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ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION | ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Organization. Meritage Homes is a leading designer and builder of single-family homes. We primarily build in historically high-growth regions of the United States and offer a variety of homes that are designed to appeal primarily to first-time and first move-up buyers. We have homebuilding operations in three regions: West, Central and East, which are comprised of nine states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. We also operate a wholly-owned title company, Carefree Title Agency, Inc. ("Carefree Title"). Carefree Title's core business includes title insurance and closing/settlement services we offer to our homebuyers. Through our predecessors, we commenced our homebuilding operations in 1985. Meritage Homes Corporation was incorporated in 1988 in the state of Maryland. Our homebuilding activities are conducted under the name of Meritage Homes in each of our homebuilding markets. In limited cases, we also offer luxury homes under the brand name of Monterey Homes that are currently in close-out stages. At September 30, 2019, we were actively selling homes in 250 communities, with base prices ranging from approximately $182,000 to $1,286,000. Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Meritage Homes Corporation and those of our consolidated subsidiaries, partnerships and other entities in which we have a controlling financial interest, and of variable interest entities (see Note 3) in which we are deemed the primary beneficiary (collectively, “us”, “we”, “our” and “the Company”). Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments that are considered necessary for the fair presentation of our results for the interim periods presented. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full fiscal year. Cash and Cash Equivalents. Liquid investments with an initial maturity of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. Amounts in transit from title companies or closing agents for home closings of approximately $65.9 million and $76.1 million are included in cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Real Estate. Real estate is stated at cost unless the asset is determined to be impaired, at which point the inventory is written down to fair value as required by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360-10, Property, Plant and Equipment (“ASC 360-10”). Inventory includes the costs of land acquisition, land development, home construction, capitalized interest, real estate taxes, and capitalized direct overhead costs incurred during development, less impairments, if any. Land and development costs are typically allocated and transferred to homes when home construction begins. Home construction costs are accumulated on a per-home basis, while selling and marketing costs are expensed as incurred. Cost of home closings includes the specific construction costs of the home and all related allocated land acquisition, land development and other common costs (both incurred and estimated to be incurred) that are allocated based upon the total number of homes expected to be closed in each community or phase. Any changes to the estimated total development costs of a community or phase are allocated to the remaining homes in that community or phase. When a home closes, we may have incurred costs for goods and services that have not yet been paid. An accrued liability to capture such obligations is recorded in connection with the home closing and charged directly to Cost of home closings. We rely on certain estimates to determine our construction and land development costs. Construction and land costs are comprised of direct and allocated costs, including estimated future costs. In determining these costs, we compile project budgets that are based on a variety of assumptions, including future construction schedules and costs to be incurred. It is possible that actual results could differ from budgeted amounts for various reasons, including construction and weather delays, labor or material shortages, increases in costs that have not yet been committed, changes in governmental requirements, or other unanticipated issues encountered during construction and development and other factors beyond our control. To address uncertainty in these budgets, we assess, update and revise project budgets on a regular basis, utilizing the most current information available to estimate home construction and land development costs. Typically, a community's life cycle ranges from three to five years, commencing with the acquisition of the land, continuing through the land development phase, if applicable, and concluding with the sale, construction and closing of the homes. Actual community lives will vary based on the size of the community, the sales absorption rate and whether the land purchased was raw, partially-developed or in finished status. Master-planned communities encompassing several phases and super-block land parcels may have significantly longer lives and projects involving smaller finished lot purchases may be shorter. All of our land inventory and related real estate assets are reviewed for recoverability, as our inventory is considered “long-lived” in accordance with GAAP. Impairment charges are recorded to write down an asset to its estimated fair value if the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset