Transcontinental Realty Investors Inc: Form 10-Q for the period ended Jun 30, 2024

The following discussion and analysis by management should be read in conjunction with the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Quarterly Report”) and in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Annual Report”).

This Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, principally, but not only, under the captions “Business”, “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements in this report, or which management may make orally or in writing from time to time, are based on management’s beliefs and on assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. When used, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “estimate”, “project”, “should”, “will”, “result” and similar expressions which do not relate solely to historical matters are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance, which may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. We caution you that, while forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs when we make them, they are not guarantees of future performance and are impacted by actual events when they occur after we make such statements. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on past forward-looking statements, which are based on results and trends at the time they are made, to anticipate future results or trends.

Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

• general risks affecting the real estate industry (including, without limitation, the inability to enter into or renew leases, dependence on tenants’ financial condition, and competition from other developers, owners and operators of real estate);
• risks associated with the availability and terms of construction and mortgage financing and the use of debt to fund acquisitions and developments;
• demand for apartments and commercial properties in our markets and the effect on occupancy and rental rates;
• our ability to obtain financing, enter into joint venture arrangements in relation to or self-fund the development or acquisition of properties;
• risks associated with the timing and amount of property sales and the resulting gains/losses associated with such sales;
• failure to manage effectively our growth and expansion into new markets or to integrate acquisitions successfully
• risks and uncertainties affecting property development and construction (including, without limitation, construction delays, cost overruns, inability to obtain necessary permits and public opposition to such activities);
• risks associated with downturns in the national and local economies, increases in interest rates, and volatility in the securities markets;
• costs of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other similar laws and regulations;
• potential liability for uninsured losses and environmental contamination; and
• risks associated with our dependence on key personnel whose continued service is not guaranteed.

The risks included here are not exhaustive. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, include among others, the factors listed and described at Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” Annual Report on Form 10-K, which investors should review.

Management's Overview

We are an externally advised and managed real estate investment company that owns a diverse portfolio of income-producing properties and land held for development throughout the Southern United States. Our portfolio of income-producing properties includes residential apartment communities ("multifamily properties"), office buildings and retail properties ("commercial properties"). Our investment strategy includes acquiring existing income-producing properties as well as developing new properties on land already owned or acquired for a specific development project.

Our operations are managed by Pillar Income Asset Management, Inc. (“Pillar”) in accordance with an Advisory Agreement. Pillar’s duties include, but are not limited to, locating, evaluating and recommending real estate and real estate-related investment opportunities. Pillar also arranges our debt and equity financing with third party lenders and investors. We have no employees. Employees of Pillar render services to us in accordance with the terms of the Advisory Agreement. Pillar is considered to be a related party due to its common ownership with American Realty Investors, Inc. (“ARL”), who is our controlling shareholder.

The following is a summary of our recent financing and development activities:

Financing Activities

• On January 31, 2023, we paid off our $67.5 million of Series C bonds.
• On February 28, 2023, we extended the maturity of our loan on Windmill Farms until February 28, 2024 at a revised interest rate of 7.75%.
• On March 15, 2023, we entered into a $33.0 million construction loan to finance the development of Alera (See "Development Activities") that bears interest at SOFR plus 3% and matures on March 15, 2026, with two one-year extension options.
• On May 4, 2023, we paid off the remaining $14.0 million of our Series A Bonds and $28.9 million of our Series B Bonds, which resulted in a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $1.7 million.
• On August 28, 2023, we paid off our $1.2 million loan on Athens.
• On October 1, 2023, we amended the terms of our UHF notes receivable. As a result, the interest rates on the notes were amended from a fixed rate of 12.0% to a floating rate indexed to SOFR. In connection with the amendment, accrued interest of $3.6 million was forgiven in exchange for participation in the proceeds from any future sale or refinancing of the underlying properties.
• On November 6, 2023, we entered into a $25.4 million construction loan to finance the development of Merano (See "Development Activities") that bears interest at prime plus 0.25% and matures on November 6, 2028.
• On December 15, 2023, we entered into a $23.5 million construction loan to finance the development of Bandera Ridge (See "Development Activities") that bears interest at SOFR plus 3% and matures on December 15, 2028.
• On January 1, 2024, we amended our cash management agreement with Pillar. As a result, the interest rate on the related party receivable changed from prime plus one to SOFR.
• On February 8, 2024, we extended the maturity of our loan on Windmill Farms to February 28, 2026 at an interest rate of 7.50%.
• On July 10, 2024, we replaced the existing loan on Forest Grove with a $6.6 million loan that bears interest at SOFR plus 1.85% and matures on July 10, 2031.

