ST JOE Co: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

As used throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the terms “St. Joe,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” include The St. Joe Company, its consolidated subsidiaries and consolidated joint ventures unless the context indicates otherwise.

Description

St. Joe was incorporated in the State of Florida in 1936. We are a real estate development, asset management and operating company. As of December 31, 2023, we owned 168,000 acres of land in Northwest Florida, compared to 169,000 acres and 170,000 acres as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. A portion of our land is within The Bay-Walton Sector Plan (“Sector Plan”), that entitles, or gives legal rights, for us to originally develop over 170,000 residential dwelling units, over 22 million square feet of retail, commercial and industrial space and over 3,000 hotel rooms on lands within Florida’s Bay and Walton counties. We also have additional entitlements, or legal rights, to develop acreage outside of the Sector Plan. Approximately 87% of our real estate is located in Florida’s Bay, Gulf, and Walton counties. Approximately 90% of our real estate land holdings are located within fifteen miles of the Gulf of Mexico.

Strategy

St. Joe believes its long-term, owner-oriented capital and management allows us to optimize the value of Northwest Florida real estate by developing residential, hospitality, and commercial projects that meet growing market demands. This strategy is designed to provide opportunities to build recurring revenues and enterprise value for the foreseeable future. We may partner with or explore the sale of discrete assets when we and/or others can better deploy resources.

Capital is invested to achieve risk-adjusted rates of return and support future business initiatives that create value. New projects are planned for stand-alone profitably and to benefit other enterprise activities. Investments, which include investments in joint ventures (“JVs”) and limited partnerships, are funded with cash proceeds from completed projects, existing cash, owned-land, partner capital and financing arrangements. Actual investments may vary from planned capital investments for various reasons. We do not anticipate immediate benefits from investments. We may choose to operate rather than lease assets, lease rather than sell assets, or sell improved rather than unimproved land that may delay revenue and profits. We continue to maintain low fixed expenses, low corporate debt and high liquidity for sustainability in all environments.

We distribute cash in excess of expected operating needs to shareholders through cash dividends and common stock repurchases, as approved by the Board of Directors (the “Board”). A cash dividend of $0.10 per share on our common stock was paid in each of the first and second quarters of 2023 and $0.12 per share on our common stock was paid in each of the third and fourth quarters of 2023. A quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 and $0.08 per share on our common stock was paid in each quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we did not repurchase shares of our common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 576,963 shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $20.0 million. As of December 31, 2023, we have a total of $80.0 million available for the repurchase of shares pursuant to our Stock Repurchase Program (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). See Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities and Note 15. Stockholders’ Equity included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Reportable Segments

St. Joe operations are reported in three segments: (1) residential, (2) hospitality and (3) commercial. For financial information about our reportable segments, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as Note 19. Segment Information included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Investments in Joint Ventures and Limited Partnerships

As part of our core business strategy, we have created a meaningful portion of our business through JVs and limited partnerships over the past several years. We enter into these arrangements for the purposes of developing real estate and other business activities, which we believe allows us to complement our growth strategy, leverage industry expertise and diversify our business.

These entities produce meaningful revenue. However, in the case of our unconsolidated JVs, the revenue generated by these entities is not included in our revenue. Instead, investments in JVs in which we are not the primary beneficiary, or a voting interest entity where we do not have a majority voting interest or control, but have significant influence are unconsolidated and accounted for by the equity method. Equity method investments are recorded initially at cost and adjusted subsequently to recognize the investor’s share of earnings, losses and changes in capital of the investee which are included in investment in unconsolidated joint ventures in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and equity in income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Additionally, we have determined that as of December 31, 2023, our unconsolidated LMWS, LLC JV (the “Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV”) has met the conditions of a significant subsidiary under Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X. The Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV did not meet the significant subsidiary test under Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X as of December 31, 2022 or as of December 31, 2021. The separate financial statements of the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, as required pursuant to Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X, are filed as Exhibit 99.1 in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Seasonality and Market Variability

St. Joe’s operations may be affected by seasonal fluctuations. The revenues and earnings from our business segments may vary significantly from period to period. Homebuilders tend to buy multiple homesites in sporadic transactions. In addition, homesite prices vary significantly by community, which further impacts period over period results. Therefore, there may be reporting periods in which we have no, or significantly less, revenue from residential or commercial real estate sales. We may also choose to operate rather than lease assets, lease rather than sell assets, or sell improved rather than unimproved land that may delay revenue and profits.

Hospitality revenues are typically higher in the second and third quarters, and vary depending on the timing of holidays and school breaks. Commercial real estate sales tend to be non-recurring. Projects depend on uncertain demand. Extraordinary events such as hurricanes or public health emergencies may dramatically change demand and pricing for products and services.

Competition

St. Joe competes with local, regional and national real estate related companies; some of which may have greater financial, marketing, sales and other resources than us. Competition may adversely affect our ability to attract tenants to lease our commercial, multi-family and senior living properties or to attract purchasers of our residential and commercial real estate. In addition to the strong competition we face in our residential and commercial segments, highly competitive companies participate in the hospitality business. Our ability to remain competitive and to attract new and repeat guests, customers and club members depends on our success in distinguishing the quality and value of our products and services from those offered by others. We compete based on location, price and amenities. The principal methods of competition are price and quality. Labor markets in the industries in which we operate are also competitive. We must attract, train and retain a large number of qualified employees while controlling related labor costs. We face significant competition for these employees from the industries in which we operate as well as from other industries. There can be no assurance we will be able to compete successfully against competitors or that competitive pressures will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Regulations

St. Joe operations are subject to federal, state and local government laws and regulations that affect every aspect of our business, including environmental and land use laws relating to, among other things, water, air, solid waste, hazardous substances, zoning, construction permits or entitlements, building codes and the requirements of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and comparable state statutes relating to the health and safety of our employees. Although we believe that we are in material compliance with these requirements, there can be no assurance that we will not incur significant costs, civil and criminal penalties, and liabilities, including those relating to claims for damages to property or natural resources, resulting from our operations. We maintain environmental and safety compliance programs for our facilities and timberlands to monitor compliance with these laws and regulations. Enactment of new laws or regulations, or changes in existing laws or regulations or the interpretation and enforcement of these laws or regulations, might require significant expenditures.

Human Capital Management

At The St. Joe Company, we believe our employees are our greatest asset. We strive to attract, retain and develop the highest quality talent. As of February 19, 2024, we employed 810 full-time employees and 168 part-time and seasonal employees.

Recruitment and Retention

Success depends upon our ability to attract and retain skilled employees. As such, we are committed to recruiting top talent and offer competitive benefits, wages and a rewarding work environment.

We have a demonstrated history of investing in our workforce by offering competitive salaries and wages, which we continuously evaluate based on the business environment and labor market. We have consistently made enhancements in wages in order to attract talent to support our growth strategy and enhance the customer experience. At times, we rely on the J-1 and H-2B visa programs to bring workers to the United States (“U.S.”) to fill seasonal staffing needs of our hospitality operations and ensure that we have the appropriate workforce in place. These programs allow students participating in internship programs to expand their cultural experience outside of their home country through employment opportunities within the hospitality environment.

In addition to competitive wages, we offer our employees and eligible family members a comprehensive and valuable benefits program. Our suite of benefits offered to all full-time employees include group health plans, which include medical, dental, vision, life and disability benefits with Company sharing of premiums for certain coverages. We also offer a 401(k) retirement savings plan with Company match, paid vacation and holidays, jury pay, bereavement leave, an employee referral bonus program, tuition reimbursement program and discounted gym memberships. From time to time we provide team members with health care screenings and vaccinations on our properties. Our employees also enjoy discounts at our Company-owned properties and amenities, as well as other exclusive discounts and special offers which may include access to preferred seating and tickets to top attractions, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets, hotels and more.

As well as being a tool for improving our human capital management strategies, we evaluate employee engagement and satisfaction annually. We focus on our employees’ opinions and collect data through focus groups. Our executive team reviews feedback from our team and, based on the response, action plans are developed to focus on areas of opportunity throughout the course of the year. We are pleased to report that our most recent annual engagement results were favorable overall and have shown that our employees are proud to work for the Company. The results of focus groups help us to continuously improve our human capital strategies and find ways to foster engagement and growth for our team members.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is key to our success, and that it is our responsibility to advance racial and social equity. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive environment where each of our team members are valued and respected while working to build a workplace, community and Company that reflects our core values.

As of February 19, 2024, approximately 32% of our workforce identify as racially diverse and approximately 47% of our workforce, including 50% of our executive management team, is comprised of female employees.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our team members is a top priority. We are committed to providing a safe and injury-free workplace. We continually invest in programs designed to improve physical, mental and social well-being, and provide access to a variety of innovative, flexible and convenient health and wellness programs.

Community Engagement

We are actively engaged in and committed to supporting the communities we serve. Our community engagement efforts seek to bring our core values to life and make a difference in the places where we live and work. We maintain strong connections to these communities, creating positive impact through outreach, recruitment, advocacy, philanthropy, pro bono service, and volunteerism. In addition, our developments positively impact the communities in which they are located, including by creating jobs in the Northwest Florida region and improving the overall quality of life in the area.

Sustainability

We are committed to the development of sustainable and efficient operations and business practices that enhance and protect our people, our communities and our planet. Our goal is to generate shareholder value while aligning our business practices to support the interests of our stakeholders and the communities we serve, including the sustainable development of Northwest Florida. Our process of defining sustainability priorities focuses on the simultaneous improvement of the environmental, social and financial position of the Company, and our strong leadership and governance practices that strive to integrate sustainability into our business strategy and corporate culture.

The acreage we own is located in Northwest Florida and the majority is managed in our forestry operations under our commercial segment. Many of Northwest Florida's state parks, state forests and wildlife refuges were created in part with St. Joe land.

The guiding principles of our sustainable forest management practices include complying with laws and regulations, developing a long-term sustainable timber harvest plan, and understanding the economic and social impacts on the surrounding region. We take a holistic approach to managing our resources – timber, land, water, soil and wildlife – with the goal of sustainability. We are leading by example and protecting the best of Florida by working closely with environmental agencies, community leaders and leading environmental and conservation organizations. Our sustainable forest management practices take many forms, including eradication of invasive plant species, restoring wetlands, thinning forests, replanting trees and conducting prescribed burns. We carry out prescribed burns annually, which helps restore natural ecosystems, improves wildlife habitats and reduces wildfire hazards. Additionally, we are engaged in the operation of two mitigation banks, which pursuant to mitigation plans approved by the applicable state and federal authorities, produce mitigation credits that are marketed and sold to developers of land in the Bay County, Florida and Walton County, Florida areas for the purpose of enabling the developers to obtain certain regulatory permits.

Additional information regarding our sustainability efforts is available in the Stewardship section of our website at https://www.joe.com/stewardship. The content of the Stewardship section of our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K or in any other report or document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), unless expressly noted.

Information

St. Joe’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”), Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (“Form 10-Q”), Current Reports on Form 8-K (“Form 8-K”), and amendments to those reports may be viewed or downloaded electronically, free of charge, from our website at www.joe.com (http://www.joe.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. In addition, you may review any materials we file with the SEC on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). Our recent press releases are also available to be viewed or downloaded electronically from the Investor Relations section of our website at www.joe.com (http://www.joe.com). St. Joe will provide electronic copies of our SEC filings free of charge upon request. Any information posted on or linked from our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.

Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements include, among other things, information about possible or assumed future results of the business and our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans, strategies, prospects and objectives. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The Company cautions that its forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and while we believe that our expectations for the future are reasonable in view of currently available information, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. All business decisions involve assessing known risks. However, some risks may be unknown with changing socio-economic, market conditions and interest rates. Estimates are used to assess, among other things, capital allocation decisions. Actual results or events may differ materially from estimates and those indicated in our forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed below.

Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no duty to update its forward-looking statements except as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our subsequent Form 10-Q, Form 8-K and other reports filed with the SEC.

You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information in this Form 10-K. The risks described below are not the only risks facing us. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may affect our business. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, may also materially and adversely affect our business. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, strategies and prospects may be materially adversely affected and could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements in this report and in the other public statements we make.

Strategic and Competitive Risks

We may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy. Our business strategy consists of developing our residential real estate and expanding the scope of our hospitality assets and services, our commercial portfolio of income producing properties and our other ventures to build recurring revenues and enhance enterprise value, while always maintaining sufficient enterprise liquidity. Management may fail in assessing risks related to this strategy, profitably maintaining and growing operations and allocating capital. We may also face risks from unidentified issues not discovered in due diligence of operations and investments. Management may fail in estimating and most efficiently allocating cash in excess of operational and strategic investment needs, including to shareholders by dividends and the repurchase of common stock.

Management may also fail to accurately forecast financial results, and, as a result, actual results may vary greatly from management estimates. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $1,018.6 million of real estate investments, $66.4 million of investment in unconsolidated joint ventures and $66.0 million of property and equipment, net recorded on our books at depreciated cost basis subject to impairment testing. If market conditions were to deteriorate, our estimate of undiscounted future cash flows may fall below their carrying value and we may be required to take impairments, which would have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Existing and planned operations utilize estimates of revenue, costs, profits, growth, and real estate market values.

We face significant competition across our business units. We compete with local, regional and national real estate leasing and development companies and homebuilders, some of which may have greater financial, marketing, sales and other resources than we do. Hospitality operations are subject to significant competition from other hospitality providers and lodging alternatives. Our ability to remain competitive and to attract new and repeat guests, customers and club members depends on our success in distinguishing the quality and value of our products and services from those offered by others. Competition from real estate leasing and development companies and homebuilders may adversely affect our ability to attract tenants and lease our commercial, multi-family and senior living properties, attract purchasers and sell residential homesites and commercial real estate and attract and retain experienced real estate leasing and development personnel. Labor markets in the industries in which we operate are also competitive, which have led to increased labor costs in recent years. We must attract, train and retain a large number of qualified employees while controlling related labor costs. In addition, we face competition for tenants from other retail shopping centers and commercial facilities, as well as for our multi-family and senior living communities. There can be no assurance we will be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors or that competitive pressures will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

A decline in general economic conditions, particularly in our primary market locations, could lead to reduced consumer demand for our products and services. Demand for our products and services is sensitive to changes in economic conditions over which we have no control, including the level of employment, consumer confidence, consumer income, consumer discretionary spending, consumer preferences, inflation, the availability of financing, changes in fiscal monetary policy and interest rate levels. In addition, the real estate market is subject to downturns, and our business is especially sensitive to economic conditions in Northwest Florida, where our developments and assets are located, and, more broadly, the Southeast region of the U.S., which in the past has produced a high percentage of customers for our products. If market conditions experience volatility or worsen, tenant and other customers’ demand may materially decline. For example, over the past several years, we have faced macroeconomic headwinds caused by, among other things, inflation, elevated interest rates, higher insurance costs, supply chain disruptions, financial institution disruptions and geopolitical conflicts, which impacted buyer sentiment. While demand across our segments remained strong despite these challenges, our business was impacted from the aforementioned macroeconomic factors, including insurance costs, supply chain disruptions, financial institution disruptions, cost increases and elevated interest rates, which, for example, have extended homesite and home deliveries in certain residential communities and increased operating costs. Although these delays generally have not resulted in increased cancellation rates, and therefore only impacted the timing of revenue recognition of our homesites, if conditions worsen or demand declines, we could experience cancellations that could adversely impact our business.

