fees from us. These fees could influence our advisor’s advice to us as well as the judgment of its affiliates. Among other matters, these compensation arrangements could affect their judgment with respect to:
•the continuation, renewal or enforcement of our agreements with our advisor and its affiliates, including the advisory agreement;
•equity offerings by us, including using our securities to acquire portfolios or other companies, which may entitle our dealer manager to additional dealer manager fees and would likely entitle our advisor to additional advisory fees;
•sales of real estate investments, which under our current advisory fee structure entitle our advisor to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees;
•acquisitions of real estate investments, which entitle our advisor to acquisition or origination fees based on the cost of the investment and asset management fees based on the cost of the investment, and not based on the quality of the investment or the quality of the services rendered to us, which may influence our advisor to recommend riskier transactions to us and/or transactions that are not in our best interest and, in the case of acquisitions of investments from other KBS-sponsored programs, which might entitle our advisor or affiliates of our advisor to disposition fees and possible subordinated incentive fees in connection with its services for the seller;
•borrowings to acquire real estate investments, which borrowings will increase the acquisition and origination fees and asset-management fees payable to our advisor;
•whether we engage affiliates of our advisor for other services, which affiliates may receive fees in connection with the services regardless of the quality of the services provided to us;
•whether we pursue a liquidity event such as a listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange, a sale of the company or a liquidation of our assets, which (i) may make it more likely for us to become self-managed or internalize our management, (ii) could positively or negatively affect the sales efforts for other KBS-sponsored programs, depending on the price at which our shares trade or the consideration received by our stockholders, and/or (iii) would affect the advisory fees received by our advisor; and
•whether and when we seek to sell the company or its assets, which could entitle our advisor to a subordinated incentive fee and terminate the asset management fee.
Our advisor and its affiliates face conflicts of interest relating to the acquisition of assets, the leasing of properties and the disposition of properties due to their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs and/or KBS-advised investors, which could result in decisions that are not in our best interest or the best interests of our stockholders.
We rely on our sponsor, KBS Holdings LLC, and other key real estate and debt finance professionals at our advisor, including Mr. Schreiber, to identify suitable investment opportunities for us, to supervise property management and leasing of properties and to sell our properties. KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT are also advised by KBS Capital Advisors. Mr. Schreiber and several of the other key real estate professionals at KBS Capital Advisors are also the key real estate professionals at KBS Realty Advisors LLC (“KBS Realty Advisors”) and its affiliates, the advisors to the private KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisors to KBS-advised investors. In addition, KBS Realty Advisors serves as the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT, a Singapore real estate investment trust. As such, KBS-sponsored programs that have funds available for investment and KBS-advised investors that have funds available for investment rely on many of the same real estate and debt finance professionals, as will future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. Many investment opportunities that are suitable for us may also be suitable for other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. When these real estate and debt finance professionals direct an investment opportunity to any KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor, they, in their sole discretion, will have to determine the program or investor for which the investment opportunity is most suitable based on the investment objectives, portfolio and criteria of each program or investor. Currently, the SREIT is in its acquisition stage.
In connection with the Singapore Transaction (defined herein), our advisor and KBS Realty Advisors proposed that our conflicts committee and board of directors adopt an asset allocation policy (the “Allocation Process”) among us, KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT (collectively, the “Core Strategy REITs”) and the SREIT. The board of directors and conflicts committee adopted the Allocation Process as proposed. The Allocation Process provides that, in order to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that may arise among the Core REITs and the SREIT, upon the listing of the SREIT (which occurred on July 19, 2019), potential asset acquisitions that meet all of the following criteria would be offered first to the SREIT:
i.Class A office building;
ii.Purchase price of at least $125.0 million;
iii.Average occupancy of at least 90% for the first two years based on contractual in-place leases; and
iv.Stabilized property investment yield that is generally supportive of the distributions per unit of the SREIT.
To the extent the SREIT does not have the funds to acquire the asset or to the extent the external manager of the SREIT decides to forego the acquisition opportunity, such asset may then be offered to the Core Strategy REITs at the discretion of KBS Capital Advisors.
For so long as we are externally advised, our charter provides that it shall not be a proper purpose of the company for us to make any significant investment unless our advisor has recommended the investment to us. Thus, the real estate and debt finance professionals of our advisor could direct attractive investment opportunities to other KBS-sponsored programs or KBS-advised investors. Such events could result in us investing in properties that provide less attractive returns, which would reduce the level of distributions we may be able to pay our stockholders.
We and other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors also rely on these real estate professionals to supervise the property management and leasing of properties. If the KBS team of real estate professionals directs creditworthy prospective tenants to properties owned by another KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor when it could direct such tenants to our properties, our tenant base may have more inherent risk and our properties’ occupancy may be lower than might otherwise be the case.
In addition, we and other KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors rely on our sponsor and other key real estate professionals at our advisor to sell our properties. These KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors may possess properties in similar locations and/or of the same property types as ours and may be attempting to sell these properties at the same time we are attempting to sell some of our properties. If our advisor directs potential purchasers to properties owned by another KBS-sponsored program or KBS-advised investor when it could direct such purchasers to our properties, we may be unable to sell some or all of our properties at the time or at the price we otherwise would, which could limit our ability to pay distributions and reduce our stockholders’ overall investment return.
Further, existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors and Mr. Schreiber generally are not and will not be prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, origination, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate-related investments.
KBS Capital Advisors will face conflicts of interest relating to joint ventures that we may form with affiliates of KBS Capital Advisors, which conflicts could result in a disproportionate benefit to the other venture partners at our expense.
If approved by both a majority of our board of directors and a majority of our conflicts committee, we may enter into joint venture agreements with other KBS-sponsored programs or affiliated entities for the acquisition, development or improvement of properties or other investments. KBS Capital Advisors, our advisor, and KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors to the other KBS-sponsored programs and the investment advisers to institutional investors in real estate and real estate-related assets, have some of the same executive officers, directors and other key real estate and debt finance professionals; and these persons will face conflicts of interest in determining which KBS program or investor should enter into any particular joint venture agreement. These persons may also face a conflict in structuring the terms of the relationship between our interests and the interests of the KBS-affiliated co-venturer and in managing the joint venture. Any joint venture agreement or transaction between us and a KBS-affiliated co-venturer will not have the benefit of arm’s-length negotiation of the type normally conducted between unrelated co-venturers. The KBS-affiliated co-venturer may have economic or business interests or goals that are or may become inconsistent with our business interests or goals. These co-venturers may thus benefit to our and your detriment.
Our sponsor, our officers, our advisor and the real estate, debt finance, management and accounting professionals assembled by our advisor face competing demands on their time and this may cause our operations and our stockholders’ investment in us to suffer.
We rely on our sponsor, our officers, our advisor and the real estate, debt finance, management and accounting professionals that our advisor retains, including Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., Marc DeLuca, Jeffrey K. Waldvogel and Stacie K. Yamane, to provide services to us for the day-to-day operation of our business. KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT are also advised by KBS Capital Advisors, and KBS Capital Advisors may serve as the advisor to future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors. Further, our officers and one of our affiliated directors are also officers and/or the affiliated director of other public KBS-sponsored programs. Messrs. Schreiber and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane are also executive officers of KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT. Messrs. Schreiber, DeLuca and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane are executive officers of KBS Realty Advisors and its affiliates, the advisors of the private KBS-sponsored programs and the KBS-advised investors and the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT.
As a result of their interests in other KBS-sponsored programs, their obligations to KBS-advised investors and the fact that they engage in and will continue to engage in other business activities on behalf of themselves and others, Messrs. Schreiber, DeLuca and Waldvogel and Ms. Yamane face conflicts of interest in allocating their time among us, KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT, KBS Capital Advisors, KBS Realty Advisors, other KBS-sponsored programs and/or other KBS-advised investors, as well as other business activities in which they are involved. In addition, KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors and their affiliates share many of the same key real estate, management and accounting professionals. During times of intense activity in other programs and ventures, these individuals may devote less time and fewer resources to our business than are necessary or appropriate to manage our business. Furthermore, some or all of these individuals may become employees of another KBS-sponsored program in an internalization transaction or, if we internalize our advisor, may not become our employees as a result of their relationship with other KBS-sponsored programs. If these events occur, the returns on our investments, and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us, may decline.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated directors and the key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor face conflicts of interest related to their positions and/or interests in our advisor and its affiliates, which could hinder our ability to implement our business strategy and to generate returns to our stockholders.
All of our executive officers, our affiliated directors and the key real estate and debt finance professionals assembled by our advisor are also executive officers, directors, managers, key professionals and/or holders of a direct or indirect controlling interest in our advisor and/or other KBS-affiliated entities. Through KBS-affiliated entities, some of these persons also serve as the investment advisors to KBS-advised investors and, through KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors, these persons serve as the advisor to KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and other KBS-sponsored programs. In addition, KBS Realty Advisors serves as the U.S. asset manager for the SREIT. As a result, they owe fiduciary duties to each of these entities, their stockholders, members and limited partners and these investors, which fiduciary duties may from time to time conflict with the fiduciary duties that they owe to us and our stockholders. Their loyalties to these other entities and investors could result in action or inaction that is detrimental to our business, which could harm the implementation of our business strategy and our investment and leasing opportunities. Further, Mr. Schreiber and existing and future KBS-sponsored programs and KBS-advised investors generally are not and will not be prohibited from engaging, directly or indirectly, in any business or from possessing interests in any other business venture or ventures, including businesses and ventures involved in the acquisition, development, ownership, leasing or sale of real estate investments. If we do not successfully implement our business strategy, we may be unable to generate the cash needed to pay distributions to our stockholders and to maintain or increase the value of our assets.
Our board of directors’ loyalties to KBS REIT II, KBS Growth & Income REIT and possibly to future KBS-sponsored programs could influence its judgment, resulting in actions that may not be in our stockholders’ best interest or that result in a disproportionate benefit to another KBS-sponsored program at our expense.