are lower than its carrying amount. Our determination of fair value is based on projections and estimates. Changes in these expectations may lead to a change in the outcome of our impairment analysis, and actual results may also differ from our assumptions. Such an analysis is conducted if there is an indication of a decline in value of our land and real estate assets. If an impairment of a community is required, the impairment charges are allocated to each lot on a straight-line basis. Deposits. Deposits paid for land options and purchase contracts are recorded and classified as Deposits on real estate under option or contract until the related land is purchased. Deposits are reclassified as a component of real estate inventory at the time the deposit is applied to the acquisition price of the land based on the terms of the underlying agreements. To the extent they are non-refundable, deposits are charged to expense if the land acquisition contract is terminated or no longer considered probable. Since our acquisition contracts typically do not require specific performance, we do not consider such contracts to be contractual obligations to purchase the land and our total exposure under such contracts is limited to the loss of the non-refundable deposits and any ancillary capitalized costs. Our deposits on real estate under option or contract were $45.6 million and $51.4 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Goodwill. In accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles, Goodwill and Other ("ASC 350"), we analyze goodwill on an annual basis (or whenever indication of impairment exists) through a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is necessary to perform a goodwill impairment test. Such qualitative factors include: (1) macroeconomic conditions, such as a deterioration in general economic conditions, (2) industry and market considerations such as deterioration in the environment in which the entity operates, (3) cost factors such as increases in raw materials and labor costs, and (4) overall financial performance such as negative or declining cash flows or a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings. If the qualitative analysis determines that additional impairment testing is required, impairment testing in accordance with ASC 350 would be initiated. We continually evaluate our qualitative inputs to assess whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the goodwill balance may not be recoverable. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements - Joint Ventures. We may participate in 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, although our participation in such ventures is currently very limited. See Note 5 for additional discussion of our investments in unconsolidated entities. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements - Other. In the normal course of business, we may acquire lots from various development entities pursuant to option and purchase agreements. The purchase price generally approximates the market price at the date the contract is executed (with possible future escalators). See Note 3 for additional information on these off-balance sheet arrangements. Surety Bonds and Letters of Credit. We may provide surety bonds or letters of credit in support of our obligations relating to the development of our projects and other corporate purposes. Surety bonds are generally posted in lieu of letters of credit or cash deposits. The amount of these obligations outstanding at any time varies depending on the stage and level of completion of our development activities. Bonds are generally not released until all development activities under the bond are complete. In the event a bond or letter of credit is drawn upon, we would be obligated to reimburse the issuer for any amounts advanced under the bond or letter of credit. We believe it is unlikely that any significant amounts of these bonds or letters of credit will be drawn upon. The table below outlines our surety bond and letter of credit obligations (in thousands):
| As of
| September 30, 2019 |  | December 31, 2018
| Outstanding |  | Estimated work remaining to complete |  | Outstanding |  | Estimated work remaining to complete
Sureties: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sureties related to owned projects and lots under contract | $ | 378,154 |  |  | $ | 171,108 |  |  | $ | 339,221 |  |  | $ | 133,662 |
Total Sureties | $ | 378,154 |  |  | $ | 171,108 |  |  | $ | 339,221 |  |  | $ | 133,662 |
Letters of Credit (“LOCs”): |  |  |  |  |  |  |
LOCs for land development | 48,943 |  |  | N/A |  |  | 70,287 |  |  | N/A |
LOCs for general corporate operations | 3,750 |  |  | N/A |  |  | 3,750 |  |  | N/A |
Total LOCs | $ | 52,693 |  |  | N/A |  |  | $ | 74,037 |  |  | N/A |
Accrued Liabilities. Accrued liabilities at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 consisted of the following (in thousands):
|  | As of
|  | September 30, 2019 |  | December 31, 2018
Accruals related to real estate development and construction activities |  | $ | 76,988 |  |  | $ | 54,589 |
Payroll and other benefits |  | 50,767 |  |  | 60,209 |
Accrued interest |  | 33,703 |  |  | 13,296 |
Accrued taxes |  | 15,006 |  |  | 7,548 |
Warranty reserves |  | 21,311 |  |  | 24,552 |
Lease liability (1) |  | 33,148 |  |  | — |
Other accruals |  | 9,179 |  |  | 17,668 |
Total |  | $ | 240,102 |  |  | $ | 177,862 |
(1) | Refer to Note 4 for additional information related to our leases.