We and the real estate industry in general may be adversely affected during periods of high inflation, primarily because of higher construction and operating costs.

Our leasing projects are subject to a variety of risks that could impact returns. Our business strategy includes the development and leasing of multi-family and senior living properties, management of commercial properties and commercial assets for sale. These commercial developments may not be as successful as estimated due to leasing related risks, including the risk that we may not be able to lease new properties or obtain lease rates that are consistent with our projections, as well as the risks generally associated with real estate development. Additionally, development of leasing projects involves the risk associated with the significant time lag between commencement and completion of the project. This time lag subjects us to greater risks relating to, among other things:

• fluctuations in the general economy;
• our ability to obtain construction or permanent financing on favorable commercial terms, if at all;
• our ability to achieve projected rental rates;
• the pace that we will be able to lease to new tenants;
• higher than estimated construction costs (including labor and material costs); and
• delays in the completion of projects because of, among other factors, inclement weather, labor disruptions, construction delays or delays in receiving zoning or other regulatory approvals, or man-made or natural disasters.

Failure to lease new properties or obtain lease rates that are consistent with our projections or significant time lags between commencement and completion of a commercial project may lead to lower than anticipated returns, which could adversely impact our ability to successfully execute our business strategy.

We face risks stemming from our strategic partnerships. We currently maintain, and in the future may seek additional strategic partnerships, including the formation of JVs, to develop real estate or to pursue other business activities, capitalize on the potential of our residential, hospitality and commercial opportunities and maximize the value of our assets. Certain of these JVs may be material to our business. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2023, our equity in income from the unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV accounted for over 20% of our pre-tax income.

Our partners may take actions contrary to our instructions or requests, or contrary to our policies or objectives. We may not have exclusive control over the development, financing, management and other aspects of the partnership, which may prevent us from taking actions that are in our best interest but opposed by our partner. Our partners may experience financial difficulties, become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of capital contributions, which may delay construction or development of property or increase our financial commitment to the partnership. Our partners may take actions that subject us to liabilities in excess of, or other than, those contemplated. We may disagree with our partners about decisions affecting the partnership, which may result in litigation or arbitration that increases our expenses, distracts our officers and directors and disrupts the day-to-day operations of the property or business, which may delay important decisions until the dispute is resolved. Actions by our partners may subject the JV to liabilities or have other adverse consequences, including if the market reputation of a partner deteriorates. If a JV agreement is terminated or dissolved, we may not continue to own or operate the interests or investments of the JV or may need to purchase such interests or investments at a premium to the market price to continue ownership. In addition, we may not have sufficient resources, experience and/or skills to manage our existing JVs or locate additional desirable partners.

Our real estate investments are generally illiquid. Real estate and timber holdings are relatively illiquid. It may be difficult for us to sell such assets if the need or desire arises, which may limit our ability to make rapid adjustments to the size and content of our property assets. Illiquid assets typically experience greater price volatility, as a ready market does not exist and therefore can be more difficult to value. In addition, validating third party pricing for illiquid assets may be more subjective than more liquid assets. As a result, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our real estate or timber assets quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our assets. This impact may also be exacerbated in periods of general economic instability and capital markets volatility.

We may invest in new business endeavors or product lines, which are inherently risky and could disrupt our ongoing business and present risks not originally contemplated. In recent years, we have invested, and in the future may invest, in new business endeavors and product lines. New endeavors may involve new risks and uncertainties and may amplify existing risks, including additional competition, distraction of management from current operations, greater-than-expected liabilities and expenses, economic, political, legal and regulatory challenges associated with operating in new businesses or product lines, inadequate return on capital and potential impairment of tangible and intangible assets. New ventures are inherently risky and may not be successful. In addition, we may face difficulty integrating new businesses or product lines, assimilating new facilities and personnel and harmonizing diverse businesses and methods of operation. If any of our business endeavors are unsuccessful and we fail to realize the expected benefits of any new investment or product line or are unable to successfully integrate new businesses or product lines, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We face risks associated with short-term U.S. Treasury Bills. We hold significant cash balances that are invested in a variety of short-term U.S. Treasury Bills, that are intended to preserve principal value and maintain a high degree of liquidity. We have exposure to credit risk associated with our short-term U.S. Treasury Bills and these instruments are subject to price fluctuations as a result of changes in the financial market’s assessment of issuer credit quality, increases in delinquency and default rates, changes in prevailing interest rates and other economic factors.

A downgrade of the U.S. government’s credit rating may also decrease the value of any future investments in investments – debt securities (“Securities”). The market value of such potential future investments will be subject to change from period-to-period, especially in light of the financial institution disruptions and geopolitical conflicts which have caused market volatility. Our Securities have historically included investments in U.S. Treasury Bills classified as investments – debt securities. Credit-related impairment losses can negatively affect earnings. Investments in securities and funds are not insured against loss of principal. Under certain circumstances we may be required to redeem all or part of any future investment, which may result in a loss.

Our investments are supervised and directed by Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. (“FCM”, an investment advisor registered with the SEC) pursuant to the terms of an Investment Management Agreement, as amended, (the “Investment Management Agreement”). See Note 5. Investments included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

RISKS RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF OUR BUSINESS SEGMENTS

We are exposed to risks associated with commercial and residential real estate development and construction. Real estate development and construction, including homebuilding activities, entail risks that may adversely impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, including:

• general market conditions;
• construction delays or cost overruns, which may increase project development costs;
• labor costs and shortages of skilled labor, particularly as a result of the recent low unemployment rate in the U.S. and Florida especially;
• supply chain disruptions and material shortages;
• claims for construction defects after property has been developed, including claims by purchasers and property owners’ associations, and claims for construction defects arising from third party contractors;
• the discovery of hazardous or toxic substances, or other environmental, culturally-sensitive, or related issues;
• an inability to obtain required governmental permits and authorizations;
• an inability to secure tenants necessary to support commercial, multi-family or senior living projects;
• compliance with building codes and other local regulations;
• unavailability of raw materials when needed, which may result in project delays, stoppages or interruptions, which may make the project less profitable;
• insufficient infrastructure capacity or availability (e.g., water, sewer and roads) to serve the needs of our projects;
• instability in the financial industry may reduce the availability of financing;
• delay or inability to acquire property, rights of way or easements, which may result in delays or increased costs; and
• weather-related and geological interference, including hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, floods, drought, wildfires and other events, which may result in delays or increased costs.

The construction and building industry, similar to many other industries, have experienced, and may continue to experience worldwide supply chain disruptions and cost increases due to a multitude of factors, including inflation, elevated interest rates, higher insurance costs, labor shortages and geopolitical conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the general unrest in the Middle East. Materials, parts and labor costs have increased in recent years, sometimes significantly and over a short period of time. In addition, material time delays or increases in construction costs resulting from the aforementioned factors may impact our ability to realize anticipated returns on such projects, impact the timing of revenue recognition, lead to cancellations and otherwise materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Nonetheless, should we experience increased cancellations as a result of such macroeconomic factors, our business could be adversely impacted.

Further, with regard to our residential segment, revenues from homesite sales can fluctuate period-to-period due to variations in the mix of sales from different communities, as well as other variations in product mix. Given these fluctuations in product mix, revenues from our residential segment may significantly vary from period to period.

In addition, real estate approvals may be subject to third party responses. It is not uncommon for delays to occur, which affect the timing of transaction closings and may also impact the terms and conditions of the transaction. Delays related to regulatory approvals may be due to the applicable governmental entity not being open due to the government being shut down or staffed insufficiently due to the government’s budgetary issues. These timing issues may cause our operating results, particularly relating to the impact of our land sales, to vary significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year.

Mortgage financing issues, including lack of supply of mortgage loans, tightened lending requirements and increases in interest rates, may reduce demand for our products. Purchasers of our real estate products may obtain mortgage loans to finance a substantial portion of the purchase price or may need to obtain mortgage loans to finance the construction costs of homes to be built on homesites purchased from us. Homebuilder customers depend on retail purchasers who rely on mortgage financing. Increases in interest rates increase the costs of owning a home and may adversely affect the purchasing power of consumers and lower demand for residential real estate. In addition to residential real estate, increased interest rates and restrictions in the availability of credit may also negatively impact sales or development of our commercial properties or other land we offer for sale. While over the past couple years, elevated interest rates negatively impacted buyers’ ability to obtain financing and the housing market generally, to date we have not experienced material declines in customer demand for our homesites. However, in the event financing challenges reduce demand from homebuilders to purchase homesites, then our sales, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition may be negatively affected.

Our residential segment is highly dependent on homebuilders and are subject to the risk of homebuilder concentration. We are highly dependent on homebuilders to be the primary customers for our homesites and to provide construction services in our residential developments. The homebuilder customers that have already committed to purchase homesites from us may decide to reduce, delay or cancel their existing commitments to purchase homesites in our developments. From time to time, we finance real estate sales with mortgage note receivables. If these homebuilders fail to pay their debts to us or delay paying us, it would reduce our anticipated cash flows. Homebuilders also may not view our developments as desirable locations for homebuilding operations, or they may choose to purchase land from other sellers. We also rely on a concentrated number of homebuilders for a significant portion of our residential homesite sales. Any of these events may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Our hospitality segment is subject to various risks inherent to the hospitality industry. The following factors, among others, are common to the hospitality industry, and may reduce the revenues generated by our hotel properties, food and beverage operations, golf courses, beach clubs, marinas and other entertainment assets:

• reduced travel (including from airline disruptions, business reduction or elimination of typical travel in efforts to be conservative in uncertain financial times or adverse economic conditions), which we may be susceptible to given that the travel tourism on which our hospitality segment relies can entail a relatively high cost of participation and is based on discretionary consumer spending;
• increased labor costs and shortages of skilled labor;
• inclement weather conditions;
• changes in desirability of geographic regions in which our properties are located;
• significant competition from other hospitality providers and lodging or entertainment alternatives;
• our relationships with and the performance of third-party managers;
• increases in operating costs, including increases in the cost of property insurance, utilities and real estate and personal property taxes, due to inflation and other factors that may not be offset by increased prices; and
• natural or man-made disasters.

Any of these factors may increase our costs or limit or reduce the prices we are able to charge for our hospitality products or services, or otherwise affect our ability to maintain existing properties, develop new properties or add amenities to our existing properties.

Our insurance coverage on our properties may be inadequate or our insurances costs may increase. We maintain insurance on our properties, including property, liability, fire, flood and extended coverage. However, we do not insure our timber assets. Additionally, our insurance for hurricanes has limitations per named storm and is subject to deductibles. We use our discretion when determining amounts, coverage limits and deductibles for insurance. These terms are determined based on retaining an acceptable level of risk at a reasonable cost. This may result in insurance coverage that, in the event of a substantial loss, would not be sufficient to pay the full current market value or current replacement cost of our lost investment. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also may make it unfeasible to use insurance proceeds to replace a facility after it has been damaged or destroyed. Under such circumstances, we may not receive insurance proceeds or the insurance proceeds we receive may not fully cover business interruptions or losses and our earnings, liquidity, or capital resources may be adversely affected.

Homeowner property insurance companies doing business in Florida have reacted to previous hurricanes by increasing premiums, requiring higher deductibles, reducing limits, restricting coverage, imposing exclusions, refusing to insure certain property owners, and in some instances, ceasing insurance operations in the state. It is uncertain what effect these actions may have on future property insurance availability and rates in the state. The high costs of property insurance premiums in Florida may deter potential customers from purchasing a homesite in one of our developments or make Northwest Florida less attractive to new employers that can create high quality jobs needed to increase growth in the region, either of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Florida’s state-owned property insurance company, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., underwrites homeowner property insurance. If there were to be a catastrophic hurricane or series of hurricanes to hit Florida, the exposure of the state government to property insurance claims may place extreme stress on state finances.

Our insurance policies are generally renewed on an annual basis and, depending on factors such as market conditions, the premiums, terms, policy limits and/or deductibles can vary substantially. We can give no assurance that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates or on other terms we consider commercially reasonable. To offset negative insurance market trends, we may decide to self-insure additional risks. In the even that we decide to self-insure, if we experience a greater number of self-insured losses than we anticipate, our financial performance could be adversely affected. If we lose our ability to, or decide not to, self-insure these risks, our insurance cost could materially increase and we may find it difficult to obtain adequate levels of insurance coverage.

Our commercial segment is subject to risks associated with the financial condition of our commercial tenants. If one or more of our tenants, particularly an anchor tenant, declares bankruptcy, defaults or voluntarily vacates from the leased premises, we may be unable to collect rent payments from such tenant, re-lease such space or to re-lease it on comparable or more favorable terms. Additionally, the loss or failure to renew of an anchor tenant may make it more difficult to lease the remainder of the affected properties, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Alternatively, increases in consumer spending through e-commerce channels may significantly affect our tenants’ ability to generate sales in their stores, which could affect their ability to make payments to us. These economic and market conditions, combined with rising inflation and lack of labor availability, may also place a number of our key customers under financial stress, which may adversely affect our occupancy rates and our profitability, which, in turn, may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Our commercial segment is exposed to operational risks with respect to our senior living communities. We are exposed to various federal, state, local, and industry-regulated licensure, certification and inspection laws, regulations, and standards; state regulations regarding senior living resident agreements, which typically require a written resident agreement with each resident; the availability and increases in cost of general and professional liability insurance coverage; state regulation and rights of residents related to entrance fees; and the availability and increases in the cost of labor.

Our financial results may vary significantly period over period. The revenues and earnings from our business segments may vary significantly from period to period. Homebuilders tend to buy multiple homesites in sporadic transactions. In addition, homesite prices vary significantly by community, which further impacts period over period results. Therefore, there may be reporting periods in which we have no, or significantly less, revenue from residential or commercial real estate sales. We may also choose to operate rather than lease assets, lease rather than sell assets, or sell improved rather than unimproved land that may delay revenue and profits.

Hospitality operations are affected by seasonal fluctuations. Hospitality revenues are typically higher in the second and third quarters, and vary depending on the timing of holidays and school breaks. Commercial real estate sales tend to be non-recurring. Projects depend on uncertain demand. Extraordinary events such as hurricanes or public health emergencies may dramatically change demand and pricing for products and services.

We are subject to various geographic risks.

