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Investments In Unconsolidated Entities | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2012
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities [Abstract] |
INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES | NOTE 4 — INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES In the past, we have entered into land development joint ventures as a means of accessing larger parcels of land and lot positions, expanding our market opportunities, managing our risk profile and leveraging our capital base. Based on the structure of these joint ventures, they may or may not be consolidated into our results. Our joint venture partners generally are other homebuilders, land sellers or other real estate investors. We generally do not have a controlling interest in these ventures, which means our joint venture partners could cause the venture to take actions we disagree with, or fail to take actions we believe should be undertaken, including the sale of the underlying property to repay debt or recoup all or part of the partners’ investments. As of June 30, 2012, we had two active equity-method land ventures. Due to the current homebuilding environment, although we view our involvement with land joint ventures to be beneficial, we do not view such involvement as critical to the success of our homebuilding operations. We also participate in six mortgage and title business joint ventures. The mortgage joint ventures are engaged in mortgage activities and they provide services to both our clients and other homebuyers. Although some of these ventures originate mortgage loans, we have limited recourse related to any mortgages originated by these ventures. Our investments in mortgage and title joint ventures as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively. For land development joint ventures, we, and in some cases our joint venture partners, usually receive an option or other similar arrangement to purchase portions of the land held by the joint venture. Option prices are generally negotiated prices that approximate market value when we enter into the option contract. For these ventures, our share of the joint venture profit relating to lots we purchase from the joint ventures is deferred until homes are delivered by us and title passes to a homebuyer. Therefore, we allocate the portion of such joint venture profit to the land acquired by us as a reduction in the basis of the property. Summarized condensed financial information related to unconsolidated joint ventures that are accounted for using the equity method was as follows (in thousands):
|  | At June 30, 2012 |  |  | At December 31, 2011 |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash |  |  | 3,532 |  |  |  | 4,530 |
Real estate |  |  | 44,432 |  |  |  | 44,764 |
Other assets |  |  | 4,870 |  |  |  | 3,946 |
Total assets |  | $ | 52,834 |  |  | $ | 53,240 |
Liabilities and equity: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable and other liabilities |  |  | 2,929 |  |  |  | 4,534 |
Notes and mortgages payable |  |  | 21,039 |  |  |  | 20,923 |
Equity of: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Meritage (1) |  |  | 9,865 |  |  |  | 9,351 |
Other |  |  | 19,001 |  |  |  | 18,432 |
Total liabilities and equity |  | $ | 52,834 |  |  | $ | 53,240 |
|  | Three Months Ended June 30, |  |  | Six Months Ended June 30, |
|  | 2012 |  |  | 2011 |  |  | 2012 |  |  | 2011 |
Revenue |  | $ | 4,622 |  |  | $ | 4,533 |  |  | $ | 8,465 |  |  | $ | 7,648 |
Costs and expenses |  |  | (2,502 | ) |  |  | (2,974 | ) |  |  | (4,539 | ) |  |  | (5,235 | )
Net earnings of unconsolidated entities |  | $ | 2,120 |  |  | $ | 1,559 |  |  | $ | 3,926 |  |  | $ | 2,413 |
Meritage’s share of pre-tax earings (1)(2)(3) |  | $ | 2,228 |  |  | $ | 1,226 |  |  | $ | 3,651 |  |  | $ | 2,134 |
(1) | Balance represents Meritage’s interest, as reflected in the financial records of the respective joint ventures. This balance may differ from the balance reflected in our condensed consolidated balance sheets due to the following reconciling items: (i) timing differences for revenue and distributions recognition, (ii) step-up basis and corresponding amortization, (iii) income deferrals as discussed in Note (3) below and (iv) the cessation of allocation of losses from joint ventures in which we have previously impaired our investment balance to zero and we have no commitment to fund additional losses.
(2) | The joint venture financial statements above represent the most recent information available to us.
(3) | Our share of pre-tax earnings is recorded in “Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net” on our consolidated statements of operations and excludes joint venture profit related to lots we purchased from the joint ventures. Such profit is deferred until homes are delivered by us and title passes to a homebuyer.
Our investments in unconsolidated entities include $1.0 million at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, related to the difference between the amounts at which our investments are carried and the amount of our portion of the venture’s equity. These amounts are amortized as the assets of the respective joint ventures are sold. No amortization was recorded for these assets in the first half of 2012 or 2011. The joint venture assets and liabilities noted in the table above primarily represent two active land ventures, six mortgage and title ventures and various inactive ventures in which we have a total investment of $12.2 million. As of June 30, 2012, we believe these ventures are in compliance with their respective debt agreements, if applicable, and except for $338,000 of our limited repayment guarantees as discussed in Note 1 to these unaudited consolidated financial statements, the debt is non-recourse to us.

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