Four of our directors are also directors of KBS REIT II and one of our affiliated directors is also an affiliated director of KBS Growth & Income REIT. The loyalties of our directors serving on the boards of directors of KBS REIT II and KBS Growth & Income REIT, or possibly on the boards of directors of future KBS-sponsored programs, may influence the judgment of our board of directors when considering issues for us that also may affect other KBS-sponsored and advised programs, such as the following:
•The conflicts committee of our board of directors must evaluate the performance of our advisor with respect to whether our advisor is presenting to us our fair share of investment opportunities. If our advisor is not presenting a sufficient number of investment opportunities to us because it is presenting many opportunities to other KBS-sponsored programs or if our advisor is giving preferential treatment to other KBS-sponsored programs in this regard, our conflicts committee may not be well-suited to enforce our rights under the terms of the advisory agreement or to seek a new advisor.
•We could enter into transactions with other KBS-sponsored programs, such as property sales, acquisitions or financing arrangements. Such transactions might entitle our advisor or its affiliates to increased fees and other compensation from either or both parties to the transaction. Decisions of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the terms of those transactions may be influenced by our board’s or the conflicts committee’s loyalties to such other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the timing of a debt or equity offering could be influenced by concerns that the offering would compete with offerings of other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board or the conflicts committee regarding the timing of property sales could be influenced by concerns that the sales would compete with those of other KBS-sponsored programs.
•A decision of our board regarding whether we pursue a liquidity event such as a listing of our shares of common stock on a national securities exchange, a sale of the company or a liquidation of our assets, which could positively or negatively affect the sales efforts for other KBS-sponsored programs.
Like us, KBS REIT II compensates each independent director with an annual retainer of $135,000, as well as compensation for attending meetings as follows:
•each member of the audit committee and conflicts committee is paid $10,000 annually for service on such committees (except that the chair of each of the audit committee and conflicts committee is paid $20,000 annually for service as the chair of such committees);
•after the tenth board of directors meeting of each calendar year, each independent director is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person board of directors meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference board of directors meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year;
•after the tenth audit committee meeting of each calendar year, each member of the audit committee is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person audit committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference audit committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year (except that the audit committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference audit committee meeting attended after the tenth audit committee meeting of each calendar year, for the remainder of each calendar year); and
•after the tenth conflicts committee meeting of each calendar year, each member of the conflicts committee is paid (i) $2,500 for each in-person conflicts committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year and (ii) $2,000 for each teleconference conflicts committee meeting attended for the remainder of the calendar year (except that the conflicts committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference conflicts committee meeting attended after the tenth conflicts committee meeting of each calendar year, for the remainder of each calendar year).
In addition, KBS REIT II pays independent directors for attending other committee meetings as follows: each independent director is paid $2,000 for each in-person and teleconference committee meeting attended (except that the committee chair is paid $3,000 for each in-person and teleconference committee meeting attended).
All directors receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at board of directors meetings and committee meetings.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
Our charter limits the number of shares a person may own and permits our board of directors to issue stock with terms that may subordinate the rights of our common stockholders or discourage a third party from acquiring us in a manner that could result in a premium price to our stockholders.
Our charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. To help us comply with the REIT ownership requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, our charter prohibits a person from directly or constructively owning more than 9.8% of our outstanding shares, unless exempted by our board of directors. In addition, our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. These charter provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price to holders of our common stock.
Our stockholders will have limited control over changes in our policies and operations, which increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our board of directors determines our major policies, including our policies regarding targeted investment allocation, financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our stockholders have a right to vote only on limited matters. Our board’s broad discretion in setting policies and our stockholders’ inability to exert control over those policies increases the uncertainty and risks our stockholders face.
Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the share redemption program, they may not be able to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Our share redemption program includes numerous restrictions that limit our stockholders’ ability to sell their shares should they require liquidity and will limit our stockholders’ ability to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Since 2019, due to the limitations on redemptions under our share redemption program, our pursuit of strategic alternatives and/or disruptions in the financial markets impacting the U.S. office market, we have either exhausted the funds available for Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program or implemented suspensions of Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program for all or a portion of the calendar year. On January 17, 2023, our board of directors determined to suspend Ordinary Redemptions under our share redemption program to preserve capital in the current market environment. We will continue to evaluate the markets and our overall liquidity profile as we determine when to potentially remove the suspension on Ordinary Redemptions, though we can give no assurance in this regard.
Moreover, the share redemption program contains several general limitations on our ability to redeem shares under the program. If we resume Ordinary Redemptions in 2023, our share redemption program provides that, during any calendar year, we may redeem only the number of shares that we could purchase with the amount of net proceeds from the sale of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan during the prior calendar year, provided that once we have received requests for redemptions, whether in connection with Special Redemptions or otherwise, that if honored, and when combined with all prior redemptions made during the calendar year, would result in the amount of remaining funds available for the redemption of additional shares in such calendar year being $10.0 million or less, the last $10.0 million of available funds shall be reserved exclusively for Special Redemptions. Notwithstanding anything contained in our share redemption program to the contrary, we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to the program upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders. Further, during any calendar year, we may redeem no more than 5% of the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the prior calendar year. Additionally, unless the shares are being redeemed in connection with a Special Redemption, we may not redeem shares unless the stockholder has held the shares for one year. Further, we have no obligation to redeem shares if the redemption would violate the restrictions on distributions under Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. These limits may prevent us from accommodating all redemption requests made in any year.
We cannot predict future redemption demand with any certainty. If Ordinary Redemptions are resumed and future redemption requests exceed the amount of funding available under our share redemption program, the number of rejected redemption requests will increase over time.
In addition, under the share redemption program, Ordinary Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to 96% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date, and redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of our common stock as of the applicable redemption date. On September 28, 2022, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $9.00 (unaudited) based on (i) appraisals of our 17 real estate properties as of July 31, 2022, the estimated value of our investment in units of Prime US REIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of September 20, 2022 and the estimated value of our other assets as of June 30, 2022 less (ii) the estimated value of our liabilities as of June 30, 2022, all divided by the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2022.
We currently expect to announce an updated estimated value per share no later than December 2023.
During their operating stages, other KBS-sponsored REITs have amended their share redemption programs to limit redemptions to Special Redemptions or place restrictive limitations on the amount of funds available for redemptions. As a result, these programs were or are not able (two programs have now liquidated) to honor all redemption requests and stockholders in these programs were or are unable to have their shares redeemed when requested. In some instances, ordinary redemptions were or have been suspended for several years. When implementing these amendments, stockholders did not always have a final opportunity to submit redemptions prior to the effectiveness of the amendment to the program.
Our board may amend, suspend or terminate our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice to stockholders, and consistent with SEC guidance and interpretations, we may increase or decrease the funding available for the redemption of shares pursuant to our share redemption program upon ten business days’ notice to our stockholders. See Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities – Amended and Restated Share Redemption Program” for more information about the current share redemption program.
Our bylaws designate the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders with respect to our company, our directors, our officers or our employees (we note we currently have no employees). This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the stockholder believes is favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage meritorious claims from being asserted against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. We adopted this provision because we believe it makes it less likely that we will be forced to incur the expense of defending duplicative actions in multiple forums and less likely that plaintiffs’ attorneys will be able to employ such litigation to coerce us into otherwise unjustified settlements, and we believe the risk of a court declining to enforce this provision is remote, as the General Assembly of Maryland has specifically amended the Maryland General Corporation Law to authorize the adoption of such provisions. This provision of our bylaws does not apply to claims brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction or to claims under state securities laws.
The estimated value per share of our common stock may not reflect the value that stockholders will receive for their investment and does not take into account how developments subsequent to the valuation date related to individual assets, the financial or real estate markets or other events may have increased or decreased the value of our portfolio.
On September 28, 2022, our board of directors approved an estimated value per share of our common stock of $9.00 (unaudited) based on (i) appraisals of our 17 real estate properties as of July 31, 2022 (the “Appraised Properties”), the estimated value of our investment in units of the SREIT (SGX-ST Ticker: OXMU) as of September 20, 2022 and the estimated value of our other assets as of June 30, 2022 less (ii) the estimated value of our liabilities as of June 30, 2022, all divided by the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2022. We did not make any other adjustments to the estimated value per share from the date of the valuations above, including any adjustments relating to the following, among others: (i) the issuance of common stock and the payment of related offering costs related to our dividend reinvestment plan offering; (ii) net operating income earned and distributions declared; and (iii) the redemption of shares. We provided this estimated value per share to assist broker-dealers that participated in our now-terminated initial public offering in meeting their customer account statement reporting obligations under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Rule 2231. This valuation was performed in accordance with the provisions of and also to comply with Practice Guideline 2013–01, Valuations of Publicly Registered, Non-Listed REITs, issued by the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (“IPA”) in April 2013 (the “IPA Valuation Guidelines”).
We engaged Kroll, LLC (formerly Duff & Phelps, LLC) (“Kroll”), an independent third-party real estate valuation firm, to provide (i) appraisals of the Appraised Properties, (ii) an estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT and (iii) a calculation of the range in estimated value per share of our common stock as of September 28, 2022. Kroll based this range in estimated value per share upon (i) its appraisals of the Appraised Properties, (ii) its estimated value for our investment in units of the SREIT and (iii) valuations performed by our advisor of our cash, other assets, notes payable and other liabilities, which are disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2022.
As with any valuation methodology, the methodologies used are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that may not be accurate or complete. Different parties using different assumptions and estimates could derive a different estimated value per share of our common stock, and this difference could be significant. The estimated value per share is not audited and does not represent the fair value of our assets less the fair value of our liabilities according to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), nor does it represent a liquidation value of our assets and liabilities or the price at which our shares of common stock would trade on a national securities exchange. The estimated value per share does not reflect a discount for the fact that we are externally managed, nor does it reflect a real estate portfolio premium/discount versus the sum of the individual property values. The estimated value per share also does not take into account estimated disposition costs and fees for real estate properties that were not under contract to sell as of September 28, 2022, debt prepayment penalties that could apply upon the prepayment of certain of our debt obligations, the impact of restrictions on the assumption of debt or swap breakage fees that may be incurred upon the termination of certain of our swaps prior to expiration. We generally have incurred disposition costs and fees related to the sale of each real estate property since inception of 0.8% to 2.9% of the gross sales price less concessions and credits, with the weighted average being approximately 1.5%. The estimated value per share also does not take into consideration acquisition-related costs and financing costs related to any future acquisitions subsequent to September 28, 2022. Accordingly, with respect to the estimated value per share, we can give no assurance that:
•a stockholder would be able to resell his or her shares at our estimated value per share;
•a stockholder would ultimately realize distributions per share equal to our estimated value per share upon liquidation of our assets and settlement of our liabilities or a sale of our company;
•our shares of common stock would trade at the estimated value per share on a national securities exchange;
•another independent third-party appraiser or third-party valuation firm would agree with our estimated value per share; or
•the methodology used to determine our estimated value per share would be acceptable to FINRA or for compliance with ERISA reporting requirements.