• Growth of Northwest Florida. We are focused on developing real estate and expanding operations in Northwest Florida. Our success will be dependent on continued strong migration and population expansion in Northwest Florida. The future economic growth of Northwest Florida will largely depend on the ability and willingness of state and local governments, in combination with the private sector, to plan and complete significant infrastructure improvements in the region, such as new or existing transportation hubs, roads, rail, pipeline, medical facilities and schools and to attract families and companies offering high-quality and high salary jobs. Our future revenues will also depend on individuals seeking retirement or vacation homes in Northwest Florida. Florida’s population growth may be negatively affected in the future by a variety of factors, including adverse economic conditions, changes in state income tax or federal immigration laws, the occurrence of natural or manmade disasters or the high cost of real estate, insurance and property taxes. If Northwest Florida experiences an extended period of slow growth, or even net out-migration, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition will likely be materially adversely affected.
• Hurricanes. Florida is particularly susceptible to the occurrence of hurricanes. Depending on where any particular hurricane makes landfall, our developments in Northwest Florida may experience catastrophic damage. Such damage may materially delay sales or lessen demand for our residential or commercial real estate and lessen demand for our hospitality and leasing operations. If our corporate headquarters facility is damaged or destroyed, we may have difficulty performing certain corporate and operational functions. We maintain property and business interruption insurance, subject to certain deductibles.
• Climate Conditions. The occurrence of other natural disasters and climate conditions in Northwest Florida, such as tornadoes, floods, fires, unusually heavy or prolonged rain, droughts, extreme heat, or other adverse weather events may have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop and sell properties or realize income from our projects. To the extent that such natural disasters and climate conditions occur, our projects could be damaged or destroyed, which may result in losses exceeding our insurance coverage. Natural disasters and climate conditions can also lead to increased competition for subcontracts, which can delay construction activities even after an event has concluded. In addition, our timber assets are subject to damage by fire, insect infestation, disease, prolonged drought, flooding, hurricane and natural disasters, which may adversely affect our timber inventory and forestry business. Furthermore, sea level rise due to climate change may have a material adverse effect on our coastal properties. The occurrence of natural

disasters and the threat of adverse climate changes (or perceived threat of from climate change) may also have a long-term negative effect on the attractiveness of Northwest Florida and on our ability to obtain flood or other hazard insurance coverage. Manmade disasters or disruptions, such as oil spills, acts of terrorism, power outages and communications failures may simultaneously disrupt our operations.

We are dependent on third party service providers for certain services. We rely on various third parties to conduct the day-to-day operations of certain residential, hospitality, multi-family, senior living and other commercial properties. Failure of such third parties to adequately perform their contracted services may negatively impact our ability to retain customers. As a result, any such failure may negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Public health emergencies could adversely affect our business. An epidemic, pandemic or similar serious public health issue, and the measures undertaken by governmental authorities to address it, could significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period, and thereby, and/or along with any associated economic and/or social instability or distress, have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

In addition to impacting general economic conditions, a public health emergency may exacerbate factors that impact our operations, including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and rising commodity and product costs, which may continue after the public health emergency has subsided. Any continued impact could also amplify the other risks and uncertainties. The ultimate extent to which a public health emergency could impact our business is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with any degree of confidence.

Risks RELATED to our existing ownership structure

Our largest shareholder controls approximately 38.9% of our common stock, which may limit our minority shareholders’ ability to influence corporate matters. Mr. Bruce R. Berkowitz is the Chairman of our Board. He is the Manager of, and controls entities that own and control, Fairholme Holdings, LLC (“Fairholme”), which wholly owns FCM. As of December 31, 2023, clients of FCM, including Mr. Berkowitz, beneficially owned approximately 38.9% of our common stock. FCM and its client, The Fairholme Fund, a series of investments originating from Fairholme Funds, Inc., may be deemed affiliates of ours. Fairholme is in a position to influence the vote of most matters submitted to our shareholders, including any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, the nomination of individuals to our Board and any potential change in our control. These factors may discourage, delay or prevent a takeover attempt that shareholders might consider in their best interests or that might result in shareholders receiving a premium for their common stock. Additionally, our articles of incorporation and certain provisions of Florida law contain anti-takeover provisions that may make it more difficult to effect a change in our control.

Fairholme is in the business of making or advising on investments in companies and may hold, and may, from time to time in the future, acquire interests in or provide advice to businesses that directly or indirectly compete with certain portions of our business. Fairholme may also pursue acquisitions that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. Furthermore, future sales of our common stock by Fairholme, or the perception in the public markets that these sales may occur, may depress our stock price.

LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND LITIGATION RISK

We run the risk of inadvertently being deemed to be an investment company that is required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”). We are not registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act and we intend to invest our assets in a manner such that we are not required to register as an investment company. This plan will require monitoring our portfolio so that on an unconsolidated basis we will not have more than 40% of total assets (excluding U.S. government securities and cash items) in investment securities or that we will meet and maintain another exemption from registration. As a result, we may be unable to make some potentially profitable investments, unable to sell assets we would otherwise want to sell or forced to sell investments in investment securities before we would otherwise want to do so.

We have not requested approval or guidance from the SEC with respect to our Investment Company Act determinations, including, in particular: our treatment of any subsidiary as majority-owned; the compliance of any subsidiary with any exemption under the Investment Company Act, including any subsidiary’s determinations with respect to the consistency of its assets or operations with the requirements thereof or whether our interests in one or more subsidiaries constitute investment securities for purposes of the 40% test. If the SEC were to disagree with our treatment of one or more subsidiaries as being majority-owned, exempted from the Investment Company Act, with our determination that one or more of our other holdings do not constitute investment securities for purposes of the 40% test, or with our determinations as to the nature of the business in which we engage or the manner in which we hold ourselves out, we and/or one or more of our subsidiaries would need to adjust our operating strategies or assets in order for us to continue to pass the 40% test (as described above) or register as an investment company, either of which may have a material adverse effect on us. Moreover, we may be required to adjust our operating strategy and holdings, or to effect sales of our assets in a manner that, or at a time or price at which, we would not otherwise choose, if there are changes in the laws or rules governing our Investment Company Act status or that of our subsidiaries, or if the SEC or its staff provides more specific or different guidance regarding the application of relevant provisions of, and rules under, the Investment Company Act.

If the SEC or a court of competent jurisdiction were to find that we were required, but failed, to register as an investment company in violation of the Investment Company Act, we would have to cease business activities, we would breach representations and warranties and/or be in default as to certain of our contracts and obligations, civil or criminal actions may be brought against us, certain of our contracts would be unenforceable unless a court were to require enforcement and a court may appoint a receiver to take control of us and liquidate our business, any or all of which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to various existing government regulations.

• Development and Land Use Requirements. Approval to develop real property entails an extensive entitlements process involving multiple and overlapping regulatory jurisdictions and often requiring discretionary action by local government. This process is often political, uncertain and may require significant exactions in order to secure approvals. Real estate projects in Florida must generally comply with the provisions of the Community Planning Act and local land development regulations. Compliance with the State of Florida planning requirements and local land development regulations is usually lengthy and costly and can be expected to materially affect our real estate development activities. The Community Planning Act requires local governments to adopt comprehensive plans guiding and controlling future real property development in their respective jurisdictions and to evaluate, assess and keep those plans current. Included in all comprehensive plans is a future land use map, which sets forth allowable land use development rights. Some of our land has an “agricultural” or “silviculture” future land use designation and we may be required to seek an amendment to the future land use map to develop real estate projects. Approval of these comprehensive plan map amendments is highly discretionary.

All development orders and permits must be consistent with the comprehensive plan. Each plan must address such topics as future land use and capital improvements and make adequate provision for a multitude of public services including transportation, schools, solid waste disposal, sewerage, potable water supply, drainage, affordable housing, open space, parks and others. The local governments’ comprehensive plans must also establish “levels of service” with respect to certain specified public facilities, including roads, schools and services to residents. In many areas, infrastructure funding has not kept pace with growth, causing facilities to operate below established levels of service. Local governments are prohibited from issuing development orders or permits if the development will reduce the level of service for public facilities below the level of service established in the local government’s comprehensive plan, unless the developer either sufficiently improves the services up front to meet the required level of service or provides financial assurances that the additional services will be provided as the project progresses. In addition, local governments that fail to keep their plans current may be prohibited by law from amending their plans to allow for new development.

If any one or more of these factors were to occur, we may be unable to develop our real estate projects successfully or within the expected timeframes. Changes in the Community Planning Act or the interpretation thereof, new enforcement of these laws or the enactment of new laws regarding the development of real property may lead to a decline in our ability to develop and market our communities successfully and to generate positive cash flow from these operations in a timely manner, which may have a materially adverse effect on our ability to service our demand and negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

Our properties are subject to federal, state and local environmental regulations and restrictions that may impose significant limitations on our development ability. In most cases, approval to develop requires multiple permits, which involve a long, uncertain and costly regulatory process. Our land holdings contain jurisdictional wetlands, some of which may be unsuitable for development or prohibited from development by applicable law. Development approval most often requires mitigation for impacts to wetlands that require land to be conserved at a disproportionate ratio versus the actual wetlands impacted and approved for development. Some of our property is undeveloped land located in areas where development may have to avoid, minimize or mitigate for impacts to the natural habitats of various protected wildlife or plant species. Additionally, some of our property is in coastal areas that usually have a more restrictive permitting burden or must address issues such as coastal high hazard, hurricane evacuation, floodplains and dune protection.

• Environmental Regulation. Current or past operations are subject to extensive and evolving federal, state and local environmental laws and other regulations. The provisions and enforcement of these environmental laws and regulations may become more stringent in the future, including as a result of attention from environmental advocacy groups. Violations of these laws and regulations can result in, among other things, civil penalties, remediation expenses, natural resource damages, personal injury damages, potential injunctions, cease and desist orders and criminal penalties. In addition, some of these environmental laws impose strict liability, which means that we may be held liable for any environmental damage on our property regardless of fault.

Past and present real property, particularly properties used in connection with our previous transportation and papermill operations, were involved in the storage, use or disposal of hazardous substances that may have contaminated and may in the future contaminate the environment. We may bear liability for this contamination and for the costs of cleaning up a site at which we have disposed of, or to which we have transported, hazardous substances. The presence of hazardous substances on a property may also adversely affect our ability to sell or develop the property or to borrow funds using the property as collateral.

We may be subject to risks from changes in certain governmental policies.

• Mortgage Rates. The availability of mortgage financing is significantly influenced by governmental entities such as the Federal Housing Administration, Veteran’s Administration and Government National Mortgage Association and government-sponsored enterprises known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates may also be adversely impacted by elevated interest rates, which may continue to increase as a result of the government’s response to inflation. If borrowing standards are tightened and/or the federal government were to reduce or eliminate these mortgage loan programs (including due to any failure of lawmakers to agree on a budget or appropriation legislation to fund relevant programs or operations) or if mortgage rates continue to increase generally, it would likely make it more difficult for potential purchasers of our products, including our homebuilder customers to obtain acceptable financing, which may have a negative effect on demand in our communities.
• Climate Regulation. Potential impacts of climate change have begun to influence governmental authorities, consumer behavior patterns and the general business environment of the U.S., including, but not limited to, energy-efficiency measures, water use measures and land-use practices. The implementation of these policies may require us to invest additional capital in our properties or it may restrict the availability of land we are able to develop. These changes, or changes in other environmental laws or their interpretation thereof, new enforcement of laws, the identification of new facts or the failure of other parties to perform remediation at our current or former facilities may lead to new or greater liabilities that may materially

adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

• Accounting Standards. Uncertainties posed by various initiatives of accounting standard-setting by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the SEC, which create and interpret applicable accounting standards for U.S. companies, may change the financial accounting and reporting standards or their interpretation and application of these standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes and others may have a material impact on how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we may be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in potentially material restatements of prior period financial statements.

Changes to U.S. tax laws may materially affect us.

• Income Tax. Tax laws are dynamic and subject to change as new laws are passed and new interpretations of the law are issued or applied. In many cases, the application of existing, newly enacted or amended tax laws may be uncertain and subject to differing interpretations. Changes in the tax laws, or in the interpretation or enforcement of existing tax laws, could increase our state and federal tax rates and subject our business to audits, inquiries and legal challenges from taxing authorities. As a result of changes in tax laws, we may incur additional costs, including taxes and penalties for historical periods, which may have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.
• QOZ Program. As part of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”), Congress established the Qualified Opportunity Zone program (the “QOZ Program”), which provides preferential tax treatment to taxpayers who invest eligible capital gains into qualified opportunity funds (“QOFs”). QOFs are self-certifying entities that invest their capital in economically distressed communities that have been designated as qualified opportunity zones (“QOZs”) by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and Treasury. We have positioned ourselves to take advantage of the tax benefits offered by the QOZ Program. While the IRS has issued final regulations which address some of the uncertainties under the QOZ Program, because the QOZ Program is relatively new, a number of open questions remain. To the extent the IRS issues additional interpretive guidance that renders ineligible certain categories of projects that are currently expected to qualify, we may be unable to fully realize the benefits of the QOZ Program as anticipated, which may impact our investments.

We may be subject to periodic litigation and other regulatory proceedings. We may be involved in lawsuits and regulatory actions relating to business agreements, operations, assets, liabilities, or our position as a public company. An adverse outcome in any of these matters may adversely affect our financial condition, our results of operations or impose additional restrictions or limitations on us. In addition, regardless of the outcome of any litigation or regulatory proceedings, these proceedings may result in substantial costs and may require that we devote substantial resources to defend our Company.

Land use approval processes have become increasingly complex. Moreover, the statutes, regulations and ordinances governing the approval processes provide third parties the opportunity to challenge the proposed plans and approvals. As a result, the prospect of third-party challenges to planned real estate developments provides additional uncertainties in real estate development planning and entitlements. Third-party challenges in the form of litigation may result in denial of the right to develop, or would, by their nature, adversely affect the length of time and the cost required to obtain the necessary approvals. In addition, adverse decisions arising from any litigation would increase the costs and length of time to obtain ultimate approval of a project and may adversely affect the design, scope, plans and profitability of a project.

GENERAL RISKS

Risks associated with our human capital. Our ability to successfully implement our business strategy depends on our ability to attract and retain skilled employees. The labor markets in the industries in which we operate are competitive. We must attract, train and retain a large number of qualified employees while controlling related labor costs. Tighter labor markets may make it even more difficult for us to hire and retain qualified employees and control labor costs. Our ability to attract qualified employees and control labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including prevailing wage rates, employee preferences, employment law and regulation, labor relations and immigration policy. While we are committed to recruiting top talent by offering, among other things, competitive wages, a significant increase in competition or labor costs increasing from any of the aforementioned factors may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, our hospitality operations are highly dependent on a large seasonal workforce. We have historically relied on the J-1 and H-2B visa programs to bring workers to the U.S. to fill seasonal staffing needs and ensure that we have the appropriate workforce in place. If we are unable to obtain sufficient numbers of seasonal workers, through the J-1 and H-2B programs or otherwise, we may not be able to recruit and hire adequate personnel, and material increases in the cost of securing our workforce may be possible in the future. Increased seasonal wages or an inadequate workforce may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Risks associated with cybersecurity. We are reliant on computers and digital technology, including certain technology systems from third-party vendors which we use to operate our business which are not under our control. We collect digital information on all aspects of operations. Hospitality related businesses, in particular, require the collection and retention of identifiable information of our customers, as such information is entered into, processed, summarized, and reported by the various information systems we use. All of these activities give rise to material cyber risks and potential costs and consequences that cannot be estimated or predicted. The integrity and protection of our customer, employee and other company data, is critical to us. We make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of these networks and related systems. 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, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war, and other significant disruptions of our networks and related systems, or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Further, the risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments or state-sponsored actors, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. In particular, there has been a spike in cybersecurity attacks as work-from-home measures have led businesses to increase reliance on virtual environments and communications systems, which have been subject to increasing third-party vulnerabilities and security risks. Additionally, to the extent artificial intelligence capabilities improve and are increasingly adopted, they may be used to identify vulnerabilities and craft increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks. Attachments crafted with artificial intelligence tools could directly attack information systems with greater speed and/or efficiency than a human threat actor or create more effective phishing emails. Vulnerabilities may also be introduced from the use of artificial intelligence by us, our customers, suppliers and other business partners and third-party providers. Use of artificial intelligence by our employees, whether authorized or unauthorized, increases the risk that our intellectual property and other proprietary information will be unintentionally disclosed.