Development Activities

We have agreements to develop two parcels of land ("PODs") from our land holdings in Windmill Farms. The agreements provide for the development of 125 acres of raw land into approximately 470 land lots to be used for single family homes for a total of $24.3 million. We estimate that we will complete the development of these PODs over a two-year period starting the third quarter of 2024. During 2024, we spent $3.2 million on reimbursable infrastructure investments.

On March 15, 2023, we entered into a development agreement with Pillar to build a 240 unit multifamily property in Lake Wales, Florida ("Alera") that is expected to be completed in 2025 for a total cost of approximately $55.3 million. The cost of construction will be funded in part by a $33.0 million construction loan (See "Financing Activities"). The development agreement provides for a $1.6 million fee that will be paid to Pillar over the construction period. As of June 30, 2024, we have incurred a total of $25.1 million in development costs.

On November 6, 2023, we entered into a development agreement with Pillar to build a 216 unit multifamily property in McKinney, Texas ("Merano") that is expected to be completed in 2025 for a total cost of approximately $51.9 million. The cost of construction will be funded in part by a $25.4 million construction loan (See "Financing Activities"). The development agreement provides for a $1.6 million fee that will be paid to Pillar over the construction period. As of June 30, 2024, we have incurred a total of $11.8 million in development costs.

On December 15, 2023, we entered into a development agreement with Pillar to build a 216 unit multifamily property in Temple, Texas ("Bandera Ridge") that is expected to be completed in 2025 for a total cost of approximately $49.6 million. The cost of construction will be funded in part by a $23.5 million construction loan (See "Financing Activities"). The development agreement provides for a $1.6 million fee that will be paid to Pillar over the construction period. As of June 30, 2024, we have incurred a total of $6.2 million in development costs.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Some of these estimates and assumptions include judgments on revenue recognition, estimates for common area maintenance and real estate tax accruals, provisions for uncollectible accounts, impairment of long-lived assets, the allocation of purchase price between tangible and intangible assets, capitalization of costs and fair value measurements. Our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our notes to the consolidated financial statements in the Annual Report. However, the following policies are deemed to be critical.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

We apply the guidance in ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”, to the valuation of real estate assets. These provisions define fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in a transaction between market participants at the measurement date, establish a hierarchy that prioritizes the information used in developing fair value estimates and require disclosure of fair value measurements by level within the fair value hierarchy. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable data (Level 3 measurements), such as the reporting entity’s own data.

The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date and includes three levels defined as follows:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices for identical and unrestricted assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value measurement.

A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Related Parties

We apply ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations”, to evaluate business relationships. Related parties are persons or entities who have one or more of the following characteristics, which include entities for which investments in their equity securities would be required, trust for the benefit of persons including principal owners of the entities and members of their immediate families, management personnel of the entity and members of their immediate families and other parties with which the entity may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the decision making of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing our own separate interests, or affiliates of the entity.

Results of Operations

Many of the variations in the results of operations, discussed below, occurred because of the transactions affecting our properties described above, including those related to the Redevelopment Property, the Acquisition Properties and the Disposition Properties (each as defined below).

For purposes of the discussion below, we define "Same Properties" as all of our properties with the exception of those properties that have been recently constructed or leased-up (“Redevelopment Property”), properties that have recently been acquired ("Acquisition Properties") and properties that have been disposed ("Disposition Properties"). A developed property is considered leased-up, when it achieves occupancy of 80% or more. We move a property in and out of Same Properties based on whether the property is substantially leased-up and in operation for the entirety of both periods of the comparison.

For the comparison of the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 to the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Redevelopment Property is Landing on Bayou Cane (See "Development Activities" in Management's Overview). The change in revenues and expenses of the Redevelopment Property from 2023 to 2024 is primarily due to the lease-up of the property in 2023 as the restored units were placed in service. There were no Acquisition Properties or Disposition Properties for the comparison of the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 to the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:

21

Comparison of the three months ended June 30, 2024 to the three months ended June 30, 2023:

Our $0.8 million increase in net income is primarily attributed to the following:

• The increase in profit from the multifamily segment is primarily due to an increase of $0.2 million from the Redevelopment Property due to the lease up of the property in 2023. The decrease in profit from the commercial segment is primarily due to a decrease in revenue as a result of a decline in occupancy at Browning Place.
• The decrease in general, administrative and advisory expenses is primarily due to a reduction in legal, auditing and other administrative expenses associated with the bonds payable, which were repaid in 2023.
• The $2.7 million decrease in interest income, net is due to a $3.3 million decrease in interest income offset in part by a $0.6 million decrease in interest expense. The decrease in interest income is primarily due to a decrease in interest rates on the UHF notes in 2023 and a decrease in interest rates on the Pillar Receivable in 2024. The decrease in interest expense is primarily due to the repayment of the bonds payable in 2023. See "Financing Activities" in Management's Overview.
• The loss from early extinguishment of debt and the gain on foreign currency transactions are due to the bonds payable that were outstanding in 2023.