The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to future investments, the performance of individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets, the real estate and finance markets and due to other factors. Continued economic uncertainty and disruptions in the financial markets, including the current economic slowdown, the rising interest rate environment and inflation (or the public perception that any of these events may continue) as well as potential changes in customer behavior, such as continued work-from-home arrangements, which increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could materially and negatively impact the future demand for office space, resulting in slower overall leasing and an adverse impact to our operations and the valuations of our investments. Moreover, valuations for U.S. office properties continue to fluctuate due to weakness in the current real estate capital markets as a result of the factors above and the lack of transaction volume for U.S. office properties, increasing the uncertainty of valuations in the current market environment. These risks are not priced into the September 28, 2022 estimated value per share. As such, the estimated value per share does not take into account developments in our portfolio since September 28, 2022. For a full description of the methodologies and assumptions used to value our assets and liabilities in connection with the calculation of the estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities — Market Information.”
We currently expect to utilize an independent valuation firm to update the estimated value per share no later than December 2023.
The actual value of shares that we repurchase under our share redemption program may be less than what we pay.
Under our current share redemption program, shares may be repurchased at varying prices depending on whether the redemptions are in connection with a Special Redemption. Pursuant to our share redemption program, redemptions made in connection with Special Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to the most recent estimated value per share of our common stock as of the applicable redemption date, which is currently $9.00 per share, and Ordinary Redemptions are made at a price per share equal to 96% of our most recent estimated value per share as of the applicable redemption date, which is currently $8.64. Although these redemption prices are based on our current estimated value per share, this reported value is likely to differ from the price at which a stockholder could resell his or her shares for the reasons discussed in the risk factor above. Thus, when we repurchase shares of our common stock at $9.00 per share, the actual value of the shares that we repurchase is likely to be less, and the repurchase is likely to be dilutive to our remaining stockholders. Even at lower repurchase prices, the actual value of the shares may be less than what we pay and the repurchase may be dilutive to our remaining stockholders.
The current offering price of shares under our dividend reinvestment plan is equal to 95% of the September 28, 2022 estimated value per share approved by our board of directors. The offering price does not take into account developments in our portfolio or the markets since September 28, 2022, including the continued economic uncertainty and disruptions in the financial markets as a result of the current economic slowdown, the rising interest rate environment and inflation (or the public perception that any of these events may continue) as well as potential changes in customer behavior, such as continued work-from-home arrangements, which increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which may negatively impact our operations and the value of our real estate and real estate-related investments. As a result, a reinvestment of dividends in our common stock bears increased risk.
Pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan, participants in the dividend reinvestment plan acquire shares of our common stock under the plan at a price equal to 95% of the estimated value per share of our common stock. As such, participants currently acquire shares of our common stock under the plan at a price equal to $8.55 per share, which is 95% of our September 28, 2022 estimated value per share. The value of our shares will fluctuate over time in response to developments related to future investments, the performance of individual assets in our portfolio and the management of those assets, the real estate and finance markets and due to other factors. As such, the estimated value per share does not take into account developments in our portfolio since September 28, 2022. Continued economic uncertainty and disruptions in the financial markets, including the current economic slowdown, the rising interest rate environment and inflation (or the public perception that any of these events may continue) as well as potential changes in customer behavior, such as continued work-from-home arrangements, which increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could materially and negatively impact the future demand for office space, resulting in slower overall leasing and an adverse impact to our operations and the valuations of our investments. Moreover, valuations for U.S. office properties continue to fluctuate due to weakness in the current real estate capital markets as a result of the factors above and the lack of transaction volume for U.S. office properties, increasing the uncertainty of valuations in the current market environment. Further, our significant investment in the common units of the SREIT, a traded Singapore real estate investment trust, is subject to the risks associated with real estate investments as well as the risks inherent in investing in traded securities, including, in this instance, risks related to the quantity of units held by us relative to the trading volume of the units. Due to the disruptions in the financial markets discussed above, since early March 2020, the trading price of the common units of the SREIT has experienced substantial volatility. These risks are not priced into our most recent estimated value per share, and given the uncertainty, no assurances can be given that the purchase price of shares of our common stock reflect the underlying value of our assets. As a result, a reinvestment of distributions in our common stock bears increased risk.
If funds are not available from our dividend reinvestment plan offering for general corporate purposes, then we may have to use a greater proportion of our cash flow from operations to meet our general cash requirements, which would reduce cash available for distributions and could limit our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program.
We depend on the proceeds from our dividend reinvestment plan offering for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to: the redemption of shares under our share redemption program; capital expenditures, tenant improvement costs and leasing costs related to our real estate properties; reserves required by any financings of our real estate investments; the acquisition or origination of real estate investments; and the repayment of debt. We cannot predict with any certainty how much, if any, dividend reinvestment plan proceeds will be available for general corporate purposes. If such funds are not available from our dividend reinvestment plan offering, then we may have to use a greater proportion of our cash flow from operations to meet our general cash requirements, which would reduce cash available for distributions and could further limit our ability to redeem shares under our share redemption program.
See also the discussion above under “Our stockholders may not be able to sell their shares under our share redemption program and, if our stockholders are able to sell their shares under the share redemption program, they may not be able to recover an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.”
Our stockholders’ interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of their investment.
Our common stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue 1,010,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 1,000,000,000 shares are designated as common stock and 10,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock. Our board of directors may increase the number of authorized shares of capital stock without stockholder approval. Our board may elect to (i) sell additional shares in our dividend reinvestment plan or in future primary offerings; (ii) issue equity interests in private offerings; (iii) issue equity interests to our advisor, or its successors or assigns, in payment of fee obligations; (iv) issue equity interests to sellers of properties or assets we acquire in connection with an exchange of limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership; or (v) otherwise issue additional shares of our capital stock or units of our Operating Partnership. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, whether in future primary offerings, pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan or otherwise, our stockholders’ percentage ownership interest in us would be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional issuance of shares, the use of the proceeds and the value of our real estate investments, our stockholders may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their shares and in the earnings and distributions per share.
Payment of fees to our advisor and its affiliates reduces cash available for investment and distribution to our stockholders and increases the risk that our stockholders will not be able to recover the amount of their investment in our shares or an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock.
Our advisor and its affiliates perform services for us in connection with the selection and acquisition or origination of our real estate investments, the management and leasing of our real estate properties and the disposition of our investments. We pay them substantial fees for these services, which results in immediate dilution of the value of our stockholders’ investment in us and reduces the amount of cash available for investments or distribution to stockholders. Compensation to be paid to our advisor may be increased with the approval of our conflicts committee and subject to the limitations in our charter, which would further dilute our stockholders’ investment in us and reduce the amount of cash available for investment or distribution to stockholders.
We may also pay significant fees during our listing/liquidation stage. Although most of the fees expected to be paid during our listing/liquidation stage are contingent on our stockholders first receiving agreed-upon investment returns, the investment-return thresholds may be reduced with the approval of our conflicts committee and subject to the limitations in our charter.
Therefore, these fees increase the risk that the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders upon a liquidation of our portfolio would be less than the amount stockholders paid to acquire our shares or an amount equal to the estimated value per share of our common stock. These substantial fees and other payments also increase the risk that our stockholders will not be able to resell their shares at a profit.
If we are unable to obtain funding for future capital needs, cash distributions to our stockholders and the value of an investment in us could decline.
When tenants do not renew their leases or otherwise vacate their space, we will often need to expend substantial funds for improvements to the vacated space in order to attract replacement tenants. Even when tenants do renew their leases, we may agree to make improvements to their space as part of our negotiations. If we need additional capital in the future to improve or maintain our properties or for any other reason, we may have to obtain funding from sources other than our cash flow from operations, such as borrowings or future equity offerings. These sources of funding may not be available on attractive terms or at all. If we cannot procure additional funding for capital improvements, our investments may generate lower cash flows or decline in value, or both, which would limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
These risks are heightened as a result of the disruptions in the financial markets discussed above. See “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Elevated market volatility due to adverse economic and geopolitical conditions (such as the war in Ukraine), health crises (such as the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) or dislocations in the credit markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay distributions.” and “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Inflation and increased interest rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.”
Although we are not currently afforded the protection of the Maryland General Corporation Law relating to deterring or defending hostile takeovers, our board of directors could opt into these provisions of Maryland law in the future, which may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and may prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their stock in connection with a business combination.
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and certain interested stockholders or affiliates of interested stockholders are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. Also under Maryland law, control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquirer, an officer of the corporation or an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation are excluded from the vote on whether to accord voting rights to the control shares. Should our board of directors opt into these provisions of Maryland law, it may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. Similarly, provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law could provide similar anti-takeover protection.
Our charter includes an anti-takeover provision that may discourage a stockholder from launching a tender offer for our shares.
Our charter provides that any tender offer made by a stockholder, including any “mini-tender” offer, must comply with most provisions of Regulation 14D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The offering stockholder must provide our company notice of such tender offer at least 10 business days before initiating the tender offer. If the offering stockholder does not comply with these requirements, our company will have the right to redeem that stockholder’s shares and any shares acquired in such tender offer. In addition, the noncomplying stockholder shall be responsible for all of our company’s expenses in connection with that stockholder’s noncompliance. This provision of our charter may discourage a stockholder from initiating a tender offer for our shares and prevent our stockholders from receiving a premium price for their shares in such a transaction.