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 and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us and our service providers to entirely mitigate this risk. Our failure to maintain the security of the data, including via the penetration of our network security and the misappropriation of confidential and personal information, may result in business disruption, increase in costs, damage to our reputation, material legal claims, fines, penalties, regulatory proceedings and other severe financial and business implications.

We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility and reputation. Our reputation and brands are important to our business. Our reputation and brands affect our ability to attract and retain consumers, financing, and secure development opportunities. There are numerous ways our reputation or brands could be damaged. These include, among others, product safety or quality issues, negative media coverage or scrutiny from political figures or interest groups. Customers are also using social media to provide feedback and information about our Company and products and services in a manner that can be quickly and broadly disseminated. To the extent a customer has a negative experience with, or view of, our Company and shares it over social media, it may adversely impact our brand and reputation.

In addition, companies across many industries are facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers, regulators, investors, customers, employees and other stakeholders related to their environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) practices, including those related to the environment, climate, diversity and inclusion, human rights and governance transparency. Various jurisdictions are developing climate-related laws or regulations that could cause us to incur additional direct costs for compliance, as well as indirect costs resulting from our customers, suppliers, or additional compliance costs that are passed on to us. Additionally, investor advocacy groups, including ESG-focused investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, investment funds and other influential investors are also increasingly focused on ESG practices and in recent years have placed increasing importance on the implications and social cost of their investments. Legal and regulatory requirements, as well as stakeholder expectations, on ESG practices and disclosures are subject to change, can be unpredictable, and may be difficult and expensive for us to comply with. Further, there is an increasing number of state-level anti-ESG initiatives in the U.S. that may conflict with other regulatory requirements or various stakeholders’ expectations. If we fail, or are perceived to be failing, to meet evolving legal and regulatory requirements or the expectations of our stakeholders, which are evolving, we may be subject to enforcement actions, required to pay fines, investors may sell their shares, we may suffer from reputational damage and our business or financial condition could be adversely affected.

The design and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may not prevent all errors, misstatements, or misrepresentations. While management will continue to review the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, there can be no guarantee that our internal control over financial reporting will be effective in accomplishing all control objectives at all times. Deficiencies, including any material weakness, in our internal control over financial reporting, which may occur in the future, may result in misstatements of our results of operations, restatements of our financial statements, a decline in our stock price, or otherwise materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

Our financing arrangements contain restrictions and limitations. Our financing arrangements contain customary representations and warranties, as well as customary affirmative and negative covenants that restrict some of our activities. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. Our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in our financing arrangements may be affected by economic, financial and industry conditions beyond our control, including credit or capital market disruptions. The breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in a default that would permit the applicable lenders to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest. In any such case, we may be unable to repay the amounts due under such financing arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

We may provide a guarantee of the debt in connection with our JVs. In certain instances, these guarantees provide for the full payment and performance of the borrower. See Note 10. Debt, Net and Note 20. Commitments and Contingencies included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. If we were to become obligated to perform on any of these guarantees, our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition may be adversely affected.

We utilize derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to market risks from changes in interest rates. We may enter into interest rate swap instruments to limit our exposure to changes in variable interest rates. While our hedging strategy is designed to minimize the impact of increases in interest rates applicable to some of our variable rate debt, there can be no guarantee that our hedging strategy will be effective, and we may experience credit-related losses in some circumstances. See Note 6. Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements and Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. In addition, we typically refinance our outstanding debt prior to or in connection with its maturity. If we are unable to refinance our debt on favorable terms, our interest expense may increase. A refinancing of our debt could also require us to comply with more onerous covenants and further restrict our business operations. Any of these circumstances could adversely impact our financial position and results of operations.

We cannot assure you that we will not make changes to our existing capital allocation plan, including whether we will continue to pay dividends at the current rate or at all. In 2023, we paid cash dividends of $0.10 per share on our common stock in the first and second quarters and $0.12 per share on our common stock in the third and fourth quarters, and we currently expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends. The declaration and payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board after taking into account various factors, including without limitation, our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements of our business, the terms of any credit agreements or indentures to which we may be party at the time, legal requirements, industry practice, and other factors that our Board deems relevant. In addition, we may decide not to make future stock repurchases at the same rate or at all.

We may continue to experience significant volatility in the market price of our common stock. Numerous factors may have a significant effect on the price of our common stock, including low trading volumes; announcements of fluctuations in our operating results; other announcements concerning our Company or business, including acquisitions or litigation announcements; changes in market conditions in Northwest Florida, the real estate or real estate development industry or hospitality operations in general; economic and/or political factors unrelated to our performance; comments by public figures or other third parties (including blogs, articles, message boards and social and other media); changes in recommendations or earnings estimates by securities analysts; novel and unforeseen trading strategies adopted by retail investors or other market participants and less volume and reduced shares outstanding due to execution of the Stock Repurchase Program that would reduce our “public float”. The market price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) has been volatile, which may be unrelated or disproportionate to operating performance. Continued volatility in the market price of our common stock may cause shareholders to lose some or all of their investment in our common stock. Institutional investors might not be interested in owning our common stock.

We maintain a data security plan designed to provide a documented and formalized information security policy to detect, identify, classify and mitigate cybersecurity and other data security threats. This cybersecurity program is based in-part on, and its effectiveness is measured using, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) and is included in our overall enterprise risk management program.

In furtherance of detecting, identifying, classifying and mitigating cybersecurity and other data security threats, we also:

• assess baseline configuration standards to meet the intent and effectiveness for overall safety and security (both logically and physically) of critical system components;
• track asset inventory for relevant system components;
• maintain network connection arrangement documents;
• limit access rights to system components to authorized personnel, with end-users being granted access in accordance with stated access rights;
• deploy anti-virus solutions on applicable system components, which are enabled for automatic updates and configured for conducting periodic scans as necessary;
• provision and harden critical system resources;
• use internal and external vulnerability scanning procedures, along with network layer and anti-hacking tests;
• facilitate requests for validation of baseline configurations for purposes of regulatory compliance assessments and audits; and
• provide cybersecurity training for employees.

Conducting our businesses involves the collection, storage, use, disclosure, processing, transfer, and other handling of a wide variety of information, including personally identifiable information, for various purposes in our businesses. Like other comparable-sized companies that process a wide variety of information, our information technology systems, networks and infrastructure and technology have been, and may in the future be, vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks and other data security threats. These types of attacks are constantly evolving, may be difficult to detect quickly, and often are not recognized until after they have been launched against a target. For more information about these and other cybersecurity risks faced by us, see Part 1. Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Our Board has ultimate oversight for risks relating to our data security plan. In addition, the Board has delegated primary responsibility to the Audit Committee for assessing and managing data privacy and cybersecurity risks, reviewing data security and cybersecurity policies and processes with respect to data privacy and cybersecurity risk assessment and management, reviewing steps management has taken to monitor and control such risks, and regular inquires with our management team, internal auditors and independent auditors in connection therewith. The Audit Committee is also responsible for overseeing our investigation of, and response to, any cybersecurity attacks or threats.

We also have a dedicated team of employees overseeing our data security plan and initiatives, led by our Vice President of Information Systems (who has over twenty years’ experience working in cyber and information security roles with large companies), and works directly in consultation with internal and external advisors in connection with these efforts.

We have developed a procedure by which the Board and management are informed about and monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents. Our Incident Response Team, comprised of representatives of different departments within the Company, including the Vice President of Information Systems, works to identify cybersecurity-related incidents, and reports such incidents, along with any pertinent recommendations to update cybersecurity policies and procedures, to our management team. Our management team regularly reports to the Audit Committee, and more frequently as needed on such matters. The Audit Committee and management also provide an annual report to the Board on pertinent cybersecurity matters.

St. Joe owns 168,000 acres in Northwest Florida. A portion of our land is within the Sector Plan, that entitles, or gives legal rights, for us to originally develop over 170,000 residential dwelling units, over 22 million square feet of retail, commercial and industrial space and over 3,000 hotel rooms on lands within Florida’s Bay and Walton counties. We also have additional entitlements, or legal rights, to develop acreage outside of the Sector Plan. Approximately 87% of our real estate is located in Florida’s Bay, Gulf, and Walton counties. Approximately 90% of our real estate land holdings are located within fifteen miles of the Gulf of Mexico. Undeveloped land is managed as timberlands until designated for development. We anticipate a wide range of residential, commercial and hospitality uses on these land holdings. We have operating assets and projects under development in our residential, hospitality, and commercial segments. For more information on our real estate assets and related encumbrances, see “Item 1. Business” and “Schedule III (Consolidated) - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation” included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for further information. In addition to the properties we own, we have investments in unconsolidated JVs that own properties such as the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV that includes the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound community.

In our residential segment, we develop communities into homesites for sale to homebuilders and on a limited basis to retail customers. As of December 31, 2023, we had completed homesites and homesites under development, engineering or in conceptual planning in nineteen separate communities. These include the Watersound Origins, Watersound Origins West, Watersound Camp Creek, Breakfast Point East, Titus Park, Ward Creek, College Station, Park Place, Salt Creek at Mexico Beach, WindMark Beach, SouthWood, and other Northwest Florida communities.

In our hospitality segment, we own a beach club, club amenities and three golf courses that are situated in or near our residential communities. We own the WaterColor Inn, The Pearl Hotel, Camp Creek Inn, Hilton Garden Inn Panama City Airport, Homewood Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach, Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach, and the WaterSound Inn, along with nearby retail and commercial space. With our JV partners, we own The Lodge 30A and

Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort. We own additional properties in Panama City Beach, Florida that we operate as rental property. We own two marinas. We also own Hotel Indigo Panama City Marina and Harrison’s Kitchen & Bar, both on leased land in downtown Panama City. We are in the process of constructing The Third, an 18-hole golf course, in Bay County, Florida.

In our commercial segment, we own, or jointly own, the properties used in our operations and have properties under construction that will be used in our operations, which include multi-family, senior living, self-storage, retail, office, industrial and commercial property. These commercial properties are located in Beckrich Office Park, where we are headquartered, North Bay Landing, WindMark Beach, VentureCrossings, Watersound Town Center, West Bay Town Center, Florida State University (“FSU”)/Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (“TMH”) Medical Campus and other Northwest Florida locations. In addition, with our JV partners we own Pier Park North, Pier Park Crossings, Pier Park Crossings Phase II, Watersound Origins Crossings, Mexico Beach Crossings and Watercrest Senior Living.

For information regarding legal proceedings, see Note 20. Commitments and Contingencies included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in this Form 10-K. The statements in this discussion regarding industry outlook, our expectations regarding our future performance, liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements in this discussion are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties described in “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to revise or publicly release any revision to any forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K, unless required by law.

Business Overview

St. Joe is a real estate development, asset management and operating company with all of its real estate assets and operations in Northwest Florida. We intend to use existing assets for residential, hospitality and commercial ventures. We have significant residential and commercial land-use entitlements. We actively seek higher and better uses for our real estate assets through a range of development activities. As part of our core business strategy, we have created a meaningful portion of our business through JVs and limited partnerships over the past several years. We enter into these arrangements for the purposes of developing real estate and other business activities, which we believe allows us to complement our growth strategy, leverage industry expertise and diversify our business. We may also partner with or explore the sale of discrete assets when we and/or others can better deploy resources. We seek to enhance the value of our owned real estate assets by developing residential, commercial and hospitality projects to meet market demand. Approximately 87% of our real estate is located in Florida’s Bay, Gulf, and Walton counties. Approximately 90% of our real estate land holdings are located within fifteen miles of the Gulf of Mexico.

We believe our present capital structure, liquidity and land provide us with years of opportunities to increase recurring revenue and long-term value for our shareholders. We intend to focus on our core business activity of real estate development, asset management and operations. We continue to develop a broad range of asset types that we believe will provide acceptable rates of return, grow recurring revenues and support future business. Capital commitments will be funded with cash proceeds from completed projects, existing cash, owned-land, partner capital and financing arrangements. We do not anticipate immediate benefits from investments. Timing of projects may be subject to delays caused by factors beyond our control. We may also choose to operate rather than lease assets, lease rather than sell assets, or sell improved rather than unimproved land that may delay revenue and profits.

Our real estate investment strategy focuses on projects that meet long-term risk-adjusted return criteria. Our practice is to only incur such expenditures when our analysis indicates that a project will generate a return equal to or greater than the threshold return over its life.

Highlights for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 include:

• Revenue increased by 54.3% to $389.2 million from $252.3 million.
• Operating income increased by 47.7% to $90.7 million from $61.4 million.
• Net income attributable to the Company increased by 9.6% to $77.7 million from $70.9 million. (Prior year net income attributable to the Company includes approximately $16.2 million after-tax gain on one unconsolidated joint venture and approximately $7.3 million after-tax gain on insurance recoveries.)

Market Conditions

Throughout 2023, we continued to generate positive financial results. While macroeconomic factors such as inflation, elevated interest rates, higher insurance costs, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, financial institution disruptions and geopolitical conflicts, among other things, continued to produce economic headwinds and impacted buyer sentiment, demand across our segments remains strong. We believe this is primarily the result of the continued growth of Northwest Florida, which we attribute to the region’s high quality of life, natural beauty and outstanding amenities, as well as the evolving flexibility in the workplace.

Despite the strong demand across our segments, we also continue to feel the impact from the aforementioned macroeconomic factors, including supply chain disruptions which have extended the time to complete residential, hospitality and commercial projects. In addition, inflation, higher insurance costs and elevated interest rates, have increased operating costs and loan rates, as compared to prior periods. While elevated interest rates have negatively impacted buyers’ ability to obtain financing and the housing market generally, the impact has been offset by the net migration into our markets, limited housing supply relative to demand and the number of cash buyers. Market conditions have not caused an increase in cancellation rates as homebuilders have continued to perform on their contractual obligations with us.

Given our diverse portfolio of residential holdings, the mix of sales and pricing from different communities may impact revenue and margins period over period, as discussed in more detail below.

Further discussion of the potential impacts on our business from the current macroeconomic environment are discussed in Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Reportable Segments

We conduct primarily all of our business in the following three reportable segments: 1) residential, 2) hospitality and 3) commercial.

The following table sets forth the relative contribution of these reportable segments to our consolidated operating revenue:

For more information regarding our reportable segments, see Note 19. Segment Information included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Residential Segment

Our residential segment typically plans and develops residential communities of various sizes across a wide range of price points and sells homesites to homebuilders or retail consumers. Our residential segment also evaluates opportunities to enter into JV agreements for specific communities such as Latitude Margaritaville Watersound.