Warranty Reserves. We provide home purchasers with limited warranties against certain building defects and we have certain obligations related to those post-construction warranties for closed homes. The specific terms and conditions of these limited warranties vary by state, but overall the nature of the warranties include a complete workmanship and materials warranty for the first year after the close of the home, a major mechanical warranty for two years after the close of the home and a structural warranty that typically extends up to 10 years after the close of the home. With the assistance of an actuary, we have estimated the reserves for the structural warranty based on the number of homes still under warranty and historical data and trends for our communities. We may use industry data with respect to similar product types and geographic areas in markets where our experience is incomplete to draw a meaningful conclusion. We regularly review our warranty reserves and adjust them, as necessary, to reflect changes in trends as information becomes available. Included in the warranty reserve balances at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 reflected in the table below are case-specific reserves for two warranty matters related to (1) alleged stucco defects in Florida; and (2) a foundation design and performance matter affecting a single community in Texas. A summary of changes in our warranty reserves follows (in thousands):
| Three Months Ended September 30, |  | Nine Months Ended September 30,
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Balance, beginning of period | $ | 20,927 |  |  | $ | 23,659 |  |  | $ | 24,552 |  |  | $ | 23,328 |
Additions to reserve from new home deliveries | 4,150 |  |  | 4,092 |  |  | 11,425 |  |  | 11,645 |
Warranty claims | (3,766 | ) |  | (4,887 | ) |  | (14,666 | ) |  | (12,109 | )
Adjustments to pre-existing reserves | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Balance, end of period | $ | 21,311 |  |  | $ | 22,864 |  |  | $ | 21,311 |  |  | $ | 22,864 |
Warranty reserves are included in Accrued liabilities on the accompanying unaudited consolidated balance sheets, and additions and adjustments to the reserves, if any, are included in Cost of home closings within the accompanying unaudited consolidated income statements. These reserves are intended to cover costs associated with our contractual and statutory warranty obligations, which include, among other items, claims involving defective workmanship and materials. We believe that our total reserves, coupled with our contractual relationships and rights with our trade partners and the general liability insurance we maintain, are sufficient to cover our general warranty obligations. However, as unanticipated changes in legal, weather, environmental or other conditions could have an impact on our actual warranty costs, future costs could differ significantly from our estimates. We have received claims related to stucco installation from homeowners in certain Florida communities and based on the information available to us we have established reserves to cover our anticipated net exposure related to these claims. Our review of these stucco related matters is ongoing and our estimate of future costs of repairs is based on our judgment, various assumptions and internal data. Due to the degree of judgment and the potential for variability in our underlying assumptions and data, as we obtain additional information, we may revise our estimate. As of September 30, 2019, after taking into account potential recovery under our general liability insurance policies and potential recoveries from the contractors involved and their insurers, we believe our reserves are sufficient to cover the repairs related to the existing stucco claims. Additionally, we have received claims related to a foundation design and performance matter affecting a single community in Texas requiring repairs to be made to homes within that community. A significant amount of the identified repairs have been made, however, repair efforts are ongoing and our estimate of costs to resolve this matter are updated regularly as progress is made. As of September 30, 2019, taking into account sources of future potential recovery from contractors involved with the design and construction of the homes and their insurers as well as from our general liability insurer, we believe our reserves are sufficient to cover repairs and related claims. See Note 16 in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding both of these matters. Revenue Recognition. In accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, we apply the following steps in determining the timing and amount of revenue to recognize: (1) identify the contract with our customer; (2) identify the performance obligation(s) in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, if applicable; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy the performance obligation. The performance obligation and subsequent revenue recognition for our three sources of revenue are outlined below:
• | Revenue from closings of residential real estate is recognized when closings have occurred, the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred to the buyer, and we have no continuing involvement with the property, which is generally upon the close of escrow. Revenue is reported net of any discounts and incentives.
• | Revenue from land sales is recognized when a significant down payment is received, title passes, and collectability of the receivable is reasonably assured, and we have no continuing involvement with the property, which is generally upon the close of escrow.
• | Revenue from financial services is recognized when closings have occurred and all financial services have been rendered, which is generally upon the close of escrow.
Revenue expected to be recognized in any future year related to remaining performance obligations (if any) and contract liabilities expected to be recognized as revenue, excluding revenue pertaining to contracts that have an original expected duration of one year or less, is not material. Our three sources of revenue are disaggregated by type in the accompanying unaudited consolidated income statements. Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract ("ASU 2018-15"), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. Entities will need to consider both the nature of the costs and the phase of development in which the implementation costs are incurred to determine whether the costs should be capitalized or expensed. ASU 2018-15 is effective for us beginning January 1, 2020. ASU 2018-15 may be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We plan to adopt ASU 2018-15 prospectively. We do not expect adoption to have a material impact on our financial statement disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement ("ASU 2018-13"), which eliminates, adds, and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for us beginning January 1, 2020. As we currently only have Level 2 financial instruments, we do not expect adoption to have a material impact on our financial statement disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 amended the previous accounting standards for lease accounting and resulted in the requirement that lessees recognize leases with lease terms of greater than twelve months on their balance sheets. We adopted ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019 using a modified retrospective method and did not restate prior period financial statements. We elected the practical expedient package which allows us to carry forward our original assessment of whether contracts contained leases, lease classification and the initial direct costs. We also elected the practical expedient that allows lessees the option to account for lease and non-lease components together as a single component for all classes of underlying assets. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in a gross up on our consolidated balance sheet for right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liabilities of $20.5 million and $28.7 million, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. Our ROU assets are included in the Prepaids, other assets and goodwill line item and the corresponding lease obligations are included in the Accrued liabilities line item on our consolidated balance sheet. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 had no impact on our consolidated income statements.

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