Our stockholders’ return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We intend to continue to conduct our operations so that neither we, nor our Operating Partnership nor the subsidiaries of our Operating Partnership are investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). However, there can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will be able to successfully avoid operating as an investment company. A change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exemption from regulation under the Investment Company Act. To maintain compliance with the applicable exemption under the Investment Company Act, we may be unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell and may need to sell assets we would otherwise wish to retain. In addition, we may have to acquire additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or may have to forego opportunities to acquire assets that we would otherwise want to acquire and would be important to our investment strategy.
If we were required to register as an investment company but failed to do so, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan, which could materially adversely affect our estimated value per share and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
Economic, market and regulatory changes that impact the real estate market generally may decrease the value of our investments and weaken our operating results.
Our operating results and the performance of our real estate properties are subject to the risks typically associated with real estate, any of which could decrease the value of our investments and could weaken our operating results, including:
•downturns in national, regional and local economic conditions;
•competition from similar properties in the same or competing markets or submarkets;
•adverse local conditions, such as oversupply or reduction in demand for office and industrial properties and changes in real estate zoning laws that may reduce the desirability of real estate in an area;
•vacancies, changes in market rental rates and the need to periodically repair, renovate and re-let space;
•changes in interest rates and the availability of permanent mortgage financing, which may render the sale of a property or loan difficult or unattractive;
•changes in tax (including real and personal property tax), real estate, environmental and zoning laws;
•natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods;
•acts of war or terrorism, including the consequences of terrorist attacks, such as those that occurred on September 11, 2001;
•the potential for uninsured or underinsured property losses; and
•periods of high interest rates and tight money supply.
Any of the above factors, or a combination thereof, could result in a decrease in our cash flow from operations and a decrease in the value of our investments, which would have an adverse effect on our operations, on our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and on the value of our stockholders’ investment.
These risks are heightened as a result of the disruptions in the financial markets discussed above. See “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Elevated market volatility due to adverse economic and geopolitical conditions (such as the war in Ukraine), health crises (such as the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) or dislocations in the credit markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay distributions.” and “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Inflation and increased interest rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.”
If our acquisitions do not perform as expected, cash distributions to our stockholders may decline.
As of March 1, 2023, our real estate portfolio held for investment was composed of 16 office properties and one mixed-use office/retail property encompassing in the aggregate approximately 7.3 million rentable square feet and was collectively 80% occupied. We also own an investment in the equity securities of the SREIT, a Singapore real estate investment trust listed on the SGX-ST. We made these investments based on an underwriting analysis with respect to each asset and how the asset fits into our portfolio. If these assets do not perform as expected, we may have less cash flow from operating activities available to fund distributions and stockholder returns may be reduced.
Properties that have significant vacancies could result in lower revenues for us and be difficult to sell, which could diminish the return on these properties and adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
A property may incur vacancies either by the expiration and non-renewal of tenant leases or the continued default of tenants under their leases. If vacancies continue for a long period of time, we may suffer reduced revenues resulting in less cash available for distribution to our stockholders. In addition, the resale value of the property could be diminished because the market value of a particular property depends principally upon the value of the cash flow generated by the leases associated with that property. Such a reduction in the resale value of a property could also reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
Further, some of our assets may be outfitted to suit the particular needs of the tenants. We may have difficulty replacing the tenants of these properties if the outfitted space limits the types of businesses that could lease that space without major renovation. If a tenant does not renew a lease or, terminates or defaults on a lease, we may be unable to lease the property for the rent previously received or sell the property without incurring a loss. Because the market value of a particular property depends principally upon the value of the cash flow generated by the leases associated with such property, we may incur a loss upon the sale of a property with significant vacant space. These events could cause us to reduce distributions to stockholders.
Based on the current market outlook, we expect our core focus in the U.S. office sector to reflect a value-creating core strategy, which is also known as a core-plus strategy. In many cases, these core properties will have slightly higher (10% to 20%) vacancy rates and/or higher near-term lease rollover at acquisition than more conservative value maintaining core properties. To the extent that we buy such properties, we may incur significant costs for capital expenditures and tenant improvement costs to lease up the properties, which increases the risk of loss associated with these properties compared to other properties.
We have invested in, and expect our core focus in the U.S. office sector to reflect a value-creating core strategy or core-plus strategy. In many cases, these core properties will have slightly higher (10% to 20%) vacancy rates, higher near-term lease rollover at acquisition than more conservative value maintaining core properties, and/or other characteristics that could provide an opportunity for us to achieve appreciation by increasing occupancy, negotiating new leases with higher rental rates and/or executing enhancement projects. We likely will need to fund reserves, maintain capacity under our credit facilities and/or use proceeds from offerings, including our dividend reinvestment plan, to fund capital expenditures, tenant improvements and other improvements in order to attract new tenants to these properties. To the extent we do not maintain adequate reserves to fund these costs, we may use our cash flow from operating activities, proceeds from offerings or borrowings to fund such costs. If we are unable to execute our business plan for these investments, the overall return on these investments will decrease.
We have entered into long-term leases with tenants at certain of our office properties and in the future we may enter into long-term leases with tenants at certain office properties we may acquire, which may not result in fair market rental rates over time.
We may enter into long-term leases with tenants of certain of our properties, or include renewal options that specify a maximum rate increase. These leases would provide for rent to increase over time; however, if we do not accurately judge the potential for increases in market rental rates, we may set the terms of these long-term leases at levels such that, even after contractual rent increases, the rent under our long-term leases is less than then-current market rates. Further, we may have no ability to terminate those leases or to adjust the rent to then-prevailing market rates. As a result, our cash available for distribution could be lower than if we did not enter into long-term leases.
We may be adversely affected by trends in the office real estate industry.
Some businesses are rapidly evolving to make employee telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workplaces and teleconferencing increasingly common. These practices enable businesses to reduce their space requirements. A continuation of the movement towards these practices could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations, each of which could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make expected distributions to our stockholders.
We depend on tenants for our revenue generated by our real estate investments and, accordingly, our revenue generated by our real estate investments and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders are partially dependent upon the success and economic viability of our tenants and our ability to retain and attract tenants. Non-renewals, terminations or lease defaults could reduce our net income and limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
The success of our real estate investments materially depends upon the financial stability of the tenants leasing the properties we own. The inability of a single major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants to meet their rental obligations would significantly lower our net income. A non-renewal after the expiration of a lease term, termination or default by a tenant on its lease payments to us would cause us to lose the revenue associated with such lease and require us to find an alternative source of revenue to meet mortgage payments and prevent a foreclosure if the property is subject to a mortgage. In the event of a tenant default or bankruptcy, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord of a property and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing the property. Tenants may have the right to terminate their leases upon the occurrence of certain customary events of default and, in other circumstances, may not renew their leases or, because of market conditions, may only be able to renew their leases on terms that are less favorable to us than the terms of their initial leases.
The bankruptcy or insolvency of our tenants or delays by our tenants in making rental payments could seriously harm our operating results and financial condition.
Any bankruptcy filings by or relating to any of our tenants could bar us from collecting pre-bankruptcy debts from that tenant, unless we receive an order permitting us to do so from the bankruptcy court. A tenant bankruptcy could delay our efforts to collect past due balances under the relevant leases, and could ultimately preclude full collection of these sums. If a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we would have only a general unsecured claim for damages. Any unsecured claim we hold against a bankrupt entity may be paid only to the extent that funds are available and only in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims. We may recover substantially less than the full value of any unsecured claims, which would harm our financial condition.
Our inability to sell a property at the time and on the terms we want could limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and could reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Many factors that are beyond our control affect the real estate market and could affect our ability to sell properties for the price, on the terms or within the time frame that we desire. These factors include general economic conditions, the availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand. Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, we have a limited ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Further, before we can sell a property on the terms we want, it may be necessary to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements. However, we can give no assurance that we will have the funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. We may be unable to sell our properties at a profit. Our inability to sell properties at the time and on the terms we want could reduce our cash flow, limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
If we sell a property by providing financing to the purchaser, we will bear the risk of default by the purchaser, which could delay or reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
When we decide to sell properties, we intend to use our best efforts to sell them for cash; however, in some instances, we may sell our properties by providing financing to purchasers. When we provide financing to a purchaser, we will bear the risk that the purchaser may default, which could reduce our cash distributions to stockholders. Even in the absence of a purchaser default, the distribution of the proceeds of the sale to our stockholders, or the reinvestment of the proceeds in other assets, will be delayed until the promissory note or other property we may accept upon a sale is actually paid, sold, refinanced or otherwise disposed.
Potential development and construction delays and resultant increased costs and risks may hinder our operating results and decrease our net income.
From time to time we may acquire unimproved real property or properties that are under development or construction. Investments in such properties will be subject to the uncertainties associated with the development and construction of real property, including those related to re-zoning land for development, environmental concerns of governmental entities and/or community groups and our builders’ ability to build in conformity with plans, specifications, budgeted costs and timetables. If a builder fails to perform, we may resort to legal action to rescind the purchase or the construction contract or to compel performance. A builder’s performance may also be affected or delayed by conditions beyond the builder’s control. Delays in completing construction could also give tenants the right to terminate preconstruction leases. We may incur additional risks when we make periodic progress payments or other advances to builders before they complete construction. These and other factors can result in increased costs of a project or loss of our investment. In addition, we will be subject to normal lease-up risks relating to newly-constructed projects. We also must rely on rental income and expense projections and estimates of the fair market value of property upon completion of construction when agreeing upon a purchase price at the time we acquire the property. If our projections are inaccurate, we may pay too much for a property, and the return on our investment could suffer.
Actions of our joint venture partners could reduce the returns on joint venture investments and decrease our stockholders’ overall return.
We may enter into joint ventures to acquire properties and other assets. We may also purchase and develop additional properties in partnerships, co-tenancies or other co-ownership arrangements. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present with other methods of investment, including, for example, the following risks:
•that our co-venturer, co-tenant or partner in an investment could become insolvent or bankrupt;
•that such co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or that become inconsistent with our business interests or goals;
•that such co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives; or
•that disputes between us and our co-venturer, co-tenant or partner may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and directors from focusing their time and effort on our operations.