The residential segment generates revenue from sales of developed homesites, homes and other residential land and certain homesite residuals from homebuilder sales that provide us a percentage of the sale price of the completed home if the home price exceeds a negotiated threshold. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when a sale is closed and title and control has been transferred to the buyer. The residential segment also generates revenue from the sale of tap and impact fee credits, marketing fees and other fees on certain transactions. Certain homesite residuals and other revenue related to homebuilder homesite sales are recognized in revenue at the point in time of the closing of the sale. The residential segment incurs cost from direct costs (e.g., development and construction costs), selling costs and other indirect costs.

Our residential segment includes the Watersound Origins, Watersound Origins West, Watersound Camp Creek, Breakfast Point East, Titus Park, Ward Creek, College Station, Park Place, Salt Creek at Mexico Beach, WindMark Beach and SouthWood communities, which are large scale, multi-phase communities with current development activity, sales activity or future phases. Homesites in these communities are developed based on market demand and sold primarily to homebuilders and on a limited basis to retail customers.

The East Lake Creek, East Lake Powell, Lake Powell, Teachee, West Bay Creek and West Laird communities have phases of homesites in preliminary planning or permitting. Homesites in these communities will be developed based on market demand and sold primarily to homebuilders and on a limited basis to retail customers.

The SummerCamp Beach community has homesites available for sale and along with the RiverCamps community, both have additional lands for future development.

The Latitude Margaritaville Watersound community is a planned 55+ active adult residential community in Bay County, Florida. The community is located near the Intracoastal Waterway with convenient access to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The community is being developed through our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV with our partner Minto Communities USA, a homebuilder and community developer, and is estimated to include approximately 3,500 residential homes, which will be developed in smaller increments of discrete neighborhoods. As of December 31, 2023, the unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV had 609 homes under contract, which are expected to result in a sales value of approximately $318.5 million at closing of the homes. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

The residential homesite pipeline by community/project are as follows:

(a) The number of homesites are preliminary and are subject to change. Includes homesites platted or currently in concept planning, engineering, permitting or development. We have significant additional entitlements for future residential homesites on our land holdings.

(b) Planned Unit Development (“PUD”).

(c) Development Agreement (“DA”).

(d) Detailed Specific Area Plan (“DSAP”).

(e) The unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV builds and sells homes in this community.

(f) Development of Regional Impact (“DRI”).

In addition to the communities listed above, we have a number of other residential project concepts in various stages of planning and evaluation.

As of December 31, 2023, we had nineteen different homebuilders within our residential communities. As of December 31, 2023, we had 1,486 residential homesites under contract, which are expected to result in revenue of approximately $132.5 million, plus residuals, at closing of the homesites over the next several years. By comparison, as of December 31, 2022, we had 2,197 residential homesites under contract, with an expected revenue of approximately $176.3 million, plus residuals. The change in homesites under contract is due to increased homesite transactions during 2023 and the amount of remaining homesites in current phases of residential communities. The number of homesites under contract is subject to change based on homesite closings and new sales activity. Homesite prices vary significantly by community and often sell in concentrated transactions that may impact quarterly results. As of December 31, 2023, in addition to the 1,486 homesites under contract in other residential communities, our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV had 609 homes under contract, which together with the 1,486 homesites are expected to result in a sales value of approximately $451.0 million at closing of the homesites and homes.

Hospitality Segment

Our hospitality segment features a private membership club (the “Watersound Club”), hotel operations, food and beverage operations, golf courses, beach clubs, retail outlets, gulf-front vacation rentals, management services, marinas and other entertainment assets. The hospitality segment generates revenue from membership sales, golf courses, lodging at our hotels, short-term vacation rentals, management of The Pearl Hotel (prior to acquisition in December 2022), food and beverage operations, merchandise sales, marina operations (including boat slip rentals, boat storage fees and fuel sales), charter flights, other resort and entertainment activities and beach clubs, which includes operation of the WaterColor Beach Club. Hospitality revenue is generally recognized at the point in time services are provided and represent a single performance obligation with a fixed transaction price. Hospitality revenue recognized over time includes non-refundable club membership initiation fees, club membership dues, management fees and other membership fees. The hospitality segment incurs costs from the services and goods provided, personnel costs, maintenance of the facilities and holding costs of the assets. From time to time, we may explore the sale of certain hospitality properties, the development of new hospitality properties, as well as new entertainment and management opportunities. Some of our JV assets and other assets incur interest and financing expenses related to the loans as described in Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Watersound Club provides club members and guests of some of our hotels access to our member facilities, which include Camp Creek golf course and amenities, Shark’s Tooth golf course and tennis center, Watersound Beach Club and a Pilatus PC-12 NG aircraft (“N850J”). Watersound Club offers different types of club memberships, each with different access rights and associated fee structures. Watersound Club is focused on creating an outstanding membership experience combined with the luxurious aspects of a destination resort. Club operations include a private beach club located on Scenic Highway 30A, with over one mile of Gulf of Mexico frontage, two resort-style pools, two restaurants, three bars, kid’s room and a recreation area. Shark’s Tooth includes an 18-hole golf course, tennis center, a full club house, a pro shop, as well as two food and beverage outlets. Camp Creek includes an 18-hole golf course, a full club house, health and wellness center, three restaurants, a tennis and pickle ball center, a resort-style pool complex with separate adult pool, a golf teaching academy, pro shop and multi-sport fields. We are in the process of constructing The Third, an 18-hole golf course, planned to be added to our Watersound Club operations.

Watersound Origins amenities include an executive golf course, resort-style pool, fitness center and two tennis courts located in the community. Access to these amenities is reserved to Watersound Origins and Watersound Origins West members consisting of the communities’ residents. The golf course is available for public play.

We own and operate the award-winning WaterColor Inn (which includes the Fish Out of Water restaurant) and The Pearl Hotel (which includes the Havana Beach Bar & Grill restaurant); the Camp Creek Inn, the Hilton Garden Inn Panama City Airport, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach, the Hotel Indigo Panama City Marina, the Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach, the WaterSound Inn and two gulf-front vacation rental houses. With our JV partners, we own and operate The Lodge 30A and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort. We also operate the WaterColor Beach Club, which includes food and beverage operations and other hospitality related activities, such as beach chair rentals.

We are in the process of constructing a Residence Inn by Marriott, with our JV partner, in Panama City Beach, Florida. Once complete, the hotel will be operated by our JV partner and will be included within our commercial segment.

Our hotel portfolio by property is as follows:

(a) Includes hotels currently in operation or under development and construction. We have significant additional entitlements for future hotel projects on our land holdings.

(b) The hotel opened in June 2023.

(c) Seven additional suites were completed in June 2022.

(d) We acquired the hotel in December 2022. The hotel was previously owned by a third party, but operated by our hospitality segment.

(e) The hotel opened in February 2023.

(f) Property is related to a consolidated JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(g) The hotel opened in April 2023.

(h) The hotel opened in March 2022.

(i) The hotel is operated by our JV partner. Pier Park TPS, LLC, (the “Pier Park TPS JV”) is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting, which is included within our commercial segment. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(j) The hotel is under development with our JV partner. Once complete, the hotel will be operated by our JV partner. The Pier Park RI JV (Pier Park RI, LLC, the “Pier Park RI JV”) is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting, which is included within our commercial segment. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

We own and operate two marinas, the Point South Marina Bay Point in Bay County, Florida and Point South Marina Port St. Joe in Gulf County, Florida. We are planning new marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Point South Marina Bay Point reopened in the third quarter of 2022 and the Point South Marina Port St. Joe reopened in the fourth quarter of 2022 after completion of reconstruction due to damage from Hurricane Michael.

We also own and operate retail stores, two standalone restaurants and other entertainment assets.

In addition to the properties listed above, we have a number of hospitality projects in various stages of planning.

Commercial Segment

Our commercial segment includes leasing of commercial property, multi-family, senior living, self-storage and other assets. The commercial segment oversees the planning, development, entitlement, management and sale of our commercial and rural land holdings for a variety of uses, including a broad range of retail, office, hotel, senior living, multi-family, self-storage and industrial properties. We provide development opportunities for national, regional and local retailers and other strategic partners in Northwest Florida. We own and manage retail shopping centers and develop commercial parcels. We are currently developing the Watersound Town Center in Walton County, Florida and Watersound West Bay Center in Bay County, Florida. These lifestyle centers are complementary to our Watersound Origins and Latitude Margaritaville Watersound residential communities. In conjunction with FSU and TMH, we are in the process of developing an 87-acre medical campus in Panama City Beach, Florida. We have large land holdings near the Pier Park retail center, adjacent to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, near or within business districts in the region and along major roadways. We lease land for various other uses. The commercial segment manages our timber holdings in Northwest Florida which includes growing and selling pulpwood, sawtimber and other products.

The commercial segment generates leasing revenue and incurs leasing expenses primarily from maintenance and management of our properties, personnel costs and asset holding costs. Our commercial segment generates revenue from the sale of developed and undeveloped land, timber holdings or land with limited development and/or entitlements and the sale of commercial operating properties. Real estate sales in our commercial segment incur costs of revenue directly associated with the land, development, construction, timber and selling costs. Our commercial segment generates timber revenue primarily from open market sales of timber on site without the associated delivery costs. Some of our JV assets and other assets incur interest and financing expenses related to loans as described in Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K.

Total units and percentage leased for multi-family and senior living communities by location are as follows:

(a) Property is related to a consolidated JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(b) The community is managed by our unconsolidated JV, Watersound Management, LLC (“Watersound Management JV”). The Watersound Management JV is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(c) Construction of the 300-unit multi-family community was completed in the first quarter of 2022. In November 2022, FDSJ Eventide, LLC (the “Sea Sound JV”) sold its assets to a third party. The Sea Sound JV is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(d) Construction was completed in the second quarter of 2023.

(e) Construction was completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.

(f) Construction was completed in the first quarter of 2023.

(g) Renovation of 19 units for long-term rental use was completed in the second half of 2023. As of December 31, 2022, we were in the process of converting 19 units for long-term rental use, which were not available for lease due to renovation. The year ended December 31, 2021 included 19 units for short-term lease in a vacation rental program.

(h) Construction began in the second quarter of 2021 and is ongoing. Once complete, the senior living community will be operated by our JV partner. WOSL, LLC, (the “Watersound Fountains Independent Living JV”) is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Pier Park Crossings, which was developed in two phases, includes 360 completed apartment units in Panama City Beach, Florida. Watersound Origins Crossings includes 217 completed apartment units and Origins Crossings Townhomes includes 64 completed units near the Watersound Town Center. North Bay Landing includes 240 completed apartment units in Panama City, Florida. Mexico Beach Crossings includes 216 completed apartment units in Mexico Beach, Florida. The WindMark Beach community includes 31 completed long-term rental units in Port St. Joe, Florida. Watercrest includes 107 completed senior living units in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. In addition, we have a senior living community under construction, through our unconsolidated Watersound Fountains Independent Living JV. Watersound Fountains, planned for 148 independent living units, is located near the Watersound Town Center and the Watersound Origins residential community. We have additional multi-family communities in various stages of planning.

Our leasing portfolio consists of approximately 1,082,000 square feet of leasable space for mixed-use, retail, industrial, office, self-storage and medical uses. Through separate unconsolidated JVs, other commercial properties that are operated by our JV partners include a 124-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott (Pier Park TPS JV), a Busy Bee branded fuel station and convenience store, which includes a Starbucks, (SJBB, LLC, the “Busy Bee JV”) and a golf cart sales and service facility (SJECC, LLC, the “Electric Cart Watersound JV”), all located in Bay County, Florida.

The total net rentable square feet and percentage leased of leasing properties are as follows:

31

* Net Rentable Square Feet is designated as the current square feet available for lease as specified in the applicable lease agreements plus management’s estimate of space available for lease based on construction drawings.

(a) Property is related to a consolidated JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(b) Construction of additional leasing space was completed in 2023 and 2022. Includes net rentable square feet of 6,752 within our residential segment. Included in net rentable square feet as of December 31, 2023, is 2,137 square feet leased to a consolidated JV.

(c) In addition to net rentable square feet there is also space that we occupy or that serves as common area.

(d) Included in net rentable square feet as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, is 1,500 square feet leased to a consolidated JV.

(e) Construction was completed in the third quarter of 2021.

(f) Included in net rentable square feet as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, is 13,808 square feet of unfinished space.

(g) Included in net rentable square feet as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, is 1,364 square feet leased to a consolidated JV.

(h) Includes various other properties, each with less than 10,000 net rentable square feet.

(i) As of December 31, 2022, the space was no longer available for lease. The property was impaired in 2011 and has no cost basis as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

We have commercial projects under development and construction as detailed in the table below. In addition to these properties, we have other commercial buildings and sites in various stages of planning and development.

* Total square feet are based on current estimates and are subject to change.

Results of Operations

Consolidated Results

The following table sets forth a comparison of the results of our operations:

In millions

Results of operations in this Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and comparisons. For a detailed discussion of results of operations and comparisons for 2022 and 2021, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included in our Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on February 22, 2023.

Real Estate Revenue and Gross Profit

The following table sets forth a comparison of our total consolidated real estate revenue and gross profit:

Dollars in millions

(a) Calculated percentage of total real estate revenue and the respective gross margin percentage.

Residential Real Estate Revenue and Gross Profit. During 2023, residential real estate revenue increased $62.9 million, or 67.8%, to $155.7 million, as compared to $92.8 million in 2022. During 2023, residential real estate gross profit increased $29.1 million, to $77.8 million (or gross margin of 50.0%), as compared to $48.7 million, (or gross margin of 52.5%) in 2022. During 2023, we sold 1,063 homesites and had unimproved residential land sales of $0.6 million, compared to 752 homesites and unimproved residential land sales of $1.1 million during 2022. During 2023 and 2022 the average base revenue, excluding homesite residuals, per homesite sold was approximately $107,000 and $98,000, respectively, due to the mix of sales from different communities. The current period homesite sales also include the sale of 100 entitled but undeveloped homesites sold within the SouthWood community, compared to 42 in the prior period, which reduced the average price per homesite. The revenue, gross profit and margin for each period was impacted by the difference in pricing among the communities, the difference in the cost of the homesite development and the volume of sales within each of the communities. The number of homesites sold varied in each period due to the timing of homebuilder contractual closing obligations in our residential communities.

Commercial and Rural Real Estate Revenue and Gross Profit. During 2023, we had twenty-eight commercial and rural real estate sales totaling approximately 474 acres for $21.0 million and land improvement services of $0.3 million, together resulting in a gross profit of $14.7 million (or gross margin of 69.0%). During 2022, we had twenty-nine commercial and rural real estate sales totaling approximately 283 acres for $12.7 million and land improvement services of $1.0 million, together resulting in a gross profit of $9.7 million (or gross margin of 70.8%). Revenue from commercial and rural real estate can vary significantly from period-to-period depending on the proximity to developed areas and mix of real estate sold in each period, with varying compositions of retail, office, industrial and other commercial uses.

Our gross margin can vary significantly from period-to-period depending on the characteristics of the property sold. Sales of rural and timber land typically have a lower cost basis than residential and commercial real estate sales. In addition, our cost basis in residential and commercial real estate can vary depending on the amount of development or other costs incurred on the property.