Comparison of the six months ended June 30, 2024 to the six months ended June 30, 2023:

Our $0.1 million decrease in net income is primarily attributed to the following:

• The increase in profit from the multifamily segment is primarily due to an increase of $0.4 million from the Redevelopment Property due to the lease up of the property in 2023. The decrease in profit from the commercial segment is primarily due to a decrease in revenue as a result of a decline in occupancy at Browning Place.
• The decrease in general, administrative and advisory expenses is primarily due to a reduction in legal, auditing and other administrative expenses associated with the bonds payable, which were repaid in 2023.
• The $4.2 million decrease in interest income, net is due to a $6.0 million decrease in interest income offset in part by a $1.8 million decrease in interest expense. The decrease in interest income is primarily due to a decrease in interest rates on the UHF notes in 2023 and a decrease in interest rates on the Pillar Receivable in 2024. The decrease in interest expense is primarily due to the repayment of the bonds payable in 2023 (See "Financing Activities" in Management's Overview).
• The loss from early extinguishment of debt and the gain on foreign currency transactions are due to the bonds payable that were outstanding in 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal sources of cash have been, and will continue to be, property operations; proceeds from land and income-producing property sales; collection of notes receivable; refinancing of existing mortgage notes payable; and additional borrowings, including mortgage and other notes payable.

Our principal liquidity needs are to fund normal recurring expenses; meet debt service and principal repayment obligations including balloon payments on maturing debt; fund capital expenditures, including tenant improvements and leasing costs; fund development costs not covered under construction loans; and fund possible property acquisitions.

We anticipate that our cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2024, along with cash that will be generated from notes, related party receivables and investment in cash equivalents and short-term investments, will be sufficient to meet all of our cash requirements. We may selectively sell land and income-producing assets, refinance or extend real estate debt and seek additional borrowings secured by real estate to meet our liquidity requirements. Although history cannot predict the future, historically, we have been successful at refinancing and extending a portion of our current maturity obligations.

The following summary discussion of our cash flows is based on the consolidated statements of cash flows in our consolidated financial statements, and is not meant to be an all-inclusive discussion of the changes in our cash flows for the periods presented below (dollars in thousands):

The increase in cash provided by operating activities is primarily due to a decrease in interest payments in comparison to prior year.

The $5.8 million decrease in cash used in investing activities is primarily due to the $26.2 million increase in net redemption of short-term investments offset in part by the $20.9 million decrease in distribution from joint venture. The distribution from joint venture in 2023 relates to the final distribution of proceeds from the sale of the VAA Sale Portfolio in 2022.

The $132.9 million decrease in cash used in financing activities is primarily due to the $131.2 million repayment of our bonds in 2023.

Funds From Operations ("FFO")

We use FFO in addition to net income to report our operating and financial results and consider FFO and FFO-diluted as supplemental measures for the real estate industry and a supplement to GAAP measures. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("Nareit") defines FFO as net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains or (losses) from sales of properties, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization, impairment write-downs of real estate and write-downs of investments in an affiliate where the write-downs have been driven by a decrease in the value of real estate held by the affiliate and after adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures are calculated to reflect FFO on the same basis. We also present FFO excluding the impact of the effects of foreign currency transactions.

FFO and FFO on a diluted basis are useful to investors in comparing operating and financial results between periods. This is especially true since FFO excludes real estate depreciation and amortization, as we believe real estate values fluctuate based on market conditions rather than depreciating in value ratably on a straight-line basis over time. We believe that such a presentation also provides investors with a meaningful measure of our operating results in comparison to the operating results of other real estate companies. In addition, we believe that FFO excluding gain (loss) from foreign currency transactions provide useful supplemental information regarding our performance as they show a more meaningful and consistent comparison of our operating performance and allows investors to more easily compare our results.

We believe that FFO does not represent cash flow from operations as defined by GAAP, should not be considered as an alternative to net income as defined by GAAP, and is not indicative of cash available to fund all cash flow needs. We also caution that FFO, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other real estate companies.

We compensate for the limitations of FFO by providing investors with financial statements prepared according to GAAP, along with this detailed discussion of FFO and a reconciliation of net income to FFO and FFO-diluted. We believe that to further understand our performance, FFO should be compared with our reported net income and considered in addition to cash flows in accordance with GAAP, as presented in our consolidated financial statements.

The following table reconciles net income attributable to the Company to FFO and FFO adjusted for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (dollars and shares in thousands):

Based on an evaluation by our management (with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer), as of the end of the period covered by this report, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f)) during the most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in the 2023 10-K. For a discussion on these risk factors, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” contained in the 2023 10-K.