Any of the above might subject a property to liabilities in excess of those contemplated and thus reduce our returns on that investment and the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
Costs imposed pursuant to laws and governmental regulations may reduce our net income and our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment and human health. We could be subject to liability in the form of fines, penalties or damages for noncompliance with these laws and regulations. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and above-ground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the remediation of contamination associated with the release or disposal of solid and hazardous materials, the presence of toxic building materials and other health and safety-related concerns.
Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on the tenants, owners or operators of real property for the costs to investigate or remediate contaminated properties, regardless of fault, whether the contamination occurred prior to purchase, or whether the acts causing the contamination were legal. Our tenants’ operations, the condition of properties at the time we buy them, operations in the vicinity of our properties, such as the presence of underground storage tanks, or activities of unrelated third parties may affect our properties.
The presence of hazardous substances, or the failure to properly manage or remediate these substances, may hinder our ability to sell, rent or pledge such property as collateral for future borrowings. Any material expenditures, fines, penalties or damages we must pay will reduce our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders and may reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property or of paying personal injury or other damage claims could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous real property owner or operator may be liable for the cost of removing or remediating hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. These costs could be substantial. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Environmental laws also may impose liens on property or restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures or prevent us from entering into leases with prospective tenants that may be impacted by such laws. Environmental laws provide for sanctions for noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Third parties may seek recovery from real property owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances and governments may seek recovery for natural resource damage. The costs of defending against claims of environmental liability, of complying with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury, property damage or natural resource damage claims could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
All of our real estate properties are subject to Phase I environmental assessments prior to the time they are acquired; however, such assessments may not provide complete environmental histories due, for example, to limited available information about prior operations at the properties or other gaps in information at the time we acquire the property. A Phase I environmental assessment is an initial environmental investigation to identify potential environmental liabilities associated with the current and past uses of a given property. If any of our properties were found to contain hazardous or toxic substances after our acquisition, the value of our investment could decrease below the amount paid for such investment. In addition, real estate-related investments in which we invest may be secured by properties with recognized environmental conditions. Where we are secured creditors, we will attempt to acquire contractual agreements, including environmental indemnities, that protect us from losses arising out of environmental problems in the event the property is transferred by foreclosure or bankruptcy; however, no assurances can be given that such indemnities would fully protect us from responsibility for costs associated with addressing any environmental problems related to such properties.
Costs associated with complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act may decrease our cash available for distribution.
Our properties may be subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, or the Disabilities Act. Under the Disabilities Act, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The Disabilities Act has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. The Disabilities Act’s requirements could require removal of access barriers and could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages. Any funds used for Disabilities Act compliance will reduce our net income and the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
Uninsured losses relating to real property or excessively expensive premiums for insurance coverage could reduce our cash flow from operations and the return on our stockholders’ investment in us.
There are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, pollution or environmental matters, that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles or co-payments. Insurance risks associated with potential acts of terrorism could sharply increase the premiums we pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. We may not be able to obtain insurance against the risk of terrorism because it may not be available or may not be available on terms that are economically feasible. The terrorism insurance that we obtain may not be sufficient to cover loss for damages to our properties as a result of terrorist attacks. The inability to obtain sufficient terrorism insurance or any terrorism insurance at all could limit our financing and refinancing options as mortgage lenders sometimes require that specific coverage against terrorism be purchased by commercial owners as a condition for providing loans. In such instances, we may be required to provide other financial support, either through financial assurances or self-insurance, to cover potential losses. We may not have adequate coverage for such losses. If any of our properties incurs a casualty loss that is not fully insured, the value of our assets will be reduced by any such uninsured loss, which will reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment in us. In addition, other than any working capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we have limited sources of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured property. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for insurance, we could suffer reduced earnings that would result in lower distributions to our stockholders.
We rely on property managers to operate our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties.
Our advisor hires property managers to manage our properties and leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. The property managers have significant decision-making authority with respect to the management of our properties. Our ability to direct and control how our properties are managed on a day-to-day basis may be limited because we engage other parties to perform this function. Thus, the success of our business may depend in large part on the ability of our property managers to manage the day-to-day operations and the ability of our leasing agents to lease vacancies in our properties. Any adversity experienced by, or problems in our relationship with, our property managers or leasing agents could adversely impact the operation and profitability of our properties.
Risks Related to Real Estate-Related Investments
Our investment in common equity securities is, and any future investments we make in the securities of other issuers will be, subject to the specific risks relating to the particular issuer of the securities and may involve greater risk of loss than secured debt financings.
We have made a significant investment in the common equity of the SREIT and may make equity investments in funds or corporate entities with a primary focus on the commercial real estate and real estate finance industries or with significant exposure to real estate, such as REITs. We may purchase the common or preferred stock of these entities or purchase or write options with respect to their stock. We may also invest in debt securities and preferred equity securities issued by funds or corporate entities with a primary focus on the commercial real estate and real estate finance industries or with significant exposure to real estate. Our investments in debt securities and preferred and common equity securities will involve special risks relating to the particular issuer of the securities, including the financial condition and business outlook of the issuer. Issuers that are REITs and other real estate companies are subject to the inherent risks associated with real estate investments. See above “—General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate.” Furthermore, debt securities and preferred and common equity securities may involve greater risk of loss than secured debt financings due to a variety of factors, including that such investments are generally unsecured and may also be subordinated to other obligations of the issuer. As a result, investments in debt securities and preferred and common equity securities are subject to risks of (i) limited liquidity in the secondary trading market, (ii) substantial market price volatility resulting from changes in prevailing interest rates, (iii) subordination to the claims of banks and senior lenders to the issuer, (iv) the operation of mandatory sinking fund or call/redemption provisions during periods of declining interest rates that could cause the issuer to reinvest redemption proceeds in lower yielding assets, (v) the possibility that earnings of the issuer may be insufficient to meet its debt service and distribution obligations, and (vi) the declining creditworthiness and potential for insolvency of the issuer during periods of rising interest rates and economic downturn. These risks may adversely affect the value of outstanding debt securities and preferred and common equity securities and the ability of the issuers thereof to make principal, interest and/or distribution payments to us.
Our significant investment in the SREIT is subject to the risks inherent in investing in traded securities. As of March 13, 2023, based solely on the closing trading price of the units of the SREIT on the SGX-ST of $0.365 per unit on such date and without taking into account any potential discount for the holding period risk due to the quantity of units held by us relative to the normal level of trading in the units, we owned approximately $78.8 million of units in the SREIT, representing an approximate 18.2% interest in the units of the SREIT. The SREIT’s units were first listed for trading on the SGX-ST on July 19, 2019. If an active trading market for the units does not develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult to sell our units. The market for Singapore REITs may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of our investment in the SREIT difficult. Even if an active trading market develops or we are able to negotiate block trades, if we or other significant investors sell or are perceived as intending to sell a substantial amount of units in a short period of time, the market price of our remaining units could be adversely affected. In addition, as a foreign equity investment, the trading price of units of the SREIT may be affected by political, economic, financial and social factors in the Singapore and Asian markets, including changes in government, economic and fiscal policies. Furthermore, we may be limited in our ability to sell our investment in the SREIT if our advisor and/or its affiliates are deemed to have material, non-public information regarding the SREIT. Charles J. Schreiber, Jr., our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our affiliated director, is a former director of the external manager of the SREIT, and Mr. Schreiber holds an indirect ownership interest in the external manager of the SREIT. An affiliate of our advisor serves as the U.S. asset manager to the SREIT. The inability to dispose of our investment in the SREIT at the time and on the terms we want could materially adversely affect the investment results.
Risks Associated with Debt Financing
The risks in this section should be read together with the risks discussed above under “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Elevated market volatility due to adverse economic and geopolitical conditions (such as the war in Ukraine), health crises (such as the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) or dislocations in the credit markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to pay distributions.” and “—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock— Inflation and increased interest rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.”
We obtain lines of credit, mortgage indebtedness and other borrowings and have given guarantees, which increases our risk of loss due to potential foreclosure.
We obtain lines of credit and long-term financing secured by our properties and other assets and other borrowings. We have acquired our real estate properties by financing a portion of the price of the properties and mortgaging or pledging some or all of the properties purchased as security for that debt. We may also incur mortgage debt on properties that we already own in order to obtain funds to acquire additional properties, to fund property improvements and other capital expenditures, to pay distributions, to fund redemptions under our share redemption program and for other purposes. In addition, we may borrow as necessary or advisable to ensure that we maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including borrowings to satisfy the REIT requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to our stockholders (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and excluding net capital gain). However, we can give our stockholders no assurance that we will be able to obtain such borrowings on satisfactory terms or at all.
If we mortgage a property and there is a shortfall between the cash flow generated by that property and the cash flow needed to service mortgage debt on that property, then the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders may be reduced. In addition, incurring mortgage debt increases the risk of loss of a property since defaults on indebtedness secured by a property may result in lenders initiating foreclosure actions. In that case, we could lose the property securing the loan that is in default, reducing the value of our stockholders’ investment in us. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure even though we would not necessarily receive any cash proceeds. We have given and may give full or partial guarantees to lenders of mortgage or other debt on behalf of the entities that own our properties. When we give a guaranty on behalf of an entity that owns one of our properties, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of all or a part of the debt or other amounts related to the debt if it is not paid by such entity. If any mortgages contain cross-collateralization or cross-default provisions, a default on a mortgage secured by a single property could affect mortgages secured by other properties.
Many of these same issues also apply to credit facilities which are expected to be in place at various times as well. For example, the loan documents for such facilities may include various coverage ratios, the continued compliance with which may not be completely within our control. If such coverage ratios are not met, the lenders under such credit facilities may declare any unfunded commitments to be terminated and declare any amounts outstanding to be due and payable. Credit facilities may be secured by our properties or unsecured. If we have insufficient income to service our recourse debt obligations, our lenders could institute proceedings against us to foreclose upon our assets. If a lender successfully forecloses upon any of our assets, our ability to pay cash distributions to our stockholders will be limited and our stockholders could lose all or part of their investment in us.