Timber Revenue and Gross Profit. Timber revenue decreased $1.8 million, or 26.9%, to $4.9 million during 2023, as compared to $6.7 million in 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in prices and tons of wood products sold in the current period. There were 259,000 tons of wood products sold at an average price per ton of $16.56 during 2023, as compared to 275,000 tons of wood products sold at an average price per ton of $22.71, during 2022. Timber gross margin was 83.7% during 2023, compared to 88.1% during 2022. The decrease was primarily due to lower prices and less tons sold in the current period.

Other Revenue. Other revenue primarily consists of mitigation bank credit sales and title insurance business revenue.

Hospitality Revenue and Gross Profit

In millions

Hospitality revenue increased $55.2 million, or 56.8% to $152.4 million during 2023, as compared to $97.2 million in 2022. The increase in hospitality revenue was primarily related to the continued increase of club members and opening of new Camp Creek amenities in April 2023, as well as an increase in lodging revenue. The increase in lodging revenue was related to The Pearl Hotel, which we acquired in December 2022; Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort, which opened in April 2023; The Lodge 30A, which opened in February 2023; Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach, Hotel Indigo Panama City Marina and Camp Creek Inn, which opened in June 2023; Homewood Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach, which opened in March 2022; and new WaterColor Inn suites, which opened in June 2022. The increase in hospitality revenue was also due to the opening of a standalone restaurant and marinas in 2022. As of December 31, 2023, Watersound Club had 3,317 members, compared with 2,604 members as of December 31, 2022, an increase of 713 members. As of December 31, 2023, we had 1,053 operational hotel rooms, compared with 407 operational hotel rooms as of December 31, 2022, an increase of 646 rooms (both periods exclude 124 rooms related to an unconsolidated JV). Hospitality had a gross margin of 19.8% during 2023, compared to 20.3% during 2022. The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to the opening costs associated with opening five new hotels in 2023.

Leasing Revenue and Gross Profit

In millions

Leasing revenue increased $11.6 million, or 29.6%, to $50.8 million during 2023, as compared to $39.2 million in 2022. The increase was primarily due to new multi-family, senior living and marina leases, as well as other new leases. Leasing gross margin decreased to 49.2% during 2023, as compared to 55.1% during 2022, primarily due to increased operating costs, as well as start-up and lease-up expenses in the current period.

Corporate and Other Operating Expenses

In millions

Corporate and other operating expenses increased $1.7 million to $23.8 million during 2023, as compared to $22.1 million in 2022. The increase was primarily due to employee costs related to restricted stock awards, property taxes and professional fees. See Note 15. Stockholders’ Equity included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information related to the issuance of common stock for employee compensation.

Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense increased $15.8 million during 2023, as compared to 2022, primarily due to new hospitality and commercial assets placed in service. Depreciation is a non-cash, generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) expense which is amortized over an asset’s useful life, while maintenance and repair expenses are period costs and expensed as incurred. See Note 2. Significant Account Policies included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Investment Income, Net

Investment income, net primarily includes (i) interest and dividends earned and accretion of the net discount (ii) net unrealized gain or loss related to investments – equity securities, (iii) interest income earned on the time deposit held by a special purpose entity and (iv) interest earned on notes receivable and other receivables as detailed in the table below:

In millions

Investment income, net increased $3.4 million to $13.3 million during 2023, as compared to $9.9 million in 2022. The increase was primarily due to higher interest rates earned on our investments and cash equivalents in the current period. The increase was also due to interest earned on the unimproved land contribution to our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV related to increased home sale transactions in the community in the current period. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Interest Expense

Interest expense primarily includes interest incurred on project financing, the Senior Notes issued by Northwest Florida Timber Finance, LLC, Community Development District (“CDD”) debt and finance leases, as well as amortization of debt discount and premium and debt issuance costs as detailed in the table below:

In millions

Interest expense increased $12.2 million, or 66.3%, to $30.6 million in 2023, as compared to $18.4 million in 2022, related to the increase in project financing and higher interest rates. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding project financing.

Gain on Contributions to Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

Gain on contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures includes gain on land, impact fees and additional infrastructure improvements contributed to our unconsolidated JVs as detailed in the table below. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In millions

(a) Includes a gain of $0.7 million, $0.9 million and $0.5 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, on additional infrastructure improvements contributed.

(b) Includes a gain of $3.1 million in 2021 on land contributed.

(c) Includes a gain of $1.4 million in 2022 on land and impact fees contributed.

(d) Includes a gain of $0.4 million in 2022 on land contributed.

Equity in Income (Loss) from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures

Equity in income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures includes our proportionate share of earnings or losses of unconsolidated JVs accounted for by the equity method as detailed in the table below. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In millions

(a) During 2023 and 2022, the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV completed 641 and 316 home sale transactions, respectively. The Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV began completing home sale transactions in the fourth quarter of 2021.

(b) In November 2022, the Sea Sound JV sold its assets to an unrelated third party for $92.5 million, resulting in a total gain on sale of $36.1 million. The year ended December 31, 2022, includes our proportionate share of the gain on sale of $21.7 million. As a result of the sale, the Sea Sound JV no longer has activity from operations.

(c) The project is under construction.

(d) JV was formed in February 2022. The permanent sales and service facility located in the Watersound West Bay Center was completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Other Income, Net

Other income (expense), net primarily includes income from our retained interest investments, gain on insurance recoveries, loss from hurricane damage and other income and expense items as detailed in the table below:

In millions

Other income, net decreased $9.8 million to $3.2 million during 2023, as compared to $13.0 million in 2022. Accretion income from retained interest investments increased $0.9 million during 2023 due to an agreement by all parties for an optional prepayment of the related bonds, in full, in August 2023, prior to the installment notes’ scheduled maturity in 2024. See Note 8. Other Assets included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. The year ended December 31, 2022 includes a gain on insurance recovery of $9.7 million related to Hurricane Michael. In November 2022, we closed out the insurance claim related to Hurricane Michael and therefore will not receive additional proceeds in future periods.

Miscellaneous income, net during 2023, includes $1.1 million of income received from the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program (“TRBG”) for recovery of lost income related to timber crop that was destroyed as a result of Hurricane Michael. Miscellaneous income, net during 2023 also includes $0.6 million of expense for cleanup of damaged timber as a result of Hurricane Michael. Miscellaneous income, net during 2023 and 2022 includes income of $0.4 million and $1.0 million, respectively, related to gain on retained interest investment. Miscellaneous income, net during 2022 includes $2.6 million received from the Pier Park CDD for repayment of subordinated notes. Miscellaneous income, net during 2022 also includes expense of $1.1 million for design costs no longer pursued and $0.6 million for a homeowner’s association special assessment. See Note 18. Other Income, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was $26.0 million in 2023, compared to $24.4 million in 2022. Our effective tax rate was 25.1% in 2023, as compared to 25.6% in 2022.

Our effective rate for 2023 and 2022, differed from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to state income taxes, tax credits and other permanent items. See Note 13. Income Taxes included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Segment Results

Residential

The table below sets forth the consolidated results of operations of our residential segment:

In millions

The following tables set forth our consolidated residential real estate revenue and cost of revenue activity:

Dollars in millions

(a) Includes 100 entitled but undeveloped homesites sold within the SouthWood community.

(b) Includes homes sold by the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, which is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Dollars in millions

(a) Includes 42 entitled but undeveloped homesites sold within the SouthWood community.

(b) Includes homes sold by the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, which is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Dollars in millions

(a) Includes 55 entitled but undeveloped homesites sold within the SouthWood community.

(b) Includes homes sold by the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, which is unconsolidated and is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. The Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV began completing home sale transactions in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022

The following discussion sets forth details of the consolidated results of operations of our residential segment.

Homesites. Revenue from homesite sales increased $61.0 million, or 72.6%, during 2023, as compared to 2022, primarily due to the mix and number of homesites sold per community and the timing of homebuilder contractual closing obligations in our residential communities. During 2023 and 2022, the average base revenue, excluding homesite residuals, per homesite sold was approximately $107,000 and $98,000, respectively, due to the mix of sales from different communities. The current period homesite sales also include the sale of 100 entitled but undeveloped homesites sold within the SouthWood community, compared to 42 in the prior period, which reduced the average price per homesite. Revenue includes estimated homesite residuals of $24.0 million and $5.8 million, during 2023 and 2022, respectively. Gross margin decreased to 49.3% during 2023, as compared to 51.2% during 2022, primarily due to the cost, mix and number of homesites sold from different communities during each period. Gross margin may vary each period depending on the location of homesite sales.

Land sales. During 2023, we had unimproved residential land sales for $0.6 million, resulting in a gross margin of approximately 83.3%. During 2022, we had unimproved residential land sales for $1.1 million, with de minimis cost of revenue.

Other revenue includes tap and impact fee credits sold and marketing fees. Other revenue includes estimated fees related to homebuilder homesite sales of $5.0 million and $1.9 million during 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in estimated homesite residuals and fees related to homebuilder homesite sales was due to the mix and number of homesites sold per community in the current period.

Leasing revenue includes long-term leases of residential assets.

Other operating expenses include salaries and benefits, property taxes, marketing, professional fees, project administration, owner association and CDD assessments and other administrative expenses.

Investment income, net primarily consists of interest earned on our notes receivable and unimproved land contribution to our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV as home sales are transacted in the community. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. Interest expense primarily consists of interest incurred on our portion of the total outstanding CDD debt. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Gain on contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures during 2023 and 2022, includes a gain of $0.7 million and $0.9 million, respectively, on additional infrastructure improvements contributed to our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Equity in income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures includes our proportionate share of earnings or losses of an unconsolidated JV accounted for by the equity method. Equity in income (loss) from unconsolidated joint ventures increased $19.7 million during 2023, compared to 2022. The increase was due to the completion of 641 home sale transactions by the Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV during 2023, compared to 316 home sale transactions during 2022. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Other income (expense), net for 2022 includes $1.0 million of design costs no longer pursued.

Hospitality

The table below sets forth the consolidated results of operations of our hospitality segment:

In millions

The following table sets forth details of our hospitality segment consolidated revenue and gross profit:

In millions

(a) Includes the Camp Creek Inn due to its proximity and guest access to Watersound Club amenities. The hotel opened in June 2023.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Revenue from our clubs increased $13.3 million, or 32.7%, during 2023, as compared to 2022. The increase in revenue in the current period was due to increases in the number of club members and membership revenue, as well as the opening of new Camp Creek amenities in April 2023 and Camp Creek Inn in June 2023. As of December 31, 2023, Watersound Club had 3,317 members, compared with 2,604 members as of December 31, 2022, an increase of 713 members. Our clubs gross margin was 28.7% during 2023, compared to 30.5% during 2022. The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to the opening costs associated with the opening of new assets in the current period.

Revenue from our hotel operations increased $40.4 million, or 87.8%, during 2023, as compared to 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in lodging revenue from The Pearl Hotel, which we acquired in December 2022; Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort, which opened in April 2023; The Lodge 30A, which opened in February 2023; Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach and Hotel Indigo Panama City Marina, which both opened in June 2023; Homewood Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach, which opened in March 2022; and new WaterColor Inn suites, which opened in June 2022. Our hotels had a gross margin of 14.4% during 2023, as compared to

15.9% during 2022. The decrease in gross margin was due to the opening costs associated with the opening of new hotels in the current period.

As of December 31, 2023, we had 1,053 operational hotel rooms, compared with 407 operational hotel rooms as of December 31, 2022, an increase of 646 rooms (both periods exclude 124 rooms related to an unconsolidated JV).

Revenue from other hospitality operations increased $2.0 million, or 20.0%, during 2023, as compared to 2022. The increase in other hospitality revenue was primarily related to revenue from a new standalone restaurant, which opened in August 2022, Point South Marina Bay Point, which reopened in the third quarter of 2022 and Point South Marina Port St. Joe, which reopened in the fourth quarter of 2022. Our other hospitality operations had a gross margin of 19.2% during 2023, compared to 1.0% during 2022. The increase in gross margin was due to new assets being operational in the current period.

Leasing revenue includes marina boat slip and dry storage rentals.

Other operating expenses include salaries and benefits, professional fees and other administrative expenses.

The increase of $12.7 million in depreciation, depletion and amortization expense during 2023, as compared to 2022, was primarily due to new properties placed in service.

Interest expense primarily includes interest incurred from our hospitality project financing. The increase of $7.9 million in interest expense during 2023, as compared to 2022, was primarily due to an increase in project financing and higher interest rates. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Other (expense) income, net for 2022, includes $2.6 million received from the Pier Park CDD for repayment of subordinated notes, partially offset by $0.6 million of expense for a homeowner’s association special assessment.

Commercial

The table below sets forth the consolidated results of operations of our commercial segment:

In millions

The following table sets forth details of our commercial segment consolidated revenue and gross profit (deficit):

In millions

44

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

The following discussion sets forth details of the consolidated results of operations of our commercial segment.

Total leasing revenue increased $9.7 million, or 25.2% during 2023, as compared to 2022. The increase was primarily due to new multi-family and senior living leases as well as other new leases. Total leasing gross margin during 2023 was 52.5%, as compared to 57.4% during 2022. The decrease in leasing gross margin was primarily due to increased operating costs, as well as start-up and lease-up expenses in the current period. As of December 31, 2023, we had net rentable square feet of approximately 1,082,000, of which approximately 1,029,000 square feet were under lease. As of December 31, 2022, we had net rentable square feet of approximately 1,034,000, of which approximately 987,000 square feet were under lease. As of December 31, 2023, our consolidated entities had 1,235 multi-family and senior living units completed, of which 999 were leased, compared to 864 multi-family and senior living units completed, of which 767 were leased as of December 31, 2022.

Commercial and rural real estate revenue related to sales for the three years ended December 31, 2023 includes the following:

We believe the diversity of our commercial segment complements the growth of our residential and hospitality segments. Commercial and rural real estate revenue can vary depending on the proximity to developed areas and the mix and characteristics of commercial and rural real estate sold in each period, with varying compositions of retail, office, industrial and other commercial uses. During 2023, we had twenty-eight commercial and rural real estate sales of approximately 474 acres for $21.0 million and land improvement services of $0.3 million, together resulting in a gross margin of approximately 69.0%. During 2022, we had twenty-nine commercial and rural real estate sales of approximately 283 acres for $12.7 million and land improvement services of $1.0 million, together resulting in a gross margin of approximately 70.8%.

Timber revenue decreased by $1.8 million, or 26.9%, to $4.9 million during 2023, as compared to $6.7 million in 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in prices and tons of wood products sold in the current period. There were 259,000 tons of wood products sold during 2023, as compared to 275,000 tons of wood products sold during 2022. The average price of wood product sold decreased to $16.56 per ton during 2023, as compared to $22.71 per ton during 2022. Timber gross margin was 83.7% during 2023, as compared to 88.1% during 2022. The decrease was primarily due to the lower prices and less tons sold in the current period.

Hospitality revenue includes some of our short-term vacation rentals.

Other operating expenses include salaries and benefits, property taxes, CDD assessments, professional fees, marketing, project administration and other administrative expenses.

The increase of $3.1 million in depreciation, depletion and amortization expense during 2023, as compared to 2022, was primarily due to new properties placed in service.