High mortgage rates or changes in underwriting standards may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance properties, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire, our cash flow from operations and the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance the purchase of properties. If we place mortgage debt on a property, we run the risk of being unable to refinance part or all of the debt when it becomes due or of being unable to refinance on favorable terms. If interest rates are higher when we refinance properties subject to mortgage debt, our income could be reduced. We may be unable to finance or refinance or may only be able to partly finance or refinance properties if underwriting standards, including loan to value ratios and yield requirements, among other requirements, are more strict. If any of these events occurs, our cash flow could be reduced and/or we might have to pay down existing mortgages. This, in turn, would reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders, could cause us to require additional capital and may hinder our ability to raise capital by issuing more stock or by borrowing more money.
Additionally, due to disruptions in the financial markets, it is becoming increasingly difficult to refinance maturing debt obligations as lenders are hesitant to make new loans in the current market environment with so many uncertainties surrounding asset valuations, especially in the office real estate market. As a result, we may need to evaluate selling certain assets into a challenged real estate market, which would likely impact the ultimate sale price. While we have extension options on all debt obligations maturing in 2023, these extensions are subject to certain terms and conditions contained in the loan documents some of which are more stringent than our current loan compliance tests. As a result, in order to qualify for certain loan extensions, we may be required to reduce the loan commitment amount or make paydowns on certain loans, which would reduce our liquidity. Additionally, continued increases in interest rates, reductions in real estate values and future tenant turnover in the portfolio will have a further impact on our ability to meet such tests and may further reduce our available liquidity under our loan agreements.
We may not be able to access financing sources on attractive terms, which could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We may finance our assets over the long-term through a variety of means, including credit facilities and other structured financings. Our ability to execute this strategy will depend on various conditions in the markets for financing in this manner that are beyond our control, including lack of liquidity and greater credit spreads. We cannot be certain that these markets will remain an efficient source of long-term financing for our assets. If our strategy is not viable, we will have to find alternative forms of long-term financing for our assets, as secured revolving credit facilities may not accommodate long-term financing. This could subject us to more recourse indebtedness and the risk that debt service on less efficient forms of financing would require a larger portion of our cash flow, thereby reducing cash available for distribution to our stockholders and funds available for operations as well as for future business opportunities.
Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
When providing financing, a lender may impose restrictions on us that affect our distribution and operating policies and our ability to incur additional debt. Loan agreements into which we enter may contain financial and other affirmative and negative covenants, including provisions that limit our ability to further mortgage a property, that require that we comply with various coverage ratios, that prohibit us from discontinuing insurance coverage or that prohibit us from replacing our advisor. These or other limitations would decrease our operating flexibility and our ability to achieve our operating objectives and limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
Increases in interest rates and the discontinuation of LIBOR could increase the amount of our interest and/or hedge payments and/or mitigate the effectiveness of our interest rate hedges.
As of December 31, 2022, our debt obligations consisted of $123.0 million of fixed rate notes payable and $1.6 billion of variable rate notes payable. As of December 31, 2022, the interest rates on $1.0 billion of our variable rate notes payable were effectively fixed through interest rate swap agreements. We expect that we will incur additional indebtedness in the future. Interest we pay reduces our cash available for distributions. Since we have incurred and may continue to incur variable rate debt, increases in interest rates raise our interest costs to the extent such debt is not effectively hedged, which reduces our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to you. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to sell one or more of our properties at times or on terms which may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments. Increases in interest rates may cause our operations to suffer and the amount of distributions our stockholders receive and their overall return on investment may decline.
Certain of our debt historically has borne interest at an interest rate determined based on a US Dollar London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). On March 5, 2021, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that all LIBOR settings will either cease to be provided by any administrator or no longer be representative (i) immediately after December 31, 2021, in the case of the 1-week and 2-month US dollar settings; and (ii) immediately after June 30, 2023, in the case of the remaining US dollar settings. The tenors that were extended to June 30, 2023 are more widely used and are the tenors used in our LIBOR-based debt. We may convert some of our LIBOR-based debt into debt based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), which is the interest rate recommended by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), a steering committee comprised of U.S. financial market participants convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the New York Federal Reserve to help ensure a successful transition from LIBOR to a more robust reference rate. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash in the overnight U.S. treasury repo market and is a rate published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. On July 29, 2021, ARRC formally recommended CME Group’s forward-looking Term SOFR as a benchmark rate for use in transition away from LIBOR. Term SOFR is a forward-looking rate based on SOFR futures. We have converted and may in the future convert some of our LIBOR-based debt into debt based on Term SOFR. In order to convert LIBOR debt into SOFR or Term SOFR, based on ARRC recommendations and market practice, we generally are required by our lenders to pay a spread adjustment to LIBOR. This spread adjustment may have an impact of an increase or decrease to our current borrowing costs based on LIBOR. Where we maintain hedge positions, we may be able to offset some of the impact by converting hedge positions.
In addition, differences between LIBOR replacement methodology in our debt instruments and hedges could result in differences in conversion between our debt instruments and corresponding hedges. Mismatches could occur resulting from conversion at different times, into different benchmark replacement rates, or into the same benchmark replacement rates calculated at different times or using different methods of calculation. In addition, in 2021 we entered into certain loans benchmarked to the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”) and, in certain cases, entered into hedges benchmarked to LIBOR. Accordingly, there is a mismatch between the benchmark interest rate under those loans and the floating rate under our hedges. That mismatch is expected to continue assuming the floating rate referenced in those hedges converts in accordance with their terms to replacement benchmark rate (which is expected to be SOFR) under the ISDA conversion methodology.
The transition from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate could result in higher all-in interest costs and could hinder our ability to maintain effective hedges, which could impact our financial performance.
We may be unable to convert all of our debt instruments to SOFR or Term SOFR prior to June 30, 2023. If we are unable to effect such conversions, our lenders may force conversions to a SOFR-based rate under any applicable LIBOR transition legislation or to a SOFR-based rate or another interest rate under the terms of our debt agreements. These forced conversions could result in higher all-in interest costs and could hinder our ability to maintain effective hedges, which could impact our financial performance.
We have broad authority to incur debt and high debt levels could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute to our stockholders and decrease the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
We expect our debt financing and other liabilities to be between 45% and 65% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves). There is no limitation on the amount we may borrow for the purchase of any single asset. Our charter limits our aggregate borrowings to 300% of our net assets, which approximates aggregate liabilities of 75% of the cost of our tangible assets (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves), meaning that our borrowings and other liabilities may exceed our maximum target leverage of 65% of the cost of our tangible assets without violating the borrowing restrictions in our charter. We may exceed our charter limit only if a majority of the conflicts committee approves each borrowing in excess of our charter limitation and we disclose such borrowings to our stockholders in our next quarterly report with an explanation from the conflicts committee of the justification for the excess borrowing. As of December 31, 2022, our borrowings and other liabilities were approximately 58% of the cost (before deducting depreciation and other noncash reserves) and 60% of the book value (before deducting depreciation) of our tangible assets, respectively. High debt levels would cause us to incur higher interest charges and higher debt service payments and may also be accompanied by restrictive covenants. These factors could limit the amount of cash we have available to distribute to our stockholders and could result in a decline in the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.
In certain cases, financings for our properties may be recourse to us or certain of our subsidiaries.
Generally, commercial real estate financings are structured as non-recourse to the borrower, which limits a lender’s recourse to the property pledged as collateral for the loan, and not the other assets of the borrower or to any parent of the borrower, in the event of a loan default. However, lenders customarily will require that a creditworthy parent entity enter into so-called “recourse carveout” guarantees to protect the lender against certain bad-faith or other intentional acts of the borrower in violation of the loan documents. A “bad boy” guarantee typically provides that the lender can recover losses from the guarantors for certain bad acts, such as fraud or intentional misrepresentation, intentional waste, willful misconduct, criminal acts, misappropriation of funds, voluntary incurrence of prohibited debt and environmental losses sustained by lender. In addition, “bad boy” guarantees typically provide that the loan will be a full personal recourse obligation of the guarantor, for certain actions, such as prohibited transfers of the collateral or changes of control and voluntary bankruptcy of the borrower. It is expected that the financing arrangements with respect to our investments generally will require “bad boy” guarantees from certain of our subsidiaries that are the parent to the borrower entity. In the event that such a guarantee is called, our assets could be adversely affected.
Hedging against interest rate exposure may adversely affect our earnings, limit our gains or result in losses, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We have entered into and in the future may enter into interest rate swap agreements or pursue other interest rate hedging strategies. Our hedging activity will vary in scope based on the level of interest rates, the type of investments we hold, and other changing market conditions. Interest rate hedging may fail to protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:
•interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates;
•available interest rate hedging products may not correspond directly with the interest rate risk for which protection is sought;
•the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability or asset;
•the amount of income that a REIT may earn from hedging transactions to offset losses due to fluctuations in interest rates is limited by federal tax provisions governing REITs;
•the credit quality of the party owing money on the hedge may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction;
•the party owing money in the hedging transaction may default on its obligation to pay; and
•we may purchase a hedge that turns out not to be necessary, i.e., a hedge that is out of the money.
Any hedging activity we engage in may adversely affect our earnings, which could adversely affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the investments being hedged or liabilities being hedged may vary materially. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the interest rate risk sought to be hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended accounting treatment and may expose us to risk of loss.
We assume the credit risk of our counterparties with respect to derivative transactions.
We enter into derivative contracts for risk management purposes to hedge our exposure to cash flow variability caused by changing interest rates on our variable rate notes payable. These derivative contracts generally are entered into with bank counterparties and are not traded on an organized exchange or guaranteed by a central clearing organization. We would therefore assume the credit risk that our counterparties will fail to make periodic payments when due under these contracts or become insolvent. If a counterparty fails to make a required payment, becomes the subject of a bankruptcy case, or otherwise defaults under the applicable contract, we would have the right to terminate all outstanding derivative transactions with that counterparty and settle them based on their net market value or replacement cost. In such an event, we may be required to make a termination payment to the counterparty, or we may have the right to collect a termination payment from such counterparty. We assume the credit risk that the counterparty will not be able to make any termination payment owing to us. We may not receive any collateral from a counterparty, or we may receive collateral that is insufficient to satisfy the counterparty’s obligation to make a termination payment. If a counterparty is the subject of a bankruptcy case, we will be an unsecured creditor in such case unless the counterparty has pledged sufficient collateral to us to satisfy the counterparty’s obligations to us.
We assume the risk that our derivative counterparty may terminate transactions early.
If we fail to make a required payment or otherwise default under the terms of a derivative contract, the counterparty would have the right to terminate all outstanding derivative transactions between us and that counterparty and settle them based on their net market value or replacement cost. In certain circumstances, the counterparty may have the right to terminate derivative transactions early even if we are not defaulting. If our derivative transactions are terminated early, it may not be possible for us to replace those transactions with another counterparty, on as favorable terms or at all.
We may be required to collateralize our derivative transactions.
We may be required to secure our obligations to our counterparties under our derivative contracts by pledging collateral to our counterparties. That collateral may be in the form of cash, securities or other assets. If we default under a derivative contract with a counterparty, or if a counterparty otherwise terminates one or more derivative contracts early, that counterparty may apply such collateral toward our obligation to make a termination payment to the counterparty. If we have pledged securities or other assets, the counterparty may liquidate those assets in order to satisfy our obligations. If we are required to post cash or securities as collateral, such cash or securities will not be available for use in our business. Cash or securities pledged to counterparties may be repledged by counterparties and may not be held in segregated accounts. Therefore, in the event of a counterparty insolvency, we may not be entitled to recover some or all collateral pledged to that counterparty, which could result in losses and have an adverse effect on our operations.
Our investments in derivatives are carried at estimated fair value as determined by us and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of these instruments.
Our investments in derivatives are recorded at fair value but have limited liquidity and are not publicly traded. The fair value of our derivatives may not be readily determinable. We will estimate the fair value of any such investments on a quarterly basis. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on numerous estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these investments existed. The value of our common stock could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal or maturity.
Federal Income Tax Risks
Failure to qualify as a REIT would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution.
Our qualification as a REIT will depend upon our ability to meet requirements regarding our organization and ownership, distributions of our income, the nature and diversification of our income and assets and other tests imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for any taxable year after electing REIT status, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at corporate rates. In addition, we would generally be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we lost our REIT status. Losing our REIT status would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to stockholders because of the additional tax liability. In addition, distributions to stockholders would no longer qualify for the dividends-paid deduction and we would no longer be required to pay distributions. If this occurs, we might be required to borrow funds or liquidate some investments in order to pay the applicable tax.
Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our stockholders.
We believe that we have operated and will continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with our initial taxable year ended December 31, 2011. However, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs are extremely complex, and interpretations of the U.S. federal income tax laws governing qualification as a REIT are limited. Qualifying as a REIT requires us to meet various tests regarding the nature of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding stock, and the amount of our distributions on an ongoing basis. Accordingly, we cannot be certain that we will be successful in operating so we can remain qualified as a REIT. While we intend to continue to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, including the tax treatment of certain investments we may make, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given that we will so qualify for any particular year. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any calendar year and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income. We might need to borrow money or sell assets to pay that tax. Our payment of income tax would decrease the amount of our income available for distribution to our stockholders. Furthermore, if we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we no longer would be required to distribute substantially all of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders. Unless our failure to qualify as a REIT were excused under federal tax laws, we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.
Our stockholders may have current tax liability on distributions they elect to reinvest in our common stock.
If our stockholders participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, they will be deemed to have received, and for income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in shares of our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital. In addition, our stockholders will be treated for tax purposes as having received an additional distribution to the extent the shares are purchased at a discount to fair market value, if any. As a result, unless our stockholders are tax-exempt entities, they may have to use funds from other sources to pay their tax liability on the value of the shares of common stock received.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to federal, state, local or other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.
Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be subject to some federal, state and local taxes on our income or property. For example:
•In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to our stockholders (which is determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or net capital gain). To the extent that we satisfy the distribution requirement but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on the undistributed income.
•We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which distributions we pay in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years.
•If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or certain leasehold terminations as “foreclosure property,” we may avoid the 100% tax on the gain from a resale of that property, but the income from the sale or operation of that property may be subject to corporate income tax at the highest applicable rate.
•If we sell an asset, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, our gain would be subject to the 100% “prohibited transaction” tax unless such sale were made by one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries or the sale met certain “safe harbor” requirements under the Internal Revenue Code.
REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.
We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, subject to certain adjustments and excluding any net capital gain, in order for federal corporate income tax not to apply to earnings that we distribute. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed REIT taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our property and pay U.S. federal income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and thereon seek a refund of such tax. We also will be subject to corporate tax on any undistributed REIT taxable income. We intend to make distributions to our stockholders to comply with the REIT requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.
From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our income for financial reporting purposes, or our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders (for example, where a borrower defers the payment of interest in cash pursuant to a contractual right or otherwise). If we do not have other funds available in these situations we could be required to borrow funds, sell investments at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative source of funds to pay distributions sufficient to enable us to pay out enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.
To maintain our REIT status, we may be forced to forego otherwise attractive business or investment opportunities, which may delay or hinder our ability to meet our investment objectives and reduce our stockholders’ overall return.
To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy certain tests on an ongoing basis concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, the nature and diversification of our assets, the ownership of our stock and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. We may be required to pay distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits and reduce the value of our stockholders’ investment.
If our operating partnership fails to maintain its status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, its income would be subject to taxation and our REIT status could be terminated.
We intend to maintain the status of our operating partnership as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, if the Internal Revenue Service (“Internal Revenue Service” or “IRS”) were to successfully challenge the status of our operating partnership as a partnership, it would be taxable as a corporation. In such event, this would reduce the amount of distributions that our operating partnership could make to us. This could also result in our losing REIT status and becoming subject to a corporate level tax on our own income. This would substantially reduce our cash available to pay distributions and the return on your investment. In addition, if any of the entities through which our operating partnership owns its properties, in whole or in part, loses its characterization as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the underlying entity would become subject to taxation as a corporation, thereby reducing distributions to our operating partnership and jeopardizing our ability to maintain REIT status.
Potential characterization of distributions or gain on sale may be treated as unrelated business taxable income to tax-exempt investors.
If (i) all or a portion of our assets are subject to the rules relating to taxable mortgage pools, (ii) we are a “pension-held REIT,” or (iii) a tax-exempt stockholder has incurred debt to purchase or hold our common stock, then a portion of the distributions to and, in the case of a stockholder described in clause (iii), gains realized on the sale of common stock by such tax-exempt stockholder may be subject to U.S. federal income tax as unrelated business taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code.
The tax on prohibited transactions will limit our ability to engage in transactions that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of assets, other than foreclosure property, deemed held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. Whether property is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business depends on the specific facts and circumstances. No assurance can be given that any particular property (including loans) in which we hold a direct or indirect interest will not be treated as property held for sale to customers.
Complying with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets. The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities and qualified real estate assets) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries and no more than 25% of the value of our total assets can be represented by “non-qualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments.” If we fail to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences. As a result, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.
Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.
To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.
Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively.
The REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, any income that we generate from transactions intended to hedge our interest rate, inflation and/or currency risks will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests if the purpose of the instrument is to (i) hedge interest rate risk on liabilities incurred to carry or acquire real estate, (ii) hedge risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the REIT 75% or 95% gross income tests, or (iii) manage risk with respect to the termination of certain prior hedging transactions described in (i) and/or (ii) above and, in each case, such instrument is properly and timely identified under applicable Department of the Treasury regulations (“Treasury Regulations”). Income from hedging transactions that do not meet these requirements will generally constitute nonqualifying income for purposes of both the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous, which could result in greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.
Our ownership of and relationship with our taxable REIT subsidiaries will be limited and a failure to comply with the limits would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.
A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A taxable REIT subsidiary may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a taxable REIT subsidiary. A corporation of which a taxable REIT subsidiary directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. A domestic taxable REIT subsidiary will pay federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the taxable REIT subsidiary rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT to assure that the taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a taxable REIT subsidiary and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to comply with the 20% value limitation on ownership of taxable REIT subsidiary stock and securities on an ongoing basis so as to maintain REIT status or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax imposed on certain non-arm’s length transactions.
The ability of our board of directors to revoke our REIT qualification without stockholder approval may subject us to U.S. federal income tax and reduce distributions to our stockholders.
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. While we believe we have qualified and intend to continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, we may terminate our REIT election if we determine that qualifying as a REIT is no longer in our best interests. If we cease to be a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income and would no longer be required to distribute most of our taxable income to our stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our stockholders and on the market price of our common stock.
Generally, ordinary dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates.
In general, the maximum tax rate for qualified dividends payable to domestic stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%. Ordinary dividends payable by REITs, however, are generally not eligible for this reduced rate. While this tax treatment does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts or estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common stock. However, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Pub. L. No. 115-97, commencing with taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and continuing through 2025, individual taxpayers may be entitled to claim a deduction in determining their taxable income of 20% of ordinary REIT dividends (dividends other than capital gain dividends and dividends attributable to certain qualified dividend income received by us), which temporarily reduces the effective tax rate on such dividends. The deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective U.S. federal income tax rate on ordinary REIT dividends of 29.6%. Without further legislation, this deduction would sunset after 2025. Our stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding the effect of this change on their effective tax rate with respect to REIT dividends.
Qualifying as a REIT involves highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which only limited judicial and administrative authorities exist. Even a technical or inadvertent violation could jeopardize our REIT qualification. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. In addition, our ability to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT depends in part on the actions of third parties over which we have no control or only limited influence, including in cases where we own an equity interest in an entity that is classified as a partnership or REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The taxation of distributions to our stockholders can be complex; however, distributions that we make to our stockholders generally will be taxable as ordinary income, which may reduce your anticipated return from an investment in us.