Interest expense primarily includes interest incurred from our commercial project financing and CDD debt. The increase of $4.4 million in interest expense during 2023, as compared to 2022, was primarily due to an increase in project financing and higher interest rates. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Gain on contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures for 2022, includes a gain of $1.4 million on land contributed to our unconsolidated Pier Park RI JV and a gain of $0.4 million on land contributed to our unconsolidated Electric Cart Watersound JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Equity in (loss) income from unconsolidated joint ventures includes our proportionate share of earnings or losses of unconsolidated JVs accounted for by the equity method. Equity in (loss) income from unconsolidated joint ventures during 2023 had a loss of $0.9 million, primarily related to start-up expenses for the Watersound Fountains Independent Living JV. In November 2022, the Sea Sound JV sold its assets to an unrelated third party for $92.5 million, resulting in a total gain on sale of $36.1 million. Equity in (loss) income during 2022 included $21.7 million related to our proportionate share of the gain on sale. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $86.1 million, compared to cash and cash equivalents and U.S. Treasury Bills classified as investments – debt securities of $78.3 million as of December 31, 2022. Although we do not currently hold any Securities, we did hold Securities as of December 31, 2022. See Note 5. Investments included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding our previous investments.

We believe that our current cash position, financing arrangements and cash generated from operations will provide us with sufficient liquidity to satisfy our anticipated working capital needs, expected capital expenditures, principal and interest payments on our long-term debt, capital contributions to JVs, Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV note commitment, authorized stock repurchases and authorized dividends for the next twelve months. See Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors.

During 2023, we invested a total of $217.8 million in capital expenditures, which includes $74.4 million for our residential segment, $70.1 million for our commercial segment, $72.3 million for our hospitality segment and $1.0 million for corporate expenditures. The $217.8 million in capital expenditures included $209.8 million for new operating assets or for residential development and $8.0 million for sustaining capital on existing operating properties. We anticipate that future capital commitments will be funded through cash generated from operations, new financing arrangements, cash on hand and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2023, we had a total of $48.6 million primarily in construction and development related contractual obligations. Capital expenditures and contractual obligations exclude amounts related to unconsolidated JVs. See Note 4. Joint Ventures included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had various loans outstanding totaling $459.2 million and $391.4 million, respectively, with maturities from May 2024 through March 2064. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted average effective interest rate of total outstanding debt was 5.3%, of which 66.2% of the debt outstanding includes fixed or swapped interest rates, and the average remaining life of debt outstanding was 17.2 years. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted average rate on our variable rate loans, excluding the swapped portion, was 7.6%. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Our indebtedness consists of various loans on real and leasehold property. These loans are typically secured by various interests in the property such as assignment of rents, leases, deposits, permits, plans, specifications, fees, agreements, approvals, contracts, licenses, construction contracts, development contracts, service contracts, franchise agreements, the borrower’s assets, improvements, and security interests in the rents, personal property, management agreements, construction agreements, improvements, accounts, profits, leases and fixtures (collectively, “Security Interests”). The specific Security Interests vary from loan to loan.

In 2015, the Pier Park North JV (the “Pier Park North JV”) entered into a $48.2 million loan (the “PPN JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $41.5 million and $42.6 million, respectively, was outstanding on the PPN JV Loan. The loan accrues interest at a rate of 4.1% per annum and matures in November 2025. In connection with the loan, we entered into a limited guarantee in favor of the lender, based on our percentage ownership of the JV. In addition, the guarantee can become full recourse in the case of any fraud or intentional misrepresentation by the Pier Park North JV; any voluntary transfer or encumbrance of the property in violation of the due-on-sale clause in the security instrument; upon commencement of voluntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or upon breach of covenants in the security instrument. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2018, Pier Park Crossings LLC (the “Pier Park Crossings JV”) entered into a $36.6 million loan, insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) (the “PPC JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $34.7 million and $35.2 million, respectively, was outstanding on the PPC JV Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.1% and matures in June 2060. The loan includes a prepayment premium due to the lender of 2% - 9% for any additional principal that is prepaid through August 31, 2031. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2019, Origins Crossings, LLC (the “Watersound Origins Crossings JV”) entered into a $44.0 million loan, as amended (the “Watersound Origins Crossings JV Loan”). In March 2023, the Watersound Origins Crossings JV refinanced the Watersound Origins Crossings JV Loan that increased the principal amount of the loan, which had a balance of $44.0 million at the time of the refinance, to $52.9 million, fixed the interest rate to 5.0% and provides for monthly payments of principal and interest through maturity in April 2058. The refinanced loan terms include a prepayment premium due to the lender of 1% - 10% for any principal that is prepaid through April 2033. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $52.5 million and $44.0 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Watersound Origins Crossings JV Loan. The refinanced loan is insured by HUD and secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. We incurred $0.9 million of additional loan cost due to the refinance. As a result of the refinance, 2023 includes a $0.1 million loss on early extinguishment of debt related to unamortized debt issuance costs, included within other income, net on the consolidated statements of income. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2019, SJWCSL, LLC (the “Watercrest JV”) entered into a $22.5 million loan (the “Watercrest JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $20.1 million and $21.0 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Watercrest JV Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 2.2% and matures in June 2047. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) transitioned to SOFR. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. In connection with the loan, we executed a guarantee in favor of the lender to guarantee the payment and performance of the borrower under the Watercrest JV Loan. We are the sole guarantor and receive a quarterly fee related to the guarantee from our JV partner based on the JV partner’s ownership percentage. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2019, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $5.5 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Beckrich Building III Loan”). As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, $5.0 million was outstanding on the Beckrich Building III Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 1.8% and matures in August 2029. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR transitioned to SOFR. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2019, Pier Park Crossings Phase II LLC (the “Pier Park Crossings Phase II JV”) entered into a $22.9 million loan, insured by HUD, as amended (the “PPC II JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $22.2 million and $22.6 million, respectively, was outstanding on the PPC II JV Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of 2.7% and matures in May 2057. The loan includes a prepayment premium due to the lender of 1% - 9% for any principal that is prepaid through May 2032. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2020, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $15.3 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Airport Hotel Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $13.0 million and $14.6 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Airport Hotel Loan. The loan bears interest at SOFR plus 2.1%, with a floor of 3.0%, and matures in March 2025. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR transitioned to SOFR. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2020, Pier Park Resort Hotel, LLC (the “Pier Park Resort Hotel JV”) entered into a loan with an initial amount of $52.5 million up to a maximum of $60.0 million through additional earn-out requests (the “Pier Park Resort Hotel JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $51.9 million and $45.2 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Pier Park Resort Hotel JV Loan. The loan matures in April 2027 and bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.1%. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. In connection with the loan, as guarantors, we and our JV partner entered into a guarantee based on each partner’s ownership interest in favor of the lender, to guarantee the payment and performance of the borrower. As guarantor, our liability under the loan will be released upon reaching and maintaining certain debt service coverage for twelve months. In addition, the guarantee can become full recourse in the case of the failure of the guarantor to abide by or perform any of the covenants or warranties to be performed on the part of such guarantor. The Pier Park Resort Hotel JV entered into an interest rate swap to hedge cash flows tied to changes in the underlying floating interest rate tied to SOFR. The interest rate swap matures in April 2027 and fixed the variable rate on the notional amount of related debt, initially at $42.0 million, amortizing to $38.7 million at swap maturity, to a rate of 3.2%. See Note 6. Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements and Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2020, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $16.8 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Breakfast Point Hotel Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $15.9 million and $16.4 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Breakfast Point Hotel Loan. The loan matures in November 2042 and bears interest at a rate of 6.0% through November 2027 and the 1-year constant maturity Treasury rate plus 3.3% from December 2027 through November 2042, with a minimum rate of 6.0% throughout the term of the loan. The loan includes a prepayment premium due to the lender of 1% - 2% of the outstanding principal balance for any additional principal that is prepaid through November 2027. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2020, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $5.8 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Self-Storage Facility Loan”). As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, $4.7 million was outstanding on the Self-Storage Facility Loan. The loan matures in November 2025 and bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.5%, with a floor of 2.9%. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR transitioned to SOFR. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. Our liability as guarantor under the loan shall not exceed $2.9 million, plus any additional fees, with the project maintaining a certain debt service coverage. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In January 2021, 30A Greenway Hotel, LLC (“The Lodge 30A JV”) entered into a $15.0 million loan (the “Lodge 30A JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $14.7 million and $13.3 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Lodge 30A JV Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.8% and matures in January 2028. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. In connection with the loan, we, wholly-owned subsidiaries of ours and our JV partner entered into a joint and several payment and performance guarantee in favor of the lender. Upon reaching a certain debt service coverage ratio for a minimum of twenty-four months, our liability as guarantor will be reduced to 75% of the outstanding principal amount for a twelve-month period. The debt service coverage ratio will be tested annually thereafter and will be reduced to 50% in year four and 25% in year five. We receive a monthly fee related to the guarantee from our JV partner based on the JV partner’s ownership percentage. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In March 2021, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $26.8 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “North Bay Landing Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $26.8 million and $18.2 million, respectively, was outstanding on the North Bay Landing Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.6%, with a floor of 3.3%. Upon reaching a certain debt service coverage ratio, the loan will bear interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.4%, with a floor of 3.1%. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR transitioned to SOFR. The loan matures in September 2024 and includes an option for an extension of the maturity date by eighteen months, subject to certain conditions. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. As guarantor, our liability under the loan has been reduced to 50% of the outstanding principal amount upon satisfaction of final advance conditions and will be further reduced to 25% of the outstanding principal amount upon reaching and maintaining a certain debt service coverage ratio. In addition, the guarantee can become full recourse in the case of any fraud or intentional misrepresentation or failure to abide by other certain obligations on the part of such guarantor. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information. In May 2023, we began the process to make available the option to refinance the North Bay Landing Loan by seeking a loan commitment to be insured by HUD.

In June 2021, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $28.0 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Watersound Camp Creek Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $28.0 million and $13.1 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Watersound Camp Creek Loan. The loan matures in December 2047. In February 2023, the loan was amended, which modified the interest rate from LIBOR plus 2.1%, with a floor of 2.6%, to SOFR plus 2.1%, with a floor of 2.6%. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. As guarantor, our liability under the loan will be reduced to 50% of the outstanding principal amount upon the project reaching and maintaining a trailing six months of operations with a certain debt service coverage ratio and reduced to 25% of the outstanding principal amount upon reaching and maintaining a trailing twelve months of operations with a certain debt service coverage ratio. In addition, the guarantee can become full recourse in the case of the failure of the guarantor to abide by or perform any of the covenants, warranties or other certain obligations to be performed on the part of such guarantor. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In August 2021, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $12.0 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Watersound Town Center Grocery Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $10.5 million and $11.4 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Watersound Town Center Grocery Loan. The loan bears interest at SOFR plus 2.1%, with a floor of 2.3%, and matures in August 2031. Effective July 1, 2023, the benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR transitioned to SOFR. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. As guarantor, our liability under the loan has been reduced to 50% of the outstanding principal amount and will be further reduced to 25% of the outstanding principal amount upon reaching a certain debt service coverage ratio and the project maintaining 93% occupancy for ninety consecutive days. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In October 2021, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $21.2 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Hotel Indigo Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $20.7 million and $10.4 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Hotel Indigo Loan. The loan bears interest a rate of SOFR plus 2.5%, with a floor of 2.5%. The loan matures in October 2028 and includes an option for an extension of the maturity date by sixty months, subject to certain conditions. The loan is secured by the leasehold property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In January 2022, Mexico Beach Crossings, LLC (the “Mexico Beach Crossings JV”) entered into a $43.5 million loan, insured by HUD (the “Mexico Beach Crossings JV Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $42.4 million and $23.4 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Mexico Beach Crossings JV Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.0% and matures in March 2064. The loan may not be prepaid prior to April 2024 and if any additional principal is prepaid from April 2024 through March 2034 a premium is due to the lender of 1% - 10%. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In July 2022, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $13.7 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (the “Topsail Hotel Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $12.3 million and $5.2 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Topsail Hotel Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 2.1%, with a floor of 3.0% and matures in July 2027. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In December 2022, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into a $37.0 million loan, which is guaranteed by us (“The Pearl Hotel Loan”). As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $35.5 million and $37.0 million, respectively, was outstanding on The Pearl Hotel Loan. The loan bears interest at a rate of 6.3% and matures in December 2032. The loan includes a prepayment fee due to the lender of 1% - 4% of the outstanding principal balance if the loan is refinanced with another financial institution through December 2027. The loan is secured by the real property and certain other Security Interests. See Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

CDD bonds financed the construction of infrastructure improvements in some of our communities. The principal and interest payments on the bonds are paid by assessments on the properties benefited by the improvements financed by the bonds. We have recorded a liability for CDD debt that is associated with platted property, which is the point at which it becomes fixed and determinable. Additionally, we have recorded a liability for the balance of the CDD debt that is associated with unplatted property if it is probable and reasonably estimable that we will ultimately be responsible for repayment. We have recorded CDD related debt of $3.0 million as of December 31, 2023. Total outstanding CDD debt related to our land holdings was $10.7 million as of December 31, 2023, which is comprised of $8.7 million at the SouthWood community, $1.9 million at the existing Pier Park retail center and less than $0.1 million at the Wild Heron residential community. We pay interest on this total outstanding CDD debt.

As of December 31, 2023, our unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, Watersound Fountains Independent Living JV, Pier Park TPS JV, Pier Park RI JV, Busy Bee JV and Electric Cart Watersound JV had various loans outstanding, some of which we have entered into guarantees. See Note 4. Joint Ventures and Note 20. Commitments and Contingencies included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

In 2020, we, as lender, entered into a $10.0 million secured revolving promissory note with the unconsolidated Latitude Margaritaville Watersound JV, as borrower (the “Latitude JV Note”). As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, there was no principal balance outstanding on the Latitude JV Note. The note was provided by us to finance the development of the pod-level, non-spine infrastructure. Future advances, if any, will be repaid by the JV as each home is sold by the JV, with the aggregate unpaid principal and all accrued and unpaid interest due at maturity in June 2025. The note is secured by a mortgage and security interest in and on the real property and improvements located on the real property of the JV. See Note 4. Joint Ventures and Note 20. Commitments and Contingencies included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we did not repurchase shares of our common stock outstanding. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 576,963 shares of our common stock outstanding at an average purchase price of $34.81, per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $20.0 million. See Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities and Note 15. Stockholders’ Equity included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Stock Repurchase Program and treasury stock retirement during 2022.

As part of a certain sale of timberlands in 2014, we generated significant tax gains. The installment note’s structure allowed us to defer the resulting federal and state tax liability of $45.6 million until 2029, the maturity date for the installment note. We have a deferred tax liability related to the gain in connection with the sale.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we were required to provide surety bonds that guarantee completion and maintenance of certain infrastructure in certain development projects and mitigation banks, as well as other financial guarantees of $40.0 million and $38.1 million, respectively, as well as standby letters of credit in the amount of $0.2 million and $17.3 million, respectively, which may potentially result in a liability to us if certain obligations are not met.