Distributions that we make to our taxable stockholders to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (and not designated as capital gain dividends or qualified dividend income) generally will be taxable as ordinary income. However, a portion of our distributions may (i) be designated by us as capital gain dividends generally taxable as long-term capital gain to the extent that they are attributable to net capital gain recognized by us, (ii) be designated by us as qualified dividend income generally to the extent they are attributable to dividends we receive from non-REIT corporations, such as our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or (iii) constitute a return of capital generally to the extent that they exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A return of capital distribution is not taxable, but has the effect of reducing the basis of a stockholder’s investment in our common stock.
We may be required to pay some taxes due to actions of a taxable REIT subsidiary which would reduce our cash available for distribution to you.
Any net taxable income earned directly by a taxable REIT subsidiary, or through entities that are disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes as entities separate from our taxable REIT subsidiaries, will be subject to federal and possibly state corporate income tax. In this regard, several provisions of the laws applicable to REITs and their subsidiaries ensure that a taxable REIT subsidiary will be subject to an appropriate level of U.S. federal income taxation. For example, a taxable REIT subsidiary may be limited in its ability to deduct certain interest payments made to an affiliated REIT. In addition, the REIT has to pay a 100% penalty tax on some payments that it receives or on some deductions taken by or payments made to a taxable REIT subsidiary if the economic arrangements between the REIT, the REIT’s customers, and the taxable REIT subsidiary are not comparable to similar arrangements between unrelated parties. Finally, some state and local jurisdictions may tax some of our income even though as a REIT we are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on that income because not all states and localities follow the U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs. To the extent that we and our affiliates are required to pay federal, state and local taxes, we will have less cash available for distributions to our stockholders.
We may distribute our common stock in a taxable distribution, in which case you may sell shares of our common stock to pay tax on such distributions, and you may receive less in cash than the amount of the dividend that is taxable.
We may make taxable distributions that are payable in cash and common stock. Under IRS Revenue Procedure 2017-45, as a publicly offered REIT, we may give stockholders a choice, subject to various limits and requirements, of receiving a dividend in cash or in common stock of the REIT. As long as at least 20% of the total dividend is available in cash and certain other requirements are satisfied, the IRS will treat the stock distribution as a dividend (to the extent applicable rules treat such distribution as being made out of the REIT’s earnings and profits). This threshold has been temporarily reduced in the past, and may be reduced in the future, by IRS guidance. Taxable stockholders receiving stock will be required to include in income, as a dividend, the full value of such stock, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such dividends in excess of the cash dividends received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock it receives as a dividend to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock.
Investments in other REITs and real estate partnerships could subject us to the tax risks associated with the tax status of such entities.
We may invest in the securities of other REITs and real estate partnerships. Such investments are subject to the risk that any such REIT or partnership may fail to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT or a partnership, as the case may be, in any given taxable year. In the case of a REIT, such failure would subject such entity to taxation as a corporation, may require such REIT to incur indebtedness to pay its tax liabilities, may reduce its ability to make distributions to us, and may render it ineligible to elect REIT status prior to the fifth taxable year following the year in which it fails to so qualify. In the case of a partnership, such failure could subject such partnership to an entity level tax and reduce the entity’s ability to make distributions to us. In addition, such failures could, depending on the circumstances, jeopardize our ability to qualify as a REIT because we may then own more than 10% of the securities of an issuer that was neither a REIT, a qualified REIT subsidiary nor a taxable REIT subsidiary.
Non-U.S. stockholders will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on distributions received from us and upon the disposition of our shares.
Subject to certain exceptions, distributions received from us will be treated as dividends of ordinary income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Such dividends ordinarily will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, unless the distributions are treated as “effectively connected” with the conduct by the non-U.S. stockholder of a U.S. trade or business. Pursuant to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, or FIRPTA, capital gain distributions attributable to sales or exchanges of “U.S. real property interests,” or USRPIs, generally (subject to certain exceptions for “qualified foreign pension funds,” entities all the interests of which are held by “qualified foreign pension funds” and certain “qualified shareholders”) will be taxed to a non-U.S. stockholder as if such gain were effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business unless FIRPTA provides an exemption. However, a capital gain dividend will not be treated as effectively connected income if (i) the distribution is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the United States and (ii) the non-U.S. stockholder does not own more than 10% of the class of our stock at any time during the one-year period ending on the date the distribution is received. We do not anticipate that our shares will be “regularly traded” on an established securities market for the foreseeable future, and therefore, this exception is not expected to apply.
Gain recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale or exchange of our common stock generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless such stock constitutes a USRPI under FIRPTA (subject to specific FIRPTA exemptions for certain non-U.S. stockholders). Our common stock will not constitute a USRPI so long as we are a “domestically-controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically-controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT if at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of such REIT’s stock is held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. stockholders. No assurance can be given, however, that we are or will be a domestically-controlled REIT.
Even if we do not qualify as a domestically-controlled qualified investment entity at the time a non-U.S. stockholder sells or exchanges our common stock, gain arising from such a sale or exchange would not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI if: (a) our common stock is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, on an established securities market, and (b) such non-U.S. stockholder owned, actually and constructively, 10% or less of our common stock at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of the sale. However, it is not anticipated that our common stock will be “regularly traded” on an established market. We encourage our stockholders to consult their tax advisor to determine the tax consequences applicable to our stockholders if they are a non-U.S. stockholder.
We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could increase our tax liability, reduce our operating flexibility and reduce the price of our common stock.
At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation. Our stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor with respect to the impact of the recent legislation on their investment in our shares and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares. Although REITs generally receive certain tax advantages compared to entities taxed as regular corporations, it is possible that future legislation would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could become more advantageous for a company that invests in real estate to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a corporation. As a result, our charter authorizes our board of directors to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interests to qualify as a REIT. The impact of tax reform on an investment in our shares is uncertain. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding changes in tax laws.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA. The IRA includes numerous tax provisions that impact corporations, including the implementation of a corporate alternative minimum tax as well as a 1% excise tax on certain stock repurchases and economically similar transactions. However, REITs are excluded from the definition of an “applicable corporation” and therefore are not subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax. Additionally, the 1% excise tax specifically does not apply to stock repurchases by REITs. We will continue to analyze and monitor the application of the IRA to our business; however, the effect of these changes on the value of our assets, shares of our common stock or market conditions generally, is uncertain.
Retirement Plan Risks
If the fiduciary of an employee benefit plan subject to ERISA (such as a profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plan) or an owner of a retirement arrangement subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”)) fails to meet the fiduciary and other standards under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code as a result of an investment in our stock, the fiduciary could be subject to penalties and other sanctions.
There are special considerations that apply to employee benefit plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) (such as profit sharing, Section 401(k) or pension plans) and other retirement plans or accounts subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (such as an IRA) or any entity whose assets include such assets (each a “Benefit Plan”) that are investing or have invested in our shares. Fiduciaries, IRA owners and other benefit plan investors investing or that have invested the assets of such a plan or account in our common stock should satisfy themselves that:
•the investment is consistent with their fiduciary and other obligations under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;
•the investment is made in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan or IRA, including the plan’s or account’s investment policy;
•the investment satisfies the prudence and diversification requirements of Sections 404(a)(1)(B) and 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and other applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;
•the investment in our shares, for which no trading market currently exists, is consistent with the liquidity needs of the plan or IRA;
•the investment will not produce an unacceptable amount of “unrelated business taxable income” for the plan or IRA;
•our stockholders will be able to comply with the requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code to value the assets of the plan or IRA annually; and
•the investment will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.
With respect to the annual valuation requirements described above, we will provide an estimated value per share for our common stock annually to those fiduciaries (including IRA trustees and custodians) who request it. We can make no claim whether such estimated value per share will or will not satisfy the applicable annual valuation requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. The Department of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service may determine that a plan fiduciary or a fiduciary acting for an IRA is required to take further steps to determine the value of our common stock. In the absence of an appropriate determination of value, a plan fiduciary or a fiduciary acting for an IRA may be subject to damages, penalties or other sanctions. For information regarding our estimated value per share, see Part II, Item 5, “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities – Market Information” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Failure to satisfy the fiduciary standards of conduct and other applicable requirements of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code may result in the imposition of civil and criminal penalties, and can subject the fiduciary to claims for damages or for equitable remedies, including liability for investment losses. In addition, if an investment in our shares constitutes a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, the fiduciary or IRA owner who authorized or directed the investment may be subject to the imposition of excise taxes with respect to the amount invested. Additionally, the investment transaction may have to be undone. In the case of a prohibited transaction involving an IRA owner, the IRA may be disqualified as a tax-exempt account and all of the assets of the IRA may be deemed distributed and subjected to tax. ERISA plan fiduciaries and IRA owners should consult with counsel before making an investment in our shares.
If our assets are deemed to be plan assets, our advisor and we may be exposed to liabilities under Title I of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.
In some circumstances where an ERISA plan holds an interest in an entity, the assets of the entity are deemed to be ERISA plan assets unless an exception applies. This is known as the “look-through rule.” Under those circumstances, the obligations and other responsibilities of plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries and plan administrators, and of parties in interest and disqualified persons, under Title I of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, may be applicable, and there may be liability under these and other provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. We believe that our assets should not be treated as plan assets because the shares should qualify as “publicly-offered securities” that are exempt from the look-through rules under applicable Treasury Regulations. We note, however, that because certain limitations are imposed upon the transferability of shares so that we may qualify as a REIT, and perhaps for other reasons, it is possible that this exemption may not apply. If that is the case, and if KBS Capital Advisors or we are exposed to liability under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, our performance and results of operations could be adversely affected. Stockholders should consult with their legal and other advisors concerning the impact of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code on their investment and our performance.
We do not intend to provide investment advice to any potential investor for a fee. However, we, our advisor and our respective affiliates receive certain fees and other consideration disclosed herein in connection with an investment. If it were determined we provided a Benefit Plan investor with investment advice for a fee, it could give rise to a determination that we constitute an investment advice fiduciary under ERISA. Such a determination could give rise to claims that our fee arrangements constitute non-exempt prohibited transactions under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code and/or claims that we have breached a fiduciary duty to a Benefit Plan investor. Adverse determinations with respect to ERISA fiduciary status or non-exempt prohibited transactions could result in significant civil penalties and excise taxes.