In conducting our operations, we routinely hold customers’ assets in escrow pending completion of real estate transactions, and are responsible for the proper disposition of these balances for our customers. These amounts are maintained in segregated bank accounts and have not been included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, consistent with U.S. GAAP and industry practice. The cash deposit accounts and offsetting liability balances for escrow deposits in connection with our title insurance agencies for real estate transactions were $10.0 million and $8.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. These escrow funds are not available for regular operations.

Summary of Cash Flows

A summary of our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities are as follows:

In millions

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Net cash flows provided by operating activities includes net income, adjustments for non-cash items, changes in operating assets and liabilities and expenditures related to assets ultimately planned to be sold, including developed and undeveloped land. Adjustments for non-cash items primarily include depreciation, depletion and amortization, unrealized loss on investments, net, equity in (income) loss from unconsolidated joint ventures, net of distributions, deferred income tax, cost of real estate sold and gain on contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures. Net cash provided by operations was $103.8 million in 2023, as compared to $48.2 million in 2022. During 2023 net income was $74.1 million, compared to $70.2 million in 2022. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to the changes in net income, expenditures for and acquisition of real estate to be sold, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and gain on insurance for damage to property and equipment, net, partially offset by the changes in cost of real estate sold and other assets during the year.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Net cash flows used in investing activities primarily includes capital expenditures for operating property and property and equipment used in our operations, purchases of investments and capital contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures, partially offset by proceeds from insurance claims, sales and maturities of investments, capital distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures and maturities of assets held by special purpose entities. During 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $99.1 million, which included capital expenditures for operating property and equipment, purchases of investments of U.S. Treasury Bills of $37.4 million and capital contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures of $2.3 million, partially offset by maturities of investments of $79.0 million, capital distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures of $0.7 million and maturities of assets held by special purpose entities of $0.8 million. During 2022, net cash used in investing activities was $189.8 million, which included capital expenditures for operating property and equipment, purchases of investments of U.S. Treasury Bills of $97.1 million and capital contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures of $2.5 million, partially offset by proceeds from insurance claims of $9.8 million, maturities of investments of $92.0 million, sales of investments of $54.3 million, capital distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures of $12.0 million and maturities of assets held by special purpose entities of $0.8 million.

Capital expenditures for operating property and property and equipment were $139.9 million and $259.1 million during 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were primarily for our commercial and hospitality segments, including the acquisition of The Pearl Hotel in 2022. See Note 3. Investment in Real Estate, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding the acquisition.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $40.8 million for 2023, compared to $112.5 million in 2022. Net cash provided by financing activities during 2023 included capital contributions from non-controlling interest of $1.4 million and borrowings on debt of $121.8 million, partially offset by capital distributions to non-controlling interest of $2.2 million, dividends paid of $25.7 million, principal payments for debt of $53.5 million, principal payments for finance leases of $0.1 million and debt issuance costs of $0.9 million. Net cash provided by financing activities during 2022 included capital contributions from non-controlling interest of $3.8 million and borrowings on debt of $184.5 million, partially offset by capital distributions to non-controlling interest of $2.4 million, additional ownership interest acquired in Pier Park North JV of $7.7 million, repurchase of common shares of $20.0 million, dividends paid of $23.5 million, principal payments for debt of $20.2 million, principal payments for finance leases of $0.1 million and debt issuance costs of $1.9 million.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base these estimates on historical experience, available current market information and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances. Additionally, we evaluate the results of these estimates on an on-going basis. Management’s estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions and our accounting estimates are subject to change.

Investment in Real Estate, Net and Cost of Real Estate Revenue. Costs associated with a specific real estate project are capitalized during the development period. These development costs include land and common development costs (such as roads, structures, utilities and amenities). We capitalize costs directly associated with development and construction of identified real estate projects. Indirect costs that clearly relate to a specific project under development, such as project administration, interest (up to total interest expense) and real estate taxes, may also be capitalized.

A portion of real estate development costs and estimates for costs to complete are allocated to each unit based on the relative sales value of each unit as compared to the estimated sales value of the total project. These estimates are reevaluated at least annually, and more frequently if warranted by market conditions, changes in the project’s scope or other factors, with any adjustments being allocated prospectively to the remaining property or units.

The capitalization period relating to direct and indirect project costs is the period in which activities necessary to ready a property for its intended use are in progress. The period begins when such activities commence, typically when we begin the site work or construction on land already owned, and ends when the asset is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. In the event that the activities to ready the asset for its intended use are suspended, the capitalization period will cease until such activities are resumed. If we determine not to complete a project, any previously capitalized costs that are not recoverable are expensed in the period in which the determination is made and recovery is not deemed probable.

Our investments in real estate are carried at cost, net of depreciation and timber depletion, unless circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. If we determine that an impairment exists due to the inability to recover an asset’s carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded to the extent that the carrying value exceeds estimated fair value. If such assets were held for sale, the provision for loss would be recorded to the extent that the carrying value exceeds estimated fair value less costs to sell.

Long-Lived Assets. Long-lived assets include our investments in land holdings, operating and development properties, investment in unconsolidated JV’s and property and equipment. Our investments in land holdings, operating and development properties and property and equipment are carried at cost, net of depreciation and timber depletion. We review our long-lived assets for impairment quarterly to determine whether events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. As part of our review for impairment of long-lived assets, we review the long-lived asset’s carrying value, current period actual financial results as compared to prior period and forecasted results contained in our business plan and any other events or changes in circumstances to identify whether an indicator of potential impairment may exist. Some of the events or changes in circumstances that are considered as indicators of potential impairment include:

• a prolonged decrease in the value to below cost or demand for the properties;
• a change in the expected use or development plans for the properties;
• a material change in strategy that would affect the value of our properties;
• continuing operating or cash flow losses for an operating property;
• an accumulation of costs in excess of the projected costs for development or operating property; and
• any other adverse change that may affect the value of the property.

We use varying methods to determine if an impairment exists, such as (i) considering indicators of potential impairment, (ii) analyzing expected future cash flows and comparing the expected future undiscounted cash flows of the property to its carrying value or (iii) determining market resale values.

The accounting estimate related to real estate impairment evaluation is susceptible to change due to the use of assumptions about future sales proceeds and future expenditures. For projects under development or construction, an estimate of future cash flows on an undiscounted basis is performed using estimated future expenditures necessary to maintain the existing project and using management’s best estimates about future sales prices and planned holding periods. Based on our investment return criteria for evaluating our projects under development or undeveloped land, management’s assumptions used in the projection of undiscounted cash flows include:

• the projected pace of sales of homesites based on estimated market conditions and our development plans;
• estimated pricing and projected price appreciation over time;
• the amount and trajectory of price appreciation over the estimated selling period;
• the length of the estimated development and selling periods, which can differ depending on the size of the development and the number of phases to be developed;
• the amount of remaining development costs, including the extent of infrastructure or amenities included in such development costs;
• holding costs to be incurred over the selling period;
• for bulk land sales of undeveloped and developed parcels, future pricing is based upon estimated developed homesite pricing less estimated development costs and estimated developer profit;
• for commercial, multi-family, self-storage and senior living development property, future pricing is based on sales of comparable property in similar markets; and
• whether liquidity is available to fund continued development.

For operating properties, an estimate of undiscounted cash flows requires management to make similar assumptions about the use and eventual disposition of such properties. Some of the significant assumptions that are used to develop the undiscounted cash flows include:

• for investments in hotels, other rental units and vacation rental homes, use of average occupancy and room rates, revenue from food and beverage and other amenity operations, operating expenses and capital expenditures, and eventual disposition of such properties as hotels, private residence vacation units or condominiums, based on current prices for similar units appreciated to the expected sale date;
• for investments in commercial, multi-family, self-storage, senior living or retail property, use of future occupancy and rental rates, operating expenses and capital expenditures and the amount of proceeds to be realized upon eventual disposition of such property at a terminal capitalization rate; and
• for investments in club, marina and retail assets, use of revenue from membership dues, future golf rounds and greens fees, boat slip rentals and boat storage fees, merchandise and other hospitality operations, operating expenses and capital expenditures, and the amount of proceeds to be realized upon eventual disposition of such properties at a multiple of terminal year cash flows.

Homesites substantially completed and ready for sale are measured at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. Management identifies homesites as being substantially completed and ready for sale when the properties are being actively marketed with intent to sell such properties in the near term and under current market conditions. Other homesites, which management does not intend to sell in the near term under current market conditions, are evaluated for impairment based on management’s best estimate of the long-term use and eventual disposition of such property.

Other properties that management does not intend to sell in the near term under current market conditions and has the ability to hold are evaluated for impairment based on management’s best estimate of the long-term use and eventual disposition of the property. Typically, assets are carried based on historical cost basis, which in some cases may exceed fair value if sold in the near term. The results of impairment analysis for development and operating properties are particularly dependent on the estimated holding and selling period for each asset group.

If a property is considered impaired, the impairment charge is determined by the amount the property’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. We use varying methods to determine fair value, such as (i) analyzing expected future cash flows, (ii) determining resale values in a given market, (iii) applying a capitalization rate to net operating income using prevailing rates in a given market or (iv) applying a multiplier to revenue using prevailing rates in a given market. The fair value of a property may be derived either from discounting projected cash flows at an appropriate discount rate, through appraisals of the underlying property, or a combination thereof.

We classify the assets and liabilities of a long-lived asset as held-for-sale when management approves and commits to a formal plan of sale and it is probable that a sale will be completed. The carrying value of the assets held-for-sale is then recorded at the lower of their carrying value or fair value less costs to sell.

Income Taxes. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, significant management judgment is required to estimate our income taxes. Our estimates are based on our interpretation of federal and state tax laws. We estimate our actual current tax due and assess temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. The temporary differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in our consolidated balance sheets. Adjustments may be required by a change in assessment of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes due to audit adjustments by federal and state tax authorities and changes in tax laws. To the extent adjustments are required in any given period, we will include the adjustments in the deferred tax assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets as needed based upon our analysis of the timing and reversal of future taxable amounts and our historical and future expectations of taxable income.

In general, a valuation allowance is recorded, if based on all the available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Realization of our deferred tax assets is dependent upon us generating sufficient taxable income in future years in the appropriate tax jurisdictions to obtain a benefit from the reversal of deductible temporary differences and from net loss carryforwards.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $11.0 million and $3.4 million, respectively, of federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”). The federal NOLs are specific to our QOF entity and do not expire. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had state net NOLs of $12.9 million and $121.1 million, respectively. The majority of these state NOLs are available to offset future taxable income through 2042 and will begin expiring in 2025. As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had a valuation allowance of $0.3 million against approximately $7.2 million of certain state NOLs. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had income tax payable of $9.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively, included within accounts payable and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 13. Income Taxes included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Reference Rate Reform

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, *Reference Rate Reform (“Topic 848”): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“*ASU 2020-04”) that provided temporary optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for or recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. This guidance provided expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria were met. The amendments applied only to contracts and hedging relationships that referenced LIBOR or another reference rate that was expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01, *Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) (“*ASU 2021-01”) which clarified the original guidance that certain optional expedients and exceptions in contract modifications and hedge accounting apply to derivatives that are affected by the discounting transition. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, *Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) - Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848 (“*ASU 2022-06”) that extended the temporary reference rate reform guidance under Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024. This new guidance was effective upon issuance and could be applied prospectively through December 31, 2024, as reference rate activities occurred. In 2022 and the first half of 2023, some of our debt agreements that referenced LIBOR were amended to an alternative rate and on July 1, 2023, the remainder of our debt agreements that referenced a benchmark interest rate index based on LIBOR automatically transitioned to SOFR. Topic 848 was applied at the time of these modifications and there was no impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Leases Common Control Arrangements

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-01, *Leases (“Topic 842”): Common Control Arrangements (“*ASU 2023-01”) that improved accounting guidance for arrangements between entities under common control. The new guidance required that leasehold improvements associated with common control leases be amortized by the lessee over the useful life of the leasehold improvements to the common control group, as long as the lessee controls the use of the underlying asset through a lease. When the lessee no longer controls the use of the underlying asset, the leasehold improvements are accounted for as a transfer between entities under common control through an adjustment to equity. We adopted this guidance as of December 31, 2023 and will apply the guidance prospectively to all new leasehold improvements recognized on or after adoption. As of December 31, 2023, there were no leasehold improvements associated with common control leases. The adoption of this guidance had no impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, *Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement (“*ASU 2023-05”) that requires a JV to apply a new basis of accounting upon formation by recognizing and initially measuring its assets and liabilities at fair value. This guidance will be effective prospectively for all JVs with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. A JV formed before January 1, 2025 may elect to apply the guidance retrospectively if sufficient information is available. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and related disclosures.

Segment Reporting

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, *Segment Reporting (“Topic 280”) – Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“*ASU 2023-07”) that requires an entity disclose, on an annual and interim basis, significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss. This guidance also requires that an entity disclose an amount and description of other segment items, provide all annual disclosures currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods and disclose the title and position of the CODM and how the CODM uses the reported measure of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. This guidance will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The guidance should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and related disclosures.

Income Taxes

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, *Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“*ASU 2023-09”) that increases transparency about income tax information by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid, disaggregated by jurisdiction. This guidance will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and related disclosures.

We are exposed to market risks primarily from interest rate fluctuations. We have investments in short-term U.S. Treasury Bills that have fixed interest rates for which changes in interest rates generally affect the fair value of the investment, but not the earnings or cash flows. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates would result in a decrease of $0.1 million in the market value of these investments as of December 31, 2023. Any realized gain or loss resulting from such interest rate changes would only occur if we sold the investments prior to maturity or if a decline in their value is determined to be related to credit loss.

We have historically been exposed, and in the future may again be exposed, to credit risk associated with Securities and these instruments are subject to price fluctuations as a result of changes in the financial market’s assessment of issuer credit quality, increases in delinquency and default rates, changes in prevailing interest rates and other economic factors. A downgrade of the U.S. government’s credit rating may also decrease the value of Securities.

Some of our cash and cash equivalents are invested in money market instruments. Changes in interest rates related to these investments would not significantly impact our results of operations.

We are subject to interest rate risk on our variable-rate debt and utilize derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to market risks from changes in interest rates on certain loans. We have entered into interest rate swap agreements designated as cash flow hedges to manage the interest rate risk associated with some of our variable rate debt, with changes in the fair value recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income. As of December 31, 2023, we had variable-rate debt outstanding totaling $196.7 million, of which $41.5 million was swapped to a fixed interest rate. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted average interest rate on our variable rate loans, excluding the swapped portion, based on SOFR was 7.6%. Based on the outstanding balance of these loans as of December 31, 2023, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in the applicable rate would result in an increase to our annual interest expense of $1.6 million. See Note 6. Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements and Note 10. Debt, Net included in Item 15 of this Form 10-K for additional information.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

(b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

(c) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;

(ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and

(iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, management used the criteria described in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

Based on our assessment and those criteria, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023. Management reviewed the results of their assessment with our Audit Committee. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 has been audited by Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their attestation report as follows.

(d) Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Board of Directors and Stockholders

The St. Joe Company

Opinion on internal control over financial reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of The St. Joe Company (a Florida corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, and our report dated February 21, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Grant Thornton LLP

Tampa, Florida

February 21